Alright, we recently adopted 2 kids and I've been putting together a bugout bag for each of them. They're small, light bags with just a few essentials, fire making, water purification, lights, change of clothes, shelter making, some small creature comforts. The idea is they'll IDEALLY be with me and my wife but I'm trying to tailor the bags so that they can still either get to the BOL, or get to my brothers house without me should the worst happen.

I want to put a list of stuff for them to remember to do/not to do in their bags. Type it up and laminate it so they'll remember the stuff I've taught them or tell them stuff they may not have picked up. My question is, what would you put on a list? If your kids had to cross some land and fend for themselves without you, what would you want to make sure they remembered?

Stuff like this:
• Stay off main roads, but keep your bearings
• Keep the light from your fires hidden
• Don't trust anyone you don't know, try to avoid people
• Remember to be careful with your knives. They're great tools, probably your most important one, but they can hurt you
• If you get a cut or get hurt somehow, stop and address it asap

What else?

have a sit down and watch "The Road" reality is what it is......

Good ideas:

Teach young children the difference between cover and concealment. The odds are incredibly small that such knowledge is needed, but it's invaluable.

Teach them the password so they know that only someone who knows that word can contact or pick them up, if something happens to you.

Teach them responsibility by providing them with a house key and tell them you expect them to keep that key and have it at all times. (If a bit older and responsible, make that a cell phone.)

The card should have phone contact numbers for both within the region and outside of the region for phone contacts. (Sometimes you can't get through locally across to each other, but both can reach long distance.)





Teach them the Cooper Awareness Colors because it does create awareness.

White is a state of totally blissful unawareness. It's a horrific state to be in when something bad can happen. We only are there when asleep if we're wise. Sheeple are generally in this state and that's why they're often 'surprised' when others wouldn't be.

Yellow is a state of wariness and it's not stressful to stay there for waking hours and it's where people should be, functioning, doing things, but responsive and aware should things occur. Paying a bit of attention. A person who is in yellow and wary can avoid many problems because he can react more quickly when things change or he can simply read a room and not linger. It's hard to go from white (bliss) to red (action) but not from yellow (aware) to red (action).

Orange is a definite, indentified threat, something specific and focus. Someone's voice has raised, and there's a change in a crowd. Someone is clenching his fist and coming toward you with his voice raised but hasn't struck you. Someone is moving in on someone else and reaching for something. These are orange (alert). In a confrontation, orange can last anywhere from seconds to actual hours.

Red is you must act. You might flee or you might fight, but you have to act because it's happening. Red is what we train for in self defense, it's the most critical seconds or minutes of your life.

Black is now considered to be catatonic, or out of it. Unresponsive, uncontrolled. It's a state you don't want to ever be in. In the past, some included black as being a potential state where you black out and find yourself covered with blood and your threat neutralized, but that's not considered much. Black means you're not reacting right either way, so you don't want to go there. You can go from white (bliss) to black (out of it completely) quickly if you aren't aware and there is a threat that attacks.



PissedoffCoyote: Good idea, have them sit down and watch the Road and tell them that that whiny little B*tch boy is how not to be. Man, that was annoying and unrealistic. Scared children generally don't whine and make noises when it's terrifying and the threat is close! Nor do most boys run after another boy stranger like a sailor after a sweet young thing after just witnessing a cannibal lair! This movie has an acceptance of the male not acting like a male and acting like a prissy sexless Euro.

Remember to stay calm!
Stick together don't wonder off from one another.
Keep moving never stay in one area to long you might become targets that way.
One of them needs to take charge and the other follow there lead.
Manage and conserve food and water if needed.
If you have doubts about something such as having to scale a hill side find a different route
Remember to stay calm!
If u have to rest find a secluded location that doesn't look traveled.
If u can teach them how to cover or watch there tracks

Excellent. Keep it coming. I'm working on the letter now, when I finish it, I'll post it for us to review.

Perhaps some reminder for what's poisonous, if you live in an area where such things are prevalent. Here we have everything from rattlesnakes to poison ivy to brown recluse....eating something they may have foraged when with you should be an absolute no-no, unless you are confident in their plant identification. If you have proposed routes to stay on, perhaps reminders or landmarks, umm some kind of first aid pamphlet in case one of them should become injured. My daughter's too young to do much by herself, but this is a great idea for when she's ready. Thanks!

Also u might have this for them but a decent set of two way radio with a decent range and lots of channels. Have a set privacy channel for them to stick to in case they were to get separated by some chance they will have a way to try and get back in touch with one another I would recommend midland they make a set that has a range of about 35 miles also has ear buds to help keep down the noise. And tons of private channels. I have a set in my bobs. And show them how to use the if u have them. Nothing worse than getting out in the sh!t and trying to figure out how to operate something new in stressful situations. Remember it's all about staying calm the. More you know the better your chances you won't panic.

Also another thought just throwing this out there. Give them the radios each a compass and map and an adult with each kid and go 3 4 miles in different directions and see how the kids do on there on trying to find one another. And try your best not to interfere give them set directions on how to use a compass and how to meet in the middle using the compass and map and sun direction can help too in this situation remember you don't want them yelling out to one another this would give away a few things. There location and most likely there pitch in voice that they are young and easy prey.

Here's what I have (I'm changing the names and locations):

KID1 and KID2,

If you're into the bug-out bags and I'm not around, it's possible that something super bad has happened around us, and possibly something has happened to me and/or your mom.

Your first job right now is to STAY PUT, and stay out of sight. Unless, for some reason, you can't stay in the house (like it's on fire or there are so many people running around crazy it's not safe), I need you to stay in the house. Make it look like there's nobody home, get the dogs inside, lock it up, and wait. THEIR UNCLE knows to come and get you and will be there as soon as he can. If you can call him and talk to him, do that. Your phone might not work, but try (his number is XXX-XXX-XXXX, THEIR AUNT is XXX-XXX-XXXX) and keep trying. Get your bags together and keep them close. Also, gather up all the food out of the pantry, and the back hall closet, and put it in bags or boxes to take with you when he gets there. Get up into the attic and get the camping stuff and the water down. If any of that is to heavy (like the big, blue water jugs) just let THEIR UNCLE get it. He'll know how to get what guns and ammunition he needs so leave that stuff alone.

If you HAVE to leave (and, again, it should ONLY be an emergency that causes you to have to leave) get your bags, put a change of clothes in them, get a jacket if it's cold, fill your water bottles up, and go. Try to make sure you're wearing dark clothes so you won't stand out and stay off the roads. You can follow the roads, but walk behind buildings, and through the woods and neighborhoods, off the main roads. The main idea here is the STAY AWAY from people. I'm attaching a map of 2 different ways to get to AUNT AND UNCLE's house. Leave a note on the water heater telling UNCLE you've left for their house so he knows where you are. Keep moving, if you have to rest, make sure it's a safe area, with nobody around. You have everything you need in your bags to get where you need to go and to stay safe and comfortable, but get some extra food that's easy to carry (granola bars, candy, make some sandwiches, jerky - small stuff that isn't heavy) to eat on the way because it may take you a while to get there. Mostly what you'll need is shelter, water, food and fire and you can get all that out of your bags.

Make a tent out of your brown tarp and string. If it's raining try to stay dry. Being wet is miserable and makes it harder to get anywhere fast. It is usually terrible for your feet and you need to take care of your feet. Also, if it's cold, being wet will make you even colder so get under a shelter any time you need to.

You have lighters, matches, and fire steel in your bags (remember the fire steel is REALLY hard to use though); light the fire sticks and pile wood, small stuff first, then bigger onto them until it catches. Try to keep your fires small and out of sight, you don't want to attract people who don't know how to make their own fires. Those people are trouble. People who can't take care of themselves are the ones that will try to take stuff from you, and maybe hurt you to get it, so don't trust anybody you don't know.

If you're thirsty, drink, but don't waste the water. If you run out, use the 2 bottles of pills to make new, drinkable water (read the instructions on the bottles). Pour the water through a bandanna or a t-shirt first, to remove any dirt in it, then use the pills. If you can put the metal bottle in a fire to heat it up and boil it, that will kill germs too but be careful they get REALLY hot so use your pliers tool to move the hot bottles around.

Remember to be careful with your knives. They're great tools, probably your most important one, but they can hurt you. If you get a cut or get hurt somehow, stop and address it right then, or as soon as it's safe to. Don't try to keep going if you're hurt, fix it because it will only get worse if you ignore it.

If UNCLE isn't home, wait for him. If you have to break into their house, that's ok, just make it look like no one is there and stay out of sight. Wait for him for as long as there's food there, or as long as it's safe (their bug-out bags and emergency food stock is in the closet in the front bedroom) and then, if he doesn't show up, you'll need to get out to OUR PRIMARY BOL. This is a long, long way away and it won't be easy, but there will be people out there you can trust and who will help you. When you get there, remind them you're my kids and you'll be fine. I'm putting a map in here that will get you out to BOL too. The same rules apply for traveling, leave UNCLE a note to tell him where you are, stay away from people you don't know, stay off the main roads, and use your bags.

Here's the most important stuff for you to remember:
Try to have some fun. Make games out of the jobs you have to do, try to do something fun every day, even if it's just for a few minutes for a game of "I Spy" or a guessing game. Tell jokes, make fun of people, whatever. Just try to do something fun.

The BEST thing you have is each other. A lot of people will be alone right now. You're going to disagree but try not to fight. Make decisions together and then HELP each other carry them out. A lot of people are also going to be freaking out around you, and the people who make it through all these bad things are going to be the people who DO NOT PANIC. Think through your decisions together. You'll be surprised at how easy it is to find the right choice if you just stop and think about it for a minute. Stick together, stay quiet, NEVER be apart, and protect each other no matter what.

Most important of all, remember that everything happens for a reason, and everything is in God's hands, even if it seems bad or scary at the time. Pray about the things you have to do, pray about the things going on around you, pray for help. Hopefully, talking to God will make everything feel better.

No matter what happens or what has happened, mom and I love you guys a ton and we'll see you soon.

Papa.

Very good plans and details