The Little Things That Really Count

It’s autumn, so a Florida man’s (and woman’s) fancy turns to thoughts of hurricanes, which in turn means thoughts about “prepping.” YouTube has been serving me up videos of various “EDC” (everyday carry) kits, and one of them is called a “FEAR” pack, which is short for “Forget Everything And Run.” I kinda like the name, as it really explains what this sort of bag is all about. You’re not at home, and you’ve got to leave NOW. Not, ok, let me finish sending this email now, but if you don’t go now, the ceiling will literally collapse on top of you now. 

I’ve written about this sort of bag in the past, and there is one like it in every car we own. However, this particular video shows off four common mistakes I’ve noticed with this sort of gear  

1. A complete lack of disposable cash in the bag. Given the choice between huddling in the dark under an emergency blanket or spending the night in a Motel Six, gimme the hotel any day of the week. Have at least enough spare cash (in smaller bills) in your bag to fill up your tank, buy a couple of cheap meals and pay for a cheap hotel room. Why rough it when you don’t need to? 
2. Trauma gear. Great, glad you got that tick removal tool and three different sets of fish hooks. None of that will matter if you sever a major artery.
   
3. Don’t carry your pistol NEAR you, carry it ON you. Leaving a gun in that bag means leaving a gun unattended in your car, and that breaks the Zeroeth Rule Of Gun Safety: Never let unauthorized people have access to your guns.
   
4. No headlamp. Having a light shine on where you are working is in-bloody-valuable. Even a cheap, sub-$20 is better than trying to prop up a flashlight on a tire nut or struggle to hold a flashlight with one hand and perform complex operations with the other.

All in all, though, get a bag like this, and have in handy inside the cab of vehicle, not in the trunk. You want to be able to grab it and go NOW, not stop, pop up your trunk and grab your kit.
A kit like this is needed because doesn’t care about your desires and goals. Nature has an agenda all its own, and it’s our agenda to be ready for whatever gets thrown our way. 

Plan accordingly.