# One crucial item many preppers forget



## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

_I am on a mailing list for this web site, and got this in my email this week. I thought it actually was a good reminder, so here it is:_

I'm sure you agree.

Hollywood and television absolutely LOVE doomsday and
survival themed shows and movies because they sell.

With all this hype, it's easy to get caught up with worrying
about those less probable end-of-the-world scenarios...

...but at the same time_ fail to prepare for the ones more likely
to happen._

As a result, it's those smaller "disasters" like a job loss, a temporary
blackout, a regional storm, or even a house fire that get overlooked.

So, a question for you...

What if one of these "smaller" emergencies forced you and
your family to suddenly leave your home?

Again, not because of any global catastrophe or economic collapse but
because of something like a local earthquake or house fire.

Well, in times like these, there's one very important piece of "bug-out
gear" that most preppers forget...

...It's something I like to call a *Bug-Out Binder.*

A Bug-Out Binder is your own "quick grab" personal emergency-
reference manual.

It is designed to contain all the information and documentation that
you would need to rebuild your life in the event of a disaster, as well
as a detailed action plan to guide you through that event.

Remember, the world is still spinning and the economy is still moving
along -- it's just that your life took a slight detour.

Well, there's no better way of getting quickly back on track than having
a Bug-Out Binder.

So what do you put into one?

Every Bug-Out Binder should have the following three components:

1. Your Vital Records,
2. A Bug-Out Plan, and
3. A Cash Reserve

Let's look at each of these...

Vital Records:

Your vital records are the documented "proof" that who-you-say-you-are
and what-you-say-you-have is true.

In other words, these are the documents that you would need to rebuild
your life if your home were destroyed through some form of disaster.

A Bug-Out Plan:

If things went south and you and your family had to high-tail it out of town,
it's absolutely crucial that you have a plan.

Your Bug-Out Plan will serve as the key piece of intelligence
that you will refer to when disaster strikes.

A Cash Reserve:

This serves as a small insurance policy in case you were unable
to get to an ATM or Bank.

At minimum $100 but ideally $1000 is what you want to keep in
your binder.

Stay safe,

- Erich

P.S. - This information is just a tiny sampling of what you'll learn
in Prepper Academy -- the ultimate "take you by the hand"
end-to-end prepping program available.

>> Check out Prepper Academy here


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

I'll add to this if I may.

First, if it's a house fire, all bets are off. Just get the hell out and worry about it later. _I do keep a contingency box outside of the house that contains copies of pertinent records as well as thumb drives of pictures and such of house contents._

If it's other than a house fire:


I keep what's listed in the OP in a waterproof Pelican case sitting in the safe. Open the safe and grab it if you're leaving.


Magnetized on the side of the safe is a list of all the different bug-out bags and which to consider for the level of bugging out. I use 4 levels, the lowest being we're leaving for 2-3 days, the highest being we're never coming back.


Each bag also has a tag that matches the list as well as a list of the contents. E.g. Sleeping gear, NBC gear... You can then grab what you need for a given situation.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

This is more commonly known as the Household Binder. Take a look at Pinterest and you will see several hundred different posts from as many bloggers about this. Some even offer free printable pages you can print and fill out for your own binder.


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

good points there..i think that having 2 Bug-Out Binders is idea.have 1 in said vehicle at all times.and 1 in the home.update the one in the home when needed.then swap them out,and update the one that was brought into the home..


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

ZoomZoom said:


> I'll add to this if I may.
> 
> First, if it's a house fire, all bets are off. Just get the hell out and worry about it later. _I do keep a contingency box outside of the house that contains copies of pertinent records as well as thumb drives of pictures and such of house contents._


Stuff happens and that is why we prepare. A thumb drive, or several, is one way to have backups of important documents and information. Another way is off-site storage, such as Dropbox. I have scanned most of my documents and have stored them digitally in several places. Also, photocopies in a few places, not all in the same building and location, are good ideas.


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## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

jimLE said:


> good points there..i think that having 2 Bug-Out Binders is idea.have 1 in said vehicle at all times.and 1 in the home.update the one in the home when needed.then swap them out,and update the one that was brought into the home..


As a LEO I would not recommend carrying one of these binders in your vehicle. Since the type of information that it contains is so sensitive I wouldn't keep it in a vehicle unless it was locked inside a break/pry proof box inside the car. Carrying vital records in a vehicle is asking for identity theft.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Fireproofing your valuables and more..........*

The average house fire burns at a temperature of about 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, which isn't hot enough to destroy most metals and earthly-made substances. And if an item is well-placed and small in size, its chances of survival increase drastically. So with that in mind here are some good ideas to store your valuables that don`t cost much or just make copies and the originals should be in a safe deposit box.
http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Resistant-Briefcase-Style-Bag/dp/B00DO79LLK

http://www.sentrysafe.com/Series/2/Personal_Files

Or with the use of a few fire brick you an make your own fire proof box or outdoor oven.
http://www.rath-usa.com/porrath_insulating_firebrick.php


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

Beside the info mentioned in the OP. Keep all of the information, phone numbers, names, etc. of everything in your cell phone or smart phone in the binder, along with emergency contacts. 

Other information to have is health care information, medications, doctors names and numbers, addresses, hospital locations in the next city, towing companies in your city and the next nearest city.

I don't have the time to lists the rest but you get the idea.


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## 101airborne (Jan 29, 2010)

I agree having some kind of reference manual is great. I've got some as well as flash drives (password protected) as well as a dedicated tablet with the info. HOWEVER IMO the most overlooked prep is KNOWLEDGE!!! The experience and practice to do what is contained in that binder! Same with having the gadgets and gizmos! If you don't know HOW to build a fire. Or build a shelter, how to forage for food or properly prep and cook it you're screwed.


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## IlliniWarrior (Nov 30, 2010)

flashdrive the critical personal data and then protect the flashdrive against damage - including EMP effects .... I cushion the drive and store in metal waterproof/crushproof match safes ...


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I like to keep important documents, cash, data storgae, etc, in fire resistant/water resistant containers, even if they are also within a safe. Many would say that that is overboard but it cost peanuts in the long run and it gives me a bit of piece of mind after events me and mine have experienced in the past, including prior generations.

I don't want to be grabbing a bunch of flammable, water damageable papers if forced to evac. and I would really hate to leave them anywhere unattended.


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## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

My safe is fire resistant so I love all my goodies in there. It's a tad heavy at over 600 lbs. empty I would have to come back for the contents. Outside of a hole opening up and swallowing my house down I should be able to get at my stuff. After talking to people who actually survived a house fire they all said pretty much the same thing. Clothing and furniture are easily replaced but what they missed most was the irreplaceable pictures. So I copy all my pics onto separate external hard drives and have them secured so that I can put up the same old pics on the brand new walls!


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

mojo4 said:


> I copy all my pics onto separate external hard drives and have them secured so that I can put up the same old pics on the brand new walls!


They may be fireproof & waterproof, but they're not heat proof. Won't the heat melt the hard drives? :dunno: Keeping a copy at a trusted friend or family members house would solve the problem.


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## ltdbjd (Jun 10, 2015)

Yes, heat will melt electronic media (and photographs) inside a fire resistant safe. An Underwriters' Laboratory (UL) rated fire safe is rated to keep the internal temperature under 350 degrees (since paper ignites around 415 degrees). UL rated media safes are rated to keep temperatures below 125 degrees.

Electronic media and photographs must be stored in a UL rated media safe in order to help ensure they survive. A standard UL rated fire safe will not suffice.

And as you can imagine, there is a tremendous difference in price between the two.


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## Wikkador (Oct 22, 2014)

I'll be honest... I am not concerned with documents. Could it be a pain in the behind if I happen to lose a birth cert, passport, deeds, DL, SScard... sure but its not likely to threaten my survival. If a check list is needed for a bug out then I would suspect that the plan is too complex. I am not suggesting that a person simply "wing it" but if I needed a list to conduct a 15 minute task I would be examining why that is necessary.


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## neil-v1 (Jan 22, 2010)

Great topic and ideas.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Wikkador said:


> I'll be honest... I am not concerned with documents. Could it be a pain in the behind if I happen to lose a birth cert, passport, deeds, DL, SScard... sure but its not likely to threaten my survival. If a check list is needed for a bug out then I would suspect that the plan is too complex. I am not suggesting that a person simply "wing it" but if I needed a list to conduct a 15 minute task I would be examining why that is necessary.


It depends on the circumstances of the bugout. Having had the recent privilege of trying to get a state issued ID recently, my advice would be to do whatever it takes to avoid that experience. If you still think it's not a big deal, go spend some time down at the DMV. .

We had the experience of actually evacuating due to wildfires in the area. It wasn't an immediate evacuation but it was definitely going to be time to go before long. We had ample time to pack valuables & sentimental stuff into our 5th wheel. We knew we had enough food, medicine, etc. for us all to live a couple weeks already on the trailer. There were things we completely forgot about that we really should've taken despite having time. A list would've prevented that. There's a lot of grey area between "grab your bugout bag & run" & "just another day in paradise". A list allows you to make decisions now while you have the time to think about it instead of during an emergency.


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