The Essential Mobile Prep Bag: 25 Must-Have Items and Methods for Emergencies
- epicprepdepot
- Oct 5, 2023
- 9 min read
In today's unpredictable world, preparedness is not just an advantage – it's a necessity. Facing challenges like natural disasters, infrastructure breakdowns, or unforeseen crisis, having a mobile prep bag and an action plan can make the difference between chaos and order. Tailored for those focused on disaster preparedness, this guide delves deep into the contents of a mobile prep bag and the protocols to ensure safety.
The 25 Essential Items for Your Mobile Prep Bag
Water and Water Purification: Rucking water is tough, so make sure you have enough water for a minimum of three days and purification tablets if you're mobile in a vehicle. In the case you have to go on foot, have an accompanying compact water filter that ensures access to clean water from natural sources, just make sure it is portable and balanced for your party size and get one that can handle as many contaminants as possible.
Non-perishable Food: High-energy foods such as long shelf life energy bars, dried fruits, dehydrated meats and canned goods will help keep you and your party sustained. Make sure you also have a way store this food in airtight containment (Dry bags work great and are lightweight) to prevent spoilage and try to focus on foods that don't require any refrigeration
Multi-tools: A robust multi-tool caters to a myriad of survival, construction, food prep and minor repair needs. The classic “Leatherman '' is a must as well as a multi purpose survival shovel and don't forget to have an ax to split wood!
First Aid Kit: Don't skimp out here, have a comprehensive med kit including bandages, antiseptics, pain relievers, tourniquets, a disinfectant, minor surgery tools and most importantly backup personal medication for anyone in your party with pre existing conditions.
Hand-cranked or Battery-powered Radio: This is an essential device to receive critical emergency alerts. Some of these serve as power banks too which is great but watch the weight on some of those in case you need to ruck and go mobile, every pound counts.
Rechargeable Walkie Talkies: These should be distributed between your party in the case of emergencies and only used in an emergency or when spitting up to forage or scout. Also developing a way to communicate in code is especially so you don't reveal your position to anyone that could be on that channel.
Emergency Whistle: A very simple tool that could save you or your loved ones life, especially if you get separated. Make sure your kids know how to properly use it and create a specific pattern in which you blow the whistle so you know it's someone from your party.
Local Map and Compass: Go oldschool, and learn how to read and navigate with a good quality physical map. Aided with a compass, maps facilitate navigation when electronics fail. Alternatively you can also download offline GPS maps on your tablet or phone but getting a waterproof map with topographical and the highway system is fail proof.
A Good Tent: You're going to need to invest into a quality tent here and don't skimp, make sure it can fit your whole party inside as you're going to want to make sure you have a head count when you go down for the night. Make sure the tent has a high wind and rain rating.
Warm Clothing and Socks: Make sure to include thermal wear, gloves, a hat, and waterproof boots to withstand various weather conditions and don't forget extra socks for everyone in your party. Socks are extremely important, ask anyone from the military.
Cash Small Bills and Silver Coin: This is crucial when electronic transaction methods are compromised, most if not all vendors will default back to cash tender when the power goes out, if it gets to “barter and trade” just make sure to have some silver coin on hand as well in small increments such as dimes and know their purity and weights, make sure to label that in their container.
Photocopies of Important Documents: IDs, medical records, and other vital documents are critical as you could reach a checkpoint or have to prove who you are. When the system goes down they will always default to your Passport and State Drivers Licenses but make sure to have backups of anything that identifies your status and your med records. Make sure to put these in a waterproof container.
Sanitation and Toiletries: Cleanliness aids like hand sanitizers, wet wipes, and sanitary napkins are critical. Make sure to have ample toilet paper for your party but if for some reason you run out make sure you and the party can identify the plant Mullein (have a printed picture of it in your bag.) as you can use that safely as toilet paper in the wild. If you're in desert regions, you're going to have to get creative, possibly sacrifice some water with a makeshift or portable bidet.
Matches, Waterproof Lighter and Firestarter Kit: Essential for creating fire for warmth or cooking you're going to need a way to start a fire at night. A great sure fire way is any fire starting striker kit, waterproof matches and a waterproof torch. Just remember to research the basics of starting a campfire and also youtube and get familiar on how to start a Dakota Fire Hole. It will save your party from being visible at a distance, reduce smoke stack and it's great for cooking.
Solar-powered Charger: Keeping your devices charged in the case of emergencies is critical for communication so invest in a good (or couple) solar powered phone chargers for you and your party. Some of these are foldable and can be deployed on a backpack to charge while you and your party are rucking or just hanging out. Also if you have kids set strict balanced limits on usage and make sure to always charge your lanterns and light sources first before phones.
Defensive and Hunting Tools: A no brainer if you're in an emergency, you're going to need a weapon. It's the sad fact of life some people are violent idiots but make sure to invest in at least a pistol and a shotgun. A survival rifle is a plus but we recommend getting something more like a 22 caliber as bullets are very plentiful and it won't weigh you down. A mobile folding bow and arrow are a great option as well in the case you need to hunt, plus it's good fun to pass the time and practice shooting with you and your party.
Paracord Rope and Zip Ties: From building shelters to fastening items, these tools are versatile in their application. Zip ties come in handy in so many ways so get a good amount of those and make sure they are industrial strength. Paracord rope is also a must as well get at minimum 100 ft with a at least 500 pound rating.
Duct Tape or Gorilla Tape: A fix-all for many emergency situations, trust me your going to need this and get both as they serve different purposes.
Facial Coverings & Respirator: So we recommend a couple things here, at first you and your party will need just basic face coverings like bandas or something washable for basic dust inhalation. Secondly if thighs get heavy we recommend full protection breather masks in the case of ash inhalation from a fire or some kind of environmental gas hazard if you're scavenging. A good mask will save your life. If you wanna go to the next level you can buy masks that can block airborne viruses but that's really just impractical and never a sure thing. Focus on ash and gas blockage when it comes to a full face rebreather.
Bug Repellent and Sunscreen: Protection from the elements and pests is a must in the wild or even in camp, invest in some bug candles, a mosquito trap, and holistic bug spray. Make sure to pick up some carcinogen free sunscreen with a low spf and a high spf in the case you're on a body of water or in snow.
Compact Cooking Equipment: Lightweight stoves and utensils for meal preparation are essential, there are so many awesome cooking kits out there just to make sure they are all compatible with open flame as eventually gas will run out. Make sure to also invest in a way to hang your cooking equipment over a fire or a cooking spit.
Signaling Mirror: Don't skip this one as it could 100% save your life. Effective for daytime signaling in open terrains or on the water, these are cheap and easy solutions to communicating at long distances to someone who can help save your life.
Waterproof Notepad and Pen: This is going to be useful for documentation, notes and communication, you can pick these up cheap just make sure its waterproof that's a must.
Field Guides: Knowing what to do is important and also assume the worst if you perish and your party doesn't know all the ins and outs. Get a field guide and carry them with you, we recommend a couple that are essential. Also keep personal journals on medications and allergies for your party. Keep this all in a specific place.
The SAS Handbook - Lofty Wiseman
DK Survival Handbook - Colin Towell
The Survival Medicine Handbook: The Essential Guide for When Help is NOT on the Way
The Bushcraft Boxed Set: Bushcraft 101; Advanced Bushcraft; The Bushcraft Field Guide to Trapping, Gathering, & Cooking in the Wild; Bushcraft First Aid
Some Good Light Sources: We can't stress enough on how important a really really good light source is. You have two groups here, first things first is getting yourself a really good rechargeable flashlight with a killer battery life and lumen. Second thing is a rechargeable lantern, they are lightweight and awesome just make sure to get a couple really good ones with long life and lumen.
Formulating Your Party's Action Plan
Have a Communication Strategy: With potential disruptions in common communication lines, family members should have a list of emergency contacts. Walkie-talkies can be invaluable for immediate vicinity communication, make sure you and your party develop codes of communication when using Walkie Talkies and be sparingly as charging these devices will take time. Another great but advanced communication strategy is learning sign language in the event you need to be quiet. This is sort of extreme but could definitely come in handy.
Create Meeting Points: Predefine multiple meeting spots: a local spot, one within your town, and another outside of it. This layered approach ensures reunification even if local areas are compromised. This way your Party will always have redundant rally points you all know in the case you are in different places when disaster strikes and you are not together.
Make Evacuation Routes: Remember we said get a map? Yeah so you need to mark on that map several exit routes from your location. Consider potential blockages or dangers and flooding low points to avoid. Mark anything you want on you map or you could make notes in your journal about potential hazards. A great method is whatever map you buy, buy a second one that way if you need to write notes or codes on one you can still have another that is clean in case you write over something critical.
Strategize Food and Water Acquisition: Recognize natural water sources and understand basic hunting and foraging techniques, ensuring you don't solely rely on packed provisions. This is going to come in real handy if things go south for extended periods. Your party leader should learn how to field dress animals after a hunt, trust us it's gnarly but it could save you and your party's life. Another thing to consider is foraging and scavenging and making sure you know what to look for and grab. Know your local wildlife, edible foraging resources and potential scavenging or bartering locations.
Work On Physical Strength and Endurance: Engage in regular physical training, before disaster hits. Fitness increases endurance, reduces injury risk, and boosts mental well-being – all essential in emergencies. Make training a family activity, teaching children basic survival techniques. This is something that our culture has sort of lost but practice the art of ruck hiking or hiking with weight and you'll be ready for anything.
Conduct Regular Drills: Simulating emergency scenarios ensures that when disaster strikes, the party doesn't panic but acts methodically, ensuring everyone's safety. Especially if your party has kids it's really important to be prepared and for them to know exactly what to do. Just like getting good at anything you need to train and prepare for this but repetition, we recommend something like once every month or so.
Conclusion
The uncertainty of emergencies demands deliberate planning and preparation. With a well-assembled mobile prep bag and a well-thought-out action plan, you pave the way for not just survival, but a sense of control during turmoil. Disaster preparedness is not about reacting to situations but proactively setting the stage for resilience and recovery. Stay safe, prepared, and vigilant. We hope this list of items and information will help anyone entering or just wanting a different perspective on preparing for protecting what matters most to them. Weve also listed all the items we mentioned below for purchase as well so you can find them all here.
Thanks
EPS
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