The hurricane season in the United States is a surprisingly long one, lasting from the beginning of June to some time in November, nearly six months of increasingly dangerous hurricanes, with September the most common month for hurricanes to hit land and cause damage there. But hurricanes are not the only kind of natural disaster commonly seen and anticipated in regions all across the United States. Take earthquakes, for example. Southern California alone typically has around ten thousand earthquakes in just one year. Though the vast majority of these earthquakes only last between ten and thirty seconds, they still have the potential to cause a considerable amount of damage. And there are even more natural disasters that plague the United States throughout the year, such as tornadoes (particularly in the Midwest, in the tornado zone). In fact, the United States is ranked second for the country with the most natural disaster, second behind only one other country.
Because of this propensity for natural disaster, it is important for the residents of the United States to be prepared for anything that may come their way. This preparedness will likely look slightly different depending on where you are in the country. For instance, a resident from Florida is not likely to need to prepare for a hurricane and a resident of southern California will most likely never need to worry about a tornado. But disaster preparedness will look shockingly similar in all regions of the country, as the basic necessities of human life remain the same: food, water, shelter. In fact, people have been known to perish after only eight days – just over a week – without both food and water (though some may live as long as twenty one days without food and water both). This is because food consumption contributes as much as one fifth of your daily water intake, meaning that without food, it is unlikely you are getting enough water.
The 72 hour bug out bag is one method of disaster preparedness that has gained popularity in the last few recent years. The 72 hour bug out bag, if you are not familiar, is a disaster preparedness kit with everything that a person would need to survive for up to seventy two hours, hence the name 72 hour bug out bag. This 72 hour bug out bag is likely to contain the essentials of water, food, and perhaps even a small portable shelter such as a very compactible tent. Though a 72 hour bug out bag can come in a variety of sizes (and some survival kits will be designed to last for more than seventy two hours), your typical 72 hour bug out bag or other survival gear bag will likely be around the size of a backpack, making it easily portable in nearly every circumstance. A survival bag like the 72 hour bug out bag will also likely contain tools necessary for survival away from modern conveniences, such as knives and other tools.
A tactical survival kit like that popular 72 hour bug out bag is most often constructed from scratch by the individual person or even household, but a premade bug out bag can be purchased from a number of retailers, mostly those geared towards outdoor experiences and survival experiences.
Though it’s hard to comprehend that one day any of us could be involved in a serious natural disaster incident, it is always best to prepare for the worst. Natural disasters happen, and they are certainly not always minor and inconsequential. It is always best to be prepared just in case, and the typical 72 hour bug out bag provides the ability to do just that.