The Survival Mom: Hi there, Denise. I’m so impressed that any woman who just had a baby would even think about preparedness at that point! Wow!

I’m thinking that the lists you’re referring to are my Baby Steps list. Here’s a link to the whole collection. I only found 5 lists, so let me know what that 6th one was!

From Erika: We had a friend move in with us for about 9 months. Having lived with us for such an extended time this person became familiar with my prepping attempts. Once that person moved out, they told the ENTIRE family what I was doing and what I had on hand. Even going so far as to tell them they should come to my house in case of an emergency! Now what?!

The Survival Mom: No good deed goes unpunished, they say, and this is a prime example. I sure wouldn’t allow this “friend” to know any additional information about your personal life than they already do, since they’ve demonstrated that they can’t be trusted.

Now that your relatives have been informed of what you’re doing to prepare, you have a couple of options.

First, you can downplay your preps. Every so often you can mention that you’ve been using up your stored food, you’re so grateful you had it, but it’s really dwindling. This will likely be twisting the truth, but your primary motivation is not to provide for every person who shows up at the door uninvited. Your primary purpose is to provide for your family first and then assist others as you can.

Another option is to store what you can away from your home. A storage unit can be handy for this, although it should never be stored for food. Your supplies will be in a safe, locked location, away from prying eyes, but close enough to access when the time comes.

The best option, though, is to look for opportunities to talk with your relatives, one at a time, about being prepared and bring them over to your way of thinking. Try asking what they think about Doomsday Preppers. Maybe even get together to watch an episode and discuss what you learned. Use a current disaster (the Carnival cruise would be a good one) and ask, “How would your family handle being without water and sanitation?”

Every prepared person first began the journey by being aware and then informed. If you can, use disasters/extreme weather events in the news to impress upon your family the need to be prepared.

Ultimately, you may have to make it very clear that your preps are for your family only. Every person has the opportunity to get prepared now. Some will but most won’t and you aren’t responsible for their well-being. They’re responsible for it themselves.

From Sandee: I just found your site! I hear the term “bug out” a lot , so do you think we need to be ready to leave our homes? Is it not better to stay put and protect your home and supplies?

The Survival Mom: For most people it will be better to stay at home where they have family and friends, a secure shelter, and everything they’ve done to prepare for emergencies. Generally speaking, you should only bug out when your home/neighborhood is no longer safe. Even then, the best solution might be to stay with friends in a different part of town.

A bug out location, i.e. a cabin in the woods, isn’t the perfect solution in spite of what you might read on other survival sites. It’s expensive to buy and maintain a second home, even if it’s just a single-wide on half an acre. You have to worry about weather damage, vandalism, theft, broken water pipes, etc. It’s not nearly as easy as some survival experts make it sound.

It also may be dangerous or, perhaps, impossible to get to this “bug out location” in an extreme scenario. Roads may be impassable and unsafe for a variety of reasons.

First make your home as secure as possible and become as prepared as you possibly can be for likely emergencies. Also, strengthen friendships and family ties so you, and they, will have a strong support system in a worst case scenario.

You’re right to be skeptical about the whole “bugging out” thing. It sounds like something right out of a movie, which makes it look a whole lot more romantic and simple than it actually is.

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by KimCarpenter NJ

Some of my favorite and most precious treasures are not things I want to permanently store in a Bug Out Bag or evacuation bag, so I keep a list of things to grab if we ever need to leave in the car and don’t know if we’ll get to come back.

I know space will be at a premium, and that in that critical moment my brain will not be focused on sentimental things. However, later they’ll mean the world to me.

Here’s my own list. What would you put on yours?

• Granddad’s pocket watch and cuff links
• My dad’s painting (out of the frame and rolled up of course)
• My sister in law’s drawing (same as above- keep a tube handy to drop them into)
• Special photo albums (preselected, of course)
• Important books (just a few)
• Each kid’s favorite stuffed animal to sleep with
• Each kid’s own box of memorabilia
• My own box of things I want to always keep
• Mom’s quilt (will double nicely as an extra blanket)
• My recipe box
• My pocket Bible

Making this list caused me to think about the most important people in my life and what items hold special memories.

If you make a list before an emergency evacuation, you’ll have those treasures with you, always.

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

Be sure to nominate yourself or another Survival Mom for our next Survival Mom of the Month, and don’t worry if you have fewer resources, less stocked up, etc. We’re looking for women who are being proactive and will share what they’ve done.

What possible emergencies are you preparing for?

Image Credit to Samaritan’s Purse

As a young child I moved to Florida from Portland, Oregon and encountered hurricanes for the first time. I also encountered evacuating for the first time.

Although I believe I was born with “prepper” tendencies Florida life certainly caused that prepper seed to sprout! My first memory of evacuating was during the 1964 hurricane season when 12 tropical cyclones, 6 of which developed into category 3 hurricanes, caused havoc in the U.S. Three of these hurricanes slammed into Florida and two were noteworthy enough to have their names retired forever. During one of these particularly fierce storms my parents reluctantly decided to evacuate for higher ground with a neighboring family. Thinking back, the only thing I remember my parents packing was booze and a cocktail shaker for their “hurricane party.”

When we arrived at the vacant house that we were using as higher ground we had no electricity, no running water and no furniture. Even at my age I had thought to pack pillows, blankets, food, and a lawn chair for my 82 year old grandmother to lie on which turned out to be a good thing as the hard wood floors didn’t offer much in the way of comfort.  Although I don’t remember much else, I do remember my parents being utterly amazed regarding what I had thought to pack in the back of our station wagon. And I remember being utterly amazed as a young child at what my parents had not thought to pack after spending a miserable night and day in our “shelter”!

Fast forward to several stints as a volunteer Registered Nurse in the remote regions of Haiti and my prepper fate was solidified. I left the Haiti experiences more determined than ever to be prepared. I also left more thankful than ever to live in a country where we have the resources to be able to prepare whether we think we do or not.

When you live and work in a third world country you have a tendency to focus on the basics of survival rather than the cause that generates the necessity for survival preparation. I rarely focus on hurricanes, nuclear blast, or pandemic scenarios. I consider myself more of a generic prepper focusing on the basics. Enough food. Enough clean water. Shelter. Medical care.

Recommended Prepper Resources:

I have to say YouTube and the internet in general has been my favorite tools. Any question I have is answered right at my finger tips. I taught myself how to can by watching YouTube. I taught myself how to raise chickens reading various blogs on Google. I do a lot of researching and I spend a lot of time researching a vast number of subjects. If I find something I find particularly useful (like how to can butter that lasts for two years) I copy the article and put it in my homemade prepper notebook.  The notebook contains everything from how to make a solar oven (I have one!) to how to make saline nose drops. I started this in case we have power outages for lengthy periods of time and my beloved internet is not available for quick references.

Fiction:

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank made a huge impact on me when it was required reading back in the old high school days. It is still one of my favorite books.

Nonfiction:

When in Haiti I picked up a copy of “Where There Is No Doctor.” A must have for everyone in the medical profession.  (Editor’s Note: Free copies are available for download at Hesperian Books.)

I have a copy of The Physicians Desk Reference that I picked up at a thrift store. As a nurse it’s imperative that I am able to calculate correct medications doses in times of extreme emergencies if the medications are available.

The Complete Book Of Home Preserving is the home canners Bible. I love mine purchased used on Ebay

TV:

I am drawn to shows like the Discovery Channel’s Dual Survival and National Geographic’s Doomsday Preppers. I am always fascinated by peoples focus in certain areas and their skill sets. Jericho was an awesome albeit short lived tv series, as well, that cut to the quick regarding what is important and what is not important during a survival situation.

Websites:

Craig’s List and Freecycle are my all time favorites. I don’t have a lot of money to spend on preparation so these sights are invaluable resources for free and cheap items like rain barrels and firewood. Meetup.com is a great sight and you never know what groups are available in your area. I found a great Urban Homesteading group and a permaculture group in my city.

What have you done to prepare your home and family for these possible emergencies?

I am also the mom of three adopted special needs children so my medical focus is a little out of the “norm” when it comes to preparing for disaster. Because of my kids complex medical conditions we are way beyond simply storing up band aids and Tylenol in our family!

My son has Osteogenesis Imperfecta (brittle bone disease) so I have adequate pain medication and splinting and casting materials on hand in case of fractures which are part of our every day life. They all have asthma so in addition to their multi-dose inhalers and rescue medications I have a battery powered nebulizer which also works off a car engine. The girls have cerebral palsy and one is unable to ambulate and uses a wheel chair. I am always cognizant of the fact that I will not be able to carry all of them if we are bugging out so having the chairs ready to rock and roll and/or having a wagon or, bike handy to aid in transportation is imperative. Jogger strollers are also handy on rough terrain and I have one that a friend of mine built from discarded parts of other strollers.

I do the usual food storage and have it shelved according to expiration dates and am always looking for dates that give me the longest shelf life. I also taught myself to can last year by watching YouTube videos and take advantage of seasonal produce and utilize local farmers and markets.

This year we added four backyard chickens and are getting 4 eggs a day now. I compost their coop shavings and manure and use it in our organic garden.  We have bins of red wiggler worms to help dispose of scraps and they make wonderful compost for the garden as well. Nothing is wasted.

In the garden this year I’ve branched out and added some fruit trees that don’t take up much room such as figs, Pomegranates, Surinam Cherry and bananas. My goal is to make my backyard into an urban homestead.

Last year I added bug out back packs in the closet near our front door. One for each family member including one for the dog, cat and chickens. I copied birth certificates, social security cards, and pertinent medical records and placed them in each backpack in a plastic, water resistant bag. The originals are in a small fire proof, water proof safe which I can easily toss into the van if we have to leave quickly. Periodically, I go through them and make sure I don’t need to add or remove anything. Each child has an identification necklace and whistle to wear around their necks.

What advice to you have for new Survival Moms who want to prepare their families as well?

Start now and quit procrastinating. None of your excuses regarding having plenty of time to get started or not enough money to prepare are legitimate. Even the poorest family can afford to buy one small bag of cheap rice a month and store it away. And don’t even get me started on people who tell me they can’t afford to prepare but go to Starbucks everyday or frequent fast food drive thrus.

Do not think the government or local cities are going to be able to feed, cloth or rescue you during times of extreme disaster. We are so inclined in the USA to rely on bailouts that it is hard to get past that mentality and that is dangerous mindset. People in this country are not used to waiting in long lines or delaying gratification. Prepare to be as self sufficient as possible as soon as possible because our microwave society can blow at any moment. Start simply if you’re not a prepper by nature. Make your own laundry soap. Put up a clothes line. Purchase some canned goods. Stock up on medication. Start thinking outside of the box.

When I was evacuating during Hurricane George I thought I’d stop by a local chicken place and pick up a couple of buckets for my gracious host who was putting us up in her non-evacuation zone home. I noticed the guy in front of me peeled out and gave the employee the finger.

“Welcome to our restaurant. May I take your order?” When I ordered the chicken she replied, “I’m sorry. We are out of chicken.” Everything I rattled off they were already out of so I asked her what she did have?

“Soda.”

It only takes a couple of hours for a grocery store or fast food place to empty out. Even during times of “impending disaster” food disappears fast and tempers flare. Do yourself favor and avoid the trip, the lines and the irate people by being prepared.

Build community relationships. Start in your own neighborhood. When you are preparing think beyond your family to that elderly neighbor down the street or that single mom. There is strength in numbers and everyone has something to contribute. There are preppers who do not feel the necessity to share anything and would turn you away in a heart beat. I am a firm believer in the fact that we will reap what we sow. Prepare ahead of time so you do not feel compelled to sow selfishness.

Don’t think you need a tremendous amount of money to be a prepper. Utilize free stuff. Re-use. Re-purpose and re-cycle.

Get started today!

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

Image by Ada Be

Protecting and defending your home has much more to do with your family than your possessions. The lives inside your home are the most precious gifts you have. So, how do you protect them from the most prolific danger out there?

First and foremost let me emphasize how important it is to involve and engage your children in the family discussions and activities regarding fire safety. Let them know it is normal and OK to be scared. Fire is scary. Arm your children with knowledge, tools, and confidence so they will act even when they are afraid.

Create a Fire Escape Plan

• Purchase escape ladders for each upper level bedroom. Two story KL-2S and three story KL-3S models available. They can be purchased at home centers and Amazon. These ladders range in price from $30-$75 each.

• Purchase fire extinguishers for each level of your home -5lb minimum size.  For the purpose of a FEP fire extinguishers are for clearing a path for escape and NOT for putting out the fire. Click HERE for interactive training from Tyco.

• Purchase and properly install smoke detectors.  I recommend interconnected smoke /carbon monoxide detectors with voice alerts.  All interconnected detectors will go into alarm if any one detector senses smoke or carbon monoxide.  They are wireless and easy to install.  Test monthly and change batteries twice a year – during Daylight Saving time changes.

Create the Fire Escape Plan (FEP) with your children and everyone living in the home.

• Draw out the floor plan of your home – all floors and basement
• Identify two escape routes from each room
• Make sure doors and windows open easily and everyone knows how to operate them.
• Walk the escape paths with everyone
• Identify a meeting place outside the home. Everyone will meet at this spot.
• Practice your plan and practice using escape ladders (from a 1^st floor window)
• Conduct fire drills every month. Actually set off your smoke alarms and execute your fire escape plan. You may look silly to your neighbors, but your family will be safe
• Practice with lights out and/or blind folded. Smoke is thick and dark and will impair your vision. Practice crawling the escape routes as well. You may have to crawl below the smoke during your escape.
• Have your kids explain the fire escape plan to their friends sleeping over.

There is no time to grab necessities on your way out. You only have 3 minutes to escape the fire before toxic fumes and gases reach fatal levels. In 5 minutes the smoke and heat will sear your lungs and your home will be filled with deadly thick dark smoke – you are no longer able to breathe or see. Your home will be fully engulfed in flames within ten minutes.

ESCAPE QUICKLY AND NEVER GO BACK INSIDE A BURNING HOME to retrieve valuables, keepsakes, or pets!

Call 911 after everyone is out of the building safely and at the designated meeting place.  Put kids in their carseats while you wait for emergency personnel to ensure they don’t return to the house.

For more information and resource links check out Tommy, the RockstarDad, at Cube2farm.  Tommy is a licensed security and fire safety professional with 20 years experience designing, installing, and maintaining residential, commercial, and industrial security, fire protection and life safety systems. He has obtained the highest certification level from NICET in Fire Protection Technologies.

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

We all know it’s important to know several ways in and out of our neighborhoods, but it goes beyond just looking at a map and saying, “Ah, there are three roads I can take.“

I can come up with several instances, in recent memory, of unplanned road closures in my area which, had I not known the back roads, could have prevented me from getting home, or going out in the first place.

Under normal circumstances road closures are inconvenient. In a SHTF scenario, they can put you and your family in serious peril. That is why now is the time to make yourself familiar with your roads and back roads.

Start by getting yourself a good map. I like the Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer.  There is one for each state, and in addition to the usual roads and towns, it includes topographical features, parks, campgrounds and hiking trails. We’ve used it for driving directions, finding campsites, backpacking and hunting. In a serious situation, however, just owning a good map will not be enough.

You should take your map now, and explore any routes you think you might use in an emergency. After that, explore the ones you don’t think you’ll use. You might be surprised to find you prefer one you wouldn’t have otherwise considered.

For city roads you’ll want to know what sort of areas possible routes pass through. You should know in advance if your road passes through an area where you wouldn’t want to break down and have to walk. Some examples might include sketchy neighborhoods or areas without services.

You’ll also want to take note of traffic patterns and road conditions. Does your alternate route have a rush hour? A shady corner that is icy in winter? Huge potholes? Drive your alternate routes often enough that you can answer these questions. When you have your answers you can decide if you need to find a better route.

As you’re driving around, also take note of service stations, stores, rest areas, hospitals, police stations, fire stations and pay phones. Hopefully you don’t need any of them, but better to know where they are and not need them, than vice versa. You’ll also need to know what to expect once you get out of town.

It might seem like rural areas have fewer roads to choose from, but don’t be deceived. If you look beyond the pavement you’ll likely find several good options. County, Forest Service, and logging roads create a valuable network of emergency and alternate routes. Plus they can be a lot of fun to drive.

Again, you’ll want to drive these roads often enough to know what condition they‘re in and how heavily they’re traveled. Even remote roads can be more busy than you’d think if they pass through popular recreation areas. You’ll also want to know where roads meet one another, and what kind of terrain they cross.

Dirt roads can change quickly with weather and with the seasons. Is there a slope that gets tricky in rain? Is there a deeply rutted area, or a tree threatening to fall across the roadway? Sometimes you might find that a road on the map is completely overgrown, washed out, or otherwise impassable. Perhaps your chosen route is buried in snow for four or five months each year. Perhaps spring runoff turns the roadbed into a creek bed in April. Can your vehicle navigate that? Are you prepared to snowmobile, ski, or snowshoe if necessary? These are all things to consider when choosing your emergency routes.

While getting to know your roads can be essential to safety, it can also be fun for the whole family. City folks can make a “date” of visiting a new diner, or window shopping along your alternate route. Country dwellers can pack a picnic and take the kids berry picking.

Now get lost! You’re sure to learn a lot finding your way home again.

Read more from Magi at Half Acre Heaven.

© 2013, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

If you combine truly delicious freeze-dried meals in a ready-to-go emergency bucket, you have a real winner, and that’s what Freeze Dry Guy has with their Mountain House Bug Out Buckets. Introduced just a couple of months ago, they have become a top selling product.

Although the buckets are new, Mountain House has been selling freeze-dried food for over 30 years. The company has been committed to three things: taste, convenience, and a proven long-term shelf life of their foods.

Taste

I’ve tasted numerous freeze-dried entrees from various companies, from Macaroni and Cheese to Vegetable Risotto, and I can tell you, they are not all equal when it comes to taste. Since most of us buy these entrees in preparation for some type of crisis, we need to be assured that when we need the food, it will taste good! A crisis is no time to discover that a case of #10 cans of Entree a la King causes you to break out in hives and your 7 year-old won’t touch it.

My family and I sampled all the varieties that came in the “29 Serving Bug Out Bucket“, and here are our verdicts:

• Granola with blueberries: Dried milk is already in the pouch, so you only need to add cold water, stir, and eat. I think this is a delicious breakfast and could serve two moderately hungry people or one teenage boy. My 11 year-old wasn’t crazy about this, but he can be picky at times.
• Beef Stroganoff: Yummy, creamy sauce with beef, mushrooms, and noodles. This is what I served my husband for dinner.
• Beef Stew: This stew is full of veggies with a flavorful sauce. Not bad, but not my favorite.
• Chicken with Noodles: Both my kids liked this dish. It was simple but had a lot of flavor.
• Chicken Teriyaki: Lots of flavor in this dish. My son ate the entire bag. I got one, maybe two spoonfuls.
• Lasagna with meat: Really, really good! Surprisingly good, in fact, with a rich, Italian flavor.

The meals were all tasty and filling, and I appreciate the fact that all Mountain House ingredients are grown and raised here in the U.S.  Although they aren’t organic, they are high quality foods that you would find in the typical American grocery store. All these entrees contain real meat and chicken and not TVP (textured vegetable protein). I sometimes use TVP in my cooking but it’s not my preference.

If you’re unfamiliar with freeze-dried food, rest assured that they retain nearly all their original nutrients, including enzymes. Once the food, if properly stored, gets beyond the 20 year mark or so, the vitamin potency will have been reduced but overall, the food will still be nutritious. This is just one reason why freeze-dried food is used to such a great extent in the military.

By the way, if you’re either new to freeze-dried food or have never tasted these Mountain House varieties, this bucket is a good opportunity to sample them before investing money in larger quantities, and you’ll really like the clear bucket that allows you to see what is inside, whether it’s the Mountain House meals or whatever other emergency supplies you decide to add.

Convenience

What could be easier than adding 2 cups of boiling water to a heavy duty mylar pouch, sealing it, and letting it sit for 8-10 minutes? When I prepare these meals, I add the water and then stir everything together a few times, making sure that all the dry ingredients that have settled at the bottom of the pouch are completely moistened.

Speaking of water, whenever you store freeze-dried food, whether in the form of individual ingredients or entrees, be sure to store additional water. In fact, setting aside an extra case of water along with this bucket would be a good idea. Add to that, a portable stove with extra fuel, and you will be fully set for an emergency!

Since the meals are freeze-dried, the bucket is very lightweight. The buckets weighs only 6 pounds. A child could certainly be assigned to grab one or two buckets during a family emergency evacuation drill without a problem.

Long Shelf Life

Mountain House has long set the standard when it comes to the shelf life of its foods. Oxygen is one of the 5 enemies of food storage, and Mountain House manages to remove 98% of it from their pouches. Recently, an independent lab confirmed the super-low oxygen content of their packaged entrees.

To insure the longest possible shelf life, always store food in dark, dry, and cool locations and be sure to keep an eye out for pests. Mice and rats have been known to chew through even super-heavy duty buckets and lids!

These Mountain House food buckets have been so popular that Freeze Dry Guy has been challenged with keeping enough in stock. It’s a product that combines convenience and good food with a reliably long shelf life, and when you’re storing food for an emergency, that’s exactly the combination you need.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by Tim Musson

A rolling suitcase on wheels. Look for sturdy wheels because if one breaks off, you’ll be carrying that suitcase. Not fun! Some of these suitcases also have backpack straps.

Unless you are single and will be evacuating alone, I recommend dividing the contents of your emergency kit into 2 or more different types of containers. For example, a 5-gallon bucket can hold food and cooking supplies and will provide an emergency toilet, a large water container, and a handy tote for firewood. Then use a Space Bag to hold sleeping bags and cold weather clothing and finally a large backpack for everything else. You’ll have 2 multi-purpose containers and a backpack large enough to hold all the essentials in case you have no choice but to continue your evacuation on foot and have to leave the bucket and Space Bag behind.

When choosing your containers, keep in mind that they might be in for a pretty rugged future. Look for:

• extremely durable fabrics
• sturdy construction
• heavy-duty zippers, snaps, or other closures
• colors that blend in
• non-tactical appearance. This may cause you to look too prepared and a potential target.
• tight fitting lids

Also keep in mind the different ages and physical capabilities of your family members. Even young kids can carry small backpacks, easing the load for parents and teens.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by adria.richards

Politicians will grandstand, race their way to be in front of the nearest camera, but any actual help that follows their speeches will be strictly coincidental.

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by Fifth World Art

When it comes to survival and being prepared, single moms may have the toughest job of all. Just by virtue of being a woman, they’re more vulnerable than their counterparts, single dads. One of my Facebook friends, Tiffany, asked this question, and I wanted to throw it out to you.

My question is for single moms with young children. Specifically for bugging out. I have a Bug Out Bag, and I will soon be getting a heavy duty wagon but it just doesn’t seem logical that I can drag my 2 year old plus supplies a very long distance. Any advice if I have to get out of Dodge?

Well, Survival Moms? What advice, reassurance, and tips can you offer Tiffany?

© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.

image by sludgegulper

Last month we had to evacuate our home. Completely unexpectedly.

In the past I had thought that I was prepared. I had this nifty Emergency Evacuation Kit packed along with “Bug Out Bags” for my husband and myself. I even had camping equipment and MREs all ready to go. Three years ago. Three houses ago. Before kids.

The day of the big event EEK, BOBs and MREs were all stored somewhere in the huge mess of the garage that we had just been pillaging for a garage sale. I had no idea where to find the hand-crank radio, never-die flashlights, mess kits or MREs.

I had piles and piles of dirty laundry and dirty dishes that I had been planning on taking care of, “after the garage sale.” I was woefully unprepared … for anything.

After scrambling to pack up the family for TWO WEEKS away from home, I’ve become much more organized. In addition to keeping our cars with at least a half tank of fuel at all times and prominently posting my laminated personalized mini travel checklists by the door, I now keep all our bags packed and ready to go – even after just returning home.

I use a similar technique to THIS SurvivalMom guest blogger in that I have systematized our family’s whole lives into little “Go” bags. I have found that the best way to be prepared is to make it part of our everyday lifestyle.

My purse alone has several little go-bags for when I switch from mommy-mode to wife-mode. Each of us also have our own bathroom kits with mini versions of all our essentials including the baby’s hypoallergenic soap and my special Aveda shampoo (otherwise pretty standard stuff.)

In my car, I carry a mini bag of spare clothes for each of the kids, a duffle bag of a change of clothes and toiletries for my husband and myself in case we have to leave town on short notice (like for the funeral two states away this week), my laptop bag/briefcase, a homeschooling box (for RocketGirl to access in the car – especially on long trips) and “The Box.”

The “Go” Box

The Box is the centerpiece of my preparedness obsession. It is plastic, slightly-larger than a shoebox, with a handle. It holds my mommy-survival kit – the essentials that I have found are necessary when traveling short-notice with little kids. It includes the following:

• Wet wipes, Lysol wipes and Mini Lysol spray
• A spice shaker of baking soda (for washing veggies or cleaning the shower!)
• A mini spray bottle full of (balsamic) vinegar (for my salad or to make the above happen)
• Mini pack of tissues and paper towels
• Various essential oils (Tea Tree, Lemon and Lavender)
• A mini kit of spices
• Essential Medicines: Advil, Baby Advil, Benadryl, Baby Benadryl, Zantac, Tums, etc.
• Tea: Ginger, Chamomile & Lavender
• Emergen-C (LOVE this stuff!)
• Electrical Tape
• Applesauce (squeezable is my preference, especially the ones with hidden greens)
• Bottle brush and mini bottle of dish soap
• Plastic silverware and one real knife
• A dishtowel and cloth napkin (you have no idea how many uses these two items have)
• Single serve PB, Jelly, Honey, Ketchup, etc.
• Single use Tide (and, usually, a mini bottle of Dreft)
• Mini sewing kit (with scissors)
• Powdered butter (odd, I know but very useful for oatmeal, grits, popcorn, etc.)
• Plastic disposable gloves
• Small packets of food: oatmeal, grits, cereal bars, single-serve mac-n-cheese, etc.
• Plastic bags: zippys, grocery bags and garbage bags (great for dirty clothes, if nothing else)
• Not shown above: Bobbles for me and the kids (drink cool tap water anywhere without worrying!)

This month we have had to leave our home unexpectedly no less than THREE times. Once to evacuate my babies from a massive power outage that lasted two weeks, once to care for a family member that needed to be hospitalized and then again for a funeral. The shortest notice I had to pack the family was twenty minutes. I managed to do it -with time to spare – due to (a) this blog (b) my experience with the first evacuation and (c) our “go” bags always being fully stocked and properly stored.

This week I was able to keep the kids calm and happy, fed and hydrated for three days solely on what I had packed in my bags since we were left in the hotel room without a car for a good chunk of the trip. If nothing else I am grateful God has given us these opportunities to whittle our cargo down to the true essentials.

What do you NEED when traveling with kids?

About the Author

Heather Bryant is the proud and loving wife of RockstarDad and the grateful mama of RocketGirl and BulldozerBaby. Although she had a career at the intersection of finance and technology, Heather now stays home on a farm to raise her children full-time.

Heather recently published her first book, “From Cube to Farm: Surviving and Thriving as a Stay-at-Home Mom.” The book biographies her journey from the cubicle to the farm and is designed to help other women when they decide to pursue the career of motherhood as a full-time job. The print version of the book has worksheets and checklists to help new moms with their own journey of self-discovery; the Kindle version has a link to a printable PDF version of the worksheets.

Heather’s website and blog are also dedicated to supporting and encouraging stay-at-home moms. She is also on FaceBook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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