Trial Bug out or in

[Jonas]

You can check out you "bug-out" gear without "bugging out". Pitch the tent in the back yard and let the kids sleep out there overnight! You'll get a chance to see if the tent components are all there, see if you need extra pegs (which you should have anyway), find out how long the batteries will last in the hand-held radios and the lanterns, and your children will have a blast!

If you have a portable SW radio, nighttime is the time to try it out too. Download frequency charts from the internet and check stations. Find the ones that come in clearly, then type up your own frequency chart, take it to the local print shop, and have it laminated.

Fire starting is a knack that gets easier with practice. When you go to start a fire in the barbecue or the fireplace, don't use matches or a lighter - try out the flint and steel method. It takes a bit to get good at it, but when you need the skill, you'll have it.

You don't need to cook over a campfire to check your bug-out cooking gear, just cook a couple of meals with it on the stove. You'll find any weaknesses fairly quickly, and you have the time to fill in the gaps and/or fix problems before you're 20 miles north of nowhere and it's too late.