The first hour
- Leave right away if officials order it, or if a 'leave trigger' you agreed on is hit (fire nearby, rising water, no water, unsafe neighborhood).
- Grab go-bags and the 6 P's: people and pets, papers, prescriptions, pictures, personal computer, 'plastic' and cash.
- Leave a dated note at home (inside, out of view) saying where you're going and which route.
- Take your primary route. Switch to your alternate if it's blocked.
The first day
- Check in with your out-of-area contact.
- Fuel up when you can. Don't let the tank fall below half.
- Follow official detours and stay off closed roads.
The first week and beyond
- Settle in at your bug-out location and help out your hosts.
- Track news from home. Return only after an all-clear.
The legal side
- Caches: only store supplies on land you own or have written permission to use. Burying or leaving supplies on public land may break rules.
- Follow your state's laws on transporting firearms and fuel.
Get ready now: checklist
Your checks save on this phone.
Common mistakes
- Leaving too late.
- Only one route.
- Relying on GPS.
- Going to an unknown location with no host.
- Storing gas in non-approved containers or past its shelf life (add stabilizer and rotate).
Keeping kids calm
- Practice the drive like a road trip.
- Give each kid a small bag and a job.
- Tell them where you're going and who will be there.
Gear that helps
- Go-bags see my kit lists
- Approved gas cans
- Fuel stabilizer
- Paper road atlas
- Vehicle emergency kit see my kit lists
- Jump starter
- Tire repair kit
- Water storage: my pick, Reliance Aqua-Tainer 7 gal
- Pet carriers: my pick, Petmate Two-Door Pet Kennel, 24 in
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Sources
Keep going
Prepper tricks for this
Fire Starting (10)
Petroleum jelly (Vaseline) cotton balls
Cost: About 3-5 cents each (store-brand cotton balls about $2/100 plus a $2 jar of petroleum jelly), versus $8-15 for a pack of commercial tinder tabs.
Why it works: The cotton acts as a wick and the petroleum jelly is a slow-burning fuel, so you get a small candle that lasts minutes instead of seconds. Side-by-side tests found it the easiest and longest-burning of common DIY tinders.
How to do it
- Buy plain 100% cotton balls. Test one first: hold a flame to it. If it melts and shrinks instead of burning, it is synthetic and won't work.
- Scoop about 1 teaspoon of petroleum jelly into a zip bag with 10-20 cotton balls and squish until every ball is soaked but still fluffy.
- Pack them into an old pill bottle, film canister or mint tin.
- To use: pull one ball open so dry fibers poke out the middle, then light it with a lighter, match or ferro rod spark.
- Set it under small twigs. Expect about 2 to 8 minutes of flame from one ball.
Safety: Flammable: store away from heat. In a hot car the jelly can get runny, so keep the container sealed and in a bag.
Dryer lint egg-carton starters
Cost: Basically free if you already have lint, cartons and candle stubs.
Why it works: Cardboard plus wax gives a longer, steadier flame than lint alone. Plain lint on its own lights poorly and burns briefly in tests, so the wax is what makes this trick good.
How to do it
- Save lint from loads of cotton towels and jeans (lint from synthetic fabrics melts and smells instead of burning well).
- Stuff each cup of a PAPER egg carton with lint. Do not use foam cartons.
- Melt old candle stubs in a clean tin can set in a pot of simmering water (a homemade double boiler).
- Pour a little wax over each cup so it soaks in, let it harden, then cut the cups apart.
- To use: light a corner of the cardboard and put it under kindling.
Safety: Never melt wax directly on a burner or in a microwave: it can catch fire. If wax ignites, cover the pot with a lid. Never use water on a wax fire.
Wax-dipped pinecones
Cost: Free to about $5 for a bag of wax; pinecones are free.
Why it works: Pine cones contain resin and have lots of surface area; wax adds a long-burning fuel and makes them water resistant.
How to do it
- Collect fully open, dry pinecones. Let them air-dry indoors for a week if damp.
- Tie a cotton string to the base of each cone to hold it.
- Melt wax in a can in a pot of simmering water (double boiler).
- Dip each cone 2-3 times, letting the wax set between dips. Hang or set on wax paper to harden.
- Use one cone at the base of a campfire or wood stove fire.
Safety: Same wax-melting rules as above: double boiler only, never unattended. Keep them away from kids since they look like decorations.
Fatwood (resin-soaked pine)
Cost: Free if you can find it; about $10-15 for a box at a hardware store.
Why it works: The wood is saturated with flammable pine resin, so it acts like a natural fire-starting stick and burns hot even in wet weather.
How to do it
- Look for old dead pine stumps or the spot where a branch joins the trunk of a dead pine.
- Fatwood is heavy for its size, amber or orange inside, and smells strongly like turpentine.
- Shave thin curls off with a knife, or scrape a pile of fine dust with the back of your knife.
- Light the curls with a lighter, or catch a ferro rod spark in the scraped dust.
- Store a few sticks in your kit: it keeps for years and lights even when damp.
Safety: Burns smoky; use outdoors or in a wood stove. Only take from dead wood and only where collecting is allowed.
Source: OffGrid: Finding fatwood and how to use it for fire-starting
Corn chips as kindling (Fritos and similar)
Cost: About $1-2 a bag, and you can eat the extras.
Why it works: Corn chips are mostly corn and oil, so each chip burns like a tiny candle for a minute or more.
How to do it
- Pile 5-10 corn chips under small twigs.
- Hold a lighter or match flame to the edge of one chip for a few seconds until it catches.
- Add twigs once the chips are burning steadily.
Safety: Needs a flame (a spark alone usually won't catch them). Keep sealed so they don't attract animals or go stale and soft.
Source: OffGrid: Fire tinder comparison (petroleum-jelly cotton vs birch bark vs fatwood)
Steel wool and a 9-volt battery
Cost: About $5 for steel wool and $3 for a battery; one pad is many fires.
Why it works: The battery pushes current through the very thin steel strands, which heat up and burn. It works even if the steel wool is damp.
How to do it
- Buy fine steel wool, grade 0000 or 000 (not soap pads).
- Fluff a small handful into a loose nest and set it on top of a tinder bundle (dry grass, paper, cotton ball).
- Touch both battery terminals to the steel wool. It glows and spreads instantly.
- Gently blow on it to light the tinder.
Safety: Store the battery and steel wool in separate bags and put tape over the battery terminals. Fire departments warn that loose 9-volt batteries touching metal can start fires in drawers.
Source: Colorado Springs Fire Department: 9-volt battery fire safety
Homemade char cloth
Cost: Free (old clothes and a used mint tin).
Why it works: Heating cotton without air turns it into almost pure carbon, which catches even weak sparks and holds a glowing ember.
How to do it
- Cut 100% cotton fabric (old t-shirt, jeans, flannel) into 2-inch squares.
- Put them in a mint tin and punch one small nail hole in the lid.
- Set the closed tin on hot coals or a camp stove, outdoors.
- Smoke will puff from the hole. When the smoke stops (about 5-10 minutes), take the tin off the heat and plug the hole with a twig.
- Let it cool completely before opening. The squares should be black and flexible.
- Use: a spark from flint and steel or a ferro rod makes a glowing ember on the cloth; fold it into a tinder bundle and blow.
Safety: Do it outdoors; the tin gets very hot. Don't open it hot or the cloth will catch fire when air rushes in.
Source: OffGrid: Fire tinder comparison (petroleum-jelly cotton vs birch bark vs fatwood)
Relighting birthday candles for windy days
Cost: About $2-3 for a pack of 24.
Why it works: The wick has magnesium dust that keeps glowing hot after the flame goes out, so it reignites the wax vapor.
How to do it
- Pack a few 'trick' relighting birthday candles in your fire kit.
- Light one and set it right under your tinder so it keeps a steady flame there while you build the fire.
- If wind blows it out, it usually relights itself in a few seconds.
Safety: They can relight in the trash. When done, drop them in water and leave them there a minute. This is a helper for wind, not a replacement for good tinder.
Source: NFPA: Candle Safety
Waterproofing matches with nail polish or wax
Cost: Pennies, using matches and polish you already have.
Why it works: The coating seals out moisture so the match head doesn't get soggy.
How to do it
- Dip the match head and about 1/4 inch of the stick into clear nail polish or melted wax.
- Stand the matches upright in a piece of foam or cardboard to dry.
- Store them in a pill bottle with a piece of striker strip glued inside the lid, plus a cotton ball.
- Before striking, scrape off the coating with a fingernail.
Safety: The weak spot is the striker strip, which still gets ruined when wet, so keep the whole bottle sealed. Honestly, a $1 mini lighter or store-bought stormproof matches are more reliable; use these as a backup.
Source: Ready.gov: Build a Kit
Keep your lighter warm in cold weather
Cost: About $1 per lighter; buy a multi-pack.
Why it works: Butane barely vaporizes near freezing, so a cold lighter may spark but not light. Body heat fixes that.
How to do it
- Carry a plain disposable lighter as your main fire tool.
- In winter, keep it in an inside pocket close to your body, not in an outside pack pocket.
- If it won't light, warm it in your hands or armpit for a minute and try again.
Safety: Keep lighters away from kids and out of hot cars in summer.
Source: Ready.gov: Build a Kit
Car and Travel (6)
Keep a get-home bag in the car
Cost: About $30-60 if you use things you already own.
Why it works: Most people are away from home when disaster strikes. This bag gets you home on foot if you have to.
How to do it
- Use an old backpack.
- Pack: 1-2 liters of water and a small water filter, snacks, comfy walking shoes and wool socks, a rain poncho, a warm layer with hat and gloves, a headlamp, a small first aid kit, a 7-day supply of meds, small bills, a paper map, a phone cable and power bank, and a whistle.
- Check it every spring and fall: swap clothes for the season, replace snacks and water.
Safety: Heat ruins food, water and batteries in summer cars; rotate often.
Source: Ready.gov: Build a Kit
Kitty litter or sand for traction (and weight)
Cost: About $5 a bag.
Why it works: Grit gives tires something to bite into on ice.
How to do it
- Keep a bag of sand, traction grit, or non-clumping clay kitty litter in the trunk.
- If you're stuck on ice, pour it in front of and behind the drive wheels.
- In a rear-wheel-drive truck, a couple of bags over the back axle adds grip.
Safety: Clay litter can turn mushy and slick once wet, so sand or traction grit is better. Strap bags down so they don't fly forward in a crash.
Source: Ready.gov: Winter Weather
Candle in a coffee can for a stranded car
Cost: About $10-15 to build.
Why it works: The candle melts snow for drinking water and warm drinks, and adds a little warmth and a lot of comfort in a small space like a car. It won't heat the car the way an engine does.
How to do it
- Build the kit in a 2-3 pound coffee can: a 2-inch candle, matches, a pocket knife, bright cloth strips, a space blanket, socks and glove liners, snacks, and bouillon or hot cocoa packets.
- If stranded, set the lit candle on the can lid on a stable spot, and hang the can over it to melt snow for warm drinks.
- Crack a window slightly (downwind) while it burns.
- Tie a bright cloth strip to your antenna so rescuers can find you.
Safety: Open flame in a car: keep it away from fabric and never sleep with it lit. Crack a window for fresh air.
If you're stuck: run the engine 10 minutes an hour
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Short runs keep you warm while saving gas and lowering carbon monoxide risk.
How to do it
- Stay with your car unless help is very close and visible.
- Run the engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour.
- Before each time, clear snow from around the tailpipe.
- Crack a downwind window a little while it runs.
- Turn on the dome light at night so you can be seen.
Safety: A snow-blocked tailpipe can fill the car with carbon monoxide in minutes.
Source: Ready.gov: Winter Weather
Keep your tank at least half full in winter
Cost: Free (you buy the gas anyway).
Why it works: Gas stations may lose power, and you'll need fuel to stay warm if stranded.
How to do it
- Fill up when you reach half a tank, especially before storms.
Safety: Never store spare gas cans inside the car.
Source: Ready.gov: Winter Weather
Thrift-store wool blanket and boots in the trunk
Cost: About $10-20 total at thrift stores.
Why it works: Wool stays warm even when damp. Many people get stranded in office shoes and a light jacket.
How to do it
- Pick up a wool blanket and an old pair of winter boots at a thrift store.
- Keep them in the trunk from fall to spring with a hat, gloves and hand warmers.
- If you're stranded, put on the boots and wrap up before you get cold, not after.
Safety: Don't let the blanket cover the dashboard vents or tailpipe area if the engine is running.
Source: Ready.gov: Winter Weather
Bug-Out and Getting Home (7)
Mark 3 routes on a paper map
Cost: Free.
Why it works: GPS can fail, and main roads jam. A plan you've practiced feels calm, not scary.
How to do it
- Get a free state highway map or print a local map.
- Highlight your main route home from work and school, plus two backups that avoid bridges, rivers and big highways.
- Mark spots along the way: friends' homes, water sources, hospitals and places to rest.
- Drive or walk part of each route once so it feels familiar.
Safety: Keep the map in a zip bag with your get-home bag.
Source: Ready.gov: Evacuation
Know your real walking pace
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Knowing it's a 2-day walk, not a 6-hour walk, changes what you pack.
How to do it
- Most people walk about 2-3 miles per hour on pavement, slower with a pack, kids or bad weather.
- Take a practice walk with your bag on a nice day to learn your pace.
- Plan for 15-20 miles as a full, hard day for most adults.
Safety: Practice in good shoes and break them in first.
Source: Ready.gov: Evacuation
Cache water along your route (with care)
Cost: A few dollars per cache; a small squeeze-style water filter is about $25-40.
Why it works: Water is the heaviest thing to carry. Having it waiting saves your back.
How to do it
- Only on land you own or have permission to use, such as a friend's house or your workplace.
- Use sturdy sealed bottles, not thin gallon jugs (they split, especially in sun or freezing).
- Write the date on them and replace them once a year.
- Better: carry a small water filter and know where water is along your route.
Safety: Caches go missing or get damaged. Never count on one alone.
Source: Ready.gov: Water
Moleskin and broken-in shoes
Cost: About $5-8 for moleskin.
Why it works: Blisters are the number-one thing that stops people walking long distances.
How to do it
- Keep worn-in walking shoes or boots in your car, not new ones.
- Pack moleskin, tape and spare wool socks.
- Stop and tape any hot spot right away.
Safety: Change into dry socks when your feet get wet.
Source: Mayo Clinic: Blisters first aid
Duct tape wrapped on your water bottle
Cost: Pennies.
Why it works: You get a whole roll's usefulness without carrying the roll.
How to do it
- Wrap 3-5 feet of duct tape around your water bottle, flashlight or a pencil.
- Use it for blisters, gear repairs, sealing a torn jacket, or making a sling.
Safety: Don't use duct tape directly on wounds.
Source: Mayo Clinic: Blisters first aid
Carry small bills
Cost: Whatever you set aside; it's still your money.
Why it works: Card readers and ATMs don't work without power or internet. Stores may not have change.
How to do it
- Keep about $50-100 in small bills ($1s, $5s and $10s) in your go-bag.
- Add a few quarters.
Safety: Keep it hidden in the bag, not all in one pocket.
Source: Ready.gov: Build a Kit
MYTH: Heading into the woods is the best bug-out plan
Cost: Free.
The truth: Emergency officials tell you which areas to leave and where help is. A roof, water and other people are what keep families safe.
What to do instead
- The truth: for most emergencies, you either stay home or evacuate to friends, family, a hotel or a shelter.
- Living off the land is very hard, even for experienced hunters and campers.
- Plan where you'd go first: a friend or relative's home 50+ miles away, then a hotel or shelter.
Safety: Leave early when told to evacuate. Waiting means more traffic and more danger.
Source: Ready.gov: Evacuation