There are numerous resources available to gain a good understanding of preparedness. There are also varying levels of being prepared that you may or may not be aware of. Most people who overland are relying on what they have in their vehicles to survive for the time they are out adventuring. This provides a solid foundation for understanding what we mean by preparedness.

In my mind, there are levels of preparedness that I follow. In my case, there are four levels of a triangle. Each level builds upon the previous one, adding more capabilities. My ultimate goal is always to get home or to a safe place. However, depending on where I am, either at work or in the woods, the level to which I go in the triangle could change.

Much of this comes down to personal preference regarding what is carried and packed. Below is my philosophy on each, along with a link to another article that provides the details.

Personal Everyday Carry

Everyday Carry, or EDC, is a pretty common phrase these days. The idea behind EDC is to carry practical and useful items you would not leave home without. Some people actively engage in what they carry and think about what they carry every day. Some people grab the same items every day. For example, as a writer, I never leave home without a pen and a notebook. Most people carry at least three things every day: their wallet, keys, and cell phone. Check out this more detailed post on what I carry and why.

Vehicle Everyday Carry

Much like personal EDC, Vehicle Every Day Carry (VEDC) should be items that are practical, useful, and complement what you have on your person. What you have in your vehicle should be for incidental breakdowns and situations, not necessarily long-term survival. Factors like commute time, geographical location, weather, and population density all play into what you might carry in your vehicle.

Get Home or Bail Out Bag

There is some slight difference between a Get Home Bag (GHB) and a Bail Out Bag (BOB). A GHB is put together to get you from point A to point B, specifically. In my case, it is to get me from work to home. Hence the name. It is not used for long-term survival or evacuation purposes. I keep a GHB in my car that will get me home from work if I have to walk home because of an emergency situation.

A BOB is meant to provide longer-term survival in the event of an emergency scenario, or if you are a long way from home. Most people might look at a BOB as an evacuation tool in the event of having to leave home. My philosophy on it is different in that I use it as a long-term survival tool if I have to leave my car (something you are not supposed to do). When I head into the woods for the weekend, I have a BOB packed and ready to go in case I need to leave my car.

Not Coming Home and Shelter In Place

The lowest part of the triangle is the last resort. It includes two split options: shelter in place and not coming home. The items packed for both scenarios are those that would sustain us for a while if we had to leave or stay in the house. Most of it is packed in a way that makes grabbing bins and leaving easy. This type of planning goes hand in hand with having a disaster mitigation plan that includes a designated bug-out location.

The Family Factor

The other piece of this whole triangle is factoring in my family. Most of this information and the associated posts deal strictly with one person: me. The number of things and what I end up carrying vary greatly if my family happens to be traveling with me. The plan is to have a GHB in each vehicle we own eventually, and have the kids have their dedicated bags. All of that information will be wrapped up in a separate article.