Jadxia

Map of commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. -- from Wikipedia


I'm watching the Aftermath: Population Zero program on Tivo and looking at Borelli Consulting's latest article about constructing your own basic emergency survival kit. I've always wanted an emergency catch-all kit, in case of some holocaust or zombie-war. If civilization ended now, would I be ready? No, but that doesn't mean I couldn't be more ready than I am now. So, using the program and the list on the internet, I'm compiling a list of things I would need in a emergency end-of-world bug out bag.

First off, it pays to have a pre-planned destination. If you live in a coastal area or on a flood plain, eventually you're going to be underwater. Ideally, you want to move to a suitable permanent campsite. According to the television program, most of the power plants will fail and after that, industrial zones and power plants will be areas of death. The nuclear plants will all blow up within a week or so, leaving scorched areas of radioactive waste. Wikipedia says the immediate fallout of a nuclear power plant will blast everything in the nearest 3-4 miles, and of course radiation clouds will probably spread much further than that. The program says industrial plants will go first, on account they need power to keep certain toxic chemicals cool. Once those tanks heat up, they will automatically vent and shove clouds of toxic vapor in all directions.

Based on this information, I decided my best plan is to head away from the cities, looting for food and supplies and collecting other pilgrims and a host of large dogs as I go. From DC, the northern edges of Kentucky and West Virginia look pretty good. Now for my bug-out kit:

DISCLAIMER: If this stuff is illegal where you live, I don't recommend buying it.

• one sturdy bug-out backpack
  
• my all-purpose Gortex ski-shell, which is suprisingly strong and resistant, lightweight, waterproof, and warm
  
• One change of outer clothing, including one warm sweatshirt and one pair of heavy gloves
  
• Two changes of socks and underwear
  
• a gas-mask
  
• A gun, at minimum one handgun, although if someone in my party had a rifle and a shotgun that would be lovely. The weight of these items would be too much for me to consider, especially when you add in ammunition
  
• Maps of my local area, all the way to my planned possible destinations
  
• A compass, to go with the above maps
  
• Ways of making fire, notably a set of waterproof strike-anywhere matches and a couple of lighters
  
• A flashlight, the kind you shake to power instead of needing batteries
  
• Somewhere in the party, a short-wave radio. I'm assuming that I know for certain civilization has ended, and therefore my regular emergency radio is no longer needed because no radio stations have power. However, other survival-minded folk will have CBs, and these are the people I most want to contact to join my pack anyway, rather than a bunch of anti-gun vegans still wearing their dress shoes. Batteries for this if necessary.
  
• Knives, specificially my pocket knife and some kind of heavy duty machete-like deal
  
• An all-purpose utility tool
  
• signal whistles for the everyone in the party
  
• some kind of shelter material, enough to make a sort of tent if necessary
  
• space blanket
  
• some kind of hydration system, like a water bottle that filters out sewage or, as a last resort, a solar-still system (basically plastic sheeting and a plastic cup)
  
• a roll of heavy-duty tape, perhaps a roll of Duct Tape and one of electrical tape (which can also double as bandage tape more easily than Duct Tape)
  
• Fishing line, hooks, and sinkers
  
• Rope, ideally paracord
  
• A first aid kit, including painkillers and antibiotics looted from abandoned homes/pharmacies on the way if possible. I expect the pharmacies will long be looted before I get there, but they may leave the antibiotics behind
  
• emergency rations, although these are less important while still in once populated areas
  
• If I can bear the weight, a local plant identification handbook
  

References:
Aftermath: Population Zero
Borelli Consulting Go Bag
Borelli Consulting Basic Survival Kit
Wikipedia: Effects of Nuclear Explosions