Bugging Out, A new twist.....

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That's a great question. I've thought about. One thing I put away was a stock of multiple vitamins. If we really faced a long term disaster - everyone says bring string and hooks to catch game and fish. Well, where's the orange juice. If civilization really fell, we would see vitamin based problems unless you happened to live in a diverse food environment.

Also, Viagra - in case the FOGs have to repopulate the Earth.

If it were in the long term and civilization really fell, most of us Rx dependent folks would be in serious trouble.

In SM Stirling's Islands in the Sea of Time series, they mention that they lost the diabetics and other folks despite their best efforts.
 
Derius, I think you'd want to check with your pharmacist to see what the lowest temperature for the storage of the meds would be. And also, if you can't keep them at, say, 70-80 degrees, how long do you have before they start to lose their potency? A pharmacist could probably give you that info (and if they do, post it here, will you?)

Springmom
 
The biggest problem however, is still getting a good fresh supply "short-term", and the storage of perishable meds. Maybe an ice chest, or using those chemical fast ice packs to keep meds cold until reaching somewhere more permanent?
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I don't have a good answer for on foot, but there are small travel fridges for about $50 that run on vehicle 12V power. Adding cold packs in the cooler would increase the thermal mass and delay warming when the vehicle is off.

I'm not a medical pro, but one other avenue would be exploring longer-storing meds or natural remedies which, while not as effective as your original px could help you limp along until reaching intact med infrastructure. I don't know about advanced heart disease and advanced diabetes, but mild hypertension could be treated with easy-to-store fish oil/garlic/aspirin therapy/potassium Nu-salt, etc.

We've got to do our best to survive as independent actors, but, sadly, sometimes through age or infirmity we do reach a state where we'll die without a pretty hefty infrastructure (renal patient, etc.)
 
The biggest problem however, is still getting a good fresh supply "short-term", and the storage of perishable meds. Maybe an ice chest, or using those chemical fast ice packs to keep meds cold until reaching somewhere more permanent?
Click to expand...

I don't have a good answer for on foot, but there are small travel fridges for about $50 that run on vehicle 12V power. Adding cold packs in the cooler would increase the thermal mass and delay warming when the vehicle is off.

I'm not a medical pro, but one other avenue would be exploring longer-storing meds or natural remedies which, while not as effective as your original rx could help you limp along until reaching intact med infrastructure. I don't know about advanced heart disease and advanced diabetes, but mild hypertension could be treated with easy-to-store fish oil/garlic/aspirin therapy/potassium Nu-salt, etc.

We've got to do our best to survive as independent actors, but, sadly, sometimes through age or infirmity we do reach a state where we'll die without a pretty hefty infrastructure (renal patient, etc.)
 
My wife has a medical condition requiring daily meds that she can not live without. She would be in serious trouble or worse within a day or two without her meds. So we have talked at length about this with her doctors.

Our plan is to "bug-out" by vehicle while the gettin' is still good...ie when the first suggestion of evacuation is made by public officials. We live in a hurricane prone area.

We keep what we can handy which is usually about a one month supply. Our plan is to get to a nationwide chain store/pharmacy (Walgreens for instance) where our scripts and doctor's info is kept on file which can be accessed from anywhere in the nation as soon as we can, which should theoretically be within a few days at the very most.
 
Creature, I think your plan is most realistic. Unless the entire infrastructure of the country dissipates somehow, having enough gas to get to the pharmacy in the next decent size town is what you need most.

Springmom
 
If you are in a hot climate, and heat is the problem, how about burying them. 2-3 feet underground has a pretty constant low temp. Or, what about a root cellar?
 
Where are you going to bug out to??? make your own drugs?? if you can get the supplies to make the drugs you could get the drugs. now leaving a city like New Orleans for a huricane is one thing i would do in a heartbeat. I would take a few guns my meds if i was on them and call it good. some food and water and i would be good to go.
 
I agree. Short of that nefarious shtf scenario where the entire pharmacutical infrastructure fails, a one month supply of any drug is more than enough to get anyone through a worst case scenario (regional natural disaster).

In the case of special meds that require refrigeration or whatever, there should already be a reasonable amount of vigilence present. This would include a network of cues that the individual would watch for. These cues would put a previously prepared natural distaster evacuation plan into action and should get the patient to safety in a timely manner. A normal evacuation for a major hurricane takes 24-48 hours for travelers to complete...not weeks or months.
 
Cold storage for transport need not be difficult, but cold storage for the 2-weeks or 30 day supply is another matter.

Those 12v auto fridges will only cool so much because they lack a true compressor. As I recall, they'll only cool about 30 degrees or so from ambient air temps. Keeping spare meds/vitamins in a vacuum-sealed package prevents oxidation of dry drugs. You'd need to ask a pharmacist if liquid and semi-liquid drugs (gel capsules) will withstand vacuum sealing w/o leaking.

For cooling, a small insulated beverage carrier with blue ice AND a pair of 20-oz soda bottles of frozen water will last about 2 days if kept shaded in average (70-85 deg) temps. Keep several ziploc bags handy and if a cool stream is located, you can keep meds cool using the ziplocs. Your meds in one or more small ziplocs stuffed inside a larger one and finally all tucked in a nylon stuff sack tied to the bank of the stream or tree.

At home, w/o power, you can do the same thing using the cold water in the toilet tank and flush the commode by pouring water down the bowl.

To be direct, if SHTF in a very serious way (i.e. a multiple city nuke attack or huge 9.0 'quake) and a pharmacist was insisting on verifying a prescription for life-saving meds, I might be tempted to short circuit that procedure rather rudely, but paying for them too.
 
While we're on the top of meds... figure out how much your most important meds cost and which ones you can likely do without or substitute something else. Keep spare cash for the meds in your kit in case you need to buy a supply from a pharmacist when credit cards can't be verified.

Also in your kit, keep some cash for "other" purposes, such as buying potable water, spare food or other supplies. I try to keep about $300 tucked away in small bills and coin;

$20 in quarters
$10 in dimes
$20 in dollar coins
$100 in $1 bills
$50 in $2 bills
$50 in $5 bills
$50 in $10 bills

During a disaster, if you need something (batteries, water, a fork, etc.) a supplier may not be able to make proper change. Likewise, when buying from an individual you can negotiate a price and pay exactly that amount. A gallon of water may be 75-cents, but if all you have is a $5 bill, that's what it may cost you due to lack of change.
 
well, i take atenalol (blood pressure med) for my high blood pressure. I havnt had a heart attach or anything like that, but IF i had to i could survive for quite awhile with out it. As i found out a while back, i was completely broke due to some unfortunate life circumstances,and my choice was food for my wife and son, or my pills. I choose food for those more important then me. During the Month or so i went with out, my bp did go up, but it didnt go up massivly, i figure if, i keep strenuous(spelling???) activity to a minimum ill be ok.

Since then i just pay out of pocket for a 3 month supply.
 
Unless the entire infrastructure of the country dissipates somehow, having enough gas to get to the pharmacy in the next decent size town is what you need most.
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Like the people there won't have purchased all of their stock? Or if they're even open? Or if they'll even sell anything to you without power to run the registers?

Ask anyone who went through Katrina or even the hurricanes in S. Florida...stores and pharmacies were out of EVERYTHING, or just closed because the workers were with their families at home, not at work, and they wouldn't sell anything without cash registers, which require electricity.

Why does it matter if you can get to the next town's drugstore if the people in that town would have bought all their local supplies from it, just like you did from yours? I've never understood that perception, as if other people don't live in those other areas you're heading to.
 
That is because many people didn't evacuate far enough away...if at all!

Perhaps what I should have said is that evacuation should mean moving away from the coast across the state, ideally into an inland state (unless you're in Texas!)...not just to the next town over. Especially if the evacuee is someone who is reliant on specific medication.
 
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Mordis, you need to get with your doctor about the atenolol. After being on it long term, it also has the added effect of actually 'regulating' your heartbeat. I know that when I have my stress tests, I have to stop that medicine for 24hrs. prior, because the meds won't let your heart peak out, or if it does, it takes longer and is more straining on your heart because you must fight against the meds.

After long term, if I don't take mine for a day or so, my heart starts to beat out of control, and very, very fast, and I could get in serious trouble if I don't take it soon. As your doctor about this.


I plan on talking to my doctor next time I see her about some of these things. About the storage of some meds, shelf life, getting a better supply, ect. I will post any relavent info I find here.

Also, someone mentioned potable water. I got around that by buying a kit they sell at most survival stores. It is a medium size cup, and you put dirty water in it, and when you pour it through the top, it filters out 99% of all harmful stuff, including bacteria, viruses, ect. I know there are several types of these devices out there, as well as pills that clean a pretty nasty water source too.
 
As far as pain medications, Ibuprofen (Advil) in large quantities (600-800 mg) is a very effective pain reliever. For surface pain, any spray sunburn remedy that contains benzocaine or lidocaine works well.
Aspirin can be substituted for blood thinners.
 
If you guys want to prepare for long term "bugging out" you had better have bartering material. If the nation is in true meltdown mode many drug dependent folks will die sad to say. Eventually some knowledgeable chemist will make the drug you need so that he or she can barter for essentials that they did not stock prior to the event and need to live or simply to get rich.

According to my research bartering is essential for long term "bugging out". Unless you are skilled in many many areas that is. For medical expertise as an example. You get sick and Dr. Tom wants payment for his services only nobody is taking paper money. Dr. Tom wants gold or some essentials.

This is for long term problems for the most part and hopefully never needed.
 
Like the people there won't have purchased all of their stock? Or if they're even open? Or if they'll even sell anything to you without power to run the registers?

Ask anyone who went through Katrina or even the hurricanes in S. Florida...stores and pharmacies were out of EVERYTHING, or just closed because the workers were with their families at home, not at work, and they wouldn't sell anything without cash registers, which require electricity.

Why does it matter if you can get to the next town's drugstore if the people in that town would have bought all their local supplies from it, just like you did from yours? I've never understood that perception, as if other people don't live in those other areas you're heading to.
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Quite correct. If you're dealing with Katrina the "next decent size town" may be several hundred miles (like Houston...remember, we DID "go through" Katrina in that we were the "bug out TO" location; still are) But that's still only a few hundred miles. If you have transportation, assumedly your car and your gas, then Katrina actually makes my point. From New Orleans, people drove to Houston, to points northeast, to points north (although of course I'm far and away most aware of the stories of those who came here). No Walgreens were shut down, and for those who did all the other stuff mentioned here (all your important papers, cash in hand, a month's supply of meds) the lack of medication when they got here was no problem.

Likewise, Rita evacuees from Houston (whom, it turned out, didn't even need to evacuate, but that's another story) went to Austin or up toward Dallas. That's 150-180 miles. And everything was open and working fine.

If the whole infrastructure goes, then that's something else again. But the most important thing is to have the gas to get 200 miles away...for most people, that WILL get them out of the disaster zone, if they can get out at all. If they can't, that's what that month of meds is for.

Springmom
 
Not to sound Wacko or anything but if SHTF and there is something i or my family needs be it meds ammo food water what ever.
Hopefully i am prepared for it but if not. I am gonna get it.
Whether it's driving an SUV through my local Wal-greens or helping myself to the overpriced ammo at the wally world. Now i am not saying i am going to endanger or harm others to achieve my goal but really looting occurs all the time when there are natural disasters I would rather be on the 6 o clock news walking outta wal mart through a broken window in a flood ridden town holding my perscriptions, bottled water and 12ga slugs than DVD players and a microwave.
Sorry I hope this doesn't offend anyone.
 
the sad reality of this situation is:

in a TRUE breakdown of society, there are going to be ALOT of secondary deaths due to this very problem... a bad deal, yes... but it really be Darwinism at it's base level...
 
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