SPEAR Survival Lesson 4 Load 1.2

SPEAR Survival
Core Training
Lesson 4 of 25
Load 1.2 Total Load and Load Plan

      

     Now that we have covered the selection of a rally point for your family, your overall goal for preparedness and your everyday carry bag we need to cover the load plan for your home and vehicle.  Think of it like a map that tells you where things are but you get to draw it.  With some practice and forethought you can save yourself a ton of headaches in the future by putting things where you are going to need them.  For your home it is essential to have the things that you are going to load in your vehicle near an exit that is close to where you can load the vehicle.  Sounds obvious right?  Imagine that right now there is a knock on your door and it is a member of law enforcement and they are directing you to evacuate your home.  It doesn't matter why.  The reality is that you may be gone for an extended period of time.  You have only ten minutes to get out.  What do you bring? Where does it go?  Will it all fit? Where the heck did you put it?

    Total load and load plan is a simple list of what you are going to bring with you in the case of an emergency when you need to leave your home.  

     You may be going to many different places but having a simple plan of what you want to have in your vehicle and where it is going to go will be a great advantage to you.  How many times have you been somewhere and wished that you had a certain tool with you.  Or you broke down on the side of the road and your natural instinct is to fix the problem and get on your way, except, there isn't a single thing in your vehicle to help you fix the problem.  Now if this has happened to you I am sure that in the back of your mind you were telling yourself that when you get home to put some tools in the vehicle. Perhaps some of you actually put together a tool kit for the car only to take it out when you needed it for some project,only to forget to put it back.
     When you set a load plan for your vehicle and home it is important to make it dedicated to that location.  It doesn't come out when you need to change your kids flat tire on there bicycle.  You need to have a home tool kit for those needs.  The load of your vehicle stays in your vehicle at all times, Until you need it!

     So lets start with the most obvious thing to consider,-- people.  How many people are you going to have to load into your vehicle? Will they fit into just one vehicle?  Don't forget to account for pets as you won't likely want to leave them behind.  Assign the seating so you don't have to waste time when it is time to go.

     When you have this number figured out you can see what space you are going to have left.  Every vehicle must have a maintenance box consisting of extra oil, coolant, transmission fluid and windshield washer fluid.  You should include jumper cables and a couple bottles of water.  These things should be in your vehicle at all times and if not I suggest you get them in there today.  Some extras that you might consider would be a tire pump and a tire gauge

     Now filling the space that you have left shouldn't leave you with no extra room for anything else.  Pack what you need only.  Food and water are top of the need list.  Imagine that you start on a four hour drive and it turns into a three day expedition.  You can't be prepared for everything but by having extra food and water you will increase the time you have to deal with other issues.

     Beyond food, the next most important item to consider might be communications. Having a way of knowing when it is safe to go back home will be essential.  Don't assume that your phones are going to work and that you will still be with your vehicle.  A CB (citizens band radio) or a small hand crank radio might be a life saver.  Don't forget the car charger for you phone.  At about ten dollars a piece you should make sure that every vehicle that you own has one.  The last piece to the communication part of mobile evacuation is HAM radio.  You need to be licensed to use ham radio but the test isn't very hard for a tech class license that will put you way ahead of the power curve. ( I will discuss HAM and testing in upcoming blogs)

     Security would fall high on the list as well.  If you are going to bring guns with you on the trip you will need to plan that out ahead of time by having extra ammo on hand that you can take with you.  Your personal protection weapon should be kept in a safe when it is in your house but when you are traveling in an emergency situation you don't want to waste time digging it out.  Keep it someplace where you can access it quickly if you need it or hide it quickly if the situation requires.  Plan where the weapon is going to go and practice it.  Keep in mind that you may need to access your weapon while you are still strapped in your seat belt. 

     In the shelter department it would be wise to have a prepared tote that goes right in the vehicle when it is time to go.  In the tote you should have a folded tarp in the bottom that is large enough for your family to all fit under.  A small tent that is capable to hold your family size.Include some basic tools such as; a hatchet, hammer, rope, duct tape, knife, screw drivers etc,  Your tent doesn't have to be stored in the handy little sleeve that it comes with.  You can fold it the best way to fit your tote.  A few wool blankets and sleeping bags if space allows or your climate dictates.

     The size of your tote will be determined again by your family size and the amount of space that you have to hold it.  The more you bring the better off you may find yourself but keep in mind that there has to be balance to your packing. You can't have a massive tent and air mattresses that rival the Four Seasons and only have enough food for a couple of days.
      Keep your shelter tote handy and ready to go into your vehicle first.  Food, water and medical may need to be accessed before you need the shelter tote. (note: you may have to split your shelter tote into two or three smaller totes that will fit better in the space that you have available.

     Your medical box should be added to your load plan.  We will cover the contents of the medical kit for your home in a future lesson.  For now just try to get all your first aid stuff together and put it in a single tote or bag that you can grab when you are heading out.  You will have your core bag kit but if your stay gets extended you might not be able to have these things replaced.  It is better to just bring them with you.  Remember that it might not just be your family that you have to administer first aid to.

     Map books, an atlas and local terrain maps should be kept in your vehicle all the time.  If you don't have them now, I suggest doing so soon.  Don't assume that the GPS on your phone is going to be working throughout any or all of your trip.  Get the maps and put them in your vehicle so you can't forget them.  Even if you know the way to where you are going there is no guarantee that the your normal route will be passable.  Knowing how to get around a traffic jam could be crucial.

     You may have things that you won't be able to leave behind that have sentimental value so plan that space accordingly.  If all the things that you need to bring don't seem to fit into you vehicle you might want to consider a roof rack or hitch plate for your vehicle.  Don't wait till you are trying to find room for the extra food and can't to wish you had more space.

• Food and Water (enough for three days packed in a tote ahead of time)
• vehicle maintenance box
• Small crank radio (keep it in your tent tote)
• Tent tote with tarp, tent, blankets, towels and tools
• vehicle repair tools
• Medical kit
• Maps
• Personal items

The total load of your vehicle is something you should consider the next time you are shopping for a new vehicle.  That sporty little machine that looks so nice might not be the best choice.

     MOP order.  Take an afternoon and pack your vehicle for a trip.  Find out how much space you have left for your gear and where you can put it.  I guarantee that you will change your plan after just trying this once.  Make it a habit to think about the load of the vehicle.  When you are going to the beach, plan your load.  Trip to a concert, plan your load.  The more times that you practice the frame of mind that considers this important topic you will develop a habitual mindset that remembers the load set.

     Core training is just the basic foundation of the survival elements that will be required if crisis happens.  It also is designed to change your mindset to a more anticipatory direction so that you can look ahead to what could happen instead of looking back and wishing you had been better prepared.  There are 28 lessons in this series.  Coming next is lesson 5 "Beyond Total Load" where we will discuss the best direction for investment in making your household more survivable if you are able to hunker down and stay put.

Start from the beginning: Lesson 1
More information: www.spearsurvival.com