I had a dear friend who had to abandon her car at one point and only had the clothes on her back, can you believe a westcoaster who never packed a goretex raincoat , she only had a cotton hoodie, no get home bag or whatever you want to call it . Her High River home was cut off and for to days she didn't know if she had anything to return to . She was completely unprepared , forced to bug out on foot when she least expected it and was at the mercy of local friends who were not compromised . Social networking kicked in and a few posts on facebook had a battalion of friends willing to help her out.

I had a dear friend who had to abandon her car at one point and only had the clothes on her back, can you believe a westcoaster who never packed a goretex raincoat , she only had a cotton hoodie, no get home bag or whatever you want to call it . Her High River home was cut off and for to days she didn't know if she had anything to return to . She was completely unprepared , forced to bug out on foot when she least expected it and was at the mercy of local friends who were not compromised . Social networking kicked in and a few posts on facebook had a battalion of friends willing to help her out.

Food for thought.... What would have been the outcome if cellphone service and internet were down?

JAB

If cells r down its the end on civilization as we know it they'll eat each other, rob, set things on fire it would be bad
Just look what happened when you take Internet away from a teenager they grow horns and start sharpening a pitch fork

Very good points. Even as preppers, how many of you have a network and a way of communication in a time like this? some of us may be equiped with radios. But if theres nobody equally epuiped at point B, then you're wasting your breath, and taking up weight in your bag. Some of my friends have their radios, and we've discussed this and have pre-programed our radios to the same channels so we know how to contact each other.

aaronB,

I will try to post some of my thoughts, etc in the next few days. It has been very busy at work as our Urgent Care Centre has had to take over many functions of the hospital that was knocked out due to the flood. We were 16 hours a day, now we are full steam ahead 24/7.

I will be in touch soon. I have some pictures at my Mountainman's Mantra blog.

Mountainman.

Hey everyone. First I want to say, I hope all of you and your families are doing okay during this time of crisis.(Talking about the southern Alberta flooding obviuously) My thoughts are with you.

Second, Im wondering how many of you put some sort of bug out plan into play during this crisis? How did it go? Are there aspects of your bug out plan you would change now? Did the gear in your bags turn out to be as useful as it needed to be? Thoughts please.

My long story about how fast a normal life, a normal town, a normal day turned into a huge disaster that I want to use as a learning opportunity.
I had a couple of very close calls with the fast rising water throughout the day, I watched the cars right behind mine being overrun with water and people being forced out on foot. Both my home and work are located close to the high school which was the evacuation center for the entire town, and by late afternoon they started evacuating the evacuation center. My work was dry so people kept coming there, up until after 7 Friday evening, telling their own horror stories. I was encouraged to leave town… by the other people who are there with me… So ???? I had time… what do you take??? It was BIG… I did not take out my bug out bags… Because I did not know where I was going to be spending the night… with whom…. The roads south where closed… the highway north to Calgary was very busy, by now there was hundreds of police everywhere, roads are blocked. I will be honest I was very confused… and was kind of on stall… couldn’t decide, because once you leave you know you’re not getting back in…1) should I leave all my stuff, and go with the people I was with. Or 2) leave the people and take the stuff and go alone.
As it turned out, I tossed some things in a small bag… and left with people. OK I made the right choice for this time… the dress pants & jacket where way better suited (then the camouflage) for all the meetings that followed for the next week... The truth is there was not one thing in any of my bug out stuff that I needed, or that would have been even kind of useful in the 10 days that I was locked out.
But I kept pretending this a drill… running all the “what if’s” in my mind. How do you make it better? What can I learn? A police barricade separated me from a shed full of supplies. I had a big green backpack, a big duffle bag, and a carrying case of stuff in my house that was likely sitting with the door unlocked. (If not kicked in) I had had plans in place but they were affected by the people I was with, emergences have so many variables, that you can’t know ahead. A lot of people had no chance to get home, families where separated. Well over a thousand people ended up sleeping on cots in evac. centers in Nanton, Blackie, Vulcan, & Okotoks . Roads where washed out, and phone lines, and cell service didn’t work. The army and police where everywhere, with lots and lots of helicopters overhead. But there was no flashing sign in the sky that said THIS IS IT … BUG OUT. Now I realize there never will be.

Much appreciated post ladyboomer, I have long thought the entire world could be topsy turvy for days before I would even know it since I get obsessed with what I am doing on the farm for days on end and do not have Tv . My bug out bags are almost always nearby in my vehicle and are not so much survival stuff as a change clothes including mostly cooler weather clothes and goretex rain shell coats , suitable hiking shoes, snacks ( usually a Costco box of granola bars , peanut butter, honey and crackers in a tin ) and so forth with a few survival basics . I also have a small portable kit of office supplies , first aid kit and a personal grooming kit for being caught away and needing to deal with things . Not very macho, but oh so practical and used more often than just emergencies .