A Bug Out Bag Could Save Your Life

Having a bug out bag ready to go in your RV is both a prudent and necessary step to surviving an unexpected natural disaster.

As I am writing this post, there are weather emergencies occurring all over the nation. Two tropical storms, Laura and Marco, have come bearing down on the Gulf Coast and caused widespread damage. Wildfires are still raging across California, Oregon, and Washington State. If you need to leave your RV on a moment’s notice, you will want to have a bug out bag easily accessible and ready to go.

Have an emergency plan

I suggest having an evacuation protocol that every member of your family understands and can help to execute.

If you had to leave your RV, the next best thing is to be able to take your car or truck and seek safety by driving out of the danger zone. But in some cases, you may not even be able to use your car or truck, and that’s when a bug out bag (a go-bag stocked with survival gear) could save your life.

Be prepared to walk to safety

The road out of your campsite might be washed out in a flash flood that may also be threatening your RV and you might need to seek higher ground on foot. This is particularly true in the case of an earthquake or tsunami, since many of the roads out of the danger zones traverse the countryside along the very waterways that will be affected by the tsunami, and bridges may be destroyed in an earthquake. Hiking to higher ground may be your only escape.

You may need to hike with your bug out bag, so be mindful of the weight. Photo by P. Dent

Bug out bag list

Having a bug out bag with essential gear will give you a better chance of surviving until help arrives. We recommend packing:

Tarps
Bungie cords
Matches
Firestarters
First-aid supplies
Dried food
Water purification tablets
A sharp knife
A sweatshirt, gloves, warm cap, and rain gear, for every member of your family

I also suggest having cash on hand. You might not want to put cash in your go-bag but having it in a ready to grab-and-go location in your RV will save you time.

We keep extra survival gear in the spare tire compartment in our tow car. We have sleeping bags, heavy coats, and several cans of food stowed under the front seat, but our survival is not dependent on the tow car. We also have tarps, warm clothes, and rain gear in the go-bags in case we have to leave on foot.

Remember that if you’re not accustomed to strenuous hiking, the more you put in the bag, the harder it will be to carry. If you have to also carry supplies for small children, or an elderly relative, or your pets, the need for thoughtful planning of the contents is even more evident.

Popular Youtuber Canadian Prepper shared their top 13 bug out bag essentials in the video below:

Hope for the best but prepare for the worst

We pray that we’ll never have to use any of these supplies, but it is a comfort to know we already have them ready to go and that we’re prepared. The idea of leaving our motorhome behind is difficult to even think about. But it’s naive to ignore the fact that life-threatening events occur somewhere almost every day, and leaving the RV behind may someday be necessary.

It’s not worth losing your life over nostalgic feelings for your RV or because you didn’t take the time to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Your RV and everything in it can be replaced and there may come a day when you need to leave it behind, with the knowledge that you may never see it again. It’s sad to think about that, but the alternative of losing your life because you weren’t prepared is even harder to think about.

A rainbow promise after a storm

A little planning may save your life

If you’re a full-time RVer, I beg you to get serious about what it would take to survive in a remote location without the comfort and safety of your RV.

Have a plan. Outfit your backpacks with essential survival equipment, stash some cash, put your go-bags in an accessible location, download weather apps and turn on notifications, and be mentally prepared to make a quick exit either in your RV, in your vehicle, or on foot, if that is all that’s left. Be determined to do what’s necessary to survive and having a bug out bag will increase your odds. You may also want to pack these essential Survival Tools.

Peggy Dent

I am an author and writer, my partner is a web designer. We are full time RVers traveling around the US and Canada. We’ve been RVing for over 20 years and we’ve traveled more than 130,000 miles in an RV.