Collapsible Systems Wiki - User contributions [en]

Main Page

2026-04-06T22:06:53Z

Julian: Added bot trap

The Collapsible Project

The goal of this project is to gather strategies, skills, disciplines, technologies, ideas, designs and critical thought in an effort to help prepare communities big and small for a time of great upheaval, an era of collapses (plural). It is not a submission to 'The Collapse' and nor does it seek to romanticise an end times. Within this frame, individual-centered survivalist and prepper cultures are not encouraged, while we identify that both hold much that may be of use to communities facing tough times.

'''In contributing to this wiki you:'''

* identify that we face not some future Collapse, but are already in the midst of multiple converging collapses.
* recognise that the climate and extinction crises are due to the stresses our growth-addicted civilisation has placed on the Planet, and with that comes consequences for all alive.
* understand that species extinction and a changed climate can not be undone, that we are already locked in for decades of consequences regardless of any mitigating steps made today.
* understand that many communities are already enduring significant and sudden changes, and that we have much to learn from them.
* believe that openly discussing and addressing the challenges we face is not 'negative', nor pessimistic, but essential to overcoming them.
* understand that environmental defense and biome conservation today is crucial for our survival tomorrow.
* recognise that socio-political and geo-political tensions are both expressions and major drivers within collapse.
* recognise that true resilience means togetherness, and that strong communities are built atop a commitment to inclusivity.
* honestly think tardigrades are amazing, not only because they are collapsible.

'''''If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together
'''''

''- Probably an African proverb''

-----

== About this wiki ==

This wiki exists as a collaborative notepad to collect and organise content for the Collapsible project, with a social media tentacle at the Mastodon instance at [https://collapsible.systems Collapsible.Systems]. It was launched on September 1, 2023. We are aiming to create a 'real' wiki, with useful articles and conforming to a common editorial style, a 'collapsipedia'. For this a domain has already been registered.

The wiki will be built primarily as an online archive, but with offline networking applications in mind. A core outcome target is for the entire wiki to be served wirelessly (WLAN, single cell base station, packet radio) and over Ethernet from small low powered computers. PDF, e-pub and print-on-demand outcomes will also be explored.

'''Unlike other wikis that solely focus on sustainability or lone prepping, the Collapsible Wiki widens its scope to a holistic view on resilience, from organisational systems to disaster preparedness, radio communications, 'permacomputing', medicine and climate resilient cropping.'''

This work will be done in English, translated into other languages where translators are available.

For the time being the priority is to gather all the external resources we can into one place (this wiki), using our Mastodon community as a sort of knowledge harvester.

==Categories==

This section is primarily here for mobile users, so they can reach the category list without the sidebar.

* [[Infrastructure]]
* [[Food]]
* [[Health]]
* [[Preparedness]]
* [[Environment]]
* [[Community]]
* [[Thought]]
* [[Linkdump]]
* [[Style_guide|Style guide]]

==Contributing==

Consult the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Contents User's Guide] for help with using the wiki software.
If you want to practice your wiki editing chops, try the [[Sandpit|Sandpit.]]

Please note that ''Main Page'' is protected, as we need to communicate the basics here, and ensure everything is clear. If you have some suggestions, please add them in the Discussion tab for this page.

As for the rest of the wiki, it's all open to editors in accordance with the same [https://collapsible.systems/about rules of the Mastodon instance].

'''This wiki is a collective effort. It belongs to its contributors.'''

=== Scope ===

Rather than write detailed HOWTOs or get into extreme detail, the wiki should aim to provide ''helpful overviews'' to raise literacy, seed confidence, and get folk started on their preparation projects.

The initial goal however is just to collect as many helpful resources here as possible for each section. That process can be really rough for now. If you just have links and don't know where to put them, just give them a quick title/descrip and drop them in the [[linkdump|Link Dump]]. That said, enthusiastic editors should feel free to flesh out articles and/or write up detailed notes, creating pages as needed.

Before creating a new page, and for each contribution, editors are encouraged to check their entries for '''''Utility''''' (is the information useful, can it be applied?), '''''Relevance''''' (does it speak to the Collapsible frame?), '''''Inclusivity''''' (does it assume a particular audience, leaving out others?), '''''Uniqueness''''' (can it be found elsewhere in the wiki?), '''''Accessibility''''' (can it be understood without prior knowledge, or with knowledge provided in situ?) and '''''Region''''' (does it assume a particular region to have relevance?).

=== Style ===

Please see [[Style guide|this attempt at a style guide]] before creating your first page. Rather than creating pages in the structure Category/Page, just create a new page, take note of it, and link to it under the relevant section (click on the Link symbol in the editor and enter the Page title).

=== Create a new page ===

New pages can be created by typing the name of a non-existent page after the '''index.php/''' in URL bar, or using the below form:

{{#createpage:|new page name here}}

If you want to create a page directly in the URL bar whose name has spaces, for instance a page titled ''Irrigation systems'', you can
use underscores to reference spaces, like so:

''wiki.collapsible.systems/w/index.php/Irrigation_systems''

=== Bot trap ===

Because LLMs are scraping this site, a trap has been placed here so that they waste their time rather than scraping the pages here written by people.

[https://poison.dislocative.com/tarpit Go to town bots]

Main Page

2025-05-10T00:38:16Z

Julian:

Main Page

2025-05-10T00:37:25Z

Julian:

The Collapsible Project

The goal of this project is to gather strategies, skills, disciplines, technologies, ideas, designs and critical thought in an effort to help prepare communities big and small for a time of great upheaval, an era of collapses (plural). It is not a submission to 'The Collapse' and nor does it seek to romanticise an end times. Within this frame, individual-centered survivalist and prepper cultures are not encouraged, while we identify that both hold much that may be of use to communities facing tough times.

'''In contributing to this wiki you:'''

* identify that we face not some future Collapse, but are already in the midst of multiple converging collapses.
* recognise that the climate and extinction crises are due to the stresses our growth-addicted civilisation has placed on the Planet, and with that comes consequences for all alive.
* understand that species extinction and a changed climate can not be undone, that we are already locked in for decades of consequences regardless of any mitigating steps made today.
* understand that many communities are already enduring significant and sudden changes, and that we have much to learn from them.
* believe that openly discussing and addressing the challenges we face is not 'negative', nor pessimistic, but essential to overcoming them.
* understand that environmental defense and biome conservation today is crucial for our survival tomorrow.
* recognise that socio-political and geo-political tensions are both expressions and major drivers within collapse.
* recognise that true resilience means togetherness, and that strong communities are built atop a commitment to inclusivity.
* honestly think tardigrades are amazing, not only because they are collapsible.

'''''If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together
'''''

''- Probably an African proverb''

-----

== About this wiki ==

This wiki exists as a collaborative notepad to collect and organise content for the Collapsible project, with a social media tentacle at the Mastodon instance at [https://collapsible.systems Collapsible.Systems]. It was launched on September 1, 2023. We are aiming to create a 'real' wiki, with useful articles and conforming to a common editorial style, a 'collapsipedia'. For this a domain has already been registered.

The wiki will be built primarily as an online archive, but with offline networking applications in mind. A core outcome target is for the entire wiki to be served wirelessly (WLAN, single cell base station, packet radio) and over Ethernet from small low powered computers. PDF, e-pub and print-on-demand outcomes will also be explored.

'''Unlike other wikis that solely focus on sustainability or lone prepping, the Collapsible Wiki widens its scope to a holistic view on resilience, from organisational systems to disaster preparedness, radio communications, 'permacomputing', medicine and climate resilient cropping.'''

This work will be done in English, translated into other languages where translators are available.

For the time being the priority is to gather all the external resources we can into one place (this wiki), using our Mastodon community as a sort of knowledge harvester.

==Categories==

This section is primarily here for mobile users, so they can reach the category list without the sidebar.

* [[Infrastructure]]
* [[Food]]
* [[Health]]
* [[Preparedness]]
* [[Environment]]
* [[Community]]
* [[Thought]]
* [[Linkdump]]
* [[Style_guide|Style guide]]

==Contributing==

Consult the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Contents User's Guide] for help with using the wiki software.
If you want to practice your wiki editing chops, try the [[Sandpit|Sandpit.]]

Please note that ''Main Page'' is protected, as we need to communicate the basics here, and ensure everything is clear. If you have some suggestions, please add them in the Discussion tab for this page.

As for the rest of the wiki, it's all open to editors in accordance with the same [https://collapsible.systems/about rules of the Mastodon instance].

'''This wiki belongs to those that contribute to it.'''

=== Scope ===

Rather than write detailed HOWTOs or get into extreme detail, the wiki should aim to provide ''helpful overviews'' to raise literacy, seed confidence, and get folk started on their preparation projects.

The initial goal however is just to collect as many helpful resources here as possible for each section. That process can be really rough for now. If you just have links and don't know where to put them, just give them a quick title/descrip and drop them in the [[linkdump|Link Dump]]. That said, enthusiastic editors should feel free to flesh out articles and/or write up detailed notes, creating pages as needed.

Before creating a new page, and for each contribution, editors are encouraged to check their entries for '''''Utility''''' (is the information useful, can it be applied?), '''''Relevance''''' (does it speak to the Collapsible frame?), '''''Inclusivity''''' (does it assume a particular audience, leaving out others?), '''''Uniqueness''''' (can it be found elsewhere in the wiki?), '''''Accessibility''''' (can it be understood without prior knowledge, or with knowledge provided in situ?) and '''''Region''''' (does it assume a particular region to have relevance?).

=== Style ===

Please see [[Style guide|this attempt at a style guide]] before creating your first page. Rather than creating pages in the structure Category/Page, just create a new page, take note of it, and link to it under the relevant section (click on the Link symbol in the editor and enter the Page title).

=== Create a new page ===

New pages can be created by typing the name of a non-existent page after the '''index.php/''' in URL bar, or using the below form:

{{#createpage:|new page name here}}

If you want to create a page directly in the URL bar whose name has spaces, for instance a page titled ''Irrigation systems'', you can
use underscores to reference spaces, like so:

''wiki.collapsible.systems/w/index.php/Irrigation_systems''

Talk:Backyard gardening strategies

2025-02-14T08:45:15Z

Julian: Created page with "This page needs to be diversified to include non-US/Europe centric biomes. In some parts of the world animals like rabbits and deer are non-native, and can be highly destructive if introduced. Example: deer were introduced in Aotearoa New Zealand and are now a major driver of native forest destruction, effectively ending rainforest regeneration. This page also needs more strategies, and specific strategies, for gardening in different climates. Different sections could b..."

This page needs to be diversified to include non-US/Europe centric biomes. In some parts of the world animals like rabbits and deer are non-native, and can be highly destructive if introduced. Example: deer were introduced in Aotearoa New Zealand and are now a major driver of native forest destruction, effectively ending rainforest regeneration.

This page also needs more strategies, and specific strategies, for gardening in different climates. Different sections could be created for Temperate, Tropical, Arid and Colder climes.

2024-10-24T06:09:34Z

Julian:

A Meshtastic Station G2 LoRa mesh networking device operating at 915MHz, with 900MHz omnidirectional antenna

User talk:Simiang

2024-09-03T00:14:16Z

Julian: Welcome!

'''Welcome to ''Collapsible Systems Wiki''!'''
We hope you will contribute much and well.
You will probably want to read the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Contents help pages].
Again, welcome and have fun! [[User:Julian|Julian]] ([[User talk:Julian|talk]]) 00:14, 3 September 2024 (UTC)

User talk:Simian

2024-08-31T21:46:12Z

Julian: Welcome!

Permacomputing

2024-07-29T07:09:55Z

Julian:

Linkdump

2024-07-21T08:55:51Z

Julian: Added a ref to How Complex Systems Fail

A place to drop your super useful links when you are in a rush or can't find a suitable page/place them. Give them a brief description and title. Later, we'll find a home for them.

----

==== Simple Critical Infrastructure Maps ====

"Simple Critical Infrastructure Maps is a Creative Commons licenced mapping and analysis tool for evaluating personal and social resilience. It is intended to be used for planning, and is simple enough to learn during a crisis to facilitate cooperation and effective response."

http://resiliencemaps.org/files/Dealing_in_Security.July2010.en.pdf

==== Messing Around with Packet Radio ====

"Simple wiring of soundcard to Baofang radios. Direwolf. Minimodem."

https://archive.org/details/oreally-packet-radio

==== Flock Radio Messaging System ====

"Flock and Peep protocols for Arduino-style MCUs.

Flock is a non-hierarchical, self-negotiating radio messaging protocol. Flock (and Peep) protocols are entirely timer-based. It is designed to carry message payloads, which consist of keyword::number pairs, with a heavy emphasis event signaling.

The code is contained in a single (library) object that contains the Flock/Peep protocol logic, which in turn loads the NRF24L01+ driver module. This code requires an event-loop style coding scheme. All of the code is non-blocking. It's fairly lightweight, and runs fine on an Uno (Atmega328)."

https://www.sensitiveresearch.com/Code/Flock/index.html

==== Mini Hydroelectric Power Construction Videos ====

Build mini hydroelectricity on small stream https://youtu.be/wjslF9OlzHU?si=Lr7eGOBQrnFaEniU
... and many more

https://www.youtube.com/@Tran-Chien

==== Freifunk OpenMPPT Solar Controller & ISEMS Independent Solar Energy Mesh System ====

The Freifunk OpenMPPT is a programmable open-source and open-hardware solar charge controller with so-called maximum power point tracking.

https://www.isems.de/en/hardware/#2-the-freifunk-openmppt

The Independent Solar Energy Mesh System is a open source software solution to monitor and maintain energy autonomous solar routers. The background of this project is the expansion of wireless community mesh networks into remote places or for disaster recovery.

https://www.isems.de/en/

==== Libre Solar Project ====

Flexible MPPT/PWM solar charge controllers and battery management systems (BMS) for Li-ion batteries, together with an Open Educational Resource (OER) explaining how to develop, produce and use components in DC energy systems.

https://libre.solar/

==== Low Tech Magazine Solar Archive ====

A large archive of solar documentation. This is a solar-powered website, which means it sometimes goes offline.

https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/archives/

==== 8000+ plant pages ====

Vast resource of 8000+ pages of plants grouped by their usage.

https://pfaf.org/user/default.aspx

==== Forecast on water urban scarcity ====

Excellent article, looking at scarcity projections from now to 2050.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-25026-3

==== how to rebuild our world from scratch ====

nice book that covers civilizational basics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Knowledge:_How_to_Rebuild_Our_World_from_Scratch

==== global village construction set ====

might be out of scope, but i find this project fascinating https://www.opensourceecology.org/gvcs/

==== How Complex Systems Fail ====

A good overview of complex systems, their innate fragility, coinciding factors in their failure, and how bias patterns drive misreadings of catastrophies post event

https://how.complexsystems.fail/

User:Julian

2024-07-19T10:34:20Z

Julian: Created page with " https://julianoliver.com"

https://julianoliver.com

User talk:Longwhitenight

2024-07-19T10:25:57Z

Julian: Welcome!

User talk:Maria

2024-07-19T10:25:34Z

Julian: Welcome!

2024-07-17T08:58:56Z

Julian: First sketch of example Go Bag item list

==Introduction==

A Go Bag or Go Kit (sometimes known in the USA as 'Bug Out Bag') is a single bag or backpack that contains essential items when you need to suddenly leave your location. Because geographical and even political environments differ so much, there is no single go-bag solution to fit all applications. There are however items necessary to every Go Bag, regardless of context.

Building up a Go Bag is rarely a project done in a rush, not only because it's rare that all the items needed are already at hand. Rather, thought, planning and perhaps even budgeting is required. Following a 'recipe' online or buying a pre-made Go Bag kit is not advised, as you may find that it does not meet the needs of you and those you care about when you need it to. Further, almost every Go Bag outline popularised is for a single individual, rather than groups, rarely accounting for those with special needs, like the differently abled, children and elderly. For this reason, sometimes a 'Go Bag' comprises more than one bag, carrying items to support the needs of a group, and where heavier bags are carried by those physically stronger in that group.

==Planning your Go Bag(s)==

Take time to sit down with those in your community and make lists of needs. Invoke the thought experiment of suddenly having to leave in a hurry, thinking about daily routines and dependencies and imagining trying to meet those needs with no guarantee of shelter, shops, electricity, mobile telephony and the Internet, even a toilet. Make the imagined duration at least 3 full days. You will likely find that the list of dependencies is longer than you think.

Here is a generic example of essential needs and supplies for a single individual for 3 days of instability:

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Needs table 3 days
|-
! Needs !! Item !! Critical || Expires
|-
| Hydration || 3L of drinking water, water filter || Y || Y
|-
| Food || Dehydrated or dry food or canned food || Y || Y
|-
| Food preparation tools || Camping stove, pot, plate or bowl || N || N
|-
| Fuel || Gas or fuel blocks, foraged wood || N || Y
|-
| Shelter || Tent or improvised tarpaulin || Y || N
|-
| Bedding || Sleeping bag or blanket || Y || N
|-
| Light || Torch and batteries, mobile phone, headlamp || Y || Y
|-
| Medical needs || Medicines || Y || Y
|-
| Toilet needs and hygiene || Toilet paper or wipes, hand sanitiser and/or soap, sanitary pads || Y || Y
|-
| Clothing || Clothing, raincoat, 2 changes of underwear || Y || Y
|-
| Emergency information || Radio and batteries, mobile phone (if network) || Y || Y
|-
| Emergency signal || Whistle, mirror, torch, Personal Locator Beacon || N || N
|-
| Emergency communication || Mobile phone (if network), walkie talkie charged batteries || Y || Y
|-
| Identification || Passport and/or driver's license, medical documents || Y || Y
|-
| Money || Cash || N || Y
|}

Note there are likely other needs for members of your community not met by the above list. Mobility support, like a wheelchair or crutch, may be one example, as is an oxygen tank and mask for someone with challenged breathing. Pets and their needs will need to be considered also.

==== Needs example: Family of 5 ====

A family of two parents, their two children and their grandmother.

* Parent 1: Migrainer, takes prescription medicines
* Parent 2: Short sighted, glasses and contact lenses
* Grandmother: Arthritic knee, uses crutch. Gluten-intolerant
* Child 1: allergic to bees, needs antihistamine
* Child 2: diabetic, takes insulin

=== Size and weight considerations ===
Those in the needs list that can be fit into a bag or bags will comprise your local community or family's Go Bag contents. For this reason, the bag chosen should be suitable to meet the size of the contents inside. Backpacks used for camping make a better choice for Go Bags than a suitcase or hand-held bag as they are designed to carry weight on the hips, freeing up the arms. More weight can be carried which may be critical if it is required that you need to walk by food for long periods. Further, such bags have compartments and pockets designed around easy and rapid access to essentials, and as such help you organise your bag around priorities, while also protecting the important and more vulnerable items. The physically strongest and most able in the group should carry the heaviest bags with items for the whole group, with the weakest and least able carrying the lightest or none at all. All should carry their own ID and a day's rations of food in the event they are separated from the group.

=== Protecting contents ===

In an environmental or other disaster the conditions you and your gear are exposed to can change suddenly. As a result, it is important that you consider what the elements can do to the contents you depend upon.

==== Water and humidity ====

[[File:Dry bag.jpg|thumb|A 'dry bag' can be a good option for keeping many items dry at once, then placed into the larger backpack.]]

Food in cans can be exposed to humidity, so does not need to be sealed, whereas identification papers, cash, toilet paper and towel do need to be sealed. For the purposes of waterproofing, protect what you need to imagining that the entire Go Bag can be briefly submersed in water. Solutions to dry storage:

* Quality zip-lock plastic bags. Typically transparent, can help you quickly find what you need
* Diving and ocean 'dry bags' with roll-over clips. Can hold and keep dry many items
* Simple large trash bag, rolled several times and taped. Can be done in a hurry if above items not available
* Plastic container with screw-top lid. A used plastic vitamin bottle or similar is robust and is a good solution for medicines and other small items

==== Fire ====

It may be that you are forced to move through an area with sparks or flame. For this reason highly flammable and vulnerable items should not be exposed in exterior pockets of your Go Bag. This includes medicines, identification papers but also, importantly, fuel for gas cookers or cigarette lighters and other gas based fire-starters.

==== Theft ====

[[File:Money belt.jpeg|thumb|A money belt can be used to hold cash, some medicines and identity papers | left]]

It may be that you share transport or are walking with people you do not know. Items like cash and identity papers can become targets for theft in such circumstances. Similarly, an exposed knife can be taken from a pocket on worn backpack and used as a weapon. For these reasons, it is important that cash, knives, medicines and identity papers are not sitting in available exposed pockets and so easily accessed by someone that wants them.

Another contingency to consider is that the whole back is stolen. For this reason critical items like identity papers, cash and medicines can be best stored on the body itself, rather than inside the backpack. A water resistant 'money belt' that sits under clothing can mitigate for such a situation.

== Example Go Bag item list ==

The below (draft) list is intended as a guide for groups providing 3 days of support

* Tent(s), or tarpaulin(s) and rope, or plastic sheeting and rope and/or duct tape (in order of preference)
* Sleeping bag per person
* 3L of water per person, sealed in plastic bottles or hiking bladder
* 1 Water 'straw' with carbon filter per group
* 1 full meal per person per day, plus sealed bought bag of dried fruits per person
* Camping stove and pot, camping bowls, 'spork' (spoon and fork in one) per person
* First aid kit, including painkillers and sterilisation spray
* One small traveling towel per person
* One roll of toilet paper and hand sanitiser, per person
* One reflective gold/silver rescue blanket per person
* One full change of clothes per person including warm thermals and hat
* Raincoat per person
* Wet bag, strong rubbish/trash bag will do, used for wet clothes that need to be transported
* Cigarette lighter and/or safety matches in plastic ziplock bag
* Torch, with fully charged batteries and set of spare batteries (USB charged torches with LiPo batteries better) per person
* One full tang fixed blade knife for group
* One small locking folder knife per adult
* Whistle per person
* Mobile phone per person
* Hand held AM/FM radio with retractable antenna and pre-charged batteries
* Pre-charged USB (minimum 20,000 mAh) power bank, solar banks better
* Analog compass

Preparedness

2024-07-17T08:42:19Z

Julian: /* General disaster event preparedness */

Go Bag

2024-07-15T10:52:23Z

Julian: Added 'needs' example

==Introduction==

A Go Bag or Go Kit (sometimes known in the USA as 'Bug Out Bag') is a single bag or backpack that contains essential items when you need to suddenly leave your location. Because geographical and even political environments differ so much, there is no single go-bag solution to fit all applications. There are however items necessary to every Go Bag, regardless of context.

Building up a Go Bag is rarely a project done in a rush, not only because it's rare that all the items needed are already at hand. Rather, thought, planning and perhaps even budgeting is required. Following a 'recipe' online or buying a pre-made Go Bag kit is not advised, as you may find that it does not meet the needs of you and those you care about when you need it to. Further, almost every Go Bag outline popularised is for a single individual, rather than groups, rarely accounting for those with special needs, like the differently abled, children and elderly. For this reason, sometimes a 'Go Bag' comprises more than one bag, carrying items to support the needs of a group, and where heavier bags are carried by those physically stronger in that group.

==Planning your Go Bag(s)==

Take time to sit down with those in your community and make lists of needs. Invoke the thought experiment of suddenly having to leave in a hurry, thinking about daily routines and dependencies and imagining trying to meet those needs with no guarantee of shelter, shops, electricity, mobile telephony and the Internet, even a toilet. Make the imagined duration at least 3 full days. You will likely find that the list of dependencies is longer than you think.

Here is a generic example of essential needs and supplies for a single individual for 3 days of instability:

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Needs table 3 days
|-
! Needs !! Item !! Critical || Expires
|-
| Hydration || 3L of drinking water, water filter || Y || Y
|-
| Food || Dehydrated or dry food or canned food || Y || Y
|-
| Food preparation tools || Camping stove, pot, plate or bowl || N || N
|-
| Fuel || Gas or fuel blocks, foraged wood || N || Y
|-
| Shelter || Tent or improvised tarpaulin || Y || N
|-
| Bedding || Sleeping bag or blanket || Y || N
|-
| Light || Torch and batteries, mobile phone, headlamp || Y || Y
|-
| Medical needs || Medicines || Y || Y
|-
| Toilet needs and hygiene || Toilet paper or wipes, hand sanitiser and/or soap, sanitary pads || Y || Y
|-
| Clothing || Clothing, raincoat, 2 changes of underwear || Y || Y
|-
| Emergency information || Radio and batteries, mobile phone (if network) || Y || Y
|-
| Emergency signal || Whistle, mirror, torch, Personal Locator Beacon || N || N
|-
| Emergency communication || Mobile phone (if network), walkie talkie charged batteries || Y || Y
|-
| Identification || Passport and/or driver's license, medical documents || Y || Y
|-
| Money || Cash || N || Y
|}

Note there are likely other needs for members of your community not met by the above list. Mobility support, like a wheelchair or crutch, may be one example, as is an oxygen tank and mask for someone with challenged breathing. Pets and their needs will need to be considered also.

==== Needs example: Family of 5 ====

A family of two parents, their two children and their grandmother.

* Parent 1: Migrainer, takes prescription medicines
* Parent 2: Short sighted, glasses and contact lenses
* Grandmother: Arthritic knee, uses crutch. Gluten-intolerant
* Child 1: allergic to bees, needs antihistamine
* Child 2: diabetic, takes insulin

=== Size and weight considerations ===
Those in the needs list that can be fit into a bag or bags will comprise your local community or family's Go Bag contents. For this reason, the bag chosen should be suitable to meet the size of the contents inside. Backpacks used for camping make a better choice for Go Bags than a suitcase or hand-held bag as they are designed to carry weight on the hips, freeing up the arms. More weight can be carried which may be critical if it is required that you need to walk by food for long periods. Further, such bags have compartments and pockets designed around easy and rapid access to essentials, and as such help you organise your bag around priorities, while also protecting the important and more vulnerable items. The physically strongest and most able in the group should carry the heaviest bags with items for the whole group, with the weakest and least able carrying the lightest or none at all. All should carry their own ID and a day's rations of food in the event they are separated from the group.

=== Protecting contents ===

In an environmental or other disaster the conditions you and your gear are exposed to can change suddenly. As a result, it is important that you consider what the elements can do to the contents you depend upon.

==== Water and humidity ====

[[File:Dry bag.jpg|thumb|A 'dry bag' can be a good option for keeping many items dry at once, then placed into the larger backpack.]]

Food in cans can be exposed to humidity, so does not need to be sealed, whereas identification papers, cash, toilet paper and towel do need to be sealed. For the purposes of waterproofing, protect what you need to imagining that the entire Go Bag can be briefly submersed in water. Solutions to dry storage:

* Quality zip-lock plastic bags. Typically transparent, can help you quickly find what you need
* Diving and ocean 'dry bags' with roll-over clips. Can hold and keep dry many items
* Simple large trash bag, rolled several times and taped. Can be done in a hurry if above items not available
* Plastic container with screw-top lid. A used plastic vitamin bottle or similar is robust and is a good solution for medicines and other small items

==== Fire ====

It may be that you are forced to move through an area with sparks or flame. For this reason highly flammable and vulnerable items should not be exposed in exterior pockets of your Go Bag. This includes medicines, identification papers but also, importantly, fuel for gas cookers or cigarette lighters and other gas based fire-starters.

==== Theft ====

[[File:Money belt.jpeg|thumb|A money belt can be used to hold cash, some medicines and identity papers | left]]

It may be that you share transport or are walking with people you do not know. Items like cash and identity papers can become targets for theft in such circumstances. Similarly, an exposed knife can be taken from a pocket on worn backpack and used as a weapon. For these reasons, it is important that cash, knives, medicines and identity papers are not sitting in available exposed pockets and so easily accessed by someone that wants them.

Another contingency to consider is that the whole back is stolen. For this reason critical items like identity papers, cash and medicines can be best stored on the body itself, rather than inside the backpack. A water resistant 'money belt' that sits under clothing can mitigate for such a situation.

Go Bag

2024-07-15T04:41:55Z

Julian: /* Theft */

==Introduction==

A Go Bag or Go Kit (sometimes known in the USA as 'Bug Out Bag') is a single bag or backpack that contains essential items when you need to suddenly leave your location. Because geographical and even political environments differ so much, there is no single go-bag solution to fit all applications. There are however items necessary to every Go Bag, regardless of context.

Building up a Go Bag is rarely a project done in a rush, not only because it's rare that all the items needed are already at hand. Rather, thought, planning and perhaps even budgeting is required. Following a 'recipe' online or buying a pre-made Go Bag kit is not advised, as you may find that it does not meet the needs of you and those you care about when you need it to. Further, almost every Go Bag outline popularised is for a single individual, rather than groups, rarely accounting for those with special needs, like the differently abled, children and elderly. For this reason, sometimes a 'Go Bag' comprises more than one bag, carrying items to support the needs of a group, and where heavier bags are carried by those physically stronger in that group.

==Planning your Go Bag(s)==

Take time to sit down with those in your community and make lists of needs. Invoke the thought experiment of suddenly having to leave in a hurry, thinking about daily routines and dependencies and imagining trying to meet those needs with no guarantee of shelter, shops, electricity, mobile telephony and the Internet, even a toilet. Make the imagined duration at least 3 full days. You will likely find that the list of dependencies is longer than you think.

Here is a generic example of essential needs and supplies for a single individual for 3 days of instability:

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Needs table 3 days
|-
! Needs !! Item !! Critical || Expires
|-
| Hydration || 3L of drinking water, water filter || Y || Y
|-
| Food || Dehydrated or dry food or canned food || Y || Y
|-
| Food preparation tools || Camping stove, pot, plate or bowl || N || N
|-
| Fuel || Gas or fuel blocks, foraged wood || N || Y
|-
| Shelter || Tent or improvised tarpaulin || Y || N
|-
| Bedding || Sleeping bag or blanket || Y || N
|-
| Light || Torch and batteries, mobile phone, headlamp || Y || Y
|-
| Medical needs || Medicines || Y || Y
|-
| Toilet needs and hygiene || Toilet paper or wipes, hand sanitiser and/or soap, sanitary pads || Y || Y
|-
| Clothing || Clothing, raincoat, 2 changes of underwear || Y || Y
|-
| Emergency information || Radio and batteries, mobile phone (if network) || Y || Y
|-
| Emergency signal || Whistle, mirror, torch, Personal Locator Beacon || N || N
|-
| Emergency communication || Mobile phone (if network), walkie talkie charged batteries || Y || Y
|-
| Identification || Passport and/or driver's license, medical documents || Y || Y
|-
| Money || Cash || N || Y
|}

Note there are likely other needs for members of your community not met by the above list. Mobility support, like a wheelchair or crutch, may be one example, as is an oxygen tank and mask for someone with challenged breathing. Pets and their needs will need to be considered also.

=== Size and weight considerations ===
Those in the needs list that can be fit into a bag or bags will comprise your local community or family's Go Bag contents. For this reason, the bag chosen should be suitable to meet the size of the contents inside. Backpacks used for camping make a better choice for Go Bags than a suitcase or hand-held bag as they are designed to carry weight on the hips, freeing up the arms. More weight can be carried which may be critical if it is required that you need to walk by food for long periods. Further, such bags have compartments and pockets designed around easy and rapid access to essentials, and as such help you organise your bag around priorities, while also protecting the important and more vulnerable items. The physically strongest and most able in the group should carry the heaviest bags, with the weakest and least able carrying the lightest or none at all.

=== Protecting contents ===

In an environmental or other disaster the conditions you and your gear are exposed to can change suddenly. As a result, it is important that you consider what the elements can do to the contents you depend upon.

==== Water and humidity ====

[[File:Dry bag.jpg|thumb|A 'dry bag' can be a good option for keeping many items dry at once, then placed into the larger backpack.]]

Food in cans can be exposed to humidity, so does not need to be sealed, whereas identification papers, cash, toilet paper and towel do need to be sealed. For the purposes of waterproofing, protect what you need to imagining that the entire Go Bag can be briefly submersed in water. Solutions to dry storage:

* Quality zip-lock plastic bags. Typically transparent, can help you quickly find what you need
* Diving and ocean 'dry bags' with roll-over clips. Can hold and keep dry many items
* Simple large trash bag, rolled several times and taped. Can be done in a hurry if above items not available
* Plastic container with screw-top lid. A used plastic vitamin bottle or similar is robust and is a good solution for medicines and other small items

==== Fire ====

It may be that you are forced to move through an area with sparks or flame. For this reason highly flammable and vulnerable items should not be exposed in exterior pockets of your Go Bag. This includes medicines, identification papers but also, importantly, fuel for gas cookers or cigarette lighters and other gas based fire-starters.

==== Theft ====

[[File:Money belt.jpeg|thumb|A money belt can be used to hold cash, some medicines and identity papers | left]]

It may be that you share transport or are walking with people you do not know. Items like cash and identity papers can become targets for theft in such circumstances. Similarly, an exposed knife can be taken from a pocket on worn backpack and used as a weapon. For these reasons, it is important that cash, knives, medicines and identity papers are not sitting in available exposed pockets and so easily accessed by someone that wants them.

Another contingency to consider is that the whole back is stolen. For this reason critical items like identity papers, cash and medicines can be best stored on the body itself, rather than inside the backpack. A water resistant 'money belt' that sits under clothing can mitigate for such a situation.

==== Case example: family of 3 ====

A family of 3, 2 adults and child. Parents and child are able bodied.

Parent 1 unique needs:

A family of 2 able-bodied parents, an elderly woman with crutch and 2 able bodied children may distribute Go Bags accordingly

Parent 1: 60L @ 18kg backpack, self-ID, critical items for group 3 days
Parent 2: 55L @ 16kg backpack, self-ID, critical items for group
Child 1: 5kg schoolbag, self-ID, self-clothes, food 1 day
Child 2: