Every Day You Ride a Bike . . .

* Check the air pressure in the tires. Riding on tires that aren't fully inflated causes extra wear and tear on the tires and rims.

* Check the brakes-make sure they're in place, making proper connection with the rims, and not worn down. Don't let oil get on the brake pads.

* Make sure moving parts are free of dirt and debris.

* A monthly check-up would include checking to make sure that the tires have no bald spots; the wheel spokes are tight; the nuts on the handlebars, handlebar stem, axles, pedals, and cranks are secure; any quick-release levers are secure; and all the cables are secure and working properly.

* Every thousand miles or so, clean your chain. When the chain and sprockets on your bike get gummy with dirt and grit, it slows you down and they wear out faster. There's a good description of how to clean your chain at Quamut: http://tinyurl.com/cag49k.

What to Pack on a Bicycle

Bicycles are powered by your muscle, so you want to pack as little as possible. Still, you want to balance light loads with safety. Here are some things you might want to consider hauling around:* Patch kit. A typical kit includes sandpaper for tire prep, glue, and patches to fix holes. Some patches are self-adhesive-no glue required. If you're using puncture-proof or airless tires, you can skip this.

* Spare tube. Unless you're using puncture-proof tires.

* Tire lever. One of the basic bike repair tools-a flat utensil with one tapered end that is slightly curved and a hook on one end; a tire lever is used for quick removal of a tire from a bike rim.8 Again, this isn't necessary if you're using puncture-proof tires.

* Portable bicycle pump. Some people use CO2 cartridges because they're easier, but a good, portable pump like the Lezyne Pressure Drive M Pump or Topeak Road Morph is nearly as easy and can be used over and over again.

* Multi-tool. There are variations on these, but I prefer one with all sorts of bike tools-hex wrenches, chain tool, screwdrivers, and so on-mounted on a Swiss Army- knife-type platform.

You'll also need your ID and some money, if not a full wallet. If you have a cell phone, it's smart to bring that along as well. Just don't talk on your phone and ride at the same time (I've done that-oops!).

More Stuff to Pack on a Bicycle. If you're going on a longer trip-just for fun or fleeing the ravenous zombie hordes-you might want to pack more stuff on your bicycle.

Some ideas . . .* Needle-nose pliers.

* Adjustable wrench.

* Spoke wrench.

* Oil/lube.

* Swiss Army knife.

* Chain tool.

* Zip ties-for binding broken spokes, patching together broken chains, and so on.

* Duct tape or bungee cords.

And for even longer trips . . .* Bike-mounted or handheld GPS device.

* Spare batteries-for headlights and tail lights.

You also might want to consider . . .* Sungla.s.ses/safety gla.s.ses. Sungla.s.ses are good for riding in the day. If you're going to ride at night, safety gla.s.ses are a must to keep bugs, and so forth, out of your eyes.

* Reflective tape (for riding at night).

* Reading gla.s.ses if you need help seeing for up-close work they'll make fixing your bike easier.

* Bandana or small towel.

* Energy food bars.

* Bottle opener.

* Disposable poncho.

* First-aid kit.

* Sunscreen.

* Kleenex/toilet paper.

* Aspirin or non-aspirin subst.i.tute, and Aleve (for aching muscles).

The Least You Can Do * Get in shape. You don't have to be an Olympic athlete, but get in good enough shape that you can walk for five miles with a loaded backpack, because you could be doing that a lot if your area runs out of gas.

* Keep your car's gas tank at least half full at all times.

* Buy a bicycle and equip it with a basket and/or panniers (baskets on each side of the rear wheel). If gasoline becomes extremely expensive, you're going to need it.

* Buy a big bike lock. In a real gasoline crunch, good bicycles will become very valuable.

CHAPTER 14.

The Final Option-Evacuate No problem is so big that it can't be run away from.

-Charles Schultz You can turn your home into a fortress, but the ugly truth is that no matter how well you prepare, fate can still turn you into a refugee. And it's best to be prepared ahead of time. In this chapter, topics we cover include:* What to put in your bug-out bag, and why you might want multiple bug-out bags * Nine signs that you should get out of Dodge * Things to figure out before you leave * Where to go when you bug out * How to use Google maps to help plan your escape * What to do if you're the one taking in refugees * What to tell your kids

Pack Like a (Smart) Refugee

If you must leave home in a crisis, you'll want to have what is called a bug-out bag or GOOD (Get Out Of Dodge) bag ready to go the minute you make the decision to leave. This will be packed with must- have supplies, and a change of clothing is recommended.

Why must it be ready immediately? Because just as you 're deciding it's time to leave, half the people in town are making the same decision. If your bag is already packed, when everyone else in town is packing, you can hit the road-the road that is going to clog up with refugees pretty quickly.

There's an old saying in the stock and commodity markets: "If you're going to panic, panic early. " In other words, when it comes time to run, you don't want to be the last to leave.

You actually need at least two bug-out bags, and maybe more. The big two are (1) a car bag, the one you want to have in your vehicle all the time, and (2) the house bag, the one you want to have in a specified place in your home (near the door is good), which you can grab easily and run.

Other bug-out bags can include a medical bag and an important records bag. All of them should be ready to grab and go at a minute's notice.

Why have a bug-out bag in your car? Well, there are the scary reasons. For instance, let's say you're out at the mall when there is a chemical spill in your neighborhood, and you can't go home until it's cleaned up. You'd want to have a bag of supplies handy.

And then there are the mundane reasons-plenty of 'em.

For example, I once took the family on a trip to an outlet mall that's over an hour away. Little did we know that our young son was harboring a nasty virus in his intestines-a virus that made an explosive exit from his body when we were halfway there. If we'd had a bug-out bag at the time, we could have changed him into a spare set of clothes and at least made him more comfortable for the ride home, and spared the rest of us the smell of his messed pants.

I can't count the number of times we've left the house for an outside event under blue skies, only to have storm clouds roll in later. That's Florida weather for you. A good bug-out bag includes ponchos or other appropriate weather gear (for example, if you live up north, you could include a sweatshirt or light jacket for every member of the family).

And then there's the time I was running around with the kids at the park and managed to slice my hand open. It wasn't bad enough for a trip to the hospital, but it would have been nice not to bleed all over the steering wheel. Every good car bag contains a first-aid kit.

A Bug-Out Bag for Your Car

A bug-out bag that rides around in a car should not take up too much s.p.a.ce nor should it contain items that will be damaged by heat or cold when your car sits in the elements. You can customize your bag to suit your needs, of course.

Start with the basics . . .* Jumper cables * Can of Fix-a- Flat * Air compressor that plugs into the cigarette lighter * Lug wrench and car jack * a.s.sorted bungee cords * Adjustable wrench * Needle nose pliers * a.s.sorted screwdrivers * Duct tape * Box of tissues * Portable flashlight/spotlight/emergency road flasher that runs on batteries and plugs into the lighter.

Those are the basics, and it's important that you know how to use everything you put in your kit.

You can build your car bug-out bag around that list. Here are some examples of other items for a car bug-out bag:* First-aid kit * Package of Wet Wipes * One set plastic cutlery and cup per family member * One poncho per family member * One change of pants, shirt, and underwear for every family member * Katadyn Exstream XR Water Purifier Bottle * Three towels (one big, two small) * Toothbrushes and toothpaste * Leatherman-type multi-tool * Fixed blade knife and sharpening stone * Box matches/lighter/fire starters * EverLife flashlight (the kind you shake-it doesn't need batteries) * Hand-crank radio/emergency road hazard flasher/flashlight * Roll of reflective tape * a.s.sorted packed peanut-b.u.t.ter crackers and cheese crackers * Small bag of dog/cat food (if you have pets) This is what our cars are stocked with, along with suntan lotion and bug spray, because we live in Florida. Also, our change-of-pants are shorts (again, Florida). Maybe you need different seasonal or emergency items, like snakebite venom, mittens, and a stocking cap, or if you live in a Lyme-disease-p.r.o.ne area, tick-proof undergarments like those from http://www.rynoskin.com. One of my friends hates cell phones, but he keeps a pay-as-you go cell phone and a portable power pack/instant cell-phone charger in his car-just in case.

And if your cell phone doesn't have a built-in camera, you should consider adding a disposable camera to your kit to doc.u.ment car accidents. We always have a car charger for our cell phones in each car.

Finally, if you habitually wear work or dress shoes you wouldn't want to walk a mile in, pack some comfortable shoes or sneakers.

The obvious weakness in our plan is that the Katadyn Exstream Water Purifier Bottle, which combines a purifier and water bottle into a single unit, only holds 28 ounces at a time. But I figure that's enough for a very short-term emergency. Any portable water purifier will do. Also, we pack little food to speak of-the peanut b.u.t.ter crackers are just to hold my kids over in an emergency. But even food bars won't last long sitting in a car in Florida's extreme heat. Also, I don't live in the desert-odds are we'll be able to find something to eat in a short-term, get-out-of-Dodge scenario.

You also might want to keep some cash in your car. If you do, don't store it in the same place as the rest of your kit-hide it well. You'll be able to stash most of your gear in different places in your car. Those things that are grouped together-clothes, for example-should be put in a bag that is just big enough to fit everything and also homely as h.e.l.l. A bag that matches the interior color of your car, and therefore blends in, might be a good idea if you can manage it. The kind of thieves who break into parked cars are usually stupid or just kids (or stupid kids), and you don't need to give them incentive by having a spiffy-looking bag. Your bag should have a wide strap of some sort in case you are forced to carry it for a distance.

If you really want to be prepared, you can carry some other items around in your car. For example:* Bottle of window washer/defroster * Roll of paper towels * Tow rope * 100 feet of parachute cord * Spare belts specific to your vehicle * a.s.sorted hoses and hose clamps * Multiple flashlights * Spare batteries for flashlights * Tarp (at least 8 10) and nylon rope * Wire cutters * Small hammer * Hatchet * Folding shovel * Plastic trash bags * Multiple changes of clothes and foul weather gear * One quart of engine oil * One quart of transmission fluid * One pint of power steering fluid * One gallon of water per person * One whistle (if you need help, you can blow a whistle for much longer than you can shout. Also, the sharp sound of a whistle travels over longer distances than the human voice, and provides a much more distinct sound.) * Small bag of cat litter (if you live in snow country and can get stuck in the snow) I know of people who carry all these things (and more) in their vehicles all the time. But there are downsides-for example, being a mobile packrat really uses up your available s.p.a.ce and hurts your fuel economy.

I prefer to keep just the limited bug-out bag I listed earlier and keep a bunch of other stuff at home, ready to go at a minute's notice.

I am not in favor of loading the car to the gills, but the bug-out bag you keep in your house can be much bigger. You can include food and other perishable goodies, as long as you store it in a place where it won't be subject to extremes of heat or cold. When it comes to food and water, you should have three days' worth of supplies in your emergency bug-out bag at a minimum.

A Bigger Bug-Out Bag for Your Home

Since you already have a car bag, its contents can be incorporated into the bigger bug-out bag you keep at home. Additional materials for your big bag could include:* Three days' worth of food/snacks per family member * Paper plates, plastic cups and bowls, and more plastic cutlery * Portable water purification system * One gallon of water per family member per day (you can pack less if you carry a portable water purification system) * One backpack per adult, in case you have to abandon the car * Toilet paper * Roll of paper towels * Bottle of Windex-type cleaning product * Sponges and rags * Sewing kit * Notebooks and pens (for messages) * Larger medical kit, including extra gauze bandages and medicines you don't want to leave in the car * Manual can opener * More matches/lighters/fire starters * More flashlights (one per family member) * Extra change of clothes, including two pairs of socks and one pair of comfortable shoes, as well as hats and sweatshirts, if appropriate * Survival Guide (Air Force or Special Forces recommended) * Regional maps * Compa.s.s * Small mirror * Plastic garbage bags * Small hammer, pliers, screwdrivers * Pointed shovel or garden trowel * Gardening gloves * Spare batteries (rechargeable) for electronics * Solar battery charger * Road flares * Fishing poles and fishing tackle, including a fishing knife * Small fire extinguisher * Photocopies of credit and identification cards, as well as important records: insurance information, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security cards, and so forth. These should be in a sealed, waterproof bag or container.

To this, you'll add your prepacked toiletry bag, and if you need a separate medicine bag, that too.

A lot of this stuff can be packed in the backpacks, which can be stored in a closet, hopefully near your door. Put the other items in the same closet in a plastic or steel garbage pail, so you can grab and go. The fishing poles can stay in your garage, of course, and are optional. But if you're going to end up in a campground waiting for the Red Cross to show up, fishing can be a good way to pa.s.s the time.

If you feel like cooking, you can bring a camp stove and some pots, but for short-term crises, most kids can survive and even thrive on foods like cold Chef Boyardee cheese ravioli out of a can. If I thought my family was going to be stranded somewhere for longer than three days, I might throw the portable mini-grill in the car, and add some folding lawn chairs.

The pointed shovel is for waste disposal. If all else fails, and restroom facilities are unavailable, you're going to bury your p.o.o.p (that's also what the gardening gloves are for, as well as handling other disgusting materials). It's a lot better than leaving it around for others to step in.

Also, know what pillows and sleeping bags you're going to bring, have them in one place, and have easy access to them. Are you going to bring a tent? You can always sleep in the car, if it's comfortable enough. Have your toiletry bag(s) packed as if you're going on a trip, all the time-that way, you won 't have to waste time packing them when it's GOOD time. If you have guns, plan on bringing at least one of them, as well as ammunition, and plan ahead of time how you're going to transport a gun in your vehicle. I think you can expect at least a cursory search at roadblocks-and depending on the situation, guns may be confiscated.

If you have kids, remember to pack books and/or favorite toys for them, to keep them occupied while their parents are quietly freaking out. It doesn't hurt to keep a favorite toy in the car anyway, and you can save a step that way. A portable DVD player-one you can remove from the car and run on rechargeable batteries or a wall plug-is a great distraction for kids.

As for the food you put in your bug-out bag, there are a few simple guidelines to follow:* Pick foods your family will enjoy. Comfort foods are highly recommended for stressful situations.

* Ease of preparation is very important.

* Rotate the food in your bug-out bag. Check your bag monthly to stay on top of expiration dates and prevent food spoilage.

* Do it on the cheap. Peanut-b.u.t.ter crackers, fruit cups, and granola bars are all good choices for most people and a lot cheaper than specialized, prepackaged survival food.

Important: You need things ready for you to grab and be out of the house in minutes-time will be of the essence in a real evacuation.

If you're the type with more money than patience, you can buy a fully equipped bug-out bag at various places on the Web. However, I don't recommend buying one for three reasons:1. You will pay through the nose.

2. You'll probably get a lot less than what you pay for. Pricing pressures apply to all merchants, and you know whoever is selling the bag is probably going to cut corners in order to cut prices or maximize profits.

3. You won't be as familiar with what's in the bag as you would be if you put it together yourself.