Preparedness Items To Take On Vacation

July and August are popular vacation months. I am curious to know what you have thought about taking, or have taken with you on vacation – having to do with preps / preparedness for ‘just in case’…

I do typically bring some ‘extra’ preps whenever going away on a vacation. You probably do too. For me, it depends on…

• Where I’m going
• How far away from home
• Length of vacation
• The physical accommodations there
• My method of transportation
• Potential risks specific to the location itself
• Pertinent current-events which may be occurring
• Gun laws where I’m going

A list of a few things to consider – just enough to get your own gears turning:

Preparedness Items To Consider Taking On Vacation

 
FOOD. Although food can be purchased most anywhere, consider packing away some extra for the trip. Fairly easy if driving, and even easier if pulling a camper. You might choose some emergency foods that don’t require cooking too. I typically take a “GRAB & GO” 120-serving Entree Bucket from Legacy Foods (they’re actually in stock at the moment!).

WATER. Similarly, consider bringing a case of water with you, or buy one when you get to your destination.

PORTABLE WATER FILTER. A Sawyer Mini or similar is good insurance for safe drinking water! They’re small and easy to bring with you. When I take my camper, I bring a Travel Berkey countertop filter to use for all of my drinking water.

GASOLINE (OR DIESEL if Relevant). This is easier if you have a pickup truck and can carry it in the back… Whenever I travel, I generally bring along extra diesel in an appropriate jug/container. Additionally, I always keep my tank closer to Full rather than Empty while traveling! I also always fill-er-up when I get there…

CASH. Although seemingly 99% of people pay for everything with a ‘card’, I always bring plenty of cash if I’m on a trip. I pay for many things with cash anyway, so it’s part of my normal behavior.

PORTABLE AM/FM/SW RADIO. A small pocket radio as simple as this one, ‘Best Cheap Pocket Radio’, or a nice portable radio like I wrote about here – Best Shortwave Radio For Travel | Portable | Handheld | Hobby Listening

2-WAY RADIOS. Maybe a pair of Baofeng’s or Midland GMRS/FRS portable 2-way radios. Great for keeping in touch under some scenarios.

[ Read: BaoFeng Antenna | Best Upgrade for HAM Radio and ALL Other Bands ] [ Read: 2-Way Radios For Communications | FRS – GMRS – MURS – CB ]

MAPS. A Road Atlas of the region you’re traveling is a tangible backup to your electronic GPS…

FIREARMS. If you have a concealed-carry-license, and if traveling out of state to another state, check for reciprocity. The other state may honor your concealed carry license enabling you to carry there. With that said, it is your responsibility to make yourself aware of the related laws of the destination state.

[ Read: Transporting Firearms Across State Lines ]

FLASHLIGHT. I always keep a flashlight in every one of my kits. And in the truck. Vacation is no exception.

FULL-TANG KNIFE. While my every-day-carry pocketknife is practical for many things, I always bring a more substantial knife on vacation.

[ Read: If You Could Only Buy One Survival Knife… ]

I bring all sorts of stuff. It’s fun to prepare for a vacation in this regard. It can be challenging, especially when space is tight. What to bring??

Now lets hear from you. What other things might you take with you on vacation for the sake of preparedness?

This article originally posted several years ago.
I’m republishing, given that it’s summer right now…