A picture is worth a thousand words
I have read – not to mention, written – a seemingly endless number of blogs and articles about preparing for an emergency. In fact, I’ve probably read – not to mention, written – more articles on this topic than on any other.
Being prepared for a disaster is possibly the single most important thing you can do for yourself and your family, and that’s why I’ve made it a huge priority in my life.
I’m confident that a large percentage of my readers have already prepared a bug-out bag and/or stockpiled emergency food and water in their basement or other convenient location.
I’m also confident that a majority of the people who have packed a bug-out bag have failed to include a particular item. I’ll take some of the blame for this because I have not stressed it often enough.
The item I’m talking about is…drum roll, please…photographs. Because you can’t eat them or drink them or wear them or use them for shelter, many people don’t even think about photos as they prepare for a crisis.
But the fact is, having current photos of your family members and pets in your bug-out bag could mean the difference between your family becoming permanently separated during an emergency situation and being reunited.
The easy way to accomplish this task would be to take a family photo and individual photos of family members and pets on your phone. That way, if you become separated from them during a crisis, you can pull out your phone and show people those photos to learn if they’ve seen them recently.
But, everybody is going to have their own problems during an emergency and it’s unlikely they will remember what your family members look like five minutes after you show them those images.
The strategy that is more likely to result in you reconnecting with separated family members and pets is having multiple small photos of each of them that you can hand to people while you search for them.
Write your cellphone number on the back of each photograph in hopes that someone will call you if they believe they’ve spotted one of your people or animals.
Think about how badly you would feel if you were separated from loved ones during a crisis and were unable to let others know what your family and pets look like.
Make a commitment to yourself to get this done this week and then add those photos to your bug-out bag. You’ll be glad you did.
Wow!!! I was talking to my brother about photos. To make them durable and waterproof, put your info on back and then laminate.they will be so rugged, a toddler can drool on it and play with for hours and its still intact. I did this for my little ones when worked. My son cried when I went to work. I would get home after he was in bed and he was still clutching the photo of us.Thank you for the variety of articles. We appreciate y,all. Be Blessed
It goes without saying Frank that these family photographs should be included in your packet of important personal papers that you would take when you bug out of have to leave your place in case of an emergency.
Most people will have on hand their “cute” family photographs in their purses and wallets. However, kids grow up so fast and change their looks so quickly that it would be to your benefit to update your photos every six months or at the very least once a year and keep it in your update personal papers, just in case.
There are people that will have their photos on their cell phones, but remember it only works if you still have power to work your phone.
During hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Hatti; if the people had these family photos available, it would be easier to identify the dead, the injured and missing quickly. Food for thought.
Dear Frank,
As always, a wise idea to share with your followers!
This is a recommendation we are detailing in one of the followups we are writing to our important and successful manual you published, SURVIVAL 101 – HOW TO BUG OUT AND SURVIVE THE FIRST 72 HOURS.
Our new works are more focused and in depth training points, regarding major natural disasters and lostt or stranded survival events.
With 10’s of 1,000’s of persons being hit every year by Mother Natures wrath and end up separated from family, due to our modern way of life, having current “hard copy photos” sealed in plastic of loved ones, in your BOB or GHB, can be critical for finding them during the aftermath.
May God Bless and Protect One and All,
Orrin
Very goodidea, Frank, physical photos are invaluable. But remember, without electricity you cannot change your phone, so you could end up with a worthless piece of technology. Obviously I’m referring to a pretty serious emergency or situation, but we need to be prepared as well for situations where nothing chargable, electrical or digital will function.