Emergency Documentation To Keep In 72 Hour Kit
In addition to the items you keep in your 72-hour kit, bug-out-bag, or any survival kit, do not discount the value of keeping a hard copy written list of information including important contacts, and even account numbers and passwords with simple encryption…
(updated)
Although your smart-phone or other electronic device may be a convenient place to store contact information and other data, it will become quite useless when the battery drains, or if it is dropped and broken, or if damaged by an EMP.
Having a hard copy of written documentation of important and useful contact information and data could be crucial in a emergency evacuation or bug-out situation.
For this purpose, it is not necessary to duplicate your entire contact list, but just those which might be particularly useful following an emergency or disaster.
The thing is, since the age of cell phones, we no longer need to memorize everyone’s phone numbers. We just click on their name in the contacts list…
Because of this, it is a particularly good idea to keep a hard copy backup of this (or some of this) information. Don’t rely on technology for everything, all of the time.
Here are suggestions for useful information to document in a hard-copy backup…
(Keep the written documentation in a Ziploc bag)
FRIEND-FAMILY NETWORK
Home phone and cell-mobile numbers, as well as their address, email address, etc., of those within your family-friend network with which you might contact or coordinate with during an evacuation or bug-out.
HOTELS
Even if you have a predetermined bug-out location, take the time to choose several hotels (ahead of time) where you might go if you needed to. Write down their phone numbers and addresses in your documentation list. Keep the corporate reservation number AND the local number of the hotel itself (both of them). If you believe you’ll need to bug out, then be the first to call and reserve… They could book up fast.
Note: Choose hotels in various directions from your home (N-S-E-W) in case you are forced to travel in a restricted direction.
RENTAL CAR AGENCIES
Write down the phone numbers and addresses of several rental car agencies (local agency numbers and their corporate reservation numbers). During or immediately after a regional disaster, rental cars may go quickly. Reserve quickly if you need to bug-out while you are without your own vehicle…
AIRLINES
If you travel by airline, keep ALL of the major carrier’s reservation numbers with your documentation. If you need to change plans quickly, especially due to disaster, you will have a finite window of opportunity to get out (if you need to). If you are away traveling or on business, this could be crucial. Be the first out.
CAB COMPANIES
If you are traveling in and around a major city, keep the phone numbers of cab companies.
MEDICAL
Medical contact information including phone numbers for your doctor(s), hospital, pharmacist, and any other related medical data which could be important. If traveling out of your local area, it is a good idea to become aware of where the nearest hospital is located.
INSURANCE
Insurance account numbers; your local agent AND corporate contact information for any insurance that you may have.
CREDIT CARDS
In the event that you lose your wallet, keep written (encrypted) documentation of ALL your credit card company phone numbers and your card numbers (with encrypted expiration date and the security number on the back). Learn how to encrypt below…
BANKING-FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Write down your account numbers, debit card number (with expiration date, security number on the back), (learn how to encrypt below…), passwords (encrypt them), and the institution’s contact information.
LICENSES
Your drivers license number, your license-to-carry number, and any other pertinent license or permit number – all which may be useful if you lose your wallet, etc..
PHOTO COPIES
A photo-copy of anything which you deem potentially useful. Just be cautious of what you copy – in case it comes into the hands of others.
MAPS
While this is separate from your documentation list, having detailed road maps in your vehicle or bug-out kit is very important. Do not rely on GPS alone…
Simple Encryption For Passwords and Critical Information
The best encryption is memorization while never leaving a electronic or hard-copy trace.
Having said that, there are easy-to-use encryption methods enabling you to write down your account numbers, passwords, etc., Here’s how…
SIMPLE ENCRYPTION OF NUMBERS
Encrypt each number to it’s first two letters of the alphabet.
0 Ze
1 On
2 Tw
3 Th
4 Fo
5 Fi
6 Si
7 Se
8 Ei
9 Ni
Example: 8 5 4 9 1 7 6 3 2
Encrypted: EiFiFoNiOnSeSiThTw or eififonionsithtw
If someone were to see it, chances are they would have no idea what it means at all.
All the while you would be able to decrypt the number sequence in just a few seconds.
SIMPLE ENCRYPTION OF LETTERS
Encrypt each letter with it’s numeric order in the alphabet.
Note that the letters A through I are preceded with a “0” (01, 02, 03, etc.)
The letters are not as simple to decrypt as the number encryption above, but scribbling a cheat-sheet when you need to – will suffice.
To distinguish between upper and lower case, you might choose to precede a upper-case letter with a unique symbol such as “+”.
a 01
b 02
c 03
d 04
e 05
f 06
g 07
h 08
i 09
j 10
k 11
l 12
m 13
n 14
o 15
p 16
q 17
r 18
s 19
t 20
u 21
v 22
w 23
x 24
y 25
z 26
For example, if the password to encrypt is “4Survival”,
The result is Fo+1921182209220112
While this won’t fool the NSA, it will be gibberish to 99.99% of the public who may see it, enabling you to keep this type of information in your hard-copy documentation for your bug-out kit.