8 What is the difference between an evacuation pack, as described by FEMA, and a true survival pack?

The FEMA evacuation pack is a comparatively recent innovation. This pack is intended to provide the necessities a person might need to evacuate from an urban or suburban area to an outlying government shelter or camp. The assumption is that the disaster will be of a limited area and duration so that the refugee can walk to help in a few days and the help will be available. These packs are light enough for most people to carry and are an excellent resource for every responsible family. Since the federal government’s priorities are maintaining order and compliance, FEMA’s lists never include self-protection devices. Considering the chaotic conditions under which such packs would be necessary a wise world-be survivor should consider the addition of a firearm.

The so-called survival pack, or bugout bag, was a creation of true survivalists in the 1960s. These packs incorporate backpacking concepts with survival needs to create a long-term system based on the assumption that there will be no outside support for an extended period. These packs usually include cooking kits, water-filtration devices, shelters or small tents, sleeping bags, and food. Additional weapons, knives, and tools are added to provide for hunting, foraging, and self-defense purposes. These packs weigh more than the evacuation packs. The size and weight of such packs depends greatly on the capacity of the survivor to carry them for some distance. The would-be survivor is well advised to try carrying the pack for a least for at least two hours at a time. If you can’t carry it that long, then it’s too heavy and must be culled until you reach a sustainable carrying weight. If you have a group or family involved, you can distribute some of the shelters, stoves, shovels, tools, and the like, that you only need one of, to lighten the weight of each pack. If you anticipate a long-term or long-distance survival situation without rescue or aid, this is the pack you need to create.