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Old 06-18-2019, 08:14 PM
Bushleague Bushleague is offline
 
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Default Evac packing, what do you take?

Now that it seems to have become a semi regular occurrence throughout the north half of the province, just wondering how you guys pack for an evacuation.

Myself, the first time I packed more stuff, like my rifles and such, but as it becomes more routine I find myself packing far less. I've got exactly 3 items that I've come to consider irreplaceable, a hunting knife and an old razor that belonged to one of my grandfathers, and a fairly unique harmonica that belonged to the other. Beyond that I take the photo albums, passports, my trade tickets and tax paperwork, as well as whatever cash I have kicking around.

Ironically, the only thing I own that I really wish would burn... my travel trailer, ends up coming too because it beats trying to find a hotel room for the family or sleeping on cots in a rec center, and I find having our own space helps as a bit of a buffer from the rumors, gossip, and 3rd hand info that invariably runs rampant.

Most of this fits in a Rubbermaid, I grab that and my overnight bag, hook the boat up to my car so its covered if it burns, and I'm ready to say goodbye. I also take my guns out of the safe and hide them elsewhere, for some reason I'm ok with them burning, but I sure hate the idea of some crooked cop taking them.
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Last edited by Bushleague; 06-18-2019 at 08:28 PM.
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Old 06-18-2019, 09:03 PM
MooseRiverTrapper MooseRiverTrapper is offline
 
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Buddy set up text camera in his house this year on evac. Pointed at the front door. Thought that was a great idea.
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Old 06-18-2019, 09:30 PM
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DisplacedCaper DisplacedCaper is offline
 
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I was only evacuated once during the 2013 flood. Happened so fast didn’t have time to think. Couple bags of clothes, chargers, etc and grabbed two guitar cases and gone within 10 mins of the door knock.
There was no worry at the time of gun grabs or anything. Even so now, life before limb, it would be similar except my grandfathers rifle would be put into the trunk next to the guitars.


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Old 06-18-2019, 09:47 PM
rusty99 rusty99 is offline
 
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I haven't been in that situation thankfully. But for me old photographs hard copies that haven't been digitized would be high on my list. Reminds me that I should finally get around to scanning the photos and uploading to a cloud account. For me photos of people no longer alive or good memories are priceless.
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Old 06-18-2019, 10:30 PM
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I'm in the city and am well out of the non-biblical flood zone so a wildfire evacuation is rather unlikely with a city the size of Calgary being what it is and the fire dept resources that we have. That being said I did prep some water storage on the eve of the 2013 flood because the evening before the flood levels peaked I went down to both of the rivers as a looky-loo and I smelled gasoline on the Bow river. I was concerned whether the water treatment plant would be able to keep up with the silt and that kind of petrochemical contamination so I put away an extra 100 gallons of water in 15 gallon barrels and some 5 gallon containers.

If in the highly unlikely event I were to have to evac it would be a my great grandpa's gold pocket watch, whatever photos I could find, some clothes and probably a few firearms. My vehicle is large so I could bring a fair bit and being a van its would all be weather-protected. I guess some spare jerry cans of fuel would be in order as well, first aid is already in there.
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Last edited by CaberTosser; 06-18-2019 at 10:42 PM.
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Old 06-19-2019, 08:45 AM
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huntinstuff huntinstuff is offline
 
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I have no emotional/sentimental attachment to any of my stuff so as long as everyone is safe, I couldn’t care less.

If I had an hour or so to pack, Id likely be done in 5 minutes
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Old 06-19-2019, 09:15 AM
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Dewey Cox Dewey Cox is offline
 
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A rubber chicken.
I just think it would be funny if that was your only possession to survive a great disaster.
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Old 06-19-2019, 09:31 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dewey Cox View Post
A rubber chicken.
I just think it would be funny if that was your only possession to survive a great disaster.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4VbI5zcB8Ac
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Old 06-19-2019, 09:45 AM
graybeard graybeard is offline
 
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I can't imagine being told to evacuate.....

Where I live, we are on such high ground that water is not my concern and nor is a wildfire.

My concern is a house fire, whether it be mine or the next door house.

We have all read about the high winds pushing a fire from one house to another before the CFD even arrives. Or in the winter where our roads are so plugged or iced up, that CFD can't get close to the fire.

I any event, get everyone out; I have a small go bag and hopefully grab the computer for it contains history, personals and photo's.

Sadly, the rest can be replaced.
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Old 06-19-2019, 11:00 AM
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Vilmos Pear Brandy, Bag of Weed and clean Gitch-Gone
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Old 06-19-2019, 11:01 AM
WhiteTailAB WhiteTailAB is offline
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Forrest fire for me and I admit I haven't planned as much as I should.

I'd def take all my guns except a couple rimfire. Sorry officer my restricteds went missing in the fire/evac.
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Old 06-19-2019, 11:52 AM
Bigwoodsman Bigwoodsman is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by huntinstuff View Post
I have no emotional/sentimental attachment to any of my stuff so as long as everyone is safe, I couldn’t care less.

If I had an hour or so to pack, Id likely be done in 5 minutes
X2 my phone and my wallet good to go.

BW
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  #13  
Old 06-19-2019, 12:12 PM
riden riden is offline
 
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I was evacuated again for the 2 nd time this Spring

I brought camping gear, fishing gear and my boat. Everything else is just stuff. I only took what will make us more comfortable.
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Old 06-19-2019, 12:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by huntinstuff View Post
I have no emotional/sentimental attachment to any of my stuff so as long as everyone is safe, I couldn’t care less.

If I had an hour or so to pack, Id likely be done in 5 minutes
^^^What he said^^^
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Old 06-19-2019, 12:28 PM
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Id grab my bug out bag, my dog and his food. If I had time the next items would be my firearms since the government seems hell bent on making sure no one has any. Id rather they were safe with me or a friend than left in the hands of the mount me's. It would not surprise me if they found a way to prevent insurance companies from replacing them in the future. If I still had time I would take the rest of my clothes and fishing gear since there is no way I could remember everything to list to the insurance company.
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Old 06-19-2019, 12:28 PM
Scottmisfits Scottmisfits is offline
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Grandfathers rifle, maybe a 22 or a shotgun depending on where we have to go and for how long it's projected. I'm not so worried about to much water or food for an evac, it's more the panic that drives everyone crazy. Drive far enough, you'll find all of that stuff. The biggest thing for me would be gas to make sure I can get where I want/need to go. I can get about 800km to a tank, obviously less in traffic.
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Old 06-19-2019, 12:32 PM
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Same as when I worked construction when the call came stuff a garbage bag with clothes and gone! I'd add a copy of my insurance policy.
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Old 06-19-2019, 01:48 PM
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If I lived with a forest fire hazard I would have a couple underground barrel sized containers hidden in the yard somewhere. Documents, guns and bullets, keepsakes would go in the container. If the place burns the container contents would be safe underground. Also safe from low life pillagers.

Then I would leave with the basic minimum sundries, including fishing rod, and a clothes change.

(A scary hazard of house fires is firefighters having to deal with stored ammo going off from the heat.)
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Old 06-19-2019, 02:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bullets View Post
If I lived with a forest fire hazard I would have a couple underground barrel sized containers hidden in the yard somewhere. Documents, guns and bullets, keepsakes would go in the container. If the place burns the container contents would be safe underground. Also safe from low life pillagers.

Then I would leave with the basic minimum sundries, including fishing rod, and a clothes change.

(A scary hazard of house fires is firefighters having to deal with stored ammo going off from the heat.)

There are videos on Youtube put on by SAMMI (firearm and ammo manufacturer safety & standards organization), they have numerous different scenarios with ammunition in fires and it’s remarkably benign, it will pop like fireworks but without the burning propellants pressure being concentrated and directed by a chamber and a barrel the rounds don’t get much velocity, I think the worst was penetrating single sheets of drywall. Typical bunker gear is bulletproof at those velocities. The sad part of the various videos was watching pallets and pallets of quality name brand ammo being sacrificed to fire and being run over by a bulldozer or dropped from a crane, etc.
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Old 06-19-2019, 04:47 PM
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Red Bullets Red Bullets is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaberTosser View Post
There are videos on Youtube put on by SAMMI (firearm and ammo manufacturer safety & standards organization), they have numerous different scenarios with ammunition in fires and it’s remarkably benign, it will pop like fireworks but without the burning propellants pressure being concentrated and directed by a chamber and a barrel the rounds don’t get much velocity, I think the worst was penetrating single sheets of drywall. Typical bunker gear is bulletproof at those velocities. The sad part of the various videos was watching pallets and pallets of quality name brand ammo being sacrificed to fire and being run over by a bulldozer or dropped from a crane, etc.
Makes sense about unchambered ammo going off differently. Thought it might be worse.
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Old 06-19-2019, 04:57 PM
nebcfarmer nebcfarmer is offline
 
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There’s another video of a fire department in the US that does some random tests on ammo to show how little of a big deal it is.
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Old 06-19-2019, 05:51 PM
Redneck 7 Redneck 7 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by riden View Post
I was evacuated again for the 2 nd time this Spring

I brought camping gear, fishing gear and my boat. Everything else is just stuff. I only took what will make us more comfortable.
Not a bad idea on the boat, we hauled lots of camping gear and coolers in the boat when I was younger and we went camping for a week or two.
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Old 06-19-2019, 05:56 PM
Redneck 7 Redneck 7 is offline
 
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I’m sure I’d bring a few guns and a fishing rod. Two day pack worth of clothes and food/ water. I’d bring some of my jerrycans I have, my papers of all my guns and scopes with serial numbers, insurance policies, etc.

It depends on the conditions, of it’s really hectic and I’m late on an evac, I would be taking a trailer. If there’s still some breathing room, I’d maybe load up a trailer.

I like that idea of having a root cellar sorta thing, the barrels buried in the ground is a good idea. I may have to look into this a little more.
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Old 06-19-2019, 06:33 PM
Bushleague Bushleague is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaberTosser View Post
There are videos on Youtube put on by SAMMI (firearm and ammo manufacturer safety & standards organization), they have numerous different scenarios with ammunition in fires and it’s remarkably benign, it will pop like fireworks but without the burning propellants pressure being concentrated and directed by a chamber and a barrel the rounds don’t get much velocity, I think the worst was penetrating single sheets of drywall. Typical bunker gear is bulletproof at those velocities. The sad part of the various videos was watching pallets and pallets of quality name brand ammo being sacrificed to fire and being run over by a bulldozer or dropped from a crane, etc.
While this is true, ones ammunition is then gone. For me that would be a bit of a tragedy because I have, uh.... a very small amount. Yeah, that's how much I have.

Interestingly enough, when the Slave Lake fire occurred, the RCMP's excuse for rounding up a bunch of gun safes, cutting them open, and then removing the contents before the owners ever got to even see what was left, was that it was a safety precaution. Apparently the RCMP does not know that the ammunition is mostly harmless, and feels that cutting open a gun safe with no idea what it contains to be the safest method of dealing with things. Thus the reason I don't leave the guns in the safe anymore, sad state of affairs but I'd rather take my chances with a petty thief finding them than trust the police force during an evacuation scenario again.
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If the good lord didnt want me to ride a four wheeler with no shirt on, then how come my nipples grow back after every wipeout?

Last edited by Bushleague; 06-19-2019 at 06:44 PM.
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  #25  
Old 06-19-2019, 07:09 PM
guywiththemule guywiththemule is offline
 
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1 good knife and 2 good guns with ammo. Oh and also the gold and silver !
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Old 06-19-2019, 11:52 PM
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I’ve done it twice in the last 30 days.
Kids, wife, pets, a few clothes and gone.
The rest is stuff that is insured and can be replaced.

I don’t ever wish the feeling on anybody else.
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Old 06-20-2019, 07:10 AM
ShortsideK ShortsideK is offline
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Gotta get the guns out.
Can't live without guns.
Need the guns.
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  #28  
Old 06-20-2019, 02:26 PM
Oldan Grumpi Oldan Grumpi is offline
 
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Have there been any reports of houses in High Level being entered (by police or others) while the fire evacuees were away?

Were there any known holdouts who refused to leave?
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Old 06-21-2019, 12:50 PM
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dale7637 dale7637 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldan Grumpi View Post
Have there been any reports of houses in High Level being entered (by police or others) while the fire evacuees were away?

Were there any known holdouts who refused to leave?
Negative, I have not heard of any houses being entered for any reason whatsoever.

As far as holdouts, I do know that there weren't many. Lots of people held back to help the fire operation..ie hotel staff, fuel suppliers, operators etc.

All in all, from what I saw, it was a very professionally run operation.
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