Many preppers have a bug-out bag, or several, or at least are familiar with the concept of bug-out bags. They’re bags that contain all the most important items you need when you find yourself faced with having to leave your residence, and they can sustain you for a day, several days, or even a few weeks. But in a world that is increasingly digitized, a digital bug-out bag can be just as important.
A digital bug-out bag can be as simple as a thumb drive that contains copies of all your most important pieces of paperwork. Your bug-out bag should already have copies (or originals) of that paperwork, in case you need to leave your house when it is threatened by fire. But having digital copies can benefit you if your originals are lost or destroyed.
Here are a few items that you’ll want to store in your digital bug-out bag:
- Birth certificates
- Social Security cards
- Passports
- Driver’s licenses
- Other IDs (work, military, student, etc.)
- Concealed carry permit
- Federal Firearms License
- Deeds or titles to cars, houses, property, etc.
- Vehicle registration
- Leases
- Receipts and warranty information for big ticket home appliances
- Insurance records (medical, car, homeowner’s, etc.)
- Credit cards
- Medical and immunization records
- Tax stamps (for short-barreled rifles, suppressors, etc.)
- Mortgage information
- Financial account information
- Marriage license
Basically anything that you have in paper form right now should be digitized and placed on a thumb drive. Make sure to encrypt or password protect that information too, as you don’t want that information in the wrong hands should you lose the drive.
Many modern USB drives today come with connectors that can attach to traditional USB ports as well as USB-C ports, allowing you to connect the drive to a phone, tablet, or other mobile device. That means that you don’t have to bring a computer with you, you can access your vital information from the smartphone that you’re likely already carrying with you.
Don’t be caught flat-footed when disaster strikes. Put together your digital bug-out bag today to make sure that you’re ready for any eventuality.