5 ms·

It might sound crazy but living near an ocean I keep an emergency inflatable raft for precisely this kind of situation with my larger emergency kit / go bag. Ev

It might sound crazy but living near an ocean I keep an emergency inflatable raft for precisely this kind of situation with my larger emergency kit / go bag. Even a life preserver though is a lifesaver for this type of random natural disaster scenario. Another option is an airtight backpack like those used by packrafters. Good for waterproof in a rainstorm but also good as improvised life preserver if it has an air purge/inflation valve like Watershed dry bag backpacks (if you're willing to pay more you can get them in black btw) have as an option. You do have to deal with the flipside of having an airtight backpack though which is moisture management on the inside, if you put anything that condensates like a cold drink or has moisture like dirty gym clothes you'll need to make sure to keep the top opening opened to air out. Attaching a mesh bag to the outside though provides a mechanism for drying out items that retain moisture. Beyond Watershed, another decent option is Patagonia Guidewater, Fishpond Thunderhead, or Simms Dry Creek. Have heard of waterproofness failures though with any given zipper based airtight bag whereas haven't really heard of any with Watershed's ziplock style closure. You don't get any internal organization or padding though. Though I've found that throwing a picnic blanket and spare jacket / insulation layer at the bottom provides some padding for a laptop and has a dual use.

latchkey 3y ago
I live near an ocean too, but there are enough boats around me that I feel like someone would stop and pick me up. =)
- dylan604 3y ago
  Depending on the type of disaster, the boats already in the water might not be available.
  - kunwon1 3y ago
    I was working on the island of Saint Martin during hurricane Gonzalo, we drove around the island the morning after. We probably drove past a hundred million dollars or more worth of pleasure craft that were just dashed against the shoreline and destroyed. Pretty much anything in the water was reduced to kindling. The locals mostly had small boats that a single person could drag up the beach, which they did, and those survived just fine
mrj 3y ago
The roads are small in Hawaii and take it from a Californian, don't get stuck on them trying to leave before a fire. This is 100% a good idea. Just make sure your fuel doesn't go bad and engine can sustain you in adverse winds (associated with fires that are out of control). Test it at least once a month. And keep a VHF radio.
- _yb2s 3y ago
  an "emergency inflatable raft" is very unlikely to have an engine
  - mrj 3y ago
    Ah yeah good point. Mine is a $600 dinghy from Costco, also inflatable. That's what I'd envisioned using. I'd highly, highly recommend an engine bigger than you think you'll need.
    - jacquesm 3y ago
      That is always sound advice. Undersized engines are as good as 'no engine' in some situations and you may end up having to assist someone else. Especially on craft that are not particularly streamlined.
      - pengaru 3y ago
        Except oversized engines weigh more, which can pose different problems - especially if you're taking on water. You might find yourself jettisoning the engine altogether just to stay afloat.
        jacquesm 3y ago
        'Oversized' -> not so large that you are going to get into trouble...
    - rngname22 3y ago
      I have a Rapid Raft 2. 3lbs so portable enough for a cargo bicycle escape or to throw in car, or put in a hiking backpack if you know in advance you are going to need it without it being the end of the world in terms of weight, but yeah not the ideal boat and hand paddles are the best you can do for controlled movement. And sort of an awkward weight bc it's not really light enough for EDC but also sort of a shitty as it gets for an emergency craft. Super easy to inflate though.
hammock 3y ago
>It might sound crazy but living near an ocean I keep an emergency inflatable raft for precisely this kind of situation Not crazy at all. I also live on an island part of the year, and for similar reasons I maintain a small airstrip on my property with a 2-seater plane and large emergency kit / go bag parked at the end of it
- duhaime 3y ago
  This guy knows how to island
Terr_ 3y ago
> an emergency inflatable raft I'd also have a plan for anchoring the inflatable raft in a safe spot, when there are strong winds or water-currents that you simply can't fight against. (Perhaps even ones caused by the disaster.) It won't be safe too close to the shore, because the heat/embers/lava/zombies will get you. Drifting along the coast might lead you into some sharp rocks. Going too far out and you get lost at sea. (Which may not be survivable during a disaster where nobody has any clue where you are, and there are no resources to mount the rescue anyway.) Obviously that varies hugely by where you live. In some places with shallow water maybe you could just pack an anchor, or stash one in a secure spot down by the beach/dock.
- worik 3y ago
  > I'd also have a plan for anchoring the inflatable raft in a safe spot, Saying the obvious, but conditions that threaten a boat at anchor are much more frequent than threats on land I grew up by a very safe harbour, it was frequent there
  - Terr_ 3y ago
    Yeah, it's more important for people living on houseboats to have a "take shelter on land" plan than for people on land to have a "take shelter on water" plan. :P
bradly 3y ago
> It might sound crazy but living near an ocean I keep an emergency inflatable raft for precisely this kind of situation FWIW the fires are being fueled by 60 MPH winds from Hurricane Dora.

latchkey 3y ago

I live near an ocean too, but there are enough boats around me that I feel like someone would stop and pick me up. =)

dylan604 3y ago
Depending on the type of disaster, the boats already in the water might not be available.
- kunwon1 3y ago
  I was working on the island of Saint Martin during hurricane Gonzalo, we drove around the island the morning after. We probably drove past a hundred million dollars or more worth of pleasure craft that were just dashed against the shoreline and destroyed. Pretty much anything in the water was reduced to kindling. The locals mostly had small boats that a single person could drag up the beach, which they did, and those survived just fine

mrj 3y ago

The roads are small in Hawaii and take it from a Californian, don't get stuck on them trying to leave before a fire. This is 100% a good idea. Just make sure your fuel doesn't go bad and engine can sustain you in adverse winds (associated with fires that are out of control). Test it at least once a month. And keep a VHF radio.

_yb2s 3y ago
an "emergency inflatable raft" is very unlikely to have an engine
- mrj 3y ago
  Ah yeah good point. Mine is a $600 dinghy from Costco, also inflatable. That's what I'd envisioned using. I'd highly, highly recommend an engine bigger than you think you'll need.
  - jacquesm 3y ago
    That is always sound advice. Undersized engines are as good as 'no engine' in some situations and you may end up having to assist someone else. Especially on craft that are not particularly streamlined.
    - pengaru 3y ago
      Except oversized engines weigh more, which can pose different problems - especially if you're taking on water. You might find yourself jettisoning the engine altogether just to stay afloat.
      - jacquesm 3y ago
        'Oversized' -> not so large that you are going to get into trouble...
  - rngname22 3y ago
    I have a Rapid Raft 2. 3lbs so portable enough for a cargo bicycle escape or to throw in car, or put in a hiking backpack if you know in advance you are going to need it without it being the end of the world in terms of weight, but yeah not the ideal boat and hand paddles are the best you can do for controlled movement. And sort of an awkward weight bc it's not really light enough for EDC but also sort of a shitty as it gets for an emergency craft. Super easy to inflate though.

hammock 3y ago

>It might sound crazy but living near an ocean I keep an emergency inflatable raft for precisely this kind of situation Not crazy at all. I also live on an island part of the year, and for similar reasons I maintain a small airstrip on my property with a 2-seater plane and large emergency kit / go bag parked at the end of it

duhaime 3y ago
This guy knows how to island

Terr_ 3y ago

> an emergency inflatable raft I'd also have a plan for anchoring the inflatable raft in a safe spot, when there are strong winds or water-currents that you simply can't fight against. (Perhaps even ones caused by the disaster.) It won't be safe too close to the shore, because the heat/embers/lava/zombies will get you. Drifting along the coast might lead you into some sharp rocks. Going too far out and you get lost at sea. (Which may not be survivable during a disaster where nobody has any clue where you are, and there are no resources to mount the rescue anyway.) Obviously that varies hugely by where you live. In some places with shallow water maybe you could just pack an anchor, or stash one in a secure spot down by the beach/dock.

worik 3y ago
> I'd also have a plan for anchoring the inflatable raft in a safe spot, Saying the obvious, but conditions that threaten a boat at anchor are much more frequent than threats on land I grew up by a very safe harbour, it was frequent there
- Terr_ 3y ago
  Yeah, it's more important for people living on houseboats to have a "take shelter on land" plan than for people on land to have a "take shelter on water" plan. :P

bradly 3y ago

> It might sound crazy but living near an ocean I keep an emergency inflatable raft for precisely this kind of situation FWIW the fires are being fueled by 60 MPH winds from Hurricane Dora.