A military couple load their emergency kit on their patio. FEMA/Zachary KittrieAs you may know, September is National Preparedness Month and the perfect time to take inventory of our readiness skills for dealing with emergencies. Do you have an evacuation plan? Have you practiced the plan to test its level of effectiveness? How about a 72-hour emergency kit – did you build one yet? That’s what the theme for this week’s Monday Movie Meme is all about: Bugging out.
A Bug out Bag contains all of the essentials you need, plus some additional supplies, to survive for a minimum of three days if you are forced to leave your location. So this week I invite you to join me in highlighting some film characters who packed gear that was crucial to their survival during one or more scenes. Share on your blog, or in the comments section, movies featuring people who pack survival items in their travel bags.
Here are my selections of films that fit this mold, based on the Graywolf’s sixteen plus categories of contents essential to your surviving an emergency situation.
Most Essential Survival Contents
Sam packed a bag of bread (or are they crackers? Whatever it is, the item sure makes a lot of crumbs!) for his and Frodo’s trip in "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King." This takes care of the nurishment needs for these two hobbits...until Gollum sabotages their food supply, turning best friends against each other, or rather, making Frodo get all monstrous on Sam. Case in point: Hungry people tend to get volatile quickly.
Next Most Essential Survival Contents
Danny has the weapons/security thing down when sneaking into a military tent to pack a go bag, or sorts, for his and Solomon’s trek through a war torn area in "Blood Diamond."
Additional Survival Equipment
We could argue that Aaron Ralston’s video camera was a useful and much needed comfort item in "127 Hours," yes? After all, it helped address the issue of boredom while also lifting his morale, even if only briefly, while he was trapped under that boulder in the canyon. I am sure there are better, more important types of electronics and comfort items that also weigh much less than a camera to pack in one’s Bug out Bag. However, given that this is one of the few movies that came to mind when thinking of backpacks and survival gear, “127 Hours” makes my list for the purpose of this week’s Monday Movie Meme.
What movies featuring people who packed essential survival gear would YOU add to this list?
In the last six months, how much priority did YOU place on taking steps to become better prepared for when an emergency or disaster strikes?
