If the power grid were to collapse while you are far from home on a road trip, how would you handle it? That is the premise of Going Home: A Novel of Survival by A. American. Going Home is the first book of the series, followed by Surviving Home and Escaping Home.
Going Home has a very believable story. Morgan Carter, the main character, thought he was going on a quick business trip and was on his way home when all electronics just stop. His car stalls, his cell phone dies and all transactions become “cash only” as stores are unable to process electronic transactions. His trip quickly turns into a struggle to survive as he tries to get home from 250 miles away. The scenario is actually one of my fears as a prepper: being far from home and family when a disaster happens.
Morgan is a regular guy, an everyday prepper. He is prepared, in terms of a “get home” bag, but he is not a super hero nor has any extraordinary training. In short, many readers can easily relate to him. The environment and political climate described in the book are also very plausible, and close to reality.
The events in the book move along at a constant pace and keeps you riveted in what happens.
I think if we had to choose what we didn’t like about it, it would be that some of the characters were a bit too trusting and friendships were struck too quickly. I believe people would be more reserved in real life, but that is just me. Except for this minor issue, I have no misgivings about the book and highly recommend it to everyone.
Mr. Apt Prepper actually read this book before I did, and told me his opinion about the book: he could not put it down. He thorough enjoyed the story and also appreciated the survival skills described, as well as details about the equipment contained in the bug-out bag. He has finished all three books in a matter of days.
Now for the giveaway…
One winner will be chosen to win all three books:
Going Home
Surviving Home
Escaping Home
Just add your comment below on either one or both of these items:
What are your best bug out bag tips?
OR
What items have come in handy in your bug out bag or emergency kit?
The winner* will be chosen at a random “Pick a Giveaway Winner” drawing on Saturday, December 7th at 8 pm Central.
*Winner will be notified via email. Winner must reply to email notification within 48 hours or another winner will be drawn.
Band Aids, Pain Relivers, Gloves, and my Mora Knife are items from my Get Home Bag that I have used on multiple occasions.
Sounds like a great book! I will add it to my reading list
Thanks for sharing
This is a tough one because the subject varies by means of transportation.
What are your best bug out bag tips?
Take care of the basics; water, food, fire and a knife. Not necessarily having food and water but the means to get them; after all no body wants to be toting around a 75# Get Home Bag.
Second point — use what you have in your bag. A fancy fire starter does no good if you don’t know how to successfully start a fire. Practice.
What items have come in handy in your bug out bag or emergency kit?
Part Every Day carry, part get home bag — but a pocket knife has been the most useful item I’ve carried. By Far!
Followed up by a lighter. Simple tools.
Story would change dramatically if I was traveling further then 20 miles. Luckily I’m not faced with that yet.
What are your best bug out bag tips?
This bag is just a quick get out bag until you can get to your main supplies. While trying to keep in mind the essentials (food, water, fire, shelter), also remember things like- if you’re a woman- socks, bra, panties- and maybe a change of shoes. Your “work” shoes may not be the best ones to walk miles in.
Water! Everything goes back to water. Without water you might as well have just stayed at home!
#1 Test all of your equipment and know how to use them to there fullest. Having food and water in your bag is great but do not rely only what you have in your bag it should be a last resort if you can not scavenge or hunt for food .
#2 And i would say paracord
What are your best bug out bag tips? Join Pinterest and watch YouTube videos for ideas. Have solar radios/flashlights and solar chargers. Have a cell salt manual and have a 12 cell salts kit for medical use as well as having a Colloidal Silver Maker.
What items have come in handy in your bug out bag or emergency kit?: My solar radio/flashlight.
Best Bug out bag tips:
Shove in your bag (car and home one) a Baby diaper or two for large wounds, little kids, trading, and fire starter. Couple years back there was a guy who stepped on one of those huge nails used in fencing and corral making on ranches and farms. The nail was old and huge and went right through his sandal and the meaty side of his foot while he was going across a foot bridge in need of repair. His wife had a diaper from their new born’s baby bag and she taped it around his foot while he bled like a stuck pig. When I was told this story by the land owner I put some diapers in my bug out bags.
Bottled water and snack bars have priceless the most helpful items in my car on a regular basis. Less frequently, a rain poncho, flashlight, and extra feminine products have saved the day!
Diversify and simplify for getting home bags. I have items in my briefcase that I carry daily. I also have items in my car (backpack) to compliment what I have in the briefcase and office. These car items change as the seasons do. We have a plan that we would follow if I ever had to make it home on foot. Think, learn, be flexible and when you have done all you can do; trust God, His Word and pray.
Petroleum jelly. Has so many uses.
We live in the nothern part of Ontario out in what folks around here call the bush (woods). We often go hiking up a logging road that runs for miles behind our house and around a big hill. I carry what is basically my bugout bag with me and the item that I found I use most often is my one dollar plastic rain jacket from the dollar store. I’ve used it for when it suddenly rains. I’ve used it to sit.lie on when we stop for breaks, and occasionally it becomes our dinner table when we eat. It’s not a totally essential item but it is versatile, light and does have its uses.
Going Home and Surviving Home are both excellent books. I have not read the third one yet and I only read the first two in installments as the author was writing it so I’ve not seen the finished products yet, but I know what I did read was the kind of story that you didn’t want to put down. Excellent author and wonderful stories.
The things that have come in the most handy for me are duct tape, band aids, lighter, and black garbage bags.
Wipes are the things I use most in my EDC bag. I actually keep both sanitizing wipes and baby wipes. I have used them for anything from actual cleaning purposes to cooling down an overheated child.
A pocketknife and a flashlight, definitely a Leatherman. I got the Leatherman at a training course ten years ago. Never carried anything before that, never thought I’d ever use it, but dropped it in my pocket. I don’t think a day has gone by since that I haven’t used it.
My fav items for my bug out bag is chapstick, petroleum jelly, acetametaphine, a pocket knife, flashlights.
I recycle the mylar lined chip bags with the zip closures for all kinds of smaller items from food to clothing. They are airtight and can be compressed to save space. Would LOVE these 3 books and they would be passed on to extended family.
First let me say how exciting it is that you are having this giveaway! I have been wanting to read them since October when a nurse I worked with in clinical told me about them. Actually, I was amazed that he and several of the docs in the ED were preppers… who woulda thunk ? lol My most handy items in my BOB are my sewing kit and fire starter kits that I put together. I use them all the time. I took medicine bottles and made them. I used a small one for my sewing kit and a fatter one for my fire starter kit. They have the basic essentials and take up little space.
I think a good bug out bag should not be camo because it looks like the person has things to steal. A good bug out bag should cover food, water, shelter, fire starting and first aide.
Every bug out bag should have para cord, a sturdy knife, and a metal container to boil water and cook food.
I don’t have a bug out bag per se, but I do keep a bag of water, protein bar or beef jerky, first aid kit, diabetic supplies, cash, sewing kit (you know, everything but the kitchen sink. If I could figure it out, I would probably have a mini-sink, lol!) in my purse. It’s not too heavy and I can pack it everywhere without just having one for my car (I have that too) and home (adding stuff everyday)!
bandaids, pain meds, emergency blanket, slicker suit, lighters, flash lights, rope, duct tape, stun gun, mace, knife, peanut butter crackers, potted meat, bottled water.
What are your best bug out bag tips?
1) The bug-out bag is to get you from point A to point B safely. While you may -want- to include several things you would miss if they were left behind, but if they are wants (not needs) you are better off saving your back from the extra weight, If those items are that important to you store back-ups at your bug-out location.
2) Don’t pack your bag and forget it. Practice using every item in your bag, and testing the layout by finding them fast and easily. An emergency situation isn’t the time to finally learn how your fire starter works or to finally read the directions on your water purification.
What are your best bug out bag tips?
Keep it light and keep it basic, based on the situation.
What items have come in handy in your bug out bag or emergency kit?
Bandana…multiple uses, has come in handy many times.
Knife
Paracord
As usual there are many different situations that will call for different items or applications, however these have shown a use in my past experience.
Stay Safe
~Dairy
Most useful things from my car bag: plastic gloves (I feel much more comfortable doing first aid when I’m protected from blood), rain poncho, multi tool, band aids, flashlight, granola bars and water. It’s so easy to run out of the house without thinking too much about little things that can go wrong that having a prepacked and loaded bag is essential!
I’m glad you both enjoyed reading this book! Thanks for being a part of the tour.