When all hell breaks loose, it may be awhile before anyone comes to help. That's why the government suggests having a three-day supply of essentials on hand. For some, that might mean food and water. For others, it might mean a pistol and plenty of ammo. And at least one guy wants to make sure he doesn't run out of booze and barbiturates.
You can tell a lot about a person by what he's stuffed into his bug-out bag for the natural disaster everyone knows is coming but few want to think about. Allison Stewart dives headlong into the world of hardcore disaster prep with her series Bug Out Bags, a fascinating look at what people have squirreled away.
It runs the gamut, and each bag reflects the fears and obsessions of the person who packed it. Some worry about earthquakes or hurricanes, but others see more nefarious threats, like the utter collapse of society. Whatever the threat, everyone covers the basics: food, water, shelter, first aid. But a few take the whole survival thing really, really seriously. They'll pack a gas mask, tools, even serious firepower. There's an entire pack for a cat, including play toys and a trowel (presumably for disaster poop-scooping), and one woman who absolutely, positively wants to ensure she has enough batteries. Stewart has seen it all. But one guy really surprised her.
“The bag with tequila and phenobarbital is definitely the most surprising bag I ever photographed,” Stewart says. “It is an extremely escapist approach to bugging out."
Stewart has photographed 30 bags in five states since launching the project last year. She started with friends and acquaintances who have bug-out bags. Then she started finding people on Craigslist. Since then, it's all been word of mouth—almost everyone she's spoken to about the project knows someone with a bag. She's got one too, but it's a bit of a mess and isn't in her car, where it should be.
She's no stranger to this world. Stewart grew up on the Gulf Coast, where anyone with half a brain is ready for the next hurricane. Hurricane Katrina proved to all that you can't count on anyone to be quick or effective in responding. “During Katrina all confidence in our government’s ability to rescue us in a crisis was lost,” she says. “FEMA was completely unprepared and incompetent in New Orleans."
The project is far from over, so if you've got a bag you'd like photographed, ping Stewart through her website.
