# You have five minutes to evacuate your house: what do you grab? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 26, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473 "2012-07-26T17:44:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/41 "2012-07-26T21:55:40Z")
From a sitting start? -Pants -Shoes or boots -Hat (and contents of the hat: Wallet, keys, list of phone numbers, challenge coin, and other various pocket essentials) -Passport -Wife Actually, my wife can work on the five minutes to grab her own five items, so I’ll grab my laptop instead. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/42 "2012-07-26T22:28:48Z")
Dog Cat #1 Stratocaster Beretta 92F/loaded clips Aux hard drive/3 thumb drives Assuming I had a vehicle to haul stuff and a place to take it I could get a couple more things within the 5 minutes: #2 Stratocaster and an amp Dad’s .22 rifle Toolbox with my knife collection. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/43 "2012-07-26T22:35:12Z")
Purse, bug out bag, whatever handguns or rifles are in easy reach, jewelry ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/44 "2012-07-26T22:59:54Z")
husband dog laptop African giraffe sculpture photo albums ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/45 "2012-07-26T23:12:17Z")
I’d gather the wife and kids, then gather the following: wallet & purse laptop computer smart phones and chargers medication 9 mm handgun, five mags, 600 rounds of ammo semi-auto .308 rifle, six mags, and 1000 rounds of ammo ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/46 "2012-07-26T23:31:40Z")
5 minutes probably gives me just enough time to wrangle the cat into a carrier and put the dogs on their leashes. What do I need all that paperwork for, anyway ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/47 "2012-07-26T23:41:50Z")
1. Cats 2. Medications 3. Laptops/E-readers/Tablet If there’s still time left after that (and there should be, as the cats aren’t hard to round up, and I’m assuming my wife is assisting in the round-up)… 1. Passport 2. Desktop computers I can’t imagine having time left after that, but there isn’t much else I’d consider to be at that level of importance, either. ETA: My keys, wallet and cellphone are going to be in my pocket already if I’m dressed, so I don’t consider that part of the round-up act. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/48 "2012-07-27T00:00:51Z")
Damn. I always panic first and ask questions later, so I’d be lucky to get: In order of important My kids Wife (we’ve discussed this before, and kids first, each other second) Wallet Phone My and my wife’s laptops My watches Meds (I’m presuming that I can get some replacements) Some clothes for the kids Some clothes for me, the wife is on her own All the important documents are scanned and backed up on a hard disk in Taiwan. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/49 "2012-07-27T00:06:06Z")
1. Wife 2. Cats 3. Bug-out bags, Stage 0 (Stage One bags are already in the vehicle.) 4. To-go documents 5. Laptop 6. Ready weaponry (means holstered, loaded)(quick survey shows 9mm, Makarov, .44 Special, .40 S&W, and the 12 gauge all meet this standard.)(I’d still probably burn a few seconds digging a couple of rifles out of the safe.) 7. Whatever money and trade goods are readily grabbable. 8. Cat food That’s it. Phones and such are already with me, the truck has a bunch of emergency gear packed in it, and most stuff is stored off-site or is just that - stuff. ---
**Author:** ![kmshrader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b782af/32.png) [@kmshrader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmshrader)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/50 "2012-07-27T00:11:06Z")
> [@kmshrader](#): > > - File with birth certificate, passport, etc. > - Laptop. > - Guns. > - Precious metals. > > And, I guess if I’m being honest, my bras, underwear and corsets. It helps that all of this is kept in the same room, and these are definitely among my most expensive possessions. Alright, so I was curious. I set a timer for five minutes, and pumped up the adrenalin. I started out not dressed, and got clothes on and everything grabbed, except no shoes on, in four minutes. I only stopped because I thought the timer should have gone off. So - totally doable. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/51 "2012-07-27T00:42:32Z")
Purse Documents Dog Emergency bag If I could take just one thing then it would be the dog. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/52 "2012-07-27T00:50:13Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > 9 mm handgun, five mags, 600 rounds of ammo > semi-auto .308 rifle, six mags, and 1000 rounds of ammo How heavy/bulky is this? (Just asking out of curiosity.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/53 "2012-07-27T01:17:07Z")
The rifle and mags will fit in [here.](http://www.riflegear.com/blogimages/mollecases/BothTop.jpg) You can also stash the spare pistol mags there in a side pouch. The ammo will take two large [ammo cans.](http://www.armynavylinks.com/ammocan/sawbox0.jpg) All total maybe 100 lbs or so. 1000 rounds of .308 weigh 56 lbs. The 600 rounds of 9mm weigh in at 16 lbs. Plus the weight of the cans (5.3 lbs. each), plus the weight of the rifle (12 lbs. +/-) and the pistol (2.5 lbs.) Cumbersome but managable. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/54 "2012-07-27T01:42:08Z")
Assuming that I would be the one coordinating the joint effort, among five of us, I would be handing out the following: - document bag - purse (has keys to both vehicles, thumb drives with copies of important things, phone and cash/credit cards - meds (everybody’s meds are in one area and a couple of us won’t be healthy for long without them) - camp box (if we only take one vehicle, the boys will transfer this from the truck to the van) - dogs and the food tub (sorry, but the cat is on his own as he would require all of someone’s time to round up) - fire box (a few priceless things in there) - the small, portable gun safe containing four handguns plus ammo - if there was any time left, a change of clothes for each of us. - at least one laptop or notebook We generally keep a couple of gallons of water in the van for when we travel with the dogs, so we’d be good for ~one day’s drinking and there are some long shelf life food items in the camp box, so we’d have a day or two of groceries. The Fella and I have actually discussed this as a what-if thing and have agreed on what we would have to have for the best chance of survival. The first stop, if allowed, would be an ATM for cash. Second would be gas for one or both vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/55 "2012-07-27T01:59:22Z")
Context matters with this. If it was a house fire and I’d be safe just outside the house, it would be easy - all 6 dogs in the big kennel in the back yard, out of the way of fire engines, cats in a crate stuck in the well house. Wallet, phone, charger, meds and a change of clothes in a bag. If time, computer, but if I lost it it would be no big deal. As long as I have my wallet, I should have access to plenty of cash and documents can be replaced. If it was something where we’d have to evacuate - big brush fire, for example, it would be harder. I could put all 6 dogs in the station wagon, but I’d have to put both cats on one carrier for space. That probably wouldn’t be pretty. Other two cats are down in the barn (their choice - swinging bachelor pad for neutered toms) would have to flee. I’d still grab wallet, phone, charger and meds. I’d open the gates for the horses and hope for the best. Civil unrest - I’d be better off holing up in my farm. I usually have plenty of animal food, a decent amount of human food, a well in case the city water supply was cut off. My next door neighbor is a well-armed cop. I live far enough from population centers that I don’t think I’d have to worry about ravening hordes. Still, in five minutes I should be able to secure the dogs and house cats, release the horses, get my wallet and meds and leave. I should probably keep about $1000 in cash for emergencies that can’t be covered with a debit card. Keys are kept in the car (as well as a hidden debit card just in case). StG ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/56 "2012-07-27T02:52:03Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The rifle and mags will fit in [here.](http://www.riflegear.com/blogimages/mollecases/BothTop.jpg) You can also stash the spare pistol mags there in a side pouch. The ammo will take two large [ammo cans.](http://www.armynavylinks.com/ammocan/sawbox0.jpg) All total maybe 100 lbs or so. 1000 rounds of .308 weigh 56 lbs. The 600 rounds of 9mm weigh in at 16 lbs. Plus the weight of the cans (5.3 lbs. each), plus the weight of the rifle (12 lbs. +/-) and the pistol (2.5 lbs.) > > Cumbersome but managable. Thanks! So basically, this would be something you would pack in the car if you were going on the lam, but would be potentially too cumbersome if you were fleeing from a fire. I had somehow thought that that much ammo would take up much more space than that. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/57 "2012-07-27T03:27:59Z")
If it was a house-fire kind of thing: [ul] [li]Kids[/li][li]Wallet[/li][li]Phone[/li][li]PC Box :D[/li][/ul] We’re insured - everything else can burn. If its a ‘flee for the hills’ situation: All the above (sans PC) [ul] [li]Rifles (.22, .223, & 12ga shotgun) + ammo[/li][li]Food[/li][li]Water[/li][li]Survival kit (knife + fire-lighting gear, water purifier, 1st aid)[/li][li]Tent[/li][li]Sleeping gear[/li][li]Pack[/li][/ul] All of that is in the shed, easily accessible and can be tossed into the car quickly. I posted in another thread that my mother & her family were Japanese POW’s in Indonesia during WW2. When the Japanese Army came to round up western civilians my grandmother only had a few minutes to grab what she could carry along with two small children (my mum (18 months) & uncle (3 months)). She grabbed some clothes, coins, the lace christening gown they had just had made and spent a lot of money on - we still use it now - and bedsheets so she could cut them up and make diaper’s for her two kids. That’s what she went into a POW camp for four years with. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/58 "2012-07-27T03:52:43Z")
You people are way too practical. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/59 "2012-07-27T03:57:48Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > You people are way too practical. Thats just me. I’m sure my wife would grab her iPad & the coffee maker 😃 ---
**Author:** ![foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9a140/32.png) [@foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolscap)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473/60 "2012-07-27T03:59:28Z")
My thumb drive is on my key ring. I grab the travel bag (allways loaded) I would try to grab the cat (don’t think this would work):smack: and, I would drive the bug-out van, my wife would drive her wagon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-five-minutes-to-evacuate-your-house-what-do-you-grab/629473.md?page=4)