Prepper Glossary
EDC, EDV, BAD, BOB… But what is all that…?
What is this strange language, generally composed of three letters…
I offer you in this article a small glossary, with definitions, of the most common acronyms in the field. survivalist and prepping.
As you will note, most of these terms are anglicisms, coming mainly from the USA.
The Acronyms of Actions!
BUG IN or BUGGING IN
“Take refuge in your home to isolate yourself from a damaging event”
In practice, “bug-in” is often only interpreted as “I am going to lock myself up at home, safe from danger because I know that I am safe there and that I have a minimum foreseen the blow”. But some still go so far as to build special rooms dedicated to Bug In, even underground shelters or bunkers (for example: in Israel, each building has its own bunker), etc.
BUG OUT or BUGGING OUT
“Evacuate, flee his residence”.
The expression “bug-out” nevertheless has a connotation of the seriousness of the situation. Establishing a bug-out protocol means considering abandoning your home, but without being certain of returning there one day. A bug-out is an emergency evacuation, planned or not. It will consist of leaving with the bare minimum.
Everyday Acronyms….
EDC – Everyday Carry
“It’s the minimum material that I carry with me every day, to survive. »
The most classic EDC consists of your keys, a cell phone, your identity papers, your wallet, and a watch. You can complete it with a pocket knife, a lamp, a pen, a lighter… or even something to treat yourself: bandages, disinfectant solution, scissors, water purifiers, etc.
EDV – Everyday Vehicle
The EDV is to the car and the EDC is to the pedestrian.
The only real difference is that since your vehicle is less sensitive to certain vectors (weight, bulk, transport time), an EDV is generally more comprehensive than an EDC. So plan a panoply of useful (even essential) objects to be able to survive in your car; both from a mechanical point of view (battery clip, rope, oil, coolant, tools…) and from a human point of view (cover, water, food, food, care, lighting, communication…).
Survival Kit Acronyms
BOB – Bug Out Bag
“Escape bag in case of danger”
The conventional self-contained bug out bag should be able to sustain you for 72 hours. We are talking here about 3 days in the event of force majeure, which includes possible destruction of the home, medical evacuation (biological hazards) or even a natural disaster that requires the evacuation of your home… A BOB must allow you to eat, to hydrate you, to look after you, to shelter you, to warm you up… In short, to survive without help. It is a complete, essential and very useful kit that must be prepared with care.
BIB – Bug In Bag
“Containment bag”
The BIB is a module that allows you, like the BoB, to be autonomous for 72 hours. The only difference is that this time you will be in a “Bug-In” situation, ie confinement in your home. The BIB is generally a set of objects and provisions that will be useful to you in the event of forced or voluntary confinement, sometimes without water and without electricity.
BOV – Bug Out Vehicle
“Emergency Evacuation Vehicle”
Close to the EDV, this concept is imported to us from the USA where the slightest trip can last for hours. The BOV is a vehicle dedicated to evacuation, with fuel autonomy that allows you to cover a maximum distance. In the United States, it is often a 4×4 or a large vehicle that can quickly and safely evacuate several people and the equipment necessary for their survival. Our friends across the Atlantic sometimes go so far as to shield their BOV and make it bulletproof… In France, the BOV is often a daily vehicle, but for which we have planned a more substantial EDV, more thoughtful and optimized to the maximum.
GHB – Get Home Bag
“Coming Home Bag”
This bag allows you to be operational as quickly as possible after returning home, following an evacuation or when a disaster has occurred during an absence. Halfway between the EDC and the BOB, this smaller kit should allow you to survive for around 24 hours. The range of action of GHB can be more or less great and this kit can be used on the way back or when you arrive home.
IFAK – Individual First Aid Kit
“Individual first aid kit”
It’s a first aid kit, an individual emergency care kit. This is the first resort before the slightly larger first aid kit or before the arrival of the fire brigade.
Acronyms for fallbacks
AfDB – Autonomous and sustainable base
The ADB is your place of retreat in the event of force majeure.
This retreat, often secret or discreet, shelters enough to keep you alive for several weeks, several months, or even for several years (some preppers, survivalists or resilient people consider the year as the minimum unit of measurement in terms of BAD). This fallback base must be autonomous and sustainable which means that it must be able to do without any outside help, in particular for everything related to food, energy, care, water, etc. This stronghold must be located on a strategic point and long-term thinking. An AfDB stands for sustainability, defence, self-reliance and resilience.
BOL – Bug Out Location
Less durable and less definitive than the BAD, the Bug Out Location is a fallback zone for a short duration in the event of a Bug Out. Can be combined or used as an alternative with the BoB.
Other acronyms…
MBR – Main battle rifle
The survivalist’s main defence or combat weapon. Chosen based on its use and reliability.
OHW- Off-hand weapon
The secondary weapon, a second weapon of the survivalist, can be an axe or a machete for example.
TEOTWAWKI – The End of the World as We Know It
“The end of the world as we know it. »
The cause of all these preparations…
EOTAWAA – End Of The World: Apocalypse, Armageddon
“The end of the world, the apocalypse and armageddon. »
Clearly, we are here in the greatest of catastrophism, the apocalypse and armageddon being both biblical terms that appeal to the ultimate fight of good against evil, of the end of time.
OTG – OFF THE GRID
“off the grid” or “out of the boxes. »
If you are OTG, it means that you live in autarky, out of the world. Often voluntary, those who live OFF THE GRID are self-sufficient and no longer dependent on society.
SHTF – Shit Hits The Fan,
Literally “When shit hits the fan!” »
This term could also be translated as it’s going to shit in the Ventrilo” or even “we’re not in deep shit”… In other words, this designates the moment when everything changes in a situation (local and personal, or global and general).
WROL – Without Rule of Law
“Without law and order. »
The situation of the collapse of the political, social and economic system. As soon as a WROL situation is declared, there is only the law of the strongest…
