Action Item
[] My Depart gear, and my family’s, is staged by our beds every night so we can get dressed, grab essentials, and move toward our pre-planned safe spot in two minutes or less.
Depart Starts Before You Go to Sleep
Depart means moving yourself and your family away from the threat and toward safety.
That might mean moving to a hardened safe room.
It might mean escaping through a door.
It might mean climbing out a window.
It might mean leaving the house and getting completely off the property.
But Depart is not something you figure out after the threat arrives.
You prepare for it before you go to sleep.
At night, you are slow.
You are groggy.
You are barefoot.
You are not thinking clearly yet.
That is why your gear matters.
Not because gear solves the problem.
Gear does not replace a plan.
But the right gear, staged in the right place, gives you the ability to move fast when seconds matter.
This Is a Two-Minute Event
Realistically, the whole event may only last about two minutes.
That includes:
Waking up.
Realizing something is wrong.
Putting on clothes.
Putting on shoes.
Grabbing your phone.
Grabbing your flashlight.
Grabbing your defensive tool.
Moving your people.
Escaping the house.
Getting off the property.
Reaching the pre-designated safe spot.
That is not much time.
You are not packing.
You are not getting ready for a camping trip.
You are not looking for things.
You are moving.
That means your sleep gear needs to be staged before the event ever starts.
The Problem Is Searching
Most people think they are ready because they own the gear.
They own shoes.
They own a flashlight.
They own a phone.
They may own a defensive tool.
But owning gear is not the same as being ready.
If your shoes are in the closet, your hoodie is in the laundry, your phone is on the kitchen counter, your flashlight is in a drawer, and your keys are somewhere else, you are not ready to Depart.
You are searching.
Searching burns time.
And time matters.
Your Depart gear needs to be in the same place every night.
Close.
Simple.
Reachable.
Automatic.
The 10-Second Standard
Here is the test.
Can you put on your sweats, slip on your shoes, grab your phone, grab your flashlight, grab your defensive tool, and start moving in 10 seconds or less?
Not when you are wide awake.
Not in perfect conditions.
Not in daylight.
At night.
Groggy.
In the dark.
Under stress.
That is the standard.
If you cannot do it in 10 seconds or less, your gear is not staged well enough.
Shoes
Shoes are first.
Not lace-up shoes.
Not sandals.
Not loose slippers that fall off.
You want slip-on shoes that you can actually run in.
You can buy these for $20 at Walmart.
Keep them by your bed every night.
The reason is simple.
You may need to move through:
Broken glass.
Gravel.
Wet grass.
Snow.
Stickers.
Rocks.
Debris.
A garage.
A backyard.
A driveway.
Bare feet slow you down.
Injured feet stop you.
Good slip-on shoes let you move immediately.
They should be easy to put on in the dark and secure enough that you can run, climb, and move quickly.
Flashlight
You need a dedicated flashlight.
Your phone has a light, but your phone is not a flashlight first.
Your phone may need to be used to:
Call 911.
Check cameras.
Trigger your alarm.
Text family members.
Share your location.
Call a neighbor.
A small, high-powered flashlight gives you light without tying up your phone.
Keep it in the same spot every night.
It should be easy to grab.
It should be simple to operate.
It should have enough power to identify obstacles, doors, windows, steps, fences, and people.
Check the battery regularly.
A dead flashlight is just clutter.
Cell Phone
Your cell phone is essential Depart gear.
It needs to be in the same spot by your bed every night.
If it is not charged, it should be charging.
Do not leave it somewhere random.
Do not leave it buried under blankets.
Do not leave it across the house.
Your phone may be your connection to help.
It may also be your connection to your home security system.
But it only helps if you can grab it immediately.
Same spot.
Every night.
Sweats
Keep sweatpants and a hoodie staged by the bed.
Dark color is best.
We recommend black.
This is not about looking tactical.
It is about being able to move outside quickly without being exposed, cold, or distracted.
You may end up in your yard.
You may end up at a neighbor’s house.
You may end up standing at your safe spot waiting for police.
You may need to move through cold weather, wind, rain, or snow.
A simple pair of sweatpants and a hoodie gives you enough coverage to move.
For my situation, I would keep the sweats folded under the bed with the slip-on shoes placed on top of them.
That gives me one simple staging point.
Wake up.
Sweats on.
Shoes on.
Gear grabbed.
Move.
Defensive Tool
Depart does not mean defenseless.
The goal is not to look for a fight.
The goal is to move away from danger.
But if the threat is between you and safety, or if the situation changes while you are moving, you may need the ability to protect yourself and your family.
Whatever defensive tool you choose, it needs to be:
Lawful.
Secure.
Accessible to the responsible adult.
Inaccessible to children and unauthorized people.
Staged in the same place every night.
Paired with training.
Do not make this complicated.
Do not make it random.
Do not move it around.
Under stress, you will go where you have trained yourself to go.
Same place.
Every night.
Keep It Minimal
The core Depart gear should be simple:
Shoes.
Sweats.
Phone.
Flashlight.
Defensive tool.
That is the baseline.
The goal is not to carry everything.
The goal is to get your family away from the threat and to the safe spot.
Practice the Movement
You do not need to make this dramatic.
You do not need to scare your family.
But you should practice.
Practice waking up and putting the gear on.
Practice grabbing the phone and flashlight.
Practice moving to the safe room.
Practice moving to the exit.
Practice getting to the pre-designated safe spot.
Practice in normal conditions first.
Then practice in the dark.
You will quickly find the weak points.
Shoes are too hard to put on.
Flashlight is in the wrong spot.
Phone charger cord gets tangled.
Hoodie is not where it should be.
The route has clutter.
The window is hard to open.
The gate is locked.
The safe spot is not clear.
Practice exposes problems before the real event exposes them.
Your Safe Spot Matters
Depart does not end when you leave the bedroom.
It does not even end when you leave the house.
You need to get off the property and away from the threat.
That means your family needs a pre-designated safe spot.
It could be:
A trusted neighbor’s house.
A specific tree.
A sidewalk corner.
A parked car location.
A nearby light pole.
A place across the street and away from the home.
The safe spot needs to be far enough away that you are not still standing in the danger area.
Everyone should know where it is.
Everyone should know that this is where you meet.
The goal is not just to escape.
The goal is to reunite safely.
Final Thought
Depart is a timed event.
You are not casually getting ready.
You are not packing.
You are not searching.
You are moving.
That means your sleep gear needs to be ready before you ever go to bed.
Shoes ready.
Sweats ready.
Phone ready.
Flashlight ready.
Defensive tool ready.
Safe spot already chosen.
The standard is simple.
From asleep to moving in 10 seconds.
From bedroom to safe spot in about two minutes.
That is what ready looks like.