Emergency Evacuation Binder for Nomads

When protests shut down Santiago last year, I had four hours to vacate the city or risk being grounded for days. Airlines were swamped, roads closed, and ATMs locked behind metal gates. The only reason I made a 21:00 flight to Lima was because my evacuation binder already held the playbook. Here's what's in it—and how I keep it fresh so the next scramble feels like executing a checklist, not surviving a panic attack.

Photo: Unsplash / Eva Darron

Anatomy of the Binder

• Format: One physical binder (A5 size with waterproof pouch) and a mirrored encrypted PDF stored in my IronKey.
• Sections: Contacts, Travel Docs, Logistics, Financial, Medical, Communications, Aftercare.
• Access: My travel operations lead and attorney hold sealed copies of the encryption keys; physical binder lives in the top pocket of my backpack.

Section 1: Contacts & Call Tree

| Tier | People | Trigger | | :-- | :-- | :-- | | Tier 0 | Local emergency services, embassy, insurance hotline | Immediate danger | | Tier 1 | Company security desk / client POC | Within first 15 minutes | | Tier 2 | Family/friends | Once route confirmed | | Tier 3 | Service providers (housing, coworking) | After departure |

Each contact entry lists phone, email, Signal handle, time zone, and preferred channel. I also include passphrases for verification; e.g., “If ops desk calls me, they’ll say ‘coffee break’ so I know it’s legit.”

Section 2: Critical Documents

• Passport copies, visas, residency cards, vaccination proof.
• Power of attorney and consent forms for medical decisions.
• Lease/housing contracts with termination clauses highlighted.
• Equipment inventory with serial numbers for customs forms.

All documents are laminated or stored in zip sleeves. The digital version is encrypted (GPG) and mirrored to Tresorit for remote retrieval.

Section 3: Transportation Playbooks

1. Primary route: Nearest major airport + backup airports within 400 km. Includes driving times, shuttle info, typical security wait times, and airlines that allow one-way bookings easily.
2. Land exit options: Bus companies, border crossing procedures, visa requirements, fuel availability if renting a car.
3. Airline loyalty accounts: Credentials, status levels, phone numbers for elite hotlines (they pick up faster during crises).
4. Charter contacts: Local operators vetted via Air Charter Guide for last-resort extractions.

I keep template emails for change requests and a script for calling airlines under stress.

Section 4: Finance & Cash Flow

• Snapshot of current account balances (USD, EUR, local currency) updated weekly.
• List of cards with issuer emergency numbers and replacement procedures.
• Pre-authorized wire instructions to move funds to a trusted contact.
• Cash distribution map (wallet, belt, room safe) with amounts.

Section 5: Medical & Health

• Summary of allergies, medications, and blood type.
• Insurance policy number + instructions for emergency evacuation coverage.
• Local clinics/hospitals with ratings and 24/7 capability.
• Copies of prescriptions with generic names.

Section 6: Communications & Tech

• Signal blast templates to inform clients, team, and family.
• Social media statement draft if public acknowledgment required.
• Hotspot settings for rapid LTE tethering; APN notes for local carriers.
• VPN profiles for fallback nodes near likely evacuation destinations.

Maintenance Cadence

• Weekly: Update balance snapshot + itinerary changes.
• Monthly: Verify contact numbers, refresh airline status details, test emergency call scripts.
• Quarterly: Run a tabletop exercise (see below) and rotate encrypted digital backup.

Tabletop Exercise (60 Minutes)

1. Scenario card (e.g., “Border closing in 6 hours”).
2. Set timer, walk through binder: notify Tier 1 contacts, book exit routes, pack essential gear.
3. Log time taken + friction points. Last drill revealed my spare passport photos had expired—fixed immediately.

Packing List for Rapid Exit

The binder front pocket holds a printed “GO NOW” list:

[ ] Laptop + power + router
[ ] Passport, wallet, emergency cash
[ ] Med kit + prescriptions + glasses
[ ] Power bank + cables
[ ] Change of clothes + toiletries
[ ] Portable safe with storage devices
[ ] Binder and encrypted USB

I practice packing everything into a 30L bag in under five minutes. Muscle memory counts when adrenaline spikes.

Post-Evacuation Aftercare

Once I arrive somewhere stable:

• Check in with all tiers (ops, family, clients) using prewritten updates.
• Reconcile expenses: Track emergency costs separately for insurance claims.
• Conduct debrief: What worked? What didn’t? Update binder accordingly.
• Self-care: Sleep, hydrate, decompress. Your nervous system needs it after sprinting through airports.

Disasters rarely send calendar invites. Building and rehearsing an evacuation binder turns chaos into project management. When the next siren wails or government advisory hits your inbox, you’ll know exactly who to call, where to go, and how to pay for it—all before the coffee gets cold.