Bug Out Bag Contents
I found a pretty good list of needed items for a bug out bag (72hr kit) and think that it is well worth sharing. The only thing I would add is to remember to add at least a pistol, rifle, and a good blade in with this preparation. So…prepare for the worst and pray for the best. You’ll never regret being prepared and not needing it but will definatly regret needing it and not being prepared. This is a work in progress for me and I hope you’ll join me in the quest to be prepared.
•Minimum of 3600 calories of food per person
•Minimum of 9 water pouches of water per person
•Method of water purification (such as potable aqua or a water filter)
•Additional food & water
•AM/FM Radio with batteries or alternate power source
•Whistle with lanyard
•Cell Phone
LIGHT SOURCES
•Flashlight with batteries
•Candles
•Lightsticks
•Lantern and fuel
•Road Flare(s)
HYGIENE & SANITATION
•Personal Hygiene Kit (Include soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, sanitary napkins, diapers, razor, and other toiletry items)
•Toilet paper
•Tissue
•Portable Toilet and accessories
TOOLS
•50 Feet of Nylon Rope
•Pocket Knife
•Rolls of Duct Tape
•Foldable Shovel
•Hatchet or axe
•Sewing Kit
WARMTH & SHELTER
•Waterproof matches
•Alternate fire-starting method
•Tent/Shelter
•Solar Emergency Blanket or Emergency Sleeping Bag
•Hand & Body Warmers
•Poncho
•Lightweight Stove & Fuel
•Wool Blanket
FIRST AID
•First Aid Kit and supplies
•First Aid Booklet/Manual
•Burn gel and dressing
•Snake bite kit
•Insect repellent
•Sun block
•Special medication
MONEY
•At least $20 in your kit — be sure to include quarters for phone calls
IMPORTANT PAPERS
•Emergency Instructions
•Copies of documents such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, wills, insurance forms, phone numbers, credit card infor, etc.
STRESS RELIEVERS
•Games, books, hard candy, desserts, inspirational reading, small toys, paper & pen, favorite security item for children
EXTRA CLOTHING
•A complete outfit of appropriate clothing; including extra socks, underwear, hat, sturdy shoes, and gloves.
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Great comments guys. Keep them coming.
June 24, 2008 at 7:13 pm
I’ve been mulling over this issue of copies of important documents in various BOBs… I think the potential for identity theft if some punk stole one of the bags is too great. He would have ALL your important forms of ID. Instead, I think I will have copies of my important documents encrypted on USB sticks. I’d still have a few photos of important family members at the ready, tho.
July 15, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Thanks for the info.any more advice.
September 30, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Thanks for this listI I will be updating my kits accordingly. I also like Kelly’s idea of photos of family members – esp. if you have small children or elderly family members.
I would also suggest:
Field Eating Utensils (e.g. a knife/fork/spoon combo). These are lightweight but could be handy
Hand Sanitizer, since you won’t want to waste water to clean your hands.
Pepper Mace. Although I prefer to keep a firearm ready, I also have a small can of pepper mace in each of my bags for my family. The most likely scenario is preparing for evacuation to an emergency shelter in a disaster of some sort – it may be hard to get a weapon but I don’t think anyone would notice the mace, which unfortunately could come in handy because of violent crime in refugee shelters. Also could be handy in bear country.
Also, we have more than one bag – one for a vehicle (to survive if stranded), one for work (to get back home), and one true “bug out” from home.
January 2, 2009 at 8:42 am
Thanks for the additions. Mace is always a good addition but a concealed firearm is prefered on my end atleast.
January 2, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Good list. the only addition I would make is what you already prescribe. Training. Having done combat martial arts and been a shooter for many years, this is my lifestyle. For others, we are entering a period of great social problems. We will be called upon to possibly do battle with dark forces. One must be prepared.
January 25, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Absolutly Bret. Infact, FBMG the shop I manage the smithy of, covers the whole gambit of training. Everything from emergency prep to CCW to tactical carbing. We are adding more self defence classes as well.
January 25, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Bug out bag. Try to take foods that do not take water to prepare, I see so many 72 hour
kits with things like, instant oatmeal, hot chocolate & soups. The water should be for
drinking & take vitamins & protein bars. I also take a bottle of fiber, not only is
fiber needed but it also swells for a full feeling. I came across what is called
Lifecaps. They are a capsule that has everything needed to survive without food with
the exception of water. It is full of vitamins & minerals plus Iodine. Anyway, you take
three of them a day & drink water. I can actually take enough food in one backpack to
las 6 months because of these little Lifecaps, protein bars, fiber & water. I will run
out of water in a week so I do carry a small filter & a couple of those straw water
filters that filter the water as you suck.
You do not always have the ability or time to heat water to make soup or oatmeal. Anyway,
after I bought 25 bottles I found a coupon code & bought 75 bottles more. The coupon code
is… healthcap It will get you 33% off. There are also sites that have those filter straws
that are cheaper than any of the stores around here. (SLC) I think they are a really good
idea along with some purification pills. I cannot remember the sites off the top of my head
but you can Google for aquamira filter straw. Aquamira is the manufacture but do not buy
off there site because I have found them for almost 1/2 what they want on their own site
on other sites. Good luck, Gods speed & get serious about your bug out bag!
February 16, 2009 at 9:35 pm
I agree about needing to conserve water and time to prepare water dependent foods, but when you make soup or oatmeal with water it doesn’t disappear, you still get hydrated from such foods. Just a little thought, I do like the idea of the Lifecaps, small, functional and light.
November 3, 2011 at 10:17 am
The American Red Cross, FEMA, and other agencies also have Prepardness links.
Something that should also be added is Training. Actually practice a “bug out”. This practice will show all those little things you didn’t even think about, and it will lesson the stress and confusion when/if the time comes to do it for real.
Also by practicing it, you’ll find out NOW when the stores are still open and there aren’t any stampede buying, find out what you are missing, or what might work better. Ya you got a knife, how about a 4 inch pair of scissors?
Plus the bag and supplies should be taken out and inspected every so often to ensure they still work! I was in the military and some of our prepardness gear was plastic wrapped inside cotton canvas bags that had dry rotted while sitting in storage.
and check the experation date on all the items inside the First Aid Kit. Everything has an experation date!
Last thing- extra batteries. And don’t store the batteries inside the item (i.e. radio and flashlight, etc.). They will leak over time.
And store the matchsticks in a zip lock bag. Yes, even if they are waterproof.
And Kevin, good point about mace. Yes, a gun is so much more effective for some things, but remember New Orleans after Katrina? The Police and Sherriffs went running around confinscating all the guns! Yes, the legal ones in private possesion. They said they were taking them so the loiters and gangs couldn’t. But I never heard of mace getting confinscated, or banned from entering a shelter. Unless you got a badge to go with that gun, I don’t think any shelter will allow it in.
May 8, 2010 at 3:41 pm
And way more than $20. If you have to bug out, so does maybe a LOT of other people. Do what you can to learn about the immediate aftermath of disasters in our country. Several things always happen, and I’m not going to remember them all off the top of my head, but here are some:
Most people are not prepared for anything, and they don’t save money. SO, they will eithor wait until disaster has struck, then they, and everyone else in town, will all run to the stores and start being all this preparedness stuff. The result is, by that night, there will not be one bottle of water left, no cheap or mid cheap flashlights, and half the canned food will be gone. I’ve personally experienced this in a town of 43,000 with 3 large grocery stores. Even the gas station may temp go dry if people fear they have to travel out of town, or get gas cans for generators. 2 of our gas stations went completely dry, but not the town. There were several others still open, but by then, they started rationing.
After the Katrina storm, the price of gas went up 300% The economy of supply and demand will put “highway roberry” prices on all necessaty items. Plus there will be others looking and trying to get supplies, maybe even yours. Think about all this, and decide, how much money should you have? And of course, Cash wins all bets in a disaster. ATMs and debit machines might not even work. And with the cash, DON”T keep it all in one place. Spread it out to all the adults/ responsible people, and if you have a lot, I suggest half in your front pocket, half in your sock or bottem of your shoe. And women, sling your purse across your chest, not off the shoulder to prevent a grab and run.
May 8, 2010 at 4:19 pm
forget the snake bite kit they are a bad idea and dont work, better to use an ace type bandage above the bite. to prevent the venom from rapidly spedding to your heart. chances of a snike bite are very unlikely anyway, unless you go looking for fight with one. And if you do, then i would sugest using that folding shovel. As for food i think that a good way to go is the emergency food bars that are ment for survival at sea. they are coast guard approved, they provide 3600 calories for 3 days, and only take up approximately a 5x5x3″ space in your pack. they are very inexpensive, about 7.00 each . I use both datrex and mainstay brands. As for a “portible toilet”. I would also refer you back to that folding shovel.
August 29, 2010 at 6:38 am
I wonder if you have packed your list and tried carrying it, especially with any sort of speed? I agree there are a lot of good ideas of what someone may want and you obviously would not pack redundant items, but that is still a big pack to move with. Some things that stand out are the hand warmers, 3600 calories-min, portable toilet, tissue, hell toilet paper for that matter. I think the saying ‘know more and need less’ fits well here. I do agree about being prepared but I also want to be able to move quickly and with stealth-carring a full load is not exactly conducive to that. I kind of look at my BOB is more like a hooked up survival bag that will help me settle in some where for a while or help me to get moving for a while if needed. Just some ideas-after all you can always find something to wipe with, especially when some big bad scary thing may be chasing you.
December 16, 2010 at 5:27 pm
You’re absolutely right. Some of these items I consider handy if you’re loading up your bug out truck. Something you would get together when needing to leave town but not necessarily in a hurry. You definitely wouldn’t want to carry a portable toilet on your back. For a pack it’s the bare necessities. Other things are for moving the family by vehicle.
Great comment.
December 16, 2010 at 6:17 pm
I think a priceless tool would be a field guide to edible wild plants that grow in your area. “Field Guide To Medicinal Wild Plants” by: Bradford Angier is an amazing book that is put together well. Thanks for posting this blog. It’s really good.
April 27, 2012 at 5:41 am
gotta love your truck. Actually, I got to thinking about some of the other post on this topic and it got me thinking of a greater range of probabilities. I live in a quasi remote area of Colorado and we all plan to head for the hills. It is good to think and prepare for something like Katrina or other non-colapse possibilities.
December 18, 2010 at 10:45 am
We have similar plans to get Crusader “out of Dodge” if anything happens.
The best addition you can have to your B.O.B. is a PLAN.
December 20, 2010 at 9:46 pm
This is a stove design that works very well, easy to make, is small and light. Anytime you can find two beer/soda cans and some sort of non-explosive fuel, such as a bottle of HEET from the gas station or alcohol.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Simple-Beverage-Can-Stove
I have sound some of these steps un-necessary, such as the vermiculite, but it gives you the idea. I also freeze water in mine before I drill the holes, I have found it to make them easier to drill without the can flexing so much.
Anyways a fun little project to look into.
December 21, 2010 at 11:11 am
Definitely, what a great blog and educative posts, I definitely will bookmark your site.Best Regards!
October 20, 2011 at 2:29 pm
FBMG guy huh? I bought an AK and a Mossberg from you guys back in 08 when I was living in Heber. Good to see youre still up and running. I like the mention of bringing copies of documents, make sure to invest in a small pelican(or aftermarket) case. They’re virtually unbreakable and have O-rings built in so they can be submerged and not ruin your paperwork. My BOB has a few in it holding different items since im living back up in the PNW now, I plan on everything I own being soaking wet. haha!
November 14, 2011 at 2:11 pm
As a matter of correction, FBMG is no longer and therefore I have no affiliation with them. I was their gunsmith, sure. I’m all Crusader now. Thanks for reading.
November 14, 2011 at 7:48 pm
I really like this site. It is very informative with the BOB contents that is needed. yes I do agree that some of the items are excessive and will not travel of foot very well, however they would be good to keep in a vehicle which is what I plan to do. Someone who works full time + hours is most likely to be at their place of employment when the time comes to use a BOB. My vehicle goes everywhere I do so the vehicle is the best place for it. A few other things I would add for preparedness is:
#1 always keep your gas tank full. Yes it may be annoying to make a trip to the pump everyday or few days but if you gotta be on the move and gas stations are dry, a full tank will be one of the best things you did for yourself. Perhaps even keep an additional can of gas in your vehicle depending upon how far you would need to travel to a safe place.
#2, following the lines of regularly practicing emergency scenarios, is taking different routes to and from the places you frequent. I take the highways home from work everyday because it is faster. However, highways will be congested and a disaster area for everyone trying to survive by evacuating an area during an emergency situation. So, take different routes to and from work or wherever you go regularly. Get familiar with the areas and how many miles each route is and how long it generally takes you to get from place A to place B. Perhaps the shortest route would not be the preferred route during an emergency situation for various reasons such as more populated areas where there could be an even more congested area of people. Good luck everyone.
December 3, 2011 at 9:11 am
It also never hurts to grab a hand full of those little salt and pepper packs next time you go to a restaurant so if you catch any small game or fish
December 19, 2011 at 12:08 am
I’m glad I was looking around tonight, I really like the lay out of this list. My B.O.B. is a lot like that but with a few twists. Money should be 1 and 5 dollar bills. No one is gonna give you change for anything in a major disaster and the more you can keep on you the better. Store it in different places so it doesent look like a giant wad of cash. Ham radio communication is necessary!!! I have a VHF rig in my truck and a portable rig in my B.O.B. with different charging methods. Ham radios don’t have to be expensive but they do need to be modded to transmit on other frequencies if you know what i mean. If you know how a p25 8oomhz system works you cant count on it helping you out. Get your ham radio license. Some of my friends have them in there bags and don/t know how to use them. The class and training will help. Have something in your pack that you don’t need, I don’t drink or smoke but I have a bottle of whiskey in my B.O.B. I keep it in there for a item to trade. You never know what you may need and a bottle of booze will go a lot father than other items in your bag. Choose a bag that fits you well, something with a hip strap and not to tall. you are going to want to be able to climb over and under things pending on disaster. I;ve found that computer laptop bags work great, good size padded to protect radios or electronics, lots of pockets, good construction and a good hip strap. Ditch the axe for a bone saw, not only is it smaller but it is safer to use.You dont want to end up being the one who needs medical attention in a survival situation.Small caliber pistols and rifles are good, you can carry alot of ammo with out it taking up space. The most important thing is to remember we are all in it together, and helping people out is important but being taken advantage of is unacceptable.
December 27, 2011 at 11:35 pm
Great list!! I would imagine this kit is customized to your region. I would adjust only a few minor things to my area. But the thing I would recommend to swap is the nylon rope for paracord. Much stronger and would last longer than nylon.
January 8, 2012 at 8:30 am
ya my bro has paracord and it’s way stronger than nylon. Great list!
January 22, 2012 at 5:25 pm
Sup there admin, I absolutely required to actually leave a brief comment to firmly state that in fact I really liked your post. Thanks!
January 30, 2012 at 1:43 pm
I also added stuff that pertains to me personally. I have a perforated eardrum and must have special earplugs if I have need to submerge my head under water. If I didn’t have those ear plugs, I’d get a severe ear ache/infection. And you musn’t forget the Zip lock bags for keeping that toilet paper, and cell phone and such dry!
February 1, 2012 at 3:09 pm
A few quick things off the top of my head.
Great tips from all reminding us to train, practice, read, bring manuals, repeat frequently.
1. Fishing line and hooks. For food gathering and also field expedient trip wire with or without the hooks for early warning of baddies sneaking up on your shelter site.
2. P38 “John Wayne” can opener. Tiny in size, lifesaver if able to salvage canned goods from various sources. (A good Swiss army style knife has an opener, but I love my P38)
3. Pack everything in your bag in individual plastic, ziplock style bags. Socks in one, underwear, etc. Keeps them obviously dry, and also makes your entire pack more bouyant if you fall in water. Bags can be opened, slightly inflated and packed back inside time permitting to actually make the pack a type of flotation device for slow moving river, small lake crossings if necessary as well. (I know yours is a list, not instructions on how to use the items, but thought i’d toss that out there.)
4. First aid kit definitely includes any of your regular medications for heart, respiratory conditions if apply. I’d advise blood clotting packs for possible large wounds and plenty of antibiotic ointment, antiseptic wipes/gels, ointments. Another oft forgotten item is a surgical sewing kit. Infection from the smallest wounds can become life threatening or disabling quickly when water is a premium and bathing is limited. A miscalculated hatchet blow that glances off and strikes a shin on a perfect day is painful, requires stitches and antibiotics prophylactically. In the event of a natural or manmade disaster, it is potentially deadly if not taken care of properly. If you can sew up ripped pants or darn socks, you can stitch a wound after cleaned.
Our focus is naturally on the big 3: Water, shelter and food. We tend to not put enough emphasis on the treatment of the multitude of illnesses and injuries that will be present after the zombies overrun the cities, the earthquake levels buildings and the power grid goes down for weeks, etc.
My best tip: Read as many of these types of blogs/forums as you can. Nearly every single one will have at least one tiny nugget of information or piece of gear that will cause you to think….
February 13, 2012 at 11:25 am
A cool little trick for opening cans without a p38 is grinding the lid off on a flat course rock or piece of concrete. I know this sounds crazy but it works well and leaves the can with a safe lid for future use. Simply place the bottom or top of the can on the surface and start making circular motions with the lip of the can in contact with the stone. After about a 2-3 minutes start looking for moisture on the lip of the can that has been grinding. Soon more and more will start appearing. When you see about 2/3 of the ring damp your done. Pry the lid open and there you go an opened can and after your done eating a new cook pot or cup that is safe to drink from. P38s are as easy to loose as they are practical.
February 13, 2012 at 1:39 pm
I included a supply of single-serving vodka bottles. They can be used for anything needing alcohol – a stiff drink, antiseptic, flammable, a small-value barter item.
February 28, 2012 at 8:03 pm
I just spent three hours reading this blog. Learning things I never knew, and writing everything down in my new “Doomsday Contingency Plan” Binder.. Which so far.. Is nine pages long…*Laughs* Thank you all for your tips and ideas. I’ve only just started watching the National Geographic show called “Doomsday Prepers” It is also very informative and may give others of you some great ideas. So check the show out! It may save your life..
I live right next to a power plant accross from a river. That would be my main source of water, should anything happen. Though the power plant gives me pause.
More simple things to know:
Always have an exit strategy. Know where you are going in the event of a dissaster. Higher ground is always preferable, if you can find it. Perhaps house tops or taller buildings.. Nothing like The World Trades Center tall.. But something tall enough to ride out a flood.
In cases such as this, it’s a good idea to know people in high places.. Not money wise, exactly.. But hilltop wise.. If you or someone you know, has a storm shelter / Panic Room/ or underground Bunker.. It’s a good idea to not get on their bad side. Sounds cheap, I know.. But it will possibly save you.
Scout out the area you live in. Make sure you know it like the back of your hand, so that any intruders may be eluded. Set up a trip wire perimiter like stated before in one of the other posts.
Always make sure you know where your water source is.
No one knows what will truly happen. Though.. I’ve been having dreams since I turned Sixteen, about preparing for a “Doomsday” situation. In the dream, I was told.. “Prepare, for Revalations is here” – I was meant to learn how to live off of the land. Learn how to sew, so that I could stitch up wounds or clothes. I was to learn how to fish better, forage, carve wood.. I was suppose to learn how to defend myself, and protect others. I was to learn how to use fire arms and simple teqniques that can get you out of violent situations.
Always have items to barter with. As mentioned before, Alcohol, Smokes, or simple things such as watches, metal objects and trinkates, would be great for trading, even if you don’t smoke or drink. People have addictions that become intensified when dissaster strikes. And these addictions drive people nearly insane. They will do whatever it takes to sate their desires, inculding kill.. Always have some type of protection. The best thing, would be to use small fire arms, strategically concealed from sight. Hidden knifes on the outer thighs and calves or near the anckles is a good idea. Bullet proof vests are a great idea too, if you can aquire them. If not, then use a sturdy type of metal to fashion to your clothes. Knowing how to sew, is not a girly skill.. It is a necessity.
I thought it would also be a great idea to have a whistle handy, as well as a fog horn to freak a person out. Possibly long enough to let you get away.
In my dream, (One of many)- I saw that there was no electricity.. Or sun, the sky was full of some type of smoke or dust. Possibly a nuclear winter. So this tells me that solar pannels and electric cars or anything that requires electricity will be useless… In the show “Doomsday Preppers” They mentioned something about solar bursts that will supposedly happen within this year, that will knock out the electrical grid because of the magnitization properties of the solar flairs.. or something like that.
Anyway.. That’s all I had to say. I’m going to start preparing for the event of a dissaster.. Because I know a major one is coming that will not actually end the world.. But the world as we know it. Our very way of life will change.. And every one will have to know how to survive, if they so choose. So don’t take what time left you have, for granted. Everything you now own, will be a commodity in the coming future…Waste not.. Want not…
Thanks again everyone!
Good luck in all of your future endeavors!
Just think.. Everyone here, looking at this blog.. May someday meet upon the roads to survival…
March 2, 2012 at 11:40 pm
I like this list! I would only add this one thing to remember and people to often over look is this. If you have need to “BUG OUT” the most important thing is a PLAN. Plan to go before you hear someone say on the news or radio that its time to go! Decide what constitutes your que to BUG OUT and NEVER IGNOR THAT WISDOM. Several people mentioned interactions with others. This is the the most dangerous part of any such situation. Forget the plague, zombies or aliens the other humans are your real danger! Have some place to go and only let people you trust know about it (if even them). Have a plan to defend that area (with deadly force if need be). Build a stockpile of things you will need at that area, bury them in a HARDIGG box if need be and make sure your BOB has a shovel. Remember anyone you do not LOVE enough to die for needs to move along they are not your concern. When you have to BUG OUT its because civilization is FAILING and you need to be your own soverign at that point. PLAN, PLAN and when your plan is complete PLAN again.
March 11, 2012 at 10:23 pm
Thanks for the info-all-
I have just started collecting bathtub water bag, Mylar bags,my question is can i set up in each bag, food for 3 or 4 days and leave them in their original packaging?? I have checked multiple sites w/o finding any references.Please if anyone can direct me to any info like this I sure would appreciate it!
Grandma l
March 21, 2012 at 12:45 pm
Bathtub bags are great, but aren’t they large? If they are what I’m thinking you don’t want to be dragging those around full of water or whatever else.
May 3, 2012 at 10:57 am
Compass, GPS and maps/atlas. Even in the worst case scenario sats will still be functional for a period of time.
March 24, 2012 at 12:09 am
You can also stockpile pills. The military has done some studies and found that using pills after their expiration date is not bad but the effectiveness of the pill will decrease over time. The expiration is the date that companies give where the pill is still 100% effective. There are some great articles online about this stuff.
March 24, 2012 at 12:14 am
I am not sure where you’re getting your info, but good topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for wonderful information I was looking for this information for my mission.
March 27, 2012 at 7:52 pm
For defends I prefer a belt knife that I am very confidant using and a blowdart gun. I am wondering what people think about blowdart guns in general. A handgun is preferable of course bit theprice for one is enough to cause me physical pain if anyones got any ideas throw em my way thanks.
April 4, 2012 at 11:05 pm
Sorry, brother, I can’t agree with your logic. For hunting small animals being good with a blow gun would be handy. As a means of defense, absolutely not. Take a look at it this way. In the Amazon blow guns are used for hunting monkeys. The dart itself can’t bring down the animal. That’s where the poison dart frog comes in. They add the frog’s poisonous secretions to their darts, hence the name “poison DART frog”. Using the dart to get the poison directly into the monkey’s blood stream is what actually kills it. Not the blow gun dart. So, unless you can guarantee a shot through the eye every time, as a mode of defense a blow gun will do little more than piss someone off and get you killed for the offending dart.
As for a knife, sure it is a good means of defense but only applies at close range. Not to mention you are more likely bringing a knife to a gun fight. Knives make great utility tools as well as a last means of defense or even a sneak attack tool. It should not be seen as a first line of defense tool. Again, it will end up being the proverbial knife to a gun fight scenario.
As far as price of a gun goes. There are less expensive firearms out there that will suit any needs. A pistol should be looked at as a means to fight your way back to your rifle/shotgun in a bugout situation. For concealed carry, naturally we have to gravitate to a pistol.
All that being said, you’re thinking outside the box. I like that.
April 5, 2012 at 10:56 am
Highpoint arms makes $100 semi autos
April 6, 2012 at 6:30 pm
I have binos and packable camo rain gear;I f I am forced to go near an unorganized group of people I can quietly recon and sneak around.OPERATIONAL CREEP. As hokey as it sounds, a good tomahawk is an amazing tool, hunting device and CQC weapon. I train with mine all the time because its fun and I can do it in my yard with my kids. Organize your gear so you could grab it in the dark. MRE entrees are packed with calories and small (they taste pretty good these days too).Remember, if it is difficult to store, grab or carry-you won’t use it.The most important pack is your noggin, so fill it up.
April 6, 2012 at 6:38 pm
Hate to mention it, but no one else has yet. Even though it is not a pretty thought Body Bags can be an important item. The loss of a friend or family member due to a natural disaster, violence, or even sickness, hunger or accident is always a possibility.
Containing the body is a matter of sanitation, not to mention sanity. And all things going well, the bag can be used for water proofing, storage, or creating shelter.
April 16, 2012 at 4:09 pm
I have to disagree on this one. If I want shelter I’ll use a tarp. Body bags are bulky and won’t help you get out of dodge. As a matter of sanity, you find time to bury your dead or use a funeral pier. The bulk of them alone would get me to leave them behind. If I need to wrap a body it will be in my tarp. I can always seek out a new tarp.
April 16, 2012 at 10:08 pm
may be a way late for this but in a situation where a bug out bag would be needed wraping the dead would seem like a wast of time and energy
May 20, 2012 at 6:29 pm
This is great, thank you!
Also, I’m goin to add chopstick to my kids’s bob’s.. It’s small and I think useful
April 18, 2012 at 11:29 pm
That was supposed to say *chapstick!! Lol
April 18, 2012 at 11:30 pm
Here’s a few other things good to have in an emergency “bug out” bag.
A rat trap (catching small game)
Small CO2 bb pistol with a couple extra co2 cartridges and pellets (again, small game hunting if you don’t have or want a real pistol in your bag)
Salt and pepper (takes up not much space, but good for moral if you have to eat otherwise less than appetizing things)
Bleach for sanitzing water
Zip ties (small, compact but very strong and useful)
A bunch of large, brightly colored ballons (for signalling and attracting attention)
Dryer lint in a zip lock bag (fire starting aid)
Mosquito netting
Magnifying glass (back up fire starting after the bic lighter, matches and magnesium stick)
Honey (quick energy)
A few cans of sardines (5-8 year shelf life, high and dense protein)
Fishing kit in a “hide a key”. Line and a few jelly lures in a hide a key or other small plastic container.
I vacuum seal a pouch of honey, salt, pepper, dryer lint and anything else that can’t get wet.
April 21, 2012 at 9:57 pm
At least 2 pair of socks per day if your doing any serious walking. And break in your boots now folks, you don’t want to have to do that during your bug out. Mosquito netting for those of us in the nice wet and warm southern states. Great list by the way.
May 3, 2012 at 10:52 am
Thank you Jordan for responding to my questions.I was just commenting on my bath tub bag,I will not be carting that around! It will stay in bath tub if its ever needed. What i wanted to know is can i or should i pack my mylar bags with pre packaged dry foods,( items in their original packages) I would love to be able to plan out what may be needed for a few days at a time.i hope you understand my reasoning behind this.
once again thanks for taking time to reply.
May 3, 2012 at 2:38 pm
lynne there is some great stuff on you tube about long term food storage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW7_cTn6YpE is one i just watched it has good info. I guess it depends on the size of bags you are using but moisture is your enemy. Give youtube a try.
May 20, 2012 at 1:27 am