Creating A Bug-Out-Bag

[Colt 1911]

Hey longhorn, great question about knowing where to bug out to. I've talked to many people who say yes to bugging but never thought about where. I personally don't want to bug out far. I've worked really hard to get set up on my property here, but if a threat comes that is too large to handle I'll run for the woods. I think I would keep watch until it was safe to return. I'm lucky enough to live out far enough that there are easily reached places to hide. Now if there were a nuclear accident or something that made the area unsafe for good, I'm going to the closest, largest federal forest area that is safe.

Same here, we will hold the fort as long as possible, if we have to bug out we have two locations. First stop not so far out second much more remote.

 

[Longhorn]

Hey longhorn, great question about knowing where to bug out to. I've talked to many people who say yes to bugging but never thought about where. I personally don't want to bug out far. I've worked really hard to get set up on my property here, but if a threat comes that is too large to handle I'll run for the woods. I think I would keep watch until it was safe to return. I'm lucky enough to live out far enough that there are easily reached places to hide. Now if there were a nuclear accident or something that made the area unsafe for good, I'm going to the closest, largest federal forest area that is safe.

Yeah I've thought about it, but it really depends on what happens. My location isn't exactly the best imo. First off I'm in Florida, about 20 miles from the heart of Tampa and about a mile an a half from the Gulf of Mexico, so if there were some sort of Katrina/Super Storm event headed our way and set for a direct hit, we might have to evac anyway. Although in 2005 when we got hit bad by hurricanes we didn't evac but granted the storms were hitting mostly south of us and we weren't getting the brunt of them. My house is in the suburbs and right on a major road, and less than a mile from 2 other major roads/highways. So right there is a problem. Home defense is something I've recently invested in with the purchase of a firearm and I plan on getting a few more.

In the event of a total shtf scenario, say a major natural disaster that changes the landscape of the nation and consequently the economy and society (ie endtimes biblical event) I would totally have to bug out and wouldn't/couldn't stay in state... I know I would want to head north, I would want to get away from the coast (or atleast away from being at/below sea level), away from the swamps and away from the heavy populations... Ideally I would like to head out to the north west, but that could take days or possibly months depending on how we (my wife and I, maybe the inlaws lol) decide to travel. But getting out of Florida is something that I would absolutely try to do, and actually it is something I'm looking to do within 3 years anyway.

 

[Longhorn]

Currently I have a SwissArmy/SwissGear 17" pack, it's solid black (which is what I like, all black everything, no camo nonsense for me), I've had it for about 4-5 years, it serves me well and is still in excellent shape, but it's only recently been converted into a BOB, it was just a travel pack before. Well I'm thinking of leaving it as my travel pack because I still do a decent amount of traveling, and picking up a separate pack for my BOB and eventually a smaller GHB to leave in my car.

Anyway I'd like to get some input on this pack from the resident experts....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Every-Day-C...Domain_0&var=620083903946&hash=item51a64bf36d


It's affordable at about 1/2 the price of my Swiss, and it looks to have a ton of storage and it looks to be about similar in size. I can't tell about the thickness of the waist straps, I don't want them to be too thin, I want them to be substantial. And the zippers don't look like the close all the way...

I'm looking for something with more storage for my BOB, because my current Swiss is a great pack but it really is limited on storage with just 2 main compartments, and 1 small compartment in the front and 2 side pouches for bottles.


So... thoughts? Input? other suggestions?

If any of you have another suggestion let me know, my budget for a new pack is about $60, but anything cheaper would be great.

 

[Longhorn]

Or this one...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-3-Day-M...137?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53ff658249

 

[Overlord]

I prefer to be able to check out the pack I am buying in person. The reason behind this is I want to see the quality of the stitching and the construction of the pack. There are a lot of china repros out there that are of poor quality but look good in pictures.

 

[Longhorn]

Yeah I would much rather see it in person, inspect it, try it on, etc. But other than Dicks Sporting goods and Sports Authority and maybe Walmart, there are no stores around me that would carry packs like this (they have a bunch of hunting packs, all camo and bright orange). I might be able to find a military surplus store around and maybe if I head into Tampa...

The two packs I linked are shipped from the US (LA and Maine), one offers 30 day money back and the other offers 14 day money back. So if it's not to my liking, worst case I could return it.

 

[POP~POP]

Great fire starter is steel wool and a 9V battery. Touch the + & - terminals on the battery to a small ball of steel wool. It will instantly ignite the the steel wool. Very small battery. You can even take the old one out of a smoke detector and it will work to ignite your fire even if it is to low to use in the smoke detector. I put my steel wool in a zip lock bag to keep it dry. You can stuff a lot of it in a very small space and it weighs next to nothing.

 

[Krime]

Great fire starter is steel wool and a 9V battery. Touch the + & - terminals on the battery to a small ball of steel wool. It will instantly ignite the the steel wool. Very small battery. You can even take the old one out of a smoke detector and it will work to ignite your fire even if it is to low to use in the smoke detector. I put my steel wool in a zip lock bag to keep it dry. You can stuff a lot of it in a very small space and it weighs next to nothing.

awesome! I did a thread a while back somewhere on here (lol) all about batterys as fire starters. you can even dig under the top layer of the flat side of an AA and arc that too. good idea though with the 9v

 

[Gazrok]

Longhorn, I'm in about the same area. If you head to the interior of Florida, lot's of open spaces, rural area, and unlike further north, no snow in winter. Read about our ancestors. There's a reason they feared the winter. Without modern conveniences, those reasons are back, front & center, so consider the leaving idea....

 

[Maverick]

I have debated what to put in my BOB for sometime. I always include some sort of knife, a lighter or fire making device(s), some sort of preserved food (like beef jerky and packs of crackers). These seem to be the big three for me, but I also like to carry cordage, can openers, pliers, fishing line with hooks, and a tin can or metal travel mug.

Looks to be more a store front! though I'm having a difficult time finding the type of metal/hardness off the triple j knifes?

 

[Pyro virus]

A lot of people wonder what they should put in a bug out bag. there are many different idems you can put in these bags. you might want to think of a few things while creating your own bug bag, like what climate your living, or plan to be living in, what kind of animals (if any) may be where you are, or going... etc...
i also suggest while picking items, that you pick items with duel purposes, this not only gives you a range of different items from 1 idem, but cuts down on weight too!
here is a list of what i want in my bug bag (more of a wish list atm lol) and a brief reason why:
1. water, i suggest as many small bottles as i can fit, small bottles cuz they don't take up as much space in your pack.
2. Tylenol - aspirin - ibuprofen: you never know when you need them, take only 1 at a time due to limited resources.
3. a first aid emergency kit- build you own or buy a good one.
4. flint striker: some can use nothing to build a fire, but wouldn't you rather make it easy?
5. a survival knife: i will recommend a large fixed blade knife, me, I'm going with a crocodile dundee type bowie, sooo many uses!
6. flashlight: i prefer a self wind/solar with a radio and possibly a charger outlet.
7. small key chain light: for personal, oops forgot the good one light.
8. a palm size container: to put stuff like caught bugs for fishing, used candle wax, tree sap glue, etc.
9. Swiss army knife: buy a good one, dollar store knifes bend easy.
10. safety pins: these can be used for arm slings, a quick fix clothing etc.
11. water proof matches: easier than a flint n steel.
12. lighters: easy fire starter, and their cheap, and become other useful items when taken apart.
13. iodine pads: they can not only be used for medical, but if you drop 1 in a quart of water it will clean microbes in half hour.
14. hand sewing needles: for stitching wounds, cloths, bend for extra fish hooks...etc.
15. 3 yards/meters dental floss: used for snare traps, stitching wounds, hygiene, or even killing by throat.
16. anti-diarrhea pills: when your low on water, dehydration from diarreah would not be good, besides the fact its the last thing you want when shtf! (rofl)
17. baking soda- its cheap toothpaste, and if you have chronic heartburn like myself its wonderful, put it in a Ziploc to save space.
18. Ziploc bags: store water, food, rain catchers etc.
19. Mylar blankets: warmth, and can catch rain, be used as shelter etc.
20. trash bags: for carrying stuff, water catch, rain poncho, hobo sleeping bag etc.
21. ribbon-twine-shoestrings-rope: i prefer paracord to most, and there are many, many uses.
22. fishing kit: i prefer one with pre made hook lines, split shots, bobbers etc.
23. tube socks: ya i hate them but water filters, feet, storage for items etc
24. shirts: regular t-shirts are good for arm slings, bandages, shirts etc.
25. small knife: for skinning, cooking, simple stuff that a Bowie would be over kill but Swiss just doesn't cut it, no pun intended.
26. magnifying glasses: start fires by sunlight, read maps, or amuse yourself n kill ants lol.
27. hygiene products: tooth brush, tooth paste, soap, feminine products etc.
28. scissors: i prefer the heavy duty kitchen scissors, I've used them in mechanics and pruning my vegetation as well as all scissors are meant for.
29. strait razor: how many gillet fusion razors do you think you'll find when shtf, strait razors can be resharpened, and used as a weapon.
30. toilet paper: for... you know, and good fire starter.
31. canteens/water bag: i think this explains itself.
32. stainless steel cup/small pot: for cooking or boiling snow etc.
33. medical face masks n95 rated: there will be a lot of death, death=disease, or pandemic, good water/coffee filters.
34. small bottles of bleach: 3 drops per quart of water kills microbes in half hour.
35. plastic/rubber dish gloves: more durable than medical gloves, and good rain catchers too.
36. food: some will go with MREs, but you can put spam, 3 packs of ramen in a ziplock to save space, and peanut butter anything high calories and less weight, most say 3 days at least, but i say as much as you can!
37. guns n ammo: your choice!
also if you have a baby: pack extra formula, if that young, or/and something to smash your food to be baby edible and baby stuff: diapers, bottles, some toys etc.
small kids bring crayons and coloring books a few toys, something to keep them feeling somewhat normal!
oh ya....
38. bartering items: I'm taking tobacco and papers mostly because i smoke, but there's other things like silver coins before 1964 that are 90% silver...etc
39. duct tape: probably one of the most useful items made!
i hope this helps, please add to it if you find other useful stuff!

This is awesome! I never thought to being small containers but im adding them now. That genius. I also added a small wet stone sharpener. I know a wet rock will do but somtime a rock can dull a blade but a small 3 inch long wet stone is lightweight and you don't have to waste time or calories searching for the perfect stone and you can keep all your knives well edged. Also bring 20 Guage wire. Rabbits and squeals can chew through dental floss and other fabric like twine and cordage. But wire is very lightweight, cant be chewed through and can be used to hold up shelters, repair things, and attach blades to a staff for a spear if a knife breaks from it's hilt. As long as the knife has tang holes it can also be reattached to it's handle without needing glue or wasting precious duct tape! Lol. Its found at Walmart in or near the tools isle where you can find command strips, wall mounts for picture frames and so on. You can also find it really cheap online. 20 Guage wire is the best universal thickness and strength and it doesn't rust if you get the multi use wire. I think its made of aluminum or somthing. It cannot be used as a fish hook unfortunately but if you don't have a fishing pole you can use it to make eyelets on a long stick that will hold your fishing line so the abrasive surface of the stick doesn't snap your fishing line. And if your really creative you can connect your fishing line spool onto the base of that stick making a pretty good fishing pole for the most part. Theres so much more you can use it for as well.
I've noted many items you shared and will be adding them to my bug out kits also. Thankyou!

 

[Dracos]

For all you people who plan to throw everything they will need for the rest of their lives in a bug out bag. How much can you carry? How much water will you need? Water weighs 8 pounds per gallon. Diapers? Great Idea. That implies children that will need to be carried. Weapons? I found 1 rifle and a few rounds of ammunition when hunting got heavy by the end of the day. Food? How many in your party? Live off the land? Good luck competing with millions of other people. More important that what you put in your bug out bag is where you are bugging out to, Hopefully you know before you start hiking. Well, just put your bug out bag in your truck. Good luck finding a gas station with fuel. There are some situations where it may be advisable to go camping for a few days. But in a real world wide SHTF situation, refugees (that's what you'll be) will be lucky to survive a week. I would love to hear your honest opinions.

 

[DrHenley]

Weapons? I found 1 rifle and a few rounds of ammunition when hunting got heavy by the end of the day. Food? How many in your party?

A 22 pistol can rustle up a lot of meat in a pinch when things get bad.
If you are the first to decide that eating dog is better than starving, then you'll be fine. What you can't eat right away, make jerky. If you are too squeamish to shoot a stray pet, or armadillo/rat/possum/etc. then you'll be one of the statistics.

 

[rainingcatzanddogs]

For all you people who plan to throw everything they will need for the rest of their lives in a bug out bag. How much can you carry? How much water will you need? Water weighs 8 pounds per gallon. Diapers? Great Idea. That implies children that will need to be carried. Weapons? I found 1 rifle and a few rounds of ammunition when hunting got heavy by the end of the day. Food? How many in your party? Live off the land? Good luck competing with millions of other people. More important that what you put in your bug out bag is where you are bugging out to, Hopefully you know before you start hiking. Well, just put your bug out bag in your truck. Good luck finding a gas station with fuel. There are some situations where it may be advisable to go camping for a few days. But in a real world wide SHTF situation, refugees (that's what you'll be) will be lucky to survive a week. I would love to hear your honest opinions.

So here is my two cents on the contents of BOB's.

First considerations

1) Do you have a semi-permanent destination or will you be a long term refugee?
2) How far and how long?
3) Size, age, gender (sorry ladies), health and fitness level of those using the bag
4) How many will you be traveling with (can some items be shared)
5) What things will be easily renewable along your route (water comes to mind) what will be scarce?

Second considerations

1) Bi annual re-inventorying of the bag (switching out expired foods, upgrading items, switching out summer/winter clothing)
2) Changes in health (like arthritis) or fitness levels might necessitate lightening your load or if you have been working at it, adding to the load.
3) Changes in environment such as your once rural property is now surrounded by suburban sprawl as far as the eye can see
4) Changes in situations such as obtaining a BOL where there was not one before, losing access to a BOL or creating a BIL instead.

You really don't need to carry much.

When I would get sent to my room as a child, I would “run away from home”…right out the window. I’d grab my school back pack, the pocket knife/multitool that I got one birthday, a rain slicker, a couple of changes of clothing and I was gone. Mind you I was about 8.

I would hike out into the woods, climb a tree and stay there for a couple of nights. It was always in the spring/summer/fall so I could eat the wild foods (and the farmer’s feed corn) and probably drank some water that I shouldn’t have but, I somehow survived. My mother of course would send my father out to find where I was THIS time, but, they let me be until I cooled down.

When I was 13 they sent me to a camp where we learned survival skills and at the end of the month got to try our “final exam”. They took us out into the mountains with only our backpacks in groups of three. Between the three we had the basics. Some flour, salt, a tin cup, a slingshot, a compass, a container of bleach, map, knife, some twine, a rope, change of clothing, socks and a slicker. That’s it.

We had three days to make it to the rendezvous point before they would come looking for us. These days, you’d get sued for even suggesting doing this without an adult along…those were different times.

So as far as BOB go, that is really all you NEED. The rest of what you need comes from between your ears. Everything else that goes in a bag is just icing on the cake.

 

[user 6501]

Bugging out is not camping in the woods. It is moving to an area not affected by the disaster.
However, if you can't live in the woods for one week with everything you need in a backpack, then you know nothing about how to build a bug out bag.

Leave the bolt cutters and other fantasy gear in your car, and pack the items you actually need to keep yourself alive.
Pack gear light and food heavy. After shelter and water, all you need is food. (first aid, signal gear, all part of the package).

Glad there are few of the, "It is not a BOB it is my GHB" freaks here. It is all just gear in a bag.
I have a bag in my locker I can use to stay overnight at work if need be, or hike home and still with enough gear to spend a night out if need be.
At home is my day pack that also allows me to spend a night out if need be, and my large hiking pack can be lived out of for a week.
My airline carry-on bag does not sit empty, it is full of stuff should I have to go to a hospital or bug out to a relatives. No camp gear, just clothes and comfort items.