"bug out bags" and "bug in kits"

[idleprocess]

As a result of a thread on another forum and some "doomsday porn" I've been reading lately, I've assembled a "bug out bag."

Thus far the bug out bag contains...

• food for ~3 days (spam and vienna sausage)
• water (5x700mL)
• water purification tablets
• camp soap
• hand sanitizer gel (2x 1.5oz) (sanitation + fire starter!)
• heavy-duty emergency blanket
• 30 gallon trash bags (4x)
• emergency poncho
• 8',x10' tarp
• 4x light sticks
• LED flashlight + batteries
• belt
• pocket knife
• multi-tool
• compass
• waterproof/windproof matches (2 boxes)
• P38 can openers

There is a little more room in the backpack, but not much. I know I need to think about the following:

• A better bag that's a bit larger, a bit more durable, and with a waist belt - anyone know of a decent inexpensive internal frame pack?
• Maps for that compass (USGS maps might be helpful, but the local grid hasn't been updated since 1981!)
• Polar pure instead of limited-shelf life / low "yield" purification tablets
• Food that isn't so salty
• Some sort of hydration bladder that's more space-efficient than bottled-water bottles
• Paracord
• A change of clothing
• Insect repellent
• A firearm and some ammo/magazines. I have a G21 that's been sitting in the safe unused for months, but it's ... huge. I have my concerns about a firearm because of legal issues should I take this kit with me to varying locales. Should I get a CHL, I expect to have a smaller blaster on my person, so dropping a box of ammunition and some additional magazines into the bag won't be as big of a deal.

Any other comments? This is not supposed to be a "survive anything, for any duration" type deal - it's supposed to last me for three days as a standalone kit, either so I can hoof it out of the disaster area or await restoral of services/utilities someplace other than at home.

I'm also accumulating some supplies for a "bug in kit" if I have to remain in my residence for some extended period of time or several minutes' notice and time to load the car and depart via the roads. I am nowhere near as far along on this concept, but I do have the following...

• About a week's worth of food
• ~10 gallons bottled water
• Another ~5 gallons fresh water in fridge, also frozen in water bottles
• Enough firearms and ammunition to qualify as a "major arms cache" in some states
• All the other luxuries of modern living - only I will probably have to forgo communications, power, water, and gas

Any other ideas? Anyone else done this sort of thing?

 

[goodfellas]

A hand crank radio will be a great idea and a CHL is a great idea period.

 

[philbo]

Where space/weight is at a premium, I prefer the following and have one in each vehicle all the time. 3 days emergency rations in a small, compact package.

http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_FM%20R360_A_name_E_MAINSTAY%99+3%2C600+Calorie+Food+Bar

A basic first aid kit with extra aspirin/tylenol and benedryl (antihistamine for bug bites, wasp stings, etc.) wouldn't hurt. Some duct tape would probably prove handy.

 

[ambidextrous1]

Instead of matches, I recommend a couple of butane cigarette lighters. They occupy less space, and a single lighter will light a fire every day for a year.

You should have two, to ensure that you can find one.

If they get wet, they'll work again after they dry out; I've put them through the clothes washer (accidentally) with no degradation.

Thanks to all for sharing your ideas. We should all be prepared for ugly situations wherein the fabric of civilized society wears thin...

 

[Porter]

Definitely consider one of the hand-cranked radios as previously mentioned. I have that plus two small hand-cranked LED flashlights in my kits.

You might also want to consider having any prescription meds you need in your kit. Also, spare prescription eye glasses if you need them.

You also need to remember that several items in most bug out bags are perishable (meds, some first-aid supplies, food, etc.). It would be a good idea to check everything once a month, and if it is expired or will expire in less than a month, replace it.

 

[mac79912]

I am taking all my guns,pass them out to my buddys and take bug out bags from those who did not bring guns.

 

[DrBart2]

Definitely consider one of the hand-cranked radios as previously mentioned. I have that plus two small hand-cranked LED flashlights in my kits.

You might also want to consider having any prescription meds you need in your kit. Also, spare prescription eye glasses if you need them.

You also need to remember that several items in most bug out bags are perishable (meds, some first-aid supplies, food, etc.). It would be a good idea to check everything once a month, and if it is expired or will expire in less than a month, replace it.

You can rotate the perishables in and out of your bag to keep them from going bad. It is always good to rotate the food stuff also. The Mormons have several books on the subject that, I believe, you can get from Amazon. If any of you are interested, let me know and I will post the name of these books. I'm not even Mormon, but found these books to be good and insightful. You can never be too prepared!

 

[Porter]

You can rotate the perishables in and out of your bag to keep them from going bad. It is always good to rotate the food stuff also. The Mormons have several books on the subject that, I believe, you can get from Amazon. If any of you are interested, let me know and I will post the name of these books. I'm not even Mormon, but found these books to be good and insightful. You can never be too prepared!

Please, post up the names of those books. When it comes to the subject of survival there is no such thing as too much information.

 

[Texas1911]

You need medical supplies. Put some feminine pads and a tampon in the bag in case you get cut, shot, whatever; they work very well. Gauze, scissors, blood coagulant powder, and some antibacterial creme.

It will be easier to find food / water than clean material in case you are wounded.

SOCKS... especially considering water is the #1 issue we have around here beyond tornadoes. If you have wet feet for even a day of moving around you will need to change out the socks or you will get trench foot. You can also use them as compression bandages, gloves, patches, etc. And rock + sock = melee weapon.

 

[gladi8r]

Fishing line and hooks just incase its more than three days you can fish with it or make snares for small creatures also, trip line for camp alarms and so forth

 

[DrBart2]

Please, post up the names of those books. When it comes to the subject of survival there is no such thing as too much information.

OK, I will get them posted sometime tonight.

 

[DrBart2]

The books I have are -Making the Best of Basics: Family Prepared... by James Talmage Stevens. I also have --How to Live Without Electricity & Like It by Anita Evangelista. You can get these books from Amazon.com, and looking there you will see several books on the subject of being prepared. The "Best of Basics" book is excellent. While looking on Amazon, one caught my eye. I may have to get it. It is ---Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook... by Peggy Layton. Don't know if it is any good though. I have The Encyclopedia of Country Living: An Old... by Carla Emery. It gives you a lot of info like making your own soap and living like the Amish mostly. All non-modern farming stuff. Explore Amazon on the subject. You will find a lot.

 

[idleprocess]

I've been doing some tweaking on the bag...

Contents thus far (vaguely clockwise from the food/water)

• 3x700ml Water
• 6x spam
• 3x Vienna sausage
• combo spoon/fork
• multitool
• buck knife
• emergency saw
• pen combination screwdriver
• P-51 can openers
• lighter (in package)
• all-cutting shears
• lint (firestarter), all-weather matches, another lighter
• compass
• belt
• potable aqua
• hand sanitizer (sanitation+firestarter)
• lightsticks (4x)
• 8'x10' tarp
• 100' paracord
• heavy-duty emergency blanket
• trash bags (30 gal x4) + ziplock bags (2x quart)
• toilet paper
• camp soap
• emergency poncho
• 4x Li AA
• LED flashlight (1xAA)
• SF G2 flashlight (2x123A)
• G2 spares (6x123A + lamp)
• emergency radio (in sealed package, operates on AA cells)
• 150' kevlar thread

I need to make some changes to this kit:

• replace the spam and Vienna sausage with something not so salty/bulky (MREs will be bulky - probably going to buy some of those 3600 calorie emergency ration bars)
• I need a first aid kit of some sort. I may buy one of the personal first aid kits from the red cross and call it done.
• replace portable aqua with polar pure
• tarp + emergency blanket might be excessive in Dallas - not known for its bitter winters but known for its thunderstorms
• could probably ditch the buck knife and emergency saw, but I like the emergency saw because it weighs nearly nothing and can be tossed after it's no longer useful
• compass is only going to be so much good without maps - unfortunately USGS maps are horrifically out of date for my area.
• kevlar thread is only going to be so useful without a needle of some sort...
• I might consider a chamois or something to dry myself off with
• some minimal clothing replacements would make bugging out more bearable - socks and underwear
• Still not sure about a firearm. I'm going to get my CHL sometime this year, but might need to plan on dropping something in there anyway. There's simply no room for the G21 that's occupying shelf space in my locker with the present arrangement...
• I need a bigger, better backpack so I can load more stuff and carry it in greater comfort

 

[Texas1911]

At the point you have to leave your home to live in the "wild" you shouldn't concern yourself with petty firearms laws. I personally would rather spend 3 - 4 months in jail than go unarmed into a situation like that. People go nuts.

 

[idleprocess]

At the point you have to leave your home to live in the "wild" you shouldn't concern yourself with petty firearms laws. I personally would rather spend 3 - 4 months in jail than go unarmed into a situation like that. People go nuts.

It's a 3-day bugout bag, not a long-term survival kit.

If things are going to hell and I have the luxury of time, I'm going to sling the AK in front of me and grab a few magazines. Bag sits right next to the gun locker at all times...

 

[Texas1911]

It's a 3-day bugout bag, not a long-term survival kit.

If things are going to hell and I have the luxury of time, I'm going to sling the AK in front of me and grab a few magazines. Bag sits right next to the gun locker at all times...

Roger. Wolverines out.

 

[robhillips]

Duct tape, benedryl and/or epipen. If you are allergic to something, ne prepared. Duct tape and 4x4 gauze will stop bleeding on anything you can probably treat yourself. Otherwise you'll need and EMT like me or a Dr.

 

[TimberWolf7.62]

Wow, you guys go heavy! I'll have to dig out my bug out bags and list the inventory, but my light bag is a mil-issue ass-pack and the big one is a backpack to go with. I'll post that tomorrow.

For bug-in, as hurricane season approaches, we start throwing in a few cans of soup and tuna every time we go to the store. If it doesn't get used, then as the fall and winter come on, we eat it. That way we're not trying to keep anything long-term. Keep it simple - soup, canned meat, instant mashed potatoes, rice, spaghetti, beans. If you can boil water, you can cook all of these.

Tortillas keep much longer than bread. Crackers are good, too. Get some cheese sealed in wax so no refrigeration needed.

For bugging out with minimal weight, forget the soup but take the rest. Get the tuna in 3 oz cans instead of 6 oz, since if you have to ration, it's easier to just not open a small can than save half of a big can for 24 hours.

Don't forget the mosquito repellant!

 

[Clay]

About the compass and out-of-date USGS maps:

The North Pole ain’t moving very fast and neither are the hills and hollers.

 

[RetArmySgt]

i have Bug out bags that are anywhere from 1 person for 2 days up to bug out kits for 10 people up to 2 months. working on my 10 people 6 month kit have the med and food done working on everything else for that one. Food wise i have 3 pallets of MRE's. I also have Army survival FM's in the kits and emergency first aid and advanced wilderness medical guides in case i get injured or unable to help the others.
Anyone that needs advice on how to set up some kits give me a shout i can throw you a list together and where to get most of it.