Bug Out Bags 101
What you really NEED in your Bug Out Bag
Below are some tips and pointers i scavenged form elsewhere on the net.
Building your first Bug Out Bag can seem like a big task.
It’s hard to know where to start, but if you only cover all of the basics you will still be much better off.
A Bug Out Bag is usually designed to get you out of an emergency situation and allow you to survive for up to 3 days.
Here are the types of gear you really NEED for your Bug Out Bag:
1. Water
1 Liter per day per person is really the bare minimum. So your Bug Out Bag should have at least 3 liters of water.
2. Food
Back pack meals are freeze dried meals that you just add boiling water to. They are light weight and last a long time.
3. Clothing
Your Bug Out Bag clothes should be similar to what you would pack for a weekend backpacking trip.
.A pair of sturdy boots or shoes
.A pair of long pants
.2 Pairs of socks
.2 Shirts (1 long sleeve and 1 short sleeve)
.A Jacket that is both warm and offers protection from rain
.Warm long underwear of some kind
.A hat
.A Bandana
As trivial as it may sound, be sure to keep a belt and some extra cash in your bag.
4. Shelter
If you are going to survive for 3 days you need protection from the elements and a warm dry place to sleep.
You need at least:
.Some type of tent or tarp and a way to set it up.
.A ground tarp or a sleeping pad for underneath your shelter to stay dry.
.Some type of Bedroll, preferably a good sleeping bag.
5. First Aid Kit
6. Basic Gear
Things you absolutely cannot live without.
.Rain Gear – at least 2 ways to stay dry in the rain.
.Fire – A bare minimum of 3 different ways to make fire.
You’re also going to need something to cut your firewood.
.Cooking – Bare minimum here is a small pot/large cup to boil water in for both drinking and preparing freeze dried meals. Of course.. Freeze dried meals will require you carry more water.
.Light – At least 2 dependable flashlights and a backup set of batteries for each.
.Survival Knife – The most used and most versatile tool in your Bug Out Bag is your survival knife.
7. Weapons
Obviously a firearm of some sort is best for this. (Though not in all situations)
Outside of guns your survival knife could be used as weapon if you had to. Also something as simple as a big walking stick or club.
The more detailed full article is at: survivalcache.com
Also...
A bug out bag is designed in theory to give you everything you may need to live for at least 72 hours outside of your home and should be considered as part of any comprehensive plan for disaster or true preparedness.
A 72-hour bag or kit is usually listed as the standard we as preppers should aspire to and is actually what FEMA recommends on their website. Again, this means that your bug out bag should have enough supplies to get you through 72 hours. What you put in here though should vary by person and need.
Your bag is meant to be something that you can quickly grab and run out the door. Your bug out bag should be pre-packed with the appropriate supplies and ready at a moment’s notice. Ideally you would have practice with your bag and lugging it around through various terrain and experience actually living off the supplies that you have stored in there.
At a minimum your bug out bag should cover the 3 basic necessities you need to live; food, clothing and shelter.
Having a bug out bag that is too heavy can cause injury very easily. Not only that, but it can wear you out much faster and make running very difficult to do.
Unless your bag is packed the right way, your center of balance will be off and you can just about forget doing any type of tactical movement with a heavy pack.
A bug out bag should be viewed as a life preserver in most situations, not a convenience store.
If all hell breaks loose in your town, what will you really need to survive? Will a change of clothes, something to shelter you from the elements and a means to make a fire be most of what you need? Add in some food and a little water with a backup to get filtered water elsewhere, simple first aid and you have the basics covered.
You can start with these tips, but even if you take 30 pounds out somewhere, you can’t start throwing other items like your books on edible plants in your pack and still save weight. Think about what your bag is for, how you will be using it and pack accordingly. Remember, this is just to save your life. If you have a bug out bag and you are leaving your world behind, you won’t be staying at the Ritz.
Full article at the PREPPER Journal. I reccommend you read it.