What's in Your Bug-Out Bag? Contest

[Boston_Joe]

PLA thats why I'm going with the 2 bag approach. The vehicle bags would have what I need to get me home from work or out and about town. Thats all within 40 miles. The second larger bag would be all of the stuff we'd need to be really living out of my pack for an extended period.

I'll concentrate on getting the smaller GHB outfitted first then move along to the larger BOB. There will be some overlap and that means buying multiples of some things but I'm good with that.

redman, I've been keeping my eye on CL and a lot of times people still want full retail or so near to it that I might as well buy new. There is always the shot that I can find a deal and I'll keep looking but at some point I've got to get things bought.

[ocalakel]

You are way ahead of most people in this country today. Don't get discouraged if you can't get every new tacticool survival item that comes on the market. Knowing how to use what you do have and knowledge is important.

[PLA]

Joe

I know its not a popular opinion but Mel Tappan figured it out 30 years ago.

Back Pack survival isn't practical. You are just a refugee with limited supplies if you are trying to live out of it for an extended time.

The other problem is weight, you cant carry enough for more than 10 days. Yeah I know, not part of the fantasy but it is true. And every person you are supporting eats into your duration.

It really cuts against the grain , however if you keep track of the amounts and weights of things you use, and how you plan on getting more the BOB concept falls apart

[Boston_Joe]

Not looking to have enough in a bag to survive indefinitely just to get me to a place out of immediate danger where I can make a go of it.

I'm far from discouraged ocalakel. I'm pretty motivated about this because I know I'll need it at some point. Even if I have to jam what gear I have in an overnight bag I'll have something. All I can do is add things as I can afford them ..

[Cannonball]

Hey Cannonball, throw some cloth diapers and couple rubber covers in your kit. Reusable and work. And that is a hell of a load out! Nice

Diapers made me think of how to clean them. I'm pretty sure there is a bottle of camp suds in there but I will have to make sure. I also had a thought to put some hypochlorite powder (pool chlorine tablet) in a medicine bottle or vial. That could be used to disinfect things and also treat water

[unseenone]

Is this limited to an actual EDC/BOB/GHB/INCH Bugout Bag, Going Home Bag, I'm Never Coming Home bag, or any gear for an actual evacuation Bug Out? Will the winner be judged by one or carried by six?

[Brad]

GHB

Bug out bag

Kel tec pmr 30 2 30 round mags clip on holster that hold extra mag
200 rounds of ammo
Titanium 44 mag (super light) 62 rounds shoulder rig.
Bench made fixed blade knife
Emerson cqc6 folder
Outdoor razor-lite and 6 extra blades
Gerber multi tool
Life straw and 2 bottles of water
Iodine tabs
Emergency rations sos 3 day packs
Small pot
Energy blankets 2
Poncho 2
Extra wool socks or cotton
Mole skin
Advil (big bottle)
Snares (6)
Small solar and crank radio with usb charger and light
Small tac light with extra batteries
Head lamp
Nikon binoculars
Small gen 1 night vision. Monocle
Small first aide kit.
Lighters 2
Metal match
2 compressed rolls of tp
Duck tape
50ft para cord
I small pack of sanitizing wipes
4 trashbags
Flask of scotch (single malt oban)



Sleeping bag extra mres and ammo kept in vehicle just in case.
It's also likely I'd have a small sig 9mm with 14 rounds on me. Or a s&w body guard .380 with 12 rounds.

I travel a lot and live in the north where fishing isn't always possible so no fishing kit
(Though in summer I usually have fishing equipment on me.)
I keep season appropriate clothing in the vehicle.
I keep this stuff because I am getting home to my family.
It's still a work in progress.

[Joyce Hoffman-Gayley]

Pool chloride is a good idea - what I have, however, is a bottle of EZBLEACH disinfectant tablets (40 count), available at Walmart for about three bucks.

[kickstand]

Joyce, would you mind posting a link to those bleach tablets?

[angeryamerican]

To answer Unseenone, it's about all of the above. This is just a discussion on gear intended to spur conversation and see what others are doing.

[Bill Kelly]

Living in California, I've carried an “Earthquake BOB” for years as part of my daily commute to San Francisco. I got serious about it after volunteering for the Red Cross for awhile, and reading your first book. Now that I am in the mountains of Tennessee, and run the risk of a 15-x00 mile post-SHTF trip home, I made some Morgan Modifications.

First, I retired my black, Molle-covered heavy cordura pack for a real live, backpackers pack, the Kelty Redwing 50. Besides the actual engineering that goes into the pack, like a good belt and straps, it looks less military.
The contents consists of the pack loaded with the basics, and next to it, a large plastic bin which is more seasonal or trip-customized. As Morgan did, throwing more MREs or coats in the truck for his long-haul journey, so I too modify the bin contents to match the town trip or the across-the-state trip, or the winter trip or the summer trip.

Basic pack.
On top, and first to come out, is a baggie with Mechanics gloves, compass, Leatherman Rev multitool, topo map of my area out to 100 miles, headlamp and fresh batteries, and a scarf.
The second baggie has an Adventure Medical Kit, supplemented with tourniquet, QuikClot, more moleskin, personal meds.
The third baggie is a “Fire Kit.” Three ways to make fire – matches, lighter(2), striker(2), chapstick, cotton balls.
Personal hygiene kit – soap, powder, towel
Fourth baggie, actually a small nylon bag - Mylar blanket, trash bags, duct tape, para cord, signal mirror, whistle, spare flashlight, batteries, spare compass.
Camelback bladder, Katylin water filter/bottle (changing to a gravity system soon), purification tabs
Two knives – Grylls and Mora
Water resistant writing pad, Sharpie pens.
poncho, SOL Bivy
Small binocs, box of ammo, clip on holster that fits my bag hip belt. I have a CCW permit, and always carry some kind of 9MM.
Esbit cook stove set and about 10 fuel tabs, Sporks
3 days of MREs and/or freeze-dried Mountain House packs
The basic pack with empty water bladder is about 22 pounds.
I modified the pack with a few small carabiners on the front straps, and put one of those keychain micro lights on one of them. Also, the pack has Molle on the bottom, so put some keepers on the Molle for optional use.

Rotated at will in the plastic bin:
socks, shirt, polartec jacket, gloves, hat, broken in boots,
Vacuum bagged dog food
Fishing kit
Sleeping bag
Marmot 2-man tent, ground tarp
Kokopelli adjustable shock walking stick
Crank-style multi-band radio
I also have in the bin one of those Red Cross prepackaged “3-day packs” on the rare occasion I have someone else with me.

If I get stranded, I assess where I am and where I have to go, and do the final pack up. For example, two years ago I was stranded in a snow drift miles from home. It was a distance I could make without 3 days of food, stove or change of clothes, but I did need to put on the boots, poncho, hat, gloves, and leave a note on my car ( I bought a 4WD truck that spring). Mebbe I will not be out more than a day, so I won't need a tent or bag, and can bring the bivy. But, mebbe I am 300 miles from home....

I always have my dog with me, so bring some food with her. For now, no harness or saddlebags for her. She is a great guard dog, smells things on the trail long before I do, and is a nice heater in the tent.

I just received a Courage 45# takedown recurve bow, and will see if that has a place in my kit. Also thinking of a snare kit.
I practice using the BOB a few times a year on overnight camping trips, and making modifications accordingly.

[Army9954]

I have a elberstock battleship ruck sack
Two pair of cargo pants
Walking stick
Sleeping bag
Tent
Bio lite stove with grill attachment
10 pairs of socks and shirts
Water proof matches
Magnesium Fire starter
Cotton balls
Vaseline
Heat blankets
Gloves
Flash lights
AA AAA batteries
Food
Compass
Atlas
Survival and traping books
550 cord
Boots
Kinifes/ sharping stone
Pot/pan
Water purification tablets and filters

[S-Duece]

Get Home (DFQ)

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I work 15 miles from home, and would have to navigate a rather urban setting to get out of downtown and back to my family if need be.

Thus, the mentality behind my Get Home Bag is focused more on have some basic survival equipment along with tools that my assist in navigating certain obstacles, without weighing myself down with long-term gear.

The bag: GoRuck GR1 (26L) in Desert Digital

Contents:

• Eastwing Hatchet
• 18" Bolt Cutters
• 18" Crowbar
• Fiskars Folding Camp Saw
• Folding E-Tool
• Carabiner
• Fiskars Axe Sharpener
• Axe File
• 550 cord
• Screwdriver (phillip's head)
• Multi-tool
• Gerber Pocket Knife
• Mechanix Wear gloves (2 pair)
• Headlamp
• Everlast palm size flashlight
• Pelican 1080 Case with 3 fire-starters, toothbrush/paste, EpiPen, painkillers
• Red Cross First Aid Kit
• Nitrile Gloves
• Skivvy Roll (t-shirt, socks, undies) [waterproofed]
• Extra Socks [waterproofed]
• TacHat (also in desert digital w/ moto assaulting flag patch)
• Gorilla Tape (Go Roll)
• 8' x 10' Tarp
• 3L Water Bladder
• Compass
• Sawyer water filter kit
• Handful of trail/power bars
• Bag of Orange Slice fruit chews
• Two-way Radio

Anything that could suffer quickly from water damage is water proofed, and a couple extra plastic grocery bags and ziplocs are tucked in should I need further proofing of items on my person (i.e., wallet, smartphone, whatever).

All in all, the pack is 20-25 lbs total. Light enough to run with, low profile enough to navigate obstacles, but packed enough to break my way through anything.

The thought is that I just need to be able to get home where 3-day B.O.Bs are, and the "never-coming-back" bags are. I can ruck-out the 15 miles in 5-10 hours, depending on conditions and circumstances, so I don't need full meals and all the trimmings.

Other items not in the bag, but also kept in my truck at all times are seasonal clothing items (rainwear, cold weather wear, beanies, gloves, etc.) and a change of shoes or boots, along with a sleeping bag, two 24-oz nalgene bottles, another gallon of water, and a roll of toilet paper. I also tote my shoulder holstered 1911 around with 3 mags and an extra box of 50 rounds.

All clothing is very plain/normal looking so as not to stand out, and I have a nearly identical EDC bag but in a grey color whose contents could quickly be swapped out if I felt the civil situation might benefit me to look more like a dude with a backpack.

OPEN for critique, suggestions, questions, etc!

[Danbert]

I have a backpack. There are a few small things I carry in it. Cordage, knife (folder), flashlight, snacks, tactical pen, pen, back up power source.
My situation is slightly unique, I work 4 blocks from home. As a CHL holder I would carry every day but I am not allowed to carry at work (yet).
I have a Jeep Wagoneer that I am working towards getting it set up as a bug out vehicle.

[W.Lynn]

In my kit I have.......the knife you sent me. Yeah thats about it. I need just about everything. I live in a crappy trailer with more canned food than frozen/cool food but otherwise I never seem to have money to plan ahead of the month it is. My wish list would include things mostly for water purification and first aid. My head just starts to swim when I see lists of brand name things. i love seeing lists that have generic items I can buy anywhere and arent $300 top of the line. Sure I want good stuff but thats half a months rent and I barely even make that lol

I mean i do have a bug out bag but it's mostly 10 year old band aids, 5 year old water purifier tablets, some Goodies headache powder, an extra pair of socks, a spork/knife combo (really cool looking actually lol) 2 bottles of water and random assortment of rope/string and personal hygiene stuff. I may get about 5 miles down the road and then run out lol

Do what most of us do, and try not to cry when the opportunity to get something useful comes along. Also, as much as it can suck to walk away from the things you KNOW you could use, try shopping thrift stores and garage sales for many items. If you need a piece of cookware, going to some family or church sale might score you a nice iron griddle for a buck or three, instead of a non-stick coated piece of garbage for $15 that you have to replace in a couple years when that coating is flaking off into your food.

Roll the money saved into either one of, getting a small bit ahead on one of the bills (most will let you carry a positive balance so you're partly pre-paid for the next month,) OR fold it over, put it in your pocket, and get the poncho & woobie at the military surplus shop, or a mess-kit if your walk-home bag needs it, or shelf-stable things you use regularly like dried rice or beans (or a cookbook from the thrift store, to learn to cook the things you know you should be eating instead of the boxes of mixes and messed up instant foods.)

And keep checking back in here!

Joe just from my experience, go with the 90% rule first

90% of your time is spent consistent with very few areas. Most people are this way as well. Start planning from there. What you need not what you want to get from say, work to home.

You will find you don't need nearly as much as you believe

This is where I'm doing a re-think, as I want some money, but don't want the inflexible corporate world. I'm going to start substitute teaching, so I will be keeping a pack in my car, and carrying in a bag that will be skirting "policy" while technically legal. Not giving up sharp things or zappy-light no matter where I go. But, I'm also a voter, a practiced shooter, and a sometimes carrier, so I follow the laws carefully and will volunteer for any additional training the schools in my district might offer to teachers and other staff.

I don't want so much that it would be an unreasonable burden for a tired grandma to carry home if I'm walking, just enough so the walk won't do me in, like a Sawyer mini water filter. And thankful I don't live in Austin!