Yet another baliout/bugout bag thread...need opinions...

[cutlerylover]

Hey guys...after reading about bailout/bugout bags from tiem to tiem I decided it would be good to make one, just because you never do know when you could need it...So this is what I came up with, Im just looking for some opinions...I know I cna get pretty crazy with all kidns of stuff, but Im looking just for a basic kit to keep it light but effective...Here is what I have so far (still working on it though)

I have this stuff in a Pelican 1060 case...

- Folder (Gerber EZ-out combo edge)
- Neck knife (Cold Steel Para-edge combo edge knife)
- SAK (camper Swiss Army Knife, all your basic tools, minus a small saw)
- Leatherman Wave (most oif you already know what it has, plus a saw, which the SAK lacks...)
- Photon freedom Micro...
- small cheap fold out knife for use with the magnesium block...
- Magnesium block/stick
- 2 small boxes of stick matches
- 1 box of water proof stick matches
- Safe-light 9V emergency flashlight
- Smith's handheld sharpenign tool, small compact cheap sharpener...

I have this in a Pelican 1010 case...

- 10 Bandaids
- 2 oversized bandaids
- small wood box with Advil regular and gel capsules...

Soon to have gauze, antibaterial cream, and a simple, sewing kit...

I have all of these thgins in a pocket organizer I got from countycomm...

- pack of gum
- widgy bar (mini prybar)
- 2 pens
- torx driver (for knife adjustments)
- mini screwdriver set
- pen shaped sharpener (comes to a point, good for different uses)
- permanent marker (black)
- more bandaids and gauze...
- pad of paper
- Fenix L1S
- case with 4 spare AA's for the Fenix
- and a paracord bracelet that if unbraided will give me 10 feet of usable paracord...good for lots of things...
Other things I have in the main bag...

- Mag 2D flashlight with LED upgrade
- new package of 4 D batteries for the maglite...
- 2 bandanas, one red, and one bright green...
- camping "multitool" good for the extra knife and corscrew, but I mainly have it for the utensils (spoon and fork)
- roll of eletrical tape
- extra wallet soon to have some cash in different bills as well as change...also thinkign about having a credit card in their just in case...
- Fixed blade (Benchmade model 155)

some extra thigns I am planning to add...

- FOOD, definatly but not sure what yet...possibly energy bars, beef jerkey, maybe spam...just lookign for good long term storage foods...
- I would like to have at least 2 flares as well...
- compass is a must which I dont have yet, as well as a whistle...
- I need a watre bottle...mayeb some water purification tablets?
- I would like to have a blanet of some kind too...
- Small axe?
- I would like a small radio but dont think I need one...
- A knit hat would be good for cold weather...
- and last but not least I would like to add a book or 2 to kill time...maybe the bible and a long novel?


Anyway, here are some pics...the pockets on the front of the bag are empty and the back big pocket only has the fixed blade in it, so plenty of room for more goodies...

Oh yeah keep in mind besides all this crap I will always have a good folder razor sharp and ready to go on my person, sometimes a backup blade of soem kind too (currently a Benchmade rescue hook), so Im set with the knives, lol...

 

[supes]

Looking good,culturylover.

I would suggest adding:
-alcohol wipe pads
-medical disposable gloves(Nitrile works good)
-face mask(N95 respirator or something)
-hearing protection
-duct tape
-signal mirror
-disposable ponchos or raingear
-paracord or rope
-gloves
-scarf
-emergency blanket

This is what I can think of off the top of my head so far.

 

[cutlerylover]

Oh great! Thanks, gloves would be great, Thanks for the other recommendations too! I appreciate the response!

 

[Bloodnut]

That's a good start. As much as it pains me to say this, you might be a little heavy on blades... 5 or 6?. And too the pelican cases, while adding a significant degree of protection/organization, also add a bit of weight. Do knives really need to be in a crushproof/watertight container?

You might be able tweak the contents by examining the purpose of the kit. Or you in an urban area or rural? Will the kit reside in a vehicle or will you carry this yourself? Are you planning to exfil to another locale or is the kit designed to let you shelter-in-place?

Water bottle and power bars are always a good idea.

 

[cutlerylover]

good point, This kit is to grab in case of an emergency, I was thinking terrorist attack of some kind, or possibly something nice to just bring camping sometime...Just good to have in any event, I am lucky where I am in PA there are no real natural disasters besides a flood every now and then, but I am not in a specific area where that is a big problem...

I have the pelican cases not really for those specific items, but rather to place the items that should not get wet...but it is more of a novelty thign than anythgin else really to be honest, I know I don't "need" them, its not like I will be rafting or anything,m but I guess I never know...better to be safe than sorry I guess...Yes they do add an extar pound or 2, so I might rethink that, thansk for pointign that out!

Ok, blades...I am just a knife nut at heart, lol, no excuse, I just love my knives...but in an emergecy situation better to me overprepared then not prepared enough right? Ok maybe thats just my excuse, lol...Anyway thanks for the god tips and good points!

 

[Bloodnut]

RE: all the blades - I feel your pain. I've typically got one - three on me, and that's just to go to the grocery store! A better strategy might be to pare it down to two (fixed blade and mutli-tool) and stash the rest in handy places.

And here is a general observation - not aimed at you. Many times I think we tend to pack all our cool-guy gear in one bag and call it a BOB when in reality, it is simply all our crap stored in one place. Which is fine as long as we understand that that's what it is. When you boil it down to what is needed to maintain 98.6 in YOUR particular situation, then things become a bit more simple (not necessarily easy).

One more thought. When SHTF, cash is king and easily portable. You might think about stashing $100 in small bills (along with a small supply of quarters) in your kit.

 

[sween1911]

Nice work! One suggestion... I have the same Husky brand multi-bit tool that you have in this picture... remove the divider inside the handle and put ALL the bits inside. That way, the one in the end of the tool won't work loose and get lost.

 

[cutlerylover]

RE: all the blades - I feel your pain. I've typically got one - three on me, and that's just to go to the grocery store! A better strategy might be to pare it down to two (fixed blade and mutli-tool) and stash the rest in handy places.

And here is a general observation - not aimed at you. Many times I think we tend to pack all our cool-guy gear in one bag and call it a BOB when in reality, it is simply all our crap stored in one place. Which is fine as long as we understand that that's what it is. When you boil it down to what is needed to maintain 98.6 in YOUR particular situation, then things become a bit more simple (not necessarily easy).

One more thought. When SHTF, cash is king and easily portable. You might think about stashing $100 in small bills (along with a small supply of quarters) in your kit.

Thanks again for your suggestoins...havign cash one of my ideas from the start but I think your right in that I should have about $100 or so, never know what I mgith need it for, I originaly thought less, but once again beter to be overprepared than not prepared enough, Thanks again!

 

[cutlerylover]

Nice work! One suggestion... I have the same Husky brand multi-bit tool that you have in this picture... remove the divider inside the handle and put ALL the bits inside. That way, the one in the end of the tool won't work loose and get lost.

Thanks, as far as the bits go mine came with 4 pieces 2 bits on each side...so I onyl have room for 3 in the handle and one in the tool, but I see what your saying, perhaps I will just leave the lasdt bit in the 1st aid bag I have in that pack...

 

[Hikaru]

Thanks, as far as the bits go mine came with 4 pieces 2 bits on each side...so I onyl have room for 3 in the handle and one in the tool, but I see what your saying, perhaps I will just leave the lasdt bit in the 1st aid bag I have in that pack...

I think he's saying that you'll only be able to fit the 3 bits in the handle with the divider (in the center of the handle) still installed (as it is from the store).
But if you pull out the center divider, it will make room enough for the 4th bit to fit inside.
I have the same tool, so I'll give this a try when I get home.

 

[cutlerylover]

oh, ok, Ill have to take a look at it then, I didnt realize that center divider could come out...Thanks!

 

[thesurefire]

Dump some knifes. Keep the leatherman, SAK and the fixed blade. Make sure the SAK has a saw (the one i have is good for branchs up to about 4 inchs)

Bloodnut beat me to it. Dump the perlican cases unless your going on a boat. Your right that its better to be over prepared, but in my mind a guy with a 30 pound bag of gear he refined over months is definitly more prepared then a guy with a truckload of junk he threw in at the last minute. This is to say more stuff does not equal more prepared.

For food i suggest power bars and some gorp. Depending on where your going, you might want to add powdered soup mix.

Add: Food, water, A thick book, a wool blanket, a nalgen, a bunch of cash the more the better, and water purification. Some trash bags cant hurt either. Looks good, keep thinking about it.

 

[BIGIRON]

I may have missed these, but a headlamp for sure. A compact mylar (space) blanket - good for lots of stuff besides keeping warm - ground cloth, sling or splint, signal, etc

If you have them or your doc will prescribe -- a few heavy hitter pain meds. My doc (an outdoor guy too) gives me samples sealed in the individual plastic packs. Also some antihistamines if you have any insect allergies.

 

[sween1911]

I think he's saying that you'll only be able to fit the 3 bits in the handle with the divider (in the center of the handle) still installed (as it is from the store).
But if you pull out the center divider, it will make room enough for the 4th bit to fit inside.
I have the same tool, so I'll give this a try when I get home.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

 

[cutlerylover]

Thanks guys for your imput!

 

[sween1911]

Mo problem!

 

[Lit Up]

Hit the local Wal-Mart if you're planning on a whistle. I've seen Fox 40 Classics being sold now in mine in the sports department. I think the packaging states 'Sportcraft" or something similar but you'll see that the whistle has Fox 40 Classic on it. Would've saved me some money on shipping had that started selling these last year.

 

[Valolammas]

Wow, that's a lot of gear you've got there!

As for the food, I'd recommend stocking up on raisins (ones that are dry on the surface, not the sticky & messy kind), peanuts and almonds. Besides raisins, you can add lots of other dried fruits, but raisins are cheapest and easiest to get. 1) They don't spoil easily if you keep them dry and reasonably cool. I think they'll remain edible for at least a couple of years, if need be. 2) Raisins contain a bunch of carbs and the nuts & almonds contain lots of protein and fats. You'd have to eat lots to get your stomach full, but they'll keep you going. 3) They do take up some room, but aren't all that heavy. 4) Not messy to eat. Also, you can just grab a handful, throw it in your mouth, and munch away on the go.

I'm not saying these are the only food you'll need, but I think it's a good start and/or backup.

Raisins and nuts are what I keep as emergency food in my bags. Not for the long haul, but sometimes one will find themselves getting cranky with low blood sugar or thigs like that, so it's good to have something edible along. Mostly I chose them because of reason #1, they keep well. No worries about finding a molten, messy, and spoiled chocolate bar in my bag or anything like that. (Besides, if I know I have a chocolate bar in my bag, I tend to eat it and then it won't be there when I need it.)