Why I Don't Have a Bug Out Bag

Every few months or so I think about setting up a nice bug out bag. But after some consideration, I always decide to put it off for another time. I think my biggest hurdle is putting together a lot of nice gear, never to be used (knock on wood). I know that's the point, but also the reason why I never complete my bag.

I guess there are two ways to approach this:

1. Select cheap, unused, or my least-favorite gear (by "cheap" I mean still functional and reliable, but at the low end of my gear in terms of quality)
2. Bite the bullet and tie up some good money in a bag that will probably never be used

I guess something is better than nothing, so either way I need to get going on this.

Has anyone else found themselves in the same dilemma?

LOL

Everyone.

The way to look at it is more like insurance.

If the S WERE to hit the fan, what do you want to bet your LIFE and your family's ON?

Did you want to use the el cheapo's for everyday/non-mission critical tasks, and make sure the equipment that you will be counting on to save your life is the good stuff, or, did you want to use the good stuff everyday, and have crap to count on to save your family?

OR

Do you want good stuff for every day, because it works better, AND good stuff for the BOB, because THAT stuff is what you count on to not die, etc?

So, Good Stuff, in the BOB, might save your family's life, etc...and crap might mean they die....how much more is that worth to you?




Do you buy used parachutes at estate sales?

How about put together a hiking/bushcraft bag and use it? The same gear I take on a hike is the gear I will want if I ever have to bug out. It is always in my car ready to "hike" and get used often on when I am out playing in the woods. The food in the bag gets eaten and replaced on a regular basis. The gear gets used often, so I know it works, and how it works.

IMHO there are going to be people in trouble who they open a bug out bag for the first time when they need it. Experience with the gear is required if you want to survive with it.

TEEJ said:

So, Good Stuff, in the BOB, might save your family's life, etc...and crap might mean they die....how much more is that worth to you?

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Yeah I know, I was expecting this response. It only makes sense

MartinDWhite said:

How about put together a hiking/bushcraft bag and use it? The same gear I take on a hike is the gear I will want if I ever have to bug out. It is always in my car ready to "hike" and get used often on when I am out playing in the woods. The food in the bag gets eaten and replaced on a regular basis. The gear gets used often, so I know it works, and how it works.

IMHO there are going to be people in trouble who they open a bug out bag for the first time when they need it. Experience with the gear is required if you want to survive with it.

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The worry I have is if I use the gear, I will eventually take something out and forget to replace it. I go backpacking a lot and have everything organized into plastic totes (water, shelter, cordage, accessories, etc) and only takes me about 10 minutes to pack. I can throw it together quicker if pressed. Not that this is ideal, but just saying I COULD. So there's no issue of knowing how to use the gear, just tying it up and never using it.

I like the idea about eating and replacing food. I guess the best BOB is dynamic, being updated occasionally instead of collecting dust.

MartinDWhite said:

IMHO there are going to be people in trouble who they open a bug out bag for the first time when they need it. Experience with the gear is required if you want to survive with it.

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Very well said.

I think there's a way to strike a happy medium between dropping a ton of cash, and cheaping out on stuff that may not work for you when you need it.
I would have a high quality multitool (Leatherman Wingman for me) and a good flashlight with either a backup, or a headlamp (C2 with M61L 219 and E1B for me).

You'll want writing instruments (I have a space pen which was like $10 online) as well as something to take notes on ($15 for a two pack of Rite in the Rain notebooks).

The rest is pretty easy - various bandages, bandaids, OTC meds (aspirin, immodium, sudafed to name a few), water purification tablets are all cheap. I also carry $100 in bills ranging from singles to tens, and keep it in a sandwich bag to keep it dry. Also have an extra pair of good socks (smartwool) in case you are stranded on foot, and I keep a broken in pair of hiking shoes in my car as well. Keeping a light rain jacket is good insurance and can usually be had for under $25.

There's really not a lot to putting together a basic bag. Just think about the basics you may truly need in life's day to day emergencies. Don't try to plan for the zombie apocolypse :thumbsup:

edited to add: I forgot I also keep a box of 8 Clif bars in the bag as well.

cland72 said:

There's really not a lot to putting together a basic bag. Just think about the basics you may truly need in life's day to day emergencies. Don't try to plan for the zombie apocolypse :thumbsup:

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Based on the zombie thing does happening, a bug out bag should only include items that you envision will get used for a YEAR or more. What in your bag do you imaging (in a zombie type break down) will you still be using in a year after the event? two years? What gear can you true say you can survive with for a year or more.

Good knife and a way to sharpen
Bottle that can boil and carry water
Reliable way to start fire over and over without running out of expendable (fuel, flint, striker, rod)

Everything else needed is knowledge. What's in your mind is more important than what's in your pack.

In my mind the zombie bug out bag is way smaller than the lost in the woods hiking bag where rescue is plausible.

markr6 said:

I think my biggest hurdle is putting together a lot of nice gear, never to be used (knock on wood).

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The world doesn't have to end for you to need a Bugout Bag.

I was staying at a friend's apartment and the building caught on fire while I was showering. Guess who was happy he always keeps everything he needs in a backpack, ready to go for "just in case"? I got dressed in the parking lot and went about my business.

You don't have to go stupid crazy and load up for an alien invasion end of the world fantasy scenario. Skip all the bullets and solar panels and other nonsense and keep things you're actually likely to need, like water, first aid supplies, and a complete change of clothes.

You could buy a $20 duffle bag and load it up with stuff you already have and be better prepared than most lolpreppers who don't even know what to do with all of the expensive gear that they buy and take pictures of for the internet.

MartinDWhite said:

In my mind the zombie bug out bag is way smaller than the lost in the woods hiking bag where rescue is plausible.

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I agree. Lots of guys put together 40 pound bags with everything they think they would need if they were to "head for the hills". In reality, the chance of needing such a thing is close to zero. Even in a Katrina or Sandy situation, you just need to get somewhere better. You may never be able to return home, but the likelyhood of you living in the woods, out of your tent, for months on end just isn't realistic.

I used to have a HUGE bag that I carried around, and it weighed a ton. I streamlined a couple years back, and now only carry what I need to get back home, or possibly survive for a couple of days away.

MatthewSB said:

The world doesn't have to end for you to need a Bugout Bag.

I was staying at a friend's apartment and the building caught on fire while I was showering. Guess who was happy he always keeps everything he needs in a backpack, ready to go for "just in case"? I got dressed in the parking lot and went about my business.

You don't have to go stupid crazy and load up for an alien invasion end of the world fantasy scenario. Skip all the bullets and solar panels and other nonsense and keep things you're actually likely to need, like water, first aid supplies, and a complete change of clothes.

You could buy a $20 duffle bag and load it up with stuff you already have and be better prepared than most lolpreppers who don't even know what to do with all of the expensive gear that they buy and take pictures of for the internet.

Click to expand...

Excellent point. I keep a 5.11 patrol bag in the back of my Jeep with basic stuff for a car breakdown (set of clothes, gloves, hat, tools, headlamp, Clif bars, etc) and some of those items came in handy on several occasions (but not a breakdown). I also have a jumbo pocket organizer loaded with the usual first aid, water purification, lighter, torch, etc. I should probably do some consolidating now that I think of it.

Excellent points.



I pointed out to one buddy that his BOB was too big to carry, and, he'd need to leave some things out.

He was freaking about not having a stove or whatever, and I pointed out that in an emergency....if he could not CARRY it away from the danger, etc...it was not going to matter what was in it.

If you have a rig large enough to spare the room for it, sure, you can have more stuff, etc...and then hope the rig is AVAILABLE when needed.


The changes of clothes were a great example...people run out of burning buildings in their jammies, etc...and watch everything either be burned to the ground, or ruined by the water used to put it all out, etc.

If its winter, they are COLD. If its raining, they are WET, and so forth.

WHAT do you need to get to work the next day assuming the world didn't end, etc...? THAT should be in the bag too.



If its my group, we might be able to help you out temporarily with a hotel, spare clothes/blankets, toiletries, food and beverages, etc. If you're not met by emergency/aid workers, well, you are wet/cold, hungry, etc. If you wear a suit to work, and now don't own one...did you at least escape with a CC to buy some new stuff real fast?

Heck, a lot of my counseling to these poor victims is to tell them to get renters insurance (Owners typically have insurance at least...renters almost never seem to). The renters insurance covers condos and apartments, rented homes, etc....and is a LOT cheaper than homeowners insurance....as its just covering the STUFF, not the structure.

If cost is an issue, start small and build from there. If you can't afford a water filter, get some Micropur or Iodine tablets. If you can't afford a stove, they make a nearly disposable Esbit tablet stove that weighs practically nothing for a few bucks. If you can't afford a good flashlight, start with a couple cheap coin cell lights. There is no excuse for not starting a pack. It doesn't cost a lot to start out. Costs are actually coming down on some of the more expensive items. If you can't afford that nearly $400 Katadyn Pocket water filter, a Sawyer Squeeze (or all in one) filter will work instead ($30 at Walmart for the Squeeze filter). If you want individual filters for family and weight is a concern, get the 2 oz. Lifestraws for $20 each. Can't afford an expensive tent? Start with a $5 tarp. Once you build up your kit with decent gear, some of the gear you bought first becomes your backup gear. Try not to rely on one tier of gear to save your life (but having something is better than having nothing).

When you reach the point of investing in decent gear there are some things you don't want to go super cheap on.
1: Water filtration: Get a Squeeze filter or lifestraw at least. The life of these filters is very long for their size, weight, and cost. Anything cheaper than a lifestraw is not an EPA approved filter even if it says it's a filter. Filter life will also be reduced to 25 or 50 gallons versus the 264 gallons of a lifestraw.
2:Knife: Dull or unsafe knives are not worth the money paid for them. Invest in a good Swiss Army Knife or Leatherman, preferably with a locking blade. I like the Victorinox One Hand Trekker and the Leatherman Blast and Core. If you want a fixed blade, start out with a cheap Mora Knife ($10)
3: Poncho: Get one made of Silicon Impregnated Nylon with tieouts on the side. If you get the right one, you can use it as a pack and rain cover, a groundsheet, a shelter, and sometimes a bivy sack. These ponchos never have to be retreated to make them waterproof again. Example: Integral Designs Silponcho.
4: Firestarter: Lighters fail at high altitudes and in cold. Matches are ruined when wet. You can have these in your kit for convenience, but always have a decent backup that is durable enough to last you at least a year. This means having a decent firesteel at least 3/8 of an inch thick and a decent scraper so you don't wear out your knife. I like the Firesteel.com Gobspark Armageddon, Armageddon, SHTF, and Bunker Firesteels (All of these work better and weigh less than the Ultimate Survival Strikefore firesteel in the stores). Also, get an equal or larger sized rod or bar of soft magnesium to help start a fire.
5: Headlight: You'll need your hands free in an emergency. While you can add flashlights to your kit, don't leave out a headlight. Get a decent one that is waterproof, multilevel, bright, and efficient. Make sure it's light enough to not need a rear or remote battery pack. These heavier headlights have more areas prone to water getting in and tend to suck up power quicker having higher brightness settings. You can have a bright enough headlight that takes 3AAAs or 2AAs. Examples: Princeton Tec EOS and Quad, Fenix HL30. If you plan to use alkaline batteries, keep them separate from the lights until you need to use them (don't put batteries in the headlights). It sucks being in an emergency and finding out that the batteries leaked inside your only light.
6: Water container: I suggest getting a couple 1 liter Nalgene type bottles. The advantage of these bottles is that they don't easily break or leak and you can put boiling water in them. In an emergency, you can boil water and put it in the bottle. Then put the bottle between your layers of clothing or in your sleeping bag to keep you warm.

I'm beginning to think my best bug out bag would just to leave my backpacking gear packed all year long! I might as well after spending thousands of dollars on the smallest, lightest gear...no need to reinvent the wheel! But I go ultralight, so I would add in some sturdier equipment (heavier multitool, knife, etc)

my excuse of not having one is same as everyone one elses.. basically not enough money to buy duplicates of the items i use and like in my "planned" excursions and tasks. i would like to have familiar tools and items in there "at ready" as their own.. separate of normal gear. i basically only hope to survive first few days fine.. and after that things either start to resolve on their own as things get better and you start to get a grip where its safe to go and how to get there. and plan accordingly. or.. if its a "big problem happening" then the survivavors simply needs to start to scavenge and go looting for needed things from the ruins. either from own home if possible or from where ever you have escaped to. if everyone runs away or perish fast, and you are still hanging tough.. the others would of left alot of useful stuff behind for you to use. as it is simple, those that are atleast mentally more ready and prepared to such disaster beeing possible, and have either planned ahead or had some mental preplanning training (what are my escape routes, where is closest safe place/friends house in each direction and of different distances, where are places i can find food or camping gear if my own are gone, basic things) those people are more likely to be able to actually survive. be it short term disaster or longer thing. be prepared, think ahead, be ready to adapt. ....i know i can pack my basic 2 day bug out bag in less than 5minutes if im at home just by ramming things into some big duffel bag of trashbag.. and then just sort it out better somewhere safer when i have the time. i know if i get to my car, i can survive for a week or more as i do have some things there always ready to go. but to survive longer or move further away for longer time like few weeks (or forever) then like everyone else.. i need some more time to pack all needed things.. i would imagine less than 30minutes for few weeks and maybe double that for longer time. if its "end of the world as we know it".. hmm.. then just pack weapons and few days of survival things and become collector and looter of discarded items and hope you are one of the lucky ones to live it thru.

I can't see having a bug out bag given my situation. The things likely to make it necessary to leave the area I'll know about well in advance. In this part of the country it would mainly be weather events like a hurricane. I'm not even in the storm surge zone of a category 5 hurricane though so that's unlikely. Most likely, in any scenario I can envision I might be without power for a few days or more. That's easy enough to prepare for. I don't worry about end of civilization scenarios. For one thing, I'm not carrying much on foot or by bike. And I'm not getting that far using those modes, either. Chances are good in a SHTF scenario car travel wouldn't be all that useful, either. The roads might be jammed. For sure, gasoline would be in very short supply. Basically, you'll be able to go until your tank is empty. Besides, I'm not sure I would even want to be alive in a post-apocalypse scenario. The remainder of my life would be spent trying to scratch out an existence on the remaining scraps of civilization while fighting off those trying to take what little I have. Not a good way to live.

markr6 said:

I like the idea about eating and replacing food. I guess the best BOB is dynamic, being updated occasionally instead of collecting dust.

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Exactly... a static configuration would be costly and other than insurance would be of little benefit, in contrast a configuration whereby you cycle items in/out and use for EDC would allow you to familiarize yourself with their features/design and use on a daily basis although this will lead to having more than one of a particular item light/mulitool/knife.

Cycling contents also ensure the items not only work but are in working condition and in the case of perishables not out of code

I actually have 2 bug out bags. One doubles as my hiking bag. To be honest, the only things I haven't used is my first aid kid, LifeStraw, and snake bite kit.

Buy you a bag. Fill it up with everything you could possibly use in an emergency. You'll be surprised at how often you use the stuff. If and when the unthinkable happens you won't be kicking yourself for being lazy

I think the right approach is a balanced one.

Assuming, like me, you are not a regular camper/hiker/bushcrafter, then you won't have a regular use bag.

Before I move on, this is actually a really important point on its own. I know that as I don't regularly practice bushcraft/survival techniques I am not well prepared. This is a risk I choose to take (otherwise I would practice) based on our established society and that if it is a local rather than global disaster, help will come. What is important is having some knowledge and a lot of common sense and DON'T PANIC.

My approach to the BOB is about to be reviewed. I have filled it with unused second rate items as the good ones I don't want to 'store' this way.

One thing that you need to consider it how much money is worth spending, even if you need to rely on the contents. You can get very good quality tools and other contents for not that much. The law of diminishing returns is ever present, so you pick the point you are happy with (based on your budget).

Yet another consideration is the location of this critical bag. Will it be where you can get it, and will it be safe? Do you want a bag sitting by the front door all the time, do you want to put a bag with a lot of value in your car (which might be broken into)? One of my concerns is that at the instruction of SWMBO, the bag cannot be sitting in full view, so it is in a wardrobe, but what if I can't get into that room? Do I have another BOB?

Well actually I do have effectively multiple BOBs. My car is a BOB as in every compartment, pocket, etc there are items that would make up a BOB. This is my standard car preparation. Then my EDC which goes with me to work, or on general outings, and finally this collection of other items in the BOB in a wardrobe.

Baring fire in the building you are in, what else gives you no time to prepare a BOB? There are not that many likely situations. The reality is I would actually be able to put something together pretty quickly. If it were a fire, actually the most important things to grab are some clothes, wallet and maybe car keys. A fire is not a reason to have a survival BOB as this is not going to plunge you into a survival situation, there will be help.

Is it worth stressing about a BOB. For me it is not.

subwoofer said:

Baring fire in the building you are in, what else gives you no time to prepare a BOB? There are not that many likely situations. The reality is I would actually be able to put something together pretty quickly. If it were a fire, actually the most important things to grab are some clothes, wallet and maybe car keys. A fire is not a reason to have a survival BOB as this is not going to plunge you into a survival situation, there will be help.

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Those are my thoughts as well. Since I live in a detached private home where everything is under my control, the likelihood of a major fire is probably close to zero. In the event of a fire, the main things I might consider important are any cash I have laying around, house keys, some clothing, and backups of my data. If I had time I would take the entire PC. If not, at least I have all my important data on USB drives. Of course, I would also grab the cats. Chances are very good though a fire wouldn't spread fast enough that it would be an issue. I'm thinking worst case maybe one room would go before the fire department could put it out. We don't have rugs or anything else which is highly combustible. There's a good chance I could put out the fire myself with the garden hose.

So yes, other than a fire, most other scenarios give me hours or even days to prepare. Those that don't, like maybe a major terrorist event, I'm not going to worry about. The chances are so small I'd probably be better off investing the time dealing with minimizing the consequences of a lightning strike.

I think long term preparation is more important. If money were no object, I would build one or more sublevels under the basement, stock them with enough non-perishable food to last at least a few years, and also have some means of generating power, perhaps a permanently installed natural gas generator, or maybe even a radioisotope generator. Survival in place is much easier than heading for the hills with a bug out bag.

subwoofer said:

I think the right approach is a balanced one.

Assuming, like me, you are not a regular camper/hiker/bushcrafter, then you won't have a regular use bag.

Before I move on, this is actually a really important point on its own. I know that as I don't regularly practice bushcraft/survival techniques I am not well prepared. This is a risk I choose to take (otherwise I would practice) based on our established society and that if it is a local rather than global disaster, help will come. What is important is having some knowledge and a lot of common sense and DON'T PANIC.

My approach to the BOB is about to be reviewed. I have filled it with unused second rate items as the good ones I don't want to 'store' this way.

One thing that you need to consider it how much money is worth spending, even if you need to rely on the contents. You can get very good quality tools and other contents for not that much. The law of diminishing returns is ever present, so you pick the point you are happy with (based on your budget).

Yet another consideration is the location of this critical bag. Will it be where you can get it, and will it be safe? Do you want a bag sitting by the front door all the time, do you want to put a bag with a lot of value in your car (which might be broken into)? One of my concerns is that at the instruction of SWMBO, the bag cannot be sitting in full view, so it is in a wardrobe, but what if I can't get into that room? Do I have another BOB?

Well actually I do have effectively multiple BOBs. My car is a BOB as in every compartment, pocket, etc there are items that would make up a BOB. This is my standard car preparation. Then my EDC which goes with me to work, or on general outings, and finally this collection of other items in the BOB in a wardrobe.

Baring fire in the building you are in, what else gives you no time to prepare a BOB? There are not that many likely situations. The reality is I would actually be able to put something together pretty quickly. If it were a fire, actually the most important things to grab are some clothes, wallet and maybe car keys. A fire is not a reason to have a survival BOB as this is not going to plunge you into a survival situation, there will be help.

Is it worth stressing about a BOB. For me it is not.

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Well said subwoofer. In regards to leaving something in the car, that's a chance I probably won't take. But my "breakdown" bag, which is in no way a BOB, will stay...even though my Jeep just got cleaned out a few weeks ago. Well, not totally but I lost my GPS, Gerber hatchet, SC52w, and emergency cash ($10 max). Thankfully they left the "breakdown" bag, probably since it was too big. Other than some spare clothing and a blanket it still had some valuables like a multitool and headlamp.

cland72 said:

edited to add: I forgot I also keep a box of 8 Clif bars in the bag as well.

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tip from someone who used to buy crates of clifbars

they have a high percentage of mold BEFORE expiration. clif dries and hardens the bars on open racks pre-packaging

I have had 'too many to count' various batches of brand-new clif bars open them up and find mold
very bad choice for bug out/survival chow. after my umpteenth batch of 6-8 moldy ones in a row,
I stopped throwing my money away (I bought tons for mtb racing and a bike team)