The Art Of The Bug-Out Bag

This might be a duplicate post, as the article was written back in September, but there's some really good stuff in it (and in the comments, I might add). I had no idea they made collapsible, personal solar panels...

The bug-out-bag should not be a primary concern of the survivalist, but it should be somewhere on their list. First and foremost, those who wish to prepare for a collapse event or other disaster should focus on survival location (where will you be safest? At home, or at a retreat?), food storage (a year’s worth for each person in your family or group is really the bare minimum, though some retreatists have the skill to get by on less), water allocation (if the tap stops running, how will you maintain a water supply? Remember, the average person can die after three days without water), and self defense (how are you going to defend the supplies you have from those wandering looters who did not prepare? How many people do you know that you can actually count on to stand their ground when the situation grows truly frightening?) If you haven’t already addressed these important issues, having a BOB will do you no good.

On the other hand, there are those preppers who believe they are so safe in their survival location that they can’t be bothered with secondary retreats or even a bug-out-bag. This is equally foolish. As intuitive and as well researched as survivalists are, we still have no way of knowing what would really happen in the event of a total meltdown. Could your homestead be the future site of a refugee highway? Could your retreat and your independence be considered a threat by “authorities” intent on restoring their brand of order? Could a poorly maintained campfire on one side of your county set a forest fire that sweeps through to the other side, right through your home where you have staked all your survival hopes? There are an infinite number of reasons why you may one day have to leave your primary retreat location, possibly without warning. No one is invincible, and sometimes it’s better to walk away and live to fight another day. This is where the BOB comes in…

Full Article

Overall not a bad article. I do take issue with several ideas he presents and in order they are:

A folding shovel? No, I don;t dig it. Too heavy and not much use.
Solar panel - any place in the sun is visible from the air. Better off to carry extra batteries,
Video camera - Vital if you are a total narcissist, maybe others will care how you died IDK,

Rifle choices:
His argument is that you need a rifle that can shoot accurately at distances beyond 300 yards. Perhaps this is possible in the Midwest but most shots taken will be at ranges of less than 100 yards. If you are out in the open you are in the wrong place to begin with.
All the rifles he shows are uber pricey and require extensive time at the range to learn how to shoot well, Few people have the money, time or range access to accomplish this.

Springfield M1 as shown - you could carry 2 AK's for the same weight, the AK is the most reliable firearm on the market and it's cheap. Best overall Bug out rifle hands down IMO.

in the end the best survival tool is skills: Camouflage, Stalking, Trapping, foraging wild edible and medicinal plants, shelter building, working hides etc.

Aside from those items I agree with his choices and thoughts,
Thanks for a good article.

Here's the thread I did on my B.O.B. - www.abovetopsecret.com...

in the end the best survival tool is skills: Camouflage, Stalking, Trapping, foraging wild edible and medicinal plants, shelter building, working hides etc.

Yep...folks who know this ARE their bug out bag... Still, not a bad idea to have one though, as these skills take tools (like a knife)....

I liked the article. It provides a lot of useful ideas, and gets you thinking. I would still include a pistol on a leg holster with extra magazines or speedloaders, depending upon your preference. For personal protection at close quarters, I prefer the pistol. A pistol is easily accessible from a leg holster, and allows you to shoulder your rifle and keep your hands free while hiking.

reply to post by Gazrok

I agree with Gazrok...
Skills and a realy good knife, and anything else is just up from there....
Ultimately though I don't think a person should depend on something one can lose because where will you be with out it?
deer are easier to trap then hunt in winter anyway.
and I aint shooting people,,,,
we eat what we kill or we don't kill it round here.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


I agree about being in the open, however, you do need some method of power restoration. That said, you should worry about that at the location you are headed to with your BOB instead of while on the move. Like he said have a destination in mind, and in my opinion you should prepare it as much as possible. The shovel is useful for a number of reasons, and the rifle should be one you are comfortable with. Of course distance is a huge factor, so make sure the weight is managable for you. Another note that can't be emphasised enough, repair parts for your gun and complete familiarity with it are crucial.

The problem with most of the leave your home senarios; is that you will be exposed to the weather and the millions of other wandering homeless people and dogs! This is not something done with small children or older people. If you can stay put untill you exhaust your food and water possibilities. I don't know where everyone thinks they would go either. The mountains would be loaded with people who would kill all deer, bear, mountain lions, squirrels and rabbits rapidly. If you were lucky enough to have a one day advantage to certain disasters, being the the mountains might help with nuclear, volcanic, asteriod, and disease disasters. Then a good cave would be the spot to be. Wandering around just makes you a target. The people in Turkey " 30,0000 +" of them hid from ETs in an underground cave system they made. The one day advantage would put you down the highway before all the gas is gone and the highways are blocked with angry stranded motorists. Getting a good horse should be included with a BOB. Horses go where people and roads don't. Possibly the places to hide would be parking garages in the abandoned cars.

Personal bug out bag:

Reverse osmosis water filter
P-222 ( shoots like a 9mm but hits like a 45 )
Amo
Road side flairs
Waxed matches
Dental floss
1 box large ziplock freezer bags
fishing hooks
Buck knife
Leatherman
Butchers twine
Snare wire
#1 First aid kit
50 feet of 1/8 " nylon cord
2 x 6x12 black tarps
Crank flash light/radio combo
Small Bushnell binoculars
Small magnifying glass
1x24 energy bars box
Gatorade powder

This all fits in on back pack and is no maintenance aside from the energy bars.

So what's in your bug out bag ?


This could turn out to me a productive thread, let's share what we got and all can upgrade based on what info is available.

I like my bug out bag but I am absolutely sure that there must be something that I have not accounted for that could very well save my life and that of my family.

at home my BOB consists of
Hunting knife
Hatchet
Bic lighter (until i can get a magneseum striker)
canteen
2 packs of granola type bars

unfortunatly my college bage is just the last 3

I also have combat boots and several pocket knives
I would like to add to my supplies in both locations, but money is really a bit tight right now

Any B.O.B. is better than no B.O.B. and in my estimate should cost no more than $60.00 aside for any fire arm and amo.

I mean, it's easy to add to a BOB, I could add a gas mask but there are other ways of escaping a gas attack if you get out of the area quick enough. LOL

We all have our bug out bags here.
But we don't have the extra baggage like a shovel, camera, etc.

- changes of clothes for hot and cold, in waterproof bag
- 1st aid kits with nuke pills (bought the fall out pills separately)
- grooming (antibacterial soap, toothbrush, toothpaste) hairbrush/comb
- 5 days of food in emergency food bars.
- purified water packages and a canteen
- shelter halfs and rope (dark green)
- those silver emergency blankets for inside the sleeping bags.
- mosquito netting (green), hats (green), bug bite sticks
- candles in metal container and waterproof matches
- compasses that are pinned to the straps
- one small emergency radio with solar battery recharger.
- extra pair of sneakers tied to the back
- Sleeping bags tied to the back (subdued color)
- waterproof cami tarp big enough to hide under.
- waterproof rain ponchos (dark green)

- we each put one personal item in that we'd want with us. My daughter took a little statue of St. Joseph and packed it in her bag. My husband has a little pocketsized photoalbum (about 4x6 inches and an inch thick) that has our wedding pictures and pictures of our daughter, etc. I have a little book with calm spiritual readings. Same size as my husbands photo album.

- extra backpack with a pull stick and wheels with extra food bars.
- and then there are the extra bullets for our glocks and the glocks themselves
in holsters.

I'm not getting envolved with the runnway BOB's...I did that before ...


I have found its time to release a particular item though....
Clothing insect repellent.

"I am typing off the can here"

REPEL
permanone
permethrin aerosol spray
DO NOT USE ON SKIN this is a clothing treatment! for ticks and anything of insect in nature including small animals...
PS there is no smell..after the 1st use!

Now ...thats where I stop reading the can...
The directions say treat cloths NO closer than 2 weeks if using a washing machine...

Now I am a bit eccentric as most know, and i do not use man made soaps and detergants, on my "In the woods" clothing, I find if they get soiled leaving them hanging in the rain, or even scrubbing them on the fine smooth river gravel ...will and does do ..just fine.

Now thats outa the way...
I am still using the same can I bought in 2002....

I store my clothes after they dry, "out in the weather" wind sun and such...so they smell "local" then pack them away tight and neatly folded, air tight as possible...in my pack.

this stuff says 2 weeks for re-treating....I am on year 8 and it still works!
Flies will not even land on my tent, or my clothing, and if they do, they are trying hard to get off it!

hey anyways ...hope that helps someone, off to stir the corn mashins y'all....available at your local wally mart...too
www.repel.com...
LINKY....

i have a bugout minivan. its way easier to have everything you need ,and i keep it concealed away from where i live , but close enough to where it can be quickly utilized.

what you really need is an escape tunnel and an alarm system that allows you advanced warning, so you can quickly escape undetected.

i always considered booby trapping my house so if they ever did make siege on me i could blow the entire property, kill them all and they would think i went up in the explosion and the chase would end there

always things to consider

reply to post by aliengenes


The problem with vehicles is that in most bug out situations you won't be able to get anywhere using a vehicle. If it is just a storage place, or a planning spot great, but don't coun't on being able to bug out in that van. Also, need to mention my flashlights. Having flashlights and batteries in your BOB will probably turn out to be very usefull. If possible make it so the light from the flashlight is red, as red does less damage to your natural night vision and is harder to spot from distances. (having white as an option for signaling doesn't hurt though)

reply to post by NthOther


Why is this not trending in top topics?

Next few years will be interesting

Am 21, been ridiculed by doctors teachers police etc all me life

I know its coming, people can doubt me but I know its true

Shame I see so many families think they have it "all sorted" but wouldnt last a day in a survival situation.

Even bigger shame I know WHAT I need just can't even begin to afford it