Bug-out Bag on a Budget

reply to post by RufusDriftwood


Key here was budget. As for durability of a sheet, pretty good actually and unlike a normal hammock, you can wrap it up around you like a pea pod if you desire or have need (bugs bothering you at night).

I will say one thing about a hammock, nothing is quite as startling as a squirrel running down the rope to see where it goes in the morning as I was waking up. The squirrel was not amused after it was over either, but we both got over it.

So I always have to think in terms of 3's myself , my wife and daughter

if and when we travel far from home I carry my Camelback Mule (not cheap right but I have had it for years)

I carry one the following items in the pack
1- 5X7 tarp for ground cloth $9
3- emergency blankets cause well they are tiny $1.99 each
100 ft paracord $5.00
55 feet waxed 9 ply twine ( rolled around 2 fingers into a bundle) about a $1
50 small bleach tablets (good for 50 quarts water) $5.00
1 Mora Classic #1 swedish knife Wroks fantastic and are cheap less than $15 check ebay) $12.00
1-3 liter water bladder (came with the pack )
3-heavy lawn trash bags (so many uses) about $.50 each
3 2 gallon zip lock (again so many uses) about $1 each
1- 50ft spool of spiderwire kevlar fishing line ( for repairing equipment) about $2
2-heavy duty sweing needles duct taped to my fishing line
12 packs of peanut butter crackers small tidy and lots of energy in one of them about $2
1- magnesium fire steel , $5.99
1 bic lighter $1.50
1- small sharpening stone 4"
1- pair extra glasses (already had them old pair so cost is free)
1-pari prescription sunglasses again had them for about 7 years so free

So the greater majority of this is less than $50 bucks just have to be creative and everything needs to have more than one use all this fits in a small pack and would allow me to keep us as comfortable as possible and is no worry to carry anywhere for the most part as in no firearm hassles

My long term bug out supply has far more
at least 6 months of food and water (probably a year at this point
Grains, for breads and such, Seeds for planting
you get the jist

I believe you have to focus on quality (not just name brand) and multiple uses for a bag at the ready
for the long term preparation is far different

Originally posted by wisefoolishness
reply to post by rebeldog

 

I wouldn't doubt it entirely. People jacked up on drugs like LCD or PCP have been know to take multiple gun shots and still keep on chugging.

noted. I throw some pcp in my bob for extra measure. those zombies wont know what to do when I just keep coming at them.

This is totally off topic, but I can't believe I put LCD instead of '___'. What a moron.

For a gun I have my trusty SKS packed and ready, it's a fairly cheap gun that can be bought from most gun shops for around 150, has a common round of 7.62x39 and has good stopping power. I also have a Remington model 700 ADL chambered in .308, but that's a much higher priced gun (starts around 450) but it will definately reach out and touch something. I used to competition shoot at 1000 meters with it.

I don't adhere too much in the use of hand guns, I would much rather be at a good distance when I start shooting something that could either eat me or shoot back. The SKS is viable to 300 meters and still retains much of it's accuracy.

I would also suggest "The SAS Survival Guide", you can get it from Amazon for around 15 bucks and it is very educational on makeshift shelter building, edible plants and marine life, first aide, trapping and almost all other survival material.

I have a medium ALICE pack that is stocked with my supplies which include the following items. 500' of Paracord, 2 Sunlight SL4 dive lights that are waterproof to 250', Potassium Iodide tablets just in case of minimal contact with radiation,a 75 count assortment of fish hooks, spool of 20# test braided fishing line (not monofilament), a C.C. Radio hand crank radio w/ weather band, wet stone, a torch striker w/ additional flints for fire starting, magnifying glass for fire starting (remember burning those ants as a kid?!) 50' of single strand telephone wire(perfect for making snares), Box of 50 ER EMERGENCY READY Water Purification Tablets, 3 pairs of socks(jungle foot is bad news), 3 pairs of underwaer(jungle crack is even worse!), 3 space blankets, Iodized salt container(you lose a lot in sweat), a 1 gallon ziplock bag of compressed dryer lint(best tinder in the world), 2 azimuth compasses, map of the U.S.(laminated), Flint Knapping kit consisting of 2 antler tips and 2 round river stones and patch of thick leather, and an assortment of MRE's for emergency use, 3 plasitic G.I. canteens, and plenty of spare ziplock zipper bags to keep things dry.

I also have a large Marine Grade first aide kit that I have added scalpels, suture and needles, diabetic needles(who knows what you may need them for) iodine, hydrogen peroxide, and alchohal to.

This is a rather large kit and I admit that I wouldn't enjoy hicking a long distance with it, but survival is about needs not desires. I also have a pre-arranged plan that my family is aware of and once I get to the predetermined spot hopefully I won't have to be hiking too much.

The reason I stressed not to use monofilament fishing line is that the braided line does not stretch and can therefore be braided with 2 other strands to make a line for a bow that will handle a 60# draw if needed which is more than enough draw to stop larger game, or a person. Also braided line is not destroyed nearly as fast by UV light so it will last much longer.

I have my dad's Marine Corps issue K-Bar and 2 Smith & Wesson folding knives as well as a Jungle Machete. I have other supplies such as tarps and some hand tools that I keep in a duffle bag in my garage that can be thrown in my Jeep along with my ALICE pack in a moments notice but my main concern is my ALICE pack and my 2 choosen firearms in a pure survival scenario.

I know my kit is not really low budget but I have been preparing for a fall out for 20 years. You can pick up an ALICE pack at a Army/Navy store for about 50 bucks an I suggest not getting one with a frame, the frames are rough on your back. The C.C. Radio was around 100 bucks, but excluding it most of what I have in my pack can be purchased for less than 75 bucks except for the dive lights, I had those from my dive gear but any flashlight will work.

As previous posters have stated, the most important item you can have is the will to live some common sense and not panic. Humans are animals by nature and we are much more suited to living in the wild than most people think. Afterall we lived of the land and outdoors for thousands of years, even tens of thousands. We have just lost our connection with nature in the last 100 years or so. The SAS Survival Guide is truly a great resource though and would be at the top of my list of recommendations for anyone who has not had any formal survival training.