So I'm putting together a bug out bag, anyone else keep one? Any suggestions as to things that the typical lists floating around the net miss? I've already got some water resistant matches, a magnesium fire starter, a first aid kit, space blanket, spare socks and boxers, water purification tablets, a decent work knife, and a canteen.
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I need to make myself one of these, mainly just because I'm paranoid that someone's going to burn the building I'm living in to the ground and I'll need a bag full of stuff at hand so I can leg it without losing anything valuable.
I need to buy a good bag for a BoB. Was thinking MOLLE as I have the option to clip things to it which may come in handy. Just a case of expendible income. I'm a naturally paranoid person (not around others, just about the world as a whole) and so always imagine a SHTF situation wherever I am.
Basically, you need to think of the scenarios where you will be using the bag. Generally a BOB is constructed with the following goals in mind:
- Leave home and get to a safe "haven" where you will try to carve a long term living out of.
- Get home from the middle of nowhere.
- Abandon civilization entirely and attempt to survive living off the land.
Regardless of the scenario, you're not going to be able to pack absurd amounts of food or water on you. It's going to run out. In most short term survival cases, you can get away with having 72 hours worth of meals all ready to go. You can stretch this out over a week and be fine. In long term cases, your equipment is there to give you a head start. It provides you a buffer period to set up systems from which you can become self sufficient and get your own food naturally. Lots of people pack power bars, MREs, all the classical "survivalist" commercial items.
That's great, but you don't necessarily need that. I pack honey, peanut butter, hard tack, dehydrated fruit, and biltong in any of my survival packs. This is because it's cheap and I can put it in the pack and forget about it. Lots of protein, carbs, and calories too. My philosophy is that I can almost always use my surroundings for plant life or meat if I'm lucky and stretch my personal supply out. After that, I better have ways to harvest a lot more food or I'm in deep shit in the wild.
What I'm getting at here is that your food and really everything else in your BOB should be kept with the train of thought that it's a finite supply. Pack things that will help you help yourself later on, don't expect to be able to get out of the situation relying only on your supplies and never bothering with your surroundings. This applies to water too because the water is going to run out but most of us live somewhere it's available, it just needs purifying. If you have room, might as well include a filter system on top of the purification tablets. Be able to get as much potable water as possible from your supplies before you have to start doing it using primitive methods.
Another big point with this is that if you're the guy who wants to run out into the wild by yourself or with a group and try to weather the storm, these things will save time you're going to need to build a shelter, fire place, gather firewood, locate resources, set a few traps, etc.
Think of your BOB as a bag of tools to apply to nature, not something you need in order to keep it at distance. Carry items which you know for a fact you can combine with natural resources to produce something useful. This can apply to an urban environment as well, as the huge amounts of trash in such a place will provide countless valuable items.
Maybe I should have a yard sale or something one of these days. :rolleyes:
I've been told, and seen, many good reviews with bags that have a "stabilising" part on the back, so as to keep it well balanced and rigid. I just get lost looking at different bags. Might ask for one for xmas instead of tattoo money as I've yet to design my "Read * Know * Do" tattoo (yep, Parents were offering money for that).
A few that tickle my pickle
Patrol MOLLE US Army Assault Pack Tactical Rucksack Backpack Bag 50L Black
Daiwa Infinity Rucksack - 50L - Fishing Carp Bag - IR50
The "Three day pass"
If you can find one for the right price, Northface makes a great product for the price. It's a little more spendy but it's not absurdly so like a lot of "gadget survivors" seem to enjoy (Kifaru). If you find one in the £80 range with the color and size you like, jump on it. They usually have internal frames and are tough as nails.
Personally, I've ended up downgrading to a self-modified ALICE clone with external frame. Given a conservative loadout under 30 pounds (hell I try to keep it below 20 actually), it rides great and it's a dog. I'm not afraid to abuse the living shit out of it. It's more than good enough for me, I don't need anything more. Everything is straps and buckles, no bullshit to break or tear. I don't know what an actual ALICE runs for these days but last I remember they were in the 60USD range around 2001. The frame allows for some nifty modular options as does the old ALICE clip system. It's an outdated system though and a lot of people won't like the seeming crudeness of it.
Difficult to say more on the matter, a lot of it all depends on what you're packing, how you like things to be organized, how large you are, and what you can do without. It's worth noting that I have what I think I'd need in order to buy time to build a new home basically and live indefinitely if need be. The "three day pass" would probably work for other situations with a big chunk of plastic to make a dry shelter and just what you need to get home ok. While a frame helps, for as light as the pack will likely be it shouldn't matter. Frames are nice when you get heavier though.