One of the most talked about concepts in prepping circles is the idea of having a BOB, or bug out bag. There’s a good reason for this.
A bug out bag is simply a backpack of survival items that is designed to keep you alive for at least a three day or 72 hour period while you evacuate to a safer location in the middle of a disaster scenario that forces you to evacuate.
Your bug out bag should be pre-packed and ready to go so that you can grab it on a moment’s notice.
If you haven’t started emergency packing your bug out bag yet…you need to do so now. After all, you never truly know when a disaster could strike that would force you to need to bug out.
Here are the most important items to make sure your bug out bag is well-stocked and ready to go at all times:
Wilderness Long-Term Survival Guide
Wilderness Long-Term Survival Guide is the first handbook ever that helps people NOT just to survive in the wild, BUT to LIVE there!
You can use it to turn the wild into your second home and become self-reliant in nature long term.
With this guide, you can make the wild your bug-out location that will keep you safe even in the worst of times.
If a major crisis hits and you need to head for the woods, with the knowledge in this book you can rebuild everything from scratch, just like our ancestors who chose a piece of land in the middle of nowhere and restarted their lives.
Shelter
Shelter items are designed to provide you with protection from the elements:
Tent or Tarp
Go with compact and lightweight shelter options that can provide adequate protection from the elements. A lightweight tent or tarp would work best.
Emergency Blanket
Reflective or thermal blankets can retain body heat and offer insulation.
Sleeping Bag
As an addition or alternative to an emergency blanket, you could also go with a lightweight sleeping bag for warmth during nights.
Ground Tarp or Sleeping Pad
A ground tarp or pad would add more bulk and weight to your pack, while providing insulation from the ground, enhancing comfort and warmth.
Cordage
Go with durable paracord or lightweight rope for setting up makeshift shelters.
Mosquito Net
Depending on the region you live in, a mosquito net can offer you protection from insects.
Weather-Appropriate Clothing
Include a good coat or jacket, along with extra sets of shirts, pants, socks, and gloves.
Fire Starting Items
Fire starting items are designed to provide you with warmth, light, and the ability to cook food or boil water:
Firestarter Sticks
Fire starter sticks are compact and reliable fire-starting tools that ignite easily. They normally come in packs of ten to fifteen sticks.
Waterproof Matches
Weather-resistant matches are designed to light fires in damp conditions.
Related: How to Make Waterproof Matches at Home in 5 Minutes
Windproof Lighter
Go with a durable lighter that remains effective even in windy conditions. Standard Bic lighters can work too, however.
Ferrocerium Rod
Also known as a ferro rod, this is a versatile and long-lasting fire starter, capable of producing sparks when struck.
Magnesium Flint Striker
As an alternative or addition to the ferro rod, you could also go with a magnesium flint striker, which is a lightweight and compact tool that shaves magnesium for ignition.
Water
The ability to store and purify water from the items in your bug out bag is crucial:
Water Bottle or Canteen
Any lightweight and durable container for carrying and storing water would work. Make sure it is large enough to carry enough water to last you for three days.
⇒ The Awesome DIY Device That Extracts Water Out of Thin Air
Water Purification Tablets
These are compact tablets designed for emergency water treatment by killing bacteria and viruses.
Water Filter
Go with a handheld water filter that will allow you to drink directly from the source.
Collapsible Water Container
A collapsible for foldable containers will prove efficient for storing larger quantities of water when needed.
Stainless Steel Cup
It’s important to carry a stainless steel cup with you so you can boil water and cook food.
Food and Cooking
Having the ability to prepare food is just as important as having the ability to purify water:
Aluminum Foil
Besides using aluminum foil to cook food and boil water, you can also use it as a reflective surface for cooking.
Non-Perishable Food Items
Go with lightweight, high-calorie foods such as energy bars, trail mix, and canned goods that can help serve as snacks while you’re on the go.
Instant, Dehydrated Meals
These are more substantial meals. They’re lightweight and easy-to-prepare, requiring minimal water.
Compact Portable Stove
A stove enables cooking in the field using fuel canisters or alternative heat sources. Remember to include compact containers of fuel for portable stoves.
Multi-Tool Utensils
Look for a Swiss Army-style tool that come with a fork, knife, and spoon
Emergency Fishing Kit
Lightweight fishing gear can help you supplement food supplies with a fresh catch.
Can Opener
A compact, manual can opener will be a lifesaver for accessing canned goods.
Personal Hygiene Items
Personal hygiene should not be overlooked when it comes to building a bug out bag:
Travel-Sized Toothpaste and Toothbrush
A travel-sized toothpaste and toothbrush will get the job done without adding too much weight to your pack.
Soap Bar
Go with a simple bar of soap in a Ziploc bag or small plastic container.
Hand Sanitizer
Besides disinfecting your hands, hand sanitizer can also be used to help get a fire going since it’s very flammable.
Additional Tools and Items
Last but not least, here are additional tools and items that you would be wise to include as well:
Knife
Go with a durable and sharp fixed blade knife with a full tang, meaning that the grip is wrapped around the lower part of the blade material.
Handsaw
Go with a folding hand saw. This will prove more efficient than a knife for cutting through wood.
Hatchet
A hatchet can be used for more heavy duty work than your knife can, such as for chopping through wood or ice. It can also be used as a defensive weapon as well.
Duct Tape
What can’t duct tape fix? Include a full roll that you can use to make repairs to your bug out bag, clothing, or to help you with building shelter.
Compass
Go with a quality compass, not one of the cheap ones that you can buy anywhere.
Having a well-prepared bug out bag at all times is crucial for anyone concerned about emergency situations that could involve sudden evacuations.
A bug out bag that is equipped with the above items is designed to provide you with the essential supplies and tools needed for a short-term evacuation or survival scenario.
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Great Article
most important < Plan , think through , be ready at an instant to go the distance
no stores, no supplies, no one you can count on , bug out light
Have a Plan , back up plan , and alternate plan must improvise
and you have to leave it all behind
Go in pairs or Groups of like minded thinking , around 100-200 pounds packs or 1 vehicle packed tightly or one trailer packed lite
loose lips will sink the ships and that will sink your plans
so choose wisely :as there will be many who cannot leave thier luxury behind
be willing to let go , leave , not takeanything with you .
Everything you cling to can be your undoing and those you run into in a society of no law , no order , no accountability to a living, True God who judges the intents of the heart
not what you say , but what you do like people cling together
Rule : anything you have is a potential trade or target for someone else
and when desparate people do things they would not normally do and think like the evil who lead out of greed and lust , not need
you will have to decide who , what you believe , Read the bible , see why God Destroyed the Earth by flood
Oh God we are all going to die, run for the hills!
Ultra left wing Kackula the socialist.
Kamala Harris is trying to run for President right now as “California’s Prosecutor” – but the ugly truth is she’s one of the biggest reasons why California is experiencing a dangerous CRIME WAVE!
In 2014, Kamala Harris was one of the leading champions of Prop 47 – which eliminated the ability of police and prosecutors to arrest and punish criminals in California for countless crimes. Harris even lied to voters by giving Prop 47 a false and misleading ballot title that suggested it was a “tough-on-crime” initiative!
The result has been a crime wave has hit California – with our communities across the state experiencing an unprecedented spike in both retail/property crimes as well as violent crimes ranging from assault, rape, and murder.
VP Harris supports these Islamist protests soon coming to a town near you.
In short, practice.
You should make sure you know how to use these items. A ferro rod won’t be of much use if you’ve never used one before the situation where that’s all you have.
Ditto using a compass.
One thing not mentioned is a way to measure distance. Some people will count steps and keep a bit of rope or string with knots tied in it, so they can see how far they’ve gone. Maybe not necessary if they are in a well-known route, but if they need to take an alternate path, knowing how far one’s travelled can be helpful.
Another item I’d add to the bag is a whetstone. If you do indeed need the items in your BOB for three days, there’s a chance some of the edges on your metal tools can get dull. Ideally, you’ll start with them all very sharp, but if you find yourself needing to use your hatchet WAY more than you thought you would, you’ll be glad to have a way to sharpen the blade.
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Excellent point about knife/tool sharpening, my kit is a dual sided sharpening “puck”, a file,victorinox pocket sharpener, a small stone (wazoo survival), and a ceramic tube. The ceramic tube is one from the old knob and tube wiring insulators, very good for a quick hone. The wazoo stone (necklace with small ferro rod) is around my neck when I’m outdoors. Include a military poncho, it is more than a rain cover, it is the best portable shelter. Planning for more than a couple of weeks? include a toe nail clipper, ingrown toe nails can take you out of action.
I love these articles. It gets the conservatives all riled up about nothing. It’s like watching a circus 🎪 act of clowns.
If you HAVE to bug out then probably most of the people in your town have to also. Fun time in the woods. BTW, Lisa. Stop stirring the pot. Your comments don’t help. This is a place where we’re all supposed to come together in community. Doesn’t matter which side of the political fence you’re on. If you’re a person of the prepared mind and have been getting ready for collapse and chaos then you have nothing to get “riled” up about. It’s late in the game and people that show up on websites like this should by now be ready for almost anything. The latest I’ve heard from Neil is that the UK is getting ready for a serious war in 2027. Whether that’s actually going to happen or not is anyone’s guess but they ARE ramping up their military. The drums of war are starting to beat louder, especially in NATO and the West and it seems that they want a hot war with Russia at any cost. Deluded fools. The lot of them. There are no real winners in a hot war with Russia. Hope to god it never comes to that.
Lisa is a VP Harris Islamic supporter, I saw Lisa at the Palestinian protest yesterday, she helped lite the American flag on fire.
Lisa , Trool , if you dont beleive this can or wont happen , then keep on the social dependence networks and go out with the woke , idiots , see how long you last
people fail for lack of planning, preperation
5 p,s of life
when you train people to trust , depend, follow the Gov. woke , Dei mentality , it is a matter of time and they will cover up your losssssss so you become a causualty of events and koas
I think that there are so many who just cannot deal with the thought of total koas or loss
they become numb or zombies when this happens and a causualty of the war zone.
I grew up with the Islamist culture, besides Mahdi has a cute beard that tickles me when he goes south of the border.
Open up the Texas border forever, want my people to be free in America.
Good grief is VP Harris an anchor baby for her illegal parents that came to America, is she qualified to be president?
Is she a black or Jamaican family member of past slave owners?
We don’t know her background any better than Obama/s background.
OK, reality beckons. What you actually need from my experience. #1, A way to collect and purify water. Water is heavy, carrying more than a half gallon is prohibitively heavy. You can go a week without food, about one or two days without water. Drink bad water and in a survival situation a case of dysentery will kill you. A two or three gallon metal pot will do the job. Strain, filter and boil anything going into your mouth. #2 A good sleeping bag, without sleep you will not have any stamina. Know how to make a bed that conforms to the environment. Never sleep on bare ground, winter is easier, no bugs. Hammocks are a good idea otherwise. #3 a big heavy knife. It works as a hatchet, with a heavy blow with a piece of wood. If you are traveling, you don’t need any thing else to shape wood. #4 Canvas Tarpaulin 10’X10′- shelter, hammock, and ground cloth all in one. #5 about 100′ of 550 cord and learn how to tie some knots. #6 a back pack with a frame you can carry for 8 to 10 hours. Never carry more than a 1/3 your weight- you will break. #7 good boots and plenty of socks- take care of your feet, mobility means survival. #8 A folding pocket knife- lock blades are best, doesn’t need to be expensive but you don’t want too cheep. #9.One change of clothes in a water proof bag or bags. Hypothermia will kill you, you need to get dry if you get wet. 60 degrees is low enough to induce hypothermia.#10 A cheep candle and some bic lighters. Easy beats skilled every day. Unless you are skilled enough to start a fire in the cold and wet, don’t try. Learn how to make a small functional fire. A fire you could hold in your hands is big enough. #11 dense rich food- think peanut butter and honey, raft rations or super rich stuff with lots of sugar and fat. Anything else is wasted weight.
I could travel 100 miles in 4 days cross country when I was in my 30s- I am near 70 now and I could do about 10 a day, which is more than most- be realistic, most of that gear in the article is nice to have- and will not help. What is in your head is more important than gear and most of that is from experience.
Daniel, I like your list and your approach better. Years ago I would do solo hikes up and over the continental divide here in Colorado, that will impress on you the need to be realistic about how much you can carry. And like you, I acknowledge that being in my 70s means I will carry even less and cover less ground. (I do include some duct tape and a little bit of wire in my bag even now).
Thank you for the advise
Here in the city, everybody had something going and they shared. My grandmother had a small back yard but made the most of it. She had two apple trees, a sour cherry tree, rhubarb, hops and an extensive herb garden . She also raised geese for their eggs, down, feathers, and the occasional festive roast. She managed to hit all the right notes in the kitchen with what she was able to produce in that small garden and nothing went to waste!
Sounds like both sets of my grandparents. They lived and survived during the first depression. Both had orchards of various fruits growing in their urban home backyards.
Canned “anything” fruit during the fall. Loved them and miss them to this day.
I guess I was a pretty good scout, back in the day. I always am prepared. I don’t let my gas tank get below a half a tank … even on the road. My SUV, has everything listed above, packed, 365 days a year. Water is a necessity if you are traveling even 2 miles out of town, living in the desert South West … so that is always a provision. My BOB is my SUV … and frankly being prepared is just common sense. We don’t have earthquakes, Hurricanes, volcanoes, Tornado’s, We rarely get flooding. An occasional dust storm. But in the world today, my preps are more based on hunkering down, keeping out of sight, out of mind … at 74 keeping myself protected, and fed … till the fan blades have spun themselves clean.
I’ve heard stories that Islamist are really good at making explosive devices……..maybe they can share how to blow up a deer or some other survival food when shtf . When the grid goes down the world will fall apart….look how close we came during the pandemic…..well some people did not survive…The U.S. took a big hit . The Democrats and their media friends darn near finished us off . Hopefully we can deprogram people with the truth….God should be on our side . Pack a picnic basket .and push back . They can bug out …..if they don’t like it .