What's in your Bug-Out Bag

[swingerofbirches]

I'm not really sure which forum this belongs in ... so I picked the firearms forum since the BOB topic seems more in line with a discussion you'd find in here then in the Sports forum. (mods ~ if you think this needs to be moved then feel free)


I've recently decided to put together a few BOBs, and so, as expected, in my research I've been overwhelmed with the options out there for survival knives and BOB appropriate firearms. Which prompted the creation of this thread ... so, what's in your bug-out bag?

I'm definitely interested in hearing the specifics of pack selection, water purification/filtration/transportation, shelter, fire sources, etc ... but would really like to hear which survival knives and small, highly portable and packable firearms you guys have chosen and why you chose them. The "why" is important so please be specific. Pics are always great too!

 

[Hot_Sauce]

Great topic. I just put togather a get home bag (GHB) will share the contents with you guys later as I have to leave of for work in a few minutes.

 

[cartisdm]

Funny you bring this up. On the drive home from a trip Sunday my fiancee mentioned that we should have some sort of prep bag. She's completely unknowledgable of the "prepper/survival/military" world so I was surprised she mentioned it. I told her I have been slowing gathering a BOB at the apartment for some time now:

• Compass
• Knife
• Ammo
• Nylon Roap
• Sewing Kit
• Poncho
• Granola Bars
• Leatherman
• Maps of North Carolina
• Flashlight

It's nothing major but just something I've been putting together on the side as I come across items. She loved the idea and now that I have the "all clear" from her I can start doing something a little more organized.

I don't have a Get-Home-Bag for either of our cars so that's really more of a priority right now :hammersma

 

[swingerofbirches]

Great topic. I just put togather a get home bag (GHB) will share the contents with you guys later as I have to leave of for work in a few minutes.

Looking forward to hearing about your BOB!

Funny you bring this up. On the drive home from a trip Sunday my fiancee mentioned that we should have some sort of prep bag. She's completely unknowledgable of the "prepper/survival/military" world so I was surprised she mentioned it. I told her I have been slowing gathering a BOB at the apartment for some time now:

• Compass
• Knife
• Ammo
• Nylon Roap
• Sewing Kit
• Poncho
• Granola Bars
• Leatherman
• Maps of North Carolina
• Flashlight

It's nothing major but just something I've been putting together on the side as I come across items. She loved the idea and now that I have the "all clear" from her I can start doing something a little more organized.

I don't have a Get-Home-Bag for either of our cars so that's really more of a priority right now :hammersma

Yay for good timing!
It's great that she's so into it!
I was actually surprised at how receptive my wife was when I posed the idea of getting some BOBs ready and being a bit more strategic about how we pack the spare pantry, etc ...



I'm still in the research/beginning stage of getting our BOBs together and I'm trying to be strategic and logical. Which is to say that I'm trying to build them to be as useful but realistic as possible.

With that said I'm thinking about getting this bag for the wife.
http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/Sitka-Gearslinger-2p926.htm

I think that the size and the sling setup are ideal for my wife given that she's small (5ft 1/2in tall ... that .5in is VERY important to her lol). I know that it's not really the size of a 72 hour pack but what good is a massive pack that she can't carry for any real distance, right?

 

[CigarSaint]

Having been through Katrina I'm always prepared. Most importantly you'll need to protect yourself and feed yourself.

A little story: After Katrina Hit (I live 45 minutes north of the city in a very safe area) we had no idea we'd be out of power so long. Generators are very important as they provide a power source i.e. keeps the freezer going. My only concern was someone coming in the middle of the night to steal my generator so I slept with my guns near by.

My point here is when people become desperate they'll take drastic measures to survive. I have my first child on the way and I can assure you one thing... good luck getting away from my house unscathed.









P.S. It doesn't hurt to have neighbor's on the same page.

 

[elderboy02]

Over on AR15.com, there is a vendor that posts in the classified section. I saw this link and you might be able to get some ideas from this: http://www.deltaoutdoorsman.com/scart/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=166

 

[CigarSaint]

I'm still in the research/beginning stage of getting our BOBs together and I'm trying to be strategic and logical. Which is to say that I'm trying to build them to be as useful but realistic as possible.

With that said I'm thinking about getting this bag for the wife.
http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/Sitka-Gearslinger-2p926.htm

I think that the size and the sling setup are ideal for my wife given that she's small (5ft 1/2in tall ... that .5in is VERY important to her lol). I know that it's not really the size of a 72 hour pack but what good is a massive pack that she can't carry for any real distance, right?

Thanks for the site!!!

 

[cartisdm]

Holy crap these bag are expensive. I realize if you're hiking a long way comfort is important, but $150-200 on a bag that isn't used often is tough to justify...

I've seen some really nice book bags that will hold 5 or 6 heavy school books with ease for way less :dunno:

 

[swingerofbirches]

Over on AR15.com, there is a vendor that posts in the classified section. I saw this link and you might be able to get some ideas from this: http://www.deltaoutdoorsman.com/scart/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=166

Sweet! Thanks for the link, Dan!

Holy crap these bag are expensive. I realize if you're hiking a long way comfort is important, but $150-200 on a bag that isn't used often is tough to justify...

I've seen some really nice book bags that will hold 5 or 6 heavy school books with ease for way less :dunno:

I hear ya ... I've seen them on Amazon for under $100 before ... i only posted the official link because it has the interactive photos of the bag and I thought they showed off the sling's versitility better then a static pic.
I like the compartmentalized nature of outdoorsman packs ... which is probably more due to my OCD then anything else. Obviously the #1 objective is to be as prepared as you can be. If that means zip-locks full of stuff in a regular backpack then that's great, imo.

 

[swingerofbirches]

Here's the Fox pack from the link that Dan posted above ... $58 for a compartmentalized outdoor pack is pretty dang hard to beat!

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Fox-Advanced-Hydro-Assault-Backpack/dp/B0051BMKJC"]Amazon.com: Fox Advanced Hydro Assault Pack Backpack Black: Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31LRVgV82dL.@@AMEPARAM@@31LRVgV82dL[/ame]

 

[bballbaby]

let's see here...my bug out bags. I've got 2 that go with me everywhere

One is a backpack. has socks and a clean shirt for me, the wife and the kid. a camp stove with backpack cookwear and extra white fuel (for cooking and boiling water if necessary). 3 mountain house meals. some candy. matches, 3 lighters, 2 flashlights. spare batteries. compass. first aid kit. 100 ft paracord. katadyn water filter. one large bowie knife. (not the best i know, working on a real replacement.) a couple boxes of .40 ball ammo, plenty of cash and a fair amount of silver.

THe other is a solid range bag that carries lots of ammo, nine ar15 mags, 8 spare mags for the two .40 cal pistols, 2 flashlights, spare batteries.

I'm looking to upgrade the first bag to one that will hold my ar15. Somehting like this

http://www.uscavalry.com/productinfo.aspx?productid=17223&tabid=548&catid=1734

 

[GoingPostal]

Great topic wish more people would prepare themselves have a lot less mayhem and loss of life if everyone was ready. BOB is very person/region specific so what is great for me out here is sunny CA may not work for someone who is in OH. Would recommend reading [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Practical-Disaster-Preparedness-Edition/dp/1463531109/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331657578&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family, 2nd Edition (9781463531102): Arthur T. Bradley: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51L8XIZTzdL.@@AMEPARAM@@51L8XIZTzdL[/ame] lot of good tips and ideas.

you wanted gear recommendations so here ya go.

Firearms: you have to go with a .22 pistol and rifle. Any other gun/caliber will kill you with ammo weight and costs if you have to go mobile. It's also the most abundunt ammo so if you got to scavange be more likely to find some on the road. You can go with more firepower if your plan is to bug in. As for what gun is going to be whichever one you feel more comfortable with and are accurate with.

Knives: in my gear i have the following
cold steel pendelton hunter lite [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-Pendleton-Hunter-Handle/dp/B00322NAE6/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1331658440&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Cold Steel Pendleton Lite Hunter Black Poly Handle: Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41i-9uW8LUL.@@AMEPARAM@@41i-9uW8LUL[/ame]
Kershaw Bear Hunter [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Kershaw-Hunter-Fixed-Blade-Knife/dp/B0015RS8CE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331658363&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: Kershaw Bear Hunter II Fixed Blade Knife: Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/318mxCv%2BF0L.@@AMEPARAM@@318mxCv%2BF0L[/ame]
Kabar bowie knife [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-39868-Bowie-Black-Finish/dp/B001BMXWNI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331658219&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: Ka-Bar Bowie Black Finish: Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21pCfrPIDXL.@@AMEPARAM@@21pCfrPIDXL[/ame]

I'm not saying these are the best options out there, Main reason i went with these is thier relatively light weight for the size of knife, versitillity in use, and cost. Remember when you put something in your BOB you have to treat it like it is gone, not there, so that it will be there when you need it.


Like I said before the best BOB gear is gear that is best suited for your needs. Tornado Country is different than Earthquake country.

Some helpful tips
for keeping costs down is to buy things at end of season or off season. Campmor.com and REI.com are great resources and have great deals on clearence items.

BOB and emergency preparedness work best when everyone in the family is part of the plan and helping out. also don't forget about pets unless your planning to ditch them. Getting the Neighborhood onboard is also ideal.

 

[GoingPostal]

Holy crap these bag are expensive. I realize if you're hiking a long way comfort is important, but $150-200 on a bag that isn't used often is tough to justify...

I've seen some really nice book bags that will hold 5 or 6 heavy school books with ease for way less :dunno:

I totally agree, but also you don't want to "cheap out" and have gear fail on you when you really need it. That said, expensive doesn't equate reliable/well built. You got to do your research.

 

[elderboy02]

I am going to have to start putting together a BOB

 

[swingerofbirches]

I am going to have to start putting together a BOB

In case of disaster, rendesvous at Beer Sellar? lol


Thanks for the book, knife options and recommendations, GoingPostal.
Great point about .22 ammo ... I hadn't thought of that before.

 

[Fox]

In general, I would recommend the AR15.com survival forum. If you do a search for "bob", you will find a lot of great information and expertise. This thread in particular is a wealth of information for the noob.

 

[lakeside toker]

I probably have way to much , but you never know what you may need.

 

[carholio]

I have long ago given up on the idea of bugging out. I have too much junk to hump. I do not live in an area known for natural disasters so my only concern is zombies. I'll just stay home have a cold beverage and a cigar while defending my castle till my end.

I do have a get home bag for the car but it just contains extra ammo, multi tool, rain coat, towel, bandages, tape, matches, motrin, water, snack bar. I'm usually not more than 30 miles from home.

 

[swingerofbirches]

Alright ... I made my first survival-esque purchases today.
Rather then start out with a full blown BOB, I decided to start with making my wife a small vehicular emergency pack.

So I picked up two Patagonia Atom Sling packs ... one in black to pack and leave in the car and one in white/blue so that the wife can use daily since it's so "cute". lol
I know that these packs probably won't meat with approval from hard core survivalists but I think they're more then adequate for how we're using them and they're VERY budget friendly at just under $40/ea.

http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-atom-sling-pack?p=48259-0-176

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Patagonia-48259-Atom-Retro-Khaki/dp/B0058YVG92/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1331761556&sr=1-1-catcorr"]Amazon.com: Patagonia Atom: Clothing@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41v6I-HcPRL.@@AMEPARAM@@41v6I-HcPRL[/ame]

I also picked up two Sweedish Mora Clipper 840MG Carbon Steel knives on Amazon for just under $12/ea. Now, I don't plan on these being the only knives we own but based on the butt ton of reviews I read online they're very good knives and at $12/ea it's nearly impossible to beat their value/$ factor. So while I plan to pick up two additional fixed blade knives and two foldable knives, i'm glad to have picked these up to act as a go-between for those two.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Mora-Knife-Sweden-Clipper-Carbon/dp/B004NFQD1I"]Amazon.com: Mora Knife of Sweden Clipper 840MG Carbon Steel Blade: Kitchen & Dining@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41LwJdWuDEL.@@AMEPARAM@@41LwJdWuDEL[/ame]

 

[GoingPostal]

Nice buys, hey for car packs those will work. And remember when preparing for emergency something is better than nothing.