Bug out bag contents

[Moped]

I carry a ferro rod and lighters.  I wouldn't mind playing with flint and steel.  Where does one find flint though?  For starting a fire I carry PJCBs, jute twine, dryer lint, chagga and char cloth and a small Altoids can set up to make more char cloth.  I carry all this is a little leather. pouch

[Chazmr]

I started building a "Get Home Bag" awhile back, but never finished it.  The pack is still in the closet and some of the stuff is scattered around the house in different places.  The things going on around us have convinced me that I'm crazy not to complete the bag and put it in the truck.  This thread has some great ideas that will help.  Keep them coming!

Thanks.

[Xtarheel]

I would definitely add some insect repellent.

 

Also, fleece is a good insulator when wet (like wool) and is lighter and dries quicker. Just don't get too close to a fire or it will melt.

[tennessee01tacoma]

I was reading on B.O.B.s and one guy carries a couple little civilian legal smoke grenades called sport smoke. They were created for paintball, I dont think they put out flames. A distraction could come in handy if your really having to get away

[Guest polishprepper]

Yes fire will melt fleece got some holes in mine......wool is also fire resistant

[Jonsaiga]

Food!!!! Ya need more food. Average adult male burns around 1800-2200 calories per day. When you start doing more physical exercise you burn more calories, add a pack you burn more and add the fact you will be doing this in the mountains with uphill/downhill grades and climbing over under trees and brush your calorie  count will likely go to 3500 or more. Take a look at the nutritional info and see how much calories your food contains. I'm betting unless I misread your content list you likely don't have enough to meet one days needs. While many believe they carry extra calories on them in the way of fatty tissues.... the fact of the matter is your body needs protien in addition to the carbs(fat=sugar=carbs). If you are not taking enough in it will start to canabalize your muscle tissue to get the needed protiens. You will start to fatigue, recovery will be slow and you will find yourself stopping for rest more and more often for longer periods of time. Your situational awareness will also degrade under these conditions, as will your judgement and ability to shoot(shakes, vision degradation and reaction time) and you increase risk of injury due to general clumbsiness. Once you reach your B.O.L. you will be looking at a couple days until you are 100% again. OR.... you can carry more food. I like to take double the food personally, just in case I get bogged down by weather, injury, security, etc.

 

For water purification I generally carry iodine tabs and always take either a SS waterbottle or canteen w/ cup and stove(boiling method). I like camelbak bladders too but have unknowingly run them dry well away from a water source before so I always save the canteen water as a back-up. If the family is in tow then I take a MSR mini works filter too.

 

Fire kit consists of a Bic lighter, a Doan's Magnesium/flint fire starter as a back up and for tinder I carry vaseline soaked cottonballs which double as a first aid item for dry, cracked or chapped skin and scratches. I also always carry a few trioxane fuel tabs(good for emergency fire or heating H2O) in the bottom of my canteen pouch.  

 

Something else worth while is those tiny keychain Photon LED lights. I attached them to a zipper on all our packs. That way I'm not digging for my light in the dark, it is always in the same spot and saves the batteries on my task lights.

 

If you have space left over in your pack resist the urge to fill it just for the sake of filling it. If you have a prestocked BOL then carry just what you need to make the trip. In the case of your BOL is compromised whe you arrive, it is a good idea to have a small emergency resupply cache relatively close by.

[Caster]

Spots, I'll tell ya another good one to add here:  Super Glue.  Put a couple tubes in a ziplock bag incase the get smashed.  Maybe double bag it or put them in a plastic bar soap box.  You can repair nearly anything with it and, as I just did again today, you can glue flesh back together.  I cut my finger below the knuckle joint with a serrated knife.  Band aids suck there.  Also, as you bend the joint, you break open the wound constantly making healing more difficult and more prone to infection.  I doused the cut with alcohol, patted dry and glued the flap of skin back with super glue giving a small coat on the outside too.  Keeps water and dirt out, holds fast and strong.  

[Guest polishprepper]

Pencil and a roll of duct tape take the tape off the roll and wrap it around the pencil.....about 60 wraps or so...... break pencil at ends keep in pack for emergency repairs

[vontar]

Pencil and a roll of duct tape take the tape off the roll and wrap it around the pencil.....about 60 wraps or so...... break pencil at ends keep in pack for emergency repairs

In short, this is re rolling  the tape to compact it?  Good idea or if you don't one could always use that little space in the middle of a roll to start items that are more small or more delicate items like matches, etc.

 

So 2 good options with the duck tape.  I never considered re rolling it like that

Edited January 19, 2013 by vontar

[nightrunner]

I reroll my duct tape around an old credit card.

[vontar]

I reroll my duct tape around an old credit card.

Maybe I should roll duck tape around my wife's credit card to keep her from using it.

 

Sorry the original thread can continue now.

[East_TN_Patriot]

I have some Kevlar thread I got from the place I get my nylon thread for the holsters I make.  One hank is a 20 yard piece and has a tinsel strength of 150 lbs and is about the same thickness as a single inner strand of paracord.  I also have a spool that is 312 yards long with a strength of 30 pounds.  It's only slightly thicker than regular clothing thread and is about the size of 3 or 4 quarters stacked up.  It would make some excellent thread for repairing gear and clothing.  I keep that spool and a couple of heavy-duty leather sewing needles taped to the inside of the lid of my pocket survival kit. 

[Guest nra37922]

Get some MRE's

[Guest Bowdenknxvll]

Lets see,  the bag I carry every day to work has the following:

The bag is a Frost River Daypack.  Ive gone through bags like underwear but have finally found a bag I like.  Great product BTW

essentials pouch with firemaking things. Ferro rod, fatwood, jute cord, matches, lighter, psk knife

wool blanket and emergency blanket

iodine tablets along with a canteen and stainless nesting thing that the canteen fits into.  You can boil water in it

A couple of flashlights of different sizes

tweezers, nail cutters, first aid kit, extra contacts and solution, spare pair of glasses

a couple hundred feet of paracord

compass, magnifying glass

assorted tubes or tins full of oils etc

MRE

waterproof notebook with sharpies and pencils

beanie, gloves, bandana, extra wool socks,

folding saw, fishing line, hooks, etc

camera

I think that's about it other than a Smith and Wesson revolver

[Guest brentt]

Dont forget if you are a person that relys on glasses or contacts to pack an extra pair. Or at least have a pair at your bugout location. If they brake or get lost you'll be screwed.

[Moped]

I carry an extra pair of glasses in my GHB.  Last time I had glasses made, I went to WallyWorld.  They had two for $70, so I had two pair made.  One went immediately into my bag.  Getting ready to do it again.  Hope I can find the same deal.  I think this time I will have the GHB pair made as a pair of safety glasses. 

[Handsome Rob]

Anyone else vacuum seal a few items? I decided to do this while sealing up some venison last year.

I have several Bic lighters, all individually vacuum packed with tinder, also 2 microfiber towels, a pair of wool socks & 2oz of pemmican.

I figure that if I accidentally dunk myself & my pack in a river/lake etc... I have a quick & easy way to dry off & warm up, guaranteed.

 

I've not really thought of putting a BOB together, but I do a bit of backpacking & my kit pretty much lives in my rucksack. These few items are always with me if I'm hiking or hunting in cold weather.

[tennessee01tacoma]

Has any one seen Gearpods?

 

I'm considering some of their stuff for piecing together my B.O.B.

 

I would like to get the Survival Pro.

 

http://www.gearpods.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=KT-4

 

It has alot of neat stuff and then I could add on from there.  They offer more comprehensive kits or you can buy each individual piece to put together your own.

 

[Spots]

SO with some firearms changes and this thread, I've not set my bag up a little different. I now carry:

 

Fieldline 3 day assault pack

Bladder of water 70 oz

6 power bars

Good thick needles and thread

4 1911 mags loaded + 100 rds fmj ball

2 20-rd ruger Mini 30 mags loaded + 200 rds FMJ

Nomex and Kevlar gloves from my USMC days

Zip lock bags

Zip ties

200 ft of paracord

Fire starter kit - Flint and steel, char cloth, several bic lights, fatwood, jute rope, Magnesium fire block, dryer lint, vaseline cotton balls, hand sanitizer

1 roll of tp (for comfort)

4 pairs of sealed socks

1 pack mole skin

1 bottle of foot powder

Toenail clippers

2 extra pairs of contacts plus solution/ 1 extra pair of glasses

Eye drops

Compass and topo map of the area

2 flashlights and a head lamp

Pens and pencils

Duct tape

Super glue

Canvas blanket roll with wool blankets, and wool capote coat

Bleach for purifying water

 

With this setup I feel confident I can easily make the 3 day trip, and if the 3 days turns into a month, I feel I could still survive as long as I could hunt and find water, which come pretty easily after a lifetime in the woods

[npgunner]

I have to admit I haven't read this entire thread, so forgive me if someone has mentioned it. In my EDC bag I carry a few rolls of TP.  I take it off the roll and divide it out into approximately what would an amount required for one "good use" (usually 6 to 8 strips per roll, i'm a triple-ply guy).  Then I take those strips of TP and put into a galloon freezer ziplock bag, and it folds up nicely and stores relatively flat.  It was a better use of space for my bag, than having an entire roll take up all that space. 

[broox]

Binoculars?

[East_TN_Patriot]

Binoculars?

 

I do have a set of compact binoculars in a pouch in my larger kit.  I figure they could come in handy to spot critters and bad guys.

[Guest ThePunisher]

I bought two twin size blankets tonight at Wal-mart, and they are made of polyester but look and feel like wool. Will these be as good as wool blankets? They only cost $5.00 a piece, and are fairly light weight.

[Spots]

No they won't. The main reason I choose wools is because it will insulate when soaking wet, and its fire resistant. While fleece/polyester insulate when wet, it melts/burns very fast and can be dangerous around fire.

[npgunner]

I bought two twin size blankets tonight at Wal-mart, and they are made of polyester but look and feel like wool. Will these be as good as wool blankets? They only cost $5.00 a piece, and are fairly light weight.

I've seen these and wondered the same thing. Never made the purchase ... let me know what you think about them if you get around to using them.