What's in your Bug Out Bag?

Do you have a BUG out Bag

  • Yes

    Votes: 61 40.4%

  • No

    Votes: 25 16.6%

  • No, But I am going to put one together soon

    Votes: 44 29.1%

  • No, and you are paranoid for having one at all :)

    Votes: 21 13.9%
  • Total voters
    151
There are some great ideas for BOBs. Mine needs to be revised based upon some of the ideas in this thread.

We all prepare at some level, if it is just checking to see if you have enough gas to get going. The wise just prepare for problems and unexpected contingencies.

Charles
 
Condoms and tampons. Condoms are great for storing water(not to mention the other use...) and tampons are great for getting fires started.

So... what I have in my bag includes...

Wool Blanket
Hand warmers(the ones in the packet where you rub em and they start heating up)
Box of misc first aid stuff(Bandages, wrapping, disenfectent, etc)
Ka-Bar Knife(god I love that knife)
SEAL Pup
SEAL Revolver(This is a great tool, I recommend getting it if you go camping often. http://www.sogknives.com/revolver.htm)
Small hatchet
Sunglasses
Binoculars
Boonie hat
Roll of paper towel
Leatherman
Screwdrivers
Hammer
Box of powerbars
Strike anywhere matches(actually I cant remember what its called)
Box of normal matches
Lighter
Maglite with extra batteries
Compass
Nylon Rope(actually I got it wound up around the bag)
Canteen
Mess kit
12 pack of condoms
Box of tampons
Duct tape(I cant think of a reason right now but my old Scout master said to always bring duct tape)
Whistle
2 Way radio
Garbage bags(large black ones)
30" Widescreen TV with my Xbox(nah I wish. :P )

Well I think thats bout it.
 
Not sure if it got mentioned previously..

I scanned the whole thread but may have missed it.

Map of your state and the US at a minimum. You may also want to include surrounding states.

Also on the tampon and bandage thing, it was mentioned in ways throughout the thread, but I didn't see it totally spelled out..

You can go to the surplus store and get field traige bandage packs, the Israeli ones are very good if you can find them, but they end up being sort of expensive.

For a cheap and highly effective solution.

Maxipads and gauze. An ACE bandage is also an excellent choice. Not so much for wrapping sprains but rather, it will hold maxipads in place like a field dresing, can be used as a tourniquet, or can wrap a sprain. :D

If you dont have gauze, maxipads and duct tape will work, but duct tape isn't all that sterile. But a couple of rolls of it is a great thing to have.
 
If you dont have gauze, maxipads and duct tape will work, but duct tape isn't all that sterile. But a couple of rolls of it is a great thing to have.
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I have taped more than a few field wounds, duct tape is an all purpose tool that should be in every emergency supply kit.

Ace bandages are also for snake bites start wrapping near the pressure point above the bite and work down.

Benadryl should also be packed for bee stings even if you are not allergic.
Heavy exertion will intensify the effect of the venom and you don't need to be slowed down in any emergency
 
This is fun...

Its a 3 day pack btw. Here we go:
MedKit, x 6 Water Bottles, x3 MREs (Ive liked off less for three days!), x5 20 rd mags of 7.62x51 (for shorty FAL), mag pouch, a 7" KaBar (classic style), clothing for a few days, valid credit card, spare keys, chem lights x10 and flashlight w/ 4 spare batteries.

I figure I'll grab the shorty FAL on the way out the door. :rolleyes:

Its been a while since I checked it so I'll rifle thru it later...

Semper Fi!
-L7 out!
 
I wonder if that troll kid is watching the news about New Orleans and the state of near anarchy that exist now.
 
I wonder if that troll kid is watching the news about New Orleans and the state of near anarchy that exist now.
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I was just thinking of him, too...

And what do you know, after all our talk about needing to be self-sufficient, even if only for a few days, the perfect example proves the concept sound.

IIRC, he also criticized the whole "bug-out bag" concept, i.e., a portable container of stuff you could take with you to make life a little more bearable if you were forced to evacuate.

Katrina has gotten me serious about getting my emergency gear up to speed--both supplies to hunker down with, and a streamlined BoB for evacuating. I'll also not let the fuel tank in my 4Runner ever get below 1/2 anymore...

Hurricanes, earthquakes, wild fires, severe winter storms, floods, fuel shortages, stock-market crashes...all are definite possibilities; it doesn't just have to be terrorists...

~Dan
 
I'm making up 3 of them now.
One for each vehicle and expanding my stay put provisions to an all year set up instead of just for 'cane season.

I've always just had a grab bag at the house for get out situations
 
Map of your state and the US at a minimum. You may also want to include surrounding states.
Click to expand...

Holy moly! Wow!

For some reason, earlier today, I was thinking about the necessity of having a U.S. road atlas in a bug-out bag, and thinking also that I had not yet seen mention of it in this thread.

So I just got home from work and was about to scan this thread for mention of an atlas, and then I see that you did exactly that! What a weird coincidence.

But yeah, especially with the disaster in the south now, and people streaming into "safer" areas as refugees, it makes great sense to have an atlas so that you can find your way around.

I have a Rand McNally trucker's atlas in the back of my car at all times.

-blackmind
 
tampons are great for getting fires started.
Click to expand...

I was also told by a boy scout that lint from the dryer is great tinder. He said they pack it into film canisters (the kind that your 35mm film comes in).

I also heard somewhere about using cotton balls soaked with petroleum jelly. That seems like a good idea, so I bought myself some of each, though I have not had to use them for anything like survival or emergency fire starting. But it's a good tip. I imagine that a petroleum-jelly-soaked cotton ball will burn for a while.

-blackmind
 
I just made a quick read through of the thread it seems almost like somebody was thinking about this storm. Here's one particular bit of genius from a poster :)

My SHTF scenario/beliefs have always centered around a believable natural disaster causing civil unrest and temporary societal dysfunction.
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I actually would have never thought of a map, good idea
 
Not to take away from the fun discussion above but I was watching CNN this morning about the flooding and looting in New Orlean's and realized I couldn't help but think of this thread. I'm not saying everyone needs to rush and get a BOB but, if more people had one there things might be a little better for them. Kinda put's things in perspective.
 
Same here - I was wondering how many of the people who did not evacuate made some minimal provisions for a three week stay without the benefit of running water, electricity or stores being open.

When I lived in Florida I kept 200 gallons of water stored in clean plastic drums, canned foods to last my family for three weeks minimum, sterno for cooking, and lots and lots of plastic bags for use in the toilet. Only needed some of the stuff for a short while after Andrew - but it was on hand all the time.

I don't do that now, living in the middle of Texas - but maybe I should reconsider - if that storm had tracked through Houston and on up through the middle of Texas we could have been without electicity or water for a few days anyway.
 
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After seeing the social breakdown of a hurricane in one city, I'm quickly stepping up my acquisition and preperation of a BoB. (anyone read The Stand?)
 
I have been camping for quite a while and have one of those big Rubbermade bins that I keep most of my camping supplies in. I always thought if a disaster happened, I could just throw the plastic bin into the back of the truck and get outta Dodge. Boy, am I wrong.

I went camping for the Labor Day holiday with my wife and eight year old son. We packed our four days of clothes and gathered the food on Thursday. So Friday comes along and all I have to do is put the stuff in the truck and we would be on our way. Ten minutes, right? WRONG!!!!!!!! I swear, it took over an hour to load the stuff that we had prepared the night before. :eek:

When I was a kid (I'm 32 now) we would take a bag of clothes, sleeping bag, pup tent, hatchet, lantern, a cooler for sodas and food, and a jug of water. Now there is a huge two room dome tent, air matresses, three coolers, bicycle, and other crap that we don't need. When I started to realize all of the unnecessary B.S. I was loading into the truck, I actually started getting pissed off. :mad: Then I though to myself "what if we really had to get away in a hurry?" :confused: For just about the entire weekend, I kept pointing stuff out to my wife things that we didn't need. So now I'm making up a bag to grab and go.

Here is what I have so far....

medium size backpack with Molle attaching points
first aid kit in waterproof box
quart canteen for water
water purification tablets
4 MRE's
12 Trioxane fuel bars
matches
1 set BDU pants and shirt (lots of pockets)
boonie hat
bandana
300 foot para-cord
roll of toilet paper
hatchet
folding shovel
binoculars
angle head flashlight with colored lenses
Streamlight Stylus LED penlight (green)
6 green chem-lights
compass
M-7 bayonet to use as field knife

I know I need more, but not much more. Maybe a signal mirror, tarp and emergency blanket. I should probably make up a couple of more packs for the rest of the family so we'll have more MRE's and water. Of course a .22 pistol and ammo would be in there. AR-15 and a couple hundred rounds of ammo on bandoliers if on foot, .308 added if we were in the truck.

With the way the state and local governments handled the Katrina situation, I should probably finish this project pretty quick. ;)
 
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