BUG OUT BAG help please

Rebel Panda · Post by **Rebel Panda** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 8:16 am

I want to re do my bug out bag.
My budget is 200 dollars tops.
What pack should I buy?

Post by **BIGC** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 8:33 am

I guess the first question is; Do you want a Bug out bag or a Get home bag?

I am working on building a small kit to keep under the back seat of my truck to get me home if something happens while I am mobile.

The main thing with building a "B.O.B" is to build it to your skill set. If you are well practiced and well versed in survival, your kit will be smaller than joe schmoe (me) who is relying on items and tools to make up for lack of knowledge. I have quite a bit of redundancy in my bag, like 3 or 4 ways to start a fire, multiple ways to set snares or fish, and that type of thing.

4 things I cover in my pack are shelter, water, fire, food....

Post by **justang1997** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:23 am

Play the what if game and and figgure out all the bad stuff that can happen to you and then pack a bag accordingly. A get home bag is way more fun to build because it stays with you daily instead of a bob which sits in the corner getting dusty.

Post by **Till** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:26 am

google is powerful

Its what you want or need,

Basic list

Modular Pack
32 oz Water Bottle
Water Purifier
2 MREs in heat bags
3 Power bars
Jerky
Info Sheet
ID holder
Whistle
Notebook
Pen
Watch Cap
Poncho
Solar/Crank LED Flashlight
First Aid Kit
Matches
Firestarting fuel
AM/FM Radio (uses AA batteries)
AA batteries
Multitool
Duct tape
Paracord
Saw

Duffle Bag
4 MREs in heat bags
Peanuts
Tent
Sleeping bag
Shirt
Pants
socks
underwear
Shoes/boots
Handwash
Large Plastic Bags
Personal Hygiene Items
Handwipes
Toilet paper
Microfiber towel
Work gloves
insect repellent
sunscreen
boonie hat
wool blanket

Post by **325MOUTguru** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:44 am

At a minimum I would suggest....

1 Chem light
1 Compass
1 Israeli pressure dressing
1 Magnesium fire starter
1 Cheap ass Bic lighter
1 60+ lumen flashlight
1 Good knife with a blade of at least 3' but no more than 5'
2 Colossal 100 protein bars from MetRx
2 32 oz bottles of water

Post by **justang1997** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:49 am

325MOUTguru wrote:At a minimum I would suggest....

1 Chem light
1 Compass
1 Israeli pressure dressing
1 Magnesium fire starter
1 Cheap ass Bic lighter
1 60+ lumen flashlight
1 Good knife with a blade of at least 3' but no more than 5'
2 Colossal 100 protein bars from MetRx
2 32 oz bottles of water

That's a really good minimalist list.

Post by **BIGC** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:53 am

325MOUTguru wrote:At a minimum I would suggest....

1 Chem light
1 Compass
1 Israeli pressure dressing
1 Magnesium fire starter
1 Cheap ass Bic lighter
1 60+ lumen flashlight
1 Good knife with a blade of at least 3' but no more than 5'
2 Colossal 100 protein bars from MetRx
2 32 oz bottles of water

That is pretty much my hiking pack, minus I dont have the pressure dressing...
and make sure to roatate the Metrx bars everyonce in a while.....

Post by **KYgundude** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:07 am

Go to TG&G and check out the new ready to eat sandwiches from Bridgeford. They are delicious, have reasonable nutritional values, shelf stable, and a 3 year shelf life. Good stuff!

Post by **Rem700** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:10 am

3 year old sammich.......mmmmmmm mmmmmmm good

Post by **Harleyx2** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 12:00 pm

Had one the other day, found it under my bed um um

Post by **justang1997** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 12:07 pm

I realized we all were focusing on what's in the pack and not your question of what pack. I'd say for a BOB I would go with a external frame camping pack with a rain cover. Like a kelty. Get as much space as as you can afford. You said redo your bag so I assume you are happy with the contents. If you want military looking stuff tactical tailor has nice stuff but its pricy. I would buy more space than I need because extra room allows you to pack up quick and not compress everything if you are in a rush.

Post by **Wyldman** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 2:25 pm

This. In spades. As time goes by, more & more "must have" stuff will accumulate, requiring more room.

Wyldman on the go via Tapatalk

Post by **ChopperDoc** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 3:23 pm

Okay, Get Home Bag.

This is from my list on the computer, I may have added a few things. I will be repacking for warm weather pretty soon, so I will update soon.

First off, it is designed for moving fast, faster than a BOB, which is more for as much as you can carry for sustained living in the bush. If I am walking and 40 miles away from home, I don't need a large ruck with gear for a full Bug Out Bag. I plan on 3 days walking as a worst case scenario, although I think it rare that I would need that. More likely that I am stuck on the highway for a few day in a snow storm, so think of surviving in place for a few days as well when planning your gear.

Second, since many times you can see it through the windows of the truck, it is a black bag, kind of like a big book / laptop bag and not something that looks too tacticool on first glance that might draw more attention. I keep it under the seat when possible.

Target weight is under 40 lbs. (with my winter gear my current pack weighed 36lbs, but some of that would be on my body instead of in the pack when used). Everything that can goes into bags that you can suck the air out of for space management.

A lot of the stuff near the top of the pack is designed to be worn immediately (situation dependent). If you are moving fast and avoiding detection, there will be your first level of gear that you NEVER want to be without. That stuff should go on you ASAP. The rest of the gear in the bag is the second level of gear and may have to be ditched if it means surviving.

Weapons & Tools

Multi-tool
BFK (Big F**king Knife) - can be used as a hammer as well (I have an M16 bayonet for this tool)
MORA knife (attached to the drop leg holster)
Sub2k in 40 S&W with three 25 rd mags loaded (will have 3 15rd mags on me for EDC). Homemade paracord braid sling
Wire saw
Swiss Army Knife
oil wipes for guns
(2) 50 round 'food saver' packages of 40 S&W ammo
fire starter pack (spark maker, strike anywhere/windproof matches, lighter and Vaseline soaked cotton balls)
compass
map of the State(s)
(2) LED flashlight w/ red lens (so if I need to use it at night I don't screw up my night vision too bad)
VS-17 panel (high visibility panel - let's face it, not all emergencies are you going to want to be stealthy.)
2 Chemlites
extra batteries
approx 30 (1 pack) heavy ZIP Ties

Clothing

Winter

XPS gear under garments, mid weight
wool socks (3 pair)
baklava
waterproof boots (replaced with shoes for summer)
shooting mittens (mitten opens to allow for fingers free for working / shooting)
wool scarf
hand / toe warmers

Any season

Frogg Toggs Rain gear (see notes below)
extra under garments
sun glasses
boonie hat (with paracord braided into band)
earth tone khaki pants & shirt
2 pr nomex aviator gloves

Warm weather

hiking shoes (replaced with boots for winter)
neck cooling rag (the ones you soak, forget what they are called)
sunscreen
6 pr sports socks

Sustenance

2 days of water for 1 person (pre-packaged, 5 yr shelf life packets)
Katadyn backpack water filter system and small container of pool shock
~20 coffee filters (pre-filtering water if necessary)
6000 calories of food bars (not tasty but easy to eat on the move and light weight)
bullion cubes or season packets from ramen noodle packets.
gatorade powder mix
5 hour energy drinks (3)
A couple packs of MRE peanut butter

Other Gear

Mylar (space blanket) emergency shelter
Emergency blanket
~ 200' coiled 550 cord
2 canteen carriers with canteens (empty until I need them)
Riggers belt or web belt
(2) M16 ammo pouchs (for food bars and other 1st line gear stuff)
Drop leg holster (with the pack waist belt on my EDC holster is really uncomfortable)
100MPH tape
Toilet paper / baby wipes
small pencil and notepad
a couple of caribiner clips

First Aid Kit

Bandages
Tourniquet
mold-able splint
ace bandage
tylenol
any req'd meds - (i.e. the wife may need an emergency inhaler)
bandaids, several sizes
bug spray
snake bite kit
triple antibiotic ointment
small soap bar
small toothbrush (used for scrubbing under fingernails in case I need to dress a wound and have no gloves)
floss
blood clotting agent
sterile pads
surgical tape
butterfly wound closures
6 surgical masks
3 pr latex gloves
hand sanitizer
anti-diarreha pills

Things I want to add but don't have yet

crank radio
small solar charger for cell phone

* Frogg Toggs - I did have Gortex stuff packed for rain gear, but it takes up 2x the space and weighs 3x as much as the Frogg Togg suit. The Toggs weigh 26 ounces. Nice use of space and weight. they are durable and keep body heat in. Good in any climate.

Post by **jmeister** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 6:11 pm

ChopperDoc wrote:Okay, Get Home Bag.

zip ties... good idea, going to add to my GHB also
Sub2k fit in your pack? Pics of bag if you get a chance
anti-diarrhea forgot that one, thanks for the reminder

Post by **JustShootIt** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:41 pm

Frog togs are a great idea....

I been buying those for years now, for my softball teams....

Never thought about using them in a BOB...

They work great for keeping cool

Post by **ChopperDoc** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 8:27 pm

jmeister wrote:
ChopperDoc wrote:Okay, Get Home Bag.
zip ties... good idea, going to add to my GHB also
Sub2k fit in your pack? Pics of bag if you get a chance
anti-diarrhea forgot that one, thanks for the reminder

No problem.

I tried to think of things that have happened to me in the field that have slowed me down. I can think of a few times I wish I had something to stop the squirts!

Just took all my cold wx gear out of the bag. It weighs 28 lbs without the shoes in it. Not too shabby.

I have this bag and it has held up well. Not too tacticool unless you are looking close. The all black pack does not really show the MOLLE straps so much on the outside because the velcro and straps are all black where the camo ones (as you can see in the pic) have OD Velcro and OD MOLLE straps on the camo.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/f ... x?a=811268

I changed to this pack from a day pack with just shoulder straps that I got from either Dick's or Bass Pro. It was a decent pack, a little smaller, but was not to comfortable beating on my back when walking fast or jogging with it on.

I found some more expensive packs that I liked but figured I would try this one first. I have worn it twice while hiking locally and had no issues with comfort or quality so far.

I have a large ruck for my BOB and my wife's BOB is one of the Fox packs.

Rebel Panda · Post by **Rebel Panda** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:08 pm

justang1997 wrote:I realized we all were focusing on what's in the pack and not your question of what pack. I'd say for a BOB I would go with a external frame camping pack with a rain cover. Like a kelty. Get as much space as as you can afford. You said redo your bag so I assume you are happy with the contents. If you want military looking stuff tactical tailor has nice stuff but its pricy. I would buy more space than I need because extra room allows you to pack up quick and not compress everything if you are in a rush.

As of now I have an old just back pack, and an old surplus Italian military back pack. Both to small, uncomfortable, and weak. One nice big pack should kinda lighten the load. lol

Rebel Panda · Post by **Rebel Panda** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:18 pm

thanks fellas I got lots to think about now. I think I'm just going to start over from scratch.

Post by **BIGC** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 8:13 am

if there are items that I can get to save you some money let me know. I have the storm proof matches, fire strikers, mag bars, emergency blankets and other stuff and I will cut you the best deal I can to save you some cash if you are starting fresh...

Post by **Livewire** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 9:19 am

I need to make two of these so bad. I need one for me and one for my wife. I'm afraid if I pack for her it will be so heavy she won't be able to pack it. Then it's useless to her. Y'all are giving me some great ideas, I need to see some pics though. I need to consider how poor my skill set is and consider hers also. I like the idea of building a bug out bag but it gets a little daunting if you think how important it could be some day.

Post by **KYgundude** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 9:29 am

Livewire wrote:I need to make two of these so bad. I need one for me and one for my wife. I'm afraid if I pack for her it will be so heavy she won't be able to pack it. Then it's useless to her. Y'all are giving me some great ideas, I need to see some pics though. I need to consider how poor my skill set is and consider hers also. I like the idea of building a bug out bag but it gets a little daunting if you think how important it could be some day.

It's OK to possibly pack heavy. You can always toss stuff to lighten the load if you have to. Better to toss extras situationally than to have never brought it.

Post by **BIGC** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 9:29 am

The one thing I have learned about B.O.B's is that they are ever progressing. The more you learn, the less you need. My first bag weighed 60lbs or better. Now it is about 30.......

Post by **Livewire** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 12:02 pm

If I base it on what I know I'd better start with a wheel barrow!

I'm gonna need two of everything.

Post by **justang1997** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 12:18 pm

Ya know, in a real bug out situation, odds are you will be in your vehicle with your bag packed in the car with you so if the car breaks down or roads are unpassable you can walk. Just think in past real situations like california wildfires or katrina, people drove out. Only the un prepared are gonna be walking initially.

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Post by **justang1997** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 12:20 pm

So you can bring way more in the car then you could carry and then if you have to start hoofing it you adjust what is in your pack accordingly.

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