What’s in your emergency bug out bag?

[Sérénité]

More than ever, it feels like a good time to sort out or update an emergency bug out bag.
It’s probably covered elsewhere and I can’t find it (please merge if that’s the case)

I thought it would be good to share what’s in our bags…
I’ve got the basics (emergency foil sleeping bags, cellular blanket, water purifying straw, fire starters, high energy snacks, torch etc etc)

What’s in your bag?
What essentials should we make sure are in there?

It’s easy to overlook some items that may prove crucial…looking forward to hearing everyone’s tips and suggestions
🙏🏼

[ExomatrixTV]

• Not checking any books now nor sites (directly from the top of my head):

Multifunctional knife, dried food, water, compass, small radio, rechargeable batteries + solar energy convertor, toilet paper, special filter to clean up water found elsewhere, nuts, first aid kit, lightweight but strong refillable bottle, pencil, small notebook, flashlight, fire matches, lighter, cayenne pepper & himalayan salt, cane sugar, coffee/tea, small mirror, magnifying glass, map of the area, gold, silver or anything that can be an alternative currency ... there is much more I can type ... but this is good enough for now

• When I was a kid in the mid 1970s I used to be part of a local scouting club going in to the woods with others to train how to survive in the wild not using any tech (no smartphone no laptop etc.).

cheers,
John 🦜🦋🌳

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by ExomatrixTV (here)

• Not reading any books nor sites (directly from the top of my head):

Multifunctional knife, dried food, water, compass, small radio, batteries, toilet paper, special filter to clean up water found elsewhere, nuts, first aid kit, lightweight but strong refillable bottle, pencil, small notebook, flashlight, fire matches, lighter, cayenne pepper & himalayan salt, cane sugar, coffee/tea, gold, silver or anything that can be an alternative currency ... there is much more I can type ... but this is good enough for now

cheers,
John 🦜🦋🌳

An excellent list.

This all depends where you are in the world, and whether you're on your own, on foot or in a vehicle (etc!), but maybe also

• Small bottle of iodine (for sterilizing water or treating wounds)
• Antibiotics (just a few)
• Multivitamins
• A good lightweight rain poncho (can also be an emergency shelter)
• Spare glasses (if you need them or rely on them)
• Personal ID and emergency contact details (in laminated plastic: I have my blood group card in my backpack at all times when hiking)
• Plastic bags, including a few large ones (1000 uses, and you can keep wet feet very warm with plastic bags between wet socks and shoes)
• Spare dry wool socks, hat and gloves
• Lightweight warm coat (I have a down jacket that weighs just 1 lb and packs up super-small)
• GPS device (if you have one, but folded paper maps are always a good idea)
• Satphone (if you have one)
• Duct tape (good for mending rips in clothes or holes in anything)
• Tiny tube of superglue
• Small sewing kit
• Whistle
• Strong string/ paracord
• A few square feet of thin lightweight closed-cell foam padding (multipurpose insulation)
• A cheap spare watch
• Marker pen
• A second knifeblade, because it's so very important... just a little plastic craft knife will do.

That sounds like a lot of stuff, but most of it is extremely compact or light.

[thepainterdoug]

colloidal silver. an essential for cuts internal and external.its an antibiotic.

foil wrap covering for warmth. portable water filter for dirty polluted water cleaning. Magnifying glass, start fire. solar or crank flashlight

add to Bills list .

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by ExomatrixTV (here)
gold, silver or anything that can be an alternative currency

• Cash is probably best. Small denomination paper notes, lots of them (depending on your circumstances!), most of them sealed in plastic and well-hidden in your bag. Paying someone $10/£10 for a loaf of bread is good value if you're very hungry and have the money.
• Passport (also wrapped in plastic), if there's any chance you might cross a border to a neighboring country.
• Personal defense (depending on your ethics/values, and what country you're in). Doesn't have to be a knife or gun: pepper spray or a self-protection laser can be very effective, and just having that as a fall-back measure bolsters confidence in a Max Max situation.
• If you have rechargeable batteries (recommended!), a small lightweight solar AA/AAA battery charger might keep your flashlight, radio or GPS working for as long as you ever need. (Solar phone chargers are also readily available.)
• A tiny military can-opener (weights half an ounce),

[TrumanCash]

Rather than a bug out bag I have a "bug to" place in the woods with all survival needs where there are many others who are well-armed, Constitution-supporting people in a county with a constitutional sheriff.

[mizo]

I have thought about it often, putting it all in a bag... I do have all the necessary emergency items that I'd need.
Albeit, I do feel there's nowhere to run and ultimately hide within the UK, if/when it all goes pear-shaped. Maybe staying put and defending where you know and feel safe is simpler than trying to do it on the run.

[Bill Ryan]

This is an American company, but there may be equivalents in the UK and EU. I can recommend them: I bought a really excellent super-cheap 8 oz survival bag from them, the kind that fits in your pocket but which you can sleep in if you have to and survive a cold rainy night.

• https://stealthangelsurvival.com/pag...ug%20out%20bag

The search will pull up a range of bug out bags all fully equipped with a whole bunch of stuff. I'd still choose to create my own (see the various lists and suggestions above), but for anyone who isn't in a position to do this and can afford the ready-equipped thing to keep on hand and grab without thinking if ever needed, this might be useful.

Here are a couple of them:

[ExomatrixTV]

• Mainstream promoting "Bug Out Bags":

• source

[Strat]

Posted by TrumanCash (here)
Rather than a bug out bag I have a "bug to" place in the woods with all survival needs where there are many others who are well-armed, Constitution-supporting people in a county with a constitutional sheriff.

I think bug out is a bit of an umbrella term, I'm not sure, but in severe scenarios like infrastructure collapse I think your 'bug to' solution is the only solution. One can only imagine how quickly society breaks down to tribalism and bandits on every major road. Kicking doors in and robbing would happen quickly. It would be like the Purge. I wish folks could just stick to themselves on their little plot of land and live out a happy life but I imagine gangs are going to rove around taking what they want a la Joseph Kony et al. I'm especially screwed because I rely on medication to alleviate my epilepsy symptoms. I can live and contribute to society without them, but life would be much more 'challenging.'

I think that's great you found a place like that. I have friends who would be good candidates to form something similar but they don't have the same beliefs. They'd rather take the boat out and drink a beer than 'game plan' so to speak. Don't get me wrong, I love boats, beers and babes too but we should also be responsible in life.

At the moment I do have a kind of quick bug out bag. I get hit by hurricanes almost annually and I have to be prepared to leave if necessary. I follow the suggested guidelines, I can post them if yall are curious but it's specifically for hurricanes so that won't apply to most of the users here. There's nothing specific or unique about it, it's just ready to go basically at all times, and it's enough for a week.

I would stress some form of prep work. Store your items in a way that they're ready to go, otherwise your tearing the house apart looking for a document or something, all the while becoming more stressed. It's nice to just grab boxes and duffle bags and toss them in the vehicle with confidence and ease. Also make sure stuff in the first aide kit is up to date and that you've been rotating your stored food. Keep your vehicle maintained. And this may sound dumb... be healthy/get in shape. You're going to be doing a lot of manual work and if you're out of shape it will make these things a pain in the ass. Just keep it in mind.

Use all the things in your kit a few times, get familiar with them and comfortable using them. Hell, if nothing else it's a good excuse to go camping.

[Matthew]

I've grown a large hockey kit bugout bag. The bag is so big it can hold three tents and it has this little detachable rucksack. I need to sort it out and reduce it to one separate smaller bag, it's a placeholder for all and any kit I've acquired over the last seven years.


ExomatrixTV already said water filtration straw, I have a couple of these sorts of things:



Cheap "life straws" cost about £20 each.

But water purification tablets too.

This might make it to my final bag. I love this guy:

BioLite CampStove 2+



But it pumps air into the fire chamber so it's basically a blast furnace; great for boiling water but rubbish if you want to fry an egg.

It takes ages to fully charge the battery, and when it's fully charged its battery only recharges about half my phone. But still, better than a kick in the teeth.

I love this little burner so much

My perfectionist friend found this brand of dried rations, which knowing my friend I'm going to bet are amongst the best in world for dried food: Real Turmat. A little bit pricier than others.

REAL TURMAT
Real Turmat Beef & Potato Casserole
Sale price £11.99

And then there are the military 'Meal Ready to Eat' aka MRE rations. They provide 12 or 24 hours of food and drink although you need to supply yourself with 2L of water yourself. Each nationality really expresses itself in its military rations.

• Lithuania has the best pork meal AND the best chocolate
• Israel the best sweet
• America the best (and only?) pizza slice MRE
• England has a whole pack of tissues in theirs (why don't the other countries do this???)

Any old MRE meal is a handy addition. They still last past their best before date, sometimes for decades. They can be eaten cold, and sometimes come with a flameless heater, which works by adding a few teaspoons of water to a bag which heats it up and steam cooks it for twelve minutes or so. But it varies from nationality to nationality.

The go-to for MRE reviews is Steve from Steve1989MREInfo on youtube.

Here's his review of the 2014 Italian Combat Food Ration, Module B:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=GowFRT19yok

[happyuk]

Just some thinking-aloud thought experiments that are pretty off-the-cuff so feel free to debate/contradict/disagree.

Let's say today you are at work one day and the electricity goes out and does not come back on.

Now you are in a community of people (whether rural or urban) who are in the same boat as you.
The internet and telecommunications are down. The water becomes stagnant in a matter of days. All your refrigerated and frozen food will rot.

This got me drilling down further. Am I even going to let my own family know where my stash is, on pain of friends and friends of their friends knowing about it?
Do I let their kids starve? When I read about Hurricane Katrina or the Siege of Sarajevo and what happens when the government doesn't/cannot help I shudder.
I don't even want to go there although I still think communities of like-minded people would help each other.

My very first priorities are: 1. What will I drink? 2. What will I eat? 3. How will I bathe?

So maybe I would think about long term food that wont go bad, a water filtration system and maybe containers to collect rain water.

>water
>food
>alcohol/cigarettes/sweets for bartering
>ways to defend yourself
>light sources/fire starters/cigarette lighters
>medicine (of all kinds)
>tools for cutting, chopping, splitting, moving, etc are preferred too.
>situational awareness - learn about your neighbours, particularly areas lacking civic pride etc.

[Matthew]

Posted by happyuk (here)
...
This got me drilling down further. Am I even going to let my own family know where my stash is, on pain of friends and friends of their friends knowing about it?
Do I let their kids starve? When I read about Hurricane Katrina or the Siege of Sarajevo and what happens when the government doesn't/cannot help I shudder.
I don't even want to go there although I still think communities of like-minded people would help each other.
...

I don't admit this often but I've thought along these lines. We have grass lawns but that's a new thing, it used to be for growing food. Grass lawns were for people who didn't have to grow their own food, then it became a status symbol which others aspired to. Dandelions are suddenly the enemy but apparently they are awesome food and drink. Bet there are other benefits too. Grass lawns suck.

But the point is, I wonder if I would be able to rally some neighbors to drop their lawns and convert to a backyard farming setup. I don't think they would want to go old fashioned, like with a ridge and furrow, or growing without fertilizer, but they are great gardeners so that's a start. It depends how desperate they get.

The issue I predict is a life of luxury will be the way they get you, or more specifically, get my neighbors. For example: use digital Id money and get cheap petrol, or use inflated cash and get very little. I might be in an urban farming community of one.

I do have stand in the park type friends close-ish, some closer proximity than others, and they are all thinking like we are here... that is pretty good for me. But ideally I want to get my closest neighbors involved.

Along these lines and thinking positively I have for example 10kg of diatomaceous earth, which might really help a small farming group get through tough times.

For urban survival I know where my nearest water is, I have some sturdy water carry containers, I have planned to collect water in the early hours to avoid other people best I can. I also have sodium chlorate which can be used to activate charcoal to make filters.

It is possible to make a water filter out of moss, sand and normal charcoal, so the activated charcoal is only a nice to have. I have enough MRE rations to support several people for a season, but that buys time to get a farming community together.

It's not without risks, like people around me don't know my stockpile. But it's cards in my hand. I want supplies but I'm not going to watch things burn while I sit on my throne of supplies. Although that has crossed my mind.

That's at home. In my car I have enough MRE rations, gas stove, stove heater converter (turns the gas stove into a heater), new bottles of water, blankets, waterproofs, thick woolen jumper, more dried rations, solid fuel burner stove (burns sticks) and a micro shovel. I keep the tank full of unleaded.

I keep cash in the glovebox (my car is a 20 year-old old ****-heap). I can live in my car for at least three days. But I digress... to survive at home for me it's about being prepared enough to be a the best position of strength I can be to be able to be a player to make a new farming community in or around my street. Or nearest offer.

[bobme]

Depends on where you are at really.

If you are where I am for instance, All I need is a small tent, fishing pole, 22 caliber rifle, and warm clothes. Water proof matches also.

A book of edible plants, and something to cook on.

I could survive for years.

[Pam]

I watched this documentary about very simple cheap and lightweight fairly durable living structures. Many which can be fairly quickly assembled on the sight you choose to those that can be pulled by a bicycle. It opened my mind to a world of possibilities that are quite inexpensive to create or you can buy some of them. I really think most of you will find it valuable and realize there are endless possibilities it one went to a more rural or remote areas.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=brQRVbtayK4

[Tiyaira]

What a fun topic My bugout bag is also a camping bag; I take it whenever I go out, hang it on a tree, and then everything I need is easily available.

This thing folds up into a briefcase. From top-to-bottom, right-to-left:

• toilet paper, food prep swiss army knife, flashlight, utility cards including fish hooks and spear tips
• storm-proof matches, fire steel, electric lighter, fire starters, long matches
• compact stove, another fire steel, normal matches, signaling mirror and tinder
• emergency shelters and paracord (for more shelter-making)
• real N95 masks (from before the pandemic)
• water filtration, purification, and fish knife
• another shelter, knife sharpener, splint
• medical kit, clotting aid, medical tweezers, skin stapler

There are also a number of cards throughout that contain hints and instructions for their respective areas.



I have another foldable briefcase is also a solar panel that can charge the flashlight and electric lighter, and everything else.

My everyday carry is a tactical purse that contains a bushcrafting swiss army knife, whistle, flashlight, more emergency shelters, backup hard drives (for my important data!), and my keychain has a survival pen on it that breaks apart into smaller pieces and contains, among other things, a window breaker (to escape cars).

So, there's some ideas! For the best use, pair with knowledge of bushcrafting, wild edibles, and wilderness medicine, and of course, fishing.

All that said, though, perhaps the most important thing is building community. Surviving by yourself is neither healthy nor fun, and there is much strength in numbers. Form strong bonds!

[RatRodRob...RRR]

Posted by Sérénité (here)
More than ever, it feels like a good time to sort out or update an emergency bug out bag.
It’s probably covered elsewhere and I can’t find it (please merge if that’s the case)

I thought it would be good to share what’s in our bags…
I’ve got the basics (emergency foil sleeping bags, cellular blanket, water purifying straw, fire starters, high energy snacks, torch etc etc)

What’s in your bag?
What essentials should we make sure are in there?

It’s easy to overlook some items that may prove crucial…looking forward to hearing everyone’s tips and suggestions
🙏🏼

You really need a hunting knife and a firearm and lots of ammo too....................................RRR

[RatRodRob...RRR]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by ExomatrixTV (here)

• Not reading any books nor sites (directly from the top of my head):

Multifunctional knife, dried food, water, compass, small radio, batteries, toilet paper, special filter to clean up water found elsewhere, nuts, first aid kit, lightweight but strong refillable bottle, pencil, small notebook, flashlight, fire matches, lighter, cayenne pepper & himalayan salt, cane sugar, coffee/tea, gold, silver or anything that can be an alternative currency ... there is much more I can type ... but this is good enough for now

cheers,
John 🦜🦋🌳

An excellent list.

This all depends where you are in the world, and whether you're on your own, on foot or in a vehicle (etc!), but maybe also

• Small bottle of iodine (for sterilizing water or treating wounds)
• Antibiotics (just a few)
• Multivitamins
• A good lightweight rain poncho (can also be an emergency shelter)
• Spare glasses (if you need them or rely on them)
• Personal ID and emergency contact details (in laminated plastic: I have my blood group card in my backpack at all times when hiking)
• Plastic bags, including a few large ones (1000 uses, and you can keep wet feet very warm with plastic bags between wet socks and shoes)
• Spare dry wool socks, hat and gloves
• Lightweight warm coat (I have a down jacket that weighs just 1 lb and packs up super-small)
• GPS device (if you have one, but folded paper maps are always a good idea)
• Satphone (if you have one)
• Duct tape (good for mending rips in clothes or holes in anything)
• Tiny tube of superglue
• Small sewing kit
• Whistle
• Strong string/ paracord
• A few square feet of thin lightweight closed-cell foam padding (multipurpose insulation)
• A cheap spare watch
• Marker pen
• A second knifeblade, because it's so very important... just a little plastic craft knife will do.

That sounds like a lot of stuff, but most of it is extremely compact or light.

To Bill and John, yes it depends whether you are on foot or have a vehicle (finding petrol could be a problem though) , a book listing bush tucker in your area, we have a chit load of plants we can eat, but if you eat the wrong ones, they can kill you.
Personnel hygiene products like soap and dunny roll, and most important is a hand line for fishing with plenty of hooks, and a gun............................RRR

[RatRodRob...RRR]

Posted by Strat (here)

Posted by TrumanCash (here)
Rather than a bug out bag I have a "bug to" place in the woods with all survival needs where there are many others who are well-armed, Constitution-supporting people in a county with a constitutional sheriff.

I think bug out is a bit of an umbrella term, I'm not sure, but in severe scenarios like infrastructure collapse I think your 'bug to' solution is the only solution. One can only imagine how quickly society breaks down to tribalism and bandits on every major road. Kicking doors in and robbing would happen quickly. It would be like the Purge. I wish folks could just stick to themselves on their little plot of land and live out a happy life but I imagine gangs are going to rove around taking what they want a la Joseph Kony et al. I'm especially screwed because I rely on medication to alleviate my epilepsy symptoms. I can live and contribute to society without them, but life would be much more 'challenging.'

I think that's great you found a place like that. I have friends who would be good candidates to form something similar but they don't have the same beliefs. They'd rather take the boat out and drink a beer than 'game plan' so to speak. Don't get me wrong, I love boats, beers and babes too but we should also be responsible in life.

At the moment I do have a kind of quick bug out bag. I get hit by hurricanes almost annually and I have to be prepared to leave if necessary. I follow the suggested guidelines, I can post them if yall are curious but it's specifically for hurricanes so that won't apply to most of the users here. There's nothing specific or unique about it, it's just ready to go basically at all times, and it's enough for a week.

I would stress some form of prep work. Store your items in a way that they're ready to go, otherwise your tearing the house apart looking for a document or something, all the while becoming more stressed. It's nice to just grab boxes and duffle bags and toss them in the vehicle with confidence and ease. Also make sure stuff in the first aide kit is up to date and that you've been rotating your stored food. Keep your vehicle maintained. And this may sound dumb... be healthy/get in shape. You're going to be doing a lot of manual work and if you're out of shape it will make these things a pain in the ass. Just keep it in mind.

Use all the things in your kit a few times, get familiar with them and comfortable using them. Hell, if nothing else it's a good excuse to go camping.

The "Bug To" would be my choice, but a group will only let you in if you have or can do something for that group, other wise you are just a useless eater to them.
My reliance on medication would actually make a bug out or a bug to impossible for me so im screwed either way, think ill just get a deck chair and plant it on a beach somewhere with bourbon and ciggys ......................................RRR

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Tiyaira (here)
What a fun topic My bugout bag is also a camping bag; I take it whenever I go out, hang it on a tree, and then everything I need is easily available.

This thing folds up into a briefcase. From top-to-bottom, right-to-left:

• toilet paper, food prep swiss army knife, flashlight, utility cards including fish hooks and spear tips
• storm-proof matches, fire steel, electric lighter, fire starters, long matches
• compact stove, another fire steel, normal matches, signaling mirror and tinder
• emergency shelters and paracord (for more shelter-making)
• real N95 masks (from before the pandemic)
• water filtration, purification, and fish knife
• another shelter, knife sharpener, splint
• medical kit, clotting aid, medical tweezers, skin stapler

There are also a number of cards throughout that contain hints and instructions for their respective areas.



I have another foldable briefcase is also a solar panel that can charge the flashlight and electric lighter, and everything else.

My everyday carry is a tactical purse that contains a bushcrafting swiss army knife, whistle, flashlight, more emergency shelters, backup hard drives (for my important data!), and my keychain has a survival pen on it that breaks apart into smaller pieces and contains, among other things, a window breaker (to escape cars).

So, there's some ideas! For the best use, pair with knowledge of bushcrafting, wild edibles, and wilderness medicine, and of course, fishing.

All that said, though, perhaps the most important thing is building community. Surviving by yourself is neither healthy nor fun, and there is much strength in numbers. Form strong bonds!

That impressed me. Kudos!

And it prompted me to add a fishing rod to my own list. I do have a tiny telescopic one that weighs just a few ounces, all complete with a small reel and some lures.



I know exactly how to use it, and used to be an avid fisherman when I was a teenager. Even tiny trout from a small creek, for which a rod like this is ideal, can make an excellent meal and keep one alive, very healthily too.



Edit to add:

There are also a number of cards throughout that contain hints and instructions for their respective areas.

I took a close zoomed-in look at your fascinating photo, and saw what they were. Good idea!



Re Fire Building, btw (though this is getting into advanced bushcraft! ), the very best firestarter tinder is lint from the filter of a tumble drier. Weighs nothing, compresses to even less in a small plastic bag, and starts a fire instantly.