Bug Out Bags

[Cavadus]

Boy, those are cheap.  I'm not seeing any mention of the weight of the cordura.  Probably why they're so cheap

[Bealin]

From watching the little video on the site, those bags look a lot smaller than they appear haha

[Destroy]

Yes, not something for the great outdoors, but good to keep in the trunk with some supplies.

[Lightfoot]

Anyone else keep go-kits in their vehicles? As in fighting gear?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

[Cavadus]

I've got a container I keep in the back of my Jeep full of gear.  Water, first aid kit, rope, tape, snivel gear, couple survival tools.  I need to get a Ruger 10/22 takedown to toss in there or a decent pistol though.

[Shogun]

I keep basic survival gear in the mine and the misses (no gun in hers) rides too and also a few kits on my ATV's with a decent kit also up on the trail we ride most often. For any hand gun you need a permit to carry and own in NYC and Buffalo NY. I keep a few guns and long guns in the house. I keep a youth 20 gauge on my car's trunk along with the kit/bag. I'll get another for hers. The kits on the trail I did up after a friend of mine was tossed off his sportsmen and fractured 3 vertebra. He was able to call on his phone barely and had nothing to help himself with. Was pretty much fucked if we didn't come. Got him out with the help of the local fire/rescue. I'm gonna put a few additional ones lightly buried in a well hidden place on another well traveled sections. They are mostly a 1st aid and a ok small knife and rope, wool army blanket in a bag, and a mre. noting im not too afraid getting found and taken. These also serve as mini bug out bags if im in a real bad need or situation. Not that i plan to be but more as just in case it gets real stupid out. I keep real bug out bags at my shop and home and also at my mothers and youngest sisters place. These are fully worked up no Bullshit bags with food, clothes, supplies and choice weapons. 

[Destroy]

Not that i plan to be but more as just in case it gets real stupid out. I keep real bug out bags at my shop and home and also at my mothers and youngest sisters place. These are fully worked up no Bullshit bags with food, clothes, supplies and choice weapons. 

I would be interested in hearing what you keep in your bags. Always curious what others consider a priority.

[Bealin]

I too would like to know what is in these bad boy bags

[Shogun]

I too would like to know what is in these bad boy bags

 

 

For my bad boy the worlds gone to shit fast bug out bags I have at least the following. Home bag:The bag intself is an army duffel with straps on it. With it  I keep 12 gauge and a hot point 9 mill. Both have very common and easy to get ammo and are effective deterrents. In bag I have rain gear pants and shirt as well as regular pants shirt and blanket in a tied up heavy plastice garabage bag to keep them dry.I also have a roll of plastic to cover with if sleeping in the rain and no shelter is made. I have a sharp buck knife and sharpening stone. A pair of small game watching binoculars. I keep a few lighters and some wax covered matches as well as some lint and wax fire starters, A flint and steel incase the matchs and lighters have an issue, compass, 8 mre and 2-4 jars of peanut butter and some vacuum sealed jerky and also some granola/energy bars. A water pump the also filters along with some bottles of water. Some 9mil and 12 gauge ammo, a few local maps, Some notes of things I thought of in case of a few instances I could think of what to do and where to go who to see. MY kids also have their own versions of this bag as does the wife. These are kept in the saferoom (a secure hidden room) at my house. That room also has enough food/water and commode to last for weeks.  At my work (An auto shop I own) I keep pretty much the same bag (actaully 2 bags there) with more ammo and more kinds of knives and utility tool.. I also have atv's at the shop and house for non street travel if need be. I can ride trails, rail ROW and utility ROWs from my home to shop and other key places I might need to go without going on main roads. The same set up bags for the most part are also at my mothers and one of 6 sisters i dont trust the others and neither of my two brothers ..  I plan to add a gps although our phones can do that but they can also be tracked.  I also have a tablet that can be taken with a solar charger to be used provided the inet and such are still up and running. It has its own net 3g connection and isnt used buy the same carrier as my phones and also can be put into wifi only mode. I review and revise the contents and update the food inthese now and then too.

[Shogun]

It's not mentioned above but I also keep thermal shirts and pants (black under armor/dickies streatch kind) in these bags as well. Light duty but effective.

[Shogun]

I've recently updated the water filter/purifier pumps and added in a solar charger to a few on the main bags. I've also added more pair of the thermal under cloths due to the cold winters these last 2 yrs especially the car kits.

 

pump http://www.ebay.com/itm/271253996041?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

solar usb charger. http://www.ebay.com/itm/121410498678?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

Both are pretty cheap and handy to have.

[Cavadus]

Man, I don't know dick about water purification or filtration.  I really need to educate myself on the topic as it's arguably the single most important survival skill to have.

[Shogun]

Man, I don't know dick about water purification or filtration.  I really need to educate myself on the topic as it's arguably the single most important survival skill to have.

Well those item I mention above make it super easy. They simply filiter out all kinds of stuff including any nasties that live in the water that would cause you some sickness. They work so well they are suggested for trips to 3rd world countries. Just pump the water into a clean glass/bottle/canteen and you good to go. The one I listed is good for 2000 liters before a filter change. I keep a lot of bottled water around but its not great fun to carry gallons of water if you need to bug out. I do keep bottled water at certain places so I don't have to lump it. Also this is nice if hike a trail or camping and become low on water etc. you can also boil any water you find to kill the nasties if you don't have one of these but for 20-30$ these are very handy.

[Cavadus]

What's the skinny with the microbial filtration?  I almost don't even care about getting dirt or algae or whatever out.  I couldn't find any solid reviews on that type of filtration for that model.  Says it filters 100% of bacteria but that seems almost impossible.  Or is it actually easy?

I definitely need to pick a few up.

[Destroy]

I don't know much about the quality of the one shogun listed, but I know quite a few backpackers that use the one I linked below. It has an adapter that allows you to pump straight into a camelback that is pretty nice.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002CN82V2/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_CXx0ub1TF0X71

[Shogun]

Here is a highly rated one for 20$. Life Straw http://www.ebay.com/itm/LIFESTRAW-PORTABLE-Personal-WATER-FILTER-Purification-Purifier-Survival-Gear-/380984598508?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58b4739fec

 

Product Features:

 

* Award-winning LifeStraw has been used by millions around the globe since 2005

 

* Removes minimum 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria (>LOG 6 reduction) and surpasses EPA standards for water filters

 

* Removes minimum 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites (>LOG 3 reduction) and filters to an amazing 0.2 microns

 

* Filters up to 1000 liters of contaminated water WITHOUT iodine, chlorine, or other chemicals

 

* Comes in a sealed bag, perfect for storing for emergencies

I have this and the other. They don't filter virus' though as those are way smaller than bacteria. My 1st posted one filters to .1 microns so its a little better. Still either way or the one Destroy posted and others are way better than just drinking from the stream,pond, etc. I'd use this with caught rain water. If not pressed for time I'd still boil water to save these for when on the run or a place where fire isn't available.

[Lightfoot]

Just wanted to make this known... that no go-bag is complete without a woobie.

If you don't know what a woobie is, look it up.

[Munster]

I finally found this topic again,

 

So I just move down to earthquake country and think i need to make up a bug home bag and a bug out bag. any suggestions on where to start looking or where to start. I was thinking of buying a ready made for my car and building the bug-out as I go. I was looking at something like this: http://echo-sigma.com/echo-sigma-runner/

 

what are  your thoughts?  

 

Munster

[Cavadus]

I probably wouldn't start out with anything pre-built, IMO.

There are some absolute basics you'll need:  first aid stuff, food, water, socks, maybe a decent pair of boots, foot powder, knife, fire starting stuff (bag if cheap bic lighters is pretty much the best though a ferro rod and magnesium stick is a good backup, and then some dryer lint and/or cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly are awesome tinder, maybe candles too), ibuprofen, $100 in small bills, the ole P38 can opener, 550 cord, 100mph (duct) tape, gorilla glue, pistol, ammo, and holster.

I'd start there.  That's a good base for both BOBs and GHBs, IMO.  For the GHB, if you can make the trek safely-ish in a night I'd recommend putting together a GHB and trying the walk home yourself.  Take notes along the way for shit you wish you had, shit that seems really unnecessary, et cetera 

Condor makes a nice small bag called the "Condor Compact Assault Pack" and a nice larger called the "Condor 3-Day Pack."  Very different sizes, the 3-day one is quite large.  If you want higher quality Maxpedition is a great brand and the "Maxpedition Condor-II Pack" is awesome.  Plus all of them come in a variety of solid colors and camo patterns.

I just replaced my school pack with a "Hank's Surplus Military Molle Tactical Assault Multi-Day Backpack" which I have really liked so far.  Extremely heavy-duty zippers and the only weak point I was able to find at all is the across-the-chest strap seems kind of bullshit to me but, I'll be honest, I haven't tested it's strength.

For first aid stuff, you can probably just get a decent "individual first aid kit."  Main things it needs to have is a few israeli bandages, gauze, tape scissors, and a tourniquet.  I'd also recommend throwing in some regular super glue, regular bandages, and some blister bandages too.  I'd also recommend a backpack that has a water reservoir bladder pocket in it.  Most of the military packs do nowadays.

 

For your car, you can use a plastic storage tote for survival-ish stuff.  I have that in the back of my jeep and keep stuff like I mentioned above plus car repair related stuff too.

 

Phew, that's off the top of my head.

[Munster]

Hey thanks Cav, 

 

Working in construction I have an extensive tool kit( work gloves, extra boots rain slic and first aid kit already in my car. I with take a look at the bags and the thanks for the bic lighter idea i hadn't thought of those but makes sense. Cheers

[Striker]

So the thing with bug out bags is that they are only as effective as what you are planning for. Are we talking 1-2 week survival or civilization has collapsed here?

 

Water filtration is the most important thing you will need to pay attention to. My personal opinion is that you should go big or go home on the water purification, so here is my "go big" item for it...

 

http://www.govx.com/p/6361/katadyn-endurance-series-kft-expedition-high-capacity-system

 

$1200-$1500, but 26,000 gallons on the filter compared to the cheap solutions that make 2k liters sound like something impressive. Think of it this way, 3 liters a day per person in your group will be sufficient for hydration in some of the most extreme heat. 2 liters a day is enough for some, but you want to have the ability to have 3 liters without impacting your survival time with clean water.

 

Some people probably need more than 3 liters, but I survived for a few months as one of the spearhead troops of the 2003 invasion in Iraq with a limit of 3 liters per day, so I know it is possible. If you cut that to 2 liters, and you have a group of 10 people, you are looking at 100 days before your filter is bad. Long-term survival will be best with a small group of people that you can trust, but trust doesn't mean survival preparedness.

 

That brings me back to what I was saying about water purification being something to go big or go home on. Keep your people healthy, hydrated, and loyal. Clean water is a huge part of all of those!!!

[Cavadus]

Ha, I'd say for a BOB just stick with a Lifestraw and maybe some bleach tablets.  $20 for 1,000 liters.  The bleach tablets will make water taste like shit but they work and aren't bad for you.

For a permanent bug-in, end of the world as we know it type scenario, a big rain collection system or a well are the only options.  $1,200 seems insane for such an option that really shouldn't be necessary in the long term.  Don't get me wrong, awesome to have and who knows how long one might need that option but... wow, there's just so many other ways to go with $1,200 for BOB stuff.  

 

It would be much easier to just make a purifier from scratch, IMO, in your BO location.  They're very simple and require few materials.

[Odin]

I think it all depends on what you are planing for.  There are a bunch of different scenarios that all require different supplies.  Here is the basic escalation of prepping that I am working on:

 

Get Home:  Pretty simple here. The goal is to just get home from wherever you are.  Equipment would all depend on how long it would take you to get home.  Generally a small backpack with some basic supplies will take care of this one.

 

Bug In:  This one is the most important for me.  To start with, you can store more gear at home.  This allows you to insure that you have the food, weapons., ammo, gear, and even a water source or storage that you would need (Those bathtub bladders are a good example of cheep and easy emergency water storage).  This will also allow you to determine if you need to bug out, and what you need to bug out for.

 

Bug Out, Evacuate the Area:  This would be if you need to leave for a period of time, but will be able to return at a later date.  Your BOB would need everything that you require to survive for the time you are would be gone (Always assume that you will be gone longer than you think you will).  The key here is to insure that you have enough to keep alive for a longer period of time.  Ideally, you have a safe location that you can head to, that has more gear and supplies (Like a cabin).  If you have a group of people that will be bugging out, you should insure that everyone is of the same understanding as to where you are going, how to get there.  Chances are you might get separated, so having periodic rally points, and backup gear spread throughout the group wouldn't be a bad idea.  You should also have more than one plan available.  If you are able to take vehicles, you will be able to carry a lot more gear and people.  If you are on foot, insure that you may want to split up into a couple of smaller groups to insure ease of movement to the next objective.  For some people, they will be traveling with spouses and kids.  This creates a whole different set of challenges that need to be overcome.

 

Bug Out, Long Term Survival:  Classic end of the world type scenario.  Meteor/Zombies/Nuclear...  This is where Strikers $1200 water filter comes in handy!  You would need to insure that your going to be located somewhere that is safe, and have the renewable resources that you will need for the rest of time.  This is the most costly and difficult to prepare for.  It could help to get a group of like minded people together to pool funds, and resources.

 

This got convoluted, and I am forgetting what my point is...

[Destroy]

Odin, I would say that your point is that you need to define the scenario you are planning for in order to properly prepare.

[Lightfoot]

Let's not forget our "Rule of Threes". 

3 seconds without hope
3 minutes without air

3 hours without shelter

3 days without water

3 weeks without food

You will be fine as long as you:

 

• Don't drown or asphyxiate yourself
• Prepare for the very basic needs of fire, water, food, shelter.

Let's not forget that water distillation is also a method for making clean drinking water, and is also very easy to do. Not to mention that if you can distill water, you can distill ethanol for fuel. The process is ALMOST the exact same, save for a way to hyper-cool the ethanol back into a liquid form via a copper tubed water/ice chamber. This can all be done with a heat source, preferably an electric hot plate to avoid open flames. 

The biggest redundancy I have in my BOB is fire or ability to boil water. I have several alcohol stoves I've made and they boil water extremely well. once you boil water, you can use the purification tabs or use a handkerchief to get the big stuff out and then boil to kill any bacteria.