Survival Kits, or BOB

[itgoesboom]

I have been finding myself recently realizing that i don't have very good survival kits and bug-out-bags setup. Kinda abnormal for me, since i have always been pretty well prepared.

Up untill about a year ago, i kept a small bugout bag in my truck, with water bottles, purification tablets, a field jacket, sleeping bag, matches, asprin, compass, and a knife or two. Add into that i had a ruger blackhawk that often went with me in my car, in a locked containter. But, about a year ago, it was stolen, along with the .357.

So now i am considering a couple of survival packs. I am going to design one for my truck, one light one for my home, and a larger one for my home.

Right now i am probably going to concentrate on the smaller one for my home, and i was looking for some help on what to pack.

I know that i will be packing water bottles and water purification tablets and a straw filter, a compass, my Gerber multitool, a first aid kit, pepto bismol, some lightweight food (anyone know where to get those compressed food things that are sold for ocean survival kits?), an extra pair of clothes (probably some camo fatigues), extra socks and waterproofed matches. After i get my Blackhawk .357 back (the FBI found it during a drug raid, and i will be getting it back within a few months), i will probably throw that in as well, with a couple boxes of ammo.

Is there anything else that i am missing?

Also, i am considering putting in some ammo for my rifle or shotgun, or both, but i am not sure how much, and of which i should pack.

I have an SKS and 500 rounds of wolf HP, and a mossberg 500 with around 100 rounds, slugs, birdshot and buckshot.

Any ideas?

I am going to try to pack this all into a Sierra Club backpack that i acquired sometime ago.

After i get this setup, i will work on my other kits as well.

Thanks.

I.G.B.

[Kevlarman]

Try a search on TFL for a wealth of information on BOBs. This thread in particular:

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=111305&highlight=bug+out+bag

[labgrade]

I'm gonna be very brutal here for a good reason. Kinda like smackin' yer kid 'cause he wuz stupid. Told ya = brutal.

No time for being gentle here.

Frankly, just from the nature of your post, you weren't prepared before, & you won't likely be later either - no matter what gear you set aside (which sucked, BTW)

You don't have the survival mindset, likely zip for training & have never spent any time "out there" enough to even ask the right questions - & that just based on your what you say you had in your (stolen) kit & how you relate to it all - let alone, to develop any of the skill-sets to actually live long enough to really whine much.

Hate to pop The Bubble all at once, but comments such as yours makes me want to just take you aside & shake you as A Son & try to do something - anything.

No offense meant.

First & foremost, The Bubble must be popped. You aren't prepared, no matter what amount of (frankly, junk gear) you might have.

Some semblance of that (junk) gear you have won't do you jack without how to actually use it "in the woods." You appear not to have ay woodsy mindset at all.

& frankly, if you're not in "the woods," most of this gear won't do you for jack in The City - so why have it!? If in "the city," why have some of what you've said you need?

"Packed in a Sierra Club backpack?" why are you packing anything if you're staying (if city) & if you're gong to "the woods," you will die. You AND your family, if you have one.

You cannot pack all of your ammo in your backpack - let alone the stuff you really [I]might[.I] need to survive even one night, without combat, just you & a cold, wet evening.

Have you considered any food other than a hypothetical "compressed food-thing?" you've never even seen?

Do you know how to catch a fish by hand?

Reconsider. I pray you do & that you have no family till you have.

Till then, I frankly call you & yours a Candy Store, a pure survival place To Get Women, Food, Vehicles, Stuff-Caches (FWIW = mostly junk stuff, but enough to take - your guns/ammo, food-stuff, camping gear, etc. - never really good enough - but we'll have it because it's better tqan nothing. Worse case = city-folk bring us extra stuff .... & we can always stash it somewhere.)

& that's just to get here.

Likely, you'll just be F'd over bigtime by those who woludn't even give Your Women such courtesy ..... after you are already dead.

[itgoesboom]

Actually labgrade, you are incorrect about me. I spent most of my childhood camping and fishing, although i never did any hunting. I learned wilderness survival, and spent many a night in shelters that i made while out camping including snow camping where we made snow shelters. Fortunatly, i spent seven years in the boyscouts where i was taught to shoot, taught land navigation, taught to fish, taught how to survive in the woods and taught the proper mentality for surviving. Fortunatly, i was in a troop that actually cared about these things, and had the right people to train us.

As for not be prepared you right. Thats why i started this post. Unfortunatly, i havent had all the money i would like to setup the way i would like. Right now i have a start of a large kit which includes food and water, tents, sleeping bags, camp stoves (which will be useless once fuel is gone) water purification, rope, a few firearms extra clothes and such as well as other supplies. This kit is for surviving an emergency while at home, although it is neatly stored, and could be loaded into my truck if needed.

But i am looking to setup a smaller lightweight kit as a grab and go kit. Kinda like what i need to survive if i don't get any warning, but i just need to run. Also a small sierra club backpack is inconspicous, and won't look like a bugoutbag.

As for the compressed food things, yes, i have seen them, and yes i have even eaten a couple of them, i just can't remember where to get them. We used to have them in all of our cars when i lived in Northern California because of the concern of earthquakes. BTW, incase of confusion, i am not talking MRE's here. I am talking about the compresssed blocks that are high in carbs and protein, and taste like crap.

As for thinking that you or someone else would be able to take what i have easily, you better think that through again, unless you have a squad or more to back you up.

And i would think that before you judge someone, you should actually get to know them, unless you really like to look like a horses ***.

I.G.B.

[Elmer Snerd]

Food bars:
http://www.emergencyresources.com/er_p15.html
http://www.emprep.com/food%20water.html
http://www.survivalunlimited.com/mainstay.htm
http://www.ellenskitchen.com/recipebox/powrec.html (scroll to bottom)
http://www.baproducts.com/1206.htm
http://campingsurvival.com/food.html
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/ehsgear/survivalfood.html

[itgoesboom]

Thanks Elmer, thats exactly what i was looking for when i was talking about the "compressed food things".

I.G.B.

[J.Gillespie]

ItGoesBoom...Nice way to handle Labgrade's responce to your thread. Good to see people have sensibility and patience with others who judge them. Even when those who judge make themselves out to be a "Horses ***"

[Fed168]

Pickup a copy of the SAS survival manuals.

[labgrade]

Must appologise for my rant. Please do forgive.

I have been much-stressed lately & THR is my place to dump, off-hours.

J.Gillespie, you are correct in your assessment of my response = an *******. What else to say, other than my response should have been much better ... likely, none at all, at the time would have been better.

Somehow, at the time, the "I don't have any survival skill-thing" just set me off.

Wanted to do the right thing & came off as a total *******. No question.

Frankly, I'll bail out now & jump in later.

You were correct in chastising me, & itgoesboom, sorry, too, I'll try to do better with a realistic post for what you asked.

Have some info, but just beyond my thought process somehow now other than a rant .....

Please forgive.

[itgoesboom]

No harm no foul. It takes a man to apologize.

Also, i am sorry for calling you a horses ***.

I.G.B.

[labgrade]

por nada

Great enough test for the nasty-word tester, if nothing else. ;)

Tell ya what.

I've got something to add to the discussion & really can't now - really, too totally stressed to do thos one right, for now.

Thanks, folks, for the pass.

THR, Right?

Thought so, & a way thumbs up (from an ***hole ;) )

[itgoesboom]

I can understand your stress. I hope everything goes well with your stepson.

If later on you want to add to the conversation, comeon back, we can discuss whats best to have, and whats "junk". And we might even do it civily. ;) Maybe.

I.G.B.

[Gordon]

I'll hang my butt out and tell you what I have. I have an old but waay heavy duty Assualt systems vest with a detachable day pack. The vest has a built in holster where resides a Berreta Jaguar .22 pistol . I have 3 magazines in the built in pockets and an extra box of ammo in pouch for grenade.This vest has 5 pockets for 30 round AR magazines and they are there with 20 round Colt magazines with 18 rounds of "green tip" in each. The back pack is an interesting fold out affair held to vest with fastex buckles and every thing is tight and stable. It has my own field first aid kit with compresses and sutures and antibiotics(lots) Halzone tablets and terlit paper. A $100 bill and 2 $20s. One of those gerber multi tools . An interesting old "commando" wire saw/noose. A weird old experimental gas mask is attatached to vest says " Riot only" and I have a sealed filter pack (its very compact) I got it in early 80s from GI. I have a set of Night Desert pattern BDUs,poly proplyene under wear and socks.In the duffle bag that holds this stuff I have a 5 year old Hard Corp (new in wrap) class 2 vest and a camel back with straw type filter hanging next to it.A gore tex camo field jacket and hermann survivor boots worn couple times. I figure I'll be wearing pistol belt with .45 and mags and knife. Notice no food? I'll be eating Democrats(yes pack has a Zippo and a Surefire and LED head light so I can find em hiding under their desks)!:evil:

[itgoesboom]

"Notice no food? I'll be eating Democrats"

:D Classic. I think that is the best comment so far.

Looks like you have a good setup, especially thinking about antibiotics, i hadn't thought of those yet.

I think the load bearing vest is a good idea, and one that i may move towards at some point. Right now cash is extremely tight, so i will make do whereever i can. But i like the idea of the vest.

I.G.B.

[QKRTHNU]

Those packaged food things are expensive!

Just get some ready to eat canned foods, or even condensed soup if you can stomach it without water. Should be ~$1/meal. Maybe a bag of Grapenuts or some other dense dry cereal.
If you feel the need to splurge buy some Powerbars, every grocery store should stock them.

Screw the matches, buy a pack of cheap lighters.

And pack some Imodium, it would really suck to have the craps and no toilet. Not to mention dehydration if clean water was in short supply.

[itgoesboom]

The immodium is a good idea, thats what i meant when i said pepto bismol originally. As you can probably tell, when i started this thread i was pretty tired, and bordering on incoherent.

I started assembling the kit this evening, and this is what i have put in so far.

1-extra pair of socks
1-pair of BDU's, not because they are camo, but because they are the toughest clothes i have that i don't need for work.
1-small first aid kit. This kit is fairly old, and i really need to upgrade this before i do anything else, since this is vital to me.
1-extra pair of prescription glasses
1-vial of waterpurification tablets, i really think i need a couple more, or a purification filter.
1-packable stove and fuel. I only have one thing of fuel, but i will be picking up another this week, maybe 2.
1-cook set, including 2 sets of utensils and cups.
2-water bottles
1-compass
1-small sheath knife
1-multi-tool
2-books. One book by Tom Brown Jr. (a guide that has different edible and inedible plants that are in my area,) and a army field manual, just as a refresher.
2-boxes of matches, in waterproof containers
6-small candles
1-waterproof flashlight
1-deck of cards (got to keep up moral)
1-notebook for notes, and observations
200-rounds of 7.62x39HP, 100 rounds on stripper clips, 100 rounds left in boxes, and 10 extra stripper clips.

I think thats all i got in there so far.

Here are the things i want to add soon
new first aid kit. The one i have is old, and has been used a few times, and is missing some items.
topographical maps of the area
small fishing kit
rope
twine
ducktape
more waterpurification equipment, either tabs, iodine or filters.
immodium ad tabs
some lightweight emergency rations.


Right now the pack weighs probably only 10-15 lbs, and is balanced pretty evenly.

There is other equipment that i have/or want to have for my larger home survival kit as well, but i want this one to be light, and easy for me to carry.

The idea behind this is just in case the need for a speedy evactuation, either due to natural disasters, or a man-made situation. Basically anything thing that causes my home to be dangerous to occupy. I would just like to have something that i could grab in just a few seconds with enough to let me and my wife survive the situation.

Anybody see anything that i am missing?

I.G.B.

[Oracle]

The SAS manuals by John "Lofty" Wiseman are very good, the big one covers basic survival in virtually any environment, as well as building shelters, fires, traps, etc. If you're going to have one book in your BOB, I would suggest the SAS Survival Handbook.

As for contents of your BOB, don't think about specific items as much as what things you will need to accomplish specific tasks that you can forsee having to do. Do you think you'll have to cut down trees, or other foliage to build a shelter or fire? Then include an axe, hatchet, khukri, or other chopping device. Think you'll want to be able to boil water? Carry a metal cup, pot, messkit, or other high walled metal container (I like the West German messkits, and U.S. issue canteen cups). Need to carry water? Carry a canteen, camelback, waterbag, 2-liter empty coke bottle or some other resealable container. Think along those lines, and you'll be fine. You don't need the latest high-speed, low drag gear. Think what you'll need for "roughing it" camping.

Some items are fairly indispensable. Always carry a means to disinfect water. You'll die in a few days without water, assuming you're otherwise healthy, you can go weeks without food (and food of some kind is usually available wherever you go). Don't worry about food as much as a means to disinfect water. Carry a pocketknife or good, quality multi-tool. There are a thousand uses for these things, and they take up very little room. I put several in my pack. As has been mentioned, take Immodium AD or something like it, that's the last thing you need, and there are bunches of things in the woods that can cause it.

[Edward429451]

More socks. 3 pr minumum. You cant take good enough care of your feet. New but broken in high quality boots. Military poncho, good for so many things. Coast guard rations like you said.

Matches are good. Lighters are better. Butane torches are best (barely bigger than a bic lighter and so much better)

Communications and batteries anyone???? HT's are nice but the short range Vox headsets might be just the ticket for personal coms...

[ARGarrison]

I.G.B., check out this sites;

http://www.equipped.org
Look under Survival kits and D.R. Survival kits both in left hand colum.

http://www.escape-co.com/emergency_preparedness.htm
Look at 'Get & go bag' and 'planning an escape'

[MPFreeman]

Don't forget MRE's (http://www.longlifefood.com)

[Elmer Snerd]

By QKRTHNU:Those packaged food things are expensive!
Just get some ready to eat canned foods, or even condensed soup if you can stomach it without water. Should be ~$1/meal. Maybe a bag of Grapenuts or some other dense dry cereal.
If you feel the need to splurge buy some Powerbars, every grocery store should stock them.
This is a valid point as well. MRE's, vacuum-packed food bars, enameled cans, freeze-dried meals, etc. offer long shelf lives, but are expensive. I can see their utility for burial in bugout caches or as supplies for remote places that cannot be maintained/visited regularly. This article (http://www.ext.vt.edu/news/releases/060198/shlflife.html) has more shelf life information.

A BOB in your home or car can be easily kept current with ordinary food. In a SHTF situation, ordinary canned/boxed goods will attract less attention in trade or consumption than (for example) MRE's or pouches of freeze-dried gopher. If a "state of emergency" or martial law is declared, being caught (during a "routine public safety search", of course) with "military" or "survival" food would probably get you "detained" with the other "terrorist militia members" and "survival nuts" as well. IMHO, you should not wear military camo for this reason as well.

Here (http://www.hardcoretalk.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=19&DaysPrune=1000&submit=Go) and here (http://www.hardcoretalk.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=20&DaysPrune=1000&submit=Go) are survival/SHTF threads with more ideas.

[labgrade]

As you can probably tell, when i started this thread i was pretty tired, and bordering on incoherent"

I can certainly relate. ;)

I do love these "what ifs"-type threads if only for an exercize on what not to do.

First thing I missed was where you're at (I got Oregon), & if city versus more rural. Depending & based on where you're at, I'd plan on either staying or leaving. That, & if a family is involved & their skill-set makes a huge difference in what you can even pull off.

I'd think we have such an area that we could pull off a "barricade" & shut off anyone much else entering the area. (Pssst, Bob ??? you there?) Most terrain doesn't allow it.

& a true extended appology. We had a TFL conversation where a guy was going to take his family (Pampers & all ... sigh) to a Nat'l Forest campground to "live off the land." I guess I slammed him pretty hard too as I just saw this poor young man trying to save his family while only putting them in a greater danger.

Our personal current stress & a "TFL flashback" (not to mention an adult beverage) ... well, I write much more antagonistic than I speak - whatever. Worse case, do consider the source. ;)

For us, not all that rural, but certainly not The City, we'll hang out here.

Have to ask though, IGB, can you even walk around with a pack with 2X shooters - 500 rnds of X39 & 100 rounds of 12 gauge stuff + all the rest?

Quick critique from your list

I'd dump the matches & take a few Bic mini-lighters. (although I always have a few strike anywheres - go figure) Can you start a fire with a bow 'n drill?

Maps are great - better to have already known the terrain. No maps = no compass = you can always orient to the stars/sun & terrain/conditions will always dictate where you go next. Always nice to have a paper-trace of where you're at & where you'd like to go.

Birthday cake candles are great - light/considerably less space.

Multi-tool = I'd check to see if a Swiis Army knife could do better for functionality. Just check it out.

If bugging out, I think I'd reconsider the armament. You won't be fighting, if so = ya just gotta be better than anything else out here. I'd be hard-pressed not to consider a suppressed 10/22 or the like. My fave-dream-gun for this would be a Contender in suppressed .300 Whisper, with appropriate supressed & sonic deer-rounds. A supressed .22LR handgun would be a big plus. I would always be thinking "I'm not here" attitude - never seen, never heard, not here at all.

Anything fishing, I'd consider just hanging a lightweight line off an overhanging twig. Food'll be there the next morning/day. Fish will hook themselves. Couple dozen hooks (hard to carve) & a couple 100 yd spool of Spiderwire-stuff.

Do get your first aid kit up to date. Too much to go into here for a "basic kit."

No twine. Use the real 550 parchute cord - just too many uses not to use this as a basic.

You got a PM - one as a personal appology & some further.

Again, to IGB & to all here, a sincere mea culpa & "hangs head"= I wuz rediculous in my initial reply.

[itgoesboom]

Labgrade,

Glad you were able to make it back for the conversation. Some good ideas in your post.

Here are some answers to your questions;

1st, i live outside the city, in the suburbs, right on the edge of a rural area. Plenty of streams and rivers around here to fish and find water. Although, if it came down to it, and we had to evacuate, i would want to go farther away than where we currently are. In almost any case we would plan on staying put, and living off of what we currently have. In our home we have enough water for the two of us to live for about a week, and more than enough food for that amount of a time. We would only evacuate if there was no other option. In that case, i would hope that i would have time enough to grab all f our supplies, and head out by truck. But i know that that is not really realistic, so i figure its good to have something that i can grab at a moments notice, and carry while on foot. We do have family to the east and west, (both about 15 miles, so about 1/2 hr drive normally, or a 1-2day hike, if it came down to it).

I do have a wife, so obviously she would be coming with. While she is not 100% prepared, she knows enough, and she has her head screwed on right, so she would do just fine. She enjoys camping, and loves to hike.

As for carrying the B-o-B, right now it is only at about 15lbs, plus my rifle (another 7-8), so its less than 30lbs. Thats less then the photography equipment and laptop that i often carry around. I decided against carrying the shotgun, and i put only 200 rounds of 7.62x39 in the bag, just so that it wouldn't weigh too much. I have personally done several week long or longer hikes (50-60 miles, rough terrain, in good and bad weather) with well over 60lbs, and have done a few 5-8 mile hikes with 100lbs (when others were unable to pull their own weight), so i am confident about my ability to carry what i need, and still move fairly quickly. Although, i really would hate to ever carry that much weight again. My wife wouldn't carry nearly as much, so i am sure she will do just fine as well. I am pretty confident that with me carrying less than 40lbs, and my wife carrying less than 20lbs, we could make up to 10miles a day. Maybe less depending on the altitude, and how cold it is.

Good idea on the .22lr, and that is already being taken care of as well. When i was a kid, my family purchased either a Marlin or a Remington .22 rifle, and since no-one has used it since i moved away, my family has offered to ship it to me in the near future. Knowing them, its already in the mail. I'll pick up a few bricks of ammo, and that will be the rifle that my wife gets to carry, since it is light, and easy to use. I also have my great-grandmothers old .410 shotgun (guess she used to harass the local gangs when she was in L.A. :D ), and i am thinking of taking that to a smith, and having it looked over, since it would probably make a decent bird gun. But i think the .22 would be more practical. The reason for the SKS is incase i run into someone who looks at me as, well, in your own words, "a candy store." If things went bad, there is a possibilit i would have to walk through some lightly populated areas in order to get to the woods, and i would rather be able to defend myself and my wife than not. And as you probably noticed in my thread in the hunting section, i have never hunted before, so i would hate to have to learn under that kind of stress. So most likely, i would rely on fishing and scavanging for food. But if i had to, i would, and thats where the .22 would be very nice to have. Although, i do also know how to do snares for small animals ( we used to practice in boy scouts). As for fire, you guys are right about the lighters being a better choice, and i will pick up a pack of them this week. And yes, i can make a fire with a bow, although i would prefer not to have to expend the energy required if at all possible ;) .

Thanks again for all your input. Hopefully, i will be able to get this kit how i would like it by spring or summer. Its close but not quite ready.

I.G.B.

[beta]

Those interested in BOB's etc..., and survival in general may want to visit http://www.frugalsquirrels.com lots of info and debate on survival and political issues.

Warmest regards,

[mpthole]

IGB:

Depending on the nature of the crises (sp?) you may want to consider moving/traveling only at night. Granted, its much slower but may offer better protection. It all depends on the situation of course. YMMV.

Sounds like you've got a lot of good experience hiking. Good job! :cool: I wish I had as much. The GF and I are working on it.

[roscoe]

This and the SHTF rifle are my favorite threads. People are endlessly creative about these things, I must say.

I just thought I would remind you that water is you most important thing to worry about. Most places in the US it is contaminated by livestock so you need something that is dead reliable. I use Polar PUR iodine crystals that are by far, for the weight, the best purification available. I have purified water from literally all over the world with it and not caught anything.

The next concerns are shelter/warmth, then food. Much depends on how long you figure to be out there. A quality backpacking tent is good, but I have never been able to get one to last longer than six months, living in it day after day. The UV rays just eat them up. Those canvas safari tents last a lot longer, but you need a truck to carry them.

Food - well, pre-prepared food is good, but how much can you realistically carry? If your fantasy survival scenario is longer than a few days or a week (and you are on foot) then you need to learn how to hunt and butcher. Among firearms, a .22 is the best weight-wise, but a shotgun is a lot more versatile. You can't shoot birds on the wing or kill the undead with a .22.

All that advice about parachute cord and magnesium firestarters and antibiotics is good, but, as you may have read on TFL, the main thing you need is lots of tinfoil.

mpthole: Hiking at night? You ever tried it with a full pack on? Unless you are on a nice smooth trail its a good way to end up with an ankle injury or worse. And if you use a light, why heck, they can see you! Unless you are in the French Resistance, I wouldn't try it. Tinfoil will help in this situation as well.

[mpthole]

roscoe: These things require a certain amount of "suspension of disbelief".... IIRC, that's the term I've heard regarding movies. Tinfoil is good - its an oxygen barrier. :) So, be sure your survival food is wrapped in it and not just plastic. Of course, if the situation was so friggin bad that it was too dangerous to walk around with a full pack and openly carrying a rifle :uhoh: then one might consider traveling at night. Don't know about where you're from, but with a full moon I can see pretty good out there in farm country where there's hardly a tree to be seen...

Obviously this is all speculation. Frankly, if it gets that bad and an EMP hasn't taken out my car and the road isn't blocked, I'll be driving to my buddy's farm out in the middle of nowhere. :D And yes, I have hiked at night up a mountain with a pack on, but they let me use a flashlight until the sun came up. ;)

[roscoe]

mpthole: Well if the EMP has disabled your car then likely you will have to deal with mutant zombies from the atomic blast. And they can see in the dark. Surprisingly, however, they cannot bite through tinfoil.

[Keith_Yorktown]

I compiled these lists when we discussed this back on TFL several months ago...

http://home.earthlink.net/~grimitch/TFLGoBag.htm

and here are some photos with lists of my current car bag...

http://home.earthlink.net/~grimitch/TFL_BOB.htm



What's not included: clothes... Have these in a seperate bag that I change depending on the season.

[mercop]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid44/p56d6b3e19c69124572d0daf9b75ffbe5/fcde2eeb.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid44/pdff046ca3c3803ac078cdbcf5d67c459/fcde2ee8.jpg
The vest fits in a the pictured Helment Bag. It is not everything I would ever need but I have the luxury of a take home police car and carry everything but the kitchen sink in the truck. In the event of an emergency I would also have access to places to get more things. I wanted to have a vest to throw on if I was working and say a call for an active shooter came out or a woodline search. I have all my SWAT stuff but this is a good hook up. Before I had any say so my team was issued Safariland Cover Six Tac Vests. They are good armor but we could not afford all the pockets. I just "happened" to keep my old Eagle vest. Notice I use a mag pocket for my Glock 23. It is very fast and you don't loose three mag pouches to make room for a holster. Below is my EDC I have on me all the time. Any ideas and opinions would be very appreciated. Oh, and if you notice a lot of knives and flashlights it's because well... I love knives and flashlights.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid44/p683905a13ff8e40ebab15f1740bde2da/fcde2e9f.jpg
Food/Water
Protein Bars (2)
70 Oz Camelbak

First Aid
Trau-Medic Bandages (2)

Signaling
Chem Sticks (4)
Krill Lamp
CMG Infinity LED Light
Butane Lighter

Cordage
Spider Wire (approx 50ft)
550 Cord (approx 25 ft)
Zip Ties (10)
100 MPH Tape (approx 10 ft) *550, Zip Ties, 100 MPH stored in/around toothbrush holder.

Miscellaneous
Carabineer
Garbage Bags (2)


Guns/Ammo
Glock 23 W/ 3 mags loaded with 40 rnds of Winchester Silver Tips
AR-15 Mags (4) 30 rnd mags loaded with 28 rnds each
12 GA Slugs (10)

[roscoe]

What are the 12GA shells for? I don't see a shotgun.

[ctdonath]

A key factor in deciding how to make my BOB was deciding that it is only for 2 days' survival: enough time to get somewhere I can manage better supplies (such as walk home from work, ~30 miles). A change of cammo clothes, jacket, 2 MREs, water bag, blanket, space blanket, first aid kit, waterproof matches, two ponchos (make tent), knife, boots, and some other misc. stuff. It is NOT intended for long-term survival, only enough to get me somewhere friendly via a night or two in the woods. Living off the land is far less likely than a societal meltdown requiring me to hoof it home (rural). Even more likely use is a spontanious weekend camping trip: have just enough to keep warm and fill the belly a couple times.

Currently it's all crammed into a Camelback pack; not a great choice as it's relatively heavy itself, and when filled with stuff there's not much room to fill the water bladder.

[mercop]

Mossberg 590 is always in the trunk. I will take picks of my five survival guns soon.

Bushy M4
Glock 23
Mossberg 590
Ruger MKII
Ruger 10/22

[ctdonath]

Anyone know of a good compact case for an M4 (16" barrel with collapsed stock)? For various reasons I don't want a gun in my BOB, but do want a second bag with guns/ammo. Compact is key.

[mercop]

I have heard of people using a baseball bat bag to store their AR and small BOB. Good idea and would not draw unwanted attention during an otherwise calm police contact.

[mrstang01]

And what kind of pack does everyone use for the B.O.B?

[itgoesboom]

Looks like we have a lot more good information coming. Keep it up.

I.G.B.

[4 eyed six shooter]

One thing not mentioned. If you are really concerned with survival if things go really wrong, one of the best things you can do is to move to an area where it is easier to survive in the first place. I lived in So-Cal and for a number of reasons including the above, I relocated to an area in Idaho where it would be much easier to ride out bad times. I keep a kit in my vehicle, but it is mostly for surviving getting stuck in cold weather (yes, there is a firearm and ammo always with me). Living where I do, not near any large city, I belive that I could ride out almost any problem right at home. I have food, a hand pump for the well, ways of keeping warm, making light and cooking for a long time without power, gas masks, first aid kits, meds, etc etc. I also have great neighbors who have lived here for generations who still remember how to get along without all the modern things we take for granted. People here (with the exception of the tree huggers who won't last long) are the type to band togather in bad times.
Being in the right place at the right time is much easier than trying to get away from a seriously bad situation in some urban jungle. It took some sacrifices to get here, but was worth it. The slower pace of life here agrees with me and hell, I've always been somewhat of a redkneck anyway. :evil:

[HS/LD]

If I may ask a question has anyone here ever actually had to use a BOB in a REAL situation?

What was the sit?
How long?
What worked?
What didn't that you thought would?

I have grabbed a gun and run, for real, a couple of times.

An old Army buddy arrived at my house on a Wednesday afternoon and said:
"Two minutes! We're bugging out!" and stood there looking at his watch.
I was holding two beers and wearing a pair of track pants with no shirt or shoes.
I made it out in 1:40.
We had to steal toilet paper (and beer) from a couple of hunters:D
We spent the next four days in the bush, it rained the whole bloody time. :(

And never forget, with absolutely nothing but your brain and determination you can pretty much get everything else you need to survive.

Regards,
HS/LD

[D.W. Drang]

I think you need to define what it is you're preparing for. Your use of the term "Bug Out Bag" implies that you're expecting to have to hit the road on short or no notice--the first guy I knew who use the term had been SF in Viet Nam, and had a "small Alice" packed with essentials in case the A Camp got overrun; the next guy who used it was (I found out later) a drug dealer who wanted to be ready to head out the back as the DEA came in the front...:what:
Are you getting ready for a temporary loss of services in case of fire, flood, earthquake, or a horde of anarchists from Eugene? :D The fall of civilization and the End Of The World As We Know It? (TM REM.) Are you just paranoid and hanging out with the wrong people?

What got me wondering was the 200 rounds of Commie Thirty--it's either not enough or far too much; either way if you're bugging out you need to be able HUMP all this stuff. (When I was putting together my own bug out pack in the Army I settled on a butt pack for my web gear. If I couldn't get it in or on there it wasn't essential...)
Consider that if it's simply that you are fleeing a flood you MAY be able to talk your way into the refugee center with an SKS in you hands, but you won't be staying for long...

[Dr.Rob]

Most BOB's are as Labgrade described, wishful thinking.

However, an "Earthquake" kit or "roadside" kit makes good sense no matter where you live.

Every time I go into the woods I go knowing if I had to spend the night unexpectedlyI could. I might not like it, but I've done it before. (And if you haven't done it since you were a boy scout you likely aren't prepared for it.)

There is a big difference in stuffing dry socks and gorp in a fanny pack and claiming to be ready for the coming global super storm (or catastrophe du jour).

I'm going to start up another thread in hunting about what we carry in the woods. You'd be surprised at how similar, and different the lists are.

[labgrade]

Yeah, but labgrade coulda been a lit bit nicer about it the first go 'round. :uhoh:

;)

[Vern Humphrey]

As an old infantryman who has hiked the Appalachian trail, along with a lot of other excursions, let me add a few items:

1. I notice you don't have a groundsheet, sleeping pad, or a tarp/poncho in your list. Without a groundsheet, your sleeping bag won't last long. Without a sleeping pad, it won't do you much good, anyway -- body heat will leak into the ground. Without some sort of tarp, a wet night can turn life threatening.

2. You carry a compass. You need maps, too. And you should know WHERE you're going if you have to go.

3. Your feet are critical -- a man walking can't afford to go lame. Bandaids, moleskin, disinfectant, adhesive tape, and so on are important.

4. If you need to live off the land, shot cartridges will be the most effective ammo you can have.

[itgoesboom]

Some good questions lately here.

I'll give what answers i can, to each poster.

D.W. Don't really see much need for it, but i would rather be somewhat prepared than ever be caught with my pants down. Honestly, i don't expect to ever have to bug out, or head for the hills. So the kit is really just a survival kit for any emergency, with a SKS and a couple hundred rounds thrown in. :D Although the liberals from Eugene do scare me, i am more afraid of their voting and their stench from not taking showers ;) The reason for the ammo is just to keep it handy, "just in case". Including the ammo, the kit weighs in at less than 20lbs, which is still pretty light. If i ever did need to take off, and i didn't want it, the ammo is on one of the outermost pockets, so i can remove it quickly. BTW, not a SF operator, not a drug dealer, and not paranoid.....i just love these preparedness threads. :D Partly the reason i started this thread is that i have heard people mention that the most likely target for an attack is a port city, because it would be the easiest place to sneak a nuke into, but honestly, Portland probably isn't even in the top 20 cities in the US where they would want to attack.

Dr. Rob. Some good points too. Whenever i go hiking with my wife, i take a backpack with the minimum of what i would want incase we got lost, or one of us got hurt. This kit will also be used as a model for what we want to pack in our cars, in case we get lost or stranded or some other emergency. Although, i won't have a rifle in that kit.

Labgrade. Yeah, but you have already shown the character you are made of by apologizing both in public and privatly. Not many people would be willing to do that.

Vern, heres the answers to your question.

1. I do have ground pads and tarps with my camping gear, which is part of a larger Emergency Kit (ie...extra non perishable food, extra water, )
2. I agree. Currently i haven't figured out exactly where we are going, but i am working on that.
3. I agree with this as well. All those items are in my current (upgraded) first aid kit.
4. I know that shot cartridges make sense, but shotgun rounds are very heavy, and i wanted to keep this kit light.

[labgrade]

We've done some pretty serious backpacking. Have one "kit" that's trimmed down to ultra-light - get sick of carrying a boatload of stuff to go "relax."

I've a Mountain Smith internal frame (no frame at all actually except for a closed-cell pad in the back) = about 2200 cu inches. A Gore-Tex bivy bag, 2 lb down bag (good for 20F) & a 3/4 length pad. Bivys get clautrophobic though, so a k-cote/ripstop homemade "tarp" sometimes makes a very lightweight cover/tent-thing - another 1.5 pounds w/cords. Think about same-same as a Eureka 2- man tent fly.

Backpack stove, lightweight/very minimal cookset, homemade first aid kit, coupla other things & you're at around 20 lbs & good for an extended weekend. Having another person to split up some stuff always a good diea except if you get separated & they've got the stove/you the cookset. Happens, but I don't know that cooking (depending) would be so high on my list at first.

I'd want to just get out/away & remain unseen. 'Course, having some comfort stuff is always nice.

Think Vern was talking about handgun shotshells. If so, I disagree with his assessment unless he's tailored some of his own.

[QKRTHNU]

Well if the EMP has disabled your car then likely you will have to deal with mutant zombies from the atomic blast.
Good reason to invest in a Manual Transmission Diesel Automobile w/ Mechanical diesel injection.

Just kickstart it and it's no electricity required transportation.
:D

[Any Cal!]

I use a back pack I bought specially for a survival pack while hunting. Basically a daypack with a hydration bladder that has wide straps, is very sturdy and adjustable. I take short(2 day) trips into the hills to check out my gear. I take water bottles along with the bladder 1) to carry more water, and 2) in case one leaks all its water out. I take matches AND lighters for backup. I carry a small pepsi-can stove that burns alcohol, which doubles as starting fluid if needed. Keep a cheap 9 x 12 plastic drop cloth in your pack. weighs a few ounces, can be used as a ground cloth, a shelter, or to help you get water. I keep a small survival/ first aid kit in my pack with things such as medicine, bandages, candles, etc. Incidentally, I carry 50 assorted rounds of .357, which is probably the heaviest part of my pack. Consider a .22.
Just my opinion.

Any Cal.

[labgrade]

Do check out Dr. Rob's "possibles bag" post in the hunting section. Some ideas there. Sure, it's a hunting thing, but many serious hunters do carry only that which they need to ply their trade (so to speak). & that will vary, depending upon their climate, terrain, etc. - not mention population & all.

Some of us who have been doing it for 30+ years seem to have narrowed it down some.

I know what I have to have to live on. If I had to, I'd rather have more - that comfort thing.

You can only carry so much & there's plenty places you can't drive to.

Getting there may be the worst of your problems. Others will want to perhaps take it, & yours.

Unless we have a locally threatening forest fire (came close 2 yrs back), I can't envision a bug-out scenario - in fact, there's some that will come here to "bug out."

"Ready enough," but it'll be literally hell on earth before that baloon goes up .....

[Skunkabilly]

bump, finally got around to taking a picture of my fire 5lb extinguisher behind the driver's seat.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=191282

[Devonai]

As a volunteer soldier in the Massachusetts Military Reserve (State Guard), I have had to provide virtually all of my own gear, save for a few inconsequential cast-offs from the National Guard. I won't be redundant as most points have been well covered already, save for one.

Are you sure of your sleeping bag?

I've had quite an :banghead: -ing time finding one that suits my needs. The first bag was a mummy sack that I bought from a retail store several years ago. I had no idea what temperature it was rated for. After my first cold weather drill in 2000, I discovered it sure as hell wasn't any better than +30F. I had to spend the night in the warming tent.

Soon warmer weather came and I forgot about it. My replacement for the summertime was simply a wool blanket that worked quite well. As fall approached I purchased a USGI cold weather bag from the surplus store. Again I had no idea what the temperature rating was, but it was bulky enough to engender confidence. It worked well when the winter came along, until the zipper broke :mad: . Fortunately the storm flap had buttons on it so I wasn't totally boned. But the bag was still too bulky and it still wasn't warm enough to beat the worst of the cold to come. After the temperature dropped to about +5F during one drill I decided to bite the bullet and buy a better, hopefully less bulky bag.

So I finally picked up a +10F bag which was on sale for $45. It had a draft collar, which I soon learned is a GREAT idea. This February gave me my first need for it, and besides a surprise snowfall that collapsed my hooch, it worked great.

That being said, I suggest that if you haven't tried out your sleeping bag for some reason, make sure it'll actually meet your needs. If not, it's a nasty surprise in the field.

[labgrade]

My "rule of the field" is that you can always get colder. ;) Even a -20 deg F bag can be comfortable by judicious venting/layering.

In Colorado, a down bag works very well - we have a very low humidity - YMMV in a more humid climate & may be best served with a synthetic filled bag.

With a basic load-out of underwear of a capilene (lightweight & expedition-weight), I can can expand the bag's "thermal-load" another 15-20 degrees. A lightweight down vest+, I can go a bit lower.

Insulate from the ground using a decent pad, use a Gore-Tex bivy sack to isolate from the weather (an extra shield does wonders) - a decent enough bag & you'll be all but set. Some extra "additions," based with some experience & you'll be all set for all but the worst anything M-Nature can throw at you.

Allowing yourself to be dry, warm & comfortable for a decent night's sleep makes for a wonderful next day - it's a big start.

[IRONFIST]

When you have a little spare time, grab some flour and make couple of batches of hardtack. I made some back in 1997! and it is still completly edible. It requires no refrigeration and as long as you keep it dry, it will probably outlive you. I took 10 pounds of flour, added water until it had a bread dough consistency, then added some salt for flavor. I formed this dough into 2 inch x 2 inch squares and put them into the oven at 150 degrees for a few hours. You want these squares DESSICATED. No moisture whatsoever. If it takes a a couple hours more, so be it. When you are done , let them cool and then put them out of the way for few days. Dont refrigerate, that will make them draw moisture. Make sure they are super dry then seal them in a plastic bag. Date it and see how they are doing in a couple months. While not the tastiest foodsource, it will give you something to chew on while on the trail. I took one out awhile ago, poured some hot water on the square and let it sit. After it got softer, I put a dollop of jam on it and it wasnt bad at all. Cheers!

Michael in Sandy, OR