I'll play.
Things I would add to the original list/s:
1. Reliable footwear to get you where you need to go plus extra socks (at least two pair); I wouldn't want to bug-out in slip-on office shoes:
A. 1 x good pair of roomy & well broken in boots (seasonal) or...
B. 1 x good pair of running/trail shoes (warm wx) or...
C. 1 x good pair of TEVA-type sandals (for warm/wet areas)
2. Wrist compass
4. LED headlamp (e.g., Petzl, but any brand would do) w/ spare set batteries
5. Lightweight ABS plastic backpackers trowel for digging catholes, emplacing a small cache, hiding bloody dressings, garments, or food trash/refuse (OPSEC vs. anyone tracking you).
6. 1 x pair of clear ballistic eyewear or shop goggles; enables you to move on foot at night through undergrowth, forest, thickets, etc. (without losing an eye) or to be able to continue driving when your windshield is shattered or shot through; good thing to be wearing whenever there is a high probability of violence
7. 1 x pair Nomex flight gloves (for camoflaging and protecting hands)
8. Bombproof food (able to be stored in BOB/Auto regardless of temperature); small plastic bottle/tube of honey, lifeboat rations, tube of glucose tablets, pilot crackers, trail mix, salted nuts, etc.
9. 1 x small hotel sized bar of soap in a small ziplock, one small tube tri-biotic ointment, moleskin patches, 1 x small (1oz) betadine bottle, 1 x small foot powder, and one small anti-crotch rot medication (hygiene while on the move and sweating or blistering a lot)
10. 2 x OD cravats (use as handkerchief, bandana, head covering, washcloth, gun cleaning rag, bandage, splint tie, belt, arm sling, water filter, face covering, tourniquet, camoflage, sweat rag, etc.)
11. 25' OD parachute cord (a million uses)
12. Rain Parka (always)
13. Warm Hat (always)
14. Cash, credit cards, encrypted memory stick (copies of ID, legal documents, addresses, bank info, phone numbers, etc.)
15. Gun/knife/tool oil (1-2 oz small plastic bottle)
16. P38 type folding can opener, spork, canteen cup or equivalent
17. Nicotine gum or caffeine tablets (to stay awake)
18. Benedryl tabs (to go to sleep or mitigate allergies, insect bites, etc.)
19. Aspirin, Tylenol, or Ibuprofin
20. Multi-vitamins (one per bug-out day); not really needed short term, but take up no space and can't hurt during a stress event
21. Cut-down backpacker foam sleeping pad (butt pad sized or stadium seat pad); 3/4 body length if you have room on your BOB; insulate yourself from the cold, hard, or wet ground when eating, resting, maintaining, watching, or sleeping
22. Water-proof bivouac sack with military poncho liner or lightweight sleeping bag (in all but very hot climates); good (survivable) to about 28 F
Things I might add to the original list/s:
1. Chemlites (emergency cold wx light when batteries die)
2. Rain Pants (your call)
3. 10 foot length of OD or dark colored 1" flat tubular nylon (use for wall & structure climbing aid, safety line, Swiss seat, weapon sling, belt, repair straps, lashings, hootch construction, litter construction, above ground cache suspension, come-along for a poncho raft, hammock tie, rope substitute, pet leash, trunk tiedown, game hoist, ammo/fuel/water can tie down, etc.); 1 x lightweight aluminum carabiner
4. GPS, map, protractor, tritium compass (lensatic or orienteering) for navigation, route planning, night movement
5. 1 x pair OD nylon running shorts ("Ranger Panties" or USMC issue); lose the skivvies (bacterial culture rag); alternatively a pair of spandex 3/4 running shorts; will reduce chaffing while on a foot march; something to wear while drying out your pants
6. Small prybar (for pesky windows, doors, locks, containers...)
7. Small (pocket sized) AM/FM/SW portable radio (for when you need to know what the hell is going on or for a weather forecast); plug-in earphone; solar/crank/battery are available
8. Warm Gloves (seasonal)
9. A compact pop-up umbrella for instant shelter (seriously); color depends upon whether you anticipate needing to hide or needing to be spotted
10. GI or backpacker lightweight poncho (with grommets) and at least 6 lightweight bungee cords for quick erection/takedown of a 4 or 5 point hootch to protect from sun, rain, snow, or wind; weighs far less than any tent and allows low-to-ground construction while still providing 360 visibility around your hootch
Some things I have noticed in almost every BOB thread I've ever read are:
1. Folks tend to subconciously assume fair weather.
2. People tend to worry more about weapons and foraging gear than on ensuring their continued mobility and protection from the elements. Subsistance foraging is an art and requires a fair amount of skill, knowledge, and luck (no competition and available resources). I've seen otherwise well trained people produce fishing kits in the middle of sandy deserts.
3. BOBers inordinately focus on food supplies to accomplish what are usually planned movements of only a few days (i.e., getting from work back to home). You won't starve for several weeks (even if you never eat a bite while bugging out). Naturally, you will get slower and tire more easily as your metabolism changes. Quick energy food is enough for the BOB.
Of course, you can "what if?" things to death, and at a certain point a BOB is indistinguishable from an Appalachian Trail through hiker's heavy backpack. The things you need to survive a hot summer night in Alabama are a lot less than those required to survive a February night in North Dakota.
Whether on foot or in a vehicle, exposure to the elements is still your greatest threat (after immediate threats like fire, flood, zombies, etc). Yes, you can survive in a snow-storm with just an alpine assault daypack, but...you had better know what you are doing.
For me, a BOB is something that I can
run with for several hundred yards and whose weight and contents will allow me to (possibly) make a 12-20 miles a day on foot for 3-4 days.
BTW: I always enjoy these threads. I've spent a lot of years outdoors and in unusual situations of geography or unrest. This has tended to distill my view of "needs". I figure if even one person gets something out of these threads (and lives), then the typing effort was well worth it. When I'm feeling really apathetic about typing something new...I post links to older posts.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=5643456#post5643456
