What should a bug-out kit contain?

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+1 for poles. Descending Cascade volcanoes made me a convert. They save serious wear and tear on your knees when descending and generally improve your load carrying ability overall.

They're also a great place to store some duct tape. Wrap a couple yards about a 8" below the handle and then when you are traversing a slope you can "choke up" the pole with your up-hill hand and use the lower "handle" you've made.

You can also get them where the upper shaft of one will stack on to the other to create a 6-8' pole. Great for the conical tarp tents like the Black Diamond Megamid, etc. since it means you can leave the dedicated pole behind.

For those with the time, interest and ability to make their own gear (a la Jardin) find a source for Silicon impregnated nylon. This fabric is a great all around material for making stuff sacks, tarps, and other gear that you want to be reasonably waterproof. You will need to seal all seams. Or, if you just like the "Go Light" philosophy you can give some fellow disciples your business. Go Lite
 
".....Hold quite a few strike anywhere matches in there too."


Keeping strike anywhere matches in with the cable saw can start a fire, or worse. The saw could ignite the matches with movement or impact.

There are several stories I have heard of guys in the woods carrying strike anywhere matches in things not designed to carry matches, such as glass bottles, or wrapped in something soft and waterproof. If fallen on, they sometimes explode or burn. The metal or plastic waterproof match cases are much safer to carry matches in.
 
minimalist shelters

RWC mentioned the Black Diamond series and the GoLite equipment (thanks for that link; hadn't heard of them before) and other "minimalist" shelters.

For a thread like this, where folks are trying to put together a "bug out kit" without necessarily wanting to invest big $ in camping gear per se, but still wanting a functional shelter (VERY advisable, IMO), the minimalist approach is a great solution: light, less expensive, often "bomb proof" (a mountaineering term denoting a shelter that will withstand horrific storms in the high country where there is little wind protection).

I've been eyeing Black Diamond's Betamid for years. (It's a smaller version of their Megamid.)

Just found this page from a company (near me, actually) I've bought gear from in the past and had good experiences with. It includes both the Black Diamond gear, the GoLite gear (at least some of it) and a few others for pretty good prices. I'm sure there are other sources out there, as well, but this page is useful for comparison of various styles and models.

http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/familydetail.cfm/LightweightShelters

A couple of things to keep in mind about minimalist shelters:

1) usually no bug netting (although some have add on accessories)
2) usually no floor (although some have add on floors)
3) if they are battened down tightly, given that they are usually single-walled (i.e., no rain fly) they tend to allow condensation inside if not ventilated properly and kept off of bags and gear. I've had experiences in single-walled shelters where I actually got wetter inside than I would have without it. But it doesn't take long to learn how to prevent that from happening with proper ventilation, keeping wet surfaces off of gear, etc.
 
My B.O.B.

Ok, my “bug-out kit” is actually a bag and is a milsup pack, but here is what it contains:
HTML: 
1	OSK (Oh Sh*t Kit)
1.1		Magnesium/Flint starter
1.2		Basic Knife & Whetstone
1.3		Trioxane fuel bars (3-5)
1.4		Lint (yes, the stuff from the dryer)
1.5		3 Waterproof containers of waterproof matches
1.6		Compass w/mirror
1.7		Wire saw
1.8		Mini fishing kit
1.9		Emergency (a.k.a. Space) blanket
1.10		Hand-crank radio
1.11		Micro Water filter
1.12		Small bottle of Chlorine Bleach
1.13		Twist ties
1.14		2 pr. Extra socks
1.15		Sewing kit
1.16		2 Large trash bags (bottle return size)
1.17		5 Large ziplock bags
1.18		3 pk of condoms (not for what you think)
2	Emergency Reloading Kit
2.1		Bullet puller
2.2		Lee Hand Press
2.3		Grab Dies, Primers and powder when necessary for 9mm & .300WSM
2.4		100 9mm bullets (115gr FMJ) & 25 .300WSM bullets (150gr SPBT)
3	3 full MREs
4	First Aid Kit
5	Disaster blanket (vacuum sealed)
6	SP6 ChuteCord Knife & SP8 ChuteCord Machete
7	10'x10' plastic sheet
8	50' rope with 1500# or more rating
9	50' 550 parachute cord
10	AAA Flashlight w/ 2 extra bulbs & spare batteries
11	8x25 Field glasses
12	3 Camo Bandanas

Some of you may say it's a bit much, but the everthing except the disaster blanket, MREs and handloading kit will fit in the 3 outer pouches. I have enough room inside for 9 more MREs and additional emergency stuff if necessary.

I'm not a survivalist nut, I'm just paranoid. :D

Berek
 
Regarding soda bottles for water.. Once on a bushwalk, I slipped and fell rather heavily and managed to crack the plastic soda bottle in my backpack - losing all the water. Thankfully, others in the group shared water (not only altruistic but a group can only move at the pace of the slowest person), but it was a really hot day in summer and everyone was somewhat dehydrated by the time we reached water at the end of the day. I like the aluminium bottles because they dent but don't break. (test the lid for leaks also) Plastic bags or wineskins would work also. I own one of those small MSR pumps which has served me well - but a pump only works if there is water to pump !

It seems that carrying longarms is a problem. I wonder if anyone can come up with some good ideas for disguising/hiding a long arm when on foot in a refugee/bug out situation ?
 
Nematocyst-870 said:
if your 'kit' is a single backpack, let alone a 'fanny pack', ask yourself, how comfortable would i be with just this gear & supplies for a week, or a month?

if the answer is, 'very comfortable', then, you should offer workshops, or at least write a pamphlet, on how you plan to do it.
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As you can see from my "off-the-top-of-my-head" b.o.b. list, I would feel very comfortable. I forgot to add that my pack has a 5 quart camel pack in it.

Someone did make a web page with some good tips and such, it's http://www.therangerdigest.com/index.html.

Maybe I will take your advice and expand on "Ranger Rick's" web page with my own.

Berek
 
wizard of oz: Actually, Stevens has an AR-7 which is a .22LR semi auto that stores in it's own butt stock. It was designed for Air Farce (j/k :D ) pilots in an eject situation.

Also, the Hi-Point 9mm carbine is easily concealed in my milpack.

Berek
 
Nematocyst-870,

Yes, the item you linked at the airsoft site is one of the types I had in mind. There are a whole pile of military surplus items both U.S. and foreign that will work too, and another pile of commercial copies etc. The old "ALICE" (All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment) was of the harness and belt type. On google try these for examples and ideas:

load bearing harness vest
survival vest
aircrew vest

I have even seen WW2, Korean and Vietnam era aircrew vests for sale online on surplus seller sites and eBay.

Another idea is to make your own; something I haven't tried yet but have several ideas in mind. One is to find a snug sized heavy cotton duck or canvas jacket, cut the sleeves off just outside the shoulder seams, add heavily gussetted tabs at the back for a buttpack etc and maybe dedicated pockets or even a holster like the old C-1 aircrew vests of WW2 etc (Incidently I have seen the C-1 vests made as repros as well as originals for sale on eBay etc).

I have a more recent standard military load bearing harness, but have tired of most things nylon - including velcro. In fact, I have grown to detest velcro and avoid it where possible. Nylon is noisy, generates awful static and tends to "shine" making it sometimes very conspicuous from a long way off.

For fasteners I like good old fashioned bronze, copper or brass snaps (even buttons or toggles). They are potentially silent, easily replaced (with a button in the field if necessary), don't accidently fasten when your jacket, pack flaps etc are flapping in a howling wind, and don't clog up with fluff, fibers everything else that comes along.
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Wizard of Oz mentioned cracking plastic bottles; I like the Lexan type. They are virtually unbreakable. I bought several from an outdoor chain that are much like flasks with a kidney-shaped profile and will easily fit in most large jacket pockets or pack, belt pouches etc. They are sort of "smoked glass" semi-transparent so the content level can easily be seen.
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http://ussliberty.org
http://ssunitedstates.org
 
wizard of oz,

Don't know about down under, but in the States, Rossi/Braztech offer very nice combos single shot break-actions that are surprisingly accurate. They come with a pad case that's maybe 30" long. I have the .308/12ga packages for my BOBs.

Walmart offers them for order for less that $200 for a .223/20 ga combo. with bbl lengths 23" & 28" respectively. Youth stocks are available, and of course cutting the barrels down to legal minimums is possible for further reduction of wgt. & length.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/prod...125&sb=61&bti=0&sdir=xx&sortBySelectedIndex=0

These are supplement/survival arms, to be given to friends w/o who may or may not have used arms before. KISS principle applies...simple operation and maint. Oh, I added Bore snakes of appropriate size with basic cleaning gear.
 
It seems that carrying longarms is a problem. I wonder if anyone can come up with some good ideas for disguising/hiding a long arm when on foot in a refugee/bug out situation ?
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I'd suggest either an AK-47 clone with a folding stock, or a Kel-Tec SU-16C with its folding stock. Both will fold up into a relatively short length, which can be concealed inside a deep pack, or fastened on a pack frame next to a pack (perhaps wrapped in clothing, or something like that, to disguise its true nature). If you use a 20rd. magazine, it doesn't stick out as far as the normal 30-round mags for these rifles, and is more concealable. However, they can also be unobtrusively slung, and I'd prefer that option: makes them more readily available in case of need. (If you read my "lessons learned" posts here, following Katrina, you'll see that there have been such needs in emergencies...)
 
"It seems that carrying longarms is a problem. I wonder if anyone can come up with some good ideas for disguising/hiding a long arm when on foot in a refugee/bug out situation ?"


The model 12 Winchester shotgun takes down at the front of the receiver to barrel/magtube junction. With a 20" barrel, it becomes a 20" package. Sure wish Winchester still made takedown rifles. I'd rather have a rifle than a shotgun in about any situation I can think of.


The folding stock AK sounds like a good idea. The 20 round AK mags are pretty compact also. I find the 30 rounders to be bulky and rather a nuisance to handle the gun with compared to the 20's

I was also thinking a trapper size winchester 94 would be handy, tho not as short as the folder. Could take the buttstock off if needed to make it shorter to pack away. Unfortunatly, anything taken down, rather than just folding, isn't going to be usable on a moments notice.

Some like the commercial folding stocks available for many guns, but I can't say I am a fan. The ones I've seen tend to be bulky when folded, and often make the centerline of the butt a different line than the barrel. Not conducive to good shooting when in a hurry. Some are also heavier than the regular fixed stock. The AK folding stock makes a pretty compact package when folded, and doesn't interfre with operating the bolt etc.
 
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Another positive for minimalist medkits

I have read the reasons for having a minimalist medkit for emergencies, mostly talking about the fact that we can only do so much in the field.

Another good reason to only pack what we absolutely need and WILL USE in the field is thew guilt/time factor. If we have medical supplies to try to help a person who is probably going to die anyway without hospital care, then most of us will probably feel morally bound to try to save them or help them last as long as possible. If we do not have the equipment to even try, then we can leave them with less guilt and waste less time.

Yes, I know, this is a rather cold way of thinking about it, but in a SHTF scenerio, we will need any advantages you can get.
 
As far as the minimalist med-kits I guess I have a slight different bias. My mom has been a surgical nurse for over 35 years, and my wife was a surgical tech for 13. (yeah, I know . . .there's something freudian there .. ..they're both red-heads too. :) :) ) I tend to carry about 50% of my bugout supplies with me in the truck all the time. (that includes the med-kit) The reason I do it is simply because there are times that I use the stuff in a "non-shtf" situation. It's about the only way I can justify the expense. For instance, if I'm out cutting firewood and the chainsaw goes into my leg . ..well I'm gonna need some compress', etc. etc.

I'm also stupid in that I will stop to help someone who's been in a wreck or broke down. 2 years ago last christmas my family and I were driving back from Phoenix AZ and there was a bad icestorm that came through east of Flagstaff. We saw a car flip upside down and land on it's roof. Luckily, neither the father, mother or small baby were injured, but if they had been then I definately would've been breaking out my supplies and doing the best I could for them until professional help arrived.

My parents are full time RV'ers and there have been a few people who have benefited from the med-kit they carry. One guy they helped out would've been dead if my dad hadn't been thinking really fast and my mom been CPR qualified. (but that's another story)

So I guess I'm not arguing your point . . . . .BUT if you use your SHTF supplies for stuff other than REAL SHTF then I think they make alot of sense.

Just my .02

Regards,
Dave
 
I am certainly no expert on the subject. And I am only giving my opinion on what I would carry. But I do what we are talking about for a living. I work full time as a paramedic. I have worked full time as a paramedic for over 20 years. These illnesses and injuries you are talking about treating are illnesses and injuries that I treat on a daily basis: not in a clinic, not in a hospital, but "in the field": where ever they might have occured. Overturned car, on a boat, inside aircraft, inside building collapses whatever. It might be in the midst of a storm, very often is in the middle of the night with no light, it might be under gunfire, it might be while someone is threatening me with violence, it might be in the middle of a crowd of over 100,000 people. The EMS system I work in is extremly busy. I personally run well in excess of 1000 calls per year: probably in excess of 2000 (?)
I have been asked to put together medical kits for trips into the Canadian bush where there is no hope of any outside help or transport to a hospital. My friends were very disappointed when I showed up with very little in the way of gear. Bandaids and asprin mostly. There was more than that, but not much more. I think I am being realistic based on my experience of what I can do. :confused:
If there is hope of outside help...if there is hope of transport to a hospital.....if you don't have to carry this gear on your back............ Then significant changes occur based on the specific situation. But if I am putting together a small bug out bag that I might have to carry on my back, medical gear is going to take up very little space.
 
for the long arm issue, is it more a personal protection or a food issue? for mainly food why not a TC pistol in a rifle caliber with optics? small, light and a fair range. was also thinking about a ar-15 pistol with 11.5 bbl. alot of firepower in a small package. either would hide in a pack easy.

an add on to the kit. spair latex/nirtle/rubber gloves, if you need to start hunting for food they are handy to keep hands clean while gutting and butchering. cause soap and water may be at high demand if not impossible to get.
 
I sure hope there are a lot of game animals where you live ckyllo. Around here (New Mexico) heading into the hills would be an act of pure desperation.

Very little water, few game animals for the number of people.

And this is a state where hunting is a big business.

Living off the land might have been possible as recently as the 1920s but with over 250 million people I question the long term availability of large game animals.

And in this state you have to be VERY careful of the small game animals, rabies and bubonic plague are common, so is tuleremia.

On the other hand all the easily habitable areas (and even some marginal areas) are already full of people.

I guess I would think it more likely I might have to defend myself than hunt.

Oh, and remember, pull the pins on an AR and it breaks down into two smaller and shorter pieces... ;)
 
My friends were very disappointed when I showed up with very little in the way of gear. Bandaids and asprin mostly.
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444 - Care to share a list?

but with over 250 million people I question the long term availability of large game animals.
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In a true "live off the land" scenario a population crash would be almost inevitable. But some would survive and build the population back up.
 
Very Important Bug-Out Supplies:

Jock Itch and Athlete's Foot cream
Moleskin (for blisters)
Fingernail and Toenail clippers

Try going on a 10-day backpacking trip without each of these and you'll find out how important little things are.
 
Moleskin = good

Johnny_Yuma said:
Moleskin (for blisters) ... Try going on a 10-day backpacking trip without each of these and you'll find out how important little things are.
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I so agree.

Next to (in order) water, food, rain gear & extra layers (preferably polyester fleece), if you are carrying weight (e.g., bug out in a backpack) into challenging terrain (e.g., mountains, canyons, desert...), moleskin is your friend.

Here's the trick that i learned early on about moleskin. It will only require ONE time of not adhering to this rule for you to learn it, too. And it's a painful lesson.

The minute, the second, that you say to yourself, "I think I feel a blister coming on my foot.", then and there - NOT a mile from there, not 5 minutes from there, not even 10 steps from there - STOP. Take off your pack, sit, remove your boot, and apply moleskin to the area where the blister would have developed had you walked another 10 steps, let alone 10 minutes.

Cover the reddened patch of skin (pre-blister) + a circumference of at least 2-3 mm larger.

Moleskin is your friend.

N~
 
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I sure hope there are a lot of game animals where you live ckyllo. Around here (New Mexico) heading into the hills would be an act of pure desperation.
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I live in rural Minnesota, been hunting since I was a kid. I think I would do pretty well if I live off of what I hunt. Where I live there is a 30 acre woods and 100 acres of farm land that has done well for me. Along with 300 wooded acres at my grandparent’s farm. Also most of the woods are thick enough that a shot at more than 50 yards is rare. So a handgun in rifle caliber is more than enough range. I have taken a deer with a 10mm handgun but mainly is a shotgun with slugs. The big problem would be keeping other people off the property and taking my food. And keeping meat from larger game preserved.

If something does come up that I need an AR to defend myself I really don’t think I would want or have time to have to assemble the rifle before using it.
 
" Very Important Bug-Out Supplies:
Jock Itch and Athlete's Foot cream
Moleskin (for blisters)
Fingernail and Toenail clippers

Try going on a 10-day backpacking trip without each of these and you'll find out how important little things are."




I definetely agree on the athletes foot/crotch meds, tho I use powder, and the toenail clippers. Never had to use moleskin so far, including 10 miles of steep rocky trail in one shot. Love those Red wing Loggers and good wool socks!

I've long figured that toenail clippers could be a lifesaver if one was relying on their feet to get a round. An ingrown, or even toenails too long can be a crippler.
 
My feet are pretty sweaty and I've had trouble getting moleskin to stay in place. Breathable athletic tape has worked better for me. "shingle" it with overlaps to cover a large area and cut it so there isn't any bunching or folds when you move your ankle.

However, since using Smartwool socks and carefully selecting the right thickness of sock for the boot (and not trying to break in new boots on a multi-day trip - a lesson learned long ago) I have had no problems with blisters or hot spots.

Try some Smartwool socks. If they don't beat what you are using now I'll buy you a beer. :D
 
Ok, been reworking the bug-out bag over the last week or so and got a replacement sleeping bag that was on clearance at REI to replace my wool blankets. It's a "polarguard" synthetic fill as opposed to the down fill that I've always used in the past. I know with the down bags you're supposed to store them "uncompressed". Is that true with the synthetics are are they good to go compressed and stuffed in the BOB. (just trying to save time if I ever have to grab it and go)

Regards,
Dave
 
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