Sunday, March 6, 2011

Bug Out Bag – The 10 items you must have!

Luke 22:36 “he (Jesus) said to them, "but now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”

Any emergency or survival preparedness begins with a well stocked and thought out bug out bag.bag A bug out bag is essentially a stock of items to keep you going for 72 hours in an emergency or crisis situation! A well managed and stocked bag can keep you going for much longer.

Sometimes referred to as a 72 hour bag, G.O.O.D. (get out of dodge bag), a battle box, go bag. No matter what name you give it, when it comes down to survival it has to be right.

I will list for you the 10 most essential items to have in your bag. But remember that survival is more about skills than it is stuff. I will be posting more about skills and training on other posts.

Now for the top 10 plus other useful stuff! The items I recommend can be purchased on my Bug Out Zone page on Amazon.com. Click here to access my page.

  1. The Bag – Pick out a strong and sturdy bag. Do not skimp on the bag itself. You do not want your bag coming apart and spilling its contents 20 hours into a bug out situation. I prefer the back pack type bag because it is easier to carry, frees your hands up, and causes less strain on your body. The two bags I recommend are the CAMELBAK MOTHERLODE, or the MAXPEDITION VULTURE II Whichever you chose be selective and use it. Wear it or carry it for a day!
  2. Water – in a bug out situation water is your most essential item. The body dehydrates very quickly in stressful situations, in times of extra physical exertion, and temperature extremes. A dehydrated body will leave you weak, vulnerable, and exhausted. I recommend a minimum of 3L (8/10ths of a Gallon) a day. The problem with water is its heavy and bulky 2.2 lbs a liter (8.3 lbs a gallon). Carrying just the minimum amount required for 72 hours would add 20 lbs to your bag.The four items I recommend for water are a CAMELBAK HYDRATION PAK or CANTEEN, BERKEY SPORT BOTTLE WITH FILTER,  FILTER STRAW, PURIFICATION TABLETS also some coffee filters. These items reduce the need to carry 72 hours of water. As you can get water from many sources and filter it along your way.
  3. FOOTWEAR – In a bug out situation you can be on your feet for hours at a time. You want the best quality footwear you can get. You want footwear that can hold up in the worst conditions. I have a friend who went on a Boy Scout High Adventure trip in the New Mexico mountains. After the third day the ruff terrain had tore up his cheap hiking shoes. He spent the next 6 days duct taping his shoes together. He came home with cut, mangled, and swollen feet. Hurt or sore feet can put you down quicker than anything. My recommendations for footwear are good quality Hiking boots such as the MERRELL MOAB GORE TEX HIKING BOOT. 5 pair of good quality WOOL HIKING SOCKS, MILITARY GRADE FOOT POWDER and MOLESKIN for blisters (Moleskin covered in first aid items)Note* you should by your footwear 1/2 size bigger to accommodate for thicker socks and for natural swelling if being on your feet for extended times.
  4. FIRST AID KIT AND RX – You will need to carry a first aid kit along with a supply of any medications you need. The first aid kit needs to take care of most items you may encounter. Your kit needs to treat for bleeding, inflammation, pain, diarrhea, insect bites, and allergic reactions. You will need a range of bandages, gauze pads, dressings and moleskin for blisters, Tweezers for splinters and bee stingers, An irrigation syringe. Make sure you have tape, safety pins, antiseptic wipes and ointments, and an elastic bandage for sprains. I carry 4 first aid items in my bag the .9 oz ADVENTURE MEDICAL KIT, 15g CELOX HEMOSTATIC GRANULES, and the NEW ISRAELI BATTLE DRESSING, 6-INCH COMPRESSION BANDAGE, and either BOUDREAUX’S BUTT PASTE or DESITIN MAXIMUM STRENGTH. Also include any prescriptions and medications you need. Carry at least a weeks supply of prescriptions. Rotate them out frequently. Remember in a major disaster or complete economic collapse hospitals and pharmacies along with grocery stores are the first looted.
  5. SURVIVAL KNIFE – A good quality sharp knife and multi-tool is a critical piece of gear. You can not imagine how much you will depend on this piece of gear until you are in a survival situation. I recommend a good quality fixed blade knife such as the SOG SEAL PUP ELITE or GERBER LMF II SURVIVAL KNIFE. I also carry the VICTORINOX SWISS ARMY ONE HAND TREKKER POCKET KNIFE and the LEATHERMAN 830246 WAVE MULTI TOOL. i know this may sound like a lot to carry but believe me it is essential. Do not forget to throw in a  small sharpener like the LANSKY QUICK FIT POCKET SHARPNER. Note *(The Gerber LMF sheath has a built in sharpener).
  6. PERSONAL PROTECTION – This is the most controversial and emotional item I am asked about. Personal Protection is a firearm and ammo. Nothing else will suffice. In a total crises and meltdown situation defending yourself will become paramount. My sidearm of choice is the 1911 colt .45. I carry 2 with 200 rds of ammo. I carry a nickel COLT COMMANDER and a KIMBER ARMS PRO CARRY II. (two is one and one is none theory). I carry the .45 because of its stopping power. I really disagree with the U.S. Military's decision to go from the .45 cal to the 9 mm. The 9 mm although a faster round does not have the knock down power of the .45.  I am often asked about pepper spray or mace? Pepper spray or mace will just make them mad before they rob you. Pepper spray or mace is not sufficient protection. Note * (in case of Martial Law authorities will be confiscating weapons, I will post later on caching)
  7. FOOD – While you can only survive a short while without water (3 days) you can go several days without food. Carrying a small supply of food will do two things in a bug out situation, It will keep your energy levels up and also boost your morale and spirits. I keep it pretty simple here. I carry 1 military grade MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat), a jar of peanut butter, a 1 lb of beef jerky, some trail mix and multi-vitamins. You want these items along with any medications at the top of your bag for easy rotation. You want to rotate these items out often. In winter month’s ever 3 month’s is fine, In summer you will need to rotate every 3 weeks depending on how hot it gets where you live. In a bug out situation eat in small amounts. Eating large amounts at any one time causes dehydration.

  8. FLASHLIGHT, FIRESTARTER and COMPASS – You are going to need a good LED (Light Emitting Diode) FLASHLIGHT. I recommend one that puts out 140 LUMENS. One that is tactical can be used to strobe and disable an assailant momentarily. Don’t forget extra batteries. You also need a good FLINT FIRESTARTER and COMPASS..

  9. CLOTHING – You are going to want to pack some clothing that is comfortable and durable. Include some HEADWEAR (boonie hat), 5 pair of good quality WOOL HIKING SOCKS, a PAIR OF PANTS (CARGO), a LONG SLEEVE SHIRT. 4 pair of underwear or panties and 1 undershirt and a PAIR OF TACTICAL GLOVES, In the winter time you will want to include one pair of long underwear and a coat.

  10. PERSONAL ITEMS – This is a Hodge-podge of items that you need to gather up and make accessible to add to your bag in case of bug out situations. Identification (Drivers License, Passport, Concealed Carry Permit, TWIC Card and any important Identification documents you need.) You will want to add these along with some MONEY in a WATERPROOF BAG.. You also want to add any insurance papers, and a list of home contents. I recommend that you SCAN important papers and irreplaceable photos and have them on a jump drive to save space and weight in your bag.

The items I recommend can be purchased on my Bug Out Zone page on Amazon.com. Click here to access my page.

Other Items you will want to have.

posted by william