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Bug-Out Bag
October 12th, 2018
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I promised that I would revisit my current bug-out bag and here
I am to follow through. Much of this was first outlined on my web
blog and the gear remains much the same. I've augmented some
things, added some new stuff, cut back on others. Let's dive in!
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Somewhere along the way I scored a free ign.com branded gym bag.
It's made of a heavy duty material and almost feels like a bag for
a bowling ball. It holds everyhing on the list below (just
barely). There may be a time to come where I'll need to upgrade.
I'm considering moving to a pelican case for added protection, but
it will also add to the weight.
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/ /|_/ / -_) _ / '_// / __/
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Why have one when you can have two (or 11)? I have the most
redundency in my medical kit selection.
- Swiss Safe Premium First Aid 200 Piece
This thing has a lot of the basics: cotton swabs, bandages,
alcohol wipes, antiseptic wipes, sting relief pads, PVC gloves,
tape, moleskin, scissors, CPR facemask, a trauma pad, emergency
whistle, compass, sewing kit, and so on. This is a base-line for
first aid. It also has a little first aid guide in there, though
I have a better one.
- Emergency First Aid - A Pocket Naturalist Guide
This is a folded, waterproof pamphlet outlining the basics on
a number of first aid scenarios. Primary responses to water
hazards, vehicle accidents, lightning, leaking gas or smoke,
rescue breathing, CPR, choking, shock, eye injury, burns,
poisoning... you get the idea. It packs a lot of info into
a very small space. While I am comfortable in pretty much
everything on the list, my wife isn't and neither is my son. If
something were to happen and I were not around or incapacitated,
I can trust that they have access to the basic info.
- ZET Rapid Spinning Tourniquet
I squeeze this little guy inside the Swiss Safe kit to save on
space. Hoping I won't need it.
- MTM Survivor Dry Box with O-Ring Seal
My secondary and more serious medical kit all sits within the
nearly indestructable and completely waterproof MTM case. Pretty
hardcore? Not yet! Inside the MTM are three Otterbox 1000 Series
Waterproof Cases, also waterproof and nearly indestructable on
their own. It is inside these three cases that I keep the
contents of...
- Medique 40061 First Aid Kit, 61-Piece
Another fantastic assortment of medical thingies! Much like the
first list, it sports an impressive array. But it's not enough
on its own. Also in the MTM Dry Box with it is...
- Adventure Medical Kits Trauma Packwith QuikClot
For everything up to and including gaping chest wounds from
gunshots. Nice right?
- Quake Kare Emergency Thermal Blankets (4 Pack)
A lot of serious medical injury is compounded by exposure. These
can help in a pinch.
- Potable aqua iodine for water treatment
I used to consider this part of the water kit, but I've
supplimented that elsewhere. This is more of the "oh shit" water
treatment, which in my head belongs in the medkit for reasons.
Were you paying attention? All that fits into two containers!
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- waterBOB Emergency Drinking Water Storage
I love this thing. It's basically a giant, heavy-duty plastic
bag with some access ports and pump areas that is designed to
sit in your bathtub. You fill it up when the power goes out
before water pressure drops. It can hold over a hundred gallons,
which is like 375 liters or so. That's a nice backup!
- Lifestraw (3 pack)
These things are engineering miracles. The company has some
seriously good cred with their work in Africa too. If you're not
familiar with it, it's a tube about the size of a relay baton.
You stick one end in water--pretty much any water--and just
drink out of the other end. It filters amazingly well and lasts
over 5 years in regular use. The shelf-life is pretty much
forever before first use, so they're great for a bag of this
sort.
See, I told you I had something better than iodine.
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- Hand Axe / Hatchet
If your kit needs to help you out past a day or two, being able
to work with the natural resources around you is imperitive.
Chop up some downed branches for a fire. Clear a space for your
family. Make some posts for hanging a trash bag (instant trash
bin). Be creative and live in outdoor luxury with this.
- Chainmate CM-24SSP 24-Inch Survival Pocket Chain Saw With Pouch
If you find yourself working with tough wood that needs
clearing, having the right tools makes all the difference. Your
hatchet can do a lot, but sometimes its nice to have a saw too.
This thing is tiny and super light. Add it to the bag and then
hope you don’t need it.
- ADC Medicut Shears, 7-1⁄4”
Most scissors are weak and useless when it comes to anything
other than wrapping paper. These things have some real power,
and they’ll get the job done again and again. You can even
sharpen them! I'd put this on the medical list, but their
utility goes way beyond that. Besides, I have a dedicated
medical set inside the waterproof box that I didn't even mention
because they're so small and insignificant. There's tongue
depressors in there too. You don't need to know everything!
- Entrenching Tool
My advice for survival scenarios: Learn how to make a latrine.
Seriously. It’ll take you five minutes to watch a video on
youtube and it will make your outdoor living much, much easier.
- Folding Camp Saw
Another backup for your chainsaw. Or maybe the chainsaw is the
backup. If you’re going to stay outdoors for any length of time,
bring a saw.
- Mora Sweden Classic #1 Red Wood Handle Carbon Steel Knife
Very few knives are better than this one. At 15$, you can afford
to get extras too. Treat them well: sharpened, oiled, not
chipped. They’ll last a lifetime.
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I'm all about roughing it, but even so it's good to have a few
items that use POWER. Sometimes you need to see at night, or know
what's going on with the weather.
- Etón FR160R Microlink Self-Powered AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio with
Flashlight, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger (Red)
This thing is a beast. I charged it with the hand crank for just
over ten seconds and then sat listening to the radio all day
long. If you plan on staying in touch with the outside world (or
at least informed), having a backup radio with NOAA stations is
important. Besides, this little guy will charge your cellphone
too!
- Petzl E97 Tikka Plus 2 Headlamp
In the redundency department, along with your knives, add light
to the list. A headlamp will keep your hands free to do work.
They last a really long time with LEDs.
- Gerber Infinity Ultra Task Light
Bring a flashlight, but not one with huge, honkin’ D batteries.
They’re harder to find replacements than AA, and much heavier.
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- Rothco 550lb. Type III Nylon Paracord
I’m an Eagle Scout, and thus I never feel lost if I have a good
length of rope. Paracord is extremely strong for its size, but
it packs down light and tight. Use it for everything and
everything from a clothesline to animal traps in the worst of
situations.
- Other Paracord
I got a handful of free paracord bracelets at some festival and
tossed them in the bag. A little extra rope never hurts.
- Size #36 Dyed Black & Tarred Twine, 1lb
This is work-horse line. The other stuff is special and high
quality. When you just need to tie something up, this is what
you use. It lasts well with a tensile strength of 320lbs.
- 3M Scotch Heavy Duty All-Weather Duct Tape
Don’t settle for the cheap duct tape. Get the good outdoor
all-weather stuff. One roll should be more than enough to patch
things up, bandage you up, make a stretcher, or any number of
other tasks.
- Smith’s PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener
A dull knife is almost as bad as no knife. If you’re going to be
using them… really using them, keep them sharp. This will also
help you in cases of accidental cuts. A clean cut heals much
faster and with less chance of infection.
- Youngstown Glove General Utility Lined with KEVLAR Glove
The most common place to injure yourself working in survival
situations is on your hands. Protect them with more than a pair
of designer cotton gloves. These guys have Kevlar on the insides
and outsides of your hands. Fantastic, and worth the price. Test
them out with some yard work and you’ll see what I mean.
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I used to keep MREs and other rations in my bag, but that became
a hassle to keep in good condition. Instead, I have some gear that
will help me find food when I need it.
- Improvised Trapping - Pathfinder Outdoor Survival Guide
Another waterproof pamphlet that outlines how to build snares
and deadfall traps, how to gut & clean small game and fish, and
other necessary info for basic food prep. It even shows how to
dry meat for long-term storage. I love these guides. There's one
on Mushrooms that I'm eyeing up.
- Spectra® Braided Cord 1050lb test - Heavy Duty Speargun Line
This cord is great for any number of uses, but it is in the kit
especially for hanging a bear-bag. I use the PCT method myself,
so I have the tools to fit it. In a pinch, though, you can get
away with just a bag and line. Wildlife have incredible senses
of smells. Remember, if you are outside, you don’t have walls
keeping your food and gear safe. Be wary and hang your food.
This line is also great for setting snares and traps. It's
extremely thin & strong, a great combo.
- Stuff Sacks (Bear Bag, etc)
To go along with the line above, these stuff sacks from zpacks
are wonderful. They weigh almost nothing and are very sturdy.
- Solo Stove
This little wood burner is a beast. Go check out a youtube video
or something. They're amazing and cheap for what they offer.
I hate holding on to gas. It's dangerous and hard to get more.
Wood is plentiful.
- Some other generic metal frame stove thing
I'm not sure where I got it, but it's two half-round pieces of
metal that intersect and form a platform to hold a pot. You
build a fire in it or drop some embers in there and you're set.
I don't use it that way most of the time. Instead, I use it as
a wind-screen for the solo stove. It's wide enough to encircle
the whole thing. Neat, right?
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I touched on this in an earlier phlog [0], but maps are an often
overlooked part of a survival bag. I use the 7.5 minute maps from
USGS as well as a fantastic survey series of my county. I keep
these all in a transparent waterproof map case. I guess I'll have
to look around for new ones of Iceland pretty soon, though.
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/ / _ \/ __/ / / _ \ / _ / _ `/ _ `/
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All of the things mentioned live in that ign.com gym bag, as
I mentioned, but that doesn't represent all of my bug-out stuff.
In an immediate emergency that is indeed what I grab and take out
the door.
In fact, a few months ago our Carbon Monoxide alarm sounded at two
in the morning. We jumped out of bed, grabbed the kid, grabbed the
bag and went out to the car. I called emergency services from
there and they came and cleared the house. (Note: carbon monoxide
detectors accumulate CO over time, weakening their ability to
identify a "spike" in the gas. It's important to replace them
every few years.)
In addition to the bag I grabbed, I also have a toolbag in the
back of my car that's always present. It has some extra helpful
tools, camping gear, etc. I keep it all in a well-waxed canvas
bag. There's more rope, another wood-fire stove, blades, saws,
car-tools, and so on. If it weren't late and if I were wearing
pants I'd go grab the bag and do an inventory here. I also keep
two fleece blankets and a fantastic quality 100% wool blanket from
Hudson Bay Company in the back of the car. Exposure kills.
Upstairs in my house is my backpacking/camping gear:
- Jacks-R-Better Sierra Sniveler
I have horrible restless leg syndrome, and most sleeping bags
feel like a coffin to me. A nice power-down quilt gives me the
warmth I need at night without the restrictive footbox. Pick
whatever works for you. The single most dangerous thing when you
are forced to sleep outside is exposure. You will die from
exposure in a single night. Make sure you have good shelter
before you even worry about water or food.
- Z Lite Mattress
Sleeping on the ground can be rough. Go easy on your back with
a little layer. More importantly, get some insulation between
your body and the ground. The earth will suck the heat right out
of you.
- Snow Peak Ti-Mini Solo Combo Cook Set
Have something to heat up water. In survival situations, many
times “cooking” literally means, “add hot water”. Heat to
purify. Heat to rehydrate. Heat!
- Snow Peak Ti-Double H600 Stacking Mug
This mug stacks nicely with the cookset above, so I have a pot
for heating the water, and a cup for eating. It keeps my cooking
pot clean.
- Bibler Tempest Tent (4-season)
There’s a lot of ways to make a shelter outdoors. This is
a pretty hardcore 4-season lightweight tent. It’s not the
cheapest solution, nor the best in all situations. I use it for
a variety of camping conditions outside of my emergency kit. If
you aren’t much of an outdoorsman, there’s probably a better
shelter for you. Ask around at Gander Mtn or REI, or bug your
local scouts when they try to sell you popcorn.
- Gossamer Gear Mariposa Ultralight Backpack
I adore this bag. It's so light weight it feels like nothing at
all. The padding and supports are great and it has a huge number
of ways to distribute weight. Just brilliant.
There's other stuff in there too. I line the inside of my bag with
plastic to isolate dry stuff from wet. There's some other
fancy-schmancy gear I could go into, but it's all meant for
camping, not survival. Still, I wanted to mention that I have it
around. If the emergency provides a bit more planning all of that
gets bundled up too. If we will take the car, then the cast iron
stuff is coming with me, especially the dutch oven. If we're
running from zombies, I'll probably leave the weight behind.
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That was a lot to cover, and I feel like I must be forgeting about
something important. Clothes? Solar panels? Probably some of that
stuff. Regardless, it's a nice reference to have out there in
gopherspace.
What do you have in your bag?