Bug Out Bag and Survival Tin Prepper’s Guide: 72 Hours of Survival in a Bag

By Gayle Richardson

©2013 Gayle Richardson

Table of Contents

Disclaimer / Introduction

Chapter 1: Just What Is a Bug Out Bag?

Chapter 2: Choosing The Right Bag

Chapter 3: Prioritize Essentials (Don’t Pack the Kitchen Sink!)

Chapter 4: Food, Water & Fire – The Holy Trinity of Survival

Chapter 5: Building a Bug Out Bag On a Budget (Including Survival Tin)

Chapter 6: Choosing a Bug Out Location

Chapter 7: Defending Yourself & Your Family

Disclaimer / Introduction

This book is meant to be used for entertainment and  casual information purposes, only. It contains some suggestions about what a person can do to try and prepare for a disaster, whether man-made or natural. Neither the author nor the publisher make any claims as to the authenticity or legitimacy of the actions or items suggested. The reader agrees that by taking action of any kind as outlined in the book, the reader does so at his or her own risk. No responsibility or blame will be put on the author, publisher, or seller of this book. In the end, all decisions that the reader makes is the reader’s own, and no blame is to be put on the author, publisher or seller if a decision turns out to be wrong.

In other words – have your own plan of action in the event of an emergency or disaster, and simply use this book for idea generation, only.

Chapter 1: Just What Is a Bug Out Bag?

You may have heard the term in passing, or perhaps your slightly eccentric uncle, Ed, has discussed the great virtues of having one at the ready for emergency situations, but what exactly is a bug out bag?

A bug out bag, also known as a BOB, is a backpack, duffel bag or other easily transportable bag that is packed with emergency supplies and stored in a handy location in case of emergencies or disasters. The basic principle behind having a BOB is that you never know what may happen. Especially if you live in an area with known hazards (like tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.), it can be a very good idea to keep a loaded BOB on hand for emergency situations.

Ideally, your BOB should:

-   weigh less than 30 pounds

-   be waterproof

-   contain enough supplies to survive for 72 hours

-   have a fresh set of clothes

-   contain several methods of starting a fire

-   have clean water and 2 water purification methods

Bug out bags can be packed with many different items, can serve a variety of purposes, and can be customized according to the needs of individual family members such as children or pets. You can also leave a prepared BOB in your vehicle. In case of unexpected emergencies, a well-packed BOB can mean the difference between having the things you need to get through a few challenging days, or literally being left out in the cold.

Why Prepare a Bug Out Bag?

If you’re the sort of person who likes to be prepared for just about any situation within reasonable imagination, then this question hardly needs asked. But if you haven’t decided, or you think that preparing a BOB for yourself seems rather unnecessary, you may want to think twice.

There is, unfortunately, a somewhat common stereotype that only survivalists and slightly nutty doomsday preppers are interested in putting together a good BOB. This simply isn’t true; the truth is that more and more regular people are choosing every day to get a little more prepared in case of an emergency situation.

Especially after witnessing events like Hurricane Katrina or Superstorm Sandy,  many people have chosen to take proactive steps toward preparing themselves for the future.

The fact of the matter is that you’re not in control of everything that happens in your life, you simply can’t be, but you can try to be reasonably prepared for emergency situations. You never know when life may throw you a curve ball, as it were, but you’ll be able to handle it better if you’ve made some preparations ahead of time.

Floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes are just some of the natural disasters that you may be at risk from. If you’re forced to leave your home in a hurry, having a BOB that’s ready to be grabbed at a moment’s notice will bring you great peace of mind.

A good BOB can be useful in less extreme circumstances, too. If you have a flashlight stored in your BOB, you’ll know just where to grab it from in the event of a power outage. Keeping a well-stocked first aid kit in your BOB can also prove quite handy in a pinch, especially when you cut yourself preparing dinner only to find that you’ve run out of band aids in the bathroom.

Most importantly, with a well-stocked BOB, you’ll be able to rest easier knowing that you’re prepared for most any reasonable emergency. Whether it’s a natural disaster or because of some civil unrest, you’ll be able to get the heck out of dodge at a moment’s notice.

Evaluate Your Environment

If you’re preparing a BOB, one of the most important things to consider is the environment that you anticipate surviving in. Think about where you live and what the conditions are like throughout the year, because your BOB will need to be ready for all circumstances. In regions where it rains a lot or where the winters drop substantially below freezing, you’ll need additional gear compared to someone who lives in a tropical or desert environment.

Also consider any potential threats to you or your family. Are there any dangerous wild animals native to your region, like bears, mountain lions or poisonous snakes and spiders? Alternatively, if you’re living in a city, have you thought about the safest way to get out if other people are panicking and trying to escape? Especially if you’re in a city, don’t rely 100% on being able to use your car if you need to bug out at a moment’s notice.

When considering your environment, think about your food and water needs as well. Would you be able to hunt or fish for any of your food, and what about access to a water source? These are important questions to consider, because you can tailor your BOB specifically to the requirements of your climate, cutting down on weight for items you don’t need or adding a specialized item or two that you DO need.

Chapter 2: Choosing The Right Bag

You might be tempted to buy your bag first, and then start filling it with all your desired survival gear, but hold up a bit and think it through. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is overloading your pack, and overzealous newbies tend to do just that.

So instead of buying your bag first, consider picking out what you deem to be the most essential gear (we’ll touch on some of that soon, don’t worry) and get it all together. Getting your gear together first will help you to buy a pack that carries exactly what you need, instead of a pack that has more space than you need and which therefore temps you to fill it up, thus over-packing it and making it far heavier than it really needs to be.

Once you’ve got your absolutely essential gear picked out you can look for a good bag to store it all in. Good bug out bags don’t need to cost you a fortune (you should be able to find a suitable BOB for $100 – $200, even less if you are on a strict budget) but they should be sturdy and made of a rugged material that can handle a reasonable amount of wear and tear. So your old backpack from high school probably isn’t going to fit the bill, unless you had a really nice backpack.

The kind of bags you can choose from range from duffel bags, rucksacks and daypacks to more expensive internal or external-frame backpacks, but an internal-frame backpack is one of the most popular choices for a BOB.

A bag you can carry on your back, with straps over both shoulders, has advantages over a rucksack or duffel bag for several reasons. First and foremost, the weight of a bag you carry on your back is directed downward to your legs and feet.

That duffel bag might be super convenient to load up, and it can probably hold a heck of a lot more gear as well, but how long do you really think you’ll be able to carry it? No matter how strong you are, your arms just can’t compete with your legs for strength, especially when it comes to bearing a heavy load, so a duffel bag generally makes for a poor BOB.

One notable exception to this would be in the case of a BOB that you store in your car. For use as the designated BOB for your vehicle, a duffel bag can be indispensible for holding important gear, and you can usually get away with packing it a bit heavier too.

A good bug out bag should:

- be comfortable enough to wear, fully loaded, for several hours at a time

- be sturdy / hardy enough to withstand a bit of wear and tear

- be waterproofed or at least treated to be water resistant to protect the contents and keep everything dry if you get caught in wet conditions

- have a rubber coated bottom so that setting it on the ground won’t damage the contents

- distribute the weight of your pack evenly across your shoulders and hips, directly down to your legs where you have the most strength; avoid packs that put a strain on your back

- be properly fitted according to your size; get a pack that matches your height

- provide enough space to hold your essentials, but not much more; extra space in your pack will tempt you to add extra stuff to fill it up, and that equals more weight

- preferably be compatible with US MOLLE / UK Osprey style webbing and attachments; this makes it very convenient to add an extra water bottle holder or attach a bedroll, etc.

Exactly which bag is right for you will depend on how much weight you need to carry, what your budget is, the region you live in and even how tall you are. Think about where you intend to bug out to and whether the terrain you’d be crossing is mountainous and hilly or low and flat.

Don’t underestimate factors like how comfortable the pack is that you are about to buy, and how well it distributes weight. It’s important to choose a bag that you can carry comfortably for several hours, so test out your new pack with a 5 mile hike and see how you feel.

(HINT: Buy – or at least research – your bag and contents from someplace like Amazon.com, where there are already reviews from buying customers. This information can be invaluable, and along with guiding you to good products, just as importantly, the reviews can possibly steer you away from buying less desirable products!)

Keep it Light

In the event that you actually have to bug-out on short notice, you’ll want your BOB to be as light-weight as possible. Even if you think you’ll use your car to get out of town when needed, remember that things don’t always go according to plan. In the event of a real emergency, you might not be able to use your car, or you might only be able to go so far by car.

So anticipate that you may have to carry your pack for a minimum of a few hours at a time, and don’t overload it. Ounces turn into pounds, and pounds are equal to pain over long distance hiking, so avoid torturing yourself and just pack the absolute necessities. Depending on your level of fitness, you’ll want to aim for a pack weight of 25 – 35 pounds fully loaded.

If you need to pack things that weigh more than that, then consider taking a few hikes each month with your fully loaded pack in place. This sort of endurance training can help you get used to how much your pack really weighs after a few hours of being worn, and you might decide that some of the items you packed aren’t as essential as you’d initially thought.

Remember if you’re loading your pack heavier that you shouldn’t load more than 1/3rd of your body weight, especially if you weigh more than 180 – 200 pounds. Keeping the weight in your pack down is important so that you can move quickly, so that you expend less energy hauling your pack (keep your daily calorie needs in mind when you load that pack), and so that you don’t cause long-term damage to your back, joints or knees.

(HINT: You can also distribute weight by having one or more members of your group haul smaller packs, while you – or the strongest member of your group – hauls the biggest bag.)

Chapter 3: Prioritize Essentials (Don’t Pack the Kitchen Sink!)

As previously mentioned, the number one mistake that a new survivalist will make is overloading their pack, partly because it’s just so easy to do.

A lot of the things you may want to throw into your BOB may not be strictly necessary, so as a good rule of thumb try to have 2 – 3 uses for every item in your BOB. If you find yourself with a number of single-use items in your bag, look them over and reconsider getting a tool that combines them or ditch the things you can stand to live without.

In terms of the bare essentials, here are things to consider:

- A three day supply of food and water

- At least three methods of starting a fire

- Comfortable, sturdy shoes

- 2 pairs of socks

- Long underwear

- 2 shirts (long and short sleeve)

- A pair of long pants

- A bandana or hat (or both)

- A warm, waterproof, layered jacket

- A sleeping bag and pad of some kind

- A tent of some kind

- A first-aid kit

- 2 Flashlights and extra batteries

- At least one small pot for boiling water

- A multi-purpose tool/survival knife

- A 5 day supply of needed medications

Whether you’re new to bugging out and wilderness survival or you’re skills are just a bit rusty, unless you consider yourself a reasonably seasoned pro, pick out a good survival book to include in your BOB. A small book with tips from someone like ‘Survivorman’ Les Stroud can prove incredibly useful if you find yourself stranded with your BOB and not much else.

Of course, there are plenty of other things you can, and may, include in your BOB, but those things are a good place to start. Remember to think as minimalistic as you possibly can, because in the event that you have to grab that BOB and hump it for a day or two (or more) across several miles of uncertain terrain, you’ll want it to be as light as it can be.

Just remember this motto: ounces turn into pounds, and pounds are a pain.

Packing for the Family

While the main focus so far has been on packing your general bug out bag, the fact is that most people live in families and many of us have pets and/or children to think of as well. Unless your children are very young (such as under the age of 5 years old) each member of the family should have their own BOB.

Consider These Items For Each Child’s BOB:

- one full water bottle

- food / snacks for at least 24 – 48 hours

- 2 full sets of clothing and underwear

- warm, comfortable shoes

- 3 extra pairs of socks

- a warm, waterproof jacket

- a plastic cup, plate and bowl for eating

- plastic fork, knife and spoon

- an emergency whistle

- a two-way walky-talky with spare batteries

- a flashlight with extra batteries / glow sticks

- a small sleeping bag

- a 7 day supply of all needed meds

Remember to size your child’s BOB accordingly, and adjust the contents as necessary. The goal is to have a BOB that your child can reasonably carry on his or her own, so don’t overload it.

If you have pets, especially dogs, you may consider preparing a BOB for them, too.

Your dog’s BOB should include (at the very least):

- a dish for water and food

- enough food for 3 – 5 days

- 4 – 6 liters of water

- a spare leash and collar or harness

- a warm blanket

- 3 – 5 days of any necessary medication

- anti-tick / bug spray to deter insects

There are even packs you can have custom-fitted to your dog if it’s large enough to carry its own pack, so take advantage of this and let your dog pull its own weight, it won’t mind.

Keep your child and/or pet’s BOB in the same location as your own, preferably somewhere near the front door for ease of access. Remember that in an emergency situation you’ll only want to stop in one place to grab everything you need, so keep your BOB and any other family members’ (or pets’) BOB in the same easy-to-access spot.

Chapter 4: Food, Water & Fire – The Holy Trinity of Survival

There are certain things that man cannot live without. Food and water are the chief culprits here, with fire coming in a very close third. Although scientists have yet to make a unanimous decision on the matter, it is generally agreed that an adult will need a bare minimum of 1 liter of water per day, so make sure that you’ve got at least 3 liters of water for each person.

Unopened water bottles are a good source of water for your BOB, but to ensure its freshness you’ll want to replace the bottled water every 6 – 12 months if your BOB remains unused. As an alternative to bottled water there are various companies that offer packaged water with a shelf-life of 5 years or more.

If you know you will, or anticipate having, good access to a water source after you bug out, a good water filter is worth its weight in gold.

Paired with a couple of collapsible water bottles or a collapsible bucket, a good water filter (especially in combination with iodine droplets or tablets) can provide gallons of clean water for drinking, cooking and bathing. Considering that water weighs more than 8 pounds per gallon, a filter that weighs 6 – 12 ounces is a lifesaver.

Next comes food, and there are a few options. You might consider a few cans of food, like baked beans and chili or hearty stews and soups, but canned food gets heavy very fast and you’ll need to pack a can opener if you choose canned foods.

Another popular option is dehydrated foods that are highly affordable, light-weight and compact but do require a substantial amount of water (and heat) to be reconstituted. A few cups of rice can also go a long way in a survival situation.

For a bit more money, there is military style ‘Meals Ready to Eat’ or MRE food, or you can live like an astronaut and go the route of freeze-dried foods. Keep in mind when you’re choosing your food how much water and / or heat you will need for any necessary cooking.

Also remember that you may be burning through a lot more calories than usual if you have to bug out, so you’ll want a good, easy source of calories and protein.

Typical calorie consumption for an adult ranges from 2,000 – 3,000 calories a day or more, but in a bug out situation you may be burning in excess of 5,000 calories a day. Even if you have a bit to spare, you’ll be feeling it after the first couple of days once you’ve bugged out.

Good alternatives to foods that require cooking include:

- energy / power bars for sugar, carbs and protein

- cereal / breakfast / nutrition bars make good breakfast foods

- granola, nuts and trail mix are good to snack on

- dry protein shake mix that can be mixed with water

- dried fruits and jerky or other smoked meats

- crackers, animal cookies or even a candy bar

- peanut butter (indispensible for its fat and protein)

- jam (preferably in packets, a great source of sugars)

The type of food you choose will ultimately be up to you, but keep in mind weight, water and cooking requirements while making your decision. If you know you’ll have access to plenty of water, dehydrated or freeze-dried foods will present your best option for the sheer volume of food you can pack, but make sure you have the cookware and fuel you need to go with them.

Make your food last by snacking lightly during breakfast and lunch, and reward yourself with a hearty, filling dinner before you go to sleep. The extra food at dinner will help keep you warm and aid in sleeping better under the circumstances.

Following from that, after food and water the most important thing you’ll need is fire. To this end, it’s important to ensure that you have at least three methods to start a fire.

Include plenty of regular and waterproof matches in your BOB, as well as a few lighters (standard lighters will do, but there are also torch-style ‘storm proof’ lighters available) and a steel fire starter. Steel wool and a 9 volt battery can also be used to start a fire (the finer the steel wool the better this works), or you can try rubbing two sticks together. Solid fuel tablets are also available quite affordably, and combined with a miniature camp stove a solid fuel tablet can give you boiling water in 8 – 12 minutes.

Fire is so important not just because it drives away bugs or keeps you warm, which are fantastic side-effects to be sure, but mostly because fire = civilization. And by civilization, I mean that fire allows you to purify water by boiling, it allows you to cook meat and reconstitute meals, and with fire you can heat water for bathing and/or doing dishes. Now is that civilization or what?

Clothing, Communications & Light

Proper clothing is essential, so make sure that you have a clean set of all-weather clothes stowed safely in your BOB, along with some extra underwear and clean socks. You’ll want to keep a pair of comfortable shoes in your BOB as well, and make sure you’ve got a rainproof jacket or at least a poncho / rain slicker to keep yourself dry. If you intend to bug out with friends or family, keep a few extra rain ponchos in your BOB just in case.

Light is another necessity you won’t want to be without. A variety of light sources, including small and medium flashlights and glow sticks, are an indispensible addition to any BOB. If you’re so inclined, including a small lantern-style light can be a great addition to provide diffused light when you’ve set up your camp and have your tent or shelter erected.

Communication can also be very important if you have to bug out, whether you’re in a group or on your own. A radio with batteries and a hand-crank for back-up power is an invaluable addition to your BOB, and you can get a decent one for a very affordable price these days.

Of course, most everyone knows they want their radio to receive AM and FM, but you may want to make sure that your radio can also receive short wave (SW) signals in case you are out of range of the nearest AM/FM signals.

If you anticipate having to bug out on your own, you may be interested in a CB radio. You can get a CB radio for relatively cheap, and there is the added bonus that you don’t have to wait for an emergency to have some fun with your radio. Owning and operating a CB radio requires no license, and in some areas channel 9 is monitored by the authorities in case of emergencies, so a CB radio is a great way to communicate with others.

A CB radio can also be used to communicate over longer distances than, for instance, a walky-talky. CB radios are generally used in cars; they work exceptionally well outdoors, and generally have a radius of a couple miles which can be substantially expanded with an additional antenna.

As a general rule of thumb, any electronics that you put in your BOB should have at least one set of replacement batteries, but you can eliminate the need for batteries by using devices that come with built-in hand-crank mechanisms for electricity generation. Solar powered electronics are another option, but make sure you get adequate sunlight in your region before investing in them.

Chapter 5: Building a Bug Out Bag On a Budget (Including Survival Tin)

If you’ve just started looking into building a decent BOB, you may feel daunted by the sheer amount of stuff that seems necessary, and it’s true that there are quite a few necessities. Before you try to get everything all at once, especially if you’re operating on a limited budget like most people, do some research into each of the items that you intend to purchase.

A bit of research will help you cross-reference pricing as well as quality, and you might find some things that are on sale, too. One of the biggest temptations, especially when you’re on a tight budget, is to buy the cheapest items in order to shave off a few dollars here and there, but try to resist doing this.

Remember that the gear you are investing in is there to potentially help you survive in an emergency situation, so try to go for quality in the items you select for your BOB. Spending a little more on your initial investment will help ensure that you have quality gear that you can rely on for many years to come, and the great part is that you can build your BOB a few items at a time (however, try not to procrastinate too long, because you never know when disaster will strike – and you don’t want your BOB to be lacking essentials!)

If you’re on a tight budget, try starting your BOB with some of the following items:

- enough water for 3 – 5 days

- regular and waterproof matches

- 100 feet of 550 paracord (this stuff is infinitely useful, just do an internet search for some of the greatest survival uses of paracord)

- a 5-pack of lighters

- an emergency magnesium / steel fire starter

- solid fuel tablets (in combination with a suitable stove these will boil water)

- a flashlight with replacement batteries

- a reliable compass

- a decent, compact sleeping bag

- thermal heat-retention blankets (these are cheap so get several of them)

- a first aid kit with bandages, sutures, compresses, pain killers and other essentials

- iodine droplets and/or tablets for water purification

- a tarp\

- coffee filters to aid in water filtration

Remember – acquiring higher quality survival gear will serve you far better in the end than cutting corners on quality to keep the cost low. If you need to, take a little extra time to buy quality gear, but again, don’t wait so long as to get caught with your pants down (as it were) when a disaster hits unexpectedly.

In the future, your life might well depend on each piece of gear that you choose, so choose the supplies you know you can rely on. Also look for high quality, light-weight multi-tools that combine multiple functions on a single utility tool.

Survival Tins

Another great little tool in your arsenal of survival gear is small enough to fit into your pocket, yet won’t send your bank account into a tizzy. At the average size of a tin of mints or sardines, a survival tin is light enough to travel anywhere with you and can contain a surprising number of useful tools and key survival gear. Premade survival tins are available from many sites, and range in price from about $15 – $50.

Most premade survival tins will have a waterproofing gasket or other mechanism to keep the contents air and watertight, and will usually contain some mix of the following:

- several sizes of bandages

- at least one medical suture

- a small candle

- a small compass

- an emergency whistle

- a razor or micro pocket knife

- a miniature mirror for signaling

- regular and/or waterproof matches

- an antibacterial / alcohol disinfectant wipe

- a cube of solid fire starter

- a miniature flashlight

- a small pencil

- a piece of duct tape

- a needle and thread

- a short length of wire for use as a snare

- salt and/or sugar packets or tablets

- flint / magnesium and steel fire starter

- a stick of gum or tootsie roll

- a paper with basic survival instructions

- antiseptic gel

- a tea bag

If you look for a premade tin, read the reviews carefully and look at what sort of contents are listed. Some companies produce little survival tins that are more of a novelty item than an actual piece of survival gear, so look for a tin that contains military quality or issued components.

Make Your Own

If you can’t afford or don’t wish to buy a premade survival tin, another option is to make one of your own. An empty mint tin can be used to craft your own survival tin, stocking it with items you already have in and around your home.

Build your own survival tin with an empty mint tin and any of the following:

- a mini-lighter

- 5 water proof and 5 regular (strike anywhere) matches in a plastic/waterproof sleeve

- at least 1 solid fuel tablet

- a birthday candle (or 2 or 3) for light

- 1000mg acetaminophen (2 x 500mg tablets)

- a micro-mini LED flashlight

- a fish hook and 3 feet of fishing line

- a mini roll of electric or vinyl tape

- bandages in multiple sizes

- a needle and sturdy thread

- mini flint / magnesium and steel fire starter

- a rubber band

- an emergency whistle and mini-compass

- a length of dental floss (waxed dental floss is infinitely useful)

- miniature mirror for use in signaling

- iodine tablets for water purification

- a razor or preferably miniature knife

Although your matches should all be strike-anywhere, you can glue or tape the striker surfaces from a pair of matchboxes onto the bottom of your tin. It doesn’t take up any space, and you have a nice little striking surface if you ever need it. If you don’t have, or can’t get, a little mirror for use as a signal mirror, keep in mind that the inside of your tin can be brushed / polished to serve as a makeshift signal mirror.

One of the main disadvantages of making your own tin is that you will have a harder time waterproofing it. So be aware, pack it accordingly and feel free to experiment with what you think should go in the perfect survival tin.

Whether you choose to buy a premade tin or build your own, a survival tin is a fantastic, convenient addition to any BOB. Toss one in your BOB, put one in your kid or pet’s BOB, and keep one in the glove box of the car; there might well come a time when you’re grateful to have that little tin of goodies.

Chapter 6: Choosing a Bug Out Location

Where you intend to bug out to is as important, if not more so, as what you put in your BOB, so don’t neglect this decision! Obviously some of the best locations to bug out to would be rural properties owned by you and/or your relatives.

A rural bug out location doesn’t have to be a developed property, either. In many areas, undeveloped rural land parcels are available for a few thousand dollars and may have surface water or a well already built on them. Such land parcels offer a great investment, and ensure that if you need to bug out you’ll at least have your own land to legally set up a tent and live on until things calm down, but that may not be an option for most people.

Even if you do intend to bug out to a personal or family property, make sure you’ve put some thought into how you will get there in the event of civil disturbance or natural disasters.

A lot of things can make roads impassable during a disaster or crises, and it’s popularly said that the average person is only 3 meals away from total anarchy. So you’ll want to ensure that you can get out of dodge before the chaos descends or rioting begins.

Consider the distance you will need to travel when you choose your bug out location, as well. If possible, choose a secondary bug out location and/or a waypoint that you can reach on the first or second day of the disaster. Familiarize yourself with the terrain you’ll need to cover ahead of time, and anticipate extra travel time for hilly, mountainous or rough terrain.

If you’re planning on heading to the woods or open countryside, be prepared that you may not be the only one heading to your area of choice. The best bug out locations are private, so put some effort and care into finding a good location that you feel comfortable retreating to.

Good bug out locations:

-  have a source of clean water nearby

- may provide some sort of natural shelter / protection from wind and rain

- give you a natural advantage for defense

- are off the beaten path, away from where other people fleeing from a catastrophe or natural disaster might naturally go first (but still within reasonable travel distance)

- have fish or other wildlife or wild edibles available to hunt / gather

- are as far from densely populated cities and urban areas as possible

- are prepared in advance, especially with extra supplies and provisions when possible

- have good drainage to avoid flooding or turning into a marshland where you can’t grow crops, raise livestock or live comfortably

- have a good source of firewood or other suitable fuel for burning

- provide an option for hydro, solar or wind-generated power

A good bug out location may also have a natural shelter of some kind, such as a cave or a thick grove of trees that will protect you from some of the elements. If defense of your bug out location is a concern (say in times of severe civil unrest), think of this ahead of time and try to choose a location that gives you natural defensive advantages. Consider stockpiling extra ammunition or survival supplies at your bug out location when possible.

Look for a good source of clean water as well, preferably a stream or river because flowing water is less prone to stagnancy, but a pond will also do. If you have a usable water source nearby, that’s one huge, fundamental necessity you can cross of your list right away (do not trust any natural water – especially drinking it – without purifying it first, though).

Depending on the area you choose, you might have fish to go with that water source, and then you’ve really hit two birds with one stone because you’ll have usable water and a food source in the same location. What could be sweeter than that?

Even if your intended bug out location is going to be the official shelter or FEMA camp set up to cope with the natural disaster or other emergency that displaced you,  your BOB will serve you well. The supplies that are available during emergencies like Katrina or Superstorm Sandy aren’t available immediately, and when they are, it is often in limited quantities.

Save yourself the stress and trouble of going without basic necessities by keeping you BOB well-stocked and easily accessible in case of emergency. You’ll be grateful when you’re in a crowded gym with hundreds, or thousands, of other people – and you can change your clothes, stay warm, sleep comfortably enough and still eat a semi-decent meal.

Bugging Out in Your Vehicle

Whether you intend to bug out in your vehicle or not, if you can afford to keep another BOB stashed in the car it’s an investment well-worth your money. A vehicle can make bugging out a lot more comfortable, a heck of a lot faster, and you can potentially bug out with a lot of extra gear, though you should still aim to keep your HIKING BOB travel-weight at 30 pounds or less, just in case you have to abandon your car.

Great things to pack if you intend to bug out with your vehicle include:

- extra gas, but be absolutely certain you have stored it safely and mitigated the risk of explosion as much as possible; don’t store your extra fuel in or near your house!

- 2 extra flashlights (one large, one small) with spare batteries

- a couple of road flares

- a fire extinguisher (there may not be emergency services or police to prevent or manage accidents in the event of a wide-spread catastrophe)

- a large hammer, crowbar or other blunt object, easily accessible to the driver in case of an accident or emergency that requires the swift breaking of a window or windshield glass

- at least one set of tire chains if heavy snow may be present at or en route to your bug out location

- extra motor oil for your engine, pack a few quarts and consider including some power steering, transmission and brake fluid and a bit of coolant

- a full-size spare tire, and perhaps some tire sealant for your tires

There are limits to what you can do with a vehicle, though.

Roads may be damaged by natural disasters, or otherwise made impassable. Local or regional authorities may also move to restrict travel into or out of a disaster area, and of course you will probably run out of gas at some point. So always have a backup plan, maybe even two or three, so that you can be prepared for changes in the situation as they arise.

Keeping a BOB in your vehicle makes a lot of sense in general, too, because you never know when you might be traveling at night or over long distances, only to have your car break down. You’ll feel a lot better if you have a BOB stocked with useful (and perhaps also tasty) supplies to help you through the emergency.

Bugging In

An alternative to bugging out is to bug in. Surprising as it may sound, bugging in can be advantageous depending on your situation, and you can still put most of the same gear in your BOB to use. Not all natural disasters or catastrophes will make your house unlivable, and especially if civilization isn’t collapsing around your ears, you may wish to stay at home and stick it out through whatever storm or disaster is occurring.

If you plan on potentially bugging in, it’s still advisable to keep your BOB packed and travel-ready, but you do have some additional leeway and you can stock up on some additional supplies. For the purposes of bugging in, a closet dedicated to food, water and supply storage for the family is a pretty good idea.

Useful supplies to stock up on if you plan to bug in may include:

- a large water bladder (several companies produce water bladders that can be placed in your tub and filled up to store 50 gallons of water or more)

- a small solar or gas-powered generator to restore power for your fridge and stove

- dehydrated, freeze-dried or other dry foods

- canned foods, including beans, chili, soups, etc.

- water collection tools (can be as simple as a tarp and bucket to collect rain water)

- water filtration / purification tools

- lights and radios with solar or hand-crank generated power

- crackers, dry fruit, granola, trail mix and other dry foods with a long shelf life

You might also stow away some additional camping gear, like a cook stove and a few larger tanks of propane gas. If you store any extra propane, be certain to store it in a safe location away from your main residence to avoid any chance of explosion. And don’t forget self-defense! Your well-stocked and adequately prepared home may become a target, so be prepared.

Chapter 7: Defending Yourself & Your Family

In the event that you need to bug out (and even if you choose to batten down the hatches and bug in), chances are that you (and your family) will not be the only one doing so. Civil disturbances and natural disasters alike often result in riots, looting and pillaging amid the chaos.

Random individuals may get caught up in temporary anarchy, and once the shelves at the grocery store and the pumps at the gas station are empty, citizens who prepared (like you) will become natural targets of looters and mobs. Police and emergency services are likely to be tied up with other issues, unable to come to your defense or assist you, so defending yourself, your family and your supplies will be up to you.

Before you decide to go Rambo-style, though, there are many alternatives to heavy weaponry or the ‘locked and loaded’ mentality of self-defense.

Guns can be a great deterrent, to be sure, but they pack a lot of force and not everyone is comfortable wielding that level of potentially-deadly force, even in an emergency. Also, gun ownership may not be an option for many people, especially in much of Europe, Australia and Britain.

There are many alternative methods for defend yourself, including:

- learning a martial art; this takes time, practice and dedication but the benefit is that you have a weapon no one can take away from you or use against you

- keeping a dog (or multiple dogs); large dogs especially can prove to be a great deterrent, especially with their keen sense of smell and hearing, and their natural pack mentality (but remember that a dog comes with additional food and water needs)

- arming yourself with mace or pepper spray

- using a Taser (or perhaps that cattle prod you happen to have out in the barn…)

- a baseball bat, club or any other blunt object can serve well as a defensive weapon

- a sturdy cane or walking staff can also be used to deter lightly or unarmed attackers

- avoiding confrontation by keeping a low profile; if electricity is out, for instance, and you have a generator, don’t run the lights at night or draw unnecessary attention to yourself

- a small hatchet, axe or machete

- a large hunting knife (note that knives are ridiculously useful as far more than a self-defense tool or weapon for violence, and as a weapon be careful in close combat or you might end up hurting yourself as much as your enemy)

- bows (including compound and cross bows); a bow has the added bonus of being silent

Of course, guns pack a heavy punch and are pretty easy to operate, so a lot of people will naturally gravitate toward firearms. If you do choose to use firearms for self-defense, be sure to practice strict gun-safety measures at all times.

Don’t aim your weapon, whether loaded or unloaded, at anything you wouldn’t be willing to shoot, and always treat your gun as though it were loaded. Keep firearms and any ammunition stored safely and out of rest of children and minors. If you stockpile additional ammo, keep in mind that ammo can turn and go bad over time, so cycle your stockpile regularly.

Also, don’t forget that you can use your gun as a weapon for self-defense without firing it. A good old-fashioned pistol-whipping can inflict plenty of damage on someone, so even when you have the option, it isn’t always necessary to exercise the use of deadly force.

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Special Note:

Click Here —> Bug Out Bag Products to shop for quality BOB products! (this is an Amazon associate’s link, and a commission may result for the publisher of this book as the result of a purchase – thank you).

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Thank you so much for reading!

All My Best,

Gayle

Table of Contents

Bug Out Bag and Survival Tin Prepper's Guide: 72 Hours of Survival in a Bag

Table of Contents

Disclaimer / Introduction

Chapter 1: Just What Is a Bug Out Bag?

Chapter 2: Choosing The Right Bag

Chapter 3: Prioritize Essentials (Don’t Pack the Kitchen Sink!)

Chapter 4: Food, Water & Fire – The Holy Trinity of Survival

Chapter 5: Building a Bug Out Bag On a Budget (Including Survival Tin)

Chapter 6: Choosing a Bug Out Location

Chapter 7: Defending Yourself & Your Family