Now that you’ve decided what kind of emergency you’re preparing for, as well as how long you want your bug out bag to sustain you for, it’s time to turn your attention to the actual bag itself.
During a disaster or emergency situation, you have to bear in mind that your physical health and fitness may be at risk, so choosing a bug out bag that’s easy, comfortable and safe to carry is of the utmost importance. Well-made, sturdy backpacks are perfectly suited for this purpose, as they’ll distribute the weight evenly over your shoulders, back and legs. Aside from the fact that they probably won’t be big enough, over-the-shoulder bags or those which you have to carry by hand will just be too uncomfortable. In fact, they would probably do you more harm than good, especially if you end up having to walk long distances!
We’ve already established that something sturdy is best, and that applies to the material that it’s made from, as well. A tough fabric is preferable to any sort of plastic, which would be too easy to damage.
If you can find a bag that’s made from some sort of waterproof fabric then that would be ideal – especially if you’re prepping for a weather-related natural disaster. The last thing you want is for all your lifesaving supplies to become damaged because rain or floodwater soaked through!
At this point you’re probably beginning to worry that you need to splash out on something really expensive, but that’s not exactly true. The key factor here is on quality, so if you can find a really good, resilient, weather-resistant bag for a really good price then snap it up! Just be careful not to buy anything cheap just because you don’t want to spend out any more – all too often you get what you pay for, and a bag that rips, breaks or feels uncomfortable will be of no use to anyone. Plastic bags that you can pick up from a supermarket just won’t do!
If you’re still in doubt over the type of bag to go for, visit an outdoors, hunting or survival store and speak to some of their staff. Even if you don’t buy it directly from them, they should be able to advise you on the kind of thing to go for. After all, they’ll know exactly what will fit your specific needs! This is a particularly good tactic to use when you’re trying to source any of the items for your bug out bag; speak to outdoors and survival experts!
Alternatively, another option would be to source a backpack from a military surplus store. There are hundreds of these places out there, both physical stores and online, and they usually sell backpacks for a very reasonable price. If they’re a good enough standard for the strongest people in the country to use in the most challenging environments, then they’re good enough for preppers to use as bug out bags!