What's in your Bug Out Bag?

[Mikkel]

I still carry it wherever i go (in my car or in my backpack) even if i dont worry about terrorists or Bgs at every corner or dark alley. It all about beeing prepared for things that might happen. At home i have enough.

[Topthis]

Hey TFLers...while I do think that the first post from Hahnb may have been his most intelligent one and one that truley shows his age and IQ level, I think that as you all keep responding to it...the caustic replys will just keep coming. Ignore it.
As for me, I do not have a Bug Out Bag, but after reading this post and being in a possible Earthquake zone, I am going to start putting things away. My sister lives in Florida and was caught in the Hurricanes a year ago...no water, power, gas etc. for days...and she was one of the more fortunate ones!!

[Mikkel]

Topthis, i agree with you.

[joab]

Don't forget a piece of paper that says I'm a ****ing moron.

Would that be to pin on those that felt no need to prepare for emergencies that you find begging for your help.
Then you could say
"Here's your sign"

I would replace the shop/trauma towels with feminine napkins or even an extra small diaper or two.
If nothing else you could use it on some of the 12 year olds here.
And I prefer Bics to matches

Being in Fla water is plentiful if I have a good filter, which I don't yet. Living off the land is even easier

Shelter is not of the utmost importance so a good poncho would do during the summer hurricane months.
In the winter I would only have to add a good coat or heavy jacket

Every thing else that I would consider crucial would fit into a small Alice pack, including a Rossi take down pump .22

So far I don't see anything tactical in your bag just a bunch of commonly needed emergency gear for the type of disasters that can happen everyday

[joab]

Maybe YOU should read the title of the thread. It says, what's in your BUG OUT BAG, not your hunting or fishing bag.

BOB can still be applied to emergency kits, fishing/hunting possibles bags and car kits just as dialing a phone still applies in the push button world

[chemist308]

Well, I don't have a bug-out bag but if it came down to it, and I had to get out of dodge for some unforseen reason I have enough survivalist skills and stuff in my home to put a very effective one together in about 5 - 10 minutes. But If I don't have that much time and I'm at home, well I'm probably a dead man, bag or no bag... It might be a good idea to have something like that in case of fire, but odds are good if my house burns down I'd be at work when it happens. Only time I really need something like that is when I'm not at home I guess. Might be good just to keep one in the car trunk all the time. Couldn't really have a weapon in there though--we park on site and it's against company policy. With our security I wouldn't even risk it. They're just a bit too good and too zealous.

What I'd probably do starting from upstairs bedroom:
*1 military douffle bag
*2 changes of clothes and a handfull or two of socks
*A few MREs
*WWII style belt (has canteen, iodine tabs, hunting knife
*leatherman tool
*22 rifle and 1 brick or 308 with 1000rds can (heavier if I'm on foot)
*WWII style dinner set: has pot with foldable handle, silverware, tray and metal cup for boiling water
At the bottom of the stairs:
*3 garbage bags
*1 pair of boots and 1 pair of shoes not counting the ones I'd have on.
*2 bottles of water
*white towels, washcloths, 1 roll of gauze, 1 bottle of iodine or bentadine
*1 large bottle of advil
*1 fishing rod and small tackle box
*2 lighters
*1 pack shovel
We're out the door in under 10 minutes, and while all that was happening my wife would have packed a back of clothes for her and kids...



What I don't understand is what another person had to say:

Bravo: ...If my wife, and I can make contact for 1 hour she goes to a relative. If we can't make contact for eight hours she goes to another location, If not for 24 hours she starts making her way to the farm 2 states away...

No flames, I'm curious. Unless you're running from the law, why do that?

[chemist308]

One other thing to consider: the bible tells us of a real chance of needing such a bag in you're lifetime. Jesus talks about it in the book of Matthew. Also if you're around post rapture when all that stuff in Revalations comes to pass...

[butch50]

Whoooooowhheeeee, this one if fun! For some reason this thread seems to have attracted a few kiddie trolls eh?

I started my bug out bag after realizing I needed a first aid kit in my truck, and getting a suggestion to go ahead and add a few other emergency essentials. What are the odds that I will ever need the bag? Who knows, but it cost almost nothing, and it takes up a small corner of the back seat area of my truck, so why not?

After reading the intelligent comments on this thread I realized that bug out bags have some specific themes. Mine is based on what very basic primary necessities would I like to have with me for a 3 day emergency. So, I built it around that idea - 3 days of stuff.

Don't chase the trolls off, they provide way too much entertainment value.

[Hahnb]

I'm still waiting for someone to show me a real life situation where any of that stuff would come in handy, a situation that actually has a reasonable mathmatical possibility of happening. Note I said resonable mathmatical possibility.

[claude783]

I keep some supplies in the trunk of the car. In the event of an earthquake, civil unrest, etc. Mainly a sleeping bag, some food, water, a cold steel machete, and on occasion I might put in a S&W 422 and a couple hundred rounds of .22 ammo....as for water, what I do is take the empty 2 liter soda jugs. Fill with water, put 2 drops of bleach in the lid, screw lid onto the jug and shake...a cheap solution to having some emergency water on hand.

I always carry a lighter and a knife, but do have these items in the trunk of the car. Usually carry a zippo or zippo type lighter, if necessary it can be filled with a few drops of gasoline. However, if you carry extra flints under the felt pad, you have to remove the flints when using gasoline, or it will dissolve them...On my property in the desert, we have placed a jar and a notebook and pencile in the event that we have to flee the city on foot. This way we can let each other know we are alright and where to meet. I have also tucked a few goodies away in the desert in a 50 gal. drum...so if the need were great, could take just what is on my person and resupply up in the desert!

Now, is civil unrest a remote possibily? Is an earthquake, perhaps one like in China, Turkey which left 1,000's homeless...what is the harm is tucking a few "goodies" back in the event of an emergency..I feel it is better to have something tucked away and not need it, than to suddenly find myself is dire straights wishing I had some equipment!

[butch50]

Hahnb

Wrong! That is most definitely not what you are waiting for!

Come on, fess up, be a man, tell us what you are really waiting for!

[Bravo25]

[QUOTE]Originally Posted by chemist308:
What I don't understand is what another person had to say:

[QUOTE]
Bravo: ...If my wife, and I can make contact for 1 hour she goes to a relative. If we can't make contact for eight hours she goes to another location, If not for 24 hours she starts making her way to the farm 2 states away...

No flames, I'm curious. Unless you're running from the law, why do that?

Lets assume the worst. Global effects mutiple tornados destroy communications, travel, food supplies, people going nuts scavenging. Civil disobediance on a scale that local LEO can't handle because everyone is now scared, and deperate.

Or Nukes=EMP's. No communications, No travel, No civil authority with enough infrastructure to handle the situation. Civil disobediance on a scale that local LEO can't handle because everyone is now scared, and deperate.

Chemical Spill on a mass scale. We have close to here a chemical plant that produces some of the most dangerous chemicals known to man.

Military invasion. There are people, and troops that cross our southern borders that people never hear about.

Medical, or biological outbreak.

Most of these scenarios would involve 2 things. Getting to a safe area quickly, and knowing what the other is doing. The other is Martial Law. I have been through that one, and trust me the military does not have the best interest of me or my family in mind. Only containment.

So it is imperative to just know how to react, and what to do if you can't get ahold of the other. If things get that bad, be prepared to survive. Forget laws, civil obediance, helping your fellow man (at least until your own security is established). Forget liability, protocol, and the wait, and see attitude. Nothing is worse than a hundred thousand people all being extremely deperate, and going nuts with no leadership or infrastructure to caontain the violence, and destruction they will be capable of.

[Hahnb]

How would any of those supplies help you during an earthquake lol. Everyone seems to claim all these things but doesn't actually think how these supplies are going to help. Why the **** would you need a sleeping bag if there was an earthquake? If your house is crushed are you going to sleep on your ****ing front lawn? I would opt for a hotel or a friends.

[Bravo25]

I know I should leave him alone, and maybe he'll go away but,

How would any of those supplies help you during an earthquake lol. Everyone seems to claim all these things but doesn't actually think how these supplies are going to help. Why the **** would you need a sleeping bag if there was an earthquake? If your house is crushed are you going to sleep on your ****ing front lawn? I would opt for a hotel or a friends.

Has anyone told you your IQ is somewhere around refrigerator temperature?
If we take up a collection for you would you go and buy a clue, and leave the intellegent discussions to the adults.

[Hahnb]

And how many degrees do you have, sir?

You all have seen way too many movies. The chances of any of that happening are so mathmatically slim that it's basically impossible. Half of those scenarios wouldn't even require all the bull**** in those bags.

[Rangefinder]

A lot of people like the idea of a Bic lighter, and that's not a bad thing, but don't rely on it as your only source of fire. Several reasons--Get it wet and it's not lighting for a while, not good. Anyone ever give one a flick and have the spring shoot the flint over your shoulder to who-knows-where? And after lighting something, most peoples' automatic reaction is to stuff it in the pocket of their jeans. Now take a seat for a little while so the gas starts flowing---wadda-ya know the next time you need it, you're out of fluid and all you have is a near-useless sparker.

I'm not saying don't carry one, by all means--DO. But carry a back-up fire source also.

[butch50]

I prefer matches. Starting a fire with a bic nearly always ends up with the darned thing getting too hot to hold or scalding my finger. Plus a match you can light and then drop down into a pile of tinder.

Magnesium fire starters make good backups to matches.

Another interesting idea I ran across is caching supplies. Burying supplies in 10 inch PVC pipe with the ends sealed (or similar storage containers) in various locations that you would try to get to, or on the way to somewhere you would try to get to.

[Hahnb]

Why not just hire a construction crew to follow you around 24 hours a day? This way they can build you a house if yours gets invaded by aliens hired by the commies.

[Rangefinder]

It's hunting season. You take 3 days off in the middle of the week to go out after that monster bull elk you've been watching for the past month. Your area isn't real popular, and pretty rugged--hence there's a monter bull out there. It's been snowing off and on all weekend--even better--TRACKS! So there you are, miles from nowhere, hiking to your spot at 3AM in the dark so you're in position when he crosses the saddle with his herd at first light. *OOPS!* You take a bad step, tumble, and before you know what direction is up or down, you're crumpled against a tree with a badly broken ankle. To top it off, it's snowing again. So----situation: No one is supposed to expect you back for three days. You're miles from nowhere, and if you're there for that monster bull, it's likely few people would have much idea where to start looking for you other then general area when the DO start missing you. It's dark, with freezing temperatures, and you're now facing shock and hypothermia that puts you in a critical, life-threatening situation.

Is this realistic? VERY. Unprepared people die every year from similar things. Me? I'd rather be over-prepared and have a better chance of surviving this. For the "kids" that think we're a bunch of paranoid radicals, here's your little challenge. Take a look through my pack list earlier posted and tell me what in there WOULDN'T be useful. Then I'll tell you why you're wrong, why I'd likely live through something like I discribed, and you wouldn't stand a chance given current attitude.

[butch50]

In several parts of the US a catastrophic earthquake is a matter of when, not if. Everyone knows about California, but how many know about Missouri? Check out the history of lake Reel Foot sometime, scary. How many are aware of the "super volcano" in Montana, aka Yellowstone National Park? Not if but when it blows (and it is geologically due) it will create a horrendous problem for the entire North American continent, something on the orderof magnitude of multiple hydrogen bombs going off, something like 10,000 Mt St Helens?

Lots of folks live in tornado alley - lots of folks have been and will be in severe crisis from tornados - watch the news. Then for the east coasters and the gulf coasters, hurricane season is almost here again, and it is expected to be another bad one. Shoot, we have had how may already before the normal season even started?

There are the kinds of emergencies that happen while driving in the sticks, car breaks down and it is a long hike out, or driving when a blizzard comes up on you, or......Predicting these kind of things is impossible. Better to have a few odds and ends on hand just in case you ever need them.

Even WC Fields had an emergency that he wasn't prepared for, he said "Once ... in the wilds of Afghanistan, I lost my corkscrew, and we were forced to live on nothing but food and water for days."

[HighValleyRanch]

Hey, I want one of those. Do you know of any source in the USA. The website is all in Norwegian, so I can't read anything.

Can I order direct, or are there any sources here in the USA?
thanks for your help.

[HighValleyRanch]

Don't worry, HahnB probably doesn't need any of that stuff, because he doesn't leave his house, and the only camping he's ever done is on Everquest! :barf:

[beenthere]

I started carrying a minimal bag some years ago. Two survival blankets, a package of emergency candles, waterproof match container, a dozen dog biscuits, extra sox and gloves and a set of insulated underwear.

Why? A few years ago two men I worked with were killed in a snowstorm on their way to work. Zero visability, ran out of gas, froze, car completely buried and only found when a snow plow hit the car. Not in Colorado, Montana, Maine or such. This happened in Ohio.

[HighValleyRanch]

Yeah, I live in the mountains too, some snow, 100+ inches of rain is common, fires, earthquakes, floods and old cars and trucks.
Been stranded out in the cold more than a few times, so even my go to town pack is pretty large!

I guess those of you that don't see the merits of being prepared for emergency situations ahead of time don't carry a gun? What's the chances of you getting into a gun fight? So why carry then? Not much difference in my opinion.

[roger-ruger]

Did anyone mention a bible?