My Bug Out Bag

I have been researching my BOB for some time and have started to acquire the items I've investigated. I would appreciate constructive feedback on my choices and suggestions for additional items. The idea behind my BOB is to provide reasonable essentials for three days until I get to my BOL or can come back home. My BOB plan presumes that I will be leaving from home so it is stored in my house and is ready to pick up and go. This is NOT my Get Home Bag which I carry with me in my car or into a building (like when I went to work at the office). My GHB plan presumes that I will go home to bug in or to retrieve my BOB and then depart again.

The weight of everything in my list is 12.9kg (28.4lbs). In terms of my own feedback I have already decided to change up the food. While I could handle three days of my selected food bars (my family eats them regularly) I don't think my family could. And since I am going to add some variety for them (perhaps change out some bars for some MREs but keep the calorie count the same) I am already planning to change my food. The rough cost of this BOB is about CDN$1300 which is about US$980. The weight and cost given do not include my first aid supplies which will be in a separate pouch attached to the pack external.

There are a couple of items that I am still researching which I would like...a solar panel charger and a battery storage bank with an AC outlet (same concept as this). My wife's BOB is identical down to the cash. We have decided to have just one GPS and we'll have just one of the battery banks/solar panels. I have provided links to most of the products although I won't necessarily procure the items from the sites I've linked to. Whenever I'm ready to buy something I then research where I can get the best deal.

I realize that there will be nearly an infinite amount of personal preferences for the items. If you do provide a "don't use x, you should really use y" statement I would be very grateful if you could provide the reasoning behind your statement so that I can learn. A final note before I get to the list: I already realize I do not have a firearm indicated! It's a little more challenging to acquire and carry one in my country. I'm still determining a solution on this.

Paratus 3 Day Operator’s Pack
3L Top Fill Hydration Bladder
Water bottles x 6 (stored in pack but empty into bladder when needed)
LifeStraw Personal water purifier
SOL Escape emerg sleep bag
Intex Air Mattress
Fenix PD35 2014 Flashlight
18650 battery x 2
Paracord x 200’
Emergency Ration Bars 6k cals
Aquaquest Guide Tarp, Large
SOL Heavy Duty Emerg Blanket
UST StrikeForce fire starter
Leatherman Wave w/sheath
KA-BAR BK22 Knife
BaoFeng BF-F8HP Ham Radio
BL-5 battery x 1 extra
Waterproof notebook and cover
Waterproof pen
Walkie Talkies, i355 cell phone
NNTN4655A battery x 1 extra
i355 charger
Local road, backroad and topo maps
Cash x $100
Garmin eTrex 30x
AA rechargeable battery x 4
Battery charger

 

I have a few questions.
1. Have you slept in the emergency bivvies? I have had some customers complain about the rattle, including one man who cut his into a poncho, and walked the rest of his hike in the dark to sleep in his car. Haha.
2. I would add a wool blanket...($35 US for 4lb)...warm when it's cold, but also can be used as a towel, a cloak, a kilt, rain wear, or cut down into clothes.
3. Why the Becker Companion? I ask because it is a hefty s.o.b., and there are a lot of lighter weight options unless you are skilled with all the bushcraft that blade is designed for.
4. I'd throw in at least a lighter or box of matches. Ferros fail at the worst moments (tinder issues), and matches make a huge difference when they do.
5. We pack jerky and dried fruits, since everyone in the family eats them. I agree that it is something to think about.
6. Have you considered a non-firearm hunting weapon?

 

@AxesAreBetter where do you get wool blankets for $35? I want some!

It looks like a great list @Imasham you seem to have to basics covered

@Brokor has a great post on BOB and on portable solar charging you might want to look at he updates them annually

Bug Out Bag Master List (on-going) | Survival Monkey Forums

I think the solar set up was under functional gear but I can't find it now .... @Brokor can you post a link?

 

I sell them. 80/20 virgin wool. Olive or Grey.

 

redwolf-blog

 

1) I have not slept in the bivvies but I understand what you're getting at in terms of noise. I don't plan to use the bivvie to sleep under per se. My shelter will be the Aquaquest tarp. I will sleep in the SOL emergency bag and use the SOL blanket on top of me for additional heat retention but it also has additional uses such as those you mentioned for the wool blanket. While it won't be rattling in the wind I presume there will be some minor rattling as I roll around.
2) The wool blanket is an excellent suggestion, especially since it has multiple usages as you've outlined. In my head some of those uses were covered by the emergency blanket above.
3) There were SO MANY knives to choose from I found it a little overwhelming to research!!! I chose the BK simply because I thought it was a good balance between price and functionality. I didn't consider 450 grams to be unreasonably hefty but I'd welcome potential alternatives. I consider myself reasonably skilled in bushcraft. Another option is to have a different knife, with a different feature set, in my wife's bag.
4) I forgot to mention on my list that I have put some matches in the storage handle of my StrikeForce as a backup. Thanks for the reminder.
5) Besides the knife, what do you suggest for a non-firearm hunting weapon? Do you mean traps?

 

On a suggestion from a survival company, I picked up some Becker products. The longer BK9 feels more balanced and less "heft" in the hand than the Companion. I mean, talking knives is kinda like jumping off a cliff, but my favorites are the Ontario Spec-6 and the Druid 230, as well as the Mora for finer carving, but I also tend to like longer blades, and a lighter balance in the hand. The main "heft" of the Companion is for batoning, but I find it...more tiring and "out of balance" for carving, on a personal level. I mean, I got the same "hand feel" from a Cold Steel 1917 Bowie as I did from the Companion, baring the actual handle shape.
If you follow the link to my website, you can get a pretty good idea of other blades I would recommend. Lot of good stuff out there, specially if you have the money to pay for them. Haha.
My original comment was more along the lines of "except for this one survival group", everyone I have personally seen handle one commented on the heft of the Companion, especially by comparison.
Hope that explains that fairly well.

On of the perks of wool is that the water doesn't "tack" when the rain hits it. Lindybeige on youtube did a thing on cloaks a few years ago that talks about it. I normally take a wool blanket or coat with me instead of rain gear because I like how it works out better.


As far as weapons go, I am a big fan of "primitive hunting tools". Bows, slings, slingshots, and blowguns being the ready examples, though knowing how to trap is a real game changer. You basically end up having to take up primitive weapons training as a hobby to get any real good at it, and MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY, have good information on how to go about using it in the first place. My archery kit and shooting style work, but they are so different from how a normal hunter uses a compound bow that we can't even speak the same language to one another about HOW to use our bows.

Primitive weapons are legal and easy to obtain in a lot of locations where firearms are not, though you should check hunting laws before using them (your judgement, not mine). I will add that if you can afford it, purchase solid basic equipment, and work into making them. Margin of error on just doing it yourself is very high on primitive weapons, and hunting success is very dependent on margin of error.
I can get VERY in depth with this discussion, so let me know if you have an avenue of approach you would like more info on.

 

I greatly appreciate the feedback. My knife research is currently "book learning" as I haven't purchased one yet. I clearly have more hands on trying to do.

In terms of a hunting weapon I had not really considered that for my BOB since the premise of my bag is being just a few days away from home. My long term bug-in or INCH plans will need to take this into account although I have not planned that far yet.

 

Well, it is a few pounds for a bow, maybe one or two for a blowgun or slingshot and ammo, and it is a good skill to be putting some thought into. I, personally, always air on the side of caution. I always take a weapon for personal defense (snakes, people, wild dogs), and opportunity kills, because reliance hunting is anything but reliable, and you will often find that that one kill you passed up was the only game you get a shot at for 2 days. I mean, would you turn down a shot on a...rabbit, just before making camp, just because you didn't PLAN on killing rabbits on this trip?
Long storing foods are rare, rarer still without modern technology, and I prefer to preserve it for those days when there is just nothing available. But I also tend to take a laid back approach to travel, and an aggressive stance on staying fed. Especially with family along. Haha.

As an alternative, or at least an idea, an Altoids tin filled with hooks, line, and a few other things will go a long way to feeding y'all if you do your part, and weighs ounces.

 

Now an Altoids tin survival kit I am VERY good at!!! During my time as a scout leader I have had MANY, MANY boys make these. When I first started out I found an old handout that included a list of items to have. I made a modern version of the handout and added photos, etc. I've uploaded both files.

I still have a box of about 100 empty tins in my garage!

 

Imasham, I say your on the right track here, and Axes has great tips as well. I am a HUGE fan of Wool blankets, I have them in all my rigs and I have a heavy Kilt which makes a nice size blanket when needed. I too wonder about the knife choice, I know it starts a good Rau to talk about blades, but it's one of those tools that can be a life saver quite literally. I made my own hybrid Bowie/Fighting knife for the simple reason that I have a ton of experience with Bowie knifes, and I trust them. I also keep a good folder or three handy, because they are just so useful for small chores. Years ago, there was the "Go Lite" craze that every one was in to, my self included. I bring this up as I learned what works, and how best to take advantage of what you have on hand. Look back at that faze and try out as much as you can, you will be surprised.
My advice, Loose the tarp, change to a lighter knife, make a walking stick bow, get three different fire starters, and have several souses of "kindling" and add a good wool blanket. I would also loose the sleeping bag,, and get a good rain fly instead.
Good on ya for taking some time and thought and also bringing this here for us, and allowing discussion.

 

Thanks very much for the advice. I am definitely going to invest in the wool blankets. I can see that their utility is much better than the emergency blanket I had chosen which I believe offsets the extra weight.

Yeah...the knife choice! Still got work to do there.

I am going to defend my choice of tarp. You may not have clicked the link to it but it isn't a standard "tarp". I have used the AquaQuest tarp before and am quite happy with it. I believe it is the "good rain fly" you're suggesting.

I had never heard of a walking stick bow before so I'm starting my research on that right now!

 

Not sure where you can find them, But the old Korean war Heavy wool blankets are still one of the best you can get, I need to do some digging, but the Finnish Army has an Awesome wool blanket as well, and I know you can get them as surplus. When I went to Scotland, I picked up a super nice over sized kilt and kilt pins, Once I learned the different methods of securing one on your person, I modified the pins to work with a sort of Mid evil harness to attach things to. I am Russian/Ukrainian, and in the Old Country, the Cossecks did something like this, so it fits mt heritage as well. Note; any wool product you choose should not be a blend of cotton, or any unnatural additions or it will never work like it should!
For a Good all round knife, that Bear Grills Gerber survival knife has a lot going for it, and having one, I can tell you it works very well for most every thing you could want it for. Put a Nice Beveled edge on it, and it holds it's edge quite well.

 

I use 18650 batteries also and have AAA adapters in my bags also, you can pick up AAA cells many places like remote controls.

If your lights will accept them you may want one or two in your bag.

 

I don't know what pack you are using but many like the USMC MARPAT ILBE.





Gear Review - USMC MARPAT ILBE Main Pack Lid & Assault Backpack | Survival Monkey Forums

 

One of the things I am trying to do for replaceable batteries is standardize on either 18650 or AA. You can use the AAA-18650 adapter as you showed which allows you to standardize on just one size. It's a reasonable choice and I could have used a similar AA-AAA adapter but I just decided I wanted a higher capacity with AAs in my GPS (which is the only device I have that uses them) instead of AAA. My choice of flashlight drove my use of 18650s. My go forward plan is to ensure that any other device I have can be charged with the batteries in the unit.

 

That's a nice pack alright. Mine is the first item on my list above. A Paratus Operator.

Amazon.com : Paratus 3 Day Operator's Pack - Military Style MOLLE Compatible Tactical Backpack (Black) : Tactical Backpacks : Sports & Outdoors

 

Looks like a good setup.Duplicates mine in many areas. I have a Glock knife in the pack and an M-9 on the side of the pack, plan being to strap on the Glock. I'd throw a few disposable lighters in the mix, because why not just light a fire instead of the heroics of using a fire starter? 4 Bic lighters take up almost no space, cost little and weigh almost nothing. Add a film canister with Vaseline soaked cotton balls and a good fire can be had in seconds.