Bug Out Bag / Survival Gear

[SpecialK 193]

I'll keep this simple:

 

Guns

ammo

water

food

 

that'll get me to Pennsy, or at least out of the city

 

the KISS rule works (Keep it Simple..)

Basically the bare necessities are in my BOB too, but I leave extra room to throw some last minute adaptions into it. My bare necessities also include flint for fire, knife, sunglasses and an extra pair of socks though. Yeah the sunglasses are arguable as a necessity, but gotta have em B)

[fliks 20]

socks are always good. and like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy says "Always Bring a Towel" (and "Don't Panic")

[SpecialK 193]

socks are always good. and like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy says "Always Bring a Towel" (and "Don't Panic")

 

if nothing else you could wear it around your neck like a cape to deter people from messing with you, because you really wants to mess with a crazy cape wearing person?

[TommyRuss 6]

My plan is to make my "bug out bag" suitable enough to get home, or to my safe house in South Jersey. Sometimes going home just isn't an option.

 

+1

 

My B.O.B. doubles as a get-home bag. This would likely not be the case if CCW was permitted in NJ.

[djg0770 481]

the sunglasses are arguable as a necessity, but gotta have em B)

 

Mine double as safety/shooting glasses, definitely a necessity.

[tuktuk 16]

Well if I have to leave the safety of my own home there are couple of places that I'm considering >>> 1) local PD HQ. They are LEOs after all and they got guns and gear, so in a low threat situation should be sufficient to provide protection. 2) if things get worse I will head for a major military base such as fort Dix or McGuire air force base ( in case if there is an evacuation order issued ) or Lakehurst naval air base (same reason). Military installations should last longer that any other plus possible access to evacuation routes, gear and provisions. 3) if things are so bad that all fails I'm getting my @ss to Amish country. They got plenty and all of it without use of any modern technology, so they'll be rocking it.

Also something to consider is that if modern society collapses another one will come in it's place. You would need a way to make it in the new world. If you have some particular "low" tech skills such as blacksmith you are rolling in butter. However if you do not here is couple of things to consider >>> must know where large farms are ( ppl always want to eat) or stables ( after a while horses will be the only means of transportation ) or mill/bakery (bread is essential to any human diet) or brewery ( u know ppl can't live without liquor) . If you are in control or partner in any of those business even after when the world as we know it ends you will still have a comfy life.

[tuktuk 16]

Sorry i know there are mad mistakes in my previous post, but I'm postin from my phone and was typing fast

Im thinkin if I do have to bail out fast (which will never happen cause my wife would ask me like a million questions therefore preventing our fast getaway) I'm taking : baby essentials, water, bread, chocolate, granola bars, clothing summer/winter, boots, knives, ammo, firearms and accessories, axe, big plastic garbage bags, duct tape, money, jewelry and other things. Im probably missing a lot of stuff but i listed the ones that I see in my house so it's more "realistic"

[DirtyDigz 1,812]

Doesn't really fit in most bags but I try to keep this in whatever car I'm driving:

 

Stanley Xtreme Fubar:

 

[MedicYeti 96]

I keep a very basic BOB in my car. I have it for the SHTF but also for more practical reasons. If the car gets stuck in a snow bank in the night or if my family and I spend a night somewhere we were not expecting to. I have used it an multiple locations for snacks, emergency diapers and a change of clothes.

While there is always room for improvement this is what I have:

Bag: Backpacking bag with reflective strips removed. Got it from Walmart for $30.

Clothes: one pair summer and one pair winter for myself, my wife and my son (which needs to be updated on a regular basis). Diapers.

Blankets: one wool and one fleese

Drink: one water and one gatoraid

Food: 3 MRE's and trail mix.

Survival supplies: Delorme Topo map of NJ. Compass. Matches. Lighters. Fire starting aids. Paracord. 3 knives - one swiss army. Folding Saw. Binoculars. Pens. 2 small notebooks. 2 flashlights. Extra Batteries. Expanding Batton. Weather radio (very small). Plastic bags of various sizes. Duct Tape. Pack of baby wipes (good for many things).

My First aid kit is in a seperate bag with IV fluids and basic airway equipment. The kit is easily packed in the BOB so I don't have to carry the heavy fluids and in an situation where the BOB in needed I will not be wasting my time with trying to secure someones airway.

 

I have done backpacking many times in my life. I do see a use for a crowbar but I find hatchets and machette's to be heavy and not necessary.

 

For Fire starting aids: I use the bottom of a cardboard egg carton. I dip cotton balls in patrolium jelly and place them in the egg bowls then melt wax and pour it all over the carton. When the wax solidifies cut the carton into 12 pieces and store in a ziplock. 1 match gets the thing burning well.

[EchoMirage 137]

Well if I have to leave the safety of my own home there are couple of places that I'm considering >>> 1) local PD HQ. They are LEOs after all and they got guns and gear, so in a low threat situation should be sufficient to provide protection. 2) if things get worse I will head for a major military base such as fort Dix or McGuire air force base ( in case if there is an evacuation order issued ) or Lakehurst naval air base (same reason). Military installations should last longer that any other plus possible access to evacuation routes, gear and provisions. 3) if things are so bad that all fails I'm getting my @ss to Amish country. They got plenty and all of it without use of any modern technology, so they'll be rocking it.

 

 

the only viable location here might be amish country. the whole point of 'bugging out' is to get AWAY from people, population centers, etc. while you may think the local PD or army base is a good idea, keep in mind that EVERYONE will think the local PD or army base is also a good idea. those type of locations will quickly be swarmed and swamped. unless a military base is specifically designated as an evacuation site, anyone trying to hop a fence thinking he'll make ft. dix his personal fortress will summarily be arrested or shot.

 

there is a national guard depot in tenafly. solid brick 3+ stories, surrounded by fence, helipads, rows of hummers and other vehicles out back. dont you think that not only the people who live in the immediate vicinity, ie: RIGHT across the street, will think of that as a destination, but also all the other people who live in the surrounding towns. imagine all the people living in a one block radius of the depot. i can guarantee 95% of them are thinking "if anything ever happens im going to the depot, getting some guns and a humvee and playing rambo." that can be hundreds, possible thousands of people within a quarter mile, swarming the base. now add in everyone else outside the 1/4 mile who thinks the same.....

 

take the walking dead. look at all the people who originally tried to go to the CDC for safety and answers. the army set up barricades to protect the facility; not the refugees fleeing to it. the result was a pile of corpses, both from undead and living, then was eventually overrun when the army ran out of ammo. while it may be fun to think about hitting a gun store after the fall of society, chances are it will already have been looted/barricaded.

 

the only time occupying a public hardened facility becomes reasonable is AFTER society has fallen, and there simply is no more government, army, etc. (we can all hope). only then, with enough people, supplies, and ammo, can an empty location be taken over, repaired/fortified and used.

[EchoMirage 137]

 

I have done backpacking many times in my life. I do see a use for a crowbar but I find hatchets and machette's to be heavy and not necessary.

 

 

he's talking an urban scene

[Caine 147]

Doesn't really fit in most bags but I try to keep this in whatever car I'm driving:

 

Stanley Xtreme Fubar:

Good tool. I keep a smaller one in my Jeep:

http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-55-119-FatMax-Functional-Utility/dp/B000QFDADS/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_text_b

 

Not quite as versatile as the larger model cuz you give up hammering weight and crowbar leverage for smaller size, but, it's easier to pack should the need arise.

[MedicYeti 96]

he's talking an urban scene

 

That was not specified by the op. The weight vs usefullness of a hatchet and/or a machette in the urban or rural enviroment does not change.

[JimmyAGR 54]

 

For Fire starting aids: I use the bottom of a cardboard egg carton. I dip cotton balls in patrolium jelly and place them in the egg bowls then melt wax and pour it all over the carton. When the wax solidifies cut the carton into 12 pieces and store in a ziplock. 1 match gets the thing burning well.

 

Wow great idea, I usually have the fireplace starters and cut them up and keep them in a ziploc. That would be a great project for the wife.

[GoNRA 12]

Has anyone ever looked into fruit, or plant growing if you would need to survive out in the bush for a long period of time?

 

was looking into this:

 

http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/FruitTrees.htm

 

I was looking into it, and some of the tree's are fast growers.

 

here is a good fast growing fruit tree

 

http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/BlackTartarion.htm

 

or did anyone look into fast growing seeds?

[Guest megaman]

One thing I dont understand is why money? If you need to bug out, money is paper.

I would invest in some gold. If it came to that, I would pry apart each piece of gold I have to use as currency and trade.

So this way you have different sizes to trade for different things. I dont know what type of scenario you guys are really talking about, but this idea has lots of credibility to it.

I have 2 of these bags made up. I got a great idea from another member on a hunting trip, make your bug out bag as inconspicuous as possible. A bag of kitty litter is great. Its some type of plastic mesh so its strong and it would not stand out as a 'bag containing **** I need' to those who dont 'have' during this 'event' you all speak of.

What I would pack:

med supplies

2 portable water filter containers (the size of a bottle of water

Bottles of Potable Aqua (or similar product) as I can find so that we can purify and drink any pool of standing water.

Binoculars/night vision

Solar powered battery charger

Rechargeable batteries

Food for 3 days (whether it be MRE's or powerbars)

A compass

Flashlights/miners headlamps/camping lantern.

This bag weighs 18lbs.

 

Second bag contains

100 shotgun slugs

100 buckshot rounds

500 rounds of .45

An inflatable raft (as the waterways would be much easier to get out of the area on, we could hop on the river and be away from the area relatively quickly.

This bag weighs 40 lbs.

 

To carry on our persons:

2 shotguns and 2.45's, 1 9mm, 1 40cal.

The shottys for hunting. One slug gun, one smooth bore. Both pumps as they are easy to maintain. The .45's for whacking any 'bad' person, the 9 and the .40 because if I run out of .45, 9mm/40cal is easy to find. The 9 and the .40 are pocket pistols so they would be easy to conceal. The .45's are larger, so that would be on the belt, shotguns slung over backs.

 

My plan would be to get to somewhere relativly safe and start stabilizing our food living situation.

 

In this scenario, going home is not an option.

I envision loads of abandoned cars lining the highways, or bad things going on in the area of highways.

Keep in mind in this scenario, there will be no police checking to see if you have an FID card or looking whats in your bag.

This scenario makes me think something bad happened and people need to leave right away. Or something bad happened, we waited for a couple of days for everything 'bad' to happen, then we left the area because its filled with 'bad' things now..

 

This is a very interesting topic.

[GoNRA 12]

How many others would be hunting in this situation? and if hunters were to run into each other, how would the encounter go in a survival state of mind? just in the bear hunt alone I think they mentioned 7800 hunters, in a survival situation your probably doubling or tripling that number. How long could you live off wildlife that is being hunted by everyone and their grandmother?. I see depletion of wildlife and hunting becoming more difficult over a short period of time with so many hunters/survivors roaming the land, although I could be wrong.

[vjf915 456]

Is this discussion for a zombie situation, or for a SHTF scenario?

 

I see depletion of wildlife and hunting becoming more difficult over a short period of time with so many hunters/survivors roaming the land, although I could be wrong.

I don't see that many people surviving. Will the hunters have a better chance of surviving? Yes, but I don't think they will all have the sense of mind to do the same thing.

[Caine 147]

One thing I dont understand is why money? If you need to bug out, money is paper.

Because not every bug out situation necessarily means it's the end of the world where money is worthless. Maybe you're bugging out because of a weather event (i.e. Katrina). Maybe you're bugging out to escape a nuclear fallout. Maybe there's civil unrest and it's just not safe to stay home anymore. In any of those examples, money will still have some value.. you may be paying $100 for a gallon of gas.. but you still gotta have money to pay it. If the event is prolonged and things start turning in a TEOTAWKI situation, then money will eventually end up being toilet paper.

[GoNRA 12]

just bought this off ebay, screw that 3 days of food that only has a shelf life of 5 years.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120655366640

 

how about 3 months of food that lasts 10-20 years, lmfao

[bbk 188]

Damn, mega. I have to ask if you've ever been on prolonged foot marches/hikes. What you're discussing might only be 50-60 pounds, but you have to also factor in other elements like the weather (cool, hot, humid, windy, rainy, icy, etc); wear and tear on your feet and foot apparel; shifting of weight and "hot spots" created on the body from that (bags shift around, and can unequally distribute weight from the shoulders to the lower back, to the hips, etc-- which can make it feel like a million tons if not handled). And then include the fact that you'll have other weight in the form of throw-aways (things in your hands), as well as just having the ability to move at a high-rate if need be. If you have a tactical wheel barrow or shopping cart we don't know about, I guess that's different (though in the case of a temporary bug out [like post-Katrina], having a vehicle would be viable, otherwise I wouldn't depend on that mode of transportation).

 

And I agree, most catastrophic events won't be world-ending stuff, with society stabilizing eventually. So, I think we would have to heed the fact that we should continue to honor money and other social contracts as long as possible. Plus, if it does go out of style, I'm sure it would make as a good personal insulator

[Guest megaman]

Damn, mega. I have to ask if you've ever been on prolonged foot marches/hikes. What you're discussing might only be 50-60 pounds, but you have to also factor in other elements like the weather (cool, hot, humid, windy, rainy, icy, etc); wear and tear on your feet and foot apparel; shifting of weight and "hot spots" created on the body from that (bags shift around, and can unequally distribute weight from the shoulders to the lower back, to the hips, etc-- which can make it feel like a million tons if not handled). And then include the fact that you'll have other weight in the form of throw-aways (things in your hands), as well as just having the ability to move at a high-rate if need be. If you have a tactical wheel barrow or shopping cart we don't know about, I guess that's different (though in the case of a temporary bug out [like post-Katrina], having a vehicle would be viable, otherwise I wouldn't depend on that mode of transportation).

 

And I agree, most catastrophic events won't be world-ending stuff, with society stabilizing eventually. So, I think we would have to heed the fact that we should continue to honor money and other social contracts as long as possible. Plus, if it does go out of style, I'm sure it would make as a good personal insulator

 

 

As a former enlisted person who has been on LONG foot hikes with HEAVY bags attached to me, for days at a time, yes, I am very familiar with what a shifting weight feels like. I would never advise anyone to pack a bag they cant handle.

Now my long hikes are hunts in the woods that last a few days.

[Guest megaman]

Please introduce me to 1 person who would take paper money over gold in any 'bug out' situation? If things go back to normal, then my money will still be in the bank, and you can cash in that gold for a very high price.

Before we had paper, we had gold. I will take gold over paper anyday, it can be CONVERTED.

[bbk 188]

Ha, ok, I didn't know if you had experience with FMs or long hikes. I see way too many people say that they're going to throw a ton of stuff into a pack, and then go be a "lone wanderer" without ever really having the experience (I too have done my fair share of FMs and pats).

 

As for gold and other trade items... honestly, I think its a moot point. If a situation gets to be so bad that precious metals are the definitive trade good, and currency/money in itself becomes absolutely null, society might have drastically changed for the worse. And living here in NJ, most all of us would probably be screwed, and, hopefully, enjoying the afterlife somewhere. I believe this because, not to be Debbie-Downer, unless by a miracle, it would seem like the majority of warm bodies in NJ wouldn't be so warm at the time of the initial event, or in the aftermath (which would still be long before people even start trading goods)-- and all of those precious metals really don't mean much when that happens. I want to survive and thrive too, but, hey, just being a realist.

[Guest megaman]

My personal opinion is I think everything on this earth was put there so that we have what we need for everything that we will encounter ever.

Mans knowledge of what nature can do for him is very limited by our consumer society.

Some societies live like this all the time, constantly having to move.

Take a look around, you have everything you need from nature. Except guns/ammo/flashlight/batteries/etc.

Everything else is there. Deer for clothes, (deer skin is very supple and can be cured very easily in salt) furry animals for warmth. Think a coyote/fox/bear/racoon,etc is freezing? I think not!

Food is everywhere as well. Plants are tasty, animals are tastier. In this scenario I could take out the 12 does in the backyards, or something to that effect.

A bobby trapped camp keeps supplies safe.

Life would be very different...

I just dont see a weather event making me leave an area. Most weather has already happened. The main concern is low lying area.

A nuclear fallout is a different story, Then I just throw the 2 backpacks and guns in the car and 'blend in'...

[Caine 147]

Please introduce me to 1 person who would take paper money over gold in any 'bug out' situation? If things go back to normal, then my money will still be in the bank, and you can cash in that gold for a very high price.

Before we had paper, we had gold. I will take gold over paper anyday, it can be CONVERTED.

So, you're telling me, if you lived in Louisiana during Katrina and you had to bug out for Texas or wherever, you would be using gold to pay for gas? How is the guy pumping your gas going to know your broken up gold pieces are even gold? And is he supposed to know the exchange rate for gold to figure out how much to charge you for your gas?

[Guest megaman]

Ha, ok, I didn't know if you had experience with FMs or long hikes. I see way too many people say that they're going to throw a ton of stuff into a pack, and then go be a "lone wanderer" without ever really having the experience (I too have done my fair share of FMs and pats).

 

As for gold and other trade items... honestly, I think its a moot point. If a situation gets to be so bad that precious metals are the definitive trade good, and currency/money in itself becomes absolutely null, society might have drastically changed for the worse. And living here in NJ, most all of us would probably be screwed, and, hopefully, enjoying the afterlife somewhere. I believe this because, not to be Debbie-Downer, unless by a miracle, it would seem like the majority of warm bodies in NJ wouldn't be so warm at the time of the initial event, or in the aftermath (which would still be long before people even start trading goods)-- and all of those precious metals really don't mean much when that happens. I want to survive and thrive too, but, hey, just being a realist.

I know, there are alot of 'keyboard commandos' out there (no disrespect to anyone) but you are correct in your assesment.

Tell me though, what Hajji would not take gold for gas? LOL!!!

[Guest megaman]

So, you're telling me, if you lived in Louisiana during Katrina and you had to bug out for Texas or wherever, you would be using gold to pay for gas? How is the guy pumping your gas going to know your broken up gold pieces are even gold? And is he supposed to know the exchange rate for gold to figure out how much to charge you for your gas?

 

In this localized scenario, I see your point.

I would just use my debit card in a hurricane.

My assumption on this thread is 'you are not going home, ever'

[s8n 14]

just bought this off ebay, screw that 3 days of food that only has a shelf life of 5 years.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/...em=120655366640

 

how about 3 months of food that lasts 10-20 years, lmfao

 

Just bought this from costco for $89 delivered. got good reviews on costco.com

[EchoMirage 137]

Just bought this from costco for $89 delivered. got good reviews on costco.com

 

are those the buckets that are involved in a class action suit......claiming each serving is a few thousand calories, but in reality it was a few hundred. which, added daily, was less then the caloric intake of an Auschwitz prisoner.

 

it will take a LONG time before precious metals become currency again. the entire government and economic structure will have to be completely gone. the survivors of whatever happened will have to lived long enough, in big enough numbers and have enough safety, to start restructuring their own personal economies before people start selling for gold . in addition, hoarding nothing but gold is not smart. its too heavy, not to mention simply worth too much to buy small things. lets say the cheapest gold coin you have is an old 2.50 piece. for arguments sake, lets say its worth $200 in post TEOTWAWKI economics. you want to buy a pair of boots at the local trading post. the price for the boots is $20. what are you going to do?? slice up the coin into something you hope is $20? having a big stash of silver mercury dimes is MUCH smarter and economical then having nothing but gold bars. silver dimes, single bullets, firearms, magazines will be much more useful then an 80lb gold bar or $20 piece. you need to be able to break up into change, as it were, for smaller purchases.