"Bug out" packs?

[jrickman]

I always have a buck 110, a classic leatherman, and a bic lighter in my pockets. Always. I have a bag with a steel cup, a solo stove, poncho, emergency blanket, first aid kit, life straw, 550 cord, tinder, a flashlight and more bic lighters, extra batteries, a fishing kit, fixed blade knife, folding saw, and a scotch eyed auger. There is room in the bag for an MRE or two, an outside pocket for a water bottle, and you can stuff a rolled wool blanket in the handles. My boys have similar setups. From there I break down into 3 daypacks. One with food. One with tarps and other shelter items. One with nothing but medical gear. If we are short handed, I have a pack frame and can strap and carry all three myself. My wife will have her hands full with two girls. I seriously doubt we will ever load up and head out carrying it all, but every bit of it is used regularly except the medical gear, so we know it all works. In my mind, if we are bugging out we have done something horribly wrong, or things have gone totally sideways and even solid preparation isn’t going to assure much.

 

[Para Bellum]

Assuming knowledge, I’d say a good knife.

Important but not the most important. Ole Nic prolly wouldn’t leave the house without one of his hawks.

 

[Howard Roark]

I know I`ll get various answers, and I have my own first choice, but what is the first, most important thing for you to have?

Toilet paper

 

[Howard Roark]

With all this unrest, anybody have or use a "bug out" bag or pack?

Any recommendations on such?

Thanks

What condition would cause you to bug out?

Where would you bug out to?

How long can you live out of a backpack?

Everyone should read uncommon courage about surviving in the wilderness.

 

[Nicodemus]

Assuming knowledge, I’d say a good knife.

You got it. Knowledge.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

The more you know...the less you have to carry

 

[Ruger#3]

Sorry, I’m not a bug out kinda guy. Where you bugging out to and for how long?
I‘m making my own preparations but I’m a hunker down and hold kind of guy.
Each has to make the choice that fits their situation.

I like the Badlands packs, catch them marked down several times a year.

 

[lampern]

What condition would cause you to bug out?

Where would you bug out to?

How long can you live out of a backpack?

Everyone should read uncommon courage about surviving in the wilderness.

Natural distaster like hurricane, forest fire or flood.

Ridiculous or not I hear many people say be prepared. Have a 'bug out' or go bag.

Its not a rare belief or idea this day and age (ridiculous or not)

 

[Ruger#3]

Natural distaster like hurricane, forest fire or flood.

Ridiculous or not I hear many people say be prepared. Have a 'bug out' or go bag.

Its not a rare belief or idea this day and age (ridiculous or not)

In each of those cases I’m bugging out to a comfy hotel someplace out of the affected area.

Now zombie apocalypse is another matter.

 

[Para Bellum]

What condition would cause you to bug out?

Where would you bug out to?

How long can you live out of a backpack?

Everyone should read uncommon courage about surviving in the wilderness.

Many things.

National Forest in my case.

Infinitely.

Will check it out.

 

[trad bow]

Being national forest is in my backyard and I already live in a rural area, my main concern would be getting back home as that’s my bugout location. I keep a bag in my vehicles just to help me in that regard. I always have a firearm with me and at least two knives in my pockets always.

 

[bullgator]

Sorry, I’m not a bug out kinda guy. Where you bugging out to and for how long?
I‘m making my own preparations but I’m a hunker down and hold kind of guy.
Each has to make the choice that fits their situation.

I like the Badlands packs, catch them marked down several times a year.

That‘s why mine is set up as a “get home” bag. If I should ever be put in a situation where I may have to go on foot, the bag has the basics for that. I even keep a spare pair of comfortable sneakers in my truck.

 

[Ruger#3]

That‘s why mine is set up as a “get home” bag. If I should ever be put in a situation where I may have to go on foot, the bag has the basics for that. I even keep a spare pair of comfortable sneakers in my truck.

This makes sense to me. My preparation is at home so I need to get there.
If it’s bad enough I’m leaving my home, I’m probably leaving the state.

 

[bullgator]

This makes sense to me. My preparation is at home so I need to get there.
If it’s bad enough I’m leaving my home, I’m probably leaving the state.

Yep. I basing for anything from home. My only reason to leave the house is if I need to get to someone, or the off-line nuke plant 30 miles away decides to melt down. In those cases I’m packing the truck as needed in a narrow window of time.

 

[ghadarits]

I know I`ll get various answers, and I have my own first choice, but what is the first, most important thing for you to have?

Water filter or some way to purify water is my #1 item. Drinking unfiltered or un-purified water is the best way to put yourself out of commission. Second is a way to start a fire. I can start a fire without having something specifically to start a fire with but a magnesium stick or a Bic lighter sure is faster and easier.

 

[ghadarits]

I think we should be teaching our kids about the Carington Event that happened 1859.

The link below is an interesting read. If that ever happens again you'll want a good bugout bag and a place to go. We'll be living back in the 1800s again for a long while. I believe our power grid and electronics wouldn't fair well. If I was someone with a bugout bag I'd have it in my vehicle at all times it won't do you any good at home if you're 50 miles away. 50 miles doesn't sound like that far of a distance. Think about doing that with nothing to eat or drink in slacks and dress shoes with nothing but what you have in your pockets, not so easy now is it....just saying.

https://www.history.com/news/a-perfect-solar-superstorm-the-1859-carrington-event

 

[ghadarits]

Sorry, I’m not a bug out kinda guy. Where you bugging out to and for how long?
I‘m making my own preparations but I’m a hunker down and hold kind of guy.
Each has to make the choice that fits their situation.

I like the Badlands packs, catch them marked down several times a year.

I agree. Since my main residence is in Dunwoody just north of Atlanta I have a stocked bugout place thats remote and defensible. People will lose their timidness when they and their families haven't eaten in a few days. Back in 99 right before Y2K I had a neighbor thats in the IT world who called a meeting of us neighbors to give us his version of what was going to happen. For those of you too young to remember the computers were possibly going to fail around the world when the year changed to 2000. Obviously that didn't happen. Well ol Steve was telling us how he was going to stockpile food, fuel, water and get a big generator that would run his whole house. He suggested we all do the same and pool resources blah blah blah....... After he finished with all of that I asked him what type of weapons he had in preparation for all of this and he just looked at me like I was talking Greek. He eventually answered none why would I need a weapon I don't believe in violence. My reply to him was that if things happened to go down like he thought he wouldn't have all of these things he was talking about for very long because the first people to come by that were hungry and desperate and have weapons will be kicking you out and moving themselves in. He then got a little snippy and asked me how many weapons I owned.............. I answered him with "More than enough to take your stuff if I want too". I was 35 back then now days I might answer differently in case I needed some of that stuff he was going to stockpile.
Steve moved to Virginia Highlands in early 2000. I don't miss him.

 

[Fletch_W]

That story reminds me... For Y2K, I bugged out down to the Everglades to the Seminole reservation down there with a tent, a van, sleeping bags, propane stove, plenty of water and provisions, a woman of ill repute, and a few life sentences worth of marijuana, mushrooms, and LSD. Everything turned out just fine.

 

[ghadarits]

That story reminds me... For Y2K, I bugged out down to the Everglades to the Seminole reservation down there with a tent, a van, sleeping bags, propane stove, plenty of water and provisions, a woman of ill repute, and a few life sentences worth of marijuana, mushrooms, and LSD. Everything turned out just fine.

Did you have Marion Berry and his girl friend of ill repute along for the party.

 

[Fletch_W]

My "bug out" bag is the same thing as my "grab and go" bag for hunting/scouting/hiking.

It's actually two bags. One is a Cabela's shoulder bag (currently 12.99 at bps, it is NOT waterproof at all, it's advertised as "weather resistant" whatever that means).

The second back is a carhartt work backpack in the beige, it actually has great water resistance.

I use the cheap shoulder bag for walks where I need to maybe get in and out of my bag multiple times without having to stop, take off my backpack, etc. It's a glorified fanny pack.

The backpack is for when I'm walking in somewhere, and plan on sitting, with the backpack off and sitting next to me. Or if weather is wet, I use the backpack, because the shoulder bag has zero water resistance.

-Contents-
-Knife
-folding saw
-Lighter
-Matches
-TP/Tinder/Cotton balls in ziplock
-About 30' rope
-Orange vest, orange beanie
-Small flashlight
-el cheapo headlamp
-couple extree batteries in ziplock
-printed hunting regs from Academy's gun counter, also doubles as tinder
-1 stick of beef jerky
-1 pack Lance Crackers (cream cheese and chive)
-1 pack ear plugs
-1 ear muffs
- cheap binos
- fancy compass (might have saved my life last weekend after I got turned around and disoriented in a new place)
-handful of my wife's surgical gloves
-small wad of kroger bags
-1 discarded rag (clean) that my wife decommissioned from household duty
-during dove season, I can get 4 mojo flickers in there too.

Things i need to add are First Aid, a tiny lightweight pot, another stick of jerky, a small tarp, and probably a multitool. Maybe cyanide pills.


The way i figure is if i can make fire, and a primitive shelter, I can survive miserably for days and days.