Looking for Idea's for what to put in a BOB. (Bug Out Bag)

[maybejim]

I live in the suburbs of L.A. and my most likely problem to face is a devastating earthquake. I probably would stick around my house and protect it and the stuff that survives. I try to keep enough stuff around so that I could live on my own for a couple of weeks (which is now the prediction for having to survive on your own when the "big one" strikes).

On the other hand if there is a major uprising, traveling away from the population of Southern Kalifornia would incur huge threat. But then since I will be spending half or a little more of my time at my place in Idaho, I might be up there (or might could travel up there). I have a well there (water will be a major problem--I have a pool 25 or 30,000 gallons in Kalifornia). On my property in Idaho, I regularly see deer, squirrels, ducks, turkeys and quail (and even a couple of peacocks--what do peacocks taste like?). Why would I leave my log cabin in Idaho? For that matter, why would I leave my house in Kalifornia?

What makes you think that you could "escape" to the "wilds" if an uprising occurred? What makes you think you would be better off there if you could?

Realistically, I can't see moving into the "wilds" would be a long term (or even a short term) solution to an uprising.

Then maybe I don't understand what you envision as happening when the SHTF. What do you have in mind?

 

[toreskha]

Bailing wire? whats that? what would it be used for? Like for snare traps?

Traps was my first thought, but it's also good all-purpose stuff. If you decide to cook over a fire and don't have a hook handy, etc.

Garbage bags for what?

They're good for all kinds of things. Get a strong one (dark colored) and fill it with water and hang it from a tree in the summer, poke a hole in the bottom and it makes a warm shower. Put a valve on it and it's reusable. Use it to line a backpack, keep your food dry, keep food in, or double as a poncho. Different colors can be used for shade or heat retention, ties or tourniquets. They take up almost no space, are really convenient and aren't easily made out of raw materials.

If the worst happens and someone dies and your group decides to transport them out rather than bury them on the spot, they'll have to be wrapped up or it's going to be a very unpleasant journey. It would be much better to use disposable garbage bags and duct tape than the valuable tarp, which you may really need.

Hard outer shell? like what? a rain coat?

Like a rain or ski suit. The pants may seem extra, but if you need them they're sure a lot more comfortable - and it reduces the moisture in your boots. In the winter time of course you wear that on the outside to cut the wind and waterproof yourself, and fleece or wool on the inside. It'll still keep you dry in a hurricane. They pack pretty compactly.

 

[HK4U]

Traps was my first thought, but it's also good all-purpose stuff. If you decide to cook over a fire and don't have a hook handy, etc.


They're good for all kinds of things. Get a strong one (dark colored) and fill it with water and hang it from a tree in the summer, poke a hole in the bottom and it makes a warm shower. Put a valve on it and it's reusable. Use it to line a backpack, keep your food dry, keep food in, or double as a poncho. Different colors can be used for shade or heat retention, ties or tourniquets. They take up almost no space, are really convenient and aren't easily made out of raw materials.

If the worst happens and someone dies and your group decides to transport them out rather than bury them on the spot, they'll have to be wrapped up or it's going to be a very unpleasant journey. It would be much better to use disposable garbage bags and duct tape than the valuable tarp, which you may really need.


Like a rain or ski suit. The pants may seem extra, but if you need them they're sure a lot more comfortable - and it reduces the moisture in your boots. In the winter time of course you wear that on the outside to cut the wind and waterproof yourself, and fleece or wool on the inside. It'll still keep you dry in a hurricane. They pack pretty compactly.

A few zip lock bags of different sizes are good to have. You can put things in them that you want to keep dry. Get the freezer bags as they are the strongest.

 

[S&WM&P40]

I live in the suburbs of L.A. and my most likely problem to face is a devastating earthquake. I probably would stick around my house and protect it and the stuff that survives. I try to keep enough stuff around so that I could live on my own for a couple of weeks (which is now the prediction for having to survive on your own when the "big one" strikes).

On the other hand if there is a major uprising, traveling away from the population of Southern Kalifornia would incur huge threat. But then since I will be spending half or a little more of my time at my place in Idaho, I might be up there (or might could travel up there). I have a well there (water will be a major problem--I have a pool 25 or 30,000 gallons in Kalifornia). On my property in Idaho, I regularly see deer, squirrels, ducks, turkeys and quail (and even a couple of peacocks--what do peacocks taste like?). Why would I leave my log cabin in Idaho? For that matter, why would I leave my house in Kalifornia?

What makes you think that you could "escape" to the "wilds" if an uprising occurred? What makes you think you would be better off there if you could?

Realistically, I can't see moving into the "wilds" would be a long term (or even a short term) solution to an uprising.

Then maybe I don't understand what you envision as happening when the SHTF. What do you have in mind?

If the S*** does hit the fan (Up rising,EMP attack,) Stuff like that city's and people will be the last thing you will want to be near. People will be looting,robbing,killing,stealing,raping and so on. Idk about you but I'm not going to sit in my house and play Rambo and try and fight people off. They want the stuff in my house let them take it. Nothing in the house i can not get more off or replace or insurance will not cover. Keeping in my that if their is a huge uprising/huge attack on the USA insurance will not matter/may not be there. At that point the only thing i can not replace/the only thing that matters. Is my family's life's and getting them to a safe spot. Going into the woods and knowing how to make fire/what plants you can/cant eat/how to build a shelter/ what plants can be used to heal and so on. Know how to do all this can and will save your live. I'm not going to stick around in the city and wait to be shot/stabbed or have my family raped/killed. knowing how to make clean water is another good one. Building a Slow Sand Filter or a BioSand water filter to make clean drinking water is great tool to have.

 

[maybejim]

I live in a suburb and have no doubt that I would be as safe there as I would be trying to flee the city and as safe as I would be in the "wilds". About the most threatened I've felt was when camping in the mountains when a Hell's Angels gang moved in next to us.

Of course you are free to believe in whatever scenario you can imagine (or see in a far-out movie). I simply don't believe what you are suggesting.

Now for backpacking and trips out in the real wilds, the survival gear and training are certainly a good idea. But your scenario has about the same chance of happening as your being in a plane crash in the out and beyond and having to survive (perhaps a good idea to carry small survival kits in your carry on?).

But me, I'll prepare my earthquake kit, and a disaster kit for Idaho. But I have no plans for living a million miles from civilization for an extended period of time (not that I doubt that I could with what I have on hand but that I doubt that it is a reasonable solution to an unlikely scenario).

 

[toreskha]

If the S*** does hit the fan (Up rising,EMP attack,) Stuff like that city's and people will be the last thing you will want to be near. People will be looting,robbing,killing,stealing,raping and so on. Idk about you but I'm not going to sit in my house and play Rambo and try and fight people off. They want the stuff in my house let them take it. Nothing in the house i can not get more off or replace or insurance will not cover. Keeping in my that if their is a huge uprising/huge attack on the USA insurance will not matter/may not be there. At that point the only thing i can not replace/the only thing that matters. Is my family's life's and getting them to a safe spot. Going into the woods and knowing how to make fire/what plants you can/cant eat/how to build a shelter/ what plants can be used to heal and so on. Know how to do all this can and will save your live. I'm not going to stick around in the city and wait to be shot/stabbed or have my family raped/killed. knowing how to make clean water is another good one. Building a Slow Sand Filter or a BioSand water filter to make clean drinking water is great tool to have.

Going into the woods is good in theory, but realistically it would probably not be the best option in most likely situations. Your existing house provides you with excellent shelter, protection and storage for supplies. Replacing those capabilities in the wild would represent a huge expenditure in time, effort and resources, and it's unlikely you could do it with some tents and a few basic tools. Your house is already the best survival tool you have. Don't abandon it unless absolutely necessary.

If TSHTF so hard that you feel pressed to take refuge in the woods, so will a lot of other people. Chances are that most people will end up on someone else's land - and those people may not be too thrilled about refugees from the cities coming to squat and live off their land. So, you face the very real prospect of getting into armed conflicts with private property owners who see you as a threatening trespasser. You'll also be stuck out there with a lot of other potentially desperate refugees, who may believe that what happens out there, stays out there, and that feeding their family justifies violent robbery. That's something to keep in mind.

If in New Orleans or Detroit, I can see the logic of heading for the hills in a disaster. Most areas will probably take a while to degenerate into the "mindless pillaging mob" mentality, though. It's good to be prepared, but an evacuation into the wildlands should be an absolute last resort.

 

[gordo]

Leather work gloves are a must to protect you hands from cuts or burns. Especially to the palms. It can be very painfull to do the most simple things with that type of injury.

 

[crazycathed]

I use a platypus sweetwater water filter. I also got a silt filter for it so I can drop the hose in a river and I'll be set. filters on the up and down stroke. treats 200 gallons of water at 1 1/4 liters a minute. also comes with solution drops to further enhance purification. the other end of the hose fits on a camelback bladder so you can pump water directly into the bladder. also comes with a platypus bladder.
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another good survival tool is a protable saw from ultimate survival.looks like a chainsaw blade. bi directional cutting and self cleaning teeth. mine came in a foam case so it'll float if dropped in a lake or creek.
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If you're worried about intruders in the night I use the lightstick trip flare. I have a couple in my pack for trips to the appalachian so I don't have big cat visitors in my campsite. these come with super brite 5 minute sticks.
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[maybejim]

I use a platypus sweetwater water filter. I also got a silt filter for it so I can drop the hose in a river and I'll be set. filters on the up and down stroke. treats 200 gallons of water at 1 1/4 liters a minute. also comes with solution drops to further enhance purification. the other end of the hose fits on a camelback bladder so you can pump water directly into the bladder. also comes with a platypus bladder.
Link Removed
another good survival tool is a protable saw from ultimate survival.looks like a chainsaw blade. bi directional cutting and self cleaning teeth. mine came in a foam case so it'll float if dropped in a lake or creek.
Link Removed
If you're worried about intruders in the night I use the lightstick trip flare. I have a couple in my pack for trips to the appalachian so I don't have big cat visitors in my campsite. these come with super brite 5 minute sticks.
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Great ideas, all!

 

[1ofmany30]

I can never have enough zip ties, large safety pins, super glue and heavy duty curved carpet sewing needles. Random I know but I swear this is what I find myself replacing the most in my kits.....oh yeah and a temporary dental filling kit from your local drug store. Big fan of princeton tec headlamps as well.

 

[SCbuckeye12]

Cash. It's always a good idea to have a stash of money for emergencies in case ATM's and banks are either not working or closed.

 

[BigSlick]

Bug out or Stay

The BoB is a good idea to keep in your car or truck should something happen away from home. But I would like to raise some good questions about bugging out. If you lived in the city then life could be very difficult. And leaving may be the only safe option. If you lived in a small town or in the country would staying be more of an option. If you lived in the country or semi-remote area you can store more products, ammo, medications, water, food/garden, just about anything you would need to ride out the SHTF storm. If bugging out by car and you had enough fuel to get there you would most likely encounter roadblocks, road gangs, and possible gunfire from roadside thugs that want your ride or whatever you have in it. What if they damage your vehicle preventing your escape? Most people who have or will prepare for such a day should consider these things. Those that did not prepare will be coming for your stuff.

Some things to consider if bugging out are:
1. Where would you go?
2. How long would it take to get there?
3. What are you most likely to encounter along the way?
4. How many supplies like food, water, ammo, would you have left when
you get here? Where will you find more? You can only carry so much.
5. Where you are going could be more dangerous then the place you left.
6. Is it defendable from an attack? Would you have the resources to defend it?



Any comments or thoughts?