Bug Out Bag / Get Home Bag / 72 Hour Kit

This is a subject I've been thinking about a lot lately and I wanted to share my philosophy on it. First, for those that aren't familiar with it, I'll define it. A Bug Out Bag (known as a BOB) is a bag or box or container that holds the things you would need to grab if you had to leave your home in a moment's notice and not know when you would return. Think of it this way... if emergency crews banged on your door in the middle of the night and told you there was a mandatory evacuation due to a wild fire or a gas leak or a crazy man with a gun on the loose, this is the bag you'd grab as you ran out the door. They aren't going to stand around while you pack so if you don't have it ready to go you'll leave with the clothes on your back. A Get Home Bag is a bag you usually keep in your car so that if you are not at home when the emergency hits you can either get home (in the car or on foot if needed) or can get to where you plan to meet up with your family. A 72 Hour Kit is the supplies you'd need to survive for 72 hours if no utilities or other resources are available.

Due to financial restraints as well as lack of storage, I have tried to combine all three of these ideas into a single kit which I call a BOB, but could really be used to bug out, bug in or get home. The point of all this is that you never no when terrorism, crime or mother nature are going to disrupt your plans and if you aren't prepared your chances of surviving are greatly reduced. If you want to know how bad it good get, just take a look at what happened during and after Hurricane Katrina.

The first thing to remember when building a BOB is that it is worthless if you can't carry it. You need to take a good, honest look at your own physical fitness and determine how big and heavy of a kit you can handle. Some are minimalist and will put the bare essentials in something like a Maxpedition Versipack (excellent bags by the way) while others will fill a full framed backpack like they plan to hike the Appalachian Trail for 6 months on their own. Personally, I think the wise choice is in the middle, but only you can make that choice.

Once you've determined how much you can carry and chosen a suitable container for your BOB (I prefer backpacks just because they are easier to carry) then you can start thinking about what to put in the bag. First priority should be what you need to live. That would be food, water, shelter and fire. Food can be as simple as protein powder and Slim Jims, but you need something. Water is a tough one because of the weight it adds. What I do is carry a small amount of water (4 20oz. bottles) and then some water purification tablets to make drinkable water if I have no other choice. I also carry an empty canteen that I can put on my belt for when and if I find a clear stream or some other source. For shelter I'd recommend some survival blankets and paracord. You aren't going to be able to fit a full tent very well in the pack and you can at least make do with the blanket and cord. For fire, I like to carry several disposable lighters as well as some waterproof matches.

Once you've got that stuff packed away, look how much room you have left in your bag. This is all personal opinion but the next things I would definitely want in my bag would be...

1. A good first aid kit
2. A change of clothes (especially a wide brim hat, something to keep warm, dry underwear and socks and some comfortable shoes)
3. A good, fixed blade knife
4. Area maps
5. Something to write with and to write on
6. A towel
7. A light source (or two)
8. A crank powered radio

If you manage to fit all that in your pack and still have some room first check the weight. If you think you can handle more weight then you can add other things that you think you might personally need to keep you somewhat comfortable. Here are a few suggestions in no particular order.

1. Some hard candy
2. Playing cards
3. A spare wallet with some cash and photocopies of your driver's license, medical insurance, etc...
4. Spare eye glasses or contacts if you wear them
5. Knife sharpener
6. Toilet paper
7. Sunscreen
8. Gold Bond powder
9. Signaling mirror
10. Foot warmers (those disposable chemical packs)
11. Rain poncho
12. Spare batteries for your flashlight
13. Gerber Multi-Tool or Leatherman
14. Compass
15. Whistle
16. A pre-paid phone card
17. Some Oral-B Brush Ups and some Plackers (those toothpick/floss things)\
18. Caffeinated Mints
19. Lip Balm

If you do a google search for bug out bags you will find tons of other lists. I encourage you to take a look at what they suggest as well and take your favorites from all of them. Just remember not to go overboard and build a pack you can't actually carry. Good luck and hopefully this is one of those things you have but never need.

One last point. Things like food, water, pain pills, batteries, etc... go bad. Be sure to go through your pack a couple of times per year and replace anything getting close to the expiration date. Stay safe out there... and watch your six.