Bug out bag

S

Solarguy

Active member
So I like to be prepared when I am in my truck so I carry a small bag that has a few items in it. I call it a bug out bag. This kit doesn't count any tools or spares. Those are separate. The contents are as follows.
A lighter
Waterproof matches and some lighterknot for tinder
2 space blankets
Compass
A knife
Small amount of para cord
A plastic poncho
A volcano stove
A couple protein bars.
Small first aid kit

I was wondering what you carry , if anything at all?
 
Uncle Douglas

Uncle Douglas

Well-known member
Callsign: delete
Seem to remember you also carry those mosquito repellent lanterns too. Were they Thermacell's ?
 
Ray_G

Ray_G

Well-known member
This will be an interesting discussion. My truck's all tend to have a variety of things in them (Doug among others will attest to how OCD I am)...when it comes to the 'bug out' stuff I usually ground it in Water/Shelter/Food (+medical/signal/security) in that order.

The stuff you have on your list, plus what else is in your truck already, likely hits the mark on that for the most part. You may want to consider a water purifying straw or something to get you through a few days of having to drink water that isn't proven.

The other thing that leaps out is a whistle & a mirror (mirror could be harvested from the truck but they are cheap enough to just get off amazon).

I have a few different bags that get thrown into various trucks depending on where I'm going and for how long (not to mention with whom; if I have the wife and kids with me the responsibilities change a bit).

The biggest thing I've spent time on recently is medical kits, can't survive if you aren't alive-but there is a backdrop of training there that has to be maintained too.

Now I'm rambling.
r-
Ray
 
Uncle Douglas

Uncle Douglas

Well-known member
Callsign: delete
Ray_G said:
This will be an interesting discussion. My truck's all tend to have a variety of things in them (Doug among others will attest to how OCD I am)...when it comes to the 'bug out' stuff I usually ground it in Water/Shelter/Food (+medical/signal/security) in that order.

The stuff you have on your list, plus what else is in your truck already, likely hits the mark on that for the most part. You may want to consider a water purifying straw or something to get you through a few days of having to drink water that isn't proven.

The other thing that leaps out is a whistle & a mirror (mirror could be harvested from the truck but they are cheap enough to just get off amazon).

I have a few different bags that get thrown into various trucks depending on where I'm going and for how long (not to mention with whom; if I have the wife and kids with me the responsibilities change a bit).

The biggest thing I've spent time on recently is medical kits, can't survive if you aren't alive-but there is a backdrop of training there that has to be maintained too.

Now I'm rambling.
r-
Ray
Click to expand...

Ray, if any of us ever gets hurt on the trail, you are the guy we hope is around.
 
mgreenspan

mgreenspan

Founding Member
I will add that a piece of kevlar string or rope is incredibly useful and takes up next to no space at all. I'd also recommend some glow sticks if you're trying to get signaling covered. Mirror is a must for daytime but something at night that isn't a flare gun is pretty handy. They can come in very small sizes as well. Any type of actual purification device is highly recommended. Any amount of plastic bags or other storage devices that are small would be useful, too. These are all things that take up practically no space at all.
 
J

Jburt

Well-known member
I call mine a ?get home bag? and my wife makes fun of me for it, but I don?t care. This is what I can think of off the top of my head:
Knife
LED flashlight (Corp giveaway)
Lighter & matches, 2 Esbit cubes
50? or so paracord
1 person pot with some food in it. I think it?s sardines and mandarin oranges right now. It rotates, but always a metal can. I give it to homeless people when the mood strikes and replenish.
Baseball cap (Corp giveaway)
Technical fleece vest (corp giveaway)
Fleece sleeping bag (light and small packing)
Fleece blanket (Thank you American Airlines)
Long sleeve shirt I don?t care about not having in the drawer (Corp giveaway)
2 bottles of water
Water bottle (Corp giveaway)
First aid kit
Hand sanitizers (alcohol and quat ammonia - Corp giveaway)
Sanitizing wipes (Corp giveaway)
Paper map in a ziploc for the area I drive in
Last year?s work gloves
Duct tape
Bandana
2 carabiners
Cheap binoculars
3 P51 can openers
It?s all in a giveaway backpack from work

I think that?s about it. I carry weird stuff for work, so I have a biosecurity kit in the car too (dust masks, trash bags, coveralls, overshoes, disinfectants, etc) if I would need it. Almost all of it is composed of the ?trash and trinkets? you find at work conferences, so it costs me just about nothing to put together and my thoughts are I won?t be anywhere in the car where I?d need super durable stuff. I specialize in water treatment, and clear plastic water bottles, exposed to sun on your backpack while walking, as long as it?s filtered (bandana), will disinfect water as good as most field chemistries after a couple hours. So will the juice from the mandarin oranges. I also have legit water chemistries with me most of the time in my vehicle for purification.
 
hillstrubl

hillstrubl

Founding Member
Always in my car, not necessarily in a cohesive bag, but buried in the compartments (or on person in some cases) is:
ANDROID phone ( :) ), at least 1 external battery, cables galore, Tool kit (including hose clamps, rubber plugs, duct tape, etc), Shovel, spare fluids, a leatherman, deck of cards, a hatchet, a LOT of zip ties, a come-along, a tow strap and shackles, a jack that is better than the stock one, jumper cables, Granola bars (that I keep eating on the way to work), 2 ratchet straps, a few towels, goldfish to prevent my son from being hangry.
 
rocky

rocky

NAS-ROW Addict
I?d rather consider a survival bag than bug out bag. Stay with your car. It?s far easier to find a car than a human remains. You have a power source there to.
For a mirror, no need to pack one, take one off your truck.
 
mitherial

mitherial

Well-known member
On the "mobile tool kit" side of things, for years I carried a mish-mash of extras and cast-offs from my main tool collection, but after needing hex keys and larger socket size for an on-the-road project recently, I switched to one of the club-store (Sams Club/CostCo) mechanics tool kits and have been very happy with that.

The exact brand will vary at any given time at these club stores, but quality is generally satisfactory for a backup kit, and it is very reassuring to know that you have "everything."
The plastic cases these kits come in are not too large and very handy for keeping things organized, but kept sliding around in the back of both my D90 and 4Runner, so I dump them into a soft-sided mechanics bag, using smaller canvas zipper bags to store the sockets.

I supplement the above with my favorite heavy duty Klein 11-in-1 screwdriver and a shingling hammer or hatchet, folding shovel, and folding wood-saw, along with the same kinds of emergency kit listed above. I also have a tow-rope and some shackles (recently converted to soft-shackles), and a lithium-battery jump starter.

Of course, a few hundred in cash, a handgun, and an extra low-limit credit card stored inside the car will also solve most non-backcountry road-side emergencies.
 
mitherial

mitherial

Well-known member
Anyone have any recommendations for a substantial first-aid kit? The standard Walmart-issue ones always have plenty of band-aids and neosporin for minor cuts, but seem lacking for more serious trauma -- which is when you actually the kit.
 
mgreenspan

mgreenspan

Founding Member
mitherial said:
Anyone have any recommendations for a substantial first-aid kit? The standard Walmart-issue ones always have plenty of band-aids and neosporin for minor cuts, but seem lacking for more serious trauma -- which is when you actually the kit.
Click to expand...

Something like this. https://www.amazon.com/Military-individual-compression-tourniquet-nasopharyngeal/dp/B01E6AD9XY

Just google: military ifak https://www.google.com/search?safe=.....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.1.86....0.NwBpWkuoS6w

Personally I think the scissors and the tourniquets are the most important part. But you should know how to use them correctly. Several people died because of incorrectly placed tourniquets in the recent Vegas shooting where they were applied on joints. You can find just those types of items individually. I doubt you need things like the quick clot bandage unless your bug out bag is for some sort of invasion of the US by China.

Even if you're doing some light hiking, a tourniquet is a must for that freak accident. People have had them on for very long periods of time and still retain use of limb below tourniquet after the fact.
 
Uncle Douglas

Uncle Douglas

Well-known member
Callsign: delete
mitherial said:
Anyone have any recommendations for a substantial first-aid kit? The standard Walmart-issue ones always have plenty of band-aids and neosporin for minor cuts, but seem lacking for more serious trauma -- which is when you actually the kit.
Click to expand...

Ray is the man for this question.
 
T

Tarheeld

Active member
Keep in mind, just because a tool exists doesn't imply it should be used or more importantly anyone should use/apply it. You would surmise the sheer number of injuries caused by improper administration of these adjuncts available in a kit.


mgreenspan said:
Something like this. https://www.amazon.com/Military-individual-compression-tourniquet-nasopharyngeal/dp/B01E6AD9XY

Just google: military ifak https://www.google.com/search?safe=.....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.1.86....0.NwBpWkuoS6w

Personally I think the scissors and the tourniquets are the most important part. But you should know how to use them correctly. Several people died because of incorrectly placed tourniquets in the recent Vegas shooting where they were applied on joints. You can find just those types of items individually. I doubt you need things like the quick clot bandage unless your bug out bag is for some sort of invasion of the US by China.

Even if you're doing some light hiking, a tourniquet is a must for that freak accident. People have had them on for very long periods of time and still retain use of limb below tourniquet after the fact.
Click to expand...
 
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