What am I missing from my B.O.B.? (Bug Out Bag)

Hello all. I know there are lots of posts on folks' bug out bags, and I've enjoyed reading them, getting ideas for my own. I've just kind of started the process, and made what I think is a pretty good list, but I just want to see if there are some things I haven't thought of.

Thanks already, to some of the posters here, as you may see some of your ideas in the list below.

Thank you.

I have a pretty decent sized frame backpack I can load up. I've used it before, and it can hold a LOT of gear, and carry in relative comfort. I have the wishlist broken up into categories.

CLOTHING
Olympia 340 Vented Kevlar Protector Gloves
(2) Camouflage Fatigues (jacket, pants)
Camouflage Steel-Toed Boots
(2) Camouflage T-Shirts
(3) Briefs
(4) Pairs of Socks
Camouflage Hat
Poncho

WEAPONS
BB/Pellet Pistol (and ammo)
Survival Knife (contains additional supplies (SK))
KaBar Machete
Ruger Mark III Hunter Pistol (.22) (and ammo)

TOOLS / GENERAL SUPPLIES
Gerber 22-01545 Black Diesel Multi-Plier Tool
Swiss Army Knife (has multiple tools also)
Binoculars
Crowbar
Sewing Kit
Thermal Blanket
Credit Card-Sized Multi-Tool
Camper Saw
Sharpening Stone
Solar Light
Solar Batteries/Charger/Cell Adaptor
Fishing Kit (contains additional items (FK))
Ziploc Bags
Compass
Handheld GPS Unit (hey, may still work, who knows?)
Card Games (standard deck, UNO, Loot)
Signal Whistles
Rope and String
Hammer, Nails
Small Socket Set with Rachet
Shovel/Pick Tool
Hand Crank Radio
Small Radio (analog tuner)
Garbage Bags
Sharpies
Pencils/Notepads
Duct Tape (wrapped around card, camo design)
Tarp (grommets, folded up)
Head LED Light
Glow Sticks
Emergency Flares

FIRST AID
Assorted Bandages
Gauze Pads
Disinfectant
Medical Tape
Forceps
Ointments
Alcohol Pads
Surgeon’s Thread
Needles
Tweezers
Ace Bandage
Medications
Filter Masks
Latex Gloves

INFORMATION (all in Ziploc bags)
Local Map
US Map
Pocket Patriot (great if you need to set some ground rules)
Survival Guide (SAS)
Edible Plants Guide
Chart showing nearby islands

WATER
Water Rations
Water Purification Tablets

FOOD
(10) Ration Bars (3 days per bar)
Beef Jerkey
Ration Tablets
Multi-Vitamins
Seeds (for planting, if able)
Camping Utensil (knife, spoon, fork, etc.)
Small Camping Pot/Mess Kit
Seasonings
Sterno Stove Kit (and Sterno cans)
Can Opener

FIRE
Matches
Lighters
Firestarter Kit
Dryer Lint (fire kindling)

TOILETRIES
Bar of Soap
Insect Repellent (solid)
Hand Sanitizer
Toilet Paper (wrapped around card)
Toothpaste
Towel
Hairbrush (collapsible)
Good Razor (with blades)
Deodorant
Pumice Stone
Small Mirror
Shaving Cream

Add a crank operated shortwave radio, a set of walkie talkies and possibly CB radio.

reply to post by Gazrok
Fingernail clippers! I used one last night to remove a splinter and thought "I need one to put in my BOB!"

You fit all that stuff in a bag? Surely you mean a trailer?

How much does your BOB weigh?

How are you planning to bug out?

Are going to walk, bike, motorcycle, car, truck or other?

You've got the basics covered. I'd add some regular batteries for my headlamp and/or any other electronics that you have. The first night or two, you might tend to use your electronics too much. I love my headlight but it does go through batteries.

Then, I figure out where I'm headed and how I'm going to get there, and how I'm going to live once I get there.

reply to post by Gazrok


add packets of seasoning from ramen noodles pack they make a great fast broth for drinking or cooking and even a very large amount of them weight next to nothing and keep forever. id also suggest a large pepperoni stick because they contain lots of fat and fat is a very important part of survival and it stays good in pakage a long time. as for the med supplies antibiotic ointment, calamine lotion anti dhiareaha meds, and dental floss cuzz floss has a million uses. id also pack some caffine pills there perfect for situations where you need help staying awake. they also help headaches and breathing if you have asthma. i will add more later i need to get my checklist out and go through it against what you have listed

How about a pocket camera with good optical zoom. For recon / memory. One that operates with normal AAA recharceble batteries.

Originally posted by wigit
You fit all that stuff in a bag? Surely you mean a trailer?

He's right.
Rule #7 of Zombieland? Travel Light.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/8f0779926cb1.jpg[/atsimg]

Snare wire.
www.bestglide.com...
www.wildwoodsurvival.com...

Diamond stone for sharpening knifes.
www.sharpeningsupplies.com...

Utility knife Blades
www.imperialinc.com...
good for foot traps or other uses

Ounces equal pounds... Are those steel toed boots going to be comfortable to walk long distance in? Add more socks, and maybe small backpacker type water filter. You should load it with everything, and go hike with it. Walk a couple of hours and see if its too heavy, or if you need to rearrange how its packed.

You fit all that stuff in a bag? Surely you mean a trailer?

You'd be surprised. It's a lot of stuff, but it's also a large frame backpack, and a lot of the items are small. I'm not packing bulky MRE's either, just Ration bars and pills (figuring I should find more of my food). The clothes and the water ration bags are the bulkier items

I've hiked before for some time with this pack loaded up with more traditional camping supplies. It's manageable, but yeah, I wouldn't be doing much good in a sprint. Of course, I'd normally keep it in the back of the van (which is pretty much with me wherever I go).

Thanks for the Ramen pack tip, that's a good one, and yep, I need to get more detailed with the med supplies a bit. I thought about the walkie talkies, and I might include that (especially for me and the wife).

The boots are actually really comfortable. I spend a whole day doing paintball in them, and they are actually very comfortable, believe it or not, even at the end of the day.

I see the point about traveling light though too, so a smaller, quicker kit may be better. I still want all this stuff, so maybe I should get a smaller, lighter pack, and prioritize what should go in it, with any leftovers going with other supplies that I hope to be able to bring. Thank you so much for this observation! (after picturing myself trying to run with this thing)....

hi gazrock
i would bin the deodorant. not needed and out in the sticks i could track you pretty quick. animals you hope to catch would flee at the slightest whiff. with regards to your clothes i would bury them for a few days to build up an earth funk. that way you only have to be concerned about your footfall and camp egress. if you ever get to the lake district send me a line and i will introduce you to some clued up chaps who will gladly assist in reducing your sig.
regards fakedirt

One comment about the steel toes, I would suggest looking into swapping them out with a safety toe instead because in cold weather that steel will draw the cold in and make you feet get cold pretty fast. As for the medical stuff the one thing I could see lacking is something like Immodium AD as well as laxatives; if you find yourself on a diet of pure plant or meat you will be glad to have these kinds of things in the pack.

One thing to be mindful of with normal hiking packs is that they tend to be in some pretty terrible colors as far as being low-key is concerned, the more subdued the colors the better. While on the topic of packs what you might consider doing is evaluating your needs and figuring out if you would need absolutely all of this stuff to be on your person or if you could pre-cache some of it at nearby spot or perhaps at whatever destination you have picked out for your BOL. Many of the items seem more akin to what I like to call an extended vacation and will slow down your travel time if you have to make any lengthy journey to your BOL.

reply to post by fakedirt


That's a good point...been a LONG time since I went hunting, hehe... Of course, we humans give off our own scent that pretty much scurries them away. I'd probably forage and fish more than I'd hunt (and much easier to clean fish than small mammals).

I'm not looking to be Rambo, just want to try and make it out of such a scenario alive, and have some kind of quality of life for me and the wife, if things did go south. Realistically, I know that such a scenario isn't likely to happen, but I'd rather be prepared for it, and never see it happen....than not be prepared, and have it happen...

Deodorant? LOL!

Are you prepared for a SHTF date in the woods?

Seriously! skip the deodorant and bring one extra bar of soap instead - especially for washing your socks and underwear with after some weeks.

Condoms make great improvised water containers!

Don't forget sturdy safety pins!

Some cooking oil is always good - some salt is good as well!

Some chicken/vegetable stock-cubes is also smart to have - to cook a nutritious soup of whatever game/fish you manage to kill/catch - together with some of the cooking-oil and some lightweight Ramen and eatable wild roots, for some extra needed energy perhaps?

Your stuff looks quite good, but maybe too heavy in a SHTF situation as someone else already said here.

In a SHTF situation you will probably need the freedom to move quite quickly longer distances in some tough terrain as well?


Some SAS survival kit tips

reply to post by Gazrok


you just never know dude! might happen might not. my missus will not allow my kit to land in the house. she avoids me when i have been walkabout until i am decontaminated. couple of years ago myself and an ex-forces mate went on a jolly for a number of weeks. we were rank when we popped smoke and a number of passengers on the flight home were wretching and asked to be moved. after a while you do not give a f***! still makes me giggle now.
fakedirt

reply to post by Chevalerous


Condoms was a good one,how about balloons?

www.abovetopsecret.com...

by the way one thing i forgot. whatever happens do not lose your sense of humour. wet socks on a freezing night are not funny. frostnip on the extremities and face are not funny. making a t*t of oneself is funny. just think about the alternative. if sense of humour is lost, one could easily end up window licking in one of her majesty's bedlam institutions with everything thrown in!
fakedirt.

reply to post by fakedirt


Luckily (or not, depending on how you look at it), I've grown up living in both frozen Alaska, and the heat of Saudi Arabia, but enough to know I'd prefer to be in cooler weather.

I currently reside in Florida, so I'm not too concerned with arctic weather, hehe... I'm hearing you all on lightening it up a bit. I keep seeing safety pins in some folks' kits...I guess I'm not seeing the immediate use though.

reply to post by Gazrok


hi gazrock
safety pins have multiple uses. good for digging out tick heads if left inside. keep wounds from opening up further or useful if a zip goes pear shaped. carrying a shoelace with about ten on can also act as a distance guide for example tie one end of shoelace to collar and put shoelace in pocket then count as you are walking. after every hundred paces or thousand, pull the lace and expose one pin. it will give you a good idea how far you have walked. just do not let the mind wander.
fakedirt