HOW TO: Pack a Bug Out Bag!steemCreated with Sketch.

in life •  7 years ago  (edited)

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With all the recent natural disasters around the world, I thought it about time to write some of my tips for packing your bug out bag also know as an emergency kit.

My five rules and a full packing list below!

1). Pack light- I don't mean barely fill your bag, you are going to need a lot of stuff. I mean, when buying items think of weight, even down to the ounce. For example, instead of taking a metal spoon, fork AND knife, consider a light plastic or aluminum sporkknife like this one here
Anything that can be multi-use is awesome.! Think of a bar of soap that can be used for shampoo, body wash, cleaning dishes, clothes, etc. That's the key to saving room and weight in your pack.

2). Choose a durable pack- Don't throw just any duffle or backpack together to hold all your gear. Your pack will be hefty, and you want to make sure if you are going to have to walk somewhere or travel a long distance that it holds up. We chose A military-grade pack like this one here is a good choice.

3). Leave the luxuries at home- You will want to pack somewhat minimally, so do pack a toothbrush, don't pack your perfume/cologne. You will pack an extra set of clothes, but don't pack the whole closet, etc. Leave luxuries including heavy cans of food at home, opting instead for high calorie bars and dehydrated MREs (meals ready to eat) that tend to be compact and light-weight.

4). Pack some cash- One thing a lot of people don't think about in a natural disaster most likely power will be out. If you need to buy goods like water or other essentials (if stores are even open), you will want to be prepared with cash. This can be useful if you want to offer cash for goods from those around you as well.

5). Prep for anything- I said you would need a lot of stuff, this is because you should be prepared for anything. You may live in the city, but if times are really tough and you need to find food, you may want to prepare to fish. That's right. You can find a small travel fishing kit for cheap like this one here Same goes for weather, I live in LA but despite it being warm almost year round, I packed an emergency blanket, jacket, warm socks and gloves. You never know when disaster strikes so you have to be prepared.

Here is my short list of what to pack! Getting this together can take some time, but start with the essentials, then move on to the more in depth list I have included below:

  • Food
  • Water filtration system
  • Emergency blanket
  • Fire making tool
  • Multitool/Swiss army knife
  • Signaling item (mirror, whistle, etc.)
  • Extra clothes
  • Money
  • Small container to boil water
  • Emergency kit
  • Cordage
  • Knife
  • Flashlight

Here is a more complete list, from a guy we follow named Nut N Fancy. If you watch all three parts closer to what we currently have packed in our bug out bags:

"Concept U.S.K." Surviving Urban Disaster Pt 1

"Concept U.S.K." Surviving Urban Disaster Pt 2

"Concept U.S.K." Surviving Urban Disaster Pt 3

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Really great list. I agree that with the recent hurricane disasters in the US and the earthquake in Mexico, this is a very timely post. Maybe also note that this sort of prep shouldn't break the bank and can be done for under a couple hundred dollars.

Super prepped!

This is a great post. More people need to know stuff like this. I actually wrote a book series about this.... www.brokeprepper.com
Thanks for bringing this to the community.

Whaaaat so cool! I had no idea. I am I no expert, but we did some research to be prepared. I will definitely check out your series bud!

Great post, many people don't truly understand or pay attention to the importance of being prepared.

If I might make a couple of suggestions for a basic kit.....

A shelter w/ bungie cords, bungies make for easy setup and a poncho is good for multi purpose as it'll work as a shelter and you can throw it on for rain and it'll go over your pack as well....some trash bags, use different sizes to waterproof the gear in your packs, and having bigger ones can be used for additional shelter, carrying water, etc....some wire, say picture hanging wire or wire for floral arranging (yeah I know that sounds silly). This can be used to make traps and snares (even in the city there are squirrels), or for attaching things more securely than cordage....maybe some fishing stuff if it's more a rural B.O.B.

All of these can be packed with a minimal amount of space and may make life a lot simpler. :-)

Thanks for all your arduous work, here's a bunch of token of appreciation!

Thank you!! Appreciate it

Great experience shared by you. It will be helpful to most of the peoples.

Thank you! I hope it helps! I think everyone should be prepared as much as possible!

Really important points. At a time like this, it's important to be prepared. I will be working on my emergency kit soon.

Thank you and agreed! Let me know if you have any questions!

Hi... +1 ....Do you also make a list of ideas for where to go in various situations?



You are welcome to follow me here on Steemit and on YouTube. I make a nice amount of extra income selling Thrifted items on eBay...how much I make depends on how much I work it and what cool stuff I find...I Post here and I vlog the Hauls & Solds and the journey of a Thrifty ReSeller... you don't even need money to start, you can begin by selling stuff from around your home or ask Friends & Fam to donate items .... List It, Sell it, repeat :)

It's definitely important to have a plan of exit! It would be different for everyone, ours is to get to our family and the head East. In general, you want to bug out to a place far from the catastrophe, that will have plenty of natural resources (in my opinion avoid big cities). Remember, if you are traveling by car it is a good idea to have extra cans of gasoline on hand to get you out of town. Nut N Fancy talks about storage ideas for such things on his YouTube too!

Beautiful photos. breshepard. Thanks for sharing

The first bag is good. And all of this bag comes in common. Watching the bag is very good.