I have read through dozens of posts about what people have in their bug out bag (B.O.B.- basically an emergency preparedness kit in a backpack that you could grab if you needed to "bug out"). The ones I've seen so far are mostly prepared by men, and while I think that these bags are pretty gender neutral (as in people need the same things to survive (food, shelter and water) no matter who you are), there are some things that I think are easy to fit in a well-packed bag that would make your bug out a little easier, and dare I say, more comfortable. Plus, I have bad eye sight, so I wear contacts/glasses. I never see anyone writing about including prescription eye wear in their emergency kits.
I know that the goal of many of these bags is pure simplicity and spartan utility, but the additions I've thought of are relatively small and, as far as I've seen in these types of survival packs, unique.
I'm going to start with the basics and get to the particular of my personal B.O.B.:
1. The Bag
I use an old backpack I already had. It's sturdy and comfortable, and it expands. I like the fancier bags with lots of storage on the outside/velcro/straps, but I just can't justify buying a really expensive B.O.B. bag as a student. Here's a bag like the one I have.
2. Knife
My bug out knife is Columbia River Knife and Tool's 6480 Pazoda. The blade's about 4", has a serrated edge and drop point, and it is a super affordable, durable (made of stainless-steel and coated in titanium) and small knife with tons of uses. My everyday knife is the same, only it is a straight blade (not serrated). I assume in an emergency situation I would also have that knife on me (I carry that one in my purse), so I will hopefully have two knives.
People like to carry larger knives in their B.O.B., but I prefer these small ones. They are super light-weight and easily fit into the pockets of my women's pants. I also carry a combination hatchet/saw (which I'll discuss later), so I don't need to use a knife but for smaller tasks.
Everyone almost always includes a knife, but many people don't include a sharpener. I
consider this a necessity. If you're going to be using your knife as a
utility tool, you're going to need to sharpen it. This one is about 3" long and costs about $6.
3. First-Aide
 |
| The inside of the large first-aide kit |
I also have two first-aide kits. I have one larger, pre-packaged one that I bought from Amazon that's in my permanent B.O.B. (remember to check your exp. dates on ointments and drugs and replace as needed). It's in a nice hard-case and included tons of stuff, including scissors, a wide variety of bandages, various medicines, ointments and wipes, tweezers and gloves, etc. Some of the stuff (mainly the scissors and tweezers) were not very sturdy at all, so I replaced them with some better stuff I already had. I also need to put in some burn ointment and a length of Ace bandage. There is extra room in the case, so I can put a tiny survival kit in there. Something just like your basic fishing stuff (line, hooks, sinkers, and a couple small lures, not bigger than a match box worth), plus a lighter, some pantyliners and tampons, contact lenses (which also need to be rotated out as they expire every few years) and an old pair of glasses. There'd still be some extra room in the case, and I plan on putting an emergency blanket in there, but I don't have one of those really thin, silvery ones yet. The whole thing is only 7" by 6". I really like this case because you can fit just a ton of stuff in it, however the zipper case is not water-proof. I have it in a gallon-sized zipper bag, but I'd like to eventually move everything into a water-tight kit.
My second kit is the one I carry with me in my purse. It is in a small pouch with a carabiner. It is much more sparse, including only a few bandages, triple antibiotic ointment, allergy medicine and NSAID, again some tampons and pantyliners (which have a lot more uses than one might think) and another pair of my eye glasses. It also has a tiny eye glass repair kit in it. Being able to see is very important to me.
4. Clothes
I don't actually have any special clothes in my bag. I have two sets of the common skivy roll (the only difference for a lady is that mine have sports bras rolled up in them as well), a hooded sweatshirt, a stocking hat and a relatively cheap (but super-packable) rain poncho. I have room left for clothes because I have stuff I want to buy.
The first thing on my B.O.B. wishlist is this amazing Terramar Sports men's military fleece unionsuit. I would love to have a couple of these actually, for camping or just cold weather. I live in Iowa, and the winters are brutal. Another expense I can't justify (yet, haha).
I also really want to get a pair of 5.11 tactical women's Stryke pants and a pair of Maelstrom PATROL 6'' black tactical duty work boots. The pants are Teflon-coated to repel water, stains, dirt, etc., while being stretchy. Plus, they have cargo pockets and reinforced, padded knees. The boots are leather and nylon with moisture-wicking lining and slip-resistant soles. They're made like a really high-quality sneaker with way more ankle support. I won't be able to fit the boots in my bag, but I would store them together at my house. If I'm able to grab my bag, I'll be able to grab my boots. I want some tactical gloves too, but I have not found any I like yet.
A last item I'd like to have in there would be a water-proof hat with a brim, like this one from Frogg Toggs. It's breathable, light-weight and super-packable. Bonus, I would probably look really cute in it... It's only $12, so it will probably be one of the first items of the above that I actually purchase and use camping, etc.
5. Food/Water Gear
I also don't have a lot of my dream items in this category either although they aren't very expensive things. However, I have other, larger stuff that I use for camping already, so I don't particularly have a super good reason to buy new, smaller stuff for my B.O.B..
This tiny multi-tool from CRKT is only a few dollars though, so I'm getting it for camping this summer. It's a pretty unique, little thing, really. It's obviously a spoon, knife, fork combo, but it also has a few different hex wrenches and a bottle opener. Plus it's on a carabiner, which is smart. Besides that I'm waiting on other items.
I want to buy a bunch of dehydrated backpacking food, but it seems too pricey whenever I find it. I know the point of a B.O.B. is to be prepared to leave at any moment because I may not be able to buy stuff as needed at a store or grab stuff from my cupboards, but I just haven't decided to spend the money on some expensive stuff that I might have to end up eating to keep it from spoiling.
I have an old army mess-kit that my dad gave me when I went to girl scout camp as a kid for cookware, which is just the average metal pot, plate combo thing. It's small, but it's still heavier and bigger than the newer ones they have now. I'll probably eventually upgrade to something like this.
I want to get some of these collapsible Survivor Filter canteens as well. The Survivor Filter filters water down to .05 microns, so it filters out bacteria and chemicals and stuff that something like a Lifestraw or a charcoal filter doesn't. Plus, they are super compact when they're empty. You can fold them, roll them, clip them on the stuff with a carabiner. They are apparently pretty durable too.
6. Shelter
Ideally I'd like to get a packable hammock tent combo. My mom bought my cousin one last summer that was super slick, and I really like the idea of a packable, off-the-ground shelter. I have a hammock now, but it is a big, two-person leisure hammock. It's really cool, but not super practical.
I like this backpackers hammock tent from Eclypse on Amazon. (I really like Amazon if you couldn't tell.) It's super lightweight but made out of durable materials. It's about $65, so it doesn't even particularly break the bank as far as shelter goes. However, it is not waterproof. I'd like to carry a tarp too, but I don't have a suitably sized one. I could probably procure a pretty good-sized piece of painter's tarpaulin from my parents' farm, but I know that's not the best for durability, although it is light.
I'm not sure what my optimum shelter solution is, but I know I can't carry a cot, sleeping bag and tarp along with everything else.
7. Other Stuff
Obviously I have fire making stuff: I've got a bunch of lighters, water-proof matches, a whistle-thing with a fire striker on it...
I have a hatchet that the head detaches from which can be replaced by a shovel blade and a hacksaw blade. I have a couple different flashlights.
I have a lot of random stuff: Various sizes of zip-ties. Several trash bags.
A deck of cards. Two collapsible silicone cups. A tiny mirror. Bug spray. A small, packable tote bag. Travel sized toiletries. A washcloth. A comb. A metal nail file and clippers. Several elastic hair ties.
A waterproof sleeve I put my phone in when I canoe or kayak. A tiny (2" x 1") solar panel with a charger for my phone. A USB plug for my phone. A tiny (3" x 5") book titled Masterpieces of the World's Best Literature. Sunglasses. A small notebook. A few pens and pencils. Two black permanent markers. A pink paint marker.
Chapstick. A tiny bottle of lotion. A few different lengths of different types of cord/rope. A bandana.
I think that's pretty much it. I shoved a bunch of stuff in all the little pockets, so I'll edit later if I find anything else I added that I thought was especially inspired.
I'd love feedback on what people, experienced or not, think about my bag. You can also share the link to your own bags if you have a similar post. I really like reading what people choose to pack and why. Everyone's is a little different.
