Bug Out Bag,Get Home Bag,
Stay Gone Bag,
Start Over Bag,
How many bags are there?
Yesterday I started getting my Bug Out Bag together. Opening every drawer and cabinet I looked for items I might need in a 72 hour evacuation situation.
When I was younger I carried a similar bag everywhere I went and I never called it a Bug Out Bag. I called it my emergency kit. It came in handy several times while out on the road with an old pickup that would put you to walking at a moments notice. Back then there was no such thing as a cell phone. You just got out and walked home.
This new fad to have a bag for every event that life can throw at you is exhausting. If I had a bag for everything, then I would have nothing left in the house to come back to. Can you be prepared for every event and if you can, would you be able to have the time to sift through and grab the right bag for that event? The only reason I would have to evacuate from this place is storms and fires.
So after pulling whatever I could find from the shelves that I thought the family would need to live on for a 3 day outing, I wanted to see what other people put in theirs. I found a great website that showed pictures of different bags and the contents within them. I soon found out that I needed a lot more than I could scrounge up from around the house. Plus I quickly realized my bag was not big enough. What I did not know was that there is more than one bag you need to have.
The Get Home Bag is a bag that stays in the vehicles so you can get home. The Stay Gone Bag is for if you evacuated your house to live in a compound you have already built somewhere else. The Start Over Bag is when you just wonder off in the woods to start a new life. Each bag having different items for that purpose.
Here is the way I am gong to do it. I already have all the stuff to get me home from work in my truck and it's not in a bag. The items are in every nook and cranny that I can find. You might could say the truck is the bag. The one problem with that is if I can not drive home then I will have to grab what I can carry with me leaving the rest. It's not but a days walk from work to home.
My personal truck is the same way. It has whatever I need in it. I do have a small bag under the back seat I can stuff things in if need be to get back home and ditch the truck.
I am not going to do a SGB or a SOB. Everything in the BOB and the items in the truck will do the trick for extended stays if need be. I still need to get a few things like ponchos, tube tents, thermal blankets, collapsible water cans, collapsible fishing pole, 100 more rounds of ammo and some MREs and energy bars, but if I had to get out now I think I could manage just fine without all those bags to have to worry about.
MDR,
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, if you really filled that bag with all the things they say you need, then we'd need an entire set of luggage, not just a backpack. And who can carry a 100 lb pack for miles anyway. I'm not in the military, nor am I twenty something! Good for you, another item to check off your prepping list. - Izzy
MDR, I gave up my 'bug out bag' quite a while ago. Mine weighed in at 55 lbs, too darn much to hump for long periods of time. I now have a 'get home bag' instead. I keep it in my truck. Its light, only holds what I think I'll need to 'get home.' A spare change of clothes (seasonal) water, a Datrex bar (purchased at Emergency Essentials)means to make fire (rule of three)and spare ammo and knife, rain gear,para-cord, and a few other bits and pieces. All this with my bag holding my Critter Getter. Simple is best. And, almost forgot, a duplicate in my wife's car.
ReplyDeleteThis guy has some great survival techniques. I don't pay any attention to the stuff he sells only the survival techniques. That being said to date I have not set up my bag yet. My Eagle Scout sons have back packs they were not using that I planned on making a pack with. They will carry heavy loads with ease if they are packed and fitted correctly.
ReplyDeletehttp://survivaloutdoorskills.com/
I tend to go along with the philosophy that what moves the bag determines the size and weight. I keep a lot of gear in my Jeep, especially in winter, so that if I get caught out in a snow or ice storm, I can sit tight in the vehicle. I don't have a bug out bag as far as leaving the house, because I'm not bugging out. I'm here to stay. The only thing that could really hurt me here is a forest fire and then I'd just be S.O.L. (surely out of luck)
ReplyDeleteThank yall for the comments.
ReplyDeleteIzzy-I kept it simple. I wanted to put everything plus the kitchen sink in the pack but reserved myself to just what was needed.
Stephen-Like I said. Most everything in the truck will get me home. I needed a pack for those quick moments I needed to leave the house and it needed to double for when I go on trips. My pack is not all the way full yet so I don't know what it will weigh.
Genevieve-Thanks for the link. I looked at it but not had the chance to read all his stuff.
ATH-The only reasons I wouls have to leave is a dtorm or fire. All others can bring it on. This bag will also double as my travel bag. The items inn my truck will get me home but with this bag on my travels I will be able to stay over if need be for a while.
Could you share the link to the bag contents website you mentioned?
ReplyDeleteSure Anonymous. The best one I found is http://thesurvivalpodcast.com/forum/index.php?topic=1508.0
ReplyDeleteIt has item lists and pictures of peoples BOB. The other few sites I looked at were just in the Google search under Bug out bags. There were so many different types of bags I gave up and stayed with what I knew.
I hope this helps