As title states I'm in the early (planning) stages of putting together some bug out gear.
This would be for two people.

I'm thinking that I'll be doing 2 distinct kits.

Kit 1) Grab this when you need to go NOW.
It would have the bare essentials to survive for a few days.

Kit 2) Grab this (and likely kit1) when you have some prep time.
Would likely contain items needed for maybe a months time for two adults and (shudder) two cats.

I'm in list-making stage now.
Right now I think I have the bulk of the basics added to the list.
Spare clothing
Fire starting (matches/lighter/etc)
Food/water
etc...

Looking for suggestions from y'all on any less common or frequently overlooked items.


Additionally, I'd like some thoughts on specific firearms.
This is all very TEOTWAWKI theorizing - so play nice lol.
For that type of scenario - I'm thinking 1 long gun and 1 pistol per person.

First: Pistols
What caliber?
Do you go for more capacity? (9mm)
Or more power (.45)

For pistols, she really only likes 1911 style
I prefer more modern stuff (ex. P320).
Ideally, we'd use the same model gun for parts/mag interchangeability.
Sadly I don't see that happening.
So do we instead simply try to share caliber?


Long guns:
She loves her some shotguns (specifically her Benelli M4)
I'm pretty OK with it. A shotgun is one of the most versatile weapons that exist.
Downside: it's a pain to carry/load the ammo.

I'd go with a rifle for myself however I'm having difficulty choosing which.
Again, this is for TEOTWAWKI - so in theory the purpose of the gun would be for defense from both animals and other people - as well as probably some hunting.
With that in mind, I'm thinking something 30 caliber would be preferable.
So.. Scar17
However part of me is saying "an AR would be better because spare parts/ammo would be way more plentiful"

I post this anytime I see a thread like this pop up. It's a long video, but worth the watch. Best one I've seen. Alan Kay won season 1 of Alone.

Bug out to where?

Head to an alternate location? Where? How far? What's going to be your mode of transportation? How long will you be traveling? What's going to be waiting on you there?

Or just "head off in a random direction of the woods and live off the land for a month"? Do you have the skills and knowledge for that? Are you healthy enough for that? Is that even realistic in your area?

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Bug out to where?

Head off into the woods and "live off the land"? Do you have the skills for that?

Head to an alternate location? Where? How far? What's going to be your mode of transportation?

That's very much on my mind too.
"Where" would depend greatly on the nature of the emergency.
Sadly I don't have any sort of easy answer for this (important) question.

For transport - would very likely be my Jeep assuming roads are still somewhat serviceable (or maybe not even with roads - it's a jeep!)

quote:

Originally posted by Ackks:
I post this anytime I see a thread like this pop up. It's a long video, but worth the watch. Best one I've seen. Alan Kay won season 1 of Alone.

I'll give this a watch later when I have some free time.

If you don't have a specific location in mind elsewhere, preplanned and prepositioned with supplies (like heading to your hunting cabin, or meeting up with your brother at his ranch), then "bugging in" at your own home is a significantly more realistic option. As it is for most folks.

Unless you're Jeremiah Johnson, you're not going to grab a backpack, your wife, and two cats, then walk off into the woods and "figure it out" for a month plus.


Work on what supplies and equipment you need to start stocking at home. And then maybe work on putting together something to keep in your car to help get you from work to home, if needed.

Now, guys, the man is trying to put together an emergency kit. You can call it a bugout bag, you can call it a get home bag, you can call it an INCH kit, whatever you want, but everyone here knows what creslin is talking about. If you have ideas for this, please feel free to contribute. Otherwise, let's take it easy with the unsolicited advice.

Best advice I got on this was to go camping for a weekend.
Pack your jeep with everything you think you'd need plus a notepad an pen.
Write down everything you use and everything you wish you would have remembered.
Pack everything you wrote down and see how heavy it is.
Revise for necessity and comfort.

Do this in different seasons as well.

Since you don't know where you'll be, or for how long, I recommend carrying an area light for nighttime use.

In the house, I keep four Streamlight lanterns. Two of these and two of these I'm quite pleased with them. They emit white or red light and they have an SOS function. In addition to your area light, you'll want the hands-free convenience of a headlamp.

Also, you need a hygiene module in your kit- soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper, comb, small mirror and nail clippers. Yes, nail clippers. How long are you going to be displaced? You may not know and it may be a long while.

You need a good, durable ground cloth, something like the MPI Grabber. These are laminated and serve as groundcloth or tarp. They have grommets on the four corners. My preference, though, is the Arcturus version of the Grabber. I keep one of these in my car kit.

So, while you're thinking about the best firearms to put in your kit, think also about the environment you create for yourself if you have an extended urban camping trip.

Regarding firearms, I recommend a good 9mm pistol. Also, carry a 22 LR or 22 magnum pistol. Fifty rounds of 22 LR weighs nothing.

Some items.

- Cash money, various bill sizes. ATMs/Cards may not work
- Power source / battery pack to recharge electronics / flashlights
- Flashlights
- Fire starting capability
- Water bottle(s) to refill
- Toiletries / underwear / socks (you can wear pants / shirt a lot longer than underwear / socks).
- Food for a couple of days. Power bars, etc.
- The list goes on and on. Best thing to do is make your list, watch some videos, spitball scenarios, and then refine it.

Weapons: I love me some SCAR 16/17, but bug out weapons are EDC (Glock 19), AR15, and a Ruger 10/22 Takedown & Beretta 87 w/suppressor.

Ammo is heavy, so I have AR / Pistol / Rimfire ammo cans to grab, or I have an "Everything" can with AR15 mags, G17 mags, and some 22LR / 38SPL ammo.

Best thing you can do is go through this process yourself, try different bags, different setups, etc. In the end for family, I'm a believer that each person has their own personal backpack for clothes / admin gear, then have a weapons / additional gear bag. Everyone takes their individual bags, the larger bags go in the trunk and then as things develop, you can move gear around as needed.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
Some items.

- Cash money, various bill sizes. ATMs/Cards may not work
- Power source / battery pack to recharge electronics / flashlights
- Flashlights
- Fire starting capability
- Water bottle(s) to refill
- Toiletries / underwear / socks (you can wear pants / shirt a lot longer than underwear / socks).
- Food for a couple of days. Power bars, etc.
- The list goes on and on. Best thing to do is make your list, watch some videos, spitball scenarios, and then refine it.

Weapons: I love me some SCAR 16/17, but bug out weapons are EDC (Glock 19), AR15, and a Ruger 10/22 Takedown & Beretta 87 w/suppressor.

Ammo is heavy, so I have AR / Pistol / Rimfire ammo cans to grab, or I have an "Everything" can with AR15 mags, G17 mags, and some 22LR / 38SPL ammo.

Best thing you can do is go through this process yourself, try different bags, different setups, etc. In the end for family, I'm a believer that each person has their own personal backpack for clothes / admin gear, then have a weapons / additional gear bag. Everyone takes their individual bags, the larger bags go in the trunk and then as things develop, you can move gear around as needed.

Good list. Flash drive with important documents and family pictures is also a good thing to have.

Toilet Paper and a pack of those moist wipe things.

Dollar Tree and pretty much every drug store and wallymart usually have a decent assortment of those little travel size toiletries, just all kind of things. You can get a toothbrush/toothpaste in a plastic sleeve container.

A spare pair of eye glasses, or readers, and some sunglasses if you're used to wearing sunglasses.

Even though it has been around a while, I still think the web site "Listening to Katrina" is one of the best all-round pieces of advice out there.

Rather than a single solution, he takes a layered approach - how much time to you have to leave? One minute (fire?) A few hours? A couple of days?

https://www.theplacewithnoname.../klessons/index.html

The very first thing you have to consider in “bugging out” is where; and if you’re already talking camping then the very first thing you need to cover is “cover.” Where on your list is a tent or anything supportable for two people?

Guns, ammo, toilet paper, etc., are all nice, but if you don’t have a roof you don’t have anything.

As for weapons, a .22 rifle can do a magnificent job hunting, as well as defending. Plus, you can carry so much more ammo. This caliber should be a priority for the long term bug-out.

Don't forget your daily meds if you take any. I always have a week ready to go but maybe keep your bag near your meds so you can scoop all your meds in if you've got to go!

In my garage is a duffel with three days of clothes, water bottles, breakfast bars and loaded mags for my daily carries. I can just toss it in the trunk if we've got to go.

Also even though it's not winter, I'm doing my usual winter fuel up mode. As soon as my car hits half a tank, I go fill it up.

Your home is your base, your castle, stock it appropriately. With this quarantine business, it should've been enough time to take stock of what's important, what's missing and what duration all of it can sustain you for. Shelter-in-place is a more realistic strategy for most people....hurricane, tornado, fire not withstanding. After that, you need to consider:

Vehicle bug-out. After your home, your vehicle is where you're going to be spending a lot of time. Its the platform that's going to take you, your family and all the necessary kit somewhere. Vehicles can carry a significant amount of weight and take you places: water, fuel, batteries, food, 1st aid and tools. You can live out of your vehicle...do you have stoves & fuel, pots/pans, larger tool box to fix vehicle issues, coolers for perishables, ability to charge-up your batteries, tents/sleeping bags, additional clothing for seasonal changes. Your vehicle gives you mobility, where are you going? Do you have the right maps to get to your destination? Do you even have a destination? No sense driving if you don't know where you're going, you're just wasting gas.

Personal bug-out...this is the one that everyone likes to dwell-on. Ultimately, it needs to be light enough so it's easy to carry to your destination. A backpack with better than average suspension is best, don't go cheap. 20lbs should be the maximum weight for this set-up, you only need a minimum of kit and enough to sustain you till you get to your home/vehicle where more sustainment is. The contents are a bit more than one would carry on a leisurely hike in the woods: 1st aid, water, minimum food, signaling/comms capability, all-band radio, electronics kit inlc-batteries & power block, fire starting kit, change of socks, beanie/gloves, light jacket or cover-up.

quote:

Originally posted by creslin:
Again, this is for TEOTWAWKI - so in theory the purpose of the gun would be for defense from both animals and other people - as well as probably some hunting.

The end of the world scenario is completely different from a “get home” situation.

For the end of the world your guns should be chosen in mind of the fact that sooner or later survival will depend upon joining with others in some sort of community. On your own, and assuming the situation didn’t arise from the final pandemic that wipes out 95+ percent of the population and reduces those pressures, you would be easy meat for any gang of four or five men who will be as well armed as you and who will want what you have. If you can contribute to a group rather than just being extra mouths to feed, your chances of being accepted are greater.

For defense alone or in a small group in a total societal breakdown, you should have two types of weapons: Glocks (both of you) chambered for 9mm Luger, and at least one AR chambered for 5.56mm. In a situation like that reliability, commonality, and maximum availability of parts and ammunition 10 years after the fall would be extremely important. Neither gun parts nor ammunition of any sort is likely to be available at all from outside sources a decade from now except by odd chance, but it would be easier to stock up in the beginning.

The choice of defensive ammunition should be obvious based on the fact that anything of reasonable power will work to deter attackers who are looking for loot or other things that can be obtained without running the serious risk of being shot. Glocks and ARs because they are so reliable and common. (I don’t own a Glock myself because I have no intention of trying to survive an end of the world as we know it event.) The AR would have a good optical sight, ideally one that did not depend on batteries to be usable, along with backup irons for when the optics inevitably fail.

Hunting guns depend on what there is a reasonable likelihood of being hunted. The AR with a decent sight will work for most lower 48 big game, and an accurate rifle chambered for 22 Long Rifle for the small stuff. Unless you can have and transport pretty much whatever you want including supplies like medications for long term survival, I wouldn’t even consider a shotgun. Yes, it’s best for certain types of hunting, but ammunition is extremely bulky and it’s not nearly as good for defense against people as the AR. If I really wanted the ability to hunt big, big game, I’d try to fit a bolt action rifle chambered for 308 Winchester into my kit. Ideally it would have iron sights in addition to a good conventional scopesight.

Following the discussion.

One thought on 556 and 22. I have used the 22 conversion in my AR. I was impressed with the reliability.

Assuming you already have a few guns/ammo ready to bring with you, I think the next most important bugout kit has all of your important paperwork and files in it. The documents that prove who you are, who your family is, and what you own. Imagine what you would need to keep going if you had to live in a hotel or a friend’s house for a few months while your place was unlivable for any reason. You would still need to access money for food, you would still need to find work somehow. There are plenty of bug-out scenarios that don’t involve “heading to the mountains”.

I keep this Amazon laptop bag on the top shelf of my gun safe:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod..._title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I keep everything listed below neatly organized with these water resistant zipper pouches:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...le_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It contains the following for my immediate family:
Passports
Cash
Silver American Eagles
Checkbook
SSN cards
Birth certificates
Marriage certificate
Auto titles
NFA trust paperwork
NFA tax stamps
House mortgage statement
Bank statements
Homeowners insurance statement
Life insurance statement
Appraisal paperwork for valuables (wife’s rings, etc.)
Wedding photos on CD-ROM
External hard drive with backups from home computer (Important documents, pictures of the kids)
Old surface tablet that still works (Access external hard drive or get online to access accounts)
Probably a few more things I’m forgetting

If you have to go someplace other than home for a while this will be critical to ensure you still have access to bank accounts, can travel, can get a new ID if one expires, can apply for a job, can prove who your family members are, can claim ownership of your stuff, etc. Many of these items are extremely difficult or impossible to replace even during normal times. You don’t want to waste precious time digging around for this stuff if you have to get out now.


I also have a "get home" bag in mine and my wifes car since getting home is our first goal. They support having to spend the night in your car or a walk home from work if you are stuck. These contain:
Water
Protein bars
First aid kit
Wet wipes
Hand sanitizer
Bic lighter
Sunscreen
Latex gloves
Paper towels
Advil/Tylenol/Immodium/Cough drops
Extra clothes (1 pair old pants, 2 pair socks)
Old jacket, warm hat
Leatherman
Flashlight
Phone chargers


For more of a survival off the beaten path I have a Kifaru organizer pouch:
https://store.kifaru.net/500d-...izer-pocket-p62.aspx

This serves as my “Possibles Pouch” and has many of the items listed in this excellent article:
https://www.kifaru.net/possibls.htm
It goes with me on every hunting trip and can easily be tossed in any bag I am taking.

quote:

I think the next most important bugout kit has all of your important paperwork and files in it.

Some of that is interesting but if folks have a remote backup of all this in scanned form much of it unneeded. For example, if the world is so screwed I can't get to the Carbonite backup of my photos, insurance information, online bank or mortgage statements then those things almost certainly don't count for shit and I won't need them. If my house just burnt to the ground or was blown away, I can get to all that somewhere else.

I very much like the pre-bagged SS cards, certificates, spare set of checks, etc.

These scenarios are another reason I so much support offsite backups as well as local.

Will be interesting to follow this thread - my bag is neglected and could use a review rather than just walking by it in garage twice a day.