The Bug out Bag (BoB) - Purpose and Explanation

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:50 am

Your BoB (Bug out Bag) is the backbone of your physical preparations in time of crisis. It is what was also historically known as an "AWOL Bag" or "Possibles Sack"

It is a portable container that contains your very basic necessities for a limited amount of time.

By Very Basic Necessities, it is meant that were you dropped naked somewhere, pretty much anywhere in the world, the contents of your BoB would provide you the equipment, tools, materials (all collectively known as "kit") to survive.

Because the definition of Very Basic Necessities varies so greatly from person to person, and, let's face it, some folks who have lived their lives in relative comfort, who have never had to kill their own food or sleep outdoors, there had to be some kind of a standard to work from.

Thus, the BoB standard equipment list.

I have taken my knowledge, with input from other knowledgeable sources, and put together the lightest, most inexpensive options for a BoB.

It's harder than it sounds; See, super lightweight backpacking gear is very expensive. Inexpensive gear is either heavy, crappy, or heavy AND crappy. Trying to find the happy medium between "bang for the buck" and "won't break your back" has been and will continue to be an ongoing process, which is one of the reasons why the standards have changed.

The other reason why the standards change is because we actually USE the gear we talk about, and some stuff we try doesn't work the way we want it to in the field. If something better comes along, we're not afraid to dump "old and busted" for a better "new hotness".

So the BoB is a constantly evolving standard based upon the "best we can get right now" philosophy.

That, and I've made it an internal practice to consider long-term availability of components. Too many times I've seen how-to books discussing different pieces of kit, or entire sets of kit, most of the major components of which are either obsolete or no longer available. When standardization is the cornerstone of your system, that is, being able to resupply any member from any other member's resources, having things go unavailable when there IS no crisis is unacceptable.

Thus, a piece of kit must meet several criteria:

1) It must be functional. Preferably multifunctional. And must work under almost all conditions.

2) It must be light for its function. This is important. This is one half of the balance between light and inexpensive.

3) It must be inexpensive. Not "cheap", mind you, because there is a certain threshold beneath which "you get what you pay for" and buying a bunch of cheap crap WILL get you killed. But there is NO need to squander your hard-earned money on stuff with a whole bunch of bells and whistles you're never going to use instead of going with a base model that does what you want it to do for much less.

4) It must be available from multiple, mainstream resources. In other words, it can't be a whiz-bang gadget from a single source, because if that single source goes out of business, the rest of the members who come after are screwed. The worst part about this requirement is that even when it's MET, there's still a chance of a product being discontinued. For this reason and others, when applicable, Acceptable Alternates are discussed and approved.

5) It must be reasonably durable and long-lasting (except consumables, of course) - this is where the "not TOO cheap" threshold really is significant. What good is a lightweight piece of crap that breaks after only 3 uses? While durability is in the eye of the beholder, I AM THE BEHOLDER and I generally will make the decision whether an item is durable enough based upon how long it takes for me or a designated other party (usually a teenager) to break it. This is important for pieces of kit you are going to stake your life upon. I don't take my life that lightly, and I don't take YOURS that lightly, either. So when I give my "durability" seal of approval, understand that it means I'll use it myself in the field and am comfortable with it.

With those five criteria in mind, every piece of BoB kit has been selected. This should explain why some kit has been chosen over other "better" items - it was a balance between the four: Weight, Cost, Durability, and Availability. And it was the best choice at the time.

That being said, feel free to offer suggestions for improvements on pieces of kit. One of the great things about being a private and small organization is that I can change the standards with a few keystrokes. And changing the standards does NOT negate those in compliance with previous standards. Updates are "as you can", not hard-and-fast.

That's the other part about the Bug Out System (BoB, BoV, MS): NOTHING IS SET IN STONE. Nothing contained herein should be taken as the gospel truth or Absolute Standards. They are GUIDELINES, and should be adjusted BY YOU for YOUR comfort, YOUR budget, YOUR carrying capacity, and YOUR lifestyle.

As I say a lot, "This is NOT the military. You CAN have it your way."

The other side to that is that there MUST be some standardization in order to retain the interchangeability and interoperability of logistics. That's why the guidelines exist at all. Ideally, should you find yourself somewhere without your BoB, or with damaged or missing equipment from your BoB, and you come upon another PAA member's home or retreat, you should be able to resupply your BoB from that fellow member's BoV or Master Storage back up to full capacity.

THAT is the primary goal of the logistical compatibility system: A functional chain of replacement and resupply from member to member.

And That is the final criteria for selecting BoB equipment: It must be upwards compatible with the BoV and MS, with considerations toward greater functionality when combined with others' kits.

That dimension complicates things a bit. Which is why the PAA is my full-time logistical hobby.

And all you have to do to benefit from most of it is merely read the standards and choose for yourself.

A few situations the BoB should be expected to be useful for (and this list is by no means all inclusive -- indeed, it is limited only by your needs and imagination):

1) Unexpected overnight stays
2) Remote vehicular breakdowns
3) Evacuations, both temporary and not-so-temporary
4) Any deficiency from packing for travel in haste (where you pack your suitcase or main bag, but bring your BoB in case you've forgotten something, since your BoB is comprehensive)
5) Any deficiency in packing for a camping trip (BoB is core component)
6) Contribution to not being a burden on a friend's hospitality or critical infrastructure in time of emergency
7) Sudden homelessness
8) Sudden change-of-clothes needs
9) Emergency BLS needs
10) Other minor emergencies and crises.

The Bugout Bag: It's not just for apocalypses anymore.

S

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 4:37 am

Private Aid Association, Bugout Bag Contents

Main Comprehensive Travel Bag:
US Military Duffel/Seabag, twin-strap backpack style. All other bags and kit will be stowed in this main bag when travelling or stored.

Main Component Bag:
Any 2000+ci bag will do, but the recommended modular system requires a main pack of about 1400-1800ci with PALS/MOLLE webbing on the outside for attachment of accessory pouches for flexible deployment from base camp.

Weapons Gear: "Tactical Small" MOLLE Pouch (6"x6"x3" approx.)

(This section deleted in the public version)

Your decision to have and carry a weapon is a very personal one. For PAA personnel, there is as definite and detailed a standard as the rest of this contents list. It is not available to the public for security and liability reasons. Feel free to make up your own packing list for this section. It is recommended that along with your choice of weapon, a method of carry and maintenance equipment be part of your planning and packing.

Clothing: Main Component Bag

1 Pr BDU Pants, Black or Navy (Your preference)
1 Belt (Your choice - PAA Belt Preferred)
1 T-shirt, dark color, cotton, comfortably fitting (Your choice, with or without writing)
1 SET Long John Underwear, Polypropylene, preferably neutral gray or similar non-bright color
3 pr underwear (boxers or bicycle-style pants, no speedos or tighty whities)
Females: Comfortable Brassiere for hiking/exercise, your choice, maximum: 2
4 pr socks -- your choice based upon location/season (polypro for cold, cotton for warm/tropical, etc.)
1 Pr hiking shoes, your choice, preferably with foot and ankle protection. Must be comfortable enough for you to walk 3 miles in without pain in full kit. IMPORTANT.
Boonie Hat or other hat to keep off sun and rain while hiking (Your choice)
MPI Space All Weather Blanket
1 Cotton Washcloth or Shop Towel (Your choice)
1 Microfiliament cloth
Towel (Sandard, felt, or microfilament, your choice)
1 Sewing kit (pocket or other compact/semicompact kit)
1 Jacket, Windbreaker Type
Vest, Ranger or Photographer's, dark color, large enough that bottom of vest reaches bottom of front slash pocket on BDU pants
1 Pr Gloves, Work, Canvas
Vinyl Rain Poncho with grommets

Water: Medium MOLLE Pouch (10"x7"x4" approx.)

At Least 4 liters of water -- Store-bought 1-liter bottles acceptable. 6 liters max.
At LEAST 1 1-Quart Plastic Hiker's water container (Military canteen, nalgene, or equivalent, Max. 2)
Water Purification Tablets - Cover pocket sized (Max. 4)
Steel Cup (Should fit/nestle with chosen water container -Max. 2)
Pop Can Burner (runs on alcohol)
16oz 91 percent isopropyl alcohol
Katadyn Hiker or Hiker Pro Water Filter
Katadyn Micropur MP1 Water Purification Tablets (Min. 1x30 pack, Max total 150 tablets)
Stove or other stand setup allowing cup to be used for boiling and cooking
Utensil of choice for cooking eating (Including but not limited to: Hobo Tool, Traidtional Flatware Set, Camping flatware set, Collapsible chopsticks, Titanium Spork, Polycarbonate Sporknife)

Food: "Tactical Large" MOLLE Pouch (11"x6"x3" approx.)

8 oz. Jerky in 4x 2oz. packets
8 powerbar/granolabar/trailbar type snacks (your choice)
2x 5oz. packages of trail mix.
2.5 cups total minute rice in 5x 1/2 cup sealable containers.
6 B-complex tablets (your choice)
6 Vitamin C tablets (your choice)
6 Multivitamin tablets (your choice)
Seasonings, optional, your choice.
Comfort Foods, optional, your choice.

Medical Gear: Medium MOLLE Pouch (10"x7"x4" approx.)

Hand Sanitizer, Purell, 0.5 oz
First Aid Kit, your choice, preferably tailored to your specific needs and training.
Secondary Flashlight, Preferably AA Mini-Mag with LED upgrade.

Firemaking Gear: Small Waterproof Box, approx: 4"x3"x2"

Tinder (Your choice)

Firestarters: (varies with your choice of options, choose at least 3):
Magnesium bar firestarter
Miniature butane lighter
Waterproof container of strike-anywhere matches
Emergency Striker
Flint, Steel, Charcloth
Piece of string, leather, or other cordage (for bowdrill fire)
Wick lighter and fuel
Magnifying glass
Parabolic mirror

Toiletry Kit: Medium MOLLE Pouch (10"x7"x4" approx.)

Hand Sanitizer, Purell, o.5 oz
4 oz. Camper's soap
3 "Camper Size" Toilet paper
OR
1 "Standard" Toilet paper roll, cardboard removed, mashed flat, in a ziploc baggie
1 pocket pack Kleenex
1 Toothbrush, Boyscout type (takedown)
1 Tube of toothpaste, travel size
1 Safety Razor, preferably collapsible/travel
3 Blades for Safety Razor
1 Mirror for shaving/signaling
1 Pack handiwipes ("Backpack Buddies" or equivalent)
1 Travel size Sunscreen, SPF 45 or higher
1 Travel size lip balm, with sunscreen, higher the better

Accessories, Light & Fragile: Medium MOLLE Pouch (10"x7"x4" approx.)

Sunglasses, Preferably polarized
Weather Radio (May be combined with Tier 3 Commo Unit)
Spare Bulbs, AA Mini-Maglite (on unlikely chance of LED mishap)
Laminated Maps, set of three, Rand McNally, "SRL" - State, Regional, and Local or equivalent
Primary Lensatic Compass for Navigation
Pen, preferably Fisher Space Pen for all-weather writing.
Notepad, preferably Rite-In-The-Rain waterproof type.
Paracord, 50 feet, your choice of color.

Accessories, Heavy & Durable: Small MOLLE Pouch (7"x3"x6" approx.)

Fox 40 Whistle
Knife, fixed or locking folder blade, as primary survival tool. Preferably high quality clip-point blade.
Sharpening Gear for Knife, preferably diamond lap and crock sticks, pocket size
Batteries, AA, minimum 8, preferably Alkaline
Pocket Entrenchment Tool, preferably camper's trowel or other lightweight option
Primary Flashlight, preferably AA Mini-Maglite with LED upgrade, colored lens kit optional.
Handsfree device for Primary Flashlight, preferably Nite-Ize headband
Multitool, must have pliers, your preference
Secondary Compass for emergency navigation, your preference

Sleeping Gear: Stowed in or attached to Main Component Bag:

Fleece Blanket, large enough for you to sleep in.
Shelter, preferably a tent, your choice.
Any and all other sleeping gear such as a sleeping bag/sleep system, ground pad, or other sleeping acoutrements, are optional.

This List Is The Most Current Update. As such, it is subject to change to reflect the most recent Standard.

It should be noted that this is the MINIMUM standard for the PAA Bugout Bag, and as such it is merely a strong suggestion. Nothing herein should be construed as being a REQUIREMENT, and in many cases, your choices may reflect a higher standard than the minimum, either due to your level of training, your familiarity with a certain product, or your desire for a higer level of comfort. Nothing here should be construed to limit any choice you may elect to pursue when packing your own personal Bugout Bag. The PAA Standard is a Minimum Suggestion Only.

(This post has been edited to reflect the BoB Standards Change of 2/06/2009)

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 5:00 am

"The Quick n' Dirty BoB Guide"

Or, "When the shit's about to hit the fan and you pull your head out of your ass just in time to see the flight plan."

Post Disclaimer:

Normally, it is PAA policy not to post any kind of pricing in the public areas, both because prices fluctuate and because it is a concern that someone might think that we at the PAA are selling something; We are not. In the case of this article, prices are for illustration only and while they were accurate at the time of this writing, there is no guarantee that the products' prices or even their availability will remain constant. Remember that these are guidelines only, and all sources mentioned here are examples. It is up to you to find your own sources if these are unavailable or unsuitable.

I've been conversing with one of our remote PAA members, and he laments the fact that as a student, it will take him quite some time to amass even the lowest-priced version of the PAA BoB.

And it got me to thinking...if you can't have a COMPLETE BoB, what priority do you acquire the components?

First, have a backpack. Your first BoB will probably be a medium to large bookbag:

Outdoor Products Vortex

I used an Outdoor Products Vortex as my own BoB for several years. The design has changed several times since then, but it's still an appropriate size for an entry-level BoB. And last I checked, Wal-Mart had 'em for about 25 bucks.

Put a full change of clothes, including underwear, in it. Shoes aren't as important as a top, a bottom, underclothes and socks. In a pinch, you'll wear whatever shoes you're wearing and if you're a starving student, you probably have only one pair anyway.

If you're going to pack shoes, flip-flops are okay for just SOMETHING to put on your feet to protect them from the road. Not the best for hiking, but better than barefoot or sock feet.

Your priority should go:

1) Clothing - this is what you'll be wearing, and they just may be your "dyin' clothes", so pack 'em like you mean it.

2) Firemaking. Especially in the cold months, fire is critical. You can freeze to death in as few as 12 hours or less. This beats water and food for necessities. It will also provide light and some semblance of protection from predators.

3) Water. Only a day or two before you're useless if you don't have water. I recommend carrying at LEAST two liters of water (available at any convenience store, either in full liters, or half liters, or 1.5 liters...just have them -- they're heavy, I know), and the Katadyn water filter. Before anything else. I'm serious.

4) Get a good knife. After breaking my second Bucklite, I'm not too big on high-carbon steel - while it holds an edge incredibly well, it's hard to PUT an edge on and it's brittle. Jim Bowie, inventer of the Bowie knife, demonstrated that a bent blade is much more useful than a broken one. So a milder steel you know how to keep an edge on will end up being more useful than a harder steel that you might break. This occurred to me as I was slicing cheese this evening with a knife I bought 26 years ago, and it's little more than a kitchen steak knife with serrations cut along the back. I've sharpened it more times than I can count...it doesn't hold an edge worth a shit, but it TAKES an edge quick and as long as I have sharpening gear, it will work, and it's never broken.

5) Shelter. Best inexpensive option is a military poncho. It's also one of the lighter options, though not the lightest anymore. And it's not optimal, but it works.

6) Food. For three days, twenty one ounces of beef jerky will sustain me, although I'll be damn miserable. Your mileage may vary. For all you more normal folk, Sam's Club had a "3-day survival kit" which I just tested recently and found adequate, if a bit limited on the palate. Probably better than the jerky by itself, but in conjunction, more than enough for 3 days.

-------------------------------

Let's break that down:

1) Clothing: Most of the options I'm recommending are coming from the website: Outinstyle.com. I've purchased from there, both duty and off-duty clothing of varying qualities from Mil-spec to import. Their shipping is reasonable and generally you get what you pay for.

Pants: 50/50 polycotton, no more than 50 percent cotton...in cold, "cotton kills". Especially if it gets wet. Another really good reason to go with fire as your very next priority. You can get polycotton pants for 19.95 at outinstyle.com. They're imports, and I've worn 'em. They don't last as long as mil-spec BDU's, but they're better than nothing. Here's the description and the URL:

http://www.outinstyle.com/p-MILUNIFORMS/RCO-7971.html

"Black Poly/cotton Twill six-pocket BDU Pant."

That's it. They're imported. And they're 20 bucks. More for long or sizes above extra large (they have pants up to 7x). Those pants are your cornerstone. When you put them on, you should mentally switch yourself into "survival" mode. Shed your illusions. Concentrate on staying alive and making good decisions.

Moving on.

A top: A good T-shirt in a neutral color like gray, tan, OD (olive drab), camo, or whatever, or black, is perfectly ok. Trouble is, it's hard to find T-shirts in something other than almost 100 percent cotton.

However, again, outinstyle.com has the polycotton T's in "Tacticool" styles. Feel free to go with that. At 7.95 minimum, they're not cheap, but they're not that expensive, either.

In the summertime, that's what you'll hike in. Slather on some sunscreen on your hands and arms so you get a "farmer's tan" not a "farmer's burn." A ballcap or something with some sunglasses would be nice, but is not absolutely necessary.

A jacket:

That's a tough one. The trouble is, there's really no such thing as an "All weather" jacket that costs under a hundred bucks. The really good "breatheable" stuff is expensive. You may be better off, instead of going with a traditional "Jacket", choosing to go with a sweater/sweatshirt, along with a half- to full-size oversize unlined windbreaker.

Unlined windbreakers aren't that expensive. If you pay more than fifteen bucks for yours, you got ripped. Martin's here locally sold them from their surplus bins for four dollars each. - Addendum: I just noticed that UNLINED windbreakers if ordered on the net are MORE expensive than a fleece-lined "coach's windbreaker" from outinstyle.com. So go with that for 18.80 each. Here's the url: http://www.outinstyle.com/p-ER-OUTERWEAR/RCO-7640.html

The sweater? How about the one you got for christmas you wouldn't be caught dead in? Well, maybe you will be FOUND dead in it, but not necessarily CAUGHT. Wear it under the windbreaker in a survival situation where nobody can see you. Solves two problems.

The other option is of course a sweatshirt. You can get them from outinstyle as well: http://www.outinstyle.com/c-CH-SWEATER.html

As you can see, your least expensive option is the camo sweatshirt for 15.70.

The advantage to separating the nylon outer shell from the woolly sweatshirt is that with layering, you can get better insulation when it's really cold, and can peel off layers when it gets warmer AND DRY THEM OUT.

Also, it gives you two separate tops you can wear, in case you want to wash the undergarment - you've still got something warm to wear by the fire while your wash dries.

Which brings me to: Long Johns.

Especially for winter, but for a lot of the reasons already stated in other threads, a top and bottom long underwear is a MUST for your BoB. Both for modesty and for alternate-clothing reasons, as well as for their primary purpose: Warmth.

Back to outinstyle:

http://www.outinstyle.com/p-CH-UNDERWEAR/RCO-6220.html

16.90 for a top.
16.90 for a bottom.

Up to 3x

You'll note that the long johns are NOT 50/50, but 100 percent polypropylene. Since you'll be wearing these close to your body, especially when it's cold or when you're sleeping, you CANNOT afford to compromise on this product. 100 percent polypropylene will keep you warm and thus, alive. Period.

Socks:

Preferably a 50/50 polycotton blend. Back to outinstyle.

Polycotton blend: 4.95 a pair. You really only NEED one. You SHOULD have six, which is the BoB minimum. But for sheer SURVIVAL, you really need just a pair for your feet.

Underwear:

Plain old wal-mart underwear of your choice is the best bet, with one caveat: After wearing for two days, Boxers or bicycle shorts feel a lot better than "tighty whities" because it doesn't irritate the skin in the joints of the crotch...walking around for a day with diaper rash at the rub points is NOT fun. So, no briefs or bikinis...bicycle shorts are actually the best preference.

I've seen 'em at Wal-mart...they call em "boxer briefs" - go figure. An 8-pack in my size is 23.94...you really only need one pair. So the next time you go underwear shopping...buy a pack and pull one out for your BoB. Yes, what's RECOMMENDED as the STANDARD for the BoB is more than that...but this thread is about "If you have nothing and are damn near broke." You can get a 4-pack of fruit-of-the-loom Boxer Briefs for 12.99 to 13.99 from Amazon.com

--------
Clothing Costs:

BDU's: 19.95
T-shirt: 8.95
Long Johns: 33.80
Windbreaker: 18.80
Sweatshirt: 15.70
Socks: 4.95
Underwear: 13.99

Subtotal: 116.14

Not including shipping. A hundred and sixteen bucks all told.

That's a lot of money to a college student. Believe me, I fully understand this.

But one of my instructors at school told me this: "How do you eat an elephant?"

"One bite at a time."

Don't buy it all at once. The backpack first. Then something to put in it.

The BDU's.
The underwear.
The socks.
The Long John top.
The Long John bottom.
The shirt.
The Windbreaker
The sweatshirt.

In that order. One piece a week. Instead of one pizza that week. I'm serious. If you need help, send me a PM here; I come here more than I check my regular Email. Many members have spares in our Master Storage who may be able to "donate" to the cause. Just remember when we get a member and you're able to "pay it forward."

Okay, Clothing Covered. What's next?

2) Firemaking.

I'll be straight with you: Buy a couple of bic lighters and call it a job well done. Put 'em way in your BoB and you have firemaking down. The rest of firemaking comes from proper preparation of your fire, and that comes from specific knowledge. Things like tinder, and a fire nest, and the fire pyramid, etc. etc. Bic lighter: 1.99

You like matches? Put a book of matches in a ziploc baggie with a couple of packs of silica gel (desiccant) and call it a job well done. Some places, you can still get books of matches for free. Six bucks will get you more matches than you can shake a stick at.

Stay away from wick lighters...the fluid evaporates even when you're not using it and if you don't pack a separate bottle of lighter fluid, it's going to be useless in six months or longer when you need it. The disposable butanes are actually better for survival storage.

Firemaking costs:
Bic lighter: 1.99
Matches: Possibly free.

Total firemaking cost: two bucks.

Total cost so far: 118.14

Okay, you've got clothing AND Fire covered...what's next?

3) Water

Two liters of water: about five bucks if you buy 'em at 7/11 or get "gourmet water". Closer to TWO bucks if you just buy a couple of liters from the supermarket.

Not only do you get the two liters of water, but those liters, once empty, can act as inexpensive canteens. You just have to figure out how to carry them. If you must, carry them in your outer BoB pockets.

But two liters won't get you very far, honestly. But it's a start.

Your next acquisition, before ANYTHING else, should be the Katadyn water filter:

http://www.preparedness.com/kahimilipowa.html

They have it for 69.00

If you google "Katadyn Hiker Microfilter" You can find it for as low as 59.99

Plus shipping.

There is no substitute here. The Katadyn will do what you want it to do, it's lightweight, and it filters particulates and bacteria.

Along with your water filter, you should acquire some Katadyn Micropur Tablets, ten bucks for a 20-pack. That 20 pack will purify to most drinking water standards and above, one liter per tablet, so 20 liters.

While 2 liters isn't enough for 3 days, 20 liters, for one person, is enough for a week, if you're sparing. Micropur Tablets: 9.95

Water Costs:

2 Liters water: 4.00
Katadyn Hiker Water Filter: 59.95
Katadyn Micropur Tablets: 9.95

Water Total: 73.90

Total cost so far: 192.04

Okay, you've got Clothing, Fire, and Water covered...what's next?

4) Get A Good Knife.

One that's comfortable in your hand. One you know how to use. One you can carve a SPOON with if you need to. One you can cut notches in wood, sharpen up, clean, and cut meat and small bones with for cooking, or cutting line, or clothing, or bandaging.

The knife is the original multitool. And a multitool can easily fill the niche of "get a good knife."

But a comfortable, pakistani lockback will work just fine. In fact, if you go shopping for a knife, and you're on a budget, instead of choosing the flashy, switchblade-esque choices or the coolio "fighting" styles, a decent hunting style, maybe a copy of the Buck hunter, will do you just fine.

The trick will be keeping it sharp.

I've got a couple of ideas about that. One of which will make the most sense for you. But first, let's shop on the web for a CHEAP knife:

http://www.selfdefence.com/rigidlockbacks.htm

Notice the prices? You can buy a semi-decent working knife for about 5 bucks.

http://www.tpsannex.com/4003352.html

The Valor 3352. Black anodized aluminum folder.

http://www.savesomebucks.com/&sin=v_4003352

Again, the Valor 3352.

Both of these sites have this knife for under TWO bucks.

While you do get what you pay for, if you're careful this really is all you need TO SURVIVE. It has its limitations, but it's a locking-blade folder that will fit in your pack and do what you need it to do. You have to be able to do your part, by knowing how to do it AND by knowing how to keep your knife SHARP.

But don't let me stop you. If you want to pay more, just remember that your best bet is a locking-blade folder. This is the voice of experience: Having had a non-locking blade collapse through my fingertip while using it, I cannot emphasize this enough: For a WORKING knife, have a locking blade.

But just saying you've done a little shopping, gone to the flea market, and bought yourself a locking blade knife, and paid a whopping ten bucks for it.

Knife: 10.00

Sharpener?

Smith's Two-Step Knife Sharpener: Carbide "v" on one side, Crock stic "v" on the other. This is what I recommend for the regular PAA BoB as well. It's that slick. The carbide puts your edge on, the crock sticks polish the edge. It's not perfect, and it takes some skill to put the smoothest edge on, but by and large, even the most green novice can at least put a working edge on a decent blade by simply drawing it through the "v" while pressing down. Not too hard. If you're an idiot who cuts himself, I'm not responsible.

The smith's sharpener can be had from Wal-Mart for about five bucks. You can buy it online here: http://www.elinemerchandising.com/S-CCKS.html

It'll be worth it. Trust me. It's lightweight and if you pack it in the same pocket as your knife, and KEEP THEM TOGETHER, you should be ok. You'll be able to keep a working edge on your knife, and that's enough.

A good knife is one you can use and can keep sharp. Period.

Knife Costs:

Knife: 10.00
Sharpener: 5.00

Total Knife: 15.00

Total so far: 207.04

Okay, you've got Clothing, Fire, Water, and now a knife, covered...what's next?

5) Shelter

You can buy a commercial tent for 30 bucks on eBay, or you can buy a surplus military poncho. They used to be dirt cheap. Let's see how much they are now:

http://www.flyingtigerssurplus.com/c-2-p-887-id-2.html

Forty bucks. Ouch.

Twenty five for the import. Still kinda ouch.

But it's worth it.

http://www.omahas.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=16_58&products_id=820&osCsid2=77125b2ce7ed590fa745c9eea99ad550

Thirty bucks. Still ouch.

The advantage to the poncho is that you can wear it OVER yourself and your pack while you're on the move, and use it as a shelter lean-to. Two liners and you have a tent.

It's not comfortable. But it's dry. I've done it. You can do it.

Or you can purchase a one-man shelter from Sam's Club or some such. But that'll cost you about 34 bucks.

Let's call it 35 bucks for whatever shelter option you choose.

So, Shelter: 35.00

Plus your running total of 207.04 comes to:

242.04

And you're almost done.

Okay, you've got Clothing, Fire, Water, a Knife, and Shelter covered...what's next?

6) Food:

You can survive on 7 ounces of beef jerky a day. You won't like it, but you can do it.

I can buy 7 ounce packs of beef jerky for 3.00 a pack. So buy 3 packs and call it a job well done.

nine bucks.

The 3-day ration kits were available at Sam's Club, but aren't any longer. You'll have to find these on your own. Good luck.

242.04 plus 9 bucks is 251.04

So, for a little over 250 bucks, you can cover the basics. Granted, it's going to be significantly over 250 bucks. Probably closer to 325 with shipping.

But you've covered the basics.

Okay, you've now covered: Clothing, Fire, Water, a Knife, Shelter, and food. Anything else?

One last thing.

A first aid kit.

You can get it from wal-mart for about 10 bucks.

So, 251.04 plus 10 bucks, 261.04

Fudge in shipping and tax, you're at about 350, all told. And you could probably squeeze in a 20.00 backpack into all that, too.

So you can have a "Cheap and Dirty" Bugout Bag for 350 bucks.

It won't be NEAR the comprehensive all-purpose emergency kit that is the PAA standard, but it WILL "get you through the night."

And when you're a starving student, used to living on ramen for a week at a time, hell, Beef Jerky will seem like a treat.

And at least, if you're in a disaster situation, you don't have to stress about that paper that's due next week.

Your most valueable and priceless commodity in a survival situation will be your mindset: You must make practical decisions based upon what's actually happening, not wishful thinking.

You pull that wishful thinking shit, it won't matter how prepared you are, you can still die. The difference between living and dying will be HOW WELL YOU ADAPT TO THE CONDITIONS YOU FIND YOURSELF IN.

Your BoB will only help you adapt.

For 350 bucks.

There it is.

S

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:39 pm

SpotOn has her BoB packed and waiting any global disaster (save the chess set needed to entertain me and whomever I choose to BO with!) Bring it on world!

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 7:13 pm

I have noticed that this thread has much of the what and the criteria for selection of components for the bugout bag, but not so much as to the whys and the wherefores. In other words...BDU pants...why? Why is there only one water filter option? Why 4 liters of water? Why a steel canteen cup?

Since Scott's not around anymore to answer these questions, I guess I'll have to take a stab at them myself, based upon my own experiences with my own PAA Bugout Bag in the field under primitive camping conditions, combined with the discussions in the Members Only portion of the board.

I've cleared this with the current leadership of the PAA, so that neither OPSEC nor INFOSEC is compromised.

Let's take each section one at a time, and apply the basic "What does it do? How well does it do it?" to the section.

THE BAG:

As near as I can figure, the bag is where you Keep All Your Stuff. I think the direction is going towards being more Airline Friendly with the kit so that you can put it on an aircraft as Checked Baggage (hence the locking and the firearm component separate with a hard case and TSA approved ammunition storage, etc). This, and the military seabag is a good way to transport the Whole Thing until you get to base camp, and then use the MOLLE components to customize your pack once you get to that base camp. In my own experience, this works well, especially since you can pull everything out of the seabag and collapse it down to put it in one of the MOLLE components and carry your Bugout Bag as such will all components attached for easy access -- not something you want while riding the airlines -- there, you want a featureless, lockable unit for obvious reasons. So a "Transformer" bugout bag goes a long way towards social camouflage and ease of transportability as a camping pack as opposed to ONLY a SHTF unit.

This makes sense to me. Your BoB is no good to you if you've left it at home. So it behooves you to figure out a way to get it to where you need it. I think the military duffle (seabag) is the best option that retains the versatility of the BoB while allowing for safe airline travel.

The Military Duffel Bag, or "Seabag" as we called it.

The MOLLE backpack allows you to customize which components you want to actually carry with you in the field, so that when you're set up in base camp, with your tent deployed, and maybe some of your kit in it, you don't have to bring your whole BoB on a day hike, or a water or firewood run...just the essentials. And that's another reason to have the duffel -- you can fit JUST large stuff in it without having to bring your BoB along at all. It's an extra bag that can come in handy (and did).

Molle Backpack (aka "3-day assault pack")

This is the philosophy behind the bag system, far as I can see.

MOLLE pouches come in all shapes and sizes, and you can customize your particular flavor of weird to work with your system:

Magazine MOLLE pouch

Medical MOLLE pouch

Medium MOLLE pouch

Small MOLLE pouch (Basically a big belt wallet, with pockets inside to organize the tiny stuff that is your "need to have")

Large MOLLE Utility pouch

MOLLE Radio/Cphone pouch

And these are just a few examples. By Googling "MOLLE Pouch" you can find a pouch to fit just about anything you want to carry as a bugout bag component.

A hint would be to figure out what's actually going to go INTO your component and THEN figure out what size pouch to put it in.

The Components:

CLOTHING:

As Scott has said, the clothing you put into your BoB may be your "Dyin' clothes" -- they must be durable, all-purpose, and provide some semblance of camouflage under most conditions. Since most conditions these days are of a SOCIAL nature, military pattern camo is kinda out. Instead, Scott recommended a solid, dark color BDU pant...this makes sense. A lot of organizations and agencies use the BDU pant as a generic "work pant". And if you're trying to blend in, being dressed as a worker is a good thing. Sure, you lose a little woodland camo opportunity with black or navy blue, but the camo utility you GAIN while in OTHER environments seems to be a decent enough tradeoff.

Now, when you wear pants with beltloops, you're going to need a belt. Now, it doesn't REALLY matter what kind of belt you wear, as long as it's durable, it will hold up your pants, and you can hang pouches off of it, as some of your gear will be attached to either your belt, or the waist belt of your backpack. But your primary trouser belt should definitely be able to handle what you may end up putting it through. I recommend nylon or polypropylene over natural (leather) although leather is pretty strong, and I've worn leather in the field. It's just that nylon and polypro has better durability properties without being maintenance intensive. So now you have pants and a belt, and if you choose the correct “professional” looking belt, it is another step towards the camouflage aspect of your BoB outfit. In this case, a piece of 1.5” black nylon or polypropylene webbing combined with a plastic cam buckle (the kind you might see on scuba gear, for instance) allows for a relatively inexpensive self-made belt. You can cut and melt the ends as you choose, custom-making your belt to your size. Also, if long enough, this webbing and hardware combination can also be used as a rifle sling (again, this is not by accident). So although you may not actually be carrying a rifle in your BoB, this is a flexibility option you might enjoy at some time in the future. Just FYI. This belt you make is what I call the PAA Belt. It's cheap, it's super lightweight, it only has one piece of hardware, it never rusts, and will fit the minimum requirement for a belt.

Image courtesy of www.sewing.co.uk – Cam Buckle and Webbing – PAA Belt.

Add to this a T-shirt (especially a gray one) and you look like Fire Rescue or another disaster relief team. This can seriously work to your advantage from a social engineering standpoint in getting in or out of an area. Remember that camouflage is all about perception. If you're perceived as belonging, you belong, and you won't be harrassed or hampered nearly as much. A little forethought in the clothing department can go a long way, without compromising the protection of the clothing which is your primary concern.

Now, a cotton T-shirt at first glance seems counterproductive -- cotton kills. Unless you realize that when in a real emergency situation, you'll be relying on your polypropylene long underwear to be worn BENEATH that T-shirt for warmth, and in the heat, you WANT to have something that will cool you when it gets wet. Considering that this is Florida, a cotton T-shirt makes the most sense, especially when hiking: Lightweight, wicks away sweat, evaporates and keeps cool. The very properties that make it so dangerous in cold weather are what make it so comfortable in hot weather. And again, urban camouflage.

The long underwear is a must, both because you can wear it under whatever it is you're wearing to keep you warm, or as sleepwear, or, in a pinch, as a secondary set of clothes while your BDU and T-shirt are either drying or, heaven forbid, being repaired. It's a "second set of clothes" that have a purpose, that you can wear both separately from or IN CONJUNCTION WITH your primary outerwear. Its function is to keep you covered and warm. Which is why a dark color (not too obtrusive) and one hundred percent synthetic (polypropylene) are de regeur for this clothing component.

Then comes your regular underwear. I can tell you from personal experience why you don't want tighty whities if you're going to be hiking in them--the terrible rashes you can get with too much moisture at your crotch joints alone is enough to deter. So no speedos, no tighty whities, no bikini briefs -- your crotch will thank you for it. But at the same time, boxers don't really have any support, and your dangly bits slam against your legs a few thousand times while hiking, you're gonna be miserable. The compromise, as far as I can see (and it's a good one) are biker shorts...long enough to not get crotch rot, but tight enough to provide support where you need it -- AND you can wear it either over OR under the long underwear, another versatility point. Three pair allows you to have a fresh pair for each day, although it may not work out that way -- you could get a pair wet and have to change them, or, you might be staying at your base camp and not getting dirty so you can wear the same pair of semi-clean underwear a second day, especially if you're not hiking. Or, you could wash one pair, and have it drying while you have one clean pair and one dirty pair. Since it can take up to a day and a half for clothing to dry in a humid environment such as Florida, it seems that three is the minimum number of pairs of underwear to have in order to be reasonably sure you've got some to wear.

It seems that Scott or his predecessor took into consideration women for bugging out as well as men -- the sport brassiere has no underwires and keeps the breasts close to the body for the greatest ease of movement and cleanliness, as well as small, flat packing. Again, cotton for the greatest comfort, sport style for the greatest support and simplicity of function.

The four pairs of socks -- now, I can't really figure out why four pairs of socks and only three pairs of underwear, except perhaps that when bugging out, you may have to change into your "hiking socks" in the field, whereas you may be able to use whatever underwear you're actually wearing at the moment you bug out. So it's assumed you're wearing underwear you can use, but not necessarily socks. This seems appropriate if you happen to be in a situation that is closer to formal, with hoisery and footwear inappropriate to hiking (high heels and stockings for females, maybe some wingtips and dark, thin socks for males -- neither are appropriate for hiking). This would be my thoughts on that, so having the appropriate socks to change into at first opportunity would mean that you'd have to have one extra pair -- thus, four pairs of socks. As far as "material appropriate to location" -- in Florida, you could get away with athletic socks, but in colder climates you might need wool or synthetic for warmth and water resistance. But really, anything you can hike in seems to be what you should go with.

The hiking shoes -- at first, this component was "inexpensive jungle boots" of the vietnam type becuase they have good ankle support and because of their canvas uppers, could still be rolled flat for easy packing -- until I myself wore my inexpensive jungle boots and found out why they were so inexpensive: They didn't fit well, and hurt my feet after only a mile. That, and it's been noted that they're not all that durable. I myself have had a pair of running shoes last me a decade or more -- can't say the same about the jungle boots. So instead of restricting, perhaps explaining what they're for and letting people decide for themselves what they want to hike in makes a little more sense, and I have to admit I agree with this. If you are more comfortable hiking in tennies, and they pack flat, and you've already worn them for years, and they're still in good condition, why go out and buy something you don't need, doesn't work as well, and you won't wear? Why not go with just an old, but still serviceable pair of something you already use for this function? Thus, an old pair of comfortable walking shoes, maybe on their last legs, but definitely serviceable enough for three days to a week (or more) is the best option, especially when judged by the criteria of "what does it do, how well does it do it?" in comparison with cheap jungle boots.

The boonie hat: Inexpensive, full brim keeps water off your face when it's raining, keeps the sun out of your eyes when you're hiking and you aren't in a position to wear sunglasses. The boonie hat can be folded up, rolled up, and stuffed into a pocket without losing any of its functionality. So for space and weight, it's a good choice. It's not the best for urban camouflage, but hopefully when you're wearing it, either in the rain or out in the sun in the woods while hiking, that kind of camouflage won't be as necessary. This, and there's nothing to say that it has to be a CAMO boonie hat. There are black and other solid colors of boonie hat that are available which can be used. A baseball cap could theoretically be substituted for the boonie hat, but its function is not as comprehensive as the boonie hat and you can't really squash a baseball cap down into a wad and stuff it in your pocket for hiking. So, the boonie hat makes the most sense to cover the most functions. Finally, you can pay more for a rain hat, but the function is essentially the same and a boonie hat is cheap. And lightweight. But nothing says that if you have a better option you can't use that. A woven panama hat comes to mind.

MPI space or all-weather blanket: I'll confess, I had no idea what this article was doing in this component at first glance. I considered that this item should go in sleeping gear, not in clothing. Except, upon further thought and reflection, the MPI space all weather blanket comes in a packet that's small enough to go in a wallet pocket or shirt pocket, and it could be construed as the absolute minimum for emergency sleeping, or emergency warmth. As such, I think the idea is to ALWAYS have AT LEAST this on your person at all times. It's tiny, lightweight, highly functional, MULTI functional, so much so that it is nearly indespensible. And it's cheap. So I guess it stands to reason that it will be in the clothing component. It would further make sense to even pack it in a pocket of your BDU's in advance so it's already with you once you put your BoB BDU's on. It appears someone was thinking way ahead when he recommended this article in the clothing component. Glad I could follow that thinking. Now I see why it may be important for this document I'm writing to exist -- so you, the reader, have an idea of the train of thought, the reasoning, behind each component and its location, so that should you in the future need to make adjustments to your own BoB to suit yourself or your lifestyle, you won't lose critical function.

Cotton washcloth or shop towel: Pretty self explanatory. You need a rag. You'll probably wash it a lot so it will need to be in the drying-out place, theoretically probably right along with one or two pairs of underwear and a few pairs of socks. You could use this to wash yourself after you take a dump, or you could use it to wash your dishes (preferably NOT BOTH). I remember that before, the recommendation was up to six of these shop towels...but the truth is, stuff gets heavy. So paring this item back to only one and letting you, the end user, decide exactly what you're going to do with it not only makes good sense weight and function wise, it also doesn't insult you by assuming you have to have your hand held as to its function -- you decide what you need it for, and use it. Just have one.

Microfilament cloth: Now see, I can easily see that the microfilament cloth definitely replaced up to three shop towels, especially if you're going to use the microfilament cloth for drying your stuff or yourself. The microfilament cloth can absorb like a TON of water, and can be wrung out and will dry much more quickly than cotton because it is a synthetic. So it makes more sense to carry less weight, and get greater function out of it. I've personally used a washcloth-sized microfilament cloth as a towel after a bath with excellent results. The microfilament is so absorbent, I think I was able to dry myself BETTER with the washcloth-sized microfilament than I would have with a full size bath towel. So advantage of both weight AND function.

Which brings us to the towel proper. Again, you're given choices so your intelligence is not insulted. If you want a full size bath towel, by all means, go for it. If not, you can go with a microfilament cloth again specifically for use as a towel. Or you can use felt, which is also another absorbent product, like a chamois...maybe not a microfilament cloth but an acceptable alternative. Whatever works for you. You need a towel, both to dry yourself off from rain, and to dry yourself off after bathing. So whatever you want to use to dry yourself -- have it.

The sewing kit, now that makes sense in the clothing component. Maybe putting it in the same pocket as the MPI space blanket would make the most sense -- both are critical must-have components. The sewing kit will allow you to make repairs and emergency modifications to your clothing and your packs, especially if you have brought the appropriate needles and thread. Buttons come off. Clothing gets ripped. You are going to need to keep your gear in repair in the field, because there may be no store to take it to. A strap rips loose from a seam in the field...it's up to YOU to fix it. The sewing kit is your tool for this purpose. Definitely make sure you bring along the correct components so that it is up to the task.

The windbreaker jacket is inexpensive, lightweight, and best of all, layerable. The windbreaker is the water-resistant outer shell of your warmth system. For the sake of argument, if you are wearing your regular underwear and hiking socks, long underwear, your BDU's and T-shirt, maybe your photog vest or a sweater or sweatshirt, and then your windbreaker on the outside, that's a lot of layers you can put on or take off at your leisure to adapt to changing climatic conditions. Especially if you're out and about and it's misting, but not raining, and you don't want to put on an actual rain poncho, but still don't want to get your outer layer wet. That, and if you choose your windbreaker appropriately, it, too, may be used as part of your social camouflage as previously mentioned. A black or dark green windbreaker with PAA silkscreened across the back isn't impersonating, but it is identifying you as being a part of a group -- who's to say what that group is doing? Also, in a pinch, if you're wearing your legally-carried firearm, the windbreaker is a "concealing garment" in case you don't want to use your photographer's vest for whatever reason. A good reason for getting one a size larger than you normally would, incidentally.

Which brings me to the Ranger/Photographer's vest. Primarily a covering garment for your firearm that doesn't look too terribly out-of-place, even in hot weather, the vest also allows you to carry small items on your chest where they're accessible, more so than on your belt. I myself have an entire miniature survival kit in one pocket of my vest. Almost like a kit-within-a-kit. Why it's critical for it to hang down to the slash pocket is so that it appropriately conceals your firearm so you don't violate Florida law. Even so, it's good to have an extra set of pockets in a survival situation -- good for your note pad, pen, spare kit, a knife, even a spare magazine or two for your weapon, or a place to put incidentals that may not be accessible in pockets that would be normally covered by your backpack. So the vest earns itself a place in your kit, especially if it's the kind that has a hood in the collar. And again, it's another layer for warmth if necessary.

The canvas work gloves are an excellent idea. Having used mine both in the field and around the house, I can comfortably say that the canvas is lighter than cowhide, but maybe not as durable. But definitely, if you need hand protection for gathering wood or for putting your hand in places where you might get bitten or stung by insects or other small critters, they're better than nothing without sacrificing too much weight. For this reason, it seems that canvas is the best balance between function and weight, without being too terribly expensive. Gardening gloves could probably be used as well, but may not be even as durable as the canvas, and you do want some semblance of durability. And hey, if you want cowhide...go for it.

Finally, an inexpensive rain poncho can keep the rain off you, and the kind with grommets can be used as an emergency tent. Not nearly as comfortable as a real tent, mind you, but in conjunction with the MPI space blanket, you CAN survive with it.

The clothing component of your bag is your core component, minus the food and water. Its primary job is to protect you from exposure, and its secondary job is to provide camouflage, and access to essential equipment on your person. However you choose to satisfy all these requirements is really up to you, and the PAA BoB simply satisfies these requirements in this manner.

Now that you know this, you can make adjustments to suit your tastes accordingly.

WATER:

Of all the things you need to survive, water is by far one of the most, if not THE most critical. Without water, your day is numbered. That's right, I said “day”. Maybe two if you're sedentary and doing nearly nothing. If you're hiking or conducting vigorous activity, you'll start feeling the effects of dehydration in only a few hours, and you'll be useless in a few hours, and if you're useless and relying on just yourself, death is as sure as jumping out in front of a speeding train.

So, in a nutshell, you need water.

But, how much?

The standard used to be a reasonable “two to four liters.”

Well, I tried that. Guess what? Two liters JUST ISN'T ENOUGH. Couldn't do it. And I'd like to think I'm reasonably experienced with this whole survival thing. Out in the field, with no other resource for water, two liters just for drinking, when your only activities are keeping up your camp and taking care of your basic needs...you will start feeling thirsty within 36 hours. Considering your BoB is designed for 72 hours...again, two liters isn't enough.

After finding this out the hard way, I had to “borrow” 500ml from my buddy who was camping with me, so I could hike a mile and a half in to the closest resource (luckily, a store), and hike back out another mile and a half with a gallon, which ended up lasting us the rest of the trip.

What did I learn? Four liters (a little more than a gallon) is sufficient for a 3-day camp without further resource. BARELY sufficient. Which is why a water filter is another essential. Because let me tell you, again from personal experience, that if you want to cook, or wash ANYTHING (like your dishes or your hands or yourself), you're going to need MORE than that.

The downside to bringing more water is that it's HEAVY. So you can have enough water and a hernia, or barely enough water and keep your BoB down to a manageable weight.

Your call.

I'm going with Four Liters as the optimum between sufficient and hernia. It will also allow you some time of hiking to and from, where you actually use more water, in order to FIND a water resource.

Which brings me to your next essential item: A canteen.

You may wonder, since you can use your empty bottles as canteens, why you would want or need a canteen. The answer is threefold:

1) You need someplace to put water TO CARRY. A canteen can be worn at the beltline for ease of access while hiking.

Canteen

2) Your canteen cover, which also holds a set of water purification tablets. Essential functions, such as water purification, follows the “Rule of threes”: Three separate methods for accomplishing the same function – in the case of your canteen cover, it takes care of two of those three methods: Tablets and with that cover, a steel cup, which nestles in your cover around your canteen – boiling. If you have a source of water you're purifying, a canteen gives you another quart capacity over and above your four liters. Every bit of capacity for carrying water is good. Period. The cover carries your purification tablets, your cup, and a canteen stove as well as your canteen, making it its own self-contained system.

Canteen cover - comes in colors other than black.

3) In addition, you can soak your canteen cover and allow the evaporation of the moisure to keep your canteen cool. While this isn't as effective in a humid environment such as Florida, it still does work in a fashion, and it beats the hot water in a clear plastic bottle after a long hump. It's a comfort-food thing.

Finally, it should be noted that you don't necessarily need a MILITARY canteen – there are other systems that have a bottle/carrier/cup component that will satisfy your requirements. Just have them all to have a cornerstone of your water acquisition and carrying gear, an essential for life and comfort.

As previously mentioned, in that canteen cover, you should have some water purification tablets. Usually iodine, or a stuff called “halazone”...whatever. Have them. Each tablet should be able to purify one quart of water. This allows you to purify about 10 quarts at least. This is good. And it's a part of your entire canteen “package” so it stays in one place for ease of both access and reference – another thing I've noticed is that with as much kit as you may be carrying, remembering where the hell you put it all can be a chore in and of itself. If you need to purify water right now, and you don't have time to boil it or filter or what have you, you've got a self-contained option right there...in your canteen.
[img]http://www.nitro-pak.com/images/PotableAqua3-200x200.jpg[img]
Water purification tablets - the little bottle fits right in that little velcro pouch in the canteen cover

Which brings me to the next component that fits in your canteen cover: The steel canteen cup. This will allow you to put water over an open fire for boiling. This satisfies one of the rule of threes, and the canteen cup can be used for cooking and making coffee or tea in the field. The reason why we recommend steel over aluminum is a matter of both durability and the fact that aluminum cookware leaches chemicals over time. For short periods, you can use an aluminum canteen cup just as well and save the weight -- but I chose steel for myself.

Steel Canteen Cup

But how do you boil your water? Over your fire? Well, yes. But what if you don't have the time to gather your wood to make a fire? What then?

Enter the pop can stove burner. Runs on alcohol, which you can carry with you without a pressure bottle. While alcohol may be construed as a low energy-per-weight fuel, it's easy to get, easy to store, and easy to use. So the weight is a compromise for simplicity. It may not be the MOST optimal option, but expense, as has been noted, is also a consideration. A pop can stove burner is something you can buy for cheap, or make yourself if you're so inclined. There are plans on the internet in multiple places (look up “Zen Stove” on google), so I'm not going to reinvent the wheel putting it here. Suffice it to say that this is the best option for a bugout bag – no moving parts, works off of a principle of physics, and can be used to boil water in a canteen cup.

Zen Stove, courtesy of zenstoves.net

It's light, it's cheap, and it works.

But, how much alcohol? This is another weight/utility balance. Those who have come before me determined that balance at 16 fluid ounces. Based upon my own use in the field, I see no need to adjust this amount.

The other advantage to alcohol is that it is a multipurpose liquid. Not only is it stove fuel, it is also a topical antiseptic. And if you're really ambitious, you can use 95 percent ethanol (EverClear) and get a third use: drinking. Just be sure you don't drink the DENATURED stuff (it's poisonous) or the ISOPROPYL (It will cause blindness). ONLY drink alcohol that's MADE for drinking.

95 percent Everclear. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

As you can see, this choice was not by accident.

So, now you have a canteen cup, and a heat source. Now what? Well, in the case of a military canteen, there's a thing called a “canteen cup stove” that is not much more than a formed aluminum sleeve that will allow you to sit the canteen up off of the ground or whatever other surface you're using for your heat source. Originally useful for boiling water over a trioxane tablet, it works just as well with a pop can stove, and once again, it can be nestled in your canteen cover along with your canteen and canteen cup.

Canteen Cup Stove, without cup.

USGI Steel Canteen Cup on Aluminum Canteen Cup Stove – Courtesy of Joesarmynavyonline.com

However, this is just one solution I've found optimal; Use whatever you want to hold your canteen cup over your pop can stove.

The point is that you can have the whole kit like this:

And it all fits nestled inside your canteen cover and sits on your belt. Pretty slick, eh?

However, boiling every cup of water is tedious, and some people don't tolerate iodine well. Plus, iodine kinda tastes nasty. So, what to do for purification of water without crappy taste, thyroid issues, etc.?

Enter the Katadyn Hiker Pro water filter.

This is one of those things that there doesn't seem to be any decent substitute for. I know, I've tried. I'm not going to name brands or models because that's not the point. The point is that I did my homework, and even within the Katadyn brand, the Hiker Pro is the one that works the best for me. Based upon internet reviews, I'm not alone. Other descriptions of the Hiker Pro include words like “bulletproof” (Not really, but metaphorically as in “always works”) and “super light,” which is important when your life depends on it, and lightweight is always a good thing.

The Katadyn Hiker Pro is dirt simple, and it works. Period. It has a few minor issues such as the float being less than optimal, but these things are easy to forgive because...let me say it again...it WORKS.

And it works for GALLONS AND GALLONS of water. As in, “can keep a party of eight hydrated for two weeks without a filter replacement” kind of gallons. Overkill in an essential isn't overkill. It's Safety Margin.

And most importantly, the water doesn't taste like crap.

The only downside to the Katadyn filter is that it only filters out bacteria. Small bacteria, but bacteria nonetheless. You need something that kills viruses, too, or you're back to boiling your already filtered water, and that's just too damn much work.

Enter the Katadyn (Yes, Katadyn again! You'd think I work for these guys, but I don't.) Micropur tablet. Not iodine. Chlorine Dioxide – better tasting, and better tolerated by more people. Remember that the PAA is about including, not excluding. So the closer to a universal standard, the better. Each Micropur tablet purifies 1 quart/liter. Also, you can use the MP1 tablets separately to purify water on their own. This is a bit of an overlap in function, but again, if it's an essential function, it's not overlap, it's Safety Margin. The best part besides taste about the Micropur tablets is the 5-year shelf life—definitely a good thing if you're going to be storing your BoB for long periods of time, and while rotation is a good thing, if you're like me, sometimes that sort of thing slips your mind. Safety Margin is generally a good thing; The more, the better.

Now, if you just use your canteen cup for cooking, and you cook something substantial in it, what are you going use to eat what you've cooked? You need a utensil. Or set of utensils.

Something with which to eat.

It has to be lightweight, and heat-resistant enough so you can cook with it if you want. My personal favorite is the Light My Fire polycarbonate spork. Mostly because it comes in colors but also because it's incredibly light, and has given serious consideration to the limitations of the school-lunchroom sporkette, such as not being able to get the last of your pudding because the tines don't allow you a smooth scraping surface. The Light My Fire has the spoon at one end, the fork at the other, with a serrated edge along one side of the fork as the knife, which makes a lot of sense because most of us use the edge of the fork to cut things anyway.

Light My Fire Spork – Comes in many colors, including green.

Someone thought a lot about function when they designed the Light My Fire. And it suits me just fine.

Again, it is by no means the only option. There are collapsible chopsticks that can be used (but no spoon), or a hobo tool (which is a folding pocketknife with a folding spoon and folding fork as part of it), or even traditional flatware (it's not that heavy), camper's flatware (the kind that clips together), military flatware (similar to traditional, only it's military...go figure.)

My other favorite which deserves mention is the titanium spork. Titanium is one of those cool metals that has the advantage of both incredible strength and incredibly light weight. Outside of the whole 'tines in the middle of the spoon' issue, the titanium spork is just plain cool. Light as aluminum, strong as steel. And now, there's even a foldable version (I have one thanks to some fellow Wogs who have my back). I carry it in my pocket survival kit in my photographer's vest because the Light My Fire is just a tad too big for that pocket but the folding spork is just the right size.

If space is at a premium, and money isn't, the titanium folding spork is just a neato-nifty-wow utensil.

For those of us on a budget...the Light My Fire definitely works, and works well. But it's your choice. Separate utensils allow for slightly more civilized eating, especially if you have something like meat that you want to cut and eat.

There are drawbacks and advantages to every utensil system – it's up to you to decide which one you want.

Remember, this isn't the military – you CAN have it your way. In fact, at PAA, we encourage it. The whole point behind survival isn't just surviving – it's surviving comfortably.

You will note that the “water” section also encompasses a bit of cooking. That's because many items in your bugout bag have multiple uses. This is not by accident; this is efficiency.

FOOD:

Understand right up front that you don't need food as much as you need water, but you DO need food. This section has been a source of debate for some time, as I've seen in the archives and in discussion with other members. Some say that hot food is a necessity, others say it's unnecessary weight. You will have to make that determination for yourself. What is listed here is the BARE ESSENTIALS as far as calories and nutrients – as such, it may not be to your palate or liking, and you of course are the final word as to what you want to eat for your three days in the field. Some guidelines:

1)Must be shelf-stable without refrigeration.
2)Must provide basic caloric intake for your comfort.
3)Must be something you will eat and hopefully like.
4)Must provide proper nutrition.

As long as your foodstuffs meet the above guidelines, the rest is up to you. What is listed is merely a suggestion. I have followed it to the letter because it works for me.

Eight ounces of beef jerky, in two ounce packets – this makes for compact, shelf-stable, eat-on-the-run meals. This is not hot food. However, it will keep you going, it's light as a feather, and since I like beef jerky anyway, it's like eating candy for breakfast as far as I am concerned.

Eight ounces might not be enough for you. I am fat. Therefore, eight ounces of beef jerky as one of my staples for three days will allow me to live off of my fat a bit. That, and the jerky isn't the only foodstuff—merely one of them. The two-ounce packets allow you to keep your remainder fresh longer and give you more control over how quickly you consume your survival foodstuffs in the field. It also gives you the option to share if need be.

And let's face it, there is the potential for you to end up with someone less prepared than you; In some cases, it may almost be a certainty. Sometimes sharing or bartering food can be extremely advantageous, so you want to keep that option open to you, as well.

Beef jerky by itself gets pretty boring, even if it's something you like. Besides, that's just protein. What about the carbs you're going to need to give you the energy to survive?

Well, the power bar/granola bars provide nutrition, carbs, and the convenience of being in a bar form so you don't have to worry about dropping the contents of your packet while walking the way you might with jerky. That, and some of those bars are mighty tasty. Their shelf life isn't quite as long as the Jerky, but they still have a shelf life and don't need refrigeration, and that's a good thing. But you could theoretically substitute trail mix or something else for the power bars – just understand that you still need to keep nutrition and caloric availability in mind. As to just how many calories you need – the military says you need about 2800-3200 for males, and 2000-2800 for females. But that's for an active combat soldier. Your caloric needs may be much less, especially if all you are doing is staying in one place camping out for a couple of days, or only hiking a mile or two a day to a resupply station or out of a tight spot.

However, it's better to have too many calories available than too few. Safety Margin again. Always keep that Safety Margin in mind. The power bars may provide your full daily caloric intake all by themselves. Keep your head about you and don't overeat too soon, or you will run out of food long before the minimum three days.

Also remember that sugar and carbs can keep the hungries away by giving you the “full” feeling. The downside is that too much in the way of carbs can make you sleepy. Use this to your advantage by eating most of them for your day either in the morning for the energy or at bedtime to help you sleep.

Trail mix can be in addition to, or a substitution for, the power bars. Your choice. The advantage to trail mix is its longer shelf life than the power bars, and the infinite variability of making your own custom stuff or buying a particular flavor you like. And you can carry quite a bit of it without breaking your back – trail mix is light, too.

But for pure carbs, and to fill you up, rice has few peers. Sure, it's boring. Sure, it's easy to overcook and turn into paste...but you can't deny that for its weight, rice is one of the most space-effective carbs you can carry into the field.

And, it's hot food.

Add some beef jerky to your rice, and you have a palatable hot meal with protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Add some hot sauce to it and you've got something almost worth eating in a NON survival situation.

The sealable containers are a bit on the bulky side, but they can be re-used or discarded at your leisure – there's always a use for containers, I've found, in the field. That, and you can pour water in them to pre-soak the rice to lower cooking time if you're short on fuel. Finally, you CAN eat rice you've soaked all day, cold. It's not particularly tasty nor pleasant, but it is filling and nutritious.

The best part about rice is that it pretty much goes with everything. Add your favorite spice and you have a meal. Spices are super lightweight and definitely go a long way towards making survival food palatable. Hot sauce to a lesser degree (because of the weight of the bottle).

You can add raisins to rice and make a sweet snack. You can add meat to rice and make a meal (as mentioned above). You can add dried peas to rice and you now have a veggie side dish.

But have the rice. It's worth its weight.

Even though you try to get all your nutrients from your food, the truth is that under stress, you're going to need a little more in the vitamin department. B-complex will allow your body to utilize your energy more efficiently, and will give you the energy to keep going under stressful conditions. Yes, it smells funny, and will make your pee bright yellow and smell even funnier, but it's worth it, especially if you're under stress.

The vitamin C is for fighting infection, AND because it's ascorbic acid, you can crush it and add a tart taste to your food. Nutrient as seasoning.

The multivitamin tablets are so that you can take care of all the rest of your nutrition.

You will note that there are SIX of each instead of three. This is because theoretically, your bugout bag's Utility Life is a MINIMUM of three days, but should be able to be stretched to a week if absolutely necessary. Another reason for Safety Margin – because a crisis doesn't always happen on a convenient timetable for convenient durations.

Why six and not seven? Don't know. But I saw no need to quibble over one set of pills. So six it seems. You can have more. It's your BoB. Just don't go too overboard. Remember, balance of weight and utility. Maybe there was a formula I'm not privvy to that gives 6 tablets for a week as being the optimum amount.

Don't know. Don't care. I have them in my BoB. I recommend you have them in yours for the reasons stated. But you don't have to.

The seasonings we've already discussed. Whether it's exotic spices, spice blends, or just plain old salt and pepper – they go a long way towards keeping palate boredom at bay.

Which finally brings me to Comfort Foods.

A Comfort Food is a particular food that YOU like, that YOU eat to not only gain nutrution, but because of how it makes you feel, BECAUSE you like it. This psychological aspect has a tendency to be overlooked and underappreciated when efficiency is the name of the game in survival. However, attitude and mental well-being is CRITICAL for survival, because maintaining your positive attitude is one of the links of the chain to staying motivated enough to survive instead of just laying down waiting to die. So believe it or not, your comfort food is a lot more important than you may think at first glance. Be sure to include something that fits in this category. Preferably that meets all the other criteria.

Because everyone's taste is different, I'm not even going to suggest a comfort food. Whatever makes you happy when you eat it could be defined as a comfort food. Or, if the primary foodstufs already listed could be classified as comfort foods to you(as they are in my case), then you don't HAVE to add anything if you don't want to.

But be cognizant of the psychological advantage that a comfort food can bring. In a real crisis, it may be the only solace you have in an otherwise nightmarish situation and as such should not be overlooked. You may end up needing every single advantage you've thoughtfully provided for yourself in advance.

MEDICAL GEAR:

At first glance, you will note the almost nonexistent medical section. This is not because it's not important; This is because first aid kits come in so many shapes and sizes, and for different levels of training, that trying to dictate a person's medical needs gets to the point of being counterproductive.

The only thing recommended in the medical gear is the purell hand sanitizer. There's a reason why specifically Purell: Because not only can it be used as a hand sanitizer, it is also the best hand sanitizer that can be used as firestarting gel. This is again, from experience between Purell and other no-name and generic brands. So have it. You can't have too much of this stuff. Safety Margin – ties into firestarting, which is one of the Essential Functions – Rule of Threes.

The rest of the medical gear section is all about you – what are you trained to handle? What would be a waste? Most folks in the medical field would put together their own kit because they know what they need in order to do what they need to do. I'm a Paramedic. My medical kit would be a far cry different than someone with little to no formal medical training. Most folks can get by with a premade basic first aid kit from Wally World or Target or wherever. Hell, I can take care of most minor things with that kit, too.

But I also have my own preferences as to bandages, tools, antiseptics, topical analgesics, over-the-counter medications, and what have you. I won't dream of dictating what you're going to use to treat you and yours to you. That's YOUR responsibility.

I will make a few general recommendations, however. Do NOT take these as medical advice or the gospel truth – simply me passing on some insight from experience.

The other reason why the medical gear doesn't get too specific is because of liability issues – all it takes is one goober to misinterpret an item or screw up using it, and suddenly the question becomes “who told you to do that?” And if I'm the one who told you...there could be liability involved.

So I'd rather you shouldered your own responsibility when it comes to your medicine.

HOWEVER...that being said, I still have some helpful recommendations that I think carry the least amount of liability because they're kind of common sense, but not something a lot of folks would think of on the surface.

Things you should have in your medical gear:

1) Basic First Aid – bandages, antiseptic. Maybe an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin or some such.
2) YOUR necessary medications. This is where you go talk to your physician about possibly getting an extra week's supply of your prescription meds. I've learned that some physicians are leery about giving out extras in scrips, either for insurance or liability reasons. Be honest with your doctor – you have a better chance of getting positive results that way. That, and if your scrip meds aren't restricted narcotics, and you show your doc that this is why you just want one extra week, because disasters could prevent you from refilling your scrip at the worst possible moment, I think you may find your doc to be a surprising ally. Don't abuse your doc's trust if he/she writes you a scrip. Consult with your doc about shelf-life and med rotation, as well. KEEP YOUR DOC IN THE LOOP – your doc can be one of your greatest allies, especially a good one who wants you to be safe and healthy and trusts you to make good medical decisions for yourself. Me, I got lucky. My doc has watched me “grow up” in the medical profession, from layman, to EMT, to Paramedic. He knows my educational level and has observed me for years, so he's comfortable scripping me what I request, after I present my needs and he agrees with them. It has indeed taken me years to get to this level, but it is definitely worth it. I encourage you to have the same relationship with your physician. Your life may ultimately depend upon it in a crisis.
3) The following OTC (over-the-counter) medications are highly recommended:
a. An over-the-counter analgesic/fever reducer—preferably two, in case you need to alternate pain relief. Tylenol and something else, usually (as long as it's safe for you—consult your doc)
b. Anti-diarrheal (diarrhea in the field will dehydrate you and can cause you to die sooner than anticipated)
c. An allergy medication such as an antihistamine, preferably two, one “drowsy” (can also do double duty as a sleep aid, like Benadryl) and one “non drowsy” (for when you need to stay awake)
d. A cold symptom suppressive medication (Such as Tylenol Cold & Sinus or Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine) – this is because in a crisis, being ill will definitely affect your function and if your function is affected, it could kill you. You need to be able to keep going on at the time, even if it means a longer recovery time later. Sometimes you really need to be functional NOW because if you're not, later may never come for you.
e. A thermometer – both to determine fever and to have a warning sign for hypothermia.
f. An over-the-counter stimulant (if healthy for you to take) such as caffiene pills (no-doz) or other over the counter stay-awake medication. Normally not a good idea to overdo, sometimes you NEED to stay awake.
g. An over-the-counter sleep aid (again, if healthy for you to take) such as sominex or what have you, because again, while sometimes you need to stay awake, sometimes you also NEED to sleep.

Stress can screw with your body in detrimental ways. Sometimes you may need to be awake, other times you may need to sleep. Under emergency circumstances, you may need extra pharmaceutical help to do either one. The other pharmaceuticals were chosen to assist you in staying alive. If you abuse them or use them for another purpose, it is not my fault. It's sad that I have to make a disclaimer for such an obvious concept, but as Larry The Cable Guy says: “Ya can't fix stupid.”

Don't be stupid. Medicine is serious business. Know your capabilities and more importantly, your limitations. This is the most critical area in which to avoid wishful thinking and fantasy, instead facing the hard cold truth about what you really can handle medically.

Finally, your last item you Really Should Have in your Medical Kit is a flashlight. Yes, technically it should be a penlight, but truth be told, I use a full size mini-maglite for my work as a Medic (I work the night shift). I need to be able to gauge pupil size OR light a dark area. The mini-mag doesn't do either one of these perfectly, but it does both of them half-assed. And I only have to carry the one instrument. In the case of YOUR medical kit, the mini-mag in it should be your BACK UP (Secondary) light. But it should be IDENTICAL to your PRIMARY, including the LED upgrade.

FIREMAKING GEAR:

Fire is one of the essential functions. Rule of Threes applies here. The upside to firemaking is that the actual equipment required to make fire is relatively small and light.

This section consists of just a list of possible options for you; I'm not going to repeat them, they're listed already. What I am going to discuss just a little is how critical fire is for you in the field, and why.

First and foremost, fire is light. At night, away from the gray semi-darkness of the city, it gets REALLY dark at night. Especially in the woods where there is no moonlight or starlight. I'm talking “can't see hand in front of face” kind of darkness. Fire is your only light that won't eventually run out of batteries.

Fire is warmth. Now, here in Florida in the temperate months, this isn't so much an issue, but remember that your bugout bag may not be just for Florida. And it may not just be for Summer, either. Right now, as I type this, it's fifty degrees outside, which is cold enough to give you hypothermia with just a little bad luck and some overexposure. Do not underestimate the utility of a warm fire.

Fire is cooking. You can boil water and heat your food with fire. You can cook fresh meat over it.

Finally, fire is protection. Most predators have experienced fire in the wild, especially in areas that have had wildfires – and they want no part of something that is very hot and hurts.

Taking all of these into consideration, fire also has psychological significance, both for all the points mentioned above, and because it indicates a “home” place. Fire equaling home is one of those things that might actually be hardwired into the human psyche – I don't know for sure but I do know that sitting by the fire has a calming effect for me. It is my exertion of my will over my environment, and with it, I can master my surroundings and survive.

Fire is life.

A little more on making fire. It's one thing to be able to strike a spark or make a little hot coal – entirely another to take that coal or spark and turn it into a flame. There are many misconceptions as to how to make fire, and it's easy to take firemaking for granted in an urban environment when all you have to do is put some wood together, light the end of a piece of newspaper and stick it in there and suddenly you have a roaring fire, or you can just douse something with an accelerant like alcohol or gasoline, strike a match and FWOOMP! Instant fire.

In the field it's a little more tricky. You may not have your accelerant. You may not have brought newspaper.

The stuff you light first in order to catch the rest of your fuel ablaze is called tinder. This should be easy-to-light material that burns hot enough, long enough to let your primary fire fuel catch. Some methods make their own tinder (such as the metal match/magnesium bar), others RELY on tinder to be already prepared before applying a coal (such as the bowdrill fire).

It is important that you practice making fire without accelerant or paper, using tinder instead, long before you have to rely on that technique to survive on in the field. There are other sections on the website for firemaking techniques. I'm just saying that simply having the tools to make fire does not guarantee you'll be able to do it – merely that you have the tools. A specific knowledge and skillset goes with those tools, and you'll need to have that, too.

With the acquisition of your skillset, you will develop your own firemaking tool preferences.

Which is why there is no specific recommendation, only that you have at least three different methods of making fire with you in your BoB.

TOILETRY KIT:

Again, hand sanitizer. Purell. I already said why. The reason why you keep it in your toiletry kit is because you may want to use your toiletry kit without pulling out your medical kit. Remember, your BoB may be used for an overnight bag in certain circumstances. And as far as firemaking goes, Safety Margin applies.

4 ounces of camper's soap. This is available at several locations, both brick-and-mortar, and on the internet. Camper's soap can be used to clean your dishes, clean yourself, and clean your clothes. Four ounces is sufficient for three days – it's really concentrated. But remember that you'll need water for washing...your choice to filter it or not.

Three small camper's size toilet paper. Again, you can find this at Wally World in the Travel Size items in the health and beauty aid section, as well as in the camping section. In a pinch, you can take a full-size roll of TP, carefully pull the cardboard out, squash it flat, and put it in a ziploc baggie. I cannot emphasize enough the necessity for having toilet paper in the field. You need to keep your butt as clean as you can, as your own feces is incredibly infectious. Unlike your urine, which is sterile to you, fecal matter CAN make you sick, so it's important that you keep that end of you as clean as possible, as well as the underwear you wear next to it (meaning, clean those skid marks! Disgusting, but necessary, another reason why to have Camper's soap, even if you have to wash your skivvies in unfiltered water.). Three camper's size should be enough (one for each day) or ONE full size roll, if you're sparing. Feel free to carry more if you like.

A pocket pack of kleenex will allow you to blow your nose without using up your toilet paper to do it. Also, in a pinch, you can use the kleenex AS toilet paper. Either way, it's something you can pull out of your toiletry kit and carry in your pocket if need be. Kleenex can also be used to clean eyeglasses, sunglasses, or binocular lenses (not the best choice, but better than nothing).

A toothbrush is kinda optional, but you might start feeling a little disgusting after 24 hours, and being able to brush your teeth could be a way to maintain a semblance of normalcy for psychological reasons. That, and if you're using your BoB as an overnight bag, it's a nice-to-have. Get the boy scout type that fits into the handle for the least amount of space. And check it every once in a while – your toothbrush can harbor germs and if you're sick, you CAN re-infect yourself from it. That's not something you want to do in the field. So after you've used your toothbrush in your BoB, replace it as soon as possible afterwards to avoid this. That way, you'll always have a fresh, new, clean toothbrush should you need it.

Travel size toothpaste goes well with the toothbrush. You can also use it as a metal polish in a pinch, or for polishing the bottom of your pop can stove in order to make a parabolic mirror for firemaking. Yes, this actually works in direct sunlight; I've done it.

The safety razor is a good idea too...if you're away from home, there might be a situation where you DON'T want to look like you're living out of your car (even if you are), and having a nice, close, fresh shave goes along way towards that appearance. Remember that appearance can be everything, and in certain kinds of crisis, may mean the difference between being taken seriously and being ignored as just another “urban outdoorsman.” By “Collapsible” I mean, the kind you can carry around like a tube of lipstick, and with a twist have a safety razor on a handle.

Here are some examples:

http://www.promopeddler.com/00-47/black-plastic-twist-action-magic-travel-razor-white-qqp111477.htm

One type of twist-collapsible travel razor, courtesy of promopeddler.com

Good stuff.

The three blades for the safety razor should be self-explanatory. One for each day, and I know from personal experience that you can use a razor blade two or three days in a row if you're careful and keep it clean. So you can theoretically stretch out your use of three blades (plus the one already in the razor, right?) as long as a week.

The mirror you should get would be the signaling kind, with a hole and/or reflector in the center. You can shave with it, or you can signal with it. Preferably high-impact shatter-resistant plastic – you don't know how rough your BoB will be handled...especially if you take it on an airline.

The pack of handiwipes are absolutely necessary. You can use one to clean your body, you can use one to clean your butt after taking a dump and wiping with the toilet paper to clean off anything left. You can wash your hands (not with the same one...duh!) and you can take a “spongebath” with one or two if need be. Best of all, they are disposable either in the trash, in the toilet, or in your campfire.

The travel size sunscreen is an oft-overlooked item. If you're not used to being outdoors in the daytime (like I am, working the night shift), you can easily burn after a day of hiking. Especially on the tops of your ears, the back of your neck, and your lower eyelids. Be sure to wear the stuff, and be sure you go with SPF of 45 or higher.

In addition to the sunscreen, lip balm with sunscreen, for much the same reason, is a really, really good idea. It's lightweight, doesn't cost very much, and is worth it to prevent a sunburn that could at the very least be painful and diminish your capacity to reason, and at the worst could incapacitate you or end up getting infected. Sunscreen and lip balm are cheap insurance against this.

ACCESSORIES, LIGHT AND FRAGILE.

These are where you put the stuff you don't want broken, along with the lightweight kit that doesn't really fit anywhere else.
Such as:

Sunglasses. Preferably polarized. A good inexpensive choice might be sunglasses designed for fishing. You don't really care how they look – you care how well they protect your eyes. Polarized lenses aren't too dark, but cut the dangerous rays hitting your eyes, especially being reflected off of water. Have some.

A weather radio, especially in hurricane and tornado zones, is a really, really good idea. Moreover, the newer weather radios have an “all alert” feature that includes other kinds of emergencies you can be alerted to. Wouldn't it be nice to know about that chemical spill or terrible fire up the street? Or a major train accident or plane crash...or a riot? The right weather radio gives you a much better chance of finding out in a timely manner so you can make the right decision, whether to bug in, bug out, or at least avoid an area. Absolutely priceless. One that has alternative power is a good idea, such as a hand crank or solar cells, as batteries tend to go dead at the very worst time. And as an aside, make sure that the batteries it takes are AA, since we're standardized on the AA battery for its best ubiquitousness with small appliances, and their better power-to-weight ratio than AAA's makes them more weight-effective than the former.

Spare bulbs for your mini-maglite. You DO have a mini-maglite, right? Now, optimally, your mini-maglite will have an LED unit as its primary lighting unit, which theoretically should not burn out in your lifetime. However, things happen and on the outside chance that the LED unit is damaged or nonfunctional, you are going to need the standard bulbs to keep it running in an emergency. You normally have one in the tail cap, but a couple extra can't hurt. They're super lightweight and cheap insurance against the unthinkable.

Laminated maps. When you're bugging out, you may not have control over HOW you bug out, or how much time you have, or from WHERE you bug out. You may be at a friend's house or a function somewhere and the “flag goes up” and you GOTTA GO NOW. Those maps will at least give you a reference for where you are, and where you can go, at least locally on foot. The Set of Three are based upon the Rand McNally laminated maps: L for Local, which will give you the most detail in your neighborhood and maybe your city. R for Regional, encompassing one or more counties, and S for State...just in case. Of course R and S are not as detailed, but they are better than nothing, and you need to plan for the MOST likely issue and work your way toward the LEAST likely issue. Feel free to augment your maps with more L's in places you're likely to visit. The reason why you want laminated maps is so you can get them wet, or you can write on them with grease pencil and erase when needed.

Along with your map, your other orienteering tool is a compass. A lensatic compass is the kind that has the little magnifier and a wire so that you can take an accurate direction through it:

Lensatic Compass – You can pick up a decent plastic one for about ten bucks, or you can splurge and get a military one with tritium in it for reading at night for about fifty or so. Most are reasonably light and absolutely priceless when you don't know where you are and all you have is a map – you need to know where you're facing.

The Fisher Space Pen is light, durable as hell, writes for a very long time in any direction, from sideways to upside down, on just about anything. A perfect companion for a waterproof notepad.

The waterproof notepad can be used for taking notes in the rain about locations, patient care in case of an emergency, or leaving a note for someone else you don't want the weather to destroy. A generic item like this has so many uses, it's almost stupid NOT to have it.

And speaking of generic items, not much more generic than fifty feet of 50

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 7:17 pm

=== Continued From Last Post ===

ACCESSORIES, HEAVY AND DURABLE

This pouch will be relatively small compared to the others, but it's really your Tool Pouch. It carries all the heavy Tools you may need in the field. Tools You Should Never Be Without. Tools that there IS really no acceptable subsitute for, because when you need it, Nothing Else Will Do: For instance, like a flashlight-- It provides light. You don't really need it during the day, but if you do, nothing else will do. A flame? Maybe, but what if your environment is unknown or flammable? What if you need to have your hands free? A flashlight is far too useful to be subsituted for something inferior.

Thus, your Heavy and Durable items could be called the Tools You Should Never Be Without.

You will recognize at least a few items from your EDC (Every Day Carry). That is not by accident.

First on the list is a whistle.

A whistle? How is that a Tool You Should Never Be Without?

Your emergency whistle is an important piece of Essential Kit; Because no matter whether you're the rescuer or the rescued, hearing the desperation in your own voice calling is detrimental to your psyche...and eventually you will become hoarse and thus lose your sonic signaling capability if you're only relying upon your voice. Better to have a whistle that can't be overblown, sounds like a referee's whistle, is loud as hell, and waterproof. The whistle we found to fit these criteria is the Fox 40 in one of its incarnations. Feel free to choose one you like, and if not, feel free to choose another type of your own...but have a whistle of some kind. You may need it and when you do, nothing else will substitute.

As Sean Kennedy Says: “Get A Good Knife.”

A good knife is one you can use that does what you want it to do. At one end, there are folders that cost as much as a firearm, but are so strong and useful their expense is justified. At the other end is the Pakistani dollar or three-to-five dollar folder that, to be kind, is not exactly an optimal tool.

But it is better than nothing. A knife, much like any other piece of essential kit, is something you should not skimp on. Budget for it and get the best you can afford. By “the best” it is preferable that it be something you can use, know how to use, and will suit your needs in the field.

If you don't know what your needs are, what you can use, or your needs in the field are...then I guess your first step should be to actually learn some woodcraft in which you actually USE a knife. Too many folks are big on putting together a bugout bag without doing anything to familiarize themselves with the tools they are going to rely upon to save their lives, expecting full well to use all these tools like the experts on TV. Why they expect this is a mystery to me. What I DO know is when someone comes up and asks me “What's the best...” it's because they haven't a clue how to use whatever it is they're talking about and thus, they've come to an “expert” to get the best they can get...to take a short cut, if you will.

In survival, you only have short cuts after you've learned the hard way. If you can't use a knife to cut wood, bone, meat, cordage, paper, cloth, or what have you...then you first need to learn how to do THAT before you decide what will be your survival knife. What is a perfect knife for me may NOT be a perfect knife for you.

Pick one that feels good in your hand. Pick one that when sharp, and you cut with it, you can control your cut precisely. Imagine having to both cut a sapling the size of your thumb, AND cutting your meat afterwards with the same knife (after washing thoroughly, of course). Can you do both with your blade? Then you may have made a good choice.

After you make that choice, take it out and try it out. Does it work as intended? What would you change? If nothing, you've got a good knife. If there are changes you'd like to make, then perhaps you should go choose a knife that better fits your expectations.

There IS no shortcut. This is a critical piece of survival equipment. As you grow in your knowledge and skillset, you will learn to choose your own kit to fit you.

And that's the point, especially with critical function items.

Get a good knife. Folder? Fixed blade? Big hunting knife? Small razor-sharp knife?

Only you can tell. Your best bet to start with is to find a knife that does nothing particularly well but does almost everything half-assed. From there, with experience and experimentation, you will find out what YOU do well and then choose a knife that allows you to do what you do well, the best you can do it.

And that's both the best and the most honest advice I can give you on a knife. Your budget plays a critical part in your selection, as well, but since I don't know your budget, I can't exactly go over the options with you. “Cognite Tute” – Think for yourself.

With that knife, you are going to need a way to keep that knife useful, by which I mean sharp. If you can use crock sticks or a whetstone, more power to you. I recommend to start with the easy two-step sharpener from Smith that you can get at Wally World for a few bucks. I've learned that almost anyone can keep a working edge on a blade with this tool. It won't give you a razor, but it will give you a working edge if you do your part. You can get as simple or as complex as you want, but your goal is to keep your primary survival edge sharp. Along with a sharpener, you might want a small bottle of oil to keep your blade rust-free.

Next are batteries. AA batteries, specifically, as these fit your Primary Flashlight, and may fit other devices you may bring along or have added to your Kit. Batteries are heavy, and absolutely necessary. The balance between cost and weight is most evident here: You can pay twice to three times as much for Lithium batteries that will last longer than alkaline, but are about half the weight. But they cost. Alkaline is decent for most things, with a good power-to-weight ratio. Lithium is better, but costs more. Your call.

Rechargeable Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) or NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries are only useful if you have a way to charge them. Also, NiMH batteries tend to self-discharge over time, so storing them for an emergency makes little to no sense because it is likely they will be dead when you need them. Now, the concept of having a half-and-half mixture of rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries was considered, especially with a small solar-powered charger, so that immediate battery needs could be met by the alkaline or lithium batteries while longer-term power needs could be met by charging up the rechargeables over time and replacing the non-rechargeables with them.

But that added the weight of the charger, and at least four (back then, eight) useless batteries that needed something done to make them useful. By the time you had your rechargeables in rotation and your alkalines either disposed of or put back in your kit...your crisis would most likely be over. So for a BoV, rechargeables make a lot of sense, especially for weeks of continuous self-contained use. But for a BoB? It was mostly a matter of immediate utility, and weight.

So, no rechargeables. Your choices for storing immediate replacement power for your emergency flashlight and other emergency BoB devices is either alkaline or lithium.

Try to keep them in date. They ARE a consumable and can eventually become useless, so this is a product that needs to be checked and rotated at least annually or more often if used.

“Pocket Entrenchment Tool” – That's a trowel, people. A plain old garden trowel, or a kid's trowel, or a plastic trowel, or, if you want to get fancy, a folding shovel of one kind or another, like a U-Dig it. You're going to be primarily using it for digging a little cathole to take a dump in. But you might use it for digging a drainage trench around your tent, too. Your primary considerations are durability and cost, followed by weight and size. Me, I use a Kid's Play Trowel from Wally World. It's super lightweight, is fine for digging catholes but not for pounding tent stakes, and cost me about two bucks. But it's not the only option by a long shot.

You will miss it if you don't have it, however. Trust me on this one. And if you use the full-size roll of toilet paper squashed flat, the trowel handle makes a perfect toilet paper roll holder, so you can keep the two together when you've set up camp so it's one grab-and-go when Nature Calls.

Your primary Flashlight should be a Mini-Maglite, AA battery, with an LED light upgrade. There are both expensive and inexpensive ones. Mine I got, again, from Wally World for a few bucks, and from personal experience of working the night shift with this on my hip as the only light source I've carried, I can tell you that I've worked a YEAR on one set of batteries with the LED in place, whereas I was replacing the batteries about every three to four months with the standard vacuum incandescent lamp, as well as having to replace the lamp twice as well.

As I write this, my own primary work flashlight is my mini-mag with the LED upgrade. So I know what it does, what it can do, and how well it does it. Familiarity goes a long way in a survival situation. If you have a better solution, don't be afraid to implement it. But here are your flashlight considerations:

1)Durability – you need it to work under adverse conditions. This may or may not include water resistance (the Mini-Mag is water resistant and I have personal experience with immersion and function afterwards).
2)Compatibility – We tried going to the AAA mini mag to be compatible with FRS units in the past only to find battery life dismal for both units. C batteries are a little too big, and AAA's are a little too small for emergency use. Since we're standardizing around a battery and theoretically your gear is AA as well, the cornerstone of your compatibility is your flashlight.
3)Commonality – definitely a consideration – I've found that C and AAA batteries are less common wherever I go than AA's. You may not know where your resupply comes from, so you always want to consider this when choosing a battery type.
4)Size and weight – remember that you will be carrying this unit with your kit. A D-cell lantern is both bulky AND heavy.
5)Cost – Remember that you must consider everything in your BoB as possibly disposable. You never know when you may lose a piece, or get it stolen (as has happened to me). So you want easy replacement. Choosing a 300 dollar flashlight when your paycheck is only a couple times that could be counterproductive.

Based upon the above criteria, I chose the mini-maglite. It also seems to be the choice of a lot of other people, both in and out of the Survival and Preparedness circles. Which means that ease of use for others and spare parts--including standard bulbs, which your mini-mag can still use if your LED becomes nonfunctional for whatever reason. You lose the spot-to-flood capability when you convert to the LED for the mini-mag from Wally World, but you can still use standard bulbs if you pull the LED unit out and simply leave the LED-special reflector in. However, if you choose several other available, more expensive single-bulb LED units, you can use your standard reflector and keep all the features.

The next item on the list deserves special explanation: The handsfree device. The one I choose is the Nite-Ize headband, allowing me to wear my Mini-Mag alongside my head at about eye level. I learned the utility of this the first time I tried to pitch a tent in the dark and needed three hands – one for the flashlight, and two for the tent, in order to deploy it properly. So I either needed to learn how to pitch a tent one-handed in adverse conditions, or I could find a way to have my light shining where I was looking. There are other handsfee devices on the market available, and any of them may work for you, including a kind that has a rubber paddle so you can hold it in your teeth. But I'm telling you from personal experience: The nite-ize is super lightweight, made of nylon webbing so it's not bulky at all, it's relatively cheap, and goes a long, long way towards making your life easy in the field. I consider it a necessity. It allows you to have light right behind your eyes so it goes where you look without you doing anything more strenuous than turning your head.

VERY useful.

Next is a multitool. By which I mean like a Leatherman, Gerber, SoG, or any of the other name brand or even non-name-brands. The next generation of Swiss Army Knife (and now even Swiss Army makes a version, BTW), containing screwdrivers, a blade, possibly scissors, sometimes even a file or a saw, a can and/or bottle opener, and most importantly for this unit: Pliers.

I use the Leatherman myself, with its medium-sized long nose pliers. I carried a multitool through three of my four professions, including this one (EMS) and I never cease to be amazed at how often I use it. Considering that in the field, you will be the only person able to take care of your gear, a single all-purpose tool, especially a weatherproof, waterproof one, is absolutely indespensible. Have one.

Here's where you can actually go TOO cheap. I've found that many knockoff brands and copies of the original leatherman tend to suffer in durability and/or workmanship. There's a level below which you get what you pay for. The cheapest I would go would be the Wally World Leatherman Kick for a little over 20 bucks. If I had a choice, I'd choose the Leatherman Skeletool – super lightweight, super useful, with built in carabiner for clipping to your outer layer of clothing.

But I know at least two people with Gerbers, one with a Sog, one with a no-name brand. They're useful. Period. But the one with the no name brand has had to replace his twice. He hasn't quite paid the same as one of us paid for our name brand ones, but in time and inconvenience, I think he got the worse end of the deal. But it's your money, it's your call.

Finally, rounding out your All Necessary Tools pouch, is a secondary or “backup” compass. This can be anything as simple and as cheezy as a pin-on liquid-filled ball compass, or could be as desirable as a secondary lensatic just like your Primary. Knowing which direction you are going is pretty critical, especially if you're reading a map or at the very least, not trying to walk in circles (which is theoretically possible in the field...sadly, very large, like 5 to 10 mile circles, which will cause you to simply tire and die, as opposed to getting somewhere.).

A compass is a necessary navigational tool, with or without a map. It is Essential Kit and as such, have at least one backup. In addition, I have a compass in the body of one of the lighters I own that goes in my BoB (it also contains its own mini-LED flashlight).

Understand that you can have MORE gear than what's listed. Especially for your own comfort or if you know something works for you. It's just not a good idea to have much less, as what I've chosen, I've actually used in the field during my 3-days while testing the kit.

SLEEPING GEAR:

This section was hotly contested a couple of times, going from “A tent is too expensive and too much weight, you just need a US Military Poncho as your Shelter and you'll BE OK. Anyone who needs more is a Wuss.”

But more about that after the fleece blanket. I use a fleece blanket as a sleeping bag. A relatively inexpensive item, the “fleece blanket” I have actually has a zipper in it and is marketed as a “sleeping bag liner” by Coleman called the Stratus:

Coleman Stratus Fleece Liner – Courtesy of coleman.com

You may need something more expensive and substantial. Be sure to pack accordingly. Down here in Florida, I don't need an arctic sleeping bag. Sure, I'd be screwed up north, but I work from the most likely to the least likely. I've used this fleece liner twice in relatively COLD Florida temperatures (once in March, once in December) and it worked out for me very well, in conjunction with my ground pad.

But yea, I'm a wuss. I like a tent as opposed to a poncho, because a US Military poncho might be great for the 18 year old soldier, but ironically, my tent has roughly three times the room, a bottom, a zip door and a zip window, for ten dollars cheaper than I could have had a used US Military Poncho.

So guess what? I carry the tent. I didn't buy the poncho. I have an el-cheapo vinyl poncho (as mentioned above) with grommets “just in case” but I actually have a TENT for my bugout bag.

And speaking from personal experience BOTH WAYS (I HAVE camped and made lean-tos with just a US Military poncho, and did all right), I much prefer the tent. And for the price and weight, I can honestly say I am happy with my decision. Whatever you choose as your shelter, it should protect you from wind and water, and hopefully be a way for you to keep warm. In the case of a lean-to with the poncho, a fire is a necessity, as you will be reflecting part of the heat of your fire down on your body constantly. Your fire dies, your poncho's utility diminishes significantly. A tent, on the other hand, has no such restriction, and I was warm (if a bit stuffy) long after my fire died even in 40-degree weather.

A tent also is more useful in more conditions, because it also allows privacy, AND a clean, dry place to stow the rest of your gear that your poncho just can't compare to. You can choose a tent, or you can choose another method of shelter. But that shelter must keep you warm, dry, and safe as possible. I like the tent because it extends the capability of your BoB past the “strictly survival” level of use into your “good for camping” level of use.

Because no one wants to spend money on gear they'll never use. The great thing about the PAA BoB is that you CAN use it to camp out of, reasonably comfortably.

At least, I can. And that's part of your goal for YOUR BoB, as well.

So, Tent for me.

Any other sleeping gear, such as a self-inflating ground pad (which I will not leave home without anymore, as not only is it a comfort thing, but it allows me to regulate my temperature. In a place where temperature can go from 90 to 30 in a matter of hours, being able to stay ON the pad for warmth, or roll OFF the pad and intentionally let the ground soak up my radiated heat, has allowed me to be comfortable in my tent without heating OR air conditioning. I don't know how well that works other places, but it worked for me here. I'll be sure to try it next time I'm somewhere cold. I'm anxious to try it in the desert. Especially if my tent is pitched somewhere for more than a day, where the cold night ground can be used during the heat of the day to keep me cool, theoretically, and then I can roll up onto the insulation away from it at night when the air is really, really chilly.

Also a “real” sleeping bag is a smart idea, especially if you think you will need your BoB for all-season bugging out. You can get several excellent lightweight units for relatively cheaply that have their own compression sacks so you can squish them down really small for packing.

So that's it. That's why we have what we have, and why I have what I have. Finally, all that gear is explained!

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