List of Lists - Bug Out Bag

I am going to go ahead and tackle the sometimes lengthy and complicated subject of the Bug Out Bag (BOB). The BOB, also known as the Get Out Of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) bag, is a backpack or rucksack meant to carry the necessary gear to enable you to move from wherever you are to wherever your Bug Out Location (BOL) is located. Generally, it should be able to sustain you for up to 72 hours. Having a good BOB is NOT a substitute for long term preparations and it is NOT a substitute for a good BOL. It is just meant to be your emergency "go bag" when you're faced with a "I have to get out of here NOW" type of situation and you only have time to grab one or a few items. The BOB should be the first thing you grab in such a situation.

The subject of the BOB can get lengthy and complicated, as I already stated. In fact, I have placed a book on the subject on my List of Lists in recent posts. I'll try to keep this post as basic and concise as possible.

Each person in your family or group needs to have their own BOB. In the case of infants, this isn't necessary, but even a small backpack can be thrown together for a toddler or small child. Each person will need to carry all of the things that will be used by them. There will be one "main" BOB that the strongest person in the group will need to carry. It will carry everything that person needs, plus some community items that the group as a whole will need. If there is time, grab every BOB before you "bug out". If there isn't time to grab all of them, at least make sure you grab the main BOB. It will be the most important one. Below is a list of items that should go in the main BOB. Keep in mind what kind of terrain you are likely to encounter in your home area and your BOL. Also keep your area and your BOL's weather patterns in mind. You can take this BOB list and tweak it so it fits your group needs and your weather and terrain needs. If you know you have no need of gloves tailored for cold weather or a fleece jacket or cap (during Summer months, for instance) then you'd leave those out of the bag. Also, remember to review your bags every Winter and Summer at least. The items you need will not be the same from season to season in most areas of the world.

Drinking water (3 liters)
Collapsible water bottle (1 liter)
Nalgene water bottle (1 liter)
Military style canteen (1 liter)
Metal canteen cup for boiling
Water purification tablets (3 per person)
Purification filtration system
Energy bars (6)
MRE (2)
Spork
Can opener
Lightweight, long sleeve shirt
Sturdy pants
Underwear (2 pairs)
Socks (2 pairs)
Brimmed hat
Work gloves
Military style poncho
Fleece Jacket
Cold weather gloves
Balaclava
Small dome tent
Sleeping bag
550 cord (Minimum 225 feet)
Matches
Lighter
Magnesium block
Steel wool
Waterproof fire kit container
First-Aid Kit
Bug spray
Mylar survival blanket
Tampons (12)
Travel size bar of soap
Signal mirror
Small towel
Toothbrush
Toilet paper
Diapers (20)
Diaper wipes (40 wipes)
Desitin
Survival knife with sheath
Handgun
Ammunition (Minimum 20 rounds)
Multitool
Chemlights
Flashlight
Cell phone
Cell phone charger (Hand crank preferred)
Document folder (weatherproof preferred)
Emergency radio with batteries and handcrank
Cash ($100-$500 minimum, small denominations preferred)
Quarters ($5-$10)
Map of local area (Topographical map preferred)
Protractor
Compass
Small note pad and pencil
Emergency whistle
Two way radios
Duct tape (25 feet minimum)
55 gallon, container grade garbage bag
Reuseable bags (4, in various sizes)
Fishing kit (Line, hook, lure)
Sunglasses
Inspirational item


As you can see, whatever backpack or rucksack you choose, it'll need to be fairly sizable. The main BOB will need to carry more equipment than any of the other BOBs in your group.

The other BOBs in your group will fall into one of two categories. They will either be an additional adult BOB or they will be a child's BOB. Below is a list for an additional adult BOB.

3 liters of drinking water
Collapsible water bottle (1 liter)
Nalgene water bottle (1 liter)
Military style canteen (1 liter)
Metal canteen cup for boiling
Energy bars (6)
MRE (1)
Spork
Lightweight, longsleeve shirt
Sturdy pants
Underwear (2 pairs)
Socks (2 pairs)
Brimmed hat
Work gloves
Fleece jacket
Balaclava
Cold weather gloves
Military style poncho
Sleeping bag
Mylar survival blanket
Tampons (12)
Small towel
Toothbrush
Survival knife with sheath
Flashlight
Cell phone
Emergency Whistle
Sunglasses
Inspirational item


The pack used for the additional adult BOBs doesn't need to be as large as the main BOB. Each individual should tailor their BOB to their own needs without compromising their survivability. For instance, a male could look at this list and remove the tampons, while a female would be better off leaving them in the BOB. Also, whether you are carrying an additional adult BOB or the main BOB, if you need any special items, such as prescription medication, don't forget to keep at least 72 hours worth of it in the BOB you're carrying. Rotate the medication so you know you'll always have recently prescribed pills.

A child's BOB is not nearly as large or complex as the adult bags. If you have children in the group, it's a good idea to place some of the items they need in some of the adult BOBs. The child's list is below.

1 liter of drinking water
Collapsible water bottle (1 liter)
Lightweight, longsleeve shirt
Pants
Underwear (2 pairs)
Socks (2 pairs)
Brimmed hat
Simple rain poncho
Cold weather jacket
Wool/Fleece hat or balaclava
Cold weather gloves
Sunglasses
Comfort item


In the case of an infant, they will be able to share the water or food from the adult BOBs without compromising the survivability of the members of the group.

You'll notice that there isn't much of anything in the way of hygiene in any of these BOBs. Hygiene is important in a long term survival scenario, but in a 72 hour kit, there isn't much room for it. You'll notice there isn't a ton of food either. It's likely that your belly won't be full if you arrive at your BOL after a 72 hour trip, but you won't be left starving or thirsty when you get there either, thanks to the stuff that IS in your BOB.

Often, people will place much more focus on putting together a good BOB than they will on preparing a BOL or on stocking up on food or water. It's important to remember that a BOB is NOT what you create in order to run away and live in the woods for the next 20 years. That would be referred to as an I'm Never Coming Home (INCH) bag. The BOB is simply made to get you from point A to point B.

For a great guide to putting together a BOB, check out the book ""How to Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag" by Creek Stewart. It's a great read, very informative and even has checklists in the back. I used it to compile what I feel is a good beginner's list for putting together your group's BOBs.