Anticipating worst-case scenarios is never fun, but to properly pack your "bug out" bag with only the essential items, you must start here. Imagine no food, no electricity, no water, and no city services for days/weeks. What types of things would you need to survive?
- A couple rations of food. We have a big bag of rice, and several packs of packaged tuna with a two-years shelf life. Both have a lot of calories and are easy to prepare, but are relatively light to pack.
- 3 Gallon Rigid Water Containers. Keep a couple of these on hand. At 3 gallons, it is not so heavy that the wife and kids couldn’t lug a couple in an emergency. These rigid style containers are more durable so less likely to leak.
- Flashlights. Be sure to pack at least one flashlight per bug out bag. And never burn more than one light at a time. A hand-crank light can come in handy too.
- Batteries. Be sure to have the right size for your equipment, and pack plenty of extras.
- Hand-crank emergency radio. Staying informed is a key to survival. A hand-cranked radio requires no batteries or electricity, and can provide news, weather updates, evacuation routes, etc.
- Multi-tool. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere without the best multi-tool!
- Knives. At a minimum, I’d recommend a folding camp knife with a saw edge.
- Rope/cord. Some 550 para-cord is a must-have in your survival kit for tying up food, making a shelter, and plenty of other uses.
- Change of clothes. This is not vital, as you can always wash/dry clothing in the field. If you have room, take along an extra set and lean towards cold weather gear.
- Water purification. Boiling water is the most effective way to reduce the risk of ingesting a parasite. Purification tablets are a close second when boiling isn’t practical.
- Anti-diarrhea medication. Be sure to have this one hand in the event you or a family member does suffer from diarrhea, which can lead to life-threatening dehydration very quickly in a survival situation.
- Stainless steel Kanteen. I like this stainless steel Kanteen for carrying water (no worries over BPA’s in plastic), and it can be heated by hanging above a flame through cord.
- Emergency blankets. These blankets help hold in heat in an emergency.
- Bug repellent. After water disasters (floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc.) there will likely be standing water nearby, which is great breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects. Transmit diseases is a big problem, so keep your skin protected.
- Compass. Nothing fancy needed here. Just look for a compass that you can trust.
- Fire-starting materials. We have a butane torch lighter, a magnesium stick, etc...
- Signal mirror. Putting a signal mirror’s reflection on a rescue pilot or boat captain is one of the best ways of attracting attention.
- Fishing lures and line. If you can get to a natural body of water, chances are there is a food source in there. It’s possible to catch fish without lures and line.
- Ziploc bags. Great for waterproofing items, rationing food, etc.
- Camp axe. Probably the most important tool when setting up a camp. A good camp axe can help clear a camp site, split firewood, and chop down small trees for shelter.
- Folding shovel. It isn’t pleasant to think about, but you may have to bury waste, or have the less-gross task of digging a fire pit. Either way, a folding shovel will do the job.
- First aid kit. I prefer the soft-sided kits here because they are more compact and flexible than the large, plastic box first aid kits.
- Roll of duct tape. Duct tape is your best friend, at home and in an emergency situation.
- Cash and coins. We keep a couple hundred dollars in cash in a waterproof tube. Also consider taking along a roll of quarters for any coin-operated vending, or to make change.
- Ponchos. When you have to leave shelter in search of food, or to move away from danger. Keeping yourself dry greatly reduces the chances of getting sick.
- Tarp or plastic. With a section of tarp and a little rope tied you can provide shelter.
- Deck of cards (to fight boredom). Don’t discount the psychological aspects of survival. After a day or two, boredom will set in and you’ll be glad to have a deck of cards to pass the time.
I recommend picking up one or two items from this list each shopping trip, or ordering them online with a little money from your next few paychecks. It would cost a lot of money to purchase and pack these items all at once. And if you are like me, you’ll have a main bug out bag you keep at home, but a mobile version for the trunk of your car. After all, you never know where you might be in a survival situation.