This thread will serve as a place to share basic gear that you swear by, along with how you carry it aka your "go bag”, 72 hour kit, emergency kit, whatever you call it.
What do you always carry or keep in your kit for a rainy day? What does your gear list look like?
Here are the basics of Bug Out Bags and Survival Kits
First, pick a good bag with strong, comfortable straps that you can easily carry, you will probably be on foot! Keep it in your rig if you are on a trip - it's no good if it's not with you!
Then, you'll need the following ingredients:
1. Water:
One liter per day, per person is really the bare minimum while one gallon per person per day is ideal, so your 3 day Bug Out Bag/72 hour kit should have at least 3 liters of water. To expand your capability or to survive longer than a couple of days you will need a water purification system. This can be as simple as boiling water, or a serious water filter (Katadyn, MSR etc).
For water purification tablets, use chlorine dioxide type like Katadyn MicroPur MP1. It destroys viruses and bacteria in 15 min., Giardia in 30 min. and Cryptosporidium in 4 hrs (a microorganism that is the most common cause of upset stomach/diarrhea in untreated water in the US). Unlike iodine, chlorine dioxide does not discolor water, nor does it give water an unpleasant taste. It also doesn’t leave behind any by-products in treated water, unlike other purification agents like bleach or iodine.
How you carry your water is equally important. I prefer one liter clear Nalgene type bottles in addition to a hydration bladder (Camelbak, the Source, etc). If boiling water for purification is indicated, see #6 Basic Gear, Cooking, below.
2. Food:
For a 3 Day Bug Out Bag, backpacker type meals and energy bars can be sufficient. Back pack meals are freeze dried meals that you just add boiling water to. They are light weight and the ones by Backpacker's Pantry and Mountain House taste great. They also last a very long time, but they need water. Military surplus Meals, ready to Eat (MRE’s) are great too and require no water, but they are much heavier. Canned goods work, but again they are heavy to carry
3. Clothing:
Your Bug Out Bag clothes should be similar to what you would pack for a weekend backpacking trip. Do not opt for cotton clothing, it holds zero heat when wet and takes forever to dry, modern materials or even old school wool is your friend in the woods. Wool is desirable as wool insulates even when wet.
If you are going to survive for 3 days or more you are going to need protection from the elements and a warm, dry place to sleep. You need at least:
Trying to cover everything you need in your Bug Out Bag First Aid Kit is nearly impossible here as contents may vary due to geographic location, environmental risk factors, individual health and personal needs.
I recommend spending the money on a good made in USA first aid kit. Suppliers to SOCOM like North American Rescue and Chinook Medical provide the best off the shelf solution and are worth every penny.
If you are on a budget I recommend that you build your own first aid kit instead of buying one of those cheap, prepackaged first aid kits that claim to have 1001 things for any emergency. My experience is that these types of kits are usually filled with fluff that makes for nice marketing, and not enough of what you really need for wilderness type trauma.
If you possess higher level medical skills and training, building your own "mission specific" kit is the norm.
6. Basic Gear
Basic Gear sounds repetitive but it is the category for the things you absolutely cannot live without but that don’t really fit well into another category: Things like a multi-tool, sewing kit, fish line & hooks, lures, snare wire, zip ties, trash bags, duct tape, binos, 12 hr candle, sunscreen, chapstick etc.
a. Rain Gear – Have 2 ways to stay dry in the rain. Poncho and Coat are good coupled with your shelter. Also blocks wind.
b. Fire – A bare minimum of 3 different ways to make fire. Fire steel/fire piston/lighter etc. With that you can get a flame but you will have to actually build the fire up too: do you have tinder? You can use cotton balls soaked in vaseline as tinder or you can buy their WetFire brand tinder that floats, and lights, in water. You’re also going to need something to cut your firewood. A high quality folding saw is priceless.
c. Cooking – Bare minimum here is a small titanium pot/large cup to boil water in for both drinking/purifying water and cooking. A small backpacking stove like a Jetboil or MSR Reactor provide a top shelf, ready made solution.
d. Light – A high quality LED flashlight and a headlamp and a backup set of batteries for each.
e. Survival Knife – The most often used and most versatile tool in your bag will be your survival knife. A quality, heavy duty American made blade is priceless. Also doubles as a weapon.
f. Comfort items, money, etc – Small things like TP, baby wipes, a half bar of soap (to save weight), some gum or hard candy can be a huge morale booster. It's also a good idea to have some money stashed in that bag.
g. Navigation – A waterproof paper map of your area, compass, GPS device, and a personal locator beacon (Spot, EPIRB, ResQLink, inReach etc) are all desirable. Have more than one way to determine your location and your destination, and ensure that you do NOT rely solely on GPS or electronic aids. The paper map and compass will always be the gold standard - know how to use them.
h. Communication – Knowing what is going on during a storm or emergency is critical. A compact, hand crank/solar type NOAA weather radio is worth considering. Consider a hand held HAM radio for two way communication.
*Have a way to recharge your devices. I prefer a small solar panel in this role.
*Cell signal is never guaranteed so plan to NOT depend on your cell phone!
i. Emergency Signalling – Have a whistle and a signal mirror. Consider a lightweight orange air panel for high visibility.
j. Respiratory protection – Protecting your body is important. Hazards like viral infections, forest fire smoke or volcanic ash could be an issue. Add a NIOSH-approved N95 mask to your kit.
7. Personal Defense
Being prepared to defend yourself is part of the survival mindset. Obviously a firearm of some sort is best for this. Why? Because 2 and 4 legged animals don’t like guns. A .45 is good but a .44 magnum is better against apex predators, and .454 Casull settles all doubts.
Pick what works for you, and get training. In an emergency situation you will rely on that training and your muscle memory to prevail.
8. Other Considerations
No list or reference is perfect because every family is different, with specific geographic and environmental considerations. Maine is as different from Mississippi as Arizona is to Alaska. Do you have small children, elderly parents or pets? If so, their needs may vary greatly and require their own special "bug out bag".
9. Waterproof Your Gear
Once you have everything, it's time to pack it up. Using dry bags or even a heavy trash bag to ensure the contents stay clean and dry in any environment is key. A properly waterproofed pack can double as a flotation device when needed.
10. Make a Gear List
Once your bag is complete, you're likely going to forget what all is in there, or the expiration dates on any rations or medications. Having a gear list with the bag provides a quick reference and eliminates the hassle of needing to dump the whole thing out on the ground, yard sale style, to validate what you have or don't have onboard.
Here is a free printable gear list for your use, see attached PDF!
What do you always carry or keep in your kit for a rainy day? What does your gear list look like?
Here are the basics of Bug Out Bags and Survival Kits
First, pick a good bag with strong, comfortable straps that you can easily carry, you will probably be on foot! Keep it in your rig if you are on a trip - it's no good if it's not with you!
Then, you'll need the following ingredients:
1. Water:
One liter per day, per person is really the bare minimum while one gallon per person per day is ideal, so your 3 day Bug Out Bag/72 hour kit should have at least 3 liters of water. To expand your capability or to survive longer than a couple of days you will need a water purification system. This can be as simple as boiling water, or a serious water filter (Katadyn, MSR etc).
For water purification tablets, use chlorine dioxide type like Katadyn MicroPur MP1. It destroys viruses and bacteria in 15 min., Giardia in 30 min. and Cryptosporidium in 4 hrs (a microorganism that is the most common cause of upset stomach/diarrhea in untreated water in the US). Unlike iodine, chlorine dioxide does not discolor water, nor does it give water an unpleasant taste. It also doesn’t leave behind any by-products in treated water, unlike other purification agents like bleach or iodine.
How you carry your water is equally important. I prefer one liter clear Nalgene type bottles in addition to a hydration bladder (Camelbak, the Source, etc). If boiling water for purification is indicated, see #6 Basic Gear, Cooking, below.
2. Food:
For a 3 Day Bug Out Bag, backpacker type meals and energy bars can be sufficient. Back pack meals are freeze dried meals that you just add boiling water to. They are light weight and the ones by Backpacker's Pantry and Mountain House taste great. They also last a very long time, but they need water. Military surplus Meals, ready to Eat (MRE’s) are great too and require no water, but they are much heavier. Canned goods work, but again they are heavy to carry
3. Clothing:
Your Bug Out Bag clothes should be similar to what you would pack for a weekend backpacking trip. Do not opt for cotton clothing, it holds zero heat when wet and takes forever to dry, modern materials or even old school wool is your friend in the woods. Wool is desirable as wool insulates even when wet.
- A pair of sturdy boots or shoes
- 2 pairs of gloves (work type and warm type)
- A pair of long pants (preferably not cotton blue jeans)
- 2 Pairs of socks (preferably wool)
- 2 Shirts (Maybe 1 long sleeve and 1 short sleeve for layering)
- A Jacket that is both warm and protection from rain and wind
- Warm long underwear of some kind
- A hat (boonie cover and a beanie)
- A Shemagh/Bandana (many uses)
- Sunglasses
If you are going to survive for 3 days or more you are going to need protection from the elements and a warm, dry place to sleep. You need at least:
- Some type of tent or tarp.
- Cordage: 550 cord or some good rope and plenty of it. Heavy duty fishing line is multipurpose.
- A ground tarp for underneath your shelter to stay dry and/or a sleeping pad for insulation from the ground (Do not underestimate heat loss via conduction on cold ground).
- Some type of bedroll or "Ranger Roll", but preferably a good sleeping bag. Just remember, you have to carry it so I practice the "pack light, freeze at night" minimalist approach.
Trying to cover everything you need in your Bug Out Bag First Aid Kit is nearly impossible here as contents may vary due to geographic location, environmental risk factors, individual health and personal needs.
I recommend spending the money on a good made in USA first aid kit. Suppliers to SOCOM like North American Rescue and Chinook Medical provide the best off the shelf solution and are worth every penny.
If you are on a budget I recommend that you build your own first aid kit instead of buying one of those cheap, prepackaged first aid kits that claim to have 1001 things for any emergency. My experience is that these types of kits are usually filled with fluff that makes for nice marketing, and not enough of what you really need for wilderness type trauma.
If you possess higher level medical skills and training, building your own "mission specific" kit is the norm.
6. Basic Gear
Basic Gear sounds repetitive but it is the category for the things you absolutely cannot live without but that don’t really fit well into another category: Things like a multi-tool, sewing kit, fish line & hooks, lures, snare wire, zip ties, trash bags, duct tape, binos, 12 hr candle, sunscreen, chapstick etc.
a. Rain Gear – Have 2 ways to stay dry in the rain. Poncho and Coat are good coupled with your shelter. Also blocks wind.
b. Fire – A bare minimum of 3 different ways to make fire. Fire steel/fire piston/lighter etc. With that you can get a flame but you will have to actually build the fire up too: do you have tinder? You can use cotton balls soaked in vaseline as tinder or you can buy their WetFire brand tinder that floats, and lights, in water. You’re also going to need something to cut your firewood. A high quality folding saw is priceless.
c. Cooking – Bare minimum here is a small titanium pot/large cup to boil water in for both drinking/purifying water and cooking. A small backpacking stove like a Jetboil or MSR Reactor provide a top shelf, ready made solution.
d. Light – A high quality LED flashlight and a headlamp and a backup set of batteries for each.
e. Survival Knife – The most often used and most versatile tool in your bag will be your survival knife. A quality, heavy duty American made blade is priceless. Also doubles as a weapon.
f. Comfort items, money, etc – Small things like TP, baby wipes, a half bar of soap (to save weight), some gum or hard candy can be a huge morale booster. It's also a good idea to have some money stashed in that bag.
g. Navigation – A waterproof paper map of your area, compass, GPS device, and a personal locator beacon (Spot, EPIRB, ResQLink, inReach etc) are all desirable. Have more than one way to determine your location and your destination, and ensure that you do NOT rely solely on GPS or electronic aids. The paper map and compass will always be the gold standard - know how to use them.
h. Communication – Knowing what is going on during a storm or emergency is critical. A compact, hand crank/solar type NOAA weather radio is worth considering. Consider a hand held HAM radio for two way communication.
*Have a way to recharge your devices. I prefer a small solar panel in this role.
*Cell signal is never guaranteed so plan to NOT depend on your cell phone!
i. Emergency Signalling – Have a whistle and a signal mirror. Consider a lightweight orange air panel for high visibility.
j. Respiratory protection – Protecting your body is important. Hazards like viral infections, forest fire smoke or volcanic ash could be an issue. Add a NIOSH-approved N95 mask to your kit.
7. Personal Defense
Being prepared to defend yourself is part of the survival mindset. Obviously a firearm of some sort is best for this. Why? Because 2 and 4 legged animals don’t like guns. A .45 is good but a .44 magnum is better against apex predators, and .454 Casull settles all doubts.
Pick what works for you, and get training. In an emergency situation you will rely on that training and your muscle memory to prevail.
8. Other Considerations
No list or reference is perfect because every family is different, with specific geographic and environmental considerations. Maine is as different from Mississippi as Arizona is to Alaska. Do you have small children, elderly parents or pets? If so, their needs may vary greatly and require their own special "bug out bag".
9. Waterproof Your Gear
Once you have everything, it's time to pack it up. Using dry bags or even a heavy trash bag to ensure the contents stay clean and dry in any environment is key. A properly waterproofed pack can double as a flotation device when needed.
10. Make a Gear List
Once your bag is complete, you're likely going to forget what all is in there, or the expiration dates on any rations or medications. Having a gear list with the bag provides a quick reference and eliminates the hassle of needing to dump the whole thing out on the ground, yard sale style, to validate what you have or don't have onboard.
Here is a free printable gear list for your use, see attached PDF!
