My 'Bug Out Kit' Build

[rbeau30]

Anyone ever think about bringing things along like Salt that would be very useful practically (preservation) as well as for bartering?

Salt could be very saught-after for trading and such in a long-term situation.

[StagLefty]

I keep salt stored in the house but I don't think I'd pack it along with me. JMHO

[rbeau30]

I keep salt stored in the house but I don't think I'd pack it along with me. JMHO

Well I am sure it would be very heavy to have to carry any along that would be worth anything.

[NukeRJ]

I just wanted to add my opinion- just in case you are wondering, my experience comes from my time in the army - I am a SERE level C graduate, and have also planned several real world mission E&E plans. I was also in the Rep of Georgia during the russian incursion in 2008.

This advice is pertaining to the concept of emergency water. In all honesty, you should not waste money or space storing water. You should have water carrying capacity, but it should be stored empty. I have a large alice with 8 qt carrying capacity, but thats all, they are empty. All my go bags are literally that, bags. boxes are good for cache's or stashes, but you are depending on the mobility of a vehicle. Spend money on a filter system, I have a katadyn with reservoir for the vehicle, and hundreds of purification tablets in case we are hoofing it.

consolidate your guns to a specific caliber. I have only 5 calibers for any of my multiple systems. 22lr for the kids, 9mm for pistols (all glocks with interchangeable mag capability), 5.56 for all ar's (again they can all use the same mag)s. One rem 700 308, one socom 2, and one mp5 in 9mm. and 2 shotguns, one defense and one wing gun, both 12 ga. Am i going to carry all this on foot, no, pistols and ar's are all that will go on foot, the rest is staged for vehicle.

food storage is limited to 3 days per person in MRE's for foot, after that its scrounging. The vehicle can carry 9 cases, all lrp's meals, not standard mre's - saves space and more calories per sq in of occupied space.

also have a book on wild vegetation and insects with pictures, very very handy!!

keep battery operated items to a minimum, and for emergency use.

And as my ranting dies down - keep this in mind, you cannot carry everything you will need, therefore you must assume that you can resupply from your surroundings, pack for mobility and ease of movement, label bags and everybag is redundant as in how it is crossloaded, so no matter what bag you grab in a hurry, because you don't know how i will go down, you will always have the basics that you need, so resist the urge to consolidate!!

Randy - 18C

[StagLefty]

^ I agree

[rbeau30]

Yeah I have a largish ALICE/MOLLE type pack I used in the AF before they change the Camo pattern. It is the type that has a frame with kidney pads and I have a 3 day pack that attaches to it. This is where I am going to put the stuff I will need if I need to Grab and go.

I agree with the water... So I think I am going to try to find some collapsible containers to put in my kit, along with a pump filter I think.

[lead_magnet]

I disagree with the water part. What if the best plan of action is to stay inside and lock the doors? Keep water in your house, cheap, easy, no reason not to. Thats like saying "don't keep ammo, you can always get some later" , not good planing IMHO. Water sources becomed contaminated, filters can get lost or broken, or left behind in a hurry, not to mention, a filter still needs water to filter, without that, its an expensive stick.

I keep at LEAST a gallon in every vehicle (along with a roadside hazard/emergency kit). I have a 2 liter jug (cheapo from walmart with handle) of water that goes with me EVERYWHERE, to work, to play, to my buddies house. Its part of my EDC, and it is constantly recycled because I try and drink all of it everyday to stay hydrated. Plus the emergency food bars are lighter and better for hoofing it if you ask me. I keep a few MREs in my bag, but only the entres and the heater.

Best way to stock up on water without breaking the bank or looking crazy is just to buy a few extra gallons everytime you go shoping. If you use it regularly, always add your new ones to storage and use the oldest jug you have first. The supply is always revolving and acumulates slowly over time.

[NukeRJ]

The original thread is for a go bag, or bug out bag, not a pantry or vehicle storage. So keep that in mind when making suggestions.

you can store as much water as you like wherever you want, but how much are you going to put in your bag?? At 8.35 lbs per gallon, how much can you carry with you?

Like I said before, leave your bug out bag empty of so called "emergency water" have water carrying capacity to fill up when you have to move,
keep a gallon in the car if you like to fill the containers on the bag if you have to leave the vehicle.
If you are leaving from the house, I would hope you have some water stored to fill up and get going.

as for storing water in large quantities, not practical - and thats just the fact of the matter. If you were to base your system on accumulating water instead of the capability to purify found water, you won't get very far.

If the water resources are that contaminated that filtration doesn't work, then we are all screwed anyways, so keep stock piling if you like and prolong the inevitable.

As for filters breaking - follow the typiical rule, 1 is none, 2 is one and so on.

I'm not even going to touch on the emergency food bars issue with you - When you look up the calores in one LRP meal and compare that to how many food bars you have to consume to replenish what you used in a day, and just to get you on track, one LRP meal contains enough calories for an avg male to patrol all day, so 6000+

[KevDen2005]

have water carrying capacity to fill up when you have to move,

I agree, I keep an empty nalgene bottle in each of the survival kits as well as the 72 hour bag. I actually keep water in the nalgene bottles that are my in the pack that I refer to as my "Rescue Pack." I change the water out often.

As for filters breaking - follow the typiical rule, 1 is none, 2 is one and so on.

Some military redundancy rules are hard to break for me. I have my filter and water purification tablets.

LRP meal and compare that to how many food bars you have to consume to replenish what you used in a day, and just to get you on track, one LRP meal contains enough calories for an avg male to patrol all day, so 6000+

I got out of the Army in 2008 and don't recall LRP meals. What are they?

[Jolly Green]

It might be worth throwing an extra, light weight sleeping bag in your kit. They come in handy.