the Bug Out Bag (BOB) thread.

[Shock & Awe]

Originally Posted by florida boy

good write up might be a starting point form some people.

Thanks Florida Boy. Got a lot of ideas from this forum along with a few others. Everyone has different needs and all bags will be a little different but whats important is to have one.

Tainen thanks for the links.

[Alpha]

Good discussion…

Somewhere on the internet there's a very interesting account from a guy who survived Hurricane Katrina. He managed to evacuate his family and along the way he learned some valuable lessons. I will try to find his site and post a link.

He found it was extremely important for his Bug out Bag to have DATA, in addition to first aid gear, weapons, food, etc. Yes, I said DATA. Specially, electronic copies of:

· birth certificates
· insurance policies
· SS cards
· diplomas and professional credentials
· school records
· driver's licenses
· mortgage documents
· property deeds
· medical prescriptions
· vehicle registrations and titles
· etc, etc.

He encrypted this material and saved it on a memory stick or back up hard drive. He called it Having Your Sh*+ Together (HYST).

The reason to have this data is simple -- many people who evacuated from Katrina arrived somewhere safe (Houston, etc) but then had a h*ll of hard time getting work, prescription medicine, government help, insurance payouts, etc., because they didn’t have access to their personal data.

The problem was compounded for those who lost their homes. In many cases, their homes contained this personal information, and it was lost too. Without this data, many people had no way to prove who they were, what they used to own, what insurance they’d had, what marketable skills they possessed, etc. It’s basically like starting life again from scratch. Not much fun if you’re in your 30’s or 40’s, or older.

OK, this data stuff probably doesn’t matter if you’re involved in an “End Of The World As We Know It” situation. However, for most realistic Bug Out scenarios, (hurricane, earthquake, tornado, civil unrest, fire, etc,), having this data can be extremely important.

He also advocated having his LAPTOP COMPUTER in his Bug Out Bag. Not only is the computer a repository for this kind of data, but more importantly, it is a communication tool. You can reach out to family on it, look for work, gather information about the threat, etc. etc.

This stuff isn’t as sexy as ammo and MRE’s, and it takes more work to gather it together, but I believe it can be every bit as important as your hardware. If you want to make it through a bad situation with minimum negative impact then you should consider HYST.

Good luck.

[Radio Relay]

I can see having some of that stuff, but IMHO, its a little bit of an overkill.

If the world has not come to an end, then a drivers license and some credit cards should be suffice to get you going again and prove who you are. All the documents like birth certificates, mortgages, etc should be retrievable via other means. However, it certainly doesn't hurt to put all your personal data on a thumb drive for safe keeping. That goes for even personal SHTF events, like your house burns down.

I think a small laptop is a good idea, if you have a vehicle and can use it. If on foot, I'd just rely on a cell phone to "reach out" to the world. Laptops take up space and can get heavy, if you're on foot. Not to forget that the internet will most likely be down. Cell phone service will probably not work either, but a cell phone is easier to carry. Also, if you do take a laptop, then you'd have to bring a battery recharger too. Maybe a backpack with a solar recharger.

[jeepinbanditrider]

Webbook is the only way to go if you're going to pack along a laptop in your BOB. Any other form of laptop is simply too bulky and too much extra weight for the advantage of having it along. A webbook is small weighs usually 2lbs or less and will run for 8+ hours typically on a single charge.

I have a BOB a BOV (vest) and a EDC bag.

My bob is an ALICE pack with three days of goodies in it. My BOV is pictured along with my BOB and it carries 7 AR magazines 2 pistol magazines, Blowout kit, Admin pouch and a few other odds and ends.

The EDC varies on what it carries depending on what day it is if I'm going to work ect. but it it always has one field stripped MRE, basic first aid stuff, flashlight with extra batteries, small GMRS/FRS radio with weather radio built in, plus whatever extra clothes I packed that day and if I'm not going to work (military bases don't allow concealed weapons) spare ammo for my CC piece.



This picture was taken when I first started building my BOB many of the things have been changed to things better suited for outdoor/survival situations or removed because they serve no real purpose in the bag after using it a few times.



My advice to this thread along with the webbbook info is, if you carry MREs field strip them they take up an enormous amount of room in their OE packaging you can fit two field stripped MREs in the space one in it's original packaging takes up usually.

And for those of ya'll carrying those emergency rations or power bars make sure you "field test" those things BEFORE you get into a situation where you might need them. Emergency food is good to have but if it tastes so horrible that you may not eat it then there's no point. Some also require a large amount of water to drink either because they make your mouth really dry or they are very dehydrated and suck a lot of water out of your body to process. Last thing you need is to be stopped up when TSHTF

Also if you want a website that is really into survival and BOBs and what not look no further than below
ZombieSquad

[Alpha]

OK, here's the link to site I referenced earlier about the guy who had to evacuate his family before Katrina hit.

HURRICANE KATRINA

The site is quite comprehensive, and I've never read the entire thing. However I believe his lessons are particulalry relevant for many real-life SHTF situations. As with most things, I prefer to learn from people who have actually done the real thing.

Good luck.

[Alpha]

Jeepinbanditrider - I see your chevrons on your vest. Semper Fi and thanks for your service.

[jeepinbanditrider]

Thanks. That's also an old pic. I've been a Sgt for a year and a half now lol. And my AR has a ACE collapsible stock on it now oh and an EOTECH. Boy how things change lol.