Emergency preparedness from a Counterintelligence Agent

99 freakin’ awesome ideas for your bug out bag

Lots of articles tell you the basics of what you need in your bug out bag. This is a list of 99 things you may not have considered. Awesome! - 99 freakin awesome ideas for your bug out bag gear - http://bit.ly/1rSh7BcThere are a lot of good articles with lists and other information out there to help you figure out what gear you should have, such as my previous article on what you should have in your bug out bag. This post is really just to get you to think outside the box on what gear you might carry or store.

After thinking about it, I thought I should just make a list of some of the things that you may not have considered for your bug out bag gear. It’s a list of the unusual, or the creative.

Some of this stuff will be on lists of necessary items but I chose those here because there are those who may not have considered them even though they may be obvious to a lot of people, or because I had a couple of unusual uses for them that you may not have considered.

Just keep in mind that this doesn’t mean you should run out and buy all this stuff to put in your bag. If you can’t carry the thing, it isn’t gonna help you much and could make things worse. Always keep your stuff as light and small as possible but make sure you don’t have a single point of failure (They called this a SPOF in Warrant Officer school). You should have backups for every critical thing you want to do (make a fire, purify water, etc) in case you lose or break something and varied ways to do something in case the first way doesn’t work.

Just to repeat this – because I still keep seeing people posting some nonsense about “why would you pack 99 things in your bug out bag” or similar,

THIS ISN’T A LIST OF WHAT TO PUT IN YOUR BUG OUT BAG.

THAT LIST IS HERE.

THIS IS A LIST OF SUGGESTIONS TO GET YOUR MIND THINKING ABOUT NEW OR BETTER WAYS TO HAVE THE RIGHT GEAR.

If you want to see what I’ve packed in my bug out bag, check out How to build the ultimate 25 pound bug out bag.

Remember, it doesn’t help to have 10 lighters as backup if your environment and skill level won’t let you start a fire with a lighter. Also, remember that you should be carrying quite a bit of water in addition to your gear, so don’t pack too much gear. I pack my bug out bag the same way I pack for deployments – lay out everything I have, put my kit together, make sure I’ve covered the “Two is one and one is none” rule with more than one type of method (it doesn’t do much good to have a lighter as your only backup to your other lighter as your only fire-starting method if a lighter isn’t working when you need it due to wind or whatever), remove what I can live without, re-lay out everything, rinse and repeat.

Here are my top 50 60  99 bug out bag items (so far) that you might not have considered:

  1. Backup and digital copies of all your important documents and reference information for the area. Digital stuff should be put on a secured thumb drive.
  2. Weapons cleaning kit and CLP or equivalent.
  3. gum wrappers to start a fire with a battery (they don’t take up much space).
  4. Small knife sharpener.
  5. Tourniquet you can put on with one hand. This is the kind that I  carried in Afghanistan.
  6. Potassium Permanganate for fire starting/wound cleansing/water and some kind of glycerol or sugarfree replacement to match for firestarting. This stuff is getting pretty hard to find nowadays. I had to order mine online.
  7. Glow Stick Bracelets if you have kids so you can keep track of them while walking at night. You can also use these to mark your gear or a path from your campsite to your toilet area so people don’t lose their way. Get multiple colors so it’s easier to know who’s who.
  8. Neck Gaiter for cold weather. This is an absolute necessity really. Takes up almost no space and makes a HUGE difference in keeping you warm or the sand out of your face.
  9. Clotrimazole Foot Cream. This is one of the most important things I carry. I was down for the count in Central America once due to a heavy rash that broke through the skin. Couldn’t walk. Got some of this from a local pharmacy in a nearby town and it went away in just a few hours. Amazing stuff.
  10. 12v way to power your stuff. This includes a 12v charger plus whatever you need to hook it up. Maybe clips that connect to a battery to give you a power plug or just a good 12V USB charger plug.
  11. Moleskin for blisters- your feet are super important
  12. Maps of your area, both digital and protected paper.
  13. Something metal to boil water and eat/drink in. I use a 24 ounce steel cooking cup. There are plenty of options for this one.
  14. Good compass like a tritium lensatic compass that I use.
  15. Fisher Space Bullet Space Pen and Rite in the Rain All Weather Notebook
  16. Aluminum foil to start a fire or use as a cup/cooking etc. There are lots of uses for aluminum foil.
  17. A Fresnel Lens – Flat, lightweight and powerful magnifying lens to start fires. Cheap too. (Video)
  18. 5V portable solar charger and USB battery for your cell phone or other USB things.
  19. Water filter like the Saywer Mini Filtration System or equivalent that will connect to a Camelbak. I haven’t found a better water filter yet. I even did a review of it.
  20. Avon SKIN-SO-SOFT Bug Guard PLUS Insect Repellent Moisturizing Lotion – the only thing I’ve ever found to work.
  21. Get a strong USB battery so you can charge your cell in case of emergency

    Fluorocarbon fishing line for fishing and/or for cordage/traps. Don’t get monofiliment – it won’t hold up as well.

  22. Dental floss reel for cordage or fishing line – or for cleaning your teeth. You don’t need the whole case, just take out the reel and put it in something so it doesn’t come untangled. unwaxed dental floss doesn’t burn very easily so it can be used to hold food together over a fire but waxed dental floss can be used for all sorts of things.
  23. Extra meds you’re on.
  24. Birth control.
  25. Vaseline-covered cotton balls or quik-tinder in seal straw segments for tinder – basically, waterproof your tinder. Just don’t cover them completely or they’re harder to light.
  26. Stormproof Lighter – this one floats too
  27. Spare batteries or better yet, 5v usb solar charger (above) with Solar Recharging Kit and Rechargeable Batteriesfor whatever you’re carrying. Check out how I put my solar power kit together here.
  28. Sewing Kit
  29. Couple of hidden hairpins to pick handcuffs or at least hidden handcuff key
  30. Spare prescription glasses and/or sunglasses if they’re needed
  31. Goggles and some kind of scarf or neck gator if you live in a desert (haboobs are pretty nasty). Seriously, get a neck gator. It’s amazing how warm you can be with something you can pull out of your pocket.
  32. Small container of pine resin if available for wounds, glue, fire staring and more. Not sap – resin. It’s useful stuff.
  33. Olive oil or coconut oil for cooking/lube/calories/lamp, or just emergency calories.
  34. Cheap handheld ham radio that will also work on FRS/GMRS like this UV-5R or even better, this BaoFeng BF-F8HP. If you want to transmit on ham frequencies with it, you’ll need to get a ham radio license.
  35. Family radios for everyone in your group. Preferably ones that will run off AA so you can recharge the batteries as you need to with your USB solar panel and AA charger pack. You can’t expect to keep everyone within eyesight at all times.
  36. Spare set of socks/underwear – especially hiking socks.
  37. Some kind of tarp or quality space blanket (not the cheap crappy ones) for sun or rain shade with 550 cord or bungees.
  38. Emergency radio – Charges with hand crank, solar or USB

    Extra feminine hygiene products.

  39. Pet antibiotics in case your … fish … catch something they can’t shake.
  40. Small tube for siphoning. A Shaker siphon would be even better.
  41. Sleep mask if you’ll be traveling at night and sleeping during the day.
  42. Tweezers to pull out splinters and thorns so they don’t get infected.
  43. A quality emergency blanket and not one of those crappy ones
  44. VS-17 type of signal panel sewn into the inside of a tent fly or alone.
  45. Candles or at least candle wicks if you have olive oil or other available.
  46. Work gloves for heavy/rough objects even when it’s not cold.
  47. Something like a commando saw or hacksaw blade to cut branches (or tie wraps) with. 
  48. Recent pics and info on all pax in your group in case they go missing.
  49. Titanium spork because it’s better than eating with your fingers but I personally just use a spoon.
  50. Soft collapsible water bottle (it comes with the Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System if you get one of those).
  51. Waterproof backpack cover. Sucks to get your toilet paper and spare underwear soaked from a rainstorm.
  52. Signal whistle in case you can’t yell (and it’s louder anyway unless you’re my ex).
  53. Imodium or equivalent in case you get diarrhea. Don’t use it until you’ve let your body work things out for a bit though or you’ll just be covering the symptoms and not letting your stomach do its stuff.
  54. Benadryl and/or epi-pen in case someone has an allergic reaction to something.
  55. List of local repeaters/offsets for a ham radio.
  56. Hat that covers your ears and neck from sunburn.
  57. Quick-start or full manuals for any complicated equipment you’re carrying, like the UV-5R ham radio mentioned above (Thanks goes to db in the comments below for reminding me about this one)
  58. Pantyhose (from the comments). This is a good one. I wear knee high’s under my socks if I’m going on long hikes because it cuts down on blisters but full-on ones (haven’t worn those yet) can be used for things like a replacement fan belt on some older cars or for cordage. Picked up that trick in basic training a few decades ago. I also understand that it was the driving force behind the idea for Under Armour.
  59. Eyeglass repair kit (from the comments).
  60. Green laser. I try to always have a laser with me when I’m going downrange even if they don’t give me one. It’s fantastic for signalling for help or just sending a message for a LONG distance if you have line-of-sight. There are definitely cheaper ones than the one I listed but so far they haven’t made it through a deployment. The green ones travel much farther than the red ones, btw.

And now with more feedback from you guys, I’ve updated the list again below:

  1. Great for making tinder or weapons

    And now for a biggie (an update I’ve added after TONS of hours of research). The BEST way to stay warm and dry is to carry an ultralight 2-person backpacking tent. The technology on these things have improved dramatically in the past 10 years, and you can get an actual tent for about the same weight (or sometimes less) than a hammock/tarp or just a bivy.

  2. Trauma shears. The Leatherman Raptor is pretty much the ultimate EMS set of scissors and has 6 EMS tools on it. Botach also has a set of trauma shears that has a fabric ripper built into it.
  3. Deck of cards. This is especially helpful if you have kids but even if you don’t, cards are a good way to keep your mind occupied if you’re stuck somewhere for a while. Even better than regular cards for your bug out bag would be Wilderness Survival Playing Cards.
  4. Trail marking tape. This is a good idea to have around your camp so you know which way’s back from the bathroom/food etc, to mark off your traps, or to just let people know which way you’ve gone.
  5. Tampons. These are good for starting fire, first aid, and for their obvious use.
  6. Non-lubricated condoms. Condoms can be used to hold water or keep things like tinder or your cell phone dry in wet weather.
  7. Small dual pencil sharpener. These are great for putting points on the end of sticks for making gigs or arrows, and the shavings make great tinder.
  8. Small alcohol-burning stove. These are awesome for cooking if you’re bedded down for a while and have flammable alcohol to use. The one I linked to has a small cooking set with it.
  9. Piano wire. This stuff can be used to make traps, fashioned into a garrote,  or for anti-personnel traps or triggers.
  10. Silver or gold for barter. Yes, you should have some precious metals on you in case SHTF.
  11. Backpacker’s trowel. Good for digging out your toilet or helping to build a shelter floor.
  12. Relighting birthday candles. Not just for pranks. Because these things don’t want to go out, they’re great for helping you get a fire started in windy conditions or just keeping you warm for a while in a tent.
  13. Faraday/RFID shield. Used in case you’d like to protect your phone or other small electronics from an EMP or from being tracked.
  14. Mini hacksaw. If you don’t have the room for the hacksaw itself, just take a few blades.
  15. Small multimeter for troubleshooting.
  16. Chapstick. Definitely needed for chapped lips but you can also put some on cotton or lint as fuel to help start a fire.
  17. Solar panel, battery charger, and USB battery to charge your cell phone, AA batteries and small electronics.
  18. This is the improved model – more power and better antenna

    Cayenne Red Pepper. Good for seasoning, sprinkling around your area to keep away critters, relieving pain, can help stop bleeding, and is a disinfectant.

  19. Ripstop poncho. Keeps your upper body dry in the rain and can be used as a part of your shelter.
  20. Military poncho liner blanket. We call these ‘woobies’ in the Army. They’re freaking wonderful to have. Just ask any Soldier who’s been deployed.
  21. Emergency rations. Make sure you have some kind of food that will hold and has a lot of calories but doesn’t take up too much room.
  22. Quality fingernail clippers.
  23. A Kindle Paperwhite with 3G but select ‘without special offers’ so your battery lasts longer. You can get it without the 3G but then you have to be near a wifi to download something. With a kindle, you can store thousands of survival, medical, homesteading, repair, or whatever books on it for a tiny amount of weight. If you have 3G within range, you an just update it as you need to.
  24. Foam ear plugs to allow you to sleep easier in a noisy environment and can be used as fishing floats.
  25. Small pry bar.
  26. Sea salt. Great for seasoning, for keeping salt in your system as you sweat it out, and can help keep meat from spoiling.
  27. Single serve instant coffee pouches. I’ve used pouches like these TONS of times on convoys. They come in a lot of MREs (not as good as the version I linked to though, I’m sure).
  28. McNett Outgo Microfiber Towel. I’ve tried several microfiber towels in the past and they all suck – until this one. Don’t buy any other brand unless you compare it to this one. I have two of these and have taken them in my bag to several countries. This one actually works. The others don’t.
  29. Camelbak Elixir tablets. Contains electrolytes to keep you going and helps your water taste better if you’re getting it from sources that have a funky flavor even after filtering it.
  30. Large trash bags. With trash bags, you can do all sorts of things like make a poncho, carry water, hold water and heat it over a flame, make cordage, keep clothing dry inside your pack, make field-expedient flotation devices, make a shelter – oh, and hold trash.
  31. Collapsible camping bowl. Pretty self-explanatory. If you don’t have a bowl to eat with, you’ll have to make one. This is much easier and packs flat in your pack. I have the one linked here.
  32. Large zip ties. These could come in handy for building a shelter, holding someone for a while, emergency repair on your backpack – all sorts of uses.
  33. Bicycle inner tube. You can make several Ranger Bands (super strong and wide rubber bands to hold things) with one inner tube. Of course, you could always just buy some already made for you.
  34. Krazy Glue. All sorts of uses, from fixing stuff tho holding small wounds closed.
  35. pStyle for girls. This is a winner here. Girls on convoys I was on used to use things like this so they didn’t have to go off on their own and take off their pants. Great for women, especially in the winter, because you can pee standing up with your pants still on.
  36. Heirloom seeds. If you’ve bugged out permanently – or just have to survive for a long time in the wilderness, having seeds ready to plant could really come in handy, and they weigh almost nothing and take up very little space.
  37. Trumark Slingshots Folding Slingshot. Packs small and gives you something to hunt with that will never run out of ammo, but you can get ammo for it that works really well. You’ll have to practice with it a bit though.
  38. Small hand crank emergency radio. This particular one has a solar panel and can be charged by USB, which works extremely well if you have a solar panel like theEnerPlex Kickr IV, sCharger 5, or Goal Zero Guide 10.
  39. Colloidal silver. Don’t know why you’d want it, but a lot of people think it works.

 

Now obviously you’ve considered a flashlight but look at this one right now that you may not have considered. It’s a tactical flashlight under $5 that’s great for lighting up a big area or focusing to a long distance. I even did a review on it. The reason I put it also on this page is that not everyone considers getting a small flashlight that can also be a floodlight. This one can. You’ll probably end up buying at least a dozen of these though because they’re so cheap you won’t expect how awesome they are. They’re the perfect throwaway flashlight that isn’t built like a throwaway.

Just remember – you really shouldn’t be carrying a lot. These are just ideas to solve a particular problem you might have. You DEFINITELY shouldn’t be carrying all this stuff. So what things can you think of that a lot of people would forget or not think of to put in their bag? Here are some related articles you might want to read:

Anything you can think of that’s not on the list that would be useful to have but people might not have thought of?

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About graywolfsurvival.com

I am a former federal agent and military veteran who has deployed to combat theaters in Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan and have almost three decades of military and military contracting experience.

My goal is to help families to understand how to intelligently protect their family and their way of life against real threats, without all the end-of-the-world doomsday crap.

Comments

  1. FloridaHillbilly says

    Good list, you covered a lot of great things…however, I’d suggest one glaring omission, since yo included the UV-5RA radio – directions on how to program it. (You should also keep in mind that in any situation, other than an emergency, transmission over certain frequencies this radio is capable of reaching is considered illegal.)

    Having used one of these radios quite a bit, having a crib sheet on the programming sequence is a must.

    HAving said that, I see a couple things I want to add to my gear, thanks! I totally forgot to consider my “fish health”. Nice tip!

    Peace,
    db

  2. mapleleaf says

    I really enjoy your site, but that picture does not bring happy innocent camping to mind. Sorry,

    • Pedro A. Cruz says

      LOL!!!

    • graywolfsurvival says

      Hi Mapleleaf. You’re not the only one who thought that. I was actually just using the image to make a point that there could be consequences for not having the right gear lol. I updated the image to. Needed to be done anyway so google images will show it because the other one is a duplicate image from all around the web.

    • Johnctee says

      What makes you think that when the SHTF it will bring happy innocent camping to mind

  3. Number 11 was moleskin for blisters, but I have found that keeping those little styrofoam circles that come in CD and DVD spools are even better. You can place them over an already formed blister with some tape and it will keep anything from rubbing against it any further. I ALWAYS hoard those little things.

  4. Christopher de Vidal says

    I second foot creme. I once had a rash that kept me awake at night. You aren’t going to be worth a hoot during the day if you don’t get good rest at night.

  5. Just adding another use for pantyhose: makes a great anti-tick suit when traveling wooded areas. Need two pair. Put one on legs and pull up as high as possible. Cut hole in the other one and out over head with arms through legs. Duct tape or 550 cord wrists and waist. Dress as normal. This will prevent ticks, fleas, and other nasties from getting to your skin.

  6. You are right … there are items on your list that you will not find in my bag … time to go repack … again

  7. New to your site, but loving every article. Since I’m, let’s just say, a little young and considerably limited in the funding department, a lot of the material like on OPSPEC can be slightly overwhelming; but since I’ve been starting small and working out an applicable EDC, a lot of your articles on that and focusing on intro to prepping have been loads of help. And on an off note, thank you for your service to our country, and for sharing your knowledge and insight with everyone here.
    Also, if I may, in an extremely humble manner, offer an addition that might be a decent idea for some…Browsing other people’s bug out bags for certain types of amenities as well as specific brands/products, one thing that really jumped out at me was a calculator. If you’re not taking in sufficient fluids/calories, suffering from sleep deprivation, stressed out about the world ending around you, worrying or thinking about other more immediate needs and finding yourself unable to concentrate, it might come in handy for some people? Given the increasingly compact size of a modern basic calculator, it’s well worth it, at least for me, with my ADD and the fact that my genetics haven’t exactly put ‘math whiz’ in the cards for me.

  8. Marty0879 says

    On the Full length panty hose. I was taught back in the 80’s to wear them hunting in cold weather under thermos. My feet and legs were always warm.

  9. Another use for Panty hose, very light weight thermal underwear, learned this from my great grandfather who used them all the time while hunting. I’ve tried them and they can change a pair of jean’s into something warm on a cold day, though they ain’t sub-zero rated they will keep your legs warmer.

    Also didn’t notice poggie bait on the list, in addition to vein available to share with potential helpful persons when hiking long hours and distances sometimes having a pack of gum, handful of hard candies, or some flavor packets for your water can really go a long way to improving moral and keeping the energy levels up.

  10. Jarheadusmc says

    Just some notes:

    From expert firearms instructors, competition shooters and professional gunsmiths all who have very high reputations – this concerning gun cleaning and lubrication:
    Other than some very top of the line gun lubes and cleaners that cost an arm and a leg here are some alternatives that match or are even better rated by the pro’s.

    – Walmart or other Non-Chlorinated Disc Brake Cleaner ($2.99) is the exact same as Gun Scrubber ($7.99 – $12.) – This for initial removal of all dirt, grease, etc.

    Top of the line gun lubrication:

    1. Dextron III Automatic Trans. Fluid with STP – Mix 60%ATF/40%STP
    2. Mobile 1 Synthetic Motor Cycle Oil 20/50 for cool to hot weather – lower for very cold.

    For a very good CLP (Cleans/Lubricates/Protects) Mix: (Called Ed’s Red)

    One part – Dextron III ATF or the new equivalent.
    One part – Odorless Mineral Spirits
    One part – #1 Kerosene
    One part – (optional for some copper removal) Acetone.)

    The Best Gun Grease is “Lubriplate SFL-0” from Brownells – hands down.

    High Tempt Lithium Bearing Grease is a good “second” choice – any auto parts.

    Most greases have a metal base which has tiny particles that do cause friction and wear – Lubriplate’s base is Aluminum which, contrary to other metals has the least co-efficient of friction and the absolute best to use on bolts and slides.

  11. Jarheadusmc says

    Cheap Ebay 500-2000 lumen flashlights that use either CR125 batteries or better still those that use either CR125/Lithium Li-ion 3.7v rechargeble batteries:

    Alldaymall – Battery Warehouse – or Ebay for batteries:

    These li-ion batteries hold a charge for up to six months before slowly losing.
    Obtain a 5W or larger (recommened) solar charger: You can direct charge setup or obtain a Inverter – an inverter/Solar Panel/ and connection – you can recharge these li-ion batteries from 500-1000 times. In an emergency you would have batteries and power indefinitely with this setup.

    The cheap Chinese flashlights from $10-$20 work as good a much more expensive flashlights – I have used and tested a few dozen and with just the odd exception, these are worth the money – especially the ones that use two or three battery options – AAA/Li-ion/CR125 : Lithium CR125 batteries online you can get for $1. each. and also rechargeable.

  12. Nail trimmer, for foot and hands

  13. A couple of terms of some broad spectrum antibiotics. (As highlighted in the book The Road).

  14. Road flares. You don’t need any fire-stating skills other than gathering wood. Rain/snow they’ll start a fire.

  15. Allan Leigh says

    Excellent article as always…..

    Although great ex- military minds, must think alike.As with the exception of dental floss(as grew up before it was advised to use it, and have the 6 teeth left top prove it); and brand of UHF radio; and the chemicals you mentioned as i already have other alternatives.

    Dang my combined kits have the lot…..

    Keep up the great work, okay…

  16. A great list, I’d add cordage of different types and strengths – paracord stretches and doesn’t work well after being stressed. Also would prefer Yaesu FT50R or Yaesu VX-7R – Baofeng UV-5R’s do not do well in high humidity and I’ve lost a few burners testing in the yard. Great as a backup handheld but in no way a primary.

    You mention carrying oil with you but neglected how – back when I was in our instructors suggested med tubes, nearest I can find to these civ side: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005CBFATS/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2CPCGDOGAFKE7

    Each tube should give you more than enough to cook with 3-4 days if you don’t get fancy. After the oil cools pour it back in the tube and use it for other things – if you cooked fish you can use the oil to chum a lake to increase the odds of getting more.

    I’d also suggest having pepper spray (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005CMZYQQ/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER), a good thermometer (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009YM7Z2Q/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER) and a selection of spices or food will get dull rather quickly. I’ve been favoring this (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CFLSM/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1919NYIH5072G) for the last year or so.

    Hope that helps.

  17. New to the site but I am loving all the articles. LOTS of great stuff here. You have helped me tweek my BOB slightly with a few things I may not of thought of.

    One thing I also keep in mine….a small compact set of binoculars. Say I am doing recon on an area and want to be undetected/as far away as possible but still monitor the area, they would come in very handy and are relatively small and lightweight.

  18. Once again, excellent article/update. I have to doubly cheer the Clotrimazole, moleskin, and pantyhose…rash/chafing/blisters can really slow you down when trying to make good time.

    Here’s my question:

    What specific pet meds would you recommend including?

    Maybe a “must have” list and then a few suggested additions. This is completly new to me, so all guidance is welcome.

  19. Hi,
    I live in a major city. Lots of great stuff, but I don’t have a car, and am probably not going to be able to carry all the stuff you listed.
    Any suggestions for a city gal bug out bag?
    I have a go bag ready, in case I need to get out of the city quick. And I have a lot of stuff you listed, but I can only carry so much.
    Suggestions?

  20. You mention keeping stuff dry with cover for the BOB. I highly recommend dry bags as well or even instead. The yet used by water sports enthusiasts. You can literally submerge them with clothing, electrical items or whatever and the contents will remain bone dry. With clothing in them they make good pillows and filled with air and sealed make flotation aids.

  21. Everyone overlooks the usefulness of a pump pellet gun (rifle or hunting pistol): quiet and you can carry a large amount of ammo in a small space. Great for hunting small game. And in a life and death situation, you could even take out many water fowl with a clean head shot.

  22. hello, thanks for the list things i would not have had but i will soon… i do have one question: is there other things you would pack if you have kids that some may not have thought about?

    • With kids it all depends on their age and skill level but in general, you need something to keep them occupied if you’re gonna be out for an extended period until they get accustomed to entertaining themselves with nature. I would at least make sure they have water, a signaling device, some sort of comms like a walkie-talkie, a way to start fire, a good emergency blanket, and some training. If they get lost, they need to stay put if possible. If it’s not possible, they need to go out of their way to make an obvious trail to where they’re going.

  23. BibleGunClinger says

    Great list. Thank you for posting it. I don’t see any mention of an axe or hatchet. May I recommend my carefully researched choice of the Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe. Not inexpensive, but the best rarely is. You will be very hard pressed to find a better one. It’s just in between a full sized axe and a hatchet. Practically perfect for either use. As for a knife I like my KaBar D2 Extreme. There are so many great knives to choose from – that is a more subjective item, but I am happy with mine.
    Cheers

  24. Sheepman says

    Speaking of lube, check out gunoil.com.

  25. WomanLikesIce says

    Love your site and buy your recommendations regularly. However, I’m going to need a Bug Out Vehicle for this list and everything else I’ve acquired from your advice! No joke. Do you suggest dividing up items into multiple bags or what? Your advice for the Altoids tin was great. I’ve built 5 of these for my family members!!
    Any suggestions on how to organize all of the many survival items? Thanks!!

    • There’s no way to know the best way to do something like this. To be thorough, it should be multiple bags with overlapping capabilities but the gear has to be what you’re familiar with.

  26. I never see anybody mention plain old bar soap in these lists. The first step of first aid is cleanliness. Plus, having clean hands and face is good for morale.

    • I use liquid soap. Bar soap is a pain to keep in your pack once you’ve used it once.

      • Michael Ward SR. says

        Bar soap lasts longer and no chance of spilling. They make little plastic boxes to keep it in. And that goes in a zip lock bag. And while I’m on plastic bags… Contractor Trash bags are built quite ruggedly they don’t puncture easily and five is six in each team members BOB is a great way to keep equipment dry. Flotation, and it makes a great poncho.

  27. I carry a 9v battery and steel wool (separately, of course) for a surefire fire starter.

  28. You can also use Crayola crayons as candles. They burn for up to an hour. Bonus if you have kids. They can draw.

    And keep a small snack size bag of Dorritos comes in handy… Use one chip as kindling. They burn really slow.

    • The problem with doritos is they don’t light easily. They will help though if you can get them to light.

      As far as the crayon thing, they don’t actually stay lit that long. I tried. May be different for different brands of crayons but the ones I tried only lasted about 20 minutes.

  29. Sandy Patterson says

    Graywolf, if you don’t know about Bag Balm yet definitely check it out. It’s basically Vaseline and lanolin with an antiseptic component. Does everything Vaseline does, like tinder, and chapping, etc… antiseptic addition is good for scrapes, cuts, and rashes. Also check out Dermatone. SPF 20+ for hands, face, lips etc and lightweight screw type tin containers. Last thing; if folks have a hat, they should always have a needle and thread. I dunno about anyone else, but having tried to improvise a needle (go ahead try it, serious PITA) I now keep a couple in the brim of my ball caps, and about 10 yds of 12lb spiderwire fishing line taped inside the crown. It’s hard to get much more useful for the same amount of weight.

  30. Sandy Patterson says

    If you want to use bar soap try wrapping it in a cut up pack towel or wash cloth. You wring them out really dry, and wrap the soap in it. It absorbs the moisture and the damp soap. Next time you only need to get the cloth wet and to wash with while the soap stays dry. Lighter than liquid soap even with the washcloth.

  31. good infor. here Iam 73 and Iam not bugging out until they have Drone delivery. yes the amazon tablet is good Voager will work anywhere in the world. dont know why they dont put a little solar panel with it.

  32. Vitamin C capsules. Granted you’ve got your water, game and foraging taken care of, most mountain areas near me do not have any plants that contain enough Vitamin C (citrus fruit, parsley, tomatos, cherries, watermelon, apples). Without enough, you will get scurvy. The capsules are light and small.

  33. J.P. Briggs says

    Can you do a review on the best pair of binoculars to get? Do you think binoculars are essential for a bug out bag? Thanks.

  34. Rat Traps. Cheap. Small. Easier to learn then a snare. Can also be used as a perimeter warning when connected to a trip cord.

  35. I would honestly forgo the laser pointer as a signal, and simply use a high powered LED flashlight. The laser needs to be pointed pretty much directly at the thing being signaled, and if that’s an aircraft, you’re going to jail. A flashlight will be visible at night plenty well, and won’t have any chance of blinding the pilot. Never mind that with the laser, you have to be dead on, where the flashlight is a ‘close enough works’ kinda thing.

  36. Bluedogvan says

    #78 – Cayene Pepper
    Will also act as a deterrent for dogs scenting and finding you.

  37. Excellent list! For heirloom seeds I’d add to be sure and include things we can eat as sprouts- alfalfa, beans, and chia seeds. Sprouts are nutrient dense and only take a few days of being kept moist to sprout. It’ll help provide some fresh nutrients if just stopping for a few days or along with hunting & gathering will keep you going before your garden’s ready to harvest. Chia seeds can also just be eaten raw and make you feel full. I carry a test tube full of them on long hikes.

  38. Mac-n-cheese Mom says

    Some type of light weight scope for reading signs at a distance or searching for landmarks.

  39. “End of the world doomsday crap”, eh?
    Not sure I’d take advice from someone who couldn’t see his nose in front of his face.

  40. For the ladies: a period cup. It doesn’t take up much room, is very light weight, and you can use it multiple time (depending on the quality 1 till 5 years!)

  41. Good list, thanks for including the ‘you can’t blow them out’ birthday candles. I’ve been putting them in comments for some time now. You’re the first to list them this way. You can light the candle with a lighter, or?, behind your coat, the wind will blow it out on the way to your prepared kindling, and it will relight when it gets there! Paper book matches soaked in candle wax make a great fire starter, just fold out a couple of matches, or the wax soaked cover, light and it burns really hot!

  42. kath Patterson says

    essential oils, small 5 ml. for bug repellent & stay awake, peppermint. its also for headaches, minor aches, stomach issues. &. lav. to help relax and put on open injuries. those 2 at the very least.

  43. Hi for the person who suggested using cayenne pepper for dogs please don’t it will kill their smell forever.

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