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The World of Bug Out Bags, by D.M. – Part 2

Common Gear to Bring in Your Bag

Now the type of bug out bag I have been addressing is one that you might have to use to travel a great distance and spend the night, depending upon only the gear that you have with you. Each situation is different, and each geographic region and season brings different challenges. In some of the articles I have read, I am amazed at what some people list as “survival” or necessary items, like a heavy, solar charger (remember that you are carrying this on your back!), but they forget to pack other important items, like toilet paper (good for fire starting, as a signaling device, and for bandaging, writing notes, and your behind) or a good water purification system. Some may say toilet paper is not essential; however, if you are in a remote area and come down with dysentery to where you are squatting for hours, trust me, you will be glad you had it and did not have to wipe with stones or leaves, causing you to be susceptible to cuts, which lead to infection in a delicate body area and possibly beyond.

Another point of writing this article is to share how we can thrive with a good bug out bag and not just barely survive. Here is a list of essential/useful items that I bring on most backpacking trips. As every season and situation is different, I hope this mere list will help you with a baseline as to what to bring on multiple-night trips.

These are the main items I bring. However, the most important thing to bring is a level head. With God and the right mind set, you will be able to handle every situation that comes your way.

Other Thoughts

Most people in a disaster situation will be in need. If you have a backpack or anything valuable, you will become a target. I believe it is very important to be incognito and not stand out in a world without rule of law (WRL) or disaster situation. Here are some plus and minus thoughts.

Please don’t be that guy that has 12 bug out bags and is still not satisfied. Do your homework. A good sight for backpacking reviews is www.backpacker.com. They have in the past, filled backpacks and dragged them from the back of a pickup truck just to test the durability and the stitching quality. Now that was a review! I am very thankful for the Internet, because there are so many reviews online and videos on YouTube that it is easy to make thoughtful decisions on gear.

Cost Factor

I have had people ask me, “How much should I spend on this?” I am not going to tell you, the reader, that if you don’t spend this or that much money that your bag is no good, like some advertisers do. Every person is different, and each person has different needs. My first suggestion is to use what bag you have now, for it is better to have something than nothing ready. Or as the Bible says “…for a living dog is better than a dead lion.” (Ecc 9:4 KJV).

I will emphasis this: Don’t be cheap! You might be trusting your life and your family’s life to this bag. Some prepper stores I visit I do find myself saying, “$300 for what? That small, little bag?” I would agree that there are bug out bags that are astronomically over priced; however, a quick online search should help you to determine if you are getting what you paid for or if it is just a logo that you’re paying for.

I have friends that have said to me “that bag is too expensive”, and then they buy an inferior, less expensive knock-off model only to find their bag is uncomfortable, has poor quality control or falls apart sooner (made in China), and then they buy another bag only to find out that they have spent more money on two poorly-constructed bags than I spent on my nice bag that has a lifetime warranty. I am not suggesting going out and spending $500-8oo. I am saying don’t buy poor quality; you usually do get what you pay for. Just save your money until you can afford to buy what you need. It would be worth it in the end.

Conclusion

Go backpacking or talk to a backpacker. Chances are that the things you need to survive and thrive for two to three days in the wilderness are the same things you don’t want to leave out of your bug out bag. If your bug out bag is too small, like most, then I would suggest upgrading to a bigger one. If you’re interested in backpacking and don’t have a bug out bag and are looking into purchasing one, then I would suggest you save yourself money and just buy (you might already have one) a high quality backpacking backpack. Use it for camping and backpacking, and when not in use, keep all of your gear in it at the ready for an emergency. Just don’t buy the neon yellow ones.