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James,
I have to take issue with the last post concerning the contents of a persons B.O.B. The writers experience of humping large loads up mountains under fire notwithstanding, I have to say that the majority of bags and packs being prepared today aren’t for natural disasters,even though they certainly would suffice for that situation.
 
I live in a Hurricane Zone and survived Katrina, although without having to relocate. And I agree with the writer that I didn’t know of anyone starving to death .I also have read the latest figures showing FEMA is broke and aid to impacted areas could be slowed or otherwise affected.
 
Having said all that,why not have TWO BOBs for each family member? The first would be a smaller one with the required 72 hrs subsistence–although I’d substitute the water with a good quality purifier and use that extra weight penalty for a sleeping bag and tent. Granola bars,other types of cereal bars and the so-called “Lifeboat” bars fit in nicely with this sort of situation,allowing for one freeze dried meal per day for variety.

Then for those who wish to prepare for some other sort of G.O.O.D. situation, the second pack would be a nice 6,000 cubic inch pack with all the trimmings can be right alongside. Since my family’s Gore-Tex rain suits are rolled on the outside of the big pack,they can easily be transferred to the smaller pack if I think its a needed thing to take one and not the other.
Just an idea for those who are on the fence about how to prepare. – Ed S. in Mississippi

James,
Thanks for your blog, I read daily and it has changed my overall perspective by no small measure.  I am sure that you will get flooded with an incredible amount of emails pertaining to the BOB article.  Apologies, but I just must add my 2 Centavos. 

Prioritizing the contents of a BOB and abandoning some items is indeed crucial for all who would have one.  However, the author jumps right into paramilitary gear as if AR-15s and thousands of rounds are weighing down all our BOBs.  I know most preppers have more gear than they ever plan to carry, which can make the situation that much worse when trying to choose.  Of course fitness and individual ability to carry weight are key factors as well, which means that maintaining or improving fitness to carry what you need is also very important.  However, let’s look at the author’s example: 160 lb fit male with 25% load in the BOB (40 lbs).  I myself happen to be a fit male of around that build and I feel that 40 lbs is far too short for the intended purpose.  I don’t walk out my front door to work without a 40lb day pack, much less bug out!  Let’s take the authors whole entire bag of food, water, medical, and fill in that last 5 lbs with your camp, a small metal pot filled with a camp tarp / knife / firesteel / compass / map / water tabs or filter, just what you need to set up camp and sleep outdoors during those initial days and maybe make your way in the woods.  Now I am “maxed out” at 40lbs.  Next, how many of us will beat feet with no form of self defense in the bag?  I am not talking about any form of rifle, but even the handgun with a few clips will add some heft to the pack.  In fact, a .45 ACP with 200 rounds easily hits 40lbs, doubling the bug out weight total right there. 

If I were a minimalist, I would stop there and just deal with carrying 50% of my body weight just like any other camping trip.  That is the absolute bare minimum for me personally.  But that’s not good enough yet.  By the time we add an emergency radio to keep up with what’s happening out there, some rope or paracord, a little cash and junk silver, a couple pieces of spare or layer clothing for night time or weather changes, and the ebook reader we are quickly approaching 100 lbs in my BOB.

Now one could argue that the whole last paragraph is all optional stuff, and they would be right, but all also potentially life saving and well worth the few pounds to me.  Now I am sure there would be many suggestions on the firearm / protection configuration that keeps weight lower.  Sure, one could take a smaller caliber or (gasp!) less ammo but the bottom line is that anything chosen will add a significant amount of heft to your overall setup.  Grabbing this bag would require (obviously) a real bug out scenario where we would potentially be abandoning everything we have and know.  With no guarantee that my home / supplies will be there when I return, or that  I would even return at all, I plan on carrying everything I can and then some! – Nate V.

Dear Editor:
The unanswerable question becomes what constitutes the absolute needed contents within the much discussed and dissected “Bugout” or “Bail Out” Bag (BOB). The generally accepted definition of a BOB could be summed as providing the carrier with seventy two hours of life supporting kit.  While the initial attempts to define its necessity would likely center around the need to displace due to such things as hurricanes, earthquakes or extreme civil strife I am not convinced this would constitute the apocalyptic SHTF scenario so many individuals seem to envision when compiling their BOB contents lists.  I do support the theorem of necessitating a grab bag that is prepared for immediate deployment.  However, I do not believe the majority of the items I have seen pre-positioned for rapid departure would be of use in the aforementioned natural disasters. For the record the aforesaid adversities are statistically more likely to occur versus the end of the world as we know it.  Thus, your primary concern should be to ensure your BOB is equipped for the most likely scenario dictated by your local seasonal phenomena. Under those dire circumstances a reasonable load of food, water, and personal hygiene items for a man, woman and child (children) would suffice until humanitarian aid arrived.  I would wager that upon a close examination of the after effects of Hurricane Katrina one would be hard pressed to find a verifiable incident evidencing death by starvation.  Therefore, a reasonable conclusion or statement could be made that aide, whether provided by the state/federal governments or a non-governmental agency (NGO), such as the Red Cross, would be sufficient to maintain timely subsistence.

I am not advocating described times would not be tough to cope with, but I am saying those that are subscribing to the 72 hour BOB theory at times appear to be preparing for two missions.  The intent of this commentary is to examine the concept of the Bail Out Bag from one of these two unique perspectives.  The first of which is to make it through the initial onslaught, seek and gain semi-permanent refuge within three calendar days so as to be supported by local/national level relief agencies.  Ultimately the intent would be to return home once declared safe.  Now on the other hand, some individuals seem to take into consideration an extreme objective when loading up a BOB.  Based on their packing lists and forum derived commentary, they seem to be leaning towards how best to prepare for the complete dissolution of the Rule of Law whereby every man, as the last vestige of humankind, is facing personal extinction on a daily basis.

Before I continue, I would like to reiterate and reinforce my stance that preparation for surviving a 72 hour movement to safety is great.   But I would strongly advise a prepper to concentrate in preparing his/her load out based on these three items.  First is water, second food, and finally the tertiary concern should be personal hygiene items with a basic first aid kit. 

Let us use the example of a 160 pound adult male backpacking 25% of his body weight, which should be exactly 40 pounds.  The initial guidance would be to carry two gallons of water and at 8.5 lbs per gallon this would be 17 lbs.  I would pack two pounds of food per day, which is six pounds for three days.  I would keep my personal hygiene and first aide kits down to three pounds.  At this point the weight carried equates to 26 pounds.  This leaves fourteen pounds of items to be carried at the discretion of said male, some of which is already accounted for in the form of the BOB itself.  Obviously, your load out equipment will vary based on the type of terrain traversed, time of season and proximity to a safe refuge.  Personally, I do not believe having immediate access to only two gallons of water is sufficient for a full three days of hiking, especially if you are operating in climates high in humidity, having to traverse over terrain versus defined roads or operating in desert-like terrain.  One very broad rule of thumb states an adult male should have three liters of water per day, which converts to .79 gallons. By day three the displaced male would be almost a half gallon short of water.  The problem with the given rule of thumb is the source, and a respectable source at that, did not specific the age, weight, physical condition, nor did it indicate if the “men” had to remain inactive on a daily basis to meet this threshold of three liters.  I believe a better way to determine how much water might need to be carried; one should measure his/her water intake over a series of inactive and physically active days to extrapolate an accurate demand for hydration during arduous activity.  Honestly, my opinion would be to advocate carrying another gallon of water and utilizing only 5.5 lbs for discretionary items.

So why have I taken the time to run the numbers on something as ordinary as water?  It is to underpin my earlier commentary that those who prepare are preparing to carry too much in unnecessary accoutrements.  Look how quickly the weight of the BOB increases with just the minimal necessities of food and water.  Therefore, extreme caution and moderation should be exercised when determining what extraneous items are to be packed.  You may have 100 pounds of high speed, low drag gear but that still is a 100 lbs you have to carry.  When one is contemplating the initial packing lists, are you just packing for yourself, a spouse and/or children?  It is fairly evident the individual physical fitness capacity of each person within your group is going to determine who carries how much and how much of what is going to be carried.  A five year old child may be able to carry only his supply of pull ups for three nights but in no way will he be able to carry his 72 hour requirement of juice boxes.  Trust me; my son who just turned six seems to consume his body weight in juice on a daily basis.  Consequently, I would have to carry my necessary items along with those needed by my son, which further reduces my ability to carry optional items. At this point I hope I have been able to clearly convey how I would approach a realistic resolution in easing one’s anxiety over how best to prepare a BOB. 

With saying the above, do you really need to pack snare wires for trapping small animals, a myriad supply of Swiss Army knives, machetes, axes, daggers, fixed/folding blades, combat tactical edged weapons, chemical lights in addition to LED flashlights, strobes, thousands of rounds of ammunition for your collection of assault rifles/combat pistols, stoves, pots, pans, titanium flatware, and finally lest we forget a level IV plate carrier with four ceramic inserts along with soft armor.   I will admit there is a time and place for that level of outfitting but I cannot advocate the need for the type or amount of equipment I have seen desired or acquired by a vast plethora of preppers who envision a three day movement.  Of course we are assuming you must leave your home of record and won’t be forting up within your residence due to the need, real or perceived, to relocate. 

If an individual or group has to displace and their collective plan includes the carrying of firearms, there are at least two concerns I would advise they take into consideration well prior to such a need.  The first is to ensure a complete understanding of their respective and adjoining states’ laws regarding the open and concealed carry of handguns, along with rifles/shotguns.  Just because there is a state of chaos or panic due to a disaster does not give a person immunity to operate outside the legal boundary.  Another point that should warrant thought is how are those carrying firearms going to be received by the agencies rendering aid?  I have always wondered what would happen when these people make it to the FEMA/NGO aide centers.  There is no why any government organization or relief agency is going to allow you to enter or partake of aide when you are carrying armaments in the quantities which surpass the basic combat load of an Infantryman.  It is one thing to legally carry a concealed handgun with a few extra magazines but to carry an arsenal of tactical rifles during the scenarios delineated earlier would likely cause more trouble than not.   

Taking into account the historic stability of western capitalistic-modeled, democratically governed countries, how many of such failed to adequately take care of their citizenry during any epic manmade or natural disasters?  I am not naïve to say governmental agencies are going to be Johnny on the spot when it comes to providing for its displaced citizenry.  Hence, I reiterate my belief that a 72 hour BOB, intelligently stocked, is indeed a wise investment in time and currency.  This strategy would allow the individual to bridge the gap between the time the disaster struck and arrival of aide.      

Now, let us consider the worst case scenario whereby the SHTF and every day that you awake you must answer the questions…do I eat and will I be eaten?  What assumptions must be made and what facts are applicable to this setting?  Firstly, something of such destructive power has completely eliminated the protections afforded to us through modern civilization.  While making assumptions as to what could cause a calamity of such annihilation is counterproductive to determining how best to prepare your BOB, it is the fact that your individual or group’s lifespan is now dependent on how well you can survive without the conveniences of modern times.  Therefore, in preparation of said earthshaking tragedy, the driving factor in prolonging your ability to function is derived from how well and comprehensively you have prepared your BOB.  As with the beginning of this commentary an unanswerable question has been posed yet again.  Clearly, the contents will be based on personal need, real or perceived, and what you believe will work best for you.   While I do not claim to know what best to pack for the time of omnipresent darkness I would find that subject matter a very worthy topic warranting more commentary. – F.J. (JWR Adds: F.J. is a U.S. Army officer currently deployed at a remote FOB in Afghanistan)