In looking at some knife reviews on YoutubeI came across the topic of “bail out bags” (at 3:55 in) and in looking further it was explained (below) that this was a bag you kept aside in case you needed to get out of Dodge" quickly and survive in the wilds for a few days.
Do you have a “bail out bag”? What’s in it? Ever had occasion to use it?
The 7 Types of Gear you must have in your Bug Out Bag
I live with my father and to feel like I have some control and can leave if I need to, I do have a bag packed. It has my essential documents, the photo album with almost all the pix I have of my mom, and a quilt my mom made.
It’s clearly not for zombie apocalypse purposes; I’d be the first eaten if it came to that.
I keep one around home with some basic papers, water, a knife and a weeks supply of meds, some ammo, some clothing and some cash. Old family habit. And yes – when Agnes hit in 72 and all of a sudden there was several feet of water heading for the first floor, we used them.
Yes, one based on the assumption that I might need to evacuate a dirty bomb scenario in downtown Chicago by walking, bicycling, or commuter train. Some underwear, toiletries, a small air mattress, poncho, solar blankets, a bit of wire and duct tape and a multitool, matches/candle/flashlight, water filtration straw, reading glasses, ibuprofen, a liter of water, a bit of food and chocolate, condoms (for carrying water or waterproofing things). A note pinned to the bag reminds me to also grab passport, cash from the hiding place, phone + charger, and possibly the laptop.
Personally, I think it’s always a good idea to be prepared for the worst emergency that may befall your area. If you live in hurricane country, your home could be wiped overnight. Or like me, you might live in earthquake country. We’ve got a big 'un waiting in the wings and it could let go any day. I’m not afraid of it – but I respect it, and for that reason, I’m prepared for it.
If it hits while I’m home, no biggie. In our area, we’ve been told that if we live rural as I do, we need to be ready to manage for 6 months without assistance. Got it covered. But if I happen to be away from home, I’ll be in or near my car – so I’m ready for that, too.
What’s in the actual BOB:
Personal water filter/water purification tablets
LED flashlight (small)
Multi-tool (includes a compass)
candles, water-proof matches
high energy, lightweight foods
lightweight reflective ‘space’ blanket
trash bags (to keep the rain off)
extra pairs of socks
moleskin
personal medications
soap, toothpaste, toothbrush
chemical hand warmers
fishing line and hooks
some money
I also keep the following in my car:
Bottled water
track shoes
a warm jacket
small shovel
basic tools (screwdrivers, wrenches)
metal coffee can
leather and waterproof gloves
bandanas
knee protectors
axe
tow straps, bungee cords
basic first aid kit
wet wipes, paper towels, rags
toilet paper
There are some other things, but for sure I know the above is ready to go whenever I’m away from home. Just seems prudent.
I have not yet had to use these items. Hope I never do.
I’m not too worried about the zombie apocalypse, but I do have a bag prepared in case there’s a fire, I need to go to the hospital and possibly stay there or there’s some kind of evacuation.
So it contains:
Being in the hospital or some such is extremely boring so being able to listen to music/podcasts/radio and go online without fear of running out of power is extremely useful.
In case I need to travel or be outside:
I’m going to assume that society won’t collapse so I can just buy food and water if I need to. The utensils greatly increase the food options you can eat on the go without making a huge mess. The one bottle of water is enough to keep me going for maybe half a day, but more importantly it gives me a container that I can refill.
The bag I use has a compartment for a laptop. If I have 3 extra seconds I’ll be grabbing my phone, if I have 10 I’ll also grab my laptop and its charger.
Last but not least, I keep my backup drive in the bag so if I don’t get a chance to grab my computer and the whole house burns down at least I have a copy of all my data, including my photos and scans of important documents.
I don’t think it’s useful to bring a first aid kit, because you can do without for the small stuff and one that’s useful for big problems would be too big and heavy. Also, if I have a little more time I can always grab the extra stuff that the situation calls for, such as that first aid kit or more water/food.
Nope. If something happens to the DC concrete fortress I live is, we all have bigger problems.
Oh, and a set of spare keys of course.
I put together a backpack a few years ago, just in case. I seriously doubt it will have whatever it is I need most in an emergency but it will have some useful items.
3 days of food for 3 people.
About a gallon of water in bottles plus purification tablets, plus I know where to get water near my house.
Plastic sheeting and duct tape - solves 98% of all problems.
1 large first aid kit, the kind with a scalpel and scissors.
2 smaller first aid kits, the kind with a few bandages and ointments.
Hand crank radio.
1 battery power flashlight - extra batteries, 1 hand charging flashlight.
Lots of trash bags.
Lots of those little single plastic utensils packs from fast food places - fork/spoon/napkin.
Multitool
Dust masks
small pack of OTC medicine and toiletries
Candles/matches
Rope - can’t remember - maybe 50 feet?
I live near DC, so I’m assuming the whole place will be so gridlocked we will not be able to drive anywhere.
It would never occur to me to have such a thing at the ready all the time. Now, if a hurricane or a blizzard was headed this way, I’d do a reasonable amount of prep, but if something happened that required me to survive in the wild, I’d be pretty much screwed, regardless of having a bag packed.
I didn’t lay in supplies prior to Y2K either.
Nope. I always have a pocket 1st Aid Kit, Swiss Army Knife, lighter and LED lamp on me, though.
No. I’m not afraid of any zombies or any other apocalypse. Ain’t gonna happen.
Fear is the mindkiller.
I’ve been meaning to set up one of these, but living in the Twin Cities, the odds are minimal that I’m going to have to go someplace else in the event of a disaster. I’m much more likely to be stuck in my apartment without power than pretty much anything else, so plenty of warm clothes for winter is about it. If I have to head for the wild for more than a day or two, I’m screwed on account of being a diabetic, more than anything else.
I’ve got a backpack filled with some basic supplies in case of a major earthquake. Bottled water, rations, bandages, flashlight.
I do not have a bug out bag. It would only take a few minutes to grab our meds, toiletries, change of clothes, phones and chargers, etc. Grab some canned goods from the kitchen on the way out and we’re set.
If it’s something where taking a few minutes to do this makes a difference, we’re probably screwed anyway.
We do keep a blanket and spare coats in the trunk of our car, as well as some basic tools and a couple other things. It can get pretty cold, snowy, and icy here in the winter, and if the car breaks down, we’ll be at least somewhat warm while we wait for help.
If I was to travel an hour out and try to survive in the “wild”, I’d be living in someone’s cornfield. Or maybe their soy field depending on the season.
Yep. Quotes from old science fiction novels are all you need.
I carry a 24-hour bag aka manpurse with me. It’s a Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack. I have my meds, a couple protein bars, a bottle of water, multitool, phone, etc. Plenty of room for other stuff as well.
Bug out bags are a good idea. The apocalypse may never come, but more localized disasters definitely do. Having the stuff ready to unass the area and make the trip to where they still have cable TV and iced drinks isn’t so burdensome that anybody has a real excuse for not doing it.
I don’t have one, but I’ve been meaning to pack one. Not that I think zombies will attack (if so, I’m staying put and hiding in my basement), but if I need to get out quick (severe weather moving in, sudden trip to the hospital, etc.), I’d like to have it ready.
Even though I know what would basically go into it, it needs to be packed and ready. When there’s a crisis and decisions have to be made quickly, brains have a tendency to go on the fritz. I’ve had to make a sudden trip to the ER on more than one occasion and I have a tendency to think, “I need to put on shoes…which shoes should I wear?” It’s not a fashion statement question, it’s a “my brain is trying to process this emergency and is filled with questions like, Do I need to call 911? What’s the fastest way to the emergency room?” question. And in spite of all my shoes being right by the door in a hanging rack, I get tripped up (see what I did there?) with trying to figure out if I should wear flip flops, sneakers, or sandals.
So, having a bug out bag, with everything ready to grab and go, means it’s one less thing I’ll have to think about.
What’s just as important to me as getting that bug out bag set up, is getting more cat carriers. Right now, there are four cats and only two carriers. (And the cats are too damn big or fat to fit two cats into one carrier.) That doesn’t account for the three chickens, all of whom would be part of the “bugging out” process. (I could put all three of them into one cat carrier though…just not with the cats.)
Be wary of what websites that are associated with vendors of survival gear tell you that you must have in your bag. They want to sell you stuff. Including the bag itself.