1 MEET BOB—THE BUG OUT BAG
DISASTERS CAN DELIVER some of the harshest survival scenarios on the planet. They are sudden and chaotic. They make otherwise very normal tasks incredibly complicated and dangerous. Disasters are life–and-death situations.
Assembling a Bug Out Bag (BOB) capable of contending with these unpredictable and unforgiving survival environments can be an overwhelming task—especially if you have no formal survival or preparedness training. Before you start to build your own kit, let me outline some important basic concepts you need to understand about a BOB to give you a clear understanding of exactly what to expect in this process and dispel any misguided expectations you might already have. In my training courses at Willow Haven Outdoor, I call this part “Getting to know BOB the Bug Out Bag.”
The purpose of a Bug Out Bag is very simple—to provide you with basic survival needs. In reality, however, this is easier said than done. Just building or buying a BOB will not save your life. You have to understand how to use the contents of your BOB to maximize its true life-saving potential. Disasters do not create ideal survival environments. If survival were easy and fun, it would be called camping. Providing yourself with basic survival needs in perfect conditions can be challenging. Add a horrific, chaotic disaster to the mix and there is no doubt you will need to intimately understand how to use your BOB as a tool and resource. This comes only from experience and practice. The bottom line about your relationship with BOB: You will get out of it what you put into it.
Often, the Bug Out Bag is over simplified by people I call “sofa survivalists.” These are people who dole out survival advice and instruction but have little to no hands-on field experience. The closest they come to fire by friction is the heat generated in the wheel of their computer mouse. Beware of over simplified Bug Out survival advice.
BOB and Its Many Facets
Like any worthwhile relationship, BOB will require a certain degree of commitment in order for things to work out. He is not a one-night stand. Plan on spending some time building your Bug Out Bag. It will take time to source and assemble the contents of your kit. Learning how to use the survival tools will also require an investment of time and energy. BOB wants and needs quality time.
BOB Requires Some Time
Also, don’t plan on taking BOB to a cheap burger joint and expect him to save your life for the unforgettable experience.
BOB Costs Some Money
Building a proper BOB that you can depend on in an emergency is going to cost some money. Many of the individual components are economical, but combined, it all adds up. Plan to spend a few hundred bucks. This, of course, will vary depending on how many items you already have on hand. I don’t suggest cutting corners when it comes to procuring supplies that you will use to save the lives of you and your family. In my experience you get what you pay for. Your BOB is an investment in your future.
All long-term relationships evolve as your life circumstances change, and this evolution can take effort. Your relationship with BOB needs to evolve as well. Expect to update your Bug Out Bag when you update your life. For example, if you are now single and get married, then you will need to update your 72-hour kit accordingly or add a second kit. Or, if you have a new addition to the family, such as a child, there will be new considerations for your Bug Out Bag. If your job relocates you from Northern Maine to Southern California, the clothing in your BOB will change. You get the point.
Your Bug Out Bag will also require a little maintenance. I recommend a biannual review, which I will discuss later.
I carry the following insurance policies:
The last policy listed, my S#!t Hits The Fan Policy, is my trusted buddy BOB. It’s easy not to prepare for the “what-ifs” in life. You aren’t required to buy a SHTF Policy, and your employer probably isn’t going to help with your premium. Regardless, you should have a Bug Out Bag in place. Life insurance is paid when you die. Look at BOB as a “don’t die” policy for you and your family. What could be more important than this insurance? You really can’t put a price on peace of mind.
Spending time with BOB can be fun and rewarding for the whole family. Building a Bug Out Bag is so much more than just filling a backpack with supplies and tossing it on a shelf. Knowing how to use the tools and kits in your Bug Out Bag effectively takes practice. “Practicing” is the best part of the build.
BOB presents so many learning opportunities for adults and children. Learning how to use tools to provide yourself and others with basic survival needs is challenging and encourages creativity, problem solving, teamwork, patience, self-sufficiency, and determination. Everyone can benefit from the lifelong character-building lessons that can come from assembling your own Bug Out Bag. Think of the sense of accomplishment and peace of mind you’ll find as you learn new skills.
Now that you have a broader mental scope of the project, let’s look at the four key physical attributes to a well-contrived Bug Out Bag.
Your BOB should be designed to sustain you and your family for 72 hours. You should be able to reach a safe destination with access to supplies within a 72-hour time frame. In the right hands, a BOB as described in this book will provide the necessary resources to survive much longer than 72 hours.
In an ideal situation, if Bugging Out is your only option, you will want the luxury of traveling by vehicle. We have to assume, though, that this is not a guarantee. Some events that might render vehicle travel impossible are:
Consequently, you (and your family) need to be prepared to travel by foot. For this reason, your BOB needs to be manageable and comfortable. It needs to be sized appropriately for your build. Its total weight needs to fall within a range that allows you to carry it for extended periods of time—hours and even days. The style, size, and weight of a BOB will vary from person to person depending on personal preferences, build, and fitness level.
Bugging Out on Foot
Your BOB needs to be prepared in advance and stored for swift deployment at a moment’s notice. Disasters are merciless, and your ability to react and evacuate in an instant is critical. With that said, do not advertise your BOB to visitors in your home. As I said, your BOB is an investment. You likely keep your valuables in a safe in your home to protect them from burglars. Take the same precautions to protect your BOB from theft.
Urban Camouflaged BOB
A BOB should be stored in a place that is out-of-sight, but not out-of-mind. It needs to be hidden but easily accessible. I camouflage my BOB on a shelf leading out my back door. To the average person it looks like a pile of towels and some cleaning supplies. In reality, it is one of the most critical resources in my entire home. I call this urban camouflage.
Every Bug Out Bag should be different because they are designed for and by unique individuals. Your Bug Out Bag should be a reflection of your particular tastes, needs, and requirements. Do not buy a premade BOB. Premade kits are designed to provide the most “stuff” for the least “cost” to make the highest profit margin for the company selling it. This is not an equation on which I’d like to stake my life. Premade kits are also generic and lack many elements that should be tailored to you and your environment. A premade kit is better than no kit at all, but you are truly robbing yourself of the knowledge gained from designing and building your own custom kit.
Building a Bug Out Bag is not a “matter-of-fact” process. It is subjective and allows for a certain amount of creative freedom and personal expression. There are no definitively right or wrong answers. This book defines how I build my kit. You may have different solutions to solve similar problems. And there are other tools and gear that I have not listed that you may prefer to use. This is completely acceptable and expected. As my mom always says, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Every time I teach a Bug Out Workshop, I learn from my students, and I love that. I will present the facts about basic survival needs as well as my ideas about solutions to provide those basic needs. If you build your kit exactly as I do, then you are missing a key point of this project. This is your kit.
Building a BOB is not a one-day project. It’s not even a weekend project. Preparing for a Bug Out is a mindset and a way of life. In life, nothing worth having comes easy, and the same is true for a top-notch Bug Out Bag. When your kit is finished, you should feel confident in the items you have chosen and in your ability to use those items to save the lives of you and your loved ones in the event of an emergency disaster evacuation—a real life Bug Out.