Another Bug Out Bag - Discussion Thread - 2014

ANOTHER BUG OUT BAG DISCUSSION THREAD - 2014

There are numerous research materials on the topic of bugging out. And before you call me out on it, to answer your question I did use the GLP search function and read up on a few previously posted threads. Not to suggest I will necessarily bring anything ‘new’ to the table. But at the same time I wanted to post a new thread on this forum for discussion this fine and very fucking cold evening.

Let me get this out of the way, right out the gate. If your plan is to make statements like ‘you cant eat silver’ or ‘you cant fight a drone’ or the ‘zombie mob will own you’ or whatever the reason that makes you a troll. This post is not intended for you. I will not reply to the bullshit games you play whether you’re a robot or just a fucking bored loser with low IQ who cannot think for themselves, so you mock those who are expressing their thoughts for your own amusement. This post is intended for those who are of like mind, so you can go fuck yourself. K? Cheers Mate : - )

So shall we begin ?

Most preppers will eventually come to a point after some time where their level of preparedness is based on the most likely to occur scenarios for where they live, breathe, eat, sleep and shit. Which if you have not figured this out by now, is Mother Earth herself who cannot be tamed. Although mankind has been determined to have the upper hand. And the moment when they think that have won category 5 tornados, out of control forest fire, and once in a century hurricanes pop up for a little dose of reality. Lets not also forget, mother nature in the realm of biological diversity and mutation can also send a very strong message ones ego in the form of an out of control and lethal bacterial or viral infection.

Other potential scenarios are man made in nature such as recent train derailments, fukushima, chemical spills, localized civil unrest and the new comer ‘shelter in place.’

On the topic of that last one, shelter in place - that is where having decent ‘bug in’ preps will also come in handy. Not to suggest that just because a ‘shelter in place’ order has been given requires one to obey – but at the same time have you seen the itchy trigger fingers of this militarized law enforcement lately. Just sayin’

This list of possible scenarios causing one to bug out in the realm of man can go on for hours. And given the attention span of most, I have already imposed with this introduction.

Let me state this as well: The primary function of my emergency preparedness system is to sustain life and render aid.

So you have made a bug out bag, studied, researched, purchased products that turned out to be shit leading to ‘upgrades’ which who are we kidding, that is half the fun of preparing our emergency bags. Tweaking, reorganizing, swapping out for lighter, eliminating entirely, these are all things the OCD Prepper does. Sometimes daily or weekly, or even continuously in their minds.

I personally think I have a decent hand on where I am at with regard to my emergency bag <by the way for me, it is less of a single ‘bag’ and more a ‘system’ of which I am dedicated to as a lifestyle choice>. From EDC, to light duty essentials, to what I call the truck bag which most refer to as a Get Out of Dodge [GOOD], Bug Out Bag [BOB] and my personal favorite I’m Never Coming Home [INCH] bag. And while I tend to LOL at the INCH acronym, if you happened to survive the tsunami itself, disasters like Fuku made that concept a reality for some.

And yes I have my own little apocalyptic hoard of Food, Water, Ammo, etc for a potential ‘Bug In’ scenario – but as mentioned previously sometimes Mother Earth or Big Brother may impose their will upon you. These preps may mean shit at the end of the day.

I have been at it for some time, crafting my emergency preparedness bag/system. It is always in a status of revision and I am still short a few items. Shelter for me has always ended up as a tarp with essentials for maintaining body heat such as effective layering and some space blankets / ponchos. Additionally my minds eye tends to think there would be materials around in any environment form urban to deep in the woods that I could use with a little elbow grease and put together something that is better than plastic poles wrapped in plastic. That being said, I think I am going to bite the bullet and get a light duty two man tent here very soon that I can add to the system. As once the weather breaks here in the northern hemisphere I am going to go for less screen time and more horizon time if you feel me.

One thing I cannot stress enough when you are developing your emergency survival system is ‘WEIGHT.’ You might be able to pack slightly, and I do mean slightly, heavier than is comfortable, because unless you are a trained soldier who is used to humping it from sun up to sun down with 80 LBS of gear on your person. It is going to be more of a burden.

If an emergency situation that forces you on FOOT? use your head. Ounces lead to pounds and no matter what the situation is that has forced you to take such measures I have a gut feeling mobility and speed will be your friend.

So I thought I would share some of my conclusions on the emergency preparedness system.

But before I do, I want to make the statement. Being prepared is a lifestyle, it is every day, all the time. There are plenty of folks that get a pass on their ‘LIFESTYLES’ in today’s modern politically correct society. I suggest we ‘preppers’ start using this to our own advantage and rather than being referred to as a Tin Foil Hat Conspiracy Doomsday Prepper. We might look to stating our rationale, as this is a lifestyle choice. And oh by the way, this lifestyle choice could be the one that saves your mocking judgemental life because we had the necessary supplies, gear, and knowledge accessible when it was needed most.

Recommendations from my experience and current knowledge.

How do I eliminate the weight?
One option is by converting your labor into money and money into lighter materials which generally speaking may be more expensive. Another option is to eliminate the item entirely. But before you go exploring the ‘ultra-light-backpacking world’ understand that many of those people are hiking trails and taking in the sights. That is far different than and emergency situation. That is not to say you cannot learn from them and deploy some of those concepts in your system. But understand the purpose for taking the time to craft your emergency preparedness system.

As mentioned I think of my emergency gear as a system. Which means there may be multiple components involved which none by themselves can stand alone but together stand as one.

Optional Gear Selection:
Tacticle Vests or something analogous to, maybe even something you craft yourself with a little elbow grease. These can be a great option to lighten the load of the contents that reside in your bag and allow you to have much of your utility ready at hand. Might I suggest also a coat that can go over top, you may not want to look too militant if you catch my drift. At the same time you don’t want to become a mark or a target as the pussy either….somewhere in the middle is where you want to be. However, a vest can allow you to transfer or distribute some of the weight.

Another piece of wisdom or gem from my perspective (this is all opinion, before you get your panties in a bunch) is you see a lot of noobs who love to flaunt their weapons system in a bug out situation. They have long guns, pistols, extra magazines, and ammo. I am going to let you in on a secret. At the end of the day you’re just the average John or Jane Q Public. Don’t obsess in this category. One of my favorites for the long gun is something like the takedown 22, however unless you have ammo already for this, save your money and just pick up an M4 if a long gun is a must for you (likely to be more reliable anyways as rim fire can be a bit hit or miss at times and center fire just gets it done). Personally, I rock out just a side arm as part of my system with an extra mag loaded and depending on your caliber ‘maybe’ a single box of cartridges. Not going to be able to handle the mob. But my goal is not to engage. I focus my skills on evasion. And lets face it. Guns are heavy. That space and weight could be used for something that will help us in an emergency such as a method to create potable water.

Another note with regard to a firearm, while it is still legal for law-abiding taxpayers to possess – become proficient at it. All the ammo and the most expensive high quality firearm doesn’t mean shit if you can hit your mark. I am by no means an expert. But my particular choice of side arm has had plenty of man-hours behind it.

One thing that is commonly missed from my perspective is money. CA$H MONEY, as much as you can afford to tuck away, not all of your savings, but more than 50 bucks. 50 bucks may due for short term but what if you had 1000 bucks tucked away or 5000 bucks tucked away in your system, while unlikely for most it truly could be an INCH scenario or one in which what you return to there is nothing left. Now theft is a potential problem, so maybe the bag which is in your vehicle you only allocated 500 dollars towards but this system I speak of could include your home/property such that all of your money is not tied up in the ever more fiat world of electrons at the bank…you feel me. LIFESTYLE, every day, all the time.

Finally, organize your system and keep it handy everyday.