Bug Out Bag Mistakes..You Might Have Made

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Yard Dart, Dec 13, 2013.


  1. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator


    10 Mistakes You Might Have Made with Your Bug Out Bag | Freedom Prepper
    I thought this would be good information for the Monkey's... food for thought.
    YD

     
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  2. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    I'm almost done working up a thread on how to integrate a modular form of BOB system to include EDC, GHB and BOBs that 'nest' so you aren't redundant in your procurement. The EDC is always with you, the GHB contains items that you might need in a 72 hour situation but utilizes the EDC contents. The BOB contains the items not carried in the EDC or GHB, etc. Makes a lot of sense to set things up this way.

    Of course, some redundancies on critical items are included.
     
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  3. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    Looking forward to that thread @melbo!!!
     
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  4. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    lol
    More like creating a thread out of the 'mini book' I'm creating for family and friends.
     
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  5. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    I have a EDC bag that routinely travels with me in my work truck which also contains a GHB. I find that I am redundant to some degree with the EDC, but that is okay as it supplements my GHB. If I have to hump it home, the more gear the better as long as the weight issue is mitigated.
     
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  6. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    I have a few backpacks, as many of us do. I once got in the habit of loading several up with just the basic items, but leaving out one or two key pieces. Then, I would grab one at random without knowing how it was set up and going on a hike or camping trip. It was interesting, I recall doing that twice. I always included a knife and some type of container to hold water as well as a fire making tool. Other than that, it was a grab bag. You know, to this day I don't care what bag I am packing, the first item I put in it is a tarp, the other is cordage. I know it would be easy enough to fashion a shelter in some areas, but it takes more energy and time, and it isn't as helpful to try and make twine out of rotting vines or tree roots that break off every three inches or grass and bark. Yup. Now, urban settings are different.

    I remember several mistakes, and I still make them.

    Chocolate doesn't keep well in a pack. Try it, lol. I imagine a vacuum sealed package of chocolate would last longer than a factory sealed bar in paper and foil. Ever use a water bottle inline filter? Best hang them out to dry rather than leave inside the container --mold is not a good tasting element. Forget the cheap little clicker LED lights, too. They won't work after a few years in storage, or even a full night of use after being in the pack for a few months (at least not with me). Ever use a titanium spork or other metal utensil? Yeah...put them in a container or wrap in something padded. Maybe a loose compartment will do, but make sure it isn't forced against the pack with weight. Mine wore a hole through a pack made of denier, that sucks. Don't leave your pack on the ground at night, either. Lots of little nasties like to creep and crawl into it. Hang it on a branch or bring along a tree stand spike. A little canister of food safe oil for your blade is a great idea, too. I now use fixi'n wax for everything I need. There's nothing like a rusted blade to make your camping trip turn sour. The wax is great on leather, too.
     
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  7. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    Very good insight Brokor...thank you for that. Many of us have had the same experience and it is good to pass on before others make the same mistakes!!!
     
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  8. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    I have bins of nylon gear that I thought was perfect until I took it out for testing. 4-5 bins full of mistakes.
    Maybe I should pull all this stuff out and take pictures for this mistakes thread?
     
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2013
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  9. Tevin

    Tevin Monkey+++

    A lot of what might be considered a "mistake" depends on a few factors:

    • Where are you bugging out to, and how far away is it?
    • What resources (if any) are already at your bug out location?
    • What is the general nature of your area (city, mountains, suburban, etc)?
    • Who besides yourself is the bag intended to support?
    What might be essential in one situation may be just needless "tacticool" gear in another. For example: You live in a suburban area that you are very familiar with and has plenty of landmarks. Do you really need a compass and a topographic map? Mistakes can be classified into categories:

    • Disproportionate amounts of equipment. Example: Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of rounds of ammo but only one canteen of water. "Over-arming" is a popular mistake with preppers.
    • Equipment that requires accessories/extras to operate, and then skimping on the accessories. Example: Bringing a flashlight and a radio but no (or very few) batteries or charger.
    • Items that do not have a defined, known reason for being in your bag, but are included for fuzzy "just in case" purposes. Example: Duct tape, because, well, it might come in handy for something. Using this line of thinking, one could rationalize almost anything...and they usually do.
    • Items that have no valid reason for being there and are brought along solely because they are a personal favorite. This is a variation on the preceding point. Example: Yeah, you know you don't have room for/not sure you'll need that SOG hatchet. But dammit, you nagged your old lady for weeks to let you get it and it's super awesome-cool so it's going no matter what.
    • Poor substitutions/settling for something less than what you know you need. Example: A sleeping bag that isn't a good match for your purposes but since it was on sale you went for it anyway.
    • Assuming some must-haves can be shared between several people. Example: Flashlights, small personal first aid kits, pocket knife. There are certain basics that everyone in your group should have their own copy of. Do you really want to play "pass the flashlight" in a SHTF situation?
    I'm sure there are many more. Most preppers make a list of what they want in a BOB and then go about collecting the stuff without much thought as to why they need it and how it fits into the big picture. I like to make a list, and then look for excuses to cross things off the list. It should not be easy for an item to earn a spot in a bug out bag.
     
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  10. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    +1
     
  11. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    +2 from the far North
     
  12. Pax Mentis

    Pax Mentis Philosopher King |RIP 11-4-2017

    I have to say that this is opinion…and a good part of it is opinion with which I disagree (at least in the examples you use)…my most strenuous disagreements:

    Between two weapons I have over 200 rds of ammo I have 2 empty canteens and 2 filters, but only a litre bottle of water actually filled. In my area water is plentiful but I might be out in a hostile environment for 20-30 miles getting home with 2 and 4 legged predators.
    Again, I agree somewhat in concept, but your example is something that has proven itself to me to have a large number of uses and is both light and compact. I would no sooner leave out duct tape than 550 cord.
     
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  13. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

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  14. ExHelot

    ExHelot Monkey

    That's great. I've been thinking about just how to do that without making too much gear redundant. I'm also concerned about a situation in which i may have to ditch a heavy pack while on the move and not have to sit and sort for a lighter yet still functional kit that will enable me to move faster.
    I've been considering the USMC ILBE system. It's modular and may fit the bill.
     
    Last edited: Dec 25, 2013
  15. ExHelot

    ExHelot Monkey


    I've written a booklet for my Grandchildren titled "Grandpa's Tips for Easy Woodsrunnin' " It covers woodcraft and has sections on getting found (I wanted it to be useful in case they got lost while hiking with Dad or Scouts) The sections on evasion are written on the basis of "Zombie Wars" so it is politically sanitized yet useful for the intended purpose. I'm afraid that only one of my eight children are really interested in prepping to any degree so I'm the ant putting away for up to 34 grasshoppers (if all my progeny and their spouses/children can get here.)
    Any chance of you sharing your mini book here at SM?
     
    Last edited: Dec 25, 2013
  16. ExHelot

    ExHelot Monkey

     
    Last edited: Dec 25, 2013
  17. ditch witch

    ditch witch I do stupid crap, so you don't have to

    A while back I scanned copies of our IDs (DL, Passports, CHL, SS), along with car titles, house deed, bank account info, certifications and licensing, all prescriptions, etc. All of the information was then transferred to flash drives. Each BOB has a drive in it, as does each vehicle, and my BOB has a small netbook with a solar charger. Having observed local LEO during wildfire evacs, it seemed a good idea to be able to back up any claims to ID or physical property on hand at all times. We have 48 hour get out of Dodge kits that include paper copies, but as far as the ohchit bags, the flash drive seemed the easiest way to bring along documentations without taking up a ton of space.
     
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  18. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    220px-Conestoga_Wagon_1883.
    With all the stuff some folks want to take, most BOBs would look like...



    Musette_M1936-300x300.
    Some folks think they have skills, and all they need is this.....


    SDC10574.
    The rest of us are left with something like this...


    yukonstart.
    yukon7.
    yukon2.
    Or something even more basic. Bu what could go wrong?
     
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  19. ditch witch

    ditch witch I do stupid crap, so you don't have to

    Is... is that... water? Like, wild water? Wow. That stuff went extinct in my neck of the woods a long time ago.

     
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  20. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    sorry to disabuse, but that is really tame water. you can see, it is fully contained, and can not run. More like a water petting zoo. ;)
     
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