5-bag survival kit system: grab and go bag, EDC, GHB, BOB, never-coming-home bag

What do you guys think of this 5-bag survival kit system?
Emergency Kit & Survival Bags

I added some items, let me know if I missed anything
(I have hiked all day several times with a 25lb backpack, I can add some more ,
however I have never been camping and everywhere I would need to go is at most an all-day hike away)

Starting with the smallest, each survival kit can fit into a subsequent larger kit.
Not everything listed here may be necessary or possible to include. I do not have all of these.

1) The grab-and-go-bag or WUSH bag (wake up, stuff's happening), can go into the GHB or BOB;
2) The everyday carry or EDC;
3) The get home bag or GHB;
4) The bug out bag or BOB;
5) The I'm never coming home bag or INCH

1) The grab-and-go bag or WUSH bag (Wake Up, Stuff's Happening):
to get out quickly in home emergencies like fires or floods, stays in the bedroom.
Should fit in a regular backpack.
Can fit into your GHB or BOB.
Contents:
-your EDC, BOB, or GHB from your vehicle if possible;
-waterproof and/or fireproof bags;
-your wallet and all of its contents (cash, cards, ID, personal USB);
-your keys;
-watch;
-copies of all keys that you need;
-cell phone and charger;
-old dumb phone backup and charger;
-USB cable;
-multi-port USB wall charger;
-USB power bank/backup battery, possibly solar, for multiple devices;
-extra cash;
-medications;
-extra glasses;
-flashlight;
-extra batteries, preferably long-lasting & rechargeable like Eneloop;
-small soft first aid kit?
-if you have them, some gold & silver coins?
-USB DRIVE WITH DIGITAL COPIES OF IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS;
-PAPER COPIES OF DOCUMENTS IN A WATERPROOF BAG;
-drivers license, passport, insurance info, house deed, bank, credit cards, marriage;
-phone numbers, passwords;
-if you have them, bitcoin hard wallets, steel backup, book with pass phrase

2) EDC or Everyday Carry:
what you carry with you every day on your person,
including in a purse, crossbody, laptop case or regular backpack if applicable to you.
Can fit into your WUSH, GHB or BOB.
If you commute with public transportation,
the EDC here also includes a small GHB survival kit. Otherwise your GHB is in your vehicle.
Contents:
-your wallet and all of its contents (cash, cards, ID, personal USB);
-your keys;
-watch;
-cell phone and charger;
-Swiss Army knife or other multitool;
-EDC pocket organiser?
-concealed firearm and ammo if legal*;
-concealed blades and other weapons like collapsible batons, stun guns or sprays if legal*;
-concealed everyday items that are not considered weapons but can be used as such;
-for example maglite, police/tactical flashlight, very small knife or sharp scissors, tactical pen;
-long narrow metal water bottle can be a weapon too, so can a retractable car antenna
-anything else important that you carry with you every day

2.5) EDC/mini-GHB for those who use public transport (otherwise this goes in the GHB):
Can fit in a crossbody or regular backpack. As small, common and discreet as possible.
Includes items to survive and draw attention, as well as to evade.
In addition to your EDC.
Can fit into your BOB.
Contents:
-survival knife or diving knife (with a serrated part) if legal*;
-wallet survival tool;
-extra water in an extra water bottle with a wide enough mouth for water purification;
-water spigot key/sillcock key;
-manual water purifier and/or purification tablets;
-old dumb phone backup and charger;
-flashlight (preferably tactical) and extra batteries;
-H2Only water-powered flashlight;
-red light flashlight and extra batteries;
-compass;
-map;
-whistle on a necklace;
-carabiners;
-waterproof LED light;
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C3ZCNFU/?tag=survivalmonke-20
-lighter;
-small mirror for signaling;
-waterproof bags or dry sacks;
-rainproof poncho, easily foldable;
-rainproof notepad and pens;
-USB cable;
-multi-port USB wall charger;
-USB power bank/backup battery, possibly solar;
-extra cash;
-medications;
-extra glasses;
-soft first aid kit, maybe trauma kit as well;
-sanitary wipes;
-hand sanitizer;
-Lava heavy-duty hand cleaner?
-gloves;
-earplugs;
-rags;
-extra socks;
-soft foldable hat for sun protection, ideally a boonie;
-a lightweight hoodie;
-face masks;
-extra clothes/an extra outfit to change into (including extra lightweight hoodie, different colour)
-extra boots/shoes if possible;
-toilet paper (half a roll or less) if possible;
-some high-calorie food that doesn't spoil, like candy bars, fiber bars, protein bars;
-Pibella or something similar/improvised if you are female, so that you can pee standing up;
-feminine hygiene products if you are female;
-OPTIONAL: sunscreen, sunglasses, lip balm;
-OPTIONAL: reflective vest, cyalume or other light sticks;
-OPTIONAL: potassium iodide tablets, respirator or gas mask;
-OPTIONAL (what I have heard): sewing kit, safety pins, paper clips, rubber bands, spork/Eat N tool,
34 feet of tarred braided nylon twine
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K02HGVE/?tag=survivalmonke-20
-if you have them, bitcoin hard wallets, steel backup, book with pass phrase

3) GHB or Get Home Bag:
For getting home within 24+ hours (hopefully you are less than 24 hours' walk from your home)
A backpack (ideally discreet) that goes in your vehicle.
Can fit into your BOB.
-Contains everything above except for the WUSH/grab-bag, and more below:
-a lightweight rifle with a folding stock, optics and enough ammo, hidden in your vehicle;
-or maybe a relatively small light 223 or 308 DMR if you are in a rural area;
-or an SBR or AK pistol or AR pistol with enough ammo, for close-range encounters;
-and/or maybe a shotgun if you prefer with enough ammo, useful for drones, choose wisely;
-also a larger pistol if your EDC is too small and can become a backup gun;
-body armour, fits easily in the vehicle, good for carrying spare mags & supplies;
-or a bamboo walking stick if firearms are illegal;
-bolt cutters and maybe a lockpick kit;
-survival blanket or woobie;
-waterproof matches, various fire-starting tools/kits;
-dry sacks;
-ziplock bags;
-1-person tent or a lightweight camping tarp with poles;
-maybe another tarp as a sleeping surface;
-toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant;
-toilet paper;
-solar battery charger, possibly including solar and hand-crank flashlight;
-H2Only water-powered flashlight;
-Petzl Tikka or Fenix rechargeable headlamp or similar;
-work gloves;
-ham radio or other 2-way radio;
https://hamradioprep.com/ham-radio-range/
-emergency bivvy?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WXX0JS/?tag=survivalmonke-20
-100 ft of nylon 550 paracord?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00664KXGA/?tag=survivalmonke-20
-PPE kit for pandemics or nuclear if you are really hardcore???
Prepare For Pandemic - Supplies & Checklist Guide

Not sure where to put this,
IF you want to avoid facial recognition systems and their infrared sensors (IF this matters to you):
-small weak welding glasses, that you can actually see through, that look like sunglasses that you can wear in public,
i.e. Refrectacles or other anti-infrared glasses;
-anti-infrared clothing or thermal camo or possibly adversarial clothing IF this matters to you

4) BOB or Bug Out Bag if applicable to you (if you are not bugging in):
For getting to a safe location within a few days if forced to abandon your home.
(I don't have any experience with this, I have never been camping,
every place that I would need to go is within a 1-day walk)
A larger backpack.
Contains everything above including the WUSH/grab-bag, and more below:
-water filter bottle such as Lifesaver to save some effort (in addition to manual water filtration);
-plenty of dried food/MREs that do not spoil;
-bowl and spork;
-folding saw;
-or an Old Timer knife or similar knife with a holster of interchangeable blades;
-clothes clips for drying clothes;
-fingernail clippers (multiple pairs for INCH bag);
-alcohol wipes;
-paper tape to apply and reapply to the feet when walking a LOT to prevent blisters;
-sock liners to wear inside thick socks?
-insoles or blister prevention patches to add to the shoes?

5) INCH or I'm Never Coming Home bag:
To live out of, if your home is destroyed or you cannot return to it.
A camping rucksack or military rucksack.
Contains everything above including the WUSH/grab-bag, and everything below:
-sleeping bag;
-thin rolled-up sleeping pad;
-1-person tent;
-towels;
-good metal razor(s) for shaving if needed;
-grooming kit with multiple tweezers, scissors, etc
-baking soda;
-hunting knife;
-fishing kit;
-machete or axe;
-sharpening puck;
-entrenching tool;
-small soft tool box with everything;
-small solar-powered lantern;
-small soft portable foldable solar panel;
-kit(s) of essential medications and antibiotics from The Wellness Company;
-body soap if needed;
-powder or some liquid soap for laundry if needed;
-other items, how much can you carry?
INCH Bag Survival Gear Guide

 

Every bag I have seen has too much in it. Even my own until I trimmed it down. If I'm bugging out I would load up the truck. My GHB is my most important and everything but a jacket would fit in my pockets and waistband but is in a small backpack just to keep it in one place. Do the "get home from work" on foot to see what you really need and more importantly are willing to carry. Have someone call and wake you up in the middle of the night and test the WUSH bag.
As far as an INCH bag, that would be the same as my bugout plan, which involves going to a friends farm with my crap in the truck. It would be a day and a half walk with nothing, probably 5 days if I were trying to carry all the gear people suggest.

Your INCH bag has no food listed. Do you plan to carry the BOB and the INCH?
If the scenario is anything like the novels people read, someone is gonna want that big 'ol bag you're carrying.

Just like shooting or playing the fiddle, this endeavor takes practice. Like, why carry a shovel in TEOTWAWKI, probably only have to look in someones backyard shed for one.

Not trying to be critical, trying to make you think. Outdoor survival will not be comfortable no matter how much you carry. Speed and mobility will keep you safer than a rifle 99.44% of the time. Cooking will attract two legged animals. A tent will destroy your situational awareness. You will sleep little and with one eye open, every sound will grab your attention, and you will be totally spent after the first day of moving while keeping your head on a swivel.

Add pepper spray for wild animals and a sillcock key for getting water.

 

anyone who bugs becomes a refugee... and a prime target.

Change your life, MOVE... so your AO is your BOL.

 

im old. i cant carry much. my bug out bags have turned into bugout vehicles, van has nice amenity's i could make it a long time with it. the atv would be survival mode but less pleasant winter would be tough. the bike would be short term. my best bet would be some place i can banzai the van to away from,,,,, everything. like any bugout plan,
location,location,location.

 

Thank you for your reply!
Yes, the INCH bag includes the smaller BOB, GHB and WUSH bags and EDC.
So the INCH bag includes a sillcock key, food and pepper spray.

The INCH bag is a military or camping rucksack, I have never had one before.
(The website recommends a bag with wheels, seems excessive to me.)

The BOB is a larger backpack if a hike of more than 1 day is required,
or is the same as the GHB (a small normal backpack) is a hike of only 1 day is required.
The GHB and WUSH are small normal backpacks. The WUSH is mostly empty.

The BOB includes the smaller GHB and WUSH bags and EDC.
The GHB includes the EDC.
The WUSH stands alone but ideally includes the EDC, and ideally the GHB and BOB can be grabbed from the vehicle.

I would never use an INCH bag personally because most of my property is indestructible (concrete, high enough elevation),
other than from bombs, nukes or meteorites obviously.

Also I am a professional real estate investor,
so most likely I personally would be bugging in, or trying to reach home, or bugging out to another nearby property.
Any evacuation from home would be for some truly severe manmade emergencies, and would be likely temporary.

The INCH bag seems to be for people who are homeless/refugees in the countryside,
for indefinite or extended periods, without anywhere in particular to go,
but otherwise seems excessive to me according to the website (includes a folding chair and table, LOL, who carries that?!)
The INCH bag seems to try to make life as comfortable as possible for homeless people/refugees in the countryside,
but yes I would not include a 1-person tent or sleeping bag,
unless it is not so dangerous, or am trained and able to pack them away quickly.
In a more dangerous situation I would try to carry as little as possible and look like a typical hobo.

Cooking is for the countryside when food rations run out, I imagine after a few days or however much you can carry easily.
You would need some fishing, hunting or trapping skills.
I'm not exactly sure what the small plastic entrenching tool is for,
but it seems like a decent idea when homeless in nature?
For digging for water or trapping or other miscellaneous digging?

 

I have never tried to pack a multiday BOB or long-term INCH bag before,

but I do pack the GHB or 1-day BOB and WUSH bags.

The GHB or 1-day BOB is a regular backpack, I like school backpacks or similar that do not attract attention.
Not including water, firearms, ammunition, not including the EDC on my person, not including food, gas mask or other ppe,
my GHB or 1-day BOB is a school backpack that weighs around 10 lbs.
The empty backpack itself weighs 1-2 lbs.
And an additional 2 lbs for extra sneakers or boots (4-8 lbs for rubber boots).
And an additional 2 lbs for extra (probably unnecessary) material,
such as a larger water filter, larger soft first aid kit,
or 2-way radio for communicating with home base (there is someone at home).
And an additional few lbs for a soft-sided trauma kit? Never carried it before, but some friends have.

The WUSH bag is another regular backpack (fireproof ideally) with some waterproof bags inside,
but its volume is mostly empty and can easily be dumped into the GHB or 1-day BOB.

 

The list for GHB seems like it would weigh more than 10 lbs. Maria you seem to write like AI.

 

I don't pack everything on the list, and most are small items.

Again, I said NOT including water, firearms & ammunition when estimating GHB weight,
because those amounts can vary widely.
About 10 pounds confirmed for everything else + 2lbs or more for extra footwear.
NOT including the EDC or extra supplies carried on the body either.
The empty backpack itself weighs an additional 1-2lbs.

No, I wrote everything myself and edit mistakes often. Did you use an AI detector?

And I'm not American, I write differently than I speak and I don't have that American colloquial way of speaking.

 

a BOB by definition is a ready bag of items to assist during the Bug Out to your fully stocked & ready to use Bug Out Location >>>

going to be totally different for everyone >>> if you're prepping correctly - should be able to drive to your BOL in a couple hours .....

the so-called BOB versions for some Jeremiah Johnson bug out plan living in the woods and living off the land are just plain stupid .....

INCH bag - stupid beyond comprehension - planning to never come back to your home - people like that are the crack pot lunies that plan on torching their apartment on the way out .....

 

I won't be bugging out unless forced to do so but that list seems does very complete. However, I do keep a bugout bag, and I think I will compare its contents to this list and add and subtract but not sure I would go with a 5-bag system though. It is an interesting idea though and you can't argue with its logic.

 

Most of the bug-out bags I have owned usually did not weigh more than 10 lbs. I have a large duffel bag BOB which is probably more like 30 lbs. but is more of a vehicle bag, certainly not one I could lug for miles due its clumsiness and weight. For years, I used the large ALICE pack for what Maria calls the INCH bag. Later I acquired the newer CFP-90 rucksack with the attached Patrol Pack for that purpose. I cannot at my age hump something like that over the mountains and live like Rambo or Jeremiah Johnson. I will not make it long as a refugee. A survival book I read once said to NEVER become a refugee. The Bug-In idea is probably best for me. Relocating away from big cities if you are able to do so is your best bet in an at best imperfect situation.

 

IMHO.. "buggin out" success is largely dependent on 2 things. Population Density and availability of resources.

Population Density
If you live in a place that is literally "people everywhere"... there is ZERO place you can bug out to that won't likely already have someone there. Look at these population density maps.

Europe


USA


Bugging out in Europe seems a stretch... while in the US there are vast areas (mostly desert) that are empty.


Resource Availability
This is the one that kills the whole idea... because the more remote, less populated the area, the higher likelihood there will be fewer resources... and the simply truth is, you cannot carry enough food to get through a month... much less a season, or a year. So one will need resources, food, water, etc.

It literally is an inverse relationship..

 

i have a "go bag" for hunting big game skinning knives, knife sharpener, big game bags,heavy 30 gl trash bags nitrile gloves, citric acid in powder form, a spray bottle with water to constitute it, bug head net, bug spray 2 tarps, 50' 1/4" rope.

small game bag 10/22 take-down, spare mags/ammo, sdn6 suppressor, bread bags (for grouse/bunnies),1 mre, water bottle, bug head net, polorised sunglasses, light gloves, bug spray,

fishing bag spare snag hooks, steel leaders with plastic tube, polorised sun glasses, fish bonker, 13gl trash bags, head net, water bottle, power bars, fillet knives, chain mail glove, bug spray.
this is what i have sitting here ready to go. the other goodies are edc on me already.

 

i like the ak map,,, but. 2% of the land is private and 90% live there. having said that take right just about any where and you can get away through the bush. 1hr ride on a jetski can put you in really good spots. most of the road system you can drive to is heavily used. resources are seasonal.

 

Kissmybrass.... I hear ya!

Food for thought.. In a event where most become refugees, property lines likely vanish.. so in the lower 48, where the pop is dense.. it's gonna be a shit-show.

In 2022, there were 14.4 million hunters aged 16 years and older across the whole USA. That's 4.21% of the US population....

What this illustrates is that those (like you) who possess hunting skills AND live in an area of low pop density will likely have an exponentially higher long term survival ability. As you said.. "location, location, location", and in AK... its a whole 'nother universe. You are the exception to the norm.

 

KMB, do you think you could survive on the fish and game within an hour or two of your location for 1-3 months? I'm curious how dense the game is there. We get deer and some elk down here in North Idaho but there is more people than one would think, not sure what we have would last long. But, wondering, given your lower population density and more abundent fish and game if you think it would be enough to carry you through, even with your neighbors hunting also. Just curious...

 

i do think about that. if you snare grouse,ptarmigan and bunnies .if you know where the active bear dens are or where the moose winter ,,, and laws no longer mattered maybe. if shtf in july and you smoked a bunch of fish and got a moose sure. one 6' 200lb bear yields 20lb of meat. its alot of work. id have alot more fur and meat if i ignored the law but i don't. someone did a proxy dip-net for me this year and i got 20 reds of a 25 limit. i got on a moose hunt this year too. it can be done if the law breaks down and you know how to trap/snare. and you are in good enough shape. but it would be a full time job cutting wood and hunting. the fats are a problem. a 5gl bucket of coconut oil goes a long way but you would need butter and bacon, fish oil to. and rice&beans. i could do 6 months to a year easy with what i have. i guess it depends on how prepared you are. id probably freeze before i starved in a grid down. its a group effort thing. im a army of one. a small family/group could with preps. 1-3 months dont worry me,, 3-4 years would be tough. its the people that would be the biggest problem.
good thing to think about and plan for now.

 

Now test your bag and become homeless for the week end.