Bugging out
I do NOT have a tinfoil hat, I do NOT have a collection of ‘soldier of fortune” magazines in my bedroom, I do not have delusions of the FBI tracking me down in my home.
I DO have a bugout kit. My bugout kit is a result of years of trial and error, and it gets used on a regular basis.
No, I don’t regularly have to bug out, but I do use the kits on vacations, hunting trips, etc. so they get checked and renewed, and the utilityof the individual items checked out. I know that in the event of a tornado, hurricane, any kind of “natural disaster” or even man made disasters, I’d be prepared.
The way I do this, is quite simple and works extremely well; I keep a “kit” for every member of the family and pack each kit in a lightweight nylon backpack. Each backpack gets squished (when filled) into a 5 gallon plastic bucket with a tight sealing lid. I use buckets which originally come filled with frosting- (I have a friend who is a cake decorator) but any tight sealing bucket will do. it’s best not to use one which has been used to hold chemicals or oil, as the smell will probably never go away. Empty buckets of this type are available at Home Depot and many other building centers, or ask your local bakery for the same frosting containers I have.
Here are the contents of and individual kit:
90 day supply of any medicines considered important. This would certainly include such things as heart medicationsbut even drugs as simple as acid blockers will make your bugout easier to survive.
1 Wool surplus army blanket. Nuff said. Oh, and you could use it to put out a fire if god forbid you had to.
20 Plastic garbage bags- 10 gallon. Human waste disposal and food storage
2 Blankets-mylar survival– Excellent temporary shade and many other uses
One change of loose fitting clothes, preferably something tough like jeans and a cotton shirt. Loose fitting so you can layer them, if you have to bugout in your pajamas you’ll appreciate this
One change underwear, two pairs of heavy socks
Hooded sweatshirt
Mill gloves Any number of uses
Rubber gloves-20
Folding multitool
food for four days (powerbars or similar)
Sealed bottled water for two days
Water purifier tablets
Binoculars
First aid kit(more on this someday)
Disposable 35mm camera
Bic Lighter and waterproof matches
Sterno and folding camp stove
5 beeswaxplumber’s candles parrafin candles will give you a whanging headache in an enclosed area. beeswax doesn’t keep as well, but it will not give you a headache
AM/FM radio, preferably with rechargeable batterySeveral types of these are available, and use a hand crank to recharge their batteries.
Light sticks
Chemical hand warmers
Toothache kitImagine having to bug out, and having a cracked tooth.
Anti-bacterial soapYou’re going to have to hunt at some point.
Ziploc bagsFood storage and etc.
Army mess kitYou gonna cook everything on a stick?
Vise Grips Nuff said
Suture silk God forbid, but you’d better have it.
I have one of these kits for the wife, myself, the oglet. I additionally have one 5 gallon container of water, one 5 gallon container filled with food (ramen noodles, Spam, Powerbars, things that have decent carb amounts and the shelf life of gravel) With these five containers in my truck, I can take the family anywhere for a couple of weeks if I have to, if i also include the SHTF kit
For small children, the kit might also contain more clothing and perhaps a small soft toy, anything that can help the child feel more “normal”. I also never go anywhere without a couple of books, one is Petersons field guide to edible plants, and Walden, of course.
The only thing I can think to add is boots (there will be broken glass) and a pint of rum.
I don’t have one now, but I had an earthquake kit in my car when I lived in LA. Water in sealed plastic gallon bottles still evaporates, and eerily quickly.
good point, Tanya. My five bugout buckets sit next to the kitchen door, and my boots sit on top of them. Probably the best first thing to remember.
I’m amazed you can get all of that into an asbestos bucket. Is there water in each of them?
You gotta lay out the blanket, put the messkit in thne middle of the blanket, (messkit contains the undies and socks)roll up the balance of the items in the clothes, and stand the rolled up bundle of clothes on top of the messkit. Then jam the whole wad down into the backpack, and jam the backpack into the bucket. You have to squoosh, it’sa tight fit. Then I stick four bottles of water and a handful of powerbars on top. It isn’t pretty. Next time I repack them I’ll take pictures.
you certainly have all the big stuff. there are some small things i would add, a travel sewing kit, liquid camping soap/shampoo, a small amount of Everclear, condoms as required, and waterproof strike anywhere matches or one of those magnesium/flint things. i assume the knife is in the multi-tool and the Neosporin is in the first aid kit.