This is my B.O.B. (Bug Out Bag for those that are newer here.) It consists of everything I would need to survive 3 days minimum in the wilderness. I live in Southwestern Illinois, and the weather here differentiates approximately every 3 months, From Spring (warm) to summer (hot) to fall (cool) to winter (cold)! With these climate changes, I need to have separate bags, of seperate clothes for the separate seasons.
Now to talk about the categories I have my BOB divided into, These are listed in no particular order.

Spring & Summer BOB
Water: I have several ways to carry, filter, purify, and transpire water from many different resources.
1. Mylar Turkey Size Oven Bag. I carry this because I learned about them on this very site. Its uses include, but are not limited to:
• Vegetation Transpiration bag
• Water Carrying Bag
• Water purifying bag: UV radiation, Tablets, Iodine, bleach or chlorine, Etc.
• Rain water Collecting bag
2. 1 Quart Zip-Lok Freezer Bag (Labeled for water purification)
3. 10 Katadyn MP1 Water Purification Tablets (Treats 1 quart each)
4. 1 Quart G.I. Canteen with Cover On My Person (10 more Water Purification Tablets in Cover)
5. 20 oz. G.I. Canteen Cup On My Person (for boiling water and melting ice)
6. 32 oz. Nalgene Wide-Mouth Bottle In Pack.
7. 18 oz. GSI Stainless Steel Cup on Bottom of Bottle (for boiling water or melting ice)
8. 3 Ft. Industrial Tubing (3/16 Outer Diameter)-(1/8 Inner Diameter)

Signal & Light: I do not have the best selection of signal gear, although what I do have is great quality and very dependable.
1. 2”x3” Rescue Flash Signal Mirror from Adventure Medical Kits
2. Fox 40 Micro in Yellow for easy finding
3. SOLAS Coast Guard Safety Orange Whistle with clip (Always attached to my Boonie Hat or Cap)
4. Generic Photon Micro Squeeze L.E.D. With On/Off Switch (and replacement batteries)
5. Coleman L.E.D. Flashlight (and replacement batteries)
6. 2) 12 hour Cyalume Light Sticks 1 green, 1 yellow
7. Signal Fire Starting Devices: these consist of the following
• 10 Tinder Quik Tabs (6 more in my P.S.P. [Pocket Survival Pak])
• Spark-Lite (Safety Orange)
• ¼”x3” Ferrocerium Rod
• Fresnel Magnifier 2”x3”
• 6 WetFire Tinder Tablets
• 3”x3/16” Mischmetal Firesteel Bar and Striker
• 20 Vaseline Soaked Cotton Balls in Film Container
• 12 Trioxane Fuel Bars or Esbit Hexamine Tablets
8. 2 Orion 10 Minute Road Flares
9. 4 Orion Signal Flares with Safety Orange Flare Pistol

Shelter & Repair: I have a good selection of shelter items available for making all sorts of improvised shelters that include, but are not limited to, the following. Lean To, Poncho Shelter/ Poncho Tent, Bough Bed, Improvised Pillow or Improvised Bed, Hammock, or the finalizing of any Field Expedient Shelter.
1. O.D. (Olive Drab)/ Silver Mylar Space Blanket
2. Coghlans Safety Orange Rain Poncho (use while setting up shelter in rain)
3. Stearns PVC Rain Poncho with Grommets for tying (main shelter Poncho)
4. 100 Feet of Safety Orange #550 Paracord (550 pounds Tensile Strength)
5. Mylar Turkey Size Oven Bag (for an improvised pillow or seat)
6. 32 Gallon Contractor Grade Trash Bag with Drawstrings
7. Heavy Duty Sewing Needle with Large Eye and pre-wound with 36” Nylon Thread
8. 66”x84” Military Wool Blanket (Scratchy!!)
9. AMK HeatSheets Emergency Blanket (2 Person)
10. AMK HeatSheets Emergency Bivy Bag


First Aid: I have to have this for my Spring/ Summer B.O.B. because in these seasons, animals are running wild, all over. Most of these animals bite or carry diseases that can cause infections. I carry this Small F.A.K. (First Aid Kit) with me everywhere and the items in my B.O.B. are to compliment these items, not to replace them. Items in red are in my small personal F.A.K.
1. 2 oz. Bottle of Germ-X
2. 1 New Bottle of New-Skin Liquid Bandage
3. Bandages & Gauze
• 3 Latex Knuckle Bandages
• 10 Small Bandages 2"x3/8" latex
• 10: 1”x3” Fabric Bandages
• 2: .75”x3” Fabric Bandages
• 6: .5”x2” Fabric Bandages
• 2 Pack 8 Ply Gauze
• 2 Pack 4 Ply Surgical Sponges
• 2 Large Fabric Knee Bandages
• 1 Latex Finger Tip Bandage
• 2 Abdominal Extra Absorbent Pads (8”x10”)
• 5 Q-Tips
• 6 Butterfly Closures
4. Sanitization, Preparation & Burn/ Itch Relief Wipes
• 3 Povidone Iodine Wipes
• 5 ACS (After Cuts & Scrapes) Wipes
• 3 Insect Bite & Sting Relief Wipes
• 20 Alcohol Preparation Wipes (5 in F.A.K.)
• 10 Benzalkonium Chloride Sanitization Wipes (2 in F.A.K.)
5. Medical Instruments
• EMT Bandage Shears
• EMT Shears (the ones that can cut a penny!)
• Medical Grade Tweezers (With Built-In Magnifier)
• EMT Scissors (Small)
• Disposable Lancet
6. Medications (Expiration Date MM/YY Format)
• Ibuprofen (01/13)
• Asprin
• AntAcid
• Triple AntiBiotic Ointment
• Lip Ointment
• Non-Asprin
7. ACE Wraps & Braces/ Splints
• Large Finger Splint
• SAM Splint
• Small Finger Splint
8. Guides
• First Aid Guide (from Wal-Mart Emergency Kit)

Food, Food Gathering & Food Cooking Supplies: I have little food available in my pack because of the amount of food available to me naturally during the seasons.
1. 1 MREs (1 Chicken & Dumplings, 2 Beef Stew,)
2. LMF (Light My Fire) Spork
3. 1 Packet Emergency Drinking Water (4.225 Oz.)
4. Emergency Fishing Kit (24 Hooks, 2 Split-Shot, 5 Swivels)
5. 2 Packets Stay Alert Energy Gum
6. 6 Feet .20 ga. Steel Aircraft Grade Wire (Building Snares)
7. Esbit stove
8. Esbit Tablets or Trioxane Fuel Bars (4 Minimum)
9. Large Aluminum Medical Tin (4 ¾”x3”x1 1/8“)
10. 3 CLIF Bars (3 Chocolate Chip)
11. Esbit Emergency Flat Folding Stove
12. Automatic Fishing Reel (Orange Polypropylene )

Miscellaneous Items: These are the Items I threw in because of little weight, little bulk, multiple use item, or because I can Improvise it for another use. (Some items from above may be listed here.)
1. Large (4 ¾”x3”x1 1/8”) Aluminum Medical Tin
2. Small (3 ¾”x2 ¾”x7/8”) Aluminum Medical Tin
3. Mylar Turkey Size Oven Bag (Improvised Pillow, Transporting Water, Transporting Gear, Rain Hood, Dry Bag)

Knives & Tools: I do not have the best selection, or the newest, highest quality Knives or Tools available due to budget restrictions. I do keep my knives and tools in tip-top condition!
1. Smith & Wesson Homeland Security Folding Pocket Knife (CK2CS) (7.8 oz, its heavy!)
^ Soon swapping out with Gerber LMF II ^
2. Ontario Knives M9 Bayonet with Wire Cutters
3. SOG Power Lock EOD Multitool
4. UST SaberCut Hand Chainsaw
5. Tramontina 18” Machete
6. Military Hetchet (yes Hetchet, not Hatchet. It’s like a flat steel Hatchet.) with Paracord wrapped Handle
7. Military Issue Entrenching Tool (Tri-Fold Shovel) and Rubberized Cover
8. Victorinox Tinker SAK (Swiss Army Knife)
9. Sling Shot Band (No Actual Sling Shot, I can Improvise one from Branches)

Fire & Heat: I include Fire not because Heat is essential in Spring or Summer, but because it is essential to cook meat, boil water, and signal at night and during the day by smoke.
1. 10 Tinder Quik Tabs (6 more in my P.S.P. [Pocket Survival Pak])
2. Spark-Lite (Safety Orange)
3. ¼”x3” Ferrocerium Rod
4. Fresnel Magnifier 2”x3”
5. 6 WetFire Tinder Tablets
6. 3”x3/16” Ferrocerium Firesteel Bar and Striker
7. 20 Vaseline Soaked Cotton Balls in Film Container
8. 12 Trioxane Fuel Bars or Esbit Hexamine Tablets
9. Tealight Candle with Metal Holder/ Base
10. 30 Pro Force Wind/Waterproof Storm Matches with Striker Pad on Box (5 in my P.S.P. [Striker also Included])
11. Red Mini BIC Lighter

Hope you all enjoyed my Spring & Summer B.O.B., now I have to work on my Winter & Fall B.O.B.

Very comprehensive but lots of duplication - what's it weigh?

I'd be tempted to drop some of that and add more food (I know its available in the wild, but catching it or gathering is slow and if you are travelling or hurt it's hard to do - much easier to add dehydrated meals or rice or something)

I'd drop either the hetchet or the machete, and swap the bayonet for a mora (cheap and sharp, good complement to a chopper). Add a small sharpener - minimal loss of functionality, significant weight savings

Other things: Gloves (leather to protect hands), cash and id (always handy)

Otherwise, without knowing quite what the bug out plan is, it's hard to judge how well it fits

Transpiration bags need to be transparant to work and it works a lot better with really BIG bags.



To big and heavy to carry.

Other notes:
- More water!
- Less stuff, you have to carry everthing. Redundancy is nice, but don't go crazy on it.

Have you actually used this kit and carried it a bit? There is a lot of redundancy that you do not need, as others have pointed out . I would replace the wool blanket with almost any mummy style sleeping bag - you will be much better off.

Transpiration, if one has never tried it, isnt very good at producing a lot of water. First, you need sun almost ALL day. The problem with this is, as the earth moves, shadows do too. Once the bag is in the shade, thats it-all done. A way around this is to place the bag, with vegetation in it, on a hill that will not be cast into shade for the vast majority of the day.
Second, you need to POSITIVELY IDENTIFY the vegetation you need. If you choose poisonous vegetation, you ingest poisonous water.
Third, one bag doesnt produce enough water to live off of. My instruction class (YEARS ago), I believe said that these can produce up to a cup of water, per day. What you need to do is place about a dozen of them out, daily, to make up enough water to live off of. The upside, you simply put them out, and leave them.
AS a water carrying device, I say its outstanding. When I hike, I usually take a large nylon bag for gathering water, and filter from that. You could do the same with that oven bag. As a primary source of harvesting water though-I would say dont bank all your needs on that. In theory, transpiration is great-people just dont realize that one bag doesnt produce much.
Oh yeah, the water from transpiration tastes like the host vegetation-just an FYI

I would be tempted to swap out the Smith & Wesson Homeland Security knife for a Luxury Hungarian Goosedown Pillow.. An inflatable sleep mat such as a Thermarest would also be very useful for a comfortable nights sleep.

A good sleeping bag would be considerably lighter and more comfortable than a woolen blanket. For the summer I'm currently using a Vango Venon 200 square ended down bag which can be fully unzipered to form a open down blanket. It weighs around 800 grams.

Much of the BOB kit could be made redundant if you were to get the highly efficient Primus Eta Packlite Stove and a medium 250 gram Gas cartridge. i.e. the GI canteen cups and Esbit gear. With a 500 gram cartridge you would also be able to sterilize all of your water requirements for the 3 days without having to use chemical tabs.

Rather than use the Mylar Turkey Size Oven Bag I would also get a properly designed water carrier designed for the job at hand such as the Ortlieb water carrier or the other hydration bladders such as the Camelbak Unbottle or Naglene etc. The system I currently use is a couple of neoprene covered (Sigg) stainless steel Tatonka water bottles (with a Smartube hydration adapter for hydration on the move). The stainless steel bottles are easier to keep clean than the plastic water carriers and can be used to steralize water over an open campfire if needed.

A lightweight tent is also very useful, much more so than in improvised shelters such as one constructed from a poncho. There are spacious single man terms which weigh less than 3lbs and make a retreat from biting insects.

A mosquito head net would also be very useful. A change of socks and some Compeed in the FAK might be useful also.

I also wouldn't like to rely on locally gathered food resources for the 3 days bug out. 3 days food supply will only weigh in around 4-5lbs in weight. Bags of oats, rice, noodles, pasta, milk powder, dried potato, tea and sugar, spices etc can be easily and cheaply added to bulk out any fish, small game that is caught locally.

I am also currently considering adding a Stanley 0.5 litre Vacuum insulated food flask to my current cooking pot (at Etapower 1 ltr pot and fry pan) system. This with allow me to prepare dried ingredients such things as rice, oats, noodles, dried soups and other grains etc using the vacuum cooking method to save fuel, whilst preparing freshly made sauces using the Etapower pot etc. MREs and ORPs are OK but they become quite heavy when they are required for a more than a few days. Hmm sweet and sour squirrel with egg fried basmati rice.

I disagree on swapping out the wool blanket for a sleeping bag.I grew up in western Illinois(Quincy-Hannibal area)and know the weather extremes there.The temperature in that area can shift 20 to thirty degrees as the sun sets.In Illinois spring time is/can be hot,wet and rainy.In the summer it is hot and humid.In my opinion a wool blanket is prefered over a mummy bag.Wool blankets are a multi use item that can keep you warm even when wet.It can be worn as a coat used as a stretcher or wrapped up to sleep in.The blanket could even be the BOB as a Hudson Bay style pack.
I'll second on any bug protection in the Mississippi river valley.Head nets,Deet,Permitherene are a must.The skeeters and chiggers are "killer" there.If they don't suck you dry you'll go mad from the itch.Powdered sulfer is a good thing to keep chiggers away.Put it in a sock and "dust" around waist bands cuffs and boot tops and they will stay away.

BOATMAN
John

Less stuff; more food and water. Me, I'd replace a wool blanket with fleece or a warm jacket.

Sounds pretty heavy to pack with some redundancy and agree with what others have stated regarding food options. I’d be much better off packing some light weight backpacking type food than trying to harvest my own. I keep my day hiking pack and another larger pack, plus fairly large packs for both my dogs, in my SUV at all times, in a large plastic storage container. The most likely scenario that I can come up with is if an earthquake took either roads or bridges out and I had to hoof it home. My thoughts would be to carry what I needed from the supplies of gear, food and water, plus water treatment options stored in my vehicle to get home, and what I took with me would depend on where I was at the time as well as the season and weather conditions. I guess everyone has to take into consideration where they live and the most likely emergency scenario for themselves. Heading off into the wilderness isn’t something I’d likely do, but that‘s just me and where I live.

In your FAK it looks like 3 different scissors, while I do carry two different sizes in my kit for the SUV, I’d never carry more than one in my pack. I might have missed it on the list but I didn’t see any non-stick pads. Non sticks are really nice to put next to a wound even if you’re going to use additional padding on top, both for the comfort factor and so you don’t get a wound bleeding again when changing the dressing. I actually like to have at least one fairly heavy cotton type blood stopping pad with me along with a few of the gauze squares and rolls of various sizes.

Re water. I too carry the Katadyn Micropur tabs, however for my situation I’d want to be able to have the option of always moving so I went to the 1 qt. platypus soft sided containers for use in that situation as I don’t think any sort of bag would hold up well and wouldn‘t want to have it spill getting other gear wet or more importantly not have it when I needed it. The platypus containers add a little bulk and probably a fraction more weight but are actually designed to carry water and drink out of, as well as the exact size for the Katadyn tabs. Just my 2 cents in that department!

One other piece of gear that I would take is a small battery powered radio so I could keep up with just how bad things were and reports might even decide the route I took. Maps of the area would also be something to consider taking along, depending where a person was. I have a bike route map of my county in my rig that might be handy if traveling without my vehicle.

The elephant in the room that everybody has been too polite to to point at: Why would you be bugging out? And would that be from a car, from a bicycle (with or without bike trailer) or on foot? Do you need to cover great distances? Or do you need to stay put?

A wilderness bug-out bag does not necessary mean ultra-light hiking equipment. It could mean a well-stocked car camping bag, but with the possibility of leaving 75% behind. The remaining 25% could then be pretty close to a UL weekend trip backpack. Or it could be something entirely different.

It all depends on the scenario and what other options you have available.