I struggle with the idea of carefully assemblying the gear and packing my BOB, and then letting it sit for months. And I also struggle with the idea of grabbing my BOB whenever I go camping, which uses up some or all of the consumables in a few categories - rendering me somewhat BOB-less until I can replenish them.

Do you think we should hold some gear and supplies sacrosanct against true emergency, or should we boldly use stuff and assume we can re-supply?

Is doubling up a solution [camp with one BOB and keep a second in the car you drove to the trailhead, for example]?

Thoughts?

Thanks.

Good question. After studying many a Bug out Bag or Get Home Bag on Youtube, you quickly come to the conclusion that perhaps the Main Battle rifle and Claymores etc should be left from the bag and a tent,a sleeping bag and sleeping mat should be added. I've seen Bug out Bags equipment lists weighing 80+ lb or more (30lb of weapons and ammo) yet didn't have a decent sleeping bag and shelter protection i.e. a disposable poncho is thrown in as an afterthought. Even if they do include a tent, these folks would probably use their FN FAL as a tent pole. They would struggle also to walk more than 5 miles a day carrying this load out not including the beer belly of course.

There's no reason for a Bug out Bag to be based on the equipment list of a mountain marathon runner such as shown here as the 3 or even 5 day (just add more fuel and food) requirements are essentially the same.

http://www.planetfear.com/articles/The_2009_Mountain_Marathon_Kit_List_1037.html

As Chris Ryan has been quoted keep the 'kit stupid simple' i.e. Stupid simply means your kit and your equipment don't have fancy bits that will drop off in the dark and stop them working. It means that everything is tried and tested. Using you Bug out Bag kit for camping is the best way of keeping the kit stupid simple. You will quickly find out want works and what doesn't. Many a Youtube BOB owner will be in for rude surprise if the balloon goes up.

All you need is a spare grab bag with additional fuel and food to supplement you BOB just in case you have consumed the food and fuel from a previous outing into the wilderness.

Typically, most people prefer to 'write-off' their BOB's. Meaning, you assemble it and then you leave it alone until you need it (other than to check gear, update gear, or replace expired items). The idea being, everything will be there, in good working order, when you really need it. Trying to find items you took out for one reason or another can cost precious time; which is completely opposite of what a BOB tries to achieve (everything in one place so you can just grab it and go).

With that said, it's a difficult thing for a lot of people to do, as gear isn't cheap and you don't/won't know what gear works until you try it.

My first BOB basically started as a dumping group for older gear. As I bought something new to replace an item, the old items would find their way into one box as long as they were still in good working order. In a couple years I had the beginnings of a good little BOBox....and because they were older items, I didn't mind writing them off.

Finally, it's worth keeping in mind that the gear list for a BOB isn't exctly the same as a gear list for camping. I mean, I don't usually take copies of my important papers, dust masks, and pry-bars camping...but after 9/11 I consider them basically essential to my BOB.

And if the "curtain goes up" while you are off camping?

I prefer an "in use' BOB, or whatever you want to call it. Basically, it means you just keep your gear organized. Right now, I have three bags which I can pick up and go with - one is for professional fieldwork (incorporating such BOB-unlike items as tape measures, trowels, notebooks, and flagging pins), a day hiking pack which definitely does include some very lightweight shelter and cooking items, and a cycling pack, which has much the same stuff, but includes a few more cycle specific tools.

Sometimes I will shift gear from one to the other, depending upon the particular trip. When the trip is over, things go back to their home base. Some items migrate regularly from pack to pack, like my camera and GPS. Each bag, however, has First aid stuff, fire starting gear, something to cook in, minimal shelter, and a least one piece of extra, warmer clothing that forms the nucleus.

Each kit includes some consumables that are always there - for me, its usually Clif bars, Tonka bars, and tea bags w/sugar. Food for the specific trip is extra. From time to time I realize my reserved emergency stash is getting a bit elderly (like me!) and I consume them and replace with newer items. Did this just yesterday, as a matter of fact, on a bike trip that lasted a little longer than projected (fifty miles, 2700' elevation gain).

I am definitely a fan of using your gear. In a tight situation, it is critical to know that your gear has worked in the past and will work again in the present situation. It's just one less thing to be anxious about, and your anxiety level will be high enough....

Example - on the trip yesterday, I took along a water bottle I had not used before. It didn't work very well, and I won't be relying upon it in the future. I would not want to make that discovery in a tight situation.

Then I run to the BOB in my truck.

So, when it comes to the BOB are we back to "one is none, two is one, and three is a backup"?

We have two BOBs, one per vehicle, plus Bug-Out/Bug-In Gear boxes to supplement. Either BOB can serve as the "core" for the stuff in the gear boxes. One of those BOBs goes with us camping. However, neither is supposed to be "camping gear" and is instead with us against emergency.

I use a combo approach. My hiking pack is always packed and ready to go in the trunk of my car. It's got water, a change of clothes and enough food for three days, but is more gear centric. (Stove, water filtration, saw, tent, lights, tarp, rope, FAK, etc.) This bag is designed for me and my son, with a little thought (i.e. extra ponchos) too for my hubby and SD. I use the pack for Scout hikes so it's set-up to take care of a group.

This is suplimented by my trunk supplies (tent, thermarest, sleeping bags, wool blankets, extra jackets, hats, mitts, socks, toiletries, etc) It's designed for my son and I should we get stuck for a few days.

Then we have a family BOB in the basement, that's designed for four us. It can stand independantly and with it we should be good on our own for at least a couple of weeks. (Began with 72 hrs and grew it from there.) This kit includes older gear (i.e tent, sleeping bags, lanterns, stov, etc.) that's in great shape and that we are all familiar with. It's currently comprised of our individual packs (Everyone carries their own clothes, water bottle, toiletries, flashlights, etc.) and communal supplies (including docs) in a big hockey bag. Combined with what's in my trunk, we should be good for a few weeks.

The family camping gear is seperate but packed and organized for bug-in, and can quickly and easily be grabbed for bug-out if we have time and space. {we're down to 1 vehicle at the moment - my honda Civic. }

So I guess my question to your A or B question is Yes.

Actually, some BOBs may be heavy in theory and short on reality, esp the super-light ones.

Use your BOB for camping and find out if it has some serious shortcomings.

In fact, why not try using it as your only source of camping gear? Keep a small notebook and pen handy to jot down thoughts as to shortages and excesses. That would be a better time to find out what the flaws are than during a life-threatening situation.

While you're out, consider the possibilities and match your BOB against them: Bad weather, injuries, sickness, extended time you might be dependent on it.

Sue