You mentioned a pocket knife nd adding another for the bag. Try to choose a fixed blade for the bag. Mora is not expensive nor heavy.

You're off to a great start, Krista! The most important thing, in my mind anyway, is to get started. You can tweak and adjust along the way but you've got a lot of basis covered already by starting with what you have on-hand. Well done! (I cringe when I hear people who no BOB or an incomplete one because they are waiting for just the right piece of gear.)

I like that you're giving your 6 year old her own pack. Great idea! Don't overload it but give her the basics and some comfort items - perfect!

Shelter and water seem to be big gaps, but it sounds like you have a plan for those. Get what you can afford and then use it. You'll not only get proficient at it, but you'll uncover short-comings and find solutions for those. Don't wait until TSHTF to realize your tent leaks or your tarp isn't big enough. Since you asked, I'd vote yes to adding sleeping bag(s) or some other warm blanket(s). It'll be snugglier for your daugher. Don't underestimate to value of security, especially when there are kids involved.

Watch those Coghlans Fire Lighter sticks. We tested them this summer and though they're cool and can be easy to use, they don't work well if they get damp. (They'll crumble and won't ignite.) Keep them in a sealed ziplock bag. One of their plusses is that they are a great way for our kids to learn to start campfires. (They work just like matches, in theory, but burn longer and provide their own tinder.)

I'd considered adding some OTC meds specificially for your daughter. A sick child will put a major crimp in any bug-out plan. We proved that theory this summer on a simple overnighter. Where a adult would more often that not try to push through, a child is going to end up a whiney uncooperative mess if they get sick. Kids bandaids might be a nice touch too. In a bug-out scenario, she will be scared and something like a scratch could be a major ordeal. Something simple like a Hello Kitty bandaid could make a positive differenc. You're going to carry bandaids anyway so why not add a little ray of sunshine for her?

You might consider something like a hatchet or folding saw for wood processing. A good fixed blade could also preform the same role, assuming you're not going to be dealing with winters like we get in Nothern Ontario, which can quickly eliminate downed wood as an option.

Extra clothes is a big one for our family BOB. You won't be dealing with the climate we have here in Ontario, but at least one change of clothes could be a lifesaver if you add wet conditions to your scenario, especially for your daughter. Have you driven with her with wet unders? My kiddo hates it and gets whiney if he's soggy and tired. Whiney kids will not enhance your bug-out experience in a positive way. Keep yourselves warm and dry.

I'm going to go against the grain and say that I like MREs in a family BOB. Yup, they weigh more than dehydrated, but they don't need water or cooking and a timely meal - especially a warm one - will be worth it's weight in my mind, especially with a child in the mix. You might not want to carry enough to get you 400 miles but a few days worth could get you through the initial, everything is upside down and you need to get your bearings period. My kiddo's favourite is mac n cheese so we've got a couple of those in our kit, along with some things that he would usually only get as a special treat.

Everyone here has made some great suggestions so I'll second one of them as a final thought. Involve your daughter. Practice with her, but don't tell her it's bug-out practice. Make it fun. My son loves hiking, camping, bushcraft, etc... but he got there with a little encouragement and opportunities and without any worry about disaster. Teach her Hug-a-Tree, go on lots of hikes, camp. She may just grow to love it, which will make an actual bug-out gobs easier to manage.

Hi Krista. Thanks for sharing your BOB contents! Its a brave thing opening yourself up for constructive critique.

My only suggestions would be plenty of emergency cash, at least 1 credit card, and a printed list of phone #'s and address of friends and family. And of course the usual car maintenance items: jumper cables, 12V air pump, spare tire w/jack, etc. And maybe even a CB radio.

You've got a really good kit here!



You cannot hoof enough food to last 400 miles! So plan your bag for a shorter time horizon, somewhere in the neighborhood of three days. Can you carry three days' worth?



Are these chlorine dioxide tablets? They're my suggestion for disinfection -- purification would include removing chemical contaminants, where disinfection kills organisms that might make you sick.



Do these use LEDs? I strongly recommend lithium batteries, not alkalines.



Practice with these! Add a lighter -- It's hard to have too many methods of starting a fire.

Your first aid supplies seem to be lacking OTC meds. I'd suggest aspirin, ibuprofen, something for digestive upset, Benadryl, and a decongestant at a minimum.



Bring the gun that you shoot the best!

Also, consider that a .22 is not ideal for hunting larger game or for defense. Something in 5.56 might provide a wider spectrum of applications.



A tent of a useful size can be hard to lug around. A sportsmans emergency blanket (like this one http://www.amazon.com/MPI-Weather-Emerge...rtsmans+blanket) or similar could make for an easier way to carry something with you that you could use to build a shelter. Make sure to have Heatsheets with you for warmth as well.



Like fire-making methods and bandaids, it's hard to have too many knives.

A method to charge your cellphone. I prefer something that uses AA batteries as (with lithium cells) they last the longest in storage.

A radio capable of picking up local stations and NWS weather radio.

Some way to cut branches and the like. Most wire saws are pretty awful, consider a pruning saw or similar.

Contractor bags

A compact gun cleaning kit

Paper and pen

Small pry bar (like a Countycomm widgy bar)

Duct tape

Small camping stove -- an Esbit stove stores practically forever and is inexpensive

Sunscreen

Bug spray

Toilet paper.

The MRE stuff just doesn't cut it.

OK, my 2 cents ...

I think the people above have great advice. That pack is OK, IF it fits you well. There are plenty of external frame packs that are lighter and more comfortable - try Craig's list, garage sales, and even surplus stores. Fit is everything if you're trecking that far.

Second, a 400 mile hike. Ugh! You can't carry supplies for that far, so I'd really focus on making sure you can resupply en route. Ie, water filter (not pills), 2-3 liters of water. I know NC has plenty of water sources, but you'll still go through that in 1 day, so plan routes where you can refill water. Plan for 1 day of rest every 5-7 days of hiking - you'll need it!

Good idea w/ the 10/22 and fishing gear, for "resupply" of food. Don't forget though if you're reduced to bugging out on foot, you're going to have a LOT of company, and they're all starving too. I'd ditch the MRE's, and do either the entrees only, or add some dehydrated food or Datrex bars or something simiar. Figure nearly 2000 calories/day, maybe more, if you're carrying a 40-60lbs pack (that's for YOU only!)

FAK - adequate. I like more, but I'm biased. You'll probably be OK. Add some duct or medical tape, and some more gauze, and some more moleskin or molefoam.

How much ammo? I wouldn't take more than 3 mags of .40, or more than 100 rds of .22, but that's just me. You're eating, not fighting a war.

Knife - Mora's are cheap, light and relatively good quality. Not to mention you already have a blade on the Gerber and apparently in your pocket. So a fixed blade is almost a 'back up' too.

Tent. You've got a kid, right? You think you'll both like being wet and cold? (it's ALWAYS bad weather when you least can afford it). Make the kid carry the poles or something to help distribute the weight.

I'd ditch the mess kit if it's that old Boy Scout type (2 plates, tray, etc). Really, just something to boil water in, and something to eat with. You can eat out of the pot. Maybe a small plate to share w/ daughter. Aluminum, titanium and plastic are all lighter than stainless, which is what I assume your kit is.

Overall, good start though!

I like these ideas. A slight variation on the Mormon cart is the commonly available, lightweight, and collapsible deer cart. You can haul a person or a hundred pounds of gear wrapped and strapped easily overland with one of these, and it will fold up and fit in the corner of a car trunk. They make some with an additonal loop on one end as a handle extension. I wished I would have seen that model sooner. I'm making a loop from EMT and a pipe bender. I paid about $45 for mine at SG.

Four hundred miles is a daunting trek and, depending on the disaster, what assurances do you have that there will still be shelter there? A suggestion is to get a road map and draw a circle about 20 miles wide around your location. Contact the towns within it, and make a list of their emergency shelters. You would then be covered for whatever direction you needed to go, based on the scenario.

A fixed blade knife,if concealed,may be a seriously illegal knife?Make sure its in a sheath externally visible,Calif has some very restrictive knife laws,so here weve chosen folders.Im no expert re: laws,so thats why weve erred towards staying away of fixed blades in our neck of the woods.

Me,personally,likes .22 weapons a lot the ammo is very light and I doubt anyone is going to challenge you (Hey,is that a 22? Cool,In Im a coming! I doubt you will have that conversation with most you will meet.)We just did some quick firing at 50 and 100 yards with the 22,2/3rds easily would have been heart shot accurate.Not a 44/45 or 12 ga knockdown,but hardly a slouch,esp depending on shot placement which always makes a huge difference.IMO,FWIW,carry your fav weapon is what I think everyone should do.ANY beats none by a huge margin.

I like the bicycle/cart idea.The Vietnamese moved a ton of cargo down the Ho Chi Mihn (sp) trail with bikes.

Some sort of wagon or sled could be a good alternative to hauling all that weight and your child.

ByrdHuntr... like the idea of the deer cart... was thinking along the lines of a jogging stroller... many of the 3gun shooters use them... would be great, especially the "twins" versions, and might give you a seat to get off the ground, and cover with a tarp/poncho

Spuds... by the time I got to work the Ho Chi Minh trail intercept mission in 72 it was a 2 lane blacktop, but we had a picture of "Uncle Ho" pushing a 100kg load of rice to show the resiliency and determination of who we were dealing with...

a bicycle is part of my plan, but I don't plan on moving more than 10miles to the mangrove swamp area of the Gulf of Mexico...lots of little fishies there...