BOBWABUK

Yes its a Bug Out Bag Wash And Brush Up Kit (BOBWABUK)



A durable Camouflage roll kit with hanging hook and mirror.



Consisting;

Tooth Brush and Toothpaste (traveler size)
Razor and spare disposable blades
Shave Oil
Facewash
Bar of Soap (Bog Myrtle and Stinging Nettle)
Chapstick
Handy Towel
Sani-hands disposible wipes.
Small deodorant (traveler size)
Sun Cream SPF25

TP and Comb are kept elsewhere. This type of kit, is I think much overlooked as a ways and means to keep up moral in difficult circumstances. There is no need not to look neat, tidy and clean when the SHTF as well as maintaining some semblance of hygiene.

Anything to add or remove?

You do realize, of course, that everyone else is going to smell just so much worse?

"ALL RIGHT! WHO'S THE GUY WHO DOESN'T STINK?"

Sue

Some of this I understand. Even in a survival situation we need to shower (deodorant optional), brush our teeth and maintain our nails. But do men really need to shave in a survival situation?

Speaking of nails, I would include nail care.

Jeanette Isabelle

mine is a little more Spartan... would add dental floss, medicated baby powder, some topical antifungal (I live in Florida)and regular foot powder, heavy duty toe nail clippers

As an aside. Keep an eye on the deodorant expiration date (if any). Expired deodorant smells funky.

Actually I keep a similar bag packed. I live 250 miles away from my parents and farming can sometime be dangerous. My father has been in the hospital a couple times due to farm accidents, most recent was when they were butchering the day before they were to drive up to our house for thanksgiving so we packed up at the last minute and ran down there for thanksgiving. Another time was when i was at work and my mother called to let us know the hospital said there was nothing else they could do for my grandmother so they were sending her home so we had to call my wife and tell her to pack as I was driving home.
Those types of situations can happen where you needs to leave home quickly and get somewhere else, you can prepare for thm just like preparing to get lost in the woods.
I have a toilerty kit for each family member that i rotate supplies through, when we need a new toothbrush it goes in the kit and the one in the kit goes in the bathroom for use.
Those all stay ready in the closet next to the suitcases so if somehting happens we can just drop them in and go. Enough there to go for a few days so we don;t have to find a store and with my parents being rural the nearest store is 45 minutes away and is a walmart so there isn't much of a selection either.
Its just another layer of my kits, I have my EDC with me, my GHB and breakdown supplies in the vehicles, the go bags hanging in our rooms and then to extended go layer of the suitcase and kits.

Tried once for about 10 days to grow a beard, but failed miserably because of the grotty feel.




An antifungal foot powder would be nice but is a little bulky and heavy. I haven't really had any problems with athletes foot (X Static woolen Socks or equivalent silver impregnated socks really help), but if the feet get a little funky then a foot rub made from the small bottle of Bog Myrtle (from the FAK) would be used in a higher concentration if the Bog Myrtle soap wasn't cutting it.

http://www.amphora-retail.com/myrtle-essential-10ml-p-237.html

Nail clippers have been added to the BOBWABUK.

Dental floss is a good idea, I think its in the FAK. Would some powerpro spectra braid fishing line (18lb test) from the fishing kit double up, but without the minty taste?



There was no expiration date on the Nivea Spray deodorant. The propellant was butane so could also double up as a useful fire starter or keep away snakes James Bond style.

For the deodorant question. I use the Crystal(tm) salt sticks. It is good on the pits and feet. Salts are natural antimicrobial an have no ingredients to go funky. Granted, they are fragile, but I like them. They last a long time - months and months.

Standard Disclaimer

YMMV

My $.02

A fine thread!

For your consideration:

small bottle of liquid "mouth wash"
Wonder Bar or other scent neutralizing metal bar
condums
choose biodegradable / flushable wipes

For deodorant you should try a crystal deodorant stone.They are made of mineral crystals.You can find them in health food stores and in some big box stores.Deodorant stones do not have perfumes in them.This is a plus as perfumes can attract nasty insects and bees.the minerals inhibit the growth of odor causing bacteria.I've used them for years and am only on my third one(they last that long) and they don't melt in summer heat.
Consider using shaving mug soap and brush.There is no can to puncture,discharge or explode.In a pinch it can be used for bathing.....

BOATMAN
John

I've got something similar from the USO. I'd def. add dental floss and mouthwash. Would suggest nail clippers but see you added them.

While I am certainly well groomed in relatively normal circumstances, when the going gets tough, none of this stuff is worth carrying around. I would far rather have additional food or water.


In terms of grooming, nothing beats a shower or a bath, which only requires soap.

I keep a package of those Adventure Medical Kits "Fresh Bath" wipes in my travel kit.

I typically have not been impressed at all with travel wipes and was skeptical of the AMK wipes. Based on AMKs reputation I decided that I would give them a try and I was actually very pleased with how well they worked.

In regards to shaving; I think NightHiker covered the bases pretty well.

At least in my case, this isn't something to be carried around, this is the bug out to a hotel layer

The idea is to use the BOBWABUK once you have reached that Bug out location base camp (hopefully where there is some water and food resources such as wild game, hotel restaurant etc). The camp shower for example is a versatile piece of kit.



The Ortlieb bag can double up a dry bag, a camp shower and a component for a camp water filter and a 10 litre water carrier.

The BOBWABUK can double up as a field or urban kit (hotel bug out). Keeping bodily clean will also keep clothing and other field kit such as sleeping bags cleaner helping with longer term performance for shelter as well.


This is an interesting take, does keeping neat and tidy get you to the front of the queue more quickly. i.e. does it blag you the last hotel room where all the other scruffs, waifs and strays don't?

Is it worth the addition 1-2 lbs of additional carry weight for BOB kit?



I prefer the King of Shaves Alpha Oil (much less bulky) and it is very lightweight and gives a very close and effective shave when used with the Gillette Mach3 Power Razor (the alkaline AAA cell has been replaced with a Lithium Energiser AAA). The small bottle of Alpha oil will give around 20-30 shaves.

http://www.kingofshavesdirect.com/category.asp?cat_id=UK_130&nwbr=UK

I have two similar kits, one I use for traveling, and one I keep at work. As others have mentioned, I include a small pack of dental floss as well as a few individually packaged toothpicks I snag from restaurants. Other items I find useful is a small zip lock with a dozen or so Q-tips and a small stainless nail file. Over the years I have added and subtracted items, but have settled in on these Items.

• Small Bar of Dr. Bonners soap (used for the minimal shaving I do)
• Small travel sized Shampoo
• Tooth Brush
• Tooth Paste
• Dental Floss
• Toothpicks
• Deodorant
• Metal Nail File
• Q-Tips
• Disposable Razor
• Hair Comb

I find the bulk/weight negligible, and as with selecting most stuff an individual’s personal preference.

I carry these items in a small MOLLE pouch (both kits) but I like the looks of the OPs roll up, where did you get it?

Here is a camp shower that weighs 4.25 ounces and holds 10 liters.
Sea to Summit Camp Shower

What a great idea - thanks

Me too. Their ultra-sil nylon bags will hold water, in or out, and they are extremely light and pack small. I am accumulating more of their stuff all the time. I have not tried the bag liners. Do they add a lot of warmth? Can you use them alone in the summer? I have not spent the money yet to try them and you are the first person I have talked to that has. I have read very mixed reviews on them.

Another happy S2S customer. Use the shower bag for everything from washing dishes to hands and, of course, showers. Have six dry bags in different sizes. A Reactor liner in my camping kit, BoB and GHB. Several sets of their aluminum eating irons and one of their tarp/ponchos. Good stuff, and reasonably priced (well, the poncho was a bit pricey, but not too bad).

I built a couple of similar kits recently. (One for my office and one for rapid-deployment overnights.) Although leaning more to the feminine side of the equation, it's pretty similar. (No shave oil, just soap.)

My kit also has dental floss and nail clippers with a nail file, a little bottle of mouthwash, small bottle of lotion with an integrated SPF, baby/feminine wipes and some feminine hygene stuff.

At the risk of being crude, I added a tea light and some matches, for those times when an air freshener would come in handy, and for adding sustained light (even mood lighting!) when needed where none might be. Also, many of us girls who have had babies got a little squirt bottle at the hospital for personal cleansing. It uses little water and works wonders.

I don't know if you have it where you are but Ivory soap works great as a shampoo. Finding mini bars can be tough here, so i get a big one, shave off pieces, and keep in a ziplock bag.

Thank you for the suggestion. Ivory soap is available in the UK, but I have never used this actual brand before. I have another brand of soap called 'Simple soap' (which is unscented etc) at home as well, which would be very similar. The Lomond Bog Myrtle and Nettle soap is also very good, containing a mild antiseptic, antifungal and mild insect repellent. It is also has a clean and very refreshing fragrance. I also need to get hold of a WW2 Aluminium Soap dish to add to the kit.

http://www.dubora.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=508

I have also decided to add some Equilibra Extra Aloe Vera Dermo Gel as well for its cooling aftersun effect.

http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/equilibra-extra-aloe-vera-dermo-gel_1_28371.html

bacpacjac: This comes from a guy (me). I find your posts anything but crude. There may some other girls and ladies out there lurking on the site who are looking for just this type of information. They may be a little hesitant to ask about those very personal things. I know I can refer girls and ladies to your posts because they are practical and proven. Thank you for your willingness to share.

Thanks MoBob! It's funny that I was thinking of starting a thread about my kit but discounted the idea because us girls are so outnumbered here. I try to restrict it to general terms like "feminine hygene products", "underwear", etc. but we do have specific needs that we have to address. That will be relevant to the women and some of the guys (husbands, fathers, grandfathers, boyfriends...) but am sensative to the squeamish factor. (Someone made a remark about the limited need for TP/wipes on another thread, and I just left it "yup, something like that" instead of getting to specific. )

When I built my wife's kit, I threw in a bunch of pads, but honestly didn't give it any more thought than that. I'd appreciate it if you would start a thread about those needs.

Good idea Chaos!

I agree wholeheartedly. If it gets to "girly" (squeamish) for us macho types, we should avoid it. The ladies can also use the Messaging feature for "specifics" if they wish to maintain "decorum."

I say again, go gangbusters on this.

You're on! The thread is started! Thanks for the support guys!

If you were a bearded guy, what would add? DH has a beard so I'd like to make sure I've got that covered. Scissors seem obvious. Maybe tweasers for ingrown whiskers?

I'm filling up an empty 2 liter Coke bottle this instant and sticking it in my black plastic lined pickup truck bed. I expect to be able to pour a hot shower out of that bottle by about 10:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, sunshine willing.

Ok, two Coke bottles.

Not at all crude, informative as ever. As you say many of the folk here are guys, but many of us want to prep for the other half too, and (I think) many guys don't get a huge amount of active support from the Mrs, so its great to have some female specific input and ideas.

Thanks bacpacjac

PS - Seeing tea lights in your post prompted me to remember that in various kits I have included not just tea lights, but also some vanilla scented tea lights, and some bug repellent tea lights, which frankly repel everyone. The vanilla lights are purely for aesthetics, and perhaps after some time in survival mode may be a pleasant distraction, although after a long enough period the bug repellent lights may be necessary !

I learned an interesting lesson yesterday: Regular stick deodorant will melt if it gets hot enough, leak out of the container and leave a film and scent on everything it can reach. (left one in the car in a shopping bag yesterday.) Once it cools down again though, it will be just fine.

I think minimal grooming supplies are a good idea in a kit.

Mine has a lot of the things others have suggested like nail clippers, floss, etc., but some things I've trimmed down compared to above.

For example, no shampoo, lotion, shaving cream; rather just a small (1oz) bottle of Castile soap and the little soap strips mentioned above. Only a single razor, etc.

You can shave with soap if you need to, and I'd rather have a multipurpose item even if some are less effective.

The one thing I did want to mention is that every type of "wet wipe" that I've tried eventually dries out in my kit. You might want to keep an eye on that as it is really a bummer to need one, open them up and find them all dried out.

-john

I Much prefer to have the basics for BOB and Vacation situations. Petroleum Jelly, Bar Soap (3 bars Minimal), Vicks Vapo Rub, Aspirin, Bismuth, Talcum powder, Burts Bees Chapstick, So on So forth. I find when I break things down to the basics there are more uses per item then fancy "All in one" things ironically.