For a BOB, maybe a pair of sturdy glasses in a semi-hard case with a neckcord or elastic band would be more appropriate than spare contacts?

I'm just thinking that tired, on the move, in the elements and dark isn't the time to delicately balance a contact on your fingertip and try to figure out which goes in the right and which goes in the left eye. Nor would it be much fun to do the contact hunt in the great outdoors.

Dave

I understand that there are personal prefernces and YMMV, but all of my kits get packets of these: http://www.charmin.com/en_us/pages/prod_fresh.shtml
I prefer the results, especially when not in a comfortable place.

As usual, it depends. A bug out bag is based on a whole pile of assumptions and questions...

Your plans, experience area? Level of fitness, nearness of re-supply, relatives?
Weather conditions, available cash, ability to leave an area early?

TRO

- did I miss the comm gear? ( cell phone, radio, etc.)

I think it is a great idea to look at the assumptions that go into assembling an bug-out bag, and the implications of those assumptions. Here are some suggestions:

Assumption: You do not know when you may have to grab your BOB and go.

BOB Implications: You will not have time to pick and choose BOB contents - it pretty much has to be ready to go as-is. If you live where there are major seasonal environmental variations that necessitate different BOB contents, then you better repack each season (or have a BOB for each season).

Assumption: Your BOB contents will be guided by the Rule of Threes (You may die if you go: 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food).

BOB Implications: You want gear that lets you breath: particulate mask, your medically necessary inhalers and antiphylatctic (sp?) shock gear, and whatever first aid gear is reasonably carried to keep you from bleeding out from injury. You want clothing, including footwear and headcoverings, and gear that can provide shelter from the elements if you cannot find shelter. You want to carry water and food, and the means to find, treat, and carry more if your supplies are not sufficient to reach your projected next source of re-supply. You want to carry more water than food.

Assumption: You will have gear in each survival category, including First Aid, Shelter, Fire, Water, Food, Navigation, Light, Signaling, Self-protection, Hygiene, and Morale.

BOB Implications: With so many categories of gear, you must severely limit the stuff in each category to the most necessary, with a priority on stuff that is compact, multi-use, durable, maintenance-free, etc.

Assumption: You need to travel, on foot if necesary, to reach your next source of re-supply.

BOB Implications: You want excellent footwear and foot treatment supplies. You want light-weight gear. To cover distance you want food and water sufficient to spend minimum time foraging. The overall weight and size of your BOB must match your physical ability to walk for what may be an extended time. You have whatever you may need to navigate to your next source of re-supply in what may be a highly altered environment that no longer allows shortest-distance travel.

Hypothesis: While we may have preferences and economic limits that show up as variations in specific gear, the contents of most BOBs will be remarkably similar.

dweste...I love you!! that was an amazing post!!!

You could always get the military MREs instead of the civvy ones then dispense with the TP completely if your putting together a 72hr BOB.

Yup, no need for TP at all... At least not for 72hrs.

Put a pouch with a few boxes of shells in with the rifle. Grab the rifle and you have the ammo with it.

Ha! You don't know my bowels.... OK, TMI. I probably can get rid of most of the TP though.

Good idea with the shells with the rifle, SBRaider. However, then there's an issue with safety, in terms of ammo seperate from the rifle. It has, however, crossed my mind.

One of the other comments regarding my environment: Fairly good fitness level (run 2-4 miles, usually 5x/week). The asthma is fairly well controlled. Family within 45 miles east, or about 180 miles north. After that, nearest family is about 8 hours away by car. Living in metro Detroit right now, so I can either stay urban, or probably hunker down in some of the larger undeveloped land tracts around.

Experience: not much camping lately, but I started at 6 years old, did Boy Scouts through 18 (eagle scout), mostly in the CA mountain ranges. Didn't grow up with "seasons" like they have out here, so I probably overdo the cold weather gear a bit.

Cash: I'm a student. Limited, but enough to scrape up some gear. Assuming there's some time, I might strap on my tent, bivy bag, or sleeping bag from my camping gear.

Thanks for the comments so far everyone.

Trust me... If you've ever eaten enought mil MRE, you learn the amazing properties of them. Thus the lack of need of TP...