I'd like to present 3 "filters" to help with the decision making process that I presented to my students...

the first is "list-cluster-label" ....this works well for group or singular assessment...(1)simply make a free thought list of concerns, ideas,or conditions about a topic (15 or so), (2).. draw radial lines to page margin to cluster ideas of similar topic to an unnamed point (3)label the point... this helps you to organize you thoughts and priorities of any topic

the second is PACE, from Special Forces organizational planning.. it offers a plan B, C and D if Mr.Murphy is present
a. Primary plan...
b. Alternative plan..
c. Contingency plan...
d. Emergency plan
an important part is a "brief back" or "lessons learned" at completion of successful or not successful mission

the third is a tactical evaluation of situation called the OODA loop...(1)observe an event (2) orient yourselt to the potential threat (scan for peripheral threats first) (3) decide on your course of action (4) act on your decision

In my case, I prefer not to label my bag as a Bugout Bag, Get Home Bag or any of those. I just call mine the SHTF bag and I put it together to be used in any scenario from getting to the house, to leaving the house, to bugging in (augmented when bugging in by what's stored in the house).

Mine generally travels in whatever vehicle I'm in and sits next to the front door when I'm at home. I never have any idea where my job will take me from day-to-day, so it's set up with items for all purposes. I also carry it in my Jeep when going WAY out into the woods where even most stock 4wd vehicles would have a hard time making it.

I use stuff from my bag all the time, from needing a poncho or boonie hat when it's raining, to a change of clothes if I need to work over, to grabbing a MRE or granola bar out to eat, to grabbing a bottle of water out to drink, to needing a bandaid or Tylenol. It's the everything I need, when I need it bag.

I agree with not getting too hung up on labels as to BOB or whatever. My 'bob' I use for bugging in, its just a collection of gear that I use no matter what the situation.
I don't yet separate urban and rural gear, I want to redo my gear bag and make it modular so the urban stuff can be separated out. I have various electronic gear such as a scanner and cb radio which are handy for urban areas but not so much rural. I want to be able to separate that from my main pack so if we do have to abandon the BOV and hike by foot I can leave that weight there.

In my case, our BOB is designed for us to crash at a hotel, friend's house, or even an emergency shelter. I've taken the family (wife, two kids 4&7) primitive camping many times and because of that I feel bugging out to the woods is not an option. I know exactly what it takes to care for my family in the woods for four days and it's not something that can be stuffed into a BOB. If we're running it's to civilization, not away from it and so I pack accordingly.

-Blast

+10 The "murse" I carry in urban/subarban areas has some several ways to fasten stuff to things, a boo-boo kit, some meds, a Leatheman multitool, radio, sewing kit, water bottles, and a silcock key. It's basically a GHB. Here in Houston I don't feel the need for a "run to the woods bag". Now when I'm out hiking or paddling in the wilderness I have a wilderness survival kit with me, even on day hikes or afternoon paddles in a "city" lake.

-Blast

Question for Frisket to help me understand your mind-set:

Under what circumstance would you bug out from an urban environment to a wilderness environment rather than a new urban environment unaffected by what is occuring at the first urban location? In other words, what sort of event would send you into the woods rather than to a Motel 6 150 miles away?

-Blast

Now, that's the type of experience I like to read about. It'll save me from learning the hard way.

Here is one of my many camping adventures, with and without the rest of the family which has convinced me I'm not taking them to the woods in an emergency.

-Blast

Heading for the woods in a survival situation is so far down my list that it isn't even ON my list. That scenario is movieland only.

I can really only envision two situations right at this moment that involves leaving home: wildfire or toxic spill, and both of those are likely short-term. Flood is a possibility here, but more in the marooned sense than the underwater sense.

House fire or earthquake, I'll camp in the yard.

Power outage (local or widespread) or volcano eruption/heavy ashfall, I'll camp out in the house.

My biggest possible bugaboo is being away from home during some Big Deal and having to get home to my supply of stuff on foot with minimal supplies.

As Blast pointed out, if you've got kids (or seniors or disabled people) with you, heading for the woods is a REALLY BAD DECISION.

Sue

Like Susan, my only real bug-out scenario is a wildfire. Earthquakes are very real here, but where we are located is a good distance from the major faults.

With that in mind, my bug-out container is my truck. I'll load it while the fire is still days out and it will stay loaded with the tank topped off until the threat is gone. I'll evacuate to a hotel far outside the threatened area.

Bugging out on foot in SOCAL. . . where do you plan to bug-out to??