Posted on 07/22/2011 5:36:50 PM PDT by reed13
On a seperate discussion the topic of bug-out bags came up and I thought it might be a good general topic for discussion. What everyone has in theirs, what is recommended, weights, why those items, more than one, differences for different family members, etc.
I picked up a couple of suture kits dorm Amazon for about 20 bucks each. Hope I never need them but better to have and not need....
I don’t have any place to run to, nor do I think I’d be safer in a car with no fuel than in my home with neighbors for support.
Well, first of all, if you're in the position of the VAST majority of Americans your neighbors will BECOME the zombies.
Another fallacy is that the "bugout event" is going to be so spontaneous that you'll get caught out on the road without fuel. In reality, we may have been living through a bugout event for the past three years, and certainly a bugout event can transpire over weeks or months.
And, many people *do* have a possible destination. Parents' homes, etc.
Another question nobody ever seems to ask about bugging out is, are they "bugging out to escape disaster", or are they getting to higher ground to "make a stand"? One could end up much safer becoming part of a community and being mentally prepared to make a stand.
We should all be aware of the psychological phenomena of "cognative dissonance" - which is the tendency of people to ignore possible danger if that danger could take us out of our comfort zone (e.g. the ostrich sticking his head in the sand). Preparing for disaster should be considered as simply being "due diligence".
Anyhow, with all that said I must say that I personally have no bugout destination, and in a worst case scenario I'm going to be surrounded by zombies. I would prefer to avoid that, but all the evidence I see around me suggests that it's a good idea to do a bit of prepping.
bttt
I keep it cut around the house but have quite a bit of mesquite that are too big to bush hog.
“But with an evacuation does one actually need survival gear (guns, ammo, rations, filters, barter, etc) or grab all the irreplaceables (like with an impending hurricane) and hope for the best.”
I could not evacuate for a fire and leave any guns and especially ammo. Can you imagine what it would look like if several thousand rounds of ammo started cooking off?
A Fresnel lens can be a great item to have in a BOB, I have this one:
http://www.scientificsonline.com/large-surplus-fresnel-lens.html
It’s 11x11 inch, this thing will easily set a fire, it’s made of cheap lightweight plastic and takes almost no space in your BOB.
If it’s a threat to your home why not get together with some neighbors and rent, borrow or steal a bulldozer for a couple of hours to uproot it where you can chop it up for firewood? Your home insurance rates will probably drop if you do.
the toungue-n-cheek call for a bug out tractor trailer is prolly what id have to have to cover the bases...
with 2 small children, unless the house is literally burnin down around me, im better off here...
only thing i can really prep for is possible needing to 'rescue' momma from town, or to fight/evade my way home from whereversville in *the world*...
being armed when i leave the homestead is the quickest/easiest solution for that...
aww c'mon, you just know some of the .45 vs 9mm discussions can be every bit as exciting...
anyways, gettin *home* is almost always my #1 priority...
LOL! “.45 vs 9mm” is just as exciting! :-) I’ve read about stuff that people have in BOBs and am simply AMAZED. I’m NASAR SARTEC-II certified and keep my search and rescue gear in the truck. I could stay in one place and not move a muscle for a week with what I can carry. The key is light weight gear and high calorie food. Unfortunately, both are expensive. I can send you the gear list if you want. I carry less than 50 lbs worth of “stuff” on a MOLLE-II pack and chest rig. :-)
I have a pelican suitcase under my backseat that contains a maxpedition gearslinger ruck with food, shelter, water an basic survival tools to sustain me for at least 96 hours on what’s in the ruck alone.
It is to get me home or in the event that I have to leave the house due natural or man made event....it is to get me to a few caches of long term gear that is two days walk from my home or a half a day bicycle ride if vehicles are destroyed.
Contents vary in each region. No set list will ever work for specific tools or materials etc...
Stay Safe an be aware...
“Your home insurance rates will probably drop if you do.”
I’ll have to check out the rental costs, thanks for the idea.
If there are any private contractors working in your area, they are the ones I’d ask first, especially if they can just drive it over to your location without putting it on a semi.
I haven’t seen any in the area, but I will be on the lookout for any. Thanks!
I’m buggin IN. But I always carry a “get home” bag anyway. Whenever I travel more than about 100 miles from home (to the nearest city) I take or wear get home shoes, medicines, and of course the bag. It consists of a day and a half bag with socks, polypropylene long underweaar, powder pants to slip over the pants I’m wearing, para-cord, small 1st aide bag, insulated mylar blanket, (there’s always a tackle box size one in the vehicle) Leatherman tool, plastic bags, travel pack of Kleenex tissues, balaclava, hat or cap, power bars, water bottle, lighters, notebook, pen/pencil, whistle, signal mirror, compass, money-coins & bills, kukri, pistol & ammo.
I totally agree with you. The time to bug out is before the SHTF, not after. A suburban home will offer no refuge if society disintegrates. Lowlifes from the cities will quickly fan out in search of food, water and weapons and the suburbs will be a target rich environment.
mark for later
(Happy 7th anniversary to reed13!)
There is a mag lite that is just the right size to carry around the property at night which runs on C. batteries. I also have a very sturdy streamlight LED lite that is incredibly brite and runs on Cs.
Im trying to get away from my surefire and pentagon lights that take CR-123 batteries. The batts are too expensive and dont last long enough. I have one surefire on each of my homeland defense rifles and one on the surefire in my active shooter bag under the bed with a dozen rounds of hornady tap buckshot and five 31 round 9mm glock mags.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.