1.2 KiB
1.2 KiB
The Bug Out Bag
A BOB — bug out bag — is a pre-packed kit that sustains one person for 72 hours while moving on foot to a predetermined destination. It is not a wilderness survival kit and it is not everything you own.
Weight
Target 20% of body weight loaded, and treat 25% as a hard ceiling. Most first attempts come in far too heavy, because every individual item seems reasonable in isolation. Weigh the packed bag and walk five miles with it. That walk will remove more weight than any packing list.
Contents by priority
- Water — one liter carried, plus a filter and chemical backup
- Shelter — tarp or bivy, and a sleeping bag rated for the season
- Fire — ferro rod plus a lighter plus tinder; three methods
- Food — 72 hours of no-cook calories
- First aid — a real trauma kit, not a blister kit
- Navigation — paper map and compass, plus a charged phone
- Documents — copies of ID, deeds, prescriptions, on paper and encrypted
The destination
A bug out bag with no destination is camping gear. Decide in advance where you are going, who is expecting you, and what the two alternate routes are.