# -My bugout bags - all important items gathered sorted and ready to go - please review



## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

Hi all,

I am fairly new to prepping but I have been creating some bug out bags over the years.

I would like some veteran survival experts to go over my stuff and offer any recommendations of things I should add or get rid of. Please comment below with this info.

I wanted to post the spread sheet on this post but the formatting came out all weird. So here is a link to a spreadsheet of all the items I have gathered: 
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UE1FNCRLlsQRpd8FoanYlRkNPp2x_ZH43q7ClasWbSQ/edit?usp=sharing

Please take a look and offer recommendations.

Thank you.


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

It looks like it wont let me display my Google spreadsheet link here. Perhaps a mod could assist.

Edit: Got the link working

Please take a look at my bug out bag and offer suggestions of things to add and things to get rid of

Thanks.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

You obviously spent a lot of time and money putting this together. I don't know if I'm a veteran survival expert, but here's my take on your system.

1. It's too heavy.
2. You have water packets and a filter; what are you going to filter your water into when the packets have been torn open. Need a water bottle.
3. It's too heavy!
4. Lose all the electronics, crank operated generator and other crap, radios, lantern, etc. Keep a couple of battery flashlights.
5. It's WAY too heavy!
6. 119 YARDS of fishing line? 225 feet of mason twine? WTF?
7. Why do you need a can opener, you have no canned food. In fact, you don't have enough food, those food bars suck, take my word for it. Go lightweight and dehydrated. Maybe a little peanut butter.
8. Survival book? Read it and learn it, then dump it.
9. If your nuclear radiation meter shows radiation, what are you going to do about it? Dig a shelter? Dump it. And lose the shovel, too.
10. Forget trying to start a fire with magnifying glasses. You usually camp at night. Get some matches and vaseline-soaked cotton balls.

Instead of having a spreadsheet column showing COSTS of equipment, have it show the WEIGHT of equipment. Hopefully much of it will be in ounces. My best advice would be to get out in the woods and camp. Try some of this stuff out. You need more real-world experience to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Travel light, travel quiet, travel fast. Get to your safe location and forget the camping crap. It's too dangerous.


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

sideKahr said:


> You obviously spent a lot of time and money putting this together. I don't know if I'm a veteran survival expert, but here's my take on your system.
> 
> 1. It's too heavy. - Please see comment below
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reply. Keep in mind, its not one total bag, its 3 separate bags for specific needs. All the electronics are in one bag. All the chemical gear is in another bag. All the general survival stuff is in the blue bag. 
My heaviest bag is the blue bag. Its a big backpack with features specifically designed to make it for carrying heavier loads. This bags total weight is about 30lbs. 30lbs is too heavy?! I actually thought 30lbs is a reasonable weight.


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## Coastie dad (Jan 2, 2016)

30# is reasonable. How are you going to carry 3? Have I missed something?


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

Coastie dad said:


> 30# is reasonable. How are you going to carry 3? Have I missed something?


I hopefully don't have to carry all three. Hopefully will have one or two other people.

1. Bag one - the red bag - is if there is a chemical or biological attack - or for nuclear radiation fallout. If one of those scenarios, this is the most important bag. If not one of those scenerios, its the least important bag hopefully a third person can carry. 
2. Bag 2 - the blue bag - is my general bag useful in most situations and if I have to grab just one - this is the one
3. Bag 3 - the black bag - this my electronics bag - my second most useful bag - no, not gameboy and playstation electronics - small portable communication equipment and the like. If I have a second person, they can carry this one.

If I had to pick one bag and bug out on foot it would be the blue one. Its only 30lbs but contains a lot of useful things. If I am driving, I wont need to worry about having three bags. I think by separating the bags I keep each bags weight down and prioritize and respond to the incident quickly.


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## KA5IVR (Jun 11, 2014)

Let me ask you this... Are you planning to become a refugee and live out of this bag forever or Is your goal to get some where as fast as you can? 

You may need to design your bag for your environment and season. I would also suggest that you organize the bag into small units, like Navigation, Comm, Fire, Water, Food, etc and have it arranged with the stuff you need most often is the easiest to get to. 

Like sideKahr said, it is Too Heavy. A 3~5 day camping backpack with a tent and such shouldn't be over 25% of your body weight. My BOB is only 10% of my body weight, but it is to get from one point to another as quickly as I can without stopping much.


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

KA5IVR said:


> Let me ask you this... Are you planning to become a refugee and live out of this bag forever or Is your goal to get some where as fast as you can?
> 
> You may need to design your bag for your environment and season. I would also suggest that you organize the bag into small units, like Navigation, Comm, Fire, Water, Food, etc and have it arranged with the stuff you need most often is the easiest to get to.
> 
> Like sideKahr said, it is Too Heavy. A 3~5 day camping backpack with a tent and such shouldn't be over 25% of your body weight. My BOB is only 10% of my body weight, but it is to get from one point to another as quickly as I can without stopping much.


Im thinking long term. Like, something really bad happening. Like WWIII, an EMP blast taking out the grid, nuclear weaponry used or some other long term scenario. So basically these bags, or at least one of them is too help me survive long term. Yes, I know more things are needed. Yes, I know each bag has to be fairly light in case I have to continuously migrate.

I already know what to use if the power goes out for a few days or a week or two because of a storm or something. Not much gear/items would be needed if just surviving/holding off for a week or two because of bad weather, or just to migrate away from a threat (storm or something) temporarily and then returning.


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## Coastie dad (Jan 2, 2016)

So you need to figure out the BOB vs the INCH bag.


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

Coastie dad said:


> So you need to figure out the BOB vs the INCH bag.


I have no idea what these are.


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## PrepperDon (Jan 22, 2017)

SanAntonioPrepper said:


> I have no idea what these are.


BOB= Bug Out Bag
INCH= I'm Never Coming Home bag

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Coastie dad (Jan 2, 2016)

Basically, a BOB gets you to a safe location for a short period. The INCH bag means you are you going to be gone from home possibly forever, and are carrying items to start over with.


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

Ah, I see. thanks for clearing that up. 

My thinking I more of an INCH scenario. Like a WWIII scenario with multiple nuke hits all over the country or and EMP blast permanently taking out our countries electric grid. 

How does the blue bag stack up regarding an INCH bag? 

I realize it wouldn't be a permanent solution, just something to hold me over until I would find a safe shelter, next to flowing drinkable water in an area I can grow crops and start a sustainable food source.


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## homefire (Apr 20, 2017)

SanAntonioPrepper said:


> I have no idea what these are.


Bug out bag and I'm never coming home bag.

I'm more of a 'in the middle' type person myself..I focus more on home. Interesting items in your bags. I can't get your attachment to open up so I can see everything in your bags. I'm only able to see what someone commented about.

What items have you in your bags that you question the most?


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

homefire said:


> Bug out bag and I'm never coming home bag.
> 
> I'm more of a 'in the middle' type person myself..I focus more on home. Interesting items in your bags. I can't get your attachment to open up so I can see everything in your bags. I'm only able to see what someone commented about.
> 
> What items have you in your bags that you question the most?


I included a link in my OP to the spreadsheet, not a file attachment. Is the link not working?


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

The link is working fine.

My original comments were directed toward a bug out bag. You did not say you were designing an INCH bag. Those are two different things, and require two different sets of tools. Ignore my original comments, they may misdirect you.


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

sideKahr said:


> The link is working fine.
> 
> My original comments were directed toward a bug out bag. You did not say you were designing an INCH bag. Those are two different things, and require two different sets of tools. Ignore my original comments, they may misdirect you.


Yes, I did not know there was a difference between the two. I do now. Originally, I thought they were the same thing.

I wanted to go back and edit the original post to reflect this (I'm thinking my setup is more of an INCH setup then a "bug out" set up) but I can not edit it. Perhaps there is a time limit to edit a post.

What do the forum members think regarding if my blue bag is a good INCH bag?
Should I add stuff?
Should I remove stuff?
What items out of these bags would you use for a smaller "bug out bag"?

Thanks for the input.


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## homefire (Apr 20, 2017)

SanAntonioPrepper said:


> I included a link in my OP to the spreadsheet, not a file attachment. Is the link not working?


It works fine from my phone..thanks!


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

SanAntonioPrepper said:


> ...What do the forum members think regarding if my blue bag is a good INCH bag?
> Should I add stuff?
> Should I remove stuff?


Boy, that is tough. You essentially need a portable form of EVERYTHING. Mountain men did it on the backs of mules, early American homesteaders did it in wagons. To compress survival for an unlimited period into a backpack is extreme prepping, and way beyond my abilities. One thing in your favor is that knowledge weighs nothing, and you're going to need plenty of that.


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

What do the forum members think regarding if my blue bag is a good INCH bag?
Should I add stuff?
Should I remove stuff?

Also, what items out of these bags would you use for a smaller "bug out bag"?


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

Things are heating up on the world stage so I figured I would try out my new "Solavore Sport Solar Oven" bought from Amazon a short time ago and heat things up with it:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VTLMU0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fourtunately today, upon first trying it and waiting about an hour, it reached its regular internal temp of 225 degrees without the use of its included reflectors. It will be nice to be able to cook if SHTF (Nuke/emp strike/cyber attack and the electric grid is destroyed with by foreign power) and and only wet wood is available for a week or so.

It will be even better to be able to boil water to kill bacteria if I cant get a fire up and going for a few days. Water boils at about 200 degrees, so I can boil water at 225 degrees Fahrenheit which is the regular internal temp of this oven. This oven even comes with a wax water pasteurization gauge to let me know that the water has reached the right temp for pasteurization to become potable/drinkable.

I added the Solavore sport solar oven on the updated spreadsheet in the link on the first/original post of this thread. I also added a few other items. Please check it out and let me know what you think.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

That solar oven looks great. I'd love to have one; unfortunately I live in one of the cloudiest parts of the country, and 3 out of 4 days it wouldn't work. I'm still struggling with cooking post SHTF. You can only store so much propane, alcohol, sterno, etc. 

I'm probably going to store wood and an axe, and build a rocket stove to boil water. Your solution is better; no smoke or odor to attract unwanted visitors.


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

sideKahr said:


> That solar oven looks great. I'd love to have one; unfortunately I live in one of the cloudiest parts of the country, and 3 out of 4 days it wouldn't work. I'm still struggling with cooking post SHTF. You can only store so much propane, alcohol, sterno, etc.
> 
> I'm probably going to store wood and an axe, and build a rocket stove to boil water. Your solution is better; no smoke or odor to attract unwanted visitors.


You can cook and purify water with that solar oven on cloudy/overcast days even if you can only vaguely make out a objects shadow. It does not need direct sunlight with the reflectors. If something can cast a shadow (even a faint one) on that particular day, you can cook and purify. If you hold a leaf up over a sidewalk on a fairly cloudy day and see a faint shadow, you have enough light to cook and purify. You do not need much light outside of that. That is what the reflectors are for. The oven gets to 225 without the reflectors on a regular sunny day. The oven should be used regularly without the reflectors. If you need it hotter, or its fairly cloudy one would use the reflectors.

As you said, no smoke and contained odors to not attract unwanted guests, no need for propane, charcoal or other fuels, which, eventually, will run out. Can used to cook/purify water even if it rained and made all your wood wet so you cant light a fire.


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

I forgot to mention in that I uploaded some videos on Youtube talking about the "bug out binder" and I also went through some of my survival bags that deals with different situations:
Here is the link to the first video talking about my bugout binder:


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## ddudekk (Apr 17, 2018)

What a pity


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

ddudekk said:


> What a pity


dudeette is unprepared and that's ok with the rest of us. Somebody has to perish first.


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

ddudekk said:


> What a pity


Huh???


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

SanAntonioPrepper said:


> I have no idea what these are.


Bug Out Bag vs. I'm Never Coming Home Bag, or it's acronym, BOB vs. INCH.


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

Annie said:


> Bug Out Bag vs. I'm Never Coming Home Bag, or it's acronym, BOB vs. INCH.


Thanks Annie, Ive since learned that since I originally posted this thread.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

SanAntonioPrepper said:


> Thanks Annie, Ive since learned that since I originally posted this thread.


Oh, okay I see others have replied to that. Somehow I skipped page 2.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

What (to me) seems to me to be almost as important as having the bag is, where you keep it? Do you keep it in your car? If so, to what extent does heat affect your stash, making it necessary to rotate supplies more often? Do you have several bags, one for each family member? Where are they all kept? Also, if you have one of those key fobs, how reasonable is it to put anything into the trunk seeing as you might not be able to access that in the event of something really grave, like an EMP?


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

Annie said:


> Oh, okay I see others have replied to that. Somehow I skipped page 2.


Its all good. :tango_face_wink:


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