Post Pictures of Your Bug Out Bags

[bcksknr]

    Just to throw out a little food for thought, a couple of times in conversation about having some basics set aside for emergencies, I've had individuals say " I don't need to prepare, I just need a gun and where the Preppers live". Kind of scary, if they really meant it. As far as being on the road with a BOB it's probably well to keep in mind that the ratio of the prepared (you) to the clueless and desperate (most of them) is not in your favor. We've all seen what it looks like when a food truck pulls into a refugee camp; total chaos. I don't want to be the guy who looks like he has anything of use, when I walk among the panicky hordes.
     Even the Walking Dead folks could safely pass through the massed zombies if they looked, moved and smelled like them. The problem with "Grey Man" camo is that sturdy outdoor boots and clothing along with a well fitting pack of essentials, is hard to disguise as just another victim trudging down the highway of abandoned vehicles. I've been thinking of working on a "Bug Out Vest" that could be concealed under a loose old jacket. Trying to hide enough gear for a couple of days on the road shouldn't be too hard, but it will mean cutting back to the bare bones. I'll have to work on that.
     I'm hoping that there will be a couple of days window of civility before people get desperate enough to start preying on each other. That should be the time to get to where you need to go. Even during Katrina, the "lawless" looters seemed to be more interested in stealing luxury goods than essentials. They seemed to attack stores rather than other people for "stuff". Given time, hunger and thirst combined with absent law enforcement, it could have gotten really ugly. I guess it's just a matter of scale. Any thoughts? 

[endurance]

    Just to throw out a little food for thought, a couple of times in conversation about having some basics set aside for emergencies, I've had individuals say " I don't need to prepare, I just need a gun and where the Preppers live". Kind of scary, if they really meant it. As far as being on the road with a BOB it's probably well to keep in mind that the ratio of the prepared (you) to the clueless and desperate (most of them) is not in your favor. We've all seen what it looks like when a food truck pulls into a refugee camp; total chaos. I don't want to be the guy who looks like he has anything of use, when I walk among the panicky hordes.
     Even the Walking Dead folks could safely pass through the massed zombies if they looked, moved and smelled like them. The problem with "Grey Man" camo is that sturdy outdoor boots and clothing along with a well fitting pack of essentials, is hard to disguise as just another victim trudging down the highway of abandoned vehicles. I've been thinking of working on a "Bug Out Vest" that could be concealed under a loose old jacket. Trying to hide enough gear for a couple of days on the road shouldn't be too hard, but it will mean cutting back to the bare bones. I'll have to work on that.
     I'm hoping that there will be a couple of days window of civility before people get desperate enough to start preying on each other. That should be the time to get to where you need to go. Even during Katrina, the "lawless" looters seemed to be more interested in stealing luxury goods than essentials. They seemed to attack stores rather than other people for "stuff". Given time, hunger and thirst combined with absent law enforcement, it could have gotten really ugly. I guess it's just a matter of scale. Any thoughts?

I tend to agree that most of the looting and unlawful behavior I've seen in American riots is targeting useless stuff, like flat screen TVs, clothes, etc. That's not to say that pattern will always hold, but it has in most cases for the first few days. That's why I carry enough cash for one last shopping trip where I can buy stuff that doesn't store well, like oil, batteries and seed potatoes. I won't be the guy disappointed to see the canned food aisle empty, that's the easy stuff to store.

[RuggedCyclist]

    Just to throw out a little food for thought, a couple of times in conversation about having some basics set aside for emergencies, I've had individuals say " I don't need to prepare, I just need a gun and where the Preppers live". Kind of scary, if they really meant it. 

I think we should all start explaining to people who say that, that preppers have guns too... and they tend to have training. And explain that if you need to get in a gunfight whenever you need to eat, the odds are not in your favor.

As for the rest of it, you still want a full BOB for every day disasters that get fixed before people start looting because they're starving.

As for the vest idea, you could have a modular system. Have a BOB, and a vest with minimalist gear. There 2400 calorie ration bars, a canteen pouch, and water purification tablets is all you'd really need and it doesn't weigh hardly anything. This allows you to drop the BOB if need be and still have supplies. Use a tactical vest kitted up with mags and ammo and it doubles as a patrol rig when you're at your retreat, if your plans include such things.

Also, wear good quality boots anyways. Just kick around in the dirt so they look like old work boots.

Based on how people react to disasters in the past, like what you said about people going after useless crap when they loot, you really should be home by the time people start targeting people who look like they have food and supplies.

[Carl]

One should KIT in layers as he dresses in layers.
1.Every day carry.
2.A DAY PACK with first aide,food,water
3.a pack full of stuff you will need
4. a truck load of stuff you think you need
5. documents bag

  1 and 2 are all you need if you have a BOL (place to go to) or pre-positioned supply (storage locker)
To bug out is of little value ,if you have no set destination to go to.
A HOME is a place of shelter,comfort,and safety....I would not leave my home unless I were in REAL DANGER...as just exposure would
be enough to finish my story

[Stwood]

Some awesome replies here.
Things to sleep on. 

[endurance]

The 2400 and 3600 calorie rations kind of make me chuckle. Those that rely on a 3600 calorie lifeboat ration to get them through 72 hours on the run or in cold weather haven't thought this out very well. While having them as a part of a bug out bag isn't a bad idea, a person on the move or in cold weather is going to be burning 2400-4500 calories a day. Hell, I've had 9,000 calorie days doing exceedingly hard pushes over the course of 12-24 hours. Besides that, even the Millenium Bars aren't appetizing enough to obtain 100% of your calories for a day.

A much better solution is to incorporate traditional hiking foods with reasonable shelf life. Things like trail mix (aka GORP), Clif Bars, cheese and crackers, salty snacks (chips & nuts), and chewy foods like gummy bears will keep you moving. If you need something to warm you up, chicken or beef bullion, ramen, and mashed potatoes are easy to heat and eat.

Yes, I have lifeboat rations and Millenium Bars as a part of my preps, but you should never lean on them to supply 100% of your calories when you're trying to cover ground.

[Greekman]

funny thing is such critisism usually comes from th e"military" tacticool" dudes.
Once i was scolded by being called a munchy for carrying 8000+ calories in by BOB

[Carl]

funny thing is such critisism usually comes from th e"military" tacticool" dudes.
Once i was scolded by being called a munchy for carrying 8000+ calories in by BOB

I plan to 'supersize' a happy meal at McDonalds on my way out of town.

[endurance]

I plan to 'supersize' a happy meal at McDonalds on my way out of town.

That's probably more calories than a lifeboat full of rations.

[RuggedCyclist]

The 2400 and 3600 calorie rations kind of make me chuckle. Those that rely on a 3600 calorie lifeboat ration to get them through 72 hours on the run or in cold weather haven't thought this out very well. While having them as a part of a bug out bag isn't a bad idea, a person on the move or in cold weather is going to be burning 2400-4500 calories a day. Hell, I've had 9,000 calorie days doing exceedingly hard pushes over the course of 12-24 hours. Besides that, even the Millenium Bars aren't appetizing enough to obtain 100% of your calories for a day.

A much better solution is to incorporate traditional hiking foods with reasonable shelf life. Things like trail mix (aka GORP), Clif Bars, cheese and crackers, salty snacks (chips & nuts), and chewy foods like gummy bears will keep you moving. If you need something to warm you up, chicken or beef bullion, ramen, and mashed potatoes are easy to heat and eat.

Yes, I have lifeboat rations and Millenium Bars as a part of my preps, but you should never lean on them to supply 100% of your calories when you're trying to cover ground.

If they were actually something I could eat without getting sick (gluten problems), I would keep a couple as snacks on the run.
A couple of them in a jacket/vest pocket would be valid as a backup if you had to part with your bag though wouldn't you think?

I wouldn't want to rely on them completely though, even if I could eat more than a little bit without getting sick.

[David in MN]

The 2400 and 3600 calorie rations kind of make me chuckle. Those that rely on a 3600 calorie lifeboat ration to get them through 72 hours on the run or in cold weather haven't thought this out very well. While having them as a part of a bug out bag isn't a bad idea, a person on the move or in cold weather is going to be burning 2400-4500 calories a day. Hell, I've had 9,000 calorie days doing exceedingly hard pushes over the course of 12-24 hours. Besides that, even the Millenium Bars aren't appetizing enough to obtain 100% of your calories for a day.

A much better solution is to incorporate traditional hiking foods with reasonable shelf life. Things like trail mix (aka GORP), Clif Bars, cheese and crackers, salty snacks (chips & nuts), and chewy foods like gummy bears will keep you moving. If you need something to warm you up, chicken or beef bullion, ramen, and mashed potatoes are easy to heat and eat.

Yes, I have lifeboat rations and Millenium Bars as a part of my preps, but you should never lean on them to supply 100% of your calories when you're trying to cover ground.

Totally agree and I love the comedy of it. As a 15 year old I was assigned a task from a biology teacher to figure out my daily calorie consumption. He balked when I turned in my assignment and estimated 7,500 per day. Mind you I was biking 3 miles to school at 5:30 to hit the weight room early and running 5-8 miles on the track team each afternoon before biking home. My dad wrote a letter assuring that my work was correct. Something along the line of "I can assure you that half a chicken, 4 potatoes, 2 ears of corn, and a head of broccoli are a normal dinner for David".

Preppers in general need to be reminded the caloric need of exertion. Muhammad Ali and George Foreman trained for the heavyweight title by chopping down trees. This hurts because I'm a Frazier fan (I'm a left hook fighter too) but also because it brings to mind the hardship on the body that these outdoor survival methods force on us. I doubt any of us are the total athlete of Ali or the powerhouse of Foreman. But you gotta fuel that beast if you're going to work on that level.

[DonC]

I'm probably not going to post pics. Needless to say, I have a fairly good mix of everyone's bags already. Like Carl, mine weighs in at just under 30lbs. But I have enough stuff in there for my wife and I. I'm retired military, so as you can imagine, carrying a measly 30lbs is no sweat. Also, you can bet that I've collected a fair amount of gear over my lengthy military career! It will never truly be complete. But I do use my items and replace immediately. It helps me keep my stock rotated! I also have several little EDC rings that contain firestarters, multitools, cordage, etc. These are small enough to carry everywhere, everyday. I have a set, my wife has a set, and we each have one in our vehicles! Of course, I exercise my 2nd amendment right daily, so security isn't usually an issue. Can I shoot, (1 shot, 1 kill) I don't mame! My wife has her gun and she can shoot alright too! Of course, I always carry a knife or two.

[endurance]

If they were actually something I could eat without getting sick (gluten problems), I would keep a couple as snacks on the run.
A couple of them in a jacket/vest pocket would be valid as a backup if you had to part with your bag though wouldn't you think?

I wouldn't want to rely on them completely though, even if I could eat more than a little bit without getting sick.

I didn't say don't have them at all. I have one and several Millenium bars in my trunk right now. However, I also have a box of 18 (probably down to 12, now) packages of Costco trail mix, a half dozen of my favorite Clif Bars, my favorite MRE elements (crackers and cheese/jam/PB, potato strings, poppy seed shortbread and ranger bars), and a jar of bullion cubes. Sometimes there will also be a package of fig newtons, sometimes Girl Scout cookies, sometimes beef jerky, but always over 10k calories of food I like eating on the go. Heck, I keep trail mix in my bunker pockets for long fire calls. This boy enjoys his food.

[Greekman]

The 2400 and 3600 calorie rations kind of make me chuckle. Those that rely on a 3600 calorie lifeboat ration to get them through 72 hours on the run or in cold weather haven't thought this out very well. While having them as a part of a bug out bag isn't a bad idea, a person on the move or in cold weather is going to be burning 2400-4500 calories a day. Hell, I've had 9,000 calorie days doing exceedingly hard pushes over the course of 12-24 hours. Besides that, even the Millenium Bars aren't appetizing enough to obtain 100% of your calories for a day.

Endurance, judging by your hiking experience.....
Supposing the one has 5000 calories in his backpack and rations them for 3 days.
Then the "bugout run" becomes a 5 day one.
At what point would he see significantly diminished performance? (say resting more time than being active)

[machinisttx]

I suspect that would depend a great deal on the actual caloric deficit. If you are burning 5k and replacing half, you'd be better off than if you were burning 8k and only replacing 2500.

[Carl]

A .22 and a few non-zombie squirrels and you would be OK.

[endurance]

Endurance, judging by your hiking experience.....
Supposing the one has 5000 calories in his backpack and rations them for 3 days.
Then the "bugout run" becomes a 5 day one.
At what point would he see significantly diminished performance? (say resting more time than being active)

First off, it actually takes several days for a calorie deficit to hit you in most cases. When I've been normally active and started a hike, my appetite doesn't actually increase very much until day 4-5. While my normal metabolism is about 2100 calories a day, if I'm hiking hard, for the first three days I might only crave 2500-3000 calories despite burning 4500 calories a day. Then it ramps up to catch up for a week or two. My distance friends, the guys I know who do the pacific crest trail and other silliness beyond my realm, say that after two weeks you become insatiable. That's when a hiker will come off the trail after a week of eating 4500 calories a day and consume a whole 18" pizza and two half pound cheeseburgers in a single sitting with a chocolate milkshake to wash it down. It takes several weeks to tame that beast even after the hiking is done...

I think the body does a pretty good job managing a fat reserve for the short term and doesn't mind dipping into it as needed, but at some point it says enough is enough and fights back to rebuild its margin for error/safety factor. But if you have some calories going in, I think that can get pushed down the road quite a way. The exceptions is dealing with cold. That's a place your body is going to be craving calories from the start and a deficit can lead to hypothermia.

[steeltownknight]

Everyone STOP posting photos !
: ) lol

A lot of great info here
I could Never show EVERYTHING in my bob 
Cause' the local bacon boys would steal it.

[N8TV Whisker Biscuit]

Good to see all the different BOB's to compare to.

[Prepper456]

thanks for all the ideas