Okay, so I combined an earlier post in another thread with the photos for this one.
Before I go into an extremely lengthy discourse, I do want to make a few caveats and explanations.
I never have liked the term "Bug-Out Bag." It presupposes that such an assortment of equipment and supplies will only be used during an evacuation.
A long time ago, I coined the term "Personal Emergency Resource Kit (or PERK)." Why? Because I wholeheartedly believe that this small kit is the FIRST and MOST IMPORTANT assembly of stuff anyone interested in preparedness should put together.
The motivation behind a PERK is not as a collection of stuff to run away, but to survive under any situation. It is arranged in such a matter as to be able to move it from where you are to where you want to go, if that move results in a greater chance of survival. You do not have to be a subscriber to the "run away" mindset to take advantage of a PERK. It is the most basic assembly of survival items you should ever have. Each and every member of a family should have one of these kits. From the youngest to the oldest, a PERK should be assembled and ready to go. . .or stay. All of the items contained in a PERK can be used if you stay at home, are forced to leave by car, or can be carried on foot.
Now, a PERK has certain requirements:
A PERK must provide you with total support of all your needs for 24 hours, while giving you the tools and equipment to provide for yourself almost indefinitely (this is not a WELFARE kit, you are expected to contribute time and effort to your own support).
Personally, my own requirements are as such :
First, a PERK must provide you with 24 hours' supply of water, while providing you with AT LEAST 2 weeks' worth of the ability to procure and filter potable water.
Second, a PERK must provide you with a MINIMUM of 1 week's worth of food and provide you with the ability to obtain and prepare food indefinitely.
Third, a PERK must provide you with minimal shelter, suitable for your average foreseeable weather conditions and provide you with the tools to make more durable, or even semi-permanent/permanent shelter.
Finally, the entire package must be man- (or woman-) portable under the worst conditions. If I can take my truck, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will. But, if I am forced to leave my home, then my PERK will be taken with me.
Now, on to the contents:
Basic Spring through Fall Personal Emergency Resource Kit
Water :
1-gallon water in containers seperate from PERK for easy rotation
2 or 3 durable water containers (canteens, water bladders) for use in rough conditions
6 bottles Polar Pur Iodine tablets
1 Mechanical water filter w/ spare filter
Food:
6 MRE's, removed from their packaging and put into Slide-Lock bags. This should cover me for 3 days.
1- 1qt Nalgene container with Minute Rice
1 - 1qt Nalgene container with Acine di Pepe Pasta
1 - 1qt Nalgene container with Idaho REAL Mashed Potatoes (this exact brand name)
1 - bag or bottle with various flavorings (Beef, vegetable, pork or chicken bouillion. various dried soups, etc.).
Cooking Utensils :
1 - Stainless steel cup or military canteen cup (camper's pot will suffice)
1 - Stainless spoon
1 - Stainless fork
1 - Small cleaning kit (Brillo pad, small sponge, tiny bottle of dishsoap)
1 - Esbit Stove or "Tommy Cooker" with spare solid fuel tabs/blocks
Shelter :
1 - Heavy Duty Space Blanket (not the flimsy one)
1 - Ecotat Survival Shelter
4 - Tent pegs appropriate for your environment (spikes if good, or rocky soil, stakes or "flats" if sandy)
4 - 18-24" Bungee cords
1 - Hammock
1 - Bivy Sack w/ Thinsulate Poncho Liner
Clothing :
(Note : 1 set should be inside PERK, 2nd should be in small bag outside PERK)
2 - Complete sets of DURABLE clothing appropriate for climate.
* Each set consists of :
1- Pair Pants
1- Long Sleeve Shirt
1- T-shirt
1- Pr. Sliding shorts
4- Pr. Socks
1- Pr. Quality Leather Gloves
1- Hat
1- Pr. Inexpensive, UV-tinted Safety Glasses
Hygiene :
1 - Hand-sized towel
1 - Washcloth
2 - Bars, Unscented soap (Do NOT use scented)
1 - Bar, shaving soap
1 - Razor with additional heads
1 - "Unbreakable" mirror
1 - Toothbrush
1 - Tube, Toothpaste
1 - Microfiber towel (buy a Sham-Wow and make Finch happy)
1 - Roll, Floss
1 - Pr. Tweezers
Tools :
1 - Cold Steel "Spetsnaz" shovel
1 - Busse Steelheart sheath knife with Sheath & Sharpening Stone
1 - Leatherman Wave Tool
1 - Gransfors Bruks Small forest axe (19" hickory handle, 3 1/4" face and 1 1/2 lb head)
First Aid Kit
2 - Triangular Bandages
1 - Box Assorted Bandaids (Preferably waterproof and flexible)
8 - 4" x 4" Gauze Pads
1 - Magnifying Glass (A plastic Fresnel Lens is perfect)
10 - Safety Pins
1 - Roll of Moleskin
1 - Bottle Tylenol (50 count)
1 - Bottle Multi-Vitamins (50 Count)
1 - Thermometer
2 - 2" x 6' Ace Bandages
2 - Rolls, Surgical Tape
8 - Sutures, General Purpose
1 - Tube, Triple Antibiotic cream
1 - Bottle, Pepto-Bismol Tablets
1 - SAM Splint
1 - Lip Balm
3 - Pr, Latex Gloves
1 - Pr. EMT Shears
10 - Butterfly Closures
5 - Ammonia Inhalants
10 - Sudafed (or equivalent)
10 - Cough Suppressant
10 - Tablets, Anti-Diarrheal
10 - Tablets, Laxative
Misc.
1 - MiniMag Flashlight (If you can find a red lens cover, get it)
100' - 550 cord
1 - Gerber StrikeForce fire starter
100 - Waterproof matches
1 - 8-hour candle
1 - Set of maps of your area (Go to camping store and buy MapSaf to waterproof them (or use Thompsons Water Seal))
1 - Luminous dial Military Compass
1 - Sewing Kit, (spare buttons, heavy duty needles and thread, patching material)
1 - Fishing Kit in 35mm film cannister (monofilament line, hooks, small sinkers, flies, spoons/spinners)
1 - Tube Sunblock
2 - Bottles Bug repellent (use only manual pump-type, not pressurized)
1 - Wallet with extra Identification
5 - Large Trash bags, Industrial-grade (the heaviest-duty you can find).
2 - Rolls, Quarters
$100 in cash, small bills preferred.
All of this goes into an appropriately-sized backpack. Preferably, this is an internal-framed pack, especially in Winter. The internal frame pack allows you to rest the kit comfortably on your back, keeping both hands free. It pulls the equipment close to your back and reduces the possibility of the load shifting while you are moving around . . .perhaps while attempting to negotiate dangerous rubble. Currently, I'm experimenting with a frameless pack for the Spring through Fall kit.
Finally, you should sit down and make up a small notebook with all the names, addresses and telephone numbers (home, work, cellphone, fax, etc.) of everyone you know both in, and out of, your area. You should include EVERYONE, including your bank manager, insurance agent, the toll-free number for your water, electricity, phone, and all other services. One thing you can do is enter this into your favorite Word Processing program and print it out on that Waterproof outdoor paper, punch holes in it and put it in a small binder. Remember to get them notarized, especially important papers and identity documentation and put in a rugged, waterproof pouch.
I do have two arrangements for a PERK. Each is dedicated to a particular season. I only use all this gear when I refit for Cold Weather and I put this into an original Lowe-Alpine CFP-90 pack. During the warmer months, I remove the C/W gear and put it into one of the larger "3-day" packs, like you see above.
Additionally, I have one full set of clothing (underwear, T-shirt, socks, pants, shirt, hat, gloves and boots) in a small duffel bag which sits next to the PERK at home. I also have one of these for myself, my wife and kid in each vehicle with our smaller Get-home kits.
This is because I may not be in an "acceptable" set of clothes when disaster strikes, and may not have the time to immediately change clothes. For all I know, I might be in the shower when the train carrying toxic chemicals goes off the tracks and I may have to evacuate my soapy self while trying to outrun the deadly chemical cloud wafting down my street. I can attach the small duffel bag to the pack and throw the ruck on my back and run down the street (or get in my truck) stark nekkid.
However, this gives me a kit that I can use anywhere, under practically any circumstance and covers the basics of what it takes to survive. With this kit, I can survive 24 hours without any support,
Just some thoughts, hope they help.
Prof.
