What do you keep in your BOB (Bug Out Bag) & Why?

[SteveandTracyinKY]

I really liked the idea of a miniature shovel over a E-tool.

[Oregun89]

I really liked the idea of a miniature shovel over a E-tool.

These little shovels kick ass.

http://www.rei.com/product/407009

[steeltownknight]

No matter how water proof a case or  pouch claims to be I always place them in a GQ garbage bag or two.

I always have bungee or paracord already attached to at least the corners of my tarp. (for quick setup in a sudden rain)

[templar223]

I've seen some folks here with BOBs that must weigh forty to fifty pounds (as mine used to be when I started many years ago).

I came to realize there's no way I'm going to carry forty plus pounds on my back, plus body armor, plus a long gun, handgun and ammo, plus misc other gear, and be good for more than about 100 yards between breaks / naps / pain killers.

Multiple big knives?  Multiple multi-tools?  Sharpening stones?  Kitchen sinks?  A library of big, fat, heavy books?  Big, heavy flashlights (MagLights)?  What are some folks thinking?  It's a recipe for failure.

Lightweight is the name of the game.  Spartan.  Keep things simple.

This is a great thread and I've picked up a couple of ideas on improving my gear.

Here's what I had in my pack, with photos, from the Meet and Greet thread I did on an event that I hosted in Urbana, IL about a month ago http://thesurvivalpodcast.com/forum/index.php?topic=18673.0.  There's still room for improvement, but what I've got is pretty refined and certainly lightweight - at just over 20 pounds (which is about 10 more than I'd like).



The bag itself, a medium ALICE pack with a genuine USGI folding shovel and canteen, along with some 550 cord.

In the inside pocket are food products, including a single MRE, a couple of Mountain House entrees and some oatmeal and hot chocolate.  In the flap is some cash, USB drive with personal inventory and documents, etc., paper, pens, deck of cards, etc.




Inside:

Most all in freezer bags...  towel, TP/napkins, leather work gloves and synthetic cap, socks (including wool) and polypro underwear, feminine stuff (pads and tampons), First Need water filter, a set of BDUs (probably to be soon replaced by 5.11s, a tarp with reflective inside coating for shelter or blanket, personal hygiene items (soap, baby wipes, shampoo, bug juice, sunscreen,  etc.), some freezer bags, a wood saw and several "construction clean-up" ultra heavy duty black plastic bags.




In the pockets

550 cord, meds, contact solution, toothpaste & brush, mirror, hydrocortisone cream.

Miniature FRS radio, Fenix CREE 1-AA LED with multiple settings and spare batteries.  (There's supposed to be a tiny AM/FM earbud radio in there...)

Heavy twine, Gerber multipliers, fuel tabs, candles, waterproof matches, bic lighter, etc.

IBD bandage

Combat tourniquet.

Nitrile gloves.

First aid products - pads, gauze rolls, band-aids, tape, CPR microshield, etc.  2 emergency rain ponchos.


Surveyor tape, aluminum tent stakes, clips for tarp, compass, cup, Esbit stove and fuel blocks, space blankets (2) and a space blanket sleeping bag.

[Docwatmo]

Good post Templar. After using my Daypack bag for 7 days of real EDC in the woods (50 Plus miles of hiking) I made a few changes.  The bag started out at about 35 lbs.  I have since dropped it to about 25 lbs.  (Did drop several duplicate and backup items like knives and multitools,  the E-tool, some books (Just kept the knot tieing book for downtime study).  Because this EDC bag is used whenever I leave the house for the woods and sometimes I'm with a bunch of young scouts, While i'm with them, I carry a few extras like extra granola bars for snacks, a few extra waters for the boys who forget them (after a short but firm lecture on being prepared) or leave them at the last station, a couple of extra poncho's and Lots of 3 foot sections of rope for the boys who "Get bored" so they can keep occupied practicing knots.  (Finally got that darned Taut-line mastered myself LOL). 

I try to keep my bags dynamic.  I have a box at home with "Extras" or about 50 lbs of extra gear that I cycle in and out of the bag depending on the use.  If I'm hiking by myself there are things I take that I don't take when hiking with a bunch of scouts (Larger first aid kit, E-tool, Hatchet, Large chopping knife, mess kit etc).  I am more apt to take lots of extra gear if i'm going somewhere by myself for a few days or I alter the contents with some duplicates and extra food when with the family (Cause me and the two older boys are the only ones to carry day packs so we carry extra for the younger boy and my wife).

[endurance]

One item that I've recently added was to eliminate one more thing to carry.  I found some reflective 550 cord (actually rated at 400 pounds, so it's not really 550 cord) and bought it in hot pink.  Not only do I eliminate the annoyance of tripping over my shelter's guy ropes both during the day and at night, it also serves as a very unique flagging that doesn't look like everybody else's standard pink or orange flagging.

[slingblade]

A Visa card. Why?
1.  In an emergency I would rather keep the cash in my pocket/BOB rather than spend it and have to worry about getting more in the near term.  Why go hunting for an ATM in the middle of an emergency?
2.  If someone steals my cash.  I have a zero cost backup.  No I don't have cards with yearly fees.  If someone steals my $25K I'm SOL - if they steal my Visa then it is no loss to me.
3.  I have several (5) BOBs in play at once - each has a card with $2k - $25k limits.  It would be impossible to keep that cash in each bag.
4.  They take Visa almost everywhere.  If they don't then I don't need to be there.

Disclaimer.  My finances are in order.  I have more than enough money to pay off even if I maxed them out.  They are all higher end cards with big banks - not the high fee cards you have to "buy" if you have bad credit.  I NEVER carry a balance.  I CAN buy a beer on a Southwest flight!  YMMV.

[zeke]

I'm putting a B.O.B. together which will be left in the car. I planed on storing some of the mountain house or M.R.E. pouches in there. Will they hold up to the heat?

[endurance]

Both will hold up fine, but you lose some shelf life with the heat.  There's a formula to it, something like 60 months at 70F, which is halved for every 15F hotter and doubled for every 15F cooler.  If you replace the MREs every couple years, they'll be fine.  Freeze dried foods are a little more heat tolerant, but they also lose nutritional value like everything else (heat changes proteins, which is why eggs harden when you cook them, but it's not always such a good thing). 

Even though I have a good store of FD foods around the house, I prefer MREs in the car because they don't take significant water to reconstitute.  Water adds enough weight to a car if you want three days worth of drinking water in the car.  I don't want to add to that with food that needs water, too.

@slingblade:  Have you considered a pre-paid visa?  I've never used one, but the idea appeals to me for many of the same reasons (security, density of value, etc.).

[slingblade]

@slingblade:  Have you considered a pre-paid visa?  I've never used one, but the idea appeals to me for many of the same reasons (security, density of value, etc.).

Thought about but I just didn't want to hand them over cash that they can use to pay bonuses with.  I figure the regular VISA is zero out of pocket and I theoretically am carrying around $25k vs making it pre-paid and having to pay $XXX up front.  Not that I think a prepaid VISA is a bad thing - just not for this purpose.  If you have bad or no credit, or are not disciplined enough to have a card without using it/paying it off then pre-paids are the way to go if you need the service.  Just my $.02, YMMV....

[TRguy]

Bug Out Bag - BOB (Current Total Weight 15.4lbs excluding Glock and Ammo)

Tools
Fixed Blade Knife
Folding Knife
2 - Multipurpose Tool - Gerber and one cheap one for shaving magnesium
Gerber Folding Saw
Knife Sharpner
Binocular 10x25 compact

Water
MSR MiniWorks EX Water Filter (Filters 2000 liters)
2 - Aquamira Filtration Straws(Filters up to 20 gallons)
1 - Aluminum Water Bottles with Lanyard (Lanyards have 7’ of Paracord)
1 - Canteen with Steel Cooking Cup
Small container with two ounces of bleech

Fire Starting
I know Rick has stuff, but here's what I pack:
2 - Boxes Matches
1 - Magnesium fire starter
1- Windproof Lighter
Refillable Zippo  lighter

Hygiene
1 bar of Soap
2 Small bottles of hand sanitizer
1 Small bottle Shampoo
Toothpaste
3 - Toothbrushes
Dental Floss
2 Disposable Razors
Manicure set with clippers, scissors, and file

Medical
1 Bottle Ibuprophen
1 tube of anti bacterial Neosporin
8 Tablets of Benadryl
8 Tablets of Ibuprophen Cold and Sinus
Sun Screen 30 SPF
Rolaids Small Tube Pack
Irrigation Syringe
Bandages

Comfort
4 - Emergency Blankets
4 - Emergency Ponchos
2 - Bandanas
10 small individual packs of Grape Koolaid
Seal Skin Waterproof Socks

Directional
Motorola Droid GPS - works off of GPS Satellites
Compass

Light
Mini Mag Light
Headlamp various lighting options
Coleman Aluminum Light 85 Lumens LED

Power
12 - AA Batteries
12 - AAA Batteries
(See Misc for Midland ER102 Radio with charging crank USB port)

Miscellaneous Items
Midland ER102 Emergency Radio (with Charging Crank and USB Ports)
50’ Paracord
2 13 gallon trash bags
1 Notepad and Pencil
1 Whistle
2 washcloths
2 handtowels
1 Deck of Playing Cards

Firearm
Glock G19 with an additional 4 spare mags (75 rds) total

Note: I haven’t got my Calories, I have enough room for two MREs
Thought of adding a small  tarp (Thoughts?)

[Roswell]

Looks good TRguy.  Might I suggest that if you want to use MREs that you take them out of the packages. They put so much packaging and useless things in those that you can often cut the size of an MRE in half just by removing the packaging. Then you can carry twice as many MREs. 

[templar223]

A Visa card. Why?

I too carry credit cards in my "BOB". 

My daily computer bag is my "BOB" as compared to a 72hr kit.  In it is everything I need to protect my wealth and ability to earn an income.  To protect my health is on my hip.

I've got my computer (communication, entertainment, research, etc.), scans of all important documents, degrees and transcripts, training certifications, a photographic inventory of 99% of the stuff I own, hardcopies of what's in my wallet and lots more.  I've also got checkbooks from each of my accounts (I bank at multiple banks to spread my eggs around), and a couple of credit cards and cash as well.

Frankly, in most scenarios I can envision, I plan on bugging in my car (my escape pod) to a friend's house or hotel room somewhere outside of the problem area and my VISA card will be as helpful as anything if I need a place to stay at a hotel.

Frankly, I also keep the cards in there because when they aren't in your wallet, there's less temptation to use them.

John

[03USMCRAR_WA]

I have to say that I love the JOB pics and some of the videos that I've seen in here. I'd only like to add a few things that I think might be helpful. I've seen a lot of zip-lock bags, and they are good for the whole waterproofing bit but one of the fantastic things that I discover in the Corps was space bags. it's like a zip lock on steroids. they aren't the best thing for food stuff but for things like clothing that eat room they are amazing to reduce the amount of space lost. I see socks pop up here an there on peoples BOB lists but those and some clean skives really do come in handy out in the field.
Now before people start to think that I'm some crazy go live in the woods after the end o the world, I'm in a very complicated situation between my commute to work and my custody battle. I the worst of situation I could have to spend up to three days moving cross country with my daughter and three others in tow. As callous as it sounds my gear is just for my daughter and myself.
I'm not going to go into a great deal of detail but I'll say that my entire kit, 96 hour pack and deuce gear live in my trunk 365 days a year unless I'm out training with it. Unfortunately to date I've only done a dozen moments over 20 miles. With full water reserves my total kit weights in at 90lbs. This includes ammunition for a rifle and pistol. My rifle goes into my trunk along with my side arm every day and comes inside every night. I realize that most days this is a little much but events today can happen in a matter of hours and I am usually the last to know.
One item that I will mention directly that I think everyone need to consider if they live in a forested area like Washington state. Caulk boots, pronounced "cork" these are boot with small metal cleats on the bottom fo moving through thick underbrush and across fallen logs. After several years working in the timber of western Washington I have a great deal of respect for these boot. Don't get me wrong I love my combat boots but when it comes to having to move through the woodlands out here in the left coast I will not go anywhere with out a pair of Caulks in my trunk. They save energy and allow for shortcuts that no one would ever think of wearing regular boots.

[Who...me?]

TRguy...here is my solicited opinion.

Looks like a good solid kit with just a few (IMHO) tweaks needed. 

I noticed that in your fire starting kit you have no tinder.  There are many recipes for home made tinder and quite a few natural ones you can find.  Take a small peanut butter jar a fill with the tinder of your choice, almost no wieght, water proof and makes life much easier.

Water...That one little aluminum bottle is not enough of a water supply.  I use several Platypus plus bottles.  http://cascadedesigns.com/Platypus  they only come in at 1.3 oz each and roll up to almost nothing when not being used.

Everyone should have at least one trauma bandage http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/MHR331-1.html
and some form of CELOX bandage or granules.  http://www.celoxmedical.com/

Finally, even tho I have a tent in my gear I have a KIFARU Para Tarp for emergency shelter.  https://kifaru.net/paratarp2009.html

All of those item together might increase your total pack weight by maybe 2 pounds (depending on what fire starter you chose to use)  but would make life of the road much safer and enjoyable.
 

[Onug]

I haven't read all of the posts here, but I'll list what is in my BOB. 

I probably have a different focus that most for my BOB.  My BOB stays in my truck and is basically made up of two parts.  One part is the BOB itself, the second part is what I keep in the truck.  I work about 20 miles from home and the wife stays home with the kids.  If something bad happens, my BOB is packed to get me home.  I guess that makes it a "BHB"...bug-home-bag...

The bag itself contains extra socks, comfortable walking shoes, food, water and rain gear.  It also has a basic camel-bak system so I can add water if I find it.  Extreme weather where I live is very rare, so I don't keep that kind of stuff on hand so I can travel "light and fast".

The second part is the truck part.  I have a first aid kit and a truck-box full of gear (shovels, rope, matches, knife, etc.).  If I head out on foot, I'll grab what I need and go from there.

Actually, there is a third part to my plan.  It is the "seasonally adjusted" portion.  If I'm expecting extreme weather, I'll add additional gear as needed.  I live in the Seattle area, so really that's just the one or two weeks a year that we could be getting snow.  If the family and I are taking a road trip, I'll add more gear as well.

[TRguy]

TRguy...here is my solicited opinion.

Looks like a good solid kit with just a few (IMHO) tweaks needed. 

I noticed that in your fire starting kit you have no tinder.  There are many recipes for home made tinder and quite a few natural ones you can find.  Take a small peanut butter jar a fill with the tinder of your choice, almost no wieght, water proof and makes life much easier.

Water...That one little aluminum bottle is not enough of a water supply.  I use several Platypus plus bottles.  http://cascadedesigns.com/Platypus  they only come in at 1.3 oz each and roll up to almost nothing when not being used.

Everyone should have at least one trauma bandage http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/MHR331-1.html
and some form of CELOX bandage or granules.  http://www.celoxmedical.com/

Finally, even tho I have a tent in my gear I have a KIFARU Para Tarp for emergency shelter.  https://kifaru.net/paratarp2009.html

All of those item together might increase your total pack weight by maybe 2 pounds (depending on what fire starter you chose to use)  but would make life of the road much safer and enjoyable.
 

All solid suggestions: Tarp added, and so were two Platypus bottles (On Order), for tinder I went with two items; 1) Dryer lint in a double zip locked bag and 2) some shredded bicycle inner tube for a tire. (No liquid and minimal smell)......thinking about adding the trauma bandage

[endurance]

...thinking about adding the trauma bandage

Regarding a trauma dressing, my last firearms instructor, John Farnum, recommended the Israeli Battle Dressing.  I'm really impressed with it.  It's a large absorbant pad with an elastic wrap along with a compression bar that allows you to apply direct pressure on a wound without continuing to hold it.  Well designed, well packaged, small enough to keep with you in most circumstances, but big enough to deal with the bad stuff, and reasonably priced (just google for it and you'll find a dozen sellers from $6-9).

[Mike Honcho]

By no means is this complete but it's a start...I'm new to the game (and to the site) and have been "getting ready" for only about 7 months now; however I am committed to spending about $100 a month on gear so it's coming along...To be truthful I'm with the folks who are against "bugging out", I'm going to stay put until it becomes too detrimental to me and my family's safety (with 7-9 million sheeple in my immediate vicinity it may be awhile)... Also my fiance (wifey) is one of my designated pack mules in the event we would have to leave...Anyway here is what I have in my S.A.H.B (stay at home bag) / B.O.B... I have a spreadsheet that I filled out to keep me focused however, all suggestions from you good folks are more than welcome (I'm working on water and food storage now, talked wifey into getting a food dehydrator after reading a separate thread on here  )...

Tools / Protection

12 ga Shotgun
200 rds (mixed flavors - bird, buck, slug)
Walther Nighthawk w/ red dot (.177 cal)
200 pellets
Brazilian Machete
5 1/4 Kabar fixed blade
4 in folding blade
Hatchet
Needle nose pliers (*Leatherman tool coming soon)

Shelter / Fire Building

Tarp
50 ft 124 lb rope (*100 ft 550 cord is on the list)
Magnesium fire starter
Matches (w/ waterproof box)
Bic Lighter
Lint trap zip-lock bag (fire tinder)
6 Charcoal briquettes

Medical

1 Platoon med kit (too much stuff to list but it has trauma bandages, burn cream, alcohol pads and such)
30 Amoxicillin tablets (simple cuts can kill in these situations)
50 800 mg Ibuprofen

Water (*this section needs work)

(1)Aquamarine filtered water straw (filters 20 gallons - 2 more will be ordered soon)
Stocked water storage w/ roughly 10 gallons of bottled water (*needs to be replenished though, down to 4 gallons)
(2) 5 gal water storage bags (*ordering on Thursday)

Misc

Bar soap (wifey uses Dr. Bonners at home and it broke me out in hives  )
Department of the Army Survival guide (*highly recommended)
2 mini Maglites (w/ extra batteries)
Carbide knife sharpener
Remmy oil
Camo boonie cap (never under estimate the power of a good boonie cap)

Coming soon!

.22 LR (next month)
4 bricks of ammo (2,000 rds)
Duct Tape (Thursday)
(2) 5 gal. water storage bags (Thursday)
100 ft 550 cord (Thursday)
(2) Aquamarine filter water straws
Leatherman tool

[03USMCRAR_WA]

Nice pack Beetle. I did to did SAR before i enlisted. It's a great background for stuff like this. I was just wondering how you secure the water proof bag in the pack. I've only ever had to use pack for flotation in the military and would not want to ford a river in a survival situation, but it's handy to have a pack that floats. Just wondering...

[kr66p6r13]

my 13 year old daughter has a kit she has devised, from being freaked out about the whole swine flu pandemic last year, for her school back pack. consisting of:
several bandaids of misc. sizes
1 Sm bottle of purel
4 antiseptic towelettes
1 Sm roll of gauze/ 2 safety pins
2 pair of surgical gloves
2 surgical masks
back up cell phone charger
Bic lighter wrapped in some T.P.
2 pink glowsticks
a piece of paper with emergency numbers
a whistle
all in a ziplock freezer bag. in addition there is always a bottle of water & various snacks (that's where she hides them from her sisters) with her school stuff. its not an actual B.O.B. but it would perceivable get her through to our designated meeting places. I'm very proud of my daughter "the prepper"
 

[Mullers Lane Farm]

At the risk of sounding very naive about BOB (which I am), would someone please kindly point me in the direction of the thread or podcast on WHY we should have a BOB? 

Thanks muchly.

[Mullers Lane Farm]

Back to add to my previous post:

I am NOT naive about being self-sufficient, raising/making our family's food, et al

I just don't want to thread drift and would like to add to a thread that talks about WHY to keep a BOB and about your BOL

Thank you for your understanding of this newbie on this forum.

[endurance]

At the risk of sounding very naive about BOB (which I am), would someone please kindly point me in the direction of the thread or podcast on WHY we should have a BOB? 

Thanks muchly.

This episode is a good overview, but the basics are because you may not always be able to stay in your home in the case of an emergency.  Some emergencies are best weathered away from home, such as:  wildland fires, hurricanes, riots, chemical/hazmat spills, and radiation emergencies.

While I think most of us will agree, the best place to be in the event of an emergency is home-sweet-home, sometimes it's not an option or not the best option.

I also prefer a GHB (Get Home Bag) in my car that covers the essentials to get me home, whether on foot or stuck in a ditch during a severe winter storm it will give me what I need to stay warm, dry, fed and watered.

[Mullers Lane Farm]

Thanks muchly.  i will listen to it later tonight when there isn't so much activity going on. From the subjects listed I can see where it will help a 'grasshopper',.

I guess in my family's situation, I don't feel #6 or #10 would apply to us.  I think I will start a new thread so I don't distract from this one.

Thank you again

[monkeyboyf]

I'm very proud of my daughter "the prepper"
 

+1 to you for providing an atmosphere of information for your family to learn prepping.  She sounds like a very aware young lady.

[Smith]

At the risk of sounding very naive about BOB (which I am), would someone please kindly point me in the direction of the thread or podcast on WHY we should have a BOB?  

Thanks muchly.

Hi MLF! There are many reasons to keep a BOB and you will find tons of info on the hows/whats/whys online if you search it out.
I would like to throw my 2 cents your way though...

BOBs are really for people who live in areas that may need a quick evac. If you live on a farm in a less populated area bugging out should probably be the last thing on your mind. If you live in the middle of New York City, however, it may be your only option.

1. Keep it Simple. Remember, K.I.S.S. There is no way that you are going to hump as much as you think you can so try to keep the complexity down and drop weight where ever possible. I can't think of a single instance where I would NEED a gas powered camping stove to survive. Its a luxury and as far as luxuries go I would rather spend the weight on canned peaches. To me this is so serious that I even hack the excess handle off of my BOB toothbrush.

2. Keep it realistic. When I built my first BOB it was waaaaay to tactical. Over time, however, I learned that blending in is better than standing out in a FEMA camp. Just think, do you really need 2 rifles and a handgun and all of the ammo to go with or would $600 federal reserve notes and a concealable handgun be equal to the task? Do you plan on running to the woods and living out of the bag for 20 years or just the 3-6 days that most evacs require? There will be no Red Dawn.

3. Keep it familiar. If you are not used to using something, don't bring it in your emergency kit. For instance, don't bring IDF tri-bandages because everyone says they are great if all of your first aid experience is with commercial bandages. If you like using a fork, bring the thing, instead of trying to make do with the monstrosity called a "spork". Familiarity reduces stress in survival situations which is a big plus.

4. Bring something to read/do. Imagine being sheltered down and fed with a camp meal after a disaster with nothing to do but think about the terrible thing that just happened. Get a trade paperback from an author that you like and throw it in the bag. You wont regret it and you can always use it for a journal or fire starting if necessary.  

5. Keep multiples of the absolute necessities. 2 knives of some kind, 2 ways to start fire, and 2 ways to purify/collect water.

That should help you learn from my mistakes. Other than that, watch out because survival has become an industry, which means that there are lots of people out there selling overpriced things that you don't really need.

Good Luck and God Bless!

  

[mike77]

At the risk of sounding very naive about BOB (which I am), would someone please kindly point me in the direction of the thread or podcast on WHY we should have a BOB? 

Thanks muchly.

I'm working on putting my BOB together and I'm preferring to think of it in terms that I believe I read somewhere else on the forum. That's as a PERK, Personal Emergency Response Kit. It seems that the connotation of a BOB is that it is to grab and run for the hills until things get better, whether that's the reality or not. While I would hopefully be able to do that, I'm looking at it more as something to get my ass out of trouble in the short term and most likely problems. Examples Jack has mentioned are being out somewhere and mosquitoes are biting, grab the bug spray. At a kids game and it gets chilly, grab a hoodie or blanket. Or I get stranded at work for a day or two by weather or other problem. Or I have to immediately evacuate the house for a day or two because of a nearby chemical leak. That help?

[Orionblade]

That's about my thinking as well... my pack is put together as a bug-around-bag. It adds flexibility to any operation when things don't go as planned. Whether a range day and you run out of cleaning supplies or forget the exact right hex key, or you get stuck in the mud and need to chop up a few limbs to stuff under that rear tire... etc. etc. etc.

that's why there are so many terms - Bugout Bag, Zombie Kit, Oh-Sh*t-Kit, PERK, Hurricane Kit, Trunk Bag/Kit, etc. are all different names/flavors of the same thing. I have a few bags packed now, and use them for different things, but my primary bugout bag goes with me all over the place, while the other kits are more generalized and slimmed down, or special-purpose kits for getting to and from a specific location no matter the need. One bag in particular is a standard, but very nice, civilian leather satchel that I keep packed with a small variety of items (power bars, space blanket, 20' of para cord, 2 bic lighters, ziploc first-aid kit, tiny sewing kit, cotton cord for tinder, leatherman-style tool, and a pocket 8x monocular) to get me through up to 72 hours independent of viable vehicular transport. Generally this stays in my car, but it includes a patch of treated kevlar in the outer zipper flap now that I've got a mix that can stop a .45ACP round without batting an eye. School shooting scenario? Throw it over my back and protect my vitals, and run! The remainder of the bag is still useful for my laptop, a notebook or two, my TI-83, and I've got a cell phone pouch clipped around the shoulder strap with two speed loaders in it. My CHP isn't valid on campus, but school regulations don't cover what you can keep locked in your vehicle (in my state at least) so when I'm not specifically ON campus, I'm carrying, and the speed loaders are a nice comfort factor, considering the fact that over the past two days I've had three emergency alert messages regarding robberies within a block of the chemistry building and the coffee shop across the street where I currently spend most of my time during class and evening study sessions.

the point is to put together a kit that adresses the threats or situations you're likely to find yourself in, while being flexible enough to at least be a help in virtually any situation.

[Heavy G]

BOBs are really for people who live in areas that may need a quick evac. If you live on a farm in a less populated area bugging out should probably be the last thing on your mind. If you live in the middle of New York City, however, it may be your only option.

1. Keep it Simple. Remember, K.I.S.S. There is no way that you are going to hump as much as you think you can so try to keep the complexity down and drop weight where ever possible. I can't think of a single instance where I would NEED a gas powered camping stove to survive. Its a luxury and as far as luxuries go I would rather spend the weight on canned peaches. To me this is so serious that I even hack the excess handle off of my BOB toothbrush.

2. Keep it realistic. When I built my first BOB it was waaaaay to tactical. Over time, however, I learned that blending in is better than standing out in a FEMA camp. Just think, do you really need 2 rifles and a handgun and all of the ammo to go with or would $600 federal reserve notes and a concealable handgun be equal to the task? Do you plan on running to the woods and living out of the bag for 20 years or just the 3-6 days that most evacs require? There will be no Red Dawn.

3. Keep it familiar. If you are not used to using something, don't bring it in your emergency kit. For instance, don't bring IDF tri-bandages because everyone says they are great if all of your first aid experience is with commercial bandages. If you like using a fork, bring the thing, instead of trying to make do with the monstrosity called a "spork". Familiarity reduces stress in survival situations which is a big plus.

4. Bring something to read/do. Imagine being sheltered down and fed with a camp meal after a disaster with nothing to do but think about the terrible thing that just happened. Get a trade paperback from an author that you like and throw it in the bag. You wont regret it and you can always use it for a journal or fire starting if necessary.  

5. Keep multiples of the absolute necessities. 2 knives of some kind, 2 ways to start fire, and 2 ways to purify/collect water.
  

+1 Smith.  Excellent.