A bugout bag is a survival kit that contains the supplies you need to survive in an emergency. It should be lightweight and easily carried.
A bug out bag should contain essential items like hand sanitizer and wet wipes to help you stay clean in the event that water is scarce. It should also include wearable items for keeping warm and dry.
What Is a Bugout Bag?
You may have questions, what is a bugout bag! A bug out bag, or go bag, is a collection of supplies and tools to help you survive for at least 72 hours in the event you must evacuate your home due to natural disasters like floods, fires, or nuclear accidents. You should also have a bugout plan and a bug out shelter.
The contents of a bugout bag vary depending on the type of disaster that could strike your area. If you live in an earthquake zone, you might want to include a compass and a map as well as earthquake preparedness items like bottled water and first aid items. You should also consider including survival gear that will allow you to survive in the wilderness, like a backpacking stove and fuel, a multitool, and a flint for starting a fire.
Another essential piece of gear is a toilet kit. You may not have access to toilet paper or running water after a disaster, so it’s important to have emergency supplies to ensure you can stay clean. A trowel and a bucket will let you dig a hole and bury waste, and a travel-size toothbrush and toothpaste can ensure your dental health. Finally, you should have a way to communicate with others, so include a compass and radio in your bugout bag. This will make it easier for you to get to evacuation centers or find friends in the aftermath of a disaster.
Why You Should Have One
A bugout bag is an emergency survival kit that you can use if you’re forced to leave your home due to a natural disaster or other crisis. It contains the supplies you’ll need to survive for 72 hours or so until you can reach a safer place to stay.
The goal of a bugout bag is to help you survive in an emergency situation until you can get back to your normal life or to the safety of your loved ones. It’s a great idea for prepper families to have their own bugout bags so that everyone has what they need if an emergency arises.
One of the most important things to include in your bugout bag is food. You should pack ready-to-eat foods like protein and breakfast bars, nuts, jerky, etc. Keeping a supply of these in your bag will give you the nutrition you need to keep going until you can find more reliable sources of food.
Another important item to include in your bugout bag is water. You should pack at least a gallon of water per day for each person in your family. This will give you enough to drink and to wash your hands if needed.
It’s also a good idea to pack some basic hygiene items in your bugout bag, like toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Having these supplies will keep you from getting sick if your access to running water is cut off for some reason.
How to Build a Bugout Bag
The biggest benefit to building your own bugout bag is the ability to tailor it to the specific environments you are likely to encounter. This is especially important if you have any medical conditions such as asthma or allergies. You will want to make sure your kit includes extra supplies of medications and testing materials as well as personal items such as a spare inhaler or an Epi-pen.
The other big benefit to a custom bug out bag is that you will have better gear in it than the pre-made ones that are available. This isn’t necessarily because of the quality of the gear itself but rather because you will have spent time evaluating and selecting only the best gear for your situation. You will not waste money on stuff you will never use, that isn’t appropriate for your needs, or that won’t work in the conditions where you are likely to find yourself.
Whether you choose to buy a ready-to-go bugout bag or build one yourself, it is an essential part of modern survival preparedness. The peace of mind that comes from knowing you have a plan in place to get away quickly if needed is worth the effort. In the end, a bugout bag is more than just a tool for getting out of harm’s way; it is also a critical piece in ensuring your family’s safety during a disaster.
Should I Buy or Build a Bugout Bag
A bugout bag is a vital piece of gear that could be the difference between life and death in the event of a disaster. Whether you choose to buy a premade bugout bag or build your own, it is worth the time and effort it takes to create one. The key is to make sure you have the right equipment, at the right quality and size, in a pack that you can easily carry. If you end up with a bugout bag that is too heavy, you will be less able to get around in the situation when it needs to be used.
When building a bugout bag, keep in mind that it is a short term survival kit that is designed to be used in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency. You will need to do a detailed terrain and threat analysis of the area where you live or plan to travel to in order to determine what supplies are most important for your specific circumstances. What is necessary for someone in the Rocky Mountains will be very different from what a person living in Alaska will need to survive.
As a general rule, a bugout bag should be no more than 1/3 of your total body weight to make it easy to carry over long distances. If you are planning on using your bugout bag for a longer period of time, then it would be a good idea to start storing more food and water.
