Bug Out Bags and 72 Hour Kits

I firmly believe in preparing for disasters but I have noticed a lot of people are going overboard on their bug out bags. For those if you not familiar with the concept, a bug out bag is a kit of supplies and tools a person prepares in advance of and in preparation for an emergency.

I have seen numerous kits on the Internet and most are way too big, heavy, and bulky. Many contain as much as 40 to 50 pounds of survival supplies. Some are even more over-packed. The people preparing these kits seem to be missing the point. If you need to bug out you need to be mobile and capable of easily adapting to rapidly changing and often violent conditions. It is not the time to have 50 pounds of crap to lug around.

Now let me be clear. I am not talking about 72 hour kits. I am talking about a simple bug out bag to provide a way to get home or to another safe location. These are small bags to grab in a sudden unforeseen emergency such as an earthquake or terrorist attack. In contrast, 72 hour kits should be much more complete and in contemplation of a one to three day escape in response to a sudden but expected disaster such as tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes. These are anticipated events that allow and indeed require larger loads.

So here are my complaints and suggestions.

Firearms: Many bug out bags have handguns and ammunition. To this I say why? Not why does your bag need a firearm but why aren't you already carrying one. My bug out bag does not contain a gun because I already have it on me -- ALWAYS. My bag does carry extra ammunition however since lugging around ten pounds of ammunition every day would be ridiculous.

Rope: Seriously why would you need rope to travel from work to home in a disaster or from home to a family member's home? Now in a 72 hour kit this is a must. Rope is used for almost anything you can think of in a prolonged situation in the wilderness but in an urban environment it is virtually useless.

Water Purification: This seems like a really great idea until you see how much they cost and consider that it is also virtually useless on a short escape. Think about it. If you are at work and a terrorist attack occurs you don't need anything more than bottled water or two to be fine in most situations. I have water at work in my refrigerator and can always put it in my bag if I go mobile but it makes no sense to load it up any sooner.

Food: Other than a granola bar or two it is the same as water. It is simply not needed in a short-term escape.

Military Style Packs: Even if you disregard my advice on the other items this one is just simply not to be ignored. Do not use a military style pack for your bug out bag. You will attract all kinds of attention you don't want. Use a simple college student style pack, computer bag, or diaper bag to blend in better. Military packs are a sure way for law enforcement and others to single you out of a crowd. If you don't want to be arrested or robbed then blend in.

Matches and Other Fire Starters: Again, in a 72 hour kit indispensable, but in a bug out bag, useless unless you smoke.

Jackets: I drive a car 5 months out of the year and it has a jacket inside. When I ride my motorcycles the other 7 months I wear a motorcycle jacket. In my office I have a sweater and hoodie-style sweatshirt. I certainly have no need for a separate jacket in a bag.

Compass: How could a compass possibly help you navigate an urban environment? You have buildings or mountains for orientation and if you have lived in the same place for more than a few weeks then you should know the area well enough for a compass to be totally useless.

Silver and Gold: People pack this for barter thinking it will be useful in a short-term escape. "Excuse me sir," you expect to say to the man fleeing a smoking building. "Will you take this silver coin in exchange for a ride?" Get real. Cash is king if you need fuel, food, or water. People in panic mode are not going to give you anything for a coin they have never seen before even if you tell them its really, really valuable.

My bug out bag is a small shoulder-bag and is designed to get me from work to home or to travel quickly to another location. It contains extra ammunition, a small first aid kit, cash, a small flashlight, lock picks, and a small knife. What else could it possibly need for its mission. Since my gun is already on my hip and my wallet, telephone, and keys are also with me at all times, little else is really needed. Indeed, all I really need to get home in a disaster is enough fuel and I am good. Everything else is really icing on the cake.

My advice to those planning to bug out with 50 pounds of military equipment is that you need to compartmentalize and prioritize better. Use a separate 72 hour kit for your tents, axes, rifles, sleeping bags, and 7 gallon water jugs. A bug out bag should be light, compact, and easily concealable. You are going for a Jack Bauer type kit for a bug out bag. Get out and get to safety quick is the idea. Your bug out bag is not for hunkering down. Now get packing already.