Is your Bug Out Bag Going to Get You Killed?

[DragonDoc]

Here is a nice little article.


http://www.thedailysheeple.com/is-yo...-killed_052013

[jmnielsen]

Not a bad article. Most of it I would assume people on here already know, but a large population of the "preppers" I have seen have some ridiculous "BOB's." I've done lots of backpacking, and have carried some heavy packs. It is not something that just anyone can do, and definitely not something someone can run with. I've carried a 70lb pack on 15 mile days up into the wind river range and it was a long day and i'm 230lbs and in great shape. Definitely no running in the pack either. My BOB/survival bag is smaller than my backpack that I use for school. Plenty in there for me to survive for more than 72 hours, and something I can do a long run with if need be.

[Kfgk14]

So many people I know don't get this...In my AO, if you break down out of town or worse have to hoof it home from your workplace (which is often 15+ miles away) you've got a long walk ahead of you, but likely a manageable one if you don't pack too heavy. I see guys with "truck bags" (basically the same thing as a BOB) that weigh 70 pounds or more. They have a sleeping bag, a saw, a hatchet, multiple big knives...on several occasions I've seen guys a half mile from their car/truck, sitting on some overloaded duffel/ruck, and not able to go any further because they can't handle the walk with all the damn gear they bring...

[MountainRaven]

A couple of phrases spring to mind:
When in doubt, throw it out.
If you are prepared for everything, you are prepared for nothing. (Paraphrasing Sun Tsu's axiom of strong everywhere=weak everywhere.)
The key to being light infantry is to be light....

I tend to agree with the article. I think you're better off packing too light than too heavy. The ideal to which we aspire should be the guys who can head out into the backcountry in a t-shirt and shorts, equipped only with a good knife and what can fit into their pockets, rather than the poor bastard heading out with a 7000+ci frame pack laden with everything you could possibly need to survive anything. Or the Selous Scouts (gun, ammo, water) and not WWII Marines making an amphibious landing (80+ pounds of everything needed to fight for three days).

[SteyrAUG]

My favorite is people with a Suburban full of shit who think they will actually get any farther than a single tank full of gas in a disaster situation that is so bad you are forced to abandon your home.

I always wonder where they think they are going to go and what items they will pick from that truckload of shit when the tank runs dry.

The older I get the more I realize my option is to "hold the fort" or else.

[Honu]

used to keep a BOB and practiced with it by going camping for 3 days with it

now with kids in tow and stuff pretty hard to have everything
I tend to go out prepared for the day water some snacks protection and extra set of clothes for accidents the kids might have with food or whatever ?

some stuff I do see is funny how much they have
in a real SHTF scenario I am taking out the guy with the big pack is what some folks are thinking !

I took a good survival course in the late 70s early 80s
the guy was a X spook who seemed to have done quite a bit of stuff over seas in the past
he laughed at the guys with camo and uzis (popular back then) and such
like he said I would rather go into looking like a dad who is hunting with my deer rifle ! I can shoot the uzi guy walk down take what he has
if some kinda police force is going to be around having a hunting rifle and normal clothes is going to be much easier to pass than military gear and weapons and a bag full of weapons support stuff
my bag with my thermos of coffee some jerky and a couple sandwiches and water is not going to stand out

does make you think about things though

agree on the cars full of stuff like they say the roads would most likely be impassible etc..

like steyer the older I get the more I realize hold the fort mentality
what good is a years food and 1500 gallons of water 10,000 rounds of ammo like you see some folks have on tv shows if you leave it at home

[Moose-Knuckle]

This thread would have gone nicely in the Disaster Preparation & Planning sub-forum.

My favorite line from the article:

Pack Smarter – A bug out bag should be viewed as a life preserver in most situations, not a convenience store.

The KISS principal applies here. Anything that is in your pack should have at least two or three different uses. Items should nest easily, etc.

[chuckman]

The older I get the more I realize my option is to "hold the fort" or else.

I have 6 kids. I don't need a BOB, I need a BORV (Bug Out RV). We are staying put, unless imminent threat to house by weather/fire; then, out F350 church-style van will hold enough to get us to where we need to be.

When I was travelling a lot, I had a BOB of sorts, but really in case I broke down in the middle of the boonies.

My issue with folks' BOBs in the even of some sort of societal collapse is that many people like the tactical-looking bag, which will stick out like a sore thumb.

[DragonDoc]

This thread would have gone nicely in the Disaster Preparation & Planning sub-forum.

I thought there might be a sub forum for this but I couldn't find one. Admin please feel free to move to the correct forum.

[ST911]

Don't underestimate the difficulty in moving on foot. Most folks aren't conditioned to walk very far, especially carrying a load. Add environmentals, terrain, and any assorted danger to complicate it.

Don't take my word for it. Take your weekends and do 5k, 10k, 20k, 40k walks (esp with loads) and see for yourself. And that's with you picking your timing, circumstances, load, and route.