33 Essential Items For Your Bug Out Bag
Imagine the following scenario. You are awakened in the middle of the night by the jolt of a powerful earthquake. Your house is leveled, but thankfully you and your family are uninjured. However, the roads are impassable, your utilities have been cut off, and many of your neighbors were injured or killed in the earthquake. The only thing you have to survive is what you have on hand, and because you are a Frugal Dad reader, your bug out bag.
Photo courtesy of U.S Geological Survey
Unfortunately, this was a very real scenario for the people of Haiti. And in years past we’ve seen other examples, from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina to the tsunami in Indonesia. On a smaller scale, we’ve also seen blizzards, floods and other natural disasters leave many people to fend for themselves. With some preparation, and a little planning, you can greatly improve the chances your family can get through these types of survival situations.
What exactly is a bug out bag?
A bug out bag is a collection of basic survival gear that might be required in a disaster scenario, natural or otherwise. It is transportable, and consolidated into a single pack or two so that you can grab it and go in a hurry. I like to keep one at home and one in each vehicle, but how you implement the bug out bag is up to you.
The actual bag could be as simple as an extra frameless backpack or duffel bag, or as elaborate as a framed ALICE pack or similar framed backpack. The best bug out bag is one that you can pack the most in and still carry comfortably in the field.
What goes in a bug out bag?
Anticipating worst-case scenarios is never fun, but to properly pack your bug out bag with only the essential items, you must start here. Imagine no food, no electricity, no water, and no city services for days. What types of things would you need to survive?
- A couple rations of food (high-calorie bars, etc.). We have a big bag of rice, and several packs of packaged tuna with a two-years shelf life. Both have a lot of calories and are easy to prepare, but are relatively light to pack.
- Flashlights. Be sure to pack at least one flashlight per bug out bag. And never burn more than one light at a time to preserve batteries. A hand-crank light can come in handy too, for battery-less operation.
- Batteries. Be sure to have the right size for your equipment, and pack plenty of extras.
- Glow sticks. When flashlights fail, or when you don’t need a high concentration of direct light, glow sticks are a wise choice.
- Hand-crank emergency radio. Staying informed is a key to survival. A hand-cranked radio requires no batteries or electricity, and can provide news bulletins, weather updates, and information on evacuation routes, etc.
- Multi-tool. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere without a multi-tool!
- Knives. At a minimum, I’d recommend a folding camp knife with a saw edge, a Swiss Army knife with attachments, and a large, fixed-blade survival knife.
- Rope/cord. Some 550 paracord is a must-have in your survival kit for tying up food, making a shelter, and plenty of other uses.
- Change of clothes. This is not vital, as you can always wash/dry clothing in the field. If you have room, take along an extra set and lean towards cold weather gear.
- Water purification tablets/drops. Boiling water is the most effective way to reduce the risk of ingesting a parasite. However, purification tablets are a close second when boiling isn’t practical.
- Anti-diarrhea medication. Be sure to have this one hand in the event you or a family member does suffer from diarrhea, which can lead to life-threatening dehydration very quickly in a survival situation.
- Stainless steel Kanteen. I like this stainless steel Kanteen for carrying water (no worries over BPA’s in plastic), and it can be heated by hanging above a flame through cord threaded through the screw-on cap.
- Bottle of multi-vitamins. While on a survival diet, chances are you will be lacking the required nutrients from food alone. A good multi-vitamin will help keep your immune system up.
- Emergency blankets. These Mylar blankets help hold in heat in an emergency. In addition to those in our bug out bag, we also have a couple in the glove compartment of our car, just in case.
- Bug repellent. After water disasters (floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc.) there will likely be standing water nearby, which is great breeding ground for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes, and other insects, are known for helping transmit diseases in these conditions, so keep your skin protected at all times.
- Compass. Nothing fancy needed here. Just look for a compass that can reliably provide a north heading.
- Map of your surrounding area. Who needs a GPS? When it hits the fan, I’d rather have a map of my city and state than something that requires power and communication with a satellite.
- Fire-starting materials. We have a butane torch lighter, water proof matches, a magnesium stick, kindling sticks, cotton balls and petroleum jelly.
- Signal mirror. Putting a signal mirror’s reflection on a rescue pilot or boat captain is one of the best ways of attracting attention.
- Sun block. If caught out in the open on a hot summer day, you’ll be glad you packed sun block to prevent the sun from cooking your exposed skin.
- A safety whistle for each family member. Safety whistles can be used to attract attention from rescuers, and to communicate with family members if separated. Plus, they take a lot less energy and make a lot more noise than screaming.
- Fishing lures and line. If you can get to a natural body of water, chances are there is a food source in there. It’s possible to catch fish without lures and line, but having it sure improves your chances!
- Ziploc bags. Great for waterproofing items, rationing food, etc.
- Hand sanitizer. We personally packed a few bottles of Purell hand sanitizer. If you shop the cheap stuff, just be sure it has a alcohol content between 60% and 95% to maximize germ-killing effectiveness.
- Camp axe. Probably the most important tool when setting up a camp. A good camp axe can help clear a camp site, split firewood, and chop down small trees for shelter.
- Folding shovel. It isn’t pleasant to think about, but you may have to bury waste, or have the less-gross task of digging a fire pit. Either way, a folding shovel will do the job.
- First aid kit. I prefer the soft-sided kits here because they are more compact and flexible than the large, plastic box first aid kits.
- Survival handbook. A good survival handbook should cover information such as how to make shelters, identify plants and animals to eat, and strategies to get rescued.
- Roll of duct tape. Duct tape is the do-it-yourselfer’s best friend, at home and in an emergency situation.
- Cash and coins. We keep a couple hundred dollars in cash in a waterproof tube (originally purposed to hold waterproof matches). Also consider taking along a roll of quarters for any coin-operated vending, or to make change.
- Ponchos. When you have to leave shelter in search of food, or to move away from danger, keeping yourself dry greatly reduces the chances of getting sick from exposure to a cold rain.
- Tarp. With a section of tarp and a little rope tied between two trees you can provide instant shelter in a survival situation.
- Deck of cards (to fight boredom). Don’t discount the psychological aspects of survival. After a day or two, boredom will set in and you’ll be glad to have a deck of cards to pass the time.
I recommend picking up one or two items from this list each shopping trip, or ordering them online with a little money from your next few paychecks. It would cost a lot of money to purchase and pack these items all at once. And if you are like me, you’ll have a main bug out bag you keep at home, but a mobile version for the trunk of your car. After all, you never know where you might be in a survival situation.
Wow an awesome post but costs a lot…. I’m not living in my home country so it’s hard for me to justify getting so much stuff knowing I will be leaving in just over a year and won’t have the capacity to take it with me.
However I may cut this list down and get a very basic kit sorted out…. I’m in Egypt between a few war zones and things could happen.
The mobile pack can also be a vest. Similar to what a fly fisherman wears. In an urban or shelter environment there is less chance of losing your vest or having someone take it.
I love the list. I have to comment on the money and change. If things get crazy, I agree that it is important to have cash because debit cards may not work. However, depending on how bad it gets, cash may have no value. Also, as far as change goes, it is very heavy to carry change. In an emergency situation, I would have no qualms about using the axe to access the vending machine items. You should consider packing a gun or pepper spray in case you need to protect yourself or your family against people or animals that want your provisions.
Keep in mind that in a declared emergency, esp. in urban and suburban areas, carrying a hunting knife and camp axe (and maybe even a Swiss army knife) may be considered a threat if you are approached by police or National Guard.
I just considered: Does the Red Cross and other emergency agencies keep of list of where they would open emergency shelters? If so, you could call the Red Cross for a list of those shelters and addresses in your surrounding area. If you can tell an emergency is coming, you could get ahead of the other refugees.
What a comprehensive list!
It’s very rare in our society that we think about this as a requirement but, since the Haiti earthquake, “survival” has become more of a hot topic.
It can happen here and we should be prepared.
That said, I’d venture to guess that few are prepared for such a disaster…myself included.
Thanks for the kick in the pants!
Putting together our Emergency Preparedness Plan is on my list of things to do. I’m going to use this list as my starting point. Thanks!
Will share with my Scouting friends. Be prepared!
While I am set up at home for most any emergency, including being without electric and water for a long time if need be, I need to put a bag in my truck – cuz wherever I am, there’s my truck
It does already have snack bars, water, a change of clothes, and raingear/boots, and usually a fishing pole 
….. but I need to do the rest!
Thanks for the reminder!
PS – this post has been “starred” as a KEEPER!
I think part of being prepared is understanding the potential natural hazards in your area. The USGS provides some excellent hazard information for the general public:
http://www.usgs.gov/hazards/
What you pack – or don’t pack – may depend on the types of hazards you’re likely to face. For instance, people who live in Los Angeles, California might need to prepare for the possibility of an earthquake, but that particular hazard is much less likely in, say, Florida.
Another item I’d recommend (I always carry a few in my backpack along with a butane lighter) is a few vaseline candles: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Vaseline-Candle
They are good for providing a compact heat source (each tiny candle can burn for 15-30 minutes of heat, and could be used, eg, to dry out kindling to start a larger fire).
I carry some of these items in my van at all times, and I have some items available at home, but I don’t have a comprehensive pack like this. Thanks for the ideas! I will work on upgrading our emergency supplies.
In our area we evacuate for major hurricanes ahead of time (Greater New Orleans) but there’s always a risk of unexpected tornados.
I carry a standard First Aid Kit, but with additional medications – tylenol, ibuprofen, etc. as the kits have just a sample.
The one thing I would add in the food category is NUTS. I carry nuts in the car at all times as well as bottled water.
@Diane: Yes, nuts are a great addition because they are packed with nutrients and calories. In fact, one of my favorite snacks is homemade GORP (Good Ol’ Raisins and Peanuts with M&Ms). Just have to make sure I’m burning off those calories as I eat them!
Don’t forget that it’s also important to go through your bag periodically to rotate contents. Pull the food and medicine out before it reaches its expiration point so you can you use it at home and replace the items in your bag with new ones.
Will my blackberry still work.
We are fortunate enough to be in an area that has never experienced any natural disasters. This article has reminded me to check the first aid / survival kits in the vehicles. While not as extensive as your list we do have the basics if we are without power / heat / phone / internet etc.
Good ideas, FD. TP is good to have also. And if one has a concealed carry permit, a handgun. Looks like you read Lew Rockwell also.
Depending on the emergency (ie house fire) you could also keep a copy of your important documents/records (deed, birth certificate, list of emergency contacts, photos, etc.) on a small flash drive. Just make sure you keep this safe from theft.
[...] Frugal Dad: 33 Essential Items For Your Bug Out Bag [...]
Keeping extra copies of essential documents is something I thought about. I keep a set in a waterproof/fireproof box in my closet, which goes with us in an evactuation.
But if something happened to the house & the box didn’t survive it would be great to have another copy somewhere like the car for emergencies. Just can’t figure a way to keep that safe & secure…
Don’t forget if you have kids you need to have stuff to keep them occupied. Coloring books, crayons, pencils and paper. We have had ours for a few years now and knock on wood have not had to use it yet.
I always made sure I had room in my ALICE pack for a roll of nice soft toilet paper. Believe me …after a few days of using leaves, sticks, scraps of paper you come to really appreciate the simple joys in life.
If you do decide to carry a firearm, please know its and your limitations. I say this because some people read articles and just believe what they read. On a funny note, I was hunting and shot at a deer that I thought was 40 yards away. I had patterned the shotgun at that distance and the pattern was very good. Unfortunately the deer was at 60 yards. I couldn’t believe I missed it. I set a pattern piece of cardboard 2 foot square and shot it. None of the pellets hit it at that distance. So familarize yourself with any firearms you own. You should also familiarize any family members of proper use. Take care.
For remote (”cloud”) backup of that “small flash drive” with critical data, I’d suggest looking up the 2GB free offer at http://www.dropbox.com (I’m just a satisfied user).
Their documentation says the files (outside an optional Public folder) are encrypted and inaccessible, even to their employees, without your account password.
Your post has had me thinking and I thought of something quite important that is missed out….. Women’s sanitary products are something that could be seriously needed if it’s a certain time of the month and they won’t take a lot of space.
Thanks,
Forest.
http://frugalzeitgeist.com
We call this an earthquake kit here in California
.
Great list, but I didn’t see bottled water on it.
Number one should be a gun and ammo. Without it your bug out bag becomes someone elses who does have one.
Great tips! I think everyone should have one, especially with the hurricanes, snow, and crazy weather we’ve been having!
We call it an earthquake kit.
Ditch the rice – add peanut butter. You need water for rice and that becomes sparse in a bad situation.
We carry a gun- but for hunting. Never use a gun under stress.
Bottled water- at least a gallon per person. We leave it in the car.
Simple can opener- you might not want your multi purpose thing to get messy.
Soy candles and matches in a water proof carry bag.
CASH! Nothing like it when credit cards don’t process when no electricity!
Forest @1- the state department highly recommends a bug out bag. Passport and water are essential.
I definitely need to put one of these together. I already have some of these things scattered around the house, but I need to get them together in one place and add in others.
Ditto on the comment about womens’ sanitary supplies.
I found a GREAT bag this morning at a garage sale for 25cents… Heavy duty red canvas bowling bag with several outside pockets for shoes and towels and misc… because it is for carrying 20 lbs or more, the straps and buckling are all heavy duty. I’ll line the main bag with a couple plastic bags to insure the stuff inside stays dry.
Great find! And it will fit in the truck great also!
I don’t think I saw medications. My parents live with me and they both have high blood pressure, and my dad has diabetes and other things…you definately want to have medications and they need to be rotated out frequently to keep current dated stuff. The water is important, too. At the very least 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days.
@Mr. Poet,
You want to rely on the government to help you or a agency? They took DAYS to arrive after Katrina. Relying on the government sounds like welfare and I prefer to take care of my family and myself since no one will do a better job of it then me.
I would load up on more food. Probably 7-14 days worth. You can always ration it out. Dehydrated food would be good too, light and holds more vitimans and nutrients then packed tuna and rice.
@Mr. Mike,
Relying on a government or charitable agency for survival is never an enviable position, and if I had the means and/or outside support to stay out of one in an emergency situation, I would. But we cannot predict what might happen at every point in our lives. Sure, you may keep a bugout bag in your car. But what if you are on a vacation or on a trip where your car is at home? The airline will not let you carry on a bag with firestarters and shovels and knives. And checked baggage can be lost.
Haven’t seen any military types yet but here’s my take on the comments. A lot of you have missed the vital point about a bug out bag. It HAS to be light and simple. I always have a “fly away kit” packed and ready for instant use the moment I need it. But everyone in the family needs to have there own bag. That way women will pack sanitary needs, kids will pack a few toys or coloured pencils. If you have to carry extra food then leave it in the car or near the car where it can be loaded quickly. Also make sure you have a few jerry cans of fuel. Especially handy if the tank is only one quarter full when you need it.
But you also gotta allow for the fact that you may not be able to use your car, so make sure you have a pair of good quality boots next to your bag too. Make sure that if you get seperated that everyone knows a safe place to head for. or buy each person one of those Radio Shack cheap UHF two way radios. Another thing to add to your bags. And it’s important for everyone to understand how to use a compass or to set a map. You may not be there so at least your partner can take over. Family is important in any disaster. Decide on a particular place a long way from danger to meet up if you got a spread out family. People who need specialised medicine make sure they keep a supply in there own bags. But remember this, as cold as it sounds. In a disaster situation it becomes a battle of survival of the fittest and it is the fittest and most prepared who win. Friends become liabilities too so try to avoid them until everyone is safe.
Instead of bug spray or in addition I would pack a vitamin B complex. Vitamin B-1 acts as a bug repellent and works great. Better for me than spray. I miss a spot with spray, hate the stickiness and it gives me migraines. The vit B complex has proven itself camping, kayaking in wetlands and sitting around a backyard fires with family and friends. My family and friends use this method also. Be sure to give it 20 mins after swallowing to get into your system and the excess will make you urine a brighter yellow so don’t be alarmed.