Episode-24- Equiping the 72 Hour Emergency Kit aka – The Bug Out Bag
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On the Survival Podcast today we discuss assembling a 72 hour emergency kit also known as the bug out bag. We will discuss what items to include, how to get the most out of your supplies and more.
Important Note of Correction – In the intro to today’s show I briefly mentioned some current events including the failure of two more banks and a short fall in the Gas Tax due to Americans driving less. On the show I reported the short fall at 14 billion dollars, the actual federal short fall is 5 billion and the 14 billion is what it will collectively cost the states in revenue. I did report these numbers as they were reported on this mornings news on Fox News Dallas, their error became my error. A link to the actual WSJ article is included in the resources section for this podcast.
Today we discuss,
- The purpose of a 72 Hour Kit – getting to safety not spending three days at home.
- Ideas for food items that keep you nourished on the go and are easy to obtain
- The advantages of a “back pack” over a duffel bag
- Ideas for wet weather and sleeping gear
- My view of what makes a good survival knife
- Rechargeable lighting options
- Making sure you have the ability to purify water
- The value of maps, a gps and a compass
- Why a poncho is not a good wet weather gear option
- Ideas to save space and weight
- Various “hard gear” equipment options
- Methods of self defense that won’t be confiscated by authorities during a disaster
- The value of a simple small tool kit
The list presented in the podcast is by no means complete. If you have ideas and suggestions please leave them in the comments below.
Also remember if you haven’t yet to enter our listener appreciation contest.
Resources for this podcast,
On the brief economy intro
On Survival Gear and Options
1. Icom portable scanner…or any light weight scanner!…info is critical..!!
2. handgun….38 special..or other light weight
hand gun…
3. work at being a gray man…no camo!!
just regular back pack, black or navy blue
gray…if you can hide a broken down ar 15 in the
pack…well things just Improved !
If you are in an area that has a fair amount of water, something like the Katadyn portable water filter can work well. It’s might be a little spendy, but for $120-$200 it’s worth it. They are pretty compact and weigh only about a pound or so. I think you should have water purification tablets too, but I like a quality portable water filter better to quickly clear up dirty, muddy water.
Thanks for the podcast.
Jack,
Thank you, thank you, thank you; finally, someone who talks sensibly about a 72h emergency kit, what things to think about having in it and addressing those items that are often overlooked. Also, you helped correct an assumption on what a BOB was and the often miss interpretation of what it’s for.
I would agree with aspects of what AZ1 and Scott write as well; the use of a portable water filter (or tablets/bleach (or the filter unit with bleach/tablets as backup/extra measure)) is one often overlooked item to have. I agree with AZ1’s point about being able to “hide in broad daylight” (ergo, blend in with the crowd and know how to not draw unwanted attention to oneself); it’s a skill I luckily have seemed to pick up in my travels and in university too; even when traveling to countries where being of European background makes you stick out, I am able to blend in easily enough that people don’t know I’m not a local. As to the idea of a scanner, it maybe handy (for some); but I’ll take a good multi-band radio (AM/MW, FM, SSB, SW (continuous if possible) and possibly LW) for a quick way to get information on what’s happening. Speaking of radios, if a person gets one, know (or keep a card) with the frequencies of stations that would be helpful in such situations (and if using SW, know the time of day they broadcast on the frequency).
Jack,
Thanks for the great podcast, I have been enjoying it. You recently did an episode on the 72 hour emergency preparedness bag (bug out bag) and I wanted to compliment you on doing such a good job and doing it from memory and while driving no less. I also have a couple comments and suggestions on the topic that I would like to mention.
First, I don’t think you mentioned having copies of your important documents in your kit. Granted you should have the originals in a safe place too, however it’s not difficult to think of a scenario where you may not have access to them for one reason or another. Carrying extra copies of your insurance documents, birth certificate, driver’s license, concealed carry permit, etc. can be done easily by putting them all in one of those heat sealed vacuum bags used for storing food. The bags are tuff and allow flexibility making it easy to add to your pack.
Second, carrying cash is a good idea but I would consider carrying small bills and put them in different locations on your person and/or your pack. Reason being if you whip out a roll of cash in front of the wrong people especially in an emergency scenario you are making yourself a target. Also if you stashed money in various locations and you are robbed unless the scum searches you and your pack you are less likely to lose all of your money and hopefully you will be able to go on your way having only been inconvenienced but not totally broke.
Third, you mentioned paper, in Texas rain and water may not be as big an issue but for people like me who live in the pacific north wet or other areas where it rains a lot, there are pads of paper that are treated so that you can get them wet and still write on them without the paper falling apart. It is similar to vellum but holds graphite better. I have a pad called “write in the rain” that I originally purchased at the college book store for a class that involved land surveying.
While the Ka-bar is a great knife and I have one I inherited I recommend something with a drop point blade because the shape makes for a stronger blade out at the tip.
Since this is turning out to be longer than I had intended I will end this with first aid training. The red cross classes taught at many community colleges are a bare minimum in my opinion but are a good start.
Thanks again for the great podcast
Just thought of an EDC item that one should probably have as well as the normal things (in my case, a good stout folding knife (mine’s a Benchmade mini-Griptilian), wallet, keys and just added is a decent small key-chain flashlight (a small photon-like one with 2 LEDs). I know this podcast was on a 72 hour kit; but they are handy extras that you should have one you at all times. I only recently added a small first-aid kit to my daily backpack (which also has a spare knife, LED flashlight (more powerful than the one on my keychain) and a power-bar or two).
Correction, the water resistant note pad I have is called “Rite in the Rain” not “Write in the Rain” as I previously stated. Here is their URL http://www.riteintherain.com/
Good show Jack,
You mentioned a notebook. Duh? I thought I had everything I might need in my BOB. (Except a notepad). Going to add a notebook and pencil tomorrow.
I found a cool item at Wal-Mart in the camping section. It is an 8 pack of towels. They are essentially “dehydrated” into the size of 4 nickels stacked up. With a few drops of water, it expands to a fairly tough 12″x12″ sheet that could be used for many things, including toilet paper. The pack of 8 was under $2.
The Lifeguards in the City of Huntington Beach were given an emergency 3 day kit list (and longer) They had a couple of items not mentioned on your list. A crow bar, dust masks, plastic garbage bags, a deck of cards a good book (for your idle time waiting to in the car to get out of town??).
Bug out bag. Try to take foods that do not take water to prepare, I see so many bug out
bags with things like, instant oatmeal, hot chocolate & soups. The water should be for
drinking & take vitamins & protein bars. I also take a bottle of fiber, not only is
fiber needed but it also swells for a full feeling. I came across what is called
Lifecaps. They are a capsule that has everything needed to survive without food with
the exception of water. It is full of vitamins & minerals plus Iodine. Anyway, you take
three of them a day & drink water. I can actually take enough food in one backpack to
las 6 months because of these little Lifecaps, protein bars, fiber & water. I will run
out of water in a week so I do carry a small filter & a couple of those straw water
filters that filter the water as you suck.
You do not always have the ability or time to heat water to make soup or oatmeal. Anyway,
after I bought 25 bottles I found a coupon code & bought 75 bottles more. The coupon code
is… healthcap It will get you 33% off. There are also sites that have those filter straws
that are cheaper than any of the stores around here. (SLC) I think they are a really good
idea along with some purification pills. I cannot remember the sites off the top of my head
but you can Google for aquamira filter straw. Aquamira is the manufacture but do not buy
off there site because I have found them for almost 1/2 what they want on their own site
on other sites. Good luck, Gods speed & get serious about your bug out bag!
Jack,
Not sure this is the best way to follow up with a question about the bug out bag podcast, but I’m new to thesurvivalpodcast (and love it!).
When I bought my Big Agnes sleeping bag the guy in the shop said that the ideal storage for the bag is not inside the stuff sack because it can lose its fluff or stay compressed or something stupid like that. I’m going to ignore him because it makes no sense to me to not keep my sleeping bag in my bug out bag. Could you please tell me where the crap is? Is my sleeping bag going to go to crap being in the bug out bag for a long time or is the salesman full of crap.
Hey Zak the salesman is right the filling loft effectively dies if stored compressed for a long time, a simple work around to this is to loosely roll up your sleeping bag and store it in a heavy duty rubble bag (the size of a pillow case) if you have to bug out and time allows, pack it in your BOB if time does not allow grab it and go. the rubble bag is waterproof and heavy duty, it has a multitude of other uses as well.