BOB 101...where to start?

[rlspach]

You could have saved yourself a ton of $$$'s and made two and it would have contained far more than that.

No doubt but before I bought those I had nothing. I also didn't have to spend a ton of time trying to figure out what to buy, pack it, etc, etc. It was more than worth it to not have to spend all that time figuring it out.

I like them and they've already come in handy, plus they don't take up a ton of room in the car.

 

[E5RANGER375]

i gave into the pressure and ordered one of LAPG's 3 day packs. I suppose now I will have to begin assembling supplies.

i think the first thing will be a water bladder of some kind and a blanket. are camel-bak bladders good?

id stay away from the bladders for a SHTF pack unless your gonna use an inline filter on it. get a couple water filter bottles at wally world, for $30 each. then a couple bottles of water.

 

[prowland]

My company gives us first aid kits all the time. From small "auto" kits to large wall kits. I have picked through a few of the large kits and made a get home kit for each car, 3 day BOB, and a week kit that I keep in the mini barn.

I have a decent amount of knowledge on first aid but have small booklets in each bag on some general and some more extensive first aid in each bag if I am the one who needs the aid.

 

[teddy12b]

No doubt but before I bought those I had nothing. I also didn't have to spend a ton of time trying to figure out what to buy, pack it, etc, etc. It was more than worth it to not have to spend all that time figuring it out.

I like them and they've already come in handy, plus they don't take up a ton of room in the car.

You did good and don't let any tell you otherwise. We can all get a little too carried away with trying to pinch pennies and at some point having something in your hand is better than not having something even if you paid a little more for it. People can take months to learn exactly what you'd want and how to use everything they've got. I think it's best to start with some kind of a generic kit and learn it, then build your own or add to the original.

 

[Icarry2]

I agree with just about all the comments. A Camelpak is better with a filter, I think some of us know what stale water tastes like out of one of these packs.. The Civilian Filters are only about $20 and replacements are about $5 a piece.. Snap right in line with the hose and are only for taste. The Military Filters make dirty water safe and cost more..

Priority is to have what you know how to use.

Be familiar with where it is in your pack, sounds dumb but if you know your pack you should be able to pull whatever you want out very quickly from touch memory in the dark..

The majors are all important..

Water, Shelter, Heat, Food, Fire for Cooking, Protection, Mobility, etc..

 

[LPMan59]

my LAPG bag arrived this morning. Now to begin accumulating supplies.

 

[Libertarian01]

LPMan359,

If you "bug out", where would you go?

I am not making a sarcastic question, but being serious.

Answer that question first.

Next, figure out what the most likely event would be to make you go there. Think of every piece of collateral damage that event would cause. Clogged roads, burning fires, dead chickens, whatever.

Finally, try to think of the most likely equipment you would need to give you the maximum probability of success to arrive healthy.

With ALL THAT in mind, you can then begin thinking about what to put in your BOB.

An easy way to do this is watch any post holocaust movie and put yourself into the movie. What would you want? Where would you go? How many would you want to go with you? Etc.

Regards,

Doug

 

[LPMan59]

ok so it's been a few weeks. my BOB has been set up primarily for:

1) car breaking down in the middle of nowhere, being stranded, etc
2) grab and go bag if i speedily have to get to either sets of parents, or my wife's family property in an out-of-state rural area.
3) wife kicking me out of the house for the evening

what i've got so far:
Maglight and extra batteries
cigarette lighters
multi-tool
sunscreen
compass/whistle/thermometer
can of CLP, basic cleaning supplies
1 change of clothes- undershirt, shirt, boxers, 2 pairs of socks (1 heavy, 1 normal)
toiletries (toothbrush, deodorant, etc)
1 pair of gloves
1st aid kit
mag carrier with 2 ak mags and 2 ar mags
sharpened AK bayonet
1 box .45acp ammo
1 .45acp pistol and mags

not included in the bag but ready to go in a minute:
Colt 6920 and 8 magazine chest rig
CAI WASR-10


things i am planning to get:
am/fm/weather radio
water supply
dried foods
wool blanket/space saver blanket
camping utensils

 

[FWShooter]

Hope you do not get hungry or thirsty.

You can buy energry bars that are high calorie pretty cheap that last a lifetime and maybe a couple water bottles and some purification tablets (plus you can use the water bottles as more storage space).

Also, backpack stoves are a nice addition and you can use them to boil water or cook a meal if you get the lightweight pans.

I also like to include tarp, multitool, knife, some waterproof matches, tinder material, small fishing gear, small amount of spices (amazing how everyone forgets food is freaking bland), and 22 ammo because in a truly SHTF scenerio I am going to be more reliant on evading trouble and being able to trap/kill little creatures quickly than using guns that make loud bangs.

Also, man cannot have to much paracord especially with a tarp you can have shelter.

Also, one more thing people forget when you have to haul all this crap ounces weigh lbs.

What I have found best with mine is actually go out in the backyard with a tent and try and survive the weekend with it. After I got what I wanted narrowed down then I went up to the campsite and did the same thing with hiking.

Nice thing about being at home is I never really screwed myself because if there was something I truly needed and forgot I could grab it.

 

[rjstew317]

LPMan59, you can get a sawyer inline filter at wally world for around $30, it comes with the bottle but can also be hooked up to a bladder. the filter can be back flushed to clean it out as well. they used to say that these things will filter a million gallons, and from what i have read (reviews) they will darn near do it.

 

[45fan]

I prefer building my own bag, instead of picking up a generic, one size fits all survival kit. The kit can be tailored to your specifics, and the possibilities that you can foresee. My kit is almost more of a man purse, that stays in the trunk of my car, or behind the seat in my truck. I keep a basic first aid kit, blanket, change of clothes, and some food stuffs that would keep me going in case of an emergency that catches me away from home. Others may be more worried about getting away from their homes, and would need to adjust the contents to suit their own situations.