The Latest from Cactus Tactical: Emergency Preparedness and your Bug Out Bag

Bug Out Bag Basics

We all know the importance of being prepared in emergency situations. One of the basics that all the experts can agree on needing is a Bug Out Bag. Today on our blog we're going to give you the basics of what you'll need in this bag and it's importance to you and your family if you have to get out of an emergency situation quickly and efficiently. There is a lot of information about emergency preparedness so I'm just going to cover some of the basics, including a list of various items suggested to put in your bag when you choose to create one. The essential bug out bag has your basic needs covered but everyone needs different items that are relevant to them and their family.

The subject of bugging out and bug out bags (some prefer to call this a kit rather than a bug out backpack) is a popular one and for good reason. Disasters could force survivors to “head for the hills” in search of safer ground. In these times of uncertainty it's good to have a plan just in case disaster strikes. It's always best to be prepared, right? When you’re left with no other option, besides stay and die or bug out to the hills and maybe survive a few extra days, it’s worth a try, and having a “bug out or escape and evasion bag” ready to go will give you a better chance of making it.

Okay, so what should be included in a bug out bag? Well that depends on you personally – you’ll have to consider things, like your location and where you’re going, your health, your skills, and time of the year. That’s why that there’s no one bug out bag list that fits all needs and individuals. But by looking at bug out bag lists that have been put together by a number of different people, we can get ideas to work with and expand our bug out bags for our personal location and needs.

The primary purpose of a bug out bag is to keep you alive if some calamity were to ever affect your frame of reference. Keeping you alive means supplying your human body with all its requirements, air, shelter, water, and food. It also means providing for contingencies that may occur along the way, repairing your body if it is injured, and maybe a means of defending it. A bug out bag in a sense can be thought much in the same way you would a trip into space. It is a journey that you must control to the best of your ability with a planned destination before you ever lift off. And you must carry everything you need or a means of acquiring it.

In all reality, Bug out bags should be part of a larger system or plan. Having a bag and no plan is akin to blasting off on a rocket into space with no destination. Sure, the supplies you carry with you might keep you alive for a while, but to what end? In your situation you may be concerned with just yourself and some of you may have family members to attend to as well. Your bag may only be required to help keep you alive for a short period of time or it may be tasked to carry the things you need to stay alive indefinitely. Just like any journey you must know your destination before you begin to properly prepare. So, if you want to begin to put a bag together you need to ask yourself two questions to start:

1. What is the purpose of this bag?

2. How long will I need it to function?

When thinking about the “purpose of the bag?” what is meant is to what goal is the bag going to help you achieve. For example, if you work 20 miles from your house and a regional disaster strikes, having a smaller pack with you that will get you home is better than having everything you need 20 miles away. I suggest packing different bags for different goals versus trying to make a one size fits all. I am not saying to avoid packing a bag that will help you survive indefinitely, on the contrary, have one and keep it at home. But always have a means of getting to that bag.

When thinking about “how long will I need it to function?” One can again refer to the above example. A 20 mile journey on foot can be possibly completed in a day, but what happens if conditions are adverse? You will need to set a reasonable expectation as to how long it will take you to achieve your goal and pack accordingly.

Unfortunately, the longer the duration the more difficult it can be to carry everything you need. That is why the things that you carry with you should be broken down into two basic categories; things that can be consumed and tools that can help you acquire consumables. Let’s take a look at an example that is pretty easy, supplying your body with water. Arguably the most important bug out bag essentials are related to water and hydration. Water is an absolute must have in your bug out bag. One liter minimum, per day, per person is highly recommended. The rule of three’s tells us that your body, on average, cannot survive longer than three days without water. The adult male requires between 2 to 3 liters of water per day to avoid dehydration, more if you are expending lots of energy (such as if you were walking away from a disaster). In order to avoid dehydration you have two choices when bugging out, carry enough water with you to achieve your goal or carry a means of acquiring water along the way. Now 1 liter of water weighs roughly 2.2 pounds and it takes up to 1 liter of space in your bag. Enough water for one day will take up three liters of space and weigh 6.6lbs. That is great, but if you require your bag to supply all of the water you need for an extended period of time the weight and space will quickly become too much for anyone to carry. That is where packing a tool to help you boil or purify water comes into play. If your bag is for a short duration a straw type water purifier weighs just a few ounces. If water is available this might be all you need to carry. Compare a few ounces to 6.6lbs of water a day. Please keep in mind it isn’t necessarily one or the other. I would recommend carrying some water and a means to purify any water you come across.
Painting a complete picture of what it takes to survive in regards to a bug out bag is a lengthy journey. Starting that journey first involves identifying the destination. Identifying the purpose and duration is where you must start when building a bug out bag. Knowing that the things you pack can either be consumables or tools and properly balancing them is another important tenant.

Besides hydration another important part of your survival will be having several means for starting a fire. One survivalist and firearms expert once shared this piece of wisdom which has really stood out to me –“Where there are two, there’s one. Where there’s one, there’s none.” Essentially that means, if you don’t have a back up, and your primary fails you…you’re done for.
For that reason experts recommend having at least 3 different means of starting a fire on your bug out bag list of items to pack. Recommended items for this are ignition source, tinder and waterproof storage. Since this is important for both basic survival and your bug out bag I've included a little extra information on starting fires with items you may already have around the house. So, what do we need to make fire? Fuel, heat, oxygen, the challenge is combining the three in such a way that it creates enough heat to mantain an even, consistent burn without running out of material. When determining a safe area to make a fire try to take these things into consideration:

Is it easy to reflect the heat?
Is it near enough your temporary shelter that it will provide warmth?
Is it far enough from your temporary shelter that it will not put you at risk?
Is there adequate ventilation?
Is it near enough a fuel source/water source to make it convenient?
Are there tactical or situation factors that make a high visibility fire a liability?

Something to keep in mind is that you must have patience. If you’re not patient, and don’t pace yourself, you’ll find yourself wasting time and material -- two things we don’t have in great excess during emergencies. Manage both wisely.

This is when observation and experience really become paramount. For example, in the Pacific Northwest, things are “wet” almost all the time. However, this doesn’t mean that all things are retaining water. Searching around the base of trees can provide dry tinder, thin dry sticks, and so forth. As one gathers materials with which to build their fire, a simple way to think about it is:

Fibrous dry material (tinder) – Think light, porous and dry, pine needles, dry grasses, unsaturated rotten wood.
Toothpicks – thin, dry sticks about the same diameter as a toothpick.
Pencils – dry sticks (remove wet bark if necessary) about the same diameter as a pencil. This is commonly referred to as kindling. Kindling can be small dry limbs, thin, flat pieces of driftwood, or the like.
Broom handles – small tree limbs. By the time we use these, the dryness will be less important.
Logs – either rounds (sections) of a small, dead tree or branches. These will be the fuel for larger, hotter burning fires – such as cooking fires. The Boy Scout handbook refers to this wood as about the size of your wrist, and that’s an excellent way of describing it. Large, heavy logs are inefficient as they require more energy to gather, and you’ll have to refuel your fire every hour or so regardless of the size of the logs you add. Finally, gather your wood from an area outside your camp – leave the easy stuff nearby, just in case.
This semi-prioritized list considers the material’s size in relation to its order in the fire-building process.

A good way of determining how suitable any of this material is for fire starting is checking to see if it twists or shouts – when you try and break it, does it snap audibly, or does it just twist around? Leave the twisters and take the ones which break. They contain less moisture and are more suitable for this process.

Next, assemble the dry, fibrous tinder for the tinder ball, which is essential to starting a fire without a lighter or magnesium. Once you’ve collected your material, take the dry, fibrous grasses, or dry bark and shred it.

Your tinder ball should be the size of a major-league baseball, or roughly the size of your hands held together as fists. This is no small amount of material, especially before you shred it, but you’ll need quite a lot, as this process is very dependent on your skill at balancing the Fuel/Air/Heat triangle.

Try to find a curved piece of bark to hold the material as you set it alight; this accomplishes several things:

It keeps any water mobile and away from my dry material
It allows air flow from the bottom of the tinderball.
It allows you to move the burning material once it’s lit.
You can make an effective tinder ball from shredded, dry grass, and dry pine needles, with “toothpicks and pencil stick” sized kindling laid atop– they will not burn if you just leave them like this; it’s just for ease of setting the fire up once your tinder is burning. If you’ve found some dry wood, take shavings and add it into the mix.

Once you’ve assembled your tinder ball, and have your wood material handy, set the tinder alight – if you use magnesium, take care, as it burns very hot, and very bright. The first challenge here is managing the air flow while not smothering the fire or blowing it out. Don’t blow from your cheeks, blow from your lips. This will manage the air flow into a nice, even stream and won’t overwhelm the combustion process.

Now that you’ve got it to this point, don’t give up – the task is not finished! It may not continue to burn freely, and you might end up relighting it several times. If you’re using matches, use them as fuel. If you have hand sanitizer, check it for alcohol. If it has it, it’ll burn. Same thing with wax and Vaseline. This is the “sun” of your universe – everything else will orbit this component, so make sure it’s strong.

More important than flame is heat. If there is a good amount of heat coming from it, it’s time to start setting the fire up, and there are a few different thoughts on how to accomplish this, but we’re going to use the "teepee method." In contrast, the "hut" or “cabin” method disallows access to the interior component of your tinder, tends to collapse and typically works poorly with smaller pieces of kindling.

The “Teepee Method”: The toothpick- and pencil-sized material is assembled as a circular base, which concludes in a single point atop the tinder. This directs the fire into a single point, which means your heat transfer is directional, and therefore somewhat controlled. Also, you can build upon this basic foundation – adding larger pieces in the same way until the fire is mature. As the fire becomes more stable, the lean-to method works very well. Continually add oxygen to your fire now that it is at this stage. As your fire begins to generate more heat, it will cause the surrounding sticks to warm and ultimately burn.

It’s important to gather plenty of wood in the “pre-fire” stage – you do not want to have to continually expend calories getting up, scavenging , dropping back down (and getting cold) in a chaotic sequence, never really accomplishing anything. You’ll lose energy and heat, both of which are critical for survival.

Many kits that you can purchase will also come with the basics for fire starting such as the ones we have here: http://www.cactustactical.com/osc/personal-preparedness-kit-p-2054.html

Another key element is food.

Next up are food stuffs. In the preparedness community we see a lot of people eager to recommend various products, mostly off-the-shelf, dehydrated, store-bought items. Personally, we recommend a variety of non-perishable food items, some that might require water and some that don’t. In a real bug out situation, you don’t know how scarce your water source might be. To be safe, plan for more scarce than you think One of the many ways to think of packing food for your bag is to connect it similarly to planning for your bug out bag and planning for a hiking trip into the woods. The motivation for strapping the pack to your back is different in each scenario, but the realities of packing everything you would need to survive for three days hiking the Appalachian Trail or running from mutant zombies from mars are very similar in theory.

When you are looking for food ideas for your bug out bag there are four things you may want to consider. The first is caloric value, the second is weight and the third is spoilage and lastly you have preparation effort. For these food ideas, you need to seriously consider if the food you have planned for your bug out bag is going to be the most beneficial to you.

Caloric Value – A normal person hiking all day burns a heck of a lot of calories. I don’t have to tell you that hiking even on flat ground with a 30-50 pound pack on your back is going to make you work harder than that desk job most of us have. How many calories you will burn and conversely have to consume will depend on the shape you are in and what you are doing. Regardless the food you are packing should be able to give you back those calories each day or else your body will start eating itself and you don’t want to be anything less than 100% healthy if you are bugging out.

Weight – This should be pretty simple. The more your food weighs, the heavier your bag will be. A high calorie to weight ratio is smart and with the choices below I think there is a good balance. A good food to transport can be MRE's which can be lightweight and are made to withstand dystopian situations. You can purchase MRE's here: http://www.cactustactical.com/osc/white-chicken-rice-mre-entree-p-2303.html or we also have them available here:
http://www.cactustactical.com/osc/mre-tortillas-p-2306.html

For drink mixes we have those here:
http://www.cactustactical.com/osc/orange-drink-mix-p-2309.html

Spoilage – Where are you storing your Bug Out Bag? Is your food sitting in the hot sun of your car trunk every day for 3 months? You need to take care to only pack foods that won’t spoil, or plan for storing your bag in a location that won’t cause your food to spoil more quickly. This is especially important to keep in mind in places with extreme climates. We here in Arizona would pack differently than someone in Washington.

Keep in mind that your Bug Our Bag food choices aren’t always going to be what the normal healthy person consumes on your average day. The Bug Out Bag is what you grab when there is a need to get out of harms way very quickly. This isn’t camping or taking a leisurely stroll in the woods. Some of the food choices could be improved, but we are going for quick and simple calories mostly in a format that doesn’t spoil too quickly, doesn’t take a lot of preparation and doesn’t weigh a ton. So, with all that said, here are some ideas we came up with for your bug out bag food supplies.

Once you've decided on what you will need for water, heat and food it's time to think about other things such as shelter, first aid, clothing and toiletries/sanitation and weapons. Again, always take into account the variables of your geography and change out the items in your bag according to season and rotate items to avoid expiration.

There are several different ways you can make a shelter out of a tarp or use a trash bag filled with leaves as a makeshift ground pad. but these are a wise choice to include for numerous reasons. Being well-rested, both mentally and physically, is extremely important when times are rough.

I've added a few visual aids to assist with setting up tarp type shelters.

One of the most comprehensive this one gives you a myriad of ways to use the tarp.

Examples of Poncho Shelter

This one is easy and simple with just a tarp and some paracord

How you decide to pack this essential is entirely up to you but it's definitely something you want to have in your bag.

Choosing clothing for your bug out bag is a very personalized selection as we all have different body types, tolerances and levels of fitness. Items should be strategically layered to maintain a healthy body temperature at all times.Your clothes selection will obviously depend on your location, climate and the other factors listed above. You should evaluate your bug out bag every six months at minimum. Generally you'll want at least two changes of clothes ensure you can always have a dry set to wear. The last thing you want while bugging out, and in the elements, is wet clothes. Not only are they uncomfortable, but hypothermia is a real concern not to be taken lightly.
On a side note, it's found that various aspects of personal hygiene are often overlooked when compiling a bug out bag list of essentials. But the implications of forgoing any of these for an extended period of time might lead to bacterial infections and a rapid deterioration in health. When bugging out, you need to be at the top of your game, so be sure to pack those very important sanitary items.

In any emergency a family member or you yourself may suffer an injury. If you have these basic first aid supplies you are better prepared to help your loved ones when they are hurt.Knowing how to treat minor injuries can make a difference in an any disastrous situation. You may consider taking a first aid class, but simply having the following things can help you stop bleeding, prevent infection and assist in decontamination and perform CPR or the Heimlich Maneuver. A first-aid kit is a great resource to have handy at home, in the car and at work. If you're looking for a small kit with great supplies you can find one here:
http://www.cactustactical.com/osc/day-emergency-preparedness-kit-p-2055.htm

Lastly we want to cover personal safety and weapons. Gadgets are cool, and some of the ones out there right now are especially sweet. Keep in mind though that “every ounce counts.” Determine the must-haves and forget the rest. Self defense is something we should all give serious consideration. Bugging out, in its severest of circumstances, is a survive or die proposition. Whether you choose a handgun, a rifle, both, or just a can of pepper spray, it’s completely up to you. But you can be sure in a bug out scenario, we’ll be well equipped to defend ourselves and hunt wild game if need be.Three tools every bag must have is survival knife, a multi-tool and preferably a machete.

When it comes to firearms, most people will suggest a .22 caliber rifle, such as the Ruger 10/22 and this is a great choice. A .22 caliber rifle can take small game as well as larger game such as deer with proper shot placement.

Another advantage for having a .22 Long rifle is the relatively low-report especially when using CB caps and the ability to be effectively silenced with a homemade sound suppressor aka “silencer”.
The downside of the .22 Long rifle round is limited range, penetration and stopping power all of which limit the rounds effectiveness when used for self-defense. It's been suggest by those experienced in this that a backup handgun chambered for a cartridge suitable for self-defense. Even with a 9mm and 38 special, one could consider using only the +P rounds such as the 115 or 124 grain JHP +P in the 9 mm or 158-grain lead semi-wadcutter hollow point .38 Special +P for defensive purposes .Location would also determine weapons choice. For example those bugging-out in grizzly country should definitely consider something more powerful than the aforementioned 9 mm or 38 special.

It is wise to avoid any armed confrontation if possible. You are not a coward if you avoid the possibility of being shot or having to shoot someone else. You are not expendable – neither are the lives of your family or those in your bug out group. Safety is one of your biggest focus's at this point.

With that being said, a semi-auto military style rifle should be considered especially if you are trying to get from an urban area to the country, where facing organized gangs or other threats attempting to block your exit could be a possibility.

An AR-15 with collapsible buttstock or folding stocked AK-47 (for compactness and conceal ability) could help get you out of a dangerous situation if pressed into one, while taking up little space and not adding significant weight to your overall survival gear. Keep in mind that you will be carrying your life in this bag and it will be heavy, so make sure everything you carry is worth it.

I've included two lists. One is very basic and one is a very extensive list of items that are suggested to carry in your Bug Our Bag and wherever you may have a Bug Out Shelter or Bug Out Vehicle.

At first glance, to the experienced survivalist, some of the items we’ve chosen might seem excessive or even impractical. But if you check the individual products we recommend, you’ll see they’re all made compact and lightweight with the backpacker in mind.

The Basic List:

Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
Flashlight and extra batteries
First aid kit
Whistle to signal for help
Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
Manual can opener for food
Local maps
Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

The Long List:

Prescription medications and glasses
Infant formula and diapers
Pet food and extra water for your pet
Cash or traveler's checks and change
Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container.
Warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted, nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
Fire extinguisher
Matches in a waterproof container
Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
Mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels and plastic utensils
Paper and pencil
Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children
Two pairs of Latex or other sterile gloves if you are allergic to Latex
Sterile dressings to stop bleeding
Cleansing agent/soap and antibiotic towelettes
Antibiotic ointment
Burn ointment
Adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes
Eye wash solution to flush the eyes or as general decontaminant
Thermometer
Prescription medications you take every day such as insulin, heart medicine and asthma inhalers. You should periodically rotate medicines to account for expiration dates.
Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood pressure monitoring equipment and supplies
Non-prescription drugs:
Aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever
Anti-diarrhea medication
Antacid
Laxative
Other first aid supplies:
Scissors
Tweezers
Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant
dried fruits
nuts and nut butters
canned tuna or salmon
canned soup or meat (home-canned preferable to avoid MSGs and other preservatives)
canned or frozen legumes (beans)
frozen peas
Multi-purpose tool
Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
Cell phone with chargers
Family and emergency contact information
Extra cash
Emergency blanket
Map(s) of the area
Games and activities for children
Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl)
Two-way radios
Extra set of car keys and house keys
Matches
Rain gear
Towels
Work gloves
Tools/supplies for securing your home
Extra clothing, hat and sturdy shoes
Plastic sheeting
Scissors
Blankets or sleeping bags

550 Parachute Cord (50′)

Cotton Bandana
Duct Tape (25’)
55 Gal. Contractor Garbage Bag (Qty 2)
Resealable Bags (Qty 5, Various Sizes)
Sunglasses
Sewing Kit
Latex Tubing (3’)
Fishing Kit
Condoms (Non-lubricated)
Binoculars (Optional)
Face Paint
Military Surplus Survival / Snare Wire
Cash or traveler's checks and change
Emergency reference material such as a first-aid book or free information from the
medicine dropper
Mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels and plastic utensils
Paper and pencil
Sterile dressings to stop bleeding
Cleansing agent/soap and antibiotic towelettes
Antibiotic ointment
Burn ointment
Adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes
Eye wash solution to flush the eyes or as general decontaminate
Thermometer
Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood pressure monitoring equipment and supplies
Aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever
Anti-diarrhea medication
Antacid
Laxative
Tarp
Tent
Ground Pad
Wool Blanket
Lightweight Long Sleeve Shirt
Convertible (Zip-Off) Pants
Underwear
Wool Hiking Socks (Qty 3 pair)
Medium Weight Fleece
Hat w/ Flex Brim
Working Gloves
Rain Poncho
Pepper Spray
Handgun
Takedown rifle
Ammunition (Qty 25 rnds minimum)

Protein / Energy Bars (Qty 6)

MREs / Dehydrated Meals (Qty 3)
Spork
P-38 Can Opener
Metal Cooking Pot
Metal Cup
Pot Scrubber
Portable Stove
Stove Fuel (Qty 8 Tablets)
$500 Minimum in Small Bills
Quarters (Qty 8)
Gold / Silver Bullion Coins
Compass
All-Purpose Camp Soap
Hygiene/Signal Mirror
Small Pack Towel
Travel Toilet Paper (Qty 2)

For more information on preparing for an emergency I've added the links from the CDC and FEMA.

CDC WEBLINK: http://emergency.cdc.gov/preparedness/kit/disasters/

FEMA WEBLINK:
http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1549-20490-2111/basic_preparedness.pdf

Labels: BOB, bug out bag, emergency, first aid kit, gear, guns, kits, prep, prepare, preparedness, preppers, safety, self defense, SHTF, survival, survivalists, tactical