The theory:

Margaret suggests that you think about what your bag is for before you design it. It's probably not for walking through the woods cooking wild berries. Figure out what your threats are: forest fires, hurricanes, creepy ex-partners, helping refugees, becoming a refugee, etc. What would you grab on your way out the door in the event of these things?

The emergency kit:

This is a small kit bag that can go inside the larger bag when the time comes but just generally should be your starting point and should always come with you. Includes a hygiene kit, a basic first aid kit, and survival stuff.

The hygiene kit should include a travel toothbrush, small toothpaste, fingernail clippers, floss, moist towelettes, daily-wear makeup, and foam earplugs. I also keep deodorant in mine (be careful it melts) as well as period products, despite not being a period-haver as it always feels good to save the day.

The first aid kit should be basic boo-boo stuff, OTC meds such as painkillers, anti-histamines, and caffeine (preferably still in factory packaging,) and extras of your daily medications.

The survival kit should include a tiny flashlight, a bic lighter (can be wrapped in duct tape,) and a not-weapon-looking knife that is not long enough to be illegal wherever you are going.

The bag itself:

James says that you should aim for carryon sized bag. Margaret uses a generic laptop/commuter bag because cops profile people and James uses a Mystery Ranch Scree 32 because he already has one for being outdoorsy. Line it with a large waterproof bag such as a thick trash bag or pack everything in individual dry bags, whichever you prefer. Putting everything into a large trash bag packs better but is more annoying to dig through.

Food and water:

Keep some shelf stable snacks in the bag. Ones you won't reach for every time you are hungry so that they are still there when you really need them. James suggests a humanitarian daily ration and Margaret carries a lifeboat ration block. Carry some water. A metal canteen, a nalgene, or reused plastic bottles such as smartwater.

Documents:

Passport, important documents such as vaccine records, property deeds/proof of ownership of valuables, contact info for your friends and family, driver's license, and/or encrypted digital copies of all of those on a usb.

Clothing:

Spare socks, underwear, a packable rain jacket or poncho, and a packable warm top. If you buy a puffy jacket, you'll have to choose between down and synthetic. You want synthetic for packing it and forgetting it or down if you're willing to take care of it and keep it dry.

Others:

Power bank with many different types of cables. A mylar emergency blanket (keep away from high voltage power apparently lol) or a mylar sleeping bag. An emergency whistle. Rechargeable headlamp/flashlight. A screwdriver with interchangeable tips. A spork or spoon. A small can opener. Repair items such as zip ties or duct tape. Small glowsticks. Wear a watch that doesn't need to be recharged.

If you know you're going to be moving through the outdoors, add a tarp and sleeping bag.

Entertainment:

Small toys for handing out to children, handheld gaming devices pirated or otherwise, rope for playing with knots, a book that you know you like, a small musical instrument, dice, tabletop gaming supplies, etc.

Hi all, here is a video about some of the basics that (in my opinion) should be kept in a bug out bag, it's quite a detailed video so great for the beginners, thanks all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I85bqURCWf4&t=1s

A month ago, I didn’t have a bug out bag. So I made a list and put together the essentials.

Half of it was items around my house already, the other half I bought some basics like a life straw for only $10 (for water).

There are still many things not crossed off my list (like lighters and matches) BUT I know if I had to leave tonight I am more prepared than I was yesterday.

So this is your message to get started TODAY! It took me about 3 weeks from planning and researching, gathering and assembling. But it now exists!

If you don’t have one, make one now. Make a cheap one. Make a half finished one. Use what you have laying around and add to it weekly or monthly.

My next step is getting another firearm, learning self defense and building my network offline.

I’ve accomplished a lot in a month. You can too!

While it would be much easier to just buy, many of them I’ve found on there internet are missing key items, and/or are very expensive. How much money has it cost you to build yours? Obviously everyone’s is a little different. The main issues for me are I’ve got 4 kids and a wife who I’d like to all have their own, even if they’re not as deep. The other is the daunting task of shopping, finding deals, and then organizing if I choose to build my own.

TIA

Edit: Thanks for all the feedback everyone. Looks like I’m going prebuilt….KIDDING!

An important part of preparedness for everything from natural disasters to SHTF is having the ability to displace quickly and without having to pack first. The core principals are lightweight, versatile, and minimalist. Being able to run/walk for a long time with your bag is essential. Here's my take on things to consider in a go-bag:

• IFAK/Trauma kit. Only carry what you know how to use. If you take medications that you can't go without, take those too. Menstrual supplies if needed.
• Sleep system. This is going to be different for everyone, but the crux of it is you want something to sleep on and something to sleep under. For my body/location, that's a hammock with a bug net, tarp, and bivvy bag.
• Two methods of filtering water. I keep a life straw bottle and some iodine tablets. A plastic bottle to carry more water is nice too.
• Light weight, high caloric density foods. Think protein bars. Personally, I keep nutrition blocks and jerky. A small bag of condiments and seasonings might make running for your life a little less sucky. If you're a caffeine addict, bring tea bags, instant coffee, or caffeine pills. Caffeine withdrawal is no joke.
• Cash & ID.
• Knife & Multi Tool.
• Cordage.
• Phone charger/spare batteries for any of your kit. Some people carry a battery bank, that's reasonable. Others carry a battery jump pack that can jump a car, those are surprisingly lightweight, but they're kinda bulky. They do provide a lot of juice though. Depending on where you live, an emergency weather radio can also double as a backup power source.
• Head Lamp (personally my head lamp and phone take the same kind of charger so I can carry both in one). I've also seen people with those hand crank flashlights. I don't personally use them, but that's reasonable. My phone and weapon light serve as my backup lights.
• Small pair of bolt cutters and a small, lightweight pry bar. Lockpicking kit if you know how to use one.
• Small quantities of electrical tape, zip ties, duct tape, and carabiners. Needle and thread if you know how to sew. Never know when you might need to mend or fasten something on the fly.
• Rescue signals. These can be whistles, flares, chem lights, mirrors, whatever you know how to use.
• Two fire starters. I carry a lighter wrapped in duct tape and a ferro rod, with a little tin of wax soaked cotton.
• A mess tin for cooking. You can also store things you want kept dry inside. And a spork if you want to be fancy.
• Change of clothes. You want nondescript but functional. Think cargo pants and a lightweight muted long sleeve shirt, a hoodie, medium weight wool socks. This will change based on climate/season. I personally keep a pair of water resistant pants so that I don't wind up soaked if the weather is bad. Undies you won't chafe in.
• Bandana, pair of work gloves. I like to keep a blaze orange bandana to double as a visibility tool, and a muted one in case I don't want that.
• Rain Jacket/poncho. The rain jacket I've got is super light and camo. I also have a backup poncho, one of those little ones that comes in a bag that can nearly fit in your wallet. There are also ponchos that can double as shelters, nothing wrong with that.
• Hat, sunglasses, and a tiny tube of sun screen if you're melanin challenged.
• Self-defense measure you're comfortable with.
• Navigation. A paper map of your area and a simple compass will work for most. Most people won't need hardcore land nav capability, but knowing what highway connects to what and being able to get a simple bearing can help you get away from danger with no training.
• A hygiene kit. Wet wipes, deodorant, toothpaste/brush.
• A faraday bag. Can double as a storage bag until needed for its intended purpose.

The bag itself should be one that has a belt and sternum fastener to take weight off your shoulders, in my opinion, but some people opt for lower profile bags like you'd take to school or the office, especially if you're urban. I'd say minimum a sternum strap. Inside the bag, heavy duty zip lock bags will help keep you organized, keep your stuff dry, and serve as extra containers.

I like to categorize the things in it as 3 categories: Stuff I might need at a moment's notice, stuff I might want during a quick pit stop, and stuff I'll need to make camp. Stuff you might need at a moment's notice is best kept on your person so that if you put your bag down for any reason, you've still got it. If that doesn't work, the exterior pockets of the bag will work. Stuff you might need in a quick pit stop should be kept on the exterior pockets or at the top of the bag. Then stuff to make camp with goes at the bottom.

My personal nice-to-haves are a Tenkara Rod + flies, because I know how to fish and its a super light addition, plus the fishing line is handy. The right kind of hook and line can double as a sewing/stitching kit in a pinch.

The main thing often overlooked is make sure your shoes don't suck. Wear something every day that you can run/hike/walk through puddles in with no problem. If you insist on wearing impractical shoes, keep practical ones with your bag.

My boyfriend and I are prepping mostly for bugging IN but we agreed we need to also prep for bugging out in case of natural disasters. Tornadoes and straight-line winds are the biggest threats.

Do you have recommendations for types of bags in a bug-out situation? We each have smallish backpacks, but we might need something bigger. He could carry it; I probably couldn't handle the extra weight.

It's the two of us (65 and 73 respectively) and one old cat. We would need his food, bowls, litter, as well. Does it make sense to have more than a bag each? I was thinking a duffel bag with a long strap, but if we have to walk, that may be a problem. We do have a collapsible wagon.

Also, what do you do if you have firearms?

TIA!

I recently bought a book called "Build The Perfect Bug Out Bag" by Creek Stewart. The title is essentially what the book is about and I thought that sharing its contents, and how it could relate to a player's in-game BoB would be pretty entertaining.

What is a Bugout Bag

A Bugout Bag is a bag thats packed with 72 hours of supplies to help you travel from where you're currently staying to where you need to go. Maybe your base is overrun or caught on fire. Maybe you're moving to a second secure location. A bugout bag is one aspect of a multipart survival plan. You are not expected to live out of your bugout bag for an extended period of time.

Basic Checklist of supplies

• Water/Hydration
• Food/Food prep
• Shelter/Bedding
• Fire
• First Aid
• Hygiene (not sure how applicable this is here)
• Tools
• Lighting
• Communications
• Protection and self defense
• Misc supplies

Picking your Bugout Bag

The bag should be spacious enough to accommodate everything you need for up to 72 hours. It also needs to be lightweight enough for you to carry it in case your car breaks down or if you need to fight. Abandoning the bag because its too heavy in a middle of a horde is not ideal. These criteria rule out bags like the satchel or trash bag as options. I would recommend using a hiking bag or at least a large backpack as the ideal BoB. A duffel bag might be able to fulfill your needs if it's the only thing available.

Water and Hydration

You need to carry a 72 hour supply of water on you. You should be mindful of how to replenish your water supply in case you're out there longer than 72 hours. Also keep in mind the type of container used to store water and how it can serve other purposes.

I would recommend:

• one bottle of water per day
• a saucepan/large pot as a way to treat unsafe water (fill these with water if you can carry it)
• a empty bowl/bowl filled with water as a backup water container
• a mug/mug of water for certain beverage recipes; this is important in real life but its more of a luxury item in game

Food and Food Prep

The food you pack should also ideally last you up to 72 hours. It should have the following 3 criteria: long shelf life, lightweight, and packed with macronutrients. Probably more important in PZ is that a big enough portion of the food supply should be readily edible in a case where you're unable to cook a meal.

I don't believe calories/energy is as important to a player in a 72 hour scenario. I think hunger satiety is more important in this time period. Oats and cereal have some of the highest hunger/weight ratios in this game and they're both non-perishable. I don't think you're going to suffer from long term effects of malnutrition within 72 hours unless your character is already underweight from cabbage stir frys.

In addition to food, utensils for food prep are also essential. A metal cooking pot can be used to whip up hearty soups and stews. In PZ, the bowl is a one of the lightest and most indispensible items to combine food. A can opener is very useful even though its a bit heavy. In terms of heat, fire is currently the only on-the-go option in this game, and I'll get to that in a later section.

A wonderful luxury item to pack would be coffee. It could be heated with a cup of water to make a beverage that quickly gets rid of fatigue.

Clothing

You could get sick in this game if you are exposed to being wet or in the elements for too long. While it isn't super crucial to micromanage body temperature in this game, you should ideally bring an extra set of clothing in case the one you're wearing gets wet. Clothing can also be torn up for rags that can treat wounds or craft tools in PZ. Socks/long socks are one of the lightest options to regulate temperature. Leather jackets protect you from zombie attacks and can keep you warm. Jeans provide moderate protection against attacks. Keep in mind the condition of your shoes and be prepared to pack or find an extra pair if the one you're wearing is worn down.

Shelter

You only have one option and it is the tent. It's crucial to pack one even though it weighs quite a bit.

Fire

Fire is essential in this game to cook and make water potable. While you ideally should back enough water and food to make the trip without fire, it doesn't hurt to be prepared to make one in case you're out for too long.

PZ has a variety of ignition sources, tinders, and fuels. Starting a fire requires a fire receptacle (fireplace, camp fire, grills), a ignition source (notched wood/sticks, lighter, matches), tinder (various wood, fabrics, gasoline, and paper), and fuel.

There is only one option for a lightweight, portable fire receptacle, which is the campfire. Fuel might also be difficult to obtain in a pinch without tools.

Campfire materials should be carried at all times, at least 2 forms of ignition should be carried (lighters and matches are both lightweight), and fuel should be readily scavenged from towns or foraged in the wilderness. In the worst case scenario, saws, hammers, and an axe can be carried to get wood from furniture and trees.

First Aid

The First Aid should be packed in a manner that's easily accessible. Keeping it in a box within the pack might make it too difficult to access in a life or death situation. Most first kit items are relatively lightweight but carrying too much can add up quickly. I would bring the following:

• 1-2 sterilized rags/bandages
• tweezers for glass
• suture needle + thread for deep wounds
• a bottle of hard liquor; it really does it all in PZ as a sleep aid, disinfectant, pain killer, firestarter and even a weapon/container once the liquor runs dry
• Vitamins/Beta blockers to fight fatigue/panic (these are more of a luxury)

Hygiene

This is not as important in PZ unless you're a hemophobe. Carrying around a bar of soap saves water use in cleaning actions. Carrying a bath towel is useful in drying yourself off. I would consider these luxury items in PZ.

Tools

Tools are items that allow you to interact with your environment and make use of the things you find.

• Knife: this item allows you to process food, make spears, make a fishing rod, etc. It can also be used as a weapon of last resort, though I wouldnt recommend doing so since its so useful in other applications. Must pack

• Saw: This item allows you to break down furniture into planks and planks into sticks. Wood/wood items can be hard to come by to the unprepared and weigh too much to be in the BoB. This is useful but not absolutely necessary because of its weight.

• Hammer: This item allows you to dismantle furniture in conjunction with the saw and allow you to barricade windows and build furniture. For the purposes of a BoB, it might be too heavy to carry, but is essential in the pack of any survivor

• Axe: Allows you to chop down trees and doors with ease. The handaxe can be attached to the belt and be used as an impromptu weapon. Very important in all environments.

• Crowbar: Durable all-around weapon and allows you to remove planks off of a barricade. Perfect back-mounted weapon for exploration.

• Screwdriver: can be used to disassemble electronics/furniture, attach accessories to guns, and craft electronics. Is only really useful to dismantle furniture in this option, but is essential in every survivors kit.

Light

Though candles, lighters, and matches can be used as a source of illumination in a pinch, the only viable option for nighttime exploration is the hand torch/flashlight. I wouldn't recommend nighttime exploration but if this has to be packed, make sure that you also pack enough batteries to accomodate it.

Communication

A Walkie is pretty much the only portable radio option in this game. It can be used to detect the helicoptor event, though its usefulness drops off rapidly if the event isnt set to repeat.

A notebook and pen can also help you remember what you need to do or where you're going, though you do have a map on default.

Protection and Self Defense

Though most of the tools you carry as a part of your BoB can be doubled as weapons, this section will focus mainly on firearms. There are positives and negatives to carrying and using most forms of firearms, but you're looking for a lightweight firearm option to carry you through hairy encounters. I believe that the pistol is the best option for experienced shooters while more novice shooters should carry a revolver. I think shotguns are too heavy and too limited to be utilized as a part of a portable pack, especially considering the other essentials that you've packed.

Misc Tools

These are luxury items that don't really fit in other categories.

• Twine: Can be used to create traps, fishing rods, and stone tools
• Fishing Rod: Can be used to catch fish in the wild
• Needle/Thread: can be used to tailor clothes
• Scissors: Can be used to rip apart denim and leather clothes
• Duct Tape: To repair weapons.
• Garbage bags: Additional lightweight storage and can be used for rain collectors
• Nails: used for fishing line, furniture crafting, barricading, and as a mod for the baseball bat.
• Literature: Read skill books to train skills during downtime. Read magazines, HottieZ, comic books, or regular books for an entertainment boost. Can also double as usable tinder/fuel.
• Gas can: Can be used to store valuable gasoline which can be used to start cars or light fires.

Summary

The bugout bag can be broken into must-haves and luxuries. All must-haves should have priority and be packed in every BoB. Luxuries are environment and survivor-dependent.

Must Haves:

• 1 bottle of water
• 1 saucepan or one full pot of water
• 1 bowl of water
• 3 days worth of lightweight/hunger satiating food (oatmeal, cereal, maple syrup)
• 1 additional pair of socks/long socks
• Leather Jacket
• Tent
• 1 Campfire materials kit
• 2 matches or lighters
• 2 sterilized bandages
• 1 bottle of bourbon
• 1 tweezer
• 1 suture needle + thread
• 1 knife
• 1 axe
• 1 hammer
• 1 screwdriver
• 1 pen/pencil
• 1 Walkie + 1 additional battery (only if helicoptor event hasnt happened or is set on repeat)
• Duct Tape

Every other item I previously listed that's not in the essentials list is a luxury item. Even though every other item is either immensely useful in other contexts, keeping the BoB to the bare minimum weight is essential. Maybe the rest could be stored in your bugout vehicle or second base, but if you can't travel and fight effectively in your BoB on foot, you're better off not packing one at all.