Bugging Out Basics: Choosing The Best Emergency Bug Out Bag for You

This is supposed to be a bag designed to give you everything you need for at least 72 hours without weighing you down too much. In this article, I will look at how to make the best use of the bugout bag and ensure that it does not become much of a hassle. This is also in consideration of the fact that many people carry more than they are supposed to and, in the process, leave behind some essential items.

Is a Bug out Bag Essential? What’s the Purpose?

Theoretically, the Bug out bag is intended to give you everything you need to make it through an ordeal for at least 72 hours outside your house before getting any help. For this reason, the bag is supposed to be part of your disaster preparedness plan.

It’s a common practice for people to throw in everything that they come across in the name of emergency packing. If you pack like this, I assure you you will have too much to carry. It could slow you down way too much. Therefore, the ultimate question in this situation should be what you need in a bugout bag essential to survive and not what you WANT to have with you when you are on the road.

What you carry in your bag will vary from one person to another. According to the FEMA recommendations, the Bug out bag is typically supposed to carry you through about 72 hours. As you prepare for this, remember that choosing whether to bug out or to hunker down will be vital in choosing what to carry in the bag.

The bag’s structure should be so that you can easily grab and leave quickly. It should always be packed beforehand with all the necessary supplies and be ready at a moment’s notice. It would also be best if you had some prior practice handling the bag so that you aren’t surprised at how heavy it is. That way, you have time to consider what you might be able to leave behind.

At the bare minimum, the bag needs three of the essential things you need during such an ordeal; food, sufficient clothing, and a means of shelter.

Why Do You Need a Bug out Bag?

One of the best questions someone ever asked me was, “Do I need the bugout bag?” This is an excellent question, and the answer to it will depend on the purpose for which you want the bag in the first place. Two different types of these bags are available in the market today.

There is the bag you strap on to make your way into the woods or the one you usually get when you want to take an adventure into some remote location with your friends for a retreat. This is a perfect bag for those who plan to disappear into the forest until you are sure that the disaster has passed and everything has eased up.

For many people, the Bug out bag is more like a pre-packaged suitcase with everything they need in an emergency. This is important because it allows them to leave quickly without wasting time packing. This is a suitable bag for those who live in areas prone to disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and flood-prone areas.

The good thing, especially for those who live in disaster-prone areas, is that today there may be warnings beforehand about the possibility of a disaster striking. As a result, you have more time to get your act together. Notwithstanding this, you have to make sure that you prepare beforehand to be ready for the challenge ahead.

How could your Bug bag hurt you? Common Bug out Bag Mistake

Many people never give the bag much thought, and in the process, they may pack more than they need. The main concern here is the weight of the bag. Your bag is supposed to help you leave a difficult situation, which means it should help you get away as quickly and quickly as possible. You will need to carry your emergency food supplies, medicine, shelter alternatives, and other necessities to get you through whatever situation you find yourself in.

Your bag must be between 1/3 and 1/4 of your overall body weight. Therefore, if you weigh 200 pounds, your bag must be around 50 pounds to carry it along quickly. If you can make it lighter but still carry everything you need, all the better.

Now that we know how much weight you are supposed to carry let’s move from the theory into reality. Think about it. Are you ready and prepared to walk for three days straight with 50 pounds on your back? Remember that this is three days on perhaps different terrain, maybe rugged.

If you have never imagined what this feels like, try carrying three gallons of water, the recommended amount of water that every individual needs. If your bag is too heavy to carry around easily, it could make you uncomfortable or even hurt you.

How you pack your bag is another essential factor for your consideration. Packaging your bag the wrong way could create a distorted center of gravity for you. Distortion in the gravity center will make your bag lean to one side and leave you off balance. Without proper balance, you will have little reasonable movement because you will be too tired to go far.

Think about it; what is your regular daily schedule like? You probably go to work in the morning, come back in the evening feeling tired, eat, and sleep. You may not have the time to work out much. For this reason, you need to exercise and learn how to handle your bag appropriately.

Apart from the mistakes, you will make when packing your bag; the bag can also hurt you because of the attention it can draw. In a disaster, many people will be displaced from their homes. People may be desperate, and in urgent need of the supplies, you carry. Let’s call them hoarders for this reason.

Just because you have been intelligent enough to prepare your Bug out bag does not mean everyone else shares the same level of sanity. Some see you packing and preparing your bug bag in the event of a disaster and think you are paranoid. Once disaster strikes, they could resort to criminal activities since they haven’t prepared.

With this in mind, you are constantly a target if you have a massive bag on your back. Remember that these individuals may also have kids they need to care for, so your package could seem like an excellent way to keep their little ones alive.

But how do we get out of this mess?

Things to Consider When Choosing a Bug out Bag

Having looked at the mistakes that can make the Bugout bag a hazard, we now look at how to prevent such mistakes, and in the process, we learn how to make the best use of the Bugout bag. Solving the issue of being a moving target is very easy. It would help if you were smart about how you go about packing.

How to Select the Best Bug out Bag

When packing your bag, you must remember that it is not a convenience store but a lifesaver. I have come across lists of things people pack several times, making me wonder what they plan to do. Once I saw a list that had fishing gear.

I wondered whether the individual was going on a camping trip or preparing to flee a disaster. Perhaps they had envisioned the possibility of having to chance upon a water body and make good use of some food. However, there’s no guarantee that this water will be fresh and free of toxic chemicals in a disaster. This means that the fish you could get from it could be poisonous.

Remember, you plan to stay on your feet for at least three days until things get better. Make sure your bag contains all the essential elements you need, the BASIC elements; if you are lucky enough to pack them in the bag without reaching the weight limit for your body size, great!

Some plan to carry around things like books or Kindles to help them read and pass the time. In this process, they tend to leave out essential supplies. While you must try to keep your mind occupied to avoid stress, at the same time, planning for a disaster means that you are planning for discomfort. The probability that you will come across a power source is minimal, with discomfort.

Many people may already be there trying to power their devices, even if you do. To pass the time, you need to think about other things, like having conversations and bonding with those around you. Also, the more robust your connections with those near you during this time, your chances of surviving are higher.

Realistic Bugout Bag, Make Sure You Blend In

Just so you are aware, so many people feel desperate during disaster situations that even those who seem to be holding their own are scared of the uncertainty deep within their hearts. Nobody knows how long the disaster will persist, and at the same time, no one knows what will happen an hour or a day from that moment on.

To be on the safe side, you should be able to blend in well with those around you. You have to learn to interact with people, read the situation and anticipate any sudden actions that might pose a danger or situations that can benefit you.

In as much as there is strength in numbers and an elevated sense of security, you should also understand that when things get tough, you might need to know when to leave the pack behind and stay on your own.

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0omCB9VDB5DZjgftyIC9Rw

https://www.thebugoutbagguide.com/best-bug-out-bag-backpack/

https://www.skilledsurvival.com/best-bug-out-bag-selection-guide/

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Be_a_Prepper/NkttjwEACAAJ?hl=en

Macallister Anderson

I am by no means an expert in every aspect of this stuff. I plan to learn, and when possible, enlist the help of experts in various fields to come together and offer their knowledge. In a few years, I dream that this site will be a virtual survival encyclopedia and allow a total novice to come on here and be supplied with everything they need to prepare for anything.

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