I am a beginner prepper from Oklahoma City. I have only recently thought of prepping after the events in Boston. I want to put together an emergency backpack that will last for at least a week in case i need to get out of town. I have been reading about essentials such as food, water, medical kit and so forth. I also want to prep my SUV at some point as well with more emergency supplies. Any advice for a newbie prepper would be welcome.
Beginner prepper needing advice
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Use the search bar and search for bug out bag or "bob"
Lots of good threads lately
Lots of good threads lately
Don't waste your money on overly expensive crap. My entire bob cost $125 and that includes 100 rounds of .22 ammo and several knifes and a two man tent. I broke it into the following groups in the bag.
food - I have about a week worth of food - spam, rice, beans, cans of soup, etc. Don't buy any of those prepper food things like Wise - way too expensive
fire - mag strip, matches, lighters, magnifying glass, flint, etc. 5-6 different ways to start fire
medical - bandages, various pain killers, pepto, tums, several other first aid supplies
survival/misc - two man tent, this has a mix of stuff, fishing/tackle gear, knives, ammo, flashlights, 100ft paracord, wire, clothing, list goes on and on.
I don't count my .22 pistol as part of my bob bag as I plan on carrying it on my hip.
Most of this stuff was picked up at walmart and the dollar stores.
food - I have about a week worth of food - spam, rice, beans, cans of soup, etc. Don't buy any of those prepper food things like Wise - way too expensive
fire - mag strip, matches, lighters, magnifying glass, flint, etc. 5-6 different ways to start fire
medical - bandages, various pain killers, pepto, tums, several other first aid supplies
survival/misc - two man tent, this has a mix of stuff, fishing/tackle gear, knives, ammo, flashlights, 100ft paracord, wire, clothing, list goes on and on.
I don't count my .22 pistol as part of my bob bag as I plan on carrying it on my hip.
Most of this stuff was picked up at walmart and the dollar stores.
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Armageddon Online - Bug Out Bag Checklist (Infographic)
I found this looking over some favorite sites and thought of you, some of the items are stupid, but most are good ideas.
Armageddon Online - Bug Out Bag Checklist (Infographic)
I found this looking over some favorite sites and thought of you, some of the items are stupid, but most are good ideas.
Armageddon Online - Bug Out Bag Checklist (Infographic)
Good backpacks
Thanks to all for replying. My first thought is I want to use an internal frame backpack before I start gathering gear. I was told not to order one online. I was thinking either academy or bass pro might have some good deals. What do you think?
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Academy isn't a bad choice, neither are Bass Pro or Cabela's but they will cost more. Keep an eye on Sporting Goods section of your area Craigslist for packs, sleeping bags, tents, cookware, etc..
What I have found with most 72 hour emergency kits that you can buy is that they have too much survival tool and medical supply stuff and not enough food. My recommendation for a short-term kit is to purchase some of the freeze dried food pouches. They are relatively inexpensive and you can buy small quantities just to get you through the first few days.
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938 Posts
Academy sells the backpacks I chose for my bug out bags. I liked this BOB so much I ended up buying two of them.
I set them up with pouches and water carriers, and they have hydration bladder pouches built in.
Very comfortable to wear all day. No frame, but I hike in the woods. Frames snag on stuff too much for me.
Lifetime warranty too. You don't find many backpacks that offer that, trust me.
Academy - 5.11 Tactical RUSH 12™ Backpack
I set them up with pouches and water carriers, and they have hydration bladder pouches built in.
Very comfortable to wear all day. No frame, but I hike in the woods. Frames snag on stuff too much for me.
Lifetime warranty too. You don't find many backpacks that offer that, trust me.
Academy - 5.11 Tactical RUSH 12™ Backpack
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Check out theclymb.com for backpacks. they have a wide selection and some are up to 50% off. And if your inclined you can put my email as a reference and i think we both get $15 credit [email protected]. They also have other gear. Another good site is deptofgoods.com
That's a pretty good graphic!
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Yep, that search feature ought to whip up a lot of threads for you to take a gander at.
I have a pretty extensive BOB that weighs about 45 lbs or so and is well put together in my opinion and is one I use camping a whole lot inorder to "use it" and see what works and what doesn't work so well. It also gives me a chance to get familiar with my gear and rotate things out as needed too. I have a lot more money invested in my bag as a result. But honestly I did use the dollar store and wally world to assemble most of it over a period of about 8 months...I just have a gang of stuff.
I used the Bass Pro Spike Camp for the back pack. I chose it for its size and comfort of use...and I had a gift card for Bass Pro too which made it an economical choice. In it I have a first aid kit I assembled from the dollar store shelves. I was able to cram a gang of goodies into a small plastic tote to keep it all together, neat and organized. I got most of the food and cooking gear from the same place. I got the 9x7 tent from wally world and a good quality bag from Bass Pro. Those two items ran me about 200 fun dollars combined and contributed considerably to the cost of my kit. I got a cooking grill from Academy for 14 fun dollars. I added a couple of tarps and some bunji cords from Wally world for additional shelter needs to compliment the tent if more space was needed or weather was just that crappy to add to the tent to make it weather the storm better. The six days of clothes in the bag also came from wally world too on the cheap with most of it being bought on clearance at the end of hunting season and will keep me warm and dry in the worst winter weather Texas has to offer as well as keep me cool in the dog days of summer. Most of that stuff I paid less than half price for going that route!!! Its very smart to include at least 2-3 different ways to make fire as well. Without the ability to do this your screwed for cooking and warmth. Although I plan to use wood for the most part I did include a folding stove and sterno for cooking in inclement weather. I also have a small single burner coleman stove that uses gas or white gas as well. Both are very compact and fairly light weight. I have emergency fishing gear in it that's quiet extensive which I believe I posted else where on this forum already. I even have a few Conibear traps in my pack as well. Yes I keep a 100 rounds of 22 rim fire in it too and my revolver to use it.
Yes my bag is heavier than I would really like it to be but it is still quiet manageable for me. Yes I afforded myself some luxuries that I could easily do without but life is hard and its gonna be a lot harder when the SHTF, but why make it harder than its got to be on myself. I learned a long time ago in the mountains of Tora Bora ('Stan) how much a few nicities can be in a really bad and crappy situation, so sometimes these luxuries are worth there weight in Gold!
I would get the bag that suits your needs and then I would just sit down and figure out what it is that you need to have in it and then formulate a plan to accumulate all the required gear. Just make sure that you have a bag that will hold all of the stuff you need. You can fill a pack up a lot quicker than you think so keep that in mind as well. Break it up into sections or catagories and then go to work in assembling each. This way you get the bag you need with all the gear you need and can shop around and get those needs filled at the cheapest price possible by shopping sales and shopping in the off seasons. This will keep the price down and still get everything you need.
I have a pretty extensive BOB that weighs about 45 lbs or so and is well put together in my opinion and is one I use camping a whole lot inorder to "use it" and see what works and what doesn't work so well. It also gives me a chance to get familiar with my gear and rotate things out as needed too. I have a lot more money invested in my bag as a result. But honestly I did use the dollar store and wally world to assemble most of it over a period of about 8 months...I just have a gang of stuff.
I used the Bass Pro Spike Camp for the back pack. I chose it for its size and comfort of use...and I had a gift card for Bass Pro too which made it an economical choice. In it I have a first aid kit I assembled from the dollar store shelves. I was able to cram a gang of goodies into a small plastic tote to keep it all together, neat and organized. I got most of the food and cooking gear from the same place. I got the 9x7 tent from wally world and a good quality bag from Bass Pro. Those two items ran me about 200 fun dollars combined and contributed considerably to the cost of my kit. I got a cooking grill from Academy for 14 fun dollars. I added a couple of tarps and some bunji cords from Wally world for additional shelter needs to compliment the tent if more space was needed or weather was just that crappy to add to the tent to make it weather the storm better. The six days of clothes in the bag also came from wally world too on the cheap with most of it being bought on clearance at the end of hunting season and will keep me warm and dry in the worst winter weather Texas has to offer as well as keep me cool in the dog days of summer. Most of that stuff I paid less than half price for going that route!!! Its very smart to include at least 2-3 different ways to make fire as well. Without the ability to do this your screwed for cooking and warmth. Although I plan to use wood for the most part I did include a folding stove and sterno for cooking in inclement weather. I also have a small single burner coleman stove that uses gas or white gas as well. Both are very compact and fairly light weight. I have emergency fishing gear in it that's quiet extensive which I believe I posted else where on this forum already. I even have a few Conibear traps in my pack as well. Yes I keep a 100 rounds of 22 rim fire in it too and my revolver to use it.
Yes my bag is heavier than I would really like it to be but it is still quiet manageable for me. Yes I afforded myself some luxuries that I could easily do without but life is hard and its gonna be a lot harder when the SHTF, but why make it harder than its got to be on myself. I learned a long time ago in the mountains of Tora Bora ('Stan) how much a few nicities can be in a really bad and crappy situation, so sometimes these luxuries are worth there weight in Gold!
I would get the bag that suits your needs and then I would just sit down and figure out what it is that you need to have in it and then formulate a plan to accumulate all the required gear. Just make sure that you have a bag that will hold all of the stuff you need. You can fill a pack up a lot quicker than you think so keep that in mind as well. Break it up into sections or catagories and then go to work in assembling each. This way you get the bag you need with all the gear you need and can shop around and get those needs filled at the cheapest price possible by shopping sales and shopping in the off seasons. This will keep the price down and still get everything you need.
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Sounds like a decent enough plan. Do you think a quart sized container of water is enough though? The 2 l bladder is nice at camp but when your on the move will it really hold the water and fit in your pack well? I mean granted I am in Texas and in the summer you can sure go through some serious amounts of water trying to stay hydrated. Just sayin'...
I myself use a 96 ounce camel back and then use a 3L soda bottle that's been repurposed (man I feel so politically correct and "green: saying that LOL) to carry additional water in when I stop and replenish my supply.
I myself use a 96 ounce camel back and then use a 3L soda bottle that's been repurposed (man I feel so politically correct and "green: saying that LOL) to carry additional water in when I stop and replenish my supply.
What I was thinking is the lifestraw can be used to suck out of the canteen or SS bottle. For the bladder, I assume I would have to use the tablets to purify as how else would I get fresh water in it? I guess one more bottle would be helpful to fill even with dirty water that I could suck through the straw? I thought the whole idea was to keep weight down. Just mixing up all I read. Thoughts?
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MSR SweetWater Water Purifier System. It is THE BEST, and extremely easy to use AND maintain.
MSR SweetWater Water Purifier System - Free Shipping at REI.com
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I Agree with your post, a good bug out bag is the one you actually own.
However IF you plan is to bug out, yours is a starting point not the end of discussion.
A weeks worth of food is pathetic although it appears you have some skills in scavaging so you get a pass.
Your .22 pistol is indeed counted in your bug out preps and weight, in Metro DC this isn't enough gun but with your .22 you can "use a gun to get a gun" AKA World War 2
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That's a pretty dang good reply and a great way to approach it!!!
My backpack cost me about a 100 bucks or so, but the rest of the stuff in my pack other than the tent and sleeping bag probably ran me under 125 bucks and almost all of mine came from Wally World and the Dollar Store as well! I probably have a couple of weeks worth of food and a years supply of bandages and what not. I did kind of get gormet on the food items. The first aid kit, other than the bag its in, all came from the dollar store for less than 20 bucks if even close to that. I out lined all of my survival fishing kit here else where on the forum minus the 20.00 spinning rod and reel that goes with it. This all came from Wally World. The tent is a bit excessive in size for bugging out being 10x7ft or there abouts. The sleeping bag is good to minus 20 degrees, over sized (not that I am all that fat but I like plenty of room by God) and from Bass Pro. But unlike many here....I actually get out and camp and I usually take my BOB and use the gear in it on a regular basis so I can see what works, what doesn't, what I am lacking and what I can toss, and how it all holds up. Its also a great opportunity to rotate out some of the consumables while I am at it periodically. While I don't camp much in the winter I definitely do in spring when the temos reliably over 32 degrees all the way through fall when it starts getting below 32 degrees. No fair weather camper here...
If you really want a good bug out bag then I suggest you start doing some camping too. Youll figure out what you "really need" a lot faster than you will just assembling something from a list of what someone says you should have. Those list are great but the weight adds up pretty dang fast and don't forget, YOUR HUMPING IT! Grab that bag and take a 5-10 mile hump with it one week end, I dare to say it will be an eye opener! Youll find out real quickly if that Bag fits well enough and if the straps do as good a job as they are supposed to and if it and the frame is going to hold up. These are things you wont figure out walking around in the back yard, I promise you. Bet its a lot lighter the next time you go humping it over hill and dale too!
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