I was able to put my own bug out bag together pretty cheap since I already had a lot of the stuff I needed, however, I'm helping my neighbor put one together and she literally has nothing useful. I've done a bit of research and saw ready made ones for $40 $100 and $1000, but even the $1000 one seemed inadequate and pretty heavy. I checked out some blogs too. One called Frugal Dad had a list of 34 items but the total in wieght and cost seemed high (34 Essential Items For Your Bug Out Bag - Frugal Dad), another blog that I read pretty regularly claims to have put one together for $30 (Preparedness Ponderings: Cheap Bug Out Bag). The latter had some good ideas but frankly I don't think this chick is going to be super impressed if I show up with a bag of garbag and a Walmart book bag. So, any suggestions on saving some $$ for a bug out bag? The goal is to spend around $30 to $40 including food and bag.