im trying to put together an extended stay survival pack..my plan is to head into the deep woods and rough it until things calm down enough to emerge and see whats left but i cant really find info on what i need as far as contents for a survival kit for on foot bugging out to the woods..i want to travel light but still have what i need until i cat start to scavenge for supplies..my thing logic is that i will want to wait atleast a week until i start to search in populated areas for supplies and intel on the current state of affairs,so im sure most of the people here know alot more then i do and i want to learn from those who can teach me how to survive once the world we know has gone to hell
bug out bag or something else?
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It's hard to take a sustainable lifestyle out into the woods -- in one trip. I am too old so I could never imagine returning to a populated area and hope to find necessities.
My 02 cents, hike routinely, and find yourself a camp site that won't likely ever be disturbed. Hike there several times a year and bring supplies you can safely burry and leave behind. Ammo for example is way too heavy to carry all you need in one trip.
My 02 cents, hike routinely, and find yourself a camp site that won't likely ever be disturbed. Hike there several times a year and bring supplies you can safely burry and leave behind. Ammo for example is way too heavy to carry all you need in one trip.
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There are tons of pack list on the internet...just one little problem I have with them. What works for all them doesnt always neccessarily work for me. Everyones situation is different and everyones requirements vary a bit from one list to the next. What is the cats meow here in Texas might not work out so well in the wilds of Alaska, in fact it would probably be a disaster!
Here is what I would humbly suggest. Look at a number of list and then sift through each and every item with an eye towards "Is it practical for you and your needs and enviroment". Then start putting together some of the basics. Then go out into the wild yonder at various times of the year and various conditions and see how it works for you. Make adjustments as neccessary to meet your needs and requirements.
For example despite my wealth of experience from the past, when I got back into camping again, I put together a lot of gear based on what I knew worked. I then took several short mini trips here locally at various camp grounds and slowly tailored my pack in areas where I found I was lacking and tossed a bunch of crap that I didnt need. Then I started taking some longer extended trips out in remote locations and further refined my pack even more. I now have what I feel confidently will get me through hell or high water. It was about a 3 year process to come about all of this.
Since you want to travel light might I make a few suggestions...
Packs get heavy real fast. While I like to keep the things I need in my pack I also realize there are a lot of things I would like to have and dont have the room or are too heavy. In the areas where I camp or the route I will take to my BOL, I have made a number of 5 gallon bucket caches to safely keep additional gear or to replace gear I have used up. For example, I have a 20 ounce soda bottle with 550 rounds of 22 rim fire in each bucket. This allows me to go on the move with as little as 50 rounds in my pack which I have to hump! But I have the ability to resupply if I run low and need more. Thats just one of many examples. You can cram a lot of stuff into a 5 gallon bucket if you really sit down and think it through and plan it right. Think of these cache buckets as a insurance policy in the event you find yourself wanting or lacking. Done right they are pretty safe and unlikely to be inadvertently discovered and as such they are there when you might need them the most.
The other thing I have done too is I have planted some things that can provide a source of food through out most of the year. Every time I went out on a "practice" camping trip, I carried a small fruit or nut tree or a berry bush or something else and planted it in the area I would be at. Not only do I not have to carry as much food with me when I go out, but now I have also increased the sustainability of the area I will be bugging out to. This benefits me and it benefits the wildlife and the ability of the land to hold that wild life I one day may have to depend on to feed myself. If things get so bad you have to bug out, I think you will find that you will need to be bugging out for a lot longer than a couple of weeks and it might be even longer before you can resupply!
Here is what I would humbly suggest. Look at a number of list and then sift through each and every item with an eye towards "Is it practical for you and your needs and enviroment". Then start putting together some of the basics. Then go out into the wild yonder at various times of the year and various conditions and see how it works for you. Make adjustments as neccessary to meet your needs and requirements.
For example despite my wealth of experience from the past, when I got back into camping again, I put together a lot of gear based on what I knew worked. I then took several short mini trips here locally at various camp grounds and slowly tailored my pack in areas where I found I was lacking and tossed a bunch of crap that I didnt need. Then I started taking some longer extended trips out in remote locations and further refined my pack even more. I now have what I feel confidently will get me through hell or high water. It was about a 3 year process to come about all of this.
Since you want to travel light might I make a few suggestions...
Packs get heavy real fast. While I like to keep the things I need in my pack I also realize there are a lot of things I would like to have and dont have the room or are too heavy. In the areas where I camp or the route I will take to my BOL, I have made a number of 5 gallon bucket caches to safely keep additional gear or to replace gear I have used up. For example, I have a 20 ounce soda bottle with 550 rounds of 22 rim fire in each bucket. This allows me to go on the move with as little as 50 rounds in my pack which I have to hump! But I have the ability to resupply if I run low and need more. Thats just one of many examples. You can cram a lot of stuff into a 5 gallon bucket if you really sit down and think it through and plan it right. Think of these cache buckets as a insurance policy in the event you find yourself wanting or lacking. Done right they are pretty safe and unlikely to be inadvertently discovered and as such they are there when you might need them the most.
The other thing I have done too is I have planted some things that can provide a source of food through out most of the year. Every time I went out on a "practice" camping trip, I carried a small fruit or nut tree or a berry bush or something else and planted it in the area I would be at. Not only do I not have to carry as much food with me when I go out, but now I have also increased the sustainability of the area I will be bugging out to. This benefits me and it benefits the wildlife and the ability of the land to hold that wild life I one day may have to depend on to feed myself. If things get so bad you have to bug out, I think you will find that you will need to be bugging out for a lot longer than a couple of weeks and it might be even longer before you can resupply!
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Wow you had a quicker trigger finger than I did and posted while I was still typing ha ha ha...we basically said about the same thing in so many words. Just goes to show great minds think alike, huh?
I agree about establishing a couple of off the beaten path campsites and kinda sorta stocking them with supplies (near by hidden caches). Something that doesnt have to take much effort to clear or prep for a tent or a shelter, thats level with good drainage and of course "a view to a kill" for defensive purposes. Perhaps one with a fire pit already built and a bit of fire wood to get you started so you can go about other immediate needs required to establish a camp. I may not be quiet as old as you although I sometimes feel like it (damn sure aint 19 anymore!), but I am pretty lazy and furthermore, I am all about working smarter not harder!!!
I agree about establishing a couple of off the beaten path campsites and kinda sorta stocking them with supplies (near by hidden caches). Something that doesnt have to take much effort to clear or prep for a tent or a shelter, thats level with good drainage and of course "a view to a kill" for defensive purposes. Perhaps one with a fire pit already built and a bit of fire wood to get you started so you can go about other immediate needs required to establish a camp. I may not be quiet as old as you although I sometimes feel like it (damn sure aint 19 anymore!), but I am pretty lazy and furthermore, I am all about working smarter not harder!!!
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Yep, I've posted before my BOL is 300 miles from my residence in CA. I have numerous paths to get there, but once I get within 75 miles I'm down to one way.
At the 60 mile point I have two sealed buckets burried with long term food stocks, 22LR, 9mm, first aid and extras. I pass by it quite often and just stop and
check and nothing has been disturbed - its on public property and I know our govt isn't selling.
A lot of people will bug out to public land, it will be first come first serve, and if yours is remote, you know where it is, and how to get there my guess is
you'll be the first to arrive and it will serve.
At the 60 mile point I have two sealed buckets burried with long term food stocks, 22LR, 9mm, first aid and extras. I pass by it quite often and just stop and
check and nothing has been disturbed - its on public property and I know our govt isn't selling.
A lot of people will bug out to public land, it will be first come first serve, and if yours is remote, you know where it is, and how to get there my guess is
you'll be the first to arrive and it will serve.
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I would suggest you try your hand at primitive camping trips first, meaning no running water, toilets, or electricity. You need to pack in everything you will have, including food and water, so you learn quickly how to take what you need. You will also learn quickly what you did not bring that you need, and improve.
Living in the woods is hard. Stinging and biting insects, poisonous animals and plants, carnivores, weather conditions, how to set up camp and sleep with some semblance of comfort, all of that. You will learn whether it will work for you when you need it to.
You will experience pain, discomfort, cold, fear, etc. Mother Nature is pretty unforgiving, and you will be tested in ways you never imagined.
That said, it is also a lot of fun once you start getting the hang of things. Making a nice campfire, cooking outdoors, that first cup of coffee at sunrise, watching wildlife in its own habitat, etc.
Nothing like having a wild animal visit your campsite at 3 a.m. to let you know you're alive...!
Living in the woods is hard. Stinging and biting insects, poisonous animals and plants, carnivores, weather conditions, how to set up camp and sleep with some semblance of comfort, all of that. You will learn whether it will work for you when you need it to.
You will experience pain, discomfort, cold, fear, etc. Mother Nature is pretty unforgiving, and you will be tested in ways you never imagined.
That said, it is also a lot of fun once you start getting the hang of things. Making a nice campfire, cooking outdoors, that first cup of coffee at sunrise, watching wildlife in its own habitat, etc.
Nothing like having a wild animal visit your campsite at 3 a.m. to let you know you're alive...!
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Good discussion. You can't really base everything off of someone elses BOB. Afterall it's based on what they think they need to survive. Survival is part knowledge too. The more you know how to do with limited tools, the less tools you'll need. The more ways you know how to find food and water, the less you'll need to carry on your back. I think first step for anyone is going to where you'd bug out to. Spend some time there thinking about what you'd need to survive there with only what you could pack and carry. And start there.
And watch out for guys like this.
![Chin Hairstyle Hat Beard Cap]()
And watch out for guys like this.
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BOB to me means bug out Boxes. If I had to leave I would take Boxes full of stuff, food, weapons water and other supplies as far as my vehicle could go, If I had to I may set up camp a mile are two deeper in the woods and make several trips back to the vehicle to unload it. But I just think it would be very hard now days to just trek off with what you can carry. I see on the internet how much some people say they can carry but I never see anyone deep in the woods carrying such a large load. I want to be able to go almost anywhere and know that I can at least have a few days to decide what my next step will be, depending on the current situation instead of having to worry about immediately being in survival mode. Even most people that have tested their bug out bag did not test it under some of the possible conditions that they may run into such as a thunder storm or freezing cold weather. I don't think a lot of people even gave it a thought to what the chances are they will get injured carrying a heavy bag going up and down hills that they aren't used to.
No BOB means Bug out Boxes to me.
No BOB means Bug out Boxes to me.
ok thank you all for the advice...as far as the camping with what i have should i look for any wooded area that would work for me or look for an actual camping ground..if things get real bad then private property will either be defended like fort knox or abandoned so how do i go about it,and if i had to carry only one fire arm what would be the best to get
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Actually BOB means Bug Out Bag, never heard of boxes before.
I would suggest this:
Emergency Supplies - 2400 Calorie Emergency Food Bar
Cheap emergency good until you can get more.
Something like this:
The Snare Trap - Learn How to Make and Use a Snare Set
i.e. learn how to snare and while you are at it learn how to fish:
Whites Auto Fisher YoYo Automatic Fishing Reels 12 Pack Dozen Fish Trap | eBay
Also learn how to forage
Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies: Linda Kershaw, Lee Craig, Erin McCloskey, Ian Sheldon: 0779101052293: Amazon.com: Books
I also searched for "how to cap somebodies ass" but didn't find any available references so you need to learn that one on your own.
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When I first considered my trips to Wal Mart as "prepping" I bought their $4.99 cheap as all get out Rubbermaid like containers. I use to do a practice run, ammo in the bottom, light foods next (pasta, rice, beans) and clothes on top. They stacked nice in my SUV. That was my bug out plan. Till I read one second after.
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"One Second After"
Which most will not realize is a uber prepper book
Amazon.com: One Second After (9780765356864): William R. Forstchen, William D. Sanders, Newt Gingrich: Books
There are a lot of flaws in the book, but overall it is a very good read
alright, i see everyone has posted very useful things. as far as how you carry your gear, other than traditional bag, i have seen some people use web gear or "battle belts" to carry the absolute basics (knife, fire, water, navigation) & maybe throw a drop leg on there. i would also input on some traps to eat whats scurring about. if you do a cache possibly put a seedbank in there just in case.
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If my plan was to bug out on foot to the woods for a week or 2, I would take a good knife, a small tarp, my 10/22 (without the scope), 100 rounds of ammo, a canteen and some water purification pills, at least 2 ways to make fire, a mylar "space blanket", a change of clothing, a pocket plant identification guide, some TP, 100' of light paracord, a tube of Liquid Bandage, and a mess of high calorie energy bars. During cold weather, I would probably add a lightweight sleeping bag, a good wool sweater, and (of course) the coat, hat, and gloves I would be wearing.
If I had a .22 target type pistol, I would take that instead of the rifle.
If I had a .22 target type pistol, I would take that instead of the rifle.
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Good info
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OMG, talk about a blast from the past. I was stationed at Ft Bliss, TX in 1979, and a buddy and I used to drive about 30 miles to a place called Hueco Tanks to rock climb. One weekend, we arrived kind of late and decided to camp for the night and get a fresh start in the morning. Instead of paying the few bucks for an official spot, we decided to climb to a ledge about 20 or 30 feet up. It looked like the ledge had a decent overhang from the ground, but once we hid the truck and climbed up there, it turned out to be deeper than that, almost a broad shallow cave.
Anyway, we started a small fire and heated up a few cans of beef stew, opening them with our knives and pulling them out of the fire when done by gabbing them while wearing a climbing glove and moving fast.
So there we are, up on that ledge in (more on) sleeping bags when I am awakened by my friend nudging me with his foot. I was about to ask him what the hell he wanted when he gives me the eyes wide open look, then looks towards the fire. So I shut up and look... and there is a full grown bobcat, cougar, mountain lion.... well a huge mean looking cat-thingie. He was sitting not 10 feet from us, chewing on a leather glove which must have had beef stew juice on it.
I was looking at him, and he turned to look right at me. I immediately broke eye contact, kinda turned my face away slowly, closed my eyes and just froze. The next thing I knew it was morning, the cat was gone, the glove was gone. The ledge had accumulated quite a bit of wind-blown sand, and there were paw prints literally all around us, some less than a foot away. You would never believe how fast 2 guys can climb down a 20 foot cliff, we sproinged down like mountain goats. Never did climb that weekend, though we went back many times. From that day on, we paid the couple bucks and slept in the designated camping area, and we were very careful about leaving food laying around.
Looking back at it, I now realize we were probably camped in its lair. I don't know for sure what kind of cat it was, but all cats are territorial. We got VERY lucky that night, 20 or 30 feet up with no way out except trough a freakin mini-lion! Thank goodness it didn't have cubs.
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