[jammons]

I am curious to what the veterans on here bug out weighs. I was in the Army for 10 years with the infantry and I am use to road marching with a rucksack with about 80 to 100 lbs of gear. The weight was dependent on if we had ammo or not. I am also wondering if the army rucksack would be a good bug out bag to have.

 

[wesley762]

Are you still in same shape as you where in the Army, if the answer is Yes go for it, if the answer is no, cut that load in half.

 

[jammons]

Yeah I am still the same shape as I was. Well I am thinking also I should carry the heavy load and then the gf carry a smaller bag.

 

[HuntingHawk]

Is the BOB something to be thrown in your vehicle to bug out with or is it going on your back? Rule of thumb for hoofing it, is half the weight is gear & half firearms, ammo, & cleaning kits. About 15lbs just for empty rifle & handgun.

 

[Prepadoodle]

If the bag is just to get you to a pre-stocked bug out location, less is more. The trade off, of course, is weight vs mobility.

I think a good rule of thumb is to carry a total load of no more than 25% of your body weight, assuming you are in decent shape.

I would be tempted to go up to as much as 35% or 40% of my weight if it was an INCH bag. If I'm never going home, I would trade comfort in the march for more capabilities once I found a place to set up a base camp. Just my opinion. <shrug>

Edited to add: By the way, I always assume anyone bugging out will end up on foot sooner or later.

 

[HuntingHawk]

Base load with ALICE gear & M14 was 42lbs. That weight always ended up 60lbs plus. A second canteen. Repack bandolier. Extra pouch with two mags. Plus everyone carried some squad common gear even if it was just a belt for the M60.

My point is to decide on the weight limit. First put your combat load together. Then the balance of the weight survival gear. Water is critical.

 

[rickkyw1720pf]

If you haven't practiced with how much you think you can carry. Then be sure you bring a shovel so you can bury about half of it so that you can come back later and retrieve it.

 

[Rob Roy]

I'm in agreement with Prepadoodle; 25% body weight is general rule.

Here's a pretty good read if you have the time:
Is your Bug Out Bag Going to Get You Killed? | The Prepper JournalThe Prepper Journal

 

[roy]

I spent 20 years in the Army, most of it in the infantry. I finally got smart. My pack weighs under 20 lbs with five days of food.

 

[Fuzzee]

I've always gone by the 1/4 of your body weight also, but in reality you do have go with what your body wants and doesn't. As you get older things change and the back and muscle can't handle the same strain. I'm not there yet, but I look into the future another 20 years and know I probably will be. It's very important to stay in shape. I try to and my work has a good amount of physical activity to it besides. My current pack is about 50 lbs loaded and my rifle and magazine pouch make another 20. I'm 250lbs and thankfully low on body fat and still a fair amount of muscle so it still works. My BOB is abased off a long term sustainability outlook and gear though, not a simple 3 day. If shtf and I need to resort to my BOB rig, it's not going to be a 3 day problem. I can stay home or in a hotel for minor crap like that. I've been through enough stuff that make other people cry and pout like little bitches. I know because I've seen it enough. So, if I need to resort to bugging out on foot and surviving with my BOB, the world or my world, has seriously fallen apart.

 

[Piratesailor]

I'm old.. So I keep it all somewhat light. Yeah, about 25% is what it comes down to with the pack, food, ammo weapons, etc. just a tad over 50lbs. Manageable for me if I had to hoof it for any duration. I keep extra supplies in the car in case i can use it to be mobile.