Are you ready when sh#t hits the fan?
Get your survival bag ready, because tomorrow may not be the yesterday you
are used to!
Unless Instructor Zero is your daddy or you were raised by wolves you will
need gear to survive! One can never be too prepared however there are five
different types of survival bags. You need to determine what your most likely
emergency situation will require of you, in order to decide which bag you
need.
The principles to which you plan your bag apply to any type of bag, the amount
and skillset of the tools you pack may differ.
Different type of bags:
EDC gear/kit: I don’t refer to this as a “bag” because these are all items you
rely on frequently and provides the most basic functionality and personal
safety. Most of these items are carried on your person, but you may also have
a designated EDC bag for an extra mag, multi-tool, flashlight etc.
72-hour bag: Most people believe this is a waste of money, as it is only a
simplified version of the BOB, but it will help you survive for at least 3 days.
This bag will include basic first aid, fire starting tools, water bottle and/or
portable chargers.
INCH (I’m Never Coming Home) Bag: This bag will help you survive for a few
months! An INCH bag assumes your Bug Out Location is compromised so you
will have to provide food, clean water and shelter for yourself. This bag will
have more sophisticated gear than a BOB.
Get-Home-Bag
•Aim to get you home or to your BOL
•Kept in your car
•Aim to survive at least a day
•Lifestyle depending, the travel
time/distance will be limited
•1L water
•Snacks
•Water-resistant jacket
•Multi-tool, pocket knife
Bug-Out-Bag
•Aim to survive away from home/BOL
•Kept at your house
•Aim to survive for a week or longer
•No limit to time/distance of travel
•Min 2L water + purification tablets
•Canned food, tools to acquire food
•Water-resistant jacket, fordable tent
•Axe, shovel, fixed-blade knife
Why do you need a Survival bag?
Preparedness is the key to survival. If you are not prepared you, and your loved
ones, are vulnerable. When SHTF and you are forced to make do with your
situation this bag will be your lifeline. A survival bag is essential, because not
all emergency scenarios come with a warning.
Okay, most important, the bag itself!
Don’t be a cheapskate! Saving money now may cost you your life later! A
quality bag is essential. Your bag should meet the following criteria:
•Made of thick, durable fabric with airtight construction.
•Has a chest strap and/or padded hip straps.
•Includes a shell or are water-resistant.
•Has high quality zippers and clips.
•Includes several pockets and compartments and/or roll-top construction for
expanded storage.
Your survival bag needs to comply to 3 principles:
- Serve the ability to stay dry and warm
- Serve the ability to start a fire
- Serve the ability to get a hold of and purify water.
Keep in mind that your Survival bag will not contain the same items than the
guy next to you, however the ideal bag should be easy to transport which may
limit your options. So assess each category thoroughly to determine what
YOUR must-haves in a life-or-death situation will be. These are applicable on
any type of bag,
There are 7 basic types of gear you will need for your survival bag:
•Weapons
•Water
•Food
•Shelter
•First aid kit
•Clothing
•Basic gear (refer to the following category list)
Even the most hard-core survivalist will prove to have a hard time creating
some items which are difficult, if not impossible, to re-create from raw
materials. So make sure to represent each of these categories in your bag in
some way.
•Water containers and purifiers
•Fire making tools
•Cutting and digging tools
•Tarps, rope and cordage
•Clothing and blankets
• Basic first aid and chronic medication
•Communication equipment
•Basic gear: Compasses, binoculars, SOS devices, radiation detectors, money,
documents
Use the following checklist to ensure that your bag will save your a$$ in any
emergency situation:
Weapons
Firearms
Extra ammo
Cleaning kit
Pocket knife
Pepper spray
Stunt gun
Tactical pen
Water (Containers & purifiers)
Metal water bottle- keep water cool, also allow to boil water
Water filtration system
Chlorine/ iodine tablets- purifiers
Condoms- store water or serve as water-resistant storage
Food (Fire making tools)
Flint/ lighter/ matches/ magnifying glass/ emergency tinder
Fire laces
Candles
Vaseline + plastic straws- combination can be used as candles
Foldable metal stand, pot, mug and spork
Snacks, canned food, non-perishable rations
Shelter (Cutting & digging and tarps, rope & cordage)
Multi-tool
Fixed-blade knife
Axe
Foldable saw
Foldable shovel
Crow bar
Pliers
Blade sharpener
Paracord
Heavy duty rope
Zip ties
Tarp
Tent
Sleeping bag
Duct tape
Fishing kit
Clothing and blankets
Beanie/ balaclava
Hat
bandana/ scarf
Hand & feet warmers
Rain jacket
Emergency “space” blanket
Change of clothes
First aid
Medical instrument kit (scissors, tweezers etc.)
Chronic/ prescription medication
Tourniquet
Burnshield
Chest would seal
Bandage
Gauze
Aspirin, NSAIDs, anti-bacterial ointment, anti-histamines
Sunscreen
Gloves
Safety pins
Antiseptic wound cleaner
Communication equipment
Walkie Talkie (extra set of batteries)
Radio (extra set of batteries)
SOS devices (mirror, whistle, light sticks)
Basic gear
Survival and First aid cheat sheets
Emergency cash
Important documents
Gas mask
Reactive skin decontamination lotion
Head lamp (extra set of batteries)
Flashlight (extra set of batteries)
Maps
Compass
GPS tracking system
Binoculars
Portable solar charger
Radiation detector
Goggles
Sewing kit
You may not use every single item on this list, so take your time to go through
each category one-by-one to ensure you prepare properly for the emergency
situation you are most likely to find yourself in.
Finally, I cannot stress this enough, SERVICE YOUR EQUIPMENT! You may need
your bag a week from now, two years from now, or even never, but you need
to keep your knives sharp, check the batteries and ensure that your food and
medical supplies have not expired.
Be a man with purpose in a senseless world, start prepping!