This blog has been an exercise in futility to keep updated so now for the 7th time (feels like the hundredths time!) I am starting from scratch and focusing on my favorite topic- Survival.

1) The bug out bag.

This topic is often discussed but rarely analyzed, the purpose of a bug out bag is to allow you to survive for a few days in an emergency.

The problem is that people take it literally and plan for everything. Everything.

Which is fine however you have to carry your bug out bag as you bug out, with that in mind why would someone who lives in an urban environment carry a big game hunting rifle? Why would someone in a rural area carry a crow bar?

The short answer is; because they think they might need it.

Think about the purpose of a bug out bag for a minute, its designed to keep you alive for 3 days as you bug out- which means as you escape a volatile or dangerous situation with the tools and nourishment needed to survive.

Before I write the ideal bug out bag I will write what you don’t really need:

• A 2kgs fully loaded medical kit.
• A tent.
• A sleeping bag.
• 500 rounds of ammunition.
• An axe.
• Camp stove.
• A platoon of soldiers.

Now most of these items tend to be seen as important, the reason why I do not include them in this template for a bug out bag is because they are not truly needed* for three days. What is needed is speed, the ability to drop everything and go is what bug out bags are for- carrying 60kgs of kit on your back will not help you achieve your main target; to leave the dangerzone.

Tents, stoves, sleeping bags and fully loaded med kits should be at your bug out location or in your bug out vehicle, not on you.

The aim is to be light and able to respond to any threat for 3days and as such I built my bug out bag to fufill that purpose and nothing else as I head away from danger, what I have;

1. A rucksack.
2. Water bottles with water! (3 days is recommended but how you will carry it is the question!)
3. Bic lighters [x2].
4. Swiss army knife or Leatherman’s multi-tool.
5. Paracord.
6. Torch.
7. Portable radio/Comms device.
8. “Light my fire” Firesteel.
9. Signaling mirror.
10. Duct tape.
11. Superglue.
12. Whistle.
13. Snare wire.
14. Fishing kit.
15. Compass.
16. Water purifying tablets.
17. Thick garbage bags [x8].
18. Bandages.
19. Disinfectant.
20. Good quality fixed blade knife.
21. Butterfly bandages.
22. Sewing kit.
23. Mess tins.
24. High energy bars [x12].
25. Removed*

With those items you CAN survive for 3 days, as a matter of fact with the right knowledge you can survive for weeks with those items.

The most important aspect of my bug out bag is that I am confident that I can carry it for extended distances even if wounded taking into account how light it is. I have tested it out by walking through rough terrain for roughly 15 miles and I was still alert and ready to face down any incoming threats should they arise.

To further explain my take on this topic, over the next few weeks [edit: more likely years] I will go through my items and explain how I would use them from a survival point of view.

(To clarify, Since I do not want people to think I am dictating an exact criteria for a BoB- This is the bare minimum! People will balance speed, needs and comfort as they please. I personally also have a tarp [8×4m] amongst other things, if you live in an environment where extreme weather or temperature is common then obviously you should also plan for that- I am writing this from my perspective and environment which may not be yours. This is a basic template, build on it until you have a BoB that works for you.)

*I am pro gun, and while I would carry a firearm in a survival situation I understand that some people are weary of such tools and the damage they can do in irresponsible hands, I do not want the focus of this discourse/tutorial on bug out bags to center on my particular beliefs but rather as a template someone can build on and as such I will not emphasize the need for a firearm- so I removed it from the list, this does not mean that I have ceased to believe that its a sensible option to have.