Continuing with my Bug out Bag series;

Shallow cuts and scratches are the most common injuries faced when hiking, getting a small scratch at home or on a day hike is no biggie but when you are escaping a hostile environment I would imagine that hygiene is not high on your list of things to worry about, thus the risk of infection can become a big problem.

To combat this you want to clean your wound with a strong disinfectant- the choices on the market are huge but I just use 90% proof alcohol which not only will kill all water and airborne bacteria but can be handy as an emergency firestarter.

With regards to bandages I have both band aid type waterproof bandage in a roll and butterfly clips.

Those two types of bandages + disinfectant, paracord and superglue will allow you to deal with 70% of common injuries as long as you think outside of the box which brings me to the last dual use first aid item which is the sewing kit which you can use to mend clothing but more importantly to also close a wound.

Should you have a wound that is deep enough that you require sutures then simply boil your needle to kill any bacteria, clean the wound with the alcohol and stitch it up , liberally apply more disinfectant then cover the sutures with a band aid and add duct tape over that.

Strong, safe and it does not require much gear to have with you (and risk losing).

Done.

The big problem people will have is that I have not included one of those mini first aid kits in my BoB template, the reason why is quite simple- I often hike with far less than I have listed and I cannot see a situation where I will need all the crap companies add to justify the price.

The other reason and in my opinion the more important one is that I dont want to rely on specialized equipment- if you need a specific tool to do a specific job and that tool gets misplaced or broken…what do you do? I dont want random chance to negatively screw up my plans. By taking control of my gear I lessen the chance of my survival being dependent on my equipment.

This philosophy is the one that really seems to annoy people and I am ok with that, you want a fully loaded med kit in your BoB as opposed to in your BOL(Bug out location) or BOV (bug out vehicle) which is where it really should be? Go for it.

Next up with be mess tins/cans and high energy bars.

First aid guide for you to glance over, bare in mind that it is from the Marine corps and thus the emphasis is on battlefield first aid.

MCRP 3-02G First Aid.pdf

Compass

Very few tools in the history of man have been depended upon as much as the compass, the compass does one function and does it extremely well- it points north through aligning its pointer (a needle of sorts) with the earth magnetic fields.

While other methods and tools do exist to help you navigate none have endured the test of time quite like the compass.

In a survival situation you will want to be able to quickly and reliably find your position and the direction you decide to head towards and a compass will help you achieve that.

Modern compasses come in all shapes and sizes with different methods of finding north, while an electric compass or a gyrocompass may seems easier to use the problem lies with what those tools depend on- Electricity.

In a survival situation you should expect your equipment to have problems or break and as such depending on tools that have a simple base design and very few needs/moving parts can only insure that your tools will work when you most need them to.

You should pick a magnetized needle/dial compass which is suspended inside a liquid, most of the time the liquid in question is kerosene, alcohol or some sort of oil. The compass you choose should be set in a sturdy case and you should know its reliability prior to putting it in your bug out bag.

They come in all price ranges and specifications, pick one according to your budget- I have had nothing but good experiences with the silva line of compasses.

Water purification tablets

I stated before that water was one of the most important resources in a survival situation however the quality of the water you will find is often questionable at best. While the general rule of thumb is “if the water source is running then its safe” you can never be too sure. Having a way to quickly make water safe and potable cannot be emphasized enough.

If you have time then you can simply boil water to kill any harmful bacteria, however if you are in a situation were it is not wise or impossible to boil water then water purification tablets are the best alternative.

To purify water you can use bleach with the following guidelines; 14 drops per gallon, the health aspects of using chlorine bleach to purify water have been debated many times and the general consensus is that its safe as long as you take proper precautions (right amount).

Commercial survival kits often come with soluble water purification tablets that you just drop in your water bottle and wait for it to dissolve. I find the tablets extremely useful for short term survival or to put in a bug out bag simply because they do not require a fragile container to be stored.

Again with water purification tablets choice is not lacking just make sure that the ones you pick are iodine based due to its effectiveness against water based pathogens and Giardia.

Thick garbage bags

Thick garbage bags are incredibly useful in a survival situation, they can shield you from the elements, keep you warm by filling them with leaves and using it as a make shift insulation blanket/mattress but more importantly they are cheap, available and extremely versatile.

Much like para cord the use you will get out of garbage bags will much depend on your imagination, break down the core functions and materials of a garbage bag and think about how you can use it. You can use one as a bivvy, to carry water, as a blanket, as tarp/waterproof material for a roof when you build a shelter by splitting the bag accross the seam and turning it into a large water tight sheet. Hamocks and emergency stretchers are easily created with them too.

The fact that they are lightweight, easily modified and expendable means you really shouldn’t neglect to pack one in your bug out bag, try to pick one that is designed for heavy duty use like gardening.

[I am having some problems with some of the functions of wordpress due to me meddling with widgets and code, the site works fine however some of the features including comments are temperamental, will try and get it sorted out soon.]

Whistle

Being able to contact for help is paramount in a survival situation, a whistle could save you faster than an extra knife- of course planning with the frame of mind that you are alone and you will need to get out of this situation by yourself is good simply because you will not be reliant on anyone/anything else.

However; put the odds on your side and pack a whistle in your Bug out Bag, it doesn’t weigh much and it very well could save your life.

To get attention blow loudly ( ) and once you have their attention send a distress signal (Three blasts).

The general rule of thumb for survival whistles is simply how sturdy and loud it is, I have the basic NATO one which works great however choice is not lacking, some whistles come with other features such as built in compass or light. Go with your budget and what suits your needs.

Lifesystems mountain survival and jetscream whistles are pretty popular and can be found on amazon & ebay-look around.

Snare wire

Hunting is not something which you can do just because you have a bow, fashioning a bow is one thing-being proficient with it is another thing all together.

In a survival situation you will get most sustenance from scavenging and traps. The easiest of all traps are ones constructed using snare wire, I will eventually write a post on snares and traps however this is about what to include in your BoB and why you should.

24 gauge snare wire will fit most of your needs and can be easily bought in most outdoor stores and the internet, 50 feet of snare wire is recommended as a minimum and 100 feet is ideal. In a survival situation you will want to set as many snares as possible to maximize your chances of catching something.

Fishing kit

Fishing kits are amazingly enough used to fish, fish and marine wildlife can be found in most parts of the world and fishing requires less training than hunting to sufficiently rely on for sustenance.

Fishing kits can be bought pre-prepackaged or assembled yourself, regardless of the direction you take it should contain the following items;

• Fishing line; between 3-10lb of breaking strain.
• Hooks between size 12 and 18.
• Small and medium float.
• Mixture of split shot

Dont bother with bait, just use what is around the lake/river/pond. Insects are never hard to find if you know where to look for them.

Look around on the internet for those items and/or your local fishing store.

Fire steel

The ability to create fire is so important that I cannot emphasize it enough, fire creates heat, light, signaling, safety and can be used to purify water (by boiling it) and it can also provide a much needed moral boost in a stressful situation, being able to create fire will place you in control of your environment (or at least make you think you are) and as such provide a jolt of moral and confidence with regards to the days to come.

Mental survival is just as important as the physical aspects, without the will to survive the chances of survival lessen.

The bic you have in your bag (see my previous post) works great to start a fire, it is easier than using fire steel and its unlikely that it wont work. However this blog is not about what may or may not happen- its about survival taken to the basics.

Fire steel is also known as “artificial flint” and can be used to create fire under most conditions with practice, they are made by various companies but the most famous is the swedish “Light my fire” fire steel, its absolutely brilliant and can be bought in various sizes (and colors) for a reasonable price (10$). Look on ebay for them!

Light my fire

Ebay

Having fire steel on hand means you will always have a source of fire, I take this survival doctrine so seriously that I superglued a fire steel to the back of my favorite’s knife (a mora 740) sheath.

I use the spine of the knife to strike the fire steel, so far it has yet to fail me.

Signaling mirrors

Using a mirror to signal for help has been used for many years as a way to reflect the suns ray to gain the attention of planes, helicopters and search parties. They are light, don’t have moving parts and take up virtually no space.

Should you ever be stranded somewhere it is likely that people will be looking for you and in such a case building a fire and using a signaling mirror may save your life.

Doug Ritter has written a brilliant guide on how to use them and as such I won’t even try to compete with his well written instructions-

Find Doug here.

Find the article regarding signaling here.

And while you are at it; check out the rest of his website- its full of great information from a known survival expert.

Duct tape

Strong, resilient, versatile and cheap- all the ingredients for a useful survival resource.

Like para cord duct tape can be used for uses other than originally intended and like para cord all it requires is some creativity.

• The sole of your boots are falling off?- fix them.
• Your clothing has a tear?- close it.
• It’s an emergency, no medical facility around and you have a major wound, close it until you can find assistance.
• ruck sack falling apart? fix it.
• no cord and you need to tie 2sticks together to create a frame for your shelter?
• etc.

Duct tape is beyond useful, it can be used to attract attention by burning it (thick smoke) and do a quick fix on just about anything- no reason to leave it out of your BoB.

No much can be written about duct tape because you know what it is, how you will use it will be based on your creativity and situation at the time.

Can be bought anywhere.

Super glue

Super glue, krazy glue and other names for this adhesive is super useful, most will think of using it for fixing things but in my experience it doesn’t work on stuff that will be flexed (shoes) or strained in anyway. The true power in super glue is that it bonds skin together extremely well.

The most common injury when out in the field are small cuts and scratches, super glue is great for closing them up; all you need to do is clean the wound (with sterile water/disinfectant or if you have to saliva) then apply some super glue.

You will feel a slight burning sensation but your cut or wound will be closed in a waterproof bond of hardened plastic.

Unlike bandages a small tube of super glue will be able to heal more cuts in size/weight ratio, it will not fall off and will not let any harmful bacterias enter the cut.

So with that said, is it dangerous?

Googling provides a mixed opinion regarding using super glue from a medical perspective however I have been using it to close small cuts for about 3years and have yet to have any problems. Its up to you.

Right, so you have your bag now so lets start filling it!

Water.

Not only is water delicious you also need it to survive, while you may be under the (misguided) impression that you can be happy with 1ltr of water a day you would be sadly mistaken, while you may be “ok” with 1ltr a day after having done no excersise in reality (bugging out) you would be out for the count after your adrenalin runs out. You will be trying to remember if you have everything and running as fast as you can to get out of dodge, this means that you will use insane amounts of energy and as such will need to consume far more water than normal to remain fit and alert.

So lets talk options; in my previous post I discussed having a hydration bladder which is essentially a water bottle built into your bag, Very useful invention. But you want to bring along the more tradionational type of water containers simply because they tend to be far more rugged and as such will not tear. They are easier to fill up and you can give them to a friend should he not have thought about potential end of the world scenerios like you (How silly, everyone knows zombies are just waiting to take over the world).

Water bottles come in various shapes and sizes and more importantly price ranges so I will just focus on the more popular models:

• Nalgene bottles; cheap, sexy and expendable. plus they come in various sizes and flavors (read: colors).
• Military water bottles; cheap, tough and kinda sexy- you can buy them everywhere and they will treat you well, an added benefit is that they can come with a pouch with molle straps so attaching it on the outside of your rucksack is a cinch.
• Thermos; not as funky as the choices above me but when your stuck in the wild with angry squirrels wanting to devour you…you will be glad to have something comforting like hot irish coffee (or whatever tickles your fancy).

You may also want to have a big evian (or coke) bottle full of delicious water in your rucksack in case you don’t find any water along your route (always prepare for the worst so when the worst happens you can punch it in the face).

I personally have two Thermos aluminum bottles and one military bottle, however not everyone can pull off such a daring look, at then end of the day choose what is right for you.

Bic lighters

Bic lighters amongst offering fire making abilities happens to be the universal symbol for awesome, intelligent and sexy individual.

Everyone knows what they look like so I will spare you 500+ words on the magical properties of the blaze orange version (although red/pink/blaze orange is a good color simply because if you drop your Bic it will be easy to find. Something to think about).

And finally, the Multi-tool.

Swiss army knives are made by two companies, Victorinox and Wenger. Which you will choose is up to you- both are unrivaled for the price (Save perhaps Opinel & Mora) and will serve you faithfully for various task such as preparing food, opening beer bottles and sharpening a stick to fend of would be invaders. I personally carry a Wenger Ranger purely because I am a rebel and dig rooting for the underdog.

I don’t personally own a Leathermans however I will just say this-

Leatherman tools are supposedly fucking ace and are off the hook reliable with a long history of producing quality products.

A popular choice is the Leatherman wave.

Thats all for today but this week (I promise) I will work towards getting at least halfway through the list.

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.