Tours Travel

What’s in your Bug Out bag or 72-hour kit?

My Bug Out Bag

Bag

Having served in the Territorial Army and being in the Cadet forces when I was younger, I kept to that theme by using a British Army Bergan as my main travel bag. It holds 100 liters in the main compartment, which means I have plenty of room for extra clothing and gear, as well as plenty of water. The backpack is comfortable, lightweight and extremely durable and I have no problem wearing it for a long period of time.

My favorite part of this bag is the fact that I can remove the side pockets and use it as a backpack if needed.

Water

I carry with me two types of water bottles and a total of 5 liters. This sounds like a lot, but I’d rather be prepared and carry too much than not have enough. My main water supply is a 3 liter Camelbak antidote reservoir, which means I can drink on the go. I have always liked this type of water carriers and the latest innovations have made the water no longer taste like plastic. The wide fill port means I can fill it from the tap, hoses, or even a jet very quickly if needed.

I also carry two pattern 58 military water bottles that I forgot to return after I left the TA, each one is about 1 liter and they fit perfectly in the front pockets of my Bergan.

Along with the bottles I also carry water purification tablets in case I need to fill the bottles from a stream or other water source. These are good, but they make everything taste like chlorine, which is why I generally prefer to boil all the water I’m going to drink.

food

My favorite subject. When I’m outdoors I like to be comfortable, so I’ve thought a lot about the food I take with me for my first few days outdoors, as well as a few essentials to make things taste a little better.

Many people advocate freeze-dried or dehydrated foods as they are light and last forever; I myself prefer to boil in the bag meals. My reasons?

they taste better

They can be eaten cold

last for years

There are a lot of options

One of my main problems with dehydrated foods is that you have to carry extra water to eat them. This completely negates the weight you could save, and although you need to use water to heat the boil in bag meals, you can reuse the water for an infusion afterwards.

For this reason I carry three packs of British Army 24-hour rations. Each adds 4,000 calories and includes three main meals plus a dessert, as well as energy drinks, snacks, hot beverages, and most importantly, boiled sweets. Here is a list of the foods contained in one of my current packages.

1 x tomato pasta salad

1 x spaghetti bolognese

1 x Muesli – Fruitful

1 rice pudding.

1 x Orange Isotonic Powder Drink (Slzgr)

1 x regular hot chocolate

1 x exotic powder isotonic drink

1 x cherry powder isotonic drink

1 x apple ED powder

1 original beef jerky

1 x boiled sweet cherry

1 peanut butter.

1 x Kiwi/Passion Fruit/Apple Puree

1 x Just Fruit 1 x Menthol Gum (2x)

1 x Bar Castus Pear

1 crispy ginger.

1 candy bar

4 baby wipes (each)

1 x Scarves (10x)

1 x tea bags (each)

1x Tabasco Green

1x sugar sticks

1x Spoon

1 coffee sticks.

6 x Bev. Whitening Sachets

Although these are 24-hour ration packs, they can be stretched to last longer.

food preparation

To heat the water for my food and hot drinks I have a multi-fuel stove. This means that when I run out of fuel I can use what I can find, such as white gasoline, paraffin and unleaded gasoline. My stove (an MSR Whisperlite) is lightweight and boils water in about 4-5 minutes depending on the fuel used. I have tried several different stoves in the past, including Jetboil gas stoves, and feel like this one fits my needs perfectly.

To cook my food and make hot drinks, I use a metal mug that fits my 58-pattern water bottles. I can boil my meals in the bags they come in, and then drop a tea bag into the boiled water and have a nice hot drink afterwards. When it comes to eating my food, I have a sharp titanium spoon on one side to cut my food.

In addition to these things, I carry a lighter and some solid fuel blocks to make starting the fire easier if I have to start a fire.

Clothing

The clothes I have are light and warm, as well as keeping me cool. As with all outdoor activities, it’s important to use a layering system to regulate body temperature. This is what I take

2xLong-sleeved light shirt

2 x convertible pants (with zipper)

Underwear and thermals

Wool socks for hiking (quantity 3 pairs)

Midweight fleece.

Down jacket or buffalo shirt

Hat

Work gloves

oilskin

Poncho – can function as an emergency shelter

shmagh

Shelter and sleeping equipment

Once again, I like to be comfortable when I am outdoors, but I know that this is not always possible. My bug sack only contains a sleeping bag, a bivvie sack, and a tarp to which I’ve attached a bungee cord so I can tie it to a tree. The idea behind this lightweight sleep system is that I can take it off and put my head down quickly, especially if I’m tired. It also means I can sleep wherever I want, from a barn to the forest floor.

My sleeping bag is a snugpak softie elite 2 which is comfortable down to 2 degrees and is very light and packs down to a tiny size. When packing my sleeping system, I don’t use the stuff sack, but instead store the sleeping bag inside the bivvie sack and store it in one of the side pockets of my bergan. This allows me to quickly remove it and put my head down after a long day.

First aid

The topic of first aid is huge and deserves its own publication, but it is important to have one that is personalized and waterproof, including medications, antibiotics, dressings, antiseptics and the all-important survival blanket.

Hygiene

Hygiene will not only keep you healthy but is great for morale, when you are tired and dirty after a long day trying to get by, something as simple as brushing your teeth can greatly improve morale, make sure you have a minimum of the following in your bug bag.

wet napkins

Gel alcohol

All-Purpose Camping Soap

Hygiene/sign mirror

small pack towel

Travel Toilet Paper (Quantity 2)

survival tools

The shiny things we all go crazy for at trade shows and camping tents. I like to keep things simple with a multi-tool, which gives me everything from a pair of pliers to a small saw. I also like to have a survival knife with a 5 inch locking blade. A knife is said to be the most important part of your kit, so make sure it’s sharp and in good condition.

Turning on

It may seem obvious, but make sure you have at least two flashlights, I like to have a headlamp and a handheld flashlight, like a magnetic flashlight. I also keep various colored chemical light sticks for signaling and also to illuminate my camp. some people carry candles but I don’t see the need.

Communications

The nature of the emergency will determine which communications you will be able to use. I always carry a mobile phone in case mobile communications are available and an emergency radio. Hopefully this should allow me to pick up anyone in the area who is in the same situation. Once again, I’ll cover communications in a future post, as it’s a very broad topic.

Navigation

I live near a pretty wild area of ​​the UK which is where I plan to go if the Shit really hits the fan, I’ve walked Dartmoor for years and know the areas I’d head to pretty well but I have a map of the area to the one you are heading for is important along with a compass. However, being able to read it is the most important part, going out regularly and practicing your navigation skills is an important part of your preparation training. I also have a GPS system in my bag simply because it can work in some situations and I’d rather have it than not.

survival tin

This can has been with me for about 10 years, its contents have changed during that time but its function remains the same. I always keep it in the top pocket of my bag, or in one of my pockets and it serves as an escape and evasion kit in case of an emergency. It is based on the classic SAS combat survival tin and includes.

safety pins (x4)

Electric tape

button compass

match book

pencils

purification tablets

Condom

Buffer

trap wire

small candle

flint and steel

folding knife

fishing kit

Whistle

Sewing kit

wire saw

All of this fits in a small tobacco tin that fits easily in a breast pocket and keeps everything dry.

patchwork

Finally, some items that I keep in my bag but couldn’t fit anywhere else on this list.

550 Parachute Cord x 15mtrs

cotton handkerchief

Adhesive tape – 1 roll

Heavy Duty Trash Bag (Qty 2)

Resealable Bags (Qty 5, Various Sizes)

Sunglasses

facial mask

Latex tube (3′)

Binoculars

Face paint

gold and silver coins

£200 in various denominations (well, it makes two hundred to go)

My bug bag has been customized to suit my own circumstances and you may wish to bring a different kit. I keep adding things all the time and changing parts after a weekend on Dartmoor if I find something isn’t working.

Can you think of anything I’ve missed? You can download a free PDF baggage error list by clicking here and filling in your email address.

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