Review: Get Home Bag - Bug Out Bag

Some friends of mine asked me recently for recommendations for Bug-Out-Bags, after watching the NatGeo "Doomsday Preppers" show, and The Colony.

I don't have a "Bug-Out-Bag", per se,  but I do have two "Get Home Bags". One in my car, and one is my every-day pack. 

Here's one that NASA made ...

I've covered both before, as Items, and shown off what I keep in them from time to time, but as a unit, I thought it might be worthwhile laying it all out.

My primary, EDC and "get home bag" is the Platatac Bullock Echo, to which I've added a couple of extra pouches and loaded up a fair bit. This is the bag I have with me everywhere I go, and I still manage to carry my iPad, days food and whatever else I need day by day in it. Great pack. It's a reasonable load that I carry, as you'll see, but I can run, climb, crawl, jump and probably swim with this all on me. I get some funny looks sometimes, but I'm used to that. 

1) waterproof poncho, OD / first aid kit

2) set of metric Alan keys on a split ring

3) compass

4) dmt diamond knife sharpeners

5) credit card tool / fire steel

6) wire saw

7) cord

8) Dead On Annihilator Super Hammer

9) ZombieSquad 1L Nalgene bottle

10) LaserBrite (single blue and low/high/blink red heads)

11) CRL Tactical cache

12) ZuluNulonGear CAOS admin pouch with small adjustable wrench, LED plyer multitool, Buck Tools Multitool, dexim BluePack 1200mAh ( 5V-500mAh) USB iPhone battery, UV laser pointer, kumquat carbon fiber credit card bottle opener, sharpie.

13) Figure 5 Benchmade safety cutter

14) microfiber towel

15) Berber Bear Grylls safety pack

16) Platatac Half Med pack with elastic bandage, forceps, non-latex gloves, cylume sticks, band-aids, bandages

17) GoSt PaleoBarefoots

18) Sea To Summit Alpha cutlery and chopsticks

19) survival kit in a can

20) Platatac HeadOver head sock 

21) SnowLizard solar, rugged, waterproof iPhone case

22) EcoFuture Aqua Prove

23) alcohol based hand sanitizer

24) EcoFuture hand sanitizer

25) EcoFuture foot spray

26) cable ties

27) toiletries bag with toothpaste, soap, safety razor, floss

28) essential oil deodorant bag

29) Spare glasses in hard case

30) nut and honey snacks

31) SAR GlobalTool Eclipse signaling mirror system

32) whistle

I also keep this, in the car. I consider this my "broken down in the side of the road" kit, but also doubles as my camping/kicking adventure bag. I have a full first aid bag in the car, and a fairly complete tool bag as well.

As I've covered before,  the Kathmandu Hip Bag is a very dependable, and feature rich, wearable pack.

With my FUBAR and CRKT Stiff Kiss it is quite the formidable survival pack.

Here's what I keep in it....

33) heavy waterproof poncho, Woodland camo

34) gaffer tape

35) camping propane gas

36) kinetic induction flashlight 

37) enamel mug

38) bug spray

39) sweetened condensed milk in a tube

40) roll of SES emergency marker tape

41) Gerber Bear Grylls survival pack

42) high-test marlin-fishing line

43) Petzl "figure 8" device

44) Kong locking carabiners

45) 5mm dynamic rope

46) matches

47) fishing hooks and sinkers in-a-tin

48) Sea to Summit 20L Kitchen Sink

49) hand carved snare with braided line

50) Miltons water purifier tablets

51) nails

52) Caribee backpacking stove

53) bandages

54) tea bags

55) whistle and flint

56) powdered chocolate.

I can wear both the Bullock Echo and the Kathmandu bum-bag at the same time, between the two I have a lot of survival kit in fairly small, wearable packages. Given that I don't spend a lot of time in the distant wilderness, but more urban sprawl, and country roadsides I think that in the event of a disaster in my region, I would be able to manage with this loadout for quite enough time to get home, or away, and overcome most any obstacle that I might come across.

For me the idea of a "bug-out-bag" is more of a "never coming back" bag, which would be a little more substantial, and aggressive, where these two are more a "get out of trouble" set. I can help myself, and others push through rough times with what I carry at all times, and have with me in my car...

After the Black Saturday fires of 2009 and the semi-regular flooding we are getting, I want to be ready, Equipped!




[edit] I've been asked if i would make Bug-Out-Bags for sale ... anyone interested?