Knives for bug out/get home bag?

If you are buying a knife to put in bag that you hope to never use but that you need to be able to count on if you need it then go with a Mora. No sense in spending more than $15 on a knife that is just gonna hide in a bag and you can definitely count on it if you need it.

I camp a lot and keep a bunch of stuff in my pickup. Axe, hatchet, machete, bow saw, mora, tarps, road flares (great fire starter), first aid kit, rain gear, cordage, ratchet straps and all sorts of tools. If I can get to my truck I am well prepared.

Shoot, there is usually a diaper bag in there too. I got graham crackers, a couple of bananas, some apple juice and even some baby wipes for a cowboy shower if I need to. That’s being prepared.
 
Mora, diapers, graham crackers.
Simple yet broadly effective —definately prepared.
I beleve this thread has a winner! :D
 
In the PNW, the threat of a earthquake is a real concern. So last year, I made a BOB for myself and the wife. One for each car. We both commute to work, and the roads being blocked after a 8.0 or higher quake is a possiblity.
In addition to a SAK in my bag, I have a skandi ground 4' knife and a hand 'chain saw'. A Bradford Guardian 3 is also there.
I have a mora companion and a sak in the wife's bag. She's less comfortable with big blades, but a mora feels and looks more like a kitchen knife to her.
 
It's only prudent to assume the OP has the other essentials covered and is just specifically asking about the tools part. For a get-home bag (back home), it stays in my truck all the time. While I have dozens of options to choose from, I like the inexpensive choice of my favorite Mora, the 511 model. I also have dozens of multitools, so I think it's an older style Leatherman Wave. A Mora fixed blade and multitool are what I have and use. Of course, depending on the situation, I would definitely have a folder or three on my person and quite possibly a fixed blade.

One thing to consider is to keep a decent folding buck saw, an axe, and a shovel in your vehicle. We've had some severe wind/thunderstorms in the Southeast in the past, and twice I've used either a buck saw or chainsaw to remove a tree downed across the road (definitely check for downed powerlines first!!!!).

ROCK6
 
I do keep a bag of "stuff" in my truck, but the majority of my emergency items are in my truck box. 12' Chain, tow straps, tree savers, tool kit, trauma FAK, change of clothes, boots, 2 gallons of water, MREs, toilet paper, chainsaw with gallon of gas, maul, jumper cables, folding saw, single shot 12 gauge/shells, some fatwood and whatever else I have in there.
 
You must use the chain saw a fair amount to pack it all the time. I consider it a special use item including a handyman jack and only carry if I am headed to the mountains. I have been trapped behind fallen trees before. I have a lot of the same "stuff".
 
Actually, I don't use it much during the Summer. I do use it quite a bit during the Fall and Winter, for firewood, downed trees, etc. I'm of the concept of, it's always better to have it and not need it, than vice versa!
 
91bravo said:
Actually, I don't use it much during the Summer. I do use it quite a bit during the Fall and Winter, for firewood, downed trees, etc. I'm of the concept of, it's always better to have it and not need it, than vice versa!
Click to expand...

Even more so when your truck is carrying it and not on your back! :D
 
I have a few such bags. They all have basic first aid kits, basic shelter (mostly consisting of a folded tarp or tube tent), water filtration (Lifestraw), insect repellant, etc...

As far as cutting tools, each and every one has a multitool (some Leatherman, some Vic), a Mora (CompanionSS or LightmyFire), a Fiskars X7 hatchet, and a folding saw (Either Silky Pocketboy, or Bahco Laplander). Most of them also have some kind of lightweight folding knife like a Delica, or some such in there, but I don't view it as necessary.

These are my basics, i.e., the bag i leave in the car (and in my wife's car) as a "get home" bag. Not intended to support the wife or myself for more than 24-48hrs. Just enough to get us out of a bad situation and to relative safety.
 
One thing I learned the hard way - don't leave anything in the car that is sentimental or irreplaceable. Cheap, sturdy, and widely available are the best if your car is stolen. Parked in front of a police station, in my case...
 
I carry my BOB with me everyday, it's my EDC bag. I also have my truck pretty well setup for getting me home. But if I had to abandon my truck, I could quickly and easily add those items to my BOB and start walking.

I keep a Mora in my EDC/BOB and in my truck. I also keep a SAK in both and a small folding saw in my truck along with an axe.

My biggest concern getting home isn't what knife I have, it's how I get across a river if the bridges are out.
 
The truck is kind of like your house.... you can keep a lot more stuff there pretty safely and in the event of a get home situation.... you can pick and choose what to place in your smallish bag to carry with you. All that said, unfortunately, sometimes vehicles are broken into and stuff stolen or the entire vehicle stolen. You just have to accept the potential risk for the possible reward.
 
I'm in the UK so that will be the perspective my answer comes from.
I'd take a 6-7" knife. (CPK HDFK for me) Small enough for food prep but big enough to ward off threats. I'd be unlikely to meet a threat that my knife couldn't match.
I'd also recommend packing some cigarettes, coffee and alcohol for trade/bribes. In a bad situation these become invaluable
 
As has been said, a knife in your bag is really the least of your worries. Other things are far more important. Oops! Am I not allowed to mention that :D

But seriously, this is always an interesting topic when it comes up so I will answer they way I have in all the other threads where this is discussed (search tool is your friend).

I don't see the point in having more expensive knives in a BOB or GHB. You will likely never use them. This is not to say you should have cheap or inadequate blades in your bags, but the ones in the OP (particularly the ZT and RMD) are too premium for what you really need, especially for something you will never use. But hey, if you can swing that kind of coin on stuff you will hopefully never see again, by all means go for it, I just wouldn't.

In my bags I have a SOG Seal pup, SOG Seal team, CRKT wind river, and a couple of MTs. That plus a hand saw and an axe. Nothing is very expensive but everything can do the job. I don't put folders in my bags as I have enough on me or in the vehicles that it would be a waste.
 
Sog Seal Pups are in my bags , and a Gerber BG Ultimate under the truck seat.
I'm not leaving a $250 BR in the truck to get ripped off , and I beat the shit out of the BG (9crmov)
for years and it can handle abuse ,prying, and keeps an OK edge. Seal Pup is easily concealable if needed , and can do double duty
as a bush knife or defensive tool.
Someone mentions if they pack sharpening gear. I do , usually a diamond rod or 3-4" diamond stone.
 
hiwa said:
Sog Seal Pups are in my bags , and a Gerber BG Ultimate under the truck seat.
I'm not leaving a $250 BR in the truck to get ripped off , and I beat the shit out of the BG (9crmov)
for years and it can handle abuse ,prying, and keeps an OK edge. Seal Pup is easily concealable if needed , and can do double duty
as a bush knife or defensive tool.
Someone mentions if they pack sharpening gear. I do , usually a diamond rod or 3-4" diamond stone.
Click to expand...
I forgot to mention that. I also pack cheap diamond rods.
 
A "Get Home Bag" in most cases outside a car/truck/motorcycle is a non-entity. You're going to use what you have on/with you, which like as not means your EDC.

As for the "Bug Out Bag" ...
A good first aid kit is essential. Just as essential, if not more so, than a knife.
I would suggest one of the larger offshore marine first aid kit. It will have everything you need for minor to severe injury. They may not be inexpensive, but they cost less than your or a loved ones life is worth.
I'd also suggest at least one or two folding canes. If you injure your leg or foot, sprain a knee or ankle, you won't be able to put much, if any, weight on it, so a cane (or two) will keep you somewhat mobile.
Remember, there may not always be a handy branch you can cut to use for a cane, crutch, or walking stick.
Come to that, it would not be a bad idea to keep a walking/hiking stick next to your pack/bag and grab it, as well.

For the knife, I'd suggest whatever you normally carry, maybe with a 3 to 5 incch fixed blade in your bag/pack.
I'd also suggest a small 1.5 pound or so axe or hatchet and a cable type wood saw in the pack/bag. A slingshot and some .38 to .577 black powder round balls for ammo, might be a good idea, too. That will allow you to get small game to eat.
A fishing handline and a few hooks would be a good idea, as well.

A Bic or Zippo lighter (carry extra lighter fluid and flint's for the Zippo) is better than any "fire rod" ever devised.

Depending on where you are and the season, you'll need snowshoes and other winter gear in case your vehicle is or becomes disabled and you still need to move.

A 3 or 4 season dome tent, and a sleeping bag rated for the temperatures you're likely to encounter is also a good idea.
 
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