Question about BOB

I

Idaho Guy

Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
570
Hi all,
Like I stated in another thread I have never in the past been one to worry about dooms day. But the way things seem out of sorts in the world lately i have been putting a bug out bag together just in case. So here is my question do you guys carry a sleeping bag maybe a sleeping pad or tent in your BOB?
Of course these are things I carry when backpacking or camping because I know i am going to be sleeping at night. But in my mind in a true bug out situation, the kind that actually forces me out of my house I'm thinking the last thing on my mind is gonna be sleeping. I have never been in a situation like this before so please let me know your thoughts.
 
I live in an urban, albeit a relatively medium sized one, environment. My family went through the tornado that hit Tuscaloosa back at the end of April. And to be honest, a sleeping bag was not an item I grabbed when we had to evacuate 30 mins afterwards. Granted I have family in town so it wasn't an issue. So it depends on where you live and how soon you can expect to receive some sort of help.

What we had ready to go was this: our wallets with our identification, cash (you're going to need it in the next few days as power won't be back on), keys, clothes for about 3-4 days, baby formula, diapers, baby supplies etc, multi-tool (God did it come in handy), legal documents, and our cats in their carriers. Depending on what has been affected, there will be a location to go to get out of the damaged area for friends or family to come to you. But this is all dependent on the scale of the disaster.
 
I have a BOB, one for each of my family members. I keep hammocks and ponchos in them. Everyone in my family, likes sleeping in hammocks. They take up less space, but are faster, and less hassle to put up.

That said, sleeping in a hammock in cool or cold weather, will require a sleeping bag. I have them, but they don't stay with the bags. Emergency blankets (mylar) stay in the packs along with a 12hr candle.

I would suggest reading up on improvised shelters, we have a couple in this months Ethan's Challenge. Knowledge weighs alot less than gear, learn the skills, and leave the heavy stuff behind. That is my opinion. Suvival is about staying alive, period. Its quite boring and less challenging than bushcraft, but an emergency blanket, can go a pretty good ways, if you have the skills to support it.

Good luck, and keep us posted on your BOB creation.

Moose
 
"Knowledge weighs alot less than gear, learn the skills, and leave the heavy stuff behind. That is my opinion. Survival is about staying alive, period." -moosez45 (My italics)

This is exactly what my experience has taught me. I cannot agree more. Keep it simple, have the knowledge base, be adaptive, be innovative when necessary, and maintain the desire to survive. I'll be putting together new kits and bags and will be storing them everywhere. At least two in the house and one in each vehicle. Let us know how yours turns out. Have fun!
 
What got me thinking about this I guess is what pack would I want on if I needed to get out in a hurry. A large backpacking pack with everything in it or a small day pack with just the basics. I also concider where i live (about 50 mi south of the Canadian border in Idaho) meaning tornado's, floods and huricanes wont be hitting here soon. I am not quite sure what to prepare for. lol I guess in my situation, tarps and thermal blankets might be the best bet until i could figure out what I needed to do next. any and all ideas are still welcome. And just so I am not breaking any Becker forum rules, while I fight off the zombie hoards I will not only be wrapped snuggle in my thermal blanket and tarp :) I will have my trusty Becker BK2 Campanion strapped at my side ready to kick some serious zombie tail.
 
I don't carry any sleeping gear, I should but for some reason I don't.

I will have to change that.....

Food, Water, guns, knives and first aid are some of my main gear
 
It really sounds like your first step should be to determine what it would be that you're bugging out because of. I'm not a BOB kind of guy but it seems like people concerned about natural disasters are going to prepare something totally different than people concerned about the Chinese invading or whatever. I can't imagine not packing a sleeping bag though.
 
BRL said:
It really sounds like your first step should be to determine what it would be that you're bugging out because of. I'm not a BOB kind of guy but it seems like people concerned about natural disasters are going to prepare something totally different than people concerned about the Chinese invading or whatever. I can't imagine not packing a sleeping bag though.
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This is my point^^^ I guess some types disasters we could face up here in the PNW is volcanic activity or earthquakes. Well at least I got a new day pack and some cool new knives for being paranoid.....SCORE! :)
 
Sweet!

And its always great to hear about another paranoid fellow stocking up on edged weapons. Which, coincidentally, is what I'm preparing a BOB for :)
 
My PSK is a small accessory pouch and has a poncho and survival blanket.

I also have a small backpack that has a fleece blanket and a emergency tarp. So no real sleeping bag, but something to help build shelter.
 
IG, here's something to think about, if you have to move fast, keep your pack under 15lbs. You can get quite alot in a pack at 15lbs. My friend Reuben, carried a pack to Peru, for a survival class, that weighed 4 lbs. My pack weighs more than 4lbs. :D

Boil it down, to survive, you will need a shelter, or a means of getting out of it. A rainproof jacket or poncho is a shelter you can wear, or setup. You will need water. Water can be found in many places, it may be unclean, so you will need a way to contain it, and clean it up using filters and fire. Boil any water for 5 mins, and it won't make you sick. It may not taste good, but its sanitary water. To quote Jeff Randall, "Hold you nose and drink".

The human body is quite tough, but don't confuse comfort with survival. They are two exclusive things. If you want to be comfortable while surviving, go camping. If you want to LIVE, comfort comes secondary.

If you have family, best prepare a similar setup for them. 1 person can't carry enough stuff for 4 people, and be effective. Just logistics, man. I have 2 small daughters, they carry their own stuff. Their packs are smaller, but have the same basic stuff as mine. Mine just has more ammo. :D

Reading and learning are great, but you need to get some REAL WORLD practice, i.e. experience. Then, you will know 100% for sure what you will need when the time comes. Study, practice, and implement, you'll be OK.

We are always here to help and offer guidance, but nothing beats good ol' Mother Nature for experience. You don't have to "lose" yourself in the woods to find out. Just spend 2 nights one weekend in your backyard, no food, no water (except what you can scrounge), test your pack out. Make changes, do it again.

Oh, practice a fire drill/emergency drills as well, it takes all the guess work outta gettin' tha hell outta Dodge.

Moose
 
You could organize your 'BOB' into 3 levels. L1 is just down to the most essential pack like a RAT pack for quick bug out situation. L2 can be a day pack size and if you could add a few more items. L3 is for the longer haul and isnt a really a true BOB, life gets nicer with a 3 day pack. Just make sure you get your porter along. LOL!
 
Something else to remember. Urban area dwellers that are sent to shelters/stadiums/schools, ect... by law enforcement or military, may want to have thier knives not readily visible. Also not to let anyone see them if you enter the area you are being directed to. There were some who were raped/molested in the New Orleans stadium---according to the news. Schools-at least in NY- it is a crime to even have a pocket knife on thier grounds-even outside. I would stay away from such places, but sometimes, it is not your choice or is just not practical. Just things to remember, thats all.
 
In mine, I have a big blue tarp, big enough to theoretically make a shelter with just the tarp, paracord, and some shrubbery for insulation. I also have multiple cheapo space blankets, and one big space blanket. The larger space blanket is like a space blanket but sandwiched between a tarp and more insulation. It seems durable and warm.

I do not have room for a legitimate sleeping system in my bag though. So hopefully the blanket and a decent shelter and fire is enough.
 
Lots of really good info so far. My little contribution is: unused empty space in a kit is borderline blasphemy. I just get twitchy about air filled cubic inches of what could be an extra this or that. Pay attention to nesting stuff inside other stuff whenever possible, and after you get your kit fully set, wait a day or 2 and then go back and critique it for efficiency, and effectiveness.

Another tip is PLEASE have a working, not theoretical knowledge of your contents. Besides, gaining that know how is the fun part!! :)
 
Since I'm in a very urban environment, my family's primary BOB is heavy - I would say in the 30-40lb range. My plan is that in the event bugging out is required, I would acquire a vehicle, the bag itself is packed to be able to move everyone from an urban to remote/mountain/woods location. My wife's BOB is set for first aid and more for when we arrive at the destination.
 
CSRevenant said:
In mine, I have a big blue tarp, big enough to theoretically make a shelter with just the tarp, paracord, and some shrubbery for insulation. I also have multiple cheapo space blankets, and one big space blanket. The larger space blanket is like a space blanket but sandwiched between a tarp and more insulation. It seems durable and warm.

I do not have room for a legitimate sleeping system in my bag though. So hopefully the blanket and a decent shelter and fire is enough.
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This is the route I will take also. A couple of the cheapo space blankets an insulated thermal blanket and a tarp. Thanks to all that replied keep em coming if you want. just because I dont respond doesnt mean I'm not reading and learning.
 
beckerhead said:
Lots of really good info so far. My little contribution is: unused empty space in a kit is borderline blasphemy. I just get twitchy about air filled cubic inches of what could be an extra this or that. Pay attention to nesting stuff inside other stuff whenever possible, and after you get your kit fully set, wait a day or 2 and then go back and critique it for efficiency, and effectiveness.

Another tip is PLEASE have a working, not theoretical knowledge of your contents. Besides, gaining that know how is the fun part!! :)
Click to expand...
Great advice! Yea I do like to get out and play with my toys. sometimes while taking the dogs for a run I will scratch up a quick fire with my knife and fire steel just to see how fast I can do it. lol let me explain that I live in a very rural area.
 
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