Who would use a BOB the most?

d_filgate

d_filgate

Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
811
I'm pretty certain that just about everyone on this forum has a B.O.B.
or a Survival Kit of some kind.

What I'm wondering about, is, which occupation would you expect that
it would be most useful to carry one. I'm not talking about recreational
use, I'm talking about occupations where there would be a higher than
normal probability of having to make use of a BOB or PSK.

I'm thinking that a BOB or PSK would be most useful to a Professional Driver.
Was watching that show about the Ice Truckers the other night, and could
see the need for carrying one. Given the many different types of weather
and geography that truckers drive through, there is always the possibility
that you could find yourself sitting on the side of the road with a broken
down truck, or worse, over the bank where you would have a real need of
survival equipment.


Another occupation would be Logger or Faller, where you could get stuck
out in the bush overnight, or for a couple of days, and need to survive.

What other occupations or professions would you expect to find a BOB or
PSK carried and possibly needed?


Cheers
 
anyone in an urban office or hi rise setting, and ESPECIALLY a trucker who is away from home....

us truckers are on the road, all over the city, urban and rural areas. At any moment we could be stuck on the road for hours or days, thru no fault of our own.......a BOB is invaluable for situ's like that
 
Heck, forestry workers, Land serveyors, Most rural Emergency responders I know have one. Military, I among others in my profession travel a lot while doing courses, I've needed my gear a few times, heck even in SAR work I've needed it.

Also, many guides and bush pilots have one, Rig workers, and even Farmers.
 
I carry a maxpedition around all the time, mainly for my firearm, but I also keep small survival tools. Not that needed though as I live in an urban environment.

On duty I have a box with various items I might need at work but not really survival like fire, water filtration and whatnot.

I was thinking about that small straw water filter for my maxpedition bag.
 
d_filgate said:
What I'm wondering about, is, which occupation would you expect that it would be most useful to carry one.
Click to expand...
I don't really think that your occupation would inpact the usefullness of a BOB, unless you are just using BOB as synonimous for "survival kit". :confused:

The need for a BOB cuts across professions and has more to do with your location, I believe. Living in areas subject to hurricanes like the Gulf or Atlantic cost, living in areas where earthquakes are a danger like California, Hatti or Chili, living in areas where wildfires can drive people from their homes like parts of the western US, living in areas where life-threatening weather can shut down normal civil services like the northern US or Canada. Also areas that might be more subject to civil unrest (urban areas with large populations of poor) like the LA riots. Or just about anyone if you believe that mass civil breakdown or WWIII are realistic possibilities.

In any of those cases, it doesn't matter if you are a doctor or a truck driver or a housewife. If you are there when it happens, you will need a BOB.

Now, if you are just talking about a PSK, that's different IMO. A BOB and a PSK may share some components, but the intention between the two is different. For a PSK, I agree that people on the road in remote areas, especially during inclement weather would be prime candidates for a PSK. Perhaps ranch workers on large spreads where accidents could strand them outside overnight? People like rangers, wildlife biologists, hunting guides or others who work in the wilderness.
 
I think BOBs are essential gear for us lawyers sitting in high rise buildings. Imagine how crazy your life would be if you had to deal with lawyers all day. My job wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for all the lawyers. . .
 
d_filgate said:
What other occupations or professions would you expect to find a BOB or
PSK carried and possibly needed?


Cheers
Click to expand...

I have a Nick Allen custom in my top desk drawer for dealing with difficult mail, lunch fruit and the occasional tenacious salesman. In my pocket is quite often a spyderco of some sort very often a ti sage2. In my bttm drawer is a Busse BM for those retail bubble packs that are indestructable and the odd coworker that is on the edge of going postal.
Survival is relative. ;)

When are we going for coffee Dave? :D
 
I live in an area prone to earthquakes, mudslides and live volcanos.
A fifteen minute drive from the house and the sky opens up the bridge might not be there when I come back.
That actually happened in 2006.
My pack goes where I go.Always.

It's actually the law here to have a first aid kit, reflective vest, flashlight and hazard triangles in your vehicle. $200 fine if you don't
 
Anyone who lives and works in a town surrounded by nuclear power plants with major build-ups of contaminated "bi-products" building up on site because of lack of disposal areas... :)
 
Echodawg said:
Expats living in third world countries. Be sure to read Part 2.

http://www.deathvalleymag.com/2010/01/24/urban-survival-do-you-really-need-a-bug-out-bag-part-1/
Click to expand...

Very interesting site, many thanks for posting this!
happy0034.gif
 
mdauben said:
I don't really think that your occupation would inpact the usefullness of a BOB, unless you are just using BOB as synonimous for "survival kit". :confused:
Click to expand...

Very good point. I wasn't really making a distinction between the two, but
I guess that a PSK would be the more appropriate thing to call it.

mdauben said:
The need for a BOB cuts across professions and has more to do with your location, I believe. Living in areas subject to hurricanes like the Gulf or Atlantic cost, living in areas where earthquakes are a danger like California, Hatti or Chili, living in areas where wildfires can drive people from their homes like parts of the western US, living in areas where life-threatening weather can shut down normal civil services like the northern US or Canada. Also areas that might be more subject to civil unrest (urban areas with large populations of poor) like the LA riots. Or just about anyone if you believe that mass civil breakdown or WWIII are realistic possibilities.
Click to expand...

I was thinking more along the lines of actual occupations where it would be
needed, as in being a truck driver, geologist, oil rigger, faller, bush
pilot...things like that.

Where you are located, would obviously determine what goes into the bag.


mdauben said:
For a PSK, I agree that people on the road in remote areas, especially during inclement weather would be prime candidates for a PSK. Perhaps ranch workers on large spreads where accidents could strand them outside overnight? People like rangers, wildlife biologists, hunting guides or others who work in the wilderness.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's sort of what I was wondering about.
For me where I'm at, the only time I have had any occasion in the past
couple of years to even think about a PSK is when I go fishing. At home,
it just sits in the corner of my bedroom, and I go through it about once a
month to rotate items in and out.

Thanks
 
KellyGlanzer said:
I have a Nick Allen custom in my top desk drawer for dealing with difficult mail, lunch fruit and the occasional tenacious salesman. In my pocket is quite often a spyderco of some sort very often a ti sage2. In my bttm drawer is a Busse BM for those retail bubble packs that are indestructable and the odd coworker that is on the edge of going postal.
Survival is relative. ;)

When are we going for coffee Dave? :D
Click to expand...

Coffee would be great after the wife heals up from the surgery to the point
where she can use both hands again.:D
 
mistwalker said:
Anyone who lives and works in a town surrounded by nuclear power plants with major build-ups of contaminated "bi-products" building up on site because of lack of disposal areas... :)
Click to expand...

I live in a town that, until the fall of the USSR, was targeted by a 25
Megaton MIRV because we were part of the Distant Early Warning radar
(DEW) line for NORAD which was in use up until the advent of spy satellite
technology.

There would have been no use for a BOB or a PSK had one of those puppies
air burst over us.:)
 
d_filgate said:
I live in a town that, until the fall of the USSR, was targeted by a 25
Megaton MIRV because we were part of the Distant Early Warning radar
(DEW) line for NORAD which was in use up until the advent of spy satellite
technology.

There would have been no use for a BOB or a PSK had one of those puppies
air burst over us.:)
Click to expand...

Hey, you never know...if their missiles are anything like their rifles they are very reliable...just not very accurate at long ranges :)

.
 
d_filgate said:
I'm pretty certain that just about everyone on this forum has a B.O.B.
or a Survival Kit of some kind.

What I'm wondering about, is, which occupation would you expect that
it would be most useful to carry one. I'm not talking about recreational
use, I'm talking about occupations where there would be a higher than
normal probability of having to make use of a BOB or PSK.

I'm thinking that a BOB or PSK would be most useful to a Professional Driver.
Was watching that show about the Ice Truckers the other night, and could
see the need for carrying one. Given the many different types of weather
and geography that truckers drive through, there is always the possibility
that you could find yourself sitting on the side of the road with a broken
down truck, or worse, over the bank where you would have a real need of
survival equipment.


Another occupation would be Logger or Faller, where you could get stuck
out in the bush overnight, or for a couple of days, and need to survive.

What other occupations or professions would you expect to find a BOB or
PSK carried and possibly needed?


Cheers
Click to expand...

I do some driving on the side from time to time. Nothing big...I haul vehicles with a one ton diesel on a simple tandom axle trailor. A few weeks ago I drove from Texas to Wyoming. Generally I am pretty careful with what I pack and the truck is well stocked but the difference in temperature really cought me by surprise.
 
It's hard to differentiate between a BOB and a PSK at some levels. We all here have various levels of PSK/BOE (bag of evil)- graded from pockets out to packed up for homesteading.

One thing that I made a decision on years ago was to make sure my kit was used- and when I'm working away from the house it gets used a lot. It's not an "emergency" kit, but stuff I've ended up just using. Oh, the space blankets aren't used all the time, sure. But there's a fair usage of the main bits.

In terms of a specific bug-out bag, I can't think of any profession where there's more or less of a need. I imagine a trucker is less likely to bug out in an emergency than a cubicle bound type, since the trucker is already on the road.
 
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