Best products from r/bugout

A good bag- everyone has said it because it's something people skimp on. It's not a 'sexy' purchase, but a sturdy, civilian looking bag will keep from drawing attention while holding all your stuff securely. Hiking and camping bags can be good, while .mil surplus and MILSPEC stuff is usually pretty good as well(though it can draw attention before AND after SHTF)

Water- Lifestraw are good, but you can't gather water other than what you suck through as you drink. Iodine tablets or other filters, many have been discussed in this sub. Nalgene bottle and cup for boiling water are also a must.

Food- You can buy MRE's but they're expensive. Take them out of the packaging to save space. Mountain house meals and the like can be good. Depending how long you plan to live out of you bag some energy bars and jerky might be the best space-wise and in terms of saving time while eating in a bugout.

Light- firesteel and the knowledge of how to use it. Matches. Bic lighter(zippo is better since it stays lit in windy conditions)Some tinder to get a fire started. LED flashlights are cheap and good on battery usage. Headlamps are a lifesaver when working with your hands and you need light.

First aid- Whatever you know how to use is best. Regular FAK you buy at the store are pretty good for a novice, most anything else is specialized and will do you no good unless you know how to use it.

Clothing- Some climate appropriate clothing and shoes.

Check thrift shops for as much as you can. I found 3 perfect nalgene bottles for $1 a piece the other day. Also good for clothing and sometimes a good bag can be found there.

There are a bunch of different ideas when it comes to building a bug out bag. Some plan on bugging out and never comming back lol or so it seems. It sounds like you have a some of the basics, which is great! I would build more on what you have. You are right, any bag you use will be fine as long as it can comfortably hold your load you put in it without stress, and most importantly is that it is comfortable for you to carry.

I would invest in power bars/protein bars whatever you want to call them, cheap but a lot of calories and also something for filtering water. The lifestraw offers a cheap solution for filtering water in an emergency situation. This one can be purchased on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/LifeStraw-Personal-Water-Filter/dp/B006QF3TW4

I would also think about extra clothes, and extra batteries for all of your flashlights and lanterns. You may also want to think about a tarp or two, the more expensive ones will be the nice nylon ones, or you can find tyvek house wrap at a construction site and use that if you really didn't want to spend money on a tarp. I think what you have is a good start, and those are good links that you provided.

I would keep in mind that unless you are planning on living in the woods for weeks, just keep it simple. KISS (Keep IT Simple Stupid) Shelter, water, food, fire and maybe self defense... and it wouldn't hurt to pack a little something for comfort : ) Although it is cool to start fires with feral rods and other cool things.. spend a few bucks and buy an ass load of bic lighters. Keep the feral rods for when you run out of lighters lol. I would also have coordage too, I use heavy bank line mainly as I think it can be used more efficiently than 550 cord, but to each their own. Its pretty cheap too.

Wouldn't hurt to have extra photo ID's, checks or spare cash in the bag also.

Again just think Shelter, fire, water, food and a little comfort and have the ability to improvise and you will be just fine. Good luck in Tornado Alley and I hope nothing horrific happens to where you would ever need the items in this bag

If you're looking at outfitting a 72 hour kit first before building out into more standard preps, there are some low cost ways to get that done relatively quickly.

• Food: Go to Walmart. They have Mainstay 2400 bars for about $5 each. Each bar weighs about a pound, requires no water to prepare, lasts for up to 5 years, and is good in temperatures ranging from -40 degrees F to 300 degrees F. Throw each one in a gallon sized ziploc baggie as they are not individually wrapped. That's a day's worth of calories per bar, or two if you eat under your calorie requirements. Get three of them in the bag along with a few multivitamins and call food covered.
  
  
• Water: Pick up 2 flats of bottled water. That's like $3-$5 each. Drink from one of them, when that one empties, replace it and drink from the next oldest one. Your water will always be relatively new then, and a flat of water is more than you're going to carry on your back anyway. If you need to grab and go, you can do it easily. You'll also have excess water if you need to throw it in the car. Longer term, get yourself a Sawyer Water Filter. Stay away from Life Straws. The Sawyer allows you to refill bottles from contaminated sources and then filter them out into other bottles. This is critical for cooking and allowing movement away from water sources. The Life Straw does not do this. These are also available at Walmart for around $20.
  
  
• Self Defense: You have a Ka-Bar, so that's solid. Make sure you include a pocket knife of some sort, like the multitool that you mentioned or the swiss army knife (Multitool is the better add IMO), so that you're not hauling out a too-large-for-normal-life blade to do something trivial.
  
  
• Shelter: There are better options, but for staying cheap when getting started, grab some Mylar Blankets and maybe a Mylar Sleeping Bag. Both can be acquired inexpensively and give some options you might not have otherwise. The Mylar Blankets you should probably always keep around. Add some duct tape to the bag and they can make an easily constructable temporary shelter given a little resourcefulness.
  
  There. For less than $100, and maybe less than $50 depending on what you get or already have, your 72 hour kit will be at a base level, ready to get you out of the door. Of course first aid stuff is a smart call, and you can get as finely detailed and over packed as you like with a BOB, but as a base this will get you out and moving for a few days.
  
  As for what you already have... the Flint and Steel fire starter is alright I guess, but there's no reason to get needlessly complicated. Get a couple of $1 Bic's in there. If you actually have to use the bag you'll appreciate the simplicity. If you really want to help yourself out with getting a camp fire started, swab some cotton balls around in Vaseline and store them in an old pill bottle. They burn for 5 minutes on their own which is plenty of time to get a fire going and saves you from needing to put tinder together. You mention a small flashlight, but I'd recommend a good flashlight with two changes of batteries stored externally from the flashlight as well as a head lamp. Moving around in pure dark is no joke, so prep for that more seriously. I'm not sure what the chopsticks are for. If it's eating... something like this knife/spork combo will probably do better for you.
  
  For the rest of the wish list... the big questions are what are you preparing to run from, and where are you planning to run to? If you're bugging out, which should be the last possible option, then you're either fleeing something that is going to make staying at your present location unsafe or you're running away from a bad situation at home. I'd avoid planning on walking into the woods and planning on living there for a good while. If you had the skills to realistically do that well you wouldn't need advice from here. If you're fleeing home, it will almost guaranteed be toward another location where civilization is still present, so you'd want to be prepared for that. The hands down best prep you can toss in your bag at that point? Cash. The more of it you have stockpiled the more flexible you can be in reacting to situations. You'll also for sure want a spare phone charger in the backpack. If you know where you'll be heading in the event you have to run ahead of time then you can research the location a bit to find things like shelters, food banks, have a map/schedule of local public transportation, things like that.
  
  Not knowing the answers to those two big questions, the best general advice I can give you is this. Imagine the situation where you have to grab your pack and be out of the door in 5 minutes. Think through the journey toward your destination. Really get into the minute by minute, hour by hour. Imagine the pain points of that evacuation. Did it start out warm during the day but you're shivering at night? Did you get a random headache along the way? Maybe get a small cut or some bug bites? Are you hungry or thirsty? Is is raining? Are you bored? When you get where you're going are you just lost for next steps? Identify the pain points and plan to alleviate them with how you prepare.

There is a lot wrong with this list, so I'm just going to work down it one by one with my thoughts on the matter.

USB flameless lighter? Why? That is going to be unreliable, at best. Throw a few BIC lighters and some stormproof matches in there and be done with it. IF you want to be fancy, get something built to be rugged, that will stand up to use in the field:

https://www.amazon.ca/Ultimate-Survival-Technologies-Floating-Lighter/dp/B00C85NBA6/ref=sr_1_2?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1482173178&sr=1-2&keywords=camping+lighter

Speaking of, I didn't see any sort of firestarting material. Warmth is going to be important, and you need as few steps as possible between you and fire. Get some quality firestarters. I am trying to keep all my links relevant from amazon.ca, so some of the brands I'm most familiar with aren't there. But these work well (though there are options from Wetfire and other brands that take up less space):

https://www.amazon.ca/Ultimate-Survival-Technologies-Fire-Stix/dp/B00C6SHODK/ref=sr_1_20?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1482173338&sr=1-20&keywords=emergency+fire+starter

What is with the mall-ninja "tactical" hatchet? That is a lot of weight and not a lot of utility. You'd be better served with a reliable and lightweight folding saw, and a good full-tang fixed-blade knife. Something like a 7 inch Corona saw:

https://www.amazon.ca/Corona-Cutting-Tools-RS-7041/dp/B00004R9YN/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1482173467&sr=1-1&keywords=corona+folding+saw

If you insist on carrying a hatchet (and their function in a bugout situation is debatable, especially for the weight) get something quality like an Estwing:

https://www.amazon.ca/Estwing-E24A-14-Inch-Sportmans-Sheath/dp/B00BNQR4SG/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1482173510&sr=1-1&keywords=estwing+hatchet

Nothing wrong with duct tape, but you'd do well to wrap just maybe 3-4 meters of it around a small core (like from doggy waste bags, or even just around itself).

The self-crank radio/flashlight/phone charger is shit. You also don't need four lights, especially if all of them are crap. Buy one good flashlight, and maybe one good headlamp.

A flashlight like a Nitecore P12 or something that runs on an 18650 and offers long runtime would be ideal. If you buy a diffuser cap for it, you can replace the lantern. Pick up some spare, high quality 18650 cells, as well. The P12 has SOS and beacon modes, which will run for days at a time, in addition to a nice throw and excellent brightness on Medium and High.

https://www.amazon.ca/Nitecore-Flashlight-Lumens-Meters-Distance/dp/B00PQE1D2E/ref=sr_1_2?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1482173859&sr=1-2&keywords=nitecore+P12

As for headlamps, those don't need to be super bright. You want something with enough brightness and floodiness to work around camp. But ideally you also want a red-light or low-light mode for night time, when you don't need to destroy your night vision just because you need to take a piss or something.

https://www.amazon.ca/TACTIKKA-CONSTANT-LIGHTING-HEADLAMP-DESERT/dp/B00GCGIGHK/ref=sr_1_14?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1482173989&sr=1-14&keywords=petzl+headlamp

The powerbank thing in the crank radio is crap, only 1000mah. Not enough to charge most modern smart phones even 25%. Figure that of that 1000mah, ~25% will be lost just due to inefficiency in the charging process. Get a 10,000mah or bigger high quality battery, with 2.1A ports, and be done with it:

https://www.amazon.ca/Anker-PowerCore-Portable-Ultra-Compact-High-speed-Charging-Technology/dp/B0194WDVHI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482173708&sr=8-1&keywords=anker+usb+power+bank

Combine the money you'd spend on the shitty folding knife and the shitty Gerber multitool, and buy a proper multi-tool. You don't need two folding knives.

The Leatherman Wingman is a good value, though I prefer a nicer quality one like the Charge TTi, but at four times the price it may not be worth it just for an S30V blade.

https://www.amazon.ca/Leatherman-2996-831426-Wingman-Multi-Tool/dp/B005DI0XM4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482174264&sr=8-1&keywords=leatherman+wave

Ditch the camp toilet paper, that stuff is like wiping your ass with cardboard. Get some biodegradable camp wipes from an outdoor store. You can now use these to clean your ass, and they also are useful for wiping your hands, or taking whore baths.

Same with the camp soap. Are you bugging out or camping for a week? Nothing you are going to do in a bugout situation is going to necessitate body soap. Toothbrush, floss, deodorant.

Ditch the giant first aid kit full of crap you don't need. Those things are heavy and 80 of the 85 pieces are just different sized bitch stickers. Build your own first aid kit tailored around the likely injuries you would face: sprains, cuts, burns. Maybe throw some Quik Clot Z-pack gauze or a tourniquet (CAT or similar) in there for larger trauma, if that is a concern to you. Limit the bitch stickers to 5-10. All gauze, tape, trauma pads, alcohol wipes, tincture of iodine, moleskin for blisters, tweezers, surgical shears, gloves, maybe burn cream. Small containers of medications you might need: aspirin, antihistamines like Diphenhydramine, anti-diarrheals, etc.

That survival paracord bracelet thing is garbage. You already have 100ft of paracord in your list (which you could probably cut down to 50ft). You don't need some shitty firestarter, whistle, and compass thing. Buy a real lensatic sighting compass. Not going to do you much good without a map and the ability to understand it, anyway.

https://www.amazon.ca/UST-Survival-Essentials-Lensatic-Compass/dp/B005X1YI3Q/ref=sr_1_5?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1482174799&sr=1-5&keywords=compass

You have both a cookset AND a mug/pot. This is extra redundant and not needed in a bugout situation. Stick to food you don't have to prepare. Caloric density is your friend. Jerky, EPIC bars, Clif bars, etc.

If you need to boil water, use a single-wall metal canteen (NOT a thermos). Remove the plastic lid, fill with water, set in your fire. Widemouth canteens like those by Klean Kanteen are multi-purpose (multipurpose is your friend). You can sterilize water, you can cook and eat food out of it (because of the large opening), and you can fill with hot water, wrap in a sock, and warm your sleep system.

https://www.amazon.ca/Klean-Kanteen-Stainless-Bottle-27-Ounce/dp/B0027W6WHE/ref=sr_1_sc_4?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1482174908&sr=1-4-spell&keywords=klean+kanteen+widemouth

You don't need a can opener if you have a good multitool.

Lifestraws suck ass. They only work as a straw, and I am going to guess you don't want to get your water by drinking out of puddles exclusively. Get a Sawyer Squeeze mini filter. This can be used in-line with a hydration bladder, can be used like a Lifestraw, or can be used to filter an fill your water storage containers/bladder:

https://www.amazon.ca/Sawyer-Products-SP128-Filtration-System/dp/B00FA2RLX2/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1482175065&sr=1-1&keywords=sawyer+mini

One seriously lacking area for you is your sleep system. A tarp and a space blanket are not going to keep you functionally warm. You might survive a night, but you won't be useful the next day.

At the BARE minimum, you should get a good, reflective, breathable bivvy sack, like this one from SOL, AND a sleeping pad. A bivvy will reflect heat back onto you, helping with heat lost through convection, but no sleeping bag will help with heat lost through conduction (you touching the cold ground). That is why a sleeping pad is mandatory. I have used the Escape bivvy and the Klymit pad linked here together, and both kept me comfortably warm to about 50 degrees F. Below that, I've had to augment with base layers or jackets, and that still sucked. If you are hoping to sleep in below freezing temperatures, you'll need a properly sorted ultralight sleeping bag.

https://www.amazon.ca/Adventure-Medical-Kits-Escape-Bivvy/dp/B00EVGD0FQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1482175280&sr=1-1&keywords=SOL+escape

https://www.amazon.ca/Klymit-06SVGR01C-Camping-Mattress-Green-Grey/dp/B007RFG0NM/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1482175199&sr=1-1&keywords=sleep+pad

Other recommendations of mine would be to take survival, medical and foraging guides and put them on a smartphone, along with a GPS mapping software and pre-downloaded offline topographical maps at 1:24k resolution of your main bugout areas and 1:100k resolution elsewhere. Something like Gaia GPS for iOS or Backcountry Navigator Pro for Android:

Bag - I agree. I was a bit too short with my answer above. It was more to show that I did not care if it was military or civilian style.

Food - I have no real problem with anything. I just chose the bars to link because they seemed good on weight/calories. For 3 days in a row I figure I could choke down almost anything. Freeze dried is good in theory but I would rather have something I could eat on the go.

Tools - I was afraid someone would bring up the eating tool. It was the one piece I considered "gadgety" that I really liked the idea of so I cant argue.

Light - I was already considering dropping the first light so I agree there. The crank/solar light is also more for the radio and charging ability and a back up if the head lamp broke.

Clothing - There is about a 1 in 3 chance I will be wearing very little (since I sleep in the buff or just underwear) so the spare shirt and underwear were to reflect this.

Sleeping - I had not researched bivy sacks but I will be. It seems a good choice from first glance. I assume you mean something cheap like this. I could definitely see leaving the tarp out then.

Misc tools - Maybe... I do like that the twine can double as tinder. Especially after waxed to waterproof it. I dont know that I would want to burn paracord unless I absolutely had to.

Guns - This is more of a personal choice. I have several handguns but I was looking at something light and concealable I could keep in the bag. I felt the Glock 19 was not right for me while shopping around recently. The next one I buy will probably be the Shield despite the smaller magazine size because I could not get the Glock 19 to feel comfortable in my hands. Maybe the a gen 4 would feel better. I do seem to have a problem with gen 3s.

Thanks for the feedback. Especially the bivy sack. That looks like a great addition I had not seen before. I am also glad to see someone else packed a belt. I looked at dozens of posts here(and elsewhere) before making my list and I found only 1 that had a belt.

The thing with bug out bags is first figuring out where you're going to bug out to and how you're going to get there. Do you have relatives that live 100 miles away? If so can you walk there if your car is unusable? I'm still struggling with this as my family is in the exact opposite direction of where I'd want to bug out to in a disaster/ SHTF situation.

Unfortunately, BOB's can get pretty expensive quickly - I picked my bag and contents for an indefinite bug out so naturally I ended up spending a good amount of $ on it - BUT spaced out purchases throughout many months as I also didn't have the money to be spending all at once.

Anyway, if you want to keep it under $50, I'd suggest looking for second hand bags....even for a halfway decent one, this can bring your budget to at least half that. Ideally, you'll want one with an internal frame and a belt strap. This will keep the weight off your shoulders and distributed evenly throughout - this is especially important if you plan on walking a bunch of miles. If you're not planning on walking far, then this isn't much of an issue but to me, bugging out assumes some walking involved.

Following the survival rule of 3's, the first item you'll need to address is some sort of shelter. Get some 550 paracord and a decent tarp. This shouldn't cost too much and you can make a quick & easy A frame type shelter. Even a few heavy duty trash bags could go a long way (ie solar shower, solar still).

I'd def get at least a light summer sleeping bag unless you feel ok sleeping on a bundle of pine sprigs. Do you have decent hiking boots and wool socks ready to go? I see a lot of bug out bags skimping on this but to me is one of the most important things to have.

Can you start a fire with the fire striker you have? How about if the ground is wet? Not saying you need to get one of these but also not sure if you would be able to process wood with a leatherman.

Next is water. Do you have a cup/ canteen to hold/ boil water in? If you're on the run, get something like this. But if you have time to boil any stagnant water, the canteen with cup linked above is a good idea to have.

For food, yeah protein bars, cans of tuna are cheap and good to have. I got a few of these. But they actually get kinda heavy quick (3 days worth of food in one block). For longer term, I'm currently looking into a decent fishing rod and setting snares.

Hope this helps! If you want to spend a bit more $ I can share with you some of the other contents I have..

So I want to think you’re going for “grey man” due to your backpack, but carrying around an AK might make you stand out a bit. You could try storing your rifle in one of those bags that come with folding chairs. It would help a little at least.

You have a lot of heavy stuff like people have already said. That backpack won’t hold up to much weight over distance. You shouldn’t ever cheap out on the one thing that holds all of your gear. I understand backpacks can get quite expensive, but it really is a must.

You should pack more cordage. That can be used for a million things.

Get you a smaller bottle of water and a water filter. (Sawyer Mini )

I’m sure everyone is talking about weight, so I won’t say much about that other than cans, pots, and pans are heavy.

I’d like to see what changes you make, so feel free to post again once you have updated it a bit! Good luck! Welcome to the club!

Here is what would use for $100 USD. All prices are via Amazon/Wal-mart

Pack: OutLander Lightweight Day Pack - Cheap, Lightweight and would get the job done for a GHB ($18)

Cutting: Morakniv Companion - Cheap and Mora makes some of the best knives ($12)

Combustion: Storm Matches ($6), All-weather matches($0.75), 2 Bic Lighters($2), and some Wetfire($6)

Cover: 3 Emergency Blankets($2)

Container: Back pack listed above, 6 bottles of water ($3), Single layer stainless steel bottle($7)

Cordage: 100 Feet of 550 ($6), Duct tape ($3)

Candlelight: 2 LED Lights ($4-12)

Consumables: 6 Cliff bars ($6), 3 %-Hour Energy ($6), Bag of trail Mix ($6)

Clothing: 2 Extra Pair of socks ($2), 2 pair Gloves ($7), 2 Hats ($10)

Communication: 3 Road Flares ($6) Signaling Mirror ($3)

Cash: $40-100 is recommended but this is optional.




Everything I have there (Cash excluded) should cost around $120. You can save money by making your own Wetfire with cotton balls and petroleum jelly. And the food can probably be replaced with cheaper items. I just put stuff I am comfortable with. Same is true with the flashlights, you could grab 4 of the $1
Wal-mart lights they are great for short term use and would cut out another $8.

Buy stuff in bulk when it is available too this will cut down cost.

Something every car should already have, but it worth the extra $10-20 is a small first aid kit or 2.

Basically you got a kit that is a GearWhores dream, what you don't have is a kit that will keep you alive for more than a few days.

1. I want you to pile up all this shit you call a kit on Floor
   
2. Place an empty box on your bed and put the following in it:
   A) the ability to clean and carry water.
   B) the ability to make fire.
   C) shelter to keep dry/warm (a simple poncho and Mylar Blankets at first)
   
   At this point you could live for a couple weeks, and you've spent $40+ cost of pack
   
   D) food, start with compact shelf stable foods, like the dry emergency rations or these.
   A couple weeks worth is like $20, now if you ration you could live for over a month.
   
   3)Now throw away everything else left on the floor.
   As the other person pointed out you have 60+ pounds of junk. That fact is a kit to keep you alive for over a month should cost $60 and fit in a shoe box.

this site has some good bags for the cheap.
Your priorities sound like they should be shelter, water,food.
Pick a bug out location. Go out into the woods you mentioned and maybe set up a campsite for the weekend. Maybe go back to the same site next weekend and practice some bushcraft skills and make your site better, practice building fire, hunting, things you'll be doing in a SHTF situation.
You'll need a means to treat water. I think I'm gonna be ordering a sawyer mini in the near future after reading some good reviews. But boiling water should be fine as long as it hasn't been tainted by chemicals.
Food kind of depends on how long you plan on bugging out for.

These are just a few quick ideas to help get the brain storm going and just to kinda throwing them out there. Pick up a few survival books, maybe hook up with someone that knows wild edibles in your area.

I don't see any kind of sleeping kit here.

YouR tradeoff is between "good and comfortable" and "Small and light."

At the very least, consider the SOL Escape Bivvy. It's small and light, of good quality, not too expensive, and is well reviewed. It will help you survive, but will probably not keep you comfortable.

A used Military Sleep System is much more comfortable, and will run you between $70 and $120 bucks. It is fairly bulky however. It won't fit in the pack you listed. Typically, people buy the Molle carrier for it and strap it to the top or bottom of their pack.

OK, thanks for the advice. I'm definitely going to add the 550 cord. Pepper spray is another good defensive option that isn't banned in the People's Republic of Chicago. You've also sold me on the stainless steel canteen, so consider that and some water purification tablets added, too.

I have placed an order with everyone's suggestions in mind for a starter BOB. Thank you everyone for your input.

Here is what it is looking like so far:

Bag: I'm just going to use a northface bag I have that still appears new after 4+ years of use. Was my college bag originally so was used everyday. Very well built.
Here it is for reference

Knife: Since I freed up some money, I went ahead and picked up the Kabar also grabbed a leather sheath. Hopefully I don't get flack for it having a USMC logo on it. It is their knife anyway after-all.

Multitool Decided I probably would need a multitool of some sort.

Nalgene bottle and cup Thanks for alerting me to the cup, I didn't know these exist and should come in handy.

First aid kit based on suggestions.

Sawyer mini water filter

Saw chain was questioned but after watching the user video of him sawing through a tree in like 5 seconds I'm sold. I've tried cutting wood with machetes and hatchets and it is a PITA.

Emergency Blankets can't be too warm I feel.

Rations I will be taking at least 6 days worth.

Emergency Tent Will need to see how big this is. I might just get a tarp for my eno.

Compass

Cordage

Water treatment tablets

Headlamp

Emergency Bivvy

I also have a Ruger LCP with ~100 rounds I will toss in. I need to make copies of all of my documents to include. I already have a tactical flashlight to put in but will need some extra batteries. I have extra glasses to include. Have some flint and steel and bic lighters to include. Considering some sort of magnifying lense. The eno hammock, some jeans, a sweatshirt, rain jacket, and cap will be included. Also some sunglasses. I need to grab some duct tape, charger/radio, some sort of ereader or survival book, and probably a dozen other things I can't think of right now.

I will also need to make one for my 100lb black lab since I realized I wouldn't be able to leave him behind. Going to start training him to hike and carry a pack etc to have him ready. Ultimately he could become a major asset.

Anker battery bank. 10k mah gets me 5 charges on my GPS watch and 2-3 phone charges. With minimal phone use that's a week or better.

I've used it on a few mountain backpack hunts. Works great.

Also, grab a handful of the little USB LED lights - like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Yitee-Keychain-Bright-Ultra-thin-Portable/dp/B00QYNPKU2

It works great for a general area light plugged directly into the battery bank. I've got one rubber banded to every batter bank in my house.

I have the LMF II, but am not a big fan of it. It's too big and the serrated blade near the handle bugs me.

My friend gave me the below Mora for Xmas and I'm really happy with it. The size is perfect, it's not super expensive, and it's sharp! I'm not a hardcore woodsman by any means, but it's held up to the abuse I've thrown at.

( I hope this copy of the Amazon link works. On mobile and have never done this before )

Morakniv Bushcraft Carbon Steel Survival Knife with Fire Starter and Sheath, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFI8TOA/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_xuFgvb0GZVKH5
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFI8TOA/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_xuFgvb0GZVKH5

I've used this is the past to pretty good effect.

https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Summit-Travel-Pocket-Laundry/dp/B002BO60JI/ref=sr_1_20?keywords=soap+strips&qid=1563416252&s=gateway&sr=8-20

The most important thing is to have clothes that wash easily and dry quickly so you don't have to take an entire day to do it.

Those were hard to find! I wanted something fairly inexpensive since I have up to 5 of them that I can put in depending on the situation I am in. I found these and they are a perfect fit:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CNR0J/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I compress them down with two ranger bands which you can see in the photos, just makes them easier to get in and out and prevent items from shifting or making noise.

My two cents, I'm sure others will pick on these opinions...

• Get rid of the car escape tool you'll never use it and it'll just add weight to your key chain - buy a cheap knife with a belt cutter and window breaker if you want that functionality
  
• Instead of that knife you have on the list, buy a Mora knife for something you'll just keep in the bag and not use that often (and it's a great knife even if you use it often)
  
• A Bic lighter will float as well as the one on your list and is a lot cheaper
  
• Get rid of the rechargeable batteries since nothing on your list uses them and nothing on your list will charge them
  
• No need to spend $100 on a flashlight that will sit in a pack. Look for a reliable one that costs much, much less - you even have a crank light on the list, that will do in a pinch
  
• Get rid of the fire sticks and put some cotton balls soaked in Vaseline in a film canister in the pack
  
• Cyalume sticks are great, keep those
  
• Get a titanium spork instead of the plastic one
  
• Remove the Datrex ration bars, you'll never use them, or just keep them in a vehicle outside of the pack
  
• The Mountain House eggs (or any dehydrated eggs) are the worst (tasting) of the meals, get some other protein meal
  
• Everything else on that list - look for less expensive options - for example, you should be able to find a cheap tarp for less
  
• You can put a better first aid kit together by buying the contents and spreading them over multiple first aid kits for home, work, vehicle, etc. but a prepared one isn't too bad, just supplement it
  
• The matches are too expensive for something you can make with light anywhere matches and wax
  
• Where's your pack? what will you carry this in?
  
  
  
  
  

I'd throw in a ziploc with some different sizes of zipties and wrap about 10 feet of gorilla tape around the handle of the trowel of flashlight like this.

https://imgur.com/S3vb782

You can shave some weight by ditching the 550 and getting a roll of UHMWPE line. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BKT42P4

You can shave even more weight with better hammock straps.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0741GQ5WS

Highly recommend:

Gerber shard

USB Buck Converter (I keep mine in a chunk of 1 inch schedule 40 pvc with a couple endcaps)

Here is the list of gear. It is meant for both myself and my wife, so I doubled up in some places. (Links where I have them)

• LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
  
• yueton Shatterproof Stainless Steel Ultrathin Folding Travel Mirror
  
• S.O.S. Rations Emergency 3600 Calorie Food Bar
  
• Mini Foldable Folding Shovel
  
• Coleman Dome Tent
  
• GreenLight Diamond Strike on Box Matches,
  
• Zippo Typhoon Matches and Match Kit
  
• My Amazing Outdoor Inc Camp Mess Kit
  
• Swiss Safe Emergency Mylar Thermal Blankets
  
• Aootek Upgraded first aid survival Kit
  
• AxPower Dust Masks
  
• Dust mask filter pack
  
• Esky Portable Emergency Weather Radio Hand Crank Self Powered
  
• Foxelli Disposable Rain Ponchos
  
• TOUGH-GRID 750lb Paracord/Parachute Cord
  
• Aquatabs AQT200 Water Purification Tablets 200 Pack
  
• REEBOW GEAR Hard Knuckle Tactical Gloves
  
• Sharpie Plastic Point Stick Water Resistant Pen
  
• Rite in the Rain Weatherproof Top-Spiral Notebook
  
• Buck Knife 119
  
• 1 quart zip lock bags pack
  
• 1 gallon zip lock bags pack
  
• 2 Days worth of clothes
  
• REEBOW GEAR Military Tactical Assault Pack Backpack, Capacity: 34L
  
  Total Combined weight 27.4969375 Lbs (assuming my measurements are correct, couldn't get a good read on the tent so I had to use manufacturer info)
  
  Stuff I don't have yet, but which I plan to include as I get them:
  
  
• Passports, and other document copies
  
• Extra cash
  
• 9mm pistol
  
• Better water storage
  
• Solar charging and power banks

Pack has worked well for me on small treks

This has been the best single item "mess kit" I've used so far

Pair the two with a 2L water bladder (fits in pack's water bladder pouch) and a wide mouthed nagalene bottle (the cup nestles on bottom!) And titanium (or non) spork and you're all set with bare essentials with good use.

Ample room for everything else. Buy a few straps and maybe a compression sack or two for extras (clothes...Etc)


Main issue might be the dimensions of your Chromebook. Managed to stash a 10 inch tablet and associated pieces, but that might be considerable smaller depending which make and model you've got.

I would start with the basis of a get home bag, which should have you covered for basic first aid, food/snacks to sustain you for the duration needed to hoof it home, a water container and a means to acquire more water (speaking of which, you may find this device handy in an urban environment), and a way to remain comfortable in the elements (jacket, sunscreen, bug spray, etc).

As far as weapons are concerned, you might consider a fixed blade knife around 6 inches in length, some mace/pepper spray, or a collapsible baton (18-21" ought to cover it as far as concealment and effectiveness goes). Make sure you're up on the laws though, and be sure to train, train, train.

• Silcock key
  
  • Most businesses and buildings have a water access on the outside of the building that uses a silcock key instead of a typical hose with a hand valve.

Pot and Nalgene

This is currently the fore-runner:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QZ3CWC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_8?smid=A3077ZB2LWZZWN&psc=1