So basically, me and my buddy are building a bailout bag for work. I went by his house to play poker only to learn that the has multiple bail out bags, then not even a few hours later I went to go talk to my Sgt and he has a bailout bag with him all the time in case something happens. So I took that as a sign maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a bail out bag or two, or 3. Anyways, I was just going to see what, if any, tips or such my fellow testies had. I tried to watch youtube videos, but most are sponsored, "budget" bail out bags, and some are made for very specific situations. Let me know! if you have photos of said bags or products share them!
What's in your bailout bag?
- Thread starter Hero9012
- Start date
We also call these big out bags. Chalk it up to always being on the move, multiple deployments, or my ongoing service in the military... But everyone in my family have big out bags. To include my little daughters since they were both 7 and 9.
What do we carry? We had to change the bags when we moved from Virginia Beach to California based on the hazards (hurricanes to earthquakes being the major items). The basics are simple: water source (life straw to sawyer water purification system), medical (basic first aid for the kids to a field medic kit in my bag), security (knife, light or firearm...), food (MRE or dried food), compass and local maps....
Oh I could go all day typing this out... But the big thing about the bags is asp having the knowledge of what's inside and how to use it and also what your plan would be if something did happen.... When I am not traveling we are avid hikers and it's a good time to teach certain skills to the wife and kids... And yes when I travel a have a smaller bag to help me get home if need be.
What do we carry? We had to change the bags when we moved from Virginia Beach to California based on the hazards (hurricanes to earthquakes being the major items). The basics are simple: water source (life straw to sawyer water purification system), medical (basic first aid for the kids to a field medic kit in my bag), security (knife, light or firearm...), food (MRE or dried food), compass and local maps....
Oh I could go all day typing this out... But the big thing about the bags is asp having the knowledge of what's inside and how to use it and also what your plan would be if something did happen.... When I am not traveling we are avid hikers and it's a good time to teach certain skills to the wife and kids... And yes when I travel a have a smaller bag to help me get home if need be.
I got one, but far from complete. It is more of a hobby, i really don't know why i started that (hopefully) useless hobby, but i'm a pessimist.
- my old Bundeswehr rucksack
- First Aid Kit
- LED Flashlight
- Paracord Bracelet
- normal Paracord
- Matches
- Tape
- Leftover Antibiotics
- Ibuprophen
- small but good pocketknife from Walther
- Flintstone
- NRG-5 emergency provision - 2300 kcal
- bicarb
- olive shemagh
- encrypted external HDD with stuff you don't wanna lose e.g. in a fire and you don't want it in the fucking cloud
Things I want to buy:
- Mechanix winter gloves
- tarp
- raincover for the rucksack
- small outdoor stove
- outdoor cooking set
- spork
- my old Bundeswehr rucksack
- First Aid Kit
- LED Flashlight
- Paracord Bracelet
- normal Paracord
- Matches
- Tape
- Leftover Antibiotics
- Ibuprophen
- small but good pocketknife from Walther
- Flintstone
- NRG-5 emergency provision - 2300 kcal
- bicarb
- olive shemagh
- encrypted external HDD with stuff you don't wanna lose e.g. in a fire and you don't want it in the fucking cloud
Things I want to buy:
- Mechanix winter gloves
- tarp
- raincover for the rucksack
- small outdoor stove
- outdoor cooking set
- spork
Floating Cloud
Space Marshal
Much as Dalarast says, it really depends on your personal circumstances. The main thing to decide is what situations you want to prepare for, and then consider what factors might impact that (weather, terrain, etc).
I am a family man, who works 50 miles away from home. My bag is geared towards getting me back there if something goes wrong, or dealing with traffic jams or foul weather that might keep me out for several hours or overnight. I have food and water for 'stuck in traffic' situations (used twice in the last few years, the worst being one where I got home seven hours late), but I also pack for some other scenarios:
Car breaks down in snow. Help unable to reach me due to weather conditions.
Blanket, pee bottle, food and water. Spork. 4 x 4 hour heat pads.
Snow shovel & track mats (throw them under the wheels to help get the car out of snow)
Need to get home, car not an option:
Emergency cash (enough to pay for a taxi, cafe food, etc)
Walking shoes & good socks
Waterproof coat
Wool sweater, hat, gloves and leggings. Kept compressed in a dry bag.
USB power bank (for phone).
Backpack
General gear that I just like to have handy.
Water purification
Fire lighting kit
Sturdy but UK legal folding blade
Light tarp & cord
Map & compass.
First aid kit
Umbrella
Now much of the above may be used for things as mundane as family days out, but gives me options. I keep most of it in the backpack, but the spare clothes, walking shoes and a few other odds and ends just sit along-side that in an old duffle bag.
I am a family man, who works 50 miles away from home. My bag is geared towards getting me back there if something goes wrong, or dealing with traffic jams or foul weather that might keep me out for several hours or overnight. I have food and water for 'stuck in traffic' situations (used twice in the last few years, the worst being one where I got home seven hours late), but I also pack for some other scenarios:
Car breaks down in snow. Help unable to reach me due to weather conditions.
Blanket, pee bottle, food and water. Spork. 4 x 4 hour heat pads.
Snow shovel & track mats (throw them under the wheels to help get the car out of snow)
Need to get home, car not an option:
Emergency cash (enough to pay for a taxi, cafe food, etc)
Walking shoes & good socks
Waterproof coat
Wool sweater, hat, gloves and leggings. Kept compressed in a dry bag.
USB power bank (for phone).
Backpack
General gear that I just like to have handy.
Water purification
Fire lighting kit
Sturdy but UK legal folding blade
Light tarp & cord
Map & compass.
First aid kit
Umbrella
Now much of the above may be used for things as mundane as family days out, but gives me options. I keep most of it in the backpack, but the spare clothes, walking shoes and a few other odds and ends just sit along-side that in an old duffle bag.
Col_Whiskey
Rear Admiral
Well this is my short list – I have other odds and ends but really these bags come down to your scenario and your personal preference.
First off is drinking water and water purification (tablets, straw, etc.)
MREs or equivalent
Flashlight and glow sticks
Fire starter (along with some lint from your clothes dryer - makes for great fuel and is easy to compress)
First aid kit with one-handed tourniquet
Multi Tool and appropriately sized knife
Maps
And most importantly - you weapon of choice with plenty of mags full of ammo!
First off is drinking water and water purification (tablets, straw, etc.)
MREs or equivalent
Flashlight and glow sticks
Fire starter (along with some lint from your clothes dryer - makes for great fuel and is easy to compress)
First aid kit with one-handed tourniquet
Multi Tool and appropriately sized knife
Maps
And most importantly - you weapon of choice with plenty of mags full of ammo!
Floating Cloud
Space Marshal
...actually yes, this is a good point. So in the UK be sure to pack a tennis racket and a good supply of balls.
We call them Go Bags here in england, but yeh my family has them too. Usually some dried food, water, a little money, sleeping bag, first aid, a wind up torch and / or radio, change of dry socks and top.
I was always too lazy to make mine but id probably just grab my camping rucksack, I have:
That stuff practically lives in the rucksack and I went through a phase of refining the weight so its all pretty light but my friend showed me the benefits of a axe while camping and it ended up being just as heavy as before because I have the axe strapped on the back of my pack.
Got a Osprey Exos pack
I love camping though, Scotland is usually a better experience due to the right to roam laws. Used to carry a one man tent everywhere but hammocks are brilliant, I can set it up as a kind of bivvi shelter with the tarp even if theres no where to mount it. Occasionally I take the bare minimum if its just a 1 nighter, which can be really fun trying to see what the minimum is you can get away with.
I was always too lazy to make mine but id probably just grab my camping rucksack, I have:
- HIP FLASK
- EMERGENCY CAN OF BEER
- PÁRAMO waterproof coat (best, these clothes dry unbelievably fast even if you've fallen into a river)
- dd hammock + whoopie sling mounting + snakeskin + karabiners
- dd tarp shelter,
- paracord
- down sleeping bag
- led head torch
- dried noodes
- oat so simple
- instant coffee
- water bladder
- water bottle
- plastic cup
- plate
- fork,
- flint striker, matches and a lighter,
- the honey strove, flat pack minimalist burner you can feed with wood twigs
- mini gas burner and a backup gas cannister
- sun hat and winter hat
- work gloves
- mossie spray
- spare pair of bridgedale woven wool summit socks
- titanium pan for boiling water in and eating food out of
- water purification tablets for emergencies
- fishing line, lint, folded duct tape
- little 600g hand axe with a wooden haft and I braided a paracord handle
- Carbon steel functional everyday work knife with plastic pocket sheaf
- thermarest pro lite 200-300gram air matress
- Belgian military bivi cover (get in your sleeping bag then in this, then in hammock, it acts as a great tool to wrap your sleeping up and attach to the bottom or top of the pack, water proof and hard wearing too so you can slide out the hammock onto a dirty or wet ground and not get your sleeping bag soiled.
That stuff practically lives in the rucksack and I went through a phase of refining the weight so its all pretty light but my friend showed me the benefits of a axe while camping and it ended up being just as heavy as before because I have the axe strapped on the back of my pack.
Got a Osprey Exos pack
I love camping though, Scotland is usually a better experience due to the right to roam laws. Used to carry a one man tent everywhere but hammocks are brilliant, I can set it up as a kind of bivvi shelter with the tarp even if theres no where to mount it. Occasionally I take the bare minimum if its just a 1 nighter, which can be really fun trying to see what the minimum is you can get away with.
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Awesome responses! I live in Oklahoma so my big thing is Tornadoes, but I'm trying to see if you can build a "universal" bail out bag so I can take it everywhere I go. I have three MOLLE backpacks I'm using right now. Two of them were from the Army and one of them I found at ROSS made by SOG.
Also worth mentioning is not only is a big out bag great to have but also having additional supplies at the office or in your vehicle. So I have the get home bag that is stored in both vehicles so if I'm away from home I can ether get back to home or live for at least 7 days.
Also cash money or items for barter. If a natural disaster or worse hit atm and credit cards will not work in all reality. Only a fool would accept a check....
I used to be a frequent member and post fictional book review on a "prepper" style site so I'm always reading or planning for items like this (one of my assigned tasks at work is contingency operations in a worst case scenario). I also live on base a few hundred feet from a FEMA warehouse ;)
Also cash money or items for barter. If a natural disaster or worse hit atm and credit cards will not work in all reality. Only a fool would accept a check....
I used to be a frequent member and post fictional book review on a "prepper" style site so I'm always reading or planning for items like this (one of my assigned tasks at work is contingency operations in a worst case scenario). I also live on base a few hundred feet from a FEMA warehouse ;)
These are all great answers.
Let's not forget Duct Tape.
Even Astronauts take Duct Tape into space.
A Swiss Army knife is a Must.
Let's not forget Duct Tape.
Even Astronauts take Duct Tape into space.
A Swiss Army knife is a Must.
Beerjerker
Grand Admiral
No one ever complains about having too much duct tape!
When I was in the Army, I was a medic so every time I start to set up a bug out bag, it turns into a massively over-stuffed aid bag. But a few gadgets and gizmos I can recommend:
SeaLine Baja Dry Bag in several different sizes, up to 55L. Who wants to deal with the zombie apocalypse with wet socks?
(Amazon)
Expanding SERE Pack by S.O. Tech is handy for whatever you might stumble across and need to loot... err... aquire.
This:
Becomes This:
https://sotechtactical.com/collections/modular-pouches/products/expanding-sere-pack
US Survival AR-7 Rifle. A bit of a gimmick, but it can keep your belly full of delicious squirrels if need be! And it floats!
https://www.henryrifles.com/rifles/u-s-survival-ar-7/
i dont have any bag ready to go, but just wondering would usb solar panel charger be handy?
Beerjerker
Grand Admiral
Most have bad reputations for reliability. Some less than honest ones are sold with an already charged battery and when depleted, you find that the solar panel is not sufficient to recharge anything.
Exactly. There are a few good ones out there but don't buy cheap or you'll get cheap. We have one in the wife's hiking bag we use a lot that is pretty decent. Anker makes it and we got it either at Amazon or cheaperthandirt.
Also for when the sun isn't always right I couldn't recommend biolite camp stove enough for charging items... While making dinner ;)
DontTouchMyHoHos
Space Marshal
You all are crazy. You don't need a bug out bag, pft.
*hides his crates of ammo*
You just need to take other peoples stuff in the end.
*hides his crates of ammo*
You just need to take other peoples stuff in the end.
Lead Poisoning
Space Marshal
My M4 and 23,000 rounds of ammunition. And of course;
-Tent
-sleeping bag
-fire starting materials
-first aid kit (level 3 trauma)
-very VERY sharp Ka-Bar
-water filtration from katadyn
-change of clothes
-three weeks worth of MREs
-and of course a handle of Jefferson's KY Whiskey
-Tent
-sleeping bag
-fire starting materials
-first aid kit (level 3 trauma)
-very VERY sharp Ka-Bar
-water filtration from katadyn
-change of clothes
-three weeks worth of MREs
-and of course a handle of Jefferson's KY Whiskey
Or be able to out survive everyone else. So when you break from your shelter/bug out location you can avoid the crazies or desperate...
Bigcracker
Space Marshal
I have a medbag in my car and at home just in case if I pass a wreck or something. I do also have a gun and mre's at home in case of a natural disaster like hurricanes and etc.. I could put all that stuff in a bag quickly to gtfo if I had to.
Suggestion for your first aid kits,
Emergency Tourniquet - You can buy the really fancy ones but they are a one off. I suggest using a latex tourniquet.
Povidone iodine bottle or pads
PROPERLY FITTED N95 mask
Quick clot
Bandages of all sizes
Gauze roll
14 gauge needle for a pneumothroax
Pocket face mask
Medical sheers
Bandage scissors
Hemostat
Bottle of saline
water purification tablets
trach kit or a sharp EMT Knife
Suggestion for your first aid kits,
Emergency Tourniquet - You can buy the really fancy ones but they are a one off. I suggest using a latex tourniquet.
Povidone iodine bottle or pads
PROPERLY FITTED N95 mask
Quick clot
Bandages of all sizes
Gauze roll
14 gauge needle for a pneumothroax
Pocket face mask
Medical sheers
Bandage scissors
Hemostat
Bottle of saline
water purification tablets
trach kit or a sharp EMT Knife
well just start from... in Finland one cant have better weapon than BB gun, to have go physics analyse test and local police evaluation. so its kinda hard to get any better weapons legally...
ofc you can buy dragunofs, AKs and etc from russian black market ;)