It’s thrilling to pack your first Bug Out Bag. You understand you take steps to safe your and your loved ones’s security. Pat your self on the again! You need to be ok with what you’re doing!
However let’s get severe for a minute: the contents of your bag are what you’ll be counting on in an emergency survival state of affairs.
If only one merchandise is lacking, it might imply dying. However, for those who pack an excessive amount of, it might make your pack too heavy and sluggish you down… which may very well be a catastrophe in itself.
That’s the reason this publish goes to be about lower weight out of your survival backpack.
When you don’t know what to pack in your BOB, verify our bug out bag list.
BUG OUT BAG CHECKLIST
Get organized quick with our fully free guidelines.
The Ideally suited Bug Out Bag Weight
It may appear small and light-weight once you first pack your survival bag. However I urge you to hold that pack round with you for five hours.
Does it nonetheless really feel mild?
Now I encourage you to place it on and attempt to run with it. How is that going for you?
Through-hikers and backpackers use the final rule that your pack should be no more than 1/4 of your body weight.
However backpackers don’t must flee, run, or disguise. So, a Bug Out Bag needs to be even lighter!
I used to be capable of get my Bug Out Bag down to simply 22lbs with out having to sacrifice any consolation or gear.
Listed here are some recommendations on how one can get your pack lighter too.
Each Ounce Counts!
Rising up, my dad all the time took us backpacking. He lower the deal with off of his toothbrush to chop again on weight. On the time, I assumed he was loopy. It wasn’t even an oz! However now I notice that there are simply 16 ounces in a pound. When you lower one ounce from 16 objects, you’ve shed a pound out of your survival pack!
Listed here are a few of the methods you may shave ounces out of your gear:
- Reduce off your toothbrush deal with or purchase a tenting toothbrush
- Use toothpaste powder as an alternative of toothpaste
- Reduce the perimeters off of your maps
- Reduce the labels off your garments and kit (critically! This all provides up!!!)
- Tear covers off of any information/survival books you carry
- Take away the cardboard from rest room paper
- Repackage sunblock, bug spray, and many others., in plastic luggage or smaller containers
- Repackage medicines in plastic luggage as an alternative of the prescription bottles
- DRILL HOLES IN STUFF. Severely. When you can drill a gap in one thing with out destroying its performance, do it!
You Don’t Want That Many Garments
I’ve seen some individuals pack 3 days’ value of garments of their survival luggage. I do know that we generally name them “72-hour luggage,” nevertheless it doesn’t imply you’ve obtained to have garments for 3 days!
All you want is ONE CHANGE OF CLOTHES. And that is solely in case your authentic set of garments will get moist. You don’t die for those who put on the identical underwear for 3 days in a row.
The one exception to this rule is socks. I all the time deliver an additional pair of socks with me.
Having moist toes means you’re going to get blisters.
Blisters imply you gained’t have the ability to keep cell effectively.
Immobility may very well be your dying.
So I pack two pairs of wool tenting socks (or different fast-drying socks) in my survival bag.
Beneficial Studying – Best Survival Socks For Your Bug Out Bag
Pack the Proper Survival Meals
One of many largest errors I see with Bug Out Baggage is that folks load them with canned meals. Sure, canned meals does benefit from being nonperishable, however it’s heavy as heck! It is usually normally loaded with water, which implies a number of additional weight.
A 16oz (1lb) can of beans solely has about 300 energy, which is simply about 1/6 of what you need to eat in a day. You’d must pack 18 cans of beans – 18 lbs – to feed your self on canned meals for 3 days.
First, let me make clear: YOU DON’T REALLY NEED FOOD IN YOUR SURVIVAL BAG! The human physique can go as much as a month with out meals.
However nobody desires the stress of being hungry when SHTF, so go forward and pack some survival food in your pack. Simply be sure to pack the correct stuff!
When selecting survival meals, search for these qualities:
- Caloric Density: Divide the variety of energy by the variety of ounces. You need to discover the meals with essentially the most energy per ounce. Nuts are notably good. So is jerky.
- Dehydrated or Freeze-Dried Meals: Do you know you may dehydrate meals like refried beans, pasta sauce, and even marmalade? With the moisture eliminated, you may carry quite a lot of dehydrated meals with out quite a lot of weight.
- Quick Cooking: If meals has to prepare dinner for a very long time (like dried beans or rice), you’ll have to carry extra gas and water. As an alternative, select meals that may be made immediately, like these instant survival meals (Amazon Hyperlink), that are cooked within the pouch by including boiling water.
Right here’s an inventory of the best bug out bag food.
And right here’s some extra in-depth information on emergency food.
Swap Your Tent for a Tarp
A tarp is my final favourite multipurpose survival merchandise. You can also make a survival shelter with only a tarp and a few paracord. Wish to learn the way? Learn this publish about survival shelter designs.
A tarp will also be used for a number of functions, like gathering water and making a stretcher, as a sign. You’ll be able to even throw out your backpack (which in all probability weighs 5+ kilos) and make a Yukon Pack out of your tarp as an alternative!
Learn concerning the many survival uses for a plastic tarp right here.
Merely swapping your tent for a tarp might save 1-6 kilos out of your pack (relying on the load of your tent).
Learn concerning the best tarp for survival.
Select Multi-Perform Gear
Do you want a spoon and a fork when you could possibly simply pack a spork? (Amazon hyperlink)
In the present day, there are all types of multi-function survival gear out there.
For instance, don’t deliver an emergency radio, flashlight, and charger when a gadget like this (Amazon hyperlink) does all three issues.
Information As an alternative of Gear!
With the correct data, you gained’t even want any gear to outlive within the wilderness or a catastrophe state of affairs.
Don’t wait till a catastrophe occurs to study survival abilities.
Now could be the time to study abilities like make your personal water filter, how to make a lean-to shelter, how to identify edible plants, how to eat bugs for survival….
How a lot does your bug out bag weigh? Tell us within the feedback.