_________________ If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of potential -- for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible.
Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:44 am Post subject: Re: What a real BOB looks like!
Thinking about this, this looks more like unsurvival equipment to me.
Personally, I would recommend gear that's simple, light and doesn't look too different from everyone else. That gear is about as subtle as walking down the street dressed as Rambo or maybe "the ice man". Only I think "The Ice Man" had better gear.
Looking at an actual bug out in the US
I think a lot of lessons can be learned from the exodus of people out of New Orleans. Once the hurricane had passed, getting out would have been relatively easy with some rudimentary equipment.
Some better things for a bugout bag...
* Breathable rain gear - Some cheap breathable rain gear from walmart is very useful. It's great in all seasons like wool but lighter and great for hiking so you can move or rest when it's raining. Perhaps most important, mud doesn't stick to it so you stay clean. And if you do need to wash it, it's essentially dry once it's out of the water. Being clean, warm and dry are good things.
* A sleeping bag - This he's right about. A fleece sleeping blanket or sleeping bag made for the time of year and climate is a good thing.
* A small light tent that you can string up some rope. Rope is lighter then poles and company always feels more comfortable if they have a private place to change, sleep or just to get warm and block out the rest of the world. Plus long ropes are always good for looping around trees on steep hills, so less coordinated members of your group can walk safely down steep hillsides without falling. Being able to safely cross terrain that other people have problems with is a good thing.
* Bug screening - For civility some bug screening is always nice. There are always bugs. When traveling to places where people didn't put screening on windows, some screening and thumbtacks always made life for me much more pleasant. So I think when on an exodus, being waterproof and bug free can provide a great deal of comfort and make resting much easier where ever you are. At least that's how I like to do things.
* A tea kettle - It's useful to have a light teapot for boiling water. Or to have a metal jug for boiling water so you can let the hot water cool so you can travel with it. Anyway, making water once a day simplifies things. Having a small stove is often nice too. The important thing is boiling water is a simple good way to make it potable and maybe most important if you make some tea or coffee, a little caffeine can sooth everyones nerves.
* TP and a trowel to cover wastes with dirt. When making an exodus, it's the wrong time to start experimenting with creative uses for leaves or other things you're not used to.
* Ramen - To each his own, some people like MRE's... But hey, if you're pinching pennies, Ramen ain't that bad. It's 10 cents a packet, it's light, and it can be eaten dry or warmed up on a cold night. If someone starts getting hungry, you can just stuff some ramen in their mouth and keep on truckin. As they say, an army moves on their stomaches and palatable dehydrated food is a good thing.
* Clear plastic contractor bags - These are great for making raincoats for less equipped people, they are great to sit on, they make nice roofing for a shelter, they're great for carrying things, for solar stills, and most important for tying around legs for crossing swampy land in cold weather. You just put on socks, two layers of plastic, some light rubber crock shoes and some rope wound around your legs (or elastic). In the summer or winter it can be very useful to be able to get from A to B, across swampy land, half frozen stream beds and mucky river edges. Most of the time leaping across even a small stream is not possible and in the winter this is great for crossing streams or areas with lots of shallow snow covered water or muck. A couple contractor bags can make it possible for you to go where other people cannot go or follow.
* An air mattress - This is somewhat specific to New Orleans but a small inflatable air mattress makes a great boat. As do small inflatable boats... Even walmart plastic storage boxes found use as flotation devices. Anyway, being able to cross water is a good thing. Sometimes it's nice to be able to take a shortcut and many boat like inflatables can double as an airmattress or a shelter.
* Crank Radio - He's right about having a radio, nothing like emergency broadcasts to focus people. But I think a crank mp3 player might be more fun...
* GPS - He's right about having a GPS, they are a lot of fun and great if reading maps isn't your thing. So if you have one why not bring it.
* A medical kit - Again, he's right it's good to have a medical kit. Imodium, bandages, a tourniquet, temparin tooth repair cement...
* Forethought - In New Orleans, the people who survived the best had lives arranged such that they could leave for their "bug out location" before the hurricane struck. They had gas for driving and they were mentally ready to walk away from their job in the city. Though not something you can put in a bugout bag, the best kind of bugout bag is one you never had to use.
Regarding guns, knives and such...
In New Orleans, mostly people used guns for defending property from looters, not for shooting their way out of the city. As far as clearing out a bugout location, it could be argued that a rifle might be handy and when traveling a gun might scare off would be robbers.
But really, unless you are defending property walking around like Rambo will more likely make you a target for remaining law enforcement or at best strain interactions with other refugees (Did you think you would be the only one?). However, if you are bent on traveling with guns and knives, I suggest joining reserve law enforcement or emergency response organizations in your area. Hey, in the crash of the soviet union, the police always got their slice of the pie and you could carry all the guns you want.
How well does his bug out bag compare to my cheap hiking bag?
* That guy couldn't cross a river.
* Crossing streams is a problem.
* In the winter he would be stopped by frosty mud.
* He's got a poncho, but wet and muddy legs could get him hypothermia.
* Make shift open tents can really suck.
* Sleeping bags on cold or wet ground can suck too.
* If there were bugs, him and his companions would be bug eaten and miserable.
* He has no gifts to share with people, not even a "cup of Joe".
* He doesn't look like a traveling refugee. Any law enforcement working under martial law would probably shoot him on sight.
That guy should try going outside with his stuff once on a while. Maybe study the gear traveling hobos used during the great depression... What ever he does, I think he needs to repack his bag.
Joined: Oct 01, 2007 Posts: 484 Location: Rural farm
Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 6:34 pm Post subject: Re: What a real BOB looks like!
There was a movie I saw once called "THREADS"
about post apocalyptic life.
This will be similar to events. _________________ ___________________________
Everything is going to happen more or less simultaneously.
Your relatives,their broken down car, and their credit card debt are coming to live with you in 2008
Last edited by kadoomsoon on Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:02 am; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 2:05 am Post subject: Re: What a real BOB looks like!
steam_cannon wrote:
Thinking about this, this looks more like unsurvival equipment to me.
Personally, I would recommend gear that's simple, light and doesn't look too different from everyone else. That gear is about as subtle as walking down the street dressed as Rambo or maybe "the ice man". Only I think "The Ice Man" had better gear.
Aside from the firearms, I don't think this BOB is particularly conspicuous. Just a black packpack with a couple silly patches. The Glock in a holster like that can be easily concealed with a jacket or a long shirt. The rifle is an optional add-on (very very very unlikely, but a rifle like that is still worth owning).
Some good stuff in the bag, though I'd lose one of the knives (both of which appear to be unused) and the book. Not sure about his lights, esp. the Surefire, but to each their own. I try to limit my gadgets to AA only. Makes battery resupply/recharging much easier.
Also don't see the point of the silver. A BOB is for unexpected emergencies, esp. natural disasters, not the financial collapse of society. A couple hundred dollars in paper bills would be a lot lighter and a lot more useful.
He doesn't say if he's actually used any of this stuff. Doesn't really look like it. My little BOB is filled with stuff I use when I go hiking, backpacking, and traveling. That's how you learn what's useful and what isn't, especially on backcountry trips when every extra bit of weight matters. My BOB is filled with the same items I'd take on a 2-3 day backpacking trip, with rifle optional.
Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 10:57 pm Post subject: Re: What a real BOB looks like!
Yes, seems to be that the page changed. Here is an interesting discussion about BOB´s: http://www.peakoil.com/fortopic12329.html _________________ Stocking up on popcorn
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