The term bug out bags can have a couple of different meanings depending on the person uttering the phrase and their personal opinion of what such a device is. Generally speaking this is a personal care and protection kit that is assembled and stored in an area that is quick and easy to access in a moment’s notice should the SHTF and you need to depart a particular area post haste. The last thing that you need to be concerned with at the last minute, is rummaging around the house looking for the items you will want, and need to take with you. It is too time consuming and could result in your departure being temporarily, or permanently delayed.
Each of us has a different idea about what type of event or scenario would culminate in the need for us to vacate an area with nothing more than the bare essentials. Some people construct their bail out bags for the specific purpose of disappearing or vanishing, flying below the radar so to speak, a method of departing from the normal course of action in an attempt to drop off the grid. Others of us assemble the items we will need in a personal protection kit, for the explicit purpose of escaping to a survival bunker in the event an “end of the world as we know it” scenario.
The items you elect to place in your bug out kits will be strictly determined by the event(s) you are planning for. Generally speaking this bag should contain enough food and water to sustain you for a period of at least three days if not longer depending on the circumstances. It should also include close combat weaponry for personal protection, such as knives, a small handgun and an ample supply of ammunition. Water purification tablets may come in handy for extended stays away from a natural supply source as well.
Your bug out bags should also include a change of clothing and a first aid kit. Fire starting material will be essential for creating a heat source for warmth as well as cooking. Color copies of your personal identification documents should also be carried in some cases as well as maps of all varieties for the areas you will be traveling to or through. You should also consider bringing along a compass for navigational assistance. Of course there are many more items that could and sometimes should be included in this kit but as stated previously those items will be determined by the event and personal preferences of the planner.
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