Miller's Tips

A “Bug out Bag” or “Go Bag” is an essential setup for any survivalist. Essentially it is a compact bag that contains all your survival essentials for about 3-4 days on the move until you either establish a more permanent survival hideout, resupply, or return home because the danger has passed.

Not yet young one

The first step is to select a bag, you are not committed to one once you select one and the best for one person may not be the best for someone else. Play with different styles and go through scenarios to see what works best for you. I have selected this messenger bag from ITS tactical, prior to that I used a large backpack from swissgear. When selecting a bag, ensure that it meets these three aspects

1. Rugged- it will be exposed to the elements and beat up, you don’t want it to rip or fail, especially check the zippers.
2. Unique from your other bags- you don’t want it to be mistaken for another bag getting mixed up during your evacuation. Depending on your preferences you may also want to veer away form things that will draw unwanted attention- camo patterns or bright colors.
3. The right size- this will take a little play, but you do not want your bag too small to carry your equipment, but also not too large as to make it unnecessarily bulky.

Next comes the components. This can be complicated because not everything will be as effective in all situations for all people, you will need to tailor your load to your needs. Regardless of where you are, you will need some basic necessities

1.  Cold weather gear- if you’re in an area that gets really cold a fleece or gore-tex jacket would be good, if only moderately cold a light jacket should suffice. The key is something that is compact and not bulky but can help keep you warm.
2. Poncho- preferably one you can pick up at a surplus military store that is durable and has the grommets. In addition to being a poncho it can be used as a makeshift shelter.
3. Navigation- you can use a handheld GPS such as one of these or these however they do have the drawback of needing extra batteries and not being very good in inclement weather or under canopy. I prefer a topographic map and compass, however also be aware that these can be negatively affected by large metal objects.
4.  First aid- do not, do not, do not waste your money on the large boxes of “first aid supplies” you find at department stores, these amount to nothing more than various bandaids and some random gauze pads. Either purchase your own components or purchase a complete kit such as this one. The added benefit of purchasing the kit is that you can get some practice kits that have the same materials to practice and become proficient with.
5. Food- this is not a large amount of food, just some complex carbs, proteins and fats to sustain you for a short period of time. I prefer a couple field stripped MRE’s.
6. Protection- when you need to bug out of your living area chances are that you may need protection for one reason or another, be it robbers or grizzly bears. A small side arm can be good I prefer a Sig P238 which fires a .380 as a backup to my conceal carry firearm. I also have a fixed blade knife which is constructed from D2 steel which is a tool grade steel.

Outside of these items there are various other items you may want to include such as spare socks, sewing kit, solar panel, small FM radio, 550 cord, tape, reflective mirror and other small items that may come of use in any environment in any situation.

The biggest key to everything in your bag is that you practice using them. Not knowing how to effectively use these items will make them useless and you might as well not carry them.

Knowing things like this can be helpful

Once you have everything you need pack them into your bag taking care of where everything goes so that when you need something you don’t have to dump the bag. Then its just simple upkeep, make a reminder on your phone or computer or just write on an index card the expiration date of the medical supplies, rations, batteries and anything else with a shelf life inside and rotate them out.

Good luck and keep surviving.

good thing I have my bag

A major disaster strikes and wakes you up in the middle of the night. You have limited time to evacuate, getting yourself to safety. What is the first thing you do? If it’s more than: calmly getting dressed in the clothes pre laid out, grabbing the keys nicely hanging on you wall and you “go” bag hanging in the coat closet you are either wasting time or worse; wadding into the unknown- unprepared.

I forgot to tell them I wanted soy, I knew something was missing

While the above is a great start it is not the complete solution. Give the particular situation you vehicle should be prepped to go at all times. In combat situations a well prepped vehicle is a must have- but this is a very transferable habit. While I may not be stacking belts of ammunition and extra barrels, changing armor plating and checking bumper numbers other little details are pretty much the same.

Maintenance

“This here is where the pixie dust goes”

You know you should change you oil every 2k miles, flush your radiator once a year, rotate your tires twice a year and always top off your fluids, but do you actually do it? Trying to evacuate is not the time to see that check engine light come on or worst of all have a break down. Make it a habit and stick to it. Nowadays it’s easier than ever with so many apps, reminders and devices to keep on top of this and remind you when to do things.

Prep and Staging

When time is limited, precious time spent prior will make your life easier. Always fill your tank when under half a tank and most importantly don’t park overnight with anything less than a quarter. Even in a non-emergency (going to work) this can make things go wrong. If you miss the fill up and get stuck in traffic you could wind up out of gas and late to work. In an evacuation situation, you can bet that traffic will be heavy and a mess and gas stations will be a major time sink as scores of people flock there to fill up. Once a week go through your vehicle and stock it up with fresh supplies. Typically I keep  5 gallons of drinking water, tool kit, medical supply kit, flares, 1 week worth of rations (MREs), extra pair of shoes, 1 week of clothes and a rifle with ammunition (of course locked and secured to the vehicle- if it is just in a safe crooks will take the rifle; safe and all). Keeping these basics on hand is simple and can be lifesaving.

There is a line between stock piling and hoarding

Extra Credit

To go beyond basic preparedness you can also stash a CB radio and about 40 feet of “jungle wire” (16 gauge wire on a spool) that you can use to construct various antennae. For your tires you should purchase run-flats. These are used on most government duty vehicles such as police, FBI and DEA. They have a special extra rubber liner inside that allows you to maintain control of your vehicle and continue driving with a flat without risking damage to the rim. You should also have pre-planned exit routes from your city on a laminated map. One in each cardinal direction is a good start.

Survival

Next week I will go in more depth about my “go” bag and just what that entails.