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What's in your bug out bag?
- Thread starter Brother DXer
- Start date
1 guy told me he saved his dryer lint inside the center tubes from toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls for starting fires. Never tried it but sounds thrifty & logical. LOL
This is some old world stuff for sure, and still works great in 2024
The thing is... if you are going to bring with you something that cannot be used after getting wet without drying (like steel wool, dryer lint, charcloth etc), just bring two bics. You can make hundreds of fires with one bic after it dries, you can only make a few with a piece of steel wool and a battery. Bics take up less space too. Batteries die after so many uses, steel wool rusts, char cloth needs to be dry and requires additional good tinder to add to it, etc.
There is a difference between packing useful things and having to improvise with what you have available because you didn't make plan. I am not saying there isn't value in discussing the useful techniques we have available to us in the event we didn't prepare, but don't think that packing shitty 9v batteries or char cloth is effective use of go bag space. Those are things you do or make in a pinch.
If this thread is to become one of useful techniques for the unprepared, then I have plenty of useful tricks to add. We could talk about the countless uses for tampons (making fire, plugging puncture wounds, filtering water), fishing hooks made of wood toggles, boiling water with stones, snare techniques, signalling, improvised first aid techniques, local medicinal/useful plants like the antiseptic properties of mosses, the aspirin in birch and willow, the fish-stunning properties of mullien, tapping trees for water or syrup, what trees cambium layers are edible, the wonderful cattails we can eat and use as tinder, spider webs as anticoagulants, fatlighter, the fact that a porcupine is one of the few animals you can walk up to and hit in the head with a club without it running away (they like tamarack, look there)....
The list goes on forever. Your time is better spent becoming familiar with your specific areas resources rather than planning to pack MacGyver style. You don't know what you need until you know what you won't be able to find. Learn that first.
There is a difference between packing useful things and having to improvise with what you have available because you didn't make plan. I am not saying there isn't value in discussing the useful techniques we have available to us in the event we didn't prepare, but don't think that packing shitty 9v batteries or char cloth is effective use of go bag space. Those are things you do or make in a pinch.
If this thread is to become one of useful techniques for the unprepared, then I have plenty of useful tricks to add. We could talk about the countless uses for tampons (making fire, plugging puncture wounds, filtering water), fishing hooks made of wood toggles, boiling water with stones, snare techniques, signalling, improvised first aid techniques, local medicinal/useful plants like the antiseptic properties of mosses, the aspirin in birch and willow, the fish-stunning properties of mullien, tapping trees for water or syrup, what trees cambium layers are edible, the wonderful cattails we can eat and use as tinder, spider webs as anticoagulants, fatlighter, the fact that a porcupine is one of the few animals you can walk up to and hit in the head with a club without it running away (they like tamarack, look there)....
The list goes on forever. Your time is better spent becoming familiar with your specific areas resources rather than planning to pack MacGyver style. You don't know what you need until you know what you won't be able to find. Learn that first.
I completely understand what you’re saying. I like the various ideas members are posting. They're all very interesting! Do all of these ideas relate strictly to the topic? Maybe, maybe not. But regardless of whether they do or not, a thread will always venture into other areas. I don't think this one has gotten too far off course. It's all good stuff and good information to know. I personally would love to see more, and learn more.
73's
73's
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The is a very light weight option for water purification.
Have you seen those Flo-Chlor tablets?
I sold a lot of those to backpackers going to Yosemite , they were extremely popular.
73
Jeff
@brandon7861 No, but after your post, I did a quick search and found the video. This is Very interesting, but I do wonder about the chemicals. I'm sure it's all good but I'd have to take a deeper dive for more info.
I believe it uses alum to form aluminum hydroxide and that clumps together and catches suspended solids and eventually sinks to the bottom.
I used to use a car battery connected to two 1" diameter rods held an inch apart with rope in a 5 gallon bucket, aluminum on positive, steel on negative. After anywhere between a half hour and hour, I would disconnect the electrodes and let the solution settle. There would be a top layer of crud, crystal clear water in the middle, and more crap at the bottom. I would scoop off as much of the top as I could, decant the middle into another bucket, let that settle again, then decant that through a 4" PVC pipe with a foot of sand to remove any of the coagulated crap the last steps missed. What came out of that filter completely changed what I think clear water looks like. Boiled down in a pan, it did leave a very sight white residue, but nothing like our hard well water would and not enough to be concerned with given alum is sold as a cooking ingredient. I assume the amount of aluminum salts that can dissolve in water (at least at neutral pH) are not harmful to people, otherwise alum wouldn't e in the cooking isle.
I used to use a car battery connected to two 1" diameter rods held an inch apart with rope in a 5 gallon bucket, aluminum on positive, steel on negative. After anywhere between a half hour and hour, I would disconnect the electrodes and let the solution settle. There would be a top layer of crud, crystal clear water in the middle, and more crap at the bottom. I would scoop off as much of the top as I could, decant the middle into another bucket, let that settle again, then decant that through a 4" PVC pipe with a foot of sand to remove any of the coagulated crap the last steps missed. What came out of that filter completely changed what I think clear water looks like. Boiled down in a pan, it did leave a very sight white residue, but nothing like our hard well water would and not enough to be concerned with given alum is sold as a cooking ingredient. I assume the amount of aluminum salts that can dissolve in water (at least at neutral pH) are not harmful to people, otherwise alum wouldn't e in the cooking isle.
Alum makes a good cauterizing agent too. I believe it is an ingredient in styptic powder for dog nail bleeds as well. I used to get canker sores all the time until I quit biting off my finger nails, but when I did get them, alum would 100% shut down the canker sore with just one painful application. That 6 seconds of pain was well worth it. Alum is one of those multi-purpose things that doesn't take up a lot of room.
I'm surprised it took me this long to remember my multitool. I went back and re-read the posts and didn't see this listed. Many years ago I bought my first, then a second, third, etc.. I think I've got four now, possibly more and each is in its own belt case.
Food water shelter with the other stuff like 1st aid extra. We have about 100 gallons of water and some number of days food that along with two out buildings in case the house is not livable.
Extras for me include:
1. Dog(s), guns, ammo. Lots of ammo.
2. First aid kits in all the vehicles with the stuff checked and replaced once a year or so.
3. Fuel, about 15 gallons rotated
4. Backpacks in each vehicle.
5. Batteries
6. 600W Solar and Battery to run the radios and a laptop computer or two along with two small generators.
7. 40W Solar for charging USB devices. I use this for camping 4x a year and mainly charge a small battery during the day. Keeps the cell phone fully charged.
8. Tent/SleepingBag/Air mattress used about 4x a year.
9. Blue tarp to use a a porch for camping
10. Folding chairs
11. Various radios so that the XYL and I can maintain contact including APRS that we run year round in all the vehicles.
12. Cloths and shoes that can handle summer or winter camping. One set in the backpack for overnighting.
13. Shaving kit with a bar of soap. Scissors and nail clippers. SUN block 80 or 100. One set in each backpack.
14. A few of the multi tools purchased over the years most have worn out or dulled from lots of use. One in each backpack.
15. Cash. Cash in a plastic ziplock in the backpacks and other places. Also two wallets with old expired IDs and alternate credit cards from different banks.
Food storage has been hit or miss as the canned goods and MRE type stuff does not last in the heat. The dehydrated stuff needs boiling water and gets old so we do have fruits and canned food that gets rotated but mostly thrown out due to heat and age.
I like the old MRE bags to make my own with instant COFFEE packets, tuna packets, salt/sugar/spices, crackers and peanut butter. I have a couple of these in each backpack and use them when camping.
So much stuff...
Over the past 40 years we found ourselves in a good position (during 7-11 day power outages) and able to help out others via the red cross and emergency services.
Extras for me include:
1. Dog(s), guns, ammo. Lots of ammo.
2. First aid kits in all the vehicles with the stuff checked and replaced once a year or so.
3. Fuel, about 15 gallons rotated
4. Backpacks in each vehicle.
5. Batteries
6. 600W Solar and Battery to run the radios and a laptop computer or two along with two small generators.
7. 40W Solar for charging USB devices. I use this for camping 4x a year and mainly charge a small battery during the day. Keeps the cell phone fully charged.
8. Tent/SleepingBag/Air mattress used about 4x a year.
9. Blue tarp to use a a porch for camping
10. Folding chairs
11. Various radios so that the XYL and I can maintain contact including APRS that we run year round in all the vehicles.
12. Cloths and shoes that can handle summer or winter camping. One set in the backpack for overnighting.
13. Shaving kit with a bar of soap. Scissors and nail clippers. SUN block 80 or 100. One set in each backpack.
14. A few of the multi tools purchased over the years most have worn out or dulled from lots of use. One in each backpack.
15. Cash. Cash in a plastic ziplock in the backpacks and other places. Also two wallets with old expired IDs and alternate credit cards from different banks.
Food storage has been hit or miss as the canned goods and MRE type stuff does not last in the heat. The dehydrated stuff needs boiling water and gets old so we do have fruits and canned food that gets rotated but mostly thrown out due to heat and age.
I like the old MRE bags to make my own with instant COFFEE packets, tuna packets, salt/sugar/spices, crackers and peanut butter. I have a couple of these in each backpack and use them when camping.
So much stuff...
Over the past 40 years we found ourselves in a good position (during 7-11 day power outages) and able to help out others via the red cross and emergency services.
Here is a Tactical staff I see advertised that might trip someones trigger if the link works.
https://trytactistaff.com/blog/tactistaff.php?affId=41A883DB&c1=us&c2=disp_aud_d65&utm_campaign={replace}&sub2=&sub3=&sub4=160138842866&sub5=695538849813&sub6=21149200770&sub7=c&sub8=&sub9=d&sub10=www.accuweather.com&utm_source=Google&wbraid={wbraid}&gbraid={gbraid}&ref_id=EAIaIQobChMI3_Oeo5HghwMV1oZaBR1W5TbDEAEYASAAEgILKfD_BwE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3_Oeo5HghwMV1oZaBR1W5TbDEAEYASAAEgILKfD_BwE
https://trytactistaff.com/blog/tactistaff.php?affId=41A883DB&c1=us&c2=disp_aud_d65&utm_campaign={replace}&sub2=&sub3=&sub4=160138842866&sub5=695538849813&sub6=21149200770&sub7=c&sub8=&sub9=d&sub10=www.accuweather.com&utm_source=Google&wbraid={wbraid}&gbraid={gbraid}&ref_id=EAIaIQobChMI3_Oeo5HghwMV1oZaBR1W5TbDEAEYASAAEgILKfD_BwE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3_Oeo5HghwMV1oZaBR1W5TbDEAEYASAAEgILKfD_BwE