# Why I don't have a bug out bag



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I am linking two interesting articles about preparedness, from two different points of view. The first was...well I will let you read it. The second article was "in response to" the first. Both articles came from a gun-related website.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2015/12/sara-tipton/why-i-dont-have-a-bug-out-bag/



> Most of the people in my political circle have bug-out bags. They have these gigantic bags filled with stuff they'll need to survive an apocalyptic event: a nuclear bomb, the eruption of the Yellowstone caldera, the collapse of the financial system, an electro-magnetic pulse, the end of The Walking Dead, etc. I'm often chastised for owning numerous guns but refusing to get into prepping. Sorry. I'm thoroughly uninterested in "prepping." I don't own a bug-out bag. Here's why . . .
> 
> First, I don't want to spend my money on items I may never use. I know: fire extinguishers. Household insurance. A first-aid kit. My everyday carry gun. But these are things that I won't be able to get when I need them if I don't have them when I do.
> 
> ...


http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2015/12/jeremy-s/in-response-to-saras-anti-prepping-post/



> Yesterday Sara posted "Why I Don't Have a Bug-Out Bag" and injected a dose of reality into the prepping-for-the-apocalypse mindset. I'm no prepper either, but the last two weeks have taught me that it doesn't take an apocalypse to truly benefit from a BOB (bug-out bag) and some prepping best practices. Eastern Washington got hit hard by a freak windstorm on November 17 and most of the area around where I live was an electricity-free disaster zone for 3 to 10 days. For me it was 13 days without power because my house was hit by a falling tree. Later this week we're moving into a rental while repairs are being done, which will take a good two to three months. . .
> 
> In fact, hundreds of homes were hit by large trees. It's hard to be, as Sara said, "hunkering down in my warm home" when a tree has just turned the previously-indoor kitchen into an al fresco disaster. In winter. Falling trees don't just target houses though. Cars were smashed. People died. Cell phone towers were taken out by trees or just the winds, and many of the surviving towers had no power. The end result was that the next few days were insane around here.
> 
> ...


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## JackDanielGarrett (Sep 27, 2010)

Sentry18-This is a very thought provoking subject because most people have been told, "You need a bug out bag." I had one years ago when I was single and lived in town. Married now I live in the country, just 8 miles from work. But, I also now have my wife, her 77 year old mother, 2 of her kids, 25 and 22 years old and "the boy" which is 6 years old. It would take a wagon train to bug out, and where would we go? 

I now carry a get home bag to make the eight mile hike home. I don't carry a firearm so I will stick to the woods and fields. Having said all that I agree with both of the articles. I live in the middle of the woods and a tree on the roof is a real threat, but that's where I want to be. A few years back, TS Debbie came through and flooded this county and left many sinkholes. I drive a '79 Jeep and even that was not going to make it through the flooded highway.

Bugging out is a very big commitment. Your bugging out! You will need allot of your stuff, especially in my case. This is a very good thread and I hope it helps many people.

Jack


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

i have a habit of keeping certain items in the vehicle since before i even became a prepper.in which that consist of,1 hydrolic floor jack thats come handy a few times,when it comes to others as well as my self.,1 rechargable and portable jumpstarter with air compresure,in which both jump starter and air compresure has come in handy,more then once.the temp was in the 90's the last time i had a flat tire.the air compreasure allowed me to air up the spare tire seeing how it went flat..snacks to eat if im between towns and i get hungry..8-32 ounce bottles of water for windsheid washer jug,and over flow jug for the radiator.a tool box with the needed everyday tools.among other items.in other words.im pretty much prepared for what everyday life can and will probaly throw at me..now why would i not have a g.h.b or a b.o.b in the vehicle with me,once i get mine made up right? especially seeing how.that alone can help me get home safely as possible if needed?it's true that i might not ever need or use it for whatever reason(s).but yet,it'll still be nice to know that i have one,just in case i ever need it..our stove top and oven has electronic light.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*No BOB needed............*

Since I lived in a well stock major city with many stores and shopping centers plus hundreds of restaurants all around and my traveling around town is very limited to a few miles a month, I don`t see the need for a BOB, I have tools and a well maintain vehicle, I have a water bottle and weapon next to me but that's all, now I`m fully aware of the weather the local news and I know my way around town and areas that I should avoid. Been prepared is all about common sense ,many loved nature and trees and every year tress full of snow fall into homes ,why not just cut them down and avoid this situation ?,why drive in flooded areas or roads ?,why take a chance in a cold frozen road ,even with that 4x4 vehicle ?.If we are talking about a Mad Max scenario, well we are in trouble, but an avoidable situation is plain and simple an avoidable situation, why not just avoided? . Winter comes every year, it seems to me that people in snow country should know this by now and every year people get stranded or lost or stuck in the snow without the proper equipment and a BOB full of potato chips, candy and ammo, and a total lack of sense. If you have never experience a bad event there are many stories and news related to them to learn from, the media is full of them, there is no excuse for not been prepared and yes on my long trips away from home I always take my cooler, extra fuel; although I fill every half a tank or so, flat tire repair kit plus pump and many other things related to the weather and area plus I always make sure that there is cash on hand and my AAA card.


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

living in a city during a long term power grid failure or economic collapse to what ever,is some place id rather not be.on account,there's way to many ppl there that could be a threat.and any one of those threats can cost me my life.in which i consider my life more important then that.to me.that means getting out of town,the first sign of things going wrong big time,and real fast..i live 6 miles outside of a city of 1200.even thats a chance id rather not take.on account disperate people will do disparate things during desperate times...


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## cantinawest (Nov 9, 2011)

*Both work*

Anyone can justify both points of view, and both perspectives and...
they both work.

..."_any ole' excuse will work_".

Both sides of the coin are true given each person's perspective and experiences up until this current moment.

As for me and my house though, we will keep the BOB's and preps, come what may or may not come.
It just makes me feel better to be prepared with a "Bag o' Goodies" (peace of mind)


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## dademoss (Aug 6, 2011)

Every car of ours has a "Bag of Goodies" and we have BOG's at home too, because we both do emergency response in one form or another.


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## Oomingmak (Feb 26, 2015)

Definitely fall into the "get home bag" category. We live in the sticks. You have to make a special trip to get to a gas station, so we have it delivered to our ranch. You NEVER leave home to do anything without topping up if you have less than 1/2 to 3/4 of a tank. We live where a vehicle failure can leave you camping in your vehicle till they come looking, cause you did't get home. Places we frequent could go for days without another vehicle driving down the road. Cell coverage is atrociously bad and your cell phone doesn't work more often than it does............ a sat phone would be a better use of money.

Winter can mean blizzards and windchill down to -50 or -60F. You go everywhere prepared, because it is foolish not to. People disappear every year around here because they broke down, panicked and tried to walk for help. Their bodies are not found until the following spring when the snow melts.

My other secret survival weapon besides our vehicle camping bag (VCB) is we never go to the city if there is any way we can avoid it. Can usually sweet talk some neighbour to pick up what we need when they go to the big city for an "overnighter". A bottle of booze and a bit of cash towards their fuel is a cheap bribe and saves me many hours of torture.


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## backlash (Nov 11, 2008)

Both vehicles have emergency bags.
Not so much for local but for the rare occasions we travel over the mountains.
We have been delayed for hours due to avalanche or wrecks shutting the freeway down.
It was nice to have a warm blanket, water, snacks. Comfort items if you will.
I work 4 miles from home so getting home should not be a major undertaking. 
If I still commuted 1.5 hours each way like I use to I would have a more extensive GHB.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

Sara views prepping as some huge TEWTWAKI event and anything else she's got covered with her jeep 4x4. Sara is what we call an evacuee, refugee or victim when SHTF from something considerably less than nuclear war.

The other guy... only wants to be a little bit pregnant. A tree crashed into his house! it screwed things up bigtime, and he still hesitates to be ready to take care of the basic needs and safety of his family. really?

I consider natural disasters to be far more serious than man-made disasters. My area has had fire storms, mud slides, and grid failures (that big one was man made tho) hahaha I forgot Earthquakes, yeah I live in CA but you guys might be surprised to learn they really don't happen that much (there is a town that has like 1,000 micro quakes a day) but other than that, no... not really? not like EVERY FREAKING YEAR the southern and eastern states eat some hurricanes! and southern midwest states are a bargain 2 for 1, they get the hurricanes and the tornadoes! 

I think it's prudent to approach prepping with the mindset of what do I need to do to provide for my immediate household in the event of the likely natural disaster. 

If I can live without the grid for a month then I'm probably good. and as long as my house is still standing from whatever that event is, I'm not going anywhere. let all the other people go fill up the state fair grounds evacuation facility and sleep on cots and no animals and no guns and no idea what's happening next. 

If my house isn't standing, can I least dig out the supplies from my house, the garage or the storage shed I rent which is close? and then I will have to make plans accordingly.


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## zombieresponder (Aug 20, 2012)

My wife now drive a vehicle with a "Jeep" emblem on it. It's basically a minivan sans the sliding doors...front wheel drive and all. "Jeep" doesn't mean what it used to, and "4x4" for most people just means that they get just a little farther before getting stuck....if they even know how to engage it. :dunno:

A few nights ago, someone knocked on my door at around 11:30pm. I answered the door with a 19+1 9mm in my hand. I found that some urban dweller idiot girl had blindly followed her incorrect GPS unit and gone 100 yards down my driveway before figuring out it wasn't a public road. _Really?_ I've lived here 34 years and we've never had this problem before....... :facepalm: It gets better though. She then tried to turn around in the pasture next to the driveway in a front wheel drive car...after we'd gotten *eleven* inches of rain in three days. As can be expected, the car started sinking as soon as it left the driveway. Rather than stop and try to back out, she pulled the usual stupid human trick of continuing on until the car was sitting on the frame. I *think* that your run of the mill idiot would have had the sense to keep the drive wheels on a solid surface and do a three point turn around in reverse, but this one was special.

So, what's my point? A person *has* to know their limitations. 99% of people vastly overestimate their skill and/or equipment, which leads them to make stupid decisions in normal times. In less forgiving circumstances, it only gets worse. Preparedness is like mustard or mayo when life tosses you a crap sandwich. Still tastes like crap, but it helps mask the flavor.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

zombieresponder said:


> My wife now drive a vehicle with a "Jeep" emblem on it. It's basically a minivan sans the sliding doors...front wheel drive and all. "Jeep" doesn't mean what it used to, and "4x4" for most people just means that they get just a little farther before getting stuck....if they even know how to engage it. :dunno:
> 
> A few nights ago, someone knocked on my door at around 11:30pm. I answered the door with a 19+1 9mm in my hand. I found that some urban dweller idiot girl had blindly followed her incorrect GPS unit and gone 100 yards down my driveway before figuring out it wasn't a public road. _Really?_ I've lived here 34 years and we've never had this problem before....... :facepalm: It gets better though. She then tried to turn around in the pasture next to the driveway in a front wheel drive car...after we'd gotten *eleven* inches of rain in three days. As can be expected, the car started sinking as soon as it left the driveway. Rather than stop and try to back out, she pulled the usual stupid human trick of continuing on until the car was sitting on the frame. I *think* that your run of the mill idiot would have had the sense to keep the drive wheels on a solid surface and do a three point turn around in reverse, but this one was special.
> 
> So, what's my point? A person *has* to know their limitations. 99% of people vastly overestimate their skill and/or equipment, which leads them to make stupid decisions in normal times. In less forgiving circumstances, it only gets worse. Preparedness is like mustard or mayo when life tosses you a crap sandwich. Still tastes like crap, but it helps mask the flavor.


So many take-aways here

1. Answer the door with your friends. All 19+1 of them. not the 19, the +1 too!
2. people do incredible silly things following GPS. My sister called me from a mountain top with spotty reception and 30 mins to get from there to 60 miles away because she followed a print out of mapquest trying to get her and the boys to the cruise ship. I would never be so mean to say "you didn't notice that half the map wasn't "blue" at the destination?" but I was thinking it... LOL! obviously they missed that boat. which sucks. you can't rejoin a cruise after you miss the departure because the departure is where they do the coast guard safety debriefing. 
3. See point #2 about people making bad decisions, if my sister (who is actually pretty smart) can somehow get deeper and deeper into frog stew (the frog in a slowly rising pot of hot water analogy) then anyone can. That this girl suddenly found herself in the mud and didn't realize how to have at least better odds to get out of the mud doesn't surprise me in the least. people just get locked into "I'll keep going until we see what happens next"

oh and speaking of ppl following GPS.... unbelievable...

a coworker rented an RV, a huge bus really, and followed his GPS off the map onto fire service roads. that would be silly and funny except, he was in the middle of a forest fire, and Cal Fire guys were pointing at him and gesturing and he just kept driving. They were shoveling dirt ON THE FIRE!!!

homie is from another country, and while he can do very good things in certain context, free thinking and creative problem solving aren't his forte. He put his wife and infant son at risk driving INTO a forest fire. Let me repeat that... he DROVE IN... TO... THE... FIRE! and the freeway was like 20 miles behind them.:facepalm:

so then there's that...


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## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

If you want to know why its STUPID to reject the idea of bugging out call up your neighborhood Red Cross and be there with the Red Cross and the survivors of a home fire...

Look at the types of items the Red Cross gives victims of fires. If your house burns down in a fire you could be left on the side of the road in your underwear...how much good will your wood stove and jeep do you then?

A few years back, I, a prepper, was swimming laps at the YMCA, it was winter and I didn't even think about "being preppared" as I swam...then the fire alarm screeched and I was forced outside with only a towel a wet bathing suit and my shower shoes... Sure, I was prepared, but unless I wanted to fight my way past the life guards to my locker to get my keys, or break my own car's window I was high and dry...S*IT happens and when the SHTF and S*IT happens what might be a minor inconvenience today might prove a matter of life and death!

It doesn't even need to be the loss of your house if you are caught someplace cold and wet and with no way to get home a change of clothes, shelter, fire, food, and water could mean the difference between life and death!

Fires, floods, trees, poison gas clouds, golden hordes...there are lots of reasons why your house or car might be compromised and I hate to tell you, if you don't have a house you are bugging out, like it or not! And if your car breaks down or the roads are blocked when you happen to be more than 25 miles from home... a days walk that is... from home, a bug out bag is essentially the same as a get home bag--even if you plan to bug in, you will be glad you have it

Never say never....bug in if you think it prudent, but admit that if there are things that can cause you to leave your house with just the shirt on your back now, the likelihood of those disasters and the danger will be exponentially higher after a SHTF.


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## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

I also get the impression that if she ever needed a bug out bag she decided she would just give up? That seems dumb, chances are its not going to be a TEOTWAWKI event, in which case, the supplies in a BOB could very well help you survive the week or two after your home is destroyed until help could get to you!


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## tleeh1 (Mar 13, 2013)

Padre said:


> ...S*IT happens and when the SHTF and S*IT happens what might be a minor inconvenience today might prove a matter of life and death!
> 
> It doesn't even need to be the loss of your house if you are caught someplace cold and wet and with no way to get home a change of clothes, shelter, fire, food, and water could mean the difference between life and death!...


Reminds me of the time DH and I were out looking at a piece of property - about 100 acres is I recall. The owner had one 4-wheeler and took us back to the back line in two trips so we could get a feel for what it was.

A surprise thunderstorm popped up and the temps dropped about 20 degrees in 20 minutes. By the time we got ferried back to the truck, we were both soaked to the bone. Luckily, we had our BOBs in the truck that had complete changes of clothes (down to underwear and socks), along with a towel and a blanket. We were warm and dry within ten minutes and headed back home. The owner had to ride the 4-wheeler back to his place about 20 minutes away -- I'm guessing he was pretty miserable by the time he got home.

Being prepared is not always a disaster or an end-of-the-world event.


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## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

tleeh1 said:


> Reminds me of the time DH and I were out looking at a piece of property - about 100 acres is I recall. The owner had one 4-wheeler and took us back to the back line in two trips so we could get a feel for what it was.
> 
> A surprise thunderstorm popped up and the temps dropped about 20 degrees in 20 minutes. By the time we got ferried back to the truck, we were both soaked to the bone. Luckily, we had our BOBs in the truck that had complete changes of clothes (down to underwear and socks), along with a towel and a blanket. We were warm and dry within ten minutes and headed back home. The owner had to ride the 4-wheeler back to his place about 20 minutes away -- I'm guessing he was pretty miserable by the time he got home.
> 
> Being prepared is not always a disaster or an end-of-the-world event.


I was just thinking about the same thing...just watched an episode of survivor man the other day about a family who got turned around in the woods and stranded for six days. They went in will little to no gear because they were only going for a short trip on familiar terrain....vract:

It reminded me of a decision I made long ago; but one which normalcy bias can dull.

Last spring I got "stuck" (literally) snow shoeing up in the north country too late into the spring thaw, and for a brief minute had to consider what if I got stuck up here, cold wet, with no gear. Since then I have redoubled my efforts to be prepared, at all times. So last week when I was walking up behind my BOL and got turned around a bit I had nothing to fear, because I could have lasted a week out there. I have a good sense of direction, and a handheld GPS, so I made my way down a game trail to a logging road and ended up where I needed to be, but if I got lost up in the thousands of acres of wilderness behind my cabin I had all of the staples of survival.

Its when everything seems fine that you are most at risk and so I have made the determination that I am going to pack for the end of the world...just in case. If I never need that stuff, great, that means I am alive and well teh world hasn't ended and the only down side is that carrying all that weight..I grow some extra muscles.

I find the whole idea of not having A bug out bag odd, because I have three. I have a 70lb bug out bag to walk the 10 day hike to my BOL, as well as a 30lbs (baby bug out bag) that I take everywhere, and another 50lbs bag that I use for an overnight bag with clothing and a small survival kit that I would want to have if the SHTF. If it every happened that the world collapsed while I had all three bags one would go to my young brother another to his wife, I would take the biggest bag and I would be happy as a clam, because I would have the gear and supplies necessary to walk me and a sizable portion of my group to my BOL. Its more likely that if it happens I will be cut off from my redundant preps, thats the reason for redunancy, because its not a pretty scenario when poop hits a fan!


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I don't have a BOB because I'd get nowhere with one. With a 70# BOB I wouldn't make it off my property. With a 30# BOB I'd not make it to the main road. If I have to hike out a couple bottles of water and an extra magazine will have to do. 

I do have a plan on what to load into the car(s). If I can't take my vehicle I'm not going to get very far. There are a few items kept in the vehicle at all times but the fact that the vehicle is regularly filled restricts the amount of emergency gear I keep on a regular basis. There are three ways out of Dodge for me. If I go more than an hour in one direction or half that in the other two directions the tub of emergency gear gets put in the vehicle. Before Christmas I'll be driving through Canada, I'll have more gear for that trip.


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## millertimedoneright (May 13, 2013)

I don't actually have a bob either I will admit. I routinely work anywhere from 120-500 miles away from my home. I do however carry supplies tucked away in each of my vehicles such as emergency food, water, first aid kit, tarp, pistol, and rifle/shotgun, etc.. The problem is I work on towboats so 90% of the time I'm hundreds of miles from my vehicles and aren't allowed guns. I can salvage supplies before I depart my boat to head home but I will be gun less unless I just get lucky and end up close to my truck.


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## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

I don't relish the idea of having to bug out on foot because if the SHTF then the journey will be arduous. But if I have to bug out on foot, I have a BOB capable of getting me where I need to go. That being said I do hope that I either don't have to bug out or I can use my vehicle to make the trek.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

I don't have a bug out bag either. We have a year's supply of food and water in our home. I'm seldom more than 50 miles from home. If we're forced out of our home we're as good as dead anyway. We don't have a place to bug out to.


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## ContinualHarvest (Feb 19, 2012)

I have a GHB. Also, me and the family each have a multi-day pack because we enjoy backpacking. We'll have to stow gear for the baby but we'd get to our BOL that's about 13 miles away.
A 70 pound pack is just not a good idea to carry. Most of us are not physically conditioned to carry something that heavy for any amount of time. Before adding water, we try to keep out multi-day packs under 25 pounds. We've found that we can get 18-20 miles per day by hiking at that weight.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

zombieresponder said:


> ...she pulled the usual stupid human trick of continuing on until the car was sitting on the frame. I *think* that your run of the mill idiot would have had the sense to keep the drive wheels on a solid surface and do a three point turn around in reverse, but this one was special. ...


We must have her 3 brothers working for us.

Sunny spring afternoon. Top 3" or 4" of the ground has thawed. Brother #1 drove a service truck down a hill on a grass utility easement. When he tried to go back up the hill, stuck. Brother's 2 & 3 tried to pull the service truck out with a 4x4 by pulling uphill! Yep. They got the second truck stuck too. I got the call and was told, "WE NEED A BIG WRECKER!"

My service truck is a 4x4. I left the front axle on the dry pavement, lots of pull straps back to the second vehicle and pop, out came the second vehicle. Then the Brothers wanted me to back down the hill to get the first truck out :nuts:

No! Lock the vehicle up and we will get it out tomorrow morning!

Next morning, 7AM. While the 3 Brother's are arguing over which wrecker company, I grab a part-time helper and my truck. Drove over the now frozen topsoil (previous night temperature was mid 20s (F) and we pulled the last truck out with zero problems.

When we got back to work the brothers were still arguing about how to... guess that's why I get paid the big bucks?


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## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

BillS said:


> I don't have a bug out bag either. We have a year's supply of food and water in our home. I'm seldom more than 50 miles from home. If we're forced out of our home we're as good as dead anyway. We don't have a place to bug out to.


That may be true but don't you want to give yourself a chance. Fact is that if the S REALLY HTF 90% of the population could perish...that includes many of us sitting on foodstuffs, perhaps percisely because we are sitting on those supplies...

Food is just a chance. That's what a bug out bag is...

If your house is lost in a snow storm and its a week before help comes don't you want to have the means to make a shelter and stay warm, for 7 days? Even if it just means bugging out to a field near your wrecked home? Or to a neighbors house with enough food and the ability to make it warm for a week?


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## Wikkador (Oct 22, 2014)

My tow straps, chains, hand tools and misc repair items are 3 times as expensive as the items in my emergency bag. Basic survival items which consist of water, first aid, self defense, fire starting, sheltering, lighting and extra clothing are just as relevant as anything else intended to mitigate problems. Mockery, quips and sarcasm are not realistic points of view and hunkering down in a warm cozy home is only good if its there, you can get to it or as long as you can remain there safely. Sometimes no matter what you would like to do, you have to do something else entirely. Most realistic safety plans include a plan to abandon the area entirely under certain circumstances. The titanic was not supposed to sink and to that end they did not have enough life rafts. A BOB is simply akin to lifeboat supplies and the only question is what you want to have with you if a significant disruption in services occurs. 

I have used different elements of my BOB many times over and I rebuild it every year. Just this morning I gave a SOL blanket to a guy changing his tire near a railway station where the road was full of debris and glass. If you cant find a use for basic emergency items in your kit, you are living a very boring life. I have used my BOB items more times than I have ever used a fire extinguisher.


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## millertimedoneright (May 13, 2013)

While having an actual bob would be a very big help in the event of bugging out or bugging home it isn't necessarily needed. In my case I could easily scrounge together food supplies, water, lightweight cookware, tarp, knives, etc etc in 5 mins from my workplace. In my opinion having a good plan outweighs everything else. Depending on where I'm located when it happens I may be a short walk from my truck where I keep my guns, etc or I may have places like New Orleans or Houston in my path. It will truly be luck based for me. It just wouldn't be practical for me to have an actual bob with me in my line of work.


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## Yeti-695 (Dec 15, 2015)

*Do you really need one?*

It depends on the event and situation. I plan to stay where I'm at as long as I can. I live off in the stick and dont have a whole lot of people around me. That can be good and bad. I do have a small group that plans to make it here if that is possible. I have a small bag of items that I need to go somewhere I have it. I mainly use the same bag for traveling. The only thing I dont carry is water. I do have some food that I take, but I need to get better at taking water. That being said I have several life straws and water purification tablets that I take with me. Also a small pot. Its not a bad idea to have one, and its really what got me into the prepping mentality, but since then we moved and dont see it as a have to have item. Every situation is different. You need to make a choice and go with it. Dont let people tell you that you have to have something, it may work for them but not for you. I'll step down off the soap box now.


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## fteter (May 23, 2014)

Good thread here. Lots of thought-provoking ideas. My take, for what it's worth:

1. We have Get Home Bags in both vehicles. Not to survive the zombie apocalypse, but just enough to get us home if we hoof it through the local area.

2. We also keep 72-hour bags at home, just in case we need to leave in a hurry (fire comes to mind here). Again, no zombie apocalypse preps here.

3. None of our bags are very heavy. At this age, the days of humping 70 pound bags for 50 miles are long past. These are more like military assault packs.

4. No matter how smart you think you are, you cannot prepare for every possible necessity in a small pack. Do your best, pack light, and pack with a definite objective in mind.


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## Wikkador (Oct 22, 2014)

There seems to be this universal assumption that people can simply go home.. and then leave if they must. If what we are talking about it a significant crisis, I do not subscribe to the idea that I can simply go home. Having a kit that is designed to "get me home" is a relatively low preparedness level. A 72hr kit does not take up much space and if you do not need but some water and a good pair of shoes to mitigate a bad situation... great. If you cannot go home, if you must stay where you are for an extended period of time or if you must abandon the area, city or region.. what do you want with you? 72hr has been the universal minimum type of kit for a long while. This is the model I subscribe to and every kit I have is developed around that limited duration. No matter what you decide to do.. good luck.


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