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Do you have your BOB ready? No I'm not referring to bring your own beer. I'm referring to whats called a bug-out bag! Its meant to be something you can grab quickly on you way out the door! Basically a bug-out bag is a survival bag that can be quickly taken with you in the event of a disaster. Bug-out bags can literally save your life and your family. They are extremely important to have and maintain in our day and age. The basic bug-out bag should have supplies for at least 72 hours. In addition to helping you survive a major disaster, putting together a bug-out bag has the added benefit of helping you during more common emergencies such as house-fires,blackouts and personal injuries.

What should a well put together bug-out bag contain? You will need enough water and food for a minimum of 72 hours. Water listed first because humans can live without food for quite sometime however we cannot live without water beyond 3 day or so. A water purification system would also be extremely valuable in your bug-out bag. I prefer iodine tablets because they are quick and easy to use however they have their limits. Some of the new water purification filters on the market today come in surprisingly small packages and would also be well suited. As for food you want easy to prepare high caloric food. Mre's are excellent and extremely easy to pack. Any type of dry food that requires little or no preparation is what you want to go with. Also needed would be a mess kit with some sort of fire starter. I happen to like magnesium fire starters and Fresnel lenses. Both are excellent for getting a fire going.

Next on the list would be some basic items of clothing including some cold weather gear(fleece and windbreaker) and rain gear(poncho). Definitely a change of under garments and socks. A small tube tent or large piece of tyvex and parachute cord for getting out of the elements and some form of bedding. Enough medicine to last an extended period of time. A good knife, multi-tool and a small shovel cannot be understated as to value as well. For myself these items rank right up with water and fire making utensils.

Some sort of light and maybe a portable radio. With advent of L.E.D. Lights you can get a fairly descent headlamp that will run for days on batteries rather inexpensively. Personal hygiene products in a zip lock bag ( soap,toothpaste,toothbrush,toi lette paper). A basic first aid kit, Map and a compass.

This is just a basic idea for what you should have in your bug-out bag its not all inclusive. Whats important is to be prepared. A bug-out bag can literally mean life and death to you and yours. With a little planning and research you can put something together that can truly make a difference when push comes to shove. Be prepared don't leave something as important as your safety during an emergency to chance!

Learn more about this author, Chad Gill.
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