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A Guide to Bugging Out and Creating The Perfect Bug Out Bag

Creating The Perfect Bug Out Bag In this section, I'm going to go over what items you'll want to have in order to create the perfect bug out bag. Remember, every member of your group needs to have their own bug out bag. I stock all of my bags exactly the same, except for the clothing, which contains the same items just in the different appropriate sizes. The first thing you need to decide on is the bag itself. There are many great options out there but I personally use an Osprey Atmos 65 backpack. This allows me the room I need for my items plus it doesn't add a lot of extra cargo weight. With everything packed, including my tent, it weighs approximately 30lbs. This weight doesn't account for any food and water I may be bringing with me. You'll need to add a few more pounds for that. I suggest doing a little research and seeing what kind of options are important for your needs. I went through a few bags before finally settling on this one. I did make some adjustments to my bag like taking out all the internal bags and switching over to ultralight bags to cut down on weight. I also use packing cubes to help organize my items and cut down on the space they take up in my bag. These work wonders for staying better organized and I suggest you look into purchasing some. I have my gear set up and organized into different bags. I use a survival tools bag, medical bag, clothing bag, toiletries bag, electronics bag, tent bag, sleeping bag, and my cooking set. Having these things separated and labeled cuts down on the time I need to find what I need. Before packing, I also lay everything out and double check my list to make sure I haven't forgotten anything. Don't skip this step! You don't want to be in a situation where something you need isn't available because you were too lazy to double check your bag. Here I'll break down each of the bags and what items I keep in each one. Remember, everyone's situation is different, so feel free to add or subtract anything as you see fit. There is no one bug out bag that will work for everyone. Take into account your location, your budget, and your skills when finalizing what you'll add to your bag. Tent Bag / Sleeping Bag Choose whichever brands you want. Just make sure they are durable, lightweight, waterproof and fit any size requirements you may have. I always carry a tent, sleeping bag, tarp, ground pad and a wool blanket in each of my bags. Survival Tools Bag In this bag, I keep all the tools I'll need to help me survive. Here is the list of items I keep in my personal bag: Maps + Schedule of all Bug Out Locations and Rendezvous Points Mini Filtration System & Straw Folding Pocket Knife + Multi-Tool Lighters ( I always carry a few extra) Candles + Matches +Fire Starter ( I always have multiple options for starting fire) Emergency Mylar Blanket + Fishing Kit + Snare Wire Adjustable Wrench + Scissors + Tape Measure Headlamp w/ Spare Battery + Flashlight + Red Slip On Filter (Night Vision) Key Chain Light + Signal Mirror Chainsaw w/ Extra Hand and a small container of Olive Oil Hatchet + Binoculars + Sewing Kit Pepper Spray + Duct Tape Paracord / Rope Tightener / S Clips Handgun + Ammo (These are part of my bag & my wife's bag only, not my kids) Clothing Bag Socks ( 4 Pairs) Single Layer Polyester Long Sleeve Shirt Dry Base Layer Pants Fleece or Jacket Underwear (4 Pairs) Wool Hat Waterproof Rain Gear (Poncho) Boots (1 Pair) Shoes (1 Pair) Work Gloves Shirts (3) Pants (3) Electronics Bag Encrypted Thumb Drive (With Personal Information + Backup of Documents Binder) Ham Radio + Charger Phone + Charger Laptop or Hand Held Tablet + Charger Batteries (All Sizes Needed)

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Food & Water Long Term Survival Guide

Growing & Raising Your Own Food Many people often assume our country has the most abundant and safest food supply in the world. They feel our food supply can offer the most choices and convenience while also offering the lowest costs. While some of this may be true, in an SHTF situation our food supply would run out alarmingly fast. I believe, like many others, that food we've grown ourselves, or sourced from local farms is almost always better in taste and nutritional value than anything we can purchase from a store. Now I understand everyone won't have the land needed to raise their own animals and grow massive gardens. However, if you're creative, you can grow a good amount of food from just a small herb and vegetable garden. The point is to start learning how to provide your own food while prepping in order to make you better prepared in case of a disaster. Another great reason for starting early and growing your food now is how much savings it can provide to help fund your other preps. Once you get your garden set up and producing food, you'll be able to slash your food bill down to next to nothing. This will allow you to stock up on everything you'll need in case of an emergency. This will also allow you to begin creating your long term food storage plan. Now, if something bad does happen, you'll have more food already stored. You won't need to wait for more food to grow as you start your garden because it will already be up and producing your food. Don't get me wrong, growing food requires patience and hard work, but the benefits of extra food security definitely outweigh the negatives. Back in the era of the Great Depression, there were millions of people who felt a real sense of hunger. These people had lost all their savings and were no longer able to provide food for their families. The saving grace for people back then was that most people already knew how to garden and grow their own sources of food. This meant they had the ability to supplement dwindling food stores with the food they were growing themselves and then barter with their neighbors for everything else they needed. Fast forward to our modern day and age. How many people now do you think would be able to grow their own food, if the world faced a similar situation. Unfortunately, not nearly as many. People have grown lazier and less educated in the ways of farming due to all the modern conveniences invented over the last 70 years. Knowing the kind of food you want to begin growing is a crucial part of any serious prepper's life. You need to do your planning far in advance so you can implement it effectively and pivot to other options if a change is needed. Another thing you'll need to decide on is your preferred gardening techniques. There are many different methods employed when growing food. I suggest reading up on a few and choosing the one that speaks to you. For example, I've employed a bio-intensive gardening technique in the past. This form of gardening focuses on 8 principles that let me produce higher yields than a less intensive approach might

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An Introduction to SHTF Prepping

Creating an SHTF Survival Disaster Preparedness Plan Knowing your long term plans and strategy, in the event of a disaster is one of the most critical aspects of successfully surviving long-term. If you don't have a plan in place, or your plan is incomplete and missing important components, you might not recover from it. In this section, I'll discuss some of the most important questions you'll need to ask yourself and have answered before getting started. Where will you and your family take shelter? Do you have a backup shelter plan in place in case something happens to your main shelter? Is your shelter close to a legitimate water source that you can easily access? Is your shelter warm, dry, and able to be secured from attackers? Do you have access to both food and shelter in the same location, or are they separate from one another. How many people will you have in your group? Do you have a plan in place to keep your food secure and dry? Will you have different stockpiles in multiple locations? How long can your stockpile last? What is your plan for replenishing your stockpile, and any other tools, or weapons you need to survive long term? Do you have a comprehensive first aid kit? How will you keep your family or group safe from an attacker? Do you have any weapons training or medical training? If not, do you plan on getting any? As you may have noticed there's a lot of things you'll need to think about before creating an SHTF disaster preparedness survival plan. Only after you've worked out the answers to these important questions can you really begin to get a plan put into place. I like to think of my plan being divided into three different main stages. The fist stage is my short term plans (months 1-4). The second stage is my mid term plans (5 months – 1 year). The final stage is my long term plan (1 year+). Each of these stages should be thoroughly thought out and prepared for. If you fail to do this, you could end up prepping incorrectly, or end up wasting preps you spent time on, due to poor planning. Remember, stockpiling your rations is the easiest part of the process. The harder parts involve knowing how long your preps will last, how you're going to use them, and what you're plans are when you're stockpile runs low. I suggest keeping detailed records of all of your preps and every item in your stockpile. It's important to know the quantity of each item when you added the item to your stockpile, the expiration date of your food, any instructions needed on how to operate something you've purchased, and a schedule for rotating your food so you're always eating things before they spoil and go to waste