What even is a survival bag? What's the difference between a bugout Bag, survival bag, or a disaster bag?
Those are loaded AF questions.
The truth is, there's no real difference between a Bugout or survival bag. As for Disaster bags, this video from Mike G explains the difference very well. If you have time, we highly suggest you give that vid a watch.
Ok, I know what the each bag type is, now what goes into them?
This question is loaded too, the good news is we have some basics!
Also, a playlist by Kitbashed has pretty solid survival bags that he goes through and discusses. One our favorite videos, shows one of his more higher glowing reviews of a kit.
First is choosing a bag. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a $100 dollar bag with all the bells and whistles. If you're on a tight budget, that's that even practical.
A good solid backpack with padded adjustable shoulder straps is a good start. Something comfortable, can hold up to at least 40L, and is durable.
I got the backpack, now what do I put into it?
Ok, this is kind of the fun, but important part. How much can you carry around on your back for hours on end? The vast majority of Americans can probably lug about 30 lbs around with some gripe.
40L isn't an end goal, you don't need that much for basics, but room means you can add things like a change of clothes later.
Water
You need a way to get it, a way to purify any you get, and a way to store it. We, here at STM, tend to have several redundancies on this front. We pack water pouches (SOS, Datrex, ect), purification tablets, (Aquatab, PG, ect) a filtration system of some sort, (Lifestraw, Sawyer, ect), and something to boil water in and safely consume. We add stainless steel nested canteen cups, coffee filters, or a bandana to our packs to help aid in this endeavor.
First Aid
You can build a first aid kit, and tailor it to your preferences, or head off to Amazon or Walmart, and grab a premade.
If you opt for the latter, just know they come with a lot of bandaids. Lots and lots of them usually.
Now, granted, we do tend to pick a premade kit. But we always add to it, setting it up to our preferences, making it better. Also, in our packs, we do add Israeli bandages and tourniquets. It you choose to do this, please make sure that you have some type of training to use this this video is a good resource, but not meant to be actual training).
A Way To Reach and/or communicate with the outside world
Having a nice NOAA, 2-way radio, or even a satellite phone are great options here.
Sharp And Possibly Pointy Things
We like at least 3 of these things, and generally our own bugout bags will have a pocket knife, a regular decent sized survival knife, and a folding saw or axe (some of us here pack both).
Fire/Light
Being able to make a fire is essential in a survive kit because it provides warmth, water cleansing, signaling for help, and can also keep some critters at bay. So, we tend to pack a ferro rod, water and windproof matches, and a fresnel lens; along with a fuel source.
For light, we have at least a good solid flashlight, and a headlamp. We tend to go with hybrid (battery operated & rechargeable). We also pack extra batteries. However, we tend to add chemical lights (glow lights) to our packs, and if room permits, a collapsible lantern too.
Shelter/Comfort
You may be tempted to purchase full on tents and stuff. No! What we add are Emergency tents, (tube tents that are suspended by cordage or something else.), emergency mylar blankets and sleeping bags. If we go without having to crack the sleeping bag, all the better.
There's a variety of videos out there about different shelters you can create when out in the woods, but let's try and remember that a survival bag can be used if you are being evacuated from your home and going to hotel or shelter for nay reason.
If you do need to build a shelter, these videos are both informative and entertaining and we watch them a lot!
Rain poncho. This is self explanatory. There are some that can act as a tarp.
Necessary Extras/Tools
A map of your state, and a compass to help navigate it. We found a few videos to help learn these thins, one can be found here. We also have a good multitool like a Leatherman Bolster or Victoriannox in our bags.
A whistle, this can you rescuers find you, or you can locate lost family and friends.
Some type of sanitization and hygiene items. Hand sanitizer can also act as an accelerant if needed too.
Batteries- our flashlights and headlamps are all hybrid, so we carry at least 4 double and triple A batteries each in our packs. we also have power banks in addition to a hand crank radio.
Paracord, like duct tape can be used for SO much!
Baby food if they require formula or something specialized.
Also copies of important paperwork (driver's licenses, birth and marriage certificates, and any deeds or titles) spare keys to your home and/or vehicles.
Cash. It may not be possible to get money out of an atm in an emergency, so try to keep some dollars in your bag to tide you over.
Luxury Extras That Are Optional
Yes, we said food. If needed, the body can survive without food for quite awhile. This doesn't mean it's a happy time, so we tend to pack emergency food rations (Datrex, SOS, Round House, Patriots, ect). If we have room, we'll add an MRE, jerky stores, some type of crumbled oats, ect.
A one person stainless steel mess kit. Usually this comes with a spork, bowl, and a cup.
Change of clothes.
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All in all, a survival bag should be able to hold all of the necessities, and a few extras comfortably. There are a ton of other things you can do to make sure you're prepared for an emergency situation.
Also, you can grab one of our bags, from here, that starts you off right! Our bags are what we carry, and we know they work. They're also upgradable, so you can add your own gear to make them suit you and the environment you're in.
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