Ok, so for my first post I thought I would talk about something called a Bug-Out Bag (BOB).  The core concept behind having a BOB is disaster readiness.  A BOB is a bag filled with everything you need to live for a few days.  My bugout bag is set up in such a way that I can live out of the bag for a minimum of three days before I need to start foraging or hunting for food.  After those three days are up, I have tools that I would need to hunt, set up a more permanent shelter, and basically extend my stay away from home or civilization depending on the disaster.  So without further ado I will introduce my Bug-Out Bag

My actual bag is a standard issue US Military Flier's Kit Bag, it can hold a lot of stuff but it's not great for lugging around or running from Zombies with...

Which is why I absolutely love compartmentalization!  This is my Bug-Out Bag.  

"But wait! didn't you say that that green bag was your Bug-Out Bag?" 

Yep, I sure did, I've got a two in one system.  All that means is that I have two Bug-Out Bags, one (a smaller, lighter, and more portable backpack) inside of the other (a larger bag that can hold more stuff but can't be carried easily).  This means my BOB is made of two main parts: my backpack(essentials) and other stuff.  I'll start with my backpack.

This is my lightweight Patrol Sleeping Bag, it is part of the US Military Modular Sleep System.  I'm not sure what this one is rated for but I'm guessing somewhere around 40-50 degrees.  It's not very warm but since I live in the South, it combined with some of my other shelter items will keep me warm most nights.  I have it stuffed inside a cheapo Walmart dry-sack so if I take a dip in the drink or get rained on, at least I will have a dry sleeping bag when I lay down at night.

This is not a great view at all but this is my 11' x 11' Sportsman's Guide Guide Gear Tarp.  A tarp is in my opinion an essential part of any BOB.  A tarp combined with the knowledge of how to use and set up different tarp shelters can prove invaluable in a survival situation.  There are so many tarps out there that I can't recommend one or another, I can however say that this tarp is reasonably priced, relatively lightweight, and packs nicely into another one of those cheapo dry sacks.  For a frame of reference on the size that it packs down to, the stuffsacks come in three sizes and this blue one is the smallest size available.  wrapped around it is my ridgeline for my tarp and for my bugnet.  It is made out of 550 lb test parachute cord and is about 30' long

Although a tarp is essential, this is the cornerstone of my shelter.  An Eagles Nest Outfitters Inc Doublenest Hammock.  I have had my ENO for about a year now and I can't imagine camping without it.  It gets you up off the ground allowing cooling air circulation underneath you and also negates the threat of creepy crawlies and snakes slipping into your sleeping bag.  

A new addition to my shelter setup is the ENO Guardian bug net.  My first night hammock camping I was quite literally eaten alive by mosquitoes.  I had trouble getting to sleep because of the buzzing around my ears and when I awoke in the morning I found bites covering every square inch of my body except for the areas covered by my shorts and shirt.  After this horrific experience I initially re-purposed a Military Bug net but because of the hassle and the weight of the net, I decided to upgrade to the purpose built, lightweight, ENO model.

Finally for my suspension.  This is the last piece of my Hammock setup, nothing special just the ENO Slap Strap Pros.  They are a longer and lighter alternative to ENO's stock Slap Straps

This image shows how my hammock, tarp and bug-net all work together.  This image actually shows my old Army bug-net and not my new ENO one but gives a good picture of how it all works.  Notice that my tarp is freaking huge and covers a lot more than just my hammock.  This size allows me to shelter other hammock or ground campers as well as have dry ground to stand on when I get out of my hammock and cook or break camp.

This image is deceptive, the bag shown is the bag that came with my Guide Gear Tarp but as I can compress the tarp tighter with another bag, I used this to house my US Issue Woodland Camo Poncho Liner.  This is a great multipurpose item as it can be used as a blanket, as camouflage, as a windbreak, as an under-quilt or as a groundcloth.

At the risk of sounding like a pansy, I can't sleep without a pillow which makes this item absolutely critical for my sanity and comfort.  It is a field and stream camping pillow and I bought it because it was cheap and small.

This is a ThermoCELL... it uses a chemical pad and a butane canister to keep Mosquitoes away, Awesome!

This is my 1Qt US Canteen with a Canteen Cover and Canteen Cup, it also has water purification tablets in the pouch on the side.

 This is my Khukuri Machete, it is strong, sharp, has a nylon sheath, a black blade and can chop down trees as well as cleave Zombie heads.

A Square Tupperware container filled with 3 Ramen Noodle packages, 2 Nature Valley Granola Bars, 2 Bic lighters, and 1 survival spork.

And last but not least a basic Weekender First Aid Kit from Walmart supplemented with some extra bandaids, some moleskin, some alcohol swabs, a thermometer, and some basic medicines as well as prescriptions.

Two views of how I packed my backpack, unmentioned items are a Bear Grylls Gerber Ultimate Survival Knife, and moar Paracord.

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Now for the rest of the stuff not in my backpack.

My ancient Eddie Bauer 30 degree Mummy style Sleeping bag.

My Dry-Sack of clothes.  It has two pairs of long pants, one long and one short sleeve shirt, 2 pairs of wool socks, my Columbia Softshell Jacket, some leather shooting gloves and a wool cap for cold weather.

My waterproof, Goretex Merrill Chameleon 3 hiking shoes.  this ensures that whatever footwear I happen to be wearing when I need to Bug Out, I have access to some durable and comfortable outdoor shoes.

 My Columbia Rain gear: Pants (top) and Parka (below)

And that's just about it, I also have a couple extra water bottles, a Pack Towel, some Deodorant, a compass, a Zippo, a Snakebite kit, Duct tape, and a Homemade Bennet's Expedient Survival Tin (BEST) Pocket Survival Kit.



This BOB stays in the back of my car until needed so it does not include any firearms.  You'll notice that my BOB has a bunch of duplicates(Ie: 2 sleeping bags, multiple water bottles, multiple meals, multiple weapons, 2 person Hammock)so it could be stretched to cater to two people albeit less comfortably and for a shorter period of time. This, in my opinion, is a good capability to have in case you get stuck with extra refugees who are unprepared.  A lot of this is my own personal preference or opinion, I might not have every item that professionals say you should have but this is what I was able to throw together from what I already owned and what I was willing to buy on my College Student Budget.  Hope you enjoy this and learn something from it, if you have any Questions, Suggestions, Criticisms or Comments please let me know.