Why a Bug Out Bag is Vital Today

It might be challenging to imagine an emergency scenario during everyday life. However, it was only two years ago at the beginning of the worldwide pandemic when people ran out of groceries at home, and the grocery stores ran out of stock simultaneously. It left the whole world in panic, except for those who were ready.

Why a Bug Out Bag is Vital Today

After spending two years in a global pandemic, it is only natural not to want to remember difficult times. However, it is also only natural to prepare for the worst.

When even a global health emergency can bring out the worst in people and make you feel like you are the only person you can count on, you wouldn’t want to depend on others in a worst-case scenario such as a natural disaster, war, or complete power breakdown. However, you can take some steps today that can help you ensure your survival in any global health pandemic or even a natural disaster.

One of the best tools that can help is a bug-out bag. Having a go-bag or bug-out bag ready for every member of your household is one of these essential measures. A bug-out bag for your pets is also a must.

Prepping a bug out bag is the most vital measure that ensures your survival in a severe emergency where you cannot access any help. A bug-out bag is designed to keep you safe, warm, well-nourished, and hydrated until help can reach you.

Bug-out bags are intended to be that one item you can grab in an emergency when getting out of your house or area in a rush. They should have all essentials you may need to get by for the next 72 hours, which should be enough time to find help.

Most bug-out bags aka go bags, ensure easy survival for 72 hours. However, depending on your bodily needs, you can stretch out the survival essentials for longer or add more of each staple to survive longer.

To make things easier, here are some bug out bag essentials:

Top Bug Out Bag Essentials

Most bug-out bags available in the market include medical supplies, personal hygiene items, wearable protective items, and long-term food. However, you can easily customize a store-bought bug-out bag for your individual needs.

We encourage you to pack a personalized bug-out bag with quality gear inside. One tip that many fail to follow is to keep the bug-out bag as light as possible. It should be light enough to be comfortably carried if you need to walk a long distance with it. A quality bag that is comfortable to carry and holds up against water and snow is essential.

Basics

For basics, we recommend following the rule of 3’s.

• 3 minutes without air — have something in the bug-out bag to cover your airway, e.g., a bandana, n-95 mask, etc.
• 3 hours without shelter and fire — have something for protection, e.g., tarp, rain poncho, Bic or a similar cigarette lighter, magnesium fire starter, and Ferro rod, Mylar blanket, sleeping bag, or wool blanket.
• 3 days without water — have drinking water already stored in your bug-out bag with a quality water filter, i.e., a Sawyer mini filter and Aqua Mira water purifying tablets.
• 3 weeks without food — although the go bag is designed as a 72-hour but, we encourage you to have ready-to-eat food, like an MRE (Meal Ready to Eat), protein bars, survival bars, granola, trail mix, etc. Keep easy-to-eat food with little to no prep for eating, if not for 3 weeks, then at least for 3 days.
• Quality knife — it is an essential tool to survive and can be used for many purposes, like cutting branches, cutting rope, opening cans of food, etc.
• Signaling devices — these include whistles, mirrors, flashlights, etc. A USB charging station for your phone can also prove helpful.

Essential Medication & First Aid

A Boo-Boo kit containing band-aids, various bandages, 2 pairs of nitrile gloves, Tylenol, aspirin, Neosporin, triple antibiotic cream, a Mylar blanket to keep warm, and medicines for personal medical needs are also go-bag essentials.

For example, depending on your medical needs, you can add a container of permanent medication that you need. You can also keep a special travel container for your medication. If you are a diabetic, keeping a cool pouch in your home’s refrigerator can be helpful. You can grab the insulin and the cool pouch together during an emergency.

On the other hand, if you are allergic to certain foods or have dietary restrictions, adding anti-allergy medicine to your go bag will make it more effective. You can also start gaining knowledge to use the medical supplies in your bug out first aid box on a personal level.

Personal Hygiene Kit

For personal hygiene, most bug-out bags contains cleaning wipes and sanitizers. If you are a biological female, your bug-out bag essentials may include menstrual health items. Moreover, after witnessing a global health pandemic, it might be wise to include some facemasks, disposable gloves, and a PPR suit in the bag.

Appropriate Wearable

Wearable essentials for go bag may vary from region to region. Prepping the bag according to the weather of the region where you live can make it even more helpful for you.

For example, those living in areas that receive heavy rainfall can benefit by adding plastic sheets and umbrellas to their bug-out bags. On the other hand, thermal wear is vital for those living in colder regions.

Most go bags come with thermal blankets, work gloves, hand warmers, and ponchos, as these are all lightweight and valuable items. But you can easily replace these items or add more to your bug-out bag.

Quality boots that allow hiking with good ankle support, with an extra pair of socks, are also bug out bag essentials.

Long Term Food

Last but not least, long-term food is also essential for any bug out bag. Many bug-out bag manufacturers have succeeded in developing long-term food (product linked here) that is nutritious, takes up little space, can be prepared within minutes, and is easy to carry. With a shelf life of one to two decades, long-term food can be bought and stored at an accessible place in the house for any kind of emergency.

Always be Prepared

Finally, besides providing you with all the essentials for your survival in emergencies, a bug-out bag brings you peace of mind. Prepping for emergencies in any way or form can make you more confident in your abilities to deal with them when an emergency finally strikes. Without having to worry about cold or food, you will be able to think of solutions to protect yourself and your loved ones.

You are now on your way to becoming a Prepping Fool.