A survival kit or bug out bag is arguably the most important piece of your emergency preparation. If an emergency or disaster strikes, you may be forced to stop and leave your present location at a moments notice. With that in mind, I recommend that you keep a survival kit in your vehicle so you will be prepared in the event that you need to "bug out" in a hurry.

Here's a breakdown of what I keep in my survival kit or bug out bag. This bag is kept in my car and will help sustain me for more than 72 hours if need be. Certain items are more important that others, and I've tried to point out the items that are essential and those that are beneficial to have but not as necessary.

The Pack

The first step is to pick out your main pack. It's important to have a durable backpack to fit all your gear and supplies in. I suggest (and personally use) a backpack known as the MOLLE Assault Pack by made by Specialty Defense Systems or SDS for short. The quality of this pack is incredible. It is super durable and also somewhat waterproof. This is the same equipment that is provided to the soldiers presently serving in the United States military. So I say, if it's good enough for combat, it's good enough for me.

You can get this backpack on ebay (they run between $30 an d $85 depending on whether the pack is new or used). If you go with this pack, you won't be disappointed

A nice aspect of this pack is that it is part of the larger MOLLE system which means that there are a number of different packs, pouches and other items that coordinate with this pack. In addition to the asault pack that is shown in the picture, I also have the larger main pack which I use to pack extra clothes and footwear.

The MOLLE Pack is my preference, but any decent quality backpack will do the job pretty well.

Knives and Sharpeners

It is important to have a quality knife or two in your survival kit. I recommend that you have at least one fixed blade knife as well as a folding knife. There is an incredible amount of information on the internet about knives. I could not possible tell you what the best knife is since that answer depends on several factors, such as local environment, budget, etc. What I can tell you is what characteristics should be found in a quality knife.

First off, you want a knife that is made with quality construction. If we're talking a fixed blade knife, you want a knife that has a full tang (meaning that the metal that consists of the blade extends all the way into the handle of the knife). A full tang knife is much more durable than one that is not. You also want a knife that has a sharp edge, and can keep that edge. This is important because the longer the knife can hold that sharp edge, the less frequently you need to sharpen the knife.

In my opinion, some quality brand name knife manufacturers are: Ka-Bar, S.O.G. Benchmade and Spyderco. Regardless of the knifes you keep in your pack, you should also keep at least one or two mechanisms to sharpen the blades. There are a number of alternatives for sharpening your blades.

You will also have to decide whether or not you want a plain edge or a serrated edge on your knife. Personally, I think a plain edge is sufficient. Serrated edges are helpful when cutting cordage, but they are much more difficult to sharpen than plain edges, especially when in the field.

Navigation

Make sure you have a few maps packed into your pack. I recommend packing maps of the local area, the state, as well as the region (New England, Mid-Atlantic, etc.). In the event you need to get far away, these maps will become extremely valuable, especially if time is of the essence.

Having a compass and a back up is essential.

GPS units are nice and handy, in fact they're great for finding that alternative route out of dodge when the highways are a parking lot of panicked drivers. Howver, I personally prefer to use GPS units solely in my car when I know I've got a constant power source. I'd hate to be off in the woods relying on a GPS unit to find my way to safety and have the unit fail because the batteries died.

Signaling and Communication

A StarFlash signal mirror will attract attention to your spot. They're rather cheap and that makes it a nice addition to your pack.

A whistle is an essential item. Your voice will give out from yelling long before you can stop blowing on a whistle. Plus a quality whistle will be extremely loud and can be heard a great distance away. Essential if you're trying to get rescued in a secluded area.

I keep some high visibility surveyors ribbon wrapped around a bit of yardstick. This surveyor's "tape" is great for tracking your steps in the wilderness or leaving a trail for rescuers. It is very lightweight and can be indispensible if you need to leave a trail.

Light Sources

A flashlight is an essential item in any survival kit. Currently I have two flashlights: I carry a Surefire 6P LED light that is probably one of the most durable flashlights available. It provides a super bright 80 lumens and will run for 11 hours on one set of batteries. As a back up, I also have a Duracell crank led flashlight with radio. because it's a crank flashlight, I never have to worry about batteries going dead. Plus, the Duracell light also can charge my cellphone. I also keep a few glow sticks and a colapsible candle in its holder in my pack as well.

First Aid Kit

You can buy a commercial first aid kit to keep in your pack, but I'd suggest that you either make your own or supplement the kit to include some additional items. Regardless, you should keep the following items in your first aid kit: lip balm, hydrogen peroxide, benadryl, pain/fever relievers, hand sanitizer, afterbite, tweezers, band-aids, gauze pads,
medical tape, antiseptic wipes, triple antibiotic wipes, burn jel, scissors and eye wash.

I also keep some additional items in my pack that you wouldn't ordinarily find in a commercial first aid kit. The additional items I include are: bug spray, sun tan lotion, any personal medications you may need, etc.

It would also be a good idea to keep a surgical and suture kit in your pack as well.

Fire Starting

Fire starting is an essential skill in any emergency situation. Simply carrying some matches won't cut it. I recommend having gear to provide for at least three ways to start a fire. My favorites items are the Blastmatch firestarter, Light My Fire Swedish Firesteel firestarter, and a magnesium and flint bar. All three of these methods will produce a shower of sparks hot enough to ignite your tinder and get a fire going. The first two items will work under any kind of weather conditions, even extreme wind.

In addition to generating a spark, you need tinder to get a fire going. The cheapest and most readily available tinder are items like dryer lint, and Vasali ne coated cotton balls. I simply keep the dryer lint in a ziplock baggieand the cotton balls in a waterproof canister. There are commercial tinder products such as TinderQuick tabs, esbit fuel tablets, fire paste, etc that can also assist in starting a fire. I also keep a Bic ligther around as well. Regardless of what options you chose, you should make sure you have at lease two or three types of ignition as well as two or three types of tinder.

Shelter and Warmth

While your vehicle can act as your main mode of shelter, I suggest keeping at least a large tarp and two wool blankets in your vehicle. The smaller emergency mylar blankets are good in a pinch too.

Food and Sustanance

It's important to keep some sources of food in your vehicle. Of course, you need to be aware of shelf life issues, especially if its during the hotter months. I recommend some of the emergency food ration bars or MRE's. Dehydrated foods or jerky is also a great option. I also keep a couple of military issue mess kits with utensils and a small cutting board in my pack.

Water Purification

Access to water is essential to life. While a person can go for several days without food, a person cannot go for any extended period without water. It is important to have some water stored in your vehicle for this purpose. However, it is also important to have some options should you need to purify water from a suspect source. The best option is to keep some purification tablets in your kit. They are small and lightweight. In addition to purification tablets, I also have two Frontier emergency drinking straws in my kit. These straws allow you to place the filter end into water source and drink directly from source. I also keep a colapsible nalgene bottle in my pack. this is great to use as a purifying container. You can continue to drink from your main water bottle while this is purifying additional water. Plus it folds up when not in use.

Miscellaneous Items

Here are a few items that don't really fit into any other of the above categories. These items are not necessarily as important as those listed above, and some are just more for comfort than necessarily survival. In any event, if you've got the space in your pack, these items will make your life easier in the event of an emergency.

A small fishing kit can be handy if you're on your own for an extended period of time. Not only can it provide a means of catching fish from a water source, but it can help you make snare traps, etc. The contents of a fishing kit have many uses besides just fishing.

A small notepad and writing instrument. They do make notepads that can be used in inclement weather.

I've found a great product called Hand-E towels. These little tablets take up practically no space and are extremely light. They expand into a decent sized hand towel when placed in water.

A small roll of duct tape and a tube of super glue. Great for fixing things in more ways than you know.

A deck of waterproof playing cards to pass the time, entertain yourself or kids.

I have a U-Digg It folding shovel in my pack. I also have a larger folding snow shovel in my car during the winter months.

A pair of work gloves

Small roll of toilet paper. Again in an emergency situation you could go without it, but if you have it you'll be a little less miserable.

I recommend that you carry 50ft of 550 paracord rope in your pack. Don't skimp - get the reall 550 cord. It makes all the difference in the world. This stuff has thousands of uses.

A wire hand saw is great for trimming down small branches to use for firewood.

I also carry a product called Knot-A-Bag. This is a continuous roll of plastic bag. It is housed in a plastic container and you can make any size bag that you need by simply pulling it out and knotting it.

I sugest you carry some additional reusable camp towels or other towels. If you need to do any work on your car you'll be happy to have these around afterwards.

A pair of binoculrs.

I've also got a Bible in my pack to help keep the faith and hope.

Finally, it is important to remember that a well stocked survival kit can be virtually useless if you don't have the knowledge or skills to use the items packed in side. Be sure to become familiar with the tools and make sure you've got a good grasp on how to use them. Being well prepared can bring you a sense of calmness in an emergency.

For a more detailed list of my standard BOB with plenty of pictures, check out this link: http://www.emergencypreparationforum.com/here-s-my-survival-kit-and-it-s-contents-updated-33.html

For my small/travel survival kit designed for hiking/bike rides, check out this link: http://www.emergencypreparationforum.com/my-mini-survival-kit-similar-to-an-altoids-tin-kit-962.html

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If it's in your pack, but you don't know how to use it...it's useless. So, always test your skills as a form of preparation...Don't wait until your life depends on it. That's a lesson you don't want to learn the hard way.

Great post cmlesq. I would like to add some things that I have different in my BOB.

My pack is a large surplus ALICE pack with a frame. It is very comfortable and leaves me extra room in case I would have to scavenge for stuff while out an about. On each side of the pack I have 2 qt military canteens. I change the water in these about once a week.

I also have military LCE (Load Carrying Equipment) or pistol belt. I use the suspenders with it along with 2 ammo pouches for AR15 mags and 2 pouches for 9MM mags. When not used to carry ammo, you would be surprised what you can carry in these. I also have a small first aid pouch that I keep a few first aid items that I would use more often and not have to get the first aid kit out. I have another pouch which carries a surplus lensatic compass. I also have 2 1 qt canteens with canteen cups. This gives me a total capacity of 1-1/2 gallons of water, plus any bottled water or drinks I bring from my vehicle. I also have a radio pouch that holds a GPS unit, and finally I have a machete made by Gerber and comes with a pouch. This machete also has saw teeth on the back side that works ok.

For shelter and sleeping in case I would have to leave my vehicle, I have a cheap emergency tent, a cheap blue tarp, 2 space e-blankets, and a small back packers sleeping bag. (The bag gets taken out in summer.)

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Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

NRA Certified Instructor for Basic Handgun and Personal protection in the Home.
V.F.W. Life Member
NRA Member
U.S. Army Veteran

Really nice article there. A great starting point for our newer members.

You have a great list here and it will do just fine in almost every situation including cold weather. I just add a hand hatchet with hammer head, this makes it very easy to set stakes for a cheap brown plastic tarp I carry. Like you several types of fire starting equipment. I use trioxene tabs most of the time as they will even start wet wood with no hassle. Last but not least I make sure that I have a balaclava and watch cap.

One thing I might suggest for any first-aid kit is toothache numbing agent. Nothing will put you out of commision faster than dealing with a toothache or infected gums. Proper dental hygen may be limited in an extended bugout, so be ready.

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-The Road Warrior

Great post! Which MOLLE Assault Pack are you using? I've come across different versions, including "Level III", "ACU" and "Level II" and was wondering which one you had.

Without checking the label, I believe it is Level II. I will double check later today for you just to make sure.

_________________
If it's in your pack, but you don't know how to use it...it's useless. So, always test your skills as a form of preparation...Don't wait until your life depends on it. That's a lesson you don't want to learn the hard way.

Good tip on the Knot-A-Bag. I noticed Amazon is currently having a special promotion on them. If you buy 3 refills, you get the dispenser for free. Oh, and free shipping, too
"Receive 1 Knot a Bag Matching Dispenser Pack FREE for every 3 Knot a Bag Refiills you purchase offered by New Horizon Packaging Concepts."



http://www.amazon.com/Knot-Bag-Portable-Dispenser-Standard/dp/B00076WO0Q/

Good post... thank you

Thanks for this great post.
When it comes to being prepared for an emergency, are useful ways from home some of the first things that must be stored in your home. These supplies should be easily accessible whenever you need it. If you do not have these items, you'll have a hard time to disasters that may strike some survive.