How To Build A Bug Out Bag

When it comes to building a Bug Out Bag, most people will try and fit everything including the kitchen sink. Wether you are looking at making your first bag or wanting to shave a few pounds off of your current bag, having the 10 C’s of survival will keep your mind on the right track. A good rule of thumb is “ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain”, so being able to stay light especially in a situation where you have to leave your home time is of the essence.

10 C’s Of Survival

• Cutting tool
• Combustion Device
• Cover
• Container
• Cordage
• Cotton Bandannas
• Cargo Tape
• Compass
• Cloth Sail Needle
• Candling Device

When hearing the word “Bug Out Bag” it tends to bring the mind to the apocalypse or a major catastrophic event. However, a simple “Bug Out Bag” can be used for much more than a simple Run for the hills scenario. Much of the items you find in a bug out bag are the same items found in a typical camping and hiking bag, albeit with some variations depending on what exactly you want.

You can make it simple by Following the 10 C’s of survival and then extrapolate them further or reel it back. In this article we will go through the 10 C’s to make everything flow into one overall backpack that will fit your needs.

Bug Out Bag Essentials

1. Cutting Tool

Cutting tools can come in a variety of objects. Ax, Folding saw, hand chainsaw, a nice survival knife, or even a sharp stick to cut cord with. Depending on your use case, a folding saw and a good sturdy hunting knife will get you far. Sometimes it’s best to carry all 3 or you can play with them to figure out your match.

2. Combustion Device

Combustion devices are easy and cheap to get but it’s always good to have multiple incase one fails. Since they are lightweight, carrying a few different types of sources of fire is pretty simple. Waterproof matches and flint and steel make a nice simple way to have a fire starter. But to someone who never used flint and steel a plasma lighter might be a better choice.

To add to the fire kit, bringing some kindling along (the stuff that helps start the fire) is easy. You can buy some kindling which usually contains highly flammable material in a lightweight package, or even make some at home with dryer lint and petroleum jelly or even vaseline. Either way its not bad to have.

3. Cover

Cover is your shelter for the time being wherever you are at and also the clothes you decide to bring. Tarps are the simplest solution, it packs down and weighs almost nothing but can be troublesome if you’re in a clearing (you shouldn’t be in a clearing). Which is where a tent, hammock or bivy comes in handy. There are a wide variety of pop up tents that simply pop up. But looking at the weight it tends to not be the first choice. There are the backpacking lightweight tents that are great, but be prepared to pay a pretty penny for that comfort. The hammock is a great balance between comfort, packability, and it being easy to set up. Hammocks are a lightweight option to a tent and can be set up and taken down easily compared to a tent, but using a tarp as a cover can be problematic if there are no good staging trees around. The Bivvy sack is simply a weatherproof cover for a sleeping bag. Mainly used in the Military, the bivy is the quickest way to set up and break camp within minutes. Easy to conceal and if used right with the conditions being faced, lighter than a tent system.

 

Clothes

The consensus for anyone who has been camping and backpacking for a while point to clothes that wick away moisture from your body to prevent chafing, stink, and other issues while moving about away from a shower and readily available dry clothes. The materials can be anywhere from Merino wool, DriFire undergarments and much more. Cotton does kill when its on your body however there are use cases for cotton bandanas that will be talked about later in this article.

4. Containers

Containers are needed to keep a water supply on your person but for also getting more water or even storing items for later. A rule of thumb is a sealable container made out of stainless steel to be used to boil, collect and transport water with you.

5. Cordage

Cordage is useful in a myriad of ways, tie down gear to your pack, setting up shelters, hammocks, and bush craft to name a few. You can also break cordage down into smaller pieces to have even more tie downs if needed. The tensile strength of the cordage depends on which one you choose but the basic go to is 100 ft 550 7 strand paracord for most use cases.

6. Cotton Bandannas 

Even though cotton kills, cotton bandanas can save a life. Besides the obvious use as a head covering it can also be used as kindling, wash rag, sling, cravat, or even bandages. These bandanas are lightweight and can be packed down to almost nothing.

7. Cargo Tape

Cargo tape, also known as duck tape. Duck tape is useful in a pinch to patch holes in gear, binding things (including yourself if needed) and a great fire starter. Many people, including myself carry a roll of Gorilla tape and also a bic lighter wrapped in gorilla tape. Sometimes redundancies are useful.

8. Compass

One of if not the most important tool to have and train with is the classic compass.

A solid compass should be made sure to have a reflective mirror built into it. Whether it be for checking for ticks or injuries in areas you normally can’t see. Finding a compass with a mirror and a magnifying glass is even better because you can use that glass to channel the sun to try to light a fire if all other tools have failed.

9. Cloth Sail Needle

The cloth sail needle is a needle capable of being used for repairing canvas cloth but also any other cloth you can think of if need be. It also has few use cases, for one if it has been magnetized iit can give you the ability to make a makeshift compass, pull out splitters, and in worse case scenarios used as suture.

10. Candling

Candling doesn’t necessarily mean a candle or an old school lantern even though those classic ways can still be used. In the modern day the best candling device is a headlamp allowing your hands to be free and providing a large source of light wherever you go. Like the mirror on the compass it can also be used as a signaling device if it has multiple settings and even a strobe. Having a head lap that has multiple settings including a red light setting can be very helpful if you are in an evade situation due to red light not traveling as far as white light. Allowing you to use it but still be relatively hidden.

With all that being said, bug out bags can contain a variety of gear that can be the key to your survival and even comfortability. This article contains the bare essentials that all outdoor kits should have to achieve success. Everyone has an opinion on different loadouts of gear, storage systems, lights, and whatnot but being able to have a basic platform to leap from is what everyone should consider looking into. Once building a bag you like, you should go out and test all the gear you can to make sure it works and that you have the ability to use said gear. This basic list of the 10’s can be changed for an urban setting as well. Much of it stays the same but some will change to account for the urban setting. As time goes by you will figure out what you need and what you want. With time you’ll be able to confidently say to yourself “Yeah, I can do this’ ‘ without second guessing yourself and your gear.