If you’ve been a prepper for a long time, you might hear a lot of the same advice on what items to include in your bug out bag. Hell, even I just recently told you about the top 5 bug out bag essentials…
But that’s just the way it is.
Everyone wants to contribute their two cents and it’s difficult to know what you’re already aware of and what’s new information.
And it’s possible that you already know about the 5 items I want to talk to you about today. But from my experience, these items are often overlooked by people that are trying to create a fully-prepared bug out bag…
So, even if you already have all but one of these items, I’ll still be happy to have helped.
Now it’s about time I stop blabbering and get started with the list, right?
Let’s get started:
Yesterday, I was looking through my bag and took out my respirator mask. And I realized that I’ve never heard any of my survivalist friends talking about owning one – but it’s so important!
You don’t know what kind of disaster will cause you to go in full survival mode – there are hundreds of scenarios I can think of, and a big chunk of them can make air unbreathable.
Imagine if an airborne pathogen starts an epidemic in your area… Wouldn’t you need a mask then?
Or picture a major earthquake, an erupting volcano or a huge explosion. All of these scenarios will make the surrounding air a serious health risk.
A pack of 20 NIOSH-certified N95 respirator masks is under 20$ on Amazon. And I never leave the house without at least one in my bag. Because I know it can make the difference between life and death.
In a survival situation, the night is not just for sleeping. You’ll find yourself in situations when you need to act fast – maybe even pack your whole shelter quickly and flee from a threat.
Most people think that a regular flashlight will do the trick. But when your life depends on how fast you move – you want both of your hands free. Most headlamps are also pretty small and can be easily included in a side pocket of your bug out bag.
When I bought mine, I made sure to choose a solar-powered one, because most of them come with batteries, which won’t last long after SHTF… It’s also great for camping – I use it all the time when I go into the woods.
I often like to get inspiration for my bug out bag from fellow survivalist bloggers. I got this great tip a few years ago from Just in case Jack: always include a collapsible water bowl!
I must admit, when I first started prepping, I thought a simple water bottle would suffice. But a water bowl can be used as a food bowl too, so you can eat on the go without having to retreat back to your bug out spot.
And if you choose a stainless-steel version as Jack recommends, you’ll be able to boil water in it too. Pretty useful, right?
I’m sure you have a sewing kit in your bug out spot. But do you have one in your bag?
If not, I recommend you get a tiny one with just the essentials, like the set linked above. And I give extra usefulness points to a kit that already has the needles threaded because then I can get the job done faster.
Attending to the rips and tears in your clothing as soon as they happen will help you keep your clothing intact for a longer period of time.
And think about it – in an emergency situation, you can heat a sewing needle with a lighter and use it as a small scalpel or a suture needle.
I guess it’s pretty obvious what you can do with binoculars. I just included them because I feel a lot of people forget to include a pair in their bug out bag.
If you’re in a war situation or a fight for survival with many enemies around, using a pair of binoculars to scout the area might be exactly what saves your life. You can also use them for hunting.
I chose a compact pair, with waterproofing and good night visibility so I can use it in a wide variety of situations.
Binoculars are the last entry on my list of overlooked items that you should include in your bug out bag. I actually had a blast analyzing my bug out bag and thinking about what you might not already have in yours. Was I completely off? Do you already have these items?
