Your First Bug Out Bag

[Ken K7KBJ]

Last night's session of the Northern Nevada Preppers Group Net has been posted.
We talked about your first bug out bag.

Here's your link:  http://www.nnpg.net/041719_radio.shtml

[Jerry D Young]

 My Thoughts On A Modular Kit System

I am sorry this has taken so long for me to post. Been a rough few days. However, here it is now, finally.

This 'system' is actually the way I first started putting kits together. The individual kits were then combined into a kit for specific purposes. At that time, the late 60s and early 70s, they were still dedicated 'named' kits, such as bug out bag, get home bag, bug in bag, and so on. I found out pretty quickly that I could not afford the duplication that the system required. Besides, there was new gear coming out even if infrequently back then and military surplus was becoming available as the Viet Nam war came to an end.

Since many in the then called Survivalist Movement were ex-military, they were very comfortable with the surplus gear and did not drive much of an aftermarket trade from manufacturers.

Over time, as you all know, things changed. More and more non-ex-military took up what became known as prepping and along with their wider interests and the size of the developing market, manufacturers started coming up with new designs of existing equipment, as well as new models of gear for the same purpose, plus, fortunately, totally new gear for the emerging risks that were also developing.

While I finally started making a bit more money, there always seemed to be a shortage in my gear to put together a new kit to fill a new (to me) need. I had never really lived in a CBD (central business district) or even spent much time in one. CBD survival is a bit different than wilderness, State Parks, National Parks, and State/National Forest Parks. Then there was (again new to me) deep cold and really deep snows that I was now living with. So my methodology began to change. Kind of back to my prepping roots, so to speak, or dividing equipment and supplies into 'purpose of use' groups instead of specific scenario groups (Bug out, bug in, GOOD, etc.)

This suddenly gave me many more options for putting (hopefully) temporary kits together to meet a specific scenario, without having so much money tied up in duplicating as much as 80% of everything that went into each specific scenario kit. I do still have specific scenario kits, but only those items that are specific to the scenario. Those specific scenario kits do not have the basics in them, which is where much of the duplication comes in. Food, water, navigation, sanitation, and so on are already together in the Basic Human Needs kit. All I need to do is grab one of those, and the specific scenario kit applicable to the event and leave the area. Or stay in. Or go help someone. Or set up a monitoring and communication site to help others. All with the gear I need for that scenario with or on me that I might need for that disaster.

One of the problems I, at least I considered them problems, was in putting pretty hardline timeframes on some of the original specific scenario kits. 3-day/72 hours, a week, a month, a year, and on into my own timeline of 300 to 500 years (which is another discussion entirely).

I found that people were making decisions based on these timeframes about gear as well as the amount of consumables required for that timeframe. I was/am in agreement with timeframe considerations about consumables, both quantity and type, but I have a difficult time making timeframe decisions about equipment that will neither go bad, expire, or cease to work after a set number of days, months, or years. I do understand that some types of consumables require certain types of equipment to use effectively, and that something that will last many years that is very heavy and uses a great deal of some type of consumable to keep it working is not necessarily the best or logical choice for situations that are inherently shorter term. So, I do have options in each and every category of module so timeframe decisions can be taken into account. Again, with needing to duplicate so much gear, or having to make the decision to take a dedicated bag that is not really ideal for the overall situation but meets a timeframe or weight or bulk need.

Enough rambling, I think. On to the Modules.

List of Module Types:
     1)   Basic Human Needs Modules
     2)   Necessary & Important Documents Modules
     3)   Intelligence Modules
     4)   Safety, Early Warning, & Alarm Modules
     5)   Communication & Signals Modules
     6)   Clandestine Communications & Signals Modules
     7)   Emergency Funds Modules
        Field Finances Modules
     9)   Starting Over Finances & Documents Modules
10)   Starting Over Equipment Modules
11)   Starting Over Supplies Modules
12)   Navigation Modules
13)   Core Body Temperature Maintenance Modules
14)   Fire & Fire Making Modules
15)   Water Modules
16)   Food Modules
17)   Cooking Modules
18)   Illumination Modules
19)   Shelter & Sleeping Modules
20)   Emergency Hunting & Fishing Modules
21)   Tool Modules & Repair Parts Modules
22)   Spares Modules
23)   Cache Modules
24)   Clothing Modules
25)   Pregnancy, Birthing, and Newborn Modules
26)   Toddlers & Children’s Needs Modules
27)   Teen Needs Modules
28)   Female Specific Needs Modules
29)   Humanitarian Aid Modules
30)   Cold weather Modules
31)   Arctic & Mountain Modules
32)   Desert Modules
33)   Jungle Modules
34)   Stream, River, Lake, & Inlet Modules
35)   Blue Water Modules
36)   Bush Plane Modules
37)   Urban Area Modules
38)   Suburban Area Modules
39)   CBD/High Rise Building Area Modules
40)   Underground, Cave, Storm Sewer, & Enclosed Space Modules
41)   PC Area (FEMA, Red Cross, & Church Shelters, Air Travel, etc.) Modules
42)   Weapons Modules
43)   Less-Than-Lethal & Clandestine Weapons Modules
44)   Expedient Weapons/Tools Modules
45)   Special Weapons Modules
46)   Load Bearing Equipment Modules
47)   Traditional Camouflage Modules
48)   Role Camouflage, Gray, Man & Homeless Situation Modules
49)   E&E (Escape & Evasion), Hiding, Diversion, & Misdirection Modules
50)   Scenario Modules (Earthquake, Volcano, Blizzard, Flood, etc.)
51)   CBR/HAZMAT Modules
52)   Rappelling & Climbing Modules
53)   Hygiene/Sanitation/Comfort Modules
54)   Rest, Relaxation, & Recovery Modules
55)   Vehicular Transport Modules
56)   Vehicle Modules
57)   Vehicle Support Modules
58)   Individual First-Aid Kit Modules
59)   Field First-Aid/Trauma Kit Modules
60)   General Medical Kit Modules
61)   Survival Modules (dedicated)
62)   Prisoner Snatch Modules
63)   Reserved
64)   Reserved
65)   Reserved
66)   Reserved
67)   Reserved
68)   Reserved
69)   Reserved
70)   Reserved
71)   Reserved
72)   Reserved
73)   Reserved
74)   


Some examples of Module Items, Options, & Possibilities:
  (A couple of notes about this part of the information: Some of this list is unchanged from the time it was first started, around 1971 or 1972. Many of the items are ideas for what might be included in a given module. Not every module in every category will be the same. No one will need everything on any of the lists. The lists are OPTIONS & IDEAS. It will be up to the individual to decide which items to put in a given Module in a given Type of Module, and which Module to add to the basic kit for a given situation and scenario. DO NOT LET THE NUMBER OF ITEMS SCARE YOU OFF. YOU DO NOT NEED ALL OF THEM OR EVEN CLOSE TO ALL OF THEM.)

     1)   Basic Human Needs Modules
     2)   Necessary & Important Documents Modules
a.    ID, Copies of birth certificate, driver’s license, medical information, insurance information
b.    The above are just some examples as many others are needed
     3)   Intelligence Modules
a.    Field Manual, binoculars
b.    AM/FM radio, TV audio band radio
c.    The above are just some as other items are needed
     4)   Safety, Early Warning, & Alarm Modules
a.    Weather Alert Radio
b.    Short Wave receiver
c.    Perimeter alarm system
d.    The above are just some as other items are needed
     5)   Communication & Signals Modules
a.    Amateur 2-meter handheld radios and mobile radios & antennas
b.    Amateur HF Bands portable and mobile radios & antennas
c.    MURS, FRS, GMRS radios & antennas
d.    The above are just some as other items are needed
     6)   Clandestine Communications & Signals Modules
     7)   Emergency Funds Modules
a.    Cash
b.    Gold (US Mint 1/10-ounce Gold Eagle coins)
c.    Silver (Pre-1965 circulated US issued 90% silver dimes & quarters)
d.    Silver (US Mint 1-ounce Silver Eagle coins)
e.    The above are just some as other items are needed
        Field Finances Modules
     9)   Starting Over Finances & Documents Modules
10)   Starting Over Equipment Modules
11)   Starting Over Supplies Modules
12)   Navigation Modules
a.    Lensatic compass
b.    Flat plate map compass
c.    Topo maps
d.    The above are just some as other items are needed
13)   Fire & Fire Making Modules
a.    Fire starters (ignition sources)
b.    Tinder (ignition source catchers)
c.    Tinder (secondary tinder to extend burn time)
d.    Accelerators
e.    Burn treatment packets
f.     The above are just some as other items are needed
14)   Water Modules
15)   Food Modules
16)   Cooking Modules
17)   Illumination Modules
18)   Shelter & Sleeping Modules
19)   Emergency Hunting & Fishing Modules
20)   Tool Modules & Repair Parts Modules
21)   Spares Modules
22)   Cache Modules
23)   Clothing Modules
24)   Pregnancy, Birthing, and Newborn Modules
25)   Toddlers & Children’s Needs Modules
26)   Teen Needs Modules
27)   Female Specific Needs Modules
28)   Humanitarian Aid Modules
29)   Cold weather Modules
30)   Arctic & Mountain Modules
31)   Desert Modules
32)   Jungle Modules
33)   Stream, River, Lake, & Inlet Modules
34)   Urban Area Modules
35)   Suburban Area Modules
36)   CBD/High Rise Building Area Modules
37)   Underground, Cave, Storm Sewer, & Enclosed Space Modules
38)   PC Area (FEMA, Red Cross, & Church Shelters, etc.) Modules
39)   Weapons Modules
40)   Less-Than-Lethal & Clandestine Weapons Modules
41)   Expedient Weapons/Tools Modules
42)   Special Weapons Modules
43)   Load Bearing Equipment Modules
44)   Traditional Camouflage Modules
45)   Role Camouflage, Gray, Man & Homeless Situation Modules
46)   E&E (Escape & Evasion), Hiding, Diversion, & Misdirection Modules
47)   Scenario Modules (Earthquake, Volcano, Blizzard, Flood, etc.)
48)   CBR/HAZMAT Modules
49)   Rappelling & Climbing Modules
50)   Hygiene/Sanitation/Comfort Modules
51)   Rest, Relaxation, & Recovery Modules
52)   Vehicular Transport Modules
53)   Vehicle Modules
54)   Vehicle Support Modules
55)   Individual First-Aid Kit Modules
56)   Field First-Aid/Trauma Kit Modules
57)   General Medical Kit Modules
58)   Survival Modules (dedicated)
59)   Prisoner Snatch Modules
60)   Reserved
61)   Reserved
62)   Reserved
63)   Reserved
64)   Reserved
65)   Reserved
66)   Reserved
67)   Reserved
68)   Reserved
69)   Reserved
70)   Reserved
 
Attached is the really old list as it was too long to put here in text.
Feel free to make suggestions. Just about everything I do is a WIP (work in progress)
Everything is just my opinion.