THE MEGA BUG OUT BAG

CHECKLIST:

MINIMUM 100′ PARACORD – shelters, traps, etc. Featured in Mission 3, Mission 4, and Mission 8

PARACORD TOOL – keep paracord organized in the pack

SHEMAGH – head cover, wash rag, sun shade, tp, filtration, etc. Featured in Mission 2.

R.A.T.S. TOURNIQUET – if you don’t know what this is for, you probably don’t need to be alone in the woods. Featured in Mission 2.

PARACHUTE HAMMOCK – get off the ground and away from the ants, snakes and other bugs. Featured in Mission 5.

72 HR. MEAL KIT – to get you by for a few days until you can get settled in and get camp up. Featured in Mission 9

SNARES – minimum of 5 snares. Setting 1 trap won’t cut it. these are light and take up practically no space in a bag.

OLD SCHOOL VICTOR MOUSE TRAP W/ DRILLED HOLE – If all else fails, squirrels and mice are going to have to be on the menu. The hole is to attach the trap to a tree or large rock so your meal doesn’t get away in the middle of the night

SMALL JAR OF PEANUT BUTTER – You can count on this for nutrition in an emergency, but the main purpose is that squirrels and rats can’t resist it. A dab on the Mouse trap and your almost certain to have a meal by morning.

SLINGSHOT – not super accurate without a lot of practice, but it doesn’t take up much space, and will help with those critters that you’ve been stalking that are just out of reach

SAWYER SQUEEZE – these things are life savers. Small and can filter up to 100,000 gallons of water. can’t be beat for the size/price

SMALL IFAK KIT – again, this is obvious, but accidents do happen. a small cut untreated can turn into a debilitating wound in a matter of days. Being familiar with your First-Aid kit, and how to use the items properly could save your life

MULTI-TOOL – sometimes your daily carry knife won’t “cut” it. LOL. seriously, though, if you need to fix your gear or get your transportation, like a bicycle, back on the road, you’re going to need one of these. And let’s be honest, MacGyver is a badass with one of these things. Featured in Mission 7.

AXE/TOMAHAWK/HATCHET – whichever you prefer, get one that attaches easily to the outside of your gear pack. This will make your life easier as far as building a shelter, and gathering firewood, but will also save the blade on your daily knife. Featured in Mission 8.

SINGLE MAN TENT/BIVVY – never hurts to have a manufactured shelter, you can pop up in a jiffy.

ENERGY BARS/BEEF JERKY – quick snacks on the go, great source of protein and other vitamins. featured in Mission 9

EATING TOOLS (FORK, KNIFE, SPOON) – if you’ve got room, go for it. At least they help you maintain a little bit of civilization without being a complete neanderthal.

WHISTLE – to signal for help

FIRE STARTER/LIGHTER – this should be something you are comfortable with. I think everyone should carry a BIC, but also know at least 3 other ways to start a fire without one.

ZOMBIE TINDER – 100% water proof and will help get your bundle rolling quickly, even in damp or wet conditions. Featured in Mission 8

ZIPPO CAMPFIRE STARTER – for the times it’s been raining for 2 weeks and there isn’t a dry branch in site. This should help get some twigs dried out just enough to eventually get a decent fire going. http://www.zippo.com/product.aspx?id=1023905

MINI INFERNO – see above. great stuff.

PLATYPUS WATER BOTTLE – roll it up to save space, fill it up when you need it.

DATREX EMERGENCY WATER POUCH – great for instances where you may need to clean a wound, put out a fire quick, re-hydrate in an instant, etc. Featured in Mission 2

WATERPROOF SURVIVAL BOOK – to help with mental strength, confidence, and of course as a guide when you may need some help. I strongly believe in building a survival library, for the day when the internet is no longer around to give you the answer. Also, no one can remember EVERYTHING that you need to know for survival. A text resource is necessary at times to identify plants, pop a shoulder back into socket, identify snake species, etc…

POCKET FISHER – a quick way to drop a line and catch some fish. Compact and easy to use.

FISH HOOKS – ummm….to catch fish? smaller hooks are preferred, but a variety kit is fine.

RESEALABLE BAIT – also to catch fish

GLOVES – work gloves will help reduce fatigue, blisters, cuts, etc, when working during the day, and will keep you a little warmer in the winter

PONCHO – keep your clothes dry during a downpour and to protect your gear in a pinch

KLYMIT INFLATABLE PILLOW – ahhhhhhh, a good nights sleep is almost impossible without something to rest your head on. These take up no space, and can easily be attached to the outside of your bag. Can also aid as an emergency flotation device, if you find yourself needing to cross a river.

SLEEPING BAG – It’s friggin’ cold out there! If you have room, a sleeping bag is always a good idea. If not, a good wool blanket. And if not one of those, well I guess anything you can use for cover. A towel, or emergency mylar blanket will work if no other options are available.

HYGIENE KIT – this should include a small tube of towel pills, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash, soap, shampoo, nail clippers, and scissors. There’s a reason we aren’t cavemen/women

POCKET WARMERS – can certainly help on a very cold night, and are lightweight and very compact.

SIGNAL MIRROR – signal for help of course. Also can help with that camp hygiene!

MYLAR BLANKET – as mentioned above. A last resort if nothing else is available to keep warm. These also make for a good hooch in a pinch. Featured in Mission 1.

DRY BAG – to throw items in that can’t get wet if you need to forge the river again.

SOCKS – most people forget about this item, but a secondary or tertiary pair of socks are an essential item in long-term bag

BUG SPRAY – YES! This is a must! Chiggers, mosquitoes, sand gnats, black flies; they all will drive you to the crazy house if you don’t keep them off you. Not to mention the diseases they carry…No bueno.

SIGNAL FLAG – another great signaling device, if you can spare the room. Other items like reflective tape or safety yellow/orange ribbon are good ideas, too.

SPEAR/HARPOON – I like to carry a spear, in case I break my pocket fisher, or need to get something a little more difficult, like rays, flounder, or alligator. I hate snakes, so a spear is preferred to a knife when dealing with poisonous species. My favorite is the Outdoor Edge Harpoon.

SOLAR LANTERN – Seeing in the dark isn’t easy in the bush. An inflatable light like the one seen here from LuminAid are great assets that don’t require batteries and put out enough light to see what you are doing. http://luminaid.com/products/luminaid-packlite-16

COMPASS – A good compass for navigation is essential, especially once the sun goes down! Also, finding your way back to base camp is a lot easier if you know what direction to head. Featured in Mission 1.

DUCT TAPE – Many, many uses, but definitely for quick fixes to your tent or inflatable pillow.

WIND UP FLASHLIGHT – A great idea to have in addition to the lantern. Doesn’t take batteries and will last damn near forever. Ever tried to drop a deuce in the woods at night? Yup, flashlight needed. A traditional battery-operated flashlight was featured in Mission 1.

MOSQUITO NET – definitely necessary if you happen to be “south of the border”

WIND UP EMERGENCY RADIO W/ NOAA FREQUENCY – you need to know the state of the union. This is your only potential tie to the rest of the world and civilization.

WATERPROOF NOTEPAD & PEN/PENCIL – Keep a journal, leave messages, take notes.

WATERPROOF PLAYING CARDS – you will eventually get bored to tears. Keeping your wits about you, and having a little entertainment on a rainy day is never a bad thing. Staying calm, and keeping your mental health are THE most important things in SURVIVAL.

CAMP STOVE/POT – essential for boiling water and cooking meals.Featured in Mission 9.

CAMELBAK – water storage for long treks

KNIFE – Your cutting tool is your best friend! This is going to be by personal preference based on what the individual prefers, but my go-to knife is a SURVIVAL! KNIVES GSO 4.1. Find them here http://surviveknives.com/gso-4-1/

BACKPACK! – This is something that I can only recommend based on what I use. I feel like this will be different for everyone, as people cannot carry the same weight, and some packs are not comfortable for them. This is something you will have to figure out what works best for you. My bag is mighty large and heavy, but not overkill. The right pack will take the weight off your lower back, and help transfer the weight to your legs, which is the largest muscle in the body. They can withstand a lot of weight and pressure, and are designed to work for long periods of time.

Notice there are, in some cases, multiple items that can be used for the same thing. You will either break something, lose something while trekking, drop something in the water, or perhaps be raided by thieves. Having multi-functional materials in your kit is a must, in my opinion, for these types of scenarios. You’ll notice I am a sucker for companies that display such ingenuity in creating these types of items that appear to function one way, but also function another. Part of being a gear-head, I suppose!

I hope this helps get you on your way to creating the perfect SHTF pack for you. As a continued BattlBox Subscriber, you can bet your hide that you will see more of this gear headed your way soon. Like my good friend Adam Francis of Equip 2 Endure says, “If you’re not always prepared, you’re never prepared.” Thanks for reading and being an integral part of BattlBox and the survival community.

-Daniel Dabbs
CEO/Founder of BattlBox Survival & Tactical Gear
“preparing the world, one month at a time”
www.battlbox.com