Go bag for beginners

[garand4life]

Considering that as we get deeper into the holiday season with inclement weather and crazier and more desperate thugs on the loose I was revisiting the need for a bug-out bag or go bag. As more and more evidence is showing that our national security is being compromised with little attention from media outlets it brings to mind the likelihood that needing to be able to leave in a short amount of time and be able to sustain myself for a minimum of 3-5 days. I am looking to hear from you who have one what you keep in a go bag.
My personal circumstances put me in a moderately populated area of the Ohio Valley where wooded areas surround us. My concern is that since we sit on the Ohio river below the waterline and with our proximity to a power plant that is less than a mile away the circumstances are quite dynamic. Thoughts?

[tombogan03884]

Have somewhere higher to go to , for food I'm stocking up on instant oatmeal, bullion cubes and Cup a noodles.
Clean water will not be a problem up here but you being in a flood prone area need to think about purifying it.

[fightingquaker13]

We all have our fantasy go bags, an arsenal, supplies for a month etc. Me, I think in real life, its just ND stuff with a couple of guns. My personal concern is a Hurricane evac. I keep mine packed from June through Thanksgiving every year. Its not paranoia, just prudence. I can be out the door in 15 minutes. I have a Gregory five day pack with what I would need for a five day trip minus the sleeping bag (its Florida in the summer) and tent (I use a tarp, which will suck due to bugs, but saves weight and space. ) I have five days of camp food, rain gear, a mesh bug jacket, multi fuel stove, water purifier etc. I figure I can carry my G-19 buried deep inside and my G-26 in a pocket. I can surrender the 26 if neccessary and hope they don't dig further. I have two fifty round ziplocs stored as well. I can strap a rifle or shotgun to the side if the situation requires. If not, I can drive to a shelter, or if the roads are clogged hoof it. Poor as I am , some untouchable under any circmstances cash (kept in a saftey deposit box not my accounts to avoid temptation) and a cell and a map and compass are part of the package.
FQ13

[TAB]

there are really only 2 things you need to survie for 3-5 days.

1 water.  ( in what form/ gear  depends on where you live)

2 shelter. ( once again, depends on where you live.)

every thing else is to make you more "confy"

[Pathfinder]

You all have touched on the very essence of what a BoB is for. The key is not the bag or its contents, but how it will be used. That drives the contents.

G4L, you live below the water level AND have a power plant near by AND possibly thugs roaming nearby. FQ has hurricanes AND probably a few other risks he didn't mention. I have a double track mainline for a railroad less than a mile away AND a river with a propensity to flood.

In each of these you need to assess the risks (probability or likelihood of something bad happening and the impact or how bad it would be) and then PLAN accordingly. What would I do if the river started flooding and threatened the dikes? What would I do if gangs of zombies were approaching? And so on.

Then pack your bag(s) accordingly. Most BoBs are considered to be 72 hour survival stores, allowing you to get to another stocked or non-impacted location where your preps are deeper or services are available. If that's true in your case, good to go. If not, then you need to consider what can you pre-stage in a garage for example, or a shed to load into a car quickly.

Food, water, shelter, fire-making, spare clothes (especially socks in case walking is involved) are usually among the consistently mentioned contents. I have seen some BoBs (remember, 72 hour support) that weigh 55# they hold so much stuff. Can you carry 55# for 3 days in a worse case scenario? All part of the risk assessment. And part of the fun.

[Sponsor]

[Woody]

 Try to find a bag with hydration, 100oz will do. Molle systems is best for adaptation to your needs.
 I have a first line bike bag with 70oz hydrator, packed with foil tuna and turkey packs, power bars, Emergency's, granolas bars, and three days of meds, The second compartment contains a two man space blanket, poncho, glass break hammer with screwdrivers inside, soap,a rag, campers T/P, a mirror, a magnifying glass, a lighter, and a magnesium fire stick, latex gloves, wrap around glasses, a radio, and binoculars and compass. It has and small med kit also. 30 lbs loaded. Dust masks, Wide brim hat, two gallons pf water, and extra boots and a set of clothes in my Jeep.
 Security options, 3.5 ' Gerber Gator, whistle, tactical day planner with .45.
 Tactical shotgun and 20 shells under fold down seats.
 A have a second line 3 day assault pack with Molle for a five day pack, more heavily equipped at 45 lbs, with out ammo. Water, shelter, food, fire, and protection

[fightingquaker13]

Try to find a bag with hydration, 100oz will do. Molle systems is best for adaptation to your needs.
 I have a first line bike bag with 70oz hydrator, packed with foil tuna and turkey packs, power bars, Emergency's, granolas bars, and three days of meds, The second compartment contains a two man space blanket, poncho, glass break hammer with screwdrivers inside, soap,a rag, campers T/P, a mirror, a magnifying glass, a lighter, and a magnesium fire stick, latex gloves, wrap around glasses, a radio, and binoculars and compass. It has and small med kit also. 30 lbs loaded. Dust masks, Wide brim hat, two gallons pf water, and extra boots and a set of clothes in my Jeep.
 Security options, 3.5 ' Gerber Gator, whistle, tactical day planner with .45.
 Tactical shotgun and 20 shells under fold down seats.
 A have a second line 3 day assault pack with Molle for a five day pack, more heavily equipped at 45 lbs, with out ammo. Water, shelter, food, fire, and protection

Woody, what you lay out in terms of packs, makes sense. BUT, I would add a note of caution. The molle tactical system sceams military/survivalist and might gather the wrong kind of attention in an ND (natural disaster) type situation. This is my primary concern, as getting to high ground in a Katrina type situation is the most likely scenario. My "tactical" red and blue back pack sets off no alarm bells. I'm just a guy who had to ditch the truck on the highway and hike to high ground. Nothing to see here folks, nobody here but us chickens. If stuff gets more drastic, 5 minutes with some green and brown Krylon can make the pack plenty tactical. You are right on hydration being key, particularly here in Fl. where hurricane season temps can easily hit 90 with 80% humidity. I don't have a camel pack and rely on 2, 1 liter nalgene bottles and an MSR ceramic filter purifier to take care of water. I also have a bottle of iodine as a back up, but I'm in South Florida where finding water is rarely an issue. A bottle of salt tabs to replentish electrolytes and I'm good to go.
FQ13

[tombogan03884]

FQ, your argument is really irrelevant. You would be amazed at the number of military, or military style packs on the hiking trails. The reasoning being that people who survive by living off their backs for long periods must know something about pack making.
By the same token, the fact that you have a pack at all, regardless of design is going to tell everyone who sees you that you have "stuff" even if it's just the pack and a sleeping bag you will become a potential target of those with nothing at all.

[fightingquaker13]

FQ, your argument is really irrelevant. You would be amazed at the number of military, or military style packs on the hiking trails. The reasoning being that people who survive by living off their backs for long periods must know something about pack making.
By the same token, the fact that you have a pack at all, regardless of design is going to tell everyone who sees you that you have "stuff" even if it's just the pack and a sleeping bag you will become a potential target of those with nothing at all.

Tom
Its not the predators I'm worried about, its the cops and National Guardsmen. Remember, I'm prepping for a post Katrina deal here. I want to scream, "harmless, 40 year old yuppie white guy". In a  TEOTAWKI situation, the rules change.
FQ13

[Badgersmilk]

FQ, your argument is really irrelevant. You would be amazed at the number of military, or military style packs on the hiking trails. The reasoning being that people who survive by living off their backs for long periods must know something about pack making.
By the same token, the fact that you have a pack at all, regardless of design is going to tell everyone who sees you that you have "stuff" even if it's just the pack and a sleeping bag you will become a potential target of those with nothing at all.

+1  And you'd better be prepared to defend yourself even without the pack acting as "bait".  The fact that everybody else is starving hungry (a state that will be reach by most people in a matter of days!), and here you are trotting around all healthy and with a little fat still on your bones, it isn't going to take a rocket scientist to figure out you've got food stashed SOMEWHERE.  Expect to be followed or mugged and pilaged.  If your on the trail and see another person, you just don't know what's going through their heads, or what circumstances they are in or are coming from.