Are the BOB and SHTF bags considered one in the same, or are they two absolutely different bags, with some of the same items in them?
Same thing in my opinion if you have to bug out then shits goin down.
I guess that’s where I’d like to know opinions if there is a difference or not between the bags. On one hand you have a natural disater, i.e. hurricane, which will cause some chaos, but you probably plan on getting back home. On the other, you get a zombie apocalypse. Is it all semantics, are they considered somewhat different, or does it depend on the degree of the event causing you to put your gear into action?
this may be splitting hairs but my “bugout” bag is actually a “gethome” bag.
because of the logistics involved I don’t plan to bug out but rather bug in. if something forces me to evacuate my home it will be in vehicles with large containers of supplies, not a bag on my back.
my “get home” bag that I keep in my car however, would allow me to get home in the event that I find myself somewhere in the middle of unrest or other social disruption. it is very low profile and has the usual supplies for self defense, protection from weather, first aid, water, nutrition, etc. for an overnight stay and a small pair of binoculars. it also has CA$H…
A BOB is pre-packed items you wish to transplant to another location or utilize when hauling ass from your primary to another location and is SEPARATE from all your other stores and is not used for any other reason.
SHTF supplies are used in a time of need and normally not for everyday use and do to their size and weight remain at the primary location even if you bug out.
Each has its own mission.
this is primarily how I view things and have them set up
I think they are different. I keep a SHTF bag ( man bag) with me always. It is a combo active shooter bag/ get home bag. My BOB is a large pack that can sustain me for a few days.
This is very similar to how I set up.
My get home bag is with me at all times, and like the others, includes the basics. Food and water, first aid kit, weapon and mags, rain gear, flashlight, etc. This is designed to get me from wherever I am to my home. I also have a larger kit in all of my vehicles, which may come with me in a “get home” situation if I have to leave the vehicle, or it may not depending on situation.
My bug out bag is designed to get me from home to secondary location, so basically the same idea as the get home bag just expanded. It will really only be used on it’s own if for some reason I have to leave home on foot or if I have to abandon the vehicle en route for some reason.
There is the possibility that I will have to go from wherever I am to secondary location. In that event, the car kit will suffice, as it is basically a duplication of the bug out bag, with some additional equipment for being on the road-collapsible shovel, tools, additional weapon, etc. Maybe it’s overkill to have a bug out bag in each vehicle and home, as well as my get home bag, but then again, maybe not.
I suppose it comes down to the semantics and mission; we call things what it means to us individually.
For the purpose of the OP, I agree with Phila PD with a minor deviation.
I have a “get home” bag. Very basic, what I can fit into a Camelbak mule. 100oz water, folding knife, compact weapon +1 mag, powerbar, first aid + paracord and plastic poncho.
From there is BOB. 72 hour survival bag. It is heavy (about 50lbs) but also has full cold weather gear, bivy, change of clothes, toiletries food, booze and etc.
Then, the SHTF bags… yes plural. I’ve packed three of my old deployment bags full, and two of the poly footlocker boxes of longer range needs. It can be for shelter in place or thrown in the back of the truck in a hurry. Let’s face it, 1000 of 5.56 and a 1000 of 7.62 and 500 10mm doesn’t back pack well. But the things I’ve decided I need for a real SHTF is consolidated and packed for a quick exit if required, but otherwise secured from the general no-gooders.
Can anybody else chime in on what they may carry in their car as far as bags go? List of items etc? Would like compile a list and put something together to throw in my car. Something for everyday travel back and forth to work and something I can toss in the family car when we head out on roadtrips.
Here’s what I have.
Collapsible snow/avalanche shovel
LED flashlight and extra batteries
First aid kit
Water
Protein bars, MREs and a couple other food items
Handwarmers
Gloves
Rain Gear
Emergency Blanket
Emergency shelter
Flares
Lightsticks
Lighters
Waterproof Matches
Dryer lint soaked in vaseline for fire starting
Knife
Cold weather stuff-a couple beanies and scarves and extra socks
A couple loaded magazines
Pens and notepad
Deck of cards and dice
Everything including the shovel fits in a medium sized duffel type bag. I have one in each vehicle.
In addition, I have the same stuff everyone should have
Jumper cables
Tools
Quart of oil
Duct tape
Electrical tape
Cell phone charger
Power inverter
Interesting to see how folks opinions differ on this matter. I suppose it boils down to what the scenario is that you are planning for.
I do consider them to be very different bags. Bugging out with a bag isnt really part of my plan due to logistics if things ever got that bad I and my friends who live nearby would rely on vehicles.
Now as of late (starting this past summer) I have been building Get Home Bags for both myself and my wife’s vehicles tailored for our individual needs. I have also been getting into minimalist camping to apply actually using the items I have in the kits.
I for one have been on active duty for 19 years and have had shit luck in so far as seeing first hand many natural disasters and being involved in the recovery. Earthquakes, Volcanos,Hurricanes and mudslides have been near and dear to me for most of my adult life and given my location in the Puget sound area I am not naive to the fact that we have a higher than average liklyhood of having each of the aforementioned with the exception of the hurricane.
I commute 60 miles a day so assuming that if Rainer popped its top the roads will most likely be impassible and I will need to hoof it home same would hold true for a major quake. My GHB has items I feel have value in that scenario and those of natural disasters as opposed to the impending Red Dawn/Zombie Applocolypse 
I figure traveling by day and sheltering at night is the best way to avoid mechanical injury and it would take me about 3 days and thats what I alloted for in the way of food provisions. Water being another matter I decided to opt for a purifier capable of removing anything and everything including chemical contamination. We get alot of rain (Seattle duh) so finding standing water isnt a concern so long as I have a means to make it potable.
Considering the likelyhood of volcanic ash in the water along with decaying bodies (hopefully just animal) and what type if filter / purifier did you select?
First need XL!
My buddy did years of research and testing (thanks to REI’s exchange policy) and concluded it really is the ONLY system that will cover all bases.
Of course I couldnt just take his advise so I just had to find another option…well I couldnt.
The FNXL is the only unit I know of that will remove chemicals and all known biological contaminats. Runner up was the MSR miniworks but it dosnt remove virus but it does work on chemicals.
Another feature of the FNXL is that it will attach directly to Nalgen wide mouth threads which means it also works on the original size Camelback threads and the Kleen Kanteen (wide mouth) threads. Its truly a PITA to fill a container via a hose when you are taking a suction with another hose and trying to work the pump on a rocky shoreline. Not impossible just annoying in comparison to simply attaching the purifer directly to the container. BTW the FNXL isnt the only unit that does this MSR and a few others do as well.
Lastly the FNXL overall has IMO the most solid construction, the MSR has a lever that tends to be rather fragile…
It is my opinion that S.H.T.F. is too broad of a term, and therefore a poor choice in general.
I have a G.H.B., or Get Home Bag, that I take everywhere I go. My daughter calls it the “Man Bag”. Right now it is a 5.11 Tactical “Bail Out Bag” #56026 in Flat Dark Earth color.
G.H.B. contains;
Water (16 oz. plastic bottle)
Food (StarKist Tuna pouches) the empty pouches can be used as bait to trap for additional food.
Fire starting devices (several) in an Otter box
Tinder (several types)
Compass
Cordage (550 cord, nylon kite string, waxed dental floss)
Advanced IFAK + Quikclot with serious Meds and snivle Meds
Trauma shears and tactical-black hemostats
Flushable wipes
Hygiene kit with large toe nail clippers, twizzers, metal nail file, Colgate mini tooth brushes with tooth paste and other stuff
Paper and pens and Sharpie markers in an Otter box
CRKT M16-14M Tactical folder
SOG Gov Tac fixed blade
Glock 20 magazines, two 15 rounders with Underwood Ammo 165gr Gold Dots
Surefire flash lights with extra batteries
Pinch lights
Chem lights
Gerber expanding saw
Gerber Super Tool multi-tool
Hatch kevlar shooting gloves #KSG550
Ziplock baggies
Red Duck Tape
Khaki Duck Tape
Black electrical tape
Spare set of keys
Carabiners (two Omega Five-O’s and several tiny ones) with a 25oz. Stainless Steel Canteen hooked to one
My truck has the following;
ALS “Medic bag” by Dyna Corp with a Super “D” O2 bottle
Field & Stream “packable” rain gear in Mossy Oak “Break-Up” with matching Boonie hat & gloves
Carhartt coveralls in “Fat-Man” size
Fire Dept “Turn-out gear” with Cairns 1010 fire helmet
Yellow “Road Work” safety vests, two of them in “Fat-Man” size
Vehicle Recovery bag with Grade 8 tow chains & hooks, four 30 foot / 33K tow straps, four Cleaves and a bunch of other junk.
Duffle bag with ten Magpul P-mags, four Glock 20 magazines and about 500 to 600 rounds of Remington .22 JHP along with cargo pants and a polyester long sleave shirt both in Mossy Oak “Break-Up”.
Case of 16oz. water bottles from Wal-mart
Old Milk create with bottles of fluids for the truck
I use a Katadyn ExStream Purifier (now called a MyBottle) water bottle in my BOB. It filters and uses and iodine cartridge to kill viruses. The carbon filter will also remove pesticides but I have not been able to find any data on which ones and how much. I don’t think there are any standards for that in a portable water filter. It only holds .75 liters of water though so you have to have reliable and frequent water sources. It is also not a very high flow solution so it would be difficult to rely on if you needed a lot of water.
I guess we all look at things a little differently. How we define things can also vary. For me, weight is the downfall to any bag and is treated differently, depending on what type of bag/purpose it has:
Get Home Bags…The ultimate GHB(For me at least) is one that will have absolutely nothing in it when you step into your front door at home. The ultimate GHB is in theory only…but there are a couple of designs that have a minimal amount in them, at the end of the journey.
Bug Out Bags…The ultimate BOB neither losses weight or gains weight durring the journey. While it holds only what is needed to bug out, but also contains the contents to sustain life on the journey.
I’m Never Coming Home Bag…The INCH bag gains weight/resources along the way to the new location. While weight is normally a bad thing, the usefullness of the resources at your new home outweigh the liablity of the increased weight.
Worth what ya paid for it…
Cheers,
gb
First part nailed it.
To add contrast to your version of a GHB I have many things that I intend to have still in the bag once I get home. Food really being the only consumable item in my bag. I have a major and minor first aid kit I dont want to use either, purifier thats not disposable, googles and dust mask may be needed the entire trip, small crowbar, various odds and ends that are not throw away items.
Again it depends on what scenario you are planning for and how your area influences your load out. For me I’m looking at a 3 day walk home from work so I think I need more stuff but I’m slowly removing items that are not absolutly needed. Then again some things like the small crowbar I may never need but I feel better knowing its there.
I have taken the approach that I have multiple bags or items stored in the back of my truck that can be included or removed dependent upon the particular situation , conditions - including weather.
I have a bail out bag that has nothing but ammo and mags for each caliber weapon I own, a BOB with general items - FAK, spare glasses, TP, and the ‘normal’ load out. I also have a large container that includes additional clothing, footwear, sleeping bag, etc. that I can tailor to the climate at the time. Not necessarily knowing what weapon(s) I may have at the time I leave that which isn’t needed , the same with clothing, sleeping and so on… I prefer to think of it as being able to customize my final carry load according to need. Having a truck with a locking, waterproof tonneau is a God send.
Well, I can cetrtainly respect your plan and the way you have worked out what’s in your bag and why.
I only wish more people put together a well though out bag for themselves and their families…