I want to put together a bug out bag. I have a few things, but have no idea what kind of bag to look at. I want something that uses MOLLE attachments, is light weight and still has a relatively high carrying capacity. Also I want something high quality and water resistant because I live in FL. I really don’t know where to start and any suggestions would be appreciated.
Look at the Lightfighter RAID II pack from ATS Tactical. That should fit what you want.
Check this out. It may give you a bit of direction. IMHO Bug Out Bags are largely bullshit and fairy dust. The biggest reason is that most people rely on gear before education and training, and because of that they take a bag and pack every inch with something that they might need for something that might happen. This bag sits in the trunk or house and is never carried because it would break Chuck Norris’ back.
Why do yo want MOLLE? Most people over due it and in the end their pouches pouches have pouches. This makes it hard to be the gray man and fly under the radar.
So far I have been unable to find a one bag that suits my needs all the time. And my need is to have my Bag Of Evil with me all the time. So instead I find myself using a Spec-Ops Brand THE Messenger Bag most of the time. When I am in the woods it is usually a SO TECH Micro Pack. I am able to do this by using sub-loads.
Hope this helps a little- George
I like my North Face “Bomb Proof” bag. Low key, water proof, very tough, backpack or duffle carry. Not .mil looking at all…
There are a number of existing threads pertaining to bug out/emergency bags. As you read them and evaluate the content, have an idea of what “bug out” means to you, what you’re preparing to bug out from, for how long, etc.
Happy reading.
Check your local Surplus store. If not for buying from them, but actually something to touch and feel. I personally hate buying off the internet and not being able to see it before getting it. I keep it to 2 type of bugouts. One that I through in the truck and the other that I through on my back as I “hoof it to the hills”. We used to call the A/B Bags.
This gets brought up every once in awhile. 
Lightweight, high carrying capacity, and MOLLE are incompatible. High volume packs can be light, but packs that have to carry a lot of weight are going to be heavy due to construction and material. MOLLE simply means you’re going to expand carrying capacity with a ton of 1000 denier nylon pods…not light. Why get a tiny pack, then add volume by stitching more crap to it? Add to it all the webbing, all the MALICE and BALLAST to lash everything together and it weighs an assload. I tried that, my pack was about 9lbs empty :rolleyes: Any pack that requires a lot of load bearing will have an internal or external metal frame. The newest packs are composite, which saves you some weight. MOLLE is cool for mission-adaptable stuff, but you’re bugging out. You’re not coming back to change around your panels.
A pack isn’t going to be waterproof unless it’s specifically designed to be, and chances are it’ll be for watersports and not suitable for gear humping. Buy a suitable pack, then buy a silnylon waterproof pack liner. They weigh all of 3oz and roll up to seal up tight. If you’re on a budget, use a trash compactor bag and twist tie the top. For comparison, my ultralight pack is 16oz. My Montbell sleeping bag is 16oz. My Tarptent is 30oz. That’s just over 3.75lbs for the heaviest items typical of any camping, hiking, or bugout setup. Add a water filter, a basic survival kit and basic medical kit and that’ll bring me to 7lbs if I’m going lean.
When building a hiking pack, you set a target weight. The same should apply for bugout gear. You need to first set goals about what you want to do with the pack, then set a weight goal. I have several bugout/emergency packs. The “motherlode” is in a Mystery Ranch pack and it’s a whopping 23lbs, and it can stand to shed another 5lbs if I sat down and did inventory and got rid of luxuries. The pack itself is already north of 5lbs so once I find a suitable volume bag that is lighter, I’m going to drop another 3lbs. I have a bunch of small emergency packs I keep at work, in cars, at home inside Pelican 1050 cases. It’s better you have small bundles of joy everywhere than a giant box of goodies that won’t be there when poop happens.
You don’t need the kitchen sink. Most bugout bags I see weigh in excess of 40-60lbs. Most people also haven’t actually tried humping their bugout gear more than a hundred feet. Add guns and ammo to that and you’re simply a walking warehouse…especially the guys who think they’re going to hump bricks of .22LR for hunting and a thousand rounds of 5.56mm for defense. I also have what folks call an “EDC”, or everyday carry which is a 10lb Maxpedition gearslinger. This is essentially a duplicate with all the 1050 emergency/med kits I have with some more items including luxuries such as a B&N Nook, spare hardshell jacket, a water filter instead of pills, and a pair of bloodborne pathogen barrier extrication gloves. I carry it with me everywhere. I carry it on the streets, in the car, to work, to the range, etc. Even carried it through airports and the streets of Hong Kong. It’s only useful if you have it with you.
Humans don’t need much to survive. It’s the luxuries which end up weighing things down.
ROFL I love the pic. Yeah, I will have to consider a few more things it seems before I get a pack. I do know I want to keep that weight down, because I train with a 40 pound vest and it sucks. I don’t want to bug out with any weight close to that. I appreciate the help guys!
My BOB is a commercially made beast. I chose something that most people use for 7 day hikes. Its lightweight, has plenty of room, adjustable hip belt, etc.
I don’t want to stand out in a survival situation, but the green colored fabric of my bag tends to blend in well when I need it to.(lying prone, trying to stay concealed)
I went with the Kelty Tactical Falcon 4000. First off it says “Tactical” in the name so you know it’s cool.
http://www.amazon.com/Kelty-Tactical-Falcon-4000-Backpack/dp/B004CK90FK/ref=pd_sim_sg_1
My concerns broke down like this
#1 no reflective crap.
#2 can’t look completely military
#3 large volume for all the extra daddy gear.
#4 the right price point
While not wanting to look military I also didn’t want bright colors or any reflective material either which is what you find a lot of in the sport packs out there.
Not looking overly military was important to me and I think this pack has the benefit of MOLLE but isn’t completely obvious. I do my fair share of back packing and when I’m hiking I hate having crap hanging off my pack, I want it all inside. However I can see the advantage of having some quality attachment points should I need them. For these reasons I went with a larger internal volume size, 4000 CI.
For my situation I needed extra room to pack the heavy stuff for wife and kidos and they get much smaller packs for their respective weight and size right down to the dogs.
Also cost, buying back packs specifically for BOB use was our plan. Our BOB’s are just that, no multipurpose stuff here so keeping costs down was important.
i like the military bags that are just olive drab. i got a large alice pack with the steel frame for 30 bucks. i dont think you can beat that
I bought mine for $30, btw. forgot to mention that, it was a return at REI.
REI has a storewide used gear sale/garage sale once a month, where they sell everything they got on return. 90% of the items were bought, tried once then returned, my backpack is such a beast. If your looking for something civilian, it is hit or miss there, but the prices are excellent.
Andrew
:rolleyes:
So you plan on bugging out with wife, kids, AND dog huh? Really? Where are you going to go? Off into the woods and “live off the land”? Are your wife and kids up for that? Do they have the strength and stamina for something like this? Do you?
If this is your plan, it would be hard enough to just feed yourself and keep yourself alive, much less a family and the dog…I dunno maybe you plan on eating the dog?
Little bit of fantasyland here…I suggest reconsidering your situation and planning accordingly.
Not sure I understand? Why WOULDN’T you want multi-purpose stuff??
buy everything you think you will need and BUY THE BAG LAST. then go hiking 20 miles with it and see what you do not need.
City Dwellers are funny that way.
Multi purpose = plus. I am working on getting some of the stuff. Got some Quick Clot, among other things. Bulk ammo, etc.
I have a few 3 day packs. One from London Bridegroom and two from Black Hawk. The are big enough and small enough for me. It is also the same type of pack I use for a day of hunting.
Or maybe he or a family member has a bol to go to.
not everyone wants to hike to fantasy land, bug out bags can ride with in your car to a family or friends house too. the point is you dont have to pack when you have to leave right now. and if you dont have any hotels you can get to, you are ready for that too.
not everyone has 20 acres in the middle of nowhere and they dont have to worry about disasters, but they usually know someone who does. flooding in this area means we might have to evacuate, and i want to be ready. maybe i will have to spend a couple nights outdoors. either way, it doesnt matter im not planning on living on a river bank and building a cabin.
im just keeping my camping gear packed year round, thats a good way to look at it.