This is a great question.

BOB are for those grab & go events. You have get home from work bags which to me are a smaller BOB bag. For what it is worth, the go bag it's for a longer time and closer to you then you car. I think both are needed. Sample - tree falls on your car, you cant get your bag the other side is house fire, your saving grace may be your car bag

Good question! I live in a part of Canada where I don't expect to have to evacuate my home due to major flooding or forest fire or the like. I guess from what I have read, I have always envisioned the BOB as the GOOD necessities. Should the world truly go to shit, should the economy collapse and mass panic ensue, grab the BOBs and head out of town the quickest possible way. The BOB will have the tools needed to survive while finding a place to hunker down if you cannot be at home. These things include anything to help you have water (water purification, etc.), find food (hunting tools, knife, etc.), and rig shelter. Does this make sense?

My bag is in my vehicle because my vehicle is usually where I am and yes it is typically functioning as a get home bag but it is practical to have a change of shoes, socks, a light shell jacket , some emergency survival items but mostly planned for the practicality of everyday situations with granola bars, water, pencil and notepad , some extra money etc. . Accordingly to situation say wildfires, tsunami warning , toxic spill or gas release , flood etc. Others might have activities or a location that might see them in the bush . I see it the BOB is for the unexpected to also keep you safe on the move out of a situation for up to two or three days whether that is from a vehicle you had to abandon , back to our home in a disaster or away from home say in the case of the recent flooding in Calgary where people went to safety away from the flood zone . Different people will have different ideas as well. Should the world truly suddenly erupt into crisis of say a virulent global pandemic that is driving people to hysterics and irrational violent behaviour due to hunger and your situation is not secure then that is a situation where maybe you do leave everything but honestly, I think you need a much better back up plan to survive that .

For me, the BOB is stage 1 of the evacuation.
They hold basics for everyone in the home...changes of clothes, food, water, shelter, electronic versions of documents, etc.
They are designed to give 3 days of use IF that is all I can get.
After that, I pack bug out kits with more food, water, etc. and plan to pile these in as I can in case of a need to leave.
As for reasons to leave...wild fire comes to mind for me.
Yes, you would usually be hearing of an approaching fire some time ahead, but they have to start somewhere.
Lightning can start a fire anywhere, and maybe one day, it will start in my county and I won't get that heads up.

Thanks for the posts folks.

Denob, the examples you give don't justify disappearing I the wilderness with camping gear and 3 days of MREs. If a forest fire were to come in for example, I would likely end up at extended family in neighbouring towns or a hotel/motel. Compasses, snare wires, signal flares, ham radio, crank flashlights.... Sitting in Motel 6 waiting for the flood to clear, what would that serve me?

Are there people thinking that a virulent H1N1 pandemic (for example...) would lead them to take their rucksacks and leave for the boonies in the middle of February? If you are bugging out, in my humble opinion, it would be to go to a better place than what you are leaving. So leaving 4 heated walls for a tent seems like a poor trade off. Or maybe I need to keep pondering the whole concept of bugging out.

For me bugging out is a last choice. I agree with what you are saying about having a bag with wilderness items. I don't carry much of that as I can't see me choosing the option of the wilderness. It's too far for me to get there from where I now live.

BOB should be based on what YOU think you may need and not what others suggest you need. People have great ideas but if you can't see you using an item, why carry it?

Thanks for the posts folks.

Denob, the examples you give don't justify disappearing I the wilderness with camping gear and 3 days of MREs. If a forest fire were to come in for example, I would likely end up at extended family in neighbouring towns or a hotel/motel. Compasses, snare wires, signal flares, ham radio, crank flashlights.... Sitting in Motel 6 waiting for the flood to clear, what would that serve me?

Are there people thinking that a virulent H1N1 pandemic (for example...) would lead them to take their rucksacks and leave for the boonies in the middle of February? If you are bugging out, in my humble opinion, it would be to go to a better place than what you are leaving. So leaving 4 heated walls for a tent seems like a poor trade off. Or maybe I need to keep pondering the whole concept of bugging out.

You have a valid point...I would liklely never bug out into the wilderness, and I don't prepare for that.
However, my bug out bags do have essential gear that would serve me in case I needed to overnight somewhere along the way to my destination.
In my opinion, everyone should have a bug out location...or rather several.

"You have a valid point...I would liklely never bug out into the wilderness, and I don't prepare for that.
However, my bug out bags do have essential gear that would serve me in case I needed to overnight somewhere along the way to my destination.
In my opinion, everyone should have a bug out location...or rather several.

There have to be preppers out there who do not have the financial means to have even one BOL, let alone many. I currently do not. I have my home in the city, which I rent, and that's it. Syn said you need a better plan than just a BOB, and that is, of course, true. Should there ever be a situation in which the cities became unstable and unsafe, I have nowhere to go other than the wilderness. Obviously, I am working on the financial side of things and within five years I plan to be able to buy something in the country, but a lot can happen in five years. So for me, the BOB would have the basics to help me survive in the wild because if I have to leave my home, then that's where I am going. Using a BOB in that kind of situation and not having a BOL to go to doesn't mean there is no plan. Building survival skills and determining routes and best places to be out there are all part of the plan. I'd still be way better off than most people.

A BOL does not need to be 50+ acres with an established infrastructure.
There are many options that are often overlooked...
Family, both in town and out of town is one option many don't consider.
Not every event is a doomsday, the world has gone to hell, kill or be killed situation.
For true SHTF scenarios, look to your fellow preppers right here on the board.
There are tons of meetups where you can get to know each other and come to mutual understandings about teaming up when the need arises.
As for bugging out to the wilderness, at least have a plan...locations, routes, and doing so in a group will increase your chances exponentially.
There is lots of crown land that could be made use of for this, but again, have that plan in advance.
Simply strapping on your bug out bag and hitting the woods could work for a select few, but even with years and years of survival experience, how many could survive long term?

Should there ever be a situation in which the cities became unstable and unsafe, I have nowhere to go other than the wilderness. Obviously, I am working on the financial side of things and within five years I plan to be able to buy something in the country, but a lot can happen in five years. So for me, the BOB would have the basics to help me survive in the wild because if I have to leave my home, then that's where I am going. Using a BOB in that kind of situation and not having a BOL to go to doesn't mean there is no plan. Building survival skills and determining routes and best places to be out there are all part of the plan. I'd still be way better off than most people.

Livingpower, I'm trying to broaden my horizons here in asking " and then what?" So you go to the wilderness if the town was to go in chaos. What next? Do you build yourself a homestead and start from scratch? Plan to 'wait it out'? And if so, what do you expect to see whe you come back? Surely if you left because the city was being invaded by the proverbial zombies, then all your other preps, house, etc will most likely have been taken away.

Understanding your plan a little, despite not having a ready retreat, shouldn't you already have pre-identified locations and then bury or cache some stuff?

Respectfully,

Livingpower, I'm trying to broaden my horizons here in asking " and then what?" So you go to the wilderness if the town was to go in chaos. What next? Do you build yourself a homestead and start from scratch? Plan to 'wait it out'? And if so, what do you expect to see whe you come back? Surely if you left because the city was being invaded by the proverbial zombies, then all your other preps, house, etc will most likely have been taken away.

Understanding your plan a little, despite not having a ready retreat, shouldn't you already have pre-identified locations and then bury or cache some stuff?

I agree with you that things should be thought out in advance and that is something I am working on. Of course, the "and then what?" would depend on the situation and the reason for bugging out, one can't just go into the wilderness and expect to survive without any plan at all. However, we also have to work with what we have at hand. At the present time, I have no vehicle (although I hope to remedy that in the next couple of months), I have no family or close friends in the country with whom I can live if we have to GOOD, and it would be very difficult to cache anything when I have no land or vehicle. I have thought about it, but I am not sure where I could do that with my limited means of transportation so any advice on that front would be welcome.

I wouldn't leave my home in the city unless it was a dire situation, so I would know there wouldn't be anything left to come back to. I would be sure to have with me the means to hunt, fish, forage, and build a shelter of some sort. I do spend time thinking these things through and I obviously have a long way to go, but again, I have to work with what I have. Here is a question. What would you do if you didn't have a vehicle, nor the means to have a BOL that is yours or going to someone else's home/BOL? Just curious. I want to learn anything I can here so perhaps knowing what others would do if they were in my situation would be helpful. Oh, and for the record, I expect a slow decline of society is more likely than a one-off event that shuts it all down.

Obviously there are different strokes for different folks and that is okay. We live in different circumstance . And giving the example of Egypt, 5 years ago an acquaintance of mine was living the usual life of twenty something in Egypt , going out socially , competing in sports , going to university, when he got drafted just before Libya was hit . What we hear through our media is NOT always really the truth of the matter either . Now 5 years later we look at what is going on in Egypt and think it is unlikely here that our lives would change so drastically but we really don't know how things will transpire or if we will one day need to bug out . My bag has stuff to keep me warmer, drier , fed and hydrated for short time and precious little to be hunting and fishing and staying in the outdoors for extended periods of time and I do have some fundamental camping gear in a vehicle ready if we need it and can head out with a vehicle but you never know if you will be reduced to being on foot. So even if we think our primary objective is to stay in your stronghold that is your home , we can respect others have a different idea . Most preppers in my area on this forum, are in discussion about bugging out for valid reason but my circumstance is different than theirs despite currently being in the same region and my objective is to relocate in the shorter term.

Heya,

I carry a BOB with me while at work. Since I travel as far as 221 miles away, while at work, my bag has been geared to get me home, not back to my place of employment. READ: Walk, if I have to. I assume up to ten days, with 5-6 days of food, carried at all times. I hope I can find a bike or even a skateboard to help with the trip, I'm sure I can improvise and snag a shopping cart from some unsuspecting grocery store on the way.

I have 3 containers for water with me at all times, 1-2 actually contain water, one is a backup / extra. There is only one area (about 20 miles) where I haven't been able to locate a water source, so I can forage for containers, along the way, and fill up before passing through that 'danger zone'. Water treatment is carried in the form of a filter, and chemical treatment. (A LITTLE PREPPERSAURUS ADVICE: Try using chemical treatments before you need them, so you can see if you will need 34 rolls of toilet paper, should your body react to the chemicals). I also carry medical supplies, lights, Leathermen tools, firestarting tools, shelter, back up communication equipment, spare glasses, clothes, gloves, rain gear, sewing kit with fishingline for thread, TOILET PAPER, and my SAS Survival Pocket Manual. Aside from the Leatherman tools, I consider the rest of the equipment, more of a luxury, since I can make just about anything on the way, if I have to. There is enough garbage and junk on the roads I can MacGuyver just bout anything if I have to.

I'm working on caching more food and clothing at the 60 mile area. I have friends who are preppers in that area, so I might be able to get help and store supplies. There is enough food to be found on the way, if you know where to look. I've been learning more and more about what can be eaten and what can't. I don't want to have to stop every hour should something disagree with me, if you know what I mean, so I am doing the taste testing now, instead of when I need to. (MORE PREPPERSAURUS ADVICE: Dandelions are tasty flowers, but the older leaves are bitter as hell, pull the plant out, eat the flower, and chow down on the root stock)

I don't plan on sticking around one place long enough to trap animals, or do any fishing, just walk. I'm fortunate to have a wife who is creative and motivated. She has come up with food packs for me with approximately 3500 calories each. It should be enough to get me home with a minimum of weightloss. (I have some internal stores I can afford to lose). Shelter shouldn't be too much of a problem, overpasses, maintenance shacks for highway equipment are at regular intervals, are all along the route. Should I get caught in the open, I have emergency blankets and a sheet of gore-tex, for a shelter / poncho. Total weight of the pack is about 50 lbs. Since I spent a lot of time hiking with 50 lbs of camera gear on my back, out in the mountains, I would say it is 'comfortable', and I am used to it on rough terrain. Should I need to get off the roads, I also carry topo maps of the trip, and a compass.

Part of my plan does include a possible rescue from home. Although it won't be relied on, it is factored in. MEANING: I will mark my trail home, have a planned route, and should I stray for emergency reasons, or set up camp out of sight, it will be marked. My wife will know the marks to look for, no one else will give them another thought. Basically, if Plan A doesn`t work, Plan B, Plan C and Plan D will get me home.

For commuting to work and back, in the vehicles I also carry a GHB (Get Home Bag), extra gas, and more food. The truck is loaded with safety equipment, and emergency tools (Chainsaw). My wife and I both have 64 km commutes to work (please excuse the miles/kilometers since work has me dealing in miles and I hate converting). She carries a BOB as well, with extra clothes and food cached at the 1/2 way mark. Again, the route home has been laid out and I shouldn't have any problem locating the 'bread crumbs' should I have to go looking for her. Her first mode of transportation will be bike, then, walking.

I think the hardest part of any plan, will be WHEN to head home. Some disasters are obvious, some may not (like all the banks closing at once). Our game plan will be to get home FIRST. First person home, starts preps to the house, and possible evacuation should it be required. Should we start factoring in the burial of firearms should we have another High River-door kicking-party? Just a thought, HAHA. I won't say how I will be planning for that one. But it is in the works.

You could write a book about, what to do, and, when to do it. But how many people have actually, and I mean ACTUALLY followed their path of escape to see what obstacles are in the way, which way to go, how to mark it, where they can cache, where they can sleep safely? It doesn't sound like much, but in an emergency, people have funny priorities. Like head out looking for the wife, when she is on the way home, only to be bogged down in traffic and miss her completely as she walks by not knowing you are there etc etc. Sure you can worry about armed people pillaging as they go, but most won't have a clue until maybe 2 - 5 days after the panic starts. IMHO. We can play the what if game all day long, I'll continue to plan my contingencies. Now if I could find a nice pair of Non-Chinese-Made boots that will make the trip without falling apart. <--That's a joke. I got em.

This might be a good topic for another thread, but how many preppers actually HAVE an emergency plan written down. What route you will take, (is it on a map?), do you have a contingency should Godzilla and the Zombie clan block the route, who to leave messages with, to co-ordinate a location to regroup with family? Ours has been an ongoing living document kept with us all the time should something actually happen. So Plan A is GET HOME, and make preps from there. If home is blocked, see PLAN A.

Preppersaurus

Living power,

We are in different situations, but I'm thinking of the 19th century's settlers coming to the west. They had experience farming, horses, a wagon full of goods and 1/2 dozen kids in tow as labourers. Settling was almost a survival situation for them, at least until they had a homestead and a fair size farming plot seeded during their second year.

So, with that in mind...

If I was in your shoes and with the desire to bug out if needed, I would at least get a bicycle and ride to some nerby crown land. Explore and find a place with a water source. Maybe start stacking some dead wood in an inconspicuous way. Start a guerrilla garden, a couple potato plants, carrots, etc... every spring. You can even start a crude shack too. Cache some stuff in watertight containers : extra ammo for your hunting rifle, fishing lures, garden seeds, nails, some tools, etc. that way, you won't have to rely on the content of your pack to start a new life.