Top 10 Items for Your First Bug-Out Bag
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Objective
Assemble a 72-hour kit you can actually carry, maintain, and deploy under stress. Focus on mobility, water, heat, and comms.
Baseline Scenario (Example)
Example: Two adults evacuating a metro area after a prolonged blackout. You’ll walk 8–10 miles/day to stay with family. Water sources are uncertain; cell network is unreliable.
The 10 Core Items
- Pack (20–30 L) with hip belt and stiff back panel.
- Water: two 1 L bottles + 1 L collapsible bag + 0.1 μm squeeze filter.
- Calories: 6,000–7,500 kcal (bars, nuts, jerky, tuna, electrolytes).
- Shelter: 5×7 ft tarp, emergency bivy, poncho.
- Fire/Heat: lighter + ferro rod + tinder (cotton + petroleum jelly).
- Medical: tourniquet, pressure bandage, gauze, tape, meds, blister kit.
- Light: headlamp (200–350 lm) + spare batteries.
- Navigation: baseplate compass, printed map/route card.
- Tools: small fixed blade or sturdy folder, multitool, duct tape flat-pack.
- Comms/Admin: whistle, notepad/Sharpie, $60 cash in small bills, 10,000 mAh power bank + cable.
Packing Order (Bottom → Top)
- Soft/light: spare clothing in a dry bag.
- Dense: food, water, power bank centered near your back.
- Fast access: medical, headlamp, snacks, rain gear, map, whistle.
Step-by-Step Build
- Fit the pack with 20 lb and walk 5 minutes. If shoulders burn, adjust hip belt and load lifters.
- Stage water in side pockets; roll the collapsible bag into the top lid.
- Build the food stack: day 1 visible on top; days 2–3 deeper.
- Rig shelter: tarp + cord + 6 stakes in one pouch.
- Medical up top so you can reach it in seconds.
Weight Targets
Base weight (no water/food): 10–14 lb. Total with full water/food: 18–22 lb. If you’re over, trim clothing and cookware first.
Common Mistakes
- Heaviest items far from the back → sore shoulders.
- Cookware without fuel, but no extra water treatment.
- No blister kit → evacuation ends at mile four.
10-Minute Drill
Lay everything out, start a timer, and pack in the order above. Be out the door in under 10 minutes. Repeat monthly and adjust.