Bug Out Bags on a Budget What YOU should know but Probably Don't...

I first discovered the concept of survival preparedness in a newspaper article a couple of years ago. I had always prided myself on being “prepared”: I carried a mini first aid kit in my purse and my car was outfitted with jumper cables, a gas can, a blanket, and even an empty jug for water. However, when I read about people who were doing everything from stockpiling food to building underground survival bunkers, my first thought was, “Those crazy survival nuts.”  Over the past couple of years–with the natural world, the US economy, and human society in general on a downward spiral–the idea of being prepared for anything (man-made or natural) makes more and more sense.

I first began by reading.  There are a multitude of survival blogs and books out there, and I spent several days researching the best place to begin. I decided the most logical would be to build Bug Out Bags (BOBs). These packs of survival gear would give me easy access to the most basic needs, ready to go at any time, while I then built up other reserves. However, I have never been an outdoorsy person. Was never into camping, hiking, hunting, or even fishing. I hadn’t accumulated those odds and ends that many people do.  So, when I discovered the very real need for preparedness, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, especially because I am on a very limited budget. I was not going to be able to run out to the local REI and pick up everything I needed.

After perusing several online lists of necessary supplies, I then checked out websites that offered complete BOBs ready to purchase. The amount of information out there can be overwhelming!  I began to make a list and realized that most websites and books contained the same basic categories: water, food, fire, shelter, signalling, and first aid. Using the information online as a guide, I compiled my own list of what I considered necessities in addition to the most basic of survival needs.

My list categories consisted of: water, food, fire, shelter, first aid, weapons, tools, clothing/hygiene, and cats (I will be taking my animals with me if at all possible!). Under each heading, I began to list several items. For example, in the “fire” category, I wrote matches, lighter, tinder, flint and steel, and protective cases. It’s recommended to have more than one way to start a fire in your pack in case one item fails, to be prepared for differing weather conditions, etc. I did this with each category, taking into consideration budgetary limits, weight of the packs, and the area in which we live. I soon had three notebook pages filled with necessities…several hundred dollars worth of merchandise, according to the online stores I checked.

My next step was to see what I already had around the house.  For my “fire” category, I already had lighters and wooden strike anywhere matches, cotton balls, petroleum jelly, and dryer lint for tinder and plenty of ziplock baggies to keep everything dry. Now all I would need to purchase would be waterproof matches and flint and steel. My expenditure in that category was already cut way down.

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