Editors Note: I was very honored to be approached by Jacob at mybugoutlist.com for this article he was putting together. In his article he asked the question below of ten people he considered “experts” on the subject of prepping. I don’t consider myself an expert, but I was extremely grateful for the compliment and humbled to be included in a list with a lot of other successful bloggers in the field of prepping below. The list includes some great ideas and considerations for your own bug out bag as well as 9 other sites to investigate if you haven’t already.

Welcome all. My name is Jake and I am a self-admitted prepper newbie. In fact 2 weeks ago I wouldn’t have been able to tell you what a BOB was or what in the hell TEOTWAWKI stood for. But through the tremendous amount of resources available online, and the awesome people who regularly blog about this niche I’m slowing learning.

Now As I’m sure both you and I have come to realize by now, a properly prepared bug out bag can be the difference between life and death in an emergency situation. A quick search in Google however will bring back numerous results, all with varying articles and suggestions. So what’s a beginner to do?

Simple. I went to the experts.

“What is the one thing every good bug out bag can’t be without?”

I asked them all this very basic question. What you’ll find below are the answers from experts behind some of the biggest and best survival and prepper sites online.

Now while a true bug out bag list might never be complete, I was simply looking for a place to start – a foundation to build upon. I believe this list provides a great jumping off point. I think we can both agree that if it is important enough to be listed as “the one thing” every bug out bag can’t be without, it should be in yours. Check it out:

“Water. You need to have some and have the ability to treat water for drinking, cleaning wounds, cooking and maintaining proper hygiene.  You have two days of survival time without water, less if it’s hot out. Water borne illness are insidious and if infected, your survival time goes down to less than a day without clean water to maintain hydration.” – Mike from The Redneck Survivalist

“The Leatherman Charge TTi available here or just about any other quality multi-tool.” – MD Creekmore from The Survivalist Blog

“For its size, weight and usefulness a must have is Duct Tape. I prefer Gorilla Tape brand because it is so much stronger and can be used for repairs, makeshift bandage or millions of other creative uses. Duct tape is a must have for any respectable Bug Out Bag.” – Pat from The Prepper Journal

“The one item that I think has to always be included in a bug out bag is a solid knife. Preferably a fixed blade, at least six inches in length. This can be used for security, to help build shelter, start fire, and to gather food to name a few uses for a good knife. If size or legal considerations are a problem, a suitable secondary option is a locking folder.” – Tom from The Prepared Ninja

“I think the obvious answer is that every bug-out bag should include a means of protection, such as a gun. If a given bug-out situation is just a short-term emergency such as fleeing a natural disaster, then the gun is useless, though comforting to have. In a long-term bug-out situation, without a gun, you are at the mercy of unprepared, and desperate folks who NEED your stuff. All your prepping is for naught, if anyone can come along and take it from you.” – Spencer from All About Preppers

FULL ARTICLE HERE