Budget Bug Out Gear

By Tin Hat Ranch

For those of you that have been around a while you might recall our “Budget Bug Out Gear Challenge” from last April.  We gathered up a bunch of “budget” gear, packed it up, and journeyed on a 60 mile three day simulated bug out.  We made our best attempt at pulling together an entire kit of budget gear, just like any of you might do for your own personal kit.  Not the CHEAPEST gear, but the least expensive gear we felt would do the job.  We did our homework pretty well, nothing outright failed the challenge, but part of the reason you don’t see bad reviews here at the Ranch is because we don’t bother with really cheap crap.  Today, with the internet, there are a plethora of reviews to read before a purchase.  The following gear we feel were the real winners, the ones we’ve used again and again after the challenge.  Some of the stuff has even made it’s way into everyday around the house usage.  From our experience you can’t go wrong with any of this stuff, it is all well thought out, well made, and has held up, even if it is low cost..  Prices fluctuate daily on this gear, for current prices, check the links.

The Bag, the Teton Sports Outfitter 4600-    Where else would you start when talking about a bug out but the bag?  We did tons of research before selecting this bag and we feel we hit the jackpot with our choice.  There is no other bag for the money that is going to perform as well.  This 75 liter pack is just about the perfect size for an extended bug out, it’s well thought out and was robust enough to survive with about 50 pounds of gear sloshing around.  If you’d like to know more about this bag, check out our video.

Sleeping Bag- Teton Sports Tracker +5F or Trailhead +20F:  We tested the Tracker, but depending on the time of year or your location the Trailhead might be considered nearly the same bag.  As far as the Tracker goes, I haven’t woken up shivering once.  The bag is synthetic (won’t soak through like down), and for the money very light weight and it packs small.  If you go with an Outfitter for the bag it fits nicely in the lower compartment.  As far as keeping you warm while on the run, either bag will do the trick.  It compares to bags that cost many times more and is a great buy, even if it is slightly heavier and packs slightly larger.

The Ultralight Backpacking Camp Stove- We really like this little six dollar  camp stove.  We’ve mentioned it many times and have given about a dozen of them away on the Facebook page since we ran across it.  I’ve used it plenty of times and it works just like the name brand versions that cost many times more.  It hasn’t failed to work so far and is a real winner in our book.  If you want to see it in action, it guest stars in this video.

Teton Sports Outfitter XL Tent- If we had to give a single manufacturer award for making budget bug out gear, the award for 2014 would have to go to Teton.  For a one man tent this one has all of the features you would desire and then some.  It is lightweight for a budget tent (at under 5lbs), has a real rain fly, and has just enough room to keep you and your gear dry and out of the weather.  Ventilation is great for this tent and keeps condensation at bay, all night long.  Plus, you can set it up in under a minute.  The two complaints that kept this tent from being mentioned first were the bright yellow “look at me” color and the carrying case has worn in spots.  Look for one of the final videos in the Budget Bug Out Bag Challenge on this tent shortly.

The LED Rechargeable Headlamp- Much like the stove, this one performs way beyond it’s twelve dollar price tag.  In fact, if there is one piece of gear you could use on this list everyday, this would be it.  In my opinion, there are very few reasons to spend more money on a light when this one will perform in 90% of the situations you may encounter.  Beyond the BBOGC, I’ve used this guy while working on the car and around the house.  It’s my go to light at this point.  The fact that it is rechargeable and comes with the batteries makes it all the better.

Chainmate Pocket Chainsaw- Another sub-$15 product that works better than advertised.  Who knew you could cut down a tree in just a few minutes?  While not quite as fast as a gas powered chainsaw, the Chainmate will fell a tree much faster than the smaller type of hatchet you might carry in a BOB.  Hatchets still have their place in your bag, but my first go to tool for felling a tree or cutting a thicker limb would be the Chainmate.  See what I mean in this video.

Renovo Three Stage Water Filter- OK, we admit it, this one wasn’t included in the real challenge, but it did replace the original filter (the Sawyer Mini).  When you are bugging out you may have to utilize water wherever you find it.  The downside of Sawyer’s (they are still great) is that they don’t filter chemicals.  The Renovo gives you the benefits of a hollow fiber filter along with a carbon filter at a very appealing price point of less than $35.  If you’d like to understand more on why we picked this filter, check out this video.

Propper Softshell Jacket- We pretty much have to drop this one off the “budget” list but we still love it.  We teamed up with Trenton Tactical, a veteran owned gear company, for the clothing portion of the gear challenge.  For some reason this jacket has gone way up in price, but it is our go to jacket for both bug out and regular everyday layering.  It’s awesome.  Trenton worked with us on the “right” gear for a “grayman” appearance on our simulated 72hr. bug out.  Check out the other honorable mentions here.

We are looking forward to doing this again in 2015 with all new gear.  We know budgets can be tight, but you still need to be prepared so we are starting the search now.  We always welcome your suggestions as well, if you are aware of a product that is great for those on a budget and works, let us know.  There is lots of great stuff out there that needs to be discovered.  Drop us a comment via our contact form.

This article appeared originally HERE at the Tin Hat Ranch