Bug-Out Bag Essentials
By Adelia Ladson
One of the most important things you can have in your home is a Bug-Out Bag. Times are uncertain and you never know what tomorrow will bring. For those of you who might not know, a bug-out bag is basically a backpack or any suitable easy-to-carry bag that is packed with survival essentials for you and your family in case of an emergency or catastrophic event.
Here at CH Kadels, we want you to be prepared for the worst so we specialize in carrying survival essentials you need to fill your bug-out bag. There are so many items you need that you may not think about. Take a minute to look over our list of Bug-Out Bag Essentials to the left. When things get dicey, you just won’t remember all those important things you need to survive. Don’t waste time trying to throw supplies together at the last minute. Do now and have it ready to go at a moment’s notice. Like the Boys Scouts say, “Be Prepared!”
Of course the first thing you need is a good sturdy backpack or bag. I prefer a backpack but if you have another option, that’s easy to carry, it will work, too. Remember, though, we’re talking about something you can just grab and go – not a suitcase, even if it does have wheels.
Just a great all-around backpack we have on our shelf is the Vintage Canvas Flight Bag. This is a military grade bag of pliable cotton canvas that has padded shoulder straps for comfort and a top carry handle. It has multiple pockets for organization and is 19 1/2” x 15” x 4 1/2". I guarantee you can fit all of the necessary survival gear in this flight bag.
Really, the next thing you need to think about is a good, all-purpose knife. It needs to be able to handle whatever cutting or chopping task you throw at it and it needs to have a comfortable, slip-free grip. You really can’t afford your knife to let you down in a critical or life-threatening situation so make sure you invest well. The RAT 7 Bushcraft Knife from Ontario Knife Company is definitely built as a survival knife with its 1095 carbon steel non-reflective blade and canvas micarta handle.
Two items that will serve you well are some kind of fire starter and some kind of water container. There are many reasons you may have to build a fire and the quicker and easier you can do this, the better.
There are a variety of fire starters on our shelves so it just depends on what you’re looking for. I personally like the compact, put on your key-chain Aluminum Flint Striker. You just strike the magnesium flint with the steel striker to get a spark.
As you know, having safe water to drink is an absolute necessity for survival. Having a container to carry water in that will also purify and filter it is a must. In a catastrophic event scenario, you don’t know where you might have to get water from. Sure, you can get a plain canteen for your bag but it won’t serve you if the water is not potable. You will need to purify it somehow. So, I suggest, because this is my favorite, the Sawyer Walter Filtration Bottle, which will give you on liter of clean drinking water completely worry free.
Next on your list has to be emergency food and this is a very important consideration for your bug-out bag. The best choice for survival food is MREs. The military uses them to keep an army on its feet for weeks. The beauty of these meals-ready-to-eat is that they truly are. You just open the pouch and eat. No hot water is needed to reconstitute them but they can be heated if you have the means and time. Also, having Emergency Food Bars your bag is a good idea. If you are on the move, you may not even have time to open an MRE. These bars have a five-year shelf-life and will sustain you in a pinch.
Other tools that you need to include in your bug-out bag are ones that will perform unexpected jobs like cutting wire or taking screws out. The Gerber Diesel Multi-tool is a great companion to you in just about any situation. It has needle nose pliers, wire cutters and scissors, blade and saw, screwdrivers and a file all wrapped-up in a neat little package. There are other multi-tools out there but I like Gerber the best.
By the way, don’t forget to add a nice little folding pocket knife for those smaller cutting tasks. The Timber Wolf Assisted Opening Rescue Folding Knife is a great option. It has a glass-break spike and seat belt cutter and the stainless steel blade is about 3” long.
Let’s add a couple of more items you should get for your bug-out bag. The first is an Emergency Survival Sleeping Blanket. The shiny polyester material reflects your body heat back to you and it is waterproof and windproof. You can also use it to build a shelter with and this brings me to the last but certainly not least item you need in your bug-out bag – Paracord.
Folks, this some wonderfully handy stuff to have because it has a plethora of used including helping you secure a shelter. If you just look under the Paracord section of our website, you will find a multitude of kinds and colors to choose from. I do think that you should get at least a 100 ft. bundle of it, though, because when I say, “it has a plethora of uses”, I’m not kidding. Of course, you know you can use it tos tie and secure stuff with but you can also pull the inside fibers out to use as fishing line or as sewing thread. This is another survival item that the military has used for years and years to assist its troops.
One of the most important things you can have in your home is a Bug-Out Bag. Times are uncertain and you never know what tomorrow will bring. For those of you who might not know, a bug-out bag is basically a backpack or any suitable easy-to-carry bag that is packed with survival essentials for you and your family in case of an emergency or catastrophic event.
Here at CH Kadels, we want you to be prepared for the worst so we specialize in carrying survival essentials you need to fill your bug-out bag. There are so many items you need that you may not think about. Take a minute to look over our list of Bug-Out Bag Essentials to the left. When things get dicey, you just won’t remember all those important things you need to survive. Don’t waste time trying to throw supplies together at the last minute. Do now and have it ready to go at a moment’s notice. Like the Boys Scouts say, “Be Prepared!”
Of course the first thing you need is a good sturdy backpack or bag. I prefer a backpack but if you have another option, that’s easy to carry, it will work, too. Remember, though, we’re talking about something you can just grab and go – not a suitcase, even if it does have wheels.
Just a great all-around backpack we have on our shelf is the Vintage Canvas Flight Bag. This is a military grade bag of pliable cotton canvas that has padded shoulder straps for comfort and a top carry handle. It has multiple pockets for organization and is 19 1/2” x 15” x 4 1/2". I guarantee you can fit all of the necessary survival gear in this flight bag.
Really, the next thing you need to think about is a good, all-purpose knife. It needs to be able to handle whatever cutting or chopping task you throw at it and it needs to have a comfortable, slip-free grip. You really can’t afford your knife to let you down in a critical or life-threatening situation so make sure you invest well. The RAT 7 Bushcraft Knife from Ontario Knife Company is definitely built as a survival knife with its 1095 carbon steel non-reflective blade and canvas micarta handle.
Two items that will serve you well are some kind of fire starter and some kind of water container. There are many reasons you may have to build a fire and the quicker and easier you can do this, the better.
There are a variety of fire starters on our shelves so it just depends on what you’re looking for. I personally like the compact, put on your key-chain Aluminum Flint Striker. You just strike the magnesium flint with the steel striker to get a spark.
As you know, having safe water to drink is an absolute necessity for survival. Having a container to carry water in that will also purify and filter it is a must. In a catastrophic event scenario, you don’t know where you might have to get water from. Sure, you can get a plain canteen for your bag but it won’t serve you if the water is not potable. You will need to purify it somehow. So, I suggest, because this is my favorite, the Sawyer Walter Filtration Bottle, which will give you on liter of clean drinking water completely worry free.
Next on your list has to be emergency food and this is a very important consideration for your bug-out bag. The best choice for survival food is MREs. The military uses them to keep an army on its feet for weeks. The beauty of these meals-ready-to-eat is that they truly are. You just open the pouch and eat. No hot water is needed to reconstitute them but they can be heated if you have the means and time. Also, having Emergency Food Bars your bag is a good idea. If you are on the move, you may not even have time to open an MRE. These bars have a five-year shelf-life and will sustain you in a pinch.
Other tools that you need to include in your bug-out bag are ones that will perform unexpected jobs like cutting wire or taking screws out. The Gerber Diesel Multi-tool is a great companion to you in just about any situation. It has needle nose pliers, wire cutters and scissors, blade and saw, screwdrivers and a file all wrapped-up in a neat little package. There are other multi-tools out there but I like Gerber the best.
By the way, don’t forget to add a nice little folding pocket knife for those smaller cutting tasks. The Timber Wolf Assisted Opening Rescue Folding Knife is a great option. It has a glass-break spike and seat belt cutter and the stainless steel blade is about 3” long.
Let’s add a couple of more items you should get for your bug-out bag. The first is an Emergency Survival Sleeping Blanket. The shiny polyester material reflects your body heat back to you and it is waterproof and windproof. You can also use it to build a shelter with and this brings me to the last but certainly not least item you need in your bug-out bag – Paracord.
Folks, this some wonderfully handy stuff to have because it has a plethora of used including helping you secure a shelter. If you just look under the Paracord section of our website, you will find a multitude of kinds and colors to choose from. I do think that you should get at least a 100 ft. bundle of it, though, because when I say, “it has a plethora of uses”, I’m not kidding. Of course, you know you can use it tos tie and secure stuff with but you can also pull the inside fibers out to use as fishing line or as sewing thread. This is another survival item that the military has used for years and years to assist its troops.
