The Free Online Survival Guide

[Westfalia]

I found a link to my blog here on the forum and thought that I might just as well provide the articles related to survival that I have written in The Free Online Survival Guide.

Chapter One
1.) The Westfalian Risk Management Model
2.) Get The Ability To Cope With a Crisis Situation
3.) Risk Assessments
4.) Analyzing Risks
5.) The Media in a Crisis or Survival Situation
6.) How You Can Reduce Your Own Vulnerability
7.) Travelling with Vehicles During a Crisis or Survival Situation.
8.) Travel Safety and Travel Safety Kits
9.) Staying Warm During a Survival or Crisis Situation
10.) Light during Emergencies and Survival situations
11.) Survival Training
12.) Responding to an Emerging Crisis

Chapter Two – Water and Food
1.) Water
2.) Food and Starvation

Chapter Three – Bugging Out
Introduction to Bug Out Bags and Evacuation
1.) Building The Right Bug Out Bag For You
2.) The Bug Out Plan
3.) Bug Out Guide and Checklist
4.) Light Weight Bug Out Bags
5.) Bugging Out as a Group
6.) Bugging Out Using Bikes
7.) Building a Bug Out Bag On A Budget
8.) Bug Out Bag - Examples of Setups
9.) Light Weight Bug Out Bags - Examples of Setups
10.) Bug Out Bag built on Ultra Light Equipment
11.) Bugging Out As A Group - Examples of Setups
12.) Urban Bug Out Bags
13.) Bug Out Bags for Women
14.) An Education - The Most Important Tool for a Bug Out?

Chapter Four - Bug In
1.) Bug In - An Introduction
2.) The Bug In Plan
3.) Equipment for Your Home - Checklist
4.) Surviving Fires and Fire Safety

Chapter Five
1.) Pocket Survival Kits
2.) Survival Knives
3.) Equipment and Techniques to start a Fire
4.) Scandinavian Survival Equipment
5.) Get Home Bag (GHB)
6.) Every Day Carry (EDC)
7.) Get Home Bags - Examples of Setups

Chapter Five
1.) Human Conflict, Wars and Survival
2.) Peace Building and State building missions
3.) Private Military Companies, Private Security Companies and Mercenaries

Chapter Six – Weapons of Mass Destruction
1.) Biological Warfare and Disease
2.) Chemical Warfare
3.) Nuclear Weapons and Radioactive Dangers

Chapter Seven
1.) The Collapse of Civilizations and Societies: Part One
2.) The Collapse of Civilizations and Societies: Part Two

Chapter Eight
1.) Peak Oil
2.) Things That You Can Do In Order To Prepare For Peak Oil
3.) The Limits To Growth
4.) Is Peak Oil Already Here?

Chapter Nine - Natural Disasters
1.) Earthquakes
2.) Volcanoes
3.) Tsunami
4.) Hurricanes
5.) Tornado

Chapter Ten - The Psychology of Survival
1.) The Basic Mindset for Survival

Chapter Eleven - For Swedish Survivalists
1.) For Swedish Survivalists

Chapter Twelve - Movies, Videos and Books
1.) List of Survival Related Documentaries and Videos
2.) Survival Related Blogs and WebPages
3.) Recommended Books and Your Survival Library
4.) List of Companies That Makes Survival Related Equipment

Other Articles
Another look at the Bug Out Bag
Gathering Information During Crisis and Survival Situation: HumInt and interviews
Survivalism for Dummies
Eleven Tips For Survival and Crisis Preparedness
It's Not Over Till It's Over
Keeping Your Vehicle Ready For Emergencies
Peak Oil and Our Mental Models - The WikiLeaks Cable and The Worlds Largest Oil Fields
The US Energy Information Administration - No Peak In World Oil Production in another 23 years
Story Driven vs Risk Driven Preparedness
The New WikiLeaks Publication and Irans Nuclear Program
The Batttle of Perception has Begun
The Collapse as a Process
I wish everyone good luck with your preps and that you will find some useful articles!

Read More

 

[Decker]

Thanks for posting these up! Looks like a ton of good info on here that I'll have to go back and read up on.

-d

 

[Trlsmn]

Spam, but hey it looks like good spam for a change.

 

[Westfalia]

Sorry if you perceive it as spam, I had never heard about this forum before I found through the linking thread: Recommended Books and Your Survival Library here on the forum, my intentions was simply to provide the other parts as well in a single post. I try to provide the best advice I can to anyone that would like to get it. Many people seem to look for the same advice on survival: Bug Out Bags, Water Storage, Food Storage, EDC, Get Home Bags, Flashlight and Knives. Everyone have different ideas, I only provide mine.

Not my intention to provoke or spam. I guess a short introduction could be in place.
I'm a man around thirty year of age the lives in the northern part o Scandinavia. I have always been interested in hunting, camping, hiking, fishing, outdoors activities and survival. I'm currently studying for my master degree in political science. In my Blog I try to combine the best from my interest in survival with the perspectives I have gained through my studies. It's my hope that by using this perspective I can add something to new to field of survival and crisis preparedness. The name that I have chosen for my alias is a name game for Westphalia, or more exactly the Peace of Westphalia 1648 that marked the end of Thirty Years War. This peace marks the beginning of the modern international system with sovereign states to many scholars.

The name of the blog; Sibi Totique is Latin and can be translated to "For Himself and Everyone". This motto was used by Benedict Arnold for a store that he used to own. Arnold was a central figure during the American Revolution. In the beginning of the revolution Benedict played a very central part in the struggle for independence only to later betray the cause that he initially fought for. Had Arnold died when he was wounded in the Battle for Saratoga he would most likely have been remembered as one of the greatest patriots in American history, but instead he is now forever remembered as a traitor to the cause. For me Arnold represent both the best and the worst of human nature; Hero, Traitor and Patriot. An imperfect man that represents the best and worse in all of us, I do not agree with everything Arnold did but I do think that something can be learned from the motto Sibi Totique.

 

[NWSteve]

I dig it...

Shouldn't be flagged as spam. Good reading.

 

[Jmoney]

Thank you for all this information. I like the checklist format for everything. Makes it easy to get everything together.

 

[Trlsmn]

Sorry if you perceive it as spam, I had never heard about this forum before I found through the linking thread: Recommended Books and Your Survival Library here on the forum, my intentions was simply to provide the other parts as well in a single post. I try to provide the best advice I can to anyone that would like to get it. Many people seem to look for the same advice on survival: Bug Out Bags, Water Storage, Food Storage, EDC, Get Home Bags, Flashlight and Knives. Everyone have different ideas, I only provide mine.

Not my intention to provoke or spam. I guess a short introduction could be in place.
I'm a man around thirty year of age the lives in the northern part o Scandinavia. I have always been interested in hunting, camping, hiking, fishing, outdoors activities and survival. I'm currently studying for my master degree in political science. In my Blog I try to combine the best from my interest in survival with the perspectives I have gained through my studies. It's my hope that by using this perspective I can add something to new to field of survival and crisis preparedness. The name that I have chosen for my alias is a name game for Westphalia, or more exactly the Peace of Westphalia 1648 that marked the end of Thirty Years War. This peace marks the beginning of the modern international system with sovereign states to many scholars.

The name of the blog; Sibi Totique is Latin and can be translated to "For Himself and Everyone". This motto was used by Benedict Arnold for a store that he used to own. Arnold was a central figure during the American Revolution. In the beginning of the revolution Benedict played a very central part in the struggle for independence only to later betray the cause that he initially fought for. Had Arnold died when he was wounded in the Battle for Saratoga he would most likely have been remembered as one of the greatest patriots in American history, but instead he is now forever remembered as a traitor to the cause. For me Arnold represent both the best and the worst of human nature; Hero, Traitor and Patriot. An imperfect man that represents the best and worse in all of us, I do not agree with everything Arnold did but I do think that something can be learned from the motto Sibi Totique.

Sorry to offend you but when something is cross posted all over the net it is by definition spam. Whether you're spamming your blog or a Chinese IPhone knock off is irrelevant, as I said it is relevant spam and that is why I didn't delete it, but it is still spam.

In this case it is spam that I'm happy to see and read personally and I think the members will enjoy!

 

[Riot]

Spam or not...I love it! I especially love the sites hyperlinked to your blog. Keep up the great work Westfalia!

 

[chemist]

Sorry to offend you but when something is cross posted all over the net it is by definition spam. Whether you're spamming your blog or a Chinese IPhone knock off is irrelevant, as I said it is relevant spam and that is why I didn't delete it, but it is still spam.

In this case it is spam that I'm happy to see and read personally and I think the members will enjoy!

Sorry is right, because you're wrong:
"Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems (including most broadcast media, digital delivery systems) to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately."
- Wiki
This is not indiscriminate, nor is there any indication of bulk posting. It's relevant to the forum - unlike your comment.

 

[pyromancer]

Westfalla, have you considered making this into a PDF or even word document that someone can download? Being able to access this without the internet, or even to be able to print out a hard copy seems of most benefit to me in a shtf situation. Just an idea...

 

[Westfalia]

Thanks for the positive feedback! Pyromancer: I have gotten the suggestion from some people and will try to present some kind of printable version in the future. The material as a whole does not have the quality that I would like it to have yet and there is still some work to be done, lots of misspells and the language could be better.

The main idea is to provide an Online Guide, trying to link the products and sites recommended in order to make it easier for the reader to navigate. For equipment the basics are the same but I don’t think that for example the flashlights recommend now will still be among the best in 5 years. But making a printable version in the end of every year could be an idea.

May I ask if there is any part that you are missing in the Guide or would like to see?

The latest article: Survivalism for Dummies.

 

[Westfalia]

Example of article: Bug Out Guide and Checklist
Evacuation in case of a major disaster or crisis is a subject that is often discussed among survivalists. The situation that you are trying to prepare for is a scenario when you will be forced to leave your home because of some kind of Natural or Man Made disaster. I recommend that you make a Risk Assessment and check for possible threats in your proximity that may force you to take this kind of action. Examples events can be a hurricane, flooding, dam brake or nuclear power plant meltdown. A Bug Out Bag (BOB) is a bag with all the equipment that you need to survive for a few days on your own. A BOB can also be called a 72 hour bag/kit, Get Out Of Dodge (GOOD) Bag or I'm Never Coming Home (INCH) Bag.

If you're going to be bugging out there is a chance that normal communication like travelling by roads with cars or buses will not function as normally or stop working completely due to heavy traffic and you will be forced to make your escape by foot. Plan ahead and check possible routes on maps. Will different scenarios affect your route, will roads be under water in case of a dam brake etc. Next I recommend that you take your car, bike or simply go by foot on the best routes that you can identify. Write down the information you notice, is there anywhere you can find shelter, landmarks and where can water be found? Water is the most critical aspect and must govern your planning.

If you have to leave by foot you will have to carry all your equipment, this will not be an easy task for an untrained individual. Get in shape by training at least three times a week and take walks with your BOB to train the muscles in your back, the same for the shoes: start wearing them before you have to use them to prevent blisters. Get your teeth fixed as well, there an excellent tool if there not broken or damaged. If you never been camping or hiking make sure that you do that, there is no better way to learn what you really will need. I recommend this equipment for a BOB, or the following things when you go camping or hiking.

Clothing
[ ] Long sleeve base layer shirt (I recommend Merino wool)
[ ] Short sleeve base layer shirt
[ ] Change of underwear
[ ] Hat or Watch cap
[ ] Gloves
[ ] Buff, Scarf or Shemag
[ ] Shell jacket (Waterproof and wind proof)
[ ] Warm long sleeve shirt
[ ] Heavy duty pants
[ ] Poncho, Rain Clothing, Bivanorak or Fjellduk
[ ] Hiking boots
[ ] 2 pair of Extra socks
[ ] Watch with a button compass on the wrist band

Backpack
Choose a backpack with a steel or aluminum frame, if you're going to carry a heavy load over some distance you're going to need a pack with stability. If the frame is internal or external is a question of what you prefer, both have advantages and disadvantages. Backpacks with external frames are generally stronger and can be used to carry other things than your bag like a wounded person or a heavy tank of water. Packs with an internal frame are often lighter and have a more slim design. Pack your items in waterproof bags; use different colors so that you know what's inside the different bags. A waterproof backpack cover can also help keeping your equipment dry. Cell phones and other electronic equipment are vulnerable to dirt and water; get a waterproof bag or container to store them in. Pack certain equipment like your first aid kit in a location that is easily accessible if you would need them. Always put the same items in the same location in your bag so you don't have to spend much time looking for your items, this also makes easier to see if something would be missing from your pack. Always carry at least one knife and your pocket survival kit on your person in case you would lose your backpack.

[ ] Sleeping bag, Sleeping bag liners helps to extend the lifetime of your sleeping bag
[ ] Sleeping mattress, Hammock or Hennessy Hammock
[ ] Tarp, Tent, Bivanorak, Fjellduk or Bivi-bag

Light
[ ] Flashlight or/and Headlamp (LED)
[ ] Extra batteries (Lithium)

Fire
[ ] Matches in waterproof container
[ ] Lighter
[ ] Fire steel
[ ] Tinder

Survival Knives
[ ] Fixed blade knife
[ ] Back up knife: examples could be a Folding knife, Compact fixed blade knife, Multi Tool or Swiss Army Knife
[ ] Sharpener

Pocket Survival Kit
[ ] Matches
[ ] Fire steel
[ ] Snare wire
[ ] Wire saw
[ ] Sewing kit
[ ] Button compass
[ ] Safety pins
[ ] Whistle
[ ] Candle
[ ] Compact LED lamp
[ ] Compact knife or razor blade
[ ] Fishing kit
[ ] Pencil
[ ] Water purification tablets
[ ] Painkillers
[ ] Anti diarrhea tablets
[ ] Antihistamines
[ ] Antibiotics
[ ] Condom or Alok Sak

Water
[ ] One or Two Water Bottles (Nalgene or SIGG)
[ ] Water Bladder for your backpack; Camelback, Nalgene or similar system.
[ ] Water Purification Tablets
[ ] Water urification Filter

Food
[ ] Freeze dried food or Meals Ready to Eat (MRE:s). Minimum 6 meals for 72 hours
[ ] Powerbars, Flapjack, beef jerky, trail mix or other snacks
[ ] Tea, Coffee, Sugar and Powdered milk
[ ] Salt and Pepper

[ ] Stove: Multi Fuel Stove, Kelly Kettle, Trangia, Ebsit or Jetboil
[ ] Fuel for your stove
[ ] Cooking vessels
[ ] Spork (Or Knife, Fork and Spoon)
[ ] Cup
[ ] Steel wool, mop and washing up liquid (I recommend Fairy)
[ ] P-38 Can Opener

[ ] Map
[ ] Waterproof container for map
[ ] Compass
[ ] Cash or Gold/Silver
[ ] Passport and Immunization Record Card
[ ] Notebook and Pen

Hygiene
[ ] Roll of toilet paper (in waterproof bag)
[ ] Soap
[ ] Toothbrush, Toothpaste and Dental Floss
[ ] Razor
[ ] Hand Disinfection
[ ] Insect Repellant
[ ] Sun bBock or Skin Care Lotion

[ ] 550 Paracord
[ ] First Aid Kit
[ ] Blister Kit
[ ] Sunglasses

Other Equipment that can be useful depending on the Scenario
It is impossible to bring all equipment that can be needed during a survival situation, choices must be made. Examples of equipment that can be useful are a compact radio or scanner, this may allow you to receive news, weather reports and listen to how government agencies are responding to an event. An Axe, Compact Shovel, Kukri, Machete, Folding Saw or Parang can be a useful tool for collecting firewood and constructing shelter. Binoculars can be a useful tool for scouting terrain and spotting potential threats and problems. A Global Positions System (GPS) device with topographic maps is an extremely useful tool, especially when navigating into unknown terrain or low visibility conditions. For signaling a signal mirror, chemical light sticks or emergency flares can be useful. Spare parts and repair kits for your stove, tents and sleeping mattress can be useful especially under long lasting emergencies.

An extra pair of shoes in addition to your hiking boots like a pair of running shoes, light weight hiking shoes or Five Fingers can be an extremely useful addition if your boots get wet when moving around or when you established a camp.

A pair of trekking poles can be a great addition for keeping balance when going trough rough terrain, especially when wearing a heavy pack. For people with bad knees this can be a great help, trekking poles also make it easier to move around if you would suffer a sprained ankle.

Other personal needs may be medications or an extra pair of glasses. A compact Survival Handbook or memory cards may also be useful addition in an emergency.

Test all your equipment and learn how to use it.

Advantages
• A fully equipped Bug Out Bag can allow an individual to easier cope with a number of potential threats.
• If for some reason help or security can't be reached after a few days of travel the individual will have access to important equipped needed. During a large scale disaster it will be hard for government agencies being able to supply a large number of people with basic necessities; in this case you will have to make do with what you have.

Disadvantages
• A fully equipped Bug Out Bag will have a high weight that will slow down the pace during an evacuation by foot compared to a low weight evacuation kit. The weight means that an individual must be well-trained in order to carry it over long distances.
• Buying all the equipment needed for a complete Bug Out Bag is a high cost, especially if high quality equipment preferred.

Summary
A fully equipped Bug Out Bag contains equipment that makes it possible to survive with very little or no external assistance. The major disadvantage is the high weight that must be carried; if a vehicle is available the weight does not matter as much, the high cost is also a disadvantage. If you decide to build a Bug Out Bag use it for other activities like hiking, camping and hunting so that you get familiar with the equipment. This also gives you a chance to enjoy the investment you made and enjoy outdoors activities. An alternative to going for the fully equipped Bug Out Bag is to build a Light Weight alternative.

No matter how much equipment a BOB contains it will never contain all the equipment that you may need in all situations. You will have to improvise and make do with what's available. Learning how to build fires, create shelter, navigate, preparing food and other survival skills are more important than what equipment you choose to carry with you. The people around you are another critical aspect, having a friend by your side is often a much more important aspect for survival than having the perfect equipment.

 

[gunslinger1911]

...and then you too can carry a 250lb bag...survivalism usually pertains to minimalism, what you have on this list, in my very humble opinion is crazy amounts of bloat that you simply do not need...what you need my friend is a boput (bug out pick-up truck) to carry this load, or better yet, stay home, that way you wont have to bring the kitchen sink!

 

[Westfalia]

Sorry if you don't like the post, this is just my take on the subject from a maxi approach to the subject. If you're interested in a light weight alternative maybe you will like the "Light Weight Bug Out Bags" article more.

Exactly what you should pack is something that is individual depending on your local terrain, your conditions, fitness, skills etc.

I live in a rather cold region of the world where you can expect to survive outdoors during the winter without good clothing, a winter sleeping bag, sleeping mattress and four-season tent. It is not pretty and it is not light weight. The same goes for mountain hikes here. You have to carry everything you need and you must be self reliant, help is not close if you would need it. This is the pack list I would recommend if you want to be ready for a scenario when no external assistance can be expected.

The big difference is that normally you do not go on these types of trips alone. You go in a group and you share the weight of tents, stove, first aid kit, GPS, fuel, radio and other equipment that can be shared. And then you also get the most important thing to have with you during a survival situation: another person. More suggestion for this you can read in the thread: Bugging Out As A Group.

 

[gunslinger1911]

no offense intended friend...i was just ribbin' ya i like your post just fine...for me it doesn't work tho, that's all. here's just a quick example of why: fire = no need for water purification tablets, insect repellent, hand disinfectant, soap, stove, stove fuel, water filter etc...and thats just the beginning of me lightening your load...
cheers mate!

 

[Westfalia]

No hard feelings! Here we have some of the cleanest environment and water that you can find in the world so normally it is not a problem as long as it's moving water. But the climate during the winter calls for special considerations both for clothing and shelter. And trust me – you would not dream about going outside during the summer here without insect repellent...

Soap, toilet paper, skin care lotion, washing up liquid etc is not a must for survival, but it makes huge different during long hikes. Being able to stay clean prevents infections in the skin and the risk of disease and increase the morale most importantly.

We all have different philosophies – I just try to present mine from the experience I have from outdoors activities, hiking, hunting and fishing where I come from. Of course it's not valid for all situations.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

To the OP/Blogger; You talk about the nuts and bolts of what to carry but nothing about WHERE you will go. I can tell you in a serious crisis - rural private land owners are not going to welcome refugee squatters. I will not be defending my land alone, either, as I have planned in advance, as have my team members

Better have a PLACE to bug out to in advance. A friend, relation or other place where you will be welcomed or at least ignored. The best way to survive a BUG-out is a minimalist BUG out pack and serious supplies left stored at your bug out location. These two are the most ignored yet essential aspects of BUG-out survival. Without long term supplies you will become a slave, dead or a vile raider, shot on sight

There will be lots of refugees. If it's "the big one" most of them will die or become someone's serf/slave because they had no real plan and no organization

One more thing.. running water is no guarantee of purity.. just upstream could be a rotting animal or human carcass. They just pulled a rotten sleeping bag with leg bones and a barnicle encrusted bottle of Wild Turkey out of the Puget Sound the other day. Aside from some good jokes I've been able to make out of this, it's illustrative

 

[Westfalia]

Good point! The Guide is not complete yet; You can check out the article Survivalism for Dummies if you want to read more about the Bug Out and Bug In approach.

 

[Westfalia]

Sibi Totique: Light Weight Bug Out Bag

Light Weight Bug Out Bags
In a previous post I have written about the concept of Bugging Out and Evacuation in emergency or survival situations. This post addresses an alternative approach to this concept with a focus on lowering the weight of the emergency kit.

The backpack for a low weight Bug Out Bag (LW-BOB) does not have to be as sturdy as a bag that has to hold much more equipment and a heavier weight. The most important aspect is that it has a comfortable carrying system that makes the bag fit close to your body; ideally you should be able to run medium distances with the bag.

Water is one of most crucial aspects in a survival situation and have to be carried, especially if you have to make a great physical effort and make a long distance over a few days possibly by foot. High quality water bottles like the ones from Nalgene or SIGG have a very probability to break but in most cases ordinary soda bottles can serve the same purpose. A water bladder like the ones made by CamelBak or Nalgene has the advantage that you can drink easily without having to remove the pack and making a stop. A minimum of two liters of water should be a carried, but depending on the intended route and climate you may too carry more. Where can water be found and is it safe to drink without purification?

Shelter is an important aspect in order to prevent hypothermia and exposure. In order to keep the weight down I suggest either a bivi-bag or a bivanorak as an emergency shelter in a LW-BOB. The Bivanorak and Fjellduk also have the advantage that they can be used both as an poncho and as a Bivi-Bag. If you want to travel light your clothing becomes very important since you don't carry a sleeping bag, sleeping mattress and tent which makes it possible to improvise shelter in basically any weather condition. Good socks, shoes that can cope with your local terrain, base layer shirt that dries easily like merino wool and a wind and rain proof shell jacket can compensate too some extent for this lack in equipment.

Some kind of Survival Knife is critical and should also be carried. What type depends on your setting but I would recommend either a folding knife, Swiss Army Knife or a light weight fixed blade knife. A Pocket Survival Kit contains some additional items that can help you cope with emergencies without taking up much weight or space in a pack.

For navigation a map can be an important addition depending on how well you know your local terrain. Keeping a small compass on your watch band or choosing a watch with electronic compass like the Suunto Core means that you always have a compass available. A light weight head lamp like the Fenix HP-20, HL-20, Petzl E+Lite, ZebraLight anglelights / headlamps can make night time movement much easier.

A normal person can survive for quite a long time without food so making it a few days isn't a real problem, however if you don't eat anything for a few days your energy level and stamina will be seriously reduced. Carrying a few energy bars or one freeze dried meal per day can help you keep your energy level up.

Exactly what you should pack is a personal choice but some additional equipment could also be useful like a compact First Aid Kit, paracord, spare batteries, a big lighter, some tinder, a notebook, pen, some cash and a compact cooking vessel. Find a solution that fits your specific conditions and needs.

Advantages
• A lighter pack makes it easier to walk or run long distances since you will be carrying much less weight than if you carry a fully equipped Bug Out Bag.
• The cost for getting the equipment will also be lower since you won't have to buy the same amount of equipment.
• Can be carried as an Every Day Carry bag

Disadvantages
• A light weight Bug Out Bag miss allot of the items that can be needed in a survival situation. Especially in cold weather conditions exposure can kill fast so not having a sleeping bag, sleeping mattress and extra clothing can prove fatal.
• Less equipment also means fewer options.
• A highly skilled individual can compensate for the lack of equipment with the ability to construct shelter, find eatable plants, catch fish and other tactics.

Summary
A light weight Bug Out Bag can function either as an alternative or a complement to full sized Bug Out Bag especially in conditions where severe weather and temperatures is a small problem. Since it's composed of very few items it can be carried as an Every Day Carry Bag. Many larger back-packs have a smaller Day-Pack so it's fully possible to have a larger back-pack containing the other items in a fully equipped Bug Out Bag and carry the items for Light Weight Bug Out Bag in the Day Pack making it possible to leave the heavier equipment if it would prove necessary.

Checklist
Water
[ ] Two water bottles or Water bladder for your backpack
[ ] Water purification tablets or compact Water purification filter

Shelter
[ ] Bivanorak, Fjellduk, Lightweight Tarp or Lightweight Poncho

[ ] Survival Knife

[ ] Compact Headlamp

Pocket Survival Kit
[ ] Matches
[ ] Fire steel
[ ] Snare wire
[ ] Wire saw
[ ] Sewing kit
[ ] Button compass
[ ] Safety pins
[ ] Whistle
[ ] Candle
[ ] Small LED lamp
[ ] Compact knife or Razor blade
[ ] Fishing kit
[ ] Pencil
[ ] Water Purification Tablets
[ ] Painkillers
[ ] Anti diarrhea tablets
[ ] Antihistamines
[ ] Antibiotics
[ ] Condom or Alok Sak

 

[Westfalia]

Gunslinger 1911: This one is for you.

Sibi Totique: Bug Out Bag – Example of a Setup

I have often gotten the response concerning the recommendation what to pack in a Fully Equipped Bug Out Bag that this is a setup so heavy that no one could possibly carry it. In order to provide some reference concerning the weight I have put together an example of a setup focused on light weight items to show how one can build a Bug Out Bag that have all the essentials that one could need but still keep the weight of the BOB light enough to be carried. This setup is based upon the article Bug Out Bag and Checklist.

This setup does not include your clothing that should ideally consist of Hiking Boots, Merino wool socks, Heavy Duty Pants, A Base Layer Shirt from synthetic materials or merino wool, Gloves, A Hat or Watch Cap, A Sweater and Shell Jacket. Other equipment that is expected to be carried on your person is your watch, cell phone and wallet.

Light Weight Setup - Bug Out Bag

Backpack and Drypacks 2,5kg
Backpack – Osprey Aether 85 – 2300g
Drypacks from Exped M (liter), L (13liter) and XL (22liter): 55g+66g+82g

Clothing Inside the Bag 1,244kg
Short Sleeve Base Layer 200g
Change of Underwear 100g
2 Pair of Socks 100g
Buff, Merino Wool 54g
Klättermusen LIV 290g
Hilleberg Bivanorak 500g

Shelter 1,765kg
Trap - Hilleberg Tarp -10 700g
Sleeping Bag - Western Mountaineering SummerLite 525g
Sleeping Mattress – Theremarest Ridgerest Large 540g

Light
Fenix LD-10 and one extra AA battery (54g + 23g + 23g) 100g

Equipment to Build a Fire - 0,054kg
BIC Lighter 14g
Matches- 15g
Fire Steel – Light My Fire Scout with Striker (20+9 g) 29g

Survival Knives 0,235kg
Fällkniven F1 150g
Victorinox Climber 85g

Pocket Survival Kit 0,17kg
BCB Combat Survival Kit 170g

Water 3,785kg
Water Bottle - 1 Liter Nalgene (160g+1000g) 1160g
2 Liter Bladder Nalgene (545+2000g) 2545g
Water Purification Filter – Aquamira Frontier 30g
Water Purification Tablets – Lifesystems Chlorine Dioxide Tablets 50g

Food – 1,065kg
6 DryTech Freeze Dried Rations 1000g
Salt and Pepper (From Restaurants) 15g
10 Tea Bags, Sugar, Powdered Milk 50g (10372)

Stove, Fuel and Cup – 0,5kg
Esbit Cookset 585ml (Stove, Wind Shield and Cooking Vessel) 200g
12 Esbit Tablets 185g (4 per day) 185g
Spork – Optimus Titan 17g
Folding Cup (2,5 dl) 28g
Steel wool, Washing up Liquid 50ml, Half Mop 70g (10872)

Map and Navigation etc 0.233kg
Map in Waterproof Case 100g
Compass - Silva Ranger SL – 23g
Passport and Immunization Card 50g
Rite in the Rain Notebook and Pen 60g (11105)

Hygiene etc 0,515kg
[ ] Half a roll of toilet paper in plastic bag 100g
[ ] Half a bar of Soap 25g
[ ] Tooth brush travel, small tube of tooth paste 50g
[ ] Razor 20g
[ ] Hand Disinfection – BCB Stridex 20g
[ ] First Aid Kit: Lifesystems Pocket + Blister Plasters (200g)
[ ] 550 Paracord 50 feet – 100g

Other items
Merell Barefoot Trail Glove – Ultra light Trail running Shoes 350g

The total weight of the Setup lands on 12,67kg (28 pounds)

I would argue that this is a weight that most people can carry without difficulty even if they are not extremely well trained.

Analysis
Building a Light Weight Setup is all about trying to keep the weight of every item in the kit down. In this example an Ultra Light Sleeping Bag, Light Weight Sleeping Mattress, a Bivanorak that can be used as both a Poncho and Bivi-Bag in combination with a light weight quality tarp provides a light weight shelter with multiple options. The Ultra Light Trailrunning Shoes from Merrell also provide an additional pair of shoes, The Klättermusen LIV Down Sweater and Merino wool Buff some additional protection from exposure.

The weight of the Water and Water Containers is a post that is hard to reduce further. The Freeze Dried Rations provides light weight meals in combination with an Esbit Stove that includes cooking vessel a cooking vessel and windshield.

The main disadvantage with an Ultra Light Sleeping bag is that it will not provide enough heat if the weather is cold. How easily people freeze depends very much on the individual, some people freeze easily. Try your sleeping bag and make sure that it functions well for your climate and your terrain.

This setup could easily include some extra food like additional frieze dried rations, flapjacks, energy bars, chocolate bars, tools, one extra bottle of water, a heavier water purification filter, some additional batteries and extra fuels tablets for the stove without being too heavy.

The Free Online Survival Guide