Here's what's in my BOB...
It's a 5.11 RUSH-72 with 5.11's 6X6 Medical Pouch attached and a CamelBak bottle carrier and bottle. All items have been fully coated with Kiwi Camp-Dry Heavy-Duty Water Repellant. I also keep a Condor 15” Bolo Machete with my BOB. In a bugout situation, a machete is a MUST! This pack is hydration compatible and I keep a CamelBak in that pouch. I bring the system and not just the bladder so I can walk around with hydration available without having to carry the whole pack. This pack and certain items in it also double as my camping gear. Some items are taken out and some items are added when I go to the woods on a camping trip. In a true bugout situation, I would improvise a shelter using my poncho and some bushcraft, but I also keep my hammock nearby. It’s a Mosquito Hammock and includes the hammock itself, a rain fly, stakes, tie-downs, and some bungee cords. This hammock is perfect for pretty much any situation as it is very light (only about 3 pounds for the whole kit) and it can be used as a traditional hammock as well as a one-man tent if need be.
Here's what I keep in the front pouch:
- (1) roll electrical tape
- (1) WHITE glow stick
- (1) RED glow sticks
- (1) GREEN glow stick
- 100’ 550 paracord
- (1) waterproof note pad
- (2) pens
- (1) pack of iOSAT pills
- (1) emergency foil blanket
- (1) mosquito net head cover
- (1) 1-FL OZ bottle of Deep Woods Off
- (10) 1-gallon Ziplok freezer bags
- (30) 11” Zip-Ties
- (1) Leatherman MUT Multi-Tool (worn on body)
- (1) old t-shirt to use as a bandana (worn on body)
- (1) 2 FL OZ bottle of hand sanitizer
- (1) pair of Kevlar/Goat Skin Hatch Gloves (worn on body)
- (1) travel tooth brush & tooth paste w/5 floss picks
- (1) roll of trail marker orange tape
- (1) pack of No-Rinse bathing wipes
- (1) combination compass with case
- (1) CAT Tourniquet
- (2) ignition hand files
- (1) Sea to Summit knife/spork
The pack also has a small (kind of hidden) pocket made for sun glasses. I keep two packs of SOS Emergency Purified Drinking Water (enough for one person for one day). I would only drink these as a last resort.
The 5.11 Medical Pouch holds a lot more than I thought it would. Inside I have (97) items. This kit is the result of the combination of several other kits.
- (2) pairs of nitrile gloves (on top for easy access)
- (1) CPR Face-Shield (on top for easy access)
- (1) 50g 5”X5” QuikClot Sport
- (1) 11¾”X11¾” pressure pad dressing with elastic side ties
- (1) irrigation syringe
- (2) Flexicon Elastic Gauze Bandages 2” X 4.1yd
- (1) 3/4 FL OZ packet of Povidone-Iodine solution
- (3) Povidine-Iodine Swabstick (1’s)
- (6) Povidone-Iodine prep pads
- (6) alcohol prep pads
- (3) Compound Benzoin Tincture
- (1) medical shears
- (9) various sized safety pins
- (1) roll of 1" 3M Durapore waterproof medical tape
- (1) ACE bandage roll
- (6) knuckle bad-aids
- (6) regular band-aids
- (1) tweezers
- (5) packs of Triple Antibiotic Ointment
- (3) Aspirin
- (3) Ibuprofen
- (2) Diamode (Antidiarrheal)
- (2) Diphen (Antihistamine)
- (1) pack of Moleskin
- (2) NexTemp Thermometers
- (1) 8"X10" Sterile Combine Pad
- (2) 5"X9" Sterile Combine Pads
- (3) 4"X4" Surgical Sponges
- (2) pack of 1/4”X4” flexible wound closure strips
- (1) Chapstick
- (1) 4 fl oz bottle of eye wash solution
- (1) ½ FL OZ bottle of Calamine Lotion
- (1) ½ FL OZ bottle of Tincture of Green Soap
- (1) tube of Super Glue Quick Gel (sub for Dermabond)
- (2) carbon steel surgical blades
- (2) 3-0 nylon suture kits
- (2) 5-0 nylon suture kits
- (1) Suture needle holder
- (5) CeraSport EX1 electrolyte drink mix
- (1) 0.45 fl oz Bottle of Oragel
- (1) ziplock bag with (12) pain killers
Inside the small top pocket I keep my Eton FR150 Microlink emergency radio, my SureFire 6PX Pro LED flashlight (with red filter), and my Petzl head-lamp (with red filter). The radio is crank powered as well as solar powered and doubles as an LED flashlight. I also keep a survival whistle with compass, magnifying glass, and thermometer in this pocket.
In the left side pocket I keep a Katadyn Hiker water filter, a JollyTank 8-Liter Water & Fuel Bag, a Brunton Cub stove, and a 16oz can of isobutane/propane for the stove.
In the right side pocket I keep my survival kit and a roll of compressed toilet paper in a Ziploc bag. My survival kit consists of several items inside a medium sized Gear Pod. I have a small sized Gear Pod coupled with it that contains extra batteries for my lights (eight for the Surefire and twelve for the headlamp). The survival kit contains:
- fishing kit (line, hooks, split-shot sinkers)
- (1) roll of duct tape
- (1) bottle of water purification tablets
- (1) signal mirror
- (15) cotton balls for fire tinder
- (2) pack of Tinder-Quik (20 pieces)
- (1) box of waterproof/windproof matches
- (1) BIC Lighter
- (1) 4GB ToughDrive USB Flash Drive with scans of all important documents and pictures.
- (1) small liquid compass
- (1) Magnesium block fire starter
Inside the main compartment I keep my food, change of clothes, and other items. For clothes I have two Under Armour skivvies, and two pairs of Thorlo thick-cushion boot socks. I also keep a USMC poncho liner in the main compartment. The poncho-liner makes an awesome light-weight blanket. The clothes and poncho-liner are kept in a USMC issued waterproof bag that can have all the air pressed out of it to save space and prevent rupturing the bag. I also have (6) Mountain House meals, an SOS Emergency Food Ration, a Halulite Ketalist cook set with some tin foil, an old USMC issued poncho, a boonie hat, and my Tom Johanning TAC-11 knife (worn on body). I also keep a small waterproof copy of the green beret survival manual in there.
The kit, without the items that will be worn, weighs 27 pounds. Of course the weight will increase when I add water. I’ve taken a lot of steps to ensure a comprehensive kit while paying particular attention to weight savings. I’m sure there are still a few areas I could shed a little more weight, but, in my opinion, a good BOB should continuously be a work in progress and updated often.
