When putting together a survival kit, everyone knows to include food, water and some kind of shelter. But besides waterproof matches, iodine tablets and a flashlight with spare batteries, what extras do you need?

Toiletries

Especially if you aren’t roughing it, you don’t want to look (or smell) like you are. Include toilet paper, pack a small kit with travel-size shampoo, lotion, sunscreen, soap and deodorant. Tuck in a toothbrush and toothpaste, as well as contacts and solution if you wear them, a comb and feminine products if you are a woman.

Hand-Crank radio

Great because you won’t need to pack extra batteries, a hand-crank radio is a necessary edition to your survival bag. It can provide information about world events or weather conditions if you are stranded or on the run.

Garbage Bags

Useful buggers, garbage bags can be torn to wear as a poncho or tied to keep things sanitary. Fold a few and keep them in your bag for whatever needs may arise.

Portable Power

A compact portable-power source is easy to include in your survival kit and handy for several reasons. You may need to make a life-saving call, or power your phone to access helpful apps. Some security systems allow users to view video feeds from their phone, including home alarm systems from Lifeshield.com. This could be useful if you need to see what’s going on at home before you go inside.

Whistle

Pack a whistle in case you need to signal for help. Most dollar stores carry them by the bagful.

Money

In some situations, greenbacks will get you absolutely nothing. But in others, cold hard cash will do the trick. Keep a wad of bills in your bag, but store them in separate pockets so you aren’t easily robbed.

Distractions

No matter the reason you are on the run, you will inevitably have some downtime. Whether it’s your turn at night-watch duty or you are stuck on floor at a bus station, you’ll need something to do. Pack a deck of cards or Rubik’s Cube to keep yourself from going insane.

First-aid Kit

If you don’t want to buy a pre-packaged one, make one yourself. Gather up a few bandages, sterilizing creams, latex gloves and pain killers. If you are on prescription medication, include a week’s worth of it in your bag. Instead of including scissors, slip in a multi-tool pocket knife.

Clothes

Depending on what type of emergency you are preparing for, pack clothes to fit the part. If you think you may be roughing it in the wilderness, pack sturdy shoes and a sweatshirt. If it’s a storm evacuation you are worried about, fresh underwear and socks will do.

Copies of Important Documents

Depending on the emergency, a copy of your passport, medical insurance, credit card information and photo identification can be helpful and while it may not be enough it can at least speed up the process.

Contact Information

Chances are you rely on your cell phone a little too much. Write down emergency contact information and other details you’d need if you couldn’t turn on your phone. Put them in a plastic baggy before including them in your survival bag.

Blanket

A small, foldable, emergency space blanket that can fit in your pocket cost about $3 at Walmart. They reflect and retain body heat and are waterproof, meaning you don’t need to pack a poncho.

Recent Photos

A few recent photos serve several purposes: not only will they be nice to look at if you are bored or lonely, but they could be used to identify you or whoever you are with in case something goes awry.

Source: doomsdaymoose.com

Other useful resources:

Survival MD (Best Post SHTF Medical Survival Guide Ever)

Blackout USA (EMP survival and preparedness guide)

Backyard Innovator (All Year Round Source Of Fresh Meat,Vegetables And Clean Drinking Water)

Conquering the coming collapse (Financial advice and preparedness )

Liberty Generator (Easy DIY to build your own off-grid free energy device)

Backyard Liberty (Easy and cheap DIY Aquaponic system to grow your organic and living food bank)

Bullet Proof Home (A Prepper’s Guide in Safeguarding a Home )

Family Self Defense (Best Self Defense Strategies For You And Your Family)

Sold Out After Crisis (Best 37 Items To Hoard For A Long Term Crisis)

Frank Wood
Frank encourages all homeowners to protect their investment and get a top-notch security system. He also shares other tips on how you can protect your home.

Among survivalists it’s called a “Go Bag” or “Bug Out Bag”, or just “BOB”, but no matter what you call it, it could be your most essential piece of survival gear. It is basically a large survival kit that’s filled with everything you need to survive during and after a disaster. Your Go Bag allows you to quickly grab what you need should you be forced to get out of dodge in a hurry.

FEMA and the other preparedness agencies of the world will tell you that your bag should have enough supplies to last for at least 72-hours. Since most major disasters will disrupt services and your normal life for a lot longer than three days, it’s best if you have stuff in your bag that will get you by for longer than that.

There is, however, only so much you can carry, but The official US Army Survival Manual says even the smallest survival kit, if properly prepared, is invaluable when faced with a survival problem.

Your Go Bag should be packed and ready, and easily accessible whenever you should need it. You may want to keep your Go Bag in your car, or your designated “Bug Out” vehicle. Each family member should have their own Go Bags stocked with the baseline essentials, and other more specific items based on their age, gender, and other personal needs.

You need to take your Go Bag with you when hiking, camping and traveling by boat, or any other means of transportation where you may wind up in a survival situation.

How much equipment you put in your kit depends on how you will carry the kit. A kit carried on your body will have to be smaller than one carried in a vehicle.

Always layer your Bug Out Bag, keeping the most important items on your body.

For example, your knife and compass should always be on your body – or in the most readily accessible pockets of your backpack.

Here is a list of the essentials, but make sure your Bag is built to fit your needs; some people may need items that are not on this list.

• Individually sized Backpack/Rucksack
• Drinking Water—(3day supply, minimum 8 oz per person per day)
• Food—nonperishable, easy to prepare items (3day supply, minimum 1200 calories per day)
• Flashlight
• Batterypowered or handcrank/ solar Multi-band/NOAA Weather Radio
• Knife
• First aid kit
• Multipurpose tool
• Pocket Compass (see tips on how to use)
• 8feet x 10feet  Plastic Tarp
• Emergency blanket
• All Weather Pocket Size Sleeping Bag
• 36 Hour Emergency Candles
• Whistle
• Flint Fire Starter & Striker
• Storm proof/water proof matches
• Disposable Lighters
• Sun Screen – at least spf 30
• Dust/ Bio-hazard Mask
• Compact Folding Stove & Fuel Tablets
• Portable Water Filter
• Water Purification Tablets
• 2.5 Gal Collapsible Water Carrier
• Rechargeable batteries (AA/AAA) and Solar Battery Charger
• Heavy Duty Poncho
• Light Rain Poncho
• Bio-Hazard Mask
• Change of clothes and a warm hat· USB Cigarette Lighter Charger Adapter
• Sewing Kit
• Water Proof “Personal Communications Pouch” – including Permanent marker, paper, tape
• Mirror
• Duct Tape
• Compact Folding Shovel/Hatchet/Hammer 6-in-1 Survival Tool
• Pry Bar and Gas Shutoff Tool
• Leather Work Gloves
• 2- 4 Light Sticks
• Safety Goggles
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• ¼ inch x 50 ft Polypropylene Rope
• 50 ft Nylon Utility Cord
• Siphon Hand Pump
• Map(s) of the area
• This Handbook
• Hammock system.
• Ground pad, foam, or inflatable.
• 50 gallon drum liner bags, at least 2
• Head net, to keep bugs off
• Leather, or mechanic’s gloves
• Sports tape, to prevent sore feet
• Good supply of Imodium, Tylenol, anti- histamine, and laxatives

Essential but non-emergency/survival items

• Extra cash
• Deck of playing cards
• Photos of family members and pets for re-identification purposes
• List of emergency point-of -contact phone numbers
• List of allergies to any drug (especially antibiotics) or food
• Copy of health insurance and identification cards
• Extra prescription eye glasses, hearing aid or other vital personal items
• Sunglasses
• Extra keys to your house and vehicle

Additional Items

Even the best of kits should never be considered “complete.”

The above outline and details are intended to provide you with the “baseline essentials” of a Bug Out Bag. You will want to customize your Bag to your individual size and physical abilities. You also will want to personalize with individual toiletry or other personal items for men, women, and children etc.

Some additional items you may want to include are:

• Wind Proof Lighter
• Back Pack Signaling Flares
• Walkie-Talkies
• Chemical hand warmers
• Machete

It is recommended that you only include weapons in your Go Bag, if the situation you are going into dictates it, and only if you have been properly trained in their use. A folding “survival rifle” like the AR-7 used by the US Air Force is a great Bug Out Bag firearm.

If you are talking about a “survival rifle” in its most literal sense of the word, then it has to be lightweight and easily mobile.

At the same time it must have enough firepower to be capable of procuring food, or to offer you protection against a hostile threat. In my experience there is none better at that than the AR-7. The AR-7 made by Henry Arms is the civilian available version of the famous U.S. Air Force “floating survival rifle.” The components of the AR-7 break down, and all fit into the waterproof stock of the weapon; it becomes small enough to carry in your Go Bag.

It is a favorite of bush pilots, boaters, and outdoorsman the world over. It is chambered for .22 long rifle ammo, making the ammunition cheap and plentiful.

You can get 500 rounds of .22L for under 20.00. The action is semi-auto, and it takes an 8 round magazine, two of which also fit into the stock.

It is ideal to have in your Go Bag for picking off squirrels, rabbits or other small game, and in the hands of a good shooter, adequate for self-defense in an emergency situation. The whole weapon is as light as a feather weighing only 2.5lbs. It will float both when collapsed and when fully assembled. This rifle is also inexpensive and goes for anywhere from $150 used to $250 for the new ones.

Tips and Takeaways

• In addition to packing extra clothes in your Go Bag, the clothes you wear while bugging out are also important. Of course time of year and the weather have a lot to do with what to wear. But in general, get yourself a good sturdy pair of hiking boots, or military style combat boots.

Unless you have reasonto be hiding from someone while you are evacuating — and that’s your business – you don’t have to wear camo, but military, or law-enforcement style “cargo pants” with lots of pockets are a good idea. A hunters or camping style vest, again with many pockets, is also a valuable piece of clothing. Wear a belt, it is useful to hold items that you need to get to quickly, and it also can be used as an improvised rope or fastening device for a number of emergency situations. Be sure it has a heavy buckle, and you do not really need it to hold up your pants, so it can be swung effectively as a bolo type weapon in a pinch.

• Carabineers can be used to hook items that you need to get to easily on the outside of your pack.
• Select items for your bag that you can use for more than one purpose. Do not duplicate items, as this increases your kit’s size and weight.
• If you know nothing about knots and lashing, include some zip ties in your Kit, these have a ton of uses.

Some say your pack should be a bright color to use as a signaling device if you get lost. I say if you need to Bug Out, the Sh*t has probably hit the fan, and you probably don’t want to be seen, and/or you may be in a situation where you have to hide your stuff. Always think “E&E” – go with a camo military surplus rucksack for your Go Bag. You will have other stuff in it for signaling for help if need be.

IF YOU PLAN TO BUG OUT WHEN SHTF THAN YOU REALLY NEED THIS GUIDE. GET YOUR COPY HERE

MUST read resources!

Mega Drought USA:(Discover The Amazing Device That Turns Air Into Water)

Survive The End Days (Biggest Cover Up Of Our President)

Survival MD (Best Post SHTF Medical Survival Guide Ever)

Blackout USA (EMP survival and preparedness guide)

Bullet Proof Home (A Prepper’s Guide in Safeguarding a Home )

Backyard Innovator (All Year Round Source Of Fresh Meat,Vegetables And Clean Drinking Water)

Conquering the coming collapse (Financial advice and preparedness )

Liberty Generator (Easy DIY to build your own off-grid free energy device)

Backyard Liberty (Easy and cheap DIY Aquaponic system to grow your organic and living food bank)

Family Self Defense (Best Self Defense Strategies For You And Your Family)

Sold Out After Crisis (Best 37 Items To Hoard For A Long Term Crisis)

James Cole is the author of ‘’Civilian Commando-Special Ops Secrets To Surviving Anything’’, and owner of www.bioprepper.com. James is a born and bred survivalist , an internet addict and a gun enthusiast. He believes a man’s word is his bond, and looks forward to teaching others.

When you’re faced with an impending disaster the question often becomes “should I stay or should I go?” There really is no definitive answer, because it all depends on “what’s coming” and how prepared you are to deal with it. Where you live, and the make up of your family will also be key factors. You’ve all seen the images on the news of the stalwart New Englanders, or laissez faire “Conchs” in Key West, who refuse to leave in the face of a Hurricane, even when they are in a mandatory evacuation zone.

Sometimes they did they right thing, and other times there were tragic results.    The point is, before you decide to stay or “Bug Out” in any given crisis, you must be ready to do either. That means if you decide to stay, you better know how to hunker down and prepare your home against attack, both by Mother Nature and Mother Fuc*ers, and if you decide to get out of dodge you have a place to go, and a safe way to get there.

Stay Home Stay Safe

Whether you are dealing with the aftermath of a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina, a terrorist attack, or worse, civil unrest rioting, looting, etc – is par for the course. It’s human nature, and it happens all the time. In fact, the less prepared your friends and neighbors are, the worse it’s going to be. No matter what, the most dangerous place to be is out on the streets.

So Rule Number One is to stay off of the streets and get yourself and your family well-prepared so there is no need to leave the safety of your home, unless it becomes absolutely necessary.      Listen very carefully. The only reason that an “ordinary law abiding citizen” would ever have to venture beyond the safety of his or her home during a time of crisis is if there was no power, and you needed food or water. As long as you have food and water supplies in your home, and some portable or alternative power, you can stay where you will be safest inside. The major Emergency Management Agencies say you need to have enough food and water to “shelter-in-place” for at least three days. That’s BS. If the Sh*t hits the fan the stink is going to stick around for a lot longer than three days. You need to be prepared to stick it out for at least three weeks, maybe more. So you’d better make your home bulletproof to be sure.

Here are the minimums

Water

You need to store at least one gallon of water per person per day. To determine your water needs, take the following into account: One gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation.Children, nursing mothers and sick people may need more water. A medical emergency might require additional water. If you live in a warm weather climate more water may be necessary. In very hot temperatures, water needs can double. Keep at least a three-day supply of water per person. In order to prepare the safest and most reliable emergency water supply, stock up on commercial bottled water. Keep bottled water in its original container and do not open until you need to use it. Observe the expiration or “use by” date in cool dark place.

Food

Have at least 3 weeks of non-perishable food on hand. Stock up on the stuff you would normally eat, and it won’t go to waste if you have to use it before the expiration dates. Probably the single most versatile emergency ration is peanut butter, it doesn’t have to be cooked, it is high in protein, it has a very long shelf life and even kids love it. Other good suggestions, many of which you may already have on hand are:

• Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables (MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A CAN OPENER)
• Protein or fruit bars
• Dry cereal or granola
• Dried fruit
• Nuts Crackers
• Canned juices
• Non-perishable pasteurized milk
• Non-perishable cheese spreads
• In addition to vitamins, have on hand, apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic, sage tea for colds, mint tea, golden seal, herbs for cooking, including dried garlic and onions, cayenne pepper, cumin, basil, and coriander and salt. These are all useful for their medicinal purposes and can enhance the taste of dried goods like beans and rice.

My Home, My Castle

So it’s not safe on the streets, and if you are going to have to stay safe in your home, that means you are going to have to defend it. A lot of hardcore preppers think they need to build a fortress, armed to the teeth, that’s just Hollywood BS. Forget the zombies and fantasy-land, but a likely real scenario for the U.S. is an economic collapse followed by several months of panic and turmoil until order is restored.    During this period, some people may still be working, but a lot of people will be hungry, out of work, and scrounging around for food, water and other supplies. The same is true in the aftermath of any major disaster. Beyond lack of food and clean drinking water, the biggest threat to your personal survival will be thieves, rapists and murderers. Crime will be rampant, so your house better not only be stocked, it better be secure. Here are some basic home security tips that will help keep you and your family safe and protect your home from criminals, disaster or not.

Arm yourself.

Owning at least one firearm will give you the peace of mind that you can protect your family as well as the capability to do it. However you should not own a firearm without being properly trained how to use it.

Reinforce all of your doors.

Most criminals don’t know how to or even try to pick locks; they just kick in the door. But if you have a sturdy door that can’t be busted down very easily, they’re likely to just move on to the next house. Get motion detector lights. Especially the kind that run on solar or batteries, in case of a power outage. Criminals don’t like to be seen, and if a bright light hits them they’ll probably flee. I recommend Cooper Lighting’s MSL180W Motion Activated Solar Floodlight. Its bright, easily installed with no additional wiring, and you can get them on Amazon or at Home Depot for around $80.00 each.

Get an alarm.

Make sure it is loud, and again, make sure it will work if the power is out. If you don’t have the budget for a major home security system,just pick up a few doorknob alarms. You can get these online or at Home Depot for about 10 bucks.

Reinforce your windows.

Windows are just too easy to break through and too tempting. If you live on a ground floor put bars over all your windows. Build a security fence. It has to go all the way around your property and be at least seven feet high. Yeah a determined criminal might find a way past it, but they may not want to try, and just move on to an easier target. The key to most of these measures is deterrence.

Use a decoy safe.

Your “real” safe should be very well hidden, but get a decoy safe that is fairly easy to find and filled with some cash, junk jewelry and documents that look important, but aren’t. Special Ops love the art of diversion. Use your “real” looking decoy safe, and put your valuables in a diversion safe that looks like a book, or various household items, like toiletries or drink cans.

Get a big dog : Enough said.

If You Leave

If you decide to leave, or are even thinking about leaving, the two most important things you need to have are a Bug Out Kit, and a designated Bug Out Vehicle.Your Bug Out Vehicle must be 4-wheel drive, preferably an older but well maintained one, with a manual transmission and a carburettor. “Modern” vehicles with electronic ignitions, and fuel injection, could be rendered useless in the event of an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) that can occur as the result of a Solar Flare or nuclear detention. A vehicle with a clutch and carburettor can always be rollstarted.Knowing how to drive a stick and start a car by popping the clutch is a must have survival skill.You can pick up a mid 90’s Jeep Grand Cherokee almost anywhere in the country for under $2000.00. Do so! Even if it just sits in your driveway be sure it is gassed up, in good repair, and ready to go at all times. If it is beat up on the outside good leave it that way. This way you don’t look like a target. The ultimate Bug Out Vehicle looks like crap, but drives like a dream.Remember if you’re going to leave there is a chance that traveling by roads under normal conditions may not be possible, especially the later you decide to bug out.

Communications, public transportation, streetlights, traffic signals, and other infrastructure that normally make traveling by road easy, may not be functioning. As part of your evacuation plan you must be prepared to travel by foot if necessary. You should know your evacuation route before an emergency occurs. Drive it several times looking for spots along the route for shelter or other facilities, just in case you have to leave your vehicle and make your escape by foot. If you do need to evacuate on foot, that means you will have to carry your Go Bag with you slung on your back. Traveling for miles in uncertain conditions carrying a rucksack is not easy for someone untrained. In the military, we drill for a forced march in full pack and gear. A forced march is when you have to move out from one location to the next faster than normal. If a forced march is ordered it usually means you are in trouble, or someone else is.

Military units train for a forced march so that when it’s issued they will be able to handle it. Now you may not be faced with a forced march, but part of getting in “Survival Shape” should be to throw on your Go Bag, and go hiking with it a few times a week. This is not only great all around exercise, but it will help you to build up the strength and stamina to carry your pack when you must. This kind of training can be especially  useful for younger family members. Practicing evacuations can be made into fun family adventures.

A Place to Go

Just about every ex-military guy I know has what is called a “Safe House” or “Bug Out Shelter.” It’s a place you can go to for long-term shelter and survival if things really get rough. I know that you may not have the will, ability, or the desire to create such a place, and in that case the best thing you can do is to stay in your home, and defend it. But I recommend you do think about creating a “Bug Out Shelter,” and if you do, here are a few things to keep in mind.Everything that you have done to your main residence, you should have duplicated in your remote shelter, multiplied by the time you expect you may need to hold up there in terms of days, weeks or months.When thinking long-term Survival Shelter, you must think not only about what is in it, but also where to locate it, and how to get there.

Make sure it is: Off the beaten track, ideally accessible only by a single dirt road, and by at least a 4WD vehicle.Plain, not fancy. On the outside it should look like a simple hunting cabin, or weekend shack, so as not draw a lot of attention from locals and/or become a target for vandals.Close to a spring, well, stream or other natural source of water.Within 10 to 20 miles of a village or small town where you can get to by foot,if necessary, for additional supplies, and news of the outside world, should you need it. Have enough land for growing your own vegetables and other crops.Close to a natural, easily harvestable food source, such as plentiful wildlife for hunting, or lakes, rivers streams for fishing.Stocked with enough weapons and ammunition to defend yourself from small groups of marauders or bandits, should you have to.

If you have any other ideeas that you would like to add please leave a comment in the section bellow.

Stay safe,

James Cole

MUST WATCH VIDEOS!

Mega Drought USA:(Discover The Amazing Device That Turns Air Into Water)

Survive The End Days (Biggest Cover Up Of Our President)

Survival MD (Best Post SHTF Medical Survival Guide Ever)

Blackout USA (EMP survival and preparedness guide)

Bullet Proof Home (A Prepper’s Guide in Safeguarding a Home )

Backyard Innovator (All Year Round Source Of Fresh Meat,Vegetables And Clean Drinking Water)

Conquering the coming collapse (Financial advice and preparedness )

Liberty Generator (Easy DIY to build your own off-grid free energy device)

Backyard Liberty (Easy and cheap DIY Aquaponic system to grow your organic and living food bank)

Family Self Defense (Best Self Defense Strategies For You And Your Family)

Sold Out After Crisis (Best 37 Items To Hoard For A Long Term Crisis)

James Cole is the author of ‘’Civilian Commando-Special Ops Secrets To Surviving Anything’’, and owner of www.bioprepper.com. James is a born and bred survivalist , an internet addict and a gun enthusiast. He believes a man’s word is his bond, and looks forward to teaching others.

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