Some items like toothpaste can even be used for other things. For instance, if you are bitten by fire ants you can stop the pain by rubbing some mint toothpaste onto the ant bites.
Should you find that you have gotten soaked in rain or mud you will need to get out of these clothes to prevent hyperthermia. Keeping a change of clothes and socks in your go bag can help to keep you warm and comfortable.
If you tend to wear open-toe shoes a lot your bug-out bag may need to contain a change of shoes that are good for walking or hiking to offer some protection if you have to run and do not have time to change your footwear.
From ponchos to protect you in the rain to emergency blankets or even a tent can be wonderful assets in an emergency to help keep you and your family comfortable. Keep in mind that if you have to bug out there may not be room for you in a shelter or you may have to go somewhere that shelter is not available.
The good news is that you can pack some shelter basics like a tent or even a tarp and rope to help keep you warm and provide some shelter from the elements.
A weather radio and a source of light are both vital for your kit. You can even get a weather radio that has a light and will charge your phone. Look for one with a hand crank option to charge in case you are stuck somewhere.
Having light sources for nighttime or when you are in a shelter space without power is essential. This is even more true if you have children with you that may be afraid of the dark. Stocking things like glow sticks and flashlights are great options.
We stocked flashlights but also some cheap multi-packs of glow stick bracelets from the dollar store. 25 of these for $1.25 is a great deal and you can light up a large space by dropping a few clean glow sticks into your water bottle so the water can spread the light.
If you are bugging out with friends and family, walkie-talkies can be a great option for communication to help keep everyone together and allow for everyone to communicate when you need to split up for things like looking for food.
Having at least one full bottle of water in your kit is a good idea to make it easy to make due until you find water to filter. A quality emergency water filtration system is the best option for the long term.
Add some emergency food bars to your kit to make sure you can survive a few days even if you can not find or make real food. A simple camping mess kit is a great addition to any bob.
Honestly, if you do not have time to put together anything else in your go bag, food and water are your true essentials. Many children are dying in war zones like the Ukraine and Afghanistan where food is hard to come by and their little bodies do not have the necessary stores to thrive. By planning ahead you can ensure that your family has more time to get food and water.
Our go bags include snack packs with things like fruit cups, cereal bars, oatmeal packets, and beef jerky. These packs could get us a few days on their own. Then we added in a 72-hour meal bar. These emergency food bars may not be the best thing you have ever tasted but they can be a lifesaver in a SHTF situation.
On top of calories, you need to make sure that your body is getting the nutrition you need. To supplement you should get the stronger cheap bottles of multivitamins you can find. For the best results look for one that has iodine.
While it is nearly impossible to find items like Iostat on hand you can get a quality multivitamin and increase your dose to offer some protection even if not the most effective option out there in the event of nuclear fallout.
Your BOB should have multiple ways to start a fire. This could be lifesaving to keep you warm and cook food. Keep several ways to start a fire in your kit and keep them in different places so if one gets lost or damaged you have other options.
Fire starting tools should be kept in every member of your party’s bug-out bags. In our case, even the children have fire starters in their bracelets that also offer emergency whistles and built-in lights in case we get separated.
I know that preparing your bug-out bag is not an easy task and it can be a bit scary to take the time to think about how bad things can possibly get. Try not to feel overwhelmed and remember that if you pack even one thing a day from around your home each day you are one bit closer to having less to worry about.
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