Bug out bag essentials for noobs.

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Upstairs_Two_180@reddit

I packed this bag and it covers all the basics for bugging out. Lightweight and super organized.

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FarmPsychological361@reddit

Getting ready for April 2027. how about you?

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I have multiple packs. A few grey man and a long term hiking pack. The grey man packs are to blend in around large groups, my long term is for leaving and camping. It is more tactical. And Carrie’s more items. It is pretty heavy, which I don’t recommend at all for a pack, that’s why I have to break it up into more packs for family. Ounces= pounds pounds = pain.

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e-tah@reddit

Hydroblu versa

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Powerfulpretorius@reddit

Here's a checklist I started putting together with the help of this video:

Basic Gear

Backpack: Durable, lightweight, and comfortable with multiple compartments.
Water Bottles: Preferably collapsible to save space.
Water Filtration System: Sawyer Mini or Lifestraw for drinking from questionable sources.
Fire Starters: Waterproof matches, lighters, and a ferro rod.
Multi-Tool: Swiss Army knife or Leatherman for versatility.

Food & Cooking

Non-Perishable Food: Protein bars, trail mix, MREs, or freeze-dried meals.
Portable Stove: Small camping stove or foldable solid fuel stove.
Utensils: Lightweight spork or multi-use camping utensils.

Clothing

Weather-Appropriate Layers: Quick-dry shirts, pants, a waterproof jacket, and thermal layers.
Extra Socks & Underwear: Avoid cotton—stick to wool or moisture-wicking materials.
Sturdy Boots or Shoes: Essential for long-distance travel on foot.

Will add more in the comments. Reddit won't let me add here.

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Powerfulpretorius@reddit

Shelter & Sleep

Tarp or Emergency Shelter: Lightweight and compact for quick setup.
Sleeping Bag or Blanket: Rated for the season and compact enough to carry.
Emergency Mylar Blankets: Great for warmth and multi-use.

Navigation

Map & Compass: Know your route and practice using them.
GPS Device or Offline Maps App: Tech backup is helpful but don’t rely solely on it.

First Aid

Basic First Aid Kit: Include bandages, antiseptic wipes, painkillers, and any prescription meds.
Tourniquet & Trauma Supplies: For serious injuries.

Personal Hygiene

Wet Wipes: For quick cleaning when showers aren’t an option.
Toothbrush & Toothpaste: Compact travel size.
Feminine Hygiene Products: If needed.

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Powerfulpretorius@reddit

Tools & Supplies

Paracord: Strong, lightweight, and multi-use.
Duct Tape: Compact roll for quick fixes.
Small Shovel: For digging or emergencies.
Notebook & Pen: For jotting down important info or keeping a journal.

Self-Defense & Security

Pepper Spray: Lightweight and non-lethal.
Knife: Fixed blade or folding knife for utility and defense.
Whistle: For signaling or deterring threats.

Miscellaneous

Cash: Small bills for emergencies where cards don’t work.
Flashlight & Headlamp: With spare batteries or a hand-crank option.
Energy Packs: Portable chargers for electronics.

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TheEmpyreanian@reddit

Working out how you're going to get there. If it's on foot, you're going to need a bigger bag.

What you absolutely need for such a scenario is enough fuel to get there and that includes accounting for traffic jams and delays.

In your 'bugout bag' go through what you're going to need to survive for those two days getting there. Food, water, wetwipes, firstaid, torch/lightsource and chargebanks/batteries.

You're going to be a bit better off having a 'ready to go' bag already in your car or vehicle, and the main thing is...fuel. I'd be looking at getting a couple of jerry cans ready so you don't have to stop for fuel along the way in case you can't get any.

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dittybopper_05H@reddit

In your 'bugout bag' go through what you're going to need to survive for those two days getting there. Food, water, wetwipes, firstaid, torch/lightsource and chargebanks/batteries.

That's a journey of nearly 900 miles in a SHTF situation. I would allow at least 3 days.

At that point it's not really a "bug out bag", but something bigger. But the big thing needed is going to be fuel.

That distance isn't really practical on foot in any kind of a reasonable amount of time. Even experienced Appalachian Trail thru-hikers typically only do 16 miles a day. Even if you figure 20 miles a day, that's about a month and a half of walking.

So you're going to need enough fuel to travel the 900 miles, and that's going to have to account for stop and go traffic and possible detours. Figure on using the city mileage rating of your vehicle for the base amount of gas. If you've got a vehicle that does 16 MPG City, you're going to need at *LEAST* 56 gallons of gas ready to go at a moments notice.

That means keeping your vehicle topped off and having 3.2 metric assloads of petrol in something like jerry cans. And because gas doesn't last long, you need to keep rotating that spare gas into your vehicle.

You're also going to need to take measures like if you are stuck in traffic that isn't moving, turning off your vehicle if it doesn't already do that automagically.

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TheEmpyreanian@reddit

Think you might have meant this for /u/dittybopper_05H on that note, already mentioned fuel.

Good points all the same.

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BowTiedGasMask@reddit

I would suggest not buying a bag that looks tactical at all, a jansport or something similar doesn’t flag you as a someone who has stuff to steal in a SHTF situation. If you are in the market for an IfAK, check out H2KIFAK.COM

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IGetNakedAtParties@reddit

Your most likely reason is hurricane evacuation, in which case you'll have time to pack. You should prep what you need to bug-in if it is only a glancing blow, and have the gear and supplies to evacuate if that makes more sense.

By car is most comfortable, but as others said, roads may be impassable so a motorbike might be a better option. In some situations you might be forced to take mass transit so having a small bag for essentials (like an airline under seat bag) and a separate larger cabin bag will help organise your gear.

Ultimately you're not going to make that journey on foot with just your bag. People thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail typically go 3 days between supply stops, so you'll need 10 such stops, if the infrastructure exists for this then you'll be better off hitch hiking or taking a bus. It's "romantic" to imagine living off the fat of the land, but it is just a fantasy.

For other, realistic, reasons to evacuate quicky, I can imagine fire being number one. In which case your bag should revolve around irreplaceable documents, cash and a credit card.

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PeppySprayPete@reddit

Alrighty, off the top of my head here we go:

Hydroblu Versa and Sawyer Squeeze water filters.
Gravity bag for water filtration.
Collapsible Water storage bags.
Ferro Rod and fire striker.
Weatherproof matches.
Bic lighters.
Fire starters. (Or a zip-loc bag full of lint and cotton balls).
Mylar blankets.
Mylar poncho's.
Thermal socks.
Thermal Beanie.
Thermal gloves.
Tent (Kelty Grand Mesa).
Full Tang knife (Morakniv Garberg).
Knife sharpener.
A few bottles of bottled water.
Freeze dried MRE's.
Candy bars (or Cliff bars are great too).
Pepper Spray.
Flashlight with spare batteries.
Thorfire foldable camping lantern.
Emergency Glowstick lights.
A few Tealight candles in a Ziploc bag.
ResQMe window breaker and seat belt cutting tool.
Silky folding saw.
Electrolyte packets.
A Spork.
550 or above Paracord.
Hand warmers.
Emergency Radio with crank and battery options.
UV-5R Ham Radio.
Compressed toilet paper.
Silicock key.
Waterproof maps.
Rite in the rain pen.
Rite in the rain pad.
Sharpie.
Compass.
Nail clippers.
Tweezers.
N95/KN95 masks.
Whistle.
Headlamp.
Fishing kit.
Reusable zip ties.
Duct tape.

Then there's medical (and YES it is necessary)

Basic medications (Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Acetaminophen, Anti Diarrhea, Antacids, etc).
2x NAR CAT Tourniquets (ensure that they're genuine and not knock offs, because the knock offs break easily, you NEED these to be reliable).
1x SWAT T Tourniquet.
Pressure bandages (I recommend the NAR ETD or the OLAES).
1x Slishman Pressure Wrap.
2x Hyfin Vented Chest Seals.
4x NAR wound packing gauze.
2x Triangular Bandages.
2x SAM Splints.
2x Pairs of Nitrile gloves.
Trauma Shears.
Mylar blankets.

Then use the YouTube channels, Skinnymedic, Prepmedic and RefugeMedical to learn how to use all of those things.

Medical is important.

I hope this helps!

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regjoe13@reddit

Well, technically, you can pick a good time of the year and do this journey, pretty much following the scenario of your choice. If this is something that looks too much, just do a backpacing trip of your choice, maybe following a trail somewhere along the way, spending 2-3 nights at different campgrounds.

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SunLillyFairy@reddit

In several large evacuations, people have been stuck in their vehicles for long periods of time due to traffic. Besides what has been said, consider having things in your vehicle for eating/drinking, hygiene and toileting needs. Also a sleeping bag or blankets. Sunglasses! Would you be evacuating with a pet? I keep dog stuff in my vehicle too.

Another consideration… in my ideal setup I’d have a dirt bike hitch on my vehicle and the bike to go on it. If the roads become impassable, you could throw on a pack, carry gas, and keep traveling.

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BrittanyAT@reddit

Don’t forget to bring water

And ways to purify water, it’s one of the most important things to bring that some times gets forgotten because we have so much access to it when things are going well

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Alaskanarrowusa@reddit

It’s great that you’re taking the initiative and welcome aboard mate. This question gets thrown around here a lot and you could actually just refer to the subs index page to find your answers.

But essentially, you start with: alt power, first aid, food, communication.

Alt power- to keep your devices alive for communication

First aid- in case you get injured

Food- sustenance

Communication- our ability to communicate when SHTF may be jeopardised so invest/prep in some walkie talkies/radios just in case

The items needed specifically will vary but you can try 50 Doomsday Apocalypse Survival Items

Hope it helps mate

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Life-From-Scratch@reddit

Imagine the scenario. I would assume hurricane. What are the things you don't want to lose? Passport, important documents, keep those in a protected bit easy to grab place. What do you need to take with you? What are your essentials? How do you get there? How much will that cost. What obstacles might you encounter? Do you have e access to food and water? Leave out things that aren't essential. Add things that have multiple uses. Then add the basics: first aid kit (build your own), basic tools, flashlights, batteries, firemaking supplies, blankets, temporary shelter (tent and tarps), work gloves, otc meds. Then take a weekend trip with only your kit. You'll find the gaps.