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One thing about the self sufficiency and preparedness lifestyle is a bug out bag. In this circle there are legit practitioners and then there are keyboard warriors. Ammo and guns always get brought up. While moving this week, I moved my ammo stash. It isn't a lot, but it sure was heavy.
I've humped my fair share of heavy backs while in the Marine Corps. It wasn't easy then, and I'm 20 years older and 50 lbs heavier. Realistically what is an ideal weight for a bugout bag?
What about a self sufficiency bag?
Realistically what is an ideal weight for a bugout bag?
What about a self sufficiency bag?
There is no definitive answer for this, as I'm sure you are aware. It depends on:
How far you are going
How long you intend to stay there
How much gear you 'need' or 'want'
Your age, gender, fitness level
The number of people in your party
A 30 yo old male may be in top shape, but could have 2 young children to carry for. A 50 yo female in average shape may share part of a load with her spouse. A loner of any age might choose to 'rough it' as he only has 20 miles to cover. Someone with high-tech backpacking gear can manage more weight.
^ It would depend on what you want to do with it. For a lot of people in a lot of situations, I don't think i"bugging out" is a particularly realistic option.
I have a bag, I don't consider it my bug out bag, just a convenient outdoors bag I store with supplies I may need to use in a hurry.
For me, the lighter this bag is, the better. Ounces add up to pounds really fast. I prefer to keep it around 20 pounds or less. Add a gallon of water and I'm up to 28 pounds. Sure I can pack more if I had to, but 28 pounds is still a very hefty pack to be wearing all day. Start adding food and it gets up in weight even faster.
I have visqueen plastic (water distill, emergency light weight shelter), thermablanket, a trash bag, a tampon (fire starter, wound filler), life straw water filter, iodine tabs, flint, bic lighters, waterproof matches, tinder, metal wire, leatherman tool, full tang knife, roll of duct tape, 550 Paracord, a whistle, a mirror, a compass, zip ties, water proof pen and paper, folding camping shovel and I'm sure there's a variety of little trinkets fallen to the bottom I've forgotten about in there as well.
A small trailer that you could push and pull would definitely be better if you were trying to carry serious weight. Many hardcore desert Trekkers use a cart just to carry the water. I have a few carts I use around the property for just about everything. I even have a small one wheeled cart/dolly that works great and is very agile.
I always carry an emergency pack in my truck, it's the same kit I use hunting except I don't keep water in the stored pack.
My pack weighs around 15 lbs,(without water), and I am comfortable in all but deep winter for a week with no problem. One weight saver is that I have a space blanket sleeping bag, and use that over the wool capote I wear all day when hunting, and I usually carry a large wool blanket if I'm expecting real cold that goes over the space bag, really warm combo for sleeping on a bed of fur boughs, for not a lot of weight.
Dehydrated foods, like jerky, soup mixes and cold flour are great for sustenance without adding a lot of weight. A weeks worth of food like this usually only weighs a couple pounds.
If I were in arid instead of cold country, I'd add all the water I could carry even if it means leaving an extra blanket or something behind.
Depending on your skills and where you are, the better woodsman you are, or in areas where it's easy to forage for food, you won't need as much gear or supplies as someone that has to depend on what's in that pack.
Last edited by MTSilvertip; 06-30-2017 at 11:51 AM..
My pack full of air weight unobtanium cost me the national treasury, but I have everything I need or want to survive in style for a century or more! It weighs -35 lbs., which really helps while trekking from home to my BOL on the Yucatán peninsula...
I wear shoes I can walk home in, clothes I can spend a week outside in, and I always have a knife, multitool, lighter, flashlight and pistol with spare mags wherever I am. I can get home from wherever I usually go just fine on that inventory. If traveling, camping gear and a long gun are in the truck. I am not near a railroad, military base, chemical warehouse or anything of the sort, so bugging out of home is a very remote possibility. If I have to bug out of home, it's all the ammo I can carry and a good rifle, plus a knife and tomahawk. I plan to be back home by morning...
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