GEAR GUIDE: Bugout Bags

We practice a lot with our "grab n' go" bags because it really is about fine tuning your gear to your own survival needs. There is no such thing as a perfect bugout bag, but I'll help you figure out how to make the perfect one for you. When I first started getting into prepping, I had no direction. I started buying gear that I thought I needed, Gucci solarpower-crank-radio-phone charger-flashlight with all the pots and pans, all ass-backwards. Stop it! Put the MEC stove down and just chill. The first step is to get the godamn bag! Trust me. I went through 3 bags before I found what was right. Selecting your backpack: You can either go for the froofy, MEC hippie, mountain climbing hipster bags or the super cool, badass tactical assault army bags. #bias The real hiking backpacks are designed exactly for that. Amazing shoulder and hip support (which is very important), super adjustable chest and shoulder straps, many adjustable compartments, and super light weight. Most of them come in fairly bright colours and the good ones cost about $150-$300 although you can sometimes find them dirt cheap in thrift stores. All these amazing features but your LCF (Look Cool Factor) really takes a hit, at least for me. Army surplus stores (or zombiesurvivalshop.ca) carry the super cool military back packs. They come in a variety of sizes and categorized into "day-bags", "2-day" or "3-day-bags". I use a day-bag but I could easily live out of it for over a week. The army backpacks are usually uniformly coloured with drab army shades, they're extremely rugged and are often covered in Molle (thick strips of nylon webbing sewed on the pack to which you can clip extra gear or attach other smaller Molle-compatible pouches). So the Molle feature makes the bag versatile, but it adds a lot of weight. You'll never use more than a quarter of all the Molle anchor points on your bag. And even though the hip support is usually lacking in comfort, your LCF will remain high. Cost ranges $80-$200. As for your gear, it should be fluid depending on weather. We live in Canada with all the extremes of all 4 seasons. So you either stock 4 different bags all with different gear or get one good bag that will remain constant in your kit. I have a large plastic bin with all my bugout/camp gear and I only pull out what I need for that outing. Also, if you get a gigantic bag then you're more likely to stuff it with more gear than you need. I originally bought a gigantic backpack and settled for one half the size and use it all year round. They say survivalism is 80% mental, so regardless of what kind of bag you choose, it needs to make you feel invincible. Bugging out with a Team Discovery Channel backpack that makes you feel like a Dorkus mallorcus will not give you the confidence to trek all the way to your bugout location. And don't forget about hip support. Most importantly, practice with your bugout bag. Walk long distances and spend some time in the forest with just your gear. Overnight bugout tests really show you what you need and don't need.

In fact, join us for our next free bugout hike and test your gear with us!!