ZS Presents: How to Build Your Bug Out Bag (B.O.B.)

[Recondo]

B.O.B. USB Drive

I know this subject has been talked about in other Forum’s, but I thought this Forum would be a good place to bring it up again. I carry a very small waterproof KINGMAX 4GB USB drive ($10 on Amazon.com) in my wallet (G.H.B. or B.O.B. ), the drive contains my PC back-up files and other information. The drive was easily and securely encrypted and password protected with TRUECRYPT free Software.

The purpose of having this type of drive always with me is, besides its obvious uses, I’m able to have access to all my personal information and able get up and running from anywhere in the world by simply accessing a computer.

Using the TRUECRYPT program, the drive has three separate levels of security; the first is an unsecure area, the second is a secure area and the third is a hidden secure area. The unsecure area is used for common home and work file sharing. The secure area is for personal file storage and the hidden area is for personal sensitive information.

The drive has a memory large enough to hold a few programs (Adobe and Microsoft Office), home and work files, pictures, favorite web sites, email addresses, addresses, phone number list, and scanned copies of personal documents. Document copies included are; house deed, vehicle titles, gun receipts, birth certificate, etc……….

Another free program to have loaded onto the drive is TOR, which is for anonymous web searching and instant messaging program. For those people who need a secure web surfing program, the TOR program helps by hiding your location. TOR is used by people worldwide including military personnel.

http://www.truecrypt.org/

http://www.torproject.org/

[Stormrider]

Recondo,

I'm really enjoying your posts, it's great to hear from someone who is actually educated on the subject for a change, I've been sifting thru way too much mall ninja crap lately. Keep it up, man!

[Recondo]

B.O.B. Food

Choosing B.O.B. food is something everyone has to consider. There are many good choices out there, but what it comes down to is, how much do you need? and how much can you carry? You should plan for at least a couple days worth of food per person, this will hopefully get you through the initial situation. I’ve looked at a lot of different types of camping food and decided on the military MRE’s. While some of the civilian food may taste better, the military MRE’s are time proven and designed for just this type of situation.

For a long term food fix, you’ll need means of gathering food from the environment you’re in. The two types most people think of are, fishing and small game hunting. I’ve talked about the fishing subject in an earlier Post, so I’ll talk about small game hunting. I just recently traded in my Ruger Mark III .22 cal for a new Browning Buckmark Camper .22 cal (stainless). I carry the Buckmark in my B.O.B. with 500 rounds of ammo (waterproofed). The size and quality makes the Buckmark a great choice for small game hunting. The lightweight .22 cal ammo allows you to carry a large amount of ammo without a heavy weight. You can also get .22 cal ammo in subsonic and snake or bird shot. Additionally, depending on your tactical situation, a smaller “bang” won’t, as easily, give away your position.

Think about the size and weight comparison between 500 rounds of .22 cal ammo and 500 rounds of .223 cal ammo. Again, it depends on your application and remember it’s your choice so choose what works for you.

Of course, I’m talking about “food gathering” here not your self defense needs. For self defense purposes you may want to carry a larger caliber weapon.


MRE


Browning Buckmark


500 rounds .22 cal - $20 - 1.5 pounds


500 rounds of 5.56 (.223) cal - $200 - 15 pounds

[Recondo]

B.O.B. Power (part 2)

I was recently asked a couple of clarification questions about my previous Post (B.O.B. Power part 1) on Solar Power and I thought someone else out there may have the same questions.

The question was; can I run an inverter directly off the solar panel?

The answer is; no, I tried it and it don’t work, here is why, the solar panels output power pulses (on-off-on-off), the inverter needs a steady power supply to work, so the inverter, if plugged directly into the solar panel will flash off and on and not work, but using the battery pack in the system overcomes this problem and puts out a steady power stream.

Here is how the power system works with an inverter;

Plug the solar panel into the battery pack (charge inlet), then plug the inverter into the battery pack (output), then plug your (to be powered) item into the inverter. Its a small inverter so it won't handle a big power draw item very well. What you are going to do is use the solar panel to charge the battery pack and at the same time plug the inverter into the battery pack to power your 110 volt item.

The items I listed in the Post come with the needed wires, as a kit.

Just don't use the power faster then the sun can make it, additionally the battery pack (with the required number of batteries) will power the inverter by itself depending on how much power you are drawing out.

I hope this helps.

[Stormrider]

Just a short tip on food gathering: Guns are awesome, in fact they are one of the most awesome things left in America. But don't overlook other methods of getting game long term. Slingshots, frog/fish/whatever gigs, blowguns, all that good stuff. A good slingshot costs about $7, It's lightweight and compact, ammo is literally found lying on the ground and with a little practice it makes a great weapon for getting small game and birds, pretty quietly I might add.

[Recondo]

Great Post Stormrider,

I currently don't have one, I need to go pick one up. I remember as a kid getting a "Wrist Rocket" slingshot for X-mas, me and my brother played with them for years.

Also, a good pump up pellet gun would be another option. I've killed many little critters with the one I have, ammo is lightweight.

[Stormrider]

I prefer this one:

http://www.marksman.com/3040_slings.php

The yellow band it comes with is fine but if you look around you can find a more powerful black band that works even better. It's also the same one Dave Canterbury uses to make the sling-bow setup if youre into that kind of thing. Either way, good peice of kit to have.

[Samson101]

for air rifles check out Gamo, expensive but iv seen them kill fox, coyote and feral pigs with head shots

[Tony13]

Great posts Gunny and Recondo. There is a lot of useful information here. It has me completely rethinking all my kits and their setup, not just the loads but practical uses as well.

[gary in ohio]

B.O.B. Communication (part 1)

Here are a couple ideas for the communication aspects of your BOB. Having a set of 2-way radios are a great idea for short range communication. I use the Motorola FV150, 22 channel, 8-mile range 2-way radio set, I modified them by adding a micro ear plug to each one.

I think I would replace the radio's with radio that also use AA batteries, Why carry 2 types of batteries

[bigmattdaddywack]

Do not forget traps and snares for food gathering. Very, very important but overlooked. They work for you, they catch the food while you can do other stuff, like get water, eat, and sleep. There are many commercially available snares and traps available. Primitive trap making knowledge is great, but the modern stuff can be a lot easier to use. I suggest getting a lot of modern steel traps and snares. Getting, or making traps and snares and knowing how to use them can really help surviving hell possible. Get books on it and try to apply those skills. For a B.O.B snares are definitely the best option.

[Jeriah]

realy great guide, cant wait to build a bob for myself

but you might add that you can, if no filter is aviable, desinfect your water with sun.

Hey, there's a little hidden gem of info! Since at least a little drinking water should be stored in sealed factory bottles in your BOB, these bottles could be used for the purpose. This water will be the first water you drink. Thereafter, save the bottles, or use them to store filtered or treated water. If all other options are exhausted, tie a loop of paracord around the next of the bottles, and hang them from the outside of your pack. If you're walking in the sun, just fill the bottles with river water and keep them facing the sun for at least six hours. It ain't quick and I'm sure there's some stuff it doesn't kill, but it's better than nothing.

Thanks for the info, Dom!

[Molon Labe]

realy great guide, cant wait to build a bob for myself

but you might add that you can, if no filter is aviable, desinfect your water with sun.

Hey, there's a little hidden gem of info! Since at least a little drinking water should be stored in sealed factory bottles in your BOB, these bottles could be used for the purpose. This water will be the first water you drink. Thereafter, save the bottles, or use them to store filtered or treated water. If all other options are exhausted, tie a loop of paracord around the next of the bottles, and hang them from the outside of your pack. If you're walking in the sun, just fill the bottles with river water and keep them facing the sun for at least six hours. It ain't quick and I'm sure there's some stuff it doesn't kill, but it's better than nothing.

Thanks for the info, Dom!

Nope. Given enough time, direct sunlight will kill everything. BUT, it also depends on the extremity of that light. Here in the AZ desert I'm gonna get more intense UV radiation than say Rantoul, Illinois. Just how it works.

[EDIT TO ADD] Altitude also factors in, and in a big way too. [/EDIT TO ADD]

[DEADBEAT]

Hey guys, I have been lurking for a while and had a few questions/comments regarding some B.O.B. items listed.

Nalgene Bottles: Has anyone heard the negative side effects of a certain chemical (Bisphenol-A) in these bottles?
If you end up using these bottles for a long period of time the chemical may have some ill effects, and like Recondo mentioned being physically fit is a big factor of survival....Imagine the goober that inherits your stockpile because of a toxic bottle you've been drinking out of for an extended period of time!!! "Woot, Jack-pot!!!"

Also, mentioned was the compact size of the 22 round. That in conjunction with a Henry Survival rifle, you could have a compact gun with an abundance of ammo, worthy of survival hunting and covert suburban carry. I've held this rifle, and though its stock is a bit wide feeling, it is fully collapsible and self contained in the stock...(maybe watertight also?) it can hold TWO 8-round magazines (included) in the stock along with the barrel and receiver portion(Which is now ribbed to accept a scope). This seems like a valuable and cheap option for a dual purpose tool that any B.O.B. could find room for.
(2.5 Lbs. & only 16" collapsed, Semi-Automatic & does NOT need tools to assemble!!!)

If any of my info is incorrect, I apologize, just a few things of interest that you could further research, just figured I'd give you guys and gals a lead!!!

Nalgene bottles: http://blog.sierratradingpost.com/in-ou ... c-bottles/
Rifle: http://www.henryrepeating.com/h002_survival.cfm

[ferret]

In reference to the Nalgene bottles, they dont make them out of bpa anymore. When people started freaking out about that we had to pull every bottle from our store. The new Nalgene's are made out of something called Eastman Tritan. Camelbak bottles are made of the same thing. All the bottles are now heavily advertised as non-bpa. Plenty of people still drink out of their bpa bottles however and have been for years. It's still everywhere else just not in baby/water bottles.

[socom2173]

In reference to the Nalgene bottles, curious about the Polycarbonate ones breaking when droped.
Could this have been the newer type or, a generic brand using different plastic?
Also, I have read that the BPA only really only leaches out with HOT water.
I have the older ones and I still use them, they are tough!

[Recondo]

Safe drinking water the Solar way;

SODIS METHODSODIS METHOD

Water can be disinfectes and in this way made drinkable using the rays of the sun. "Solar water disinfection" - SODIS for short - thus offers a solution for preventing diarrhoea, one of the most common causes of death among people in developing countries.

Clean drinking water in 6 hours
The SODIS method is ideal for treating water for drinking in developing countries. All it requires is sunlight and PET bottles. How does it work? Clear PET bottles are filled with the water and set out in the sun for 6 hours. The UV-A rays in sunlight kill germs such as viruses, bacteria and parasites (giardia and cryptosporidia). The method also works when air and water temperatures are low.

People can use the SODIS method to treat their drinking water themselves. The method is very simple and its application is safe. It is particularly suitable for treating relatively small quantities of drinking water.

Research
Many scientific studies confirmed the effectiveness of the SODIS method. It kills germs in water very efficiently. The method has even been shown to improve the health of the population. Research into training strategies gave insight about which communication methods are most suitable. It has also been proven that the use of PET bottles in the SODIS method is harmless.

International recognition
The World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, and the Red Cross therefore recommend the SODIS method as a way to treat drinking water in developing countries.

Check out this link for instructions;
http://www.sodis.ch/methode/anwendung/index_EN

[Hooligan]

Posted in wrong section.

[1200RT-P]

Thanks to everyone who has posted in this thread. Very informative.

[locknload]

I'd like to see the pics on page one but they're not working.

[Ogami the Undead]

Great post, and I would love to refer this to people who are asking about disaster preparedness for the first time, but all of the images are busted.
Is there a way to host the pics somewhere else, so that there isn't a bandwidth problem?

[Crouton]

So, I decided for my bag I'd use my Army issue MOLLE ruck. I'm in the Guard, so I get to keep it while I'm still in (about 2 more years). I figure if I get out, I'll have to turn this one in, so I'll probably have to buy a new one. I love this bag, so its not a huge deal for me to buy a new one. Anyone else use this one? If so, you have any better ideas for one a little cheaper?

Here's a link to the ruck:

http://www.rangerjoes.com/rucksack-larg ... -4923.html

[joekaveh]

So, I decided for my bag I'd use my Army issue MOLLE ruck. I'm in the Guard, so I get to keep it while I'm still in (about 2 more years). I figure if I get out, I'll have to turn this one in, so I'll probably have to buy a new one. I love this bag, so its not a huge deal for me to buy a new one. Anyone else use this one? If so, you have any better ideas for one a little cheaper?

Here's a link to the ruck:

http://www.rangerjoes.com/rucksack-larg ... -4923.html

Was never a big fan of it, have had the plastic frame break with loads of only 60lbs or so. Be careful how much you load in it, cause they can carry tons of shit.

[Crouton]

So, I decided for my bag I'd use my Army issue MOLLE ruck. I'm in the Guard, so I get to keep it while I'm still in (about 2 more years). I figure if I get out, I'll have to turn this one in, so I'll probably have to buy a new one. I love this bag, so its not a huge deal for me to buy a new one. Anyone else use this one? If so, you have any better ideas for one a little cheaper?

Here's a link to the ruck:

http://www.rangerjoes.com/rucksack-larg ... -4923.html

Was never a big fan of it, have had the plastic frame break with loads of only 60lbs or so. Be careful how much you load in it, cause they can carry tons of shit.

Is that the new Gen IV frame too? We got issued those and of course proceeded to bend and try to break the shit out of them. Mine actually bent completely in half, and then snapped back to its original shape, no problem.

But, I'm not sure if I've ever put 60 plus lbs in it, and if I did, its because the assault pack was attached.