Yesterday's post suggested a model for a family-size bug-out box, something that would be hauled in a vehicle. This installment will deal with the personal, more portable bug-out bag.
Besides being durable and comfortable to carry, a bug-out bag needs to allow quick and convenient access to its contents -- I'm talking about a smart layout of pockets and compartments. And ideally, whatever its size, a bug-out bag will be big enough to accommodate:- Water, or the ability to gather & purify water
- Food, or the ability to gather & prepare food
- Shelter & warmth, or the ability to create shelter & warmth
- Tools
- First aid & medical
- Communications
- Defense
I'd like to offer a few more options -- three bags that work, in different ways, for me.
Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack
With carrying capacity equivalent to a large fanny pack, the Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack (retail $89) is a cross-torso shoulder-slung design. It's stout, water-resistant and offers plenty of zippered pockets accessible without opening the 216-cubic-inch main compartment.One of the things that sets this bag apart is a clever "slip compartment" that rides next to the body, designed to conceal a firearm for quick strong-side draw or weak-side cross-draw. I suggest adding the simple and inexpensive Maxpedition Universal CCW Holster for the sake of safety and consistency, and then practicing with the arrangement.
(If you need a refresher on why armed personal defense should be a preparedness consideration, please go back and read "Cold, cold water.")
The Jumbo Versipack is the kind of bag I can pack with bug-out (or bug-home) essentials and leave in the trunk of my car, but it's friendly enough to use as an every-day "man bag." (Sorry.) It's a certified winner, and when funds allow, I intend to make the Jumbo Versipack the standard grab'n'go pack for each member of my family.
'Cheaper Than Dirt' MOLLE Backpack
Some of us remember Karl Malden saying, "Don't leave home without it," and took the suggestion maybe a bit too seriously.
Well, fellow packrats, rejoice -- the MOLLE Assault Backpack (retail $50) from Cheaper Than Dirt was made for us.("MOLLE," by the way, stands for "Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment.")
Is this the highest-quality backpack available? No, not even close -- but as a high-capacity, pack-it-and-forget-it bag, it might be the best value I've seen. It's respectably well-made and features a dizzying array of pockets and compartments. The grid of PALS (Pouch Attachment Ladder System) webbing on the pack's exterior means that it can be tailored to individual needs with add-on pouches, even a hydration carrier.
For me, the bug-out role of a fully stocked CTD MOLLE Assault Backpack would be to support an overland trek from our shelter-in-place base. I'd also be inclined to toss it in the trunk of my car before heading out for longer than a day, especially during the winter months.
Maratac Briefcase
When the SHTF, some of us we won't be bugging out, and we won't be bugging home. We'll be bugging to work.
Law-enforcement, emergency-management and disaster-relief personnel have entirely different requirements in a bag. It might need to carry "bail-out" tactical gear, maps and grid schematics, a notebook computer or a mobile-communications setup. For those and similar roles, the Maratac "Force Multiplier Bag" (retail $69) from CountyComm would be a worthy choice.Fundamentally, the Maratac is an oversize, overbuilt fabric briefcase with typical briefcase features. Three of the outside panels are covered in PALS webbing, accommodating a range of modular pouches. The interior is fitted with a stiff divider, covered in loop (as in hook-and-loop, or Velcro®) material that allows flexible placement of, for example, a concealed firearm and magazines.
The wide, padded shoulder strap doesn't make the Maratac a candidate for wilderness travel, but for its intended purpose, it definitely fills the bill.
