72-Hour Pack

Setting up a 72-Hour Pack or “Bug Out Bag”

Setting up a 72-hour pack or “bug out bag” is specific to the needs of the individual based on skills, abilities, needs and circumstances. Below is information on my personal kit. I keep my kit together and use my kit nearly daily. If you are not familiar with what you have and where you keep it, your gear is just slowing you down. Be sure to develop a habitual association of your gear.

When packing your gear, it is important to keep like things together and keep the things you need most in a place that is easy to retrieve. I pack most of my things in waterproof gear bags. You would not want to do that with wet clothes or a towel, but most things are best kept dry.

I pack all my stuff into the 5.11 Rush 72 pack. Without my 100oz. hydration bladder and Nalgene bottle filled, it weighs in just under 50 pounds. I am 6’ tall and weigh about 270 pounds so for me, this pack is less than 20% of my overall body weight. Weapons and heavy protection gear like armor are set up with a Blackhawk Commando Enhanced Chest Rig that holds spare magazines for my primary (1+8 magazines) and secondary (1+6 magazines) weapon system along with a blow out med kit and an admin pouch with a map cover. The major medical kit listed at the bottom is a separate bag that stays in my truck or kitchen. You want to avoid temperature and humidity fluctuations with medications and IV fluids.

I did not include it here, but you can note the specific brand and amount of each item you use and the place or website you purchased it from. I also keep a copy of this list in my pack so if I run out of something or need something I don’t have I can resupply it next chance I get.

While I have all but a couple of these items below on hand, I do not keep everything listed in my pack. My pack is set up for backpacking and camping. If I have some mission specific needs, I fulfill those at the time I need to. Laptop, armor, weapon systems, heavy tools, surveillance and communication equipment are not necessities to my survival in the woods. I have an E-Tool but the thing weighs several pounds so I keep a plastic trowel in my pack. If I need a shovel I will borrow one from the shed in the back yard of every home in the US. I don’t pack a tent, my hammock or tarp will do just fine to protect me from wind and rain at a fraction of the weight.

So think smart consider size and weight on everything you pack. I go so far as to trim, shave and grind off material from certain items to reduce weight where I can. If you don’t need it leave it behind. Remember that 100 years ago someone went without it. Use the Kiss system and Keep It Simple Stupid.

The preppers code of “two is one and one is none” is important for anyone preparing a 72-hour pack or Bug Out Bag. Certain items in your pack are critical kit and if you loose something like your knife that could be trouble for you. Redundancy of those types of tools is important, so remember when you pack that “two is one and one is none”.

One more thing I should mention here is that I have a great Bug in situation. I am well prepared at home for all the long-term needs for me and my family. I also work from home and live in a rural area. If I have to bug out it will be for one of two reasons. Number one would be, I am on the road and have run out of fuel, roads are closed or it is too dangerous to continue to travel by vehicle. Number two would be that my home has been destroyed or the area is too dangerous to remain, in both cases I would be looking at an extended amount of travel and would not be returning to my jump off point. Because of this my kit may have more and different stuff from you.

If you work within an hour or two from where you live, you won’t need more than a simple 24-72 hour worth of food and kit. My situation is likely to involve a week or more of travel and possibly no home base to return to. The point is to prepare for your own needs and situation and pack your BOB appropriately.

I divide everything up into kits for good organization and ease of use. Pack a list in each kit and up date it as things go in and out of the bag.

Click here for a printable version of our checklist.

Personal Hygiene kit Micro-fiber Towel Wash cloth Soap and case Tooth brush and case Toothpaste Toothpicks/floss Mirror unbreakable Razor and spare blades Nail clippers large & small Tweezers Deodorant Shampoo mouthwash Hand sanitizer Kleenex Toilet paper Handi-wipes Q-tips Chap-stick Hand Cream OTC drugs	Sleeping kit Sleeping bag Hammock Pillow Mattress Fleece blanket 5’x6′ HD space blanket	Lighting kit Head lamp Surefire light led AE mini might 85 light micro photon
	Kitchen Kit Stove Jetboil Gas canisters Eating utensils Cooking utensils Cooking pot with lid Scrub sponge Cutting board plastic Nalgene bottle Eating bowl Salt & pepper shaker Water purification tablets MRE heater	Protective gear Gloves tactical/work Knee pads Elbow pads Sun glasses Clear glasses Glass case Lens cleaner Ear protection Body armor Helmut Helmut shield Sun protection lotion
Clothing Kit Pants Tee shirts Long sleeve shirts Socks Underwear Rain gear jacket/pants Jacket Long johns Ball cap Knit hat Shemagh Handkerchief Tactical vest Ghillie suit Water Proof bag Zip lock bags Sewing kit	Primary Weapon system AR-15 platform weapon Weapon case Sling single point Optics BUIS (back up Iron sight) 30 round magazines 20 round magazines Specialty ammo Suppressor Cleaning kit Weapon cleaning mat Spare parts kit AR-15 tool kit Chest rig or Tactical vest Pouches Weapon light Smoke Grenade CS canister	Secondary Weapon system Handgun 1911 Holster Magazine pouch Specialty ammo Spare magazines Cleaning kit Tools Suppressor Weapon light
Shotgun weapon system Shotgun pistol Grip 20ga bandolier scabbard/case specialty shotgun ammunition Slugs, Breeching round, shot, mortars rubber rounds, colored smoke, etc..	Spare batteries battery cases AAA AA 9 Volt CR123 C D Spare light bulbs	Camera Kit Digital camera Video camera Memory cards Spare batteries
Survival gear Whistle Compass Space blanket Signal mirror Chemical light Magnifying lens Duct tape Water purification tablets Water filter Para cord 100′ Trip wire Heavy duty thread Zip ties various sizes Contractor bag-Zip lock bags Plastic container Pepper Spray Knife sharpener Candies – Energy bars Bullion, instant coffee, tea, sugar Deck of cards Camo compact Hand warmers Candles 9 hour Fishing Kit – Auto fishing reels	Fire making kit Blow torch lighter Matches Wind and water proof matches Fire starting material Blast match Magnesium block Hand sanitizer Steel wool Dryer lint Fire blocks Hexamine Fuel tablet	Food kit Energy bars Tuna packages Pasta packages Rice MREs Trail mix Cup-a-soup Coffee Tea sugar candies MRE extras hot sauce condiments beef jerky
Tools Machete Saw Axe E-tool shovel plastic trowel Standard screw driver Philips screw driver Folding lock blade knife sheath knife pocket knife Leatherman type tool Lock pick set	Surveillance & communications GPS Two way radios Night vision device I-pod Laptop Mobile laptop card Cell phone Phone card Radio AM/FM Shortwave, weather, etc.	Pack Minor Medical kit Small cut and bump kit OTC drugs Band aids Small bandages Neosporin mole skin gun shot trama kit/ blow out kit
Major medical kit Stethoscope Blood pressure cuff Oxi-meter Thermometer ENT light set Medic Shears Permanent marker Lighter/ matches Headlamp/ flashlight Surgical kit Surgical airway kit Dental kit Surgical staples Suture kit Surgical Scrub sponge Face mask Nitrile gloves Hand sanitizer CPR mask IV fluids dextrose/sodium 1000cc IV fluids lactating ringers 1000cc IV starter kit Nasopharyngeal airway Surgi lube Celox 2g/ 15g/ 35g Celox guaze 10″ x 30″ trama dressing Non stick pads 2″x 2″ and 2″x 3″ Eye pads Roll gauze Band aids Surgi Strips Mole Skin Medical tape water proof Ultra heal pads Asherman Seal Wound seal Tongue depressors Q-tips long and regular Clinere Ear cleaner Sam Splint Vet wrap Waterjel burn dressing 4″x16″ Israeli bandage 4″ and 6″ Swat-t Triangle bandage 35cc syringe 3cc syringe 1cc syringe Mono-jet Bent tip syringe Irrigation fluids Irrigation cap eye wash Hydrogen peroxide Antiseptic wash Bedadine	Medications Amoxicillin 5oomg Zithromax Cipro Metronidazole 500mg for giardia/stomach Clonipin for stress Cyclobenzaprine 20mg muscle relaxer Asprin 82mg and 325mg Alieve Advil Benadryl Imodium for diarrhea Gas-X for gas pepto for stomach Alka seltzer Clonipin Pain Meds Glucose tablets Bee sting treatment Energy bars Claritin Musinex Day-quil Fenagan suppository Ipecac Tecnu poison ivy wash Preparation H Triple antibiotic cream/ Neosporin Lotrimin anti-fungal cream Therma-care heat pad