Having a Good Bug Out Bag Is Essential for Natural and Man-Made Disasters: Experts

As the first rain from Hurricane Ian begins to fall in North Central Florida on Sept. 28, Alachua County residents clog the roadway leading to do-it-yourself, sandbag stations to fill government-provided bags using shovels brought from home. Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times

“Bugging out” is a term widely used in military circles for quickly vacating a dangerous location with minimal supplies.

Among survivalists and “preppers,” a “bug out bag” is anything containing items crucial to survival, usually lasting a minimum of three days.

“Generally, it is a bag for when you need to leave a location to stay safe. It has the essential basic supplies to make that happen,” said survival instructor Craig Caudill of Bug Out Bag Academy (bugoutbagacademy.com).

The online emergency preparedness academy was founded in 2013 by Missouri resident Andrew Pontius to help educate people on how to build bug out bags and survival kits.

Residents of the Mill Run area prepare to leave under a mandatory evacuation order by emergency management officials on June 26, 2012, in New Port Richey, Florida. According to local news, two area rivers converged and surpassed the 100-year flood plan. Edward Linsmier/Getty Images

Pontius said the essence of a bug out bag is that it is something readily accessible and ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Optimally, it contains all the fundamental ingredients for survival—shelter, water, food, a heat source, first-aid, and clothing.

“It can be anything you make it,” Caudill told The Epoch Times, provided it meets all the requirements.

Caudill, who peer reviews the website’s content, said building a bug out bag doesn’t have to be complicated.

Easy to Prepare

“If fact, we believe it should be a fun and enjoyable experience. After all, having a solid bug out plan and knowing that you’re planning well in advance should help put your mind at ease about [disaster] scenarios.”

Caudill said a bug out bag comes in a variety of forms. It can be a simple hiker’s backpack, duffel bag—even a guitar case—so long as it contains the critical survival ingredients.

The general rule is that a bug out bag should be able to carry one through a disaster scenario for a minimum of 72 hours.

“The general belief is that’s the average amount of time it would take you to be able to be located or rescued during a wide-scale disaster,” Pontius told The Epoch Times.

Pontius said the first thing to consider in a potential bug out scenario is one’s physical location and the most likely natural or man-made emergency to occur.

Volunteers organize donated emergency supplies at the temporary shelter at the Lakewood Church on Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston, Texas. Thousands of Houston area residents sought shelter due to flooding caused by the impact of Hurricane Harvey. Win McNamee/Getty Images

“Is it going to be a wildfire? Is it going to be a hurricane? Is it going to be a tornado? That sort of thing,” said Pontius. “I think it largely depends on your location.”

In September, the Denver Office of Emergency Management’s (DOEM) DenverREADY program hosted two community fairs, handing out around 600 bug out bags within the Denver metro area. The event coincided with National Preparedness Month.

Each backpack consisted of a basic first aid kit, scissors, duct tape, whistle, flashlight, batteries, AM/FM radio, matches, memo book, tissue and paper towel, triple antibiotic cream, hydrogen peroxide, and a can opener.

In addition to bug out bags, DenverREADY gave out drawstring swag bags, which included items such as ice scrapers, heating and cooling packs, reusable straws, water bottles, collapsible bowls, and other items.

“Through our fairs, we focused heavily on education, providing a vast array of educational materials on what goes in bug out bags,” said DOEM marketing and communications manager Mikayla Ortega.

“We have been clear through our efforts, going as far as setting up a demonstration table to tell people how to build out their kits, as our bags are starter kits for folks who may not be able to afford basic supplies otherwise,” Ortega said.

A very well-equipped first aid kit can be pricey, but having the right items needed to treat injuries or save a life is priceless. Courtesy of MyMedic

“The vision of our office is to become a national model in shaping and sustaining a culture of preparedness as prepared communities create resilient communities. We believe giving resources and education directly to residents shows our commitment to our community,” Ortega told The Epoch Times.

Survival Essentials

Of all the main ingredients in a bug out bag, food, water, heat, and shelter are the most important for survival, Caudill said.

“If you don’t have something to take care of your body heat—your body regulation—you’re not going to make it.”

Bug Out Bag Academy lists 75 essentials for an authentic bug out bag. However, Caudill and Pontius caution that one size does not fit everyone’s needs.

First and foremost is hydration, since the human body can survive only about three days without water.

Contents should include at least three liters of drinking water, a bottle or canteen, water filters and purification system, and three water purification tablets.

Next comes food and food preparation. Items may include six protein and calorie-dense energy bars, dehydrated meals, stove fuel, and cooking and eating utensils.

The bugout bag should also contain a lightweight long-sleeve shirt, convertible zip-off pants, underwear, three pairs of wool socks, medium weight fleece, working gloves, and rain poncho.

If you have a traditional tent, use it as your cozy backyard quarters. Courtesy of White Duck

Shelter and bedding can be a tarp or tent, a sleeping bag, a ground pad, and a wool blanket for added warmth.

Bug Out Bag Academy also recommends tossing into the mix a lighter, an iron rod to create sparks for lighting camp fires, three pieces of fuel, and waterproof storage.

A well-stocked bug out bag should include first aid and trauma kits, a Mylar survival blanket, insect repellent, a knife, an axe, LED flashlights, batteries, candles, a cell phone, and two-way radios.

While natural disasters are a fact of life, Caudill said, supply chain disruptions and food availability appear high on the global radar in 2022.

“That is our biggest threat right now. It’s coming. It’s coming in a large-scale way,” he said.

Pontius said bug out kits purchased online are a good way to start, but they lack supplies to meet specific individual needs—prescription medications, for example.

“I definitely wouldn’t stop” with a ready made bug out bag. “Don’t let that be your main go-to in case of a big emergency,” Pontius said.

Perhaps the most critical element of any bug out plan is the having the mindset and determination to create one in the first place.

Despite red flags of a worsening economy, inflation, and supply chain issues, many people have yet to start preparing for the prospect of hard times.

“I believe it is human nature to put off potentially difficult times until they hit,” said Jonathan Jones, co-founder of The Provident Prepper (theprovidentprepper.org) with his wife, Kylene.

“In a world so full of distractions and the enticement to ‘eat, drink, and be merry,’ many people choose to live it up now with the intent to, perhaps at some point, take a few steps to be more prepared.”

People line up to receive drums to collect water and water purification tablets from the Venezuelan Red Cross in Caracas on April 16, 2019. Yuri Corteza/AFP/Getty Images

As events unfold worldwide, Jones told The Epoch Times he has “never seen so many alarm bells going off all at once.”

“It is moral and natural for there to be challenges … but our nation and world are in a state of commotion that I have never before observed,” he said.

“There are some that will never listen and, for whatever reason, want nothing to do with preparedness. Others see the wisdom in preparedness, but it never makes it up the priority list to get action.”

Mind Over Emergency Matters

Jones said some people adopt a prepared mindset if they have someone they trust to help them work toward preparedness goals.

Kylene Jones believes “everyone is worth the effort,” and told The Epoch Times, "We share our message of self-reliance with everyone willing to listen.

“It’s that old saying, ‘You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.’ We try to provide as much information as possible to make preparing a sensible idea and doable for everyone.”

Having a handy bug out bag is but a first step toward preparing for any disaster—natural or man-made, Caudill said.

Things appear to be changing rapidly, he said, and “there’s a considerable amount of concern that’s not dramatic.”

“It’s based on good information that there are some challenging times ahead. The reason for that is multi-variable. War hasn’t happened on a large scale in a while. Humans tend to make that happen regularly.”