If you are well-prepared for a STHF scenario, then you already have your BOB ready to go, but what’s not in your bug-out bag is just as important as what is.
Given a survival situation, a bug-out bag is simply a tool to help you survive, but other tools will still be needed.
Survival Skills 101
No matter how many things you bring in your bag, you will still need to know how to use them. If you have flint, but you don’t know how to start a fire, your flint will be better left as a paperweight. Making your own cord is handy if you don’t want to use all of the special-grade cord that you packed.
Having a dull knife and no knowledge on how to sharpen it will be pointless when trying to use it to survive. To put it in a nutshell, you will need to know how to use the items in your bag and your surrounding area if you expect to be able to make it through the hard times.
Shelter
Lugging around a tent will probably be more work than it is worth. When trying to survive, you should know multiple ways to set-up your own emergency shelter.
We would all like to think that a house will be nearby at all times, but in a SHTF scenario, staying away from houses and businesses will probably keep you alive longer. People who do not know how to survive will be scavenging these types of places, and most of those people will be more than willing to take some of your goods off of your hands.
Good Aim is Essential
If you don’t already know how to shoot a gun, you need to start practicing. Pick up some cheap ammo at the local sporting goods store, and head to the gun range.
You can’t carry a firearms instructor in your BOB. Another thing that will come in handy is knowledge on how to fix a broken gun. If the pin breaks, the gun is useless as anything other than a club.
Perishable Items
You should not take up space in your bag with items that will go bad in a short period of time. A bug-out bag is meant to be something that can help you survive the present, but it should also help you in the future.
In other words, you can live without fruits and vegetables, but you may want to carry some seeds. The seeds will help you start growing your own food once you find a place to settle into. Another example is dairy products. Milk will spoil while powdered milk can be kept for extended periods. Think about the life-expectancy of an item before placing it in your bag.
The most important thing to realize is that common sense will play a large role in your ability to survive any type of apocalypse.
If you lack expertise in the common sense department, you should seek out a friend that you can partner up with. Sometimes, the best way to survive is learning how to survive from someone else.
We recommend joining The Warrior Tribe as it will teach you all you need to know about surviving.