Top 10 Bugout Bag Items

Most of the top 10 bugout bag items lists contained the basics of some type of food, water or water purification, fire starting, and shelter, in the form of a survival blanket, tent or poncho. However, there were a few items on the lists that were indicative of the importance of personalizing the contents of your bug-out Bag.

Of course, most people have more than just ten items, so the list below will help you get started in putting together your own BOB.

The Top 10 Bugout Bag Items

Potable Aqua® with P.A. Plus Emergency Drinking Water Tablets

1. Water

Most people prefer to have some type of water purification instead of carrying the additional weight of bottled water. Water purification might be a water bottle with a special filter, water purification tablets, or as one person mentioned

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2. Food

MRE’s, dehydrated meals, high energy food bars, etc.

Lights campfires, stoves, and even gas barbecue grills. Light My Fire FireSteel Scout Fire Starter

3. Fire

No, they didn’t carry fire, but everyone had some type of fire-starting equipment in their BOB: matches, flint and steel, lighters, cotton balls covered with petroleum jelly, etc.

4. Shelter

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Since exposure can kill one faster than starvation or dehydration, most lists contained some form of shelter from the elements, such as a tent, a space blanket, a poncho, a tarp or just sheet plastic. Most of these had the ability to be used not only for individual shelter or protection from the elements, but to also be used to collect water or to be used in the building of a larger shelter, lean-to, etc.

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5. Knife

The type of knife varied from the multi-function tool to a hunting knife with a gut hook to a military-style knife.

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6. Clothing

Some lists only include a couple of pairs of socks, while other bug-out bags contained several changes of clothes

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7. First aid

This might be a small first aid kit (FAK), while other FAKs were much more extensive. Personally I have a separate bag to carry over my shoulder that contains a wide variety of first aid and medical supplies.

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8. Cordage

This might be anything from fishing line, rope, twine, parachute cord or even thin wire.

9. Cooking container

Texsport Stainless Steel Cook Set - Two-Person

This might be a metal cup large enough to use for soup, that can be held over a fire, but that can also be used to drink with. It might also be a small cooking pot, or as in my case, one of those mess kits that have a pan with a collapsible handle and a lid, that fits together and holds a cup and a utensils.

The last of the top 10 bugout bag items really varied greatly according to the individual’s own experience and ability to survive. Some folks’ BOB contains several of these items while leaving out other things that they might consider less essential to survival.

Optional 10th bugout bag item: Gun or rifle and ammo, axe, maps and Lensatic Compass, cross bow with arrows, Coleman® Folding Saw, Coleman® Folding Shovel or entrenching tool, vitamins or other health aids, or mirror.

As you put together your bugout bag, this top 10 bugoug bag items list will help you to determine which items should be automatically included in each bag. Then you can rest assured that your bugout bag contains those things that are an absolute must-have based on your own level of survival skill and confidence.

I want to give a special thanks to all those folks that answered the question about what they considered to be the top 10 bugout bag items. Thanks guys, you’re the best.