Great ideas for your Survival Backpack

It was only a few years ago that people who maintained a survival backpack were considered crackpots and paranoid. In more recent years, many people have learned the true value of having a backup plan for disaster survival. We aren’t just talking terrorist attack either, there is simply no way to know when disaster may strike be it man-made or natural.

What if this appears in your area?

A True Assest

A Survival Backpack is a true asset in a survival situation for a number of reasons. Easy to grab if you need to “Bug Out”, easy to carry when running, or hiking and highly portable. Everyone from survival enthusiasts to former SAS members have an opinion on what should go in your Survival Backpack and that’s where it can get tricky.

Some Basic Maths – Don’t Worry It’s Easy

The amount of things you pack and what you pack is completely driven by numbers. As there is a weight tradeoff the amount of things you can carry vs the number of people you need to carry things for is important. Tools are of course reusable however food will eventually run down. Make sure when doing the numbers you plan to have at least 3 days worth of food and water per person to get started with.

Backpack And Bag Types

If you plan to do a lot of walking with your survival backpack, it’s highly recommended that you use an external frame type backpack. The frame is a must in cold environments, as it keeps the backpack from direct contact with your back, this reduces sweat. Sweat in cold environments can lead to hypothermia, that’s bad!

The most common type of frame backpack is the Military surplus ALICE style pack. (All purpose, Lightweight, Individual, Carrying, Equipment). ALICE pack are literally battlefield tested so you know it can take a real hammering. There are lots of alternatives however you need to be careful as you don’t to to end up with a cheap rubbish bag.

The choice ultimately, is yours

I’m going to share some of the ideas i’ve got and some of the ideas i’ve researched from around the interwebs!

There is nearly unlimited amount of website out there offering survival packages, some are excellent, however most people agree the best survival pack is the one you prepare yourself. When you’ve packed your own bag, you know intimately what’s in it, ideally you also know how to use all the gear without a second thought.

How much to pack in your survival backpack

How much stuff?

Most commercially sold survival backpack kits are usually designed to allow you to survive self-contained for up to 3 days. This seems to be a generally accepted standard because obviously there is a limit as to what you can carry on your back. Setting yourself a 3 day target is a good place to start.

There is an incredible temptation to want to pack every thing and be prepared for every scenario you can think of. While this would be great however remember, you have to carry the damn thing, maybe even run with. This means multipurpose equipment and survival essentials should guide your equipment and choice of supplies.

What to pack?

This is really where it gets tricky. I’m going to provide a overview of the “categories” of things that make up a good bug out bag and suggest a few items. Ultimately though, the weight you’re happy to carry and time you want your kit to last will drive your final decisions.

Food and Water

Plan to carry enough food for three days. The food can’t require refrigeration or cooking. Here’s some ideas:

• Water Packets – 4.224 ounces (125 ml) each.
• Food Bars – 3 days, 2 people, 5 Year Shelf Life.
• Think about things like, Energy bars,
  
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  About Justin

  Justin is a survival enthusiast who loves camping, the outdoors, gadgets and being prepared.