Bugging out in the UK

[GillyBee]

The feedback from Hurricane Katrina was that people who lost lost everything most regretted the loss of the family photos and personal documentation. You can replace your car/house/sofa/bugout kit but try getting a replacement job or claiming anything from HMG if you have lost your ID and qualification documents. At the very least, a USB key (encypted) with these attached to your keyring means that you would have something to work with if you had to start over with no warning or time to pack. (Or use the cloud or pack paper...)
Even when pople have nothing at all it is the family photo in the wallet that keeps them going.

[Frnc]

The feedback from Hurricane Katrina was that people who lost lost everything most regretted the loss of the family photos and personal documentation. You can replace your car/house/sofa/bugout kit but try getting a replacement job or claiming anything from HMG if you have lost your ID and qualification documents. At the very least, a USB key (encypted) with these attached to your keyring means that you would have something to work with if you had to start over with no warning or time to pack. (Or use the cloud or pack paper...)
Even when pople have nothing at all it is the family photo in the wallet that keeps them going.

Most of my stuff is in the cloud. I have two backup drives. One of these I keep in my bike bag and take with me if I go away. I won't take it to Download as you have to go very minimal, but it's only a day. I have a cross-body bag on my bedroom door that has important documents in it. You need at least two drives, I had one fail recently, was only a couple of years old.

[Kiwififer]

Think we can agree that having even a little can make things easier.

Experts say knowledge is the most useful thing, followed by a knife. Which reminds me, I need to practice my knots and read my first aid book. Also to revise/learn wild edible plants. I think I'll set aside an hour each day to do that.

But of course any gear is highly useful. Personally I like my EGB/BOB to include camping gear. I just added calculated how much it weighs. Camping gear is 3.7 kg out of 12.5 kg total. The 3.7 includes a trekking pole, sleeping bag, closed cell 5 season mat, air bed, cooking pot, stove, fuel, tent etc. I included the pole because it's needed for the tent, but not needed apart from that if going on my bike. If I was walking I'd want two poles anyway. The 12.5 includes waterproofs and some winter clothing extras such as insulated jacket, hat, gloves, and the rucksak itself (1.45 kg).
I also have 4 kg of longer term gear if it was likely to be more than a week on my own.

Could you lose the stove and fuel?

Playing devils advocate here.

[Frnc]

Think we can agree that having even a little can make things easier.

Experts say knowledge is the most useful thing, followed by a knife. Which reminds me, I need to practice my knots and read my first aid book. Also to revise/learn wild edible plants. I think I'll set aside an hour each day to do that.

But of course any gear is highly useful. Personally I like my EGB/BOB to include camping gear. I just added calculated how much it weighs. Camping gear is 3.7 kg out of 12.5 kg total. The 3.7 includes a trekking pole, sleeping bag, closed cell 5 season mat, air bed, cooking pot, stove, fuel, tent etc. I included the pole because it's needed for the tent, but not needed apart from that if going on my bike. If I was walking I'd want two poles anyway. The 12.5 includes waterproofs and some winter clothing extras such as insulated jacket, hat, gloves, and the rucksak itself (1.45 kg).
I also have 4 kg of longer term gear if it was likely to be more than a week on my own.

Could you lose the stove and fuel?

Playing devils advocate here.

The stove weighs 100g, fuel 200g. So 300g total, not much really. But the fuel would only last a few days and then the stove would be useless, unless I could find more gas. So I have a titanium chain which can suspend my pot over an open fire. The chain weighs 74g. I think it's a good backup. The fuel and stove fit in the pot, and the chain sits on top, in the bag. The whole low is inside a home made pot cosy to enable haybox cooking. Cosy is foil covered bubble wrap. I got it from a backpacking company so it must be tried and tested. But I designed the cosy myself, it's more basic than theirs. The chain has a plate at the top with 3 holes for sticks to make a tripod. It means I'm not having to find bricks or boulders the right size and shape to support the pot and contain the fire. I could even dig a fire pit. Pot weighs 160g by the way. It is titanium, and has a hanging loop as well as folding handle (therefore classed as a large mug/pot I think).
The fuel is enough for the freeze-dried meals I have. It's the smallest canister size, so the weight of the metal is proportionately higher, at 50%. Also of course I could boil water to drink if necessary, although with filters and puri tabs, shouldn't need to.

[Frnc]

Food and calories

3 - 4 freeze dried meals 350 g total. Cals 365, 385, 589 = 1339. The 589 could be split. You can buy freezer bags that will stand up by themselves and hold boiled water like the bags the meals come in.
Seven seas 9 ration bars 510g. Cals 9 x 277 = 2500.

Total 860g, 3839 calories. Doesn't sound much but you can live 3 weeks without any food.

These may not be the most efficient. I think the most efficient in calories/weight is things that have a lot of fat in them. The ration bars are quite efficient in terms of space, calories, nutrition, and don't need to be cooked.

[Kiwififer]

Experts say knowledge is the most useful thing, followed by a knife. Which reminds me, I need to practice my knots and read my first aid book. Also to revise/learn wild edible plants. I think I'll set aside an hour each day to do that.

But of course any gear is highly useful. Personally I like my EGB/BOB to include camping gear. I just added calculated how much it weighs. Camping gear is 3.7 kg out of 12.5 kg total. The 3.7 includes a trekking pole, sleeping bag, closed cell 5 season mat, air bed, cooking pot, stove, fuel, tent etc. I included the pole because it's needed for the tent, but not needed apart from that if going on my bike. If I was walking I'd want two poles anyway. The 12.5 includes waterproofs and some winter clothing extras such as insulated jacket, hat, gloves, and the rucksak itself (1.45 kg).
I also have 4 kg of longer term gear if it was likely to be more than a week on my own.

Could you lose the stove and fuel?

Playing devils advocate here.

The stove weighs 100g, fuel 200g. So 300g total, not much really. But the fuel would only last a few days and then the stove would be useless, unless I could find more gas. So I have a titanium chain which can suspend my pot over an open fire. The chain weighs 74g. I think it's a good backup. The fuel and stove fit in the pot, and the chain sits on top, in the bag. The whole low is inside a home made pot cosy to enable haybox cooking. Cosy is foil covered bubble wrap. I got it from a backpacking company so it must be tried and tested. But I designed the cosy myself, it's more basic than theirs. The chain has a plate at the top with 3 holes for sticks to make a tripod. It means I'm not having to find bricks or boulders the right size and shape to support the pot and contain the fire. I could even dig a fire pit. Pot weighs 160g by the way. It is titanium, and has a hanging loop as well as folding handle (therefore classed as a large mug/pot I think).
The fuel is enough for the freeze-dried meals I have. It's the smallest canister size, so the weight of the metal is proportionately higher, at 50%. Also of course I could boil water to drink if necessary, although with filters and puri tabs, shouldn't need to.

I think I have seen something similar on the Robens website, it’s a piece of metal that you put three sticks in and a chain to suspend a pot from.

[Frnc]

Could you lose the stove and fuel?

Playing devils advocate here.

The stove weighs 100g, fuel 200g. So 300g total, not much really. But the fuel would only last a few days and then the stove would be useless, unless I could find more gas. So I have a titanium chain which can suspend my pot over an open fire. The chain weighs 74g. I think it's a good backup. The fuel and stove fit in the pot, and the chain sits on top, in the bag. The whole low is inside a home made pot cosy to enable haybox cooking. Cosy is foil covered bubble wrap. I got it from a backpacking company so it must be tried and tested. But I designed the cosy myself, it's more basic than theirs. The chain has a plate at the top with 3 holes for sticks to make a tripod. It means I'm not having to find bricks or boulders the right size and shape to support the pot and contain the fire. I could even dig a fire pit. Pot weighs 160g by the way. It is titanium, and has a hanging loop as well as folding handle (therefore classed as a large mug/pot I think).
The fuel is enough for the freeze-dried meals I have. It's the smallest canister size, so the weight of the metal is proportionately higher, at 50%. Also of course I could boil water to drink if necessary, although with filters and puri tabs, shouldn't need to.

I think I have seen something similar on the Robens website, it’s a piece of metal that you put three sticks in and a chain to suspend a pot from.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09DSR33TT/

[Kiwififer]

Yup that’s it more or less.

[Peter]

That’s actually a good idea for a topic.

You have a rucksack and that’s it. What would you put in it and that’s only for stuff on the house?

It’s not a bug out bag as that would infer that you would be coming back, this is a farewell bag.

A good few years ago, when winter hillwalking, I carried a 40L sac, if I remember correctly in the main compartment in a heavy duty plastic bag, dry socks and extra sweater at the bottom, next a small billy and an esbit stove and fuel, mug, a tin of corned beef and a tin of baked beans, both of which can be eaten cold, some tea bags and sugar, at the top a bivi bag, sometimes a sleeping bag, waterproofs, woolly hat and gloves.

Left side pocket, first aid kit, swiss army knife, torch, water sterilising tablets, spare boot laces and a space blanket.
Right side pocket, water bottle, a couple of mars, mint cake. Lid pocket maps and compass.

I never used the sleeping bag so I would not bother and would replace the tins with dry food.
Add a kindle and a flash drive, tactical torch with spare battery, 12V battery to usb charger and you’ve got a good start.

[jansman]

Way back I had fiction in my head about where to run to in an emergency,and built up semi- military BOB s. Then I realised yomping the countryside would be hard work with wife and two young daughters,dogs,cats,hens,aviary full of exotic birds,rabbits and goats. So Wife and I figured that our Hotel Bags were better. ( HOB).
That said though,I did put emergency bags in cars- and even a small one in a pannier pocket on my fishing bike! They are Get Home Bags (GHB). One thing was for sure; my fishing meant a lot of experience of weather and temperatures when fishing - so I wasn’t sleeping out there!

The journey to work was 13 miles across country ,12 urban. The kit was all the usual stuff,and a walk home could be done in three hours or so. However,outside of my very small rucksack,I had my standard waxed jacket at the back of the driving seat. In that jacket? Woolly hat and lightweight leggings,survival tin,2x 500ml water bottles and Sawyer filter. Work gloves, couple of energy bars, foil blanket and a heavy duty wheelie bin liner. And most importantly- an umbrella! At work, I ALWAYS carried a Leatherman tool,Stanley knife, phone, wallet with at least a hundred in cash,and a butchers first aid kit. And work meant boots.