Bug out Bag for college student?

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hartzpad

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What would you include in a basic bug out/emergency bag for a college student? (keep in mind that most college students have limited budgets and/or storage space.)

In my case, I live in Utah along the Wasatch fault line. The most likely disasters here would be a major earthquake and or a major snowstorm.

My quick list would include:

MRE's to last 3-5 days
Few gallons of water
Water purifier pump
matches/lighter
foldable shovel
extensive first aid kit
1 set of heavy winter clothing including gloves and boots (depending on season of disaster)
Signal flares or flare gun
cheap, small, compact tent
small sleeping bag
1-3 small flashlights with extra batteries
compact hatchet

I personally would also include for protection:

1 beater AK47 (7.62x39) w/ folding stock and 5 loaded 30 round mags+100-200 extra rounds
1 cheap pistol of some type (either Makarov or CZ-52) w/ at least 3 loaded mags and 100 extra rounds

possibly add: 1 cheap Magtech 7022 .22lr rifle (usually only cost $65-$90 new) + 1 brick of .22lr ammo

It is really hard to give a summarized list like this because I can think of a million other things that one would need, but I believe that these are the essentials for one person and that probably almost all of this stuff could fit into a very large duffle bag, minus the extra ammo (too much weight).
 
I think you have a good list there.

One questions--if SHTF and you have to leave, where are you going? Are your parents reasonably close? If so, I'd assume you're headed there. You need a way to get there--car or bike or whatever.

So then you think about chains and keeping enough gas in the car to make the trip.

If you're not headed to parents, then where are you going? May need more than a few days' worth of MREs if you don't have a resupply plan.
 
Well...in my case, I'm a married college student from out of state (CA), but I have a Toyota truck and the first thing I would do is head out with my wife to the desert, where it is flat and uninhabited. I think the mountains would be bad news in either disaster case.

I figure that 3-5 days of MRE's for my wife and myself should be fine, as I would hope that by then I could either find, pillage, or hunt some type of food.
 
Zip-lock bags. My practice is to individually package each item of clothing, or anything else the least bit vulnerable to water, in a sealed bag. And include enough spares to isolate my dirty laundry as it's produced. If you've got access to a vacum packer, sucking the air out can make your spare clothes a LOT more compact, too.

That, and lots of handi-wipes, in the individual packets. Never underestimate the value of having a way to get clean and dry in an emergency.

Oh, and a space blanket. Wonderful invention, that. :D
 
Not to mention, that 3-5 days, even given slow movement, is enough to move multiple states, getting you out of the affected area. Also, 3-5 days is plenty in the USA for aid/relief efforts to arrive, assuming that it's just a hurricane or earthquake, not a TEOTWAWKI.

Have a plan for staying in the area, have a plan for leaving. I'd try to avoid just "heading out into the desert", but go to a relative's house or something. I have the choice of Nebraska, New York, and Florida (parents and grandparents). While none of them would be happy with an extended visit, they're perfectly fine with putting me up for at least a couple weeks. Longer, if the circumstances are bad enough. Let somebody know where you're going.
 
I own most all of your list but I have a few modifications for you. Its probably preferance and I havent had much suvival training in the desert/semi barren. However I have read the books on it.

1.MRE's to last 3-5 days (you can live on 1 MRE a day pack for 3)
2.Few gallons of water
3.Water purifier pump
4.matches/lighter (magnesium stick last longer)
5.foldable shovel (special forces solid shovel
6.extensive first aid kit
7.1 set of heavy winter clothing including gloves and boots
8.Signal flares or flare gun
9.cheap, small, compact tent
10.small sleeping bag
11.1-3 small flashlights with extra batteries
12.compact hatchet



13.1 beater AK47 (7.62x39) w/ folding stock and 5 loaded 30 round mags+100-200 extra rounds
14.1 cheap pistol of some type (either Makarov or CZ-52) w/ at least 3 loaded mags and 100 extra rounds

15. 1 cheap Magtech 7022 .22lr rifle (usually only cost $65-$90 new)

1. MRE's can be taken out of there package and it saves tons of room Easier to pack.
4. The magnzium stick will light nearly anything hot cold wet unlike matches
5. There is a shovel called a spetsnaz (or special forces) shovel it has a solid handle. You can use it as a axe (after sharpening one side), a weapon and I can even throw mine for defense if needed. They are far better then what the US army puts out. Cold steel around 20-25 bucks
6. Only make a first aid kit that you can use. Remeber the ????s can kill you faster then anything, take petobizmal pills. Go light on the pain killers unless you know tons. If you have to do stiches you will need curved needles (find at store or buy sucher kits from med supply not expensive) Get the Ditch Medicne book or PM me and I'll try to give you a list of things/info
8. Although many will disagree I have fireworks and a reflective mirror. The little signal fireworks are super cheap, are bright as hell and probably work just as well as expensive flares. The down side is they dont last long.
9. Get a Tarp or two. They are more useful and you can use them to catch water while still giving you shelter.
10. This is optional in my head. Trash bags stuffed with things can keep you just as warm, although not as comfortable.
11. DONT BUY MAG LIGHTS. Get 2 LED flashlights that run off double A's. I have two twin task flashlights (I have owned 40+ lights) ones a double A and the other is C cells. Great lights have 3 settings and LEDs down burn out easy. These lights also have zenon bulbs in them. pretty water resistent.
12. Not always necesary Id go for one of those chainsaws in a can over that personally, or the shovel from above.

Extras: compass, map if possible, ROPE (para cord is best because you can split the guts up and turn 100 feet into 400). A GOOD knife. (Actually Id go with two. I have tons. Probably take my multi tool and some survival knife I have.), Bag of brown sugar (for anti bacterial purposes, sugar sucks up water that bacteria lives in brown sugar is the best. Check the ditch medicen book for details), a book on surviving the enviroment your in (knowledge is power and there were tons of times I wish I had my book to remeber stuff).

14. Dont go with Makarov, you can get a great one or one that jams all the time. Plus bullets are hard to find. Go with a 9mm or hell a 45 or something.

Remeber guns cant be kept at school so leave that with a good friend ;) . Also most schools cant search locked containers while your gone. :neener:

I dont know tons
 
I like your list, except I question your weapon choice a bit. Why not replace them with a .357 lever action and a .357 revolver? The odds of you being in some sort of showdown combat are slim, but if you are the load one shoot one ability of the .357 will give you the ability to stay topped off. Only one kind of ammo to carry, and no magazines. You're alot less likely to experience malfunctions with either of those arms, too.
Skip the .22 if you're going to be hiking, or get an AR7.

Skip the duffel bag, go with a rucksack.
Skip the tent, just bring a tarp. Make sure your bag is rated to a low temperature.

I agree that you can eat one MRE a day. You might lose some weight if you're travelling by foot. Supplement with energy bars, carry one or two per expected day.

Folding shovel is extra weight, ditch it.
Multitool or swiss army knife and a fixed blade knife.
State map (not a road map, get a real map), and a compass. Know how to use both.
Anti-diareheal (sp?) medication, and a first aid kit.
Bugging-in should be your first choice. All the above items are useful in that scenerio, too.

I forgot to add:
You're not too familiar with snow, are ya? You don't want to be bugging out in the event of a major winter storm. You would be unnecessarily risking yours and your wife's lives. Be prepared to stay put, stay warm, and stay hydrated for a couple days. Have a small propane powered space heater, like one made for camping, and some propane canisters for it. Read the directions carefully, as they are a fire hazard. Also have a small camp stove for making food. Keep something warm and comforting, like chili or chicken-noodle soup around.
Pick a room in your apartment/house that will be your bug-in room, to conserve the heat to one room. Usually a bedroom.
 
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My mother in law had to bug out of Florida twice this year. No power for 2 weeks. Then I see what is happening because of the tsunami.

I'd say a minimum of food and water for 7 days. Maybe water purification systems if possible.

A disaster can happen at anytime. How does one guarantee a full tank of gas in the pick up truck all the time? Maybe the gas stations don't have power.

Clean wipes are much prized by our troops roughing it in Iraq and Afghanistan.

How much can one carry for distances? How much can one carry when nursing a broken femur? Buildings have been known to collapse during an earthquake.

The bare essentials - food, clothing, shelter. Everything else is icing on the cake.
 
I'd be careful about bugging out with a longarm. Most situations in which you would need to leave quickly are going to be refugee/evac situations, and I'm not sure how well the authorities would react to you toting a rifle. A concealed pistol with a fairly universal caliber (such as .45 ACP) may be a better idea.

Also, ammo is heavy. How much would you bring?
 
Don't run for it unless you have no other choice. If you have to run, have at least a couple of places to run to. Prepositioned supplies can reduce the amount you have to carry. Any firearms carried should be for defense first.

If you have to leave your community permanently you better have another one to go to.

Make sure you plan beyond the emergency.
 
This effects me, so I'll stop lurking and say something.

What about college students who live on campus? Alot of schools forbid any sort of firearms in the dorms or on campus for that matter. Long arms have to be stored in some kind of gun locker on a shooting range or something like that, and handguns are althogether forbidden. Aside from being poor, and having no car, people in a situation like mine would be screwed. Plus, it's pretty hard to hide a gun in one's dorm and stupid to boot. I watched someone's room get searched by the cops for drugs and alcohol. It was like the cops were rolling through a prison cell.

However, if hartzpad was just trying to make a point about setting up a BOB on a budget and trying to figure out the bare essentials that's one thing. But for the average college student I don't think this is totally realistic. Then again, one could just ignore the firearms and get along fine with everything else on the list.

Just to make a suggesstion, I'd change out matches or even that magnesium firestarter for a lighter, like those cheap Bic ones. If necessary, one could use them for other things and not be bound to using space for a buttload of matches or be limited making sparks as opposed to a real flame.
 
Tabasco Sauce and garlic salt. Have 1 or 2 spares of each for *possible* barter. Forget about bullion--it's dead inedible weight and the people who would take it would also be most likely to dry-gulch you 30 minutes after you leave...after all, they now *know* what edibles/usefuls you have.

Long arm goes with the vehicle only, not when packing it on foot, unless your intel indicates a true need for it. When in college, I favored a .357 revolver because of what I could do with it out to 100 yards.

Look closely at your total weight.
 
Oh, I forgot to add that EMPTY ziplocs are a good thing too. Some of your most useful scavengables will be handily packed that way. Also short tie-downs/strongs/hooks/bendable wires so you can do a Bevery Hillbillies tie-on of stuff you may want for a while. Ziploc in the canteen carrier, canteen switched to a tie-on.

Small paste epoxy and tiny Shoe Goo tube.

Got bug goop?
 
What about college students who live on campus? Alot of schools forbid any sort of firearms in the dorms or on campus for that matter.....Then again, one could just ignore the firearms and get along fine with everything else on the list.
.
Click to expand...

Well, he's either breaking the rules, or lives off campus. His personal decision, and he raised the question of which firearms to have in his listed situation.
If you're not comfortable keeping firearms with you on campus, you could instead carry OC and a good long knife or a compact bat. Not as good as a firearm, but it gives you some personal defense options incase you are bugging out (or in).
 
I went to college in the 60's, so:

1. Dope - first aid Rx / Ziploc bags - hmmm?
2. Boone's Farm - drinking liquids
3. Condoms - useful to make survival instruments
4. Records - they make music
5. Bean Bag chair - survival shelter
6. Pepperidge Farm cookies - food
7. Matches - make fire

Store in VW Van

Guns, food, tools - what kind of college kid are you? :confused:

Given a snow storm or earth quake - better to stay put unless you are on fire? I've lived through a couple of superblizzards - you ain't going anywhere. Had to walk a mile in -70 wind chill. Eek! Luckily I had the duds.Those stuck on the roads are still waiting for the future with Ted Williams. :eek:
 
Well, he's either breaking the rules, or lives off campus. His personal decision, and he raised the question of which firearms to have in his listed situation.
If you're not comfortable keeping firearms with you on campus, you could instead carry OC and a good long knife or a compact bat. Not as good as a firearm, but it gives you some personal defense options incase you are bugging out (or in).
Click to expand...

I should have made myself more clear, I wasn't actually talking about hartzpad specifically. But since I was also refering to my own situation, what kind of OC would you guys recommend for a bug out bag? Like those giant lysol cans full of the concentrated stuff they use on bears? Because that would rule.

GEM's list may have been true in the 1960s but it still holds water today... just swap out "VW van" for "mom's stationwagon" and "records" for "stolen iPods."
 
GEM - I see we think alike. My first thought for a college B.O.B. was:

* Beer
* Condoms
* Sunglasses
* Tylenol
* Loose change for toll roads and food, maybe even rent
* Music (records in my day, CDs or an MP3 player now)
* More beer
 
Beer is of limited utility on the Wasatch Front. Fewer consumers per capita, and it's only 3.2.

Few things more amusingly pathetic to me than seeing all the Friday night cases of Utah beer going out the door of the local stop'n'gas. Can't call 'em stop'n'robs there in UT b/c the robbery rates are so low. :cool: They gotta drink so HARD to actually get drunk. :scrutiny:
 
Remeber guns cant be kept at school so leave that with a good friend
Click to expand...

Check with your school on that. At any given time, I usually have guns at school, legally. Lots of time, I have one in the back of my car, too, as sometimes it is hard to get them out from storage (if I went shooting a day ago, and was planning on going again within the next week or so). Ammo stays in the trunk, no room in the cabinet for it. Only real no-no is no guns in the actual dorm rooms, but lots of gun cases look like normal ockable cases, and if they don't know... (not that I would do it, but if you were a daing soul and felt the benefits outweighed the risks)
 
A. Any knives over 4 inches and OC spray are considered firearms by most colleges. Many colleges consider that just as dangerous as a firearm and will charge you according, as happened to a commuter student with OC.

B. If your going to carry OC get the big can of super nasty ????.
 
Bugging out for the dorm-ridden college student.

It's pretty simple;

1) Get a mountin bike
2) Get into backpacking, and have all related gear
3) All college towns are the same. You can buy a crate top ramen for like $3. Keep 2 crates and 2 bottles of vitamins handy.
4) Buy a slingshot. Infinity ammo, great for nabbing squirrels, crows and rabbits.
5) If you are a lone college student, self defense during a bugout isn't as important as a lot of other things. You can run away, hide, and avoid trouble better than you could if you had a significant other or child to look out for. So not having a gun sucks, but not THAT bad.
 
Do you know where to find surface water in your area?

Utah might actually be more arid than New Mexico.

Drinking water is kind of important.

Since you are married, have you discussed this with your spouse?
 
hartzpad, just to get the nomenclature straight, you're not really talking about a bug out bag ("BOB," i.e., a pack that you can fill with good stuff and then carry on your back or throw in your trunk for three days or so if necessary), but rather how to equip the Toyota ("BOV," i.e., bug out vehicle) for a situation where you want to get out of Dodge. I feel a little silly even pointing this out, but the fact is you're not going to fit a rifle, handgun or 2, ammo and mags, 4 days of MREs, a few gallons of water, and all the other more important stuff, except for water, you might really need in a 3-day backpack. If you're interested, PM me and I might get inspired to post a good list or two.
 
Since you said emergency/bug out, and not just bug out, I'll chime in. My "emergency kit" that's in my bookbag 24/7 basically just consists of snacks (enough for an entire day's meals), a bottle or three of water, some basic first aid supplies, and a foil blanket thing. I'd be dead if I ever did have to "bug out;" but around here, the biggest risk is slipping on ice in the winter, so I like to think I'm prepared to patch myself up if I fall on my way to class, assuming it's not a head wound.

I'm definitely more the sort to "bug in" than out. I've got enough food in my dorm room to literally last weeks. Also a few campus-legal weapons--pocket knives, a broom, and a hammer--mostly for keeping myself safe from the idiot drunks that tear up the halls, since my roommate is coming and going at all hours of the night and _never_ locks the door. Honestly, my plan in a SHTF situation would be to just stay the heck put until my parents can get me (if it's that bad), or until the crisis passes.
 
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