A Green Beret shares 12 important things that need to be in your bug-out bag

For the uninitiated, a bug-out bag (sometimes just called a “BOB”) is simply a backpack you keep packed with the essentials to survive for about three days or so. It helps if you suddenly have to get the hell out of Dodge for whatever reason. It helps you stay alive during a disaster like a storm, flood, or blackout or when you’re doing some secret squirrel stuff and your cover is blown.

Chase Millsap is a Naval Academy grad who served for ten years, including three combat tours as a Marine Infantry Officer in Iraq and as a Green Beret leading counter-terrorism missions in Asia. We Are The Mighty, figuring he might know a thing or two about risk, survival, and bugging out in general, asked him what he’s packing in his bag in case he needs to escape on short notice for any reason—not that he’s necessarily in any danger in Ohio.

Here’s what he says you must have for a real bug-out bag, at minimum.

12. Water filter.

You gotta drink. Given optimal conditions, a person can last up to a week without water—in optimal conditions. Extreme conditions are likely to cut that time (and yours) short down to roughly three days. Additionally, drinking water from untreated sources can lead to a number of infections and diseases, which not only makes your time on Earth shorter, it also becomes considerably more unpleasant and gross.

A water filter can mitigate many of these circumstances. It’s not only being able to turn water from a river into something potable, modern disposable filter straws can make clean drinking water from mud puddles for weeks.

11. Woobie.

If you’re unfamiliar with a “woobie,” it’s how some U.S. troops refer to their issued poncho liner. It makes for a great blanket, cushion, or pillow. It’s not waterproof, but in temperatures above freezing, it’s very effective at keeping in body heat.

Protection from the elements is paramount for survival. This could mean preventing heatstroke and dehydration from the constant, blaring sun or cutting the wind chill and retaining heat. The woobie is lightweight, rip resistant, breathes well, and dries rapidly. It can not only help provide shelter but also camouflage if necessary.

10. Two days of food.

This should be self-explanatory, but in case it isn’t, remember: You can go for up to three weeks without food. If you’re on the move, however, that time is cut short. You can’t carry all the food you need with you, but you should have enough to last until you can make it to an area where you can get more or be rescued.

The U.S. military chooses Meals, Ready-to-Eat (or MREs) because they’re a high-calorie, nutritious food source, require no heat or water to prep, and can go a long, long time without spoiling. This criteria should be the same you use when choosing food for your bug-out bag.

9. A lockpick kit.

The reason one carries lockpicks is fairly obvious: to get into things that are locked. We can’t predict why you’ll be evacuating your home, but if you’re going to be out on foot for a while, you may need this. Think about it: When the looting stops, everything that was easy to get is already gone. Anything that could be obtained by brute force is probably not going to be available to you. What’s left is probably under lock and key, so you need a way to deftly get into what’s left.

Aside from stealing what you might need to survive, gaining access to safe areas or other places of shelter is probably going to be difficult. You may need to pick your way through a few locks to get there.

8. Fire starter with dryer lint.

You can’t depend on a lighter or matches. You’re going to need to start a fire the old-fashioned way: with sparks and kindling. Since lighters and matches are disposable, you will eventually run out. A good fire starter comes in many different forms, but it’s basically a rod you use to create sparks. A ferrocerium rod will work while wet and last forever. A magnesium rod will burn hot and start easily.

But you need something to get that fire going. Millsap uses dryer lint because it’s free (if you’re forward-thinking enough), dry, dependable, highly-flammable, and lightweight. Keep it in a ziploc baggie and it’ll take care of you when you need it.

7. Solar or hand-crank battery.

When bugging out, you should have electronic devices with you—namely your means of communication. Whether this means your normal iPhone or a burner is up to you. A zombie apocalypse notwithstanding, you’re going to want to be rescued at some point, so secure the means of keeping your phone and/or radio alive and at the ready is a must.

6. 550 cord and a carabiner.

Anyone who’s served in the military knows how useful 550 cord (or paracord… whatever you want to call it) and carabiners can be. Despite its ability to carry heavy loads, it weighs very little. Moreover, it can be broken down into smaller strands, making it extremely versatile for any post-apocalyptic needs. These include sewing repairs, hanging shelters, or even fishing line.

If you want to augment its usefulness, learn to braid and to tie knots for things like belts, cables, slings, and other off-label uses. It won’t rot, it’s mildew resistant, and it doesn’t easily break down. If you maintain and retain it all, you can make a small supply go a long way.

5. Medical kit.

Let’s be honest, most of you are not Green Berets—and if you were Navy SEALs, you would have told us by now. Since the name of the game is surviving in a potentially hostile environment, we should be prepared for injuries sustained on our way out of the disaster area. If we want to be prepared to help ourselves and others, we need a med kit.

And since we don’t know how long we’ll be out in the world or what horrors await us, we can’t predict the kind or level of injuries we may have to patch up, so having a wide variety of options is helpful. Not for nothing, medical supplies also make excellent trade goods.

4. Face masks.

Nothing will wreck your day faster than accidentally inhaling a ton of fiberglass. Dirt and debris fly everywhere during a disaster or in a disaster area. Heck, the air itself can be chalked full of dirt and harmful particles. Be prepared for it by keeping your lungs safe from inhaling any number of potential pollutants.

3. Gloves and boots.

You shouldn’t need to be told this: Bring your boots. The best part about these items is they don’t add to the weight on your back.

2. Knife and multi-tool.

Slow down, Rambo. Don’t go out and get the largest knife you can. Get something with some utility. Go ask a Marine about their KA-BAR utility knife—it’s one of the best survival knives you can get.

1. Air panels.

If you need to be seen from a distance (namely, by rescue aircraft), nothing is more effective than what the U.S. military already uses: the VS-17 signal marker. It’s exactly what most search and rescue teams (especially U.S. military SAR squads) are trained to look for. Whether you’re military or not, if someone comes to pick you up, they probably won’t leave you there just because you weren’t exactly what they were searching for.

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