Supply Checklist for Your Bugout Location

A bugout location, or BOL, is where you plan to go in case of a mass evacuation or panic, such as what follows an earthquake or tsunami. If you live in a city devastated by a natural or manmade disaster, you might wish to leave the city and head for the h ills. Maybe you have a hunting shack on 40 acres a couple hours away — this would be your bugout location. If you live in the country, you might prefer to hunker down at your home, in which case you want to be sure you have reserves to sustain you for several days or weeks without the need to restock. Learn more about bugging out.

The Facebook Survivalist group bugout location checklist

The Survivalist group on Facebook has over 1000 members, many of whom are experienced hobbyists in the area of survival skills or emergency preparation. It’s very well run by the admins (at this writing, the acting admins are Dan Peters and Noel Napolitan), and you’ll find a great deal of useful information relating to survival skills and self-reliance.

I asked them to post three items they would want to have at their bugout location. Nearly 50 responses later, here’s a list compiled from their suggestions. Some members posted multiple responses, so their lists are longer. Several people duplicated responses by others — I’ve left them in so you can judge their importance by how frequently they come up.

Not all suggestions will apply in every situation, but go through them and pick out what will work for you:

• spring water, rice and beans, firewood – SnoMan
• med kit, shovel, entertainment (board game, cards) – Pete Prepper [Note from SnoMan: I recently discovered a great game called Voltage. As I write this, it’s on sale for only 2.99 and eligible for free shipping from Amazon. It’s a very clever, innovative card game, and my family loves it!]
• firearms, cooking utensils, personal hygiene supplies – Arne O. Sanders
• ammo, fuel (gas or diesel), wheat/grains – Ray Stalnaker
• condoms, cooking gear, fishing gear – Nunofya Damnbiznus
• antibiotics, informational books, hygiene products, mountain bike, binoculars, two-way radios, night vision binoculars, maps of city sewer lines, drag sled, snow shoes, range finders, field dressings, buck lure, cast iron dutch oven and pans, gold and silver, quick clot – Thomas Gray [Note from SnoMan: Early versions of quickclot could cause burns. Try this version contained in a dressing instead. It’s still very effective, but won’t burn].
• bedding (cots, blankets, pillows), chairs, table, chemical toilet, all purpose toilet paper – Kenneth Bechtel
• salt, garlic, honey, chili and cornbread supplies, wine, fire already prepared to light – Aleta Wallace
• hunting rifle/ammo, fishing pole, BK2 Becker – Jack Brandt
• playing cards, garden seeds, coffee, maps (road, USGS, forest service) for surrounding areas, canning jars and lids, pressure and regular canner, biometric documents (birth certificate, passports, shot records), blank notebooks, pens and pencils – Fiona Ellen Grayson
• machete, axe, knife, and sharpening gear, food, cooking supplies, firestarting kit,compass, water, bandana, sleeping bag, tent, fleece wear, first aid, tools (knife, multitool, hatchet or machete, rope, twine, tarp, nails, zipties, personal toiletries (TP, biodegradable soap, wipes, nail file, nail clippers, baking soda, pak towels), slingshot, fishing gear, snares, 2×4 board, 1/2-inch washer, rubber hose – Dan Peters
• colloidal silver, blankets, light source – Clara Holdorph Brown
• gun/knife/tool cleaning supplies and maintenance items, including oil, sharpeners, rags – Mictch McKee
• hand crank can opener, iron skillet, bacitracin zinc – Clinton Pfarr

Thanks to all the group members who participated!

~SnoMan