Basic BOB costs

[Vladaar]

Holy cow, I just made quick lists of what it would cost me to make
BOB's for my family of 8, and I left out a lot but the costs is just
crazy high at least for me in these tough times.

Wrist rocket one for each family member. ( $20 x 8 )
clothes
E-tool ( $20 x 2 )
machette ( $20 x 2 )
Sleeping bag ( $50 x 8 )
Sleeping pad ( $15 x 8 )
Shelter half - tent poles/pins ( $20 x 8 )
Poncho ( $20 x 8 )
Poncho Liner ( $20 x 8 )
Fire starters ( $2 x 10 )
pocket fishing poles ( $20 x 3 )
550 cord ( $20 x 2 )
metal water container so water can be boiled. ( $10 x 8 )
water filter ( $80 x 2 )
cooking kit ( $8 x 2 )
space blankets ( $2 x 8 )
First Aid kit ( $20 x 2 )
72 hours worth of food - MRE ( $60 )
sewing kits ( $10 x 2 )
flash lights/solar ground lights ( $50 )
crank radio ( $20 x 2 )
whistle ( $2 x 8 )
compass ( $20 x 2 )
space pen ( $5 x 2 )
note pad ( $1 x 2 )
backpacks ( $20 x 6 ) already have 2
king james version small bibles ( 8 )

Dad and Mom BOB -> 490 dollars each
Kid's BOB--------------> 197 dollars each
Total for 8 BOBs-----> 2162 dollars

[Beserker]

Looks pretty cheap compared to most peoples bags. Most of my kit was hand-me downs from my pops after he retired from the Army, so I got a lil lucky. Where are you getting 72 hours worth of MRE's for 60$? I would add in a water filter to the kit as well. You don't want to have to stop and boil water every time you need it. Chances are the kids wont understand how essential it is to ration there water.
I would give the kids whistles as well.

[nunrush]

I would lose the shelter half too and go with some other type of shelter.

[Beserker]

Originally Posted by nunrush

I would lose the shelter half too and go with some other type of shelter.

160$ should get you 2 decent tents. You may actually be able to get larger tent from a surplus store for that price as well. I got a bug net from a mess tent for 60$ last year.

[Vladaar]

I did want to get a different type of tent, but most are too bulky for my large family. Shelter half's are made out of canvas and very durable compared to the crap they make camping tents out of.

[Tak Man II]

Craigslist all the way.
Looking on Craigslist I see a simple dome tent for $25 dollars. Sleeping bags $10 bucks.

Metal stainless water containers at Value Village for $2 bucks a piece or free if you ask around. These are always given away as promos. Doubles as a water boiler.

Firestarter is cotton balls from the Dollar store and Vasoline or steel wool from hardware store.

72 hours of food, for me is water and two powerbars for $4 bucks each person. Or buy a roast and slice it thin. Make jerky in the oven and have enough for the whole family for $10 bucks plus rice. boil and it is stew.

Maybe Craigslist doesn't work as well where you live. Here, in Canada, there is stuff a plenty for cheap.

[medicineball]

I think that it doesn't need to be as bad as this. You've had some good suggestions so far, here are two more:
1. Wrist rockets for eight people - forget about it. Just the fact that they don't already have them shows that they aren't proficient enough to use them for anything productive, unless you plan to buy them and get all eight people to practice daily until you need them (good luck with that).
2. Ponchos - my kids already have raincoats; maybe those will work for now?

[Vladaar]

Originally Posted by medicineball

I think that it doesn't need to be as bad as this. You've had some good suggestions so far, here are two more:
1. Wrist rockets for eight people - forget about it. Just the fact that they don't already have them shows that they aren't proficient enough to use them for anything productive, unless you plan to buy them and get all eight people to practice daily until you need them (good luck with that).
2. Ponchos - my kids already have raincoats; maybe those will work for now?

Wow how much proficiency do you think you need with a wrist rocket? I used to play with them as a kid, and was pretty accurate. It's a cheap weapon, that always will have ammo.
Raincoats idea is good though, I will look around the house to make sure I can't substitue anything. I was just making a generic list, of what I would like to have in BOBs.

[Westfalia]

There is basically no upper limit to the amount of money you invest into a Bug Out Bag (BOB). Just boots and clothing can be a really expensive investment. Personally I have gotten my gear over a quite long period of time, putting it all together at once would be a quite expensive investment.

I would suggest that you take the following steps:
1.) Decide what you want you want your Bug Out Bags to do for you
2.) Decide what amount of money you are willing to invest into this project
3.) Review what equipment that is already available
4.) Start doing research for what equipment you have to get
5.) Look for the best prices that you can find for equipment; second hand, army surplus, e-bay etc.

If you are trying to build multiple kits on a budget maybe these articles can help a little
Building a Bug Out Bag on a Budget: http://sibitotique.blogspot.com/2011...on-budget.html
Bugging Out As A Group: http://sibitotique.blogspot.com/2010...-as-group.html
Building the Right Bug Out Bag For You: http://sibitotique.blogspot.com/2011...g-for-you.html

May I ask if you are already engaged in other activities like hiking, camping, fishing or hunting?

Good Luck!

[SamboRoberts]

Originally Posted by Vladaar

Holy cow, I just made quick lists of what it would cost me to make
BOB's for my family of 8, and I left out a lot but the costs is just
crazy high at least for me in these tough times.

Wrist rocket one for each family member. ( $20 x 8 )
clothes
E-tool ( $20 x 2 )
machette ( $20 x 2 )
Sleeping bag ( $50 x 8 )
Sleeping pad ( $15 x 8 )
Shelter half - tent poles/pins ( $20 x 8 )
Poncho ( $20 x 8 )
Poncho Liner ( $20 x 8 )
Fire starters ( $2 x 10 )
pocket fishing poles ( $20 x 3 )
550 cord ( $20 x 2 )
metal water container so water can be boiled. ( $10 x 8 )
water filter ( $80 x 2 )
cooking kit ( $8 x 2 )
space blankets ( $2 x 8 )
First Aid kit ( $20 x 2 )
72 hours worth of food - MRE ( $60 )
sewing kits ( $10 x 2 )
flash lights/solar ground lights ( $50 )
crank radio ( $20 x 2 )
whistle ( $2 x 8 )
compass ( $20 x 2 )
space pen ( $5 x 2 )
note pad ( $1 x 2 )
backpacks ( $20 x 6 ) already have 2
king james version small bibles ( 8 )

Dad and Mom BOB -> 490 dollars each
Kid's BOB--------------> 197 dollars each
Total for 8 BOBs-----> 2162 dollars

Start with what's essential. Most of that you don't need, you merely want it.

You don't need your bibles. If you did, you'd have them already. You don't need space pens. Use pencils.

You can get whistles with in-built compasses.

You don't need fishing poles, you can get away with some line wrapped around a water bottle.

You don't need a machete, you need a knife. You don't need ETs, you can dig a hole with a knife.

Seriously, you need to get your priorities straight.

[The Truth]

1. Do you have a BOL?

2. How far away is it?

3. You can cut your shelter cost/weight in half merely by sleeping closer together, and half again by using wool blankets instead of sleeping bags. Spend $400 as you are now or $100 and share body heat.

[Eugene]

The other thing I do is use our bob gear. Take the family hiking, camping, etc. This not only helps you to learn your gear and see what does or doesn't work but helps to justify the cost.
Even an overnight mini vacation to a hotel/motel can let you practice a mock bug out exercise. sure you use some of the consumables but I use store bought foods rather than mre's so they are less expensive and I just rotate them out and eat the older ones at work.

[Dirty Bill]

Check out Goodwill stores,salvation army,flea markets and even ask your friend if they have gear they don't use or want anymore.

I also think you need to rethink what you actually need in BOB,and how much you are willing to carry.

[MikeK]

You can get a lot of that stuff second hand cheaper. And by shopping prices online and locally, possibly beat the prices you quoted on the rest. You can also use some of the things you already have rather than paying for some "high tech" version.

A little secret about bug out bags that seems to be the hardest thing for people to learn is that you don't really know what you need or don't need until you spend some time living out of the BOB. I've done that many times over the years and each time was a learning experience.

We had a thread here from a guy who made his first practice run with his BOB. It was cut short by serious blister issues. He also had problems with biting insects. While the first trip was cut short, extremely important lessons were learned. Things that could have costed him his life if he hadn't learned them early on. His second trip went much better because of that.

What I've learned is that if you haven't used it by about the second or third test run, remove it. You'll also find things you wish you had. Add them. It's also a great way to reduce weight. If you think you might need something later on, cache it ahead of time. Caching allows you to have access to more gear than you could ever have carried, while allowing you to start off light and agile. Your practice runs help you locate good caching spots, safe camping spots, and possible danger zones to be avoided.

[tecumseh]

My comments are in blue. For whatever they're worth.

Wrist rocket one for each family member. ( $20 x 8 ) You can get slingshot bands for $2 or less at walmart. If you have basic wood carving skills, you can find something to make the handle out of in most locations. Make sure you try this out first because it is a little harder than it sounds. But this way you save a bunch of money and also space.
clothes
E-tool ( $20 x 2 ) I never get this. How does the usefulness of an etool justify its weight, space, and price? I've never once been camping and actually needed to dig something where my hands/knife/hatchet didn't suffice. I would seriously rethink this personally.
machette ( $20 x 2 ) Where do you live? In most of North America a hatchet and a fixed blade knife are much more useful than a machete, and a hatchet is about the same cost and you should have a fixed blade knife either way. And if you really want to save money, a hatchet or machete's not even necessary.
Sleeping bag ( $50 x 8 ) I use a surplus wool blanket. Same weight, same size, much lower cost.
Sleeping pad ( $15 x 8 ) Good addition, not a necessity for a bob though.
Shelter half - tent poles/pins ( $20 x 8 ) Ditch the poles. They'll take up weight and space and can easily be substituted in most environments.
Poncho ( $20 x 8 ) My poncho came from walmart for 5 dollars and I've had it for over a year and actively used it and its still holding up well. A $20 poncho is pretty steep in my opinion.
Poncho Liner ( $20 x 8 ) Not a necessity and really expensive.
Fire starters ( $2 x 10 ) Keep these, but I think they can be found on amazon for $0.99 a pop.
pocket fishing poles ( $20 x 3 ) I would go with fishing line and fishing kit. Probably the same price, maybe a little bit cheaper, but much less space.
550 cord ( $20 x 2 ) How much 550 cord are you buying? I get it at the gun shows for $5 for 50' and that's enough for one bob. I throw in a roll of polytwine or cotton twine for basic cordage and it only costs a dollar or two for 200' at most places.
metal water container so water can be boiled. ( $10 x 8 ) A metal container is a good addition, but if you wanna save money, water can be heated to treat it in a regular plastic jug or bottle which costs less than a dollar.
water filter ( $80 x 2 ) A great addition, but not a necessity. Boiling is my first method of disinfection. If for some reason I can't boil it, I keep an eye dropper of bleach in my bob which costs less than a dollar.
cooking kit ( $8 x 2 ) What do you mean by cooking kit? Pans? Utensils? Spices? Either way it's not a necessity.
space blankets ( $2 x 8 ) Good addition, I'll leave this one alone.
First Aid kit ( $20 x 2 ) I'll leave this one alone too.
72 hours worth of food - MRE ( $60 ) MREs are great, but you can save money by packing granola and power bars.
sewing kits ( $10 x 2 ) You got WAY beat if you paid $10 for a sewing kit. Mine is a needle with 10 different threads. I found the kits at the flea market for $0.50 a piece and I bought several. I've used them several times and they always work great for any basic sewing you would be doing in the field.
flash lights/solar ground lights ( $50 ) Do you mean $50 a bag? You can get decent flashlights for $5 and put two in a bag.
crank radio ( $20 x 2 ) Redundancy is key, but I don't think you would honestly need more than one.
whistle ( $2 x 8 ) I'll leave this alone
compass ( $20 x 2 ) I'll leave this alone
space pen ( $5 x 2 ) Is a space pen really necessary? You can get a whole pack of cheap pens that work fine for a dollar.
note pad ( $1 x 2 ) It would probably be cheaper, but I'm just nitpicking with this one.
backpacks ( $20 x 6 ) already have 2 A sturdy trash bag or cotton sack would work just fine and save you money. The bags would be $5 for a whole pack and cotton bags like you would use for shopping are like a dollar a piece.
king james version small bibles ( 8 ) I'll leave this alone

My total came out to around $600 for the whole family based on what comments I left. That's still pretty pricey, but even that could be trimmed way down. Most of those items you can find at flea markets or yard sales for next to nothing, or half of them are already laying around your house most likely.

I didn't spend $50 on my entire bob and I have more in it than what's listed above.

I also couldn't help but notice you didn't have any knives other than a machete. I hope you already carry a pocket knife, and if you don't, buy one before any of that other stuff. You should have one on you at all times. You should really have a sturdy knife for every adult in the group. And that's not just my opinion. Any survival expert is going to tell you that's the number one tool you need in the wilderness. If you have a knife, you can acquire everything else, but if you have all the water filters and fire starters in the world, you still won't have a way of making a good, dependable knife.

[SnakeRanch]

Try garage sales and flea markets, goodwill, salvation army, thrift stores. Get smart. Shopping for brand new stuff is NOT a recreational activity, though the credit card cartel and their media lackeys will brainwash you otherwise. Stay OUT of stores and you'll survive a lot better, and maybe you can afford it. Let the sheep buy new stuff, then get it at a dime on the dollar from them. Have fun...

[onealx4]

Originally Posted by Vladaar

Holy cow, I just made quick lists of what it would cost me to make
BOB's for my family of 8, and I left out a lot but the costs is just
crazy high at least for me in these tough times.

Wrist rocket one for each family member. ( $20 x 8 )
clothes
Sleeping bag ( $50 x 8 )
Poncho ( $20 x 8 )
550 cord ( $20 x 2 )
metal water container so water can be boiled. ( $10 x 8 )
water filter ( $80 x 2 )
cooking kit ( $8 x 2 )
First Aid kit ( $20 x 2 )
flash lights/solar ground lights ( $50 )
crank radio ( $20 x 2 )
backpacks ( $20 x 6 ) already have 2

Dad and Mom BOB -> 490 dollars each
Kid's BOB--------------> 197 dollars each
Total for 8 BOBs-----> 2162 dollars

I cleaned your list up. Food, Water, Shelter, Guns. You don't have guns listed. Also, instead of backpacks, pack it up into a duffle bag that you can toss into a car. Another thing, think about buggin in, not out.

Water- what do you need the filter for if you are going to boil it? You can boil water and swish it back and forth between two cups to put the oxygen back into it. Also, you don't need 8 metal containers, I'd go with 2.

Whats a wrist rocket?

Cooking kit- grab some pans from your kitchen, no need to put those cute little camping kits in 8 different back packs. Besides, what do you need cooking kits for if you have MRE's listed?


Sounds like you really need to bug in, store up on food and water, ammo and teach those kids some shooting skills, gardening skills etc. Are you in an urban populated area? Rural?

[Eugene]

The bug in or bug out decision is based on the situation not on what gear you have or don't have. If your house is on fire or being flooded then your bugging out weather you have a bob or not.
Think about situations you may encounter. Take an example, a co worker of mine bought a house last winter shortly before we were hit by a big snow storm. So he didn't have a generator or transfer switch or any other means of heat when power went out for a week. They ended up bugging out to a hotel for that week. A couple months ago a neighbor of mine had a house fire, they had to evac with nothing and find a place to stay.
I think these are more likely situations than the world ending and having to live out of a backpack and tent. So I plan accordingly. Our bobs are the suitcases we bought when we got married in 1995. I keep some inexpensive stuff packed, toiletries, medicine, first aid, some off and water, extra socks and such. This is to speed time should we need to evac. No raiding the bathroom to pack the suitcases, all that stuff is there and ready, suitcases are in the bottom of the closer so we just drop some of our clothes we wear every day in and go. thats how my bob layer is setup.
Then I took the backpack I had when in college and loaded up some gear that I had already for various reasons, spent very little. So if we did have to evac, I grab the backpack and put it on then throw some clothes in the suitcase and go.
My neighbors that had a house fire, their biggest worry was their adoption papers. All my important papers are in a zippered binder in a safe. Back to the evac scenario, the safe is in my closet next to the suitcase, so while were dropping clothes into the suitcase I open the safe and pull out the important papers.
A few years ago I wanted a GPS for my BOB. I also used it for driving until getting smartphone with the navigation capabilities, use it for bicycling, hiking, etc. So its cost wasn't just for the bob, it was spread out across more than one use.
I just upgraded the bob backpack, $129. I take my backpack on any out of town trips so it keeps my gear organized and works as a GHB, so 1/4 of the cost there. I take off the extra modules and its a simple hydration pack for bike riding, so 1/4 of the cost there. I take the kids on short hikes in parks and take it so 1/4 of the cost there, its by my bed so I can grab it in the middle of the night should we need to evac a house fire, so 1/4 of the cost there. So in my budget I spent $35 on a backpack for my BOB, $35 on my travel gear, $35 on biking gear and $35 on hiking gear. $35 for a bob isn't bad.
I keep it by my bed in case of unplanned evec, wake up to a house fire I'm grabbing it, it has spare keys, wallet, etc so we can seek shelter in a hotel.
Since I do use my BOB gear sometimes for biking and hiking I keep extra consumables in my old backpack to restock my new bob. Batteries, food, etc are all in the old one and I can take extras with me to make up for planned usage so I always have my bob stocked should some situation arise that I should need it.

[julie1134]

Not trying to be rude but I could do the same bug out bag way cheaper. I am making just one large bug out bag for my whole family of 4 for around 200.00. (72 hour bob) It can be done and make sure to check your dollar stores, amazon, and ebay. Good luck!

[Apox]

might be a little late but, i don't see a need for 8 bibles... im not religious but, why must everyone have their own? is one or two not enough? same with 8 wrist rockets, odds of you sending your kids out to hunt with a wrist rocket in a SHTF scenario by themselves would be slim to none. water containers to boil water x8? stick with one or two imo... or none if you're getting a cooking kit... use the extra money you save from that stuff to buy a nice small set of stainless pots/pans and better packs. would also ditch the MRE's, sure they have alot of calories to keep you going but they aren't very healthy. id get something you can use your cooking kit with wether it be a few canned goods or something dry like rice/beans/wheat noodles. I'm not sure if you've had MRE's before or have had to use them often, but trust me when i say this, after a couple days of MRE's... you feel it... it drags you down. this is my opinion from my experiences and/or beliefs, take it as you will. not trying to sound like a donkey or anything, just throwin my ideas out... no offense meant at all.