[Guy_Lovejoy]

i want to put together a very basic bob...

i have very little money i can spend on this so i am aiming to cut corners werether i can...

now i know most people will say i should get cheap stuff, but i am looking for cheap options that will do for now, untill i can buy decent items... its better to have a cheap stocked up bob than an expesive empty one....

if anyone can tell me what they would put in and cheap solutions for each part

for example:
food- packaged cheap supermarket food
clothing- spare old warm clothing
etc... i know there are many threads but i havent been able to find any that specificaly match free/dirt cheap 72 hour kits

any input is greatly appreciated

 

[test]

I would say a cheap way to start is to at least get:

2 knives, one large, one swiss army style
good lengths of string and rope
small tent (25 bucks) http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2781730
bouillon cubes/powder and a few cans of meat and can opener
one of each eating utensil (take the worst of each from your kitchen drawer)
tarp and blanket
gun/ammo if you have any
matches and lighters (I triple bag mine to keep dry)
metal water container (must be metal for boiling)
fish line and hooks
map and compass
small radio (starts at 7-9 bucks)

That would be a good start, but I would keep adding the things in the other threads.

 

[test]

oh and any meds/vitamins you might need

 

[Repairman]

Going "grey" is much less expensive than going "tacti-cool".

The fundamental idea behind "grey" is simple: Avoid standing out in a crowd, and don't fill your BOB with things that would catch Inspector Clouseau's eye.

For me, a middle-aged guy living in a very urban area on the west coast of the US, going grey includes wearing casual clothing (khaki pants, a plain polo shirt, wool socks, a pair of lightweight leather Rockport shoes, and a baseball cap), carrying both a fairly large store-brand daypack and a messenger bag, a dark fleece-lined jacket, wool-lined leather gloves, and a lightweight rainsuit. I carry grocery-store food, water in plastic soda-pop bottles, a medium-size kitchen knife, a stainless sauce pan, a commercial first-aid kit, a small shaving kit that includes baby wipes, and a few hand tools, including a medium-size pair of Vise-Grip locking pliers, a pair of Channellock waterpump pliers, a couple of screwdrivers, and a couple crescent-type adjustable wrenches. Pocket junk includes a Bic cigarette lighter, a Victorinox Spartan Swiss Army Knife, an Opinel #8, a small honing stone, a large cotton bandana, a LED Mini-Mag flashlight, and a lip-balm-size tube of petroleum jelly.

For my own reasons, I don't carry anything that a suspicious cop would be likely to regard as a weapon.

That gets me the 25 to 50 miles, depending on the day of the week and the condition of local bridges, I need to get to the family rondezvous point.

 

[Smudge]

Think about what YOU need, BOB's are personal no 2 peoples skill sets/ comfort levels are exactly the same.

Your in the UK so check out the charity shops car boots and jumble sales for sturdy/warm second hand clothing. Look around the house for a box of cooks matches (loads of places you can get 10 lighters for £1) a saucepan for cooking (or make a billycan) empty pop bottles for water, check out the various self made cookers and cooksets you can make on you-tube. Go and join your local Yahoo Recycle group and keep an eye out for camping gear being offered or clothing (you can get some great items free this way)
Lidl Aldi and the £1 Shops are great for cheap food items, (lidl do the best cheap homebrand super noodle about 19p)
Heck you can even get a sturdy Little paring knife that'll do all you camp cutting chores for around £1-£1:50 (i know because I've used one in the past)

Heres some ideas: http://www.woodlandsurvival.com/nobudget.htm

 

[doktorziplok]

charity shops car boots and jumble sales

good lord, you guys in the uk and your "english" i love it. you invent the language, we claim to speak it.

to the op: what kind of budget are we talking? there is a line where basic and low budget becomes useless, i.e. you would have been better off spending your money elsewhere. and how complete a kit (ex. 72 hour, a week, enough to start a new life under an assumed name)?

my personal bob has enough food, shelter and clothing to last my dog and i 72 hours in complete wilderness. food alone was close to $50 (6 full mre-style meals and kibble). you can pack existing clothes, i vacuum sealed mine (so a vacuum sealer must be expensed in the mix). i spent $10 on my FAK, although i did "liberate" most of it from my job. water containment is close to $10/liter in nalgene bottles. it all adds up in a hurry.

to address your criteria:
-bookbag $0.00: you kept your last one right?

-food $6.00: a case of top ramen "instant lunch" (the foam cup with noodles and dehydrated veggies), you'll get 6 which is enough for 3 days. 8 granola bars, you can usually score 2 for a buck at the gas station.

-clothes $0.00: use what you've got on hand. waterproof in a ziplock baggie. synthetic fabrics dry faster, dress in layers. wool retains it's insulative properties when wet.

-water $4.00: 24 bottles of 20 oz of water. any store.

-4 garbage bags + duct tape $0.00: who doesn't have some to spare. and now you have shelter, rain gear and waterproofing.

-misc $0.00: matches are free at restaurants and gas stations, tp is free in public restrooms, pens are free at banks. shaving kits, sewing kits, dental care products are free from any hotel.

-cutting $1.00: dollar store razor blade knife. you'd be better off with a (good) knife, but hey, we're going for cheap.

total so far is $11...

 

[coldworld]

Going "grey" is much less expensive than going "tacti-cool".

The fundamental idea behind "grey" is simple: Avoid standing out in a crowd, and don't fill your BOB with things that would catch Inspector Clouseau's eye.

For me, a middle-aged guy living in a very urban area on the west coast of the US, going grey includes wearing casual clothing (khaki pants, a plain polo shirt, wool socks, a pair of lightweight leather Rockport shoes, and a baseball cap), carrying both a fairly large store-brand daypack and a messenger bag, a dark fleece-lined jacket, wool-lined leather gloves, and a lightweight rainsuit. I carry grocery-store food, water in plastic soda-pop bottles, a medium-size kitchen knife, a stainless sauce pan, a commercial first-aid kit, a small shaving kit that includes baby wipes, and a few hand tools, including a medium-size pair of Vise-Grip locking pliers, a pair of Channellock waterpump pliers, a couple of screwdrivers, and a couple crescent-type adjustable wrenches. Pocket junk includes a Bic cigarette lighter, a Victorinox Spartan Swiss Army Knife, an Opinel #8, a small honing stone, a large cotton bandana, a LED Mini-Mag flashlight, and a lip-balm-size tube of petroleum jelly.

For my own reasons, I don't carry anything that a suspicious cop would be likely to regard as a weapon.

That gets me the 25 to 50 miles, depending on the day of the week and the condition of local bridges, I need to get to the family rondezvous point.

So if shtf, all your going to look like is a yuppie in goretex to the police or military, and they arent going to think twice about you...very nice! I have the same ideas as you for my kit, a mountainsmith backpack, and I will be wearing a north face parka...there will be NO military nothing on the outside of my pack or as part of what Im wearing. No offense to nobody sporting the full camo and alice pack setup, I own an alice pack, but in the city this is going to draw lots of attention and I worry that there will be many good folks that do have this kind of setup that are going to have a hard time in an urban environment.

 

[indiana joe]

if you are a camper /hiker you may already own the things to start a good bob.
even if your not look around your house at each item duct tape,screw drivers,wrenchs,
needles,thread,cotton balls,toilet paper,pencil/pen,notepad,and on and on just look at what every day items you have that may be used it may not be intended for that use but will work anyway.

 

[Macumazahn]

Some thoughts.

Check out some of the critiques of bugging out. Like this one - linkNot only do they contain much valuable information about when bugging out is not the best option but they also discuss many of the challenges you will face.

There are several threads with big lists. Copy these and make your big wish list. You will eventually use it when you have the dosh.

Take your big wish list and prioritize it for your needs. Check out the posts here about reacting to the problems you are likely to encounter. Have a look at Listening to Katrina and Equipped to Survive for lengthy discussions on very different SHTF scenarios.

Have a look through the uncommon items thread - link
Then have a look through the multiple use items thread - link These may give you ideas for where you can go cheap or double up to cut items and cost. You really can fix/make just about anything with duct tape.

Food - 5 minute rice can just be soaked and eaten. Not a fun meal taste wise but it fills the stomach and provides carbs for energy. Some cheap bullion can add a bit to the taste. Some tins of sardines are cheap if you can stand the things. They are small, long lasting, and high in energy. Condiments can be saved from take away and many things can be made a little better with some ketchup or hot sauce. If your plastic utensils come wrapped in a bag then save them for when you are dirty and need a fresh pair.
Clothes - if your street wear is what you will probably want to bug out in then put tomorrows clothes in a shopping bag every morning so they are convenient if you need to grab and go that evening even if you are in your birthday suit.
Shelter - As mentioned, garbage bags will serve here. A towel can make a small blanket or ground pad and are usually very cheap in thrift stores.
Stock up on a bunch of plastic shopping bags. They can be used to water proof the feet, hat, with a pair of socks for make shift mittens. Carrying water and stuff.
Packing twine is often just discarded. You can harvest the larger pieces and use it for rope.

Conventional wisdom is your bob and the contents should be dedicated items. They should be packed and ready for immediate grab and go. If you only have one bag and you have to use it for work/school then keep your bob stuff in a shopping bag so you can grab both. If you have some things around the house that you really want to bug out with but you have to use them in your daily routine then make a list of what you want, write it down, and put it in your bob. If your house is on fire and the flames are licking your toes then go-baby-go but if you have a couple minutes you can follow the list.

Keep thinking. Adapt to problems with ingenuity. Let us know what choices you make in the end.

 

[Dorsai]

Guy, what kind of BOB are you looking to put together? When some people talk about a BOB, they are thinking of a bag chock full of supplies that can keep them going for months, while others mean a bag that you grab when you have lterally 60 seconds to get out of the house and get away, and are thinking more of short term (generally 3-7 days) worth of stuff (more like an emergency preparedness kit for a hurricane or other disaster).

 

[firecraft]

To your food question:

Styrofoam "cup-of-soup" type containers would work well for ramen noodle type "meals". Have a few of those pre-packaged things or if you don't, you can at least reconstitute something in the cup and still have the pot/canteen/etc... free for other water/cooking needs. Not very good food in my opinion but if cheap is your goal then there you go.

 

[luvdahills]

i get first-aid supplys and bathrom and some food from the dollar store
most of my bob is from dolar store and harbor freight tool

 

[MightyMouse]

For the bag itself, check out craigslist, estate sales, goodwill, second hand shop, army surplus, and you should be able to find a nice bag that someone dosnt want for under 30 bucks.
For the rest, take a look around your house you will actually find that the average person has many of the supplies already. Check out your local army surplus store many great deals there and exactly what you need.
Good luck and have fun! Making a BoB is a hobby in itself!::thumb:

 

[Guy_Lovejoy]

The sort of B.O.B i want is to basicaly be able to have it by the door and be able to grab it and have enough food, water, shelter etc for 72 hours.

 

[Dorsai]

Everyone will have their own specific items, but these are the basic needs you’ll want to pack for:

Fire/Light
Shelter/ Protection
Water/Food
Signaling/Communication
Navigation
Knives/Tools
Medical
Hygiene

Look around your house and see what you already own that can serve in these roles (I’ve listed examples of stuff you might already have or stuff that can be acquired cheaply):

Fire/Light-Matches, Bic lighter, candle, flashlight

Shelter/Protection-garbage bags or plastic sheeting, old blanket or sweater, umbrella, a tarp or tent

Water/Food-A few bottles of water, some easy no-prep/no-cook food- granola bars, a jar of peanut butter and some crackers, canned foods (I eat ravioli cold right out of the can)

Signaling/Communication-whistle, hand mirror

Navigation-maps of local area, compass

Knives/Tools-You can get a cheap mulit-tool or Swiss army style knife at the dollar store for a couple of bucks if you don't already have one, rope or cord, duct tape, stuff to eat with (utensils, mess kit, can opener)

Medical-Raid your medicine cabinet, put a few things in Ziploc bags and you’ve got a first aid kit. Most important thing I would include are band aids and antiseptic wipes. Anti-itch cream is good, as are tweezers. Whatever medicine you think you need (pain reliever, antacid, sore throat drops). Remember, you don’t need medicine or medical supplies for everything, just those things that you can’t get through a 72 hour period without or that could have serious consequences if left untreated.

Hygiene-hand sanitizer or soap, toilet paper, paper towels, toothbrush/toothpaste.

A lot of this stuff can be found cheap at the Dollar store or in the "travel-size stuff" section at Wal-mart.

 

[Rabble]

A steel coffee can and lid with a roll of toilet paper inside. The can can also be used as a bucket or for cooking or to boil water.

 

[soup]

Best advice i saw in anohter thread ws to make you bob and then practice. Go out for an overnight or weekend and just take your bob. You will learn more and find out what you need and don't need. You also will be able to find what gear you do have that will not hold up. Have fun.