There are a lot of lists telling you what to pack in your bug out bag, but what you won’t find on these lists are the everyday items that don’t really scream survival. Things that are cheap, weigh very little, and have multiple uses can be just as valuable as those fancy Leatherman tools.
There are plenty of household items that can be very useful in a survival scenario. When packing your bug out bag, you don’t want to waste valuable space or add unnecessary weight for one-hit-wonders. Everything that goes into your bag should serve multiple purposes.
It’s easy to get carried away when you’re packing the one bag that you’re supposed to rely on to survive. The key to any good bug out bag is making it light. You don’t want it to be more than thirty pounds.
Imagine carrying your bug out bag for long periods of time over rough terrain and on little sleep with little food. A bulky bag can throw off your balance, causing a fall and a potential injury. It can be a hindrance if you’re navigating through dense forests and brush. If you’re trying to move quickly, an extra thirty pounds on your back is going to feel like a hundred.
When you’re packing your bug out bag, the goal is to keep it light, yet effective. Only essential items should make the cut. Weigh the benefit of every item against the actual weight it adds to the bag.
With all that in mind, here are some regular household items that might be worth adding to your bug out bag.
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Aluminum Foil
You don’t need to carry an entire roll of aluminum foil in your pack. Tear off some squares and neatly fold them. They take up no room and weigh nothing. Store your squares in a Ziploc sandwich bag.
Baby Powder
The container that baby powder comes in is bulky. It’s better to put the powder into a sealable sandwich bag. Just to be extra careful, double bag it. You can use talcum powder or Monkey Butt powder.
Bandanas
You can keep bandanas in your backpack or wear them to save space; not that they really take up much space. Bandanas serve multiple purposes and are really a must have. It’s a good idea to have a few different colors, just in case you need to be incognito.
Black Tape / Electrical Tape
The brother to the duct tape is what is commonly known as black tape. It’s not as sticky, but it serves many uses that duct tape can’t quite fill.
Binder Clips
Those little clips that keeps papers together actually have a use outside the office. A few different sizes will ensure you have exactly what you need in an emergency.
Bobby Pins
Bobby pins need to be kept dry. Storing them in empty prescription bottles is a great way to do that. They weigh nothing and serve many uses.
Carabiners
These are cheap but serve multiple purposes. They can be clipped to the outside of your pack or even your beltloops.
Chapstick
Chapstick is another cheap and lightweight items for your bug out bag. Keep several tubes because once you use it in some of these ways, you might not want to put it on your lips again.
Charcoal
Collecting charcoal from your firepit and storing it in a pill bottle or Ziploc bag will come in handy later. You could buy activated charcoal capsules as well.
Coffee Filters
Coffee filters can be bulky if you stick the whole pack in your bag, but you can take twenty or so out, fold them flat and stuff in bag to use when needed.
Condoms
Condoms may not seem like a survival tool, but they are. Obviously they can be used as intended to keep from making a survival situation more stressful, but they can also be used in other ways like they are listed here.
Cotton Swabs / Q-tips
Store some cotton swabs in an Altoid tin or a Ziploc to keep them dry. Wet Q-tips are not helpful.
Dryer Lint
Dryer lint is free tinder. Store some in Ziploc bags or old pill bottles. Both the bag and bottle can be reused for other purposes. Each time you clean the lint trap, save the lint.
Duct Tape
Everyone knows how multipurpose duct tape is. It is probably one of the most important survival tools you can keep in your bag. There is a quality difference, so this is one of those items you want to splurge on to buy the good stuff.
Emergency Blanket
Again, quality matters. Once you unfold one of these, you’re not going to get it back into the tiny little square they are packaged in. The blankets serve many, many purposes. You’ll want to have several in your bag.
Fishing Line
You’ll want plenty of fishing line for fishing, but it can also serve other purposes if you’re in a survival situation. Go with a stronger line because it will have more uses.
Floss
Floss isn’t just for dental hygiene. To save space, you can remove the roll from the plastic container and store in a pill bottle, allowing you to store several rolls. It’s a cheap, useful tool that can save your life.
Glow Sticks
Those fun little sticks the kids love can also be used for survival. They are lightweight and you can buy in bulk for every cheap.
Hand Sanitizer
Bottles of hand sanitizer can be a little cumbersome, but fortunately, a little goes a long way. Not only can use it as it is intended to clean your hands, but it serves other purposes as well.
Pantyhose
They aren’t just for looks. Don’t throw away old pantyhose. Save them to use for survival. Stuff these in a pocket in the pack or store in a Ziploc bag to keep dry.
Paperclips
A box of one hundred paperclips is only a buck or so. Take them out of the box and divide them into a few pockets. They serve many, many needs and should be a part of every bug out bag.
Paracord
Every survivalist knows the value of paracord. You can keep the cordage in your bag or save space by wearing it on your wrist or clipped to the outside or inside of your bag in a keychain form.
Plastic Bags
If you’re in a state that still gives you plastic bags, you probably already use them around the house. You’ll want to add a few more to your bug out bag as well.
Ponchos
Again, you can buy ponchos as the dollar store, but you would be better off buying higher quality for just a little more. Buy in bulk to save some money. They don’t typically last more than a couple of uses so you’ll want to have a few in your pack.
Ranger Bands
Ranger bands aren’t too common, but you want them. Buy in bulk. You can wear them on your wrist or stuff in your pack. You absolutely need to have a handful of these in your bag.
Rubber Bands
Big or small, rubber bands deserve a spot in your bug out bag. You can buy a bag for cheap. Use the rubber bands in your bag to keep gear organized.
Safety Pin
Safety pins can be stored in an Altoid tin or loose in a pocket. It’s a good idea to have a few different sizes to use for different reasons.
Sewing Kit
You can put together your own sewing kit or buy one. Putting together a sewing kit in an Altoid can or sticking it in old pill bottles will keep things dry and you won’t have to worry about loose needles.
Shoelaces
Your shoes are going to be very useful and you want to make sure they stay on your feet. Packing a few extra shoelaces will also help with other tasks.
Snare Wire
Obviously you’ll want snare wire to set snares, but there are many other ways you can use it to justify keeping it in your bag. You’ll want to keep it dry, so yet another sandwich bag.
Socks
Again, socks are important in general because your feet are going to be some of your most valuable tools in a survival situation. Store a couple of extra pairs for survival uses as well as making sure your feet are always dry.
Steel Wool
Steel wool can be a little bulky, but it’s almost weightless. Find a space for it in your bag. As usual, store in a plastic bag or stuff it in a pill bottle.
Super Glue
With super glue, you can buy the cheap stuff. A few packs along with at least one of the name brand tubes will save your bacon in many situations.
Tampons
A couple of tampons might not be useful in the way they were intended, but they can be useful in survival as well.
Trash Bags
By trash bags, I’m talking about typical kitchen bags. However, it’s a good idea to pack some of the thicker lawn bags for other uses.
Vaseline
A small container of Vaseline is worth the space in your bag because it has so many uses. It will make your life easier.
Wet Wipes
Wet wipes are great for cleaning your hands, but they also serve other purposes. Hygiene is crucial in survival. But wipes can be used for other things as well.
Zip Ties
Zip ties are another prepper favorite because they have so many uses. You can buy the cheap ones, but you’ll also want to have some of the higher quality ones for some of the other uses.
Ziploc Bags
Throughout the list, we’ve said store your stuff in Ziploc bags. It’s a good idea to toss a few more in for future use as well. A variety of sizes is a good idea. And yes, quality matters. Maybe a couple cheap ones and a few from a brand known for quality.
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