your guide to Every Day Carry, Bail out Bag and CERT packs – Part 1

Out on the web you can find all types of advice on “survival”, “Prepping”, or plain old preparedness. Whose advice you should take is up to you.

If you want to learn or take my 2 cents, here it is.

First let’s start with defining the different types of bags. These are my definitions and yours and others may vary, for me each has a very specific reason for existence.Every day carry or EDC is what you have in your pockets or a bag that is on you almost all the time. For most people it will include a good pocket knife, a small flashlight, lighter, wallet, pistol, spare magazine(s), a pocket trauma kit, and some cash.

A Bail out Bag (BoB) is for very specific fighting out of your vehicle. It is more than your EDC. A small pack or bag to fight your way out or into a situation.

A BoB has a larger med kit than the pocket lifesaver (think 2 or 3 pocket lifesavers with Quick Clot sponges), extra weapon (pistol or compact carbine) and several spare magazines for your EDC gun and one in this bag (fully loaded of course). Additionally 1 or 2 bottles of water, a snack like two cliff bars, and a HAM radio. I have a good pocket knife and some chem lights in case I need to mark an area.
I generally think of and use a shoulder bag or a sling pack. Some might consider a small backpack.

Some of the sling packs and shoulder bag I have used in the past.

I have also used an old backpack and a soft sided “briefcase” that was a freebee when I attended some training in Overland Park KS.

An advantage of a backpack is you could get Level III+ soft armor and sew it into the sling back or pack for some protection. http://www.ar500armor.com/ar500-armor-body-armor/soft-body-armor.html

The one thing I don’t have but am considering is a Body Armor backpack. The one here is not quite what I would wish for. http://www.ar500armor.com/escort-plate-carrier.html I would want one that could hold the above gear, when I deploy it, all gear is already in its place.

Think of a BoB this way, you are getting in your vehicle at Walmart and 200 plus “youth” storm the parking lot, trashing cars, throwing women in the ground and kicking their heads in. You engage, they youth now “storm” Walmart. If you decide that you aren’t going to let that crap happen in your town. What would you need? Also, think about the terrorist that stormed the hotel in India, your spouse is in the room, you are in the car. You get the idea.

I also have a CERT pack. What is CERT and why would I have one? Here is the answer http://the22man.com/2016/02/why-i-volunteer-with-citizens-corps-and-cert/

This is what has my orange items as well as Search and Rescue items in it. I have orange duct tape, orange flag tape, a multipurpose gas and water shut off tool, gloves, flashlight, extra batteries for flashlight and HAM radio (that I just grab out of my Bob to use), several glow sticks, N95 mask, CERT Shirt, CERT Hard Hat, CERT baseball cap, CERT Badge, Benadryl, small basic first aid kit. I keep 50 foot of ¼” rope and 100 foot of 1/8” nylon rope and an orange crow bar. In a small “lunchbox” I keep several types of “granola” and cliff bars, a couple more bottles of water and some mixed nuts for protein. I also have a no-name Leatherman multi-tool knockoff.

That is enough Tom Foolery for now, stay tuned for part 2 where I cover Bug Out Bags and Get Out Of Dodge bags.

Until we meet again, keep your booger hooker off the bang switch until on target and ready to fire.