Bug Out Gear Comparisons Archives

September 23, 2020April 2, 2021

Best Bug Out Shoes – All Shapes And Kinds

When you hit the road to bug out, there’s no telling what will be in your way. You may not have your vehicle long, if at all. If you’ve got to hoof it, the most important thing you’ve got is your bug out shoes, maybe even more important than your bag. You won’t make it far in flats or loafers.

The best shoes for bugging out are sturdy but lightweight. You want hiking shoes. They come in a variety of shapes and styles but one thing doesn’t change: they’re made for walking.

Below is a list of the best bug out hiking shoes for men and women that I could find. Whether you prefer the ankle protection of boots or the weight of sneakers, I’ve got you covered.

Best Bug Out Hiking Shoes

Men’s Bug Out Shoes

Women’s Bug Out Shoes

Merrell Men’s Moab 2 Waterproof Hiking Shoe

Merrel is a great brand for anything hiking footwear. It’s the brand that I personally wear when I’m on the trail. My boots were tried by fire on a 100 mile mountain-backpacking trip. They haven’t stopped rocking and rolling since.

The first thing you notice when you get a good pair of hiking shoes is how they feel on your feet compared to sneakers. You’ve got to break them in but after you do they feel like they’re made for walking.

These Merrel’s feature Vibram soles. Vibrams are a staple in footwear. You’ll find them in quality shoes from motorcycle boots to sneakers to those shoes with toes.

The next thing you might notice about these shoes is that they’re waterproof. Unfortunately, they only come up to below the ankle. This means they’ll only only protect you as far as they cover, but that’s what pants are for.

The tongue on these shoes isn’t it’s own flap, it’s all one piece. This means you don’t have to worry about dirt or debris getting into your shoes. If the SHTF, you know there’s going to be debris.

The best part about these shoes might be the price. For under $100 in most sizes and colors, these shoes pack quality! They’re a great value for a great shoe!

Best Bug Out Trail Shoes

Men’s Bug Out Shoes

Women’s Bug Out Shoes

Salomon X Ultra-3 Trail Shoe

These shoes look about as far from a hiking boot as you could be. But that couldn’t be more wrong. They might look like sneakers but these hiking shoes will keep you trucking with the best of them.

Salomon makes a quality shoes, these are the proof!

Let’s start with the comfort. When you’re out on the trail, especially if you’re moving fast, comfort matters. If you’ve got an uncomfortable shoe, it’ll get unbearable if you have to push it. These hiking shoes have padding all throughout to conform to your foot. Not only are the shoes designed for your feet, but they’re also designed for the differences in your feet. The men’s and women’s shoes differ in their shape to make sure that they fit as accurately as possible.

The tread on these shoes is specifically designed for rough terrain. The shapes on the bottom of the shoe help catch traction, especially on downhills.

All of this and a durable, hardened toe protector too! These shoes are seriously sturdy! That doesn’t compromise their weight for a second. Weight is a very big part of bugging out. These shoes keep the weight low so you can spend it where it really counts.

If you want a pair of hiking shoes that’s light and agile, without sacrificing durability, these are the shoes for you!

Best Bug Out Hiking Boots

Men’s Bug Out Hiking Boots

Women’s Bug Out Hiking Boots

Timberland White Ledge Ankle Boot

If you’re looking for a more traditional pair of hiking boots, this is likely what you were thinking of. Timberland and a known, trusted brand. This one’s a mid-length boot, only just covering your ankle. This is about as high as I’d recommend for a bug out boot. Any higher and your boot will be get pretty heavy. This length provides the support and ankle protection you want from a boot. But, it still keeps light.

The 100% full grain leather is naturally waterproof. Timberland also uses waterproof seam-sealed construction. This will keep your whole foot warm and dry, nothing’s getting in!

The metal on the boot is rustproof and designed for speed. These will keep you quick to lace and it’ll keep your laces in good shape.

Timberland’s are a high-quality shoe, and you pay for quality. Even with that said, these boots come in under $100. For a good pair of boots, that price is a deal!

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Best Bug Out Backpack (And Other Bags) [2020]

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September 23, 2020April 2, 2021

Best Bug Out Backpack (And Other Bags) [2020]

If you’re planning a BOB, you’re going to want a bug out backpack. Or at least some other sort of bag. One of the most important parts of your bug out bag is the bag itself. You won’t make it far if you’re trying to carry your gear and supplies in plastic shopping bags.

The biggest rule to keep in mind when you’re picking and packing your bag is to try and keep it at 10% of your weight. Max, you can go up to 20%, but that’s for the most physically fit. This means that if you’re 200 lbs, you should shoot for 20 lbs. This should be kept in mind if your bug out plan involves any kind of walking.

The list below gives you a variety of bags that are ready for action. These can be bug out bags, get home bags, or even car go-bags. If you’re looking for a bag, you can find one to fit your needs here!

Best General Bug Out Backpack

The first bug out backpack in the list here is a good all around backpack. This bag can roll into pretty much any situation. The company that makes it is veteran owned and they stand by their products being combat-ready. You don’t get a better endorsement than that.

Let’s talk features. Cinch straps allow you to compress or expand this bag into what you need. You can fit this bag to any job you need it for.

It’s got specialized compartments. Close to the main pouch you’ll find a water bladder. This makes this an excellent hiking bag on top of a bug out bag. In the front you’ll find a universal holster. Securing your defense will be an important part of securing your supplies.

All in all, if you’re looking for a general purpose bag that will stand the test, look no further!

Best Big Bug Out Duffle

This bag is beefy. Users love the spaciousness of it. One reviewer even boasts that he can easily carry 120 lbs of gear in this bag!

Of course, a bug out bag shouldn’t be that heavy. That said, this makes an excellent INCH bag, if you can transport it!

You can fill this bag with a tent, sleeping bags, pillows, all sorts of bulky or luxury items. If you can bug out with your car, having this bag pre-packed will let you take anything you could want!

When bags have enough space for a lot of weight, sometimes they have trouble holding up. This is not one of those bags! This bag is durable, and it’ll stay durable time and time again!

Best Backpacker’s Bug Out Backpack

This bug out backpack blends the strengths of my previous two picks here. It’s spacious, more spacious than you strictly need. But with that, it’s still lightweight and easy to carry.

As far as backpacking bags go, this is an excellent price. You’re getting a lot of value for just $50.

This backpack has a lot of space on the inside. It’s got large pockets and a generous shoe pocket at the front bottom. Even more than that, the side straps allow you to strap in tools or shelter on the outside.

Reviewers agree! With a 4.5 star rating out of over 1000 reviews, this bag is the real deal. Owners rave about the value! This is a $200 value bag that they’re selling for much much less!

Best Bug Out Backpack For Kids

If you’ve got kids, your bug out plan get’s a lot more complicated. They’re small, and their supplies is small, but they still need quite a bit. They can’t carry much themselves. But, getting them their own little backpack will keep the strain off. It’ll also let them contribute to the family’s overall survival.

This bag doesn’t have a lot hanging off of it. Those with kids will know that having less for them to catch on is a good thing.

Parents all over love this bag for their children. It’s comfortable and still spacious. Kids love it, too! They love being able to carry their own things and having a bag all their own!

Keeping spirits up is an important part of bugging out. Giving your child a job, even a small one, helps them feel important!

Best Bug Out Briefcase

I wanted to include one more type of bag. This bag bridges the gap between your average backpack and a messenger bag.

Designed for police, this bag has many pockets and a lot of space. This will let you organize your gear and keep it all handy.

The uses of this bag seem endless. Some owners use it as a gear bag while they’re in the gym. The low profile and mute colors disguise anything you put inside as being of little interest.

Some owners even use this as a diaper bag! It’s a lot less frilly than the floral diaper bags you see everywhere.

This bag is versatile. If you’re looking for a casual bag with a lot of possibilities, this is the bag for you!

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Best Bug Out Emergency Rations – Pre-Made Meals!

Best Bug Out Shoes – All Shapes And Kinds

September 23, 2020April 2, 2021

Best Bug Out Emergency Rations – Pre-Made Meals!

Emergency rations aren’t a good permanent option. To last as long as they do, they can’t be very natural. They’ll often also have some slight imbalance to nutrients. That said, they’re a very important part of your short-term survival plan. They’ll easily keep you going for days, months, even years if you’ve got nothing else. They’re an excellent thing to stockpile in places you can prep like houses or cars.

Emergency rations roasting on an open fire.

I put together a list here of the best emergency rations I could find to fit a variety of situations. Your 3 day emergency rations shouldn’t look like your 3 month rations! With the ones I’ve got compiled here, you’ll be covered for hunkering down or bugging out!

Best One Month Emergency Rations – Augason Farms 30-Day

I really like how all-in-one this solution is. This 30-day meal kit takes all the guesswork out of picking and planning your meals. That’s what you pay for when you go for kits like these!

Some emergency ration solutions have you on pretty slim diets. This one plans for 1800 calories a day. This is just about the perfect number for a wide range of people and body types.

You won’t be hurting on quality either. Rations are never as good as the real thing, but these come pretty darn close!

One thing to keep in mind is that the foods themselves aren’t packaged on an individual basis. You’ll want to have bags to keep the food fresh as you work through the ~7 day bag.

All of this with a 30-45 day pre-prepared meal plan makes this bucket a slam dunk!

Best Breakfast Emergency Rations – Augason Farms Breakfast

Getting into the longer term, we’ve got the Augason Farms Breakfast pail. Depending on the size you end up with, this could be a 15+ day supply of breakfast. Not only will it last you a long while after you open, it’ll last 30 years before you do!

This is an incredible deal for this amount of food. Trying to put together this much yourself could easily get much costlier.

Not only are these good for survival, but they also make great camping meals!

Splitting up your foods into breakfast, lunch, and dinner is a luxury. You’d think you have to forgo luxuries in a survival situation, right? Not with this kit. This kit will have you eating warm oatmeal and flapjacks well into the end of days!

Best Lunch & Dinner Rations – Augason Farms Lunch & Dinner

I told you about Augason’s breakfast pail, but pancakes aren’t a balanced diet. This lunch & dinner pail rounds out the menu and will keep you stocked with a variety of meal options!

Most people think of simple one-pot meals when they think about prepping. Things like soup, stew, and pasta come to mind. This pail will satisfy that! With survival classics like beef stroganoff and chicken noodle soup, you’ll be well covered!

This is another pail that can easily carry you 15 days, even more if you ration down. By stacking a few of these, you’ll have a lasting food supply that’ll ensure your survival!

If you’re looking for quality survival food, Augason Farms is a name to remember!

Best Emergency Calorie Bar – Grizzly Bear Emergency Rations

I love these crazy things. These are so simple and easy that it’s silly not to try them out. For starters, what are we even looking at? These “Calorie Bars” are vitamin packed calorie cubes that have specific measured sizes. Each pack of these is made up of 9 cubes, with 400 calories per cube. This makes it very easy to measure and plan out your calorie consumption.

You might expect these to be hard to choke down. After all, they’ve basically chewy multivitamins, right? They actually have a crumbly texture and taste more like sugar cookies than anything.

Who doesn’t want to eat sugar cookies instead of survival soup?

In addition to all of this, they last 5 years and can withstand extreme temperatures!

Best 72 Hour Emergency Rations – Readywise 72 Hour

From Readywise we have another great example of an all-in-one solution. This package will easily keep you and your loved ones stocked for 72 hours.

Reviewers even recommend this survival supplies for camping and vacations! If that’s not a glowing recommendation of it’s quality in a survival situation, I don’t know what is.

Like many emergency food packs, these come in big bags for each food, so be ready to re-seal.

That said, those who’ve tried them love the quality. The shelf life is 25 years so these make another good long term solution for food stores. You can buy these, stack them, and forget them until you need them!

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September 23, 2020April 2, 2021

Best Bug Out Headlamp – All Rechargeable!

If you do any kind of home repair or DIY, you’ve probably held a flashlight in your mouth. They don’t always taste great. This isn’t a look you want to be rocking in a serious survival situation. You need a bug out headlamp! The hands-free utility of being able to strap your flashlight to your forehead is amazing. Not to mention, it’ll always be shining on what you’re looking at.

Another thing I think is important is finding rechargeable ones. When the SHTF, there’s no telling where you’ll be able to find batteries. Being able to charge your headlamp off of a hand-crank power bank means you won’t have to drop it. Even if the worst comes to pass.

Below, I’ve put together the best headlamps I could find. I tried to prioritize a few different features to make sure that you can find the right one for you! They’re a must-have for your bug out bag!

Best Budget Bug Out Headlamp – Foxelli

This might be my budget pick, but it doesn’t leave anything out. Coming in at $13, it’s a steal. This headlamp from Foxelli is the perfect low-cost solution for hands free illumination.

The nice thing about items this cheap is that you can buy a few! Throw one in your bug out bag, throw one in your car. These lamps make perfect stocking stuffers for the people you want to be prepared!

It boasts 40 hours of run time off a single charge. If you’re using one of the hand-crank power banks from my other list, this will keep you running even if the grid isn’t!

It’s only 180 lumens, but for this price, that’s fine! It even comes with the ability to switch between white and red!

Best Versatile Value Bug Out Headlamp – Soft Digits

I called this headlamp the best versatile value in part because it’s very inexpensive. The other part is for the amount of features that they packed into what’s still a very simple light.

It’s got unique light modes preset. It’s not uncommon to have a white, a red, and a flash, but this light takes it much further. It does have a flashing SOS feature but most of the other are brightness and spread settings. That said, there’s one very interesting one I want to talk about.

This headlamp has a motion sensor. I can’t think of another basic camping light I’ve seen that includes this. It takes this light to another level.

I just love this feature because it adds utility to this simple light. You could use it as a makeshift security system. Simply point it in any direction and you’ve got an instant security floodlight!

Most Durable Headlamp – SLONIK

One look at this headlamp and you’ll understand why it’s the durable option. This thing is built like a tank, and it looks like it. It’s made from aero-grade aluminum and is both waterproof and dust-proof. The charging port is hidden by a crew off cap to keep it sealed. There isn’t a job out there that this light isn’t suited for.

It’s 1000 lumen light is nothing to shrug off. This lamp will flood your environment with light. It’ll turn harsh and hazardous conditions visible with ease.

With all this power it still remains lightweight and easy to strap to your head, any hat, or any hard helmet.

The price is a little steeper than the budget options. But $36 is a small price to pay for this absolute unit of a headlamp.

Brightest Bug Out Headlamp – Outerdo

When I read how bright this headlamp was I thought it was a typo. Thirteen THOUSAND lumens is absolutely ridiculous. That’s not to say that it goes too far. This brightness is far from overkill, it just shows that this light means business!

The recharge-ability of this light definitely comes in handy. The low level lasts 9 continuous hours but the high only gets about 4. This is to be expected, as this thing is basically a floodlight.

The brightness is the draw here, but there’s no shortage of quality on other fronts. Reviewers love how comfortable this headlamp is. You might think that with all the power comes weight, but it still manages to keep a light weight.

Best Name-Brand Headlamp – Energizer

Coming in with the name recognition is this excellent headlamp from Energizer. A lot of these lights come from small companies overseas. I’ve had a lot of success with these products but I don’t blame anyone for being skeptical.

Energizer is a household name. They’re not going to put that name on anything they won’t back up. With a 4.5 star average on Amazon, it’s clear that they have.

This lamp is a respectable 400 lumens. This is a good, solid headlamp that comes from a solid company.

Another useful feature of this light is the adjust-ability. Reviewers love this feature that helps get the beam exactly right for the job!

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September 18, 2020April 2, 2021

Best Weather Radio – All Hand-Crank!

Emergency radios are one of the most important pieces of survival equipment you can have. They can’t be replicated with bushcraft or natural tools. In the case of many disasters, power and communications might go down. If you’ve got your own hand-crankable radio, you’ll stay connected. This is why picking the best weather radio is so crucial. In some instances, information about disaster movement could very well mean your life!

Below I’ve put together a collection of the best hand-crank weather radios I could find. I tried to pull from different categories so no matter your situation, you’ll be able to find the right one for you. It’s a crucial part of your bug out bag!

Best Budget Weather Radio – Esky 3W

This radio is the perfect example to show that you don’t need to empty your wallet to do some solid prepping. With the yellow model coming in at $20 and the red even lower, this radio is a steal!

This radio has two ways to charge, solar and hand crank. The combination of these two methods will keep you fully charged in any situation.

Not to mention, it’s got a charging port to let you hook up your USB devices. This combined with the flashlight make this a very versatile tool for a very low price.

Reviewers love the value for the price. But they do note that the battery doesn’t last very long when charging smartphones.

Overall, this weather radio is an excellent tool for the absurdly low price!

Best Multi-Use Weather Radio – Midland ER310

If you’re looking for the Swiss army knife of emergency weather radios, look no further! This radio has all the features that have become standard, with a few fun new tricks.

This radio has hand-crank and solar, but on top of that, you can charge it with a USB. This means that on top of all it’s functionality, it’s a fully functioning power bank.

It’s got all the standard features. It’s got a built in flashlight, an AM/FM/NOAA radio. But it’s got some fun stuff too. It comes with an ultrasonic dog whistle built right in. The other feature I think is nice is an SOS strobe feature. The flashlight will automatically signal SOS in morse code. A useful feature if you find yourself in trouble!

Reviewers found some issue with the proprietary battery used by this company. (It’s hard to replace). That said, you can also use AA batteries which are possibly the most standard battery out there.

Best Value Weather Radio – RunningSnail

The RunningSnail is the best low-cost but high-function option. Coming in at $30, this radio is a good deal!

This radio has three ways to charge, hand-crank, solar, and battery power. This radio actually accepts AAAs, which is less common but appreciated by reviewers.

Owners that have been through hurricanes love this one! They talk about how the battery holds up and really does charge the phone. Since this is chargeable by USB, it’s an effective power bank. That means you can use this all the time, even without an emergency!

Many love the simple sense of security that this inexpensive radio can bring. If you don’t have a weather radio and want to pick one up for the peace-of-mind, this is a good choice for you!

Top Highest Rated Weather Radio – FosPower

The FosPower radio is the highest rated on Amazon. With a 4.6 out of over 5000 reviews, this radio has stood the test of time. Don’t take my word for it, this is Amazon’s “Best Choice” for weather radios.

A feature I like that this radio has is the double light. It’s got a full flashlight on the front but also a reading light on the side. The three charging methods will keep these lights running. Even when everything else goes dark.

You’ve got your choice of solar, hand crank, and USB charging to keep it stocked. As long as you do, it’ll serve you well.

At $40, reviewers love that this radio is a big bang for your buck. Many have taken this radio through hurricanes and come out the other side with only good things to say!

Best Quality Pick – Kaito KA500

This sturdy, feature-packed radio from Kaito is a hit. This weather radio leaves nothing out and will not leave you disappointed!

With the most options yet, this radio has 6 ways to power! If you want to crank it or use solar, you’re in good shape. If you want to run it off it’s own internal battery or off of AA’s, you’re in luck. You can even plug this radio directly into the wall or a USB port!

It doesn’t disappoint on features either. It’s got a flashlight and reading lamp, as you may have come to expect. It’s also got an AM, FM, Weather, and Shortwave radio, with handy dials to control bands.

There are a lot of good Voyager Emergency radios out there. This one is no exception!

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