We get a lot of questions about what type of gear we keep in our bug out bags. So we wanted to share one of our latest budget-conscious builds with out readers. The latest OFFGRID Survival Budget Bug Out Bag is made up of gear that we have personally used and recommend for those who are putting together a bugout bag on a budget.
Recommended Budget Backpack
Falko Tactical Backpack
The Falko Tactical Backpack is obviously a knock-off, but tfor those looking for a budget bag this is one of the best we found at this price point — in fact, it’s about a quarter of the price of similar bags from brands like 5.11.
What’s budget-friendly bugout gear is in the bag?
The main gear in our budget bugout bag covers our main needs: shelter, water, emergency coms, and a good knife.
KALINCO Tarp Tent
For our shelter, we choose a budget tarp tent for emergency situations where we may need to make a quick improvised shelter to keep us protected from bad weather or the sun. For information on how to use a tarp tent, check out our article on light-hiking tarp setups.
Bambaw 32 oz Water Bottle
The Bambaw 32 oz Water Bottle is a single wall stainless steal bottle that can be used to both carry water and sterilize water out in the wilderness. Single Wall Stainless steal bottles can be thrown over a campfire to purify water and is something that should be in any good bugout bag. This is a knock-off version of the Klean Kanteen and is about half the price.
Morakniv Companion
The Morakniv Companion Sandvik Stainless Steel Fixed-Blade Knife may be a budget knife, but this thing more than stacks up to knives selling for 10x what this sells for. In fact, I carry quite a few of these as everything from my go-to EDC to my main knife in my fishing bags.
Baofeng UV-5R
The Baofeng UV-5R is about as budget friendly as it gets when it comes to ham radio and emergency communication gear. While we love our Yaesu radios, you can literally buy 10 of these for the same price as 1 Yaesu.
The Rest of the Gear…
In a survival situation, a good lighter will start far more fires than the matches you’ll find in most commercial kits.
I do like having a backup for some gear, and this is one of the items we carry as a backup to the bic lighters.
This is another cheap item that we try to buy in bulk. I keep one in each bugout bag and throw the rest in fishing/hunting bags and vehicles kits.
This is another one of those important backup items I like to keep in my bags. The Stainless steel water bottles are great, but there are times where you may not be able to start a fire and these are great on the go!
All-Purpose Emergency First Aid Kit
I do like building out my own kits, but if you are in a hury and looking for something quick, cheap and easy to pack then this is a great budget kit!
This is another one of those bulk buys that we purchase and then split it up between our bags. From hunting and fishing uses to building survival shelters and first aid, Paracord is an important multi-purpose item that every bag should have!
Knowledge is the best piece of gear you can pack!
In the end, it really doesn’t matter what gear you pack if you haven’t obtained the knowledge you need to use it and survive! So please, don’t jut pack the bag and forget it, thinking you have everything you need when the shit hits the fan!
Take the time to consider where to go, what to take, how to survive during crisis situations, and why bug out bags are a crucial part of your plan. Here are some articles that can help.
- Bugout Guide: 60+ Preparedness Resources for Getting the Hell out of Dodge!
- Prepper 101: Your Survival Guide to Getting Started
- 7 Categories of Gear that are in Every Good Bug out Bag
- Bugging In vs Bugging Out: Have you Planned for Both Options?
- The Ultimate Situational Survival Guide: Self-Reliance Strategies for a Dangerous World
fuji water bottles are thick walled and 10x lighter,Bic flint lighters are good. Bag is a must but size depends on how much you want to carry. Change of cloths, mil. poncho over tent,you can make temp. Shelter out of it. nofan of 5-50 cord. 24000 Calorie food brick would be a plus, solar battery pack w/light. Good knife,fishing kit ,survival rifle and ammo,medkit (include any med you need) ,cook set,snake bite kit (depending on where you live). Compass…remember to try and keep it light and look for things you can change-up for better.