The following items are merely suggestions to consider. You must critically evaluate your own needs and environment to determine what items are essential and which are irrelevant to your unique situation.
The 3 Day Defensive/Shelter Augmentation primary role is to allow you to travel (approx. 3 days) to a more secure environment in a non-permissive or unfriendly world. This gear list is mostly defensive and shelter augmentation to your already existing evac bag. Many people choose to incorporate the additional gear into their evac bag and have a one-pack solution ready at all times. The choice is yours, consider your environment and what options you have available for your location.
Let’s assume you have a well thought out and constructed evac bag already. Can you fit this additional gear in your evac bag or will you need another gear hauling bag. If you plan on evac using a vehicle with minimal walking, two bags are quite doable. However, if you are leaving primarily on foot, carrying two packs may not be an option. Decide what is best for your situation first, and then build from there. I have chosen to incorporate this kit into a larger capacity evac bag.
The 1 to 2 bottles of water in your evac bag are not going to keep you properly hydrated for up to 3 days, especially if you are walking. You will need the ability to purify your own water if you can not secure safe water otherwise. There are three main avenues to safe water; treatment, filtration, and boiling. Yes, you can do more than one to be extra safe if you are so inclined and have the time
Potable Aqua Water Treatment Tablets – I highly recommend the kit with PA+Plus. The 2nd yellow capped bottle neutralizes the iodine taste and color given by the 1st treatment tablets. Drinking chemically treated water can be a palatable challenge to put it lightly.
SteriPen Adventurer UV Light Purifier – I first used a SteriPen in the military to treat mountain water during a 2-month high altitude “adventure”. Extremely simple to use, just stick it your filled Nalgene and press the button. The SteriPen detects the water and turns on the UV bulb destroying viruses and bacteria. It does nothing for taste or sediment so you may want to pre-filter if you can. One set of CR123 batteries lasts for about 8,000 cycles.
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter – I would be remiss if I didn’t bring LifeStraw into this conversation. The LifeStraw is an inexpensive and lightweight means to remove bacteria and parasites. It does not clear out viruses, so there is a very small risk there. The clearer the water the longer they last, and these “straw” filters can be very challenging to draw water from by mouth. I had a friend tell me he would likely pass out before he could suck up enough water to make it worth it, funny but true.
Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System – At just two ounces this works so much easier than a LifeStraw. This kit includes a drinking pouch and flush-out plunger. You can even use it inline with a CamelBak style water bladder. I prefer to fill the drinking pouch with unclean water, attach the filter, and squeeze the pouch to push water through and into my Nalgene. Easy and fast.
I covered my choices for food in the Evac Kit Guidance. I recommend you carry enough of the food you find palatable to make it at least 3 days. An important factor to consider here is weight. I wouldn’t carry 6 heavy cans of Progresso Soup with me, although it would be pretty tasty. Instead, I would opt for freeze dried lightweight meals or even one or two SOS Bricks to mix it up but they can be heavy too. A dozen Clif Bars will also make for a few days of energy.
Up to a 3-day trek into a non-friendly environment will test your nerves, your gear, and your defensive capability. An important factor to consider is many like-minded people may also be bugging out into the same area you are. The first day or two of a major wide-spread reset may not be too unsafe but with every passing day it could become increasingly dangerous. Consider a cyber attack that takes out our electrical grid. It wouldn’t take more than a few days for portable generators to run out of gas, grocery stores out of food, and gas stations out of fuel. A few days after that and our civil society will be far from civil. Your window to make your journey to a safer place or to rendezvous with a loved one will be short and at the beginning of the reset.
Carabiner - Carabiners are never thought of as a weapon but find one just the right size and shape to work like a pair of brass knuckles and you’re in business. Nobody would ever suspect a carabiner clipped to a backpack as a weapon, but it certainly is when you grip it tight and land a punch across a jaw or hammer down on a skull. Depending on your knuckle width you are going to need somewhere between a 3 to 4 inch carabiner. Go to your local sporting good store and just start trying them out. The one that gives you that sneaky smile of happiness when your hand fits just right, get that one!
Pepper Spray - Lightweight and gives you a momentary advantage over most all attackers. Get one with a locking firing mechanism and know how to use it. Here is my favorite Pepper Spray with a training water cartridge you can practice with too.
Knife – Thinking defensively a knife is a solid close-in weapon or as a back-up weapon when a firearm goes down. Used for survival and bushcraft as well, a knife is critical to your bugout. I recommend a small folding knife as a backup or for camp work but your main defensive knife needs to be more robust. For many military deployments I carried a Benchmade Auto folding knife (similar to the Turret 980 ) on my left pocket and a fixed blade Benchmade Adamas on my armor. Both knives served me flawlessly for multiple tours. I recommend whatever you chose to ensure it is quality as your life depends on it.
Firearms – At a minimum you will want a pistol and a couple of loaded magazines. The amount of ammo you carry is a difficult equation. For me, it is a loaded magazine in the pistol and three full spare magazines, two of which are on my belt. A firearm without ammo is useless, but ammo is quite heavy and bulky to pack. Figure out the minimum amount of ammo you feel comfortable with and at the end of your loadout if there is room and weight to spare, add more loaded magazines.
A long gun is a decision to carefully consider. There are significant pros and cons. A rifle will provide you longer range defense and overwhelming firepower to a close in pistol/knife carrying attacker. Another big advantage is an easier ability to hunt four-legged animals, not just defend from the two-legged animals. The drawbacks are weight, difficult to urban conceal, and can be painful to hike with over long distances and tough terrain. If you decide to carry a rifle, I highly recommend a quality quick adjustable and padded gun sling. I use the VTAC Wide Padded sling on my AR bugout rifle. The proper sling can make a huge difference in how the rifle carries over long distances.
Binoculars – A light pair of compact binoculars is a fantastic choice if you are traveling in unknown or hostile territory. You should go to your local sporting goods store and just start trying them out. You will quickly notice the quality to cost factor in binoculars. They can go from $30 to $300 but you will find the right price point for you. I use a small compact pair I can put in my left leg cargo pocket. Very similar to the Pentax UP 8-16 Compact Zoom
Your Evac bag will contain normal everyday clothing appropriate for the area and season you are in. However, this 3 Day Defensive/Shelter Augmentation kit is a bit different. If you are preparing for a potential hostile environment the last thing you want to wear is any bright or high contrast colors. Think muted and/or camo. I keep my normal hunting clothing in my bugout bag. When hunting season comes up, I simply remove and use the clothes and then put them back when hunting season is over. You certainly can buy specific clothing for your kits, and I would recommend a visit to your local goodwill style store as they always seem to have a rack or two of donated hunting clothing. If you are going to be moving through primarily urban environments, avoid camo and choose blacks, grays, and dark muted colors.
Shoes - It is highly likely you will be doing some serious trekking so choose your very best shoes for the job. My only advice here is to avoid a mistake I have seen in military adventures and that is reflective material of any sort. In this case, many athletic and running shoes have reflective material built into the shoe for nighttime safety. This material can be seen for hundreds of yards when a light is shined on it. Pay attention and test your gear.
Warmth - You’re going to need to put some thought into your local weather and the possibility you could be out a few nights. I distinctly remember a training event I endured in Germany where on the first night I was so cold I couldn’t sleep. It was a painful misery I will never forget. Plan accordingly.
Rain – A good quality poncho like the USGI Military Style Poncho is your best choice here. A poncho can fit over you and your pack to keep everything dry. It can also be used as a shelter when strung up or you can lean against a tree and catch a dry nap even in the rain. Pick a color or camo patter that best fits your neck of the woods.
Yes, you can make a shelter covering with your rain poncho which is an outstanding skill to know. But let us look at some other possibilities and gear which might suit you and your climate needs better.
Mylar Bivy Sleeping Bag – This is the next step up from a mylar space blanket. It is the same thin mylar material but sealed on three sides like a sleeping bag. It could be used alone in warm climates but really excels when used in conjunction with a real sleeping bag, blanket, or multiple layers of clothing. It reflects your heat and acts as a water and wind barrier. They are fairly fragile so you need to take care of it to make it last. For the minimum weight and size I consider it a must have.
Snugpak Special Forces Bivvi Bag – At just 12 ounces this bag is a minimalist approach to a sleeping solution. It is a water/wind proof shell providing a few degrees of warmth. The majority of your warmth and all your insulation will come from your clothing and/or a sleeping pad.
Snugpak Ionosphere 1 Person Tent – A big step up from the Bivvi Bag above. This is a proper 1-person minimalist tent. Pack weight is 3.4lbs. What do you get for that weight? A waterproof tent for you and your pack with a built-in mosquito net. One of the best price to benefit solutions out there. The mosquito net and compact size made this an easy choice for me.
No matter what shelter solution you choose consider these factors:
1. Weight – You are going to be carrying this for miles.
2. Water/wind proof – Being wet and cold when you are trying to sleep is pure misery.
3. Mosquitoes – In my area mosquito protection is a priority.
4. Multi-Function – Can you use this shelter for normal peace time hikes and adventures?
5. Durability – The $20 Mylar Bivy may seem the right answer but it wouldn’t last more than a week or two or even just one stick poke.
This kit will truly be built around your particular environment and budget. I gave you some solid advice and a few links to get your thoughts in the right direction. But you must figure out what is best for you and where you live. I pray you will never have to use any of this gear other than for your own fun and adventure training. Stay safe and keep researching for the reset!
