Sign in or 
Location: null
Discussion: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
Category:
Discussion Forum /
General Discussion
Share this
Markthegenius |
B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 2:59 PM EDT
| Post edited: May 31 2011, 3:02 PM EDT
It seems to me that most "preppers" have caught on to the idea of having enough food and water in ones bag for 3 days, or 72 hours.If I'm not mistaken, this is taken from the US Air Force's Bail Out Bags for when pilots were waiting to be rescued, possibly in enemy territory. I can understand the thinking behind pilots having a time limit, but in the event of social collapse (I don't believe in zombies-yet), why only take 3 days worth of food? Am I right in thinking that most people on this site seem to go with that? I can understand if the intention is to go somewhere in particular where there are at least high chances of more food, but not the whole "escape into the woods with 3 days worth of food and then live of the land or barter" kinda thing. I live in a suburb surrounded by lots and lots of countryside. The countryside is all connected and goes out for dozens of miles that i personally know of. There are also probably close to half a million people within a 30 mile radius of my house. Whilst the woods and fields may have lots of furry creatures in, it aint exactly the land of milk and honey. Here's my BOB, with plenty of food in. Not that I intend to leave my own home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTe2pUfsP6w 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
VagabondVance |
1. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 3:17 PM EDT
3 days to bug out that should be all you need to get to your BOL from your previous location. Plus carrying around that much extra food and water on your back will just weigh you down.
5
out of
6 found this valuable.
Do you?
|
Iceman18 |
2. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 3:45 PM EDT
"3 days to bug out that should be all you need to get to your BOL from your previous location. Plus carrying around that much extra food and water on your back will just weigh you down."This. Do you find this valuable? |
2WheeledSpeed |
3. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 3:47 PM EDT
It might be an arbitrary number, but exactly how much food do you think one person can carry? Especially when a lot of us are adding guns, ammo, and other survival gear to the mix.You've got to have a destination in mind, and you've got to be mobile enough to get there. If you're taking a truck, by all means load it up with a years supply of MREs. But your BOB has to be something you can hike all day with on your back. Do you find this valuable? |
Jahadaz |
4. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 4:05 PM EDT
| Post edited: May 31 2011, 4:07 PM EDT
I'm a believer in multi-vitamins and filler food such as combos. The combos are pretty useless, but they will help fill you up while staying light in your bag. The multi-vitamin is where any real nutrition will be coming from for me until I get to a BOL.
2
out of
2 found this valuable.
Do you?
|
PedroAsani |
5. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 4:16 PM EDT
In small disaster scenarios, it will take the government around 72 hours to respond and bring aid. So if you check the FEMA, CDC and other government recommendations for disaster preparations, this is the minimum recommended amount. Note, minimum.If you have a Bug-In stockpile, it should be as big as you can make it. That will ensure that however long it takes for authorities to get to you in the event of a minor disaster, you will survive. For a BOB, you need to factor in weight. The oft-touted 1 gallon of water a day means that you will be carrying 3 gallons as well as nine meals. But should you? Will you need to? Your Bug Out plan should be certain, direct and well thought out. Worst case scenario, you are on foot. So how long will it take you to get to your BOL? Take that number, add 10% for contingencies, and that is how much you should have access to. I say have access, because if you plan carefully, you might not need to carry everything with you. Instead of several gallons of water, can you carry water purifying equipment and make a solar still? Perhaps there is a stream on the route? Not a river, in case it is contaminated with something the purifier can't handle. But a spring or stream should be safe. Food: Can you carry Powerbars or dehydrated foods instead of canned goods to save weight? Do you really need that much food, or can you go on fewer calories? For example, can you stand to lose a few pounds? If so, take 2 or 2.5 meals a day instead of 3. 6 out of 6 found this valuable. Do you? |
|
Markthegenius |
6. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 5:13 PM EDT
Maybe I didn't make it clear enough that I understand the 72 hour rule for getting to a pre-thought out BOL, even though that varies a lot from person to person.@2wheeledspeed, I have, at a slight push, 6 weeks worth of food for one person in my BOB, and it's not that heavy for me (it's on my video), I could definately walk for several hours straight with it in one go. It might seem like a lot, but my food supply and everything else is at home, and i fully intend to stay at home. If i bug out, chances are i'd go to a relatives or friends house, and the absolute furthest is around 20 miles away. Say if there's widespread riots and violence and i wanted to get away for a bit to let it die down, there's plenty of countryside to hold up in near me, and I learnt as a kid how to hide in it. Thats just my situation. The only issue i have is that so many videos on youtube -and quite a few posts/profiles on this site- all seem to go with the 72 hour rule, and i can't help but feel this is mainly a conformist/trend thing rather than thought-out agreement on *everyones* behalf. Am I making myself coherent? Do you find this valuable? |
JunkCollector |
7. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 5:16 PM EDT
Personally I am packing enough food for 2 meals for 7 days. I am doing this in case I have to hold up some where, it can be stretched for 20 days if needed. Also if I end up picking up other survivors, who need fed. I don't count on any help for zombies, and for other situations I would rather be prepared for a long lasting scenario than wind up **** out of luck.
Do you find this valuable?
|
DLOWTHEMAD |
8. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 5:18 PM EDT
I carry three meal, for three days... but I plan to eat two a day and snack during the day. I figure carry the minimum, at least, and plan for lean times( I could stand to miss a few meals XD ). The kids carry 4 meals for 3 days, but I don't plan on them actually making it through that much, and so they are better provisioned. They don't carry ammo (though my daughter is only about a year from carrying in a bug out scenario), and only have basic survival equipment, so they can afford the extra weight.You gotta be prepared ahead of time, like pedro said. I've driven my route and found streams, ponds, cattle troughs and cattle farms along it. Figuring on 10 miles a day with the kids, It'll take me two days. So we carry two days water, and will probably refill when we stop for the night, just to make sure. Do you find this valuable? |
Sharpie41 |
9. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 5:40 PM EDT
"I carry three meal, for three days... but I plan to eat two a day and snack during the day. I figure carry the minimum, at least, and plan for lean times( I could stand to miss a few meals XD ). The kids carry 4 meals for 3 days, but I don't plan on them actually making it through that much, and so they are better provisioned. They don't carry ammo (though my daughter is only about a year from carrying in a bug out scenario), and only have basic survival equipment, so they can afford the extra weight.Would they be carrying their own BOB's? If so I'm sure you could throw one or two spare Glock mags in their bags and it wouldn't hurt 'em Do you find this valuable? |
|
DLOWTHEMAD |
10. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 6:07 PM EDT
"Would they be carrying their own BOB's?They do, and I might... Do you find this valuable? |
ItsMrManCub |
11. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 7:10 PM EDT
| Post edited: Sep 17 2011, 11:33 AM EDT
The main reason for me is weight. 3 days worth of food is plenty for me to walk to my BOL 1 or 2. It would be a stretch for my 3rd but possible. However even that shouldn't be that much of an issue, as long as I stick to the rivers, creeks, and forest, I can always catch or shoot something to eat. That is why I chose the food items I did. If I'm set up riverside and don't catch a fish or gig a frog, I guess I'll can settle for some spam. I think I could stretch the 3 day supply for 5 days rather easily if worst came to worst. Heck food is not really my biggest worry, water is far more important to me.
1
out of
1 found this valuable.
Do you?
|
|
Sharpie41 |
12. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 7:14 PM EDT
"They do, and I might... "Haha I would do that Do you find this valuable? |
|
DLOWTHEMAD |
13. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 7:22 PM EDT
"Haha I would do that"Again, by the end of the year, She'll probably have her own ammo to carry Do you find this valuable? |
|
ItsMrManCub |
14. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 7:24 PM EDT
"Again, by the end of the year, She'll probably have her own ammo to carry"She can just carry ammo for you till then. Builds character. Do you find this valuable? |
|
Sharpie41 |
15. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 7:24 PM EDT
"Again, by the end of the year, She'll probably have her own ammo to carry"Ahh okay Do you find this valuable? |
|
PedroAsani |
16. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 7:31 PM EDT
"They do, and I might... "Makes sense to spread the essentials around all the bags, just in case one of them is lost, stolen, abandoned, accidentally set on fire, etc. 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
|
DLOWTHEMAD |
17. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 7:36 PM EDT
"Makes sense to spread the essentials around all the bags, just in case one of them is lost, stolen, abandoned, accidentally set on fire, etc."I had considered this... Part of the reason they carry more food than me, it kind of spreads out the essentials and doesn't make us dependant on one pack (ammo is seperate from my bob) Do you find this valuable? |
rabidbeaver |
18. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 8:44 PM EDT
| Post edited: May 31 2011, 8:45 PM EDT
Really you don't need any food. You can survive running for 20 miles on just the glycogen in your liver. Thats without eating any food. So really you can go a more than three days without food. Food is more of a comfort item in the disaster situation that will give you some security. Water on the other hand is much more important. But you all know this the first response on this thread is the right one.Edit: typo 2 out of 3 found this valuable. Do you? |
timberrattler |
19. RE: B.O.B food - enough for 72 hours? Really?
May 31 2011, 9:50 PM EDT
I believe it is a conformist thing.Its sorta like paracord, its just something everyone includes without really asking why. I honestly believe I could stretch a three day supply for quite some time. I'm packing a few extra pounds, I've been hunting and fishing for three decades and I know my area well, I've lived here all my life. 3 out of 3 found this valuable. Do you? |
