How much food for your BOB? Let's discuss....

How much food should a BOB have? As much as possible with attention to weight.

Our BOB's are designed around the idea that the "magical 72 hours" was developed to make "survival planning" not seem overly monumental for the wool-bearers in society. We've had fatal tornadoes and severe ice storms during the past few years, but nothing that required us to abandon our home.

If we do have to bail out (an absolute LAST RESORT) then our BOB's have seven days worth of food in them. This includes (each person's BOB has this much food):

BREAKFAST: (7) Packets of instant oatmeal
LUNCH: (1) 1200 calorie and (2) 3600 calorie MainStay Bars
DINNER: (7) Mountain House 2-Serving Entrees
MISC: (7) Bullion Cubes, (7) Packets of Sugar, (7) Tea Bags

Our BOB's also have well thought out fishing kits, and my wife's primary bug-out firearm is a Ruger 10/22 with a Leupold 2-7x33mm optic. [The idea is to try to passively fish and trap for as much food as possible to hold in reserve the BOB carried food. The 22 rifle can be used for hunting in route to our BOL - thus multitasking and not burning calories on a low-success food gathering plan].

I had 2 pounds of Rice and a jar of peanut butter in each kit, but I had to shave weight so those items were moved to a "Vehicle Food Box" We have a large Rubbermade container filled with Mountain House Meals, Peanut Butter, Rice, MainStay Bars, Lipton Noodle Packets, Foil Pouch Tuna, etc.

If we can bail out in our 4WD SUV then the bug-out-gear order of importance is:

1) BOB
2) Rifles
3) Food Tub
4) Ammo Cans
5) Water

(NOTE: Water is last because we live in an area with an abundance of water that can be made potable with our various BOB filtration and/or purification gear).

As a side note: My BOB weighs about 38 pounds. When I finalized my BOB I weighed around 185 pounds, but have been eating better and have lost some weight. At 173 pounds I don't have much fat left to lose, but my current weight puts the BOB at 22%.

As a general rule: Americans eat too much. This is the land of plenty, and we're all guilty of over indulgence! About a month before I out I have cancer, my wife and I embarked on a "metabolic mission" wherein we've started eating less. We've shrunk our appetites to about 1/3 of what they were before. My wife (5'-4" x 116 pounds) still has a high metabolism and eats about 1300 calories a day. I'm 5'-10" x 173 pounds (muscular / athletic build) and eat about the same (1300).

I lost 3-4 pounds a week until I plateaued at my current weight. If I eat 800-1000 calories in a day then my weight will drop about 1.5 pounds, but as soon as I pass 1000 calories I'll bounce right back to 173.

The reason for adding this information is: Survivalism is a lifestyle. If you're eating 3 Big Macs a day then you've not properly assessed: A) your health, B) what TEOTWAWKI will really be like. It would be much better to gradually reduce your caloric intake now (let your metabolism adjust to LESS FOOD) than to have to crash into a survival diet after having a 3000 Calorie x 80g of Fat diet.

My last thought on how much food should be in a well-thought out BOB:

When setting up a BOB the focus is generally on consumables.
When setting up an INCH the focus is generally on durables (tools, better shelter, etc).

I think the 72 Hour BOB concept is rubbish, and PEOPLE SHOULD BLEND THE BOB and INCH CONCEPT! By stretching the weight of a BOB up to 40 pounds (for an average man) and choosing your gear VERY carefully - you can easily get a week's worth of food plus the means to procure more as well as some of the durables typically found in an INCH ruck.

Reading what you have here makes me think I need to get my act together. The wife and I have been working on our food storage and have talked about building our 72 hour kit but I'm with you. Having a box or larger bag easy to carry containing additional food and weapon is a smart idea.

I agree with this 100 percent. I tell people all the time, rather than cut the weight of your gear...cut your weight. People take my CHL class to potentially "save their life". If you want to save your life...quit smoking, eat healthy and buckle up. But hey that isn't any fun.

My diet isn't always what it should be. I worked 40 hours strait this pst weekend and did not eat near enough. When I am eating I do tend to eat pretty healthy. I am 5'11" and about 165. I lift at least 5 days a week and am picking up more cardio as well.

Oh man, how in the world did I miss THIS thread? Arch, thank you again, I have been struggling about what food to have in the BOB and now I don't feel so bad because my idea was quite close to yours. BTW, that is an INCH RUCK?

INCH = I'm Never Coming Home

Expanded 3-Day BOB

Thanks for the informative and well thought out post arch. We are like minded in many ways although I am well behind you in the prepping. I need to get a bit more food in my BOB and take a bit more food off my BOD.

I would love to hear what is in your INCH bag and how heavy that is.

Skorp - I killed my INCH bag because it topped 65 pounds. I can't safely traverse broken ground with that sort of load so the INCH ruck was dismantled.

Every time I feel I have the "perfect BOB" I start looking over the list of stuff it in and start the revision process again. The next re-build will be more of a BOB/INCH blend. I'm trying to find the perfect combination of consumables (BOB) and durables (INCH).

My overall survival philosophy is changing as well. We've always planned to BUG-IN, but have plans in place for a BUG-OUT as well (obviously). My Bug-Out plans are moving more toward a frontiersman approach, but this will take a lot of time to work out. Until then, I'll try to keep my BOB to around 40 pounds.

Since I picked up the Ruger Scout rifle, my "on body" load will decrease because: A) the rifle is only 7.5 pounds with a scope on it; B) I won't have to carry a bunch of magazines. I'm also considering taking a 22LR hunting handgun instead of a defense only Glock. My wife's primary bug-out-gun is a Ruger 10/22 with Leupold scope so we'd be able to share ammo. (My wife will also have a Glock 19 with Night Sights for close defense).

As my knowledge and skills increase/improve, my gear and planning is moving more toward wilderness survival and less toward armed conflict. As such, I'll be able to lighten my defensive load and increase my FOOD WATER SHELTER load.

My philosophies are in constantly evolving as well. I think that you always have to prepare for all conceivable scenarios. I am of the mind to bug in first. But, if you have to move out you want to be prepared for that as well. I would also much rather be in a wilderness survival situation than armed conflict.

I always thought it was taken for granted a BUG OUT situation was one where you AVOIDED people as much as as possible until you got to your destination! Therefore I didn't see that much need for anything over a 22. And maybe a defensive shotgun with SOME slugs, bird and buckshot. Oh and in the interests of weight conservation, a 20 gauge would be THE choice. Heck, maybe even a .410!

What say you dogs, a .410 for a survival gun?