BORELLI CONSULTING: Recommended Reading

"Go Bag" / "Bug Out Bag" / Survival Pack:
Last Year's Lessons
By: Frank Borelli

2005 was a banner year for storms and survival challenges. Thanks to Hurricane Katrina, citizens in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana faced survival in a way few had ever before experienced in their day to day lives. Television images of looters racing away from liquor stores with shopping carts full of rum, vodka, beer, etc made it glaringly obvious that there ARE idiots in the world and they will never prepare. The picture of one man pushing his homemade raft down a flooded street still brings a smile to my face. Why? Because the raft had all his most precious personal property: his female significant other; beer; cigarettes; and toilet paper.

Such examples of failure to prepare - and the bad survival item selections made after the fact - teach us a lesson. What lesson? Don't wait until the feces hits the oscillating rotator. Prepare BEFORE you need to. That said, it's hard to prepare for EVERY eventuality, so each of us needs to measure his (or her) own circumstances and prepare for the most likely survival challenges we will face. Were I living along the Gulf Coast this hurricane season, I think I'd have a bag ready to go with food and other emergency items - including a way to filter drinking water. I would definitely have a supply of any medicines I might require, and a few other essentials.

Recent conversation with a few other like-minded individuals brought me the motivation to write an updated article about Go Bags, otherwise known as Bugout Bags. By either name it's the same thing: The bag you grab on your way out the door. Its contents should be sufficient to support you for a minimum of three days, but you may have to make plans on a week or more. So, the following is a list of items along with recommendations I make based on 23+ years of military and law enforcement experience, AND time spent in Louisiana after Katrina last fall. The items that are personal choices are clearly listed as such, with considerations listed for making those choices.

Disclaimer #1:If you can't legally possess or carry any of the following items based on your local, county, state or federal laws, OR your own personal background, then don't. Our recommendations to do so DO NOT release you from the legal ramifications of your own choice to break the law.

Disclaimer #2:The ratings of Good, Better and Best are not meant to indicate that any specific item is better or performs better than any other. The ratings are based upon current pricing, previous testing, and (sometimes) availability. The list of items may change without notice and will most assuredly change with the release of new product items in the future. The lack of inclusion for currently existing items is in no way meant to imply that they are unnacceptable for use.

If you're having a hard time finding a source to acquire specific items you want in your Go Bag, check out Brigade Quartermaster online. Brigade Quartermaster is a well known and reliable retail company that carries many (if not all) of the non-firearms items below.

Handgun: This is a very personal choice that depends on your perceived level of threat and hunting/survival needs. I recommend a pistol in one of the following calibers:
9mm
10mm
.40S&W
.357Sig
.45ACP
.45GAP
If you prefer a revolver, I recommend .357 Magnum, .44 Special, or .44 Magnum. .38 Special may be acceptable in some situations, but you can shoot that ammo out of a .357 revolver, so you increase your versatility by having the more powerful caliber weapon. Reload ammunition is always a good thing and since you don't know how long any emergency will last, we recommend at least one full box of ammo available, preferably in magazine(s) or speedloaders. To support fast target acquisition and engagement, Borelli Consulting endorses and recommends XS Sights. All of the author's handguns have XS Sights on them.

Rifle: Whether the primary purpose is hunting or defense will determine your preferred make and model. Bear in mind that nothing says you can't hunt (in an emergency situation) with a semi-automatic weapon in a caliber that is common to battle weapons, i.e. .223 or .308. Unless you are specifically carrying the rifle ONLY for hunting purposes and anticipate NO threat from humans, I recommend that you stay away form such calibers as .22lr, .22Magnum, etc. Lever action weapons are great for hunting, as are bolt action weapons, but neither is good for fast follow up shots if you need the weapon for defense purposes as well. Consider all your potential needs and select a weapon that meets them all as best as possible.

Author's newest test rifle. Rock River Arms Tactical CAR A4, .223, 30-round magazine, six-position collapsible stock, SureFire M910A Vertical Foregrip light w/ LEDs for on-foot low-light navigation.

Shotgun: I recommend the tried-and-true pump action twelve gauge (12g) shotgun. A 20" slug barrel will work just fine and won't leave you carrying an overly long gun (as you might if you're used to trap and skeet shooting with longer barrels). The variety of 12g ammo available is huge and you should have a supply of each kind of round that you think you might need. For instance, if you think you might end up hunting deer, get slugs. If you think you'll need it for defense, double-ought is probably best if you're NOT a skilled shooter. If you are, Borelli Consulting recommends PolyShok ammo. PolyShok can be used for breaching as well if your skills support doing so. For most types of bird, rabbit, and squirrel hunting, a smaller shot size (7-9) is probably going to be good. Load the weapon with what you MOST anticipate needing and put a side-saddle shell holder on it so you have six more rounds of whatever else you think you might need handy - or even three each of two different types of rounds. Tailor this recommendation to your known / anticipated needs.

Author's old reliable shotgun: A Remington 870 pump action 12g w/ extended magazine tube, side saddle shell holder and SureFire 918FA light. It isn't light to carry, but it is versatile thanks to ammo choices. Author keeps it loaded with seven rounds of PolyShok, and has six 00 rounds on the side to support versatility.

Spare Undergarments: Two pair of everything as a minimum is what I recommend. Whatever number of pair of underwear and t-shirts you carry, double it for socks. Socks will become vitally important if you are on your feet for any substantial length of time. It's easy to wash them, but getting them dry takes time, so take extra.

Jacket with hood: Fleece is great for warmth, but stinks at keeping you dry. Treated nylon or polyurethane products will keep you dry, but don't breath well and can end up making you sweat even in chilly or cold environments. I recommend that you get a good fleece or sweatshirt type hooded jacket, and wear it under the emergency poncho listed below if you need to stay both warm and dry.

Local Maps: Since you may find yourself having to walk terrain you've never walked before, and are completely unfamiliar with, good maps are a necessity. Additionally, if you can get topographic maps, they will help you with ascertaining your location via visible physical natural characteristics. They will also help you determine where your path of least resistance or greatest safety may lie.

From this point forward, I'll be making recommendations for specific pieces of gear from the bag you carry it all in to knives, food, tools, matches, etc. With each item will be a list of recommendations that are "good", "better" and "best". Often, when I make these recommendations, I am NOT saying that the "best" bag (as an example) is of any better quality or manufacture than the "better" bag. All I'm saying is that when you consider everything you need the bag to do and the desired characteristics (one being cargo capacity for this example), then the "best" bag is just that: best for this particular usage. Moving on…

The Bag: My three recommendations for good, better and best are:
CamelBak Motherlode = good
BlackHawk OpSec X4 = better
CamelBak BFM = Best
At the moment my own personal bag of use is the BlackHawk OpSec X4 backpack. It is large enough to carry everything I have decided I would need to pack and has a hydration system built in which I like (more on hydration below). In the case of the recommendations made for backpacks, cargo capacity is very much a primary consideration. Each has hydration capability and has proven comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. I simply don't need as much space as the CamelBak BFM offers, so I opted for the BlackHawk OpSec X4.

Flashlight: Understand this up front - I don't think anyone should have just ONE flashlight. I believe in the military paradigm of "two equals one; one equals none." Have a backup. For law enforcement professionals, 80% of their deadly force encounters happen during hours of darkness or in low levels of light. Criminals PREFER to work in darkness because it allows them to hide. In an emergency situation, the criminals DO come out. A few years back, when Hurricane Isabel came through the middle of the east coast, downed trees cut off the sheriffs' departments' ability to respond to calls for service. The (human) wolves came out to prey on the sheep. Some of us aren't sheep, but if you were out after dark it was obvious that the wolves preferred to "work" at night. That all said:
SureFire L2 Lumamax = good
SureFire U2 Ultra = better
Night-Ops Gladius = best
All three lights are LED driven which allows for adequate amounts of working light for extended periods of time out of each set of batteries. The SF U2 and the Night-Ops Gladius both have adjustable lighting levels so you can further stretch your battery life by only using the amount of light you need. Extra batteries should be part of your kit anyway. I have a Gladius as my primary flashlight and a Night-Ops Falcata 6V light as my backup.

Folding Knife: I always have two of these on my person if I'm out of my house anyway. Having another one in my Bugout Bag simply allows me triple redundancy. But again, since your life may very well depend upon your knife performing when you need it most, two is one and one is none.
Spyderco Native = good - small, but dependable.
SOG Trident = better - with auxiliary web cutting blade
Buck SBMF = best - one of the strongest folding lockblade knives I've found.
My primary folding lockblade knife is the Buck SBMF in black. I have (currently) a Benchmade Griptilian as my backup locking folder.

Fixed blade knife: Because some jobs are just too big for a folding lock blade, OR because the lock blade pivot point will just not be strong enough to take the abuse you're going to subject it to. After Katrina, I carried an MOD NightWing for about two weeks in Louisiana. I wasn't carrying it for "combat" purposes, but simply because I was completely unsure what to expect and the capacity of a decent size strong knife with multiple cutting surfaces was potentially invaluable to me.
Cold Steel SRK = good
SOG Gov-Tac = better
MOD NightWing = best
An MOD NightWing is my fixed blade knife of choice.

Utility Tool: because cutting might not be the only thing you need to do. Turning screws, cutting wire, tightening nuts (or removing them or both), filing an unknown object, etc. These are all things we use tools for and using a knife blade for most of them is a really bad idea. Thankfully, we live in an age where utility tools are both versatile and affordable. My recommendations are:
Leatherman Fuse = good
Gerber Multi-Plier = better
SOG Power Plier = best
Stay away from utility tools that have small attachments for your Bugout Bag. If you lose one of those small attachments in the sand or on a leaf-covered forest floor, it's GONE. If you really need more than a slotted screwdriver, Philips head screwdriver and a pair of pliers, you probably aren't truly in an emergency survival situation. My SOG Power Plier is carried in the utility pocket of the sheath for the MOD NightWing listed above.

Shelter Material: Sure, it's easy to say, "I have a tent", but it's entirely different to have a tent you can set up in under a few minutes and then tear down in that amount of time or less. Plus, weight and space are a consideration in (or on) your bag. A shelter that protects you from wind and precipitation is good, but often you have to settle for either what you have on hand or what you can afford BEFORE you need it.
Tarp, stakes, paracord = good
Poncho, stakes, paracord = better
Shockpole supported tent = best
The reason I list the poncho as more desirable than a tarp is because you can't wear the tarp without cutting a hole in it. In survival situations I consider versatility of my gear as very valuable.

Hydration System: Okay, I'm not specifying manufacturers here. To me what matters is how much fluid the system will hold and whether or not it's filtered. Bear in mind that although I recommend a minimum capacity of 70 ounces, if all you have (or all you can afford) is a smaller system, then get it. Having SOME water is better than having none and trying to find some. Ask the people who were stuck at the New Orleans SuperDome for days.
Seventy ounce non-filtered = good
Seventy ounce filtered = better
100 ounce filtered = best
There is a company called Hydration Technologies, Inc. that manufacturers an osmosis-driven system. It will filter almost any kind of contaminated or dirty water you can put into it, including urine. I'm not sure about pricing, but if you can afford it, it's probably well worth having in a Bugout Bag. I've got a filtered 100-ounce system with extra disposable 100 bladders from BlackHawk HydraStorm.

Compass: To work hand-in-hand with the Local Maps above. If you DON'T have maps, but DO know the best general direction to go in, often a compass can help you maintain a straighter line of travel. That cuts down on the amount of time and energy you spend covering unknown ground.
Suunto A-10 Partner II = Good
Military Compass = Better
Military Tritium Compass = Best
I carry TWO of the military issue compasses. I fully expect one to break or fail when I need it most.

Fire Starter Material: Trust me on this one. I have been out in the elements on cold January days when everything you could think about burning has been saturated and you can't get it to light to save your life - which is what you might be trying to do. SO, pack something to help you get those fires going.
Vaseline soaked cotton batting = good. Just rub some Vaseline into cotton balls and see how many you can stuff into a film canister. Check it regularly since Vaseline is a petroleum based product and plastic may not hold up to it in the long run.
Fire disks = best. You can purchase these from numerous sport / outdoor stores and online. They are available in packs from 12 to 108. Each disk is about 4" x 1" and burns for 20 - 30 minutes. You can break the disks up into quarters and use a single quarter to start a small cook fire. That means 12 disks can help you start 48 fires.

Fishing supplies: Virtually anywhere you can find running water, a pond or a lake you stand a decent chance of having a food source. Fishing doesn't call for a lot of complicated equipment.
Hooks, line, weights, 10" round wood bar = good
Add cork bobber pieces = better
Add lures = best
All I have in my bag is a film canister containing twelve hooks of various sizes, 30' of 120lb test line, and some 1 ounce lead weights. I listed the 10" round wood bar because it permits you to wrap the line around something and it gives you something to hold if the fish starts pulling - which all do. The bigger they are, the harder they pull - but the more people they'll feed. I don't carry a piece of wood because I live in a heavily wooded area and I figure I can find a round piece of wood up to six feet long if I need it as a fishing pole. The 120lb test line may be a "bit much" in the way of required strength, but it's what I have and I don't find it to be too much.

Rope: Is invaluable. When you're crossing unfamiliar territory, having a good rope and several locking D-rings can save you some time and trouble.
100-feet of 9mm rope = good
100-feet 10-11mm low static elongation dry-treated rope = best
I pack / attach 100-feet of 10mm rope and six locking D-rings to my bag.

Gloves: Are mandatory, especially if you're actually rappelling or doing other rope work. Depending on your climate / weather conditions, you may also want the gloves to insulate your hands from wet and / or cold. The type of gloves you select is entirely a personal choice and has to meet your anticipated needs. I carry a pair of BlackHawk HellStorm SOLAG gloves for rope work, and a pair of Damascus thin neoprene gloves for general warmth.

Survival Food: No matter what food source(s) you might find along the way, you will have to be eating while you travel at some point, and you may not find your food sources right away. Having an emergency supply of food is good. How much you decide you need to pack and carry should be determined by how long you anticipate it taking you to WALK out of the affected emergency area.
Power / Energy bars = good
Hoo-Ah! Bars = Better
MREs = Best
I keep a mix of power bars and Hoo-Ah! Bars packed in a one-gallon ziplock bag. It's not packed in my bag, but is handy in the kitchen so I can grab it on the way out. All told, I estimate it as three days' worth of emergency rations.

Eye Protection: For years upon years man has subjected his eyes to unnecessary abuse and damage due to ultra-violet light, wind-blown debris, and other avoidable injuries. Proper eye protection should be mandatory as part of everyone's bug out or go kit. Revision Eyewear is a provider of eye protection to the United States Military and they make several different styles / models of eye protection to suit the end user's need. If you just need sunglasses that wrap around to give you some added protection, they make those. If you need full goggles because of a windy environment or your method of travel, they make those. Author doesn't wear anything but Revision Eyewear to protect his vision.

Now, the following is a list of a couple of generic items that you can purchase online, in hardware stores, etc. I consider each of them essential, but since the cost can be so low, they are pretty easy to obtain and not have to be of specific manufacture or quality.

Solar Still Material: This doesn't require much. A two-foot square (two feet on each side) piece of clear plastic, and a plastic cup (any camp cup will do) is all you really need.

Strike Anywhere matches: I can still find these in my local hardware stores. I carry a box of them in a sandwich-size ziplock baggy in my Bugout Bag.

Flint & Steel: Can be bought on eBay for as little as a buck. Have it. If you run out of matches, or they get wet and won't light, you can still strike sparks into your fire starter material.

Paracord: Otherwise known as 550 cord. It's nice and strong without taking up a ton of space. I carry two 50-foot lengths in my pack.

Duct tape: I left this out of my last article on this topic and got several emails about it. I'm not recommending carrying a whole roll, but get an empty toilet-paper tube, fold it in half lengthwise and start winding duct tape around it. Carry about twenty feet and you should have enough to keep you for awhile.

Okay; all that leaves is a First-Aid Kit. Because of the massive possibilities for included items, manufacturers, models, etc that are involved just in discussing BASIC first-aid kits, I'm going to put this topic in its own article. That article will cover what we consider to be the necessary pieces of first-aid equipment in a Basic, Intermediate and Advanced First-Aid Kit. All will be limited to what you can carry as part of your Bugout or Go Bag.

BE SAFE!

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