This is one of a series of posts on some commonly held prepping beliefs, and reasons why they may be wrong and possibly dangerous to you and your loved ones.

Note: Myths 5 – 10 were taken from a post by a so-called prepper expert providing advice while dispelling “myths” about prepping and bugging out. I thought the advice to be so outrageously idiotic and dangerous that I felt the need to respond to this guy before he gets people killed.

Their Myth Reasoning (not me talking/writing) – Many times BOB’s are referred to as “72 hour kits”. The purpose of a BOB should be to get you from your home to your BOL and to last a minimum of three days, or 72 hours. As I have stated above, the events that would actually force me to bug out are pretty serious. If I have to leave, there is a good chance it won’t be safe for me to return to my home in 72 hours. My point is that you might have to make do for longer than 72 hours. Keep that in mind when stocking your BOB. You don’t know if you’ll find a working ATM while you’re out so you might consider keeping cash or precious metals in your BOB so you can restock while you’re bugged out.

My Opinion –  Wow! Once again this writer shows his naivete in matters of preparedness. But let me compliment him first. He does make a clear distinction between a “72-hour kit” and a “BOB” (a.k.a. Bug Out Bag, Get Out Of Dodge bag).

In you are dealing with a temporary disaster or emergency it might be appropriate to discuss returning to our home within 72 – 96 hours. In a grid-down or any serious disaster scenario the chances of ever being able to return to your home, or even your home surviving, is slim to none. So the two scenarios are vastly different in scope and nature.

His idea about carrying cash is good…but for what? That is the point…if you are going to carry cash, what is it for…exactly what for. He doesn’t explain the risks/threats you will face at all. You have to define the mission of each piece of gear/equipment.

Why?

Because I understand the concept of identifying the mission for a piece of gear. Obviously he has failed to identify what the mission of his BOB is. Define the mission of something BEFORE you stock it. Make each piece of gear count, be complete/thorough, and then test it. The thinking a backpack BOB (Bug Out Bag) can be stocked for some extended bugging out is ludicrous.

What are the primary threats/risks that you would be facing in any “bug-out” situation?

• Violence and threat of injury or death
• Injury from non-violent injuries
• No/poor communications
• No/poor organization
• Dehydration
• Hypothermia or hypothermia
• Starvation

And how do I know this? Because I have studied and understand “L.I.P.S.” <read more> which tells you what your priorities are. Then I studied and understand how to rate threats/risk and how to mitigate them <read more>.

So once again, ill-conceived…at least incomplete…advice from an obviously inexperienced, untrained so-called “preparedness expert” giving advice that will kill you and your family.

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