You may have the essentials packed in your bugout bag, however, you should consider packing a few things that will also help you thrive and not just survive a difficult situation. A bugout bag can aid in surviving those sudden and uncontrollable events by having the basic provisions packed and ready to go like a water bottle, food, fire starter, flashlight, first-aid kit, and a pocket knife, etc. I test and evaluate the items in my bugout bag from time to time and try to improve the quality of the contents. These are items that you won’t find on a typical survival kit list. Here is a list of seven missing items in your bugout bag.

7 Missing Items in Your Bugout Bag

1. Dry Bag… There are two major reasons to get a dry bag for your survival kit.

First, water has an amazing ability to destroy things. It causes rust, mold, and destruction. It can ruin food, clothes, batteries, flashlights, and other life-saving gear. A dry bag offers the best gear protection. Professional manufacturers use waterproof fibers that keep the tiniest drop of water out. It protects your valuables even if it is utterly submerged underwater, your gear and snacks come out bone dry.

Second, a dry bag can be used to carry water. You may need more water than what you can carry in a water bottle. Long-distance hikers carry water bladders. These can be very pricey ($50-$110). If you want a cheaper more versatile option dry bags are a good solution. You can use it not only to keep valuables dry but you can also use it to wash cookware or laundry, haul drinking or bathing water, I even use it as a ground cover to sit on or place my pack on when I’m hiking in the snow.

2. Leather Pot Holder… You’ll find a cooking pot and matches in most bugout bags. However, nobody remembers to pack a pot holder. It might sound like overkill but it’s NOT! Cooking over a fire can be a pain in the butt. When your food starts to boil from the heat it pops and burns you as you try to stir it to keep the food from burning at the bottom of the pan. The pan also burns you as you hold the handle to stir it or remove it from the flames. If you packed a cooking kit then you should pack a potholder too! Leather pot holders are the best! They don’t absorb water, are easy to clean, take up less space because of they are thinner than regular pot holders, and last forever.

3. Reusable Tea Bag… Tea is known for its health benefits and improving the taste and smell of unfamiliar water. Each tea is different, but many are loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that strengthen the immune system and fight inflammation. In bugout situations, you won’t always know where you’ll be collecting drinking water from. Strawfilters don’t improve the taste or smell of water. If water doesn’t taste good you drink less which causes dehydration. Long-distance hikers, survivalists, and herbalists use common ingredients found outdoor to make wild tea. Some of the most common wild teas are Pine Needle Tea, Dandelion Tea, Mint Tea, and Berry Leaf Tea. Reusable tea bags make it easy to collect and make tea on the go. They are small, easy to make, cheap to buy, and can be reused over and over again. These little bags made out of cheesecloth are not only perfect for collecting wild tea ingredients but have several other uses like filtering debris out of water and emergency gauze.

4. Shelter Items… You’ll be painfully aware if your missing items in your bugout bag – shelter gear. Consider a tent, tarp, survival blanket, and/or sleeping bag. They can become significant for short-term or long-term survival. Anything that can provide groundcover, warmth, and protect you from the weather is going to aid in your overall wellbeing. Make sure these items are compact and lightweight.

5. Solar Recharging Kit… When you are off grid, a solar recharging kit can assist in charging your phone and even batteries for a flashlight and radio. You can stay connected to your loved ones or call government officials for help. It is compact in size with foldable solar panels and can easily fit inside the bug out bag. It’s also a valuable resource to barter with.

6. Currency… It’s not a bad idea to have a variety of emergency currency. Now, of course, you’ll need some dollars but in the event of an economic collapse, you may want some precious metals or money from a neighboring country. I’ve heard of soldiers carrying silver so they can trade for food, water, shelter, protection, and transportation.

7. Memory Tin Kit… For survivors of a disaster, everything but mementos are replaceable. Photos and keepsakes are items refugees and disaster survivors wish they had. I watched an interview with a woman that had to quickly evacuate her California home. In a panic, she didn’t know what to grab so she pulled out the kitchen junk drawer. Her family lost everything but the items in that drawer. There were a few photos and little knickknacks that had memories associated with each item. She didn’t look through the drawer for years because of the shame of not grabbing more important items. But once she did look through the contents of the drawer, she found priceless treasured keepsakes that meant so much to her. A memory tin can help you to collect and remember special moments. It can be a source of comfort in difficult times and motivate you as you rebuild a new life. Memory Tins can be paced in fire safes, fire bags, or a bug out bag.

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