When it comes to prepping, there’s this weird balance between doing extra work towards preparation and criticizing all of that work for bringing additional danger. It’s not easy to be prepared for literally everything. But we can at least try. Here are a few ways that your bug out bag might actually hinder you, instead of help.
Don’t be obvious
If you’re bugging out in anything other than total seclusion, you have to be mindful of how you look. If you’re traveling in an urban area, with a large and noticeable bag full of mystery, you become a prime target for muggers. Duffle bags may be great for storage, but best stick to backpacks when bugging out downtown.
Quiet Down
One thing most don’t consider when setting up their bug out bag is how much noise it’ll make. You really don’t need to be jingling like a sleigh bell whenever you walk around. This draws a lot of attention to you. This is dangerous in urban environments for the same reason as above: you’re more likely to get mugged. But this can also be dangerous in the wilderness as well. If the area you’re hiking through has larger predators (bears, mountain lions, bobcats, wild dogs, etc), then walking around with a noisy bug out bag is essentially acting as a walking dinner bell. And that brings us to our next point.
Don’t Forget Freedom
There’s a balance to be had with any form of travel storage. The more you can carry, the more restrictive it becomes. Running with a duffle bag is much harder than with a jogger’s backpack, for example. This is not only due to the size and shape, but the additional weight it adds on when full. Be mindful when managing a bag to not make it larger or heavier than you can manage for long periods of time. The last thing you need is to exhaust yourself before you get where you need to go.