Building a “Bug Out Bag” Part 4: Clothing

The last several posts, I have covered the makings of a great Bug Out Bag. Here, I’ll wrap it up with some guidance on clothing.

Packing clothes for a Bug Out Bag means accounting for varied weather conditions. I’ve been in the Sunshine State when it is 98º and humid, and I’ve been there when it is 30º with an 18º windchill. 

Likewise, I once spent a month in Minneapolis in February where temperatures hovered around 0º in a perpetual whiteout, and I’ve been back during the middle of summer to experience perfect 75º bliss.

My point is, unless you live in Hawaii where the weather is predictably awesome, your Bug Out Bag needs to have clothing staples for any number of temperatures or weather conditions.

Admittedly, my bag is not fully stocked with all of the clothing I’d ultimately pack. We have two kids, and each of them seem to outgrow their clothing on a weekly basis. I know if we ever have to grab our Bug Out Bag, I’ll need to pause for at least a moment and pack for them. 

Since I’ll be doing last-minute packing for them anyways, I’d also rather spend five extra minutes throwing my own clothes into the Bug Out Bag. That way I know they will fit, be comfortable, and will be adaptable to current weather conditions.

Consequently, I keep the clothing in my bag minimal and balance it toward avoiding exposure: it is far easier to take layers off in the heat than to add more to avoid cold. 

So, I created two separate lists: a small list of already-packed items and a longer list of pack-at-the-last-minute items.

work gloves
warm gloves
wool socks
beanie
mylar blanket
rain poncho

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First, items that are pre-packed in my Bug Out Bag:

  1. Work gloves. When you don’t know where you’re headed or what specifically you’ll need to do, be ready to work. Protecting your hands is of paramount importance.
  2. Warm gloves. If you are stuck in cold weather, your hands are going to be the first things to go numb. They are also what you’ll need working to get anything important done.
  3. Two pairs of wool socks. Feet are right behind hands in importance. Keep them dry and covered with wool socks. I prefer merino wool.
  4. Beanie/winter hat. Retain heat and keep your ears warm. Get an inexpensive beanie.
  5. Mylar blanket. A Mylar blanket can reflect the vast majority of your body heat back onto you. It is something most first aid kits have for a reason. Very cheap – don’t neglect this.
  6. Emergency blanket/rain poncho. These serve as a backup Mylar blanket, but also keep your clothes from getting soaked in rainy conditions. Believe me, if you only have a couple shirts and pants, you’ll want to keep them dry.
items of clothing

And second, here are items on my last-minute packing list. No links, because these are just the things you (hopefully) have in your closet already:

  1. 2x underwear
  2. 1x extra utility pants
  3. 1x extra shorts
  4. 1x thermal underwear
  5. 2x short-sleeve shirt
  6. 1x long-sleeve shirt
  7. 1x midweight jacket
  8. 1x rain jacket
  9. 1x hiking boots
  10. 1x extra shoes

Again, if I’m going to be on the move, I’d like to wear reliable clothes (i.e., what I already own and like) versus “Bug Out Bag only” clothes (i.e., cheap stuff I got on Amazon that I wouldn’t wear in daily life).

And that does it for clothing. I’m comfortable that additional packing would only take a few minutes and that it would take minimal time to get in the truck and be on our way.

So there you have it: a few part series to build your Bug Out Bag. There are, of course, limitless possibilities – you could pack extra cash, important identification documents, extra gas tanks, and a number of other items. But out of consideration for budget, prep time, and likelihood of need, I believe that the most important stuff has been covered.

If you missed it, check out my posts that covered the basics, food and water, and light and fire. Cheers and best of luck in your preparations.

                                  the other michael jordan signature  

What other clothing items make sense for a Bug Out Bag? Am I missing anything here? Send me your thoughts at michael@theothermichaeljordan.com. I hope to hear from you.

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