This landed in comments and became a self-fulfilling prophecy:
Got a question that might turn into an easy post for you.
So you have the good ole ‘Bag ‘O Tricks’. It probably has some flavor of a 9mm sub gun, some expensive electronics, an a fat wad of 20’s. No need to confirm or deny these things. The point is that the cumulative value of this sort of bag is kinda pricey and it probably has a gun or two in it.
Does this spendy bag go with you every time you leave the house or just sometimes? When you go into places does it stay in the truck? Get secured somehow?
How do you balance risk of this pricy kit (not to mention potentially arming a criminal) with access for your personal use?
I ask because I am directly pondering these questions for my own life. Thanks in advance and happy Friday!
– Ryan
Here’s a fairly recent link to the Bag Of Tricks ™.
So, lets address the questions that Friend Of The Blog, Ryan, asked.
It probably has some flavor of a 9mm sub gun, some expensive electronics, an a fat wad of 20’s.
One of my older Glock 19’s is in there in a UM84 holster along with a couple spare mags. There’s a small AM/FM radio in there as well as my ICOM R6. Interestingly, I do not keep a large amont of cash in the bag, although I probably should. I usually just carry a couple hundred bucks on me at any give time just in case I get mugged, decide I want another P95, and reach a deal with the mugger.
Does this spendy bag go with you every time you leave the house or just sometimes?
Spendy is pretty relative. When I was a starving college kid in my twenties, everything was spendy. Nowadays…different story. The practical cash value of the bag and all it’s contents is probably about a grand. That’s not an inconsequential amount, but its stuff that I’ve been carrying around for almost twenty years…so, basically, that bag and it’s contents have cost me one dollar a week since I bought it…and as time goes by, that average goes lower. I’d be pissed if I lost it or someone stole it, sure…but it’s monetary value, to me, isn’t enough to keep me from doing what I do with it.
It doesnt leave with me everytime I leave the house but it does go with me to work every day. And on out-of-town road trips. But for when I’m heading over to CostCo on the weekend or going to pick up my mail at the PO? Nope. Unless….there’s some ‘heightened concern’ going on. I usually leave it in the truck behind the seat and I’ve never worried about it there.
I ask because I am directly pondering these questions for my own life.
It’s subjective, man. Just like the stuff that you put and carry in your bag, your reasons and motivations will be unique to you. Only you can decide why you’re putting together such a bag and how you’ll use it…which will determine the value of what you put in there.
My BOT isn’t a ‘get home’ bag or anything like that. It’s simply stuff I want to have around when I’m away from my house and that will give me advantages in a crisis. It’s basically a giant nylon Swiss Army Knife with shoulder straps. Whats in it? Geeze, thats a list but here’s some of it: FAK, TQ, ICOM R6, AM/FM radio, knives, TacTool, Glock, mags, holster, flashlights, spare batteries, ration bar, water filter, handcuffs, zip ties, writing equipment, hand sanitizer, matches, lighter, water bottle, multitool, paracord, etc, etc. MacGyver could build an aircraft carrier with all the stuff I have in there.
What gets used the most? FAK and flashlights. Never used? TQ and Glock. Some stuff changes out as the seasons change…like my Winter Module which is gloves, hat, mitts, etc. But just because I haven’t had to use something yet doesn’t mean that its not worth taking along. I try not to go overboard on what I throw in there, but I do want things that will give me ‘an unfair advantage’ in a crisis.
So there you have it…it doesn’t go everywhere, but it does go to work with me everyday. Interestingly, I’ve almost never had anyone at work ask me about it. I think they just assume that its got a laptop and other junk in there.
handcuffs, zip ties, paracord
No condoms or lube?
Do your part right and your victim provides their own lube.
Did you borrow that line from a Criminal Minds episode…. lol
Experience, m’friend.
Whose?
( ͡• ⌣ •)
I am glad this question was asked. I have also struggled with what I regularly carry especially due to the CD weight involved as i get older. Thanks CZ for a thoughtful well described BOT. That info is very helpful.
My kit contains all I would need if I had to hoof it home from work. That would be 40 miles through suburban south Florida and not all “friendly” territory. I see it as being 4 days max traveling mostly at night. Yes, it takes up space in my vehicle but better to have it and not need it etc.
Steve,
I escaped South FL…..get out when u can! Stay safe!
I’m fortunate that at this point I can walk home from work in a couple hours, it’s 8 and almost empty.
The flip side is that when we do a grocery and stuff run it’s 75 miles and really empty. I’ve got “stuff” in the car but should probably have more…
In the timeless words of Major Kong from Dr. Strangelove:
“Shoot, a fella could himself a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that!
I’ve been to Vegas a couple times… Never had much fun there.
To me it’s as bad as any other big city and to be avoided.
Thanks for explaining that the reference flew right over you.
Oh, more narcissistic commentary from the OG vax tard himself!! Geez I sure do hope you can TeACh uS taRDs suM GoOd stuFf.
Get another booster Aesop, hopefully you’ll stay up to date
Buy a dictionary, lackwit. Nothing in either response has anything to do with narcissism. So you clearly don’t understand the big words you’re trying to use.
Also, when you post pure drivel exactly 180° out from reality in another failed attempt to score a point, you’re just pulling your own pants down and showing your own @$$, and crapping on somebody else’s blog to boot while doing it, so the least I can do is give you back what you evidently desperately crave: attention for being the biggest moron in comments. Here’s your gift.
FTR for anyone who didn’t know better, the reality is I have received zero boosters, didn’t advocate any of the Death Jabs, and explained frequently and at length why others shouldn’t get any either.
Only a 60-IQ midwit would try to sell the opposite of reality as truth, on this or any other blog. Yet here you are, so…
Back under your bridge, loser.
And stop signing other blogger’s names to your twaddle. If you’re going to post pure crap, at least have the courage to own it yourself, and link back to your own pathetic troll-hoard. Stupid and cowardly is no way to go through life.
Consider you did it wrong ,different expectations, different experience
Hahahaha, triggered the covidiot, hahahaha. It’s too bad he lets you on this blog with your ten thousand word bullshit Aesop. Stay boosted 😉
Triggered?
Pfft.
If humanity was a city, you’d be the ratshit in the sewer. And you’re the covidiot here.
Walk tall. You’re living your best life.
Since I’m either at home or in my truck, the magnificent FWD F150, super crew, 35-gal fuel tank (you are going to need it) with the giant American gas guzzling V8 400 HP motor that will hurt your neck if one is unprepared to experience the acceleration is stocked to the gills. Across the bed toolbox with an embarrassing number of Milwaukee M18 tools, axes, saws, knives, ropes, slings, med kits, water, water filters, freeze dried food, hand tools, etc. Add to all that the 20ga Winchester pump, Glock and 22 mag. hide out snubby all with extra ammo. Before the toolbox I was getting 20 mpg, now it is down to about 18 mpg. Stuff must weigh more than my sister! The bad news is I’ll probably be stuck in traffic during SHTF.
why 20 ga?
20 ga. is smaller, lighter, less recoil and a bit quicker to wield, especially if operating from inside the vehicle. Hits nearly as hard. Just picked up some buckshot that is listed at 1600 fps, which seems wicked fast. When one’s age is on the low downhill side of 67, we need all the edge we can get to cope with becoming feeble. Plus, if the wife needs to pick it up, she finds it more tolerable.
Still have a host of 12 ga. to switch to if need be. The Ithaca 37 is quite the gem.
The latest semi-auto 12 ga. to the flock is a CZ! It was on sale at Sportsman Warehouse for $435 out the door. Couldn’t resist since I read CZ’s blog most every day, and it will be a good option for a truck/house/SHTF gun. When you positively need to blast something to smithereens, 12 ga. semi seems to be a good choice.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bFX9IMzx4EA
The vehicles have stuff all the time, including a drybox with an assortment of ammo. When I practice, that’s the ammo I use so it’s refreshed regularly.
When we switch from DST to MST, I have a drybag with winter stuff in it: Food, blankets, stove, scarf, heavier gloves, balaclava, more space blankets, candle and candle holder, backpack snow shovel, etc that gets added to the vehicle I’m driving.
Cash, firearms? No, I don’t normally leave them in the vehicle. When I do, they’re out of sight and usually in a locked down case. Which may slow the BG down, hopefully
I keep a fake throw down wallet in the driver door pocket with $28 in it, hopefully the crackheads will be satisfied with that and not do a full search.
That, is a GREAT idea….Thanks!
Maybe some old, expired credit cards too. Nothing with actual personal information of course.
You have probably seen the gift card rack of plastic cards at the supermarket and most stores like Le Boutique Target or WallyMart?
Including bright shiny gift cards with Visa and Mastercard logos?
There ya go.
One (worthless) loaded wallet, coming up.
They only cost money if you want to activate them, so if you grab a couple of mittfuls of assorted bait cards, and fill up a drop wallet with a whole assortment, you have the World’s Greatest Dumbass Mugger Bait known to man, which suddenly looks like the wallet of Daddy Warbucks or Scrooge McDuck.
You can also buy prop US currency on Amazon that passes cinematic muster, without getting you on the wrong side of federal Treasury agents, and in all denominations of US bills from $1 up to $100,000.
This is both how you make a Jason Bourne safe deposit box, and how you decoy would-be muggers, without blowing real cash.
Don’t forget the GPS tag for both wallets and purses.
You won’t catch them, but you might be able to help find out which surveillance cameras they walked by on their way to wherever they dump your fakes, which will get detectives a goldmine of perp ID info.
Follow me for more tips on judicious forgeries.
Great, thanks!
Thanks for the update. Have you thought about doing a post on what type/brand gear you use is? I’m curious about your choices for handcuffs and zip ties since there are various levels of good gear and crap gear for those. I haven’t thoughta bout having that in my BOT, but I do have military zip cuffs for home though. May have to relook it now…
The problem is, any time I post a list of anything it turns into a commentpalooza of people saying “what about this…” or “You left out this…” and eventually you’re looking at a 200# backpack and people will still say youre an idiot because you didnt bring [item]. I do individual items every once in a while and will proably go that route, but alot of stuff I carry around is subjective and not terribly brand/model specific. For example, I carry some zip ties…does it matter what brand? Does it matter what color? Probably not. So I just say “I carry some zip ties”. Alot of gear is like that.
you can’t go wrong with peerless, s&w, asp…they all work the same pretty much…zip ties are personal choice…there are too many companies who make great gear…comes down to what you are willing to spend…ex, spend $30 on a wally world backpack or spend $300 on a hill people gear pack/eberlestock/kifaru/and there are many others…anything from those 3 will last damn near forever unless you fill it with rocks and drag it behind your car…some things you can get “cheap” and you won’t “pay for it later”…other stuff, it’s better to spend a tad now and it will outlive you…i try to go best bang for the buck…
Why carry steel cuffs, at all? I’m not in law enforcement (any more), I don’t want to have to single-handedly cuff anyone, and can’t really see a reason where I may have to. Why get that close to a person behaving dangerously?
Legally, too, doing so is fraught with liability and danger. If the bad guy is a threat, end the threat.
I do carry CS and more importantly CS wipes, but thats more for animals.
In the 90’s, my go bag was an aviators jump vest, a one qt canteen w/ cup and 2 qt.bladder strapped to outside. No handgun, a CA AR7 (was reliable back then, not so much now), CS SRK knife, 2 pr socks and underwear and a pair of US desert boots. Two Datrex foil wrapped rations.
This was supposed to sustain me over 200 miles to my home from the college I was at. I’d probably have been dead in less than half the distance.
From some of the comments it seems that the tone shifted from BOT to some sort of go bag. Different concepts. I find the idea of BOT an interesting diversion from Get Home or Bug Out/In Bags.
Thanks for the info.
SmileyFtW
Many thanks! This gives me some points to consider for sure.
Thanks, CZ!
I’ve been putting together something similar, but planning to put a PDW with a folding brace and a prism sight (my post-surgery eyes don’t work with red dots anymore, and iron sights on pistols range from OK to awful for my eyes). The PDW should let me reach out to the distances I used to be able to use an iron-sighted pistol for! On the positive side, a braced PDW has more points of contact than a handgun, so I’m faster with it, and it doesn’t have to weight a lot more than a handgun. I just wish I could find a Flux Raider that wasn’t scalper priced, at 2-3x what I spent for my first car!
I should add that I find it funny that it’s now possible to use 3D printing to put together a very suitable PDW for a fraction of what a B&T TP9 or a Flux Raider is costing. I’m actually surprised that they haven’t caught on, but that’s a topic for a different discussion.
PDWs seem like a good alternative to an extra pistol for a BoT, especially if there’s mag compatibility with your carry pistol. My current one is chambered in a very “light” caliber–.32 ACP–but I can make hits with it that very difficult with my carry pistol, and the very light recoil makes quick follow-up shots easier.
I keep a world band radio not much bigger than the FM you use. No idea if the ICOM R6 can be used like this.
I really don’t know what you guys are jawing about, I am a Canadian and we don’t need all that random stuff in a BOT’s. Our country is perfectly safe and I have my Government’s permission to say so!!! LOL. for those who are not Canucks, just go with the sarcasm! TTFN
You know why they don’t put a lid on the pot when boiling Canadian lobsters? Because if one lobster tries to climb out, the others will drag him back in.
Guess people can only see handcuffs, zip ties being only used for one thing. Zip Ties can be used to fix things and the cuffs and ties can be also be used to secure gates, doors or windows after you’ve made entrance into somewhere and don’t want someone to follow or know you’re there. I’ve used the metal zip ties to resecure a chain linked fence gate lock that was cut until it could be fixed properly.
Handcuffs make very nice bike locks
Ayoob uses one to lock his suitcase to the Central heating piping in hotel rooms
The jokes about your girlfriend being the town ‘bike’ just write themselves…
🙂
n
I keep a couple of binder clips in my bag too, so I can clip hotel room curtains shut. They’re cheap and small…
NB- the ‘bike’ thing is a britishism… she’s the town bike, everyone has had a ride.
Yeah..I got it… followups:
She’s like a hardware store…a nickel a screw
She’s like a doorknob…everyone gets a turn
Did you ever get the Felix the Cat patch to go on the BOT?
Hmm…I probably should get one.