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Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit
If an unexpected emergency or disaster hits, are you prepared to leave your home--fast? You will be if you follow the advice in this book.
This book shows you how to create a self-contained disaster preparedness kit to help you survive your journey from ground zero to a safer location. Survival expert Creek Stewart details from start to finish everything you need to gather for 72 hours of independent survival--water, food, protection, shelter, survival tools, and so much more.
This book shows you how to create a self-contained disaster preparedness kit to help you survive your journey from ground zero to a safer location. Survival expert Creek Stewart details from start to finish everything you need to gather for 72 hours of independent survival--water, food, protection, shelter, survival tools, and so much more.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
268 people are currently reading
784 people want to read
About the author
Creek Stewart
55 books23 followersCreek Stewart is a survival instructor, author, and host of SOS: How to Survive on The Weather Channel.
Creek's survival knowledge comes from experience. His life-long study of outdoor living and survival skills is backed by thousands of man-hours in the field. Creek is a frequent guest survival expert in the media and has been featured on/in the Today show, Inside Edition, Fox & Friends, Men's Fitness magazine, Backpacker magazine, Outdoor Life magazine, WGN-TV, WISH-TV 8, The Weather Channel, Living Ready magazine, American Survival Guide, and countless radio and online events. He has been a contributing author to the hugely popular men's interest blog ArtofManliness.com and his survival writings have been featured on thousands of websites including Huffington Post, MSN News, Lifehacker, and The Daily Beast.
In 2015, Creek was presented with the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award (NOESA) by the Boy Scouts of America. The NOESA is a prestigious recognition granted to Eagle Scouts who have demonstrated outstanding achievement at the local, state, or regional level.
Creek's survival knowledge comes from experience. His life-long study of outdoor living and survival skills is backed by thousands of man-hours in the field. Creek is a frequent guest survival expert in the media and has been featured on/in the Today show, Inside Edition, Fox & Friends, Men's Fitness magazine, Backpacker magazine, Outdoor Life magazine, WGN-TV, WISH-TV 8, The Weather Channel, Living Ready magazine, American Survival Guide, and countless radio and online events. He has been a contributing author to the hugely popular men's interest blog ArtofManliness.com and his survival writings have been featured on thousands of websites including Huffington Post, MSN News, Lifehacker, and The Daily Beast.
In 2015, Creek was presented with the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award (NOESA) by the Boy Scouts of America. The NOESA is a prestigious recognition granted to Eagle Scouts who have demonstrated outstanding achievement at the local, state, or regional level.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 11, 2025
A BOB (Bug Out Bag) is filled with everything you will need to survive for 72 hours and beyond (the estimated time it will take you to get help during a disaster). This book is the deepest BOB I have ever read - excellent emergency resource for you and your family. Now is the time to put your BOB together!
May 18, 2020
Just finished reading Creek Stewart's "Build the Perfect Bug-out Bag: Your 72-hour Disaster Survival Kit", and found it to be an easy read. Based on my backpacking experiences, I found it to be comprehensive and sensible, even for people who aren't hard-core preppers.
The author's backpacking experience definitely shines through. Each chapter covers one of the various groups of "must-have" things for spending 72 hours on your own, in a modicum of comfort. It also goes into what items to pack for families as well as for individuals, and -- just as important -- who should be carrying them, and the quantities you'll need.
I liked the fact that he gave a justification for each item, or group of items recommended, along with (lots of) photos, the cost, where you can buy them, the multiple uses each can be used for, and even brand name recommendations, although I never got the feeling he was being paid for any kind of advertising. He also shows less expensive items you could make or substitute, for those of us without a whole lot of money.
He finishes the book with a set of checklists, which I appreciated.
All-in-all, I found the book a practical and comprehensive easy read, that I can recommend to anyone whether they're a "prepper" or not, since everyone should have supplies (and a way to move them about) for a minimum of 72 hours in a disaster. In particular, I'm thinking of some wildfire victims who had five minutes (or less) to vacate their homes in the recent California wildfires. If you could grab only one thing, it would be a backpack with these items. For hard-core preppers, this could be something to grab that would allow you to survive while traveling to your final bug-out location.
I can strongly recommend this book and bought my own copy after checking it out of the library (it's that useful) as putting together a bug-out bag can take awhile; I wanted it as a reference guide. The author has written other books on the subject of "bugging out" that go more deeply into the topic.
Go. Read. Enjoy! (or at least prepare for the unexpected)
The author's backpacking experience definitely shines through. Each chapter covers one of the various groups of "must-have" things for spending 72 hours on your own, in a modicum of comfort. It also goes into what items to pack for families as well as for individuals, and -- just as important -- who should be carrying them, and the quantities you'll need.
I liked the fact that he gave a justification for each item, or group of items recommended, along with (lots of) photos, the cost, where you can buy them, the multiple uses each can be used for, and even brand name recommendations, although I never got the feeling he was being paid for any kind of advertising. He also shows less expensive items you could make or substitute, for those of us without a whole lot of money.
He finishes the book with a set of checklists, which I appreciated.
All-in-all, I found the book a practical and comprehensive easy read, that I can recommend to anyone whether they're a "prepper" or not, since everyone should have supplies (and a way to move them about) for a minimum of 72 hours in a disaster. In particular, I'm thinking of some wildfire victims who had five minutes (or less) to vacate their homes in the recent California wildfires. If you could grab only one thing, it would be a backpack with these items. For hard-core preppers, this could be something to grab that would allow you to survive while traveling to your final bug-out location.
I can strongly recommend this book and bought my own copy after checking it out of the library (it's that useful) as putting together a bug-out bag can take awhile; I wanted it as a reference guide. The author has written other books on the subject of "bugging out" that go more deeply into the topic.
Go. Read. Enjoy! (or at least prepare for the unexpected)
November 17, 2014
I absolutely love this book. Creek Stewart has written many books about bugging out, but this one is the first one I have purchased. The sections are very well organized, and the descriptions clear and concise. His lists of equipment are also very well organized, and his recommendations are on-point. Five stars!
March 30, 2021
I was pleasantly surprised reading this. It had great information, was straightforward, and had pretty much everything you needed/wanted to know. I used it as research for a character I'm writing and will be looking up some additional information after reading this!
January 13, 2016
This is definitely one of the best books on the subject. I've read more comprehensive books, but there aren't many so well laid out.
Creek is a well informed educator who's actually done the legwork to be an authority on survival techniques. He also doesn't seem to be a gun-hugging wackjob with a political agenda to push. He also keeps the Jesus stuff to a bare minimum. His faith is obviously important to him, but he gets that his faith might not be your faith (or, lack thereof). A real boon in the genre, which tends to skew heavily towards the political right and bible thumping.
There is much good information given about people with special needs and planning for disaster with them in mind. This book is very much a book about Bugging Out for three days. It isn't a weekend Rambo guide. Creek makes lots of product recommendations that make sense in the real world. It is not a book about gearing up for the long march through the zombie apocalypse. He recommends no long guns, and the first aid section doesn't mention a blow out kit. This is a book designed to help get you started on the path of preparing yourself and loved ones for an almost inevitable disaster such as an earthquake, hurricane, or local disruption.
In a perfect world almost every chapter would have been expanded and discussed further, but in reality there was no real need to. This is meant to be a guide to get someone up to speed from nothing, no matter an individual's skill set or budget. There is even a chapter where Creek builds a bare bones, but serviceable, BOB in one trip to WalMart for $300.
If there was anything that I thought was really lacking in the book, I would say that it was the omission of any discussion of Ham radio in the Comms section (not that many other books in the genre discuss Ham radio either). In fact, that chapter was the weakest part of the book for me.
Overall a highly recommended intro to the Bug Out Bag, and basic prepping in general.
Creek is a well informed educator who's actually done the legwork to be an authority on survival techniques. He also doesn't seem to be a gun-hugging wackjob with a political agenda to push. He also keeps the Jesus stuff to a bare minimum. His faith is obviously important to him, but he gets that his faith might not be your faith (or, lack thereof). A real boon in the genre, which tends to skew heavily towards the political right and bible thumping.
There is much good information given about people with special needs and planning for disaster with them in mind. This book is very much a book about Bugging Out for three days. It isn't a weekend Rambo guide. Creek makes lots of product recommendations that make sense in the real world. It is not a book about gearing up for the long march through the zombie apocalypse. He recommends no long guns, and the first aid section doesn't mention a blow out kit. This is a book designed to help get you started on the path of preparing yourself and loved ones for an almost inevitable disaster such as an earthquake, hurricane, or local disruption.
In a perfect world almost every chapter would have been expanded and discussed further, but in reality there was no real need to. This is meant to be a guide to get someone up to speed from nothing, no matter an individual's skill set or budget. There is even a chapter where Creek builds a bare bones, but serviceable, BOB in one trip to WalMart for $300.
If there was anything that I thought was really lacking in the book, I would say that it was the omission of any discussion of Ham radio in the Comms section (not that many other books in the genre discuss Ham radio either). In fact, that chapter was the weakest part of the book for me.
Overall a highly recommended intro to the Bug Out Bag, and basic prepping in general.
May 31, 2019
Incredible book.
January 15, 2020
I loved this book...lots of useful information and ideas to get you going.
July 15, 2020
The man has missed NOTHING in this comprehensive guide. Wow.
May 27, 2018
Practical, easy to read, book by Creek. He covers all the essentials, gives varying ranges for price options on certain types/brands of gear, but reminds the reader that knowledge is the best piece of equipment for your BOB. Great resource for a TEOTWAWKI scenario.
April 23, 2017
The best I have read yet
This is the best book on creating a good BOB that I have read yet. It gives practical advice on what items to include along with where to buy them and ideas of other skills to build to accompany their use. Very worth the money. Buy it!
This is the best book on creating a good BOB that I have read yet. It gives practical advice on what items to include along with where to buy them and ideas of other skills to build to accompany their use. Very worth the money. Buy it!
April 26, 2017
Really good tips for emergency preparedness. Can't imagine a much more complete guide to building an effective B.O.B.
July 9, 2020
Good book, gave me a few ideas. Most authors on the subject seem to have quite similar views, so if you've read a BOB book previously, you might find a lot of similar ideas.
December 26, 2018
Be Ready
Very thorough, good advise on the importance of equipment quality and mental readiness required to perform if the need to Bug Out happens
Very thorough, good advise on the importance of equipment quality and mental readiness required to perform if the need to Bug Out happens
July 28, 2017
Let me start off by saying that this is the first Bug Out/disaster preparedness book I've ever read - so I have nothing else to compare it to at this point. With that said, I took a tremendous amount of information from it. Creek does a great job of focusing on the items you need to make sure you have with you in the event you need to bug out. The thing I appreciated most was that he did it in a very matter of fact manner and kept some of the apocalyptic tone out of it that you may run into from time to time with survivalists.
EVERYONE needs to think about these things. Forget about the big things we hear like nuclear assault, terrorist attack or the zombie apocalypse. I live in earthquake territory, so that's the thing I am thinking about as I go through this exercise. Everyone - no matter where they live - has some kind of disaster they should have to plan for. I work in an industry that deals with disaster preparedness, and when the fit hits the shan you'll be happy you took the hours you did for planning, preperation and practice. When the disaster hits, you will be so amped up it will be hard to keep your head about you. You'll be happy you took the time prior to develop and practice a plan.
Creek makes it very clear that you should view this book as a set of guidelines and you need to tailor your Bug Out Bag (BOB) for your particular scenario. One of the main differences between Creek situation and mine is he lives in a much more rural area than I do. I'm in one of the largest metropolitan cities in the world. Our challenges are different. But he gives ideas on how to handle my challenges as well, and gives me a lot to think about.
I borrowed this book from my local library, but I'll be buying a copy for when I start putting my BOB together in the next month or so. The back of the book has tables in it that ell you how much of each item you should pack based on your age, skill level, and how many people are bugging out with you.
Highly suggest you give this book a read
EVERYONE needs to think about these things. Forget about the big things we hear like nuclear assault, terrorist attack or the zombie apocalypse. I live in earthquake territory, so that's the thing I am thinking about as I go through this exercise. Everyone - no matter where they live - has some kind of disaster they should have to plan for. I work in an industry that deals with disaster preparedness, and when the fit hits the shan you'll be happy you took the hours you did for planning, preperation and practice. When the disaster hits, you will be so amped up it will be hard to keep your head about you. You'll be happy you took the time prior to develop and practice a plan.
Creek makes it very clear that you should view this book as a set of guidelines and you need to tailor your Bug Out Bag (BOB) for your particular scenario. One of the main differences between Creek situation and mine is he lives in a much more rural area than I do. I'm in one of the largest metropolitan cities in the world. Our challenges are different. But he gives ideas on how to handle my challenges as well, and gives me a lot to think about.
I borrowed this book from my local library, but I'll be buying a copy for when I start putting my BOB together in the next month or so. The back of the book has tables in it that ell you how much of each item you should pack based on your age, skill level, and how many people are bugging out with you.
Highly suggest you give this book a read
March 10, 2014
This book is a fantastic start for anyone who wants to be prepared in an emergency situation.
"But I don't live in an area that's likely to be hit by (insert excuse here)". That doesn't matter. You might live in area that experiences natural disasters such as flood, bushfire, earthquakes, tornadoes or cyclones. It doesn't matter what form the emergency takes, you need to do your preparation long before the disaster hits.
It's too late to pack a suitcase and grab some food once a disaster has occurred.
This book isn't advocating that you stock up on weapons and have an apocalypse-proof cabin up in mountains. No, it is basic advice on what you should have packed in a bag, ready to go, so you can escape the disaster and have a few essential supplies with you.
Are any of you parents? To those who answered yes; toward the end of the pregnancy did you have a bag of supplies packed and left in the car, or by the front door, ready to go once it was time?
If you answered yes to the second question too, ask yourself why you don't have a similar plan in place for an unscheduled emergency.
This book isn't the be-all and end-all of disaster preparation. There are many skills you need to learn and master. No, this book doesn't have all the answers; no book does. But it's a good place to start.
"But I don't live in an area that's likely to be hit by (insert excuse here)". That doesn't matter. You might live in area that experiences natural disasters such as flood, bushfire, earthquakes, tornadoes or cyclones. It doesn't matter what form the emergency takes, you need to do your preparation long before the disaster hits.
It's too late to pack a suitcase and grab some food once a disaster has occurred.
This book isn't advocating that you stock up on weapons and have an apocalypse-proof cabin up in mountains. No, it is basic advice on what you should have packed in a bag, ready to go, so you can escape the disaster and have a few essential supplies with you.
Are any of you parents? To those who answered yes; toward the end of the pregnancy did you have a bag of supplies packed and left in the car, or by the front door, ready to go once it was time?
If you answered yes to the second question too, ask yourself why you don't have a similar plan in place for an unscheduled emergency.
This book isn't the be-all and end-all of disaster preparation. There are many skills you need to learn and master. No, this book doesn't have all the answers; no book does. But it's a good place to start.
March 29, 2016
Although it's impossible to anticipate everything, this book provides thoughtful and thorough information with plenty of illustrations and references for further study. I always learn useful things reading or watching Creek Stewart (Fat Guys in the Woods plus plenty of videos on the internet). This book covers Bug Out Bags (to the uninitiated, what to pack in a disaster/emergency when one has to leave home and get to safety-- hopefully within 72 hours-- when conditions are terrible). Not everything covered works for everyone which is why he offers options based on different situations and locations including pets (although he obviously has no idea what to do with cats but who does). There is lots of good advice in this book from important papers to pack and how to keep them safe to more what one would expect--shelter, water purification, shelter, and packing light. This is great information.
June 9, 2016
Obviously I'm not an expert - that's why I read this book - so I can't provide an outside verification of the thoroughness of Stewart's advice. Having said that, my perception is that it is very thorough. Stewart lays everything out in an organized manner that makes sense for us noobs. He details several different options, gives his preferred items or recommended gear, and explains why he chose this piece over that piece. Overall, it gives you an in-depth look, but without overwhelming you with too much information. He cites Occam's Razor - Keep It Simple, Stupid - and that's how he lays it out. Simple is best - the more moving parts you have the harder your system is to maintain and the more likely it is to break down. It was a great book to help you simplify your preconceptions of what a Bug Out Bag should be, while still making sure you're covered in all areas.
December 18, 2012
This book is a great blue print on setting up a 72 hour Bug out Bag. It details the equipment needed and how to use them along with how to store them in the bag. It also steps further beyond the bag and suggest basic surveil planning in case of some natural or other disasters. I definitely recommend this for anyone looking to take some proactive safety measures. On a personal note with recent climate changes and uncertainty in the political arena I have chosen to live be the words I rather have one and never need it then need one and never have it. So its a good idea to have a BOB ready to go in an emergency.
July 3, 2013
Well organized book with valuable information. As the author states at the start of the book, there are very few times that it will be beneficial to evacuate your home. However, some disasters require that staying is simply not safe. Creek completes the book discussing how even the best BOB (bug out bag) is only a fraction of what you need for a successful evacaution. Creek describes skills you can develop and plans to make to have a stressful / dangerous time, become less so.
March 11, 2016
Ah, lists. They so appeal to my OCD self. I read this along side another, broader book on how to prepare for the end of the world as we know it, aka TEOTWAWKI.
Good book, but I'm glad I live where and how this doesn't matter to me. I can walk home from work if I have to (though I'd rather not, since it would take all the daylight hours in March.) I live someplace that most folks would be trying to GET TO if TEOTWAWKI occurred.
Good book, but I'm glad I live where and how this doesn't matter to me. I can walk home from work if I have to (though I'd rather not, since it would take all the daylight hours in March.) I live someplace that most folks would be trying to GET TO if TEOTWAWKI occurred.
September 17, 2017
Very well set out
I like how the book is written out in categories, with advice about various equipment , recommendations, pros and cons , etc.
I also appreciate the consideration that we are not all able to go out and spend thousands . The list of bogs and page at the back and the check list are both fantastic for ongoing propping, always with the reminder that the best equipment is not any use if you don't practice and ran how to use it.
I like how the book is written out in categories, with advice about various equipment , recommendations, pros and cons , etc.
I also appreciate the consideration that we are not all able to go out and spend thousands . The list of bogs and page at the back and the check list are both fantastic for ongoing propping, always with the reminder that the best equipment is not any use if you don't practice and ran how to use it.
October 4, 2012
Probably one of the most important books I've ever read. Everyone should either own a copy or be familiar with the topic. You never know when disaster will strike and do the best thing you can do is to be prepared. This book will help you build a top-notch Bug Out bag.
It's chock-full of helpful links, topics, and exercises, in addition to the primary info about your Bag.
Great read.
It's chock-full of helpful links, topics, and exercises, in addition to the primary info about your Bag.
Great read.
May 12, 2013
Creek Stewart advises a common sense approach to putting together basic supplies in the case of disaster. As we live in Tornado prone North Texas we are putting together two backpacks with enough supplies to last a few days. Creek also teaches some valuable skills that will come in handy when I next go camping.
April 25, 2014
Fantastic book on survival bags. I wish it had some checklists, but otherwise perfect. Explains each category of item you need, gives several example items and different ways to do the same thing. Offers product suggestions, websites to check out, etc. Very thorough and large book compared to others. If you get one book on survival bags, get this one!
November 17, 2014
This book was very informative. Except for the grammatical errors, which were many, the book was well written and organized. It had many URLs that pointed me in the right directions for products and information. I enjoyed it courtesy of my local library, but plan to make it part of my personal library.
June 30, 2016
Incredibly helpful, as it helped me to stop obsessing about the bag itself. I'm gonna say no on a few things in there (the pack goat is a little extreme, and the KIodide solves a problem that I don't want to survive). But, really, on the whole, this book is filled with useful suggestions and sources and explanations. I'm still not totally at peace with my BOB, but I'm closer.
June 2, 2017
Packed with greatness
I expected this book to be a simple, quick read about a a bug out bag. It was so much more. This book is a comprehensive collection of everything you need when putting together your bug our bag as well as how to prepare - how to survive - how to increase your chances of survival and so much more.
I expected this book to be a simple, quick read about a a bug out bag. It was so much more. This book is a comprehensive collection of everything you need when putting together your bug our bag as well as how to prepare - how to survive - how to increase your chances of survival and so much more.
June 8, 2017
I like how this book was written to explain that it prepares you for emergency situations. There is so many out there that are for the "apocalypse", but prepping is more than that. Natural disasters happen all over the world, and we should all be prepared to take care of ourselves and our household.
September 17, 2018
Rock solid
I’m an Eagle Scout with lots of backpacking experience who hasn’t been in the woods now for 40 years. This brings it all back, with refreshing updates on new techniques and technologies. Very solid on timeless fundamentals. Hits all the necessities just right and leaves out the nonsense. Read this, get some gear, and go out in the field and practice.
I’m an Eagle Scout with lots of backpacking experience who hasn’t been in the woods now for 40 years. This brings it all back, with refreshing updates on new techniques and technologies. Very solid on timeless fundamentals. Hits all the necessities just right and leaves out the nonsense. Read this, get some gear, and go out in the field and practice.
October 29, 2012
Great book. Creek focused on one particular item of preparedness and nailed it in all aspects. Welcome addition to any preppers library. Lots of photos/checklists/tips to help a beginner to an expert. Pick up today and I think you will enjoy!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews