What’s Your B.O.B.?

For those individuals who live in places that are prone to earthquakes, forest fires, mudslides, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes or an unstable political environment, a B.O.B. or BOB, is an acronym for Bug Out Bag.  The term BOB comes from the military and refers to a situation where things have deteriorated to the point that you have to “Bug Out” or leave your base of operations in a hurry.  Because you leave in haste, you don’t want to take the time to search, find and pack the gear, food, water and clothing that you might need to sustain yourself.  So, you make a list of the essentials and pack it ahead of time, leaving it in a place where you can just grab and go, should the need arise.

Usually a BOB is used to get you from one base of operations to another where you can either re-supply or go back to living a normal life in an area that wasn’t hit by war or a disaster.  It is normally packed in a backpack, although you could put it in a suitcase or other container that you could easily carry. A backpack makes the most sense because it allows you to be hands free to carry a walking stick, hold a child’s hand, grab onto trees, shrubbery or rocks when climbing a steep hill, or carry and use a weapon. It also allows you the best balance over other types of luggage. Most experts agree that the average person should not carry a backpack for any long distances that weigh more than 25% of their body weight. For instance a 200 pound man could carry up to a 50 pound pack, but a 120 pound woman would want to stay at around a 30 pound pack.  Of course, the more you can carry, the better, but remember that the bigger you are the larger your clothes and gear have to be in general and so if you pack carefully, you should be able to carry a pack with the essential items that you need at no more than a quarter of your body weight.

The BOB has also become popular with the preparedness community. As I stated in the introduction, many civilians, who live in an area of danger, also have a pre-packed, pre-staged Bug Out Bag. They may keep it in their closet at home, their car, or under their desk when at work, or in an outbuilding in case their primary residence has been badly damaged. Some have even gone so far as to buy or build an underground storage box or PVC tube (used in plumbing), and have buried it in a secure location so that it is accessible without having to go back into a danger zone to retrieve it.

What you put in your BOB is for a later article, but what most people do, that are not military is they pack clothes for the weather they might encounter, including rain gear of some type,  calorie dense food, a container to carry water as well as to boil it in along with a hand sized water filter, some type of tent or other shelter option, the means to acquire firewood and start a fire, some sort of signalling device such as a mirror or brightly colored material, a compass and map with one or more pre-planned safe routes or a GPS with fresh batteries for navigation, and a basic first aid/self aid kit should the disaster require it.  Depending on the local laws, they may also pack a knife or other weapon for self protection. For those who must dress up in business attire for their job, many will also include a sturdy pair of walking shoes or hiking boots to change into.

The kind of backpack will vary somewhat to fit the situation. Some really like a military style pack like the old school ALICE gear while others lean toward the civilian market and use a commercial backpack.  Whatever you carry, it needs to be big enough to comfortably carry all your items without having to hang a lot of stuff on the outside where it can be seen or stolen by others. It should also not draw a lot of attention from other people. Remember that in a disaster, many others will also want to “Bug Out” as well but may not have made any advance preparation.  So in their desperation, they may try to take your supplies from you if they perceive that you have valuable, life sustaining supplies with you.

Spiritually speaking, a friend was talking to me the other day and told me that his church also uses the term B.O.B.  It stands for Burden, Opportunity and Boldness.  Just as we shoulder a backpack in an emergency, we need to shoulder a Burden for the lost people of our world.  Then when we carry a burden for these precious souls, we will begin looking for an Opportunity to witness to them about Christ. When that opportunity comes, we must pray for Boldness to speak truth into their lives.  So, you may be prepared for a natural disaster with your BOB, but do you have a spiritual BOB for the disaster of sin that is destroying the lives and homes of those around you? If not, begin asking the Heavenly Father that you might begin to see the lives of others through His eyes. Then, carry a burden for them on the shoulders of your heart, look for  an opportunity to minister to them and have holy boldness to approach them with the truth and love of Jesus!

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James B