With all the recent natural disasters around the world, I thought it about time to write some of my tips for packing your bug out bag also know as an emergency kit.

My five rules and a full packing list below!

1). Pack light- I don't mean barely fill your bag, you are going to need a lot of stuff. I mean, when buying items think of weight, even down to the ounce. For example, instead of taking a metal spoon, fork AND knife, consider a light plastic or aluminum sporkknife like this one here
Anything that can be multi-use is awesome.! Think of a bar of soap that can be used for shampoo, body wash, cleaning dishes, clothes, etc. That's the key to saving room and weight in your pack.

2). Choose a durable pack- Don't throw just any duffle or backpack together to hold all your gear. Your pack will be hefty, and you want to make sure if you are going to have to walk somewhere or travel a long distance that it holds up. We chose A military-grade pack like this one here is a good choice.

3). Leave the luxuries at home- You will want to pack somewhat minimally, so do pack a toothbrush, don't pack your perfume/cologne. You will pack an extra set of clothes, but don't pack the whole closet, etc. Leave luxuries including heavy cans of food at home, opting instead for high calorie bars and dehydrated MREs (meals ready to eat) that tend to be compact and light-weight.

4). Pack some cash- One thing a lot of people don't think about in a natural disaster most likely power will be out. If you need to buy goods like water or other essentials (if stores are even open), you will want to be prepared with cash. This can be useful if you want to offer cash for goods from those around you as well.

5). Prep for anything- I said you would need a lot of stuff, this is because you should be prepared for anything. You may live in the city, but if times are really tough and you need to find food, you may want to prepare to fish. That's right. You can find a small travel fishing kit for cheap like this one here Same goes for weather, I live in LA but despite it being warm almost year round, I packed an emergency blanket, jacket, warm socks and gloves. You never know when disaster strikes so you have to be prepared.

Here is my short list of what to pack! Getting this together can take some time, but start with the essentials, then move on to the more in depth list I have included below:

• Food
• Water filtration system
• Emergency blanket
• Fire making tool
• Multitool/Swiss army knife
• Signaling item (mirror, whistle, etc.)
• Extra clothes
• Money
• Small container to boil water
• Emergency kit
• Cordage
• Knife
• Flashlight

Here is a more complete list, from a guy we follow named Nut N Fancy. If you watch all three parts closer to what we currently have packed in our bug out bags:

"Concept U.S.K." Surviving Urban Disaster Pt 1

"Concept U.S.K." Surviving Urban Disaster Pt 2

"Concept U.S.K." Surviving Urban Disaster Pt 3