We get a lot of questions about what type of gear we keep in our bug out bags, so we wanted to share one of our latest budget-conscious builds with our readers. The OFFGRID Survival Budget Bug Out Bag is made up of gear that we have personally used and recommend for anyone putting together a bugout bag on a budget.
ShelterWaterFireCommsCutting ToolFirst Aid
Recommended Budget Backpack
Falko Tactical Backpack
The Falko Tactical Backpack is obviously a knock-off, but for those looking for a budget bag this is one of the best we found at this price point. In fact, it’s about a quarter of the price of similar bags from brands like 5.11.
What Budget-Friendly Bugout Gear Is in the Bag?
The main gear in our budget bugout bag covers our core needs: shelter, water, emergency comms, and a good knife.
Bambaw 32 oz Water Bottle
A single-wall stainless steel bottle you can use to both carry and sterilize water in the wilderness. Single-wall steel bottles can go right over a campfire to boil water, which makes them a must for any good bugout bag. It’s a knock-off of the Klean Kanteen at about half the price.
Morakniv Companion
The Morakniv Companion Sandvik stainless fixed-blade may be a budget knife, but it more than stacks up to knives selling for 10x the price. I carry quite a few of these, as everything from my go-to EDC to the main knife in my fishing bags.
Baofeng UV-5R
About as budget friendly as it gets for ham radio and emergency communication gear. While we love our Yaesu radios, you can literally buy 10 of these for the price of one Yaesu.
The Rest of the Gear…
Cheap, light, and redundant. These are the backups and essentials that round out the kit.
LifeStraw
Another important backup I keep in my bags. The stainless steel bottle is great, but there are times you may not be able to start a fire, and these work great on the go.
550 Paracord
Another bulk buy we split up between our bags. From hunting and fishing to building shelters and first aid, paracord is a multi-purpose item every bag should have.
Cheap Upgrades Worth Adding
Proven, name-brand gear that won’t break the bank. Each of these fills a gap in a bare-bones bag for roughly $10–$30.
Sawyer MINI Water Filter
Typically $15–$25
Weighs about 2 ounces, filters to 0.1 micron, and is rated for up to 100,000 gallons. Unlike a LifeStraw, it screws onto a squeeze pouch or standard water bottle, so you can fill containers instead of drinking face-down in a creek.
SOL Emergency Bivvy
Typically $20–$30
A big step up from a basic Mylar blanket. You climb inside it like a sleeping bag, it reflects most of your body heat, and it’s tougher and quieter than cheap foil. Packs smaller than a soda can at under 4 ounces.
Petzl Tikkina Headlamp
Typically around $20
Light was the biggest hole in the original kit. The Tikkina puts out 300 lumens, runs on three AAA batteries you can find anywhere, and keeps both hands free for setting up shelter or working a fire after dark.
Stanley Adventure Camp Cook Set
Typically $10–$25
A 24 oz stainless pot with a vented lid, locking handle, and two nesting cups. Boil water, cook rice, or heat a meal over a fire. It also nests nicely around a small fuel canister or your fire-starting kit.
Datrex 3600 Calorie Food Bar
Typically $10–$20 per bar
Coast Guard-approved emergency rations with a 5-year shelf life. Each pack holds 18 individually wrapped 200-calorie bars, they won’t make you thirsty, and they survive heat in a car or closet without melting.
Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2 Rain Suit
Typically $15–$30
Jacket and pants that weigh well under a pound and stuff into their own sack. Getting soaked is how hypothermia starts. It isn’t built for bushwhacking through thorns, but as an emergency layer it’s hard to beat for the money.
Suunto A-10 Compass
Typically around $25
When the grid goes down, so does your phone’s GPS. This Finnish-made baseplate compass has a jewel-bearing needle and a liquid-filled capsule. Cheap no-name compasses can be dangerously inaccurate; this one isn’t.
Knowledge Is the Best Piece of Gear You Can Pack
In the end, it doesn’t matter what gear you pack if you haven’t learned how to use it and survive. So please, don’t just pack the bag and forget it, thinking you have everything you need when the shit hits the fan.
Take the time to consider where to go, what to take, how to survive during a crisis, and why bug out bags are a crucial part of your plan. Here are some articles that can help:
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