Gaye Levy
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Let’s face it. No matter how much we hope we will never have to evacuate the comfort of our homes, there is always a possibility that circumstances will require that we gather our emergency supplies and leave on a moment’s notice. When that happens, you want to be ready to grab your spouse, your kids, the family pet and a well stocked bug-out-bag with enough gear to get you by for at least 72 hours.
Where do you start? If you are like me, you started with a very basic kit using items you already owned. From there, you advanced to a more robust pack filled with the esoteric items of survival: an emergency radio, a tactical knife, some rudimentary shelter, a first aid kit, and fire-making supplies.
As easy as it may be to be smug in the knowledge that you now have a Bug Out Bag, over time you are going to want to refresh and renew, or even start over.
Today I am thrilled to present the Tactical Traveler Bug Out Bag from Ready to Go Survival.
The Tactical Traveler – First Observations
This pack is fabulous! Okay, I am done with my review. Just kidding, of course.
My first observation when I took Tactical Traveler out of its box was that everything arrived, all at once, pre-packed in a military-grade Rothco Medium Transport Bag. Now why is this important? Because when I order a “package” of something, I want it to arrive together not piecemeal over a matter of weeks. Plus, having everything packed inside the bag allowed me to see how to take advantage of all of the nooks and crannies of the pack and to maximize its space.
The stated weight of the Tactical Traveler is 20 pounds but just to be sure, I weighed it myself and yes, it was almost exactly 20 pounds. Weight is important because if the pack is too heavy, at best you won’t get far and at worst you will hurt yourself while carrying it. I took a 3 mile hike with the fully loaded pack and had no problems whatsoever. Granted, 20 pounds is not a lot of weight but at 105 pounds, I am on the small side and was concerned about carrying even 20 pounds without straining or tiring.
I need not have worried. The design of the pack is such that you can adjust the straps so it fits perfectly. The other thing is that the pack itself is narrow, meaning you can pass though narrow openings without bumping into the sides. The loaded pack was such a non-issue, carry-wise, that I ended up staying outdoors with the pack on, getting water out of a local pond (actually, quarry nine) and even playing ball with Tucker the dog on the green in front of my home.
The Gear
One of the problems I have with purchased kits is that often times the gear consists of cheap, no-name items being sold at a premium price Not so with the items in the Tactical Traveler.
Here is a complete list of what is included:
1 Mil-spec Rothco Medium Transport Bag
1 205 Piece First Aid Kit
20 Potassium Iodide Tablets 65 Mg
10 Ammonia Inhalants
1 Smith & Wesson Tactical Ops Knife w/ belt cutter & glass breaker
3 Wise Company Meals
9 Emergency Food Bars (3690 calories)-
20 Packets of Emergency Water
1 LifeStraw Water Filter
1 Tactical Flashlight 220 Lumen w/ strobe S.O.S.
1 Compass
1 Windstorm Emergency Whistle
1 SOL Emergency Blanket
1 Aurora Fire Starter
2 Disposable Lighters
1 Pack of Storm Proof Matches 25 pc
1 Pack of Quick Fire Tinder 10 pc
1 Roll Duct Tape 10 yards
1 Pack of Water Purification Tablets
5 6″ Glow Sticks
4 Sets of Ear Plugs
1 50′ 550 Paracord (my review kit included 100’)
10 Large Zip Ties
1 Steel Folding Trowel
1 Tube Tent
1 Mil-spec Poncho
1 Signal Mirror
1 SOL Sleeping Bivvy
6 AA & AAA Batteries
1 Pair Work Gloves
4 N95 Mask
6 Heat Packs
2 5′ Utility Straps
1 Fishing Kit
1 Uvex Goggles
1 Etón Crank Emergency Radio with Flashlight, Solar Power & Cell Phone Charger (add-on item)
1 Gerber Multiplier 400 Multi-Tool (add-on item)
I wish that Ready To Go Survival had been around with the Tactical Traveler when I was first putting my bug out bag together. It would have been a lot easier in the long run to start with all of the gear I needed, nicely organized.
What’s Missing?
No pre-packaged emergency kit will be 100% complete. With the Tactical Traveler I will want to add few personal items such as a flash drive with copies of important documents, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, pet food, No-Rinse bath wipes and prescription meds. And of course, my personal weapon. Extra clothing will need to go in a secondary pack.
It is worth mentioning that Ready to Go Survival will customize a pack for you. So, for instance, if you want 2 rain ponchos instead of 1, no problem. Just let them know.
The Final Word
The Tactical Traveler (or any of the other packs at Ready To Go Survival) would make the perfect holiday gift to yourself or to someone you love.
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
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385 Responses to “Review: The Tactical Traveler Bug Out Bag”
This sounds like a really good pre-assembled kit. I’m very impressed at including a LifeStraw.
I would add 2 sets of synthetic underwear and inner socks to help prevent rash/chafing, ditto lotion for inner thighs and between toes. Plenty of moleskin if not enough already included. Several big safety pins.
The bag may be too full to put a full set of clothes in, including light boots, so I would likely add a separate bag which I would draw on if needed, abandon if not. My thinking is that ideally I want to be able to run naked from a burning, collapsing house or under attack, and have all the clothes needed.
At least a couple hundred dollars in small bills. A small stainless .22 handgun such as a S&W J-Frame Model 63, 100 rounds of ammunition and holster. Canteen or water bottle.
Map of any areas I’d likely be moving through, in a ZipLock bag. Old driver’s license/ID.
I would add documents to ID who I am, small Bible, my meds, cash money and a spare pair of eye glasses. There is more things I would add depending on how much more space there is.
If you are the winner, what additional items would you add to the Tactical Traveler to personalize it for your own unique needs? I would add 2 used coffee cans one large and one smaller that nests inside the larger .Both would have the rims cut off with a can opener ( washed and dryed ,lids as well). Since they are metal they have many uses with no need to go into them now.I would also add a roll of TP to the cans to keep it dry till needed.I would include thecan opener as welll 🙂 .I would add a small camp axe ,a machete and a tent with sleeping bag and ground pad.T o top it off i would include my copy of the SAS syrvival guide and small bible to have stuff to read.I carry my guns on my person so i would pack spare ammo in the pack .I know it seems like a lot but to be honest i could probably stuff it with even more gear.I like the fact that the pack is black and not camo. I would love to win thispck and put it through its paces
They have a several basecamp modules that are perfect!
This bag seems very well thought out and put together. My personal things I would add would be my gun and ammo, silver for trading, peanut butter, my jerky, hard candy, my ALLERGY MEDS.
It looks like a great pack. I would personalize with coffee, dried strawberries, and prescriptions.
I would add my Swiss Army Knife, toilet paper, medications, Honey Stinger Energy Chews, book of edible plants, Army surplus folding hat, can opener, crossword puzzle book, trash bags, ziploc bags, spork, canteen and metal cup.
I would add a hatchet,canteen with cup for extra water & heating water for cooking,an extra pair of eye glasses,hand sanitizer,toilet paper,baby wipes, extra .22 ammo,& a beanie style cap. Also maybe some mole skin patches if none are included in first aid kit.
I would add my breakdown 22lr rifle and my pocket fishing pole.
I would add some prescription Meds, hard candy, nalgene water bottle and a boil cup. What a nice job they did with this pack. Great web site BDS, keep up the good work!
My additions would include safety glasses, mechanic style gloves, primary and secondary weapon ammo among other items specific to my situation.