Go Bag aka BOB

So I've been doing some thinking about the Bug Out Bag concept. I came across a thread where people listed the contents of their bags. Some were very military-esque, others looked more like camping gear. I'm not sure what category mine would fall into.

I believe a "Go Bag", or whatever you prefer to call it, is a very personal thing. I'm not saying this in a melodramatic way. I just feel it is an extension of the creator. The person that it will do the most for is the one that put it together. In order to know what to include, I think we have to analyze our lifestyle.

My particular life has the following factors. I have a 20 mile commute. I have an 8 month old boy. My funding is very limited. I'm in good enough shape to walk/hike cover several miles on foot, though I haven't found my limit... I'm strong both physically and mentally. I'm also a great problem solver with tons of creativity. Boiled down, this means I don't mind carrying a bunch of stuff, but if it's in my pack, it better have multiple uses.

Basic stuff I include in my bag are things that could transfer between any one's. I have a multi-tool, knife, basic first aid, water, lighter, change of clothes, flashlight, deck of cards, pencil and paper, compass. I also try to have redundancy with these, but I'll touch on that in a sec. These items are a great foundation for anyone.

Some of the personal items I include are a hatchet for dealing with wood. I also have a folding camp shovel to make digging easier. Toilet paper was thrown in when I realized how nice it would be to have a luxury item like that in a bad situation. Throwing in the TP made me toss in a few other luxuries. I now have 2 sawzall blades, second flashlight, baby wipes, zipties, ziplock bags, duct tape, figure 9's, carabiners, 550 cord, file, wet naps, chapstick, paper clips, sunscreen wipes, vapor rub inhaler, and aluminum foil (in case I need a hat lol).

All that stuff is great, and there are many things I use from it weekly. It's my man-purse. Bottom line though is it will help me get where I need to be. And because I have items for daily use in it, I'm more likely to have the bag with me at all times.

As for the redundancy part I said I'd get back to, my thought process goes something like this...
I have no idea what I'll need to be ready for, but I know what I need to survive most things that will come my way. I don't want to rely on my bag because there may come a time when it is unavailable to me. Many of the items in my pack serve a dual purpose. That way in case something is broken or lost, I have a back-up. The main thing I rely on are my survival skills. I'm not a hunter or Bear Grylls, but I'm confident I could make it back to my family, or stay put and await rescue if need be.