ChamomileCraze said:

Curious what everyone considers absolutely essential for their bug out bag—if you had to pick just one item, what’s the non-negotiable? For me, it’s a compact water filter. Always feels like the basics are easiest to overlook.

Click to expand...

A water filter really is hard to beat for sheer practicality—can’t do much without safe water. That said, my personal pick is a sturdy multipurpose bandana. It sounds old-fashioned, but I’ve used one as a sling, a filter, sun protection, you name it. Maybe it comes from my nursing days, but versatility gives me peace of mind in a pinch. ChamomileCraze, what filter brand do you trust? Some of the compact ones haven’t held up for me.

Funny, I was just thinking about how bandanas were basically the original multitool. But if I had to pick, I’d go with a good carbon steel knife. Can process wood, food, even spark a fire if you need. It’s one of those ancient tools that never stops being useful. Anyone else feel like knives are underrated these days compared to all the gadgets?

Funny how many different directions this question can go—shows just how personal prepping really is. For me, if I absolutely had to pick, I’d say a headlamp with extra batteries. Sounds simple, but reliable light has gotten me out of more tricky situations than I can count, especially during winter storms or late-night walks home when the power’s out. Freeing up your hands is a game changer for setting up camp, first aid, or even just digging around in your pack.

I get the love for knives and bandanas too (they’ve both earned their keep in my kit many times over), but I’ve found that people tend to underestimate how quickly darkness makes everything harder. I keep a few old-fashioned glow sticks tucked in as backups, but once you get used to a hands-free light source, it’s tough to go back.

Anyone else ever had their headlamp battery run out at the worst possible time? Learned my lesson about packing extras after a cold night geocaching near Lake Superior… not an experience I’d want to repeat!