Gear: Start Smart, Stay Practical

Gear can be a tricky subject when it comes to being prepared. You can have too little, or you can go full “tacticool” and pile on far more than you actually need. There’s a reason the military has a term for people who fall into that latter category—and it’s not meant as a compliment. It’s easy to overwhelm yourself with gear if you’re not careful.

On ApocalypseApproved, I’ve put together gear recommendations to give you practical starting points. But at the end of the day, you are the one who must determine what works for you. I can’t decide that for you—and honestly, I shouldn’t. Your budget, your plans, your environment, and whether you’re operating alone or with a group all matter. What I can do is share what has worked for me, what has made me feel more prepared, and what I consider standard items in my own kits.

I use the word “kits” intentionally because I don’t rely on just one setup. I have different kits for different situations. Am I going to need to Bug Out and move to one of my pre-planned locations? Or will I be able to Bug In and ride things out at home until conditions improve? I won’t know the answer until an incident actually happens and begins to unfold.

What I do know is that whatever kit I use needs to be portable. If you’ve built a Bug Out backpack, take it for a real hike once you think it’s complete. Walk at least a few miles with it on your back. About a mile in, you’ll start realizing what you truly need—and what you packed just because it felt good to include.

Your Bug In kit should be easy to access and stored in a way that keeps it secure. I inventory mine every time I add something new. Most people forget that many preparedness items have shelf lives. My inventory includes an expiration column, and I set calendar reminders on my phone to rotate items out weeks before they expire. My Bug In kit is also portable; it lives in a container that can be loaded into the bed of my truck if I need to move quickly.

The bottom line is this: your gear has to actually work for the purpose you intend it to serve. You also need to know how to use it. Some equipment requires preventative maintenance, and staying on top of that is critical. The last thing you want is to break out your kit in a real emergency only to find rusted tools, dry-rotted straps, or expired supplies.

Being proactive today can make all the difference tomorrow.

In future posts, I’ll break down specific categories of gear I recommend and explain why I recommend them. Every item has a purpose, and there’s real reasoning behind each choice.