The Ultimate Inch Bag With 91 Items To Pack (PDF List)

Bug-out bags, get-home bags, everyday carry kits… why do we need another survival bag? Because each bag has its own purpose and you do NOT need to own all of them.

United States Army Issue Large MOLLE Ruck
United States Army Issue Large MOLLE Ruck – perfect to pack as an INCH bag.

Think of inch bags as oversized bug-out bags because their purpose is to keep you alive for an indefinite amount of time out in the wilderness. In these situations, you’ll be pretty much a refugee, which is ironic because, as I’m writing this, hundreds of thousands of immigrants are flooding Europe.

INCH is an acronym, and it stands for I’m Never Coming Home. I know, you might say to yourself that you’re almost sure you’ll bug in when it happens but who can tell what will happen? Bugging out is a dangerous scenario if you leave it out of your prepping plans and an inch bag is the best place to start.

If you already have a bug-out bag, you’re halfway there and know the drill; all you need now is to decide whether or not an INCH bag is something you should invest in as another tool in your prepping toolbox.

In this article, we’ll show you what’s what and discuss the pros and cons of INCH bags.

Differences Between INCH Bag and Bug-Out Bag

The ubiquitous BOB needs no introduction for preppers. For many of us, the BOB is our one-size-fits-most equipment solution for any kind of disaster or emergency since it holds all of the equipment we could conceivably need to deal with anything that is likely to happen.

When the situation takes a turn for the worse, you can grab your BOB and produce what you need to deal with the situation, or even take off in your vehicle or on foot heading for greener pastures content knowing did you have everything you need to sustain yourself for at least seventy-two hours with you.

A bug-out bag contains the things you need to shelter yourself, feed yourself, procure clean water, start a fire, take care of your body, take care of the rest of your gear, navigate, and even fend-off threats.

The humble bug-out bag is the total systems solution for SHTF events and is rightly venerated as many preppers’ most-prized piece of kit.

The INCH bag is oftentimes thought of as a super-sized BOB: All the things you need, plus quite a few things you might need, in greater quantities.

This is a fair assessment, but where the INCH bag truly sets itself apart from the BOB is in its emphasis on untrue sustainment gear and other systems, even if it comes at the expense of weight.

Where a BOB should be expected to keep you up and running for three days, five days to a week on the outside, an INCH bag should be packed with the goodies you’ll need to start setting up a proper camp or take care of your own survival needs for an indefinite period of time while away from your home and your stash.

Opinions vary on this subject as with all others, but for my part, I think of a BOB as more akin to a survival SCUBA tank; something that will let me go out into the world and stay down so long as I have “air” (supplies) enough to enable it.

Conversely, I think of the INCH bag as more akin to a submarine; Something that is far bigger and more complex than a SCUBA tank, but also something that will enable me to stay down for a very long time.

In this way, though, they operate using similar principles, BOB’s and INCH bags have entirely different missions, and that is what will inform your decision to employ one or not.

Is an INCH Bag for Me?

There is a popular saying in the military- “The mission drives the gear train.” What this means is that the mission, your personal objective, dictates what equipment, tools, and weapons you should employ to achieve those ends.

This applies to absolutely anything that might be required of a member of the military, and it certainly applies to you as a prepper.

Consider that if you were in charge of a military operation that was intended to pacify an urban area with a minimum of collateral damage and also a minimally-invasive presence, choosing to roll in there with a bunch of main battle tanks, helicopter gunships, and other loud, destructive Implements of war is probably going to go very, very badly for you.

You’ll have no one to blame but yourself!

Apply this to your own survival plan. Do you have multiple, redundant bug-out locations that are all within reasonably easy walking distance of your home, and do you know where you can resupply along the way on each of those routes?

Is your home going to be safe from anything except the worst possible luck? If that is the case, a BOB is probably all you need.

On the other hand, if part and parcel of your survival plan is taking off into the deep wilderness to scratch out a semi-permanent camp and wait for a really bad situation that is likely to engulf your home to blow over, your bug-out bag probably contains only enough in the way of supplies that you will regret it when they run out.

Since I cannot know your exact situation, what disaster will befall you and the extent of your plans and backup plans, I cannot recommend an INCH bag for you specifically one way or the other, reader.

But what I can tell you is that the more likely you are to have to “abandon ship” for the duration or even perhaps permanently the more you need an INCH bag to replace or supplement your bug-out bag.

three backpacks a 45 liter frameless day pack a large 7-day pack, and a smaller 2-day pack
three backpacks a 45-liter frameless day pack a large 7-day pack, and a smaller 2-day pack

Choosing your INCH bag

There’s no shortage of backpacks out there for you to choose from but be sure to take the time to consider these questions to make sure you get just the right bag for your needs.

Purchasing a pre-made INCH bag might seem like the simplest option, but it is not the best one for you and your family.  You will get a much better result if you put the time and effort into planning and buying your own gear – it’ll be tailored to suit your personal needs and you’ll be able to quickly find what you need when you need it.

Here are a few things you to consider before you buy:

Fit

Does it have a waist belt? Does the bag fit you properly with the correct torso length and adjustable straps to distribute the load between your hip and shoulders?

Does it have adequate support? External frame packs are typically better for large loads. Look for padded comforts, compression straps, and adjustable fit.

Capacity

Are there enough compartments and pockets inside it to store everything?

Although your bag needs plenty of room, don’t buy one that is too big for you. Remember, you’ll have to carry this bag, fully outfitted for long periods at a time. The total weight of your INCH bag should not exceed 25% of your total body weight.

Durability

Is the fabric durable and waterproof?

Don’t be sucked into buying a low-quality bag, just because it’s cheap.  It might be so, but is it going to be able to contain everything you need to survive?

Avoid brightly colored backpacks as they will make you an easy target as you maneuver through crowds of looters and desperate people trying to survive as well.

Weight

There is no other way around it; an INCH bag is going to weigh an awful lot more than your typical bug-out bag. Where your average bug-out bag should hopefully never weigh more than 40 lbs., it is entirely possible for a fully equipped INCH bag to weigh 50, 60 or even 70 lbs.

We are getting up into infantryman field load levels of weight, here! Your pack must be able to support this level of weight through thick and thin, and just as importantly it must be able to hold this weight in such a way that it is not crippling for you.

And speaking of the person who carries it, an INCH bag will not even be a viable option for someone who is not already used to carrying substantial weight while on foot for extended periods of time.

There is a basic fitness prerequisite for making the best use of an INCH bag due to the weight alone. But assuming you can handle the load, the load may still kill you if your backpack cannot secure it in a way that makes it tolerable and easy to carry.

Redundancy

The notion that an INCH bag will contain everything a BOB contains and more of it is partially true. In a situation where losing a vital provision or an essential piece of equipment could spell death or disaster for your bug-out plan, having backups could save the day.

Your INCH bag must be able to accommodate everything you need and then some, including the addition of any last-minute but crucial pieces of gear that you will need for the journey ahead.

You can never have too much storage, too much expansion room, or too much capability when it comes to an INCH bag.

This must always be justified against your total load, but compared to a BOB your INCH bag is more likely to let you down if you choose poorly purely because you’ll be carrying so much stuff.

Ensure that any pack you buy has redundant stitching and heavy-duty attachment points on all essential connections and components.

Modularity

Your INCH bag and its contents will probably evolve with you, either as your plans change or as the seasons change. It is not enough to have a high-capacity backpack that is only a single, large cell.

That is a bog-standard duffel bag, and those are not the best choice for INCH bags. What is needed instead is modularity, the ability to expand the pack or to seamlessly connect additional storage to it when required.

If you start to lean out the pack or consume the items that it carries, can the pack shrink down or fold in on itself? Is it capable of being used with or without the frame? With or without a hydration bladder? Can the bulky cargo platform on the bottom be stowed in an unobtrusive way?

These questions are not to satisfy your urge to add gimmicks to your backpack; it is to ensure that your backpack is working for you, and not the other way around.

Wheels

Wheels might seem like a silly option for an INCH bag considering you probably aren’t heading for the airport to check your bags and jet off on a vacation, but the idea does have some merit so long as they are low profile and don’t add too much weight.

Anytime you are traveling on a relatively flat and level surface, the ability to take off your invariably heavy INCH bag and tow it behind yourself will give your shoulders, back, and hips a nice break, enable you to move faster, and save energy. All are worthwhile pursuits in a survival situation.

Only a few backpacks feature these as built-in options, but so long as you can check all the other boxes on your list of requirements they are definitely a nice perk to have.

For the industrious prepper, you might even look into rigging up a small, stowable pair of wheels that can attach to your backpack via PALS webbing or some other system.

INCH Pack Recommendations

Disclosure: This post has links to 3rd party websites, so I may get a commission if you buy through those links. Survival Sullivan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclosure for more.

  • MALICE Packs from Tactical Tailor. Bombproof packs from one of the oldest and best names in tactical bags and gear. Made to last, and packed with proven and well-designed features.
  • ALPS OutdoorZ Commander Pack Bag. A large, externally framed military pack with plenty of room for expansion, external cargo, and even stowage for long and awkward items like bows, rifles, and tripods.
  • Kelty Trekker Pack. A classically-styled, hiking pack sized to tote enough gear for major expeditions. Carries everything except the kitchen sink!
  • Eberlestock V90 Battleship – A mammoth 6100 ci. tactical pack that has a detachable fanny pack admin pouch, tons of organization and PALS webbing inside and out, and one of the best suspensions in the business.

The Contents of your INCH bag

When assembling your INCH bag, your priority should be on basic survival gear rather than luxury or comfort items.

So, what exactly do you need to survive?  I’ve broken the topic into basic categories to make it easier to digest. You will need to customize it for your personal needs, but here’s a basic outline:

Air:  we don’t last long without clean air, so perhaps the first thing you’ll need is:

  • ✅ NBC Gas Mask with a NATO filter the correct size for each person.
  • ✅ Several disposable N95 or N100 surgical masks

Shelter and Heat: Hypothermia is nature’s silent killer, so be prepared with:

  • ✅ 4 emergency blankets
  • ✅ Small tent (make it a 2-person tent if possible)
  • ✅ Sleeping bag (waterproof and cold weather rated if possible)
  • ✅ Waterproof groundsheet
  • ✅ Tarpaulin
  • ✅ Waterproof matches/firelighter blocks/lighter/flint
  • ✅ Magnifying glass

Water:  you will need clean drinking water for the first couple of days, and a method of purification after your initial supply is gone.

Include :

  • ✅ water purification tablets as well as
  • ✅ a personal water filter (hint: the Sawyer mini can purify 100 times more water than the LifeStraw, that’s 100,000 liters).

Food and Cooking: Try to make sure your pack contains enough food to last one full week, without having to forage from nature.  Here are some suggestions:

  • ✅ High-energy protein bars
  • ✅ Dried fruit
  • ✅ Nuts
  • ✅ Oatmeal
  • ✅ Dehydrated vegetables
  • ✅ Meal replacement powders
  • ✅ Tea, coffee, sugar
  • ✅ Chocolate, candy
  • ✅ Stock cubes
  • ✅ Dried soup mix
  • ✅ Mineral salts
  • ✅ Rice
  • ✅ Powdered milk
  • ✅ Pemmican

Of course, MREs are decent, but they’ll take up more room and we’re talking long-term here, not just a day or two. Pack one or two to get you started, but consider items that provide the most nutritious and satisfying meals yet take up minimum space.

How are you going to prepare your food? Consider:

  • ✅ Lightweight camping stove
  • ✅ Utensils for preparation and eating
  • ✅ A billy or kettle
  • ✅ Stainless mug/s and plate/s
  • ✅ Sharp knives

It’s wise, however, to start supplementing by hunting and gathering right from the start. This will help to ‘stretch out’ the contents of your pack.  Be sure to include:

  • ✅ A fishing kit (rod, line, floats, lures, reel, etc)
  • ✅ Hunting knives + whetstone
  • ✅ Weapon
  • ✅ Traps or snares
  • ✅ Edible plant guide for your area
  • ✅ Bags to collect roots and plants in

First Aid Kit:  injuries are debilitating, there are literally hundreds of ready-made kits available for purchase, however make sure your kit includes:

  • ✅ First aid manual
  • ✅ Bandages
  • ✅ Band-Aids
  • ✅ Butterfly sutures
  • ✅ Nitril gloves
  • ✅ Antiseptic liquid and wipes
  • ✅ Tourniquet
  • ✅ Antihistamine
  • ✅ Burn relief cream (or aloe vera gel)
  • ✅ Decongestant spray/tablets (for common cold)
  • ✅ Eye wash & patches
  • ✅ Scissors
  • ✅ Tweezers
  • ✅ Gauze pads/cotton balls
  • ✅ Paracetamol/Nurofen/Aspirin
  • ✅ Sunscreen
  • ✅ Multivitamins
  • ✅ A good supply of any prescription medications you need

Personal hygiene: this is really important, because you have to keep yourself as healthy and confident as possible.  If you fail on hygiene, you’ve taken the first step towards giving up. I suggest you keep all of these into a single pouch, so you know where to find them.  Be sure to include:

  • ✅ 2 x rolls toilet paper
  • ✅ Fold-up brush, comb & mirror
  • ✅ Toothbrush, toothpaste & dental floss
  • ✅ Bar of soap
  • ✅ Wet wipes
  • ✅ Shampoo
  • ✅ Deodorant
  • ✅ Hand sanitizer
  • ✅ Disposable razors
  • ✅ Pocket-sized tissue packs
  • ✅ Nail cutters
  • ✅ Towel

Clothing:  Make sure you include a full change of clothes (you know your own climate and what you will have to include) as well as an extra (2 full sets) of underwear.  Also, include:

  • A hat
  • Mosquito net
  • Extra shoelaces
  • Sunglasses
  • Hiking boots
  • Thermal underwear
  • 4-5 pairs of socks (of various thicknesses)
  • Wet weather gear

Pack all clothing in watertight bags.

Other tools and equipment you’ll find invaluable include:

  • ✅ Work gloves (leather)
  • Hatchet
  • ✅ Garbage bags (assorted sizes)
  • ✅ Pencils
  • ✅ Multi-purpose tool (eg. Leatherman)
  • ✅ Miscellaneous hardware items (nails, screws, cable ties)
  • ✅ Measuring tape
  • ✅ Sewing kit (various sizes of needles and thread)
  • ✅ Duct tape & fluorescent marking tape
  • ✅ Small folding saw (or hand-crank saw)
  • ✅ Crowbar / hammer
  • ✅ Calculator
  • ✅ Screwdriver set
  • ✅ Wire cutters
  • ✅ Zip-seal bags
  • ✅ Assortment of small batteries (AAA, AA, 9V, etc.)
  • ✅ Hand crank and/or solar-powered flashlight
  • ✅ Rope/paracord

Communication and navigation are both very important.  Vital items include:

  • ✅ Orienteering Compass
  • ✅ Backup compass (either orienteering or at least a button compass)
  • ✅ Topographic maps (learn to read these in advance)
  • ✅ GPS system + backup batteries
  • ✅ Distress flares
  • ✅ Survival whistle
  • ✅ Cell phone and extra battery (fully charged)
  • ✅ Solar-powered charger for phone
  • ✅ Prepaid phone card
  • ✅ Backup batteries for hearing aid if applicable
  • ✅ Headlamp
  • ✅ Small emergency radio (hand crank or solar-powered is ideal)

Other items you may want to include:

  • ✅ Cash (a few hundred in smaller bills at a minimum, but the more the better!)
  • ✅ Passport/ID photographs/vital information and documents (plus copies)
  • ✅ the Holy Bible or other religious reference book of your choice
  • ✅ Notebook/pen and several permanent markers
  • ✅ Pepper spray
  • ✅ A second pair of reading glasses
  • ✅ Assortment of containers with lids

These lists give you a basic idea of what you’ll need, however, the limitations to your INCH bag will be space, pack weight, and the money you’re prepared to invest in it.

Honestly, the lists could go on and on, but focus on what you actually need to survive. Soft comfort items and daily conveniences can be added later if you still have room in your pack after you pack in all the basic necessities.

These are basic and common sense suggestions but use your judgment too. 

Conclusion and Your PDF Checklist

An INCH bag is more than a bigger BOB and is intended for serious long-term off-grid sustainment using only the contents of the pack.

Despite their great weight, for preppers who plan to abandon their homes entirely and lack a multitude of BOLs, an INCH bag can be just the ticket.

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Customize your INCH bag based on your local weather climate, your location, your personal needs, and the needs of your family members. Get cracking and organize your INCH bag before it’s too late. And don’t forget your PDF that you can print out to make sure you don’t forget anything…

inch bag survival

10 thoughts on “The Ultimate Inch Bag With 91 Items To Pack (PDF List)”

    1. I can actually see where, in an “I’m Never Coming Home” scenario (imagine total collapse, figuratively or literally), a prybar (maybe lighter weight) *would* come in darn handy.
      OTOH: I’m trying to figure out, from a purely pragmatic POV, exactly where justifying a printed copy of “the Holy Bible” — among 91 objects — when trying to *NOT DIE* — fits in. How about a copy of the SAS Survival Handbook (it’s a LOT smaller – and a LOT more immediately useful!
      Sure, the Bible might provide inspiration, and save your soul — but your soul might be meeting its maker (in at least one tradition) far more immediately if you’re TOTING the EFFING BIBLE, rather than just keeping ALIVE. And the soul/maker thing is quite another article; THIS one is about NOT having the soul meet its maker just yet. So: no Bible; yes things that keep you effing ALIVE, bodily.

  1. My thoughts on an INCH kit are quite a bit different. To me, an INCH kit has the items needed to get to a place where you can start over. Part of it includes the kit as described, to be able to live in the wilderness a bit longer, (what I consider a EWLS Extended Wilderness Living System kit) until one can reach a place where you can set down roots again, provide shelter if none exists, continue to feed yourself until crops can be planted and the first harvest made, and stock can be established, for long term food supplies, and set up long term water availability and treatment. But I also believe that INCH kits (specifically not ‘bag’, as no bag can hold it all) should include the means to start earning a living long term. It could include financial assets ranging from precious metals to certain items required to get a business up and running.

    Now, comments have already been made about ‘too much stuff to carry’, so I will not post my list, as it includes many more things, and even if a person picks and chooses, as my lists are intended to be used, the list can be long enough to require some type of transport, from a game cart up to a semi truck. Depends on what a person’s ultimate goal is in the new location. Just gold and silver to start over in some situations could be enough. But if your trade is going to be blacksmith, you will need to take some equipment, tools, and supplies.

    This is a significant case of what things mean to individuals and how they plan to handle them. INCH means what I described here, it obviously means something else to others. And the extent of what is needed is very obviously in dispute. So, as always, I will say that do your own due diligence research, take away from that research what applies to your specific situation including financial situation, family situation, location, skills, and all the rest of the personal details that are different for each person, family, and group. Never take any information, and especially advice or suggestions from anyone, including me, as gospel. It is your life and your money. Make your own choices, and do not worry too much about the many different labels that are being applied to all things prepping. They have changed much from the early days, and are changing now.

    Also as always, just my opinion.

  2. If you are going to try to rebuild, you might need a calculator to figure angles, square footage, mass, volume, and any number of things. I, personally, do not do math in my head very well. If I were going to try to build something, I would want confirmation of my figuring from a calculator so I am not wasting my efforts based on an incorrect calculation.

  3. May or may not be a good idea, but I use a rolling suitcase for my INCH bag. I’m small, and it’s easier to pull something than carry it on my back.

  4. Article says
    Ensure that any pack you buy has redundant stitching and heavy duty attachment points on all essential connections and components

    Strengthen ALL stitching points with sailmakers thread, very thin but strong. Any attachment point you can reinforce with it you should do so.
    I do this on all my packs and have done for many years having first been put on this road whilst at school by an instructor (ex-military) who insisted that boys should be able to sew and carry out basic repais on all clothing

  5. I don’t believe the Sawyer Mini is a “purifier.” It’s a filter and a filter is quite different than a purifier. Filters won’t remove pesticides, chemicals or heavy metals, which would likely be in any water near farm lands and industries. Purifiers are more expensive than filters for sure because of the higher “filtering” requirements.

    1. “Purifiers” don’t remove those things either, in any meaningful amount. Some activated charcoal can help, but you are not going to “purify” surface water. Sanitize, yes- purification is only done through distillation.

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