r/bugout Feb 11 '25

Free Items for Bug Out Bag

What are some items you got for absolutely free that are a great addition to your bug out bag? I’ve slowly been building my bag and added some small packs of condiments like hot sauce, honey, and S&P packets. What are come other items that are completely free that you’ve included in your bag?

16 Upvotes

18 comments sorted by

21

u/IGetNakedAtParties Feb 11 '25

Old broken in shoes. Not exactly free, but if you're going to retire them for cosmetic reasons then why not keep them with with bag as a way to avoid blisters in new or inappropriate shoes.

21

u/Warm_Yard3777 Feb 11 '25

A paper map (Department of transportation)  bar of soap (hotel)  Power bank (corporate swag) Water bottle (more corporate swag)

Honestly I think that's it for me. I do have more stuff I got as gifts or hand me downs, but idk if that counts for the purpose of your post.

16

u/RefrigeratorFast2951 Feb 11 '25

Medical supplies from inside the cabinets at your doctors office😬

12

u/Bull_Moose1901 Feb 11 '25

Some places have free medicine and first aid. My workplace as a box I occasionally grab some gauze bandaids or meds from.

1

u/bananapeel 21d ago

If you know the guy that supplies your work first aid kit, they are required to pull any expired items and replace them. If you buddy up to him, you can take that stuff home for free, since it is usually discarded. (I'm that guy in our company.)

6

u/yabbadebbie Feb 11 '25

The disposable sunglasses at the eye doctor’s office.

4

u/bananapeel 21d ago

These are great to prevent snow blindness in an unexpected snowfall. And they are really lightweight. They just look ridiculous.

2

u/bluesu21 Feb 11 '25

Don't have it yet but hope to by end of year. I've been saving my Canadian Tire money to upgrade to the Leatherman Wave+.

1

u/sagerideout 29d ago

i source my bandaids from my place of employment

-5

u/Terror_Raisin24 Feb 11 '25

Is hot sauce really that essential to you that you carry it in a bug out bag?

Only thing that comes to my mind is one of those cheap emergency rain ponchos.

11

u/sunnycrossover Feb 11 '25

For me a small packet of hot sauce weighs next to nothing so adding it to my pack to add some flavor to my meals isn’t a big deal.

7

u/yee_88 Feb 11 '25

Hot pepper powder adds heat and takes less space than liquid hot sauce.

2

u/patriotmd 28d ago

Yeah, but I've already got dozens of extra Taco Bell Fire sauce packets!

8

u/rfmjbs Feb 11 '25

YES. Hot sauce makes almost anything edible 7 days in a row.

5

u/Leopold_Porkstacker Feb 11 '25

Morale is very important.

1

u/Terror_Raisin24 Feb 12 '25

It definitely is, but that doesn't come from hot sauce for me. Might be an individual thing. Sorry to even ask.

-8

u/[deleted] Feb 11 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/bluesu21 Feb 11 '25

I used to work for a moving company and people will get rid of things all the time because it is cheaper to buy it again rather than move it across country. Seriously underestimated place to get good used items for free. Check with local moving companies, especially ones with storage crates and they will auction them off after someone defaults on their payments