Imagine a major SHTF situation such as WW3. You have to leave you house with only a few belongings which you are able to carry and will never be able to return back home again. Assume that you will be a homeless refugee for many years. If you could only carry one set of clothes with you what would you take? Remember that these may be the last set of clothes which you wear for the rest of you life.
Below is my list. It is seperated into two basic groups. A single set of rugged outer clothes which could be worn near permanently all the time and a couple of sets of light weight base-layer underclothes which can be regularly swapped over and washed for hygiene.
Mid and outer layers
1 x Keela Munro waterproof rain coat
1 x Buffalo Belay insulated jacket
1 x Buffalo insulated DP hood
1 x New Forrest Trail trousers
Base layers
2 x EDZ merino zip neck long sleeve tops
2 x Keela merino thermal leggings
2 x Marks & Spencer cotton boxer shorts
2 x Keela Lightweight Incline cushioned hiking socks
1 x EDZ merino fingerless gloves
1 x Tilly Wanderer sun hat
Footware
1 x Altberg Malham boots (winter)
1 x Altberg Samarkand shoes (summer)
Bug out clothes
Bug out clothes
Last edited by Zoidberg on Sun Nov 01, 2026 1:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.
I’m swelling with patriotic mucus!
Re: Bug out clothes
I don't really think too much about an INCH (I'm never coming home) scenario these days. I have done in the past though. Maybe I should revisit that.
One idea I has was that if it was summer time, I would need some winter gear for six months later, and vice versa. So I had for example some very thin summer trousers in my INCH bag in winter. But I got fed up of rotating, so they are kept in a drawer.
Waterproof jacket.
Regarding waterproofs, you can't beat a full three layer goretex or equivalent for longevity. I do have a 3 layer jacket that's new and good quality, but it's yellow for on the bike, so not very stealth.
My day to day waterproof is a Rab Downpour, only a basic jacket. Does have pit zips though. This is by the front door and my plan is to grab that.
I have Montane Further Faster - super breathable semi-soft shell, so that is an option.
Also I have a black Madison Flux (waterproof soft shell), but there's no hood volume adjuster, and my yellow one delaminated, so probably wouldn't rely solely on that for an INCH.
As for the rest...
Regatta Highton hiking trousers
Grisport hiking boots. Mesh flat pedal bike shoes in summer as well.
Various socks including wool hiking socks
Ordinary cotton boxers
Various base layer tops including Mountain Warehouse Talus for winter and EDZ All climate for cooler, and AWDI Just Cool for summer. Just Cool are dead cheap by the way. They do vests, t-shirts, and long sleeved t-shirts in all sorts of colours. Fast drying.
Rab wind jacket (pertex). This is crucial for combos, eg with a fleece. Minimal weight and pack volume. Pertex is what they use on insualated jackets and sleeping bag covers. Old school. But now Pertex also make 2 or 3 layer waterproof etc.
Montane ultralite grid fleece Protium Lite Hoodie
Thin Regatta fleece gilet. This is great when the Protium would be too warm but your core needs a bit of extra. I'm wearing it now!
Mountain Equipment Rampart insulated jacket (no hood unfortunately)
I do have a hooded Montane Prism jacket as well, I could take instead.
Sealskins winter hat
Various gloves inc Montane Prism and Sealskins lobster mitts, wool and silk liner gloves.
Buffs and fleece buff
Some decent light weight overtrousers possibly Gore
Ultra light gaiters
I can't afford to keep duplicates of everything packed, so some items are in day to day use - mainly my Rab waterproof, Montane fleece, and Rab windproof. These are all easy to grab and I know where they are. I have a clothes rail in the 'prep room' next to my bedroom. Also I have some things in a 'winter bag' in my wardrobe on top of my BOB. I even have a bag of base layer clothes on to of my BOB. This has things like hiking socks as well as ordinary day to day items. It's not really necessary but could save a few minutes.
One idea I has was that if it was summer time, I would need some winter gear for six months later, and vice versa. So I had for example some very thin summer trousers in my INCH bag in winter. But I got fed up of rotating, so they are kept in a drawer.
Waterproof jacket.
Regarding waterproofs, you can't beat a full three layer goretex or equivalent for longevity. I do have a 3 layer jacket that's new and good quality, but it's yellow for on the bike, so not very stealth.
My day to day waterproof is a Rab Downpour, only a basic jacket. Does have pit zips though. This is by the front door and my plan is to grab that.
I have Montane Further Faster - super breathable semi-soft shell, so that is an option.
Also I have a black Madison Flux (waterproof soft shell), but there's no hood volume adjuster, and my yellow one delaminated, so probably wouldn't rely solely on that for an INCH.
As for the rest...
Regatta Highton hiking trousers
Grisport hiking boots. Mesh flat pedal bike shoes in summer as well.
Various socks including wool hiking socks
Ordinary cotton boxers
Various base layer tops including Mountain Warehouse Talus for winter and EDZ All climate for cooler, and AWDI Just Cool for summer. Just Cool are dead cheap by the way. They do vests, t-shirts, and long sleeved t-shirts in all sorts of colours. Fast drying.
Rab wind jacket (pertex). This is crucial for combos, eg with a fleece. Minimal weight and pack volume. Pertex is what they use on insualated jackets and sleeping bag covers. Old school. But now Pertex also make 2 or 3 layer waterproof etc.
Montane ultralite grid fleece Protium Lite Hoodie
Thin Regatta fleece gilet. This is great when the Protium would be too warm but your core needs a bit of extra. I'm wearing it now!
Mountain Equipment Rampart insulated jacket (no hood unfortunately)
I do have a hooded Montane Prism jacket as well, I could take instead.
Sealskins winter hat
Various gloves inc Montane Prism and Sealskins lobster mitts, wool and silk liner gloves.
Buffs and fleece buff
Some decent light weight overtrousers possibly Gore
Ultra light gaiters
I can't afford to keep duplicates of everything packed, so some items are in day to day use - mainly my Rab waterproof, Montane fleece, and Rab windproof. These are all easy to grab and I know where they are. I have a clothes rail in the 'prep room' next to my bedroom. Also I have some things in a 'winter bag' in my wardrobe on top of my BOB. I even have a bag of base layer clothes on to of my BOB. This has things like hiking socks as well as ordinary day to day items. It's not really necessary but could save a few minutes.
Re: Bug out clothes
Some good choices you have selected there. Frnc.
Even if you will never be in an INCH situation I think this is a useful mental exercise for selecting useful clothes for use in other situations. I work out on the moors every weekend of the year no matter what the weather. After twenty years of sun, snow, rain and wind and having experimented with many different clothing options, a combination of clothes taken from the above list is what I actually wear for at least 95% of the time when out on the moors. They are clothes that last a long time and just work well together in a wide variety of real world situations and weather conditions. Admittedly they are not cheap to buy but they are still a good value investment when you consider how well they work and how long they last.
Last edited by Zoidberg on Sun Nov 01, 2026 12:13 pm, edited 2 times in total.
I’m swelling with patriotic mucus!
Re: Bug out clothes
Quick note on the term 'softshell' for anyone reading. This is a very broad category. Two softshells can be massively different.
Some are more like a normal waterproof. But softer material.
Most are not waterproof. They range from very thin, almost a shirt, to thicker jackets. Some of the thicker ones have a separate inner and outer. Some have one thick layer. The ones I've seen like that were cheap, and I wouldn't generally recommend them, though I did have some trousers like that that were quite good in winter.
I have a nice Montane Khamsin, that has a tough, wind resistant outer, with a separate thin grid fleece sewn in. It is a great jacket and looks fine to wear to the shops. But my Rab windproof plus grid fleece combo is more versatile, and more windproof, so that is in the bugout list, not the Khamsin. Basically, a windproof over a fleece is the same as many soft shell jackets. NB wind resistant is less windproof than windproof.
Some are more like a normal waterproof. But softer material.
Most are not waterproof. They range from very thin, almost a shirt, to thicker jackets. Some of the thicker ones have a separate inner and outer. Some have one thick layer. The ones I've seen like that were cheap, and I wouldn't generally recommend them, though I did have some trousers like that that were quite good in winter.
I have a nice Montane Khamsin, that has a tough, wind resistant outer, with a separate thin grid fleece sewn in. It is a great jacket and looks fine to wear to the shops. But my Rab windproof plus grid fleece combo is more versatile, and more windproof, so that is in the bugout list, not the Khamsin. Basically, a windproof over a fleece is the same as many soft shell jackets. NB wind resistant is less windproof than windproof.