Go Bag: Building a Winter Survival Kit with BCO Discovery M1

December 13, 2024

With winter upon us, it is time to adjust my go bag to help sustain me through the colder months. When temperatures drop, many survival priorities change and the survival kit that was built for warm weather lacks many essentials needed to take on freezing temperatures, snow, and a barren land scape. Building out a winter survival kit requires more space and weight than my typical spring and fall kit, so the satchel I use in temperate months will be switched out for the Badger Claw Outfitters Discovery M1 Backpack. While not as large as a Bug Out Bag, a Go Bag is an easy to carry survival kit that can help us get through short term emergencies.

The cold winter weather produces a number of survival challenges not found in warmer months. Snow, ice, wind, and cold water are all factors that can lead to hypothermia if we are not prepared.

Many survival kit essentials will not change throughout the seasons. Much of the gear and supplies discussed in this article will be practical all year long. However, just as the heat of summer requires special consideration, the freezing temperatures, snow, ice, and lack of natural food sources in the winter must be considered when building an effective go bag.

Go Bag Vs. Bug Out Bag

First things first, let’s look at what a go bag is and how it differs from a bug out bag. Both a go bag and a bug out bag are designed to help you survive when you are on the move. The primary difference between these two survival kits is how long they are designed to sustain you for.

A bug out bag is designed to sustain you over an extended period, typically 3 days or more. Sustainment over time requires a good deal of gear, supplies, and food making the bug out bag large and heavy.

A go bag is similar to the larger bug out bag, but it is only designed to sustain a person for around 24 hours. This allows for the use of a smaller pack and a lighter load. While the go bag lacks all the life sustaining survival items a bug out bag has, it allows for faster movement and less strain on your body while on the go.

While we will be going into detail on how to build a go bag in this article, having a bug out bag is just as important. Read Bug Out Bag Essentials for all the details you need to build a comprehensive multiday survival kit.

How Big Should a Go Bag Be?

While there is no set rule, I tend to build my go bags within the weight limits of a typical hiking pack. Hiking bags should weigh no more than 20% of your total body weight before the addition of food and water. For example, I weigh 200 pounds, so I limit my go bag weight to no more than 20 pounds. Personally, I like to go a bit lighter, with the goal of having the bag closer to 15 pounds for ease movement.

When it comes to picking a bag size something in the 20-to-25-liter range is more than enough space to fit everything you need for a 24-hour period.

The smaller size of the go bag compared to a large bug out bag allows it to be more versatile and useful on a day-to-day basis. I use my go bag as my primary day hiking and daily travel survival kit, ensuring all my vital gear is always with me if an emergency arises.

Winter brings barren landscapes with limited resources. This area is overrun with wild edible plants during the warmer months, all that was found on this outing was a small amount of slime mold. While it is technically edible in small quantities, it has very little taste or nutritional value.

Go Bag Survival Kit Content Considerations

Choosing the right gear for your go bag will depend on your environment, season, where you travel daily, and skill set. When looking at the environment we are primarily looking at the type of location you find yourself in. Do you live in a big city, in the suburbs, or in a rural location? Some equipment is a great fit for some environments and less useful in others. For example, a silcock key may be a valuable tool to access clean water in an urban environment, but it is far less useful in a rural location.

The current season is also important when picking gear for your go bag. During temperate seasons there are few special considerations, but the extreme heat of summer or the cold snow of the winter months both require specialized requirements to ensure your survival kit will sustain you.

Regular travel should be considered. People often live and work in different environments. If you live in a rural area but work in a city you will have to adapt your go bag for both locations and everything in between home and work.

Skill set and experience will play a significant role in your kit. Carry gear you don’t know how to use is just a waste of space and weight. Having a robust skill set will often allow you to do more with less and allow you to carry a smaller survival kit.

The Badger Claw Outfitters Discovery M1 Pack, set up as my winter go bag.

The Badger Claw Outfitters Discovery M1

The M1 Discovery is more than a backpack, it is an entire carry system! This versatile pack was designed to accept several optional pouches and attachments to increase its carry capacity and organization.

Even if you opt to not add any of the additional pouches the M1 Discovery is a highly functional pack. It can hold all your essential survival kit items and be carried comfortably over long distances if needed.

The Discovery M1 has a narrow boxy shape with a wide zipper panel at the top. The pack does not have any kind of built-in frame. This keeps the weight down and relies on the packed gear to provide structure. The straps and narrow profile allow the pack to sit snug to your body allowing for good weight distribution and easy movement.

The Discovery M1is made from durable water resistant Cordura Fabric, the zipper panels have waterproof YKK Zippers.

The pack itself is made from 500D Cordura nylon, a material known for its durability and water resistance. High stress points where the straps attach to the body of the pack are reinforced with high abrasion neoprene Kevlar to provide added durability.

The main compartment is accessed from the top zipper panel and there is one zipper pocket on the front of the pack. Both zippers are highly water resistant YKK zippers. The zippers and Cordura make the Discovery M1 a reasonably water-resistant pack and will keep the survival kit gear inside dry through light rain and snow and will buy you some time to find a dry spot if caught in a heavier rainstorm.

On the sides there are two water bottle holders designed to accommodate 1 liter Nalgene sized bottles securely. There is also some shock cord across the front of the pack so you can stash extra gear on the outside of the pack.

The Discovery M1 has padded mesh back panel and back straps for comfort and breathability.

The back panel and back of the straps the Discovery M1 have padded mesh to increase user comfort and allow for some airflow. The Interior has a single large pocket on the back panel to help organize survival kit gear.

Both the exterior and the interior of the pack have multiple attachment points to accommodate optional pouches or allow the user to add compatible pouches that they currently own.

My Discovery M1 is currently fitted with a large zipper pouch in the front with a small clipper pouch on one of the straps, and an admin pouch on the inside above the large pocket.

While The Discovery M1 is new pack, there are already plans to add additional modular attachment options in the future allowing users to further customize this already versatile pack.

The Large Zipper Pouch is one of the add on modular accessories for the Discovery M1

Badger Claw Outfitters Discover M1 Specs:

Main Body Dimensions: 17”x12”x5”
Volume: 23L
Materials: 500D Cordura, High Abrasion Neoprene Kevlar, Heavy Weight polypropylene nylon webbing, High-density 5mm EVA closed cell foam, and 1/4″ closed cell foam padding with 3mm Berry compliant 3D spacer mesh.
Hardware: ITW Nexus buckles, sliders and d-rings, 4mm shock cord, water resistant YKK #8 zippers
Made In: USA
Price: Base $229, $321 as shown with optional attachments.

Some of the components of my fire kit including Wazoo Gear Fire Cards, Black Beard Fire Plugs, and Storm Matches.

Fire

The ability to make fire is vital in most survival situations. Fire serves as a means of cooking food, boiling water, and producing heat. Fire can also be used to help signal for help and raise morale. In the winter months, producing heat if stuck outdoors is a top priority, and some special consideration is needed when packing fire starting equipment for the winter.

Standard lighters will not always work as well in the extreme cold. Electronic lighters can be an acceptable alternative, but batteries will also deplete faster in cold environments. We must also consider the high levels of moisture from snow and melting snow. Man made tinder and chemical tinder will burn hot even when wet. A ferrocerium rod will work in both cold and wet environments and may give us the edge we need to get a fire started on in the snow or wind.

Winter Go Bag Fire Items:

Bic Lighter: Make fire simple.
Wazoo Tinder Cards: Simple, lightweight flat cards that spark up easily and can be shaved or burned whole depending on my needs.
Black Beard Fire Plugs: Another synthetic tinder option that will burn for up to 5 minutes each. Even if wet, the fire plugs can be pulled apart and easily ignited.
Fatwood Tin: A small tin with assorted fatwood pieces, shavings, and chips as well as some jute twine.
Outdoor Element Fire Flute: This ferro rod has an integrated whistle. Helpful when making a fire and signaling with the whistle.

The Grayl Geopress removes sediment, microbes, and chemical contamination from water. It is also rated for freezing conditions

Water

Water is one the things we can’t go without for very long. When it comes to dehydration, many people immediately think of hot climates, but dehydration is as much of a threat in the winter as it is in the summer. Coats and heavy clothing we wear to shelter us from the harsh winter elements can also cause us to sweat once we start exerting ourselves, which can cause rapid water loss if we are not careful.

Stored water can freeze, so in many cases wild water sources will have to do. Wild water sources can still contain harmful microbes and chemicals in the winter, so boiling and filtering water is a must. Not all water filters are rated for freezing temperatures, so it is important to identify if our filtration is rated for freezing.

Winter Go Bag Water Items:

Badger Claw Outfitters Water Bottle: One liter water bottle that is semi flexible to account for freezing water expansion. Storing the water bottle upside down will help keep the drinking area from completely freezing over. Ice floats and will naturally gravitate to the top of the bottle. By flipping the bottle upside down the ice will develop on the bottom of the bottle rather than the cap area.
Grayl Geopress: Easy to use water filter bottle with impressive filtration capabilities and is rated for freezing temperatures. With a 24-ounce capacity it is also good for storing water if needed. While the water may freeze in the bottle once thawed the filter is still effective. Grayl recommends replacing the filter after 3 freeze/thaw cycles.
Chemical Tabs: Chemical water purification tabs are a redundancy should there be an issue with the filter and I am not capable of boiling water. While the water won’t taste great, the chemical tabs will kill most harmful microbes.
Mountain Ops Electrolytes: Electrolytes are essential to ensuring your body stays properly hydrated. In addition, the salts in electrolyte packets can help prevent stored water from freezing and colored electrolyte powder can even be used as a signaling tool against the white snow.

A few of my shelter items including the PNWBUSHCRAFT Jr. Ground Cloth and Tuff Possum Gear Survival Scarf.

Shelter

Having shelter or carrying the items you need to make a shelter is an important addition to any survival kit. In the winter we may be wearing heavier clothing, but sheltering ourselves from wind, snow, and freezing rain can help extend our ability to survive outdoors longer if needed.

In the winter we need to account for higher winds and the weight on snow and ice when building a shelter, resulting in the need for more durable materials in the build.

Winter Go Bag Shelter Items:

Tarp: A heavy-duty tarp with gromets is an excellent shelter building tool that can help provide much needed cover from the elements, fashioned into a makeshift tent, or used as a large ground cover.
Paracord: Durable paracord is a great choice for building a makeshift shelter and can serve a number of other purposes such as lashing things together, attaching things to your pack or body, and suspending gear from trees to keep it off the ground.
Space Blankets: These light weight mylar blankets can provide extra heat by reflecting your body heat back at you and double as a signaling device. They are not very durable, but they weigh next to nothing, so I pack an extra.
55 Gallon Drum Liner: A large drum liner can serve many purposes including serving as a ground cover, storing extra items, be used to make a litter bed, and used as additional cover if needed.
Tuff Possum Survival Scarf: This is more than a scarf it is a multi-purpose survival tool! The nylon material is sewn together in a tube with one end stitched closed, so when not using it as a scarf it can be stuffed with clothing or fallen leaves to create a pillow, used as extra storage space, and more. The inside is bright orange so it can also be flipped inside out to use as a signaling device.
PNW Bushcraft Jr. Ground Cloth: This small wool and waxed canvas ground cloth provides a clean dry surface to sit on or kneel on. It can double as a workspace to keep your tools and equipment off the wet and snowy ground.

The Garmin 64ST is weather resistant allowing it to be clipped to the outside of my Discovery M1 for easy access.

Navigation

Snow can make navigating in the wild far more difficult. Even a familiar area can look alien when it is covered in snow, especially areas that are less traveled. Paths and trails become impossible to see, and familiar landmarks can be obscured by snow cover.

Packing and knowing how to use a compass can help give you a sense of direction while on the move. A standalone GPS unit can help guide you to snow covered paths or trails, but like all electronics can suffer from faster battery depletion in the cold.

Winter Go Bag Navigation Items:

Garmin 64ST: While this model is a bit older, it is still highly functional with the incorporated USGS topographical map, the ability to pre-plan routes, and easy connection to a smart phone. The GPS receiver works well in most outdoor locations. The unit runs on two AA batteries and has an optional rechargeable battery pack.
Compass: A good quality compass is always a good option, more important than carrying a compass is having the knowledge to use one properly.

The ASP Spectrum Flashlight has UV mode allowing us to see traces that are normally invisible to the naked eye. This is very helpful when tracking animals or people.

Light

A method of light production is something that everyone should have available in their everyday survival kit. Light is even more important for extended emergencies. One advantage to snow is that it is light reflective allowing better visibility from both synthetic light sources and the moon at night.

When considering light sources we must account for cold weather battery drain. In addition, I prefer a light with alternate color modes beyond just white to help preserve my night vision.

Winter Go Bag Light Sources:

ASP Spectrum Strategic Flashlight: Full sized rechargeable flashlight with white, red, blue and UV modes. Useful for general lighting needs, tracking, and preserving night vison using red light mode. With a maximum output of 700 lumens the Spectrum provides more than enough light for most applications and gives excellent run time. The optional holster provides various mounting options that allow for hands-free use of the light.
Thorfire Mini Lantern: Compact stationary light source, rechargeable, and has a hand crank that can be used to keep light going when the power runs out.

The TM Hunt M18 is one serious multi-purpose outdoor tool for chopping, wood processing and more!

Tools

Basic tools can make a big difference in survival situations and play an important role in our survival kits. Knives, multi-tools, saws, hatchets and axes can serve just as well in the winter as they do in the warmer months. When picking tools for winter survival we should consider tools we can effectively use with gloves on.

If we must take our gloves off to use a tool, keep in mind that metal handles can get very cold if exposed to the elements so it’s best to pick other handle materials or keep metal tools close to our body to retain heat.

Winter Go Bag Tools:

TM Hunt M18: Large Multi-purpose outdoor blade for chopping and wood processing. For more on the M18 check out this article.
Silky Pocket Boy Pro: Compact Folding Saw for wood processing.
Dark Energy Poseidon Pro: Back Up Power is essential when relying on electronic items. The Poseidon Pro is rated for outdoor use in inclement weather. It is rugged and both water and temperature resistant allowing you to keep your charge longer.
Leatherman Sidekick: A basic yet reliable multitool can serve several purposes in both outdoor and wilderness environments.
WESN Allman Folding Knife: a simple compact utility-oriented knife that does a fine job with outdoor tasks, especially foraging.
Nite Ize Runoff Pouch: This waterproof pouch will protect any sensitive electronics or documents from the elements. It is also designed to float just in case it ends up falling into the water, making retrieval far easier especially in the cold weather.

The Solo Stove Lite and Stanley Pot are compact and lightweight cooking options.

Food

Food provides valuable fuel to keep our bodies moving. In the cold months we can see a significant increase in caloric burn to help keep our bodies warm so having access to calories is important. While wild food sources may be abundant in the warm months, they can become scarce in the winter.

While a bug out bag allows for the packing of larger food items and equipment, the short term use of a bag bag should keep food and cooking gear to a minimum. In the Winter packing food that is not freeze sensitive can be beneficial, especially when you need a quick refuel. I pack things like protein and adventure bars into the large back pocket of the Discovery M1 to help prevent them from freezing with my body heat.

Winter Go Bag Food and Preparation Items:

Solo Stove Lite: a small, lightweight stove that can be used to cook or boil water with. Natural materials or chemical cubes can be used to produce fire. The closed wall nature of this stove has yielded good results in windy conditions.
Stanly Cook Pot: A compact pot that can be used to cook food and boil water.
Kabar Spork: This polymer spork with stowed polymer steak knife is a great option for cold weather as metal tools can cold and uncomfortable to hold.
Nutrient Survival: Powdered and freeze-dried food options, packed with essential nutrients your body needs to keep moving in high stress scenarios. Some can be cooked, while others can be consumed as a shake.
Mountain Ops Venture Bars: These bars are designed to provide calories, protein, and carbohydrates to give your body the fuel it needs to keep working through sustained physical activity. They are small enough to keep a few in your bag and one or two in your pockets to keep from freezing.
Mountain Ops Ignite: Caffeine and vitamins can serve as a great pick me up. It is also essential for some like me who consumes coffee on a regular basis to avoid caffeine withdrawal symptoms during an emergency.

Wool clothing like this Minus 33 Merino Wool Beanie can keep you warm even if wet. A pair of lined leather work gloves will keep you warm and protect your hands in when performing tasks.

Clothing

In the winter we should be dressing appropriately even for a short excursion away from home because things happen, and you don’t want to be stuck out in the cold without the proper protection from the elements. In warmer months I typically will not carry a change of clothes in my go bag and keep them reserved for a bug out bag.

When in cold climates it is vital to carry a spare set of dry clothes with you. Wet clothing is a major contributor to hypothermia. If you fall into a body of water or your clothing becomes saturated with sweat, getting into fresh dry clothes can keep you alive! I store my spare clothing in a plastic garbage bag to keep them dry should rain or snow enter my pack.

Winter Go Bag Clothing:

Full Change of Base Clothing: Clean and dry pants, shirt, and underwear. Wool base layer and socks.
Minus 33 Merino Wool Beenie: Wool retains its ability to keep you warm even when wet, if you can’t stay dry, wool is a better option than cotton or synthetics.
Badger Claw Leather Lined Leather Gloves: Lined work gloves to keep your hands warm and protect them while doing any kind of bushcraft and survival builds that may come up while on the go.
Yaktrax: While not clothing per se, these crampons slip over your shoes or boots to provide great traction when moving over icy surfaces.

The Auxiliary Manufacturing Pocket Bowie and ASP Defender D2 Sport Attached to the strap of the Discovery M1 for easy access.

Self-Defense

Having something on your person to defend yourself in an emergency is important. With less space then a bug out bag we should keep our go bag defense items compact. In the winter we must keep in mind that some of these tools may be affected by freezing temperatures. Pepper Spray can be slightly less effective, have reduced spray patterns, and canisters can be damaged in extreme cold temperatures. Keeping your pepper spray close to your body can keep it functional.

Firearms can also be damaged or have performance issues with prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures. Proper lubrication and maintenance beforehand can reduce both corrosion and performance issues. For my go bag I like to keep my self defense options small and discreet, with the ability to move them to on body carry if needed.

Winter Go Bag Self Defense:

ASP Defender D1 Sport Pepper Spray: This compact polymer pepper spray features a potent 1.4% capsaicin solution that disperses as a small cloud with an effective range of 5 feet. The canister has enough to produce 6 half second bursts. The unique design allows for the Defender to be held like a flashlight and has an easy-to-use button on the top that will release the spray on the bottom of the unit. The D2 Sport has a pocket clip as well as key ring for multiple carry options.
Auxiliary Manufacturing Pocket Bowie: This compact clip point blade features excellent ergonomics, a slicey blade and a very defined point. With the proper training it is an excellent self defense tool that can also easily handle most basic cutting tasks. Read our full review on the Auxiliary Manufacturing Pocket Bowie.

*ASP Spectrum and TM Hunt M18 can also double as defensive tools

A small emergency bleeding kit housed in in a Tuff Possum Pouch and a SAM Splint.

First Aid and Medical

Basic first aid items to treat a minor injury is a must for any survival kit. A bug out bag allows more room for a comprehensive medical kit, The smaller go bag should have just the essentials to cover a day or two.

Additional items to cover more severe injuries can mean the difference between life and death in an emergency, but only have value with the proper training to use them. In the winter months I pack more items related to slip and fall injuries due to the higher likelihood of losing my footing on snow and ice.

Winter Go Bag First and Medical Equipment:

Bleeding Kit: A basic bleed kit that has a TQ, quick clot, pressure bandages, and other assorted gauze pads.
First Aid: a basic hiking first aid kit to handle minor injuries.
SAM Splint leg and Arm Sizes: With the increased likelihood of myself or someone I am traveling slipping and falling or getting their ankle caught in an unexpected hole I like to carry SAM Splints with so wrap if needed.

The Optional admin panel for the Discovery M1 is a great place to store odds and ends.

Odds and Ends

Some things don’t have a specific category but can be very useful. A simple bandana like the Wazoo Gear Foraging Bandana can fill multiple rolls, a pen, maker, and notebook allow you to take notes and leave notes if needed. A shop cloth can be used to dry your knives or electronic gear after use.

Giving your body fuel to function is often over looked in when packing go bags and bug out bags. Adding simple easy to carry and eat food items to your survival kit like these MTN OPS Venture Bars and Nutrient Survival packs can go a long way to keeping you moving.

Final Thoughts

At the end of my build, the pack came in weight just under 16 pounds, which is close enough to my goal of 15 pounds. I found the BCO Discovery M1 to be a great bag choice. The modular nature of the Discovery M1 will allow for quick additions of storage space if needed and streamlining it to cut bulk can be done in just a minute. I have covered many miles with it already and find it comfortable to carry, easy to access the necessary gear, and everything inside is still relatively dry, though I would like to see an optional rain fly in the future.

Large Bug out bags can provide us with what we need for the long term, but are often difficult to transport due to the size and weight. A go bag provides us with essential tools and equipment we can easily keep close to us to better prepare us for the unexpected. There is no “cookie cutter” template that will work for everyone, especially in the colder months.

While many of our essential needs will not change from season to season, accounting for both our body’s and our equipment’s exposure to the elements is vital. Beyond just accounting for the climate and weather, we must also evaluate our location, personal needs and skill set to ensure we can maximize the life saving efficiency of our survival kit items. Armed with the knowledge of our local environment, an honest evaluation of our abilities, and the proper gear we can better position ourselves to make it through unexpected events and emergency situations safely.

With any gear loadout it is important to train and practice with your gear. You may find you are missing something or have something that is adding weight that you don’t really need.