72-HOUR ZIPLOC BAG CHALLENGE

Lessons Learned from Three Days Surviving in the Desert with a Quart-Sized Plastic Bug-Out Bag

- Kevin Estela

Disclaimer: This 72-hour survival challenge was performed by a professional survival instructor under close supervision by rescue personnel. Do not attempt any potentially dangerous survival challenge without prior training, and always establish contingency plans in case something goes wrong.

Working for Fieldcraft Survival, I've learned to expect each day to be filled with the unexpected. We have a highly dynamic work environment with new projects and tasks on a regular basis. One day, we're scouting land for upcoming courses, the next we're flying to another state to teach a defensive handgun class, the next we're filming online content in the mountains – you get the idea. In June 2021, my boss Mike Glover challenged me to survive for 72 hours in the desert with nothing more than the contents of a quart-sized Ziploc bag. Since I was hired to be the lead survival subject matter expert, I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity.

Statistically speaking, most emergencies last no more than 72 hours. Within those 72 hours, a person can self-rescue, problem-solve, and affect their situation to prevent the emergency from becoming a survival scenario. There's no doubt anyone can be thrust into an emergency bivouac or short-term emergency in their day-to-day travels. In an unfortunate circumstance like that, the contents of one's pockets or a small emergency kit may be the only gear available. Pocket gear will generally not take up more space than what can fit into a quart-sized Ziploc bag. Hypothetically, a person should be able to survive 72 hours in a given environment with a quart-sized kit designed to address basic survival needs. Hypotheticals are good for debate, but practical exercises are better for proof. I recently took a single Ziploc to the high desert and survived triple-digit heat and gained many teachable points to share here.

Planning