74 or more's GHB and EDC - PIC HEAVY!!

[74 or more]

Hey guys. Here for your enjoyment and criticism is my EDC kit and GHB. There are parts of my EDC that I've posted before and parts I haven't. In the interest of having a well rounded post I'm going to add everything. My EDC bag is mostly full of the crap I lug around for work. This includes cables, a laptop, cable testers, notebooks, and some other boring crap. While I carry this stuff everyday I don't really consider it my "EDC" kit.

Here are the bags. My EDC bag is an older North Face HOTSHOT. I love this bag. It is probably the best backpack I've ever owned. My GHB is a MOLLE assault pack with a MOLLE waist pack attacked to the bottom and 2 canteen pouches on either side.



EDC

One more shot of the bag with me EDC kit below it.



Overview:
ZS Nalgene
Maxped EDC organizer
Kifaru small padded pullout
Wool GI gloves
Shemagh
Write in the rain note bood
2 x MRE side dishes - Mexican Mac & Cheese and Corn Bread Stuffing
Pack of 4 AAA batteries
Roll of Tums






Maxped EDC Organizer:



Berts Bees
See to Summit Spork (decided to add after reading another thread)
Nail clipper
Small pry bar
Laser pointer
Pencil
Fine point Sharpie
S&W Kubaton pen
3ft USB cable (back slot pocket)
2 x pile capsuls - Zyrtec and Prilosec
Bic lighter
Streamlight Stylus Pro
Letherman Sidekick
Zipties
Tylenol extra strength packet
Wet towelette and accessory packet from an MRE

I could never understand why people carried spoons in there EDC kit until I put 2 MRE sides in my bag and then found myself wanting to eat them and not having a spoon. Some lessons you have to learn the hard way.


Kifaru Pull Out




Petzel head lamp
Solio Classic + charger cable, adapter cable, adapter tips, and adapter light
Motorola dual USB wall charger

I'm always moving around for work going to different locations to trouble shoot issues. This kit (other than the head light) is meant to keep both of my phones charged up and ready to go. I was working on a weekend over the summer when we had some really bad storms come through the area. I was in the basement of an unfamiliar building by myself when the power went out. I didn't have to call for help but I did have to put on my head lamp and find my way out of there. Both my work phone and my smart phone were dying so it was nice to know that even with the power out I could still use the Solio to charge my phone(s). Having a portable charger and a wall charger might be a bit over kill but peace of mind is a wonderful thing.

More to follow......

[majorhavoc]

I really like to see real wool gloves in these kits.

To folks who are currently considering/using fleece gloves or mittens because they're lighter: understand that if they come in contact with, say, a hot cooking vessel, they melt. DAMHIKT.

[74 or more]

GHB
From my home to where I work is a 32mi, mostly highway trip. So realistically this is a "sleep in the car if you get stranded" bag. Things would have to have gone pretty bad if I'm abandoning my car to walk home. We had a bad snow storm here a year or two ago and lots of people did actually abandon there cars on the highway and started to walk home. They were in traffic so long that their cars ran out of gas. My 30-45min drive took 3 hours and it took my buddy 14 hrs to get home. He had to sleep in his car. I keep a 40* Field and stream sleeping (not pictured) bag in the car in case I have to sleep in the car or at the office.



Attached to the bottom is a MOLLE waist pack containing a poncho liner. These waist packs are great. The straps tuck away nicely in the back making it a great pocket to add to a bigger pack. I love them so much have 2 others in Multicam. I can also fit the green bag from the MSS in one.



2 canteens on either side, 1 of them had a canteen cup in the bottom.


Front Pocket


Grabber Hand warmer - 3 pack
Grabber Body warmer x1
AMK .5
Storm matches
Otter Box Fire kit
Esbit stove
Vargo hex stove
Assortment of bungee cord
550 cord
Mylar blanket
Nasco WhirlPak 1lr stand up bagd x 3





These WhirlPak bags are great for water collection. They are resealable so you can throw them in your bag while your tabs work their magic. I have water tabs I meant to add as I was going through this but I seemed to have misplaced them.






Fire Kit:



Inside the Otter box is:
5 x Esbit tabs
2 x bic lighters
Spark-lite Military Edition Fire Starter with Tinder Quick
Military Gel fire starter

Other fire what-not:
Storm matches
Tinder balls

The reason I have so many different ways to start a fire is because my fire craft is in need of work. The kit is a bit over kill but this is my all purpose kit. This is what I reach for when I go into the bush.

Stove/cooking:


Why 2 different stoves? A lot of times I take the Esbit out for day hikes. This way if I forget to put it back in, I still have the Vargo.

Main Pocket:
5.11 Taclite pro pants
Green stuff sack - set of poly pros and extra wool socks
MH propak - spaghetti with meat sauce
SOL bivy
Gerber LMF
GI MARPAT poncho tarp






Let me know what you guys thing. I'm sure there is stuff to add I haven't thought of.

Cheers

[74 or more]

I really like to see real wool gloves in these kits.

I love my wool gloves. I also have some rag wool finger mittens. I almost never use my fleece gloves.

[74 or more]

Really? Nobody has anything to say?

[Tobias05]

Love the USGI gear and the polypro's. Affordable, but effective.

[majorhavoc]

Really? Nobody has anything to say?

Sorry, I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm suffering from 'BOB post fatigue' at the moment.

I will say that your kit looks better thought out than most.

[Mikeyboy]

GHB
Grabber Hand warmer - 3 pack
Grabber Body warmer x1
AMK .5
Storm matches
Otter Box Fire kit
Esbit stove
Vargo hex stove
Assortment of bungee cord
550 cord
Mylar blanket
Nasco WhirlPak 1lr stand up bagd x 3





Stove/cooking:


Why 2 different stoves? A lot of times I take the Esbit out for day hikes. This way if I forget to put it back in, I still have the Vargo.
Cheers

Ooooh Oooh How do you like that vargo wood stove? I have been considering getting one.

[74 or more]

Ooooh Oooh How do you like that vargo wood stove? I have been considering getting one.

Very well made. Obviously Ti is great. It's a great lightweight, low bulk, piece of kit. It's very easy to load fuel into since one whole side opens up like a little door. I wish the top was a little wider but it's fine if you trying to boil in a canteen cup of some kind. My fire craft is lacking so I tend to reach for the Esbit stove more often.

Sorry, I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm suffering from 'BOB post fatigue' at the moment.

I will say that your kit looks better thought out than most.

haha It does seem like there was a flood of "my BOB/GHB" posts in the last few days. Thanks for the kind words bud.

[Halfapint]

Very nice, I like your kit a lot. Have much the same stuff in my bag EDC/GHB I like your organization thats where I'm lacking and I think I am going to have to find some of those sacks to organize.

Why the USGI canteens? to me they seem bulky and heavy and dont carry much water. I know you said its mostly a car bag, but having to walk 32mi with extra weight kinda sucks. Thats my only negative but I'm digging it.

[cap6888]

I like canteens also compared to nalgenes for one reasonthe USGI cup. The USGI cup is bigger than most nalgene nesting cups. This makes it easier for heating water and/or food. If you get the nalgene brand canteen, it's no more heavy than a regular Nalgene bottle.

74- nice kit. I like USGI gear also. It's definitely not lightweight by any means, but it has stood up to the test of time. I have always been willing to sacrifice weight for gear that will hold up. Aside from the two canteens, do you carry any more water in your car?

[74 or more]

Very nice, I like your kit a lot. Have much the same stuff in my bag EDC/GHB I like your organization thats where I'm lacking and I think I am going to have to find some of those sacks to organize.

Why the USGI canteens? to me they seem bulky and heavy and dont carry much water. I know you said its mostly a car bag, but having to walk 32mi with extra weight kinda sucks. Thats my only negative but I'm digging it.

Thanks bud. The canteens really aren't that heavy and they carry the same amount of water as a normal Nalgene (more or less). I went with the GI canteens with this kit simply because they fit the best. Might as well use whats meant to be used right?

I like canteens also compared to nalgenes for one reasonthe USGI cup. The USGI cup is bigger than most nalgene nesting cups. This makes it easier for heating water and/or food. If you get the nalgene brand canteen, it's no more heavy than a regular Nalgene bottle.

74- nice kit. I like USGI gear also. It's definitely not lightweight by any means, but it has stood up to the test of time. I have always been willing to sacrifice weight for gear that will hold up. Aside from the two canteens, do you carry any more water in your car?

No, I don't carry any more water in the car. I really should though since I've been known to tap into the canteens every now and then leaving them less full than I would like. I already don't keep them that full since I'm paranoid that they'll freeze and bust. Before I leave work I usually top off my Nalgene. If I had to, in turn, top off the canteens I would just use the water from it.

[Halfapint]

I actually really like the USGI cups I think they are bad ass they are big, hold a good amount of food/water and well... Battle tested?? haha once I get my bonus I will be getting a couple. Using it to hold my food in my EDC/GHB. Guess I just dont like the canteens (aesthetics??). Anywho i like your firebox lots of redundancy! Cant be to careful with fire!

[bacpacjac]

nice kits! i really like your blend of USGI and commercial stuff.

How is that fire gel - saw it at the surplus store yesterday and wondered.

[74 or more]

How is that fire gel - saw it at the surplus store yesterday and wondered.

Thanks for the comments bud! That fire gel is....odd. But it works great. I wouldn't use it all the time though as it's kind of messy, the package doesn't re-seal, and burns for a while. It's my last chance fire starter. It's not something you want to take on a day hike and use to make a cup of coffee or something quick like that (in my opinion). More of something you would use to make meals for a few people or get a campfire going quickly. Comes in packs of 3 so you can have redundancy or add it to multiple kits. I've only ever lit it with a bic but as I sit here and type this I'm begining to wonder if a ferro would work.....might have to try that.

[bacpacjac]

You should give it a crack with your flint and steel!

Thanks for the insight. Sounds like it might be a good kit addition if you were worried about Emerson hypothermia, when a fast fire is a must.

[NOVA_ops]

I remeber Snowmageddon 2010 very well. Fortunately I had enough sense to get on the road before rush hour. I surely would have froze to death on the beltway, seeing as how I was still just your average people back then and completely unprepared for any type of minor daily life-impacting inconvenience. Your bags look great and well thought out, BTW. Good to see another NOVA local on here. I don't think there's too many of us... certainly not enough for a ZS chapter.

[74 or more]

I remeber Snowmageddon 2010 very well. Fortunately I had enough sense to get on the road before rush hour. I surely would have froze to death on the beltway, seeing as how I was still just your average people back then and completely unprepared for any type of minor daily life-impacting inconvenience. Your bags look great and well thought out, BTW. Good to see another NOVA local on here. I don't think there's too many of us... certainly not enough for a ZS chapter.

Thanks for the kind words bud. There are a couple other NOVA guys on here.....which makes 4 (that I know of) including the two of us. I left work in Silver Spring, MD at 2:30 and didn't get home till around 6. What a miserable drive. I also wasn't very prepared at the time. I think watching people walking down the GW Parkway, in the snow, in suits, gave me the final push to start keeping gear in my car and start prepping in general.

[Whackpack7]

Sorry for my potato moment...is all of the stuff laid out on a Kif woobie or doobie? I see it's MC so I am assuming because I sure haven't been issued a MC poncho lately lol.

[74 or more]

Sorry for my potato moment...is all of the stuff laid out on a Kif woobie or doobie? I see it's MC so I am assuming because I sure haven't been issued a MC poncho lately lol.

Nope. It's a standard GI poncho liner. It was in a small surplus store by my house. I had never seen one either so when I came across this one I snagged it up. They haven't had them in a while. I'm sure you could find one online somewhere. Try eBay.

[Whackpack7]

Sorry for my potato moment...is all of the stuff laid out on a Kif woobie or doobie? I see it's MC so I am assuming because I sure haven't been issued a MC poncho lately lol.

Nope. It's a standard GI poncho liner. It was in a small surplus store by my house. I had never seen one either so when I came across this one I snagged it up. They haven't had them in a while. I'm sure you could find one online somewhere. Try eBay.

Well that is pretty awesome then. I'll definitely have to look. Thanks!

[Murph]

How much do each of them weigh?

[74 or more]

How much do each of them weigh?

The North Face bag with my EDC + work gear + full water bottle weighs between 12-15lbs. The weight fluctuates slightly based on what I have to carry around for work.

As for my GHB (USGI bag) I'm not sure. I've never weighed it. I would imagine around a the same weight to be honest. Some times I use it for impromptu hikes and it feels about the same as my everyday EDC bag.