Looking for input on my BOB

[cbr900]

The pack is a Med Alice with MOLLE shoulder straps attached with a buttpack on the bottom







First Aid



General first aid kit



Hygiene



TP, soap, towel, razor, deodorant, shampoo, baby powder, tooth brush/paste



Tools



Large knife, wave multi, sharpen rod, fishing pole, plastic shovel



Fire



Bic lighters, flint striker, tea candles in medicine bottle, cotton ball in vaseline



Water filtration



Katadyn hiker, tabs



Clothes



Shirt, pants, socks, gloves, sun glasses, mosquito net, hat




Food/Water



Mountain house 2 dinners, 2 breakfast, instant oatmeal, instant coffee, tea, sports drink mix, MRE, candy, 2 500ml water, vitamins, bouillon cubes



Navigation



binoculars, compass



Cook set



Grease pot, cup, alcohol stove, alcohol, lighter, sugar, wind screen



General



550 cord, general cord, zip-ties, dust mask




cards, whistles, super glue, pencil, paper, wire, space blanket, sewing kit, duck tape




Electronics



Solar charger, 4 AAs, 8 AAAs, headlamp, crank radio, small led light, 100 lumen light, 2-two way radios, glow stick


Not shown...100' rope, camo net, hammock, tarp, canteen, maps


Input good or bad welcomed

[Boondock]

Lot's of nice gear that seems to be well organized.

What're you going to use this kit for? How long's it supposed to sustain you? In what environment?

[cbr900]

I live on the edge of a major city and have a small hunting shack on some land I bought near a large river about 75miles away. The pack is mainly to get to that location in South east Texas

[Boondock]

Ah, knowing that helps a bit.

I'll let the gang in TX/LA do the heavy lifting comment-wise. They'll give you a better critique, as it's been years since I was in that part of the country.

However, I can start by saying you probably could use more water. You listed carrying a canteen, but I'd triple that amount, given the heat and humidity in your area.

Overall, I think you're off to a decent start. Keep us posted.

[tookieblueeyes]

Good kit you have put together there. I can't see anything wrong with it except I would add more water to the equasion. Other than that way to go!

[cbr900]

I do need to add a little more water but need to cut down the weight a little this pack is 47lbs as it stands now.

Maybe I can talk these two into carrying a little more weigh for me

[majorhavoc]

CBR:

That's a nice, well thought out kit you've got going there. Some real thought in what you've selected and how you have it organized.

Realistically, how likely are you going to be fishing during your bug out? If the answer is yes, you're going to need some basic tackle. The only other major thing I can think of is some sort of lightweight sleeping bag or at least a fleece blanket if you have bug out during the colder parts of the year.

But a great start; much better than a lot we see around here.

Wanna tell us about your BOV? I'm guessing I know what it is, but maybe you have something else in mind.

[cbr900]

Dont have any sleeping bag as I cant remember the last time I needed a jacket, my main route takes me along a river to my little hunting shack/cabin so fishing is a good possibility. I have a small fishing kit but should add more options. Here is a pic of my BOV doesnt look like much but its locked front and rear and has gone anywhere I tried to take it. Would take the bike but the dogs are a must, I have a new chevy crew cab if I plan on just heading down the road if traffic allows. Some type of blanket/sleeping bag would be a good idea to keep in the jeep.

[CannonDC]

Your pack seems great and along with the others I agree you could use more water, as for your BOV I like the idea of have a 4wd vehicle if you have to take the road less traveled, but Im wondering if you have a sufficient fuel available, I reccomend a 5gallon sealed ventless gas can stored in the vehicle and cover with a quilt or heavy blanket to avoid heat expansion, remember something could happen at anytime and you may have a near empty tank, and since you may be driving out of your way to avoid unwanted attention from criminals or the undead its always safe to carry extra. Plus if you make it to your site safely youll have extra fuel for whatever you may need.

[ForgeCorvus]

100' of rope.....Why?
Surely that would be better as part of the Car kit ?

Same with the camo-net

These are both heavy items (and the net is single use), do you really need the extra weight on your back?


More water would be good, remember your furry friends will also need it (they should be hauling their own food....Maybe not much else though)

Seconded to the fuel-can(s), you should also carry spares for the car (good practice even when not Bugging-out)

[Exploriment]

Realistically.....put the pack on your back, and walk from your house to your hunting shack, living out of your pack the whole way. Only way to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your kit.

Oh, I know, you plan to drive there. What if the traffic is so bad, you have no alternative but to walk? What if your car breaks down? You need to be prepared to walk that route. It’s an eventuality you must be prepared for.

Given the distance, 2 Mountain House meals is woefully inadequate.

What's in the first aid kit?

Have you actually tried to keep yourself clean with your hygiene kit? What will you use as a wash basin?

That cord is far more manageable cut down in to smaller lengths. I usually cut 100 feet of paracord down into a length of 25 feet, and a bunch of smaller ones of 10 feet and 5 feet.

[cbr900]

The camo netting weighs next to nothing and it really helps hide your tent, gear, you what ever. The rope thats a good question my thoughts were to use it to tie gear down to the jeep or keep the dogs tied up. Probably would be better kept in the truck. My small dog has two bottles of water+food my larger dog has 4 bottles of water+food. Agree I could use some more water.

[cbr900]

Realistically.....put the pack on your back, and walk from your house to your hunting shack, living out of your pack the whole way. Only way to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your kit.

Oh, I know, you plan to drive there. What if the traffic is so bad, you have no alternative but to walk? What if your car breaks down? You need to be prepared to walk that route. It’s an eventuality you must be prepared for.

Given the distance, 2 Mountain House meals is woefully inadequate.

What's in the first aid kit?

Have you actually tried to keep yourself clean with your hygiene kit? What will you use as a wash basin?

That cord is far more manageable cut down in to smaller lengths. I usually cut 100 feet of paracord down into a length of 25 feet, and a bunch of smaller ones of 10 feet and 5 feet.

Dont plan on walking my plan was to use my jeep or truck, the route I have planned involves no major roads and a good portion is dirt roads. I take the jeep off roading a lot and carry most basic parts like U-joints, belts and have onboard air. From my location I can be on country roads in 5mins and dirt/gravel roads in 15mins. I havent really hiked with this exact pack but I do go on extended hunting trips with Med Alice weighing about 40lbs with ammo and rifle, have also hiked a few deer out tied to the frame as well so im not that worried about the weight issue. As far as food the two dinners alone have 5 servings then 3 with breakfast the MRE is good for a whole day then I have at least 4-6 instant oatmeal packets. If for some reason I run out of food there is a river along my route. Not that worried about staying super clean, this pack is mainly for an all hell as broken lose situation were you are unable to simple drive to the next town or a friends house. First aid is you basic kit, gloves quick clot, needle thread, iodine, bandages, neosporin, painkillers, just your general first aid kit.


Honestly there has had to have been a lot of things go wrong if im ever on foot with this pack.

SHTF Options

1. Stay put at your house
2. If forced to leave pack up truck and go to friend's house or hotel
3. If you situation is big enough that several cities are effected then head to Bug Out location in Vehicles (I plan to use two vehicles jeep+truck)
4. One vehicle breaks down use the other one
5. Second Vehicle breaks down repair
6. Repair not possible then get ready for long walk

[maldon007]

Pretty decent kit imo, being a knife guy though... And having had that same knife... Maybe a better/carbon steel fixed blade on the to-buy-in-future list? Or a machete/mora combo... The gun, I have one of those too, and I like it anyway

Other than that, maybe swap the 100' rope for 200' (more) of lighter/smaller para, since it will do most things the rope can.

[Exploriment]

If something happens, so catastrophic that an entire city, a large city, possibly with satellite communities around it, needs to flee, I don’t see comfortable cruising along a freeway. I see gridlock, chaos, police roadblocks to direct traffic, etc. If the possibility exists that I can sit in a car the whole distance, fantastic. Do I plan for that? No. I plan for grabbing my pack, having it filled with the best gear I can accumulate, food, etc. and walking, possibly for weeks if I have to.

I walk a lot because I want to remain as capable as I can be for as long as I can be if that eventuality ever arises. A foundation of my world view is being able to walk long distances, carrying a load, navigating with a map and compass.I have no romantic illusions about what any of that would all entail. It would suck almightily. But I strive as much as I am able to be as capable as I can. If the point comes that I am so old or injured or feeble that I can only shelter in place when the end comes, well so be it. Right now I try to get out as much as I can and get out to walk and test out gear and technique.

Call me crazy, but I'm a firm believer in being aware of what a walk along a given route will entail, and what carrying and using certain items entails. Does all that gear work in conjunction when you are cold, wet, scared, possibly injured? Where will you get water along your route? Will there be a kindly farmer to let you use his hose, or will you have to wade through swampy bits to get to a place where you can fill your bottles? Where can you safely stop for the night? Etc. Etc.

Sorry, but you are assuming and hoping that you will be able to drive the whole way. If those roads are blocked, no matter how good your vehicle or your ability to fix it, it matters little if you have no physical way of accessing it. Pileups, conked out cars, FEMA black helicopter road blocks, riots, alien zombie invasion - whatever. If for some reason your escape route is cut off for a vehicle, what is plan B? I build on the smallest stone - me. My brain, my feet, my shoes, my legs, my pants, my pack, my kit, my map, my compass....etc. A car is a ways up that pile of stones to my mind. I would rather err on the side of being ambulatory and being as certain as I can be that I am comfortable with what I have chosen. Would love to be able to go by car away from an emergency, but I build on the foundation that I will walk it.

Just my take on it.

[cbr900]

Pretty decent kit imo, being a knife guy though... And having had that same knife... Maybe a better/carbon steel fixed blade on the to-buy-in-future list? Or a machete/mora combo... The gun, I have one of those too, and I like it anyway

Other than that, maybe swap the 100' rope for 200' (more) of lighter/smaller para, since it will do most things the rope can.

I wanted to keep a gun in the pack I could do without so Sigma went into the pack, haven't had a chance to try that knife out thanks for the tip

[cbr900]

If something happens, so catastrophic that an entire city, a large city, possibly with satellite communities around it, needs to flee, I don’t see comfortable cruising along a freeway. I see gridlock, chaos, police roadblocks to direct traffic, etc. If the possibility exists that I can sit in a car the whole distance, fantastic. Do I plan for that? No. I plan for grabbing my pack, having it filled with the best gear I can accumulate, food, etc. and walking, possibly for weeks if I have to.

Not a single part of my route is on even a major road, as I said before within 5mins im on country roads and 15mins im on dirt/gravel. As I said my route follows a wooded area along a large river. I plan for the most realistic event (in my mind) which would be traveling by vehicle for as far as I could. Which is why I have two options my crew cab truck and my 4X4 JEEP (loaded with spare parts and general equipment to keep it going) I have winch to pull fallen trees or disabled cars out of the way if needed.

FEMA black helicopter road blocks, riots, alien zombie invasion - whatever. If for some reason your escape route is cut off for a vehicle, what is plan B? I build on the smallest stone - me. My brain, my feet, my shoes, my legs, my pants, my pack, my kit, my map, my compass....etc. A car is a ways up that pile of stones to my mind. I would rather err on the side of being ambulatory and being as certain as I can be that I am comfortable with what I have chosen. Would love to be able to go by car away from an emergency, but I build on the foundation that I will walk it.

I just dont see everyone loaded with their Bug Out bags all taking to the street. How far are you going to get with your Bug Out Bag and a rifle over your shoulder before someone stops you? Especially if you are expecting so called "Black Helicopters" what would stand out more a single vehicle among 1000's on the road or a guy walking down city streets with a huge pack and a rifle. You simple cant carry weeks worth of food and water plus gear. For me that is the absolute last options as that leaves me with the least advantage. The best choice for me would be to get as far away as fast as possible. I guess we have a different train of thought as I put my efforts into the easiest mode of transportation a 4X4 vehicle while you put you efforts and planning into walking. The way I figure it if I need to I can always get out of the Jeep and walk if I have to but there is no way of pulling a vehicle out of your pack.

I view so called bugging out as a decision based on possible pros vs cons the first choice should be staying put as you have far more shelter, food, gear, what ever right where you are and it takes no effort to get there. The choice to leave should be based on the fact that the danger at hand out weighs all the items you are leaving behind. At that point take as much gear as you can which would be by vehicle. If you ever leave that vehicle again the danger should out weigh all the advantages of having a vehicle.

[jdavidboyd]

I do need to add a little more water but need to cut down the weight a little this pack is 47lbs as it stands now.

Maybe I can talk these two into carrying a little more weigh for me

Don't give them bite valves, cuz you know it will all be gone!

[greenbeetle]

I do need to add a little more water but need to cut down the weight a little this pack is 47lbs as it stands now.[/img]]

75 miles with 47lbs. Ugh! Everyone must be younger and stronger than me, heheh. Well thought out kit otherwise.

[adv]

Well thought out, haven' t seen a dust mask before in a kit, not a bad idea considering the negligible weight.. Adequate water here in TX is always a concern, I personally think it's not. realistic to try to carry what you will actually need for more than a day or two, hence the Katadyn and filtration tabs that you've got covered.
Beautiful dogs btw, really. I would throw in some heartworm tabs/Frontline Plus etc for them (if you haven't already), especially if they're going to be drinking from streams etc.