My BOB, please criticize

[hydrogen]

Tac vest

Magellan Explorist 200 GPS
Motorola FRS Radio
2x 1 liter canteens
knife
compass/ mirror
emergency blanket
map
water purification tablets
bic lighter
water proofed matches
3 firestarters (waxed cotton)
2aa Maglight
50 feet paracord
leatherman
small SS cup
snare wire
4 packets of gatoraide
small amount a beef jerky
few energy bars
almonds
jolly ranchers
2x light sticks

small med kit:
-4x tylnol
-4x benadryl
-4x imodium
-super glue
-small tube polysporin
-1 roll of gauze
-assorted bandages


BACKPACK

Duct tape
small crowbar
small axe
metal grill
aluminum foil
cast iron pan
100 feet paracord
binoculars
sas survival hand book - john wiseman
poncho
2x bic lighters
matches
lint tinder in a ziploc bag
AA batteries


large first aid kit:

im not in the mood to open it up now, but it has lots of goodies




Please feel free to criticize, and or remove items as you see fit.

[HEX]

Sounds pretty good to me, cant think of any additions i'd make off the top of my head except for maybe some dental care stuff, a toothbrush alone would help. Just a couple of questions. It sounds like quite a heavy load, is it? And. Can you post any pics?

[Vindex]

Motorola FRS Radio

GMRS has more range

2aa Maglight

L.E.D. flashlights last 10X longer on the same batteries

snare wire

How much? 3 ft is only good for 1 snare, and you'll need enough for 2 or 3 dozen for a proper trap line according to trapping websites.

cast iron pan

Cast iron sounds kinda heavy

[hydrogen]

HEX, its not very heavy at all.

the metal grill is just that, a small metal grill which i prop up with some logs to cook on.

the cast iron pan is pretty small not overly heavy

i have snared rabbits since i was 10 ( a little under 14 years) i have 2 wraps of snare wire, enough to make 2 -2.5 dozen snares. if you know what you are looking for, 3 snares will get you what your looking for:)

oh and both maglights have the LED conversion kits installed



ill try and get a hold of a digital camers to take pics of it all, im in the process of going through my med kit, theres a lot of stuff. lol

[p masta flex]

you could get a backpacking stove and some dehydrated meals like campmor and such...


food is kinda important...just a thought

armys move on their stomachs

[Moonrabbit]

Sounds like an awesome kit. As specialy seeing as you keep the heavy stuff in a backpack that could be shed if you needed to. You might consider a small metal pot for boiling water though, even if you have a filter, Good to boil too if you can. Or is that what an SS cup is?

But yeah, get the LED light in there and that's probably the most well rounded kit I've seen. You've got some quality equipment there.

BTW: What tac vest you using?

[anten]

Id add dental care and some more food, otherwise it looks sweet.

[hydrogen]

this is my hiking pack as well, so i usually put food/water in it, hike, eat/drink, hike home.

[hydrogen]

Sounds like an awesome kit. As specialy seeing as you keep the heavy stuff in a backpack that could be shed if you needed to. You might consider a small metal pot for boiling water though, even if you have a filter, Good to boil too if you can. Or is that what an SS cup is?

But yeah, get the LED light in there and that's probably the most well rounded kit I've seen. You've got some quality equipment there.

BTW: What tac vest you using?

the ss cup (stainless steel cup) is what i use for boiling water, holds .5 liters, has a handle


i dunno the name of the tac vest, ive had it for a few years, ill see if i can find it on the net

[Ronin556]

Let me start by saying this is an outstanding setup.
I'd venture to say, with little modification, that this is what people should use as a model for what to put together for themselves. Very well put together Hydrogen.

First off, I'm guessing the Stainless Steel Cup is the canteen cup? If so, you might consider bringing along a little light kettle, or some manner of medium sized pot. The logic behind it is; while the canteen cups are great for heating yourself up a drink, they are LOUSY for cooking soup in the field. When you've got a few folks up there with you, you're probably not going to get away with heating yourself up a nice warm beverage while they freeze.
Of course, stupid should hurt, be we're nice, and sometimes outnumbered.
For morales sake, I bought a little "Camp Kettle". It's actually saving me space, since I can pack a bunch of crap into it, and now I can cook soup and actually use the entire packet.

Iron Pans are great, but for a survival ruck, I'd strongly recommend an old circa 1950's mess kit. They are small, aluminum, and durable. They also have a tray, so you can heat on one, and eat on the other. Another good concept if you're the only one who thought ahead far enough to bring cooking supplies. It'll work well for frying meat, but probably not rabbit, because there is no fat. Plus, you can pack a lot of crap in between the pan and the plate here as well. I've got crackers and jam (MRE fixin's) in mine to hold me over until the entree is finished.

As far as the canteens go, I'd outright ditch one, and substitute it for a hydration system on whatever you use for a vest. The logic behind it is, you can distribute the weight more evenly across your shoulders, and carry more water.
Definately keep one, because as I'm sure you know, the cup is good for boiling water, which you can use for drinks or purification. I leave my canteen empty, and my Hydrastorm full on my vest, so if I have to "grab and go", I'll have some water, and the provisions to carry more, without the added 2 pounds of water

The most important thing I noticed was a distinct lack of food. However, I was impressed with the fact that unlike most others, you're ready to go trap your own (smartest idea).
But most critters don't want to die, and it may be a few days before you actually snag one.
If I were you, I'd strip out a few MRE's, and throw the entrees in your pack. I personally carry 5 stripped, and 2 full MRE's. It adds weight, but it's going to go fast. On the ones you strip, keep the cardboard, it'll help you light fires when you need a little extra warmth, or something to cook over. You can never have enough dry fuel!

Last but not least is fishing gear. Snaring line is fine and dandy, but fish are a lot more nourishing, and require a lot less energy to accost. Throw in some line, tackle, and a few bits of weight and bait. Natural bait can be found around the water too, I've had great success (well, small fish, but I usually get one) with perriwinkles. Obviously, nightcrawlers and worms of most sorts are also excellent bait.

Great list Hydrogen, I hope this helps.

[TEC9man]

An extra set of clothes or undergarments might be nice (especially if your with someone else).

[kimbereclipse]

heres an idea:

read the survival book cover to cover and know it like the back of your hand, less to carry around in your pack then, right?

[TheLastRifleMan]

The GPS is a handy item to have but when TSHTF, the sattelites will go off line in about six weeks, rendering the device useless.

Don't get me wrong. I have a Garmin E Trex Venture which I love dearly and know how to use it well. It has bailed me out of a couple bad situations. I would use the space in your bag reserved for the GPS for a good map reading compass and maps of you state, county and city.

As far as your other gear, well done. I can find no other faults. Every item had a uselful purpose that would possibly save you and keep you alive.

I might include a folding saw or hatchet if possible.

[hydrogen]

Let me start by saying this is an outstanding setup.
I'd venture to say, with little modification, that this is what people should use as a model for what to put together for themselves. Very well put together Hydrogen.

First off, I'm guessing the Stainless Steel Cup is the canteen cup? If so, you might consider bringing along a little light kettle, or some manner of medium sized pot. The logic behind it is; while the canteen cups are great for heating yourself up a drink, they are LOUSY for cooking soup in the field. When you've got a few folks up there with you, you're probably not going to get away with heating yourself up a nice warm beverage while they freeze.
Of course, stupid should hurt, be we're nice, and sometimes outnumbered.
For morales sake, I bought a little "Camp Kettle". It's actually saving me space, since I can pack a bunch of crap into it, and now I can cook soup and actually use the entire packet.

Iron Pans are great, but for a survival ruck, I'd strongly recommend an old circa 1950's mess kit. They are small, aluminum, and durable. They also have a tray, so you can heat on one, and eat on the other. Another good concept if you're the only one who thought ahead far enough to bring cooking supplies. It'll work well for frying meat, but probably not rabbit, because there is no fat. Plus, you can pack a lot of crap in between the pan and the plate here as well. I've got crackers and jam (MRE fixin's) in mine to hold me over until the entree is finished.

As far as the canteens go, I'd outright ditch one, and substitute it for a hydration system on whatever you use for a vest. The logic behind it is, you can distribute the weight more evenly across your shoulders, and carry more water.
Definately keep one, because as I'm sure you know, the cup is good for boiling water, which you can use for drinks or purification. I leave my canteen empty, and my Hydrastorm full on my vest, so if I have to "grab and go", I'll have some water, and the provisions to carry more, without the added 2 pounds of water

The most important thing I noticed was a distinct lack of food. However, I was impressed with the fact that unlike most others, you're ready to go trap your own (smartest idea).
But most critters don't want to die, and it may be a few days before you actually snag one.
If I were you, I'd strip out a few MRE's, and throw the entrees in your pack. I personally carry 5 stripped, and 2 full MRE's. It adds weight, but it's going to go fast. On the ones you strip, keep the cardboard, it'll help you light fires when you need a little extra warmth, or something to cook over. You can never have enough dry fuel!

Last but not least is fishing gear. Snaring line is fine and dandy, but fish are a lot more nourishing, and require a lot less energy to accost. Throw in some line, tackle, and a few bits of weight and bait. Natural bait can be found around the water too, I've had great success (well, small fish, but I usually get one) with perriwinkles. Obviously, nightcrawlers and worms of most sorts are also excellent bait.

Great list Hydrogen, I hope this helps.

exleent suggestions, and thanks for the praise.

the stainless steel cup is a canteen cup, i think i will get a kettel as you suggested, and drop the pan for a mess kit.

point taken on the hydration system, i hike, a lot. i hike my local trail everymonring at 8am and this pack is my hiking pack as well. i have been looking for a hydration system over the last week, i have seen a few i liked, im lookign at reviews.

as said above,, i use this pack everyday, hence the lack of food, because i eat it. usually before i leave i throw in a few energy bars, some jerky, or some trail mix. as for the MREs, i have 3 boxes of canadian military MREs in my basement, got them off my old boss for $40cad a box:)


its funny, the trail i hike everyday is along a river, and i have never thought of fishing gear, im adding some now

[hydrogen]

rifleman

i use my pack to hike everyday, thats why i have the gps in there:). and im guessing the GPS satilites need some form of human upkeep to keep them online?

also, i have a pretty sweet compass my dad gave me, he has been a cartographer for 25+ years


and the small axe imn my pack is a hatchet


Kimbereclipse

i have read the survival book, many times. i have it in there for a few reasons:

1 its a form of entertainment, its a good read. espically if im in the woods for an extended period of time, i would like to keey my sanity.

2 some of the worthless pages can be used as tinder, if need be.

[hydrogen]

oh and 3, in case i forget something, i have it to reference too

[TheLastRifleMan]

Cool. Looks like you are set! Having a Dad who is a cartographer has to be interesting.

With that fishing gear in place, I think your bag is complete!

[hydrogen]

ok, thanks for all your suggestions, i have added some items, and takes some off, as well as i just made a purchase:)

http://www.rei.com/product/4884578.htm? ... AMPING_TOC

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Product ... rn=4500603



Tac vest

Magellan Explorist 200 GPS
Motorola FRS Radio
1 liter canteen
knife
compass/ mirror
emergency blanket
map
water purification tablets
bic lighter
water proofed matches
3 firestarters (waxed cotton)
2aa Maglight
50 feet paracord
leatherman
small SS cup
snare wire
4 packets of gatoraide
small amount a beef jerky
few energy bars
almonds
jolly ranchers
2x light sticks

small med kit:
-4x tylnol
-4x benadryl
-4x imodium
-super glue
-small tube polysporin
-1 roll of gauze
-assorted bandages


BACKPACK

Duct tape
small crowbar
small axe
aluminum foil
3 piece titanium cook set
CamelBak UnBottle - 100 oz.
100 feet paracord
binoculars
sas survival hand book - john wiseman
2x poncho
4x bic lighters
matches
lint tinder in a ziploc bag
AA batteries
magnesium/flint fire starter
3x pairs of socks
2x pairs of boxers
1x wool blanket
4x stripped MREs
2x packages of noodles
6x beef cubes
small contaier of salt
mini tooth brush and tooth paste

small fishing kit
-100 feet 12 pound test
-10x hooks
-several lead weights
-3x artifical bait
-2x bobbers


it all fits in my bag, kind of. its all jammed in there, besides the mess kit and hydration system, which i just ordered. im not using a proper pack, just a swiss army school bag. the next thing on my list is a proper hiking pack. i really like the DAKINE pack that the_klenzer has.

[Ronin556]

*thumbs up* Very cool.
I think you'll really be happy with the latest additions.

[AgentJew]

I wish i had a B.o.b

[ripped0ff]

That's a pretty good setup man, but it still needs to be changed around some. For instance, you only list one knife in your BoB as a whole. You need at least one real knife (survival or skinning knife) and one pocket-knife/multitool. There are plenty of things you'll need one for, and the other is just too small or clunky for. If nothing else, you can use a pocket knife in place of standard utensils.

You should also try and pick up an LED flashlight in favor of the maglight, as others have noted. Not only will you have a longer bulb life, but you'll have a longer burn time as well.

I'd give the almonds the heave-ho as well. They're a decent source of proteins and carbs, but lame in comparison to so many of the others manufactured foods out there. Throw in some more energy bars instead, or even a few more jolly ranchers. You're going to want calories, more then anything else for the purposes of survival foods. Whether or not those calories come from carbs, proteins, or fats are merely secondary concerns.

Ditch the small crowbar in your main BoB. There really isn't much reason for it. If you feel as though you'll end up being in some sort of urban environment with all sorts of locked doors with no windows nearby, however, just get one of those combination hatchet/pry bars. In fact, you should ideally replace both the crowbar and your axe with such a combination. It'll save on weight, and space.

Replace the binoculars with a monocular. It's all about space and weight in a BoB, and you just can't afford to not cut corners whereever you can. Binoculars, even the small folding kind, are just too unneccesarily large, as compared to monoculars.

In regards to the survival handbook, put it in a waterproof bag and place that on your tac vest. If you feel like that book is something you need to survive, then that will become doubly true if you have to ditch your main bag in favor of sticking to your tac vest alone. Assuming this is one of those small, pocket books too, it shouldn't be too much of an addition to your vest.

I'd ditch the wool blanket as well. It can be helpful, yes, but it still isn't worth it. Not only is it too bulky, but if your bag gets drenched, then it'll become a nasty ten pound, waterlogged burden. With two ponchos and an emergency blanket, you have enough there to use one poncho as shelter, and the other one and blanket for warmth. If you're really concerned about staying warm, grab another thermal blanket. They're smaller, lighter, and more useful on the whole.

Outside of that, I'd make two noteworthy additions. You likely want to throw in a bandana/handkerchief. They can come in handy as sweat bands, bandages, face masks, short ties (in spots where 50' of paracord is just a bit much, i.e. tourniquet), cleaning rags, and dozens more situational things. Cowboys didn't wear them for the hell of it.

A small sewing kit should come in extreme handy as well. Remember, you'll only have one set of clothes, so you can't afford to ditch them just because a hole opens up in them.

Finally, if you can, get one of those combination radio and LED lanterns with a hand crank that Sharper Image is selling. Those are effectively an unlimited source of light and radio monitoring. After you've freed up the weight and space from the crowbar and wool blanket, there should be plenty of room for this, the sewing kit, and the bandana too.

[BloodLust]

Good set-up. Just wondering though: Why go for a titanium cookset when there are hard anodized aluminum non-stick cooksets available? Strength and weight is almost the same.

[hydrogen]

That's a pretty good setup man, but it still needs to be changed around some. For instance, you only list one knife in your BoB as a whole. You need at least one real knife (survival or skinning knife) and one pocket-knife/multitool. There are plenty of things you'll need one for, and the other is just too small or clunky for. If nothing else, you can use a pocket knife in place of standard utensils.

You should also try and pick up an LED flashlight in favor of the maglight, as others have noted. Not only will you have a longer bulb life, but you'll have a longer burn time as well.

I'd give the almonds the heave-ho as well. They're a decent source of proteins and carbs, but lame in comparison to so many of the others manufactured foods out there. Throw in some more energy bars instead, or even a few more jolly ranchers. You're going to want calories, more then anything else for the purposes of survival foods. Whether or not those calories come from carbs, proteins, or fats are merely secondary concerns.

Ditch the small crowbar in your main BoB. There really isn't much reason for it. If you feel as though you'll end up being in some sort of urban environment with all sorts of locked doors with no windows nearby, however, just get one of those combination hatchet/pry bars. In fact, you should ideally replace both the crowbar and your axe with such a combination. It'll save on weight, and space.

Replace the binoculars with a monocular. It's all about space and weight in a BoB, and you just can't afford to not cut corners whereever you can. Binoculars, even the small folding kind, are just too unneccesarily large, as compared to monoculars.

In regards to the survival handbook, put it in a waterproof bag and place that on your tac vest. If you feel like that book is something you need to survive, then that will become doubly true if you have to ditch your main bag in favor of sticking to your tac vest alone. Assuming this is one of those small, pocket books too, it shouldn't be too much of an addition to your vest.

I'd ditch the wool blanket as well. It can be helpful, yes, but it still isn't worth it. Not only is it too bulky, but if your bag gets drenched, then it'll become a nasty ten pound, waterlogged burden. With two ponchos and an emergency blanket, you have enough there to use one poncho as shelter, and the other one and blanket for warmth. If you're really concerned about staying warm, grab another thermal blanket. They're smaller, lighter, and more useful on the whole.

Outside of that, I'd make two noteworthy additions. You likely want to throw in a bandana/handkerchief. They can come in handy as sweat bands, bandages, face masks, short ties (in spots where 50' of paracord is just a bit much, i.e. tourniquet), cleaning rags, and dozens more situational things. Cowboys didn't wear them for the hell of it.

A small sewing kit should come in extreme handy as well. Remember, you'll only have one set of clothes, so you can't afford to ditch them just because a hole opens up in them.

Finally, if you can, get one of those combination radio and LED lanterns with a hand crank that Sharper Image is selling. Those are effectively an unlimited source of light and radio monitoring. After you've freed up the weight and space from the crowbar and wool blanket, there should be plenty of room for this, the sewing kit, and the bandana too.

well i have my kabar and my leatherman multitool, i am looking for another knife as well.

both my mag lights have the led conversion:)

good call on the axe/crowbar. i have been looking for a combo, i just dont know what to get yet.

i just added a bandanna and a balaclava

i have a sewing kit in my large first aid kit, which i havnt typed out yet:)

[hydrogen]

Good set-up. Just wondering though: Why go for a titanium cookset when there are hard anodized aluminum non-stick cooksets available? Strength and weight is almost the same.

titanium is sexy:)