Critique my "get home" bag

[East_TN_Patriot]

I thought I'd follow in the footsteps of Dolomite and post the contents of my kit to see what people thought.  My philosophy is to keep more on hand than I will likely need in any given situation, then I can pick and choose what I need after I can evaluate the given situation.  I also tend to pack in layers so I can quickly add or shed items.  

My main bag is an LL Bean Trail 500 waist pack, which it appears is no longer available except for used ones on eBay.  It has plenty of room for my gear, including two pockets for water bottles.  It also has lashing points on the front and some shock cord to hold items.  Here are the contents:

Water:
- Frontier Pro Water Filter w/ water heater adapter
- Potable Aqua tablets
- 1L Nalgene bottle
- GSR Glacier stainless steel cup

Fire:
- Gobspark Armageddon fire steel
- Bic lighter
- Homemade cotton ball fire starters
- Esbit stove with fuel tablets

Shelter:
- UST Hex Tarp w/ line and Coghlan's ultralight stakes
- SOL Emergency Bivvy
- SOL Emergency Poncho
- Gear Aid patch kit

Food:
- 2 Cliff Bars
- Starbucks VIA coffee packets

 ***Additional food in pack listed below

Light:
- Cyalume lightstick
- Energizer headlamp
- Streamlight Sidewinder Compact flashlight

PSK (packed in a size 1000 OtterBox):
- Utility knife blade
- Leather sewing needles
- Tool Logic Survival II (small knife, LED, whistle, ferro rod)
- Readyman Escape Card
- Readyman Survival Card
- Foam ear plugs
- Mini Bic lighter
- Misc fishing hooks and sinkers
- Short pencil w/ eraser
- Button compass
- Potable Aqua tablets
- Streamlight Nano LED light
- P-38 can opener
- Spool of Kevlar thread
- SOL Fire Lite striker and tinder
- DMT mini diamond stone

- UST button compass on lanyard
- Light My Fire Swedish Fire Knife

- Signal mirror
- Misc first aid (Band Aids, Steri strips, WoundSeal blood stopper, etc.)

*** I have applied some SOLAS tape to the box and a couple of items in the box.
 

Miscellaneous:
- Grabber Outdoors insect headnet
- 50 ft paracord
- Heavyweight waxed nylon thread
- Zip ties
- 10 ft Gorilla Tape
- N95 particle mask
- Write in the Rain paper and pen
- KUM double pencil sharpener (large and small with bonus because it’s made of magnesium)
- Smith’s PP1 knife sharpener
- Carmex lip balm
- Nitrile gloves
- 2 OB tampons

My additional bag is an REI Traverse 30 pack that contains a variety of items including:
- A well-stocked first aid kit

- Over 72 hours of freeze-dried food

- Additional firestarting items

- More paracord
- Streamlight Polytac flashlight and extra batteries
- SnowPeak Trek 700 titanium cookset 

- Micro folding isobutane stove (very similar to the MSR Pocket Rocket)

- Isobutane fuel canister
- Katadyn Hiker Pro water filter

- Brunton compass

I chose the packs I did because they are convenient, comfortable, durable, and help me maintain a low profile since they are typical hiking gear rather than screaming "tactical" to everyone.  I also have the personal defense firearm covered.  I keep other items in the car, like a surplus trenching shovel, Gerber ASEK knife, wet weather gear, ENO hammock, footwear, etc.  I am usually within 20 miles of home, but feel I have enough gear on hand to sustain me should I need to travel further to get home.  So, with all that said, what's missing?

Edited October 2, 2015 by East_TN_Patriot

[Sweetmadness]

Charmin! Marking trails, tinder, plus it's obvious uses.
A paper map to go with the compass. You never know where you might be when you have to get home.
A couple of the small bottles of liquor. Pain killer, sanitizer, and it'll make those dehydrated food pouches go down easier! ;-)
A survival rifle? Assuming your defensive arms are too large for small game hunting, a small, light rifle is perfect for grilled squirrel or rabbit at the end of a long hike.
An analog wrist watch can serve the same function as a compass, or you could have a compass on the watch band.
Other than those additions, while I understand one is none etc., you could probably drop some things to shed weight. A couple of candles instead of 2 of your flashlights and 2 fire starters, for example. You have a cooking set... Could you boil water in it instead of using one of your filters?

[crashgordan]

does look like a lot of redundancies for a get home bag, but it looks good!  

agree with above...commo,   Extra pair of socks...  and I would add a trash bag/trash can liner.  

then test it out .  in the rain.  then in the dark.  

[East_TN_Patriot]

Charmin! Marking trails, tinder, plus it's obvious uses.
A paper map to go with the compass. You never know where you might be when you have to get home.
A couple of the small bottles of liquor. Pain killer, sanitizer, and it'll make those dehydrated food pouches go down easier! ;-)
A survival rifle? Assuming your defensive arms are too large for small game hunting, a small, light rifle is perfect for grilled squirrel or rabbit at the end of a long hike.
An analog wrist watch can serve the same function as a compass, or you could have a compass on the watch band.
Other than those additions, while I understand one is none etc., you could probably drop some things to shed weight. A couple of candles instead of 2 of your flashlights and 2 fire starters, for example. You have a cooking set... Could you boil water in it instead of using one of your filters?

 

I have several packets of that TP from the MREs that I would use in a pinch.  I own a Ruger 10/22 Takedown, but I don't typically keep it in my car although I have considered it. I do have a good space to stash it and the bag it comes with would hold some of my extra items.  If it were stolen, it's not like I would be out a ton of money.  

I could easily boil water instead of using filters, but I'm into redundancy so in a pinch I keep the water filter in the waist pack and the stove in my larger pack.  In fact, I'm mostly concerned with the cup since I could boil water in that over a small wood fire using rocks to hold the cup.  As a result, I actually have two cups; one in my waist pack and the other is the cookset in my larger bag.  Liquor would be good.  I have a small hip flask I keep around for trips.  I could easily keep it with me.  A candle isn't a bad idea at all. I've also added some of those SOS 72 hour emergency rations to my car so I have something to eat that doesn't require cooking or re-hydration first.  Push comes to shove I could dump the meals and take that block of delectable goodness with me instead.  

 

I will say you can NEVER have too much stuff unless it inhibits your mobility.

 

That looks mighty heavy, how much does it weigh?

 

If you have not I would suggest going on a 2-3 mile walk with it to see how it feels. You might find some hot spots that will hurt after a while.

 

I would STRONGLY suggest an extra pair of socks if you are going to be walking for more than 3-4 hours. I know it is hard to tell where you will be when you need to go it on foot but if you are at work most days that would be a good place to start.

 

What type of communication do you have? Regardless of the event if it is a major that you are walking it will most likely overwhelm the current cell phone system. I seen some handheld radios the other day for $80 that claimed to have a 35 miles range. In real like it is probably closer to 1/2 that but even so a 17 mile range on a set of two ways is a great thing. You can also buy a Baofeng setup that uses ham frequencies, just don't use it with the FCC licensing but in an emergency I would not give a crap about the FCC. The Baofeng UV5R gets a lot of great reviews and is not expensive at all for what you get.

 

If you ever travel into unfamiliar territory I would also suggest a map of some sort or perhaps a GPS. If GPS satellites start falling form the sky then we are all in for a world of hurt.

The waist pack weighs 6 pounds 2 ounces without water per my postal scale.  The large pack weighs 15 pounds per my bathroom scale.  I adhere to the "worry over ounces or cry over pounds" philosophy, so the items I've gathered are the best compromise between weight and functionality I could afford.  I think the way I have it organized, I can easily shed weight should I need to. I also have built-in redundancy, so I can give up one thing without losing too much.  For example, the SOL poncho could work on its own if I absolutely had to give up the bivvy and the tarp shelter.  The kevlar thread I have could probably take the place of paracord, plus it's a three strand cord so I can pull the strands apart and have some very thin, but very strong, thread I can use for clothing and equipment repairs, fishing line, etc.  I dumped my CRKT Eat'N Tool for a Sea to Summit titanium spork that saved me 1.1 ounces on just that one item.  Truth be told, I expect I would easily shed a couple of pounds before I set out on my jaunt after I had time to assess my situation.  I'm not above dumping stuff along the way should I need to shed the weight.  All in all, I feel like I have enough stuff to sustain me for a fair amount of time should I be stranded with my vehicle and need to stay put.  

Extra socks is wise.  I have a GPS on my "to do" list, but for now I keep some paper road maps in my car.  Not as good as topo maps, but better than nothing.  I agree the communication issue is another that needs to be addressed.  I have been looking at some of those recreational radios, but I have also considered getting my ham radio license.  I'm putting no confidence in cell service in a bad situation.  

[East_TN_Patriot]

does look like a lot of redundancies for a get home bag, but it looks good!  

agree with above...commo,   Extra pair of socks...  and I would add a trash bag/trash can liner.  

then test it out .  in the rain.  then in the dark.  

Yeah, I guess it's better to say that I have a collection of emergency supplies I keep should I get stranded, as a starting point for a bug-out should that be an option, casual day hikes, along with a get-home bag.

Edited October 2, 2015 by East_TN_Patriot

[East_TN_Patriot]

OK, since I wrote this last night, I've already tweaked it a bit and shaved the waist pack weight down to 5 lbs 6 ounces.  I did this by dumping the Nalgene bottle for a folding 1L Platypus bottle that I had, which is actually better since the Frontier Pro filter will screw onto that bottle.  I also dumped the Esbit stove and fuel for the little Wetfire stove and fuel cubes I had put away.  The stove works fine with the cup I have in the bag and the Wetfire cubes can be started with a spark whereas the Esbit cubes don't.  

I always read about these ultralight hikers who weighed every piece of gear and obsessed over weight and never thought I'd be that bad, but I have started to get that way.  :surrender:

Edited October 2, 2015 by East_TN_Patriot

[CommsNBombs]

Hexamine fuel tablets are also good things to have. Or making your own "fuel jelly" aka napalm.

I have road flares, baked thermite cubettes and chem lights (IR and regular) with my bug out stuff.

Bonus with hexamine is it is a simple science experiment away from becoming an explosive compound. Hauling a telescoping sledge or bolt cutters can get heavy - but a little HMTD charge will take care of a door/bolt.

Granted that is the Blaster in me that would rather slap charge open a door than cut a chain.

Other than that good list of stuff. GPS and topo maps and a good compass with take you far.

Id even add one of those stupid "tacticool" airsoft helmets. Itll keep you from cracking your noggin and the Ops Core-style rails you can attach more lights on it or anything with a rail.

Tie downs and dummy-cording stuff you dont want to loose is important.

Train as you fight!

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

[ehull20000]

I would redefine your purpose for the bag.  I see a lot of good idea fairy stuff in there.  If it is a get home bag you need to focus on that.  If it is an always be prepared bag you are doing awesome!  In my opinion you should be able to move 20 miles on foot in 5 hours over improved roads.  Double that if you are going through "the woods".

 

If it is a get home bag I suggest the following.  

Add a pair of hiking boots.

+1 extra socks

+1 TP

Maybe a small bottle of bug spray.  Small like 1 - 2 ounces.  

Get waterproof topo maps.  They will cost you a few bucks, but are worth it.  

I would ditch the stainless cup, Nalgene and Platypus in favor of something like a Stanley Adventure 32 oz Multi-use bottle/cup.  Or if you are a baller get a titanium one.  

I would ditch the filter and rely on tablets or bleach with boiling as a back up for water purification.  

I would ditch the candles or road flares in favor of chemical warmers like Hot Hands.  Ever tried to control shock on the move with candles or road flares?

I would ditch the fire steel and get more Bic lighters.  If you are worried about redundancy pack two.  If you are worried about water intrusion put the second one in a waterproof container.  If you are worried about cold put it in your armpit before use.  Then I would put a 9V battery and some steel wool in my pack as an alternate.  Esbit cubes and stove is killer.  

I would ditch the poncho, tarp and bivvy in favor or a set of lightweight Frogg Toggs. 

I think you are well covered with chemlights, a headlamp and a spare flashlight.  Good job.  

I would discard your entire PSK.

Insect headset looks like a pain in the butt.  

I would ditch the para cord in favor of a spool of 40# braided fishing line.

I would ditch the waxed thread.

Zipties and Gorilla tape are bomber.

N95 mask is a good idea.

Write in the rain paper is cool.

Ditch the pen.  Add a pencil or two.

Ditch the sharpener, use your knife.

Cool knife sharpener, hard to imagine you would need to sharpen a knife after only a few hours.

Ditch the entire REI bag except the compass and add a few more Cliff bars.

[TGO David]

I don't see a handgun and spare ammo in there.

[East_TN_Patriot]

I don't see a handgun and spare ammo in there.

I have that covered.  I just didn't feel the need to specify.  Most of the time I have a Walther PPS with a couple of spare mags.

[TGO David]

I have that covered.  I just didn't feel the need to specify.  Most of the time I have a Walther PPS with a couple of spare mags.

 

Cool.

 

I guess my second impression when looking at your load list was "Where are you getting home from with all of that?".  I stumbled across a reasonably good blog a while back, written by a former Marine, that has an article you might find helpful while sorting out your kit:  How To Survive It

[East_TN_Patriot]

I would redefine your purpose for the bag.  I see a lot of good idea fairy stuff in there.  If it is a get home bag you need to focus on that.  If it is an always be prepared bag you are doing awesome!  In my opinion you should be able to move 20 miles on foot in 5 hours over improved roads.  Double that if you are going through "the woods".

I think this is a fair statement and I alluded to that earlier, although not as clearly.  My goal is to have plenty of stuff on hand and then I can pick and choose what I feel like I need based on the circumstances.  So as a "get home" bag, it probably wouldn't need much of that stuff unless I had a LONG hike, which isn't typical for me since I am usually around populated urban areas. 

I also looked at a titanium cup and it would save me about 3 ounces.  I'll likely pick one up eventually, but I think my next priority needs to be a good handheld GPS.

Edited October 6, 2015 by East_TN_Patriot

[austin7.62]

Looks good to me. I need to work on mine.

[tacops]

After reading the load list the only thing I could think of is...wheels.  Just kidding, you put a lot of thought into it and others have made some good suggestions.  You can lighten the load if needed, but you won't always be able to find it, if needed.

[diamondback]

I am envious. That is a really good set up. Seems like alot even, but hey better have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

[Adamant]

Just getting into making a big out bag. A few things I have added. For summer you may need sunblock. For winter I had added some hot hands hand warmers. Those things are invaluable when the temp drops and you are outside. Also plastic ziploc bags to keep things dry incase of rain or a water crossing. Hand sanitizer also. For sanitary reasons and also to help start a fire.

[diamondback]

Just getting into making a big out bag. A few things I have added. For summer you may need sunblock. For winter I had added some hot hands hand warmers. Those things are invaluable when the temp drops and you are outside. Also plastic ziploc bags to keep things dry incase of rain or a water crossing. Hand sanitizer also. For sanitary reasons and also to help start a fire.

 

Not everyone does this, but I also advise taking some of the waterproofing agent people use on shoes and boots and put the bug out bag.

[East_TN_Patriot]

Several have commented about the weight.  As it stands now, the entire bag weighs in at a little over 10 lbs as-is which isn't too bad for me since I am known to do some backcountry hiking and camping carrying a 20+ pound pack.  For instance, the UST shelter weighs 1 pound 5.3 ounces including the guy lines, stakes, and stuff sack.  The SOL survival poncho weighs 2.4 ounces and packs to the size of a candy bar.  In fact, one of the heaviest pieces of gear is the Maxpedition  bag itself, which weighs a bit over a pound when empty.  

 

Also, the goal is for me to have everything I might need, which I can pick and choose from given the situation and carry only what I need.  It's possible that I wouldn't need any of it and would simply make a quick walk to the house from a few miles away, so I would only really need the most minimal number of the contents.  The first aid kit does have sunscreen and I typically carry lip balm on me.  I always keep a mil surplus poncho liner, warm hat, warm gloves, a small trenching shovel, a machete, and a Gerber ASEK in my car as well.  Again, it's the idea that I can keep it handy and grab specific items as needed given the situation.   


 

[Caster]

Something everyone could use a little more of in their bag...skills.  In theory, one with enough skills could get by on what you could fit in your old lady's purse.  God knows i could use a lot more practice at everything.  

[East_TN_Patriot]

Something everyone could use a little more of in their bag...skills.  In theory, one with enough skills could get by on what you could fit in your old lady's purse.  God knows i could use a lot more practice at everything.  

Truth.

[jgradyc]

After reading the load list the only thing I could think of is...wheels.  Just kidding, you put a lot of thought into it and others have made some good suggestions.  You can lighten the load if needed, but you won't always be able to find it, if needed.

This is an interesting idea. Wheels. You never see it mentioned, but a folding bicycle would be nice if you have room for it. You'd also need bike tools, a tiny hand pump, and bike tools. With a bike over improved roads, you can average 10mph or so... 14mph if it's a road bike and not a folder. (An experienced cyclist would be faster, of course.) If you're knowledgeable about bikes, you can remove the front and rear wheels so it will store in a typical car's trunk. 

 

I have a small folding push scooter with 12" wheels that could probably average 6-7mph with no more effort than walking. 

Edited November 26, 2015 by jgradyc

[Ted S.]

Speaking of skills, I have always had a lighter so the other day I grabbed some tinder and my fire starter to try my hand at starting a fire. It took a lot longer and was a lot harder than I thought, even under ideal conditions. I definitely need to practice more and maybe try a different method.

 

It's definately not as easy as the youtube videos.

[Caster]

Everyone should practice starting fires, and do it often.  I stay in practice from the wood stove I use at work.  I've started the stove by MANY different methods.  

[ozo]

Old and awakened, but never out of date, eh?

Everyone should have a couple pads of #0000 steel wool, to go with the ferro stick.

[diamondback]

G

Quote

 

Great topic. Still checking it out.