[Goodwrench708]

My job is not your usual job. I don't work locally. My work is usually at least half way across the country from my home or all the way across country. I have to fly to these locations so the ability to bring all my emergency gear with me is impossible.

I have a Georgia Weapons License which I believe is good in 30 states now. When traveling to a Georgia friendly state...I take my P94 Ruger 40 cal along with 2 factory 10 round magazines and a box of 50 rounds. Even when I travel to California ( LA area) I bring the pistol but I adhere to the crazy California laws...no fun...but I want to stay out of jail

I am usually gone from home for 3 to 6 weeks...so I don't get home as often as I like.

Sometimes I am out of the country...and I know there is no way of bringing my weapon or knives then.

I am working on a Long Distance GHB...one that can get me back to Georgia or close.
I have picked a backpack..not too big..or too small. Day Pack size
So far this is what I have included

1. Spare cell phone..Casio Ravine one...military standard cell...waterproof...etc
2. Charger for cell.
3. Waterproof case with : bic lighter..30 cotton balls..3 boxes WP matches..tube of vasoline...Swedish fire steel
4. Military Lensatic Compass...{original..not a copy }
5. NRA multitool
6. Gerber fixed blade knife
7. 6 packs of trail mix
8. 6 chicken bullion cubes
9. 12 x 12 clear plastic tarp..HD ( mattress was delivered in it )
10. 50 foot 550 cord
11. 4 inch pocket knife
12. small bottle bleach and eye dropper
13. small first aid kit
14. altoids box with fishing supplies
15. personal hygene kit...toothbrush..paste..soap..spare contact lenses.. floss..toilet paper without paper core...
16. Magnifiying glass
17. 16 oz stainless steel water bottle
18. 16 oz tin cup
19. 3 tealight candles
20. 6 tea bags...sugar packets....salt packets
21. hand towel
22. solar charger with 5000 amh battery
22. Mini Mag Lite 2 AA Led Flashlight
23. 4 spare AA batteries
25. Midland Weather Radio with spare batteries AAA
26. USB 8 GB stick with password protected document scans

Anymore ideals? This is what I have been taking
Thanks
Kevin

 

[lorky]

don't what i would add. i assume that you pack clothing according the types of weather that you would encounter at your destination in a different bag? do you take into account the weather for the areas you will have to get across if traveling by land?

maybe look at couple more water bottles? and a different way to filter and purify water. i know lots of folks like to use bleach. it is great for killing microbes. but would you want to drink water that muddy or smelled of chemicals?

maybe keep a few prepaid Visa cards on you and cash, (not in wallet) for emergency use? like buying food for the road?

that is all i can think of right now.

what are your plans for getting back home? flying, walking, driving or bumming a ride? what ever you have to do?

 

[charliemeyer007]

A Rand McNally atlas for the US. A pair of gloves and an extra pair of boot socks. Some 100% DEET. A pair of sun glasses. A Boonie hat with a head net laced into the loops.

 

[Illini Warrior]

you need to be ready to live off the land .... survival straw, fishing rig and snare wire .... better be ready to barter with some silver also

 

[MMII]

Good list. If you have to get back in a tough situation, I would suggest a small AM/FM radio. If things are really messed up, you can't rely on the phone for information due to overwhelmed systems or extended power outages. Radio broadcasts will go on most likely because they have their own power.

Just a thought.

 

[dmzline]

I too travel long distance and sometimes out of the country for work, so i understand your problems. With that being said, if a complete breakdown of society/transportation happens, you aren't getting back to Georgia from California by walking, at least no time soon.

Some things you need/change:

More food. Look into ultralight backpacking and see how they do it. Around two weeks worth of food (with the caloric needs of a hiker) can be carried, but such a small backpack probably won't cut it. The downside is you can't really carry more food than that and carry what you need to survive, so foraging will be a have to, and that is problematic at best, not going to happen at worst, if you are trying to travel long distance.

Water purification. You will need something that is good for lots of water. Some of the Sawyer brand filters are good for millions (yep) of gallons of water, more than you would ever need. Get a good one, learn to use it, keep spares. I would check out REI and look at reviews or even go to one of their stores and ask the sales staff. They are usually very knowledgeable.

4 seasons of clothing. Figure out the lightest combination of clothing for all 4 seasons for any potential areas you will have to hike through. Always have that available. Synthetics for your cold weather gear would be the lightest, but you can't leave them folded or bunched up, if you do they will lose their ability to keep you warm. This goes for footwear as well, which would be the bulkiest/heaviest item you might have to carry. I'll add to that a couple of pair of extra footwear. You will wear out shoes/boots at an incredible rate if you have to hike those kinds of distances. Keeping off concrete, asphalt, and hard rocky ground will slow down the rate of wear by a large margin, so keep that in mind.

For me, I determined if I were more than 2-3 weeks by foot away from home, my chances of making it back in a reasonable amount of time were slim to none. In the situations that would put you on foot permanently, you will likely make less than 10 miles a day, so take that into consideration. I still think it's a worthwhile goal to prepare for the possibility.

 

[arizonafusilier]

Good recommendations. It sounds like this is more of a BOB; and it should be.

You need some form of communication or a system by which you can determine if you want to go home in the first place.

Would be a bummer walking for weeks across the country only to find your home a slag heap abd everyone you care about is dead.

 

[Dexx]

I have a Georgia Weapons License which I believe is good in 30 states now. When traveling to a Georgia friendly state...I take my P94 Ruger 40 cal along with 2 factory 10 round magazines and a box of 50 rounds. Even when I travel to California ( LA area) I bring the pistol but I adhere to the crazy California laws...no fun...but I want to stay out of jail

As an example, LA to Atlanta is 2,173 miles according to Google - across some harsh terrain.

Putting aside the bag an its contents how do you envision doing it - avg. miles per day, mode of transportation, days, resupply along the way?

 

[Justme11]

Wet wipes, Sewing needle and sail needle, safety pins, thread, buttons, blow up neck pillow, poncho, sweatshirt or thin blanket. Ben's 100 DEET, some antibiotics (for bad water or a bad tooth), Naproxin. Small am/fm radio with earbuds.
Pack of post it notes, pen, roll of electrical tape. Devilled chicken and crackers.
Small emergency bivy
Amazon.com: AMK SOL Thermal Bivy: Sports & Outdoors

 

[MetalRecovery]

I've been thinking about my ghb lately. just took a job 75km from home. we will be moving closer at some point but for now getting home to my girls if something happened has been on my mind alot lately. these threads have been helping me make some changes to mine. between whats already in my truck and my ruc it'll be a long walk but the devil is in the details. and the rule of 3s has been helping keep things stupid simple.

 

[Goodwrench708]

don't what i would add. i assume that you pack clothing according the types of weather that you would encounter at your destination in a different bag? do you take into account the weather for the areas you will have to get across if traveling by land?

maybe look at couple more water bottles? and a different way to filter and purify water. i know lots of folks like to use bleach. it is great for killing microbes. but would you want to drink water that muddy or smelled of chemicals?

maybe keep a few prepaid Visa cards on you and cash, (not in wallet) for emergency use? like buying food for the road?

that is all i can think of right now.

what are your plans for getting back home? flying, walking, driving or bumming a ride? what ever you have to do?

I usually do have the area specific clothing. I always wear hiking boots where ever I go...and carry my running shoes
I am gonna add 2 more bottles...and a water filter straw
thanks for reminding me I need to stash some cash in my pack in a hiden pocket.
if things get bad...I will take any steps to getting home. what ever methods available.
thanks

 

[Goodwrench708]

A Rand McNally atlas for the US. A pair of gloves and an extra pair of boot socks. Some 100% DEET. A pair of sun glasses. A Boonie hat with a head net laced into the loops.

good ideal on the map
I do carry a pair of mechanics work gloves
thanks

 

[Goodwrench708]

Good list. If you have to get back in a tough situation, I would suggest a small AM/FM radio. If things are really messed up, you can't rely on the phone for information due to overwhelmed systems or extended power outages. Radio broadcasts will go on most likely because they have their own power.

Just a thought.

thanks ...I dug up a small AM/FM radio..battery powered
adding it to the pack

 

[Goodwrench708]

I too travel long distance and sometimes out of the country for work, so i understand your problems. With that being said, if a complete breakdown of society/transportation happens, you aren't getting back to Georgia from California by walking, at least no time soon.

Some things you need/change:

More food. Look into ultralight backpacking and see how they do it. Around two weeks worth of food (with the caloric needs of a hiker) can be carried, but such a small backpack probably won't cut it. The downside is you can't really carry more food than that and carry what you need to survive, so foraging will be a have to, and that is problematic at best, not going to happen at worst, if you are trying to travel long distance.

Water purification. You will need something that is good for lots of water. Some of the Sawyer brand filters are good for millions (yep) of gallons of water, more than you would ever need. Get a good one, learn to use it, keep spares. I would check out REI and look at reviews or even go to one of their stores and ask the sales staff. They are usually very knowledgeable.

4 seasons of clothing. Figure out the lightest combination of clothing for all 4 seasons for any potential areas you will have to hike through. Always have that available. Synthetics for your cold weather gear would be the lightest, but you can't leave them folded or bunched up, if you do they will lose their ability to keep you warm. This goes for footwear as well, which would be the bulkiest/heaviest item you might have to carry. I'll add to that a couple of pair of extra footwear. You will wear out shoes/boots at an incredible rate if you have to hike those kinds of distances. Keeping off concrete, asphalt, and hard rocky ground will slow down the rate of wear by a large margin, so keep that in mind.

For me, I determined if I were more than 2-3 weeks by foot away from home, my chances of making it back in a reasonable amount of time were slim to none. In the situations that would put you on foot permanently, you will likely make less than 10 miles a day, so take that into consideration. I still think it's a worthwhile goal to prepare for the possibility.

thanks...I am definitely making some changes. I know what you mean about travel for that kind of distance. would be almost impossible.
I will be leaving this Saturday for 3 weeks in Dallas and then 3 weeks in Los Angeles. So I m working this week on improving my bag

 

[Goodwrench708]

Good recommendations. It sounds like this is more of a BOB; and it should be.

You need some form of communication or a system by which you can determine if you want to go home in the first place.

Would be a bummer walking for weeks across the country only to find your home a slag heap abd everyone you care about is dead.

that's something I have been thinking about also... a way of communications when cell or internet doesn't work

 

[Goodwrench708]

As an example, LA to Atlanta is 2,173 miles according to Google - across some harsh terrain.

Putting aside the bag an its contents how do you envision doing it - avg. miles per day, mode of transportation, days, resupply along the way?

Any mode I can find. hopefully not all walking
scavenge a lot the way...trap and fish if available ( pretty good at both)

 

[Goodwrench708]

Wet wipes, Sewing needle and sail needle, safety pins, thread, buttons, blow up neck pillow, poncho, sweatshirt or thin blanket. Ben's 100 DEET, some antibiotics (for bad water or a bad tooth), Naproxin. Small am/fm radio with earbuds.
Pack of post it notes, pen, roll of electrical tape. Devilled chicken and crackers.
Small emergency bivy
Amazon.com: AMK SOL Thermal Bivy: Sports & Outdoors

all great items.... adding a lot this week
thanks

 

[Goodwrench708]

My work has taken me to places where I have exposed to several disasters . A couple earthquakes in California. Fires in California. A crippling ice storm in Dallas this past winter. .. hurricanes on the east coast.... I was in OK City last year when Moore OK was hit by the big tornado... snow storms ... so I m either bad luck lol...or I just travel to crazy places at crazy times.

 

[Tugger]

As an example, LA to Atlanta is 2,173 miles according to Google - across some harsh terrain.

Putting aside the bag an its contents how do you envision doing it - avg. miles per day, mode of transportation, days, resupply along the way?

at 2100 miles from point (a) to point (b) on foot and managed 10 miles a day youre looking at 210 days of travel.

at 2100 miles from point (a) to point (b) if you had a foldable bike and managed 20 miles a day it would take 105 days.

keep in mind some days will be good and some not so good. some days the terrain may let you make 18 or 20 miles on foot while some terrain may reduce that to a few miles.

I think your best bet would be to add a folding bike of some sort. this will allow you to take more food or gear and reduce your time on the road. folding bikes are easy enough to carry over short distances if need be.

I had a folding bike some years ago but have since lost it. I have always wanted to replace it as I work about 25 miles from home and while that would not be hard to cover in a lil over a day on foot, I would think the shortened time getting home in the event of an emergency would be bennificial

 

[yz3500f]

Here is my humble opinion as I also travel for work. I believe short of a emp there will be some warning of a coming collapse now I could be wrong but that my opinion. Now if your flying id imagine you have a rental car what stops you from getting in your car and just driving? I believe cash would be your friend and with a car you could be home very fast hopefully before things got real nasty. I hope this helps and am gona keep a eye on this one cause I find it interesting.