This quote is a post about the bag that I made in a different, non-survival forum, but I'm just copying it to save time.
It goes into too much detail for here, because I was explaining it to people with no background in it.
Anyway, this is my combined Bug Out / Wilderness Survival pack system. I like it, but it's a bit heavy now. I can carry it 10 miles no problem, but it becomes burdensome at 20 miles. Any advice is welcome, especially advice about how to reduce weight without sacrificing function or lots of money.
It goes into too much detail for here, because I was explaining it to people with no background in it.
Anyway, this is my combined Bug Out / Wilderness Survival pack system. I like it, but it's a bit heavy now. I can carry it 10 miles no problem, but it becomes burdensome at 20 miles. Any advice is welcome, especially advice about how to reduce weight without sacrificing function or lots of money.
To be continued...ocalhoun said:So, I've been saying I would for a while, and I finally got around to it; I'm going to show off and explain all the gear I carry while hiking.
Usually I hike completely off-trail, and often through very remote areas, so this pack is intended to give me the tools I need to get there, give me supplies to last 30 days, and give me supplies to handle most emergencies that come up.
It also doubles as a 'get out of dodge kit', a bag I can quickly grab, and be sure I have everything I need to survive a disaster situation. (I could also use it to quickly give me the equipment I need to rapidly disappear into the wilderness, in case I'm being hunted by someone and need to hide.)
Anyway, on to the explanation:
The system is based on a main bag, and has 3 supplement bags that can be added to it if I think I'll need them: a cold-weather bag, a dry-area bag (not pictured), and an extended-stay bag.
The various supplement bags can be clipped on to the main bag to make carrying easy.
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I'll break it down by bag, then by pocket.
Main Bag
The main bag is made up of three components,
An external frame mountaineering pack (A),
A camo-pattern small military backpack (C),
and a fanny-pack attached to the frame of the mountaineering pack (B)
Various other pouches are attached (D)
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D1
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D1 is my camera pouch. It can hold my camera when I'm not using it, but normally it only holds a miniature tripod and a spare battery.
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The uses of both the tripod and the battery are pretty obvious, though the tripod could also be used to help hold things up/together in a pinch.
B1
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B1 is my right water bottle holder. In it, I keep my better water bottle, a 1L klean canteen.
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This is an excellent water bottle; it is all stainless steel, so it won't change the flavor of the water, or add toxic chemicals to it. Being that it's all steel, I could even take the cap off, put it over a fire, and use it to purify water by boiling. (Or to brew tea. Brewing tea out of pine needles is a good way to get vitamins.)
B2
B2 is the front pocket on the fanny pack. I use it to store things I might need to access quickly.
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The emergency blanket can be used as intended, and also used to build a shelter, or augment the insulation of clothing.
The bug repellent is a skin-cream based type, and repels for 12 hours. It can also be spread on food storage to help keep bugs out.
The medical tape is useful for attaching bandages, but it is also useful for attaching anything else as well.
The trail markers are basically thumb-tacks with white reflectors on top. They can be used to mark places I want to find again, or to mark a trail to make sure I don't get lost, or to help rescuers find me. They even work at night.
The pliers are a versatile tool. This one especially so; it has a wire cutter, round-object grip, and needle-nose all in one. Useful for making repairs, breaching fences, and essential to setting up a fishing line and extracting the hook from a fish. They can also be used to cut a communications wire as a way of signaling for help.
The butane lighter is obviously good for starting fires, but can also be used to sanitize tools.
The snake bite kit is a good addition to the first aid kit for this region. It also includes a small scalpel, so I could do very minor self-surgery.
B3
B3 is the main pocket of the fanny pack. I use it to store quick, energy-dense foods that I can replace cheaply and easily. It stores the food I intend to eat in non-emergency situations. In it right now is:
-MRE protein drink mix
-Granola bars
-Pop tarts
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B4
B4 is a pocket within the cover of B3. I use it to store small, useful things that would get lost in larger pockets.
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The permanent marker is good for any kind of writing I may need to do. I can leave messages for searchers, make notes on my map, or keep a log of a long excursion. It is the tool of choice because it can write on a wide variety of surfaces.
The extra batteries are for my GPS unit. It uses 2 AA batteries every 8 hours of operation, so the 6 total I carry should be enough for 48 hours. I usually also carry spare AAA batteries, which are used in all of my flashlights, but I'm currently out of them, I need to buy more.
The compass is obviously useful for navigation. I chose this one for its durable metal case.
B5
B5 is my left water bottle pocket. In addition to the pockets, both water bottles are held in by carabiner clips, so I don't lose them in the event the pack gets turned upside-down.
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This water bottle is a non-toxic plastic one I've had for a long time. I'm intending to replace it with another klean canteen when I get around to it.
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D2
D2 is the specially-made pouch for my hand saw.
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This saw is basically a hand-powered chainsaw. It's the lightest, most compact saw I could find that would still be effective. Combined with my 50ft rope, I could use it to cut branches up to 25ft away.
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D3
D3 is my main flashlight pouch. This belt-loop pouch came with the light.
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The light is a LED flashlight, and uses 2 AAA batteries. It's small, light, and gives a useful amount of light.
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D4
D4 is a US military IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit). It attaches nicely using the MOLLE/ALICE gear built into it and the backpack.
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Inside is everything I need to treat a traumatic injury. Dressings, bandages, iodine (antiseptic/disinfectant/sterilizer). It also includes a 30 day supply of water purifying chemicals, and chap-stick. Chap-stick is surprisingly useful in emergencies. Not only can it protect your lips from the elements, it can also be used to treat scrapes and burns.
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Sorry about not unpacking it, but it is packed very tightly, and re-packing it is a pain.
C1
C1 is the front pocket of the military backpack. It contains some of the larger items I might want to access easily:
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This headlamp is convenient to use, since it leaves the hands free to work. It is LED-based and very bright, but it has another mode of operation where it uses dim red lights- extremely useful for having light without losing my night vision, and also useful for having light while not making myself more visible than needed. It is powered by 3 AAA batteries. (All my light sources share the same battery type, which gives me more versatility and makes carrying spares easier.)
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This hat is a baseball-style cap with a neck-protecting flap. It is very useful for protection from the sun. Camo colored, so it is useful for hiding.
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The spade is useful for any digging task, such as finding fish bait, or burying waste/trash. It can also be driven into the ground and used as a tent stake for building shelter.
The folding knife is very sharp, and has both a smooth and a serrated blade. Useful for a huge variety of things... cleaning game, self-defense, shelter building, et cetera.
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Attached together on a carabiner clip are several small items;
The secondary compass is not very good, but can serve as a rough backup in case the better one is broken or lost.
The two flashlights are spares. Not as powerful as the main light or the headlamp, but they need only one AAA battery each. They could be needed if the other lights fail, break, run dead, or get lost. They can also be left as temporary markers to help find a given spot again in the dark. (They can also be left as decoys to divert pursuit in the dark.)
The tape measure may not be useful in a very wide variety of ways, but on the rare occasion it is needed, nothing else will do. It isn't big or heavy anyway, so why not?
C2
C2 is the main pocket of the military backpack, and stores my heavy/large tools.
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First of all, it stores the detachable straps of the military backpack. With these, I can leave the main pack at camp, and take only the smaller pack for short trips (like hunting or fetching water), making those trips easier. The contents of the two packs would have to be rearranged to suit the different mission, of course.
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Also inside is my 50ft rope. It is light and compact, yet strong enough to hold me and all my gear. The carabiner clips on each end are rated for 250lb constant load, and they make using the rope for various things more convenient. There's virtually no end to what you can use a rope for, if you use some ingenuity.