BOB's/EDC bags -whats in yours and why?

[Necker]

I change mine all the time when I'm bored. I enjoy planning a organizing physical things. Some items of note: I too keep a lockpick kit in most of my arrangements, as well as a few knives (more than one for trading or in case one breaks) of different sizes. I keep one or two zippos and a few Bic lighters as well.

 

[Don Rearic]

NaturalMystic, I would shoot Don an e-mail. I have read his entire blog, he knows his stuff. I bet he would send you down the right path.

You mean the blog I have been neglecting like some sort of stepchild I don't really like very much?

I have been a lazy dog when it comes to that, I shall have to remedy that as well.

Thanks for the vote of confidence and kind words.

 

[Spenceds]

I have many other things but one thing I haven't heard mentioned, I have another barrel for my glock and five extra magazines, no it's not in case my barrel goes kaput. It is a different caliber. I have a 9mm barrel in my glock now (aftermarket) and my stock .40 barrel in my bag with 5 mags of .40 Ranger SXT's. I also have a conversion kit that is a whole slide assembly with barrel and recoil spring that allows me to shoot .22 lr in my glock. This way I can shoot 9mm, .40, or .22 from the same gun just from a simple change of parts that takes maybe 10 seconds. They also have a .357 barrel, but I think if I can't find any of those three calibers I most likely won't have any luck finding .357.

 

[sadiejane]

ok so this is what ive mostly been carrying everyday for yrs. tho as blades go the names are changed periodically, as i become obsessed with yet another knife....
bag is an old timbuk2 "detour" a bag they havent made for yrs. has numerous carrying systems:backpack-shoulder bag-messenger style.
its always been set up as a back pack but usually thrown over the left shlder unless on foot for a good length or on the bicycle. in the slots where the shlder straps can be stuffed i keep the waist strap just in case i wanna carry some groceries or books.
in outside top pocket: spare batteries for flashlight, extra lipbalm, moleskine pad(for writing not for blisters), rite in the rain pad, a cupla extra bic lighters, extra bandana, ultimate survival sparkie, right now the blades a hest.
one side pocket(designed to hold a water bottle): all held to bag by carabiners of different size/shape/color: cableas 5 led flashlight, smith pocket knife sharpener, light my fire kit, mini light.
other side pocket-waterbottle
inside main compartment:in winter-liner gloves and ear cover, planet bike headlamp, more batteries for things in bag, this week the latest issue of blade mag, fak(small basic) along with mini light, fishing kit, tiny kabar necker, pencil with about 30' of ducktape, several emergen-c packets, mace, altoid tin with wetfire, light my fire kit, whistle, can opener, emergency blanket.
middle pocket: large bottle advil, another pr of liner gloves, multi-tool, 2 particle masks
front pocket: moleskine book, small moleskine notepad, bag of rolaids, epi-pen, ti spork.
this front pocket has attached penholder slots etc: two or three ink pens, one mechanical pencil and eraser, cupla emergen-c packets, moleskin(this one for blisters), salonpas pads(for pain)laminated cards with knife laws for kansas , missouri and oregon(when im traveling in other states i try to get these for those states too), nail clippers, gum.
small hidden pocket has key keeper with one house(nothing in the bag has my address on it), one car key and a few $.

why? well to be honest, i would feel totally nakkid without my gear with me most of the time. been carrying this sorta stuff for so many yrs, couldnt imagine heading out into the city without. like most of you, like to feel like im relatively prepared for most occurences. this doesnt include what i carry on my person everyday. and this is my basic around town gear. when im traveling esp by car i have lots more stuff. the car has its own bag but it stays in the car. this timbuk2 is the bag i grab bout anytime im not in car or my home. it mostly just looks like yr typical edc bag for the typical urban dweller. sorta bookbaggish. has a few bikish related patches sewn on...it has other pockets attached to the shldr straps(one of the cool things that bicycle specific bags do as well as "tactical" style bags-this one has lots of d-rings and strapping) when on the bike or on foot for longer, one of these carries the cell phone, one carries pepper spray(like to be able to reach it quickly with one hand while riding for those oft found stray dogs-you cant imagine living in the inner city, how many times that has saved my ass from a frightened abandoned animal-i know they're mostly just scared but they will take ya down if you cant get away or stop them), the third a pack o smokes.

 

[Gray Ghost]

Just not sure even where to begin in terms of a decent starter set.

HPC makes a set called the "Novice". I would recommend it to start with, maybe Don has a better suggestion, but it has everything you will likely ever need and not more. Honestly, I can open most locks by breaking a Bobby Pin in half and making a quick pick and wrench out of it - you don't need much. You can spend the money on training lock sets, but it is not necessary to start. Practice on a plane on Masterlock till you can pick it as fast as you can put the picks in it - then move on to deadbolts and the like using practice sets.

Checkout YouTube. There are a TON of decent videos about basic lock picking on there. I spent some money on a video a while back only to find it on YouTube a week later.

 

[Gray Ghost]

I have many other things but one thing I haven't heard mentioned, I have another barrel for my glock and five extra magazines,

There is one listed and photographed in my post. I have a 9mm conversion barrel for my .357SIG and plan to get a .40 conversion barrel at some point.

but I think if I can't find any of those three calibers I most likely won't have any luck finding .357.

True and not true. A lot of LEOs are starting to carry it.

 

[Spenceds]

There is one listed and photographed in my post. I have a 9mm conversion barrel for my .357SIG and plan to get a .40 conversion barrel at some point.

True and not true. A lot of LEOs are starting to carry it.

Yeah I went back and saw your Bar-Sto Barrel, I think I thought this was another thread I had read through, oh well:foot: Did your barrel just drop in right out of the package or did it need some smithing?
There may be a lot of LEO's that carry it but I feel the market for it isn't near as big as 9mm and .40, for TEOTWAWKI, I think scrounging won't get me any, but I may just pick up a barrel anyway. For $100 to have another gun essentially is good insurance, and my .40 mags will work with the rounds so no more expense than that.

 

[Mistwalker]

I have only recently began putting another one together. I don't know for sure yet where everything is going to go...or what all I am going to get in it, it is still a work in progress.

I started with a Maxpedition Sitka for the pack.

and I have got my two small first aid kits, one with small bandages and steri strips, and liquid skin, and one with larger compression bandages, I need to get some of that clotting gel. I have some improvised shelter material, some food stuffs, a fishing kit, fire kit, cordage, water and a cup/pot in it so far. This is what it looks like up to this point, I'll try to do individual pics when I get it all sorted out.

I also ordered a Janus extension pouch for it, didn't really need the extension part..just the pack..but I really do like it for keeping things I may use most or need quickest in easy reach.

Right now it has a little cash, a pre-pay visa, an SAK (will be ordering another one for this) a compass, a petzel light and a firesteel. It's also a place I can keep my phone.

but by removing the light and some of the more bulky items it will hold my pelican 110 case I carry my small camera in.

I couldn't resist this shot. When I stopped for lunch yesterday the waitress brought me a spoon but no knife for the butter...I suppose I could have used the SAK but...aren't butter knives usually fixed blades besides no-one gave me any funny looks.

 

[eonXboX360]

I couldn't resist this shot. When I stopped for lunch yesterday the waitress brought me a spoon but no knife for the butter...I suppose I could have used the SAK but...aren't butter knives usually fixed blades besides no-one gave me any funny looks.

Haha, that is just awesome! Even the fact that you took the efford of making a photo :thumbup:

 

[NaturalMystic]

HPC makes a set called the "Novice". I would recommend it to start with, maybe Don has a better suggestion, but it has everything you will likely ever need and not more. Honestly, I can open most locks by breaking a Bobby Pin in half and making a quick pick and wrench out of it - you don't need much. You can spend the money on training lock sets, but it is not necessary to start. Practice on a plane on Masterlock till you can pick it as fast as you can put the picks in it - then move on to deadbolts and the like using practice sets.

Checkout YouTube. There are a TON of decent videos about basic lock picking on there. I spent some money on a video a while back only to find it on YouTube a week later.

Thanks! I'll check HPC and YouTube out.

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks! I was out taking photos anyway and when I looked down at it I just couldn't resist

.

 

[Gray Ghost]

Nice setup mistwalker. I have to get me a HEST one day.

Did your barrel just drop in right out of the package or did it need some smithing?

Mine dropped right in no issues. However, the crown was less that optimal so I had the angle changed and the lip smoothed out. My best friend's 9mm conversion barrel (P229 .40) did require fitting. It was to tight and would lock up as the gun heated up.

There may be a lot of LEO's that carry it but I feel the market for it isn't near as big as 9mm and .40, for TEOTWAWKI, I think scrounging won't get me any, but I may just pick up a barrel anyway. For $100 to have another gun essentially is good insurance, and my .40 mags will work with the rounds so no more expense than that.

Oh, I would never advocate that round as one's only. It's just become a lot more popular than a lot of people think. Not to mention it is a darn nice round to shoot.

 

[Spenceds]

Mine dropped right in no issues. However, the crown was less that optimal so I had the angle changed and the lip smoothed out. My best friend's 9mm conversion barrel (P229 .40) did require fitting. It was to tight and would lock up as the gun heated up.

Oh, I would never advocate that round as one's only. It's just become a lot more popular than a lot of people think. Not to mention it is a darn nice round to shoot.

My barrel is a Lone Wolf Dist., dropped right in no problems, so little in fact it is now my carry. Haven't had a misfire or anything with over 1k rounds through it.

I see the popularity of the .357 SIG, however like you pointed out it is primarily in the LEO arena, and still not quite there in the civilian market but it is definitey on the rise as people read and learn more about it. I love talking to people who fancy themselves as gun people and start to talk about .357 and they think I ma talking about a revolver. Then I say no, and they get that puzzled look on their face. Surprises me how many never even heard of it.

 

[Mistwalker]

Nice setup mistwalker. I have to get me a HEST one day.

Thanks man, I'm really liking them.

 

[gadgetgeek]

as for odd BOB/EDC stuff that I carry just for me, absolute craploads of caffeine. I have drink tablets, mints of differing strengths, and B-vit energy thingys.I sometimes suffer from low blood pressure and there are times when I need to keep it kicked up, but my activity level isn't enough. the vit B are good when I'm just feeling slow, but caffeine is good too. There are just times when being drowsy is not an option, like riding the bus home late at night.

 

[blake g49]

My BOB/truck bag is contained in an original Eagle-produced Lightfighter RAID pack that I've had since they first came out. I liked it so much that when they went on sale for $99 in coyote I bought 2 of them for my boys for school packs - the wife kinda flipped at the cost, but for 3 years now we've avoided having to buy $35 bags that need to be replaced before the school year is out (true econlmy - buy right, buy once)...

- USGI sleep shirt;
- Arkits Stowaway Wind Shirt;
- wool beanie and wool gloves (Swiss surplus - picked up 6 pr for $10 a few years back and should have bought a bunch more);
- heavy leather work gloves;
- mid-weight wool socks in ziploc bag;
- fairly comprehensive FAK w/meds (Tylenol w/codeine, Ibuprofen, Loperamide, Benedryl, ASA, Zantac, Pepto-Bismol, Rolaids Soft Chews)
- Petzl TacTikka headlamp w/6 spare AAA lithium batteries
- Fenix PD30 w/6 spare CR123 in Surefire Spares Carrier
- fire kit (steel wool, big chunk of fatwood, large firesteel, hacksaw blade striker, Bic lighter x 2, plastic tube full of PJ cotton balls)
- Canadian Army issue sewing kit (augmented with 3 or 4 extra glover's needles, a large sail-makers needle and a bobbin of 24# Spectra line - about 30');
- big mesh bag full of Clif bars, beef jerky, a Mainstay emergency ration bar and 24 packets of Bovril bouillion mix;
- 40 oz wide-mouth Klean Kanteen; titanium spork;
- stainless cup / MIOX kit w/spare salt, battery and test strips;
- 3 large bandannas (30'x30") and a shemagh;
- RC-5, spare Vic Farmer and a Gerber multi-tool w/bit kit;
- old pattern Suunto TD15 in mils; maps of my area, laminated;
- box of ammo for my pistol;
- a hundred bux in folding money (5's and 10's) and 2 rolls of quarters;

Pretty sure there's some more in there, but that's the most of it...

 

[Don Rearic]

Looks like a great list to me. I have to get me one of the Petzl lights, too.

 

[blake g49]

Looks like a great list to me. I have to get me one of the Petzl lights, too.

The Petzl's are great - I have half a dozen of them, always +/- because my two teenagers are constantly losing/finding them...


I really want a HEST...

 

[Don Rearic]

If you have a Petzyl in excellent shape and you want to swap it for a mint, still in the military packaging Camillus "Demo" Knife, shoot me an E-mail.

 

[blake g49]

Holy crap - I forgot my roll of toilet paper (no pun intended)...