Ditch Kit: Bug Out Belt

I just recently set up a belt system for day hikes and summer overnights (just not practical for the extras that are needed in the winter).

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(Poncho is now sitting at the top underneath the main handle)
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Mine and yours are built for different reasons, but I'm really liking the way this setup functions and feels. It's a bit less tiring than a backpack (based on one whole day hike with it).

I'd agree that the Wenger Ranger might be redundant and worth removing.
 
Having gear is good for bug out. But for me anyway looking like military with a duty belt and kit is not what I want in that situation.

Same gear but in a backpack to blend in.

Asking for trouble as I see it.

Skam
 
I would add a small diamond/ceramic whetstone, or at least a stripe of sandpaper to sharpen the knife, i couldn't take the idea of a dulled edge.

dantzk.

Sorry jca, i missed it in your list, you had thought about. Nice kit anyway.
 
jca21 said:
a sewing kit sounds like a good idea however i think safety pins would work just as well to hold clothes together for a 72 hour period.
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Safety pins are not good for high friction or tight fitting places: socks.

jca21 said:
i did not know they made folded aluminum bread pans. i really gotta look into these.
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These are not pre-folded foil, thus my concern over leakage after you
fold it.

jca21 said:
i have a small bottle of pills, standard stuffs (pain killers and such) inside the first aid kit.
FNC where can i obtain quick clot? sounds like a useful tool in medical emergencies.
Click to expand...

Some posters have argued the downsides of clotting agents.

You need to google or search within the forum(s), to find threads on use
of clotting agents and their pros and cons. It is too much to cover here.
equipped.com had threads on this also.

Every drug or treatment can have side effects.
For instance, aspirin is good to have for heart attack symptoms, but
aspirin could cause you to bleed faster, if your "heart attack" is really
heart/artery leakage.
 
SpookyPistolero said:
I just recently set up a belt system for day hikes and summer overnights (just not practical for the extras that are needed in the winter).

000_0135.jpg

(Poncho is now sitting at the top underneath the main handle)
000_0140.jpg


Mine and yours are built for different reasons, but I'm really liking the way this setup functions and feels. It's a bit less tiring than a backpack (based on one whole day hike with it).

I'd agree that the Wenger Ranger might be redundant and worth removing.
Click to expand...

nice lookin kit ya got there spookey, i have a maxpedition proteus but it doesnt get much use because i didnt find it comfortable.

i have removed the Ranger now and am deciding on what to replace it with.

i plan on using this for hiking as well :)

Having gear is good for bug out. But for me anyway looking like military with a duty belt and kit is not what I want in that situation.

Same gear but in a backpack to blend in.

Asking for trouble as I see it.

Skam
Click to expand...

the argument of looking like a survivalist/military personnel has been discussed much in this forum. the bug out pack i carry is a simple day-hike pack that is very sheeple friendly looking. the belt is something i put together with gear i had sitting around at home. IMO in those situations i would not care what i looked like as long as i can get out.

I would add a small diamond/ceramic whetstone, or at least a stripe of sandpaper to sharpen the knife, i couldn't take the idea of a dulled edge.

dantzk.

Sorry jca, i missed it in your list, you had thought about. Nice kit anyway.
Click to expand...

i have a diamond sharpener in the kit already but a little bit of sandpaper sounds like a good idea. thanks for the compliment dantzk

Safety pins are not good for high friction or tight fitting places: socks.
Click to expand...
this is an excellent point

These are not pre-folded foil, thus my concern over leakage after you
fold it.
Click to expand...
ahh now i understand which breadpans you were talking about. they do sound
like a good idea but again i'll stick with the canteen cup

Some posters have argued the downsides of clotting agents.

You need to google or search within the forum(s), to find threads on use
of clotting agents and their pros and cons. It is too much to cover here.
equipped.com had threads on this also.

Every drug or treatment can have side effects.
For instance, aspirin is good to have for heart attack symptoms, but
aspirin could cause you to bleed faster, if your "heart attack" is really
heart/artery leakage.
Click to expand...
i am still on the fence about using this quick clot stuff. i think i will look into a place (e.x. St. John's First Responders training) that can show me how to properly use the stuff before i actually go out and buy it or try it.

thank you everyone for your advice. keep em comin!

cheers
 
i was considering tossing in an Adventure Medical Bivy but it would not fit into the m-4. i carry one in my backpack and when ditching the pack i would be able to toss it into the rolly polly for carrying.
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Consider the AMK 2 person survival blanket. It's smaller than the bivvy, but a lot better than the old fashioned survivil blankets.
 
one thing i didn't notice in your kit:

some brass wire. Good for lots of repairs, lightweight, and easy to pack. Also can be used to make snares, but that's not as big of a deal if this is short term. Still useful stuff though, I'd add it.
 
i do have wire in there just not the steel type :)

as for the AMK 2 person survival blanket. that is something to definetly consider.

thanks again guys
 
jca21 said:
the argument of looking like a survivalist/military personnel has been discussed much in this forum. the bug out pack i carry is a simple day-hike pack that is very sheeple friendly looking. the belt is something i put together with gear i had sitting around at home. IMO in those situations i would not care what i looked like as long as i can get out.
Click to expand...


For me personally and is not a slight on you, your gear is too military for me. Put some supenders on it and you have what looks like web gear to lamen. If TSHTF I would be worried about carrying a plain back pack as many wont even have that.

I just think you MAY cause some attention if the situation is bad enough. For most emergencies there is no problem. I prefer packs to fanny kits anyway, personal choice.

Good for you for getting gear together to see you through.

Skam
 
I like to think about my kit as layers. First, what is on my person, either around my neck, on my trouser belt, or in my pockets. Second would be on a secondary belt such as you have put together, and third would be my pack, if I'm using one. Fourth, if relevant, could be what I keep in my truck.

If I lose the gear in my pack (Layer 3) , because it wasn't on when I fell out of the boat, or I had to release it to become untangled from something, I still have Layers 1 (Person) and 2 (Secondary Belt) to rely on. Likewise, if I have to ditch my Secondary Belt, I still have whatever is on my Person (Layer 1).

If I lose all of my gear, because I get swept down a waterfall while skinny dipping :eek:, I'll have to rely on my skills (Laye 0). Even though I'm obsessive and stow survival gear in my hat and use various survival gadgets as zipper pulls, I'm not ready for a "Survival Supository! :eek: :eek: :eek:

-- FLIX
 
skammer said:
For me personally and is not a slight on you, your gear is too military for me. Put some supenders on it and you have waht loks like web gear to lamen. If TSHTF I would be worried about carrying a plain back pack as many wont even have that.

I just think you MAY cause some attention if the situation is bad enough. For most emergencies there is no problem. I prefer packs to fanny kits anyway, personal choice.

Good for you for getting gear together to see you through.

Skam
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thanks for the input skam.

it is true that my gear takes on a military look but i tried putting on my HH snowboard jacket over it and it looks fine. therefore its concealed i suppose.

I'm not ready for a "Survival Supository!
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thats just gross man :eek:

perhaps you should try out a calf rig which can be worn underneath your pants. a small fixed blade and a few essentials fit nicely on the calf especially simple things like a lighter and a knife.

just a thought.

thanks again for your input guys keep em comin
 
Do you find it digs into your hips after a long walk?
 
i haven't been able to take a long with it but i did get a chance to walk around the house with the belt on for about 2 hours. the belt is well padded and does not dig into my hips. originally when i had the m4 on my leather belt it had a tendency to dig into my hip.

i will take it out this long weekend for a spin and see how she handles on a long walk.
 
I cant add much to it as you already got some great advice. If i may offer two things i would change. One carry a pencile sharpener. You would have an endless supply of tinder for the next year. As it was mentioned before atlist one straw full of cotton with pj. The first night might be the hardest so you want it as easy as you can to make fire. The second one would be to replace the plastic canten with the older alum one with the cup. It hold one and a half liter of water ( about half more) and you can always boil water in it too and use it at night to help stay warm.
As skammer said some people will comment on the looking more army. My packpack is tan colored and i had so many people ask me about it.. But then i live in CA too.

Sasha

Sasha
 
Both packs look great. Here are a few thoughts on some issues that have been discussed in the thread.

I have just never been a fan of the emergency space blankets. They are hard to get out of the package and unroll, especially one handed, which may be required in a true survival situation. They are very thin and tear extremely easily once they get punctured. If you are having to wrap up in one and sit on the ground, any rock or twig could put a hole in the blanket. They're also very loud, which could be bad if you are bundled up in one and attempting to listen for rescuers. I carry a 4 mil bright orange department of transportation garbage bag. I am not sure of the exact dimensions, but if you cut a small hole near the bottom to stick your face out to breathe, you can easily wrap yourself up inside it. I do actually carry one of the silver blankets since they weight next to nothing, but I carry it so that I can either use it as a roof for a lean-to shelter or to use as a signaling device. Not to replace a signal mirror, but to hang up to alert rescuers or to cut into strips and use as signaling tape.

Put me down as another person who is not a fan of the compass, whistle, mag, etc... set. I'm sure it works well, but my problem is that if you lose that one piece of gear you lose three or four important pieces. I would rather carry the individual components, since the chance of losing all of them is far less than just losing the one.

As for what to put in place of the Ranger, how about one of the smaller multi-tools? While they would have a lot of the same tools as the Ranger or Trekker, you would add pliers which could come in handy. I haven't handled a Ranger, but if it is about the same size as the 111mm Victorinox knives, then the smaller Leatherman's such as the Kick are not too expensive, not too much larger and may weigh a little less. While my Kick is not as nice and doesn't have as many cool gadgets as a Wave, it is has about everything you need.
 
Robert H said:
Do you find it digs into your hips after a long walk?
Click to expand...

I've only been on one hike with my setup, so my comments aren't worth too terribly much, but it was quite comfortable. Obviously it's important not to overload the pack with weight, but balance is equally important. I don't place things that are too far from my center of gravity, so that the belt won't tug much. I feel like it's tempting to just start throwing everything you can think of on the belt, but less is certainly more here, and it's pretty much a day hike only setup.
 
thanks again guys i really appreciate the info. it is exactly this kinda advice that can help make a situation more comfortable or for that matter more liveable.

after i believe that top to bottom has been covered i will revise the kit take new pics and repost.

keep the comments coming!

thanks again
 
Looks good, I'm a big believer in layered kits. My thoughts, even if they've already been mentioned:

-pick one SAK
-pick either the magblock or the firesteel
-fewer zip ties, maybe put in some more wire in their place
-a few needles in the fishing kit, so you can make gear repairs
-more tinder
-a small bic?
-dedicated whistle rather than the combo
-more water tablets (maybe under the canteen, against the bottom of the pouch)
-aluminum foil- I've tried the pans, not a fan
-a little bit of GOOD duct tape, even if it is just three or four feet wrapped on a coffee stirrer- some things electrcians isn't so good at.
-upgrade to the Heatsheet if your blanket is one of the mylar sheets.

If you don't EDC something with pliers, a small pair, even if it just something like a P4.

My only real grumble is flaps held down with just velcro, but that is something the manufacturer's did, not you. I like Maxped, but I still don't entirely trust velcro. You might want to check out the Spec-Ops X-6 pouch as a possible future upgrade.
 
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