Rate my BOB

Chocula

Chocula

Gold Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2005
Messages
748
Hi guys,
I have made a little bug out bag and would like to know your opinions on the stuff I packed. It is not designed for carry everyday, but rather for throwing into the car when I go on a trip or camping. The stuff I packed is mostly for survival in the woods but I would also be interested in stuff to pack for urban survival/natural disaster (like a 24 hour bag).

bob004uk8.jpg


Food/Water:
6x Micropur water purifying tablets
2x Power bar
-note: I carry a nalgene as well

Shelter:
1x Space blanket

Medical:
1x Adventure medical .5 kit
1x Campsuds soap

Signaling:
1x Fox 40 micro
1x Mirror

Fire:
1x Large Bic Lighter (In aloksak with SAS guide)
1x US Survival Blast Match (Big magnesium rod)
20x matches (approximately) in tube
8x Tinder quik
4x Wetfire tinder
1x 9 hour candle

Light:
1x Novatac 120p
8x cr123 batts
1x Photon freedom (white)

Tools:
1x Victorinox Swisstool
1x Victorinox Explorer SAK
1x folding razor
1x DMT sharpener (fine/coarse)
1x Compass
20' Duct tape (gorilla tape)
1x Fishing "kit": 50' line, lead weight, small/medium/large hook (in green box, next to sak)

Other:
1x SAS Survival Guide
1x spork
~1.5 sqr feet aluminum foil
1x Bandana
1x pencil
1x Rite in Rain memo book
1x sunblock
Some needles

String:
25' OD para cord
15' Orange para cord
150' Kevlar Thread
100' spectra thread

bob005bl5.jpg

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Other notes:
-The Busse BATAC does not go in the bag, but it would be my main knife.

Plan to add: 24 gauge brass wire for snares

Questions:
-Am I missing anything important?
-What can I get rid of (too many knives, batteries, etc)? I have the SAK just for the scissors, but figured it would be a good back up.
-What do I need more of?
-I do not have any maps. Should I bother to keep the compass? Get a gps?
-What would be useful for urban survival? Lockpick? GPS again?
-What should I practice? I guess I should practice bush craft...:D
 
For the woods it might be good to have a container to boil water/ cook stuff/ purify water in.

You could trade out some of the camp suds for alcohol based sanitizer.

Consider burn time on your lamp and your likely length of stay vs. hours of darkness per night = total battery count.

More foil.

You could reduce weight by choosing one of the Victorinoxes, keep the one w/ a saw.

Possibly add a map of areas likely to be traveled.

Looks good!! BTW what is the total weight you are at w/ this kit?

J.
 
Thanks for the replies!

bikermikearchery-Toothbrush alone or with paste? Would I be using it for something other than brushing teeth?

studio
-I do have a Vargo Ti Mug (750 mL) for boiling water/cooking. I do not keep it in the bag because I use it daily at home. I also plan to get one of these snowpeak gigapower gas stove things for convenience.

-Do you mean adding some alcohol wipes or some of the purell type liquid sanitizer?

-Weight of the kit is 5 pounds 10 oz while the knife adds 1.25 pounds (although I would carry on belt). Overall it seems kind of heavy, but that is part of the reason I posted.
 
One shelter suggestion would be a couple industrial trash bags. Those space blankets are pretty fragile. But looks like a good kit.
 
I'd swap the generic space blanket for a 2-person AMK. The one that you have is okay, but using one is a lot like wrapping yourself in tinfoil. The AMK doesn't have that tin-foil sound and feel, it drapes around you a lot better, and by getting the 2-person you get a more useful size with very little increase in the amount of space it will take up in your bag. FWIW
 
Get a map of the area you are most likely to use this in. Keep it in a ziplock bag.
You're very short on food. A couple of 1200 calorie Mainstay bars or something would be a nice addition.
 
Looks like you don't have room to add much.

I think you need:
- a 3 or 4 cup metal mug to cook in.
- Pepsi can alcohol stove, or esbit tabs for cooking heat.
-tea bags
-a knit hat for your head
-some salt. Freshly killed animals (fish, fowl and mammals) taste bad, without salt.
 
I second the baby wipes,and add; to lighten their weight you can leave a stack on your windowsill in the sun to dry out THEN put them in a ziplock bag. When you need to refresh yourself just wet as many as you need.

The AMK blankets work well, and if you carry 2 and some duct tape you can fashion quite the durable tarp rig from them IME.

You did a great job on your kit, just be sure to read any materials and practice the contents before you need them.
 
For urban survival I'd add a good multi-tool, if for no other reason than a good pair of pliers
 
It's always tough to find all the "right" things to put in and leave out.

Erasmus made a good call on the warm hat. I think the baby wipes could double duty for hands and bottom.

The other thing that we've all heard is no matter how big or small the general tendency is to fill it up(your bob, manpurse, ziploc.)

Sometimes an exercise in sizing helps - for example - take your Ti mug and fill it with the most important stuff, see whats left over and consider the value of each remaining item.

Popedandy - is that the amk heatsheat? they look good in a better "fit in you pocket package".

J.
 
The only thing I might add is (if you drink it of course) coffee or tea, and a Ti cup to boil in. Not only for the pick me up, but for the mental side of things.

You get lost, or things go awry, the act of making coffee, or tea can give your brain a rest so to speak. Just the action will put you in a mode of thinking things out.

Looks good to me other wise. :thumbup:
 
I like this kit and agree with what is been posted so far. as for the metal cup just remember that if the cup is left sitting on the kitchen sink when you grab the bag from your car you will be SOL.

Mabey look into one of the metal water bottles from www.reusablebags.com

I like to keep at least one light that runs off of more standard batteries AA or AAA in case i need replacements on the road or in an emergency.

Your bag looks like it has molle attachements I have a similar pack and I keep a flashlight and a multi tool attached to the outside siguring they will be the first things I grab in a SHTF situation. it also makes more room inside. there are lots of options for secure attachements.


I would add gloves, 1 pair leather work gloves attached to the outside, 1 pair stretch gloves stuffed inside and a couple pairs of Latex or similar gloves. you only get 1 pair of hands so protecting them is always a good idea.
 
I second the flash with standard batteries ,also gloves latex(if you are not sensitive to it) and leather for climbing and moving heavy or sharp stuff. The baby wipe thing is a great idea I use them for camping I dry them out part way and add rubbing alcohol the work as hand cleaners,firestarters and a shower if you can`t get better other than that you have done better than me and gave us all something usefull to think about.thanks
 
studio said:
It's always tough to find all the "right" things to put in and leave out.

Popedandy - is that the amk heatsheat? they look good in a better "fit in you pocket package".

J.
Click to expand...


Yes, it is. The one I was thinking of is the Heatsheet 2 Person Survival Blanket.
 
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