Urban E&E skills?

If you are going to have a real "BOB" or "GHB" or whatever other cool abbreviation for "stuff to put my shit in while I walk home," don't buy junk. You're going to have your necessities in there and you might have to walk home and that's the wrong time to find out that your $12.00 China-Mart special just took a dump out on the road behind you. Treat the carrier as important as the stuff that goes in it.
 
Maxpedition, Spec Ops Brand, LA Police Gear and County Comm, Eagle Industries, Blackhawk, REI, EMS, and LLBean all have bags at reasonable prices that meet the necessary criteria to carry what you need to get home. I am talking the very basics here, a multi tool, FAK, etc. It should not cost you more than 50-60 bucks. The most important thing is keeping the amount of everyday stuff light, knowing what to supplement with for changing weather (cold, warm), and keeping it with you on a regular basis.
 
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Don Rearic said:
If you are going to have a real "BOB" or "GHB" or whatever other cool abbreviation for "stuff to put my shit in while I walk home," don't buy junk. You're going to have your necessities in there and you might have to walk home and that's the wrong time to find out that your $12.00 China-Mart special just took a dump out on the road behind you. Treat the carrier as important as the stuff that goes in it.
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I agree 1000%. Most of us don't skimp when we buy the gear we might use to save our life or get us home safe. You definately don't want to do that with the device you will use to carry all of that stuff in. That would suck to get down the road 3 or 4 miles and have your bag or pack fall apart.

I now alot of people don't want to look militaristic if something happens and say to avoid those types of packs. I say to check them out. Most of these packs are built like tanks and built to take alot of hard use. They come in other colors besides camo patterns and just because they have the MOLLE attachment points doesn't mean you have to hang a bunch of crap from your pack.


mlrs
 
I'd use a poncho to disguise my pack if i had a military looking one. I don't want to appear to be special.
 
1. You can always cover it with some metrosexual piece of clothing. :D

2. If something really bad happens, you might be surprised at how un-special you are or appear to be.
 
Don Rearic said:
If you are going to have a real "BOB" or "GHB" or whatever other cool abbreviation for "stuff to put my shit in while I walk home," don't buy junk. You're going to have your necessities in there and you might have to walk home and that's the wrong time to find out that your $12.00 China-Mart special just took a dump out on the road behind you. Treat the carrier as important as the stuff that goes in it.
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Kind of the BOB equivalent to the folks who pay huge cake for a custom 1911, or even a Grock, and then balk at spending hte money for a decent holster...


blake
 
;) Would shiny black leather chaps qualify? Not my thing. I just don't want folks being jumped for having "cool" gear.

My 5 year just outgrew her All Terrain Stroller - but it still does double duty as a way to move heavy gear.

I'd make odds there are items everyone has that could be repurposed for E&E.
 
If you are looking for some good leather that won't rip the wallet off of your butt, check out Tagua Leather. I can get them at the local gun shop for about $35 and they are really nice holsters.


mlrs
 
Here in NY or in my hometown of DC you can sort of pull off one of the olive green drawstring surplus rucksacks like an ALICE or euro one (heck, it's a fashion statement), but anything covered in MOLLE or Camo will look out of place, maybe less so if it is an all black bag. Of course that's not to say necessarily that people will say "hey that guy has a tactical backpack, lets raid him for gear." But people will look twice because it looks different.

The most common to see here are leather/nylon briefcases, Timbuk2 messenger bags (which are pretty much bomb proof, see below), small outdoorsy daypacks, and plain Jansport style bookbags.

Myself I've been jonesing for one of these, it's a bit large, but it fits my camping needs perfectly and I love the classic style: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/54122?feat=1098-GN2

I can't speak highly enough about my Timbuk2 messenger bag, it's just a plain black one and is super durable. I bought it nearly 10 years ago to use on a summer job working as a bike messenger in DC and it held up perfectly being stuffed to the gills with heavy items and being tossed around all day. It has done everything from airline carry-on to hiking in the Adirondacks since then. It also has a neat unintended feature - the inside pockets are all on a sort of flap which is sewn at the top and bottom but not the sides, making for a secret stash area behind it. Not sure if the new ones are the same way.
 
I like to have BLACK SABBATH, DOORS, IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST iron-ons on my lethalis urbana bags. :D
 
Don Rearic said:
I like to have BLACK SABBATH, DOORS, IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST iron-ons on my lethalis urbana bags. :D
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See now those are some mean Urban survival skills. It's proven that by listening to heavy metal you can also go trough an urban disaster without having hearing problems
 
"When the Man Comes Around" would be a fitting tune in a disaster. :D

I am really digging my 5.11 24hr. Rush pack. It is all black and has some patches on it and basically blends in with all the other black bags all over the city.

I have been taking alternate routes home all week and have about 5 so far each with pros and cons. I figure I have about 15 miles to go to get home but I am out of the rougher part of town after approx. 4-5 miles. Not that good areas won't have their problems.

I noticed that 2 of the routes have hospitals along them. I am not sure if these are places to absolutely avoid or possible havens for medical supplies. I have noted pharmacies as well. Not to steal from but if I needed to get first aide items or medicine (I have a pretty good kit in my pack though). Would anyone be there? Are these places usually evacuated in a major disaster? I'll have to look this up.

Good point regarding crossing bodies of water. I have a couple routes that have a potential water crossing.

Great stuff guys.
 
The hospital will have backup power (they don't shut down, at least immediately). I do know that looter gangs targeted hospitals in NOLA during Katrina, so something to think about.
 
CLICKBANGBANG said:
Meh. Jonny Cash and Hank for me.
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Who says I don't like no Johnny Cash and Hank Williams Sr. and Jr.? :D

I have very eclectic tastes in music. I'm very happy that my son has obsorbed this through years of listening to my music around the house. We listen to everything from Bach to Black Sabbath, Mozart to Metallica, Wagner to Waylon Jennings. :D

Tyrkon Lawson said:
"When the Man Comes Around" would be a fitting tune in a disaster. :D
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I can't keep all of the damned zombie movies straight in my head. I really like movies but those things, the titles, just seem to melt one into another after a while. However, someone did a remake of one of Romero's zombie flicks, I think it was "Dawn of The Dead" and at the beginning, there was good old Johnny Cash's "When the Man Comes Around" playing to the carnage. :D

It might be interesting to note that Rick Rubin produced that album for Cash. Rick Rubin did Slayer's "South of Heaven." So, if you like the dark sound of Cash in that instance, that's because it has the hand of heavy metal in it. Like it or not.

I play guitar. If you play that piece on an electric that has some distortion going on, you would me amazed at how that song IS a heavy metal song. That palm muted CHUGGA-CHUGGA is pure heavy metal. :D

Upon posting this entry, I noticed that I have a disturbing amount of smiling emoticons in it. I think I need a therapist.
 
I saw part of the Romero remake and fell asleep. It doesn't even touch the original IMO. :D

I see you a :D and raise you a :p
 
Don Rearic said:
It might be interesting to note that Rick Rubin produced that album for Cash. Rick Rubin did Slayer's "South of Heaven." So, if you like the dark sound of Cash in that instance, that's because it has the hand of heavy metal in it. Like it or not.
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Rick Rubin can go from Slayer (Reign In Blood was what it was I think because of him) to Shakira..to the Beastie Boys. Actually Reign In Blood and the first Beastie Boys album were made around the same time..Kerry King even did some guitar work on that album.

And it was the remake of Dawn Of The Dead that had that Cash song in the beginning...pretty fitting I think.

But back on topic...

My take on backpacks is buy quality and buy what you like. That doesn't nessesarily mean "expensive".

I see people every so often walking around with ratty old Jansport (or similar) packs that seem to be more dirt than fabric..but they hold up. These people have probably walked the earth twice over and their packs have been crushed under bus seats, thrown in snow, backs of pickups, through scrub brush, in the rain, sun, stuffed with clothes and junk etc.. They didn't have $300 to spend on a "great" pack and probably grabbed them out of a pile of trash, but it's more of a "BOB" then most of us will ever use.

I was thinking of getting one myself and trying it out..the old two pocket, leather bottomed standard backpack.

EDIT:
A simple pack like this might make you re-think some of the "stuff" you've accumulated to put in it. First aid kit, canteen, energy bars, map, small radio and one or two things..I find the more pockets and pouches I have on a pack, the more I want to fill them up.

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I don't know about JanSport now, but over five years ago, they were incredibly tough packs! No bells and whistles, no B.S., much like old Army "Knapsacks" or "Mussette" Bags. :)
 
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