What is the base of your bug-out-bag / survival pack / outdoor pack?

So, I think you're really asking 2 separate but related questions:
1) what pack should I get?
2) what essentials should I carry?

Regarding the first question, I have a multitude of packs that I use depending on what trip I'm going on. Big packs for backpacking, ski touring and winter camping. A tiny sling pack for around town. A commuter style backpack for lugging my laptop to work.

But by far my most useful pack is a large, climbing style rucksack. Simple belt. No frame. Around 3000ci or 60L. Mine is a Jandd Zoor Alpinist but doesn't matter. It's the general size I find useful. You should pick a brand you like. The bigger decision is top loading vs panel loading.

A pack like this is bigger than a normal day pack. Makes winter day trips possible as it can take big jackets. Can also be used as luggage for most travel. And it can still handle a lighter load well. Easily my most used.

Regarding the essentials, I carry mine in a fanny pack that I keep in my car. I just drop it in whatever pack I'm using of on really short trips, just wear it. Full description here

http://home.comcast.net/~pinnah/DirtbagPinner/essentials-list.txt
 
Like others have said bugging out, wilderness survival, and outdoor packs have different functional requirements. The choice of pack really comes down to what you need to carry. Like seriously, what you need to carry. Not what others carry. The pack choice depends entirely on what you put in it.

Bugging out to the woods is a silly concept, even for seasoned outdoorsmen, bugging out to the woods is a gamble. Do not gamble with your life. The less seasoned you are and the more hostile the environment the worse the odds get. This has been discussed recently over in the w&ss subforum. This usage should not be a primary reason to choose your pack.

Wilderness survival is more about preemptive measures and skills than taking a bunch of stuff. Plan your routes ahead of time, stick to that plan and have a trusted individual (who also has the plan) send the cavalry if you do not report in. Some items like that emergency beacon posted:thumbup:, and the 10 essentials will improve your survival odds. There are also items that will improve your general comfort level as you wait for the cavalry, these are general outdoors items depend on your desired level of comfort.

Your desired level of comfort in the woods is entirely up to you. Are you doing long hikes? Then weight is an all encompassing concern. Do you like to bring the kitchen sink? It really comes down to what you are doing out there.

Now the packs. Most of mine are no longer commercially available. I'll give you theory instead. :D
I have many packs. The choice comes down to what I am doing that day.

I have 2 hydration packs, one will fit a bladder and a wallet + keys in a pocket, the other will fit a bladder and about 15-20L or just enough for a towel/extra clothing and a bit of lunch I'd need on a day outing in nice weather. Both hydration packs are only used for sports. Then I have a 30L laptop bag for hauling loads in the city. For travel I use a carry-on size bag with wheels, the lightest I could find.

From there I have my most used outdoors pack which is a frameless top loading stuff sack with large mesh pockets on the outside. It takes light loads from about 30 - 50 L comfortably.

Then I have internal frame 60L pack for heavy loads. The big guns are a 90L dry bag and a 100_ish L external frame monster for hauling too much stuff in the backcountry. I also have sleds for pulling heavy loads on snow.

The 60L internal frame pack does most of what I need, but it is overkill when I have light loads. For winter loads the 60L pack is a little small. A good pack must carry the load close to my back, have pockets on the hip belt, be able to take a variety of loads, and have some pockets for organization. Large pockets on the sides of the pack that can fit a large soda bottle are a very nice thing to have.
 
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Sideways is spot on; before you really start looking for a pack, figure out what you plan to pack and consider all seasons. Also, capacity is not equal to weight and often many will get a very comfortable pack designed for 20-30 pounds and when overloaded with 40 pounds, it just plain sucks to carry...

I have numerous “day” packs, but most are not designed above 15-20 pounds of gear and that adds up quick with water. If you plan to pack any weight above that, you really need to look for a pack with quality suspension, frame and waist-belt.

My most versatile pack is probably my Mystery Ranch 3 Day Assault pack. It’s a little large for a short day hike, but it can allow me to stretch it to a 72-hour pack if need be.

I have a few smaller day packs that work well for different activities:

Mountain biking = Osprey Manta 30

Traveling with opportunity day hikes = Gregory Z25 (actually has a nice frame)

Hunting/Scouting = Kifaru Scout or Badlands Ultra Day pack

Work/Bug-Home Bag = RAID pack (in ACU for uniformity); added a hard sheet frame

Range bag = Eberlestock Gunslinger 2

When out kayaking it’s usually something small like the REI Flash

Longer day hikes or cold weather day hikes, I often choose the Osprey 38 liter Kestral

With your intent of a day pack, if I understand, is you want your essentials and the ability to expand for extra gear to practice skills in the outdoors and potentially enough for an over-night. There are a ton of great choices (both inexpensive and quite expensive); however, I would repeat the caution of choosing a pack with a frame, good suspension and waistbelt. I like Maxpedition’s products and even own their smaller Pygmy Falcon and several of their shoulder bags. However, without good frame suspension, those types of packs suck for any significant amount of weight over 15-20 pounds for distances longer than a few miles….just a caution. A lot of pack-makers tout features, but never forget the primary purpose is hauling gear without miserable pain in your lower back or shoulders.

Another consideration is pack material. For most trail hiking, I like the lighter fabrics, but if I’m going off trail, bouldering or scouting, I prefer more substantial material to withstand the torture of scraping rocks, poked and scratched by thorny vegetation; often tossed or dropped as well as sat or leaned on. That quality gets into some higher dollar packs that will hold up, but still provide excellent suspension for long distance hauling (Kifaru, Mystery Ranch, Arc-Tyerx, Eberlestock, etc.)…don’t skimp on a pack if your activities will most likely result in abusing or exposing your pack to more extreme conditions.

ROCK6
 
I don't have one so I'm tagging this thread. I mostly don't since the metro jungle of Miami changes the 'typical' scenario a bit.

OP, which youtuber were you referring to?
 
Here is a great video walkthrough of Joe Teti's BOB. You can also check resources here: http://bugoutbagacademy.com. There is a breakdown of things you should consider when purchasing a back as well as a nice free list of what goes inside. Cheers!
 
As I have posted elsewhere: I don't have a 'bug out bag' per se, I think a true BOB would probably actually have to a good-sized backpack of some sort...and I don't have one specifically set up to 'grab & go'...what is more likely in a true SHTF sitatuation is the B.O.V.--Bug Out Vehicle...it will probably include me backing the SUV up to the garage, throwing everything I think we'll need within the available time...camping gear, food, tools, etc. in the back along with loading up the household members and heading where ever I think we need to go...

However, I did re-pack my hiker/versipak a little while ago that is my 'go bag' when I hit the trail for more than anything longer than an hour casual walk...among other things, I've got the military style kidney shaped steel canteen/stove, holding a small snowpeak stove burner unit, a compack GPS unit, small BIC lighter, magnesium firestarter, a small SAK, multi-tool, 3 space blankets (one ultra-cheapo, 2 decent quality ones), about 50 feet of cord, an emergeny orange tube tent, compact first aid kit, a head mounted lamp, a minimag light, a couple cellum. light sticks (if you're stranded overnight, you can't have too much light), couple compact rolls of TP, about 5 baby wipes in a ziplock, 2 compact cheapo emergeny ponchos, 3 one-gallon zip locks, 5 sandwich sized ziplocks, a couple clean sections of cloth, a couple pieces of heavy duty alum. foil, a couple carribeaners (not climb rated), and an insulated HydroFlask thermos. There's enough room left over for several cliff/granola bars, packs of hot cocoa, and probably a compact freeze dried meal. It is my basic bag that would be able to cover myself and a partner on the trail if we had to 'overnight' it, twisted an ankle, or shelter in place we got caught way out and the weather came in. All in all without the food/water, it weighs about 8 lbs. And I'd ad probably my NMSFNO or Tankbuster to my belt (both of which have well stocked pouches--first steels, etc). I think combined with some basic field skills, and proper clothing, it meets the intended purpose. Its packed and ready to go, sitting behind me as I type this, and would get us through a night or two if needed.

One thing I like about the this versipack, other than the general utility, is that it can be worn under a coat or poncho, so if the weather does come in, no biggie to throw your parka or whatever over the top if it and keep it from getting drenched.

Cheers,
BOSS
 
I just tried out my 5.11 Rush 72 bag on the Applachian Trail. Loaded down with 40lbs of gear. I made it 5 miles before I had to call it quits (plus my dog was dead tired too!).

The bag itself is awesome, love all the pockets and zippers. However, if I ever had to go any distance over rough terrain, I would die. Just ordered a Kelly Red Cloud to replace it.

Still keeping my Rush 24 as a GHB in my truck though, small enough to hike a distance with, especially with my knockoff brokos belt.
 
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On my soapbox. But I think a lot of people who build BOB packs should really take those packs out and live out of them for a weekend in the woods. I see most of the these BOB threads full of new unused and untested gear. How will you ever know if something will fail if you don't try it? How will you know if you have the correct tarp or sleeping bag if you haven't spent a night in them. Going out and camping with your gear teaches you a lot and gives you experience with gear. I got out once a month, every month and it has taught be what works and what doesn't, what my limitations are, what skills I need to improve on. I think this is more valuable then getting others opinions. I hope that helps.
 
panzertroop said:
On my soapbox. But I think a lot of people who build BOB packs should really take those packs out and live out of them for a weekend in the woods. I see most of the these BOB threads full of new unused and untested gear. How will you ever know if something will fail if you don't try it? How will you know if you have the correct tarp or sleeping bag if you haven't spent a night in them. Going out and camping with your gear teaches you a lot and gives you experience with gear. I got out once a month, every month and it has taught be what works and what doesn't, what my limitations are, what skills I need to improve on. I think this is more valuable then getting others opinions. I hope that helps.
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Well said.

At the end of the day, you'll find all sorts of opinions on the interwebs, but there is still no substitute for experience. How many, for example, have spent a cold night out with nothing but a space blanket?
 
Smithhammer said:
Well said.

At the end of the day, you'll find all sorts of opinions on the interwebs, but there is still no substitute for experience. How many, for example, have spent a cold night out with nothing but a space blanket?
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Been there, done that. Spending a night out in the rain with nothing but a space blanket is a horrible failure with regards to trip prep or a prime example of masochistic gear testing. :D
 
At the end of the day, you'll find all sorts of opinions on the interwebs, but there is still no substitute for experience. How many, for example, have spent a cold night out with nothing but a space blanket?
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Thanks, I hope everyone gets my point. In the end it doesn't matter what pack you use or what gear is inside. What matter's is do you know how to use it. My camping bag is the bag I would grab in a situation if I needed to leave town quickly and hit the woods. It has all I need and has been tested. I always have the basics of:

Shelter
Water procurement and filtration
Tools
Food and a means to cook it
Fire
First Aid
Clothing
Repair
Navigation
 
Yes, I was glad I tested out my stuff. This was a shakedown hike for me, and I got to try out a lot of my gear. My bag setup didn't work for me, and I am glad I tested it in the real world before I had to depend on it when I needed it.
 
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