What to Fill a Pack With?

M

maxkimber

Joined
Dec 14, 2007
Messages
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I am a novice who is beginning to enjoy the survival/bushcraft hobby/lifestyle/necessity. My 2007 Christmas list was riddled with items I saw on this forum. Santa did bring me a couple items:
- Maxpedition Pygmy Falcon II Backpack
- Maxpedition Devildog Versipack
- Maxpedition (2) 4” & (1) 5” Tube Sheaths
- (2) 100’ lengths of #550 para cord
- Gerber LMF II ASEK

I concede the LMF is not the best bushcraft knife, but is my number one choice in an urban survival situation, which is why it was my list.

Obviously all my needs have not been met, so I will complete my kits. That is where I am soliciting some assistance. If you where in my position, what would you fill your kits with, and why? Where would you locate the item(s) [i.e. buried inside pack, outside for easy access, etc. and why]? I would really like to know items that you have actually used successfully, meaning please don’t suggest “a way to make fire,” rather “a make, model, it works every time I use it or...”

What is the best way to carry para cord? Should I maintain them in 100’ lengths, why?

What would you put in the tube sheaths? I currently have a Spyderco Stainless Police and a Surefire in the two 4”, nothing in the 5” yet. I think both 4” can be better utilized.?.?

The area the kits will be utilized is mainly the mid-west for bushcraft hobbist activities and part of my emergency grab/urban survival (Red Dawn) or natural disaster.

I look forward to reading and learning from your responses – thank you in advance.

Max
 
Fire starters - get some lighters and a good swedish firesteel - for redundant fire starting methods. campmor.com has all you need.
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/s...6&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1

Water-boiling pot would be good for clean water supply. I use an MSR Titan Kettle which can be purchased with an MSR Pocket Rocket stove for hiking/camping. They all nest together to save space.
http://www.msrcorp.com/stoves/pocket_rocket_kettle.asp
Also add some water purification tablets for when you can't boil.
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=30622149&memberId=12500226

Compass - I use a Silva Ranger - look for one with adjustable declination and read up on navigation using it, a map, and a GPS - as well as natural methods like dead-reckoning, etc. The Ranger also has a sighting mirror that can be used as a signal mirror. http://www.rei.com/online/store/Search?storeId=8000&vcat=REI_SEARCH&query=silva+ranger&x=0&y=0

First-Aid - plenty of options here. I bought one and then supplemented other bandages, etc.

SAS Survival Guide - lots of good info in a little reference book - about 4 inches long. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b...oks&field-keywords=SAS+Survival+Guide&x=0&y=0

Light Source - I use a Petzl Tactikka - great light with redlight and strobe - lots of options up and down the price scale here. If multi-day hiking, I might take a candle lantern for comfort (9 hour candles), especially if not allowed fires.
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39299190&memberId=12500226
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/s...6&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1

The LMF will serve you fine, until you see all the wonderful toys on this forum - then hold on to your wallet. I would also suggest a folding knife/multi-tool for smaller tasks (i.e. food prep) and redundancy, again. I have SAK's, Schrades, BM, Kershaws - lots of options out there. More and more it's my Benchmade mini-griptillian - great bang for the buck. http://www.newgraham.com/detail.aspx?ID=3949

Leave the cord intact until you need it - then cut for tent/tarp gy ropes, etc. You may have to melt the ends to keep from unraveling.

I'm sure others will share their experience as well.

Cheers
 
I think brians hit some good main points. I'd suggest deciding to have one kit to take with you when you're bumming around the outdoors, and another for the city. I assume that you are keeping the pack as a 'bug out bag' with the urban survival in mind, rather than carrying it around everyday? If it's the latter, the choices will be different. Needs for a city pack will also be a bit different than what you'd want in a woods pack, obviously.

I always break things down into a series of categories, and then make sure I have each one covered. Some examples are...

-Water
-Shelter
-Fire
-Light
-Food
-Tools
-First Aid
-Clothing

For the above, in the outdoors, there are a lot of good options. For an overnight/dayhike in summer, mine would probably look something like this:
000_0136.jpg

000_0139.jpg


Though the contents have varied a good bit. Some basics in it are:
- 2L platypus bag
- chlorine tabs
- fire kit (LMF Firesteel, matches, bic, fatwood, cotton)
- small LED and small maglite
- whistle
- duct tape
- Mora 510
- bandanna
- twine
- paracord
- monocular
- very lightweight LED headlight
- TP
- mylar blanket
- first aid stuff
- compass
- spork
- Esbit stove
- GI canteen + cup
- GI poncho

In a larger bag I would have similar gear, but a full sleeping bag, and a larger tarp. I also would bring a dedicated cooking pot, and maybe a kettle (3/4L and 1 L respectively).

The best suggestion is to get a little bit of quality basic gear and use it until you learn what you need and don't need. Don't go max out the credit card before you know what will and won't work for you. If you haven't camped much, try to find a buddy that has or knows a bit. Either way, try doing to car camping at first, then longer/deeper hikes, then an overnight as you get more comfortable.
 
It's a $12 Maxpedition look-alike from CheaperThanDirt. Works pretty well, I use it as a buttpack/shoulder pack for a dayhike worth of gear. The wad underneath now sits on the top, underneath the handle. It's a poncho in its pouch. Don't know if you can still search user names, but there's a write up of it that I did around here somewhere.
 
http://tions.net/CA256EA900408BD5/vwWWW/outdoor~01~01

This site has a wealth of good info, if you'll check the list to the right of the screen. At the page posted, there is also a helpful gear breakdown according to length of trip. Pretty good stuff, though of course a lot of us blade/gear freaks tend to overdo on some of these points.

If you're just learning basic fieldcraft, check out a lot of the fire and cordage/knot sections.
 
Brians – great list, thanks.

Spooky – I think I will set up the Pygmy Falcon II (actual back-pack) as a bug-out-bag and the Devildog (butt-pack) as the day hiker set-up. I believe both packs will have some of the same things in them, but redundancy is good – right. Nice set-up, your pack is very similar to the Devildog, but the Devildog has mesh pockets on the sides, vice your zippered pockets. Nice link, I added it to my bookmarks. I believe (and so does “Survivorman”) that knots are very important; I have been studing on http://www.animatedknots.com/

Leatherface – A Kimber 1911 (model undecided) will be purchased in the very near future.
 
SpookyPistolero said:
http://tions.net/CA256EA900408BD5/vwWWW/outdoor~01~01

This site has a wealth of good info, if you'll check the list to the right of the screen. At the page posted, there is also a helpful gear breakdown according to length of trip. Pretty good stuff, though of course a lot of us blade/gear freaks tend to overdo on some of these points.

If you're just learning basic fieldcraft, check out a lot of the fire and cordage/knot sections.
Click to expand...

nice link:thumbup::D
 
Maxpedition.jpg


MaxpeditionII.jpg


Regarding the Pygmy Falcon II...

This little pack holds a lot more than I thought it would, and it does so comfortably. Lots of latching points and tie-on spots for more gear if needed. It appears to be a well-built, well-thought-out design. Here's a quick list of contents in my pack as pictured (changes noted):

First Aid Kit
Silva Compass
K&M matchcase with matches and backup compass
Leatherman Charge Ti
Buck 110 (replaced now with a Busse Badger Attack)
leather gloves
sunscreen
LED flashlight
Princeton Tec Aurora headlamp
polypropylene underwear
Goretex rain hat (Outdoor Research Seattle Sombrero)'
fleece ski hat
survival kit in stuff sack (lots of goodies...more than I want to list right now)
REI Elements breathable rain jacket
Red Ledge Thunderlight breathable rain pants
zip-up fleece jacket (Campmor)
Becker BK-9 with more basic survival gear in sheath pouch (now a Swamp Rat Battle Rat, soon to be a Busse Fusion Battle Mistress)
100 feet of paracord
water bottle in outside pocket
sunglasses (in case) in outside pocket

__________________

Here are some content pics...

MaxpeditionFront.jpg


MaxpeditionMiddle.jpg


MaxpeditionBack.jpg
[/QUOTE]
 
Ivan, your Pigmy is set up a lot like my Truck Bag, which is a Pigmy F II

It all depends on what the scenerio is.
I have 3 packs. A full blown 3-day pack, which is a Spec Ops THE pack, and has everything in it.
My truck pack, Pigmy Falcon II-Small FAK, Leatherman, Change of clothes, gloves, flashlight, alcohol gel hand sanitizer, Nalgine bottle, fire stuff, ect.
Basically, a light pack that I keep in my toolbox.
And my Range Pack-Blackhawk Strike. I use this for 3-gun events as it came with a Camelback hydration unit. Has real basic stuff it it. I carry ammo, spare parts, camera, ect. I could always use it for something else as its a decent size.

Figure out the task and build accordingly.
As said before, do some trial runs, find out what you actually NEED, this will cut down on weight and cost a lot.


I picked up a Digi-Cam Pigmy Falcon from LAPG about a year ago for $29. Best money I have ever spent on a pack.
Lapolicegear.com has them for $59 right now.

I know they are made in Tiwan or some shit, but Maxpedition stuff is built like a TANK!

I use mine as my truck Bag, at the range, and took it on vacation last year. They are awesome packs for the $$

You cant see the pack good, but take my word for it, its on me

outsideshipjamaica.jpg


max3.jpg
 
NO F-Bdy Bs said:
Im not sure how well this would work for what you want, but LAPG has the Blackhawk Strike Cyclone on sale now for $89.
Also, check out the "clearance" section of LAPG, there is a shitton of stuff that will make you break out the ol CC

http://lapolicegear.com/blhyscy10hyp1.html
Click to expand...

LAPG is awesome for closeout pricing - everything in my original post was bought there on closeout:D

Guyon - Excellant pics - that helps alot... Thanks.
 
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