airballrad's BOB 3.0

[Raydarkhorse]

Even if you don't expect to use the back for any length of time I would add more food. As I recentlyfound out the hard way my BOB looked a lot like yours with a lot of gear. I thought I had enough food for three days worth while doing heavy work, but found out I only had enough for about 2 days with only a minmal amount of work. Lots of walking and climbing without a load but little work. I had a lot of gear that looks neat and is great to play with but I didn't have need of it so when I find the rations I want I will at least double what I had and loose some of the misc. B.S. gear. I had a no trouble with water but I had a reliable souce, if you doun't want to carry water all of the time at least have an empty container to gather and purify it.

[airballrad]

Update:

I have added a fleece sleeping bag and a 96oz. Nalgene Cantene that rolls up quite nicely. As a bonus, it has the same wide mouth as their wide mouth bottles which means it fits the adaptor from my Katadyn filter.

I checked out fleece sleeping bags at REI and was dismayed by the price (~$50). Today walking through WallyWorld I spied one for $9.99. Score.

I am now trying to find a way to package the sleeping bag and a RidgeRest such that I can attach them to the actual BOB. As it is a book bag, there are not a lot of attachment points to work with...

[Pansy]

I am now trying to find a way to package the sleeping bag and a RidgeRest such that I can attach them to the actual BOB. As it is a book bag, there are not a lot of attachment points to work with...

http://www.strapworks.com/Sewing_Awl_p/awl.htm

http://www.strapworks.com/webbing_and_narrow_fabrics_s/20.htm

Give it hell...

[airballrad]

Give it hell...

Oooh... good call. That looks like it will be a lot easier than a large sewing needle and a nickel, which is how I used to sew the straps back onto my bookbag in middle school.

[ScottAW]

Couple quick thoughts...

I like to carry my car water in a small soft side, plastic lined cooler. Works great at helping slow down freezing, if a bottle pops it's not going to spill, and having an extra bag gives me more pockets for other stuff.

I'm stealing your space bag idea for some extra clothes, I have big ones around the house, but every few months it seems like they need a little more vaccuming, slow leaks, no big deal. but they're nice thick plastic and are very waterproof as long as they're sealed right.

[Tactical Raccoon]

How do you like those SpaceBag Travel size storage ziplocks? I have been thinking about getting some of them but didn't know how durable or quality the plastic is. What say you?

[airballrad]

Before being pressed into BOB service, I have mostly used them for air travel to fit more in my suitcase. The seal is pretty good and I think it would handle a downpour without a problem, but I don't know that they would survive prolonged dunking. If I were planning to go on a canoe trip, I would still put these in the dry bag. The valve does a pretty good job of evacuating the air quickly, and will definitely hold long enough to get stowed into the pack. I have observed that air will slowly get back into the vacuum when left out a few hours.

[Tactical Raccoon]

Thanks for the info. I have been thinking about using the Ziplock Dry Bags as they have a thicker plastic and double zipper.

[airballrad]

The nice thing about the Space Saver travel bags is that the valve lets you roll the air out; you don't need a vacuum like the normal SS bags. Obviously this is a plus if you need to unpack/repack the bag in the field. I don't know that I could fit all the clothes and a full-size winter coat (liner+shell) in this bag without using them.

[chr0nos]

Take out the hatchet, or replace it with a machete. From my personal experience, chopping firewood/trees/etc is easier with a machete. You can use it as a weapon too.

[Jeriah]

Take out the hatchet, or replace it with a machete. From my personal experience, chopping firewood/trees/etc is easier with a machete. You can use it as a weapon too.

Couldn't disagree more. Splitting logs, or notching branches for breaking, is VASTLY easier with a hatchet than with a machete, in my experience. You can also use the reversed hatchet as a hammer to drive tent stakes into stubborn ground (Al ones will bend, so get steel or Ti) as well as to hammer other things that need hammering. The Fiskars/Gerber is an EXCELLENT hatchet, I really love mine. I own plenty of machetes and a Woodman's Pal, but the Gerber Sport Axe is what stays in my BOB, no question.

[airballrad]

Couldn't disagree more...

Jeez-o-flips, Jeriah. Nice thread necro.

[Dogan]

Nice. Commenting so i can remember to build my own.

[rule4]

30Lb soft pack seems like it would be miserable to carry for a 3 day 45 mile hike. There are a lot of people giving advice to him about what else he needs to add into this bag to make it even heavier. For someone not accustomed to hiking with this much weight, less might be more. All he really needs for a long hike like this are good boots, appropriate clothes for the current season, and a backpack with enough food to last the trip. A fire source, pocket knife and a flashlight would probably help out as well.

Personally I'd want to get home quick if the shtf. If this was me I'd keep a bike in the trunk and cut a 3 day hike into a one day ride.

I have a feeling this will get torn to shreds buts that just my 2 cents.

[airballrad]

30Lb soft pack seems like it would be miserable to carry for a 3 day 45 mile hike.

You are correct; I think I even mention up there somewhere that there is a lot of gear in here I would not really leave in here if I intended to hump it home. Fortunately, I no longer work 45 miles from home (now 12), so it's not as big a deal. Honestly, I don't even have a BOB at the moment, as it all got torn apart to go camping this summer and try out gear.

A BOB for me is a mental exercise; what circumstances am I likely to face, and what gear makes the most sense to deal with them?

I have almost identical GHBs; one in my truck, one in my car. These are meant to support a walk home, with a night outdoors if necessary, even in cold weather. I am building an INCH bag (internal frame pack) with all my really cool outdoor gear that I don't really need for a 12-mile hike home. INCH isn't really a real-world option since a family of four (soon to be five) will either bug in or bug out by minivan.

I have an EDC bag that is functionally my BOB at this point, since it has work materials, tech gear, backups of my vital docs and personal materials, and a small bail-out bag full of stuff for a couple days of wilderness living. I really should get around to doing a write-up of that one...