Zombie Squad

It is that time of year again, time to update the bags. I have now included a list of my other bags. I guess some might call the main one an INCH bag... I call it my GLOF bag (Get Lost Or Found) Right now the bag is jammed full and seems a little heavy but manageable. This is the bag I grab when I go wheeling and might have to hike home after a severe breakage. The postal scale says it is only 23lbs... All this is packed into a standard size backpack for now, but I need to get a larger bag. 8) Tax time I will probably upgrade to a Redwing 3100.

Feel free to ask WTF? on any items, and I will try to explain my reasoning

HYGIENE:
1 roll TP, flattened
I Mouthwash, travel size
1 Soap, travel size
1 "Camp Sponge"
1 Fingernail clippers

FOOD/WATER:
3 Salmon pouches
3 Beef Jerky bags
2 "sport beans"
4 packs "to go" water flavorings
2 Honey bottles, 2oz
1 Frontier Pro straw
4 Emergency Water, bagged
1 bag Oral Rehydration Salts
1 Collapsable Cup
1 Hobo Tool
1 Pocket Can Opener

SHELTER:
1 Drop Cloth, 9x12
1 Rainsuit
1 Poncho
1 Mosquito Headnet

FIRE/WARMTH:
10 Hot Hands, Assorted size
1 Handwarmer, Solid Fuel, with refills
1 Tinder Bottle (w/Cotton balls, bic lighter, small firesteel)
2 Glass Lenses
2 Tealight Candles

"SURVIVAL ESSENTIALS"
1 Map Compass
1 Survival Mirror
1 Whistle
1 Bear Bell
1 Thermometer, zipper pull
1 Emergency Blanket

TOOLS:
1 Large Knife, Ka-Bar USMC
1 Leatherman Wave
1 Leatherman Folder w/serated blade
1 Leatherman Micra
1 Camp Axe (1.55#)
1 Gerber Gator Folding Saw
1 Pocket Chainsaw
1 Sharpening Stone
1 pair Leather Gloves
1 Mini Mag 3AA LED

BOOKS/ETC:
American Red Cross Standard First Aid
"Wilderness First Aid" by Gilbert Preston"
Falcon Guide - "Edible Wild Plants & Useful Herbs"
1 Map of local area
1 Deck playing cards

MISC:
1 roll Camp rope
1 bondex "Outdoor Restore" patch
3' Bright colored duck tape (wrapped around tinder bottle)
1 Assortment of Ziplock baggies
1 Assortment of Zip Ties
6 Tactical Rubber Bands
2 tubes generic Superglue
1 roll Electrical Tape
1 roll Duct Tape, 10yrds
2 Chem Lights

(LAST UPDATED: Jan 15th 2010)

NEW! My other bags:

GHB - (Get Home Bag) This is the bag I keep in my DD. It is a watered down version of the BOB. It is mainly geared to getting home quick using existing road structures. This bag is built on the assumption I may not be dressed to hoof it. Bag Weight is about 15#

FAK:
Generic "SafeTGear" FAK. Added better bandages, Neosporin, better meds.

CLOTHING:
1 Set of Thermal Underwear
1 Thermal Socks
1 Liner Sock
1 Rainsuit
1 Poncho

HYGIENE:
1 Mouthwash, travel size
1 Soap, travel size
1 Camp sponge
1 Pack wipes
3 rolls "Camper" TP

FOOD/WATER:
3 Salmon Pouches
3 packs Beef Jerky
4 Water "to go" flavor packets
2 Bottles Honey, 2oz
2 "Sports Beans"
1 Collapsable Cup
1 Pocket Can Opener
1 Hobo Tool

FIRE/WARMTH:
4 Tea Lights
8 Cotton Balls for tinder
8 Packs Hot Hands
1 Tube Fire Paste
1 Bic Lighter

"SURVIVAL ESSENTIALS":
1 Rescue Blanket
1 Map Compass
1 Whistle
1 Signal Mirror (cheapie)
1 Lens
1 Chem-Light

TOOLS:
1 "Survival" knife (need to upgrade)
1 Kershaw Folder
1 Gerber Black Multi-tool
1 Leatherman Squirt

MISC:
1 Roll Camp Cord
1 Roll Duct Tape, 10yrds
1 Roll Electrical Tape
1 Deck Playing Cards

ONB - (Over Night Bag) This is a Gym Bag I have packed and ready to grab if I have to leave right away. I consider this an expansion on the bug out bag, but not essential items so they will get left behind if I have to walk - but at least I can bother with changing further away from the chaos.

Normal change of clothes, plus sweater and extra shirt
Camouflage change of clothes
Set of thermal underwear
6 pairs of socks (2 normal, 2 thermal, 2 liners)
Rain Poncho
Rain Suit
Bath Towel
Toiletries (deodorant, toothbrush, travel size toothpaste, soap, shampoo, mouthwash)
Foodstuffs (2 packs of tuna, 2 tubes of Honey, 2 packs of Beef Jerky, 2 bags emergency water)
Leatherman Kick
Hobo Tool
Deck of cards

EDCB - (Every Day Carry Bag) this is just a backpack that I have on me when I am walking around town. (Not to be confused with what I carry in my pockets) This is just in the front pocket, so I can use the rest for whatever. The jerky and ponchos are more likely to get used, so I added more of them.

3 Beef Jerky
1 Emergency Water
2 Disposable Ponchos
1 Hobo Tool
1 SAK
1 Leatherman Fuse
1 Padlock (to lock bag closed, key on main keyring)
1 Boo-boo kit (band-aids etc)

Do you really need five or six multi-tools/knives?

Do you really need five or six multi-tools/knives?

Agreed.

Also, in addition to ditching several of the multi-tools and knives, I'd replace the Pakistani fixed blade with something of better quality (people seem to love the coldsteel bushman. I'm sure some of the BOB gurus could suggest some others). Pakistani steel is typically very soft, prone to corrosion, and/or poorly tempered (if it is tempered at all).

Southron Boy wrote:Do you really need five or six multi-tools/knives?

Of course I do... that is why they are in the bag

The micra is in there mainly for the scissors. I could just use the fingernail clippers instead I guess, but I figured it was cheap enough and light enough I would just keep it in there.

As for the folding knives, I just haven't decided between the quality of the Leatherman knife over the hunting styling of the Winchester. The one folder is already coming out of there. The Winchester has the gut hook and a bone saw in it. The Leatherman has the screwdrivers which I really don't need since I have the multi-tool, so I am leaning toward taking it out, but since I haven't decided, I haven't marked it for removal yet.

The Pakistani knife is there because I found it cheap enough. I could replace it with my cheapie Taiwan hollow survival knife I have never seen the "Cold Steel" knives around town, or if I did they were out of my price range. They are kind of odd looking, but maybe I will order one off of eBay with my next paycheck...

I figured I would get flak over all the ponchos or tape instead

2 Decks of cards? Are you mad?

A thermometer? What is wrong with the Goldilocks approach to weather? You know: This one is to hot, this one is to cold, this one is just right!

There are some specifics not mentioned, such as what your bug out plan is. Are you traveling a long distance or short distance? Are you intending to live in the wilderness or go to another dwelling? What type of terrain and climate are you in? In general, a BOB is a three day kit designed to get you from point A to point B, with point B having pre-placed supplies stored. I will assume this, as well as your point B location being the wilderness, considering your kit seems to be more wilderness oriented.

When assembling a kit, your survival basics must be met by following the Rule of Three’s: You can survive for three weeks without food, three days without water, and three hours without shelter. Exposure to the environment is the greatest threat to our survival which places shelter as a top priority. Shelter is anything which will protect our bodies from the environment and keeps its temperature at its nominal operating capacity. If our bodies become too cold, hypothermia will occur. If our bodies become too hot, heat stroke and heat exhaustion will occur.

Develop a set of packing rules when assembling your kit. Every item chosen should be as multipurpose as possible, which will help decrease the overall size and weight of your gear. For example, a 2’x2’ cotton bandana is a very versatile item to include in a kit. It can be used for:

• Char cloth
• Pot handle holder
• Strainer / filter
• Dust mask
• Sponge to collect water
• Wash cloth
• Napkin
• Toilet paper
• Band aides and bandages when combined with duct tape
• Sling for an injured arm
• Head wrap
• Cooling your body when soaked in cold water, wrapped around your neck
• Patches for torn clothing
• Firearm cleaning patches

One kit will not fit every need in the field and will be required to be adjusted for the duration of time in the field and distances to be traveled. This requires multiple kits to accommodate different circumstances, but the items chosen for your kit, and your knowledge, should allow you to sustain yourself for a bit longer than your kit allows as part of an emergency back-up plan.

I suggest building your gear up into the following kits:

Level 1 Kit: 10 pieces of gear, 1.5 days
Level 2 Kit: Previous kit plus 10 new items added, 3 days
Level 3 Kit: Previous kit plus 10 new items added, 6 days
Level 4 Kit: Previous kit plus 10 new items added, 12 days

Each kit will build upon the previous one by adding a few items to make your life easier for extended durations. There will be some leeway in this setup because multiple items can be added together to form one item. For example, a GI canteen, canteen cup, stove, and canteen cover are four items, but they all can nest inside of one another to form a single item.

An example of a Level 1 Kit:

1. Large fixed blade knife
2. Multitool
3. Folding Saw
4. Mess Kit (GI canteen setup described above)
5. Cotton bandana
6. Sharpening stone
7. Compass
8. GI poncho with 4x25’ sections of parachute cord (small tarp shelter, bivy bag, rain gear)
9. Fire starting tool
10. LED flashlight

All of these items, combined with your skill and knowledge, will allow you to process wood for shelter and fire construction, collect water, boil water, carry water, warm yourself, dry your clothing, provide light, build simple tools for hunting and trapping, and collect wild plant edibles.

An example of added items for a Level 2 Kit:

11. Hatchet
12. 6’x8’ tarp with 4x25’ sections of parachute cord
13. Wool blanket (used for a bedroll, can be worn as a coat if you know the trick)
14. Fishing kit (pill bottle with hooks, line, and lead weights)
15. Work gloves
16. Spare undergarments (1 pair of socks, underwear, T-shirt)
17. Sling shot
18. 400mL Nalgene bottle with rice
19. 400mL Nalgene bottle with lentils
20. 400mL Nalgene bottle with cream of wheat

An example of added items for a Level 3 Kit:

21. Spare pair of pants
22. Ground pad
23. Roll of snare wire
24. Sleeping bag
25. Spare sling shot band
26. Compact skillet
27. Spare set of undergarments (1 pair of socks, underwear, T-shirt)
28. Spare compass
29. Spare fixed blade knife
30. Binoculars

Once the Level 3 kit is used, the 400mL Nalgene bottles of food would be replaced with 1000mL bottles instead.

An example of added items for a level 4 Kit:

31. Spare pair of pants
32. Spare set of undergarments (1 pair of socks, underwear, T-shirt)
33. Small game rifle and ammunition
34. 10’x10’ tarp with 4x25’ sections of parachute cord
35. Roll of snare wire
36. Spare water bottle
37. 100’ bundle of parachute cord
38. 1000mL Nalgene bottle of corn meal
39. Firearm cleaning kit
40. Book on wild edible and medicinal plants

Everything on these lists should not be considered to be the gospel truth in what is needed, but it is only a general reference to show examples of minimal amounts of gear someone can survive with, and the progression of these items for increased durations in the field. All of these examples are subject to personal preferences, bush crafting skills, and environment.

I strongly urge you to sit down with a pad and pen and really plan out your gear to only require what is needed for your survival. You would be surprised with how little gear you may need for a typical BOB. I have personally gone out into the wilderness for a weekend with only a level 1 style kit and lived to tell about it. This brings me to my next point of actually going out and testing all of your gear for a few days. Keep a journal of items you used, didn’t use, or needed. When you come home, get rid of the items from your kit that you did not use. Of the items you did use, determine what, if any, short comings they had and find ways to improve upon it. This may mean learning a new skill to use the item more efficiently, or having to buy a new item all together. If you needed any items in the field, see if you could learn a new skill to improvise without them by using the tools you already posses.

Like I said, this bag is for when I want to get lost, or found. It is mainly used in my wheeler. If I get stuck somehow and have to hoof it, I want to be able to survive up to a week to finally emerge from the woods. In reality, the most I would be off the path in this event is a day or two, but I want it packed for worst case scenario with three feet of snow. Most of the time I go wheeling, it is in the winter, that is why I have not taken out any hand warmers. While the fire is getting started, I can throw a couple down into my boots or whatever. Some of these items, while no longer in my bag, will be in my wheeler.

As much as I would like to take a week off and try to live out of the bag, I can't. I work for the devil and it is hard enough just to get two days off in a row. I rarely get any weekends off to spend with my buddies either. If I lost the job somehow... that first week afterward I will be testing it out.

Yeah, the Cold Steel knives can be pricey, but they do have a few made-in-China things that are still a good deal. I just got back from Costa Rica, and used a Bushman almost daily. It's not the best knife, but it is certainly one of the toughest.

The handle is a hollow tube (open at both ends) but I carry spare wire as well as screws to attach it to longer handles (not for throwing, in my case, more for long-distance cuts, like when I was getting myself some coconuts). The handle ends have corks jammed in them. Corks are cheap. I also paracord-wrapped it a bit, single layer. A better grip, and a spare roll of cord!

There's two blade styles, original and bowie. Mine's original, but I've heard they both work quite well.

Hey Duk...what is your Hobo Tool?
Never heard of this thing... did you make it, buy it? Is it a particular pattern, or is it a specific brand moniker?
I'm kinda a junkie for toolstuffs... got a few multitools... ranging from nice, and used often, to compact and nice...to compact and ok, and cheapo get you through a sticky spot or two (these were essentially free, and while they have limited capabilities, they'd still work for at least one pinch).

The hobo tool is a cheap Wal-mart piece of junk that is sold in their camping aisle. It is like a swiss-army knife, but instead of real tools it has a knife, fork, spoon, corkscrew, and something else... basically all your camp utensils in one. The two halves separate to you can use the fork and spoon separately.

Link to one exactly like I have
(Price seems about the same as on the shelves at Wal-Mart IIRC)