(This is the old kit)
In preparation of the GHB contest, I decided to finally go thru and catalog all the junk in my kit. I travel a LOT for work, so for me a Get-Home-Bag may have to carry me a lot farther than a couple of miles. I am an avid hiker, and the requirements for a weekend backpacking kit were essentially the same as for my GHB, so why not just make one bag for both tasks?
In all fairness, this is a warm weather / 3-season kit. There simply is no way I could pack the heavier sleeping gear, the coldweather layers, and all that, in a 20# pack. In cold weather, I switch to a 55L pack, and the total weight goes up to around 30#. Still not bad for a 3-4 day pack, but way over the target weight of the september contest... When I travel WAAAAY out of town, I usually pack my full size Bug Out Bag, which has supplies for a very extended walk home. But that is for another post.
Any and all comments and criticisms are greatly appreciated. Anything I can do to improve this kit, let me know. Thanks for looking!
And now, the gear.
Pack:
Vaude "Cross Ultralight Comfort" pack. 35L capacity, it is comfortable to about 20-25 pounds carried. I removed the semi-useless hipbelt and replaced it with a Camelbak Delaney waistpack. While it is just as flimsy as the original waistbelt, this does give me a 24oz water bottle and a couple of pouches I can reach while moving. I also took the framesheet out of the pack, and let the thermarest do the job.
Shelter:
Etowah 8x10 silnylon tarp. Only 13 oz. Love this thing. Big enough to set up a bunch of ways depending on need, small enough to pack down really tight. I thought about a 12x10, but for now, this one is working just fine. I also have 4 MSR lightweight tent stakes in the stuff sack.
Grand Trunk lightweight hammock. No bug net, but if you pick your camp location well, and don't mind loading up on DEET before turning in for the night, it's no problem even in the Southeast.
50' of 8 mm rope. Heavy duty enough for pretty much any task I can think of, lightweight enough for this kit. Used for my ridgeline and for the hammock, and whatever else I can think of. Rated at 14 kN. Hope thats strong enough for a tarp...
100' of black 550 paracord.
2 - 4' climbing slings used as treehuggers, also good as expedient rope/replacement pack straps. Total weight of the two slings less than 5 ounces.
2 carabiners. I am getting away from using these, as my knottology improves. But they do make things quick and easy, especially on a cold, rainy evening. So they stay for now. And they do have other uses.
Note: Yes, I could use the straps to make a swiss seat, and the rope and the carabiners to make short descents, if I absolutely had to. I prefer using "real" gear, but I know it could be done. As a last resort. In an Emergency. But yea.
Sleep system and clothing:
Fleece sleeping bag. I sleep comfortably with this down in the 50's. Lots of nights, I just use this as a lightweight quilt, but it can zip up and give me a bit more warmth.
Thermarest Z-lite pad, cut down to 40". 8 oz
AMK emergency bivy bag. Combined with the fleece bag, I am good down to the mid 30s as long as I can keep the wind off me.
Waterproof bag with socks, underwear, shirt. Just enough for one baselayer changeout. In winter, this bag has a lot more stuff. (Note: Being waterproof, The bag can STORE water as well as it keeps it out. Just something to keep in mind)
Marmot precip rain jacket and pants. I figure if it is bad enough that I have to Get Home Now/Get Away Now, I may want to keep moving even if the weather gets bad. A poncho isn't so useful in a windy rainstorm, and in any event you have to be careful about ripping the nylon on branches or other obstacles. Although heavier than a silnylon poncho, this is far heavier duty, and is another layer of clothing as well. If I am active, these can easily replace an outer layer down into the high 30s.
Cook kit and food:
For this kit, I went with a lightweight folding stove and Esbit tabs. Very low-profile fire source for preparing a meal or purifying water. I normally use a campfire, but for those times when it would be impractical (ever try to build a campfire under a silnylon tarp in a bad rainstorm? It will end badly, trust me) or simply more advantageous to remain low-pro, this is a good backup. A snow*peak 600ml Ti cup, MSR folding spork and Sea-to-Summit collapsible cup finish up the cook kit.
Since this is only meant as an overnight / short weekend bag, my food selection is a little limited. 2 MH meals, a couple of prepackaged sides, some oatmeal, some olive oil, and honey. Also several Ramen and Pizza Hut seasoning packs, and Starbucks VIA coffee packs! (LOVE THESE!)
Just over 3000 calories, (not counting the Clif bar/gelshots) enough to keep me from falling over for two days, 3 if I stretch it. I also have a hobo fishing kit and some snare wire in my pack, so if the opportunity rises, I could supplement my supplies with "the catch of the day", if I am lucky.
Sharp bits:
Fallkniven F1. The F1 is as close to a perfect compromise for woodscrafting and survival as I have found. The VG10 stainless steel holds up very well, and the size is just right for camp chores and fire prep.
Cegga small forest axe. Custom scandanavian axe. The ease with which wood can be prepped for the fire, or for shelter, makes it totally worth the slight weight penalty. (it has a 15 inch handle, and weighs 1# 8oz)
First Aid kit.
I have geared this more for hiking emergencies, such as sprains, bites, and stings. It isnt a STOMP II, but it is better than an off-the-shelf hikers kit. A writeup and discussion can be found HERE
Miscellaneous stuff:
Brunton 10x-30x monocular. Lightweight. Fairly useful. (hey, it was $15, it ain't no Leopold, but it may help me see what I am getting into)
Everlight solar headlamp and charging station. Did a quick writeup HERE. Incredibly useful piece of kit, lets me keep my electronic toys all charged up. Unless we get hit with an EMP burst, in which case all bets are off anyway.
Contractors 55 gallon garbage bag.
Platypus 1Liter water bag.
Aquapur iodine tablets and coffee filter setup
Fire kit with bic lighter, pj/cotton balls. Yes, I have a couple of LMF firesteels, but the lighter = easy. And in a survival situation, easy is good
Cotton bandanna. One million uses. It gets used all the time.
Eton FR-160 AM/FM/Weatherband crank radio. Also can charge via the usb port. (usb cable in the bag is for my Blackberry. Yes,it works!)
Fenix LD20 flashlight. Blindingly bright, multimode, runs happily on rechargeable AA batteries.
Hobo fishing kit. Couple of different hooks, bobber, a few weights, probably 200' of line. The fishing line can also be used to make small snares, by the way.
Clif gel shots and energy bars.
Silva compass. Always good to have one on hand, and Know How To Use It!
Misc stuff #2:
Small prybar. Could come in handy if I have to get out of an urban environment. Also it is quite useful in the bush, as a small entrenching tool, stake puller, wedge for splitting wood, and so forth. Couple of ounces. Worth it.
bug spray, sunscreen. Keep these on the waistbelt, nothing like being sunburned and assaulted by skeeters to make your bug out fun...
25 rounds Corbon JHP for my handgun.
N95 mask. Single use mask, but could come in handy.
Work gloves.
My EDC
I should mention my edc kit. This is the stuff that rides in my pocket all the time, so it will by default go with me on a GetHome/GetOut run. I use the Gerber tool pouch to carry the two spare mags for my Taurus 709 Slim 9mm pistol. The Crossbreed Supertuck is the best holster I have ever used, it just disappears. Leatherman Skeletool. Nova single AA flashlight. And my "Survival keychain", with Spyderco Dragonfly, LMF firesteel, and Streamlight Nano flashlight.
TOTAL WEIGHT:
19 pounds 13 ounces. Whew, that was close! (does not include water or my EDC stuff. Everything else is in the pack and ready to go. With 2 liters of water packed, it comes in at 24 pounds 7oz. Not too bad, I suppose.
Questions? Comments? Annoying catcalls from the gallery??
