My INCH Bag Plus NEW!!!!! Wife's Bug Out Bag!

[ODA 226]

Many folks have asked to see my INCH Bag. It is a Gregory UM 21 that weighs 12 pounds EMPTY. It is a heavy behemoth, but it is sturdy, well made and has a 5,500+ CI capacity as configured and is virtually "bombproof", which is one of the many reasons I bought it. (The other was it was on sale new for about $150.00 as I recall.)

My Bug Out strategy is to move by Jeep to my BOL if possible with the maximum amount of material and supplies as possible. IOWs, I intend to DRIVE to my BOL if possible, with everything needed for a sustained BO. If my vehicle is disabled for some unforseen reason or if driving isn't practical or safe, I intend to make multiple caches for all supplies that aren't in my INCH bag and continue slowly and deliberately on foot. My INCH Bag contains everything I need to make it to my BOL and sustain myself once I get there. My BOL is approximately 60 kilometers away from my house BTW.

Here is my INCH Bag and my Primary BO Fire Stick:



It weighs in at 93 pounds with water. Yes, I know it weighs a lot, but I don't intend on running 30 miles a day on the road like others. When I was in SF, we routinely moved extreme distances with 125-180 LBS rucksacks. I'm not a 22 year old SF Trooper anymore (and found this out on my bugout weekend described below ) but I can still managed this setup as I'm 6'0", 230 LBS. I just can't move as far or as fast as I could when I was younger.

Here are the contents of my INCH on display:



Individual Components are as follows:

Load Bearing Vest (LBV)



It's a little outdated, but it's what I've carried in the bush since 1983. It has 6 individual mag pouches mounted on the chest and 6 Alice mag pouches on the belt. I also have two-2 quart canteens with a canteen cup, my ALCO Solution Knife, a drop holster for my .45 and 3 mags for it. It also has a pouch for my hand-held, map, compass, protractor and trigraph.

Shelter Module:

Three-Person Dome Tent, two military ponchos, 200 ft. 550 cord, extra tent stakes, zip-ties, 8 OD Green Bungee Cords and two "S" biners.



I normally wouldn't carry the dome tent if I were to bug out alone (I normally use 2 military ponchos), but I was leaving with my nephew, so I decided for comfort over additional weight.

Clothing Module:



I keep my clothing tight in a "Space Bag" that is then placed into a military waterproof bag.

The contents of the Clothing Module:



Heavy Norwegian Wool Shooters Sweater



Multicam Uniform



Multicam Boonie, Baseball Cap, Desert Do-Rag, Tan Headover and Desert Digital cool down rag.



Gore-Tex Gators. An absolute must for cold/ wet weather!



Tan Nomex Gloves, Leather Sap Gloves and Extreme-Cold Gore-Tex gloves.



Gore-Tex Desert Tan Coat. I'd prefer something in Multicam, but for now it's what I've got.



Training shoes, to wear while boots are drying out or to bed if I am in a dangerous area.

For the Record: I also carry 3 Underarmour T-shirts and 5 sets of wool socks. I didn't think anyoune would want to see my underwear!

Food Module:
I carry 3 homemade LRRP/MRE meals for each day for a total of 15 days. I can ration my meals to last 45 days if necessary.



I have once again utilized space bags to compress the Food Module and the module is then place inside of a separate military water proof bag.


All meals are marked with date packed and total calories.


Individual Meals.

Water Module:


Two 100 Oz. Camelback Bladders mounted to the sides of my INCH Bag. As stated earlier, I also carry two 1 quart canteens on my LBV.



MSR Waterworks complete, Puritabs, Camelback cleaning kit and cloth pre-filter.

Cooking Module


MSR Whisperlite International with two fuel bottles, spork, Spice Holder, Bic Lighter, Fuel funnel w/ screen, lightweight cooking grates, two Coleman Camp Cooking Pots. I love this setup!

Cutting Module


Small Bowsaw, ALCO "Solution" Knife, Cold Steel Gunsite Folding Tanto, Swiss Combo Knife.



Photo with Alcos "Solution" Knife converted to an axe. It also has a working saw and gut-hook and a waterproof compartment that I have stuffed with fishing line, hooks, sinkers, waterproof matches and vaseline coated cotton balls and metal trip-line.



Smith's Diamond Sharpener

Sleep Module:


Hammock for sleep, rest or fishing.



Waterproof Bivy sack and light weight Sirius Sleeping Bag. (This bag is FULL OF FAIL!) I've replaced it with the rest of my military sleep system.

Tactical Shit Kit




My TSK opened to display contents: Wipes, TP rolls (full of win BTW!) alcohol pads, Toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, razor with spare razors, Wisks, do-rag.



Camp towel, body sponge and camp soap.



Folding Shovel/Pick to make Catholes when TSK utilization is needed!



Addition personal hygene/ FAK items.

FAK Module




FAK Opened



FAK contents on display. I think I have most everything covered for most emergencies and preventive medicine.



Sunscreen and bug juice.

Navigation Module



Topomap, protractor, Military Lensatic Compass, Orienteering Compass, Camo Pac, Binos, Signal Mirror, Pace counter.

Lighting/ Signalling



Solarlight/ Red Squeeze light/ Surefire/ Springfield XML



10ea Chemlights/ 2 M-18 Smoke Grenades/ 2ea Trip Flares with trip wire/ 2ea White Parachute Flares

Commo Module


Radio Shack Radio. My wife has the other in her bag. It's better than nothing though!



Tri-graph. For clandestine commo.

[b]Reference Library[/b]


My SF and Ranger Handbooks



HP Mini loaded with documents, family pictures and reference materials. Can also be used for internet and telephone access.

Firestarting/ Warming Module




Firestarting/ Warming Kit displayed: 4ea Handwarmers, 1ea Body warmer, 2ea bic lighters, 1ea Magnesium Bar, 1ea firesteel, 1 ea battery and wire, rubber hose, 1ea vile packed with Vaseline coated cotton balls, 1ea vile packed with log firestarter, 1ea vile fine steel wool.

Sit-Your-Fat-Ass-Down-Module


Why carry it? Because my 50 year old ass needs some creature comfort on occasion!

General Repair Kit



JB Weld, screws, nails etc.

Fishing Module


Exterior of Fishing Module and Fishing pole.



Contents:

Frog Gig, 4 Auto Fish Reels, Lure worms, Telescoping Fishing Pole, "Gulp" bait, Multi-tool, Fishing line and fishing kit.



Fishing Kit contents displayed: Bobber, lures, hooks, sinkers, screws for auto reels.

Weapons Cleaning Kit




Contents Displayed



Marvel Mystery Oil secured in medicine vile. Marvel Mystery Oil is FULL OF WIN in all environments BTW!

Tactical Breaching Kit


Firearms


Springfield Micro-Compact .45 ACP with 7ea loaded Magazines. Total of 50 rounds.



Title III M-4 Carbine with an 11.5 Inch Barrel. 15 ea 30 round 5.56 magazines plus 1ea 100 round C-Drum. 550 rounds total of 5.56. Yeah, I know it's a lot of weight, but I'm willing to hump it in an INCH situation. The wife, BTW will be carrying the suppressed Ruger 10-22 with 500 rounds of .22 LR in her INCH Bag so yes, we have enough ammo suitable for small game.

BUG OUT TEST WEEKEND
My 11 year old nephew and I decided to take a trip to the Bug Out Location to test our equipment , do some shooting and all that other sort of male-bonding shit. LOL!
Here we are getting ready to leave my house. Note the digital mods I made with to a Camelback Desert Camo pack utilizing OD Green spraypaint:





We arrived at our BOL a little late. We had to move X-country for 3 kilometers over mostly clear-cut terrain, full of knee-knockers and ankle breakers. I didn't have time to show my nephew how to make a primative fire, but I did teach him how to start up and use the MSR Whisperlite and make some pine-needle tea! :







Making the tea!



Pine needle tea brewing!



Delicious!



First nights' fire!



Bad Moon Raising!



Our Tent.



My nephew wearing his Survival Necklace.

Saturday Morning Shooting at the Range:










Later on that evening, I taught my nephew how to make a fire with a firesteel. He wouldn't put the ball into the firepit for some unknown reason so I let him do it his own way. Please don't laugh! LOL!



Once he got the fire started, we got chow cooking and had a great time watching "Ranger TV"!




We resupplied ourselves with water from a nearby stream using my MSR Waterworks filter before it got dark. (Win!) I froze my ass off using the Sirius Sleeping Bag. Only use them for camping above 70 degrees! Other than that it was a great night!

The next day (Sunday) we broke camp and went back to the shooting range:





I had a suprise waiting for my nephew...he got to shoot a 1919A4 Browning!







He also got to shoot my SOCOM 16:



LESSONS LEARNED:

I'm not 23 anymore. But even at 50, I found out that I am still in much better shape than my peers and can still hump heavy loads. I'm glad I tested the Sirius sleeping bag and got rid of it before a real Bug Out situation occurs. Yes, it's lightweight but it is no way a 50 degree F bag!

The other equipment I've packed all works as adverstised and is very reliable. I carried my SOCOM 16 with a basic load on this trip because I don't need any problems carrying a full auto M-4 in a non-SHTF situation. The basic load of the 7.62mm was heavy as hell, but I'd still carry it in a SHTF situation if I couldn't get to my M-4.

It was good to get some one-on-one time with my nephew and to get him interested in survivalism. Hope to do it again real soon!

[TacAir]

Let me be the first to say - this trip was full of

WIN

Thanks for the photos. I must say I know of only one person who has a personal M1919A4 - another WIN on its own.

And please allow me to say - Thank you for your service.

[Red Cell]

Excellent INCH system ODA

IMO The UM21 is the best large pack out there.
I wish I had an Uncle like you growing up!

[Woods Walker]

I am surprised you got all that stuff packed, your organizational skills are impressive. On level ground 93 lbs isn’t so bad but I would suffer some going though the hills. I am also not 23 anymore. I got a set of Gortex desert tan raingear in my INCH bag and don’t see any reason to spend money on a new set. Instant potato packets rock and Lipton side dishes aren’t too shabby as well. Goes without saying I like guns.

Looks like your nephew had a great time. Shooting a 1919A4 must have been a ton of fun. I had a hard time with the ID of those pine needles used for tea. My best guess is Eastern White pine or maybe Pitch pine? Great photos and video.

[K9medic]

Look like he’s a well switched on lad, when’s he doing “selection” and the “fan dance”

[Woods Walker]

I looked over the video again and the needles appear to be Eastern White Pine but could be wrong. ODA 226 if yea get a chance maybe repost those videos in the wild edibles sticky at the bushcraft sub forum.

[ODA 226]

I looked over the video again and the needles appear to be Eastern White Pine but could be wrong. ODA 226 if yea get a chance maybe repost those videos in the wild edibles sticky at the bushcraft sub forum.

Those are Eastern White Pine WW. Tastes great! Thanks for the kind words!

[TheFishinMagician]

Great post! I only see one problem...

You posted your "Tri-graph", so now your messages can be deciphered. Not good for commo OPSEC. Now you'll have to change the chart if you want to be sure your coded info will be *"safe". (*-- Of couse, sooner or later someone who tries hard enough will be able to crack just about any code, but no sense in making it easy for them.)

[ODA 226]

Great post! I only see one problem...

You posted your "Tri-graph", so now your messages can be deciphered. Not good for commo OPSEC. Now you'll have to change the chart if you want to be sure your coded info will be *"safe". (*-- Of couse, sooner or later someone who tries hard enough will be able to crack just about any code, but no sense in making it easy for them.)

It doesn't matter if they have a trigraph or not. The trigraph is not a secret. How to generate the pads necessary to encrypt your message is... Cheers!

[WhoShotJR]

Nice setup, thanks for posting it. I'd like to know more about that chain wrench. Where you got it, manufacturer, etc. Never seen one with a short handle like that.

[ODA 226]

Nice setup, thanks for posting it. I'd like to know more about that chain wrench. Where you got it, manufacturer, etc. Never seen one with a short handle like that.

I got it at the local auto store a very long time ago. It's small, but you can obtain a shit load of torque with it. If you need more torque to make your breach, slip the end into a piece of pipe. It's completely legal to possess.

NOTE: ONLY TO BE USED FOR LEGAL PURPOSES!

[northernxposure]

First - win.

Second - damn near 100# @ 50? ODA = officially 1/4 pack mule. I salute whatever's left after said weekend! My skinny ass carting around 100#... Heck no.. okay maybe, but still - heck no!

Third - the 50/40deg sleeping bag is a LIE! A vile, horrendous lie perpetrated unto the summer camper. As soon as I get off my arse and make up a custom syn-quilt I'm ditching my weak 40deg bag as fast as humanly possible. Just kills me as I had a GREAT feather 40deg bag that actually lofted like a 35dg bag and was approx the same weight that was "misplaced" in the move.

I liked it. I liked it a lot.

NXP

[ODA 226]

Third - the 50/40deg sleeping bag is a LIE! A vile, horrendous lie perpetrated unto the summer camper. NXP

Tell me about it! I froze my ass off even though that bag was inside of a Gore-tex bivy and with two handwarmers working inside!

The near hundred pounds wouldn't have been nearly as difficult if it wasn't for the clear-cut terrain and all of the fallen trees and knee-knockers all over the place. I would have much rather carry that ruck up a steep hill than traverse that type of leg-breaker terrain.

[K9medic]

Silly question if I may, but why wouldn’t the “chain Wrench” be legal? Over here you can buy them for a few quid at any car spare parts store, we use them for removing oil filters. Though if you got caught walking down the street on a Saturday night with one tucked in your belt, you might need to answer a few questions about weapons.

[Canadian Guy]

Great post and interesting gear you have, solid and functional and not lightweight but you know how to handle that problem! The photos of your 1919A4 Browning brought back memories as it wasn't too long ago (1988) that the Canadian Army retired our version of it for the C6 (FN Mag 58), I can still vividly remember stripping and assembly and setting the head spacing (screw in barrel, back off 4 clicks and begin using head space guage to get it dialed in). I carried and fired that old MG quite a bit, must say that the C6 (FN Mag 58) is a much better MG but the Browning was good fun!

Tell me about it! I froze my ass off even though that bag was inside of a Gore-tex bivy and with two handwarmers working inside!

The near hundred pounds wouldn't have been nearly as difficult if it wasn't for the clear-cut terrain and all of the fallen trees and knee-knockers all over the place. I would have much rather carry that ruck up a steep hill than traverse that type of leg-breaker terrain.

I agree 100%, last month I was going up and down hills in Wales carrying 80+ lbs and it was not the hills that were the real tough part but it was the rough ground, every step was through pockmarked, soggy wet ground that hammered you. "Babyheads" was the term used to describe the baby head sized tufts of grassy ground you constantly stumbled through!

[ODA 226]

Silly question if I may, but why wouldn’t the “chain Wrench” be legal? Over here you can buy them for a few quid at any car spare parts store, we use them for removing oil filters. Though if you got caught walking down the street on a Saturday night with one tucked in your belt, you might need to answer a few questions about weapons.

No silly question there! The chainwrench IS legal but can be used to wrench the doorknobs and locking mechanisms out of doors to give access to the door bolt, thereby completely eliminating the locking system. Therefore, it could be construed as a burglary tool by law enforcement if you were caught ILLEGALLY using it as a burglary tool in this manner.

DO NOT USE THIS COMMON TOOL AS SUCH BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A CRIME TO DO SO!

Use it as such on your property ONLY or to assist other homeowners to access their property!

[ODA 226]

Let me be the first to say - this trip was full of

WIN

Thanks for the photos. I must say I know of only one person who has a personal M1919A4 - another WIN on its own.

And please allow me to say - Thank you for your service.

Thanks! It's an Isreali .308 semi-auto conversion, but still a lot of fun to shoot!

[Woods Walker]

The near hundred pounds wouldn't have been nearly as difficult if it wasn't for the clear-cut terrain and all of the fallen trees and knee-knockers all over the place. I would have much rather carry that ruck up a steep hill than traverse that type of leg-breaker terrain.

Bad terrain nasties in no particular order.

1. Blown down trees, hemlocks being the worse by far.
2. Mud and ice.
3. Rapid elevation changes. Downhill with boulders and rocks being the worse as my toes get compressed into the tips of my boots.
4. Leaf litter even when dry.
5. Roots. Anyone that has taken the root slide knows what I am talking about.

A set of poles or a field made hiking staff would go a long way to prevent slips and knee stress with heavier loads. Keeping 3 points of contact with the ground makes for a very stable person. I will toss in a few gear suggestions and refinements that would work better for me.

1. I would replace the USGI closed cell pad with a Ridgerest. Greater comfort and guessing R value for no real weight penalty.

2. Get a headlamp. I mostly use headlamps and relegate flashlights for times when more throw is required or backup.

3. The chair is nice to sit on but so is a ground pad. I totally understand the value of comfort for moral. But for the same weight you could get other options which would add more comfort.

4. Make certain your fishing kit has smaller hooks sized 8-12. Smaller fish are more plentiful and make for a good feed. Toss in a few flies like green woolly buggers etc. They work great even without a fly pole. Add a few more small (smaller the better) bobbers.

5. Dental floss unless I missed it.

6. Liquid soap is better than a bar of solid soap.

7. Light sticks are unreliable for many reasons.

8. MSR White Gas stove. This is great kit for sure but I would go with a small Hob stove. It will never run out of fuel in any weather if your woodcraft skills are good which I imagine is the case. For those packing a MSR they should know how to service it in the field. Cold and wet is not time to try and work out how to fix a stuck shaker jet etc. I am sure you know this but tossing out the info for the readers.

9. I found Platy bags more reliable than anything with a tube over time but nothing wrong with your water storage system.

10. I was going to suggest getting another sleeping bag but you have already done so.

11. This is going to sound a bit silly but I would pack a pair of shorts.

12. A dedicated cooler weather winter cap would be nice unless this was missed.

Things I really liked.

1. Extra wool socks. Gloves, socks and hats offer the biggest bang for the buck in terms of weight and bulk for protection against exposure risks.

2. MSR water filter.

3. That sharpener looks cool but never tried that one.

4. Navigation items combined with knowledge.

5. Gun cleaning kit.

6. I also have a legally suppressed 10/22. I like those older tube fed .22s as well. Is that a Marlin?

7. Those Gaiters. OR gear is under appreciated.

[ODA 226]

The near hundred pounds wouldn't have been nearly as difficult if it wasn't for the clear-cut terrain and all of the fallen trees and knee-knockers all over the place. I would have much rather carry that ruck up a steep hill than traverse that type of leg-breaker terrain.

Bad terrain nasties in no particular order.

1. Blown down trees, hemlocks being the worse by far.
2. Mud and ice.
3. Rapid elevation changes. Downhill with boulders and rocks being the worse as my toes get compressed into the tips of my boots.
4. Leaf litter even when dry.
5. Roots. Anyone that has taken the root slide knows what I am talking about.

A set of poles or a field made hiking staff would go a long way to prevent slips and knee stress with heavier loads. Keeping 3 points of contact with the ground makes for a very stable person. I will toss in a few gear suggestions and refinements that would work better for me.

1. I would replace the USGI closed cell pad with a Ridgerest. Greater comfort and guessing R value for no real weight penalty.
I'll give it a try!

2. Get a headlamp. I mostly use headlamps and relegate flashlights for times when more throw is required or backup.

3. The chair is nice to sit on but so is a ground pad. I totally understand the value of comfort for moral. But for the same weight you could get other options which would add more comfort.
The UM-21 has a built-in ground pad. I still like my fishing chair though. I used to carry a cloth folder with a hole cut in the middle with reinforced stiching for use as a combination chair/ toilet seat.

4. Make certain your fishing kit has smaller hooks sized 8-12. Smaller fish are more plentiful and make for a good feed. Toss in a few flies like green woolly buggers etc. They work great even without a fly pole. Add a few more small (smaller the better) bobbers.

It has very small hooks and the smallest bobber I could find. I'll try the green woollies.

5. Dental floss unless I missed it.

You missed it! LOL!

6. Liquid soap is better than a bar of solid soap.

Missed that too! It's in my personal hygene kit.

7. Light sticks are unreliable for many reasons.

I carry them mostly for signalling and marking and rotate them religiously.

8. MSR White Gas stove. This is great kit for sure but I would go with a small Hob stove. It will never run out of fuel in any weather if your woodcraft skills are good which I imagine is the case. For those packing a MSR they should know how to service it in the field. Cold and wet is not time to try and work out how to fix a stuck shaker jet etc. I am sure you know this but tossing out the info for the readers.

Roger that. There is a hobo in my wife's INCH Bag and for that particular purpose.

9. I found Platy bags more reliable than anything with a tube over time but nothing wrong with your water storage system.

10. I was going to suggest getting another sleeping bag but you have already done so.

That bag I packed was full of fail! Back to the UDGI system for me!

11. This is going to sound a bit silly but I would pack a pair of shorts.

Yep! Silly! LOL!

12. A dedicated cooler weather winter cap would be nice unless this was missed.

Between the ballcap, boonie and the headover, I think I'll be ok.
Things I really liked.

1. Extra wool socks. Gloves, socks and hats offer the biggest bang for the buck in terms of weight and bulk for protection against exposure risks.

2. MSR water filter.

Great deal for $35.00 on Craigslist!

3. That sharpener looks cool but never tried that one.

It's the B-O-M-B! Get one!

4. Navigation items combined with knowledge.

I also have a GPS but seldom use it.

5. Gun cleaning kit.

Something that is missing from most kits posted here. An absolute necessity!


6. I also have a legally suppressed 10/22. I like those older tube fed .22s as well. Is that a Marlin?

Yes my nephew has a Marlin. I think it's a rock-solid beginners .22.

7. Those Gaiters. OR gear is under appreciated.

Yes, those Gaitors are another under appreciated piece of kit.

[TheWaker43]

In what photo is the chain wrench that is being mentioned?

[ODA 226]

I removed it because I didn't want anyone to get ideas about B&E and/or illegal activities.

[Woods Walker]

Yup the UM-21’s back compression panel works as a pad. I think the panel on my UM21 patrol pack might work for that as well but never tried it. If that headover helps then that’s good but a watch cap, Peruvian hat, beanie or whatever be it synthetic or wool is going to add next to nothing in terms of packweight. A booine hat/ball cap is near worthless for sleeping which is a very important use of a cap during cooler winter. I have lost caps in the field; some just ran off under their own power. The woods are good like that. It is just too critical of a gear item in colder weather not to backup for an INCH type system. Maybe in a 72-hour pack or daypack backing it up wouldn’t be as important.

Yea I didn’t think the hippy shorts thing would go over well.

[WhoShotJR]

I removed it because I didn't want anyone to get ideas about B&E and/or illegal activities.

I apologize for bringing so much attention to one piece of gear.

[xxxDarksidexxx]

great job sir! looks like the boy had a good time, and hes learning some very valuable skills!

90+ lb pack... man that would kill me! you have a great setup, but some things could be swapped out to lighten the load just a bit, but if you can pack it, and your comfy with the gear then screw it.

i really like how you have everything organized. i also like the gun cleaning kit, and agree dont see then enough in long term kits. yep MMO is the shit!

i have that same stool in woodland!

enjoyed the pics and the videos, thanks for posting up!