NFA's ZARTWEEB...an E&E bag

Items to keep you alive in the event you must evacuate: discussions of basic Survival Kits commonly called "Bug Out Bags" or "Go Bags"

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NFA's ZARTWEEB...an E&E bag

Postby Jamie » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:00 am

I saw Woods Walker’s E&E Challenge, and was inspired to rework my M.E.S.A - Minimalist Escape and Survive Assortment...

The result is shown below as my ZARTWEEB - Zombies Are Running This Way Escape And Evasion Bag...sorry Gunny... :twisted:


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It weighs about 6 pounds, sits in close on my spine (it measures about 8"X18"X3"...432 cubic inches {ish}), and cinches tight using a waist belt and chest strap...when it's on me I can barely feel it, have unrestricted movement, and can even wear a coat over it if need (or the situation) warrants it...

This thing is small/unobtrusive enough that it can stay in the pocket behind the passenger seat in my car, and I can reach it from behind the wheel...


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The shelter component of the bag is made up of fleece/wool for my extremities (fleece balaclava and gloves, and wool/polypro socks), a coated nylon poncho, an AMK bivy, and a bandanna...


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The tools portion of the ZARTWEEB consists of: Mora knife, whistle, compass, Leatherman Squirt P4, EOD Breecher, Gorilla tape wrapped ZS card, spork, sharpie, 50 feet of paracord...


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Light and fire - 2 flashlights and 2 sets of fire-making tools (lighters, matches, and trioxane/vaselined cotton balls)...


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ZARTWEEB FAK - nitrile gloves, viva paper towels, various wound dressings, tape, scissors...the meds bag contains: bug dope, suntan goop, bandaids and steri-strips, various wipes, triple antibiotic goop, advil, tylenol, immodium, pepto, benadryl, water purification tablets, and cough drops...


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The food portion of the ZARTWEEB is pretty simple, a Mainstay 2400 calorie bar and an MRE 400 calorie bar...


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Map and mouse-tarp...


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Water and a collapsible flask...


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The finished ZARTWEEB, with outer pocket, by Kifaru, attached...the 2-liter bottle is to show relative size of the bag, it is not included in the ZARTWEEB... :wink:


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The Kifaru outer pocket contains: the lemon bar, gorilla tape, compass, whistle, light, sharpie, paracord, fire-kit, flask, and mouse tarp...

I included the outer pocket for a couple of reasons...I like the idea of having some stuff readily accessible without opening the main pockets of the bag, I like having a hand-sized carry bag with the rudiments of survival, I think that these are the things that I'm most likely to grab when I'm on the run/go...

I like having an E&E bag that I know will come with me in more instances than my BOB will...

I have not worked out a way to mount the ZARTWEEB to my BOB, and don't actually intend to...if I have my BOB, then I'll grab it...in other situations, I'll have the ZARTWEEB, which should be enough to give me a chance...if I'm in a situation where I have both and fast zombies are in sight, I'd probably choose the ZARTWEEB, so I can move faster, with less chance of snaggin tight brush...

I don't see any point in going lighter than I did with the ZARTWEEB (obviously...or I would have)...if I'm in a situation where the ZARTWEEB is too big or heavy, than I'm likely fucked...and will just try to run away with nothing but the clothes I'm (hopefully) wearing...

I welcome your questions/comments/suggestions, and am open (eager) to work on improving the ZARTWEEB over time, with your help...

nfa
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Postby Tyler Durden » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:30 am

Looks very good. I'm trying to do the same type of thing but with a fanny pack platform.

Is the EOD Breacher bar's utility really worth the weight? I would think a set of thin poly-pros and/or a space blanket would be more useful and less easily improvised than the breacher bar.

Edit- you might also want some water tabs.
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Postby JCD » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:46 am

One question I always had (and I by no means want to derail the thread), is how one stores one's compass near so much metal without running the risk of demagnatizing or influencing it.

Maybe this is a stupid question.

Small.

How well does your bivvy work?
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Postby Jamie » Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:11 am

Tyler Durden wrote:Is the EOD Breacher bar's utility really worth the weight? I would think a set of thin poly-pros and/or a space blanket would be more useful and less easily improvised than the breacher bar.


It does weigh a fair amount, but it doesn't take up any room in the pack, as it is flat, so I felt that it was worth including...just in case I need to pry my way into/out of something...

Tyler Durden wrote:You might also want some water tabs.


There are, in the FAK...


JCD wrote:How one stores one's compass near so much metal without running the risk of demagnatizing or influencing it.


I don't know, but I've stored compasses, without thinking about it, for years, and they (and this one in particular) still point North...

JCD wrote:How well does your bivvy work?


The bivy works great...I used its cousin during my MBO last weekend...I'm a big guy, and fit into it with no problem...it is much quieter than regular space-blanket material...I slept in my fleece to help keep some dead airspace inside the bivy, and slept on a bed of balsam boughs to get me off of the cold ground a bit...I highly recommend the AMK bivy to anyone in the market for a lightweight shelter...

nfa
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Postby Tyler Durden » Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:42 am

nfa wrote: ...I highly recommend the AMK bivy to anyone in the market for a lightweight shelter...

nfa


Are you using the heatsheets bivy:

http://domsoutdoor.com/product.asp?pn=1 ... 1208699529

or the thermolite bivy:

http://domsoutdoor.com/product.asp?pn=1-031598

?
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Postby JIM » Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:51 am

The one in the e&e is a heatsheet-bivvy. For a full-sized BOB, I'd take the Thermolight II-bivvy.
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Postby Jamie » Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:53 am

Tyler Durden wrote:
nfa wrote: ...I highly recommend the AMK bivy to anyone in the market for a lightweight shelter...

nfa


Are you using the heatsheets bivy:

http://domsoutdoor.com/product.asp?pn=1-031599

or the thermolite bivy:

http://domsoutdoor.com/product.asp?pn=1-031598

?


The Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Emergency Bivy:

http://domsoutdoor.com/product.asp?pn=1-031599

I wasn't aware of the other one, and may try it out...

It's an article of faith with some people that these sorts of bivys cannot work in "the real world", but I have tested this one in harsh conditions, and am satisfied that it works...

nfa
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Postby Ovationman » Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:22 pm

Really good EAE You chould use it on a SEER chorse and not be to badly FUBARD :twisted: .

My one concern are thoses reflective tabs you have on it. Dosent seem like thats a good thing if people want to find you and you dont want them to. Maybe cover them in ducktape or something so that it wont become SNAFU.
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Postby Jamie » Sun Apr 20, 2008 5:16 pm

ovationman wrote:My one concern are thoses reflective tabs you have on it. Dosent seem like thats a good thing if people want to find you and you dont want them to. Maybe cover them in ducktape or something so that it wont become SNAFU.


I was just thinking the same thing when I looked at the pictures (with flash)...maybe gorilla tape of sharpie...

Thanks,

nfa
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Postby kaoskingnd » Sun Apr 20, 2008 11:36 pm

FYI:
Sharpy does not work tried it, it still reflects, not as bad but still reflects.
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Postby Milkboot » Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:09 am

i have a old pack with the reflective strips like that and i was able to scrap some of the flakes that reflect the light. then used a magnum 44 marker to dull the rest out and it dosnt seem to shine anymore.


I really like the pack and the stuff inside, reminds me of the mini bag I have in my car :D
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Postby BlackBear » Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:21 pm

Very good. I'll use that as a pattern to make a similar once I'm satisfied with my BOB.

At this point I'd rather grab that than my BOB - compared BOBs with a friend yesterday and discovered my 4-year-old daughter has apparently made off with several necessary items (flashlights and FAK being the most important.)

But none of that is nearly as important as:
Where did you get those cool patches????
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Postby TheFreakinBear » Mon Apr 21, 2008 5:12 pm

Looks great NFA. Good idea. Where did you get the actual "pack" from and how much did it cost?
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Postby Jamie » Mon Apr 21, 2008 5:20 pm

TheFreakinBear wrote:Looks great NFA. Good idea. Where did you get the actual "pack" from and how much did it cost?


I got the pack as a "gimme" at an outdoor gear convention...I think I got it from a Nalgene table...

I've seen things like it on ebay when looking for hydration bladders...

I think that the best thing about it is the tiny size, because I'm a firm believer that I'll use any space I'm given, so this one forced me to keep it tight...it literally fits under my coat or fleece...

nfa
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Postby TheFreakinBear » Mon Apr 21, 2008 5:34 pm

nfa wrote:
TheFreakinBear wrote:Looks great NFA. Good idea. Where did you get the actual "pack" from and how much did it cost?


I got the pack as a "gimme" at an outdoor gear convention...I think I got it from a Nalgene table...

I've seen things like it on ebay when looking for hydration bladders...

I think that the best thing about it is the tiny size, because I'm a firm believer that I'll use any space I'm given, so this one forced me to keep it tight...it literally fits under my coat or fleece...

nfa


That's awesome man. I'm jealous. Not that I could wear anything like that under my work shirt (uniform) I could definitely wear that out and about under my hoodie, jacket, or coat. Nice find.
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Postby Gunny » Mon Apr 21, 2008 5:52 pm

It's too small, ugly and is yet another stupid acronym.

The pack's not bad though.
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Postby Jamie » Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:02 pm

Gunny wrote:It's too small, ugly and is yet another stupid acronym.


Why you got to be hatin' and make me cry Gunny?

:cry:

:(



nfa
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Postby Ovationman » Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:04 pm

It's ok NFA he just feels insecure about liking sheep......
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Postby Gunny » Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:16 pm

nfa wrote:
Gunny wrote:It's too small, ugly and is yet another stupid acronym.


Why you got to be hatin' and make me cry Gunny?

:cry:

:(



nfa


Jealousy: your wife's a hell of a cook :(
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Postby TheFreakinBear » Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:22 pm

So Gunny isn't jealous:

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NFA: Where do you think I can find one of those though? It would be nice to have something easily concealed like that just for daily use. Thanks!
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Postby Woods Walker » Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:08 pm

Looks good to me NFA. A smaller pack tends to be on hand if needed. That is the whole point. If you have taken gear from your main BOB as I did with the INCH bag you should consider some way to attach this E&E to the main pack. Maybe side compression straps if you them or just tie it off some way. But if the main pack is standalone I guess this is unnecessary. Maybe consider a 70 oz platy if you happen to be in Dicks or EMS. Packs down very small and extra water is never a bad thing even though the plastic water bottle makes for a nice UL canteen.

I am on the fence over that little pry bar thingy. How is it?
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Postby Milkboot » Tue Apr 22, 2008 12:39 am

EOD breacher bars are good lil guys to keep around. I have hacked and pryed apart many many things with the ones I own. Even did a little yard work with one! On the heavy side compaired to the other items in his bag, but I think its worth it :)
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Postby Bubba Enfield » Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:52 am

Thanks for posting this, it's awesome. My suggestion is to add enough N-95 masks for you, your SO, and your kid(s). Wouldn't add any weight or bulk, and even if cooties isn't a problem, smoke or ash might be(sorry, I just saw Cloverfield last night and thought of masks).
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Postby Lucretius » Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:17 am

The bandanna makes a decent emergency filter against dust &c, I guess.
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