Veritas's BOB *updated 11/09/09*

[Veritas]

This is my work-in-progress BOB. I keep changing it around, and I also use it for camping, so I often take some things out that I wouldn't need for camping but would like to have in a bug-out situation.

Right now it is a little heavy on food, but that's because I am about to go camping and will be hungry. I normally keep a Swiss cooking kit in there, but the MREs and other food that I have right now don't require cooking, so it has been removed. I also have a run-of-the-mill U.S. Army canteen, but it escaped the photo session. It rides on the belt on the pack so I can reach it easily.

The bag is a Spec-Ops brand T.H.E. pack from L.A. Police Gear



The bottom pouch contains all my food: Chef Boyardee; ham and chicken salad with crackers; peanuts; and some home-made MREs with drink mixes, snacks and some breakfast bars.



The top pouch houses various "survival" equipment: 200' spool paracord; zip ties; toilet paper; small survival kit in a vacuum pouch; Army Ranger Survival manual and blank notebook in vacuum package; vaseline cotton balls; firestarting material in waterproof case; and extra waterproof bags, just in case



The main pouch contains: metal cup; poncho; knife; MRE; Mountain House meal



Also in the main pouch: PUR water filtration system; Maglite; rope; waterproof bag with change of clothes; another MRE; and a notebook in a waterproof bag



For shelter I have a Kelty Gunnison 2 person tent and a sleeping pad



The pack is not very heavy, but I don't have a real comprehensive BOB. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

One thing to note: I do have other gear for different seasons. This is my summer kit, which is why I don't have a sleeping bag or coat or anything like that.

Also, if I had my BOB I would also have my GHB with me, so some stuff (like compass, sunscreen, Gold Bond, maps, back-up knife/flashlight/firestarter, duct tape) are in there. If this is not an ideal way to arrange things, please, let me know what you suggest.

[Murph]

One canteen will not cut it.

Decide how many days you plan on surviving out of the pack and then figure out how much water that is and add it.

Did I see any spare socks or such?

[kaoskingnd]

Good BoB so far:
I would consider getting a smaller flash light and a headlight that all use the same batteries. I love maglights but only for buggin in or the car, batteries are just to big and bulky for me.
I also eat the Chef Boyardee, but the second you fall on those plastic cans you will cammo everything in your pack red and attract, dogs, bears, Italian Zombies.
I am droolin on your Puma Knife!

[Murph]

I also eat the Chef Boyardee, but the second you fall on those plastic cans you will cammo everything in your pack red and attract, dogs, bears, Italian Zombies.

I'm so going to have that for dinner tonight because of that comment.

[Woods Walker]

I would add the follow:

1. At least two canteens.
2. Some FAK stuff.
3. LED headlamp.

I would dump that big flashlight.

[Abacus]

+1 to Woodswalker's suggestions.

Minimag with LED conversion.

I cannot deny the usefulness of a head lamp, I just still think they look silly. Battery commonality.

More water, everyone covered that.

Some sort of multi tool? A compass, a whistle?

MOLESKIN. I went hiking without it once, got a blister and paid for it dearly. Now I swathe my entire body in the suff before I go out. Ok not really, but get something to deal with blisters, oh that will make even a little dayhike into a day of suck without it. Sunblock, mozzie rep and chapstick if your climate requires. Get one of those weekly pill boxes, fill it with asprin, Ibuprofen, immodium, caffiene, antibiotics if you have them.

Boy that's a lot of rope, let us know if you use it.

Me, I never go out without an E-tool, but a small trowel might do you just as well.

Two pairs of socks.

[Veritas]

The socks are in the waterproof bag along with extra pants and shirt. I usually have four pairs of socks total, one that I wear and one that is drying out, with two back-ups.

I have one canteen, but I will get a Nalgene or two also, good call there.

I actually do use the rope, it looks like overkill I know, but it is handy.

I have been looking at headlamps and such, good to know you guys recommend them. I don't know if I will get rid of my big flashlight though. It was cheap, and I have never had a problem with it, and I have put it through a lot.

By your comments I am guessing you guys do not approve of this set-up:

Also, if I had my BOB I would also have my GHB with me, so some stuff (like compass, sunscreen, Gold Bond, maps, back-up knife/flashlight/firestarter, duct tape) are in there.

I carry an IFAK on my leg, so I did not include that in these pictures. There is a link to it in my signature.

An e-tool is another good suggestion, thanks, forgot about that. Might also get a hatchet, that is more appropriate around here than a machete.

[ironraven]

>Swiss cooking kit in there, but the MREs and other food that I have right now don't require cooking, so it has been removed.
The food you have in here, yes. But not the water you don't have, or food you might find.

>U.S. Army canteen,
Not great, not bad. A solid, middle of the road item- add a cup and you'll take care of the above.

>The bottom pouch contains all my food:
Oh gods... not the plastic tubs. They don't hold seal for beans. And you've got a LOT of salt.

>small survival kit in a vacuum pouch;
Expand please?

>Army Ranger Survival manual
The survival section is about 20 or so pages. The rest of it of of questionable value.

>Mountain House meal
Hey, wait, I thought you said none of you food needed to be cooked. YOu lied to us.

I see you have a little cup, good. But a canteen cup wouldn't add any apreciable bulk to this.

>Maglite;
What you ment to say was "Maglite that is taking up space until I can find a good headlamp and/or an ultrabright LED flashlight" and it just slipped your mind?

>rope;
Good stuff. If you look around, you'll find 1" nylon webbing that is at LEAST as strong, and is smaller, though.

>another MRE;
I'd strip them both, but that is just me

What I didn't see....
-Spare batteries
-Another water bottle or a bladder (never carry just one)
-Compass (I know you have one in your GHB, but redundancy is life)
-Socks
-signal gear (if you have it, you won't need it; if you need it and don't have it....)
-FAK
-tarp (even if just a big garbage bag)
-rain gear
-area light (lightsticks, either chemical or electronic)
-duct tape, wire
-spare or safety glasses

And how will you mount your little bag? Have you tried wearing them both?

[Squirrley]

I think everyones covered the basics.

I'll add:

Firesteel w/ pillbottle of vaseline-y cotton balls. If you can't get a fire started with that, you need serious help.
Knife sharpener, I personally have one of these, if I had my choice I'd switch it out for a red one. Nice and small, can easily sharpen any knife blade you have. I have never had to sharpen a knife in the field due to regular use, but I could see one going dull really fast if you had to construct a shelter or something.

[Woods Walker]

I think you will like a LED head lamp. The hands free thing is hard to beat. Some offer near Surefire output. The main 3-watt LED puts out 60 lumens. The 4 side LEDs light up a very large area on high.



Other offer less lumens but are crazy small. This one is around 4oz with batteries. Even the smaller quality LED headlamps offer more light than most of the old flashlights. Also the 100 hours of burn time is a nice.



http://www.princetontec.com/headlamps.htm

[Molon Labe]

Everything that I would suggest has already been touched on. Except a poncho. I know you have your waterproof jacket thing, but I must advise on a poncho. They're just so gorram versatile, and a single USGI poncho really doesn't take up much space if packed right. I hope that your fire making tools are redundant and various. I personally pack a ferro rod (fire steel), waterproof matches, strike anywhere matches, and a few bics. Never take the ability to make fire for granted.

Does that cup fit a nalgene? If not, and you plan on procuring a nalgene or two, try and look around for the metal nalgene cup. That way you can ditch the cup and canteen altogether. I must warn you though, the MOLLE pouches for the nalgene can get a little expensive for us with budget BOBs. I would still recommend them though. Especially the pouches from Maxpedition. I have two on my FalconII and absolutely love them.

Do you have access to lamenating equipment? I always try and lamenate my maps, that way I dopn't need seperate baggies for them and I can pull them out in the rain and not have to worry.

I really like The Pack, as your choice. It's a semi-modular pack that's quite spacious for it's size. You can't ask for a better deal. I prefer my FalconII though.

Good luck and keep us updated

[Squirrley]

I was apparently half asleep last night. I also wanted to comment on the great pack (I have one in desert camo), and suggest that you get a sheet of 1/8" masonite or the like, use the foam back pad that probably came with your pack as a pattern, and cut it out. I have done this, with the foam pad still in place on the outside (closest to your back), and it has made the pack much more comfortable. The damn thing actually stays stiff like the back of a pack is supposed to, and funky lumpy objects in it don't poke me in the back.

[SweetTea]

What are you doing to do with all of that rope and paracord? I didn't see any locking carabiners or mechanical ascenders and that rope is definately not climbing grade, so I doubt that you're planning on climbing with it. You simply don't need 200 feet of paracord and another 50-75 feet of rope. I keep about 10 meters of paracord, and I've never needed to use it.

Everything else has been touched on, but +1 to getting rid of that maglite. There are high output LED lights that take three AAAs for 6 bucks down at harbor freight and they put out very good light. Headlamps are also cool, but a bit more expensive.

[Dak Kovar]

I bought a Petzel with the adapter kit that provides a number of different mounting options from wearing it on the head to putting it on your shirt or pack. It also has a sliding lenses to help preserve night vision.


1 gallon zip lock bags are good for document, maps and other things.

DK

[cg3006]

Where did you get those vacuum seal bags?

[Veritas]

Thanks for all the suggestions, this really helps a lot.

I normally don't carry the Boyardee and the homemade MREs, but me and the gf are going camping and I am trying out the new BOB at the same time. I usually carry some MRE crackers and peanut butter/jelly packets, and some of the pound cake, which I really enjoy, especially the lemon one. I did "strip down" a couple MREs to just the entrees, heaters, and spoons and was going to vacuum seal them together, but I ran out of vacuum bags, so in the interest of keeping things contained I put the two MREs I did not strip down into the pack. Once I get some more bags I will finish that project.

Spare batteries are a no-brainer, I can't believe I forgot those! Thanks.

I have lots of fire-starters, in different bags, just in case. I have somewhere around three waterproofed match books, a box of waterproof matches, two Bics, and the firesteel in my GHB. I also have a ziplock of vaseline cotton balls, birthday candles, waxy twine and some newspaper, all in waterproof containers.

Knife sharpener is a great idea, I will move mine to the BOB. Thanks.

I will try to get a pic of all the stuff in the little "survival kit" but it's mainly those trinket items that I still cling to. There is a clear poncho in there though, now that I think about it...

Tarp...will get my own. I am so used to going places in a group sometimes I forget stuff like this, which is why I posted my stuff on here. Thanks again.

I like the idea of a headlamp, I think I will ask for that for Christmas. Until then, I like my Maglite, and I am gonna keep it. Sorry. I did pick up one of those LED flashlights at Harbor Freight when I made my car kit. They are nice, I do have to admit that. I might get a new one when I get a tarp as a back-up light.

The rope situation: I keep the 200' of paracord because I don't like to pre-cut my rope, and it is not that hard to carry around the little spool. This way if I did need 100 feet, or 75 feet, or 25 feet, I have it covered. If I cut it all down to 20' shanks, I would lose some of this versatility. I know it's not often you need a longer piece of cord than 20', but it doesn't hurt me to keep it in one piece. I guess I just use too much of this stuff, but I went through fifty feet of the paracord the last time we went camping, just tying stuff down better. It was really windy though, but that's reality where I live.
I like the big rope for stuff like running a rope from the tent to the latrine or the wood pile or the water bag (don't confuse any of these, hahaha). The thicker rope is easier to find in the dark, although when I bought the stuff it only came in the dark camo color, which is a little unfortunate (it looks cool...right?). I also used it to tie down our tarp and I thought it worked well (thicker and heavier), and I became attached to it. I have no idea how to climb, and I do not expect to do any climbing in the middle of the plains, which would explain the lack of mechanical carabiners, locking ascenders, and climbing uber grade rope. I'm no mall ninja, I just like more rope. Rope is like gauze...can you ever have too much gauze? Or a gauze roll that's too long? No...

The vacuum sealer bags were a birthday present, so I don't know where they were purchased. I think you can get them at Bed, Bath and Beyond, but I don't shop there. It is a Pack Mate Brand Vacu-Seal system though, if you are interested. The system is alright, it has pros and cons. Pros: you can re-use bags and you can re-seal them in the field if you take something out of them. Cons: the bags sometimes leak air back in, and only come in two sizes (that I know of). As far as I have been able to tell, they are all waterproof, even the ones that leak air back in (but probably those would not stand up to a complete long-term submergence. The ones that seal tight would though).

Squirrley, my pack did not come with a separate foam back pad, what does it look like? Did you do a write-up about that backboard thing? If not, you should.

I will post more pics after the pack evolves and I test some of this stuff out. Thanks everyone, I appreciate the input.

[Squirrley]

Ah. Yea, I can take some pics. I've done this kind of thing before (in an old ALICE type ruck), and I've found it to be a lot more comfy with the 1/2" foam padding that came with mine. So if you're planning on using it a lot (hiking or the like), I'd probably recommend you pick up some closed cell foam stuff to make a pad out of. I suppose you could even get all fancy like, and do it in some layers to try and add a bit of a spinal curve profile to it, if you really wanted.

I'll take some pics here this weekend hopefully.

[Indiana]

Veritas, did you end up having a go at making the glow sticks?

[Veritas]

Well, here is my updated equipment list.

I still have the THE pack, but I am not exactly happy with it. Quality is not an issue, but I like to take my "BOB" out camping, and the THE pack does not have a frame and it is a little...conspicuous. Anyway, I am looking for a better option and have my eye on a couple of the Osprey packs, mostly because I have been using a Daylite for my GHB/hiking pack and am very fond of it.

Basically, this is all my good stuff in a pile. I don't have enough stuff to make a dedicated BOB and a dedicated GHB, so I basically take some stuff out and call it a GHB, or add some stuff and call it a BOB. So, not everything pictured here will be carried in one pack, at one time, unless I was truly bugging out.

My philosophy is to keep it simple, and stick to the big three (as I see it): water, shelter, food, in that order. I don't have a lot of food since I don't plan to be out for more than 72 hours, but I also like to think I could find a way to get food for myself if I was caught in some sort of long term survival situation. Without further ado:

Tools

Knives: Tora Bushcraft kukri and karda, RAT RC-4, Leatherman Wave
Paracord (two 10' shanks, two 25' shanks, one 150'-ish roll)
Coleman Camp trowel
Gill net
Bushnell binoculars
Princeton Tec Quad headlamp
Coleman lantern
Petzl E-lite headlamp

Food, Water and Cooking

Nalgene Canteen and USGI canteen cup
Klean Kanteen 27 oz
Platypus 2L collapsable canteen
Pur Hiker Pro pump filter
Katadyn MicroPur tablets
Light My Fire Mess Kit
MSR Titan kettle
MSR Pocket Rocket stove and fuel
Alcohol aluminum can stove (missing the fuel bottle)
3 MREs, stripped and vacuum packed
Luxury items: Lemonade, tabasco sauce, and hot cocoa mix

First Aid and Personal Care

Basic FAK:
-sunscreen, bugspray, triple antibiotic ointment, Gold Bond powder, hand sanitizer
-Kerlix roll, triangle bandage, 2 4x4s, 1 abd pad, and a few Steri-strips
REI towel
Go Towels - favorite piece of gear, right here.
Campsuds
Toilet paper
Compressed towels of several types, more hand sanitizer and wet wipes
TP
Baking soda

Fire

3 Bic lighters
Vaseline Cotton Balls
Blastmatch - in ultra-cool, high-vis orange!
Light My Fire Army model and fatwood stick, with extra-long paracord lanyard
Shotgun-shell containers:
-Waterproof/windproof matches
-more VCBs
-Homemade Maya Dust

Survival Gear

AMK 2 person Heatsheat
Suunto M2 compass
1 gallon ziplock bag
Duct tape
Fishing kit
BOAT - this will get it's own thread eventually

2 bandanas
Starflash mirror
Fox Howler whistle
State Map
Quarters for vending machines
Sharpie, pen and notepad
Playing cards

Academy brand Lexan canteen (normally I carry a wide mouth Nalgene, but it is currently MIA)
Kosher Salt
Zip ties
Slingshot bands
Basic FAK (should be combined with other one, but I don't take this one hiking...)
-Bismuth subsalicylate tablets, Aleve tablets, kleenex, compact towel, eye drops, chapstick, butterfly bandages, Band-aids

Clothes

Wigwam wool hiking socks, 2 pairs
Dickies khaki work pants
thermal underwear shirt
Sea to Summit Dry bag
USGI Poncho and liner (can also double as shelter)

That's about it. I did not re-post the tent, but I still have the same one. I got a tarp for it from Harbor freight, and they mostly live in the BOV. I still take the Maglite camping, but it gets used around the house and would probably not come with me on a bug-out, although it would make a great self-defense weapon since I do not CC (although the kukri would work better).

I begrudgingly gave up my rope, it was handy but I am more realistic now. Still don't have spare batteries. I will expand on the BOAT in it's own thread. The container is a BCB mini mess box, if anyone was curious. I had a whetstone in there, and I have a Lanksy system at home, but I am looking for something smaller for the BOB. Maybe the whetstone should go back in. I dunno. I can't decide.

I would like to get a saw, although the kukri has built me two shelters, but it has limitations. For instance, it can tear through green wood like a freakin beaver. But I find that a saw is much better at making dead wood manageable, especially if it is particularly large. I like the way the Sven saw looks, and especially since I figured out that it houses the blade inside the handle. The other option I was looking at was the Gerber Gator I.

So, what do ya'll think? Is it an improvement from the last time? What is better and/or worse?

[Molon Labe]

Haha! A very excellent follow up! It's cool to see how your BOB evolved along the way and what changed where. Looking good.

How does it look all packed up?

[elkhills]

...Gill Net...

...Baking Soda...

...Salt...

Dude, you are frikin awesome.
Very nice setup, I'm getting a complex...

[Veritas]

elkhills: Hahaha, yeah right, I basically ripped half of this stuff from you!

Molon Labe: I can pack it up and take another picture, but it looks pretty much the same as in the OP. The problem I have when I pack everything is that the pack does not carry well on my back. Something is always shifting or poking me. When I just use the Daylite and only pack about 75% of that stuff, it handles much better. In my mind a frame would fix the situation. I guess I could try what Squirrley suggested, but I have never got around to it.

[Woods Walker]

This has got to be one of the better improvement to a BOB I have seen in some time. Heck you even have an Oasis Naglene canteen, Platy bag, MSR Titian TI kettle, pocket rocket and a great compass. I have used the same filter with good results too. Looks like a PT Quad headlamp with backup. Holly crap there is the blast match and cottonball/Vaseline tinder.

[GunsUp]

Nice improvement. I'd suggest adding an emergency ration bar... I think you'll be pretty damn hungry hiking around for several days on 3600 calories (maybe less depending on how aggressively you field stripped the MREs). And I don't know if your part of OK is more like Dallas or more like Amarillo, but if your on the western side, I'd make sure you have a minimum of a gallon water starting out. Keep those bladders full or a bottle to fill them from nearby.