my first BOB - on a budget, use what ya got

[Gatorfarmer]

Hi Y.T.,

Like you and others, I have wondered what to do about schlepping water in a hot climate. It seems to me that no matter what kind of shape one's in, the amount of water required in the desert will exceed one's carrying capacity. In the vein of work smarter not harder, I think the first option for any bug-out should involve wheels. I don't care if it's a car, a bike, a jogging stroller, or a shopping cart. It's easier to push a load than to carry it. My kids are too big for the jogging stroller now, but I'm hanging on to it. It would be a great bug-out platform that I could take on pretty much any trail around here. Used jogging strollers are ubiquitous on Craigslist or in thrift shops, and can be had cheap. With a jogging stroller it's easy to throw an extra flat or two of bottled water aboard.

I also have a hose bib key (variously known as a silcock key) which will grant me access to water where I might otherwise be denied. A small vice grip can be handy for opening valves whose handles have been removed. I have a fire hydrant wrench, but it's heavy and bulky. I've been considering making a lightweight version out of aluminum plate. The nuts on fire hydrant valves are five sided, and if they are closed very tightly, are difficult to open with conventional tools.

I think it would a helpful adjunct to this thread to discuss techniques for surviving in severe heat. The discussion should go beyond the obvious things like water, shade, and appropriate clothing. After having discussed the techniques, we can figure out how to gear up for them.

+1 on a stellar presentation.

(BTW, my avatar has a crush on your avatar.)

You might want to look into getting a deer cart. These are used by hunters to carry away relatively large and heavy dead animals from remote locations. Sportsman's Guide sells a cheap entry level model, but Cabela's has some better ones. One model, with conversion parts, has a claimed carrying capacity of 750 pounds, which would theoretically allow someone to carry a 55 gallon drum of water.

Other things worth looking at are the military offering from Camel Back called the "squad back" which is designed as an alternative to carrying a jerry can of water strapped to the back and the possibility of converting an old bike into a Ho Chi Minh pack mule by replacing the handle bars with a piece of pipe. The NVA used to move a lot of cargo down some relatively rough jungle trails with such conversions done on cheap Chinese bikes.

BTW - Y.T., Home Depot and Loewe's sell sillcock keys, just ask the guy in the plumbing section. They run about 6 or 7 bucks up here for the four prong ones.

[gart43]

Gatorfarmer I know exactly what your talking about, the only problem with carcass racks, is that their not really all terrain, I don't want to imagine what it would be like hauling a 55 gallon drum of water with you, I've only hauled roughly 450lbs on one at most.

That was bad enough that I just said screw it, now I just drag the body behind my four wheeler to my truck, than enlist a couple other guys and load it up.

[Deschain]

A quick suggestion for your FAK, daja-ma, and one that many people overlook: Superglue.

Yep, Superglue. Instant suture. Was used in Vietnam. Just hold the wound shut, put some on...and there you go. Instant waterproof seal. Good for small cuts, up to some pretty extreme wounds. Heard stories, mostly...but still, small container of insta-suture that also repairs shit? Impressive for like 5$.

Deschain

[BrewCommando]

Yep, Superglue. Instant suture. Was used in Vietnam. Just hold the wound shut, put some on...and there you go. Instant waterproof seal. Good for small cuts, up to some pretty extreme wounds. Heard stories, mostly...but still, small container of insta-suture that also repairs shit? Impressive for like 5$.
Deschain

Used in Vietnam and also at drunken parties. Had my Spyderco Delica in my pocket at a party. We couldn't find the foil cutter to help open a bottle of wine that had a really tight foil on it. Spidey to the rescue I thought and whipped out the knife. Managed to open the foil and also my thumb. Didn't even notice until I thought I'd spilled some red wine after we opened the bottle and realized it was pissing out of a very deep cut in my thumb. Tried pressure for 20 minutes and it was still bleeding like a stuck pig, but the party was good and didn't want to go to A&E for stitches (or their own glue), so the host kindly found some superglue ready for a DIY job.

Tried to stem the bleeding for a mo, wiped it best we could and then squirted the glue on the cut. Worked a treat - bleeding stemmed. Looked weird, as you could see the blood forcing its way down the fingerprint lines under the glue a bit. Tip: don't touch it with your other hand (or tissue paper) before it dries. It kind of wore off over the next day and by then it had clotted and started to knit together a bit, so I cleaned it out and put a proper dressing on it. Took ages to heal.

Had 'official hostpital superglue' used three times for various reasons in A&E, which actually stung like hell compared to the domestic glue.

[Y.T.]

An update on this, for anyone who cares or may be having a similar problem...

I've calculated all the weight as accurately as I could (added throughout the list). Weighing all the individual pouches (I own a postal scale) really helped to see where the problem areas are.

Though I really don't know if the backpack kit weight is accurate. Weighing the backpack on the home scale reads 26.5 lbs, yet adding up all the individual pouch weights (measured with a postal scale) adds up to a total of 24.5 lbs. That 2 lbs difference is significant since I'm trying to reduce up to 10 lbs of weight, but I have no idea which is correct. I can't weigh the bag directly on the home scale, I have to hold it and deduct my body weight from the total so maybe the home scale is just not very sensitive, varying 2-4 lbs. It's kind of maddening to be trying to figure this out in that manner.

I've managed to shave off 2 lbs (4lbs?) from the original pack, but shaving off another 8lbs as needed is pretty much impossible. Taking the suggestions here and tediously dropping an item here and another there only drops another 1-2 lbs at best because most of the pouches are just a few ounces. And that weight lost will be offset by the weight added when a small stove and more batteries are included.

The bulk of the weight is the clothes (8 lbs) and the FAK (3 lbs), neither of which I can realistically reduce to any significant savings. I might be able to drop a pair of socks or some sinus meds, but again we're talking about a few ounces total there, not 8-10 lbs lost as needed.

Looking at other BOBs it seems a weight of around 30 lbs isn't excessive or unreasonable. Adding my backpack and my Camelbak is about 29 lbs total (24 lbs backpack + 5 lbs Camelbak). I'm just not able to carry that weight (which is surprising considering I've helped friends move furniture heavier than that.) But even my bf picked up the backpack bag and thought it was really heavy. He thought it must be around 40 lbs. He didn't believe that the main backpack kit itself only measured 26.5 lbs on the home scale (24.5 lbs actual?) until he checked it himself and got the same exact number.

This perceived heaviness may be partly due to the crappy pack which wasn't meant for this purpose. Perhaps a higher end bag will allow the weight to be distributed better and feel more manageable. I've been investigating bags for the past week and hope to be able to purchase a quality hiker pack or a Eberlestock pack (both in the same price range) sometime around Dec./Jan. This is my guess anyway because while I have health issues, carrying a 25-30 lb bag was never such a challenge in the past.

Meanwhile, since a standard 3-5 day BOB at 15-20lbs just doesn't seem doable and I can't comfortably carry my current pack for any extended time, I'm going to have to adjust my strategy. I'm looking at 3 things:

(1) Planning entirely for a car bugout at this point until additional gear allows otherwise.

(2) Looking at moving my BOB into a layered system with the barest minimums in the main bag (basically an E&E) and rest of the bugout items (more food, water stuff, more clothes, camp stove, tools, etc.) in an additional bag. Then having a way to attach the two, piggybacking one onto the other. Possibly adding a third layer for an INCH-like on foot situation, housing things like a backpack tent (under 6lbs) and backpack sleeping bag (under 3lbs).

(3) Getting some kind of folding cart with durable off-road wheels that I can keep with the bugout gear. If I find that I have to go out on foot I can put some or all of the bugout bags in the cart and push/pull it. This is the only solution I can think of since I need to pack for the ability to provide food, water, shelter, clothing for anywhere from 3 days to several months -- which just can't be done for 20lbs -- yet I can't physically carry the supplies needed for that.

edit: clarity, fixed math because I was a spaz.

[Gatorfarmer]

If you want to try adjusting the weight better to see if that helps, Target has an interesting gadget, which my wife picked up today. Basically the best that I can describe it is a like a big flexible cloth bandoleer to put a baby in. It's based on a design commonly used for such in the third world and comes wrapped up in a small stuff sack like a mini sleeping bag. They were new and on an end cap. Our son weighs something like 23 pounds now, and unlike a pack, he wiggles. My wife said it distributed his weight much better than the frame back pack carrier that we had for him. While no longer in the shape she was at 20, she had to hump 85 pounds or so of gear and a rifle and such during field med so learned a bit about distributing weight. You could try one of these and place your gear in it, or alternately make a blanket bag as shown in Cody Lundin's book.

[Lucretius]

(1) Planning entirely for a car bugout at this point until additional gear allows otherwise.

How often do you use the car? Where do you keep it?

Personally, I'm always close to my car, so I've my BOB in there at all times. Extra food, chemlights, spare knives and flashlights, I keep in my glove compartment. Other gear, to heavy for permanent placement in the BOB (a folding shovel, camp axe, a HUGE plastic bladder of water, etc.) I keep besides the BOB for inclusion if deemed necessary in the eventual apocalyptic situation.

So, to me, the BOB is just a "get home" bag in case the possibility of using the roads are gone. Or an evacuation on foot in case I'm at home and we have to leave and the roads are closed.

Your plan is to get as far as possible from the threat, and keep some camping gear in the trunk? Maybe use the car as a base camp, with water and gas stoves and food in the trunk? Could work! Wayyyy better than not being prepped at all!

[Y.T.]

How often do you use the car? Where do you keep it?

My car is right outside my door and the camping gear is stored near the car. Being able to get to the car or pack it isn't really a problem. I'm pretty well set for doing a car bugout or car camping. My concern is more for situations where we can't take the car or continue with the car -- roads near the house are too flooded, traffic is too heavy and umoving to make car travel practical, out of gas/no gas for miles, can only reach needed resources by foot, etc.

An on-foot bugout requires both expensive super-light backpacker equipment and a means to realistically carry the gear, neither of which I have right now hence the car-only planning. The option for a bike bugout requires the purchase of a bike, so again we're back to the car.

With the current unreasonable gas prices keeping a heavy load in the car is not a good plan, it'll cause you to burn more fuel and cost you even more. However I do plan to make a car emergency bag (get home bag) for instances where I'm not at home. But that's much lighter and smaller than a BOB, so weight and going on foot isn't an issue there.

[Y.T.]

If you want to try adjusting the weight better to see if that helps, Target has an interesting gadget, which my wife picked up today. Basically the best that I can describe it is a like a big flexible cloth bandoleer to put a baby in. It's based on a design commonly used for such in the third world and comes wrapped up in a small stuff sack like a mini sleeping bag. ... You could try one of these and place your gear in it, or alternately make a blanket bag as shown in Cody Lundin's book.

oh yeah, I think I know what you're talking about. We call them baby slings or snuggle sacks. I've seen them around for a long time, but maybe they're only now getting popular. I'm heading over to Sportsmans Warehouse today to window shop and see if pack construction will make a difference in perception of load. Lundin's book is on my list, so I'll see what tips he has.

[Lucretius]

Here's where the terminology gets a bit confusing. A BOB can be sooooo many different things.

Personally, I actually keep mine in the car, since that's usually closest to me 24/7. It has dual purposes:

1. Get home. If the roads are blocked or closed, my home area quarantined, or something of that nature - I want to be able to walk home, even via really strange routes. I've some good routes figured out that will get me home in 1-2 days - but if I need to hide, or have to wait somewhere, etc. I've packed for the legendary 72 hrs.

2. Get away from home. In case of local zombie outbreak, or some other epidemic. Goal: to put some distance between me and the nearest big city. Since I'm a father, odds are against that scenario, though. The kids've got rucksacks, packed with some light gear like ponchos and spork. But they're to small to carry any useful amounts or walk any meaningful distance. So, likely we'll have to bug in, and thats that.... (Yes, I know there's threads about bugging out with kids, but that's an unrealistic project for me right now. Trust me!).

Luckily, a good BOB will come in handy in any emergency, even when bugging in. If you really need something, odds are you'll find it in the BOB! (Plus: it's a good excuse to buy a really neat backpack! I thought we were a solid majority of geardos around here....)

[Y.T.]

Here's where the terminology gets a bit confusing. A BOB can be sooooo many different things.

Personally, I actually keep mine in the car, since that's usually closest to me 24/7. It has dual purposes:
1. Get home.
2. Get away from home.

True. I've only recently gotten clear on the distinction. As I understand it, technically a "1. get home" would be a GHB: Get Home Bag. While a "2. get away from home" would be a BOB: Bug Out Bag. The distinction being a huge difference in the end goal, therefore a big difference in the contents and use.

If I'm heading home (GHB) then I'm heading to a familiar place where all my supplies and resources are. I can safely assume that even by foot I'd only be traveling for 1 day to get home or to a friend/acquaintance's home, in the worst case 2 days. (The exception being trips out of the city, in which case I'd plan differently and add some extras.) So for a GHB I need less stuff and the time frame is small and limited. For example, I keep water in my car so I don't need to bother with a filter, etc. Nor do I need to bother with a stove and fuel and a cookset.

While with a BOB I have no idea how long I'll be gone, where I'll be heading, nor the circumstances. Which means a larger amount and more varied type of supplies needed. A lot of stuff I won't need for a GHB and too much stuff to keep in the car all the time. Making that distinction for me means I can also utilize the older/lesser gear as I upgrade by moving those items from my BOB to my GHB, avoiding redundancy and waste. So I've been using BOB in that context. Sorry if that's been confusing.

I think for me the distinction between BOB and INCH starts to blur more than GHB and BOB because while a BOB is meant to just last you 3-5 days to get you safety, I think it's more likely that I'll need to be bugging out longer than that during an emergency. So knowing where to draw the line yet still have enough to get me through has been challenging. Which is where my idea for tiered piggyback system came about. This stuff can get pretty crazy with the strategizing and guessing, eh?

Luckily, a good BOB will come in handy in any emergency, even when bugging in. If you really need something, odds are you'll find it in the BOB! (Plus: it's a good excuse to buy a really neat backpack! I thought we were a solid majority of geardos around here....)

Again true dat.

Since I'm a father, odds are against that scenario, though. The kids've got rucksacks, packed with some light gear like ponchos and spork. But they're to small to carry any useful amounts or walk any meaningful distance. So, likely we'll have to bug in, and thats that.... (Yes, I know there's threads about bugging out with kids, but that's an unrealistic project for me right now. Trust me!).

I think most of us would prefer to bug in rather than bug out. And I've seen several members state they have to plan for bugging in because health, injury, family members with compromised conditions, and/or children make a bugout challenging... and a car bugout being the distant second option. I don't think going on foot is ideal for anyone and most plan for that as the total last resort.

[Lucretius]

Thanks, Y.T.!

So I now solemnly declare that what I mistakenly thought to be a BOB was actually a GHB! (Which is actually kind of a neat distinction... apart from me being deprived of the ole' BOB).

[Y.T.]

Thanks, Y.T.!

So I now solemnly declare that what I mistakenly thought to be a BOB was actually a GHB! (Which is actually kind of a neat distinction... apart from me being deprived of the ole' BOB).

well I don't think the BOB police are gonna give you a citation. and these things are so individual, tailored to each person's needs. In your case a combined GHB/BOB may be the most sensible option. While in my case 2 separate bags serves me best.

[SkullGirl]

Wow, this is quite the set up. Puts mine to shame. I've been so busy these past few months I haven't had time to really work on getting my families BOBs together. This post has definitely lit the fire under me though!
THANKS!