My first try at a Get Home Bag

[Csanino]

Carlo Nice Job Man strong work.
Thanks!

Now to confirm this is your get home bag correct?
Yes, GHB. I plan on gettin my behind home and assessing my current situation. If ****s too hot, we will be heading farther into the woods to my brother in law's. I live off the beaten path as it is.

-Earth Toned color shirt....if you have to ditch work in a bright yellow polo shirt that may not be the best option.
I normally dress in either khaki/camo/coyote brown pants and either black or charcoal gray shirts & brown or black jackets. I keep a spare hat & jacket in my truck at all times too.

-Change of socks...I am assuming you keep boots in your vehicle or wear boots daily?
I wear trail shoes or boots daily, we have a pretty lax dress code here at work.

- Small set of bino's or a Mono.....you don't want to be "bee-bopping" along and stumble upon un-friendly forces.
There is a 7x mono in my kit already, with a lanyard so I can keep it around my neck. It doesn't stand out cuz its compact

-Map (I see a compass but can't tell what kind it its....like animals not all compasses are created equal)
Coleman liquid filled & the Ecco GPS also a digial compass built into it too. The map is in the works still.

- Tourniqet? I don't see one but you have plenty of molle to rubber band one too
I have 2 in the kit. a dinky one in the snake bite kit, and a TK4 Combat Tourniquet

- I see one "Floppy Flask" but they are prone to leakes especially when you need them to work....may be a good idea to get a nalgene and pouch as a primary water container.
Ive been debating switching bags lately so to a maxpedition that has a bottle holder, so I can carry one of those fancy water bottles with the filtering straw to compliment the floppy flask

- Latex Gloves (I didn't see any on the check list)
Hmm, looks like im missing a few pics. I do have 3 pairs of latex free gloves in the outer part of the first aid pouch. Listed it in the kit list, under the "first aid" section, second from the last.

How far away do you work from home?
26 miles via surface roads.

How far will this bag sustain your needs?
Im *hoping* to not be on the road for more than 2 days. After that, im going to have to think on my feet for food. I will have the means to make fire, shelter, and water with whats in my bag, but with the food bars taking up so much room, i will have to scavenge for food when I run out.

Do you have a means to secure this bag to your waist to keep it from slinging back and forth like a mail pouch?
Yes, it has molle straps on the side that will be facing my waist, and I have tested it attached to my belt and it works surprisingly well.

I love this! questions like these keep my brain working on the subject.
-Carlo

 

[Csanino]

How about paracord?

25ft of black paracord with key ring. Rolled up so that one pull unwinds the whole roll w/o tangles. Under "main compartment" 9th item down. Can be seen in 4th and 5th pictures.

-Carlo

 

[Inbonuscivis]

26 Miles? Thats a trek bro.....what is the crow flight distance? any way you could stash a cache in route?
What happens if you can't get home and you have to sustain this bag for 2+ weeks? some Caches could be a very valid option.
I would put some Hexamine tabs in the kit as well....in case you have to cook/boil water the last thing you want to do is give away your position with smoke.
I wouldn't get another bag since that one is pretty set up, I would just get a nalgen carrier pouch and a nalgene. They make a space saver cup that fits over the bottom that I use as a cook pot on the trail. (even has fancy handles)
I would also include a bandana or a Shemagh to conceal yourself/kit if you need too.
As far as food I would get some protien bars to supplement the bugs and grubs on the way home....you never know how long this kit may have to last you.
Also, as much as I like the tackle box organization you could put all that into zip lock bags and have more room for other gear in that bag.
The snake bite kit is a luxury....maybe it would work maybe it won't.
Something I would add is some imodium and a little more TP. Nothing sucks worse than being pursued and having a case of the runs.....trust me I know.

 

[VC94]

Great kit!
You are right, it is the thinking it through and experimenting that results in the best kit...and most useful for each person's needs.

Any suggestions are only minor tweaks to a great kit.

What is the knife????
Looks cool and I don't recognize it.

Couple thoughts:

--I'm not a fan of the plastic organizer; used them for fishing lures and a couple years later, the lids had warped and won't seal.
I've tried the waterproof aluminum boxes from Bestglide and I like them, plus you can cook in them.

--I agree with a hard sided water bottle in addition to your collapsible one.
For the weight of a Nalgene, you can have a boilable stainless steel one; they even have them at Target now.
If you don't like that, then just get a quart Gatorade bottle...already filled! Almost bullet proof and cheap.
Maxpedition makes a water bottle bag that would attach to your bag, since yours doesn't have end pouches.

--trash the snake bite kit and keep the TK4. SN kits don't work, and not the "new" ones either.
--Pitch the soap sheets and put a hotel bar in a ziplock snack bag. Once they get damp, they stick together and are done.
--Add a chapstick.
--Add some Tylenol-3 or equivalent.
--Add some folded-up aluminum foil.

--Try out the "poncho" and see if a 55-gal garbage bag isn't more useful. I would get a nylon rain jacket or Frogg Toggs.
--Slap in some kind of candy/cookies/energy bars...you won't need protein as much as carbs to get home. It is hard to scavenge carbs.

--One blue bungy cord is still a mystery to me. Ya gotta enlighten me on its purpose!

 

[Csanino]

Great kit!
You are right, it is the thinking it through and experimenting that results in the best kit...and most useful for each person's needs.

Any suggestions are only minor tweaks to a great kit.

What is the knife????
Looks cool and I don't recognize it.

Couple thoughts:

--I'm not a fan of the plastic organizer; used them for fishing lures and a couple years later, the lids had warped and won't seal.
I've tried the waterproof aluminum boxes from Bestglide and I like them, plus you can cook in them.

--I agree with a hard sided water bottle in addition to your collapsible one.
For the weight of a Nalgene, you can have a boilable stainless steel one; they even have them at Target now.
If you don't like that, then just get a quart Gatorade bottle...already filled! Almost bullet proof and cheap.
Maxpedition makes a water bottle bag that would attach to your bag, since yours doesn't have end pouches.

--trash the snake bite kit and keep the TK4. SN kits don't work, and not the "new" ones either.
--Pitch the soap sheets and put a hotel bar in a ziplock snack bag. Once they get damp, they stick together and are done.
--Add a chapstick.
--Add some Tylenol-3 or equivalent.
--Add some folded-up aluminum foil.

--Try out the "poncho" and see if a 55-gal garbage bag isn't more useful. I would get a nylon rain jacket or Frogg Toggs.
--Slap in some kind of candy/cookies/energy bars...you won't need protein as much as carbs to get home. It is hard to scavenge carbs.

--One blue bungy cord is still a mystery to me. Ya gotta enlighten me on its purpose!

Knife is a Timberline +B Neck Angel. Its suppose to be one of those last ditch neck knifes, so its stainless on one side but I wanted something with a secure sheath that could be molle attached...and wasnt a $350 ESEE. I loved the little SOB i bought a second one.
http://www.gatcosharpeners.com/product/fixedblades/neck_angel.mgi?mgiToken=L2H0IL6XJMNN13EA3

Ill have to check out those bestglide boxes. This plano one curves so perfectly, it almost seems like it was made for this Condor bag.

I keep getting told to ditch the snake bite kit, and I wanted to get the new plunger type, especally after I read this article:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/201...ns-life-after-he-was-bitten-by-a-rattlesnake/

Good point on the soap strips. Ill have to hit up the travel section at the store this weekend for some soap.

I normally keep a tube of tylenol and a tube of advil in here, but work recently has had me raid my emergency pain killer stash. If you look at my first attempt at this kit, they were in there. I shouldnt of cut & pasted then modified the kit list, i left out a bunch of stuff.

I have marathon bars in there, but have been thinking about switching them out for cliff bars. I usually "test" them while at work. Wait till lunch and get good and hungry, eat one and see how long it lasts before im hungry again. the snickers marathon bars seem to last the longest for me so far..even though they taste like poo.

The bungee cord, ah yes. we have history. It was part of the original kit that got me into wanting to make a GHB, same kit the micro roll of duct tape came from. I keep it with the mentality of needing to tie off something temporarily and quick...where I don't want to cut up some paracord or use up some zip ties. Ive secured it between 2 small trees in my back yard, and threw one of those emergency blankets over it and made a quick rain shelter out of it. trees cant be more than about 5ft apart though. Only prob is though, the emergency blanket is like a giant reflector being silver and all, so Ive ordered some of those army surplus OD green emergency blankets.

Thanks for the input!

-Carlo

 

[buddy5954]

Here are a few thoughts I have:

You might want a small thing of sunscreen, especially if you're a soulless ginger.

Consider adding a sillcock "water key". A lot of commercial and industrial places have outside water faucets, but you'll need the water key to open the panel and spigot. They're small, cheap and could give you access to municipal water sources you wouldn't have access to otherwise.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000DZKYVC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A25DVOZOPBFMAN

MREs are nice, but I have read they don't last long in extreme heat, like a car in the summer.

Do a little Googling and reconsider grounding your Faraday cages. You'll find people arguing both for and against grounding, but the most convincing things I have read suggest the ground wires could act like antennas -- amplifying and transmitting the pulses directly to your cage.

http://www.futurescience.com/emp/test184.html

 

[Inbonuscivis]

Here are a few thoughts I have:

You might want a small thing of sunscreen, especially if you're a soulless ginger.

Consider adding a sillcock "water key". A lot of commercial and industrial places have outside water faucets, but you'll need the water key to open the panel and spigot. They're small, cheap and could give you access to municipal water sources you wouldn't have access to otherwise.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000DZKYVC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A25DVOZOPBFMAN

MREs are nice, but I have read they don't last long in extreme heat, like a car in the summer.

Do a little Googling and reconsider grounding your Faraday cages. You'll find people arguing both for and against grounding, but the most convincing things I have read suggest the ground wires could act like antennas -- amplifying and transmitting the pulses directly to your cage.

http://www.futurescience.com/emp/test184.html

Thats a good idea on the water key....I have one but I didn't get it from Amazon

 

[FbodTrek]

One thing to note, even if water pumping stations go COMPLETELY out, most folks homes have about 20-100 gallons of water in the pipes, accessed easily from lowest point with a hacksaw blade and a bucket. ALL residences and businesses have water, getting to it after the lights go off is something not a lot of people are going to know how to do. A Lowes hardware store has a few HUNDRED gallons on tap at any one time for their overhead fire suppression sprinklers. Most industrial buildings will have water "on hand" in these manners. Check valves prevent it from running back out, and very few people will think to get at it.
I always suggest junking the multi-tool as the "go to" tool, and opting for a pair of vice grips, water key, hacksaw blade and a small crowbar. Yeah yeah, crowbars can be heavy, just means you'll carry one less AK mag, Half gallon less water, etc. A crowbar is more useful for 2 lbs than most other options. You are going to have to learn to break and enter to scavenge, crowbar and a hacksaw will get you into a lot of places.

Another cool scavenger tip for those who just stuck out while in a vehicle and somehow it doesn't function and you gotta hoof it- Take your scissor jack and tire iron WITH you if you can afford the extra pounds (and it's small enough). Tire iron make a decent prybar, and a scissor jack will get you into ANY door that isn't set in a reinforced steel frame.

Kinda gets away from the point of the bugout bag, but since the topic of scavenging came up, just thought I'd throw a couple pennies at the idea.

As for energy bar options, i like the CLIF builders bar in peanutbutter chocolate, they are for guys who are trying to gain mass/weight for body building tastes like a candy bar. 20 grams protein, about 30 grams of good carbs, fiber, etc. though only about 300 calories.

 

[Inbonuscivis]

One thing to note, even if water pumping stations go COMPLETELY out, most folks homes have about 20-100 gallons of water in the pipes, accessed easily from lowest point with a hacksaw blade and a bucket. ALL residences and businesses have water, getting to it after the lights go off is something not a lot of people are going to know how to do. A Lowes hardware store has a few HUNDRED gallons on tap at any one time for their overhead fire suppression sprinklers. Most industrial buildings will have water "on hand" in these manners. Check valves prevent it from running back out, and very few people will think to get at it.
I always suggest junking the multi-tool as the "go to" tool, and opting for a pair of vice grips, water key, hacksaw blade and a small crowbar. Yeah yeah, crowbars can be heavy, just means you'll carry one less AK mag, Half gallon less water, etc. A crowbar is more useful for 2 lbs than most other options. You are going to have to learn to break and enter to scavenge, crowbar and a hacksaw will get you into a lot of places.

Another cool scavenger tip for those who just stuck out while in a vehicle and somehow it doesn't function and you gotta hoof it- Take your scissor jack and tire iron WITH you if you can afford the extra pounds (and it's small enough). Tire iron make a decent prybar, and a scissor jack will get you into ANY door that isn't set in a reinforced steel frame.

Kinda gets away from the point of the bugout bag, but since the topic of scavenging came up, just thought I'd throw a couple pennies at the idea.

As for energy bar options, i like the CLIF builders bar in peanutbutter chocolate, they are for guys who are trying to gain mass/weight for body building tastes like a candy bar. 20 grams protein, about 30 grams of good carbs, fiber, etc. though only about 300 calories.

A set of folding bolt cutters is a nice addition too....

 

[buddy5954]

I'm starting to put together a GHB for my wife to keep in her car. I estimate it will end up being about 15 lbs. What are you guys using for the actual bag? She told me she had one, then produced a Barbie-pink book bag. I had to explain to her the benefits of being discrete.

I'm looking for comfort and durability.