GHB / Emergency bag

[mkwerx]

Been on vacation for the last 9 days. Go back to work tomorrow.

Over the course of my vacation I wound up pillaging some stuff from my get home / emergency overnight bag - partly because we went camping and I wound up needing some of the items, because we forgot to bring certain things (like spare clothes for me) and some cold medicine for my wife.

So I tore it down to the components tonight, repacked it, and checked everything. Glad I did because I discovered that one of my flashlights had a battery that imploded (corroded, actually but imploded sounds cooler). I wound up having to beat the dissolving battery out with a wooden punch and a hammer - lucky for me the head and tail cap both came off leaving the aluminum tube open on both ends!

There are still some things I want to add / expand, things to change out given that we're rapidly heading into fall and the nights are now down into the 40's, instead of 60's or 70's.

One of the things I removed was my ferro rod & striker. I have a cheapy $5 that in a fit of stupidity I thought would work. It didn't. I pulled these out on the camping trip just to practice with them - only to discover that the ferro rod was pretty much garbage (had some damn coating on it that kept it from throwing decent spark) and the striker was beyond garbage - it wouldn't work and I wound up having to use the blade of my EDC knife to throw sparks. My all weather, strike anywhere matches are missing for some reason - so I need to replace those. I'll be adding another lighter to the pack as well, and probably some vasoline soaked cotton or other easy light fire starters.

Still need to beef up my first aid kit - right now I've got some gauze, medical tape, bandages, antibiotic ointment, cold meds, ibuprofen, and burn cream. Bare essentials for minor wounds - I'd like to beef this up and add more gauze, a tourniquet, and some pressure bandages - things that can treat more serious wounds.

I have pillaged my food stuffs - this bag lives in the tow truck with me and I keep granola or protein bars and foil packed tuna in it for emergency snack foods / dinner - I want to add more food to the pack - probably more foil tuna, protien bars, and maybe stripped MRE components or something for a little more variety and calories.

You may notice 4 flashlights - a cheap small one lives clipped to the outside of the bag for quick access, the 5.11 pen light and Mini Mag LED live in an outside zipper pocket. The big maglite which used to be the general truck working light found it's way into my bag to stop it from rolling around the cab, I threw in the belt ring so I can easily carry it on my belt for fast access in case I need to hoof it home. 2 D cell maglight gives off a usable amount of light, but makes one hell of an impact weapon too. I also wear a flashlight on my person - I don't think you can ever have too much available light sources and there's always a task that pops up that needs a good flashlight.

Clothing wise - I have a full change of work type clothes - pants, socks (3 pairs xtra), boxers, t-shirt, and a short sleeve button down work shirt. There's also a set of rain pants in there, and a fleece vest goes into the bag as well, but it's in the laundry right now because I wore the crap out of it camping and it smells of farts, fish, campfire and got all manner of mud, slime, camp food, and rain on it. Good times! I think I'm going to throw a spare ball cap or brimmed hat in the pack, and a spare set of sunglasses and non-tinted safety glasses as well.

I've also got two maps in my pack - one regional, and one Oregon road map that I sliced and diced up into three sections so I don't have to unfold a whole big road map if I need to see where I'm at and how to get where I'm trying to go.

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[AMProducts]

Sounds pretty squared away, But a few notes:

Lithium batteries don't explode or leak in the same way alkalines do. While I realize the maglight makes a great impact weapon, last I checked you can carry an asp or sap in oregon. While no one wants to get hit with a maglight, when you flip out that asp, the person who was looking to tangle usually realizes quite quickly they're about to visit the hospital. (of course, unless they have a gun)

Personally, I've largely dropped the maglights from every kit, I think I still have on in a junk drawer some where. Main problems: Not all that waterproof, the mini-mags are pretty good, better than many other "tactical" lights, but the larger lights just barely cut it. And the rubber membrane over the button always rotted out on mine. Next, their battery life sucks. Sure 20 years ago these things were "insanely bright" But these days you can buy a $10 flashlight on amazon that's brighter than a car headlamp, and takes 18650 rechargeable batteries that lasts 3x as long as a 3D cell mag light ever could. All of the ML's I still have, have been converted over to LED bulbs (niteize makes the best ones), I've actually done the same with my old military crook-neck flashlights, that are actually usable after the upgrade. Big thing about the crookneck, it won't roll away like the maglight will.

I've also had mixed results with matches... I don't know if they get moisture in them but they just seem to not work so good after a few years, even then the current crop of matches out there, are actually pretty horrible. I don't know if production shifted to china and QC went out the window, but unfortunately, technology as simple and lifesaving as matches are going the way of the do-do. MRE matches are usually still worth it. Based on your description of your flint-steel not working, it sounds like it got contaminated and/or oxidized. Generally, I still like the old magnesium ones, because you can just use the flint, this is typically how I start my camp stoves. However I have a "UST SPARK FORCE" fire starter. I don't know why, but it's always in my laptop bag.

The one thing I don't see anywhere in there is water, nothing to carry it, nothing to boil it in, nothing to filter it.

Also, for the same shelf-life of the tuna-packets, you might consider carrying either summer sausage or peanut butter. I think a normal 1/2lb summer sausage is like 2000 calories, and a 1-lb jar of peanut butter is like 4000 calories. I think those packets of tuna are maybe 200. You could bolster this by adding some packets of mayo (it'll make it taste better too) which I think will get you in the 400 calorie range if you add 2-mayo to 1 packet of tuna. Some years ago I went through walmart and tried to find the cheapest, densest source of calories, peanut butter and this pepperoni stick always came out on top. Both of them had expiration dates that were about a year away from the date of purchase.

Either way, thanks for sharing, seems like everyone's rebuilding their BOB this month, I'm currently outfitting a bigger pack looking forward to maybe going out to play in the snow. (I don't know why, but I've become obsessed with snow camping lately)

 

[mkwerx]

Water - I carry a couple steel or polymer water bottles that clip onto the bag itself. Should get a filter too.

Food - I am thinking MRE peanutbutter and maybe entrees but I prefer grab n eat rather than anything needing prep or heating.

As for the ferro rod - I think I need a better one if I keep one in the bag. Or just get a blastmatch or welding striker. But matches n a couple lighters will probably do well.

This is less a bug out type bag than a dual purpose get home bag slash emergeny kit for unexpected overnights or if I have wardrobe malfunctions etc. If I am 100 miles from home n need to hoof it im proobably boned and will need resupply. I am more likely to be within 30 miles of home so I figure 2 long days of walking at most. Trying to keep the pack as light and small as possible and meet my most likely needs.

 

[Camelfilter]

Target used to carry Justin's brand individual squeeze packets of various butters. Peanut, hazelnut, maple almond, honey peanut etc. About $1 ea. Perfect size, & pretty tasty too. Not sure if they still carry them or not, I'll have to take a look next time we do a shop over there.

Just checked the interwebs & the maple almond pack is 190 calories 3g sugar, 6g protein. That stuff on top of a protein bar is pretty darned tasty-good by itself too. -Caution though-, if your not used to nut butters other than peanut butter, it's worthwhile to try some out before you "need" them...some folks have uncomfortable adverse gastrointestinal issues.

OP, your covered though, as you pack extra shorts...

 

[AMProducts]

Water - I carry a couple steel or polymer water bottles that clip onto the bag itself. Should get a filter too.

Food - I am thinking MRE peanutbutter and maybe entrees but I prefer grab n eat rather than anything needing prep or heating.

As for the ferro rod - I think I need a better one if I keep one in the bag. Or just get a blastmatch or welding striker. But matches n a couple lighters will probably do well.

This is less a bug out type bag than a dual purpose get home bag slash emergeny kit for unexpected overnights or if I have wardrobe malfunctions etc. If I am 100 miles from home n need to hoof it im proobably boned and will need resupply. I am more likely to be within 30 miles of home so I figure 2 long days of walking at most. Trying to keep the pack as light and small as possible and meet my most likely needs.

The sawyer miniworks filters have kinda become my go-to, good life, super-lightweight, but they work best if you have the ability to run them between collapsible canteens. I've actually only "needed" to use mine a scant few times, hence why I'm not willing to carry anything bigger.

You might want to look into a "skivvy roll":

I usually do 2 of those, and a pair of pants, unless I know it's going to be hot, then I'll pack shorts.

Generally, I just call it a "Just in Case" bag, because that's really what it's for. Am I at a customer site and in need of advil? Clean clothes? Water? A snack? Did my 4x4 day trip just take a turn for the worst?

The BoB concept is kinda over-done, and just ends up with a bag people never do anything with.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Better than having your eye imploded by a sharp stick. nice
Oh to add.. it seems carbon strikers with a true 90 degree back work best.

 

[tc556guy]

You might want to look into a "skivvy roll":

I usually do 2 of those, and a pair of pants, unless I know it's going to be hot, then I'll pack shorts.

My version of the skivy set that I used for 22 years in the Guard includes a snot rag and a washcloth. While a baby wipe might be fine for most quickie cleaning scenarios, I found that a washcloth was handy to add to the set on many occasions. While younger people have moved away from handkerchiefs...I had one person ask me why I'd want to put a rag full of snot back in my pocket when they saw me carrying one...there are more times than I can count where having one handy was a good thing. Keep it in a pocket by itself if the whole "keeping a snotty rag in your pocket" bothers you.....

 

[Joe13]

My version of the skivy set that I used for 22 years in the Guard includes a snot rag and a washcloth. While a baby wipe might be fine for most quickie cleaning scenarios, I found that a washcloth was handy to add to the set on many occasions. While younger people have moved away from handkerchiefs...I had one person ask me why I'd want to put a rag full of snot back in my pocket when they saw me carrying one...there are more times than I can count where having one handy was a good thing. Keep it in a pocket by itself if the whole "keeping a snotty rag in your pocket" bothers you.....

A bandana folded into a square about the size of a wallet it always part of my EDC - never know when I'm going to react to pollen or the weather changing...

I've had at least one friend tell me it's disgusting but so are a bunch of others peoples personal hygiene so I guess it's all in what your used too.

My grandpa carried a handkerchief and that's where I learned it.

 

[Lazyfaire]

Been on vacation for the last 9 days. Go back to work tomorrow.

Over the course of my vacation I wound up pillaging some stuff from my get home / emergency overnight bag - partly because we went camping and I wound up needing some of the items, because we forgot to bring certain things (like spare clothes for me) and some cold medicine for my wife.

So I tore it down to the components tonight, repacked it, and checked everything. Glad I did because I discovered that one of my flashlights had a battery that imploded (corroded, actually but imploded sounds cooler). I wound up having to beat the dissolving battery out with a wooden punch and a hammer - lucky for me the head and tail cap both came off leaving the aluminum tube open on both ends!

There are still some things I want to add / expand, things to change out given that we're rapidly heading into fall and the nights are now down into the 40's, instead of 60's or 70's.

One of the things I removed was my ferro rod & striker. I have a cheapy $5 that in a fit of stupidity I thought would work. It didn't. I pulled these out on the camping trip just to practice with them - only to discover that the ferro rod was pretty much garbage (had some damn coating on it that kept it from throwing decent spark) and the striker was beyond garbage - it wouldn't work and I wound up having to use the blade of my EDC knife to throw sparks. My all weather, strike anywhere matches are missing for some reason - so I need to replace those. I'll be adding another lighter to the pack as well, and probably some vasoline soaked cotton or other easy light fire starters.

Still need to beef up my first aid kit - right now I've got some gauze, medical tape, bandages, antibiotic ointment, cold meds, ibuprofen, and burn cream. Bare essentials for minor wounds - I'd like to beef this up and add more gauze, a tourniquet, and some pressure bandages - things that can treat more serious wounds.

I have pillaged my food stuffs - this bag lives in the tow truck with me and I keep granola or protein bars and foil packed tuna in it for emergency snack foods / dinner - I want to add more food to the pack - probably more foil tuna, protien bars, and maybe stripped MRE components or something for a little more variety and calories.

You may notice 4 flashlights - a cheap small one lives clipped to the outside of the bag for quick access, the 5.11 pen light and Mini Mag LED live in an outside zipper pocket. The big maglite which used to be the general truck working light found it's way into my bag to stop it from rolling around the cab, I threw in the belt ring so I can easily carry it on my belt for fast access in case I need to hoof it home. 2 D cell maglight gives off a usable amount of light, but makes one hell of an impact weapon too. I also wear a flashlight on my person - I don't think you can ever have too much available light sources and there's always a task that pops up that needs a good flashlight.

Clothing wise - I have a full change of work type clothes - pants, socks (3 pairs xtra), boxers, t-shirt, and a short sleeve button down work shirt. There's also a set of rain pants in there, and a fleece vest goes into the bag as well, but it's in the laundry right now because I wore the crap out of it camping and it smells of farts, fish, campfire and got all manner of mud, slime, camp food, and rain on it. Good times! I think I'm going to throw a spare ball cap or brimmed hat in the pack, and a spare set of sunglasses and non-tinted safety glasses as well.

I've also got two maps in my pack - one regional, and one Oregon road map that I sliced and diced up into three sections so I don't have to unfold a whole big road map if I need to see where I'm at and how to get where I'm trying to go.

View attachment 313486

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I've also got two maps in my pack - one regional, and one Oregon road map that I sliced and diced up into three sections so I don't have to unfold a whole big road map if I need to see where I'm at and how to get where I'm trying to go.

I purchased some of the laminated folding maps that show color and great detail with the benefit of being waterproof. Doubt there are laminated forest maps but maybe in time. $7-10

 

[Camelfilter]

My version of the skivy set that I used for 22 years in the Guard includes a snot rag and a washcloth. While a baby wipe might be fine for most quickie cleaning scenarios, I found that a washcloth was handy to add to the set on many occasions. While younger people have moved away from handkerchiefs...I had one person ask me why I'd want to put a rag full of snot back in my pocket when they saw me carrying one...there are more times than I can count where having one handy was a good thing. Keep it in a pocket by itself if the whole "keeping a snotty rag in your pocket" bothers you.....

A bandana folded into a square about the size of a wallet it always part of my EDC - never know when I'm going to react to pollen or the weather changing...

I've had at least one friend tell me it's disgusting but so are a bunch of others peoples personal hygiene so I guess it's all in what your used too.

My grandpa carried a handkerchief and that's where I learned it.

Carry a bandana everyday as well.

Have dozens, but usually gravitate towards just a few. One being a stars & stripes representation (not a flag mind you), which I picked up from a street vendor in Ho Chi Minh City 2008.

Oxymoron included, that bandana pops back all kinds of memories from a selfsupported cycle tour which began in Paris a year before.

Numerous uses, and each one I have can also hold a story, even if it may not have been written yet.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

I purchased some of the laminated folding maps that show color and great detail with the benefit of being waterproof. Doubt there are laminated forest maps but maybe in time. $7-10[/QUOTE

Map waterproofing.

Aquaseal Map Seal Waterproofing for Maps | | Campmor

 

[Joe13]

Or just go to an office supply store and they will laminate anything for you.

 

[Camelfilter]

Or just go to an office supply store and they will laminate anything for you.

Laminated maps have a place, but foldable are better IMO. Gives better & larger geographic area, and take up less room. Can fold to the section needed currently, and if scale is correct can open up for objective perhaps hours to days out.

 

[Stealth-X]

For someone who takes sources of light so seriously, I'm surprised you haven't replaced one of your flashlights with a headlamp

 

[Member 34319]

Just grab some ziplock storage bags and throw the maps in them. Fold it to where your at and place it back in the bag. Instant water proofing.

I'm a organizer whore, so I bulk purchase little mesh pouches off amazon for everything.

Another thing you may consider adding is a couple of spare loaded magazines for your daily carry, if you carry that is. If you don't start by changing that lol.

I have two bags. One for my Wednesday deliveries and one for everything else. I go as far as Lynwood from Hillsboro on Wednesday, if I do 20 miles a day, I could be home in 10 days. 10 days a lot of bubblegum can happen. Especially in Seattle and Portland. I have a rather large duffle bag that converts to a backpack. I keep it fairly minimal, but mostly it is food. I prefer dehydrated. I figure since most are considered 2 servings. One a day plus bars should do the trick.

Your way better off considering the distance, I'd drop all the various lights and get one good light and a headlamp.

Also most of the hygiene stuff looks to be uneeded unless it is more for daily work uses?

 

[Dungannon]

Nothing like using emergency supplies in a non-emergency situation to test the efficacy of your plans and the suitability of your supplies. Thanks for sharing your experience, as it spurs us all to re-evaluate.

 

[Joe13]

First week at the new club and it's only 6ish miles from the house so I figure I can get home in under 3 hours easily but haven't changed my pack much but I add to it if we go anywhere.

I've done it so many times that it's not a big deal.

 

[cigars]

What...no cigars? If you don't smoke em you could trade them for wampum or ammo or something.

 

[Dungannon]

What...no cigars?

Are smoldering cigars an effective mosquito repellent?

Many many years ago, when smoking in the office was common practice, anyone that worked near a cigar smoker would have a desk fan. Even at that, some guys lit up long green cigars that were in a noxious category all their own. I had one such near 'neighbor' that eventually started taking his cigar to the restroom for a leisurely smoke, to avoid the increasingly loud complaints and fragrance spray assaults. He'd puff away, do his business and then park the smoldering stogie on the top of the partition to be relit on his next visit. I flushed a few, after wandering into the haze to take a whiz, and others took up the practice. Eventually he realized most of the office, including some of the cigarette and pipe smokers, were on the verge of setting his desk on fire. He took his cigars to the parking lot, and puffed away for several more years before finally retiring.

 

[cigars]

That was quite an Era when smoking in the work place was the norm. I remember when there were smoking sections in the back of airplanes too. Sure, that was totally effective. Lol.
I generally go out of my way not to bother people when I smoke a cigar. It's a leisure thing for me, not a necessity. As far as cigars being a bug repellent? It's hit or miss. They may be as effective as bug candles, which generally are only effective at smelling nice.
Back in the day, old doctors would be walking down hospital hallways smoking a cigar. It's said that cigar smoke was the best way to keep germs and bugs from proliferating.
The green cigars (called candella's) are a rather pungent smelling smoke. It's basically leaf tobacco that hasn't been allowed to fully cure in the tobacco barns. They used to be very popular in the 70's. It was Oscar Madison's cigar of choice on the Odd Couple. They are still available but you really have to acquire the taste for them.