My GHB. Thoughts

[fyrediver]

A poncho & liner combo like the one Wiggy's or Hill People Gear sells can be rain gear, shelter, thermal layer, & sleeping bag. Not inexpensive but versatile. Unfortunately, not compact either. They're a little bulky but I feel it's worth it.

I do keep a pair of lightweight rain pants in my kit. They'll keep me dry and warm especially if it's breezy. Full side zips give plenty of ventilation.

I have a small alcohol stove and a folding twig stove and a small pot. I can boil water if needed so I don't carry a filter. I do carry some iodine tablets for chemical purification if necessary to keep moving.

Small roll of duct tape is definitely worth it's weight.

I've been thinking about adding a large piece of plastic. This will give me the impetus to do that.

 

[AMProducts]

You know, in all my years of camping I've never needed duct-tape. I know some people swear by it, but in general I've always had better luck using either paracord or zipties. Instead of plastic, I would strongly suggest a tarp of either nylon or tyvek, it's lighter, stronger, and more water-resistant.

 

[RicInOR]

I'd suggest some plastic - not the large tarp size - but more like a garbage bag size.

If you have an injury you can use it to wrap
If you need to go thru your bag, what are you going to dump it on?

I agree since PNW add a poncho or tarp, or half tent.

But get a few plastic bags, too.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Ditch the hardball. Seriously.

 

[frauhunter]

While not part of my EDC, I have several of these for our BOB gear and vehicle kits. For those of you who don't recognize it, this is a Sillcock Key. It fits the Sillcock Valves you find on the sides of commercial buildings which allow access to the buildings water supply.

See YouTube vid:

This one weighs in at 5.6 oz and costs at or about $10 on Amazon. It seems to be a worthwhile addition to an emergency preparedness kit - especially if you are in, or may pass through, an urban environment.

Ex Gladio Libertas

 

[boogerhook]

Shelter (biwi, tarp, insulation), Water, Calories, Light, Radio (combined with light and a handle generator to power it), Yoga mat (sleep on it or use as makeshift splint), Knife, and Trauma Shears as part of your FA kit.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

I'd suggest some plastic - not the large tarp size - but more like a garbage bag size.

If you have an injury you can use it to wrap
If you need to go thru your bag, what are you going to dump it on?

I agree since PNW add a poncho or tarp, or half tent.

But get a few plastic bags, too.

This^^

I carry three heavy duty yard bags in mine, very little space/weight with so many uses.

 

[CoastRange57]

Been discussed before, construction grade 4 mil plastic is inexpensive and available in many sizes and quantities. I had a container nursery for a number of years and we used it to cover our overwinter frames with it, used in to cover concrete projects. A layer of it would keep a cold frame very comfortable and dry. Some para cord and duct tape and plastic with some wood poles , you have a very livable shelter. Very inexpensive also.

 

[AMProducts]

Been discussed before, construction grade 4 mil plastic is inexpensive and available in many sizes and quantities. I had a container nursery for a number of years and we used it to cover our overwinter frames with it, used in to cover concrete projects. A layer of it would keep a cold frame very comfortable and dry. Some para cord and duct tape and plastic with some wood poles , you have a very livable shelter. Very inexpensive also.

If you got a few people, you can buy a big roll of Tyvek House Wrap. Really the only downside is it's white, but it's lighter weight and tougher than any plastic sheeting, or tarps, the only thing that comes close in strength/weight is nylon, however it's more waterproof. If you look around you can find 9' wide stuff, I have a 9x15' section of it, you can also hit it with some spray paint to make it "not quite so white".

 

[AMProducts]

While not part of my EDC, I have several of these for our BOB gear and vehicle kits. For those of you who don't recognize it, this is a Sillcock Key. It fits the Sillcock Valves you find on the sides of commercial buildings which allow access to the buildings water supply.

See YouTube vid:

This one weighs in at 5.6 oz and costs at or about $10 on Amazon. It seems to be a worthwhile addition to an emergency preparedness kit - especially if you are in, or may pass through, an urban environment.

Ex Gladio Libertas

View attachment 218840

So while that thing is built like brick s-houses, you can get the regular ones at most hardware stores for about $2, and they weigh way less.

 

[erudne]

I use a cheap school back pack w/pockets

Lots of great ideas here. I assume you'll have an over sized rain suit, if you have to spend a night outdoors a rain suit can save your life, especially if your concealed on a roof-top.
I use Gorilla Tape and wrap it around an old gift card to conserve space, I was able to wrap half a roll on a card and it is about an inch thick. I use tape to tape the wrists and cuff of the rain suit shut, repair tears. I have a portion of an ensolite pad cut to fit the back portion of my GHB that I can sit on to insulate my ash when resting (life saver).
Space blankets tear easily, visible for miles, thermal long undies and the rain suit offer better value.
Your fleece bag addresses the shelter issue when used indoors but it will soak-up water outdoors.
I have found that when I used my GHB @ -5 degrees I, at first, slept in a ditch and after that I slept with my back against a tree or rock, hence the ensolite pad. My winter in car bag is a duffel bag, fully loaded as well as my GHB.
I would ditch the 50 rnds, space blanket, fleece bag, one water bottle, pants(?) add food, nylon tarp, ensolite pad, tiny radio, long johns, rain suit....

 

[RBid]

20 miles doesn't require much. I commute from Tualatin to vancouver and back every day, and I don't bother with a ghb anymore. I do a lot of 10 mile walks with my EDC and EDC bag, normal clothes, etc. It's actually very easy. Keep it light, keep it simple, keep it moving.

Get out and do dry runs for fun. Do it in clothes you wear under normal circumstances. Take your bag.

If you do this, you'll revisit this thread and laugh out loud at the idea of adding weight to tap into a commercial building's water during a 20 mile hike. I can see that in a more involved kit, but a 20 mile get home bag? No way.

 

[Martini_Up]

You know, in all my years of camping I've never needed duct-tape. I know some people swear by it, but in general I've always had better luck using either paracord or zipties. Instead of plastic, I would strongly suggest a tarp of either nylon or tyvek, it's lighter, stronger, and more water-resistant.

I wrap 3 feet of duct tape around my knife sheath (two wraps of 1-1/2 feet) and used it to repair my
plastic water cup after getting broke while on a 6 day hike.

I used duct tape to seal up my sun roof after going through a sand storm in Joshua Tree NP. The sunroof was titled up for ventilation and so much sand was blowing that it clogged up the mechanism inside and it wouldn't allow it to close tight. The wind storm was followed by a torrential rain storm.

A friend locked his keys in his car and had to break a window to get inside. We duct taped a garbage bag to the window to keep the rain out.

While hiking, I tore a hole in a pair of boots and the duct tape kept the grit/pebbles out.

When a friend forgot gators, we used duct tape to keep the snow out of his boots.

I have made duct tape bandaids, gloves, goggles, cordage, repair rips in tents/sleeping bags (so all the stuffing doesn't run out... no, sewing with needle and thread doesn't work well on nylon / poly), repairs to quads/motorcycles, etc...

the list goes on and that's just my experiences.

 

[Martini_Up]

I would load up all your gear into your back and go on a day hike with it. You may find your pack is terribly uncomfortable and if so, upgrade your pack.

 

[Joe13]

I do the GHB thing and add a rifle if I'll be more then an hour away from home.

If I'm in the PDX/Vancouver area - im never more then 30 miles away from home at most and like someone said earlier, I can walk that in less then 24 hours no problem.

So my EDC stuff fits in a small satchel and I can comfortably carry it all day long; gun, mags, knife, flashlight, leather man wave, pen, sharpie, nail clippers, bic lighter, bandana, little paracord and a couple allergy and pain meds.

K.I.S.S.

 

[Joe13]

I would load up all your gear into your back and go on a day hike with it. You may find your pack is terribly uncomfortable and if so, upgrade your pack.

The best prepp you can do is to get yourself in the best shape possible.

I've had good results overloading a pack, grabbing a rifle and walking my butt off (literally?) in the woods. One year later, I'm a lot closer to my fighting weight and I can walk 4-5x as far as I could when I started.

 

[etrain16]

At work, I'm near downtown PDX, which could be really F'd up if the big one hits. That puts me 25 miles from home, and with several bridges to cross to get there, could be difficult at best. I expect that due to those difficulties, it could take 1-2 days easily for me to get home. I can carry a semi-heavy pack for that time (I've done it before), so I don't mind having a few extra items if I feel they are needed.

I saw one person mentioned gloves, and I want to +1 that myself. You may find yourself in very cold weather or having to clear debris in your path, including stuff that's really sharp or nasty. Might be best to go with leather work gloves (for protection) with a removable liner for warmth if needed.

 

[etrain16]

The best prepp you can do is to get yourself in the best shape possible.

I've had good results overloading a pack, grabbing a rifle and walking my butt off (literally?) in the woods. One year later, I'm a lot closer to my fighting weight and I can walk 4-5x as far as I could when I started.

I need to work on that myself. Though I can walk with a pack for quite a bit, just maybe not as fast as some of my more svelt counterparts

 

[etrain16]

Oh, and don't forget some sunscreen. For those of us with far Northern European DNA, we'll burn to a crisp in the sun.

And maybe insect repellant depending on the location and time of year.

 

[RicInOR]

I just read No Easy Day. Early in the book he describes his pack - 60 lbs - selected very carefully, with a one-gram mentality. Those grams add up. To get his load out, it was based upon experience.
What do you need?
What would be nice?

Is it something easy to add / remove?

And we are talking about a get to home bag
not a bug out bag
or a hunker down bag.



For a Get Home situation, there are other kits I would want to have
- stuff to fix the car - if I can drive so much the better.
- first aid kit - beyond one in the GHB.
And given a situation I can't use my car / have to choose to abandon it, are there items which I could choose to carry based upon the situation?