A closer look at the BOB

[PvtPyle]

There are hundreds of bags out there that would work for a BOB. Some people want a low profile bag, others like myself dont care what it looks like as long as it is functional. Color and appearance are about a 10th of the importance of functionality. I swould use a pink "Hello Kitty" bag if it fit my needs exactly.

But bags range from $25 to several hundred. And if it works for you, thats great. You may not need a $200 bag. But the $25 bags will NOT hold up for one real world test, that I can promise you. I have been dabbling in this for over a decade and did my field test for a year in Afghanistan. Most of what I am doing and using comes from the SF perspective. And if it works for those high demand, oh so picky guys I am sure they will work well for most of us with a little tweaking here and there.

A BOB should be around 2500 cubic inches and weigh no more than 45 pounds when fully loaded. It DOES need a belt, and the ability to be raised and lowered with a rope.

Here is the right side:



The left:



And this is everything laid out.



From the top left you have the bag and my head scarf
100' of 550 cord
fixed blade knife
cleaning kit
six mags in a bandoleer
nomex gloves and liners
Stuff sack with 3 pairs of socks( 1 heavy), and two sets of layer one and layer two underware
Next row is my 1st aid kit full of personal hygene stuff
my 10 binos
Gortex jacket with mag speed loader
Heavy fleece liner
Three bandoleers of ammo
Water purifier (the blue thing)
My googels
My winter hood and the stuff sack for them all
My survival kit and the sub load bag with MRE's in it

The camel bak is in the bag, and in the side pockets I have some more MRE's broken down. I also keep some baby wipes and can put my small Russian shovel in it if need be.

I like this bag because it has a lot of adjustment in the shoulder straps so it can be worn over heavy clothing and over armor. If you have tried to put a ruck on with your armor and kit on, you know how tough that can be because of short straps. The waist belt can be tucked into the back, removed completely or left in place. I recommend leaving it in place and if done correctly when you lay out your armor, you can integrate it as a fully functional part of your armor. The waist belt has molle webbing to hook on additional pockets as well. There are quick release buckles on the straps and belt to dump it quickly.

So total weight with the shovel and three liters of water comes out to 47 pounds. But that also includes enough MRE's for a week and battery refills for all electronic equipment 4 times.

Thats what I got, lets see yours!

[THE NORSEMAN]

Question on the ammo-Six LOADED mags, correct?  Plus the three bandoliers?  And you're still under 50 pounds?  No spare outer wear?

[PvtPyle]

No, six empty mags I would load them before I went out. That would leave enought o load 10 more full mags later on. I have seen incidents where guys ran ot of ammo often in fire fights and on convoys. I wont be that guy and neither will my guys.

As for outter garments, they go in the main ruck, either back on the truck or in the TOC. I mean lets face it, what is the worst we are talking about here? Spending a week in the same clothes? So what? Happens to our guys down range everyday. If you are wet, just keep moving. When you RON you take off the outer clothing and try to find  way to dry them. METTC dependent of course. If you are jammed up and cant do so safely, then you just suck it up and drive on. But you can always layer the first and second line undies when you slow down or the temp drops dangerously. But in all seriousness, in most cases you just suck it up and drive on.

That was actually a very good question Ben, and maybe we should address it in our first online class. I think and extensive emergency prep class that expands to how gear works in the real world and what you should expect out of our gear.

[doc Russia]

Knives are tools. Guns are tools. I keep both on me whenever possible. A large folder in my pocket, and a 1911 on my hip. My BOB is a backpack with survival stuff; food, water, shelter, and all those little things that come in handy, including a multitool, wire saw, and a hatchet. I also have a rifle 'go bag.' It has 6 AR mags, only two loaded, cleaning kit, 4 spare 1911 mags, and heavy duty ziploc bags filled with hundreds of rounds of ammo for the rifle, and about 50 for the 1911. The backpack is kept in the truck where I will have access to it if far from home. If I need to get out in 60 seconds, I grab the rifle, the go bag, and then drive off with everything in on me.
I am also working on a 'war belt' which will be set up for a large knife, external holster, and the kind of minimal stuff that would be the minimal for survival.

[Irwin]

Could a dry bag or 2 be of usefulness like these ( http://www.heinnie.com/g6uswn888773/Bags-and-Wallets/Exped/Exped-Drybag/p-281-475-3297/ ) you could use a smaller on for ammo rather than a ziplock bag as they are stronger and you could use a large one to put your bag into if you have to cross a river or something like that gives you a floatation device and keeps everything, possibly even a broken in half ar? Irwin

[Badkarma]

What brand and model is the main ruck?

[RevDisk]

My BOB is basically my day hiking bag,

It was originally a sat comm antenna bag. I recognized it instantly as a bag for the antenna for a AN/PSC-5 "Spitfire". As I bloody well should, I humped enough of them around before we moved to AN/PSC-11 SCAMPs. Oh, and it was insanely cheap.

Inside the bag I have the following:

- Food.  Primarily tuna packets as I'm rather fond of them. Energy bars. I swap it out regularly with different stuff.
- Super Spork. Don't leave home without one!
- Poncho. Blanket, shelter, invisibility cloak, what more could you want? Lighter than a rain coat too.
- 550 cord. Combined with duct tape and epoxy, you can repair any device currently known to man.
- Tools. Nothing fancy.  Screw drivers, razor, P38, small saw, etc.
- Pen, paper.
- Flashlight.  Nothing fancy or tacticool.  Just a flashlight I tested by throwing down four flights of steps and stomped on.
- Mini keychain LED lights.  I used to pack a couple glow sticks, but LED lights are cheaper, last longer and reusable.  We all want to be ecologically minded these days, naturally. I went whole hog and spent an extra $1 for the ones with clamps.
- Space blanket.  Or a large sheet of mylar if you want to sound scientistic. Handy for survival, or wrapping around your water to keep it cold for a heck of a lot longer.
- Canteen cup. Stuffed with instant chai packets.  Mmm, chai
- Knife. Nothing fancy, just a cheapo locking folder.
- Fire. I have a couple lighters and a magnesium striker thingie.  I'm a smoker.
- Cleaning stuff. Toothbrush, toothpaste, 2x 3 oz travel squeeze bottles with dish soap, hand sanitizer gel stuff, laundry tablets, wash clothes.
- Garbage bags.  Couple of them.  Useful for collecting trash.  Or toss in a laundry tablet with some dirty clothing, shake a bit, leave sitting overnight.  Or tie it to your bag and let your walking motion shake it about for a while.
- Spare socks.  I'm weird about my feet. I can wear week old clothing with no problems, but I need fresh clean socks every friggin day.
- Cash. In multiple denominations. Carrying only 50's or 100's would probably be a bad idea.

Everything is more or less in zip lock baggies. 

Entertainment
- Book or two
- MP3 player
- Digital camera. Uses SD that I can swap with my GPS.


External MOLLE kit
- Water bottle on S clip
- First aid kit.  Basically gauze, medical tape, Celox (packets and injector), tourniquet, alcohol wipes and a few other things. If you have gauze and tape, you don't need band-aides.
- Carabiner.  For hanging my bag up.
- Utility pouch with my GPS with a metric ton of batteries. I bring a paper topo map if I can, but I have SD cards with detailed topo for the entire region of the country I'm in.
- Work gloves on a clip


Need To Buy
- Water filter
- Mini heater/burner thingie. Suggestions welcome?
- Infrared Strobe Light, ACR MS 2000 (M).  Anyone know where I can find one that is affordable? I'm willing to entertain alternatives.


Thoughts

Compass. I really don't need one. I know the stars well enough to travel by night, and use the sun by day. Sure, it could be cloudy and my GPS could die. Eh. I'll probably break down and buy one.
Machete or hatchet. I've pondered it, but it's not really required for central PA. I really don't want the extra weight.
AM/FM/SW radio. Pondered it also, I'm tempted to look into it, but it's a luxury item that's not really required.
Solar charger for my batteries. Sure they're expensive and slow, but it's not that heavy and it'd eliminate carrying as many batteries.

[Irwin]

Do you not get a bad back with all that in a one strap bag? As for a cooker I use a http://www.trangia.se/english/5614.27_series_ul.html its the 27-2 ul that I have it runs of meths so very cheap to run just make sure you get a proper container for the stuff as the flimsy bottle that meths comes in wont take a beating. Another good one I have seen is the Swedish army trangia http://www.surplusandadventure.com/shop/bargains/winter-warmers/trangia-stove-mess-kit-330662.html if you run out of meths you can use wood with it. Im sure there is better cookers out there but I have personally never tried them all I know is that my trangia made a cracking brew after a hard day of mountain climbing. Irwin

[RevDisk]

Do you not get a bad back with all that in a one strap bag?

Minus water, weapon and ammo, the bag weighs at most 10 lbs.  I usually toss in 5 lb worth of water, extras or goodies that are dependent on what I intend to be doing.  Again, it's mainly for day hiking so low weight is my primary concern.   The shoulder strap is wide and padded.   I find it much more comfortable than most rucks I've carried. 

[txavery1]

Wanted to add a good link that relates to the bob, most of same already posted but fiqured some would enjoy.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/marines/a/combatlist.htm

[seanp]

Not really a bug out bag, but this is my truck kit:



The kit is in a tool box for two reasons:  A tool box in a truck is pretty inconspicuous, and because of Canadian law, I am more comfortable having the gun and ammo stored in a locked hard container.

From the left, contents are:

.410 ammo - #4, #9 shot, slugs, OOO buckshot
(2) One size fits all large plastic rain ponchos
(2) Mylar space blankets
(1) Ziploc bag containing a chunk of Zip firestarter
(1) Waterproof canister of strike anywhere matches
(1) Leatherman tool - the original and still the best
(1) Squeeze bottle of Muskol insect repellent, highest DEET content allowed by law
(1) Personal First aid kit in a waterproof container
(1) Backpacker .410 Shotgun, broken down and trigger locked
(1) Ziploc bag containing 4 pairs of latex gloves - largest size (I will probably replace these with non-allergenic nitrile gloves in the future)
(1) 100' of white nylon cord
(1) Compact AM/FM radio
(1) Squeeze bottle of Visine
(1) Butane lighter
(1) Length of coat hanger wire
(1) Roll of toilet paper
(1) Lansky medium grit folding knife sharpener
(1) S&W "Brush Hog" Kukri knife
(1) Compass

Missing from the pic, but still in the truck:  (1) roll duct tape  (1) Mini-mag flash light (1) Baby wipes (1) 2-3 bottles of water

Things which I am thinking of adding to the kit:  Some sort of head light.  More and better first aid stuff.  Food or energy bars.  Probably a few tampons or sanitary napkins.*

I selected all the stuff so that it can go into pockets.  My reasoning is that if I need a BOB type kit, it's more likely to be in a disaster type situation than a full on TEOTWAWKI scenario.  I figure that means interacting with people, the authorities, often in crowds, etc... Walking around in those circumstances with an AR and a full combat load out might not get you a positive reception.  In that case, a pack, especially a military one, makes you a) stand out and b) can be separated from you in a variety of ways.  Hence, I think it better to have the gear on you.  The only really conspicuous item is the shotgun which I would probably ditch in an urban scenario.  It's a marginal combat tool, but a handy short range grouse gun, and loaded with slugs can take deer sized game at bow hunting ranges.  It's inclusion is mainly out of a desire to have a firearm in the kit, because the plain fact is that any gun is better than no gun at all in an emergency, and that particular gun is the most compact one that I can legally have in the kit in this country.  In ideal circumstances, I would replace it with a Glock 22 and five loaded mags.

*Before anyone even comments on this, let me discuss it:  Let's face it, most SHTF discussions are inherently guy-centric, and we don't think about things like that.  But the fact is that stress can trigger unwanted and problematic physiological reactions.  Or, maybe it's just her time of the month.  The long and the short of it is that if you have a spouse, girlfriend, sister, daughter, or any female other that you anticipate having with you in a disaster situation, you should plan for this contingency.  Having a few tampons with you might save her from an embarrassing episode, and make things easier all around.  It's that simple.  Also, the upside for us guys is that the absorbency of these products also makes them useful field expedients for first aid treatment of gunshot injuries.

[Irwin]

And if needs be they make good tinder. Irwin

[RevDisk]

Also, the upside for us guys is that the absorbency of these products also makes them useful field expedients for first aid treatment of gunshot injuries.

Don't do that.  I mean, obviously do so if the risk is bleeding out, but if you can afford it, buy a real pressure bandage and one of these:  Link  You'll probably want a Celox-D.  Celox-A is the best way to fill a wound channel short of an ER room, but it's not great for all around blood clotting goodness.


Just made a list of my EDC/BOB hybrid.  It's stuff I use on a regular basis, but with some BOB stuff.   Need to take some photos.

[qwert65]

Evaluate my BOB!,  the purpose of mine is to let me survive about 72hrs(figure I'll link up or be dead by then) It includes;
              Kabar USMC knife, SAK
            1lb jerkey, 3 cans tuna, 2 cans soup, 1 can peaches, 12 energy bars
            2 1qt canteens, 1 2qt canteen
           H2O purification tabs, vitamins, some bandages, band aids, asprin, advil, imoudium, gasx/stomach meds, antiistamines and my Rx meds
           spare set of eyeglasses, 5 packs suture(assorted sizes) needele drivers, thumb forceps, tweezers, 5 hemostats
            Mayo and metzenbaum sicssors, ACE bandage, bottle of chlorohexidine
            2 space blankets, poncho, light jacket, spare socks
           1 bx 150gr 3030 ammo, 2 47d wilson mags loaded for my 1911, holster/belt minimal cleaning supplies
           2 handkerchiefs, flashlight, extra batteries, penlight
           pens, pencils, paper, cotton work gloves
           maps, compass, 2 bic lighters, waterproof matches, Mg fire starter, tinder

Thats it. I'm thinking of adding a hatchet or folding shovel, some playing cards, a bible, not sure if I'm missing someting obvious
         

[Cperry]

I've got a quick question for yall. Do you store water in your BOB? Or just the container and assume you'll fill it before you bail? For instance, a camelback bladder will start to mildew and smell/taste like the funk after a few weeks in the trunk of a car.

[Bo Smith]

I've got a quick question for yall. Do you store water in your BOB? Or just the container and assume you'll fill it before you bail? For instance, a camelback bladder will start to mildew and smell/taste like the funk after a few weeks in the trunk of a car.

This is my experience. I don't claim to be a guru. Water in Nalgene bottles filled to the very top with distilled water and kept indoors (e.g. in the back of a closet) will stay palatable for at least six months. It would probably go longer, but I've yet to push it. However, I would not feel uncomfortable stretching that time out. 

[Cperry]

Thanks, Bo.

[Bo Smith]

If you don't want to use distilled water, you can add about two drops of unscented bleach per liter to keep it clean. Personally, I cannot stand the taste, and buy steam-distilled water by the five gallon jug.

[orygun]

I work in a hospital and will bring home a few jugs of distilled for my emergency kit.

[RevDisk]

I've got a quick question for yall. Do you store water in your BOB? Or just the container and assume you'll fill it before you bail? For instance, a camelback bladder will start to mildew and smell/taste like the funk after a few weeks in the trunk of a car.

Keep the camelbak dry.  Toss in bottled water.  Whether it's a six pack of Dasani, generic gallons from Walmart, or funky multi gallon jugs/bricks whatever.  Swap out as desired/recommended.   Don't crack open the seals except for usage.

If you want a more expensive solution, they make long term water rations for lifeboats.  Or buy a filter.


General warning:

I'd recommend only using bleach (sodium hypochlorite + misc) in an emergency.  Chlorine dioxide or iodine is a lot better for you.  Chlorine dioxide being healthier for you, but more expensive.