Get Home Bag

[Tactical Dave]

SE, I like to put stuff that I don't want to get went in zip lock bags with a rubber band around them to help keep the seal, things like undies, socks, ect ect, also goes for eatible stuff that is not in a sealed bag..... the bags can also then be used to hold other things like water....


Once I have the money I want to build a "long term" pack out of a large ALICE and have a few smaller ones that I can keep in the cars.

 

[E5RANGER375]

what else do you use those zip lock bags for dave??

 

[Tactical Dave]

what else do you use those zip lock bags for dave??

Prophylactics..........

 

[Lex Concord]

Prophylactics..........

And then they are reusable for SODIS water purification, right?

 

[Tactical Dave]

And then they are reusable for SODIS water purification, right?

Yes!!!!!!!!

 

[SavageEagle]

Ok, so, I was going to make a whole new thread, but I figured right here would be just fine.

Remember the pictures of my BoB? Well, I decided it would be a good idea to take a bike ride with my full pack. Sure, right? It's only 35lbs.... So I did add a couple small things to it after I weighed it so probably more like 45 lbs.

So I learned a few things.

1) 35lbs is TOO HEAVY. I couldn't ride 5 miles without dying. Especially the hills.
2) Being a smoker... SUCKS. Period.
3) Test test test test test your gear. If it MUST stay in a package, buy one to test. Then another to check for consistency. JUST TEST IT!

4)* Big fat packs are bad news.

* I say this because while riding, my trip took me along the greenways of Plainfield to the parks. Swinford park was having it's weekly ball games. Mostly little kids. I stopped there at the creek to test some skills and gear and let me tell you what. I got soooo many weird looks it wasn't funny. That pack was a big bulging target and everyone within eye shot of me could see it.

Packs make you a target. Period.

So I decided to add and subtract a few things and split the BoB into two very much overkill Get Home Bags. I have double of everything but the fireworks, tools like the shovel and shake-light, and a couple other things. Most stuff in my BoB was doubled and redundant, but having a 6 person family, rightly so. Which is ok. I just have to split the gear in two bags.

One last thing I learned. I need to find out exactly how much my kids can carry, and for how long. So in the next couple days, I plan on gearing them up with the same stuff they would need to carry, minus a couple things like sleeping bags, and find their threshold. Then we'll hike it at the state parks to really test gear.

 

[E5RANGER375]

SE, your not supposed to take a bath in the park water fountains while your out testing, LOL

 

[ThrottleJockey]

4)* Big fat packs are bad news.

* I say this because while riding, my trip took me along the greenways of Plainfield to the parks. Swinford park was having it's weekly ball games. Mostly little kids. I stopped there at the creek to test some skills and gear and let me tell you what. I got soooo many weird looks it wasn't funny. That pack was a big bulging target and everyone within eye shot of me could see it.

Packs make you a target. Period.

While I see your point, you must also consider that when the SHTF, you would stand out being the only guy WITHOUT a pack of some sort. How well you blend in or stand out is directly relevant to the surrounding conditions. But I agree, a slimmer lower profile is always a good idea....

 

[SavageEagle]

SE, your not supposed to take a bath in the park water fountains while your out testing, LOL

I don't think I'd call this a fountain...
(Crappy cellphone pic)

While I see your point, you must also consider that when the SHTF, you would stand out being the only guy WITHOUT a pack of some sort. How well you blend in or stand out is directly relevant to the surrounding conditions. But I agree, a slimmer lower profile is always a good idea....

That is true, but the size of the pack is what raiders will look for. The bigger the pack, the better the score, right? That's why I toned it down. It's now much lighter and much slimmer.

 

[6birds]

So I learned a few things.

1) 35lbs is TOO HEAVY. I couldn't ride 5 miles without dying. Especially the hills.
2) Being a smoker... SUCKS. Period.
.

Item 2 is the problem, Item 1 is a symptom of Item 2.

If you can't make it 2.5 miles from your house to Swindle ON A BIKE without getting wheezy, you'll never have to worry about running out of food...

 

[Bendrx]

So all I have to do is become a chain smoker and wont' have any more food worries. WOOT!!!

I bought a bag for the Spring Mill trip, rather small, but what I wanted. I've stuffed it, and other things as I come across them in my kayak for "staging" purposes (that's just what I tell myself, really to get it out of the way) so hopefully I'll have a decent 3 day pack + (the plus means better) soon.

 

[SavageEagle]

Item 2 is the problem, Item 1 is a symptom of Item 2.

If you can't make it 2.5 miles from your house to Swindle ON A BIKE without getting wheezy, you'll never have to worry about running out of food...

Yes, I realize that. That's why I've made it a point to get on that bike more and get to the trails more. That and to slow down and eventually quit smoking. It's just sooooo hard to let go though.

 

[grunt soldier]

savage i can't bs you. i never wanted to quit smoking and while i was in the military i had no problem smoking and still making my 25 mile marches but damn if when i didn't get out all that stuff got a lot harder lol. what did it for me was when i saw my 2 year old in the back seat pretending to smoke. i had to let it go even though i wasn't ready. i still would smoke today probably if it wasn't for her but thank god for chantix lol it saved me. either way i agree with you its not easy

but just think of the money you will save and all the extra kit you can buy with it

 

[SavageEagle]

savage i can't bs you. i never wanted to quit smoking and while i was in the military i had no problem smoking and still making my 25 mile marches but damn if when i didn't get out all that stuff got a lot harder lol. what did it for me was when i saw my 2 year old in the back seat pretending to smoke. i had to let it go even though i wasn't ready. i still would smoke today probably if it wasn't for her but thank god for chantix lol it saved me. either way i agree with you its not easy

but just think of the money you will save and all the extra kit you can buy with it

Man, I TOTALLY understand that feeling. I've had 3 of my 4 kids start that on me all at once just this last winter. That's when I really started considering quitting. I just don't have the will power to do it. I gave up SOOOO much else when I had kids. The parties, the freedom, the pot, the drinking, the friends (that was the hardest of all), but the smoking, man, I just couldn't do it.

Now I look at my son and my daughters and the world around us... It's crumbling away out there and I fear that when it all comes crumbling down on us, I won't have the ABILITY to save them. That's my biggest motivator right there. That's why I started the bike training. If figure I can go farther on a bike with less energy and it gets the kids out with me to get in shape. It's a good start and when I get to a certain point I'll be hiking it more.

I just have to kick this habit. It's killing me and I can feel it. I just don't know how to let go...

 

[Whosyer]

The wife tried Chantix, she said she had nightmares that were so vivid and horrific , she thought she was losing her mind. I would wake her from her tossing and turning, and it would take a good ten minutes to calm her down. So far , our attempts to cut back/quit, are a definite fail. I did the math one time on how much we spend a year on our freakin nasty habit, let's just say We could buy a ton of gear.

 

[Dr Falken]

SE, I know that you are trying to put together a backpack system, but what about something that might fit the bike more? How stable did you feel with 35+ lbs. on your back? And what type of bike was it? Most bikes usually have the rider stretched, or leaning forward. I'd think that might be a little rough, not to mention the hip movement with a padded hip belt on. Maybe look at panniers and racks for the bike.

 

[SavageEagle]

SE, I know that you are trying to put together a backpack system, but what about something that might fit the bike more? How stable did you feel with 35+ lbs. on your back? And what type of bike was it? Most bikes usually have the rider stretched, or leaning forward. I'd think that might be a little rough, not to mention the hip movement with a padded hip belt on. Maybe look at panniers and racks for the bike.

To be honest, I didn't feel all that stable and I could really feel a difference in how much power was needed to peddle the bike. I think, looking back, hiking was much easier than riding. I did feel more stable leaning forward, but keep in mind I mostly stuck to paved trails. I did go through gravel and sand down at the creek and was fine, but you could certainly tell it was too much weight for any kind of speed.

I would look at racks, but the bike doesn't have the traditional A-frame going to the rear wheel like most bikes. Trade ride comfort for weight on the back? Nah, I'd venture to say it's easier with the weight on your back because you have more control over it.

Below are a couple pictures from the trip. The first one you can kinda see the bike. It's a cheapo that I got at a garage sale. 21 speed, dual shocks (front and back), but it needs a back brake cable and the gears are messed up somehow. I've been trying for a year to figure out how and where to mount something like a shotgun scabbard on the bike for the SKS, but no dice yet.

The second picture shows the "water bottle holder" I fashioned in 20 minutes from a shell of an old computer power supply. It worked. Thank God for zip ties!

Oh yea, I added about 10 large zip ties to the bag. Never underestimate the power of plastics.

 

[grunt soldier]

The wife tried Chantix, she said she had nightmares that were so vivid and horrific , she thought she was losing her mind. I would wake her from her tossing and turning, and it would take a good ten minutes to calm her down. So far , our attempts to cut back/quit, are a definite fail. I did the math one time on how much we spend a year on our freakin nasty habit, let's just say We could buy a ton of gear.

i have heard it did that to alot of people but to be honest it didn't have any effects on me at all except making cigarette's taste disgusting. with in 2 weeks i was done and haven't looked back even though i want to sometimes lol. my little bro and my dad just quit cold turkey i just couldn't do it. there are lots of options out there and just take it one step at a time and hopefully you can beat it.


and savage i carry zip tie's in all my kit they are great for tons of stuff. and also for my bike kit i build a trailer that my little one can ride in and also securely hold all my gear. i sold it a month or so ago so i think i am gonna buy another bike and rebuild it though cause it was a sweet set up

 

[jfw46544]

Can anyone recommend a MOLLE, BOB that has a smaller bag with it that can be used for a get home bag? Get home, attach it and get if the need arises.

 

[Woodsman]

Can anyone recommend a MOLLE, BOB that has a smaller bag with it that can be used for a get home bag? Get home, attach it and get if the need arises.

The one that comes to mind is made by Kifaru (https://kifaru.net/escape-evade.html). This is a decent sized bag that you can get and carry as a pack, then lock it onto another suitable bag.

All of the Kifaru stuff is bulletproof and GTG. Warning though: some of the stuff is a little pricey.

If nothing else, it will give you some ideas as to what I think you're asking for.

Hope that helps...