Out of all the BOB videos I've watched, you're the first one to mention socks. I always wait in vain for them to mention that item. After 10 years in the Army, if there is one thing I need in the field is a dry pair of socks.
Ten years active duty, if you have been waiting on someone to talk about socks, you were one of those personnel pukes that never went to the field but once a year.
Great Video....as for your need of a small sleeping bag, I use a military poncho, then had a poncho liner sewn in that zippers on three sides made. It compresses down real nice and does not take too much space. Its a lot better than just having a space blanket, and is somewhat waterproof.
you may want to consider adding hearing protection to your B.O.B! If you find yourself in a position in which you need to use your firearm quite a bit it could mess with your sense of hearing. thats the last thing you want in this kind of situation
Thanks Mr. Sootch for all your video's I've been following you for some time and i gotta say I learn something new from you every time! Keep em' coming and take care sir!
21 Year Active Duty (5X Combat Vet) here..... well done vid. I am in the process of upgrading my BOB and building the wife and 2 daughter's separate ones as well. I would recommend is that people perform periodic inspections on your gear every few months and also some of the food items you might want to try out and make sure you can stomach them ahead of time. Them coast guard bars are "rough"...... no joke.
The good old days. Love your content, Sootch. Sorry to hear about RU-vid’s garbage affecting your channel. You’ve really inspired me to take action, in regards to preparation the last few years. Hope you had a good Christmas
I take back that comment i made about the beginning footage because its sorta informative to see a real time size on a person and see how it looks over all. and I enjoy your videos. thumbs up.
Great review as always. As for the light weight sleeping bag I made mine. I'm cheap. Lol. I used a 2 person emergency blanket, and a poncho liner. Not all liners are equal. Put it all in a compression bag. It's about the size of a football. Cost me about $8.00. Liner was bought at a yard sale. I taped the emergency bag with the chrome tap that goes on heat duck work. Made like a sleeping bag Leaving it open enough to get in and put 1 inch velcro spaced out like a zipper. Just dont put to much
I used to think I was crazy for carrying a bag with items i might need when I'm out and about I'm glad I've seen this video cuz it shows I'm on the right track good video
Great video! As far as the shelter elements of your bob, I wouldn't rely on the trash bag for more than one night. They also have an almost non existent insulating property. The Sol emergency Bivvy is nice, and Walmart carries a 5'x7' tarp with grommets that packs down tiny. Combine those with a wool blanket, which can cover your gear in your car, you will have a nice modular system that can handle most any weather. Thanks again for the videos!
Man I love my Condor bag, its very similar to the one you have. And the loops to attach the modular equipment pouches are so useful, nice vid, you got the right idea, I too am trimming my bag of things I don't NEED.
One: Thank you so much for including the actual list in text form. That saves a lot of wear-n-tear on the pause icon. :-) Two: Consider "gaffers tape" in place of the duct tape. Similar function but milder adhesive that won't cause damage if you want to remove it.
I bought a Kelty 15 years ago, and at the time set it up just to go hiking. The bug out bag phenomenon wasn't the craze, that it is now. However, things in the world have changed and I've just recently started to put together a survival bag myself. I like your videos, because you have a good eye for detail, and if you're gonna do something do it right. I can see that the things I used for hiking "back in the day", need to be reevaluated a bit. I thank you for the information.
Extremely well thought out. Just an idea to save space, vacuum packing for things that dont need reseal capability might help you out. Thanks for the vids
Sootch, instead of adding a full sleeping bag grab a woobie or a poncho liner I have used this alone on many field problems and it's the infantryman's gift from god.
i really like the "fastfit" mechanix gloves..they are the only ones that fit my hands right..and i dont have to deal with all the velcro stuff..thanks for posting.
This kind of videos what I really love on your channel! I enjoyed this one too, and going to buy some things from your list. Keep up the good work Don, greetings from Hungary!
Great video! Always interesting to see what people choose to carry and why. It can seem difficult getting started deciding on what to pack and carry given endless choices but it's best just to start and like you said it will constantly evolve over time as you introduce improvements. Keep up the great work!
i know what im talkin about, been a surival exp, for over 20years lived in the woods, n one boats, good BOB (bug out bag). thank you for shareing, seas n cheres
Excellent video. I would add a tarp. Lightweight, it folds flat, available in different colors. I have one in my snowmobile backpack for the good old, J.I.C.
Very well thought out. I just recently received the same bag for my birthday and have been outfitting it by trial and rerror. I added the Maxpedition water bottle carrier. Note: Mollie straps are required for attachments. I added a camo tarp underneath mine for shelter in place. Kmart had a closeout the other day for grometed poncho's so I added one of those.
Great vid Sootch! You have a lot of good useful ideas in there and the list is helpful, and at least a good spot for someone to get started. Keep it up!
I like the bag your using. Big fan of Maxpedition. I actually bought a Kodiak Gearslinger for my bag. I have a bad left shoulder so I bought the S-Type and that was the premise for me being a sling bag anyway. But It's a great bag. I love everything about it. I'm gonna go ahead and state the obvious and say hard use gear describes it best. Great vid.
A good flashlight to check out is the Hybrid Solarlight. It is water proof, and the capacitor will never wear out. The battery backups will work for 40 hours continuous. The backup uses the same button cells that illuminated recital scopes use.
Nice setup. I would consider adding an ultra-light 3 season tent and an ultra-light sleeping bag. In a bug out situation it might not be wise to start a fire that would draw attention. Something like the MSR Carbon Reflex 1 Tent and a Haven 20 Sleeping Bag will only add a total of 3 lbs. Best of all they will get you out of the elements and keep you warm down to 20 degrees.
Not sure if you've seen it (or anything like it), but The Pathfinder School has a great idea for an improvised shelter that only requires one standing contact point (tree, hiking pole, motorcycle handlebar, etc.) It consists of 4 aluminum tent stakes, a bungee cord and a small tarp or poncho. Sets up and takes down in about a minute, and takes up minimal space and very little weight.
Sootch....I use Tyvek house wrap for both sheltering material and also for a Bivy bag. VERY lightweight...very strong, very compactible, breathable, waterproof, and if you want to paint it, it can be painted. It is also very cheap if you already have it or buy some scrap material from a builder's surplus store.
I did a similar thing, but I made a small carboard sabot first. The mirror slides into the sabot, and then the duct tape is wound around the cardboard. True, I loose a small bit of usable duct tape, but I can literally slide the mirror out almost instantly if the need arises. Good tip for signaling with a mirror: Hold your hand out in front of you at full-extension. Make the peace sign.with 2 fingers on either side. Focus your target in between the V of your fingers. Flash the mirror. Helps aim
i really like your survival bag, i just started on mine and i only have dollar tree stuff but its really good i could probably keep me good for about two or three days....
one thing i recommend that always gets over looked is a good pair of shoes along with your bug out bag. the worst thing would be for you to be wearing flip flops and a crisis situation occurs while you are away from home.
Wool socks, a good thing. Being mostly a hiker myself, I've been kind of paying attention that most these bug out bags totally lack extra clothing and basic camping gear. Fire is a poor replacement for a sleeping bag, as is a space blanket. Depends a bit where you live, but it can be hard to sleep if it's even a bit chilly. But I guess the stuff that your mother would advice isn't as exciting as the hardware...especially the guns and knives that most survivalists seem to concentrate on.
great video one of the best i seen, i subbed,for a light weight sleeping bag is the green bag out of the usgi sleep system it is really light and small but is good down to 30 degrees
For a lightweight sleeping bag...I use the Marmot Pounder. Good down to 45 degrees and only weighs a pound. Not waterproof, but I would use a space blanket and wrap it around the bag to help with this.
I'm new to bug out bags. I'm not new to living off grid, or making do with what I have. Pens and markers and notebooks and survival books aren't necessary. They are nice luxuries. Mirrors and whistles aren't that necessary either. Toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo, etc., aren't necessary for a three day bag either. Use one of those knives (of which you could cut back to just 2) to whittle out a toothpick to take care of those teeth for 3 days. A little floss or one of those pick/floss combos would be nice. It looks like you have the water thing covered with the bladder and the emergency water. Why the big, bulky Berkey and the life straw? Throw in a bottle of water and don't have to worry about finding a water source and filtering it, and you still have enough water to get through the 72 hours. Also, don't all of those neat pouches and tubes and such add up when it comes to weight? Organization is great, but at what cost? The extra weight? Don't get me wrong. You have a great set up. Much better than mine. I'm just offering some suggestions on how you could cut back on some space.
I appreciate you and your channel. Wanted to make a few suggestions here.Too many knives, kabar and multi-tool would suffice. Ditch the h20 packs,add another canteen, rotate h2o. Ration sweat not water. Not drinking the first day while hiking w/ an additional 25lbs will dehydrate you badly. easier to maintain hydration than recover from dehydration. Add foot powder to your bag o socks. ditch shampoo&wipes,get hotel sized bar soap.Take this kit on a 72hr backpack trip and see how it does.cheers
It is kind of interesting to compare the different philosophies of "regular" backpackers, super ultra lightweight backpackers, and preppers when it comes to selecting what to pack and what what sort of bag and packing techniques.
great vid sootch! one little suggestion about the signal mirror......if you're gonna need to use it to signal a search or rescue party or helicopter you need to have easy access to it. you may only get a few second of opportunity to signal. it might not be a good idea to have the mirror rapped it tape.
I was going to suggest you replace the plastic bottle with stainless steel in case you need to boil water...but then I noticed the stainless cup. You have it all covered Sootch. :) Carhartt wool socks are AMAZING by the way. I got some for Christmas and I wear them every day at work. I work outside a lot, and they are amazing in Winter.
You could also carry baking soda in a sandwich bag for the soap and toothpaste and also use it for many other things and simply go to the supermarket if you need to replace it.
Great video; I really enjoyed it! I'd recommend, if you don't already, adding a needle and thread to your med kit. Always a handy thing to have! Also, I am so glad you mentioned paracord! It's annoying to no end to hear people say they have cordage, and then pull out some bailer twine or other such garbage. Kudos for that!! :)
for water I have four GI 1 qt canteens with cups and carriers. Two of them are the GI plastic post Vietnam issue and two are WW-2 GI issue stainless with the plastic caps. I have two wire handle canteen cups and two of the ones like you show in this video.
Yes I think attaching a smaller day pack to a larger one makes a good system, though adds a bit weight. 5.11 has exactly that system for the Rush bags, although they only offer sling bags to be attached. But it doesn't of course have to be a ready attachment system. The Halti Commander Go also has a day bag attached, although it is a bit small. The soft stuff takes a lot of space. I guess the sleeping bag should be for where you live and for the season (it can get -30°C here in some winters).
You do have to watch though. I bought a duffel bag at a nearby army surplus store just prior to an overseas trip. It looked like it was heavily built, but the seams fell apart on the return trip. I was lucky that the baggage handlers were good guys who packed the stuff back in and taped everything back together.
