I was 1000 miles away from home on a business trip when 9/11 happened. I was literally on the road going to the airport. I immediately knew this was going to shut down travel. Called the rental car company, changed my dates and drop off location to my home town and made a dash for home. My GHB happened to be all the clothes/toiletries I had in my luggage and a company credit card.
I'm a woman. I have fat thighs. If my jeans wear out between my thighs, it can rub my inner thighs raw. It's so painful. I now make sure I have back up clothing. I can walk the distance, as long as my clothing doesn't chaffe me, or if I get blisters on my feet.
I work outside (in Florida) installing huge fuel tanks/piping and mechanical gear for new gas stations. It is like working in an oven. I wear synthetic pants with no underwear and apply organic coconut oil to completely avoid painful chaffing. This works good folks.
A simple umbrella can really make a difference. Rain(obviously), Wind Break, Shade (summer time is a killer). Verry portable and you probably already have on in your car.
For the trucker: get a foldable bike. I know two OTR truckers who started cycling with foldable bikes during their 10hour rest for 30 minutes since their health was bad (very common in truckers.) This will save him a lot of grief if he has to get home.
@@alishaparr577the Zizzo Forte is around $550, carries 300 lbs, and is the size of a BMX bike unfolded. Comes standard with a cargo rack iirc. Mine has done well by me
My back and shoulders are shot, so carrying a large pack is problematic. I purchased a large three wheeled baby stroller at a thrift store. It was tall wheels and can easily traverse rough ground. I found I can move comfortably between three and four miles per hour with my wife and mine combined 72 hour pack without any problems
Thanks buddy, my back is screwed too... I've gone for the push bike & panniers option, to get to the coast, then onto a bug out boat to the ocean. I live in the UK... There no where safe to hide here. 😢
If your cart is a BABY JOGGER brand, they have device that you can hook to your buggy and to a bicycle. Had one that carried my baby boy and now the occasional bag of groceries.
Another bonus, people watching you from afar might think that you were pushing a child and not bother you as much. I think I would have a little pink blanket over my pack might even get a kid's jacket, toy, stuffed animal, to add to the ruse. It would add a lot to your safety.
Also wagons; foldable from sporting goods sections or even a kids wagon. I keep a folding wagon with a (listed) 225 pound weight capacity in my minivan.
If you are truly a long way from home you might want to prioritize water location as a criteria for planning your routes back home. Also, consider bugs. Long sleeves/pants, a bug net, and/or repellant can make a world of difference.
As a nearly 70 year old with a life time of preparing, whether it was for winters on the farm, or this extenuation of the Cold War, carrying this or that from point A to point B means having a conveyance. Two sticks with canvas may carry firewood, supplies, children, etc. I have used sleds with rope to haul firewood. The idea of my comment is to think beyond your car to actually having to move things as you travel. Once you have that idea, what are the minimum tools for this to happen. That is where learning and thinking outside of the box will benefit you. Make you more confident. I am fully prepared for a fire or EMP. It doesn’t matter-- the requirements are basically the same. My shotgun and pup will crown my sled:) Could you do a video on this idea?
Get Home Bags are made for getting home and have minimal supplies to make it home with a minimum weight back pack. Different routes a compass, map, rain gear, sleeping gear, water, food, and protection . Weather also plays a factor. Thank you for better explaining the gear needed.
Long haul trucker here: I can’t thank you enough for doing this video. This is literally the only one. A couple points I like to make is 1 we’re talking more like a month long trip. Bare minimum 500 miles. 2 I’d recommend people checking out some ultralight hiker videos. It changed my bag completely.
I used to drive long haul and this was always a chore to figure out if it ever happened. As luck goes I figured if SHTF truly happens it would be a thousand miles out lol. I drive local now but I could still be a good 100 to 200 out if I got really unlucky. I have a get home bag but I’ll bet it won’t be good enough. As you can imagine my real issue now is having enough room in the cab to have a decent set up. Downside to everything I guess.
@@juxtaposition7904 you’re absolutely right, and I’ve been working with my dispatch to keep me on a circuit of Ohio to Florida, and that increases my ability to making it closer to home. Also, I am in peak physical condition and workout regularly. Instead of staying a truck stops I stay in shopping centers. Which gives me the increased flexibility of obtaining more food and water, and more guiltier ways of obtaining smaller transportation.
A friendly heads up on planning your route…it’s most likely not going to be a straight line but you’ll be moving from one water source to the next. The AT, PCT & CD trails are mapped out with that in mind. Water weighs 8.34 pounds per gallon so you’re not going to be able to carry much more than a gallon to a gallon and a half per day. Also, if water resupply points are far apart, make that day a marathon day. You’re using water when parked for the night but it’s not getting you closer to your next resupply point. Do a section hike if possible on a long trail to know what you think you can do in a day vs. what you can do in a day. Great job, Sootch. 👊🏼
I used to be a road warrior, and was often hundreds of miles from home. First thing I would do is find the closest Wal Mart. If you don't have a get home bag with you, you can get all the supplies you need. You could also get bicycles if cars aren't running.
I use a folding bike for riding the Greenway on the way home. Some of the Ozark Trail Walmart bikes aren't bad, but a bike you're familiar with is better
Something I include with all of my fire kits are the small pieces of fatwood fire start sticks like you use in a fireplace. They're usually about the size of a carpentry pencil or a little bit bigger. They make an excellent Firestarter when paired with cotton and Vaseline, wetfire cubes, char cloth, etc., or if you have a lighter or matches, they can be lit directly. Also usually carry a pocket size New Testament Bible. No explanation necessary. Stay safe America!
23:00 You mentioned survival shows and I've watched a lot of them. I've noticed people will get a stomach bug a couple days into it or even further along, despite taking precautions. I believe that this is sometimes caused by poor hand hygiene. Handling dead animals or even cleaning your own behind, but not having any way to wash your hands, will easily lead to contamination and illness. I once learned this lesson the hard way myself when I gave myself food poisoning by forgetting to wash my hands after cooking pork. While I don't carry soap, I do carry hand sanitizer (doubles as fire starter). If my BoB was in my car I'd definitely add some sort of soap such as the liquid soap sold for camping that can be used for dishes, hands and so on. Being sick on the trail could be disastrous.
You can also use food grade diatomaceous earth and bentonite clay for anti parasitics. Just mix a half tsp of either with water and swallow . They ship dry. The clay can also be used for bug bites.
Not only lack of hygiene. There are other factors: 1) Bad cooking (to not cook it properly, to not clean the deas animal properly etc) can create problems. 2) A drastic change in the diet can "upset" the body. 3) Eating acidic things when the stomach is "empty" or have been "empty" for a long time...can "upset" the stomach. 4) Spending too much without eating....create gas that creates pain when people start eating things. 5) Etc
One thing I love to have on me is one of those little flat disk type rubber sink stoppers. I have used that in so many situations to stop up sinks in the strangest places. To wash up, wash clothes…
Opening jars, or lids, twisting open your flashlight, anywhere you need traction, a hot pad for pot handle,, can even keep it on top of your coffee cup to keep it warm.
I travel the same rural 200 miles at least once a month. I stop at the same mom and pop run businesses each time and I’m making like minded friends. At least one family at the half way point would take me in and help. I’m developing others. Being a Christian, If I travel on Sunday mornings, I stop by small churches and meet people. Often they invite me for lunch. We talk and develop trust.
We travel to St Louis often, which would be a 7 day walk home including two major river crossings (Missouri and Mississippi). Bridges are population centers as well as the first place roadblocks (accidental or official) or checkpoints will appear. I chose a 70L dry bag for my pack, one of my old portage packs, not only will it keep things dry in the rain but it will FLOAT if we have to swim across anything substantial, I’ve also marked on my map the best crossing points for each body of water, where the sandbars are, the narrow spots, the shallow spots, the best places to cross safely and unnoticed (information that is reliable because I’ve stood in the river at those points and surveyed it myself). I’ve even marked places I know there are ramps, docks or campgrounds where we could “borrow” a boat or a canoe. Once on the correct side of the river, we have a storage unit in a small town about a days walk up the highway… with bicycles, food, water, other “supplies” to get us the rest of the way home. We could even stay in the unit for a few days if the weather is against us. We have family in STL so we share this “drop box” with the understanding that we will either meet up before leaving town or at the storage unit and go the rest of the way together. A handful of armed men with women and children stand a much better chance of things go bad quickly.
You are NOT walking 7 days to get home. It is NOT happening. BTW, if the SHTF that badly where you have to cross the Mississippi by floating, do you really think your home is still intact?
@@timothymckee7693 "All those migrants from 160 countries walking across Mexico in 100 plus degree heat are doing it by the millions." Yes. In a group through major cities and even then many die along the way.
@@papimaximus95 7 days isn’t that far, I’ve walked many more miles with a far heavier pack. 7 days is the estimate, given a route that avoids people as much as possible and accounts for any sort of reasonable detours. Anything up to two weeks would be acceptable, with our supplies and route…. As for crossing either river, it’s completely doable, the majority of people who drown in the river are drunken boating accidents; swimming would be far preferable to going into town or dealing with the crowds who will be on the interstate… and yes, my home would absolutely be perfectly intact. Do you think anyone goes to such pains to plan the trip home if home it’s self isn’t a fucking fortress?
@@RyanGr33n "Do you think anyone goes to such pains to plan the trip home if home it’s self isn’t a fucking fortress?" _Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man._ - Gen. George S. Patton. EVERY "fortress", castle, wall, fort, etc has been defeated.
This may be the most comprehensive and well put together presentation on this topic that I've seen. It breaks it down in a way that non-emergency personnel can understand what is important and why. Good job.
I live in TX, work in Oklahoma for weeks straight ( oilfield ) and my walk home is 350 miles. I can tell you my pack weighs 80 plus pounds and has all that l need for that trek! By the way... l have a pretty strong back from all the work and lifting of iron l do at work but l have no illusion that it will be extremely hard to carry that and might have to shed some of the weight along that walk! I also wish those who may have to or find themselves having to walk such a distance the best of luck and god speed!!
Man that's crazy dude. I live in Oklahoma and work in West Texas. 450 miles to home for me. I also work in the oilfield lol. I'm a derrickhand. We are twinkies lol.
You are NOT walking 350 miles to get home. It is NOT happening. BTW, if the SHTF that badly where you have to walk 350 miles, do you really think your home is still intact?
@papimaximus95 Wether my home is still there depends on what occured. I just refuse to not try walking home were something major to happen! I don't like to look at a situation, look at how daunting it is, just lay down and giving up without doing nothing!!
@@rubencollazo8857 "Wether my home is still there depends on what occured." An event happened that is so catastrophic that you need to WALK 350 miles home...you will NEVER make it. Now for reality: Make a realistic plan NOW with your family. Like, you will hold up at a location 25 miles from where you are until you can regroup. Or meet me at Old Man Trotter's farm 100 miles away for a pickup 10 days after the event.
Unfortunately most people will never have the physical fitness to carry weight over long distance. If fitness is not part of your preps you are in for a rude awakening.
I have mobility issues due to 3 spinal surgeries (the last one landed me in a wheelchair for a year). This is my nightmare. I do, however, have contingency plans in place should I get caught on the road and have to make my way home under my own steam. Living in The Ozarks and our terrain is rather unforgiving, I have an e-bike, with around 6 hours of battery life (covered in a Faraday mantle), a solar crank handheld device to recharge (only weighs 6 precious oz), and a nice travois that I made from titanium tubing. A backpack for me would present serious balance concerns, thus the travois. I never travel more than 2 vehicle hours away without someone else with me, for obvious reasons.
as a Truck driver, I have a fix route of 600 + miles a day, back and forth so I prepared a long distance get home bag so, on my free time I put it to the test and after 3 days in the woods I realized my bag was a big failure, and so was the second, third and fourth version of it. This is what I learned: High calorie Pemmican and ditch the home made MRE's, Filtration method over water weight, different routes for each weather season (it snows a lot here on winter) find other means to handle the weight of your gear, do not always carry the pack in our back. it can get freaking cold at night even on summer. higiene! rash and blisters are not fun. Google Maps calculated 9 days and 11 hours for the trip however for what I have experimented it will take me about 27 days in fair weather to walk back home and twice the time in winter, if possible, at all.
Take a look at folding bikes. Cuts the travel time. Zizzo, Montague, Flatbike/Change bikes, Tern, Brompton, lots of options and some like the Zizzo Forte are only about $500
Thank you for making this video. I travel a lot for work in the north east. (Less tahn 300 miles) Only thing i would add is the skill of being able to read and understand a map. Took an advanced map reading coarse a few years back and there is a lot more to it than what people think.
I work 55 miles from home. I have a get home bag that includes faraday bags with a Garmin GPSMAP, Fenix 6X Pro, and Ham and GMRS radios. I have a route that takes foot paths from my work to my house. It’s not the quickest route, but it keeps me off the roads. Of course I still have paper maps and a compass, plus the entire route printed out and laminated. Thanks for the tips Sootch!
Rule of 3 is a great base to GHB. Consider a folding bike or roller blades stored in you vehicle. That can shorten a long trek. Items stored along the way can be of great help too.
We have been watching your show for years and this would have to be the best updates. Also we always stay untill the end for the bloopers. Love it mate. Cheers from Australia.
I’ve never seen a good video on planning for a storm evacuation. Things like choosing evacuation routes. As well as planning for a return to your house where are you? May have to cut tree limbs to get to your property. You may have to provide your own electricity, alternate cooking source, and even security in a great down situation. Thought I’d be a good topic for you guys.
Get a foldable Fat Tire Ebike! I did and had it stored with extra batteries and survival gear with a deer cart to transport my now Transformed wife. For 10 years we had to go round trip about 80 miles into and out of crimeville Washington DC and immediate suburbs--sometimes three or four times per month! I rigged a towing brace to the heavy duty deer cart where my wife would be in a comfortable leg extended sitting up position using military surplus seat pads. Just remember to AT LEAST double the amount of batteries that you would normally expect to use for one person with the e-bike. * If you are by yourself, just get a top-of-the-line Himiway Cobra Pro fat tire with a better quality bicycle towing cart for your survival supplies. In both scenarios above, remember to pack your Holy Bible, King James version for spiritual motivation. As usual, your presentations show the spirit of God in you and your family. Keep up the GOoD work! ...Blessings!
I keep a compressible dry bag inside my pack. It’s big enough to place all contents of the pack or even the whole pack itself inside. Bonus is, the extra dry bag can double as a water collection device.
Hey Don You mentioned that you were going to have a rifle with you on vacation could you possibly do a video on how you specifically carry/transport your rifle and how you keep it secure in a hotel or beach house/air bnb thanks
10:50 I carry a couple of disposable N95 masks in my EDC and no, they aren't for viruses per se. They can be used for dust and smoke and provide much better protection than a simple bandana (I also carry a shemagh). Keeping with the whole "grey man" thing, if we started to see a return of restrictions like wearing a mask in stores, I'd rather blend in than stand out. As someone who's trained in proper use of N95 masks in a medical environment and who worked unvaccinated in an H1N1 clinic back in 2009, we can argue about the effectiveness of fit-tested N95 masks used by trained persons on another day! ;-)
As far as light at night. Get a headlamp that has red light as well as a white light. The read will be harder to pick up by other people and animals as you travel at night. And if you have a firearm on your person, it might be good idea to have a little cleaning kit with lube
Been driving since 2014. I have this plus more. The main thing is a foldable bike, with a rack on the back. With that, i got a bigger bag, making it a 10 day bag. The rack now supports the extra weight. Small 2 person tent, wrapped in my tarp, 10 days food, ect..ect... Been camping since i was 9, we go every year its a habit to do this. We pray we never have to do this, but prepared if we do.
I travel the country for work and as a general rule of thumb, it takes 3days walking for every hour (highway) driven. That's walk 8, rest 8 and shelter/food/water 8
I live in a rural area about an 80km walk from my workplace. I EDC a BoB kit inside the bottom of my daily pack (5.11 Rush 24 in black). My main concern is water so my EDC water bottle is a Grayl Ultrapress that I normally just fill from the cooler at work or tap at home. In addition I carry a bunch of stuff that would make walking home less painful than without, plus I also have a cache at my desk in case I'm at work when things go sideways. During the summer months I also carry bug spray and in the winter months I add a 750 ml titanium cup with fuel and stove since most membrane filters are problematic in cold weather. I also adjust the extra layers I carry depending on the weather for the week.
I also carry a 5.11 Rush 24 as my longer range (up to 85 km) GHB. I keep a Rush 12 in my car as a short range GHB since usual routine keeps me within 25 km of home. I train regularly with both packs but as a retired guy at age 66 the long range situation really concerns me. I'm in good health and reasonably fit (6 ft / 185 lb) but I know that even a pack weight of 25 lb including water is at the the limit of what I can realistically carry over distance. Being in Canada i also have to consider climate. Problem with getting old is that it is extremely hard to build strength and stamina :(
You are NOT walking 80KM to get home. It is NOT happening. BTW, if the SHTF that badly where you have to walk 80KMs, do you really think your home is still intact?
Not walking 50 miles? Sounds quite plausible over a few days. Emp wouldn’t necessarily destroy one’s home. Many have longevity items prepped at home/camp etc.
I have an old GT Mountain bike in my garage I'm going to be restoring. I want to get it back up and running, put some new parts on it and what have you, get it tuned up and I got a set of wheels to get me where I need to go... Get me a bike tool kit, spare tube, patch kits and I'm good to go...
When it comes to maps you can never go wrong with a Rand McNally road atlas and a compass both will be very useful and even save your life as long as you know how to use them
Great point. One major issue we face is a massive water barrier to get back home. At least a 3 mile swim or a very long walk around said water barrier. Might have to find an alternate safe location as opposed to getting home.
Yes. I live in a region with a lot of rivers and streams. On the plus side, I’m never far from a water source. On the negative side, there is a very large East/West river and a large North/South river that I frequently cross. Lack of bridge or boat could theoretically strand me away from egress home.
Great video. As I was watching I was thinking that alot of the tips and suggestions that you gave are the same things that thru - hikers of the Appalachian Trail have to take into consideration when planning their trips, so any books, articles, or guides regarding that could be a valuable resource when planning a long distance go bag.
Sootch/Sensible Prepper stay on point. Always remember to test & check your preps every so often )as mentioned @ 14:15) & keep researching to keep improving - not only your loadout but skillset as well (which will determine your loadout). Love how you stressed to make it your own based on your situation/needs.
I carry a bag like this everyday in my vehicle and another winter light wieght bag also. A map is the only thing I don't have, but most office supply stores has laminated maps so you don't have to worry about it getting wet.
Absolutely love the video love all the information you provided backpack survival. The one thing I would change is your container the “Hydro flask” it’s double walled. I would not suggest heating up anything that container. I would use a single wall container to do that.
Like having a fire starting kit and redundancy but not necessarily *all* together. Just have that one pouch fall out of the bag and you are in trouble.
One thing you might consider is a rugged phone (waterproof, shockproof, dustproof). There are rugged smartphones out there that have long battery life that lasts for days. Some are so big that they can even double as a power bank. More importantly, many have night vision camera AND infrared camera. Some also double as walkie-talkies. Brands like Ulefone, Doogee, Unihertz, Oukitel, Blackview may not ring a bell with many Americans but these companies built their brand on rugged phones. I don't think all models work with US networks but some do because I've seen Americans do reviews of these phones.
Keep Bic lighters in an old altoids tin. Protects it from accidentally triggering releasing the butane, but also serves as a good self contained tinder kit
Just to put in my 2 cents. About crossing a river. Get a large contractor bag, tie it up tight with some extra air and it will surely float. Just learn to combat side stroke so you can pull it across or tow/pull it with a length of rope when you get across your self. Hope this helps.
I've dropped a jeans since this summer due to detox juice diet. I bought new jeans, new underwear, and extra socks last night. I don't want to trek miles in jeans that are a size too big.
Thank you for the clip...Very nice equipment, but I have a suggestion that might be useful, which is: adding small-sized solar panels...and a tourniquet to stop the bleeding...a Garmin watch
One of the main things that I have found is that my BOB is too heavy for me to carry any distance (I am 80 and have recently has several major operations), but I can and do walk fine with minimal stuff for a daily walk. So in a real case I would likely just take my GHB that is a very minimal size shoulder bag and so minimal gear in it and try and supplement along the way where possible. One item that I have never needed in several genuine possible disasterous multi-week situations, is a Torniquet, so I always consider a belt &/or a triangular bandage as a fallback if needed.
I plan to use canal towpaths in the UK. I have canal maps. I won't use main roads. I want maps of railway lines too. If there's no trains, use train lines to get home.
I would use a military poncho to go with the poncho liner. It can shed or collect rain water and also be used to wrap your backpack to make a raft. I preferred a Silva compass over the military style compasses.
If you need to get home with your dog, remember food for the dog in your pack. Just bought an extra collapsible bowl - small and cheap $1.25 at Dollar Tree - comes with a little carabiner to attach it outside if you have to.
Thank you. My son is a geologist and fly's all over the place to do a job for weeks on end. He can not take a Get Home bag ANYWHERE. I helped him make a bag for his vehicle, but it is useless. We are in central KY and he is in Northern US right now 781m away. 3.5mph- 23 days- 10 hrs a day walking. Major cities, road blocks, no access, told him to trade something for a motorcycle. God Bless and stay safe.
if your son is checking a bag on the plane he can certainly bring a bunch of the stuff that he needs as far as the get home bag. This backpack he uses can be filled with the items from his suitcase.
i love those big Delome map books. I have them all for the MNW area and take them on all my camp trips. In a pinch or BugOut I can tear out the pages, number them, , fold and place in a 1 gallon Ziplok baggie.
As an OTR truck driver i planned to be able to walk home fro any point in the country. I had very little food in my pack. I had items to obtain what i needed, food and water.
How ironic. I was getting a oil change. On the suv. This Morining . While waiting . I was reading A. AMERICAN. . GOING HOME. And now. I'm watching this video . From SOOTCH.. keep up the good work . Thanks for the. Video . And information.
When you take a metal cooky box they come in all sizes and forms...... Insulate the inside so that the metal won't touch what you put inside...... You have a faraday box. And these tin boxes don't way much.
A suggestion. Instead of a gas stove that gas must be purchased. I suggest A backpack combo stove. For this long range scenario. My choice would be the Firebox Scout, less than $30 or the Firebox Nano, about $60-75. Both will burn alcohol, wood, charcoal, twigs and can use can be used with a gas burner.
Back when I drove a truck 48 states I had what I called a get home bag and what most would call a bugout bag… My get home bag was a pretty good sized duffle bag that had the tools required to acquire transportation.. I wasn’t to hip on the idea of trying to drive a 18 wheeler hundreds of miles home in civil unrest. Especially pulling a trailer which would for sure basically put a huge bullseye on me… I often pulled reefer trailer’s and I figured my best chance to get home was to acquire a diesel pickup, take the reefer fuel tank and throw it in the bed of the pickup.. In the bag is a cordless impact and the proper sockets and wrenches to take the reefer fuel tank off the trailer, tool to slice thru the pickup bed, 2 ratchet straps to tie it the tank to the bed, electric fuel pump and fuel hose.. I also have some food and other gear in it as well. Diesel will be FAR easier and faster to acquire than gas, and a diesel pickup full of fuel with another 50 gallons in the bed will cover hundreds of miles. Granted, I would drop the trailer off the truck and head home keeping an eye out for a pickup that would be easy to snag. Worse case scenario that bag would be left behind and I would rely on what many would call my bugout bag if need be. But I would always be looking for a mode of transportation to get home to my other supplies.. These days I’m usually never more than 300 miles from home so my get home bag is smaller. Now my plan is to just drop the trailer and haulazz home. The truck I drive is not governed and I normally don’t let it get past the amount of fuel I would need to get home, but I do keep the electric pump in it just Incase. I don’t go anywhere anymore where I don’t know the even the dirt roads. And although not super strong the truck has a deer guard on the front. Minus an EMP I will make it home. I’m not overly concerned with an EMP because I have ZERO doubt our enemies have already exploited the hell out of our border and they already have operatives here to take down or weak and mostly unguarded power grid. They can literally shut down the power grid and sit back with popcorn and watch the US eat it’s own, makes zero sense for an enemy to launch a missiles . That would pretty much guarantee mutual destruction.
Even if you are not far from home, especially living in the city, what makes anyone think, that in a emergency, large enough to cause you to abandon your vehicle and make you walk home, that you’ll be able to just make a direct B-line to your home completely unobstructed and unabated. You have to think of contingencies ie. Having to detour to avoid people and problems, needing to sleep etc.
Exactly! You are NOT walking to get home. It is NOT happening. BTW, if the SHTF that badly where you have to walk home, do you really think your home is still intact?
@@michaelw2288 " Major river crossings should have a Primary, Alternate, Contingency and Emergency. " Stop trying to sound cool. A PACE plan is usually about communications. How would a PACE plan be used to cross a river?
@@papimaximus95 Primary : the large road bridge you would normally take. If that is down Alt. The next bridge up or down stream Contingency. A guy you know with a boat who will take you across. Emergency. A stolen boat, or improvised raft or the inflatable you cached.
Rather than electronic night vision gear, I recommend a good binocular. Ideal in my opinion is a quality waterproof 6x30 or 7x35. These will afford about a 5mm exit pupil and greatly enhance your natural night vision at all distances even under an overcast night sky. If there is a lot of starlight or moon present even better. In daytime you will be able to see what (and maybe who) is up ahead in the distance, choosing routes and discerning obstacles etc. Worth their weight in gold in my opinion.
regarding calories - Instant mashed potatoes are calorie dense hi carb = ideal food for sustained aerobic effort. add tuna and chicken packets for protein. Palatable food is eaten food. Map cases - clear kitchen shelf paper is cheap waterproof lamination for maps - sandwich your map in shelf paper and its waterproof, write on and durable. Alcohol stoves are more long duration fuel compared to cannisters - bottle of HEET and a burner will last longer and weigh less. Thoughts on GHB in fallout (after sheltering for 72hrs minimum) - N95 masks - and disposable ponchos - duct tape to make improvised britches from a contractor bag. - all to be discarded when hot zone is cleared.
Remember just because you have a tarp or tent you dont need to set up every night. If you need shade and there is none the tarp is nice and of course if its raining. Just sleeping under stars are fine and much fast and harder to spot if stealth sleeping.
I am a trucker too, to me the question is not "is my bag good enough"? But "am i good enough"? To walk a day, a week or maybe even a month or more, and i feel like this question applies to everyone.
Can you remember what year it was that y’all had a perfect conference there in Greenville at the bad news church that was the first time I had ever met you I was impressed
Tips traveling on road by foot. Never walk in the center of any road always walk to the very side. If the road has a ditch along the road or vegetation such as trees or shrubs travel in it if it's not too obstruction of your path. The key is to not be a visible target.
If you're going to take tent pegs, make sure to bring something to drive those pegs into hard ground or they'll be no use to you at all. A hammer might be too heavy, but a meat mallet tenderizer is almost as good and much lighter.
I have the Maxpedition Falcon bag with all the necessities,Casstrom Swedish Forest Knife with fire steel,decent headlamp,Helikon Swagman Roll poncho,just to mention a few items.Too much to mention but my pack includes most of what you mention.I'm into bushcraft and hike quite a bit.
I always look to the nearest place to procure a bicycle when i get someplace. You can travel 3x the distance in a day until you have to ditch the bicycle.
