Bug out bags

baords dyslexic

Spotted the Vango Trail 45 today in the same in the local camping shop marked at 40euro reduced to 32euro, not in the same league as the Karrimor Sabre 45 but about the right size and much better quality than some of the kids school bag type rucksacs.

baords dyslexic

I was thinking about making a Bug Out Jacket or at least having the contents of the jacket pockets ready when required. Most of my jackets have 6 pockets four on the outside and 2 on the inside same as many combat jackets so I was looking for insperation and was googling survival tin contents list as a starting point as one pocket could be reserved for this. I turned up this link which I found really useful but I also got interested in the RSK Mk5 knife. Does anyone have experience of this mini knife?

krissovo

baords dyslexic wrote: »

I was thinking about making a Bug Out Jacket or at least having the contents of the jacket pockets ready when required.

Fine idea, in fact I would go as far to say that a good well equipped jacket is 2nd most important bit of kit you can prep. I have a plain berghaus gore tex jacket with a few mods.

The wire for the hood is replaced with a wire saw and wrapped in snare wire.
A secret pocket on the back has €200, $200 and £200 in notes
Additional lining layer of parachute silk stitched in (Irish/UK & EU maps)
Two front map pockets on velcro (hidden)
Spork attached to paracord lanyard
Multitool attached to paracord lanyard- In suitcase when traveling
1oz of gold (Kugerrand) - An off shoot of military days but the habit has stuck
Compass
Tobacco and papers
Mini first aid kit
Key rings on all zips

We used to use similar setups in the forces for escape and evasion which is just a fancy military term for bugging out. Supplement the jacket with a decent knife and for luxury a metal mug and you can live in relative comfort.

I also got interested in the RSK Mk5 knife. Does anyone have experience of this mini knife?

Looks a handy knife that would fit in a survival tin, smaller and probably tougher than a folder. At over €20 it maybe to expensive for a punt as my fear is relying on the paracord for the grip.

bonniebede

My bob is designed with the thought of walking to a rural location over a couple of days. Seeing the blackthorn stick on Docs post made me think that adding something which could provide similar faciltites might be useful, an aide to walking and to self defense? (hat tip Doc Ruby:))

Perhaps a quarter staff model from the woodies replacement garden tool handle range...

http://www.buy4now.ie/woodiesdiy/shopping.aspx?loc=C&catid=102.15.6

or just any old found bit of wood that was fit for purpose...

Dawn Rider

bonniebede wrote: »

My bob is designed with the thought of walking to a rural location over a couple of days. Seeing the blackthorn stick on Docs post made me think that adding something which could provide similar faciltites might be useful, an aide to walking and to self defense? (hat tip Doc Ruby:))

Perhaps a quarter staff model from the woodies replacement garden tool handle range...

http://www.buy4now.ie/woodiesdiy/shopping.aspx?loc=C&catid=102.15.6

or just any old found bit of wood that was fit for purpose...

Did you google "scout stave"? Plenty of ideas there.
The Woodies handles might be a bit heavy, but could still be used to hold up your tarp etc...

eth0

Are there not plenty sticks thrown around the place anyway? Just seems like one of very few things you won't have trouble finding. Even in the city there will be a skip or a tree to tear one out of

ShadowFox

For those of us in a mostly urban area a small crowbar, emergency shatter hammer, bolt cutter and most important ear plugs as there is going to be a hell of alot of house business alarms screaming if the power goes down

eth0

grapeape wrote: »

For those of us in a mostly urban area a small crowbar, emergency shatter hammer, bolt cutter and most important ear plugs as there is going to be a hell of alot of house business alarms screaming if the power goes down

Crow bar will sort those alarms too. Never understood the big 'wee-ooh wee-ooh' house alarms. Nobody gives a fcuk all it does is tempt people to actually break in just to smash up the alarm

ShadowFox

eth0 wrote: »

Crow bar will sort those alarms too. Never understood the big 'wee-ooh wee-ooh' house alarms. Nobody gives a fcuk all it does is tempt people to actually break in just to smash up the alarm

a can of NO MORE BIG GAPS works wonders :eek:

eth0

grapeape wrote: »

a can of NO MORE BIG GAPS works wonders :eek:

you can use it to silence the boy racers too. first do all alarms, then off to the supermac's car park to empty a few cans. what else? maybe a few scumbags causing racket on the street - give them a blast of it in the gob and live life in perfect silence

ShadowFox

eth0 wrote: »

you can use it to silence the boy racers too. first do all alarms, then off to the supermac's car park to empty a few cans. what else? maybe a few scumbags causing racket on the street - give them a blast of it in the gob and live life in perfect silence

Tempting

Dawn Rider

eth0 wrote: »

Are there not plenty sticks thrown around the place anyway? Just seems like one of very few things you won't have trouble finding. Even in the city there will be a skip or a tree to tear one out of

This is true. My Dad always finds one when out hiking, and then chucks it when getting back in the car after-wards. Usually very close to where he found it, so it's just like 'returning it back to nature'.;)

Scout stave's are nice to play around with though... figuring out how to attach fishing hooks & lines and wrapping para cord around it etc. But, like anything in your kit, you have to weigh up (Literally) its real usefulness.

kildare.17hmr

Iv a stick about 4.5 ft long and perfect girth for my hand, i was cutting down a bush in my garden about 3 years ago and got it there, perfectly straight. I took the bark off and left it for about 8 months in the garage to dry out now its hard as a rock and gets plenty of use when i go hiking or walking with the dog or need to smash something up! I put a hurly grip on it too for comfort! It lives beside my bed when not being used. Wouldnt mind one of those cold steel jobs tho they look the business!

Doc Ruby

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Wouldnt mind one of those cold steel jobs tho they look the business!

They are the business too, I shudder to think what they might do to an aggressive beastie, they'd turn meat and bone into your granny's mashed spuds. One thing though, there's no grip at all on the bottom, you need to shoe them with rubber or something with a bit of a grip to use them as a walking stick properly. I've mine shoed in Merlin's gold, and I hope to get around to putting a few nice designs along the shaft one of the days.

kildare.17hmr

Is there much weight in it doc? I take it the ball bit on the top is solid yeah?

Doc Ruby

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Is there much weight in it doc? I take it the ball bit on the top is solid yeah?

Solid enough, all in its around a kilo. I've modified my own with the shoe and some leather wrappings, not sure I'd trust the finish on the top to hang around long if you really went to work, but generally a reliable bit of kit.

baords dyslexic

Picked up a few camera case things in Lidl's and found that I had a couple spare as they were just too small for the intended job, sooooo thought the one with the hard case might serve as a posh survival tin?

Downside is its not watertight so I'll put some items in plastic inside it, up side is its a little lager than a 2oz backy tin and a nice shape to fit into a pocket. Because its a bit bigger than the usual tin I'll start off with larger items that might last a bit longer and refine it as I go along.

The zips have chunky metal bits on the closures which I might cut off and replace with key rings.

Kit so far - but its got a long way to go/evolve yet.



Fire steel + Magnesesium Block fire starter + hacksaw blade striker (don't really need 2 strikers).
LEDLenser V9 Micro - with minor swtich mod to save on batteries - push button is easily puched when packed.
Stanley craft knife - Blade and handle split apart to fit in case.
Knife Sharpening stone - might remove, quite a small one but still takes up a lot of space.
Whistle - Plastic
Bic type Lighter
Roll of dental floss - taken out of its plastic drum
Candle - night light so bit big might fill tin then carve candle to fit into a corner or use it to hold pins.
Pair of rubbler gloves - might reduse to just one
Transparent 35mm film can awaiting a use - small items, pills, fish hooks, needles thread - could wrap some tape around it or fishing line.
Lemsip
Couple of Plasters
Small pencil
Saftey pin

Still to add/find -

Small lense
Sewing needles including large darning needle
Thread
Compass
Brass Picture hanging wire
Mirror - Might use Tin Foil
Pain Killers
Few more Safety Pins
Fish hooks, swivels and line
Couple of larger plasters.
Small folding knife - maybe
Key rings.
Couple of spare blades for craft knife.
Wire saw

bonniebede

nice show and tell, thanks

What is the dental floss for? I mean I know what dental floss is for, but why in your survival tin?

bonniebede

What about plastic mirrors for bob, or using adhesive mirror plastic sheet on inside of a tin? Would these be sufficiently brightly reflective for signalling and rescue purposes?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACRYLIC-MIRROR-TILES-100x100mm-self-adhesive-pads-/250975016240?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3a6f46d530

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MIRROR-102-Instant-mirror-roll/dp/B001RUFZ5C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328870615&sr=8-1

baords dyslexic

bonniebede wrote: »

nice show and tell, thanks

What is the dental floss for? I mean I know what dental floss is for, but why in your survival tin?

Mr Google has lots of good answers http://www.google.ie/search?q=survival+dental+floss and some vids.

But this covers it very well and saves me any major brain activity untill I get outside a decent strong cup of black coffee http://blog.totallyready.com/tip-of-the-week-dental-floss-an-important-survival-tool-really/03/05/

baords dyslexic

bonniebede wrote: »

What about plastic mirrors for bob, or using adhesive mirror plastic sheet on inside of a tin? Would these be sufficiently brightly reflective for signalling and rescue purposes?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACRYLIC-MIRROR-TILES-100x100mm-self-adhesive-pads-/250975016240?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3a6f46d530

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MIRROR-102-Instant-mirror-roll/dp/B001RUFZ5C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328870615&sr=8-1

The instant mirror is a good idea, I'll scrounge a bit next time I see a mate of mine that does sign making - I've seen rolls of it in his workshop

colonel-yum-yum

Finally "splashed out" and picked up a bag. I'm going to be keeping my old bag for BOB purposes for the time being, but this definitely has potential as a good sturdy bag.
Bought on ebay
Seems very well put together and not likely to rip under weight. Well padded straps with waist belt, and decent amount of storage (30L).

Translation of the description in case anyone is interested (In french even though the guy is in dublin)

High Quality new military camouflage backpack US military assault pack 30L Soft Buy our product today - carrying capacity of this backpack great value!
A comfortable backpack and solid

The back and shoulder straps are padded for comfort. The straps of 1 cm thick and 6.5 cm wide are adjustable in length. The inner surface of the shoulder straps and padded back part are covered with mesh for ventilation. Thus, you will not be embarrassed when you travel. The backpack has a removable and adjustable waist belt for added support. Finally, the zip closure compartments are reinforced to ensure rock solid.

Ultra functional
In addition to comfort you get from the US Assault Pack Mil-Tec, it is also highly functional. Its 4 compartments and its large front and side surfaces covered with MOLLE ® system, you can leave a large storage and adding equipment. Its large compartments allow you to carry a laptop for example. It has a pocket for hydration pack (supplied separately). The straps have a ring to attach additional hardware. Rapid closure of the lumbar belt can quickly remove the backpack. A carrying handle is located on the top allowing you to easily move it or possibly be evacuated quickly if needed. Finally, the bag US Assault Pack has 6 compression straps with quick closing: two on each side and two on the bottom of the bag.

Compartments
The lower front pocket: covered MOLLE ® system, this bag measures 20 cm wide, 22.5 cm high and 5 cm deep. It has two internal pockets, 1 with pen holders. It closes with a zip-zip.

The high front pocket: also covered MOLLE ® system, it measures 16 cm wide, 10 cm high and 5 cm deep. Also closes by means of a closure dual slider.

The main compartment before: a dimension of 20 cm wide, 40 cm high and 7 inches deep, this compartment has a double zipper closure. It has 2 internal pockets: 1 single and 1 double pocket net.

The main compartment rear with dimensions of 20 cm wide, 43 cm high and 11 cm deep, it opens fully with its dual slider closure. It also has two internal pockets: one mesh pocket with 22 cm high and 20 cm wide and a zipper pocket 13 cm high and 20 cm wide.

The backpack US Assault Pack Mil-Tec Ultra is perfect and comfortable for your hand without you interfering. Light and strong it is the essential tool for your travels. Come to find it in your online store military surplus!

* Capacity: 30L
* 2 main compartment
* 2 zippered outer pockets
* Large main compartment with zippered mesh pocket
* All pockets with zipper two way
* Pocket for hydration pack integrated
* Padded shoulder straps
* Breathable back padding
* Detachable Belt lumbar
* Compression straps for volume control and setting equipment
* SOFT loops on the front of the bag for attaching accessories
* Carrying handle
* The waist strap is adjustable and removable
* Composition: 600D polyester, PVC coated
* Dimensions: approx. 42x20x25cm (16.5 "x8.0" X9.8 ")
* Weight: 1100g
* Water-resistant
* Manufacturer: Mil-Tec

(Not sure why the one I got was pictured upside down though!)

baords dyslexic

Link if you like looking at pics of other peoples survival gear and survival tins http://www.flickriver.com/groups/survivalkits/pool/interesting/ You might even spot something you want to add to your own kit.

I noticed someone with a birthday cake candle in a survival matchbox, so birthday cake candles are now on my shoping list.

I also like the idea of the survival bucket kit near the end.

bonniebede

I saw a small plastic box in euro shop yesterday which might make a good survival tin. About the size of a tobacco tin, it was a travel kit for contact lenses. It had a few plastic items inside but what caught my eye was the mirror on the inside of the lid.
It looked durable enough, but i decided not to get it because I don't really know what use I would have for a survival tin yet.

Re candles, birthday candles only last a few minutes. Try cutting down a larger size candle to fit, you can make it square for packaging purposes. And make it tallow, so you can eat it if you have to.:)

baords dyslexic

I've found a lot of plastic boxes (especially from the "pound" shop) shatter very easily (that doesn't mean they are not strong), the old 2oz backy tin is as near as good as you can get for a survival tin. The altoides tin is to my mind a little small.

I know the the birthday candles have a rubish burning time compared to a night light but its all about having stuff when you need it and a birthday candle might leave room for something else that might be useful. A birthday candle is certainlly a good idea in an altoides sized survival tin.

You keep mentioning Tallow Candles so why not do a taste testing and report back http://www.ebay.ie/itm/BCB-TALLOW-CANDLES-x-2-Survival-Bushcraft-Camping-/350170964155 , I'd normally have a few hundred calories worth of dog biscuits with me when I'm out and about and they are surprisingly addictive .

Found some other stuff I wanted for my "tin" on eBay the quantites are mad but for a couple of euro and a long wait (as opposed to a short stand :o) its half the price for a lot more than you really need from Hong Kong.

Flat magnifier http://www.ebay.ie/itm/110808864741
20mm compass http://www.ebay.ie/itm/280760731862

Grizzly 45

http://www.crawfordknives.com/SURVIVAL%20STAFF%20PAGE%201.htm

Wouldnt mind one of these.The price is hideous though!!!
What think you folks of this ???Gimmicky or worthwhile??? Dont think you need worry about the quality if it is Crawford knives though.

ShadowFox

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

http://www.crawfordknives.com/SURVIVAL%20STAFF%20PAGE%201.htm

Wouldnt mind one of these.The price is hideous though!!!
What think you folks of this ???Gimmicky or worthwhile??? Dont think you need worry about the quality if it is Crawford knives though.

That is sweet ill have to look into one of them

Doc Ruby

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

http://www.crawfordknives.com/SURVIVAL%20STAFF%20PAGE%201.htm

Wouldnt mind one of these.The price is hideous though!!!
What think you folks of this ???Gimmicky or worthwhile??? Dont think you need worry about the quality if it is Crawford knives though.

The "missile spear point" better be a SAM for that price. It reminds me a bit of some of the more elaborate 19th century walking sticks, they had whiskey flasks in them, knives, swords, horse measuring tools, compasses, secret compartments, anything really.

But eh no, very dubious legally to have a blade contained within a walking stick, it would be a lot weaker than a simple stick due to all the accoutrements inside it (and if it breaks there goes the lot), the price god almighty, and you could make it yourself for about a tenner.

baords dyslexic

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

http://www.crawfordknives.com/SURVIVAL%20STAFF%20PAGE%201.htm

Wouldnt mind one of these.The price is hideous though!!!
What think you folks of this ???Gimmicky or worthwhile??? Dont think you need worry about the quality if it is Crawford knives though.

You wouldn't tie your survival knife to a pole and use it as a spear, fair enough, but you'd pay that money for a spear

But I fear I might be contributing in taking the topic of bug out bags even further of topic into the realms of ninja weapons.

dan dan

Think of the situation where your lovely ultimate bag floats away or is lost to you by some circumstances. A pack in a belt or pendant.parachord belt,bracelet necklace.

SAS guide,local botanic information. Edible or not indigenous to your area.

Trapping,snaring,hunting.not just tools but correct knowlege of their use.
You can carry as much vital stuff in your head, as you carry in a big bag.