Criticize my EDC/go bag - share/compare yours!

[Marine Cpl]

Most hired help "store clerks" in the grocery stores, I would agree with you. Small business owners (gas station, bakeries, hardware and the general store types) will take PMs at the first sight of a nation wide catastrophe, or they will shut their doors immediately. If a nuke detonates the paper you have will only be useful starting fires. All the small store owners I deal with have radios tuned to the local stations, they will know what you know right off the bat. A few small PM coins on your pocket wouldn't hurt.

Everything you say is correct except for the bakeries. Those bakers can be dense!

On a serious note, you are pretty high up north there and the people think differently . Down by us, we have Indians at every 7eleven and gas station. They will take your money.

 

[Uzi]

To that collection shown I'd add;

a multi tool that includes a phillips and flat head screwdriver.
a nice good quality bandana. They can be used for more things than probably everything else I can think of.
a magnesium firestarter. No worrying about rain or fuel or smashing or crushing over any period of time.
a 3 day food ration.

For a bug out bag though, for an EDC not sure I'd want to carry around so much crap all the time.

 

[speedkills27]

Id say as a get home bag I would add a tourniquet (or 2), some Quik Clot gauze, a dust mask/respirator as stated above, and a pair of side cutters capable of cutting fences. Also i keep my fire starting tinder in an old prescription pill bottle which offers more resistance to moisture/water.

 

[Day444]

Small can of "Bag Balm".

 

[freddy]

Keep up moral - bring along some porn.

 

[Blimey]

I'd think of adding some paracord, but I would immediately ditch that box of bullets and replace it with a 24 hour ration bar. Maybe two of those. I see little value in the chemical lights when they could also be replaced by food. Realistically you're going to need food far more likely than even a second magazine.
I didn't see a container within which to drink water. You could get a nalgene and pack a bunch of items into that for weight.

Ditch the knife and adjustable wrench and go for a multi-tool.

Also, you forgot to add a whistle.

Oh, as for matches on amazon they have these storm proof ones. Can't remember the name, they are all you should carry. They will work not only in wind but they cannot be doused even in water. They just go until they stop. Just a totally badass match.

Antibiotics, asprin, iodine and Prednisone.
You can cure just about anything with these.

Yeah, at least some headache pills! Takes up no room, worth weight in gold.

Overall I think it looks good, though.

 

[Marine Cpl]

It's a 4 hour walk. People do more than that with just water and trail mix on the hikes I've gone on.

 

[Blimey]

It's a 4 hour walk. People do more than that with just water and trail mix on the hikes I've gone on.

Yeah but with running gun battles and sneaking around the looters and cannibals, it could be a long walk.

 

[vanderblack]

Needle and floss. Floss is stronger than thread and can be used for many things including stitches, sewing, cleaning teeth, tying things up, etc.

I pack my bag as a get-home, bug-out bag. It has much more than I need for either situation. That said, the idea is to eliminate items not needed when the situation hits. The entire pack weighs 43 lbs. Stripped down for situation specific it comes in around 30. I have spent 3 nights in the woods with this pack in its entirety. It worked well.

I assume you carry a cell phone. Consider the Magellan GPS app. It contains the entire US map and is completely stored on the phone. If you do not have (or there is no) cell service, chances are the GPS will still work. Along these lines, I carry a small solar battery bank for recharging the phone. I also carry a flashlight with 18350 rechargeable batteries which can be charged using the solar panel.


Bug Out Bag – For Car
Ground Cloth
Space Blankets (one lined)

• Rain Gear
  Large Leaf or Garbage Bag
  Plastic Bags
  Camel Pack (water bag)
  Electrolyte water additive (GU Brew)
  Water
  Food
  Granola bars
  Dry soup mix
  Bouillon Cubes
  Tea
  Sweetener
  First Aid Kit
  Band-Aids
  Eye compress
  First aid cream
  Tweezers
  Scissors
  Eye drops
  Lip Balm
  Alcohol wipes
  Sewing kit
  Compress bandage
  First aid tape
  Tylenol
  Ibuprofen
  Multi Vitamin
  Anti-Diarrhea
  Anti-Acid
  Ace bandage
  Matches and lighter
  Cold Pack
  Maxi pads (great to use as a compress)
  Tampons
  Screw driver
  Saw
  Flashlight
  Sewing kit
  Safety Pins
  Para cord
  Sierra Cup
  Stove and Fuel tabs
  Compass
  Whistle
  Thermometer
  Water
  Water Purification Straw
  Bug Repellent
  Insect Clothing Wash
  Spade/Shovel
  Tooth brush
  Floss
  Tooth paste
  Solar Battery Charger w/cables for phone
  Zip Ties
  Wrist Rocket w/shot
  Popular ammo
  Radiation Detection Card
  Binoculars
  Radio – weather/am/FM/SW solar-crank
  Cloths
  Hiking Pole
  Oil wipes
  Knife/fork/spoon
  Tin Foil
  Toilet paper
  Duct tape
  Pen/pencil
  Tree climbing spikes
  Trip/Snare wire
  3 oz. rum
  3 oz. vodka

 

[Blimey]

^^^^ That is a thorough bag. Have you considered adding some Tyvek wrap to it? Thin and light and very strong, it would make for an excellent material to build a quick shelter with.

 

[Criticalt]

Dang, you guys are spoiled. I dont have half that stuff in my home, let alone a bag!!

If im 100 miles or less from home, I want my boots, my gun and my knife. I can move quickly and if I cant find it, I dont need it.

 

[vanderblack]

^^^^ That is a thorough bag. Have you considered adding some Tyvek wrap to it? Thin and light and very strong, it would make for an excellent material to build a quick shelter with.

I had not. Great idea. Thanks.

 

[Frankly]

If or when there is a SHTF situation it may not be apparent for some time. I'll readily accept a power outage, they happen all the time and it's only realistic to figure that eventually we'll have a regional level occurrence so that everything is out. You figure if it's a big mess it's going to take a couple of weeks like after a big ice storm.

When the cell phone signal is gone then I'll get a bit more worried....

Then if all the cars won't start and all the back ups and batteries are also shot we'll realize that it's an EMP attack or solar flare then the shit breaks loose. Hopefully you have a few hours to get home before the majority realize that this is the real thing. Heck I bet most urban "49%" have never heard of EMP or solar flares.

Last good ice storm it took two weeks to get the lights on in some areas. If we have something worse then how long will it take to restore essentials, like clean water and basic food? Better have a good month of vittles of some kind at home... I know that damn cat is getting barbecued first.

 

[Blimey]

If or when there is a SHTF situation it may not be apparent for some time. I'll readily accept a power outage, they happen all the time and it's only realistic to figure that eventually we'll have a regional level occurrence so that everything is out. You figure if it's a big mess it's going to take a couple of weeks like after a big ice storm.

When the cell phone signal is gone then I'll get a bit more worried....

Then if all the cars won't start and all the back ups and batteries are also shot we'll realize that it's an EMP attack or solar flare then the shit breaks loose. Hopefully you have a few hours to get home before the majority realize that this is the real thing. Heck I bet most urban "49%" have never heard of EMP or solar flares.

Last good ice storm it took two weeks to get the lights on in some areas. If we have something worse then how long will it take to restore essentials, like clean water and basic food? Better have a good month of vittles of some kind at home... I know that damn cat is getting barbecued first.

Aren't solar flares solar powered road flares so that when an emergency vehicle needs lights it doesn't have to burn carbon for it?

I absolutely agree the biggest odds of a "crisis" are along the lines of an extended power outage affecting large areas, perhaps millions for some weeks. That alone is not difficult to imagine and though it wouldn't bring us to mad max scenarios it would be unpleasant for a lot of people. After the Rochester storm in march I still have neighbors, many of whom lost hundreds in groceries and lived in the cold dark for two days, unwilling to prepare for the next time it happens at all. These are not people living a subsistence existence; they can afford a generator. But now the power is back on it's out of sight and out of mind for them.

So next time the power goes out they will again complain and smash refresh on the RGE website and whine about how RGE's estimates on restoring power are off. I have neighbors who actually went to stay in a hotel because the power was out. And they still haven't bought a generator! Not that the 3 gallons of gas most people store will go for that long

 

[Cleck]

The multi-tool is a good idea, I keep one in the glove box. Ideally, this is a get-home bag so I can get the good shit, but just in case I'm farther out from work. I like some of these ideas. Not sure if a multi-tool will work on a gas main though (since this doubles as CERT bag too). Whistle is coiled up in the top left near the matches. Speaking of matches @Blimey I want to try making some emergency matches I saw that you wrap/dip in candle wax or something similar. They burn for a while. There was something similar too that I wanna try making at home for a firestarter that goes for a while.

@Day444 Explain this bag balm. For my ball bag, or for the actual go bag?

As far as the weight is concerned, I do walk around w/ this bag quite a lot. Everything in the picture included, plus my phone and 20,000mAh battery and a bottle of water, usually get a few miles in for exercise. It's definitely comfortable, but we'll see how it feels around mile 10, instead of mile 3.

Keep the suggestions coming, keep the comparisons going. I think there's only a few things I don't have on here, but like I said, I'll make sure to include all the things I didn't picture earlier. Then I can make a list of what I need to buy.

 

[GTN]

not talking about having cash in a bag - how many here stash cash ($100 in 10's) in their wallet in case you need gas badly and the gas stations credit card machine is down?

 

[GTN]

Keep up moral - bring along some porn.

good stress reliever