Bug Out Bag: Test 1

[Outlander Systems]

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/9286/81243824.jpg

Today I decided to "test" my B.O.B. by going for an afternoon hike. Since I'm only partially done, I started loading it up with water for added weight. I threw an extra pair of boots in it, and stuffed my Maxpedition bag (already full of stuff) into it as well.

I originally planned on hiking for several hours straight, but only managed to get about 2 hours in. The rest of the time ended up being pretty interesting though.

The main goal of my outing was to wear the bag, and see if any issues were presented, or if a field-trip could dredge up ideas for necessary items, and weed out unnecessary ones.

Additional items brought were an extra bottle of water for my "Battle Buddy", his leash, water dish, and several of his favourite snacks: Milk Bones.

Entrance to the Series of Trails:
http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/1756/86515964.jpg

Looking Down at the Previous Picture:
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/8838/70556406.jpg

After hiking around for about an hour I hadn't had any indications of "hot spots". If you're looking for some nice boots, check out the Converse Stealth boots. They're fantastic, and I've worn them at least five days a week for the past year without a single blister, burn, etc. They're the most comfortable "combat" boot I've ever had the pleasure of wearing. I will be getting more for hiking/but-out purposes since they've held up extremely well, have a safety toe, and after hiking some of the slopes I hiked today (which is more abuse than I typically put my feet through), my dogs ain't barkin'.

Chuck Taylor Goes Cool-Guy:
http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/8998/99756470.jpg

My "Battle Buddy":
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/787/70819212.jpg

So, my hike continues along for a little while longer, when I see an area that I've never noticed before. It appeared to be a cove, complete with a beach. Since my sidekick's never really been treated to hiking before, I decided to venture down the slope, toward the cove, and give him a double treat of some hiking AND swimming. Surprisingly, going off-trail through some mildly thick brush wasn't problematic. I assumed the rope/Pro-Tec/B.O.B. would have been snagged, since I was having to crouch down, and bust through a few thick spots. Upon arriving at the cove, I parked my keister on a log, and let my buddy do some swimming.

The View from the Cove:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6940/33396165.jpg

After about five chain-smoked Marlboros, I decided to stroll around. I was mildly pissed, since the cove served as a trash dump for washed up items from the lake. Beer bottles, of course, an old plank of wood, a couple of pieces of styrofoam. Pitiful. The cove looked like it would be a killer camp-site, and I got the itch to come back. Since I had no intention of spending the night, I figured I'd at least gather materials for a camp, if I decide to come back next weekend.

Of course, "Broski" as I have nicknamed my buddy, swam the entire time.

"Broski" Gettin' his Phelps On:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/3599/72250517.jpg

First thing I did was gather large rocks for a fire-pit. The rocks were piled together close to the area where I wanted the pit. I kicked out a small area and marked the center of where I wanted the pit with a flat rock.

Nice Place for a Fire Pit:
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/415/27205645.jpg

Since I don't have an E-Tool, I decided to use the rock to dig the pit. This is where I found the first missing item from my kit: Entrenching Tool. Despite the sandy soil, digging with that tiny rock was proving to be a workout. It wasn't effective enough. So, off I scavenged for a better rock. I then remembered seeing that plank, and decided to give it a shot.

Field-Acquired E-Tool:
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2166/81569259.jpg

Digging was slower than with a good spade, but better than the rock. In short, the plank was cutting the mustard, surprisingly better than I had thought it would.

Plank > Rock:
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/3135/72941566.jpg

The downside to using the plank was that it could only be used to scrape, and lift/flip soil. The lack of curvature limited the amount of soil that it could hold at once. As well, all digging had to be done with the shoulders, as to adequately scrape, I would lock up my arms, and scratch the soil out of the hole. Every so often, I would lay the plank sideways against the beach, and scrape the removed soil down towards the shoreline, even distributing the excess. I didn't want to dig a hole, and have mounds of dirt strewn unevenly on the beach. By doing this, my fire pit was more naturally integrated into the landscape.

After a good 15 straight minutes of digging/flipping/smoothing, I decided to burn a few more smokes and take a break. By this point, gathering the stones and digging the pit have taken more out of me than the hour and fifteen minute hike that got me here. I decided to survey the area some more, and was feeling pretty good about the pit.

A Naked Pit:
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/4642/87075377.jpg

Feeling like the pit was in order, I got to gathering stones. First, I placed the largest stones around the pit. I thought for sure I'd had enough to encircle the pit with large stones, but I had underestimated the quantity needed. Finding large stones required further walking and further hauling. By this point I'd worked twice as hard as if my day had just been ruck-marching. Finally I had enough stones on hand to encircle the pit. Then, I ventured to find smaller stones to line the pit with. I suppose the best "workout" for "bugging out" would be bending over about 300 times. Screw the hiking, get off the exercise trike, ditch the treadmill. Stand in your living room, and crouch down/bend over until your back feels like dry rubber with no flex in it. This will be my new workout for bug-out. Anyway...

To save myself additional walk time, I'd gather the small interior stones, and throw them back towards the pit. Saved on walk time, but still required the bend/crouch workout. Again, the amount of small, flat, stones needed to line the interior was initially underestimated.

I suppose the stones aren't a necessary item to have in your fire, but I was setting up my "camp" as an extended stay base-camp, so-to-speak, so I wanted a nice fire pit. The stones help radiate/retain heat, as well, they make cooking more efficient.

Stoned, Circled, and Ready for Burnin':
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/2251/41745654.jpg

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/263/78273711.jpg

So, the pit was ready, but now I had to get out of the hole I was in, as well as get my buddy out, who'd spend several hours swimming...constantly. By this point I was beat, since I had absolutely no intention whatsoever of setting up a fire-pit, especially without proper tools. Getting out was harder than the ascent/descent in, as I was totally beat up from hauling stones around, and trying to use a plank as a shovel. I was shocked that I had to take a 2 minute breather halfway up the slope.

I learned that, despite not being in the lineup for items I'd been planning on integrating into my pack, a small E-Tool is desperately needed. As well, since all my gloves are for work, a dedicated pair is a necessity for the B.O.B. If the weather isn't nightmarish next weekend, I'll update this series of posts with firecraftin'.

I had a good time, learned that I need to get in better shape, discovered that a few of the items I considered useless would've come in handy, and that all that bitching about the garbage was a waste, since some of the items could be turned into makeshift tools.

'Til next time.

-Mike and Riley

[Cold Zero]

Excellent Report. Thanks for taking us along for the day. I enjoyed it. Well thougt out kit you put together.

[Joe_Friday]

You are DEFINITELY NOT in South West GA!!! :p If I had that kind of scenary I would not mind a several hours hike either. Hope the BOB works out well for you.

Oh and would the Jack in your bag be considered a BOB itself? Bug Out Bourbon!!! :D

[USMGoldenEagle]

Very cool. I hope you continue to add more about this field test.

[Outlander Systems]

The field test will continue in a series, as I get free time to get the B.O.B. "right".

This is me trying to see what works for my needs, and what doesn't.

Today's lesson: Gloves & an E-Tool would've been great.

Bug-Out-Bourbon! I'm saving that Jack. Jack is there for the day, hopefully never, that I seriously grab the bag and get out of Dodge.

If I'd brought a tent and a sleeping bag, had a messkit, and some grub, I would have probably stayed the night.

[USMGoldenEagle]

So where exactly were you hiking? Somewhere in Georgia? Whereabout?

[Outlander Systems]

Lake Allatoona, in Acworth, GA.

It was at an old Civil War Battlefield that's now a State Park. It's a pretty cool place. I'll see if I can't find pictures of what it looked like in the 1800's.

[BAC]

That's a lot of work for a fire. Would you mind sharing your reasoning?


-B

[Outlander Systems]

Normally I'd build something smaller, and less elaborate; however, since I'll be returning to this site as a base-camp, I decided to build a proper, long-term structure.

The hole, is to prevent the wind from whipping the fire, and spreading sparks.

As well, if the fire is started in the hole, there's a shield against wind, extinguishing your "pilot light".

The rocks serve multiple purposes.

Firstly, they act as a "firewall".

Secondly, they contain, retain, and direct heat.

[LonghunterCO]

Great thread. Getting out there and trying it is the only way.
Your area of operations is alot different than mine. Out here the "ground" is made up of quite a bit of decomposed granite. We build our fires on the ground (If I tried that out here I would be down 800K calories and have lost 1/2 a days time:p.)
We build on the ground with a small ring of stones opposite of where you are going to lay down you build up the ring with flat stones (or just more stones) to reflect the radiant heat on that side of the fire back towards you. If there are minimal stones in your area you can use a couple of logs. Many time when the wood is damp I place the fuel (as in firewood) up on end to help reflect the heat. This also helps it dry out to be used later on in the night. Working flat on the ground also allows you to feed longer fuel into the fire without having to expend the energy (and risk of injury) chopping it up. Just leave a section of the fire ring open and lay the end of the fuel in the fire and as it burns up push the next section into the fire.

I am not sure if it is a old wives tale but stream rocks or rock that are near a water source (that could have been submerged in water for an extened amount of time) are avioded for campfires. The worry is that a porous rock could be holding water and could explode when exposed to the heat of a fire...have not tried it myself.

[BAC]

Normally I'd build something smaller, and less elaborate; however, since I'll be returning to this site as a base-camp, I decided to build a proper, long-term structure.

Fair enough. I can understand that.


-B

[Gentoo]

I am not sure if it is a old wives tale but stream rocks or rock that are near a water source (that could have been submerged in water for an extened amount of time) are avioded for campfires. The worry is that a porous rock could be holding water and could explode when exposed to the heat of a fire...have not tried it myself.

I have heard the same thing as well.

No idea if it has any merit or not.

[LittleRedToyota]

I have heard the same thing as well.

No idea if it has any merit or not.

i have heard that as well...and it kinda makes sense if you think about it.

however, my guess is that the rock would just crack instead of actually exploding.

though, if you were sitting on it or something, you could maybe get burned.

anyway, great report landlord. i often do backpacking trips with my BOB. there is no better way to figure out what you need and don't need, to realistically understand how far you can hump your BOB in what amount of time over what type of terrain, and to improve that number.

you mention "if you had had a tent...". one suggestion i would make is to consider a bivy sack, rather than a tent, for your BOB. a bit less weight...a bit less room...easier and quicker to set up...can be set up in smaller spaces...can actually be warmer (as there is less air for your body to heat up), etc. imho, they offer a lot of advantages over a tent (of course, tents have their own advantages as well).

of course, you could also skip the tent/bivy sack entirely and just go with a poncho...

[LonghunterCO]

of course, you could also skip the tent/bivy sack entirely and just go with a poncho...

Or a section of water proof tarp. You could use the tarp to gather rain water, throw snow on an let it melt in the sun and drain (if the ground below it is preped to allow drainage) to into a pan/Nagleen bottle.

[SeriousStudent]

I have a piece of Tyvek building wrap that is 8 foot by 6foot in my BOB and GHB. It weighs very little, and is very tough.

[Outlander Systems]

The tent debate has me boogered up pretty bad.

I'm considering a hammock:

http://www.fourseasonssurvival.com/assets/images/hennessyexplorerhammock.jpg

[LonghunterCO]

The tent debate has me boogered up pretty bad.

I'm considering a hammock:

http://www.fourseasonssurvival.com/assets/images/hennessyexplorerhammock.jpg

Not knowing your area of operation, the problem out here with the hammock is the same problem that guys out here face with the plan of always tying their tarps to a tree: It always seems that all the trees are too big, too little, or too far apart.

[Outlander Systems]

I thought about that, Longhunter.

The idea is interesting, but what if you want to set up camp in a field?

[LonghunterCO]

My problem is hiking is often getting from point A to point B. Sometimes due to circumstances beyond my control I end up getting to the end of day later than I had planned. I often end up where I end up and although I am rarely walking into camp after dark, pickings are sometimes slim. I see this as simmular to a BO situation. You are trying to get away from point A as fast as possible and on to point B (although not always the case I recommend that you have a point B in mind). Point A could represent a major population center, so the faster you get away from there the fewer people you are likely in encounter.
Pick (and practice using) a tent/shelter that is quick and easy to setup. So easy that you can set it up in the dark with little or no light, and can be setup in as many types of areas you are likely to be seting up in. In my area of operation, if I am using a tent, I have made the decision to go with a free-standing tent (they typically weigh more than a non free-standing one). With the rocky ground that I usually find myself in I often could not drive a tent stake in the ground if I had too. If circumstances dictate, a free standing tent also alows me the opportunity to pick it up and move it without a full teardown (better site found, realize you are in the middle of a water run off area, etc.).

[Rider]

Nice report. It has me thinking though. What are you all preparing for? Nuclear war, riots, bio attack, avian flu, running from the law? All?
I like the idea of being prepared but it seems like in most of those instances (I guess running from the law would be the obvious exception) and in my typical southern suburban neighborhood it would be better to stay in the house and fortify rather then camp in a park. Hell, I love to camp but it seems like you would be likely to get your weapons confiscated and get run off. Maybe I am not preparing for the right scenario though, what is the prospective emergency?

[dhrith]

few tips I've picked up over the years

Take a few bungee cords, they can stretch to the nearest tree for attaching tarp corners for making a quick shelter, adjust length as needed, go up quick, come down quick, and are re-useable.

The hammock is seasonal, during the winter they are F'ing cold, wind all around you, get a good foam mat for the ground.

Make some type of medical kit to carry with you, you never know what will happen out in the boonies. Learn how to use all of it.

Get a water purification tool. You have tons of water around you, it just isn't safe to drink, if you break a leg or become incapacitated you can last a hell of a long time.

Carry a few sources of flame, hard to beat 3-4 bic lighters hidden throughout your gear.

Keep some signaling devices on you for emergencies, lights, mirrors, smoke, flares whatever. We never expect something bad to happen but if a snake gets ya out there or you take a slip and twist an ankle, it's the difference between no big deal and a lot of pain in the ass. It might not even be you, you might come across a mountain biker who pulled a header off a stump and is in pretty bad shape.



Pre-planning: "(better site found, realize you are in the middle of a water run off area, etc.)."

Pre-planning: "but what if you want to set up camp in a field?"

I could set up camp in the middle of I-95, that doesn't make it a good idea.

Stay safe and have fun, miss the days of tromping through the woods, every time I see this I keep thinking I should get back to it.

[Kimbo]

I also concur on the Converse boots. I had them in Iraq, best boots I ever had. Danners come into a very close second but after they changed the design I never liked them. Another good thing was the quick slip on and slip off of the boots because of the zipper. :D Awesome write up by the way Landlord.