We all talk about having a BOB and a number of us have them as well as our EDC bags. Some of my BOB stuff is my EDC stuff and vise a versa. As I have been building and modifying PSKs, EDCs, FSKs and a BOB over the years I am coming to the conclusion that maybe one bag is not quite, the right idea.

My EDC bag is always stuffed and a BOB as a single unit is fairly heavy. So, I am thinking about layering bags as we do with clothing.

Like some of you I am a big Maxpedition fan and have bought and used at different times the following: a Fatboy, a Jumbo, a Thermite, a DevilDog, a Proteus, and a Typhoon all of which I still have. Where I'm heading with this idea is to start sorting all the different, PSK, EDC, FSK and BOB items across these 6 bags, more or less.

Currently my EDC bag is the Jumbo which is stuffed with my EDC items as well as an extended PSK and basic FSK. The Proteus makes a great extend tool bag. The Typhoon approaches a mini BOB with an extended FSK. The DevilDog is carrying a hammock and tarps while the Fatboy is carrying emergency food and water rations.

I am thinking about moving the PSK items to the Thermite which is worn around the waist and strapped to a leg. Move the EDC items to the Fatboy along with the basic FSK, which will be lighter to carry on a daily basis. Beef up the emergency rations and water and put them in the Jumbo. The Typhoon will
continue as the mini BOB and extended FSK. The DevilDog will continue to be the storage for shelter and the Proteus as a tool bag.

Spreading things out to several bags will allow easier access to the different items than if they were just in one or 2 bags. It will also allow me to distribute the weight, hand off bags to others, or allow me to ditch or secret away bags as needed. The flip side to this is the need to handle multiple bags and attention needs to be payed when grabbing the bags in a rush. A number of these bags can be fastened together to make things easier but again at the cost is a single heavy unit.

What do you all think and have any of you done something similar?

I am still working on my gear, but I try to avoid duplication while ensuring redundancy. Because I think the various kits have very different purposes, I try to let the purpose of each guide what is in each.

At the same time, I want each kit to salute the Rule of Threes (you may die if you go: 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food) and whatever functional categories you think are appropriate( mine include: First Aid, Shelter, Fire, Water, Food, Navigation, Light. Signaling, Self-protection, Hygiene, and Morale).

My situation is such that I have working prototypes of:

TSA-complaint EDC in my pockets.

"Outdoor EDC", including PSK and PFAK stuff that is not TSA-compliant, to add to pockets and hang from my belt.

BOB in a medium hydration backpack, generally intended for fair weather travel, with winter weather extensions phased in as winter begins.

Car kit, which includes my BOB, plus a stash of gear, food, and water.

Bug-in stash at home with more gear, food, and water. Included is a cold weather BOB type array of gear, food, etc. If I had time most of this could be transported in a vehicle-based bug-out.

Each level of kit contains progressively additional and more sophisticated stuff, that also adds redundancy.

Well, I have:
1. Family bug out bag
2. Urban survival kit
3. Hiking survival kit
4. canoing/kayaking survival vest
5. Diaper bag

There is some overlap of gear in them, but each is kept seperate and stocked, ready to go. It's a little more expensive, but much easier. I think it's also safer as I'm not going to forget to return one thing to bag if I borrowed it for a different situation.

-Blast

My different kits have a lot of redundancy between them, for this very reason. Each is designed to do what it can do in the space I have for it. Being a guy who goes to work in a suit and tie each day, my EDC stuff is all in a gallon sized zip-lock, that goes into another bag. Anymore than the gallon, and it becomes too much to lug with me on the subway.

I've thought that maybe I could not repeat things that are in my EDC, but most of the items I repeat are not that expensive and some are tough to buy except in sizes that require me to use only a few in each kit. I bought nitrile gloves in a box of 50, some went into each of the various kits. Same with for example garbage bags, a useful item, but how bad is it to have one or a few in each kit, and how expensive is it?

As far as being able to use your bags as planned, I see nothing wrong with that, but I'd look at each on their own and think about the combinations you would use.

Redundancy without unnecessary duplication is one of my current goals. For now I try to put progressively larger, more robust gear of a given category, in my kits starting with my TSA-compliant EDC, my Outdoor EDC, BOB, Car Kit, and Bug-in stash. The categories I am using now include: First Aid, Shelter, Fire, Water, Food, Navigation, Light. Signaling, Self-protection, Hygiene, and Morale.

As an example, for first aid:

- in my urban EDC I have a few bandaids, individual medications and a couple water purification tablets, one small gauze pad, and a small roll of tape;

- my outdoor EDC kit adds both a standalone PSK and for first aid a standalone PFAK with additional bandaids of more types, small medication packets including more types, several sizes of gauze pads, more tape, 4 “EMT shears, small tick/splinter tweezers, burn and bite ointments, 1 foldable particulate mask, etc.;

- my BOB contains a larger standalone FAK that includes bigger EMT shears, better tick / splinter removal tweezers, a larger medication supply, various medicated wipes, various wraps, more and bigger gauze pads and bandaids, superglue, foot treatment items, eye flush, etc.;

- my standalone car kit basically includes re-supply for all other kits with some medical tools;

- and my bug-in stash is similar to my car kit plus it contains all the first aid stuff that wouldn’t fit in the other kits.

By design, some of the stuff in the smaller kits may be duplicated if there isn’t something bigger and better. Some of the same bandaids are found in every kit, for example.

But where it makes sense, as the kits get larger the gear in them becomes bigger and better if I can find and afford it. Full size 7” EMT shears are only found in the BOB, car, and big-in kits, for example, and surgical scissors, clamps, etc. are only found in my car and bug-in kits.

I like making things modular and then nesting bags when I can and/or appropriate.

My urban kit (which just saved my butt from a downpour after my umbrella exploded!) is a small shoulder bag which I can wear along with or put inside a the small backpack I take when I go out for hikes. This kit contains several of the items I take backpacking and so I slip the whole thing inside a 60L framed pack when I go backpacking, adding only the additional items I need when I'm planning to be out several days but still having basically the same emergency gear and basic essentials. I also take the hiking or backpacking pack when I go car camping, ice fishing, canoeing, etc. as it makes fantastic backup when something fails or goes wrong.

Within these packs nearly everything is in seperate kits and/or dry bags so I can shuffle stuff quickly when I need to.

This creates a certain amount of redundancy which I like for days like today. It might be overkill in some spots but it only adds a little weight. Through careful planning, attention to detail, and OCD worthy levels of 'living room and bathroom scale' testing, the total weight on any of these is not excessive even when fully combined.

With my EDC, Ditch Kit and BoB, redundancy is my killer. Yes, it is good. But with everything on....

7 Nalgenes
3 SAKS
3 Minimags
2 Fixed blades

LOL as you can see, there is a problem.

So, first step, decide that BoB is a just replenishment/extended range gear. EVERYTHING critical goes in the ditch kit. So BoB has no light, no knives, only the food, stove, expanded FAK, and clothes. Extra water. Pulled out the fixed blade.

By the same token, if I've got the Ditch Kit, I've probably got my EDC. The current sniffer and pliers and head lamp came out of the ditch kit, since there is one of each in the EDC.

Of course, this weekend I'm going to be building a bed roll tube kit. Make BoB a little smaller, a bit more bare bones, considering that I don't really don't have the means to store BoB where I'm currently living.

I have 3-4 First Aid Kits when everything is put together so I feel your pain. I upgraded most to AMK ultralight kits because they're light and waterproof and now I don't mind so much.

Tough decisions for sure...good luck figuring it out. Getting everything just right is a never ending joy ride.