I live in the Phoenix metro area. I have a 22 mile commute to my job where I work as a programmer/network admin. My goal was to build myself a kit that would allow me to get from wherever I am to home as well as provide for some more mundane emergencies and inconveniences. I have a change of clothes, walking/hiking shoes, and several gallons of drinking water at my office. I have the same plus more in my car, but I am planning to the lowest level here, so that means I start with what I have on me always, plus what I have at my office, and what I carry in my GHB.

First, my EDC for any time I am outside my house:

Left Back Pocket: Bandana and PFAK
Right Back Pocket: Wallet
Right Front Pocket: Car Keys and CRKT Peck money clip
Left Front Pocket: Bullet Space Pen, Fenix E01, Leatherman Juice
Belt: Palm Treo PDA, Small Pouch and Surefire E1B

PFAK:

Various Band-aids, Advil, Benedryl, Tums

Small Pouch:

Nail Clippers, Chap Stick, P38, Peanut Lighter, small Prybar, Fox 40 Whistle
Office Key, House Key, 2GB USB Drive, Tweezers, Pill fob with 2 days meds+allergy pills, Photo II light

My GHB I keep in my office when I am at work, and in my car when I am doing errands, and with me if I will be away from the car for an extended period. I do take this into casinos with me when I go to play cards.

Condor II - Back View (I have fixed the strapping on the MOLLE pouches since I took these photos)


Condor II - Side View


Stuff I have hanging from straps:

Fenix LD10, Surefire E2DL, Arc AAA, Marble Compass
(The E2DL is in a holster now).

Exterior Add-on Pouch-Common use items

Baby wipes
MSR camp towel
Recharge Bag: Battery powered rechargers for Palm and ipod, plus USB recharger for batteries
IPod bag: Ipod nano with earbuds
IT Bag: 16GB USB memory stick, 160GB USB powered hard driver, USB SD Card Reader

Internal Lower-Back Pouch - Less common use items

Bandana
Rite in the Rain notepad
Compass
Boker folder
Firesteel, Spare car key, Whistle, and larger mini-prybar
Plastic tube with precision screwdriver set
Crock stick sharpening rods
Space Pen
EMT Shears
Sharpie
Loaner Flashlight (Element K2)
FAK - AMK's Ultralight .5 with several 4x4's and some OTC meds
Small Nalgene bottle with Cotton/Vaseline

Bottle Holder

<Main compartment>
Stainless Steel Nalgene Bottle
Cup
Electrical tape container with wire, firestarter, lighter, 4 water purification tablets
<side pouch>
Cheap space blanket
Lighter
Spork (Since replaced with a Lexan Spoon/Fork combo)
Crystal Light

Hydration Pouch

MSR 100oz hydration bladder
2 1qt Aquapouches

(Continued)

Upper Pouch - Consumables

Cough drops
tums
lip balm
eyeglass cleaner
$8 in quarters
Beef Sticks and food bars

Main Pouch

Spare Dry bag (blue)
Hat and N95 mask
Personal Bivy sack
Dry bag with hooded sweatshirt, watch cap, gloves, wind breaker, and smart wool hiking socks.
Small Lock n lock (see below)
Bible
Rain Poncho
Pocket Ref
Large Lock n lock (see below)
Med Lock n Lock (see below)
Red Food container (see below)
AMK Heatsheet
Phoenix Street Atlas and AZ state map (not shown)

Small Lock n Lock

Compass
Signal Mirror
Esbit Stove with fuel
Fresnel lens
Duct Tape
Water Purification Tablets
Bic Lighter
2.5 gallon Ziploc
Stainless Steel Wire
Electrical Tape
Zip Ties
Various Nite Ize Figure 9's

Large Lock n Lock

Ziplock with REI Storm matches in match safe + tinder
Sewing Kit
Heavy Duty Aluminum foil
Western US Edible plants cards
Measuring tape
Fishing knots
Spare Glasses
Playing cards
Knot cards
Water Purification Tablets
Safety Pins
50' 550 Paracord
Headlamp
Spare Batteries (AA, AAA, and CR123)
EMT Shears

Medium Lock n Lock

DEET
Sunscreen
Advil
Kleenix
Tums
Lip Balm
Ear Plugs
Nail Clippers
Sharpie
Pill Fob with 5 days Meds + allergy pills

Red Food Container

2 1200 calorie Mainstay bars
Cliff and Power Bars
Slim Jims


This whole thing weighs just at 21 pounds without water. I have the capacity to carry about 6 liters which would add another 12 pounds. I know I have a lot of lights. I know I don't need that many - my wife tells me so on a regular basis. I loan out a flashlight at least once a week, so I carry the K2 element so I don't have to give up one of my good ones. The stuff in the outer back pouch is just there because I no longer carry a laptop and I use that stuff on a regular basis. The jacket/gloves I ditch in the summer. The side pouch I didn't mention holds my camera + several eneloop rechargeable batteries.

I don't currently have a CCW (next week), thus no handgun. I have plenty of fixed blades I could carry, but I honestly don't see a reasonable need for one in my current situation.

As usual, I look forward to any comments or suggestions.

Regards
Lee

Great GHB. I have pretty much the same kind of setup but did some leaning down recently to par off weight. I unloaded the stove, an extra flashlight and the fixed blade as well as the LandShark Bag to get the weight to about 15 lbs without water. I'd love to carry everything but it was getting difficult to manage the bag. How long do you expect it to take you to get home? Do you find the weight to be an issue when dragging the bag around with you all the time? I am sure that if the time comes you will feel that it was all worth it but every time I grab mine it leaves me wishing for a better solution, that does not seem to exist.

Questions:
1. What sort of terrain will you be travelling through?
2. Have you scouted out possible shortcuts other than the route you drive?
3. What resources are available to you as you walk home (water, shelter, food).
4. Where is your hat?
5. Where is your radio?
6. While I LOVE my copy of Pocket Ref, why carry it with you?
7. Toilet paper? I see/agree with the wet wipes, but didn't see TP.
8. Maps?

-Blast

Phoenix, AZ -- 22 miles, 6 liters of water

Where will you resupply the water for the last 16 miles?

Basically it flat as a board between where I work and live. City the entire way. Not the greatest neighborhoods near work, but after 2-3 miles it is all basic middle class area. I'd expect to be following the canal path for a good portion of the trip. I have traveled the path on bike. The entire city is pretty much a grid of N/S and E/W streets. The as the crow flies distance between work and home is only 2.5 miles less than actual driving distance.


As far as resources go, its a city. We do have a few canals that I could use to refill water with and I would be following one for most of the last half of the trip. There are several 'lakes' in housing developments along the way as well, but I'd be hesitant to drink from them without a good filter at the least (I have one in the car, but I don't lug it around).

I have a hat in the main pack. I have TP in the car and some here at the office that I could grab if I was walking, but I figure I can get by with the wipes for the time it takes me to get home. I don't have a radio - need to fix that. I have a streets guide and an az map in main pack (not shown), but they are really not needed. There really isn't much for surprises terrain wise and I know the area very well.

The Pocket Ref, well, I actually use it as my 'book of last resort' for reading material. That plus its handy. I'd not be carrying it home with me in an emergency (nor some of the other stuff for that matter).

Lee,

Nice kit. How do you like those Mainstay bars? I have seen them, but, haven't tried them. I think they have 3 chunks in them, and are basically a candy bar sized version of their lifeboat rations, if I'm thinking of the right ones. I usually have Millenium bars, which are similar, but, have a few flavor choices. The Mainstay lifeboat rations aren't bad for a little while, but, once you open the outer foil, the inner bars are just in a very thin "Saran Wrap"-like packaging. I like the idea of the foil wrapped bars, like the Millenium product.

I must be mis-reading this...

22 mile commute that is 2.5 miles as the crow flies??

I don't understand that one.

All in all, That is a lot more than what I keep for myself on a daily basis. I assume you also have plans on it covering other needs/environments?

Do the security folks at the Casinos give you any issues?

Looks good

What the OP means is the actual commute distance is 22 miles. As the crow flies, the distance is 19.5 miles.

Okay, that way makes much more sense. I was trying to figure the road network out on this one. Now when I was first learning the use of a map and compass a 2.5 mile trip often could encompass 22 miles, but that was operator error. LLAMF AGAIN!