How much will it weigh and maybe a pepper spray? Some defense thats less than lethal.
Bug spray.
Weight... I'm not sure! I was thinking that I would load it up with the essentials, and then work on minimizing the weight as much as possible. Bug spray is a great idea for my area! Pepper spray is a good idea too, I need some of that for my purse anyway.
Wow!! Where to begin......
If you really are contemplating a scenario that could involve a 400 mile trek, you should really get some experience with that pack. I suspect that there are many models more suitable for your purpose than what you have. What is its capacity?
Weight will be a big issue for your trekking scenario, and yet, relatively trivial if you can drive all or nearly all of the way. MREs are way too heavy for continued. backpacking use - many more favorable foods are available; many can be found in typical supermarkets. At the same time, you are not carrying enough water - that pipsqueak stainless steel canteen should be replaced by something with more capacity, unless your route takes you along a nice river.
For that matter, what sort of climate, terrain, etc. are involved in your planning? That makes a huge difference, to say nothing of seasonal changes....
If I were planning an emergency trip of this nature, I would seriously consider utilizing a good touring bicycle, which will compress a twenty-five day trip (at least) into a more negotiable 5-6 day trip, provided you have the conditioning and stamina for either mode of travel.
Are you sure you have no safe havens any closer than 400 miles? You will need at least a few places where you can rest and regroup for at least a day or two.
Good thinking, and thank you for an interesting problem. This should be a lively thread.......
The pack. *sigh* This pack is one of many that we already had laying around. I chose this out of all the others because it was the only one with a frame. I thought that it would help make the bag more manageable. I have no idea what the capacity is, but when I put in all that stuff in the pictures I still have LOADS of room.
I agree that MRE's are too heavy. For now, I am packing what I have on hand, and swapping out items as I upgrade.
I know my water needs loads of work, but that will be remedied shortly.
The route is half flat, coastal area, half mountains (where I actually feel most at home having been raised in the mountains).
Unfortunately, for now, this is the absolute closest haven I have. I don't want to be one of those people who would bug out with nowhere to go. I suppose I am looking at it in a TEOTWAWKI kind of scenario. For something more likely, shelters are an option, although I worry about finding one that would accept my dog.
I hate bicycling. But I see your point. My concern is that I would be more visible (again, I may be looking at this from the more paranoid perspective).
I would recommend to include some comforting items for your 6 year old, e.g. a favorite toy, a colorful book, a jar of hard candy she likes, crayons, e.t.c.
A small sewing kit and some safety pins?
Also I think you can fit in a small radio to listen to the news. What about a spare charger for your phone?
As for the organization. A bunch of good quality zip lock bags is good enough. They provide moisture protection, easily slip in and out of the main bag, and can be re-purposed for other tasks in obvious ways.
Comfort items are going into a small backpack for my daughter, along with a safety whistle, some snacks, a bottle of water, identification card.
Good idea on the sewing kit! I do have some safety pins stashed on the bag.
I will definitely be using the ziplocks idea too, and checking on a radio. Thank you!
I feel like my BOB is off to a horrible start. LOL.
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