Just restocked my generic BOB (this one will be carried by DW). I have another one with more sophisticated stuff
(Particular items descriptions under the number are separated by semicolon for clarity below).

1. Auxiliary medikit and meds; money hidden in a capsule.

2. 16 oz plastic bottle; with ethyl alcohol; nested in a tin can (for water boiling); all in a freezer bag; goes into the side pocket of the backpack.

3. Working gloves (warm enough to wear in cold weather).

4. Simple backpack with many compartments.

5. Quick food; tea; in 2 freezer bags.

6. Large, cheap, scary looking hunter's knife; in an oiled inside sheath.

7. Space blanket; and plastic rain poncho.

8. Toilet paper; in freezer bag.

9. Magnesium block; with flint rod; hack saw striker; in plastic bag;

10. Plastic pouch for (9); with ordinary matches book; split ring for joining (9); PJ soaked cotton balls; and a 10" piece of orange duct tape;

11. Cheap steel credit card sized multitool with knife blade; aluminum foil piece (2'x 2').

12.Sunscreen / bug repellent spray pen.

13. Large FedEx envelope with about 5 pounds of most important papers, including passports, SSNs, e.t.c; in a binder with plastic pockets; and in freezer bags.

14. Watertight container for 9,10,11; with lanyard; wrapped with paracord.

15. Plywood disk (fire starting tinder, coaster, etc); Kevlar thread on plastic spool; assorted safety pins; Bic lighter below.

16. Ductape (white for easier writing on it).



17. Swimming glasses (eyes protection);

18. Water in plastic bottle;

19. Pair of huge heavy duty trash bags wrapped with 1 ft bungee cord.

20. Whistle; magnifier; thermometer; nail clippers; tiny flashlight; small folding knife; spork; cookies; sewing needles (hiding under the carpet).

21. 35' of paracord.

22. Garmin GPS; in a holster with lanyard.

23. Steripen; with 4 eneloops inside; in a freezer bag.

24. Thick sole rubber flappers (attached to the bottom of the backpack).

25. Many small size chemical light sticks.

26. Multitool in a sheath.

27. Pencil wrapped with several feet of nichrome wire (enough to go red hot from 12V); another pencil; perm. marker; heavy duty steel ink pen.

28. Another magnesium/flint rod in a capsule; with striker.

29. Stainless steel "everlasting" soap.

30. Scalpel blade; with safety cap; and assortment of blades.

31. AMT shears.

32. Car charger adapter providing USB 5v and 12V out; light fixture socket to AC plug converter.

33. Cranking flashlight with 12V car adapter socket (can be used with 32); phone charging cord inside.

34. AA batteries charger / AA to 5V USB power source; spare 4 alkaline and 4 lithium AAs.

Just added 4 N-95 dust masks, fleece balaclava, 20 ft coil of steel wire, and a medium size folding knife.

Thats a fine bag Alex.

nice. I like to add fleece blanket and jacket. and have additional water available

Great kit! A few questions /comments.

1. How big is the capsule / how many bills can you fit inside?

15. Plywood is made by gluing together pieces of wood and the glue is toxic when burned. It would be much safer to get a coaster sized piece of unfinished wood. A craft store for a disc or cut off a thin slice of scrap wood.

27. Never heard of nichrome before but after Googling it I'm interested. I'll see if I can find some locally. Have you tried getting it red hot with a 9v battery?

"26. Multitool in a sheath"

That Looks like a schrade Multitool...The same exact one I once owned. If I were you Id replace that as soon as possible with a leatherman. I snapped off almost everything on that multitool doing basic chores. Its also gotta be the worst design ever for using the knife portion of the tool and honestly prolly the most dangerous.

http://www.schrade-knives.com/PIX/ST1Na.jpg

Look at where the blade is and look how the tool folds. There is no possible way to get a safe push cut with it without torquing your wrist in all the wrong ways.

Since all my failures in the world of multitools I gave leatherman a chance way too late in the game and my only regret is not going with them from the start. My leatherman kick has had the crap beat out of it and it looks brand new.

Exactly. But not precisely what you have described. I love this tool, as it was my first multi-tool, which I bought in 1999. A century ago! It's authentic US made. I have tried to get a new one recently, but it was a cheap imitation, which broke the next day. This one is rock solid and saw a lot of abuse, doesn't look like new though. I agree about the awkward knife location - takes time to get used too. I'm carrying "Wave" on my waist as EDC for like 5 years, by the way.

The capsule is a bill tall and 3/4" in diameter screw top brass shell. I have 3 hundred in it.

The plywood piece is easier to chip by bare hands. And that's not so much of fumes expected from such a small piece anyway. Coaster fire starting is probably a last resort for a no medium tinder at all scenario.

Nichrome wire can be easily "procured" from a dead hair drier, electric stove plate, old type AC heater. e.t.c. (mine is of an industrial spool though, very thin) Technically it is just a hard to melt wire with high linear resistance, so yes, just use a piece of 9/12th of the length and it will heat red hot from a 9V battery.

I'm afraid that (32 oz) is the maximum possible with this small backpack, that's why several ways of purification, including a quick one, as our first (gathering) bug out location is on a small creek, and the way to the second one is along that creek too. Each of us will have some in the backpack (just calculated - it will be a bit over a gallon total).

For the blanket, we are used to have more clothing on than necessary. Also my DW knows how to use the space blanket properly (add insulation, prevent condensation - very cozy).

You really need more water. I am amazed at how much you can go through on even a short walk/ride. Looks like a store bought disposable bottle from the picture, replace those with a larger bottle and you should be able to carry more.

As an old desert rat, i tend to agree, but it all depend upon location, location, location. Albany, CA, is located in a fairly humid environment (the OP mentions nearby local creeks) so he can probably get by with less than would be necessary even in SoCal,much less the interior deserts. On a typical day in the Sonoran desert, one gallon would not be sufficient for one person, much less a family sized group.

What is vital in one situation is just unnecessary baggage in another.