This documentary shows Australian SAS selection process.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC7OVRTihV8

After a few days of no food, limited sleep and carrying pack weights similar to the 'all guns and no groceries BOB crowd' all day, they even have trouble constructing a triangular shaped coup for someones Bermuda chickens. And we are not even talking about an environment where hypothermia is a real issue.

They end getting a reward meal that would make a billy goat puke and they shoveled it down with enthusiasm!

Starvation can even make one behave like a Norwegian...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STzgXXU6GpI

I do not have much in the way of edc. just don't see the purpose.

a folding pocket knife, a cell phone, and a small flashlight attached to my key ring.

a couple hankies, wallet, comb.

pen and notebook.

I do keep more stuff in my office and in my car.

It wasn't the SAS selection process, but a couple of years ago, at an all day event with my Beaver Scouts (5-7 yo), the lunch menu was burgers for the grown-ups. I missed the morning snack but gratefully accepted a burger from someone around noonish.

After spending the day in the hot sun, carrying a day pack that probably held 30 pounds of FAK, meds, water bottles, sunscreen, extra hats, etc., hiking with that pack on my chest and a kid on my back at almost every turn, well hydrated but with no rest breaks or snacks for me since about 6:30am (LOTS for the kiddos), and then making several trips on foot hauling tired kiddos and wagon loads of sun tents, food coolers, water coolers, blankets and lawn chairs back to the cabin, my feet and back were achy, I was headachy and beyond hungry.

I finally ate that burger about 6:45pm. The cheap processed beef patty, cheese, bun and dab of ketchup had congealed into an indescribable warm, blob-like brick that had little resemblance to a hamburger or even food. I'm sure the Food Inspection people would have fainted if they knew I was even considering eating it. I have never eaten anything better in my life.

That is a lot of poundage (I hope you were exagerating). But a knife is a necessity, I can't imagine you were implying otherwise. I never leave my house without a knife, let alone in a survival situation. As far as firearms, you don't need anywhere near 20 lbs. A firearm can serve multiple uses - food procurement, self defense, and signalling. So depending on your situation/location, that may be worth the 3-3/4 lbs of a single-shot .22 breakdown rifle and ammo. I don't have a rifle in my backpack BOB, nor do I EDC one, but I do have one in my car kit. And I do EDC a knife (a medium folder), have another one in my BOB (a medium fixed blade), and yet another in my car kit (a larger fixed blade). I do not consider any of that "wasted weight". But my kits are full of lots of other stuff too. For example, I would not leave out water and water purification methods, nor fire starting nor signalling methods, to add an extra box of ammo, etc. You need a balance of what is appropriate for your individual situation/location.

A little levity:

Zoidburg the Can Opener

Izzy, I was fascinated watching Ed. I remember thinking that he was in trouble when he cooked up all those fish in the dutch oven on the first night instead of eating one or two and smoking the rest. I haven't watched it in a while though, so I'm going to spin it up again. Thanks for the reminder about it!

Here's a link to Part One for anyone who hasn't seen it:

Alone in the Wild Pt.1

EDIT: watching episode 1 now. I forgot how overwhelmed he seemed to be from the moment his boots hit the ground.

I love good food when I'm in the bush, and have produced many a mouth-watering meal with my Dutch oven, but I'd never hump it in my pack.

Tip for my fellow cast iron lovers, I've got a tiny cast iron skillet that I take sometimes. I use it for bannock, bacon, etc... It's a lot smaller and lighter than a Dutch oven. That said, I don't take it on long backpacking trips very often because even it is just too darned heavy.

I am pretty serious about the weight issue. I have seen BOB/GHB descriptions where I know there is at least 25 pounds of knives, guns and ammo.

I have seen lists of stuff in these things that must exceed 100 pounds. I doubt I could carry that to the corner and back.

I think often when we are incredulous about someones BOB / INCH / whatever list it shows a disconnect in fundamental assumptions and risk assessments between us and the list's owner.

For example, on another thread I implied that I thought the concept of an INCH bag was, using TeacherRO's phrase, an example of MUSHY thinking. This is because, according to my knowledge and assessment of the risks facing us in most of the Western World (or at least US / Canada), that there is such an extremely low probability that such a kit would be required that I think the concept itself is needless.

Many BOBs seem to fall into a similar category for me, though I think certain locations do have risks that could make some of the BOBs I've seen make sense. That said, in my location I really don't see the need for one (at least not the "traditional" BOB we are discussing here).

Therefore, rather than discussing how many guns or knives are necessary, it might make sense first to have a discussion about what situations would require the use of said kit, and what plans the kit would be required to facilitate.

I agree, Denis. We invite each other into our heads sometimes but that doesn't mean we're always going to understand each other when we do. We're really good about trying here at ETS though. :-)

Other than a lot of guns, (how many that is IMO, I can't say, but sometimes I just think, "Whoa!! And then I find 13 lighters in my Jeep consoles today and I kinda sorta start to understand.) I just realized that there is always one thing that makes me think, "Really?" when I hear it. I've never given feedback about it because I figure that I'm biased against it because it's something that I just don't understand. Handcuff key?

For military, LEO and other carry handcuff career guys, I get it, but for the average Joe? I just can't get into that mindset. Nobody's ever suggested that I add one to my kit, and I really don't think it's a detriment for anyone else to carry one, so I just keep my mouth shut about it. (I'd probably mention something if asked and I thought that someone had too many guns at the expense of some other necessity, but I would tread lightly.)