I have no idea where the OP lives, but another way to test BOB gear is to join your local SAR outfit. My SAR bag contained everything I needed to cope with the local conditions for at least a couple of days. I adjusted the contents for local conditions. Sometimes you might have an hour or so to eat and pack your gear, but just as frequently you grabbed your bag and got underway, with barely enough time to lace up your boots. You would often be out overnight and sometimes longer. You quickly picked up on what was critical and what was superfluous. Best of all, emergency conditions became quite common and you developed ways to deal with the stress and strain.