Thanks for the feedback.

As I read the responses, it struck me that "survival" means different things to different folks. So let me clarify my situation...

Wife, 2 kids (8 and 10), most of our outdoor activities are limited to bike paths, soccer games, fishing spots just a short walk from paved roads, and campground camping. In our youth we tent camped, but today there is no way my wife is going to let me keep a real tent, 4 sleeping bags, etc in her van all the time. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

So my version of survival readiness is really more around a "72 hour pack" I will keep in my wife's van in case of disasters etc since she usually is driving the kids around. To that end, it needs to be light (under 20 lbs) in case she/we have to leave the vehicle and walk. And I can't see my kids carrying packs of gear outside of a fanny pack-based, kid-centric PSK with water. And we live in New England. So...

I had envisioned keeping 4 of the hooded heavy space blanket/ponchos in the pack along with the Bothy Bag. They are all lightweight, serve double-duty roles and with the help of some heat packs, hopefully fight off the chill for a night.

Also the Bothy is something my wife could set up in any situation/location. Is it comfy? Nope. But I'm not looking for long-term survival in the backcountry. It's about keeping my kids warm and surviving the night till help comes. The added bonus is that we are all together which I think is big morale booster.

Lastly, and it is last, is price. For our lifestyle this is all gear we will never use... hopefully. Spending $800 to $1200 on 3 specialized hunting bags is not something I can justify. I love buying the best (ask me about my $700 audio cables sometime!) but I need to justify those purchased by knowing how often I wil use/enjoy them. Spending $65 or so on something I will never take out of the bag IS something I am ok with.

Hopefully that all makes sense and thanks again for the feedback and keep it coming.

MedB