All of these items are slung from a shoulder, across the body; with the exception of the food tube, I carry it like a slung rifle, usually.

Think of those old Civil War photos of troops in the field. Their bedrolls were hung from the top of the left shoulder down towards the right hip. That allowed freedom of movement to hold a rifle to the shoulder, aim, and fire, without being hindered.

I am going to drop the shaving kits and find a way to stow the important gear elsewhere and leave the rest behind. I'm going to be as light as possible.

I am getting some great feedback already. I have plans to pick up some gear along the way as opportunities present themselves irt weapons, bicycle, etc; IF TSHTF and I have to Bug Out.

Wow. Any estimate on what that load would weigh? I'd be surprised if it came in under 100 lbs.

I guess I come from more of a backpacking background. Pack light and move fast are keywords. My personal preference would be a good internal frame pack vs. all the over the shoulder and belt gear. I'd also go with a bladder instead of multiple water bottles. From your food list, your mess kit is probably unecessary. I'd go with a small titanium pot, a plastic cup and a plastic bowl. I'd also go with a light sleeping bag vs. multiple blankets. As mentioned, spare clothes can sub for the pillow, though we seldom carry much in the way of spare clothes. Just fleece layers and wind/rain shell.

Binoculars and cameras are fun, but not essential. I'd also look really closely at the heavy tools on your list. There are lighter knives than the Buck 110, too, as nice as it is.

It's all a matter of what you're comfortable with. You might want to start putting each bit of your kit on a scale and asking yourself, "Do I really need to carry this?"

Kevin B.

Wildman,

You had too much redundancy to travel light. Wow, 5 water bottles.

Recently, I had got a MSR MIOX water purifier and that work great. What I would do is to take 2 water bottle, 1 filled for my immediate needs and 1 empty. Along the way, if I come across a water source, I would fill the empty bottle and purifiy the raw water and let it stand for the required waiting period. The treated water will be filtered into the bottle I am drinking from. If you can swing it, suggest you get this MIOX purifier.

First aid items can be consolidated into a single bag and reduce in number.

Remember you are trying to get out of harm way / disaster zone and you have to do it fast. Looking at your packing list, I would imagine you are going for multi weeks safari trip to Africa.

I second losing the blankets in favor of a light sleeping bag, chances are it will be lighter and pack smaller.

This just seems like way too much stuff to be packing. I suggest you rethink your list again and see if you can cut it at least in half. I've never seen a need to pack that much stuff, even deliberately.

My second observation regards your concern about where you have to go to should the bubble pop. I don't understand why folks think that they need to go home at all costs. Sure, that may be where all your long term survival stuff is, but I doubt there's anything you have at home that couldn't be replaced or done without if need be, and it would be a far better objective in my opinion to think of a suitable LZ nearer to where you might be. If in the west, seek shelter/fortification near that end of your sojourn. Yes, eventually you may want to get back to your home, but pushing to get there from such a long distance away seems to me counter-intuitive to your objective of surviving. Heck, a lot of what I would want with me in a crisis situation is still in Denver, and the stuff I had to have is still a good hour's drive from work here in NYC. If the nasty were to happen, I would not try to make it back to either location unless there was a good chance of success. Therefore so long as there is no immediate need to evacuate, I am not going to push my luck by hitting the road for a week trying to live out of whatever I can carry. If evacuation is a perogative, then it is an escape scenario, which brings other factors into play, and going home may still not be a good objective. The point is I wouldn't hit the road on a long haul trek unless there was a threat from staying in this general location, and then it isn't going to matter too much where home is, I will go wherever I have to to evade the threat.

Put the entire kit on your body this weekend and go for a long walk. I have found the best motivator for making my load lighter is to carry it around a while. Seriously, put the entire load on your body and see how well you can maneuver over a downed tree, a ditch, thick brush. I won't bore you with my background, but I have found that simple, practical application drives home a point far more effectively than theoretical pondering. I'll bet in your reading of Civil War events you will recall the tales of excess gear that was discarded by infantrymen while on a long march. Even ammunition was thrown away by the handful. No disrespect is intended. Just hoping to share a lesson learned the hard way.

Glock
Fishing hooks

I agree totally with your comments which to me, are a given, being a combat veteran in several different locations, which is why I am still alive.

Also keep in mind, my family is at home, so unnecessary dlay will be avoided, as will abject stupidity on my part.

I agree totally, but this hasn't been assembled yet. It will be assembled AND slimmed down before I come back out. The gear that I am accustomed to carrying is also going to be slimmed down to the bone, as well.

The fishing hooks are in my "survival kit in a can" and we aren't allowed firearms thanks to the DHS.

Towboaters are a rather anti-social personality trait. So no weps allowed!