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#163925 - 01/20/09 01:59 AM Do you change contents of BOB seasonally?
snoman Offline
Member

Registered: 09/22/02
Posts: 181
Since my niece was in town for the weekend, we decided to go on a little day trip. My sister (her mom) said they'll pick me up at my house. When they show, sis and hubby are in the back seat, my niece is driving and I get shotgun. I open the door, toss BOB in and climb in. My niece is looking at my rucksack and says 'what's that.' I smiled and said "That's my friend, Bob" and leave it at that.
One of our stops was Centralia, PA, a town that was evacuated/condemned/erased because of a coal mine fire that's been burning underground for the last 45 years or so. Anyway, she's complaining of being cold, so I open BOB and give her a scarf and light up one of those charcoal hand-warmers for her. After walking around for about 30 minutes, bro-in-law is complaining about forgetting his hat, so I open BOB and give him my old mad bomber hat (which got a lot of laughs!). After a while, everyone's complaining about being hungry, so I open BOB again and they get some Clif Bars and a water bottle, to hold us over until lunch.
When we're back in the truck, she asks me about BOB again. I told her it's just a pack I carry some supplies in 'just in case.' When we get home, I dump the whole thing out and go through it for her, explaining what purpose everything has. She asks if I carry it all the time. I said 'pretty much, though it's contents change seasonally.' Since it's winter, more warmth related things, like the mad bomber hat, extra socks, mittens, scarf, etc. In summer, that stuff comes out and is replaced with a Tilley hat and more water, etc.
So that's my question - what do ya'all swap in and out of your BOBs because of the season?

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#163932 - 01/20/09 02:32 AM Re: Do you change contents of BOB seasonally? [Re: snoman]
Be_Prepared Offline
Addict

Registered: 12/07/04
Posts: 530
Loc: Massachusetts
My base vehicle kit pretty much is the same year round, except that I do add an extra duffle with a winter clothing supplement, such as a hooded ski jacket, insulated bibs, fleece hoodie, Sorel boots, gloves, hat, a couple extra pairs of heavy socks, some extra chemical warmers, including boot warmers, things like that. I tend to have an extra blanket or two beyond the one in my regular kit. In winter, I carry a snow shovel, in addition to the folding GI style shovel in the regular kit. There's probably other stuff I carry in winter that I don't in summer, like windshield de-ice/washer fluid. This was an interesting question! I don't really know everything that's back there...

I do have all weather clothing items in the base bag, and enough to get thru the cold, but, always figured it wouldn't hurt to have an extra set of cold gear in winter. Sometimes it has been used by a passenger, since I tend to have weather appropriate clothing on anyway, but, I've had folks in the truck that aren't as prepared.

I guess in the summer, I do tend to carry more water, because I usually have an extra case of bottled water in the back. I think my base kit's pretty good all weather, but, I reinforce with the season and on longer trips. (Probably need to be more conscious about it, rather than just doing it when I think of it.)
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#163934 - 01/20/09 02:38 AM Re: Do you change contents of BOB seasonally? [Re: snoman]
scafool Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 12/18/08
Posts: 1534
Loc: Muskoka
Mine not only changes with the weather, it changes with where I expect to be going. I walk quite a bit and it goes wherever I go.
My big packs and car pack are a different deal.

About the only thing that stays the same is my possibilities bag inside of it.
In winter my two water bottles change into one bottle and one thermos.
A spare pair of socks becomes 2 if I am traveling far. A touque gets added, a balaclava gets added. I don't use scarves, but I add a fleece sweater.
I have a hood on my jacket. Mitts get added in addition to my summer work gloves. Plus the pair of mitts in the coat pocket.
The rest of the stuff including treats is there winter and summer. The food tends to change from apples to tinned sardines in oil but that is about it.
I like trail mix a lot.
My pack is not huge but in the winter it sometimes ends up stuffed right full because if it gets warm in the day my coat goes in the pack.


Edited by scafool (01/20/09 02:40 AM)
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May set off to explore without any sense of direction or how to return.

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#163937 - 01/20/09 02:50 AM Re: Do you change contents of BOB seasonally? [Re: snoman]
ironraven Offline
Cranky Geek
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 09/08/05
Posts: 4642
Loc: Vermont
In the winter, BoB gets more food and more clothes. Always plan on hoofing it, and winter just sucks on foot.

My car gear stays pretty much the same year round, becuase I'm too lazy to clean it.

My EDC gets wool liner gloves and a spare watch cap in winter, while my keys and wallet move to my jacket for the season. In the summer, they'll go back into my bag of tricks. And that is the one that is most likely to do what you did- I've pulled batteries, duct tape, wire, various small tools, and FAK items out of it often enough that no one is really surprised any more.
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-IronRaven

When a man dare not speak without malice for fear of giving insult, that is when truth starts to die. Truth is the truest freedom.

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#163938 - 01/20/09 03:41 AM Re: Do you change contents of BOB seasonally? [Re: snoman]
Sherpadog
Unregistered


My philosophy on BOB has changed somewhat over the last couple of years. At one time, the BOB was pretty much the same and only changed slightly in terms of clothes dependent on the seasons.

The main drawback with this approach is multi-faceted. Where we live the weather can change dramtically within a few days to a week. For example, we just went through our worst December in 40 years in terms of record snowfall and extreme cold. Now we are back to above seasonal norms and fast approaching spring temperatures already. Clothing requirements need to be altered as the clothes needed two weeks ago are no longer required. Yet another cold snap can come in next week and once again, the clothes in the BOB would not be sufficient.

This also does not take into account that the BOB's are also a secondary backup when used on hiking, fishing and camping trips that take place any time of the year and in vastly different locales and environments. One day we could be basking in 75F weather in valley bottoms and the next day be in an mountain tops where the temperature is a cool 40F.

Due to situations such as the above, changing and maintaining the BOB every few weeks is not conducive to the time required and inconvenience of it all. The methods now in place are the result of much experimentation over the last 1-1/2 years and so far have been successful in terms of least maintenance and overall usefulness. In addition to the standard BOB in the trunk of the car, a separate large soft-sided bag containing a mix of spring/fall, summer and winter clothes, other seasonal items and extra food is also kept in the car trunk. This bag supplements the BOB's and backpacks for whatever outdoor activity, regardless of season. For example, if we are out hiking somewhere and decide to spend a couple more days, there would be no issue as there would be more enough supplies for this. The only downside to this is that the car trunk is aways perpetually full...yet that is not all that bad of a downside.

At home and in a worst case sneario where we were forced to leave with the car on a moments notice, we would have enough clothes and food for close to a week. Assuming we had more notice (30 minutes) and were at home, we have extra bins packed that could be quickly put into the car and this would give us about 3 weeks of supplies.

On a similar vein where we left by car and then had to abandon it for whatever reason, having a large selection of gear, clothes and food to choose from and to add to the base BOB improves our odds much more significantly.

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#163970 - 01/20/09 01:23 PM Re: Do you change contents of BOB seasonally? [Re: ]
el_diabl0 Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 12/31/06
Posts: 301
Loc: NE Ohio
I add some warm weather clothing in the warmer months, but leave the cold weather clothing in as well. I've often pulled my fleece hoodie out while camping, even during the summer months.

Other than that, everything else stays the same.


Edited by el_diabl0 (01/20/09 01:24 PM)
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#163971 - 01/20/09 01:23 PM Re: Do you change contents of BOB seasonally? [Re: ]
Mike_H Offline
Addict

Registered: 04/04/07
Posts: 612
Loc: SE PA
I don't have a BOB persay, but I don't have all the components for one. Whenever I do camping, hiking, travelling I pull together the components necessary for the type of trip and weather.

If I ever needed to really bug out, I just grab the tuperware bins that I have the components stored in and I have the full BOB then.

So, more of a BOT? Bug Out Tupperware? LOL!
_________________________
"I reject your reality and substitute my own..." - Adam Savage / Mythbusters

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#163976 - 01/20/09 02:41 PM Re: Do you change contents of BOB seasonally? [Re: snoman]
airballrad Offline
Gear Junkie
Enthusiast

Registered: 10/22/07
Posts: 248
Loc: Gulf Coast Florida, USA
Mine stays the same. The clothing I have in there can range from summer (t-shirt, nylon shorts) to winter (system jacket with liner/shell, polypro thermals, watch cap/gloves). The only thing I change seasonally is to add/remove the extras living in the trunk; more water in the summer, closed-cell sleeping pad and extra outerwear in the winter.

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#163996 - 01/20/09 05:25 PM Re: Do you change contents of BOB seasonally? [Re: airballrad]
Stu Offline
I am not a P.P.o.W.
Old Hand

Registered: 05/16/05
Posts: 1058
Loc: Finger Lakes of NY State
Other than changing food Items for freezing temps, my Emergency gear stays pretty well the same.
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Our most important survival tool is our brain, and for many, that tool is way underused! SBRaider
Head Cat Herder

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#164011 - 01/20/09 10:14 PM Re: Do you change contents of BOB seasonally? [Re: NightHiker]
horizonseeker Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 07/12/05
Posts: 84
in so cal, that's not much of a problem because of the one season "warm". There were a few cold nights this year, but I figured the extra jacket in the bob will hold me over if I needed it.

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