A look inside my BOB (pic heavy)

Well, after much procrastinating I finally took some pics of what's inside my BOB. I expect the first question people will ask is, why do I have so much. The answer is, I'm geared up for long term survival. No, I don't expect to live in the woods forever with what I have. But I do expect what I have to help me out for a decent length of time.

For those who didn't see my earlier pics of my other gear, if you search my post history you should be able to find them.

So, without further ado...




Sven Saw
Leatherman Charge TTi
SOG SEAL Pup
Buck Vangaurd
Gerber folding shovel
binocs
miscellaneous box (knife sharpeners, oil, compass, batteries, mini mag, sewing kit, snare wire, etc, etc.)
$1000 cash (Why would I need cash? You never know.)
para cord
tarp
mosquito net
fishing gill net
duct tape
mirror (upside down so not to catch me in pic)
large bandanas




Katadyn Combi water filter and accessory bag (includes purification tabs)
folding 5 gallon water jug
stainless steel container (Combi screws right on)
bag of toothpaste, soap, and othe hygene items
first aid kit (has much more in it than what you can see)




lighters
firesteel
magnesium bar
fresnel lense
folding magnifier (also a whistle and thermometer)
candles
tinder




telescoping fishing rod and reel
lures
sinkers
hooks
swivels
line




This is my stove and cookware packed up for travel. I took this pic so you can see how it really doesn't take up as much space in my BOB as you might think when you see the next pic.




Lilbug Senior stove
Bugaboo large cookset

Nice kit -
Obviously some comments! I don't know how you like it, but I'm not a huge fan of the SOG pup. YMMV, but for me, it's a shelf queen (anyone interested in buying it, lemme know)

I would break at least some of those Franklins into smaller bills. If there's a power outage, cash registers won't work... no point dropping $100 for a can of spam and some bottled water! Plus, if you ever get to the point of using it for tinder, killing a $5 is easier than a $100 (psychologically). Lastly, you might avoid having lots of pocket change as you break bills. Also, maybe toss them in a ziploc to keep them dry.

How do you expect to stay warm? Blanket? Sleeping bag? A tarp and a fistful of dollars?

You've got a lot of redundancy, esp lighters. You ever see how long it takes to empty a Bic? You're probably great with 2, or 3 at the outside. Yeah, they're light and small, but maybe take a look and see if you really need things in paired triplicate.

Maybe add a few bobbers to the fishing kit. You could set up multiple lines (tree branches, etc) and then see if you catch something by the bobber.

What are you carrying all this in?

Nice. Thanks for sharing.

I keep a few small soft body/jig baits in my kit. (e.g. Mr. Twister). It looks like you have room. The are effective baits for pan fish. Some days, they are the only thing biting.

Also, you may want to consider breaking down the hook and sinker kit into a few smaller containers to avoid a dumping disaster. Or get a container with individually opening lids. Take if from a klutz who has dumped one of these before...

I also keep my fishing kit in a separate fanny pack so it is easy to separate and carry from the main BOB. You may have already thought of this...

Love the fire kit. I learned the hard way to put some sort of clear coat like nail polish on the ferro rod. They disintegrate surprisingly quickly when left unprotected. You may have already done this. Can't tell from the picture...

If you want to use a plastic case with separate lids for the compartments, instead of the one you have for the sinker kit, try a case meant for holding a week of pills broken down by day.

Good kit, you seem to have most things covered but if your intention is to survive in the woods for any length of time i.e. greater than a few weeks, then a more substaintial shelter than a tent will most likely be required i.e. a log cabin. Perhaps a good quality Gransfors Scandinavian Forest axe would be worthwhile. A packet of stainless wood screws could prove to be very useful for long term survival out in the woods.

Also a SW, MW, FM radio may be useful so you know when its safe to come out of the woods. Also some goods maps of the area with a good map case together a quality compass would be probably be required as well.

Some other little luxuries such as food (although I think you mentioned earlier you had a large plastic container full of goodies - hopefully lots of tasty treats full of fats and carbohydrates - it takes a lot of energy to both build a useful long term shelter and for hunting and fishing game etc) and a couple of rolls of toilet paper (doesn't weigh much but makes for some considerable additional comfort).

A UCO candle lantern might be useful for your candles or a solar battery/charger and a quality flashlight such as a Fenix 2AA with a light diffuser attachment for longer term illumination needs.

No cell phone, no gun, no raingear, no shelter (are you going to live in your car?). What are you going to eat? Besides fish.

I agree with the comment about having small bills instead of ten one hundreds. Ever hear the story about the guy in the public toilet - sitting on the pot he realized there was no toilet paper? He asked the guy in the next stall if he could give him two tens for a twenty...

Not sure you have enough fishing weights or ligthers heheh.

I dunno about you but when camping for several days I only remember lighting a fire once or twice... as long as you keep it going/coals you don't need to light it 3x a day... your kit looks like you have enough to light over 1k fires.

Is this a BOB for what? Getting home? On the run for many months? What's the goal. It looks somewhat like my kit, something a mix between a camping/bob kit combo.

I`m def not knocking your kit because I have redundancy in mine too but I`m just curious why you have SO MANY ligthers and tinder? I would suggest a hot burning tender like trioxane for wet wood too. I've used all of what you have listed (and still plan someday to get my results on the web) and trioxane burns hottest.

A hammock is a good tiny thing to add for sleeping in too

I got the SOG because it's stainless, and I got the Buck because it's carbon. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Nice kit-

I agree with the others, probably A GOOD idea to have small bills instead of the benjamins.

No toilet paper?

plenty of good gear..add a small tent and freeze food and you could camp out for months..which begs the question,where,if any,is the break line between a BOB and a campers pack.

Hey Canoedogs, I think the same thing when reading and viewing some of the posts, and we got into a nomenclature discussion on the "escape and evasion" post still up....

How about this take on it-

EDC- every day carry- a swiss key and sliver grippers and dog tag on my key ring with allergy info.

AAC- all around coat- I have my ScotteVest, with SAK, DR PSK, hat, gloves, bandanna, first aid envelope, green flash on a lanyard, iso mask, swiss card, compass/whistle and camelback bladder. Usually in EDC2 (see below).

QUBOB- quick grab bug out bag - with extra flash, extra knife, ferrorod/flash/whistle/knife (FFWK?), larger first aid, small monocular, water bottle. Also kept in EDC2.

WOBOB- work bag- I have my briefcase with crank up cell charger, first aid and meds, spare eyeglasses, and some personal document copies (marriage license, passport copies, etc.).

EDC2- every day car- I have extra bottled water, bottle water carrier, maps, binoculars, chnage, paper towels, etc.

If I am lucky enough to make it home-

BOG- bug out gear in big old garage- 8 totes categorized by hygiene, kitchen, shelter, garden, first aid, pet, and 2 others I can't recall and it's too cold to go out and look.

BO/IF- bug out/in food- 6 cases of freeze dried and MRE's and canned food.

BORV- bug out motor home- full out RV with generator and water and heat and all, fishing gear (FIG?), with 2 large-------

BOP's- bug out packs or bags of plenty (my wife's term)- with 2 days food, alcohol stoves, bivy's, spare clothes (socks, undies), and all of the above EDC/BUBOB items in various forms.

BOT- bug out trailer- to haul all of this and the humans and pets, too, if still room.

How about some more acronyms!

Jakam..when and if they hand out awards for Most Likely To Survive i'm sure you will get the gold--that is a very detailed and clever breakdown..

Great start.

Could you add -

Shelter - something warmer to bed down in?
Some food
Why 2 knives of the same size - I'd carry a smaller knife and something with a bit of chopping ability

Definitely should have:

- Shelter (besides the tarp) / blanket or small sleeping bag
- Food
- Some water to start with
- More assortment for flashlight, maybe a d cell Mag or
headlamp or both.

Would like to see everything in the miscellaneous box.

The candle holder mentioned above would be useful.

Great kit. I might add something to keep warm in from AMK and their heetsheets/bivy line if weight and cost are a consideration. If not that, then I would lean toward the ECOTAT type setup and a blanket. ECOTAT takes care of several items in one package, but then all of your eggs are in the same basket. (really expensive basket)

Good Luck

I agree that it's a great start. My comments:

* smaller bills
* some kind of blanket (see wool vs fleece thread)
* the tinder can probably be put into a ziplock bag to save space.
* a "few" lighters is probably enough
* you can probably get by with about half of the fishing tackle
* every folding water container I've ever tried has always leaked. Might want to test it out.
* what are you doing for food? I would add some vitamins and at least a few MRE's

I definitely agree with that. A good compromise on space / weight.

I agree with most of the other comments, especially about the smaller bills, toilet paper, and excessive lighters.

Rain gear is essential unless your in a desert. Fleece or other insulated clothing would be my next priority, followed closely by a sleeping bag and pad. If you don't have a tent, then some sort of bivy to block wind and rain should go with it. A simple bivy sack and a fleece sleeping bag liner are fairly compact. A foam pad weighs and costs almost nothing but is bulky, and lightweight inflatable pad is almost as light and is about the size of a the fleece liner but is pricey. Either way do not underestimate the value of a pad- using a sleeping bag without one is like turning on the heat and opening a window.

As far as lighting I highly reccomend some sort of LED light with lithium batteries, and a headlamp. A Photon Freedom light with a dozen extra batteries is cheap($11 here ) and takes up a tiny amount of space(buy the batteries online). The clip it comes with is also very helpful.
If you want something a little more versatile, I just bought a Fenix P3D from batteryjuntion.com($60, +$1 each for CR123A batteries), its also very small and light and the output is varied from 12-215 lumens, with 65 hours on the lowest setting, and also has a strobe mode.
A micro headlamp such as this is also small and cheap, and can use the same batteries as the Photon if you have to(although the higher voltage of 4 CR2016s as opposed to 2 CR2032s may burn out the LED faster). Again, the batteries are cheap if you buy them online.

All 3 of these lights together weigh less than a minimag and take up about the same space, are far more reliable, and the spare batteries are light and small as well.

I would add a small bottle of salt to the cooking kit - It can make many wild plants far more tasty. It can also replace electrolytes if your without food for a while.

Lastly you may want to consider a small survival guide such as the SAS Survival Guide handbook. This book is tiny yet very information packed and well illustrated. If nothing else its a great read if your stuck somewhere or bored, and it can also inspire ways to get creative and improvise solutions in a wide variety of situations.

Otherwise a great kit. Sorry for the long post, I can't help promoting my favorite gadgets. By the way, I have a SOG seal pup and like it a lot, though admittidly I use it gently.

jakam i concur i believe that it all falls under the outdoors stamp.....ets

A headlamp will be handy as will rain gear and blankets or a sleeping bag. A extra tarp to set up to make a sitting or standing area different than your sleeping are will make life easier in bad weather.
A extra knife will be a great backup in case you break or lose your main knives.
A second on the salt both for the cook kit and meat preservation.
Vitamins will help keep you healthier.
Stainless steel screws or nails are often handy as is some stainless steel wire.
A spare blade for the Sven Saw can be a life saver if you break or dull the original blade.
A SAk like a Victorinox Forester with a the saw and can opener can have many uses in a bug out situation

I have a new hero......Jakam

Thanks for taking the time to post your kit; all the detailed and organized photos are great.
I like it; and I don't see any comment to add, that has not already been covered by others above.

I like the looks of that Magnifier/Whistle/Thermometer combo; I would like to add that item to my kit. Can you tell me the brand and/or source of that item?

Zipties? Can never have enough of them for quick lashing.

I like the redundancy. But maybe too much.

Don't likes:

No matches- they have a place. You've got lots of lighters, you can drop one. And wedge the plungers on the ones you have.

Another water bottle would be nice.

No real shelter. If you are giong to make shelter, an axe would be nice. A saw is great, but for serious work, even I reach for an axe.

You've got a LOT of food procurement, but no food. Will some be added?

No spare clothes. Not even socks that I can see.

Redundant items have an important alternate use: giveaways. When the mega-whatever hits and I have to hoof it home, some of my co-workers will have a similarly long walk in the other direction. If I can at least hand him a Bic, a water bottle and a space blanket, I've improved his odds a bit.

Jeff

I still wonder how this all will be carried, and what it weighs...

"Redundant items have an important alternate use: giveaways."

Good point, Jeff. That's in my mind too as I collect and store stuff.
But I've noticed that I have a problem figuring out where to draw the line.

"If I can at least hand him a Bic, a water bottle and a space blanket..."

That part of your post reminds me to keep it simple and finite.
Thank you.

Thanks, Still Alive,

I am going to post pics at some point.............

Here is a link to photos of some gear that I have. I have updated some items and added some new gear that are not in the pictures. A Coleman titanium multi-fuel stove, Snow Peak titanium fork/knife/spoon set, Brunton fork/knife/spoon set, MSR pack towel, 400mL MSR Titanium fuel bottle(already have 2 800mL), Evernew Titanium non stick fry pan, REI hang up clothesline, Sea to Summit Pocket Soap(dry leaves of soap),Princeton Tec EOS tactical headlamp, ect. I will try and get some updated pics on soon.

http://s46.photobucket.com/albums/f150/ShawnBoone/

Umm, do you get all of that in the uh, camelback pack?

Not the car kit or socket set of course. The blanket is part of the car kit and so are the frog toggs. The mask stays at home or in the car depending on the danger level of the country/world. Worst case, I take it with me(God forbid). The large wet ones dispenser stays in the car but the smaller package goes in the pack. I also have a gill net that is a bit big for the pack but all the other stuff can fit. Oh yeah, the 2 Nalgene bottles have been replaced by MSR titanium bottles. I can use them for fuel or beverages per MSR. They don't have a expoxy-type lining baked into them like the Sigg bottles so you can also boil water in them. Whenever I replace an item with a better one, the old one is still useful for a second pack. It would be ideal to have a few packs with different weights allowing for a longer or shorter stay. Also, is the "Bug Out" for a personal break or is it an emergency? Each bag would have different things stocked. Where am I bugging out to? Is it the woods, swamp, mountains, Arctic? All things to consider for the right pack. The Camel Bak will be replaced, probably with a Granite Gear pack but I am still putting this "Ultimate Pack" together so I'm not sure how many cubes(cubic inches)I will need. I threw in some hiker lingo to appear cool. So I will end up with a few packs but the "main" pack will have all the bells and whistles that even NASA would be proud of.

I was just curious as I have the same pack. When the family goes to Walt Disney World I carry it for all the goodies and hang extra water bottles on the outside. I can pack pretty well, but if you got all of that in there I was going to be amazed.

I have a big BOB that is full of "modules". Each one adds to the comfort level of the user. The base or Oh S--t Bag (OSB) is really all that is needed, but the rest really makes things easier. The OSB comes out of the BOB and is attached via MOLLE to allow more room in the BOB for food and "Mission Specific" needs. (weather, special needs etc.)

As long as its easily and quickly de-modulated when time and weight are critical then it sounds like a good design. If you need to leave, move light and quick, taking the time to shake your pack down might waste the little time you have. If you have a few packs to choose from that are already designed for that specific situation then you can just grab and go. Whatever works I guess. I also think the Molle system is too heavy for my liking. I am only looking at light weight to ultra light weight gear.

Works great. Hence the reason the services use the module idea with the ejection survival kits.

From the time I joined the Army I was taught to carry the essentials at all times on my body:

Fire starting

Signaling

Shelter construction

Water procurement

This amounts to a whistle, light (I have the Photon Freedom or a military issue strobe which uses AA batteries) or orange signal panel (I have a very small nylon one from an aviator survival kit), water purification tablets (I now use the Micropur from Katadyn), parachute cord.

I was also taught to carry things in order of priority and possibility of being lost (line 1, line 2 and line 3).
Line 1: Carry on your body what you need to survive (in you pockets or on you belt).
Line 2: Carry on you Web gear (for civilian clothing a fanny pack, photo vest or fishing vest)what you need to fight.
Line 3: Carry in you back pack everything else (mission gear, comfort items and additional supplies).

We also had to take into consideration "the naked man syndrome". If you are captured (in which case they take everything, including your clothes) or lose everything in an airplane crash or have to shed everything to prevent drowning your brain is your most important survival tool. you have to learn how to do everything with nothing. Shelter, fire, water and signaling. This is the importance of primitive technology.

I have tons of gear which I carry even around town which my wife finds amusing (until I actually used it in front of her) and the airports are always questioning the stuff at security checkpoints. I always have the Ritter pocket survival pack (minus the razor blade) at a minimum. Foreign law enforcement has found it interesting as well. While in the Army I did use my survival gear on several occasions, not in a survival school, and will never be caught with the stuff in my pockets.

With all due respect, you must not like your coworkers much. If I knew an associate (hell, any fellow survivor if it's down to the two of us) was gonna have to hike home through post-nuclear Israel, I wouldn't let them go without a good knife.

But then, good knives are illegal here. God damn it.

"...good knives are illegal here..."

Got a bayonet for your galil, M-16, or whatever you have been issued???

They don't let you keep it...

P.S. I don't think I was clear: you can have knives. You just can't carry them without a good reason.

No judgement here just pointing out the ironic. IDF will send you home with a rifle, but local laws prevent you from owning a knife?

Yeah I realize there is a neighborhood reason (that neighborhood of the planet) you rifle goes home, but it is ironic.

I had a computer service job a few years ago which took my to a local prison. When I emptied my pockets at the metal detector and the gaurd said you can't take that I started to pick up the pocket knife to take it back to the van and he stopped me and said the knife was ok but the cell phone couldn't go. I thought it to be the strangest thing.

The con's don't need help getting edged weapons. They probably have bigger knives "trunked" (don't ask) than what you were carrying. Cell phones are a horse of an entirely different hue.

Good kit.. i agree with most of the posts to help you improve it a little.. Food, Shelter.. I would add a hand towel at a minimum or a camp towel.. and a roll of garbage bags.. can be used for water proofing or emergency ponchos.. or gathering water

the fishing kit might be a littl much. and slim down the containers.. as far as fishing line have some 8lb test or so and then a roll of some heavy stuff, you can use it off the rod and the lighter stuff at the end as to not waste you lighter line.. swivels and split shot sinkers are great.. a good variety of hooks.. but maybe some leaders in case you run into some bigger fish.. and a long leader can also be used as a snare. throw some fake worms and jigs in there .. you never know what they are gonna bite on;

like the others your fire starting might be overkill.. fire is important but you have more than enough there..
consider a camp axe or hatchet at the least.. even my daughers have a collapsable shovel and hatchet.. you can ues it to pound your stainless steele nails that your gonna add too..

the knives look good but do consider some variety.. i assume you probably have a small pocket knife on u but wouldnt hurt to slip on in the bag..cold steele makes a survival knife that can be easily fashioned into a spear.. so consider that
a couple of MRE's and bottles of water to start u off too.. and dont be scared to throw some hard candy for a treat for u or the kids..
clothing.. i agree you should have some socks at least.. underwear and t-shirts.. all easily rinsed with bar soap in a stream to freshen them up. but throw a pair of mid weight gloves with a skull(or stocking) cap at the minimum.\\

keep in mind when your assembeling it that it might be the only thing you can grab or have room for.. yes ideally we would like to walk around the house and take everything we need.. but the B.O.B needs to be the thing you will rely on..
Also consider getting a small .22 pistol to put in there.. i assume you have other firearms but the bug out bag should have something in it so its complete..
just remeber you will be hauling it on your back so gather it all together again.. and see what you might be able to trim back on
if you have a family each person should have a pack.. you might be able to carry more and extra stuff.. but be sure there kits are complete too.. have some cards and games too..

two way radioes or scanner to hear whats going on locally plus a radio to keep you up to date /with batteries of course/
something blaze orange as well.. there has been many times i was out hunting and had hung an orange opject on a tree or something to get the attention of someone walking near my area and it works.. they always stop and look for me... then back out.. so look for some blaze orange on sale now that hunting is over.. you can pick it up cheap.. you just need a shrit or hat .. it really get the addtention of someone in the wooods.. they also make rolls of marking tape that is brightly colored that you could use to mark your trail.

Not dinging your kit.. it looks great.. just put things in ziplock bags and make a few adjustments..

Instead of the $1000 in benjis, why not a mix of krugerrands and high value trade goods?

Smaller denoms would be nice as mentioned above, but presumably you have the rest of your kit to barter away for smaller items like food or water that might become urgently needed and yet are available for less cost than one full unit of currency. Still, you might include several rolls of quarters and half-dollars, since they might serve as currency in a pinch and also have the back-up usefulness of metal discs.

Among high value trade goods, I'm thinking of stuff like good liquor; silk cloth; select medications like anti-malarial, anti-ulcer, aspirin, viagra, others that have a clear and demonstrable effect; bulk fishhooks; bulk flints; etc.

OK, not too shabby.

One problem with bic lighters is the buttons can get pressed when inside the pack and they go empty on you. They might need to be in a hard container like your cook kit or in your odds and ends box. Some people wedge then so they can not be compressed.

Now throw your sleeping bag and mat into it, add 10 or 15 pounds for food, make sure you have your fuel for the stove weight added as well.
(Food and fuel can just be weights for this test instead of the real thing. you only need to match weight and bulk.)
Put your maps, pencils and note book in.

Then put it all in your backpack and walk it about 5 miles.
(an easy a 2 hr walk on pavement, try to include an uphill and downhill section)

After you have got hold of a scale and done the walk with it come back and ask us about where to lighten it up.

You should only carry about 1/4 of your body weight.
You don't appear to be over that yet, but the rest of the kit might get you pretty close to it.
We can also talk about what stuff goes into pockets or onto the belt instead of into the pack.

It really is a good start.

What brand is that Telescoping Fishing Rod?
... I like the looks of that.