My mini BOB with pictures!!

Hello to all, here I am posting my mini BOB, I know you have seen this a million times, so please let me know any of your ideas, suggestion or comments. To let you know, this BOB will be used in northern Ontario (Canada) which is mostly a wooded area with lots of lakes and rivers, and should substain me for 3-5 days.

Here is the picture of the contents



Here is a list of the contents:

FIRE:
2 bics
coton balls soaked in PJ
flint and steel
box of strike anywhere matches

FOOD:
5 fruit to go
4 granola bars
2 bags musli cereal
powdered milk
brew kit
beef jerky
fishing kit
snare wire
spoon
canteen
canteen cup
water purification tablets
tommy cooker and fuel tablets

CLOTHING:
balaclava
1 pair wool socks

TOOLS:
Leatherman Charge & case
Pocket folder & case
Flashlight & spare batteries

SIGNAL:
miror
flares and flare gun

OTHER:
roll of quarters 6$
sharpie
SAS survival guide
Green tarp with silver inside that reflects body heat
paracord
compas
carabiner
chapstick
2 deep woods OFF towelettes
mini roll of duct tape
2 sheets rite in the rain paper
1 large garbage bag
1 bottle of hand sanitizer

FAK:
6 bandaids
6 tylenols
1 roll medical tape
6 safety pins
bar of hotel soap
4 butterfly stiches
2 antiseptic towelettes
1 roll auto-adhesif bandage

All this is packed in my Maxpedition Proteus

Here is a picture of all the stuff packed



Anyways, to let you know my EDC is my PSK, fox 40, SOG Flash II and Brunton Helios

Thank you for your time and I await your replies

I like it!

If this is for 3-5 days, you may want a little bottle of bug repellant instead of a couple of wipes, but I guess it depends on how problematic bugs are in your area, and how much room you have.

Pretty cool kit <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Pardon my ignorance, but what is:
Is that flashlight an Underwater Kinetics eLED? Those are nice and last forever.
I have replaced all my iodine purification pills with Micropur, since iodine makes me gag. I guess its OK if you don't mind the taste of water following iodine desinfection.
I would expand the FAK a little. Perhaps add a Bloodstopper dressing or just a plain old maxi-pad for bleeding.
More antiseptics (antibiotic ointment packages are ideal, don't know if they are legal in Canada), but you could also add PVP pads or a 1oz bottle of PVP for wound desinfection.
One of the Survivorman shows filmed in Canada mentioned that a good axe is an indispensable tool, especially in winter.
Just some thoughts.

Looks good! Considering how far north you are, I'd add more shelter - a Heat Sheet or one of their Bivy's if you can affor it, or have the room for it. A pair of gloves would be good too.

coton balls soaked in PJ is tinder.

You take some cotonwoll and apply some petrolium jelly (vaseline) in it. Some people just smear some in the mideel, fold it and squeeze them out again. Others melt some petrolium jelly and dip there cotonball in them and use something to squeeze them out.

It's burns long and well. Easy to make and dead cheap.
You can mae a few variations with it. I have even seen tampons and lipbalm being used...

I agree. The best is a lotion with DEET. If you're in the US, 3M Ultrathon and if you're in Canada, Watkins:

Watkins homepage

You can also buy it ready-made: Coghlan's Emergency-Tinder.

You've got the right goodies, but is it comfortable to carry?

Do you wear it every time you go hiking or outdoors?

I think that you should replace the "scout" firestick with a full sized one. A small folding saw scabbarded to the outside would be a very worthwhile addition because it increases your shelter building/firemaking options drasticly. Toothbrush (cut the handle down) and a small tube of toothpaste.
I would feel very unhappy about being in the wilds without a decent fixed blade knife. Mora, Cold Steel, Roselli, Ritter Mk3 or one of Canada's homegrown brands. Mozzie headnet is a must. Use it as a stuffsack/melt snow/fishing net. Gloves?

The problem with DEET is that it attacks your nylon gear, and there are still some rather interesting questions about it's use long term in the higher concentrations.

Try Green Ban- won't weaken your gear, and you can use it for extended periods, even with kids. Down side is that you want to swap it once a year, just like your water purification tablets, meds, batteries, matches/lighter, et al.

change water-purification tabs once a year? What kind are you using. I use micropur tabs and they have a exp-date of five years!

I use potable aqua, and even though they have a 3 year shelf life, thats only if you don't open the bottle. Then it's six months. So, what I do is every six months, dispose of the ones in my PSK repacks, replace them with the ones from my ditch kit with the set I have on hand for when I assemble BOB, and put new ones in the standby box (BOB's home when he isn't wearing his skin).

For everyone else I build kits for, I recommend an annual replacement, just becuase that and firestarters are the one place I'd rather dispose of perfectly good gear than risk having something stale in my pack.

Hi, your suggestion are pretty good. Anyways here are the answers to your questions

My kits weight is 9 pounds without water and 12 with water

I really would like too add a fixed blade to my kit but i lack the $$ right now.

For a saw, I would mostly depend on my leatherman and commando saw for this kit. If i had a bigger one I would probably get a small buck saw.

I don't know if I should carry toothpaste and a tooth brush. I know it good to brush your teeth, but in an emergency situation is it necessary?

Adding a mosquito head net is a great idea. I will really consider it.

I dont really wear it everytime I go outdoors, because I find it heavy. So I am working on lightening it up so it is more comfortable to wear.

About adding more shelter, I think its a good idea, because it can get quite nippy up here. I was thinking maybe a cheap poncho?

Gloves would also be a good addition. What kind would you recomend?

I'll try expanding the FAK a bit but I'm tight on space there too. A maxi pad should fit if i fold it.

I'm not too sure about the name of the flash, light. It runs on 2 AAA batteries, has a halogene bulb I beleive and is water proof. Too let you know I also carry a small photon light as a backup.

And finally I should carry a small bottle of insect repelant. The bugs can get quite bad here. I was thinking muskol.

Thanks again for the help

Muskol comes in liquid and spray, with 30% DEET. Spray is probably more risky for your nylon gear and the liquid will penetrate more in the skin. Watkins contains 28% DEET and it's less absorbing because it's a lotion like sunscreen and you know where you put it since it's not transparent when you apply it.

Roll a $5 NiteIze headband around your flashlight if it fits so that you can free your hands...

Frankie

Careful then with the Commando saw- use it as a bow saw, thats your best way keep it a saw. Just be careful with how tightly your roll it.

As for the tooth brush, it's a good thing. Even if you can't do a smoke bath, brushing your teeth will make you feel a lot better in the morning. Keep in mind that the inside of your mouth is the only place where you can't really get to AND are likely to do something silly to. Something that slips between the tooth and gum, or between the teeth, can turn into an infection real fast.

Besides, there are some cuties in the SAR community.

Ironraven,

Good man! You sure plan way ahead.

Just an observation Vader, but I would move the canteen to the belt. Where you have it in the picture, the bounce of your step will magnify the weight. I carry a similar set up on my twelve mile walk each day. Currently the weight of my setup including clothing is twenty three pounds. My extensive first aid kit is in a separate bag on the belt on my left and the combination canteen stove is on my right side belt. Pouches carrying light weight items like jackets and food, when and if I carry any, are attached to Proteus. I estimate at the rate I am traveling I can go up to thirty pounds and still be comfortable. I have many good packs but I get too hot and it is difficult to vent my chest area to regulate my temperature with a pack.

I would suggest getting some 4x4 non adherent dressings so you can actually cover a wound. As your kit stands you have no wound dressings.

Vader,
It seems like what you are making is an
EDC Every Day Carry or a SK Survival Kit.

A BOB Bug Out Bag, is a kit used for an
evacuation: you have some idea where
you are going and you are avoiding
an immediate threat.

This is not just semantics; if you were really
evacuating to the woods; a fixed-blade knife,
saw, axe, file, wood chisel, cold chisel, tarp etc
would be a reasonable beginning kit. If you are
only going for a hike in the woods, forget most
of it.

Another example.
Unless you work or travel in the bush, a
canteen would seem to be too troublesome
for EDC.

Read and consider what others have done,
on various Survival Forums.

If you cannot buy with cash, think of trading;
you might be happy to get rid of some junk in
you garage. Old used tools can sometimes be
very good. Talk to a local "sharping shop",
and ask where you might get some cheap used
tools (knives). Many thin kitchen-type knives, can
be used effectively on wood, but you cannot pry
with them, at all.

Hike4fun

It's called thinking about what happens after the situation, it's good for morale. Just don't get distracted, or, well, Murphy and Darwin will laugh at you.

I agree with that. Non-stick pads like Telfa that come in 3x4 actually, and Coban wrap... Check out this site, it's aimed at mountain biking but it made me better understand first aid principles and has great tips and it can be transposed to bugout needs in term of first aid:

utahmountainbiking.com

Good luck.
Frankie

I carry one of the TAC-PACK TRAUMA PACKS in my kit to handle anything major...
I cannot vouch for it though, as I have not wanted to open it and break the seal...
Does anyone have any experence with it?
I think I will make a new post about it....

Where'd you get the flare gun ?