Thanks for all the great suggestions so far. I am going to start carrying the PLB in a pants pocket with a neoprene cell phone protector. The advice on shoes is good. I really shouldn't be wheeling in sandals. I'm going to try to incorporate the other suggestions as well like better shelter and a saw. There were several other good suggestions but I already have those items in my bag now, like a water purifier.

The advice about Iraq and keeping more items on my person has definitely made me rethink some of this. I'm going to try to figure out how to make the best use of the two cargo pockets that are in all the pants I wear while wheeling. I'm thinking now that I should drop the altoids PSK I carry and substitute a bigger PSK. I could dedicate one whole pocket to a bigger PSK that covers the water_filter/food/shelter/firstaid categories, and the other pocket dedicated to holding navigation and signaling equipment (compass/PLB/maps/mirror). I'm going to need a heavier duty belt by the time I'm done! I already carry a large pocket knife on my belt all the time, but I could easily add the GPS and it's holster to my belt as well. I just need to figure out how to keep everything very compact and not bulging out my cargo pockets too far.

The sat phone is too fragile to carry in a cargo pocket and there are other items I'd like to have close by, like the mini solar panel, extra clothing, and firearm so I'll still need to have a ditch bag nearby.

Does anyone have any opinions on a Level III Molle backpack? I already own one of these, and I'm thinking I'll move everything from the cheap schoolkids backpack I use now to this bigger backpack. Here's the one I have... http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/MOLLE702-1.html



Please keep the suggestions coming. Great stuff so far.

I'm also still struggling with the best method of where to store the bag where it is held securely, yet I can grab it quickly. I have a laptop I use for topo maps and it's mounted over the passenger seat but the front passenger floor is open and easily reachable from the driver's seat. The passenger seat upright is also open (the place where a passengers back would touch the passenger seat). That might be an even faster spot to retrieve from than the passenger floor but I can't picture exactly how I'd mount it.