Aaaaaaaaaaaah! The pressure! ...the pressure of being out in the woods for ONE weekend and coming back to ALL these posts!

The "pure" BoB is, I suppose, reserved for that scenario alone. But - do we keep the BoB with us at all times, lugging it in and out of home and transportation and destinations as we come and go? If not, Murphy says that we will eventually need it when we are parted from it...

And there are many BO scenarios that are credible. A do-it-all is not very feasible in my experience. For me, BO has many stages and means and destinations - depending on what and why we are bugging out. Many of those BO scenarios realistically are to get HOME to bug-in or home as first step in a scenario (and maybe the only step - or not). As the head-of-household and chief worrier, I have my hands full. However, once underway, a group (family of 6 in my case) bug-out has many advantages over a solo bugout, like division of some equipment and tasks. That group responsability dominates and drives my planning and preparation.

While all of our kids have drivers licenses now, I trained all of them to drive as soon as they could reach the pedals and see over the dash, including driving large vehicles with stick shifts. We have plenty of vehicles. Stage one of a bug-out uses vehicles loaded with gear and supplies, of course - and also variable stage 2 transportation: all-terrain bikes, one ATV (also may be used to recon routes for stage 1), and two canoes. Stage 3 is on-foot with a couple of two-wheeled carts (that can be towed behind bikes / carried in canoes) and/or towed boat-like sleds (ahkio, pulk, komatik - pick your jargon). Stage 4 is backpacks only, with showshoes and skis if the conditions permit/require. Things are really in the crapper if a planned BO sees us losing our packs - I do not plan for that, but we are all experienced outdoors folks and I know we would improvise and get on with it.

Situations could occur that would mean jumping immediately to a latter stage, such as jumping to stage 3 or 4 immediately. But if even only one or two of us can pass thru home first, we won't be punted past stage 4 - our packs are fairly well ready to go all the time because we get out as often as possible. Sleeping bags are unstuffed, but that takes only a moment.

I look at the stage 4 stuff as the upper end of a continum of normal outdoors equipping, and that's where my desire to be modular drives me nuts. I believe both in layering and in not having tons of "extra" gear along - mutually incompatible goals, of course, so compromise/optimization is an eternal battleground.

I want to be able to wear a full-up pack etc. for a two week "trip" (upper limit for on-board food when rigged out for bad weather). Then if at a "basecamp" (normal outings) or if stripping down weight/gear is required, being able to shuck amenities with a tug on a couple of quick releases - down to say, a weekend pack, then down to a "day pack +" (what I consider to be the essentials), then down to a minimal kit, then down to my wits and what's scattered about my person and clothing. I'd be pretty stressed out beyond that - I'm not Tom Brown.

And I just haven't hit on anything that does it like I want. Some military gear combinations come closer than anything else, but still a ways to go and certainly in combinations not conceived by the developers. There are penalties with some of those combos (weight, comfort, and sometimes looking like a wannabe)

Another thing I value highly is knowing exactly where each little thing is so I can find it unerringly with only my hands to guide me. Switching stuff sacks of items from one pack to another is not good enough - I'm still having "withdrawal" from retiring a certain pack that I used for everything for many years. For me, a BoB should be just like what I normally carry afield.

I've got to cut this off for now, but I'd like to hear how others manage.

BTW, as of this evening I'm a double Eagle Dad - second son had his board of review tonight. Third one by this fall if he stays on track. I'm very proud of my son - he really earned this!

Best regards,

Tom