Making an emergency-ready daypack, insight needed

[AlexSchira]

I've been making smaller kits for various situations for a couple years now, mostly Altoids tins, holsters, modified EDC containers and the like. Recently however I stumbled onto some of my camera bags I haven't used in a while. I decided to turn the bigger, rather unusual backpack bag into a rather nice-looking 'It just hit the fan' bag for the car or long-term outings. Not bugging out here, just trying to get as much as utilitarian potential out of this bag as I can to push my limits and bit and prepare myself better.

It's a standard-sized backpack, similar to what you'd see a tourist wearing, but is in reality a higher-end camera bag designed to look like a regular backpack. The main zipper compartment is actually only half-sized, the bottom is a sectioned-off camera bag that no thief would know to get into. Likewise, no one would know this pack's purpose unless they knew where to unzip. Here's the product info. The Adventure 7 model.
http://www.tamrac.com/frame_adv.htm
No, mine isn't digi-camo, just plain dark gray. Camo wasn't an option when I got it, doubt I'd shoot for it anyway.

I have enough odds and ends around here to keep a small militia going, but before I start picking what goes in the bag and how, I'm setting a purpose for the bag and seeking advice from better knowing individuals. I'm not making a hiking pack, it's far too small to live out of, rather I want a fully stocked emergency/survival pack I can use as an innocent daypack. Needs it may need to fulfill.

First Aid
Basic survival elements, expanding on the Doug Ritter pocket kit.
Odds and ends to fix whatever breaks, make the day easier, Macgyver 101
Handle a stranded situation, whether with a car, hiking group or just a missed ride
Maintain enough free space in the top to still use as a daypack

Not touching a piece of gear yet, going to build off whatever people list. Handy things people keep in similar bags, expert-chosen solutions I can whistle about, geek toys that pay off, I'll take any suggestions.
Also, if anyone wants to make up a humorous or witty nickname for this pack, feel free to share, love embarrassing my other half with my gritty slang terms being butchered with my proper Chicago accent.

Weather is going nuts over here, hence inspiring resurrecting my bag for such a purpose, but also holing me up for the weekend with nothing but my gear, the web, my girl, and a couple weeks of laundry to do. Thanks in advance for any tips or suggestions, anything to keep me from tying all these mismatched socks into a noose.

 

[paulr]

www.equipped.org forum is the right place to ask about that. They discuss PSK's of various sizes there all the time, same as CPF'ers talk about flashlights.

 

[AlexSchira]

Already got the same topic on there, great place. And EDCforums...Bladeforums...And some site about competitive rock-paper-scissors, really went off the handle there. Pooling for responses all around, really.

 

[watt4]

glocktalk has an active survival subforum

 

[paulr]

Already got the same topic on there, great place. And EDCforums...Bladeforums...And some site about competitive rock-paper-scissors, really went off the handle there. Pooling for responses all around, really.

Well, if you want a CPF'er answer, I'd say by far the most important thing is to be able to see what you're doing, so you should skip most of the survival stuff and just fill the whole pack with flashlights and batteries. For long distance spotting I'd suggest the new Amondotech N30 HID lantern which is about 4 pounds and reasonably priced at $150, plus you'll want a few spare battery packs for it (about 2 pounds each). You should also have a Surefire M6 in case you are surprised by a bear, plus a backup for it (let's say one crenellated and one uncrenellated), plus a few boxes of CR123A batteries. In addition you should have an HDS Ultimate 80 or its current Novatac 120 incarnation. Don't forget the 3 volume instruction manual so you can set the microprocessor modes to just the perfect level for your survival situation. And of course you'll need a headlamp to read the HDS/Novatac instructions. After that we get to the dive lights, in case you are stuck underwater, and the red lights for night vision. Plus you should have a few incans along for their superior color rendition, and you'll need an Inova 24/7 for traffic signalling. Then LED lights, you'll want both the flood type and the spot type, lots of spare batteries and adapters to cross-fit batteries into different lights. You'll need an SOS beacon to signal passing helicopters for rescue, since a true flashaholic would never think of using a cellular phone for that purpose. And of course, when all batteries are flat, you should be able to fall back on your Betalight. ...

Well I'd go on for a few more pages but you get the idea

 

[AlexSchira]

Beautiful answer, wiping off tears here. It really is interesting how the forums are reacting differently. You guys are more gadget-based with a lighting bias obviously. ETS hasn't responded yet but I can expect some innovative ideas using common objects. EDC has a general everyday stance. Bladeforums is arguing about the Ten Essentials in a Bug Out Bag for serious off the grid roaming.

Blades can point me towards the right blades and rugged tools, EDC has the odds and ends, ETS for the 'Why didn't I think of that', and CPF guides me on everything from the zipper-pull Photon to headlamps and anti-cougar lightsaber.

This bag is going to have one heck of a family tree, but it's going to rock.

 

[Lit Up]

While strolling through wally market, I spotted some little 1.5 ounce Purell and Germ-X travel sized bottles. Definitely wouldn't hurt to have a few of those on board in the first aid section of your bag. I'm stocking one of those little overnight bags with First Aid supplies to go in the bigger BOB.

 

[Coop]

It's a standard-sized backpack, similar to what you'd see a tourist wearing, but is in reality a higher-end camera bag designed to look like a regular backpack.

Yeah... That Tamrac logo really doesn't give it away

 

[speederino]

While strolling through wally market, I spotted some little 1.5 ounce Purell and Germ-X travel sized bottles. Definitely wouldn't hurt to have a few of those on board in the first aid section of your bag. I'm stocking one of those little overnight bags with First Aid supplies to go in the bigger BOB.

A free bonus to those hand sanitizers is that they contain enough alcohol to make a nice fire starter. I got to playing with some, even a small blob will hold a flame long enough to get your tinder going.

 

[AlexSchira]

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...Note to self...Electrical tape over Tamrac logo...And stop thinking over the internet...

 

[scott.cr]

I work about 30 miles from home, and downtown Los Angeles is almost precisely halfway between work and home "as the crow flies." I configured my kit with the consideration that I might have to WALK home if I wanted to check on the health and safety of my SO in a reasonable amount of time.

I also considered, in a bad enough situation where there's no electrical power, I will still want to use street signs to aid in navigation (along with a handheld GPS and folding map). So my gear includes a Surefire M6 to spot street signs from blocks away, or at least a block away. I have tested it during a blackout last winter and this method of sign spotting works excellently well. The M6 is relatively lightweight, it's bright and a spare set of cells and lamp fits into a Surefire spares carrier.

Also in the gear is a 2-meter handheld Ham radio, police/fire radio scanner and plenty of spare cells. You might want to configure your gear to minimize the different types of spare batteries you carry... right now I'm carrying CR123s and AAs. Would rather go to one type of cell, but AA-powered lights don't offer the features I'm after.

Above all, TEST TEST TEST your setups and gear. Your checklist will evolve very rapidly as you discover what works, and what does not work, for your situation and tastes.

BTW, don't forget physical training... I do a breast cancer walk every year, it is 26 miles on Saturday, 13 miles on Sunday. The event keeps me in a better-than-average state of tune year-round since I'm training for it year-round. I'm not a marathon runner by any means, but I think even casual physical training would do any of us worlds of good, especially in a "situation." The breast cancer walks have made me acutely aware of how important good socks, shoes and foot health is. Oh, and a tube of Body Glide hahaha. (It's amazing what will chafe that you never notice until mile 10 or 12.)

What'd they say in Half-Life? "Someone's life may depend on your physical condition," heh. Did you know FBI agents have to fulfill a certain number of mandatory hours of physical training?

BTW, my pack is a Blackhawk RAPTOR V3 with a pocket for a drinking water bladder. It's a bit big for casual Disneyland-type use though.

 

[guntotin_fool]

The first thing is meds. Do you take daily meds. without them the rest is silly. same with vision correction, if you cant see, your dead.

Needing to see road signs at a block away? Unnecessary if you have a map, streets don't move and on foot, you have plenty of time to read them, and a lightwieght pair of bino's does the same and do not run on batteries.
If you live in a city that alphabetizes streets or numbers them, even a map is redundant. In a real SHTF type scene, having a light that eats batteries like a 6 year old eats skittles is not going to do you any good.

So much else depends on your location, you means of livelihood, your climate, etc. If you live in san Antonio, and its not one of the three days a year where snow may fly, boots, gloves and a warm hat are probably not your biggest need. If you live on the Iron Range of Minnesota, and you work as a pulper, telling you what makes up proper clothing is going to be silly. Good footwear for your season and location, a good hat, be it warm or for sun protection. at least some sort of wind/rain protection.

Some sort of food, be it MRE or canned or what ever. Water, in some places a way to clean water is more useful than carrying gallons of it as you might need in arizona.

Tools, fire starter, etc, again dependent on where you live. I would not go out in the big woods areas during any season without wanting a chainsaw, a gallon or more of mix, and a spare chain, and a file. A chainsaw in texas or nebraska is pretty silly. carry whats appropriate.

Cash, green will work when every thing else is dead, so carry 20 or so bucks in ones, because if the cash register won't ring, it won't open for change.

Some spares, batteries, mags, socks, etc, The value of this is hard not to stress enough. A couple of rolls of tape, one black electical, one athletic, one small utility or duct tape. The athletic or hockey tape, has a billion uses, from fixing blisters and sprains to keeping torn clothing on. Duct or electrical tape can fix leaks, hold broken phones together, and make a decent band aid too with a piece of TP or kleenex under it.
Both will fix a blown out shoe, torn mitten etc. spare shoe laces or paracord, no end to what you can fix with them either.

Examine your situation and your goals. Are you just packing a bag to get home from work in the event of a power outage or the like? Are you a Believer in the EOTWAWKI, and you will be fighting mutant ninja zombies to get back home? Or just somewhere in the middle?

We camp and canoe, there fore for us, having full blown escape bags where we could literally live out of whats in the bags for a few weeks is not that far of a stretch. BUt we also have bags in the vehicles. Which have the basics, enough to spend a couple of days in moderate comfort should the need arise.

Use your imagination, and then look close be cause everything you choose, you have to carry what you pack.

 

[NA8]

Buy a used RV. When you have to get out of town you'll bring along a shower and toilet, not to mention the refrigerator and stove.

A friend of mine found his quite useful when running from hurricanes on a regular basis.