Modular Bug Out Ideas, Current BOB

When I started getting into Survival skills I built a BOB.  That's probably the first step that many people make when they get into "prepping" or "survivalism" (whatever you want to call it), and it's something that everyone should have.

As I've expanded my knowledge and skills (and stores) I've rethought a lot of my original ideas.  When I did my practice Bug Out during the last Tsunami warning (post) I decided that I wanted a more modular set up, that way I could pick and choose which 'modules' depending on the situation.  That led me to look at different packs, bags, and set ups.  I could tailor my pack out depending on the situation without having to dig through one big bag, it also makes it easier to find an individual item.

So, in that thread, here is my current pack out gear.

HPG Kit Bag, chest
I'd never heard of a "chest rig" before getting into survival skills (and Zombie forums).  Most chest rigs are for battlefield or tactical scenarios (or paintball), they have pouches for magazines, grenades, etc.  Well, I was looking for something that could be worn hiking with or without my main pack, that would keep some supplies handy so I wouldn't have to stop and dig through the main pack for a candy bar or my cell phone.  This HPG Kit Bag is perfect for that.  It's also neat because it adds flexibility, you could leave your main bag at camp and take this for a short hike.  This was also designed with Concealed Carry in mind, the pouch closest to the body has easy pull zippers and loops for carrying a pistol.  I didn't get the Kit Bag for that purpose but it's kind of a neat feature.  There's a cool quick-draw video on their website.  It's an extremely handy kit to have.

Snugpak waist pouch
It's a waist pack and belt.  I keep a lot of stuff here; knives, pouches, canteens, gloves, fire starter, first aid, and a poncho/rain jacket.  This is basically a mini-BOB, one or two of each item.  It keeps things easy to reach, easy to find, and adds versatility.  You see the trend here?

Snugpak pack
This is quite a bit smaller than most BOBs.  You definitely need a good pack but in a set up like this it can be smaller because you spread the items between the Kit Bag, belt, and waist pouch.  I put all the little stuff in those two bags and then just keep the big stuff in the main pack.  Food, hydration bladder, sleeping bag, tarp, extra clothing, etc.

Blackhawk thigh holster, magazine pouches, and Drop leg pouch
I put this last because firearms are the lowest priority and Hawaii has very strict laws against carrying firearms unless you're hunting (and licensed).  In most emergency situations they won't be necessary and could lead to legal problems.  In your State it might not be as big an issue, either way firearms should be a low priority.  Contrary to the popular internet-Rambo type, firearms are simply not as important as the rest of your preps.  Outside of a Zombie Apocalypse water, food, shelter, fire, and clothing, are all far more critical than firearms to staying alive.  By keeping firearms, ammo, mags, and accessories in a configuration like this (drop leg holster and pouch) they can be easily dropped or added to your pack out.

It also means I can grab grab any of these items and go for a hike minimal repacking.  I've also really cut down the amount of stuff in my BOB.  The BOB, or 72 hour bag, is supposed to have all the supplies for 72 hours.  The theory is that 72 hours should get you through the worst of any disaster.  When I first packed a BOB it had everything minus the kitchen sink but really, you don't need that much stuff for 72 hours.  Maintain your core body temperature, a little water, a first aid kit, maybe some food... and that's about it.  Everything else is just icing on the cake.  Obviously, there are things that make life better and easier, but if the goal is to survive, you really don't need much.  Keeping your pack light means you can travel faster, easier, and be more mobile.

I've rushed this post a little bit, I haven't had time to do the full spread and photos.  I'll try and do that soon.  And as always, if you have any questions or comments let me know.

Survival Shorts

In the past, whenever I've thought of clothing for "bugging out" or survival situations I've automatically assumed I would wear pants.  Probably some kind of cargo or tactical pants, like some surplus camo or hunting pants.  They have obvious benefits, heavier duty pants won't fall apart, they protect your legs from the random scrapes and cuts, protect your legs from the environment, and usually have well placed pockets for carrying the multitude of survival supplies.  Overall, pants are a must have in your survival wardrobe.

However, today had me rethinking things a little bit.  It was f***ing hot out.  I was running some errands after work, wearing some khakis, and sweating my *** off.  That made me start thinking about how much "fun" it would be to hike around the island, heavy pack on, in pants and boots (yes, those are sarcastic quotation marks).  I'd be losing valuable electrolytes, uncomfortable, and probably developing blisters in all the wrong places.

So, that put a little kink in my mental survival scenarios.

That's what got me thinking about "survival shorts".  That doesn't mean abandon all pants, just that warm (HOT!) weather clothes don't seem to be discussed all that often in survival circles and so I thought I would bounce around a few ideas.  Wear the shorts, keep the pants in the pack, or vice versa as the situation dictates.  Something like swim trunks might be another good option, work in warm weather, work in the water, etc.  There are some serious benefits to shorts in a survival situation (in addition to having pants).

First, obviously they will allow your body to cool more efficiently in hot weather.  This helps avoid excess sweating (loss of precious fluids and electrolytes), the blistering, and the discomfort.  In hot weather, shorts would be a nice, if not essential, addition to preps.  In some climates you might hike all the time in pants, so shorts wouldn't be as essential, but in the southern months or warmer climates short could make a huge difference in your ability to cover distance.  And I don't know if you've ever tried swimming in pants but it isn't fun.

Secondly, in an emergency situation you probably don't want to be the guy or gal that stands out.  When you're "bugging out" of your neighborhood wearing your tactical pants, Alice pack, and chest rig might draw the wrong kind of attention (let alone firearms, but that's a whole other conversation).  Someone in shorts, t-shirt, and a hiking pack will raise a lot fewer eyebrows.  That might be the difference between  a successful bug out and a very abrupt, unsuccessful attempt.  Whether it's law enforcement or unfriendly neighbors, you want to get out of town without being stopped, so clothing should be something you keep in mind.  Some Suburban Rambo is going to pipe up "Yeah, but I'm so scary when I'm all geared up nobody is going to F with me!"  Well, that might be partly true but it seems to me that the better option is to avoid being noticed at all.  Either way, you should be thinking about how you look in your chosen survival clothing.

Ok, so having shorts is a good idea, what are some things to look for when picking our your "survival shorts".

(Hint: Not these)

Comfort, that might seem obvious, but keep in mind that you might be hiking in them for an extended period of time.  You really should test them out before deciding if they're the right ones for you, even a minor discomfort can turn into blisters really quickly, which would certainly hamper your movement (another overlooked piece of clothing is a good pair of compression shorts, good for avoiding those poorly located blisters).

Fabric, you want to find something light weight but durable.  I would avoid cotton because it takes a long time to dry (leading to blisters and discomfort), and doesn't wick sweat very well.  Blended fabrics, or technical fabrics with polyester and nylon are generally better choices.  They also tend to flex better, breath better, and less prone to wear and tear.

Pockets, find shorts with pockets that are a good size and arranged well for your uses.  Also, check how the pockets close.  Maybe you prefer velcro, or buttons, or zippers, but make sure that the pockets will keep your valuable secure.  I have one pair of really comfortable shorts that I love but every time I sit down my keys fall out.  In a survival situation you wouldn't want to lose your knife or something after a pit stop.

And finally, you want to consider the short's coverage.  I don't know if you're into hot pants or not, but those probably aren't the best choice.  I have a pair that cover my knees (thankfully, they are just short enough to not be "capri pants", wouldn't want to lose man points), which would probably be ideal for my situation.  If I need to do any kneeling than my knees are protected but they breath well and are cool enough for this Hawaiian heat.  I've seen some nice 5.11 shorts but they stop mid-thigh, which doesn't offer as much coverage as I'd like (or want to be seen in).

I've found a couple options online but you would probably have better luck at your local department store.  I think 5.11 has a pair of slacks that zip-off into shorts and back again.  Something like that might be an interesting option if they fit all the other criteria.  If you don't find anything at the store the easiest option would be to buy an extra set of your favorite "tactical pants" or some surplus military pants and cut them off at your desired length.  I've done that to a couple of older military issue BDUs and was pleased with the results.

How Freakin' Cool is the Biolite Stove?

Technology and camping are two topics that don't typically mix that much.  Occasionally you'll see some new upgrade to a fabric or tent design, but electrical engineering and the outdoors don't seem particularly compatible.  However, I saw a product on a survival forum that blew my mind and I had to share it.

The Biolite Camp Stove, $129

Biolite Camp Stove

This is a small stove that uses the heat generated in the stove to power an electric fan and generate electricity to charge electrical devices.  The fan pulls air in through the orange portion of the stove and into the main chamber, making the fire more efficient and generating power.

It charges through a standard USB port and will charge almost anything that uses a standard USB, smart phones, Ipads, etc.  Obviously, you would need to double check the manuals for the device and for the stove to make sure it's compatible before you plug it in, but it looks incredibly versatile.  For example, I have an emergency radio that could be charged with the stove in the field.

 It's small, light weight, and relatively inexpensive.

There are other options out there but they don't appear to be as versatile.  There are small solar panels and windup generators you could get, but according to the Biolite website this thing generates more electricity and faster (20 minutes of charging provide 60 minutes of talk time according to the website).  Plus, it will work day or night, cloudy skies or not.

It might not be the perfect solution but it certainly seems like an extremely cool.  It's definitely going on my wish list.

The Biolite Website

Airplane Survival Kit: Pics

After my last trip out of state I spent a lot of time thinking about making a better airline kit.  I haven't seen much information on the forums or on the sites about them, so I figured I would work on my own.

This is what the basic kit looks like.  The main bag is in my new Camelbak Mule 3L.  To the right is a good pair of walking shoes, to the left is a Columbia fleece jacket and a good Camo shell jacket to go over. I also made sure to bring good clothes, not pictured.  Clothes will vary a lot depending on what area you're going to, that's why I didn't put much emphasis on them here.  Also, one would hope that you bring appropriate clothing to begin with, whether or not you're building a kit.

Hat, gloves, two jackets, neck gator, pack above, Nalgene bottle...

Stainless steel bottle cup, extra pack strap, water purification drops, flashlight, extra batteries, Buck folder, Gerber multi-tool, 40ft of cordage, first aid kit (a simple one: neosporin, alcohol wipes, ibuprofin, asprin, antihistamines, gauze, bandages, good tape), duct tape x2 (without the tube they're the size of a AA battery), chapstick x2 (for lips and fire starting), emergency blanket, waterproof matches, Camelbak Tabs (electrolytes), flint and steel.  I didn't have a poncho, I need to add one or a small tarp for shelter building.  Also not shown, extra socks/underware, other clothes.

One of my discoveries that led to making this kit was the cool folding flint, steel, and magnesium fire starter I found at a local hiking store.  It folds and fits into a small pouch, it was fairly expensive ($30), but is very nice quality from a company in Alaska called Kodiak.  Folded and in the pouch it's not too big, about the size of my thumb.

The second discovery that led to this kit was a pre-made emergency kit by the same hiking store.  It's a simple emergency kit that they fit into a Nalgene bottle.  It was a decent but meant only for short term outdoor emergencies (granola bar, emergency blanket, first aid kit, gauze and tape, water purification drops, and 10ft of cord).  I thought this was such a cool idea that I picked one up and then modified it.

One of my biggest concerns with the Airline kit was how to package it and keep the different items from being damaged in my checked bags and not taking up too much space.  The Nalgene bottle was a really good idea, nearly all of the smaller items fit inside the bottle, with the cup fitting on the bottom.  The Camelbak tabs, first aid kit, knives and multi-tool were the only small items that didn't fit inside.  Then, I used my neck gator as packing at the top to keep everything from rattling around.

With the 3L bladder collapsed, and with the added bottle, that gives me an easily packed 4 liters of capacity. The clothes, shoes, and jackets I was already packing, so that's nothing extra.  I used the Camelbak Mule pack as a carry on along with my laptop bag, so overall this kit added very little to my pack out but added a lot of capability.

For those of you with travel plans, I hope this gives you some ideas.  Thoughts or suggestions always welcome, as usual.

Gear Review: Edge of Glory Knife Sharpener

This was an interesting little item I picked up at a local Walgreens.  It was in the "As Seen On TV" section and was interesting enough looking that I decided to pick it up.

This is the "Edge of Glory" knife sharpener $9.  I've been looking for a decent sharpener for a while now, there aren't very many outdoor stores in my area of the island.  I know there are some good sharpeners and I'll probably end up ordering one at some point, or trekking around the island to find a good one, but this was cheap and I figured I'd give it a shot.  

This isn't a ground breaking design, it's pretty similar to a lot of the general "kitchen knife" style sharpeners, two sharpening edges in an overlapping V shape.  It also has a suction cup that can be locked down onto a flat surface.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you that this is as good as the commercials say (I haven't seen those commercials but it's safe to assume that they claim it performs miracles, the package said it could sharpen a credit card enough to cut a tomato), but this little sharpener does a pretty decent job. 

I ran five different knives and blade styles through this thing, it doesn't give them a razor's edge, but it does touch up the edge nicely.  Obviously, the blades that had serrations didn't work as well, it only works for the blade portion.  The other blade that was a little more difficult was my Karambit.  

Because it has a concave blade shape, instead of convex, it took a little more maneuvering but it still worked. 

Concave Buck knife, Convex Karambit

This thing sharpened all the different knives I ran through it without fail.  About five minutes with this thing was all it took to run all five knives.  Some, like the Karambit, took a little more wrangling than others, but all were sharper afterwards.  Some of these started out pretty dull, I ran them through the "Edge of Glory" 3 or 4 times and there was a drastic improvement.

Is this cheap sharpener the solution to all your knife woes?  Definitely not.  But for how easy it is to use, how quickly it improves the edge, and how cheap it is, this is not a bad deal.  

Another Knife Thread: Lots of Pictures

 I know, I know... you're all tired of knife threads.  Yeah, right, the knife reviews are probably the only reason anyone shows up here.

Anyway, I decided that I wanted to do a kind of "budget" sheath knife review.  There are plenty of half way decent outdoor, hiking, camping knives that won't break the budget.  Here are a few I found, all under $40.

Gerber's Left to Right:  Profile Fixed $25, Freeman Guide $32, Big Rock Serrated $37

There are plenty of other good, cheap knives that could have easily fit in to this post, but it turned out that the three I could get my hands on were all Gerber knives.  I'm not usually a fan of Gerber, I find that their quality is kind of hit or miss.  I've had $20 Gerber folders that worked great and $40 dollar ones that I hated.  Unlike some brands, you have to really get your hands on the knife before you can get a feeling about the quality.  However, in my short time looking for 'discount' sheath knives, these were the easiest to get a hold of.  

All of these are full tang sheath knives, each would probably work relatively well on a camping trip or bug out.  However, each one of these three has a different style blade, grip, and sheath.  Ultimately you have to try out a few different types to see what you like best, but I'll go over a few things that I look for when buying a knife, especially if it's relatively cheap.

Gerber Profile Fixed $25

This is a pretty cool looking knife for the price.  This knife has a lot of metal, which I consider a good thing.  It's heavy, which is a preference of mine.  A sharp blade with some weight behind it requires less effort to use.  A sharp blade with less weight means you have to push harder to get the same result.  That's the experience I've had.

The handle is a little bit of a negative for me on this knife.  You can see in the photo above, if I keep my fingers together my middle finger hits one of the points on the handle.

If I separate my first finger, look where my pinkie ends up.  For my hand type, this handle is a little awkward to use.  I can make it work but it would throw me off.   The next problem I had was with the sheath.

It's made of what looks like quality material, but this style is like two pieces of plastic sewn together around the edges with fabric on the outside.  It's totally flat.  It holds the knife, it's probably pretty durable, but you have to basically force the blade between the two pieces of plastic sewn together.

The sheath isn't a deal breaker to me.  I mean, how hard is it to replace a sheath?  With this knife I would probably swap it out.

Gerber Freeman Guide $32:

This is a slightly more conventional looking knife.  Right off the bat, look at the difference in how the handle fits my hand.  Definitely more comfortable for hands my size.

Like a glove, as Ace Ventura would say.  I really like the shape of the blade, the fit in my hand.  The only complaint I had with the knife itself was the textured area on the back of the blade.  It's hard to see in the photos, but there are notches in the metal where you would put your thumb if you were carving.  Those notches were annoying, and seemed like they would probably tear up your thumb if you were whittling for a while.

Now, lets look at the sheath.

What the heck is this thing?  It looks like it's built for a knife twice this size, or a machete, or something.

Yeah, it covers almost the entire knife.  It's super easy to slide the blade into the sheath... it's getting it back out that's awkward.  I went with two fingers, tweezers-like, on the big metal piece at the bottom of the handle to pull it up high enough to grab it better.  Not easy.

Again, it isn't a deal breaker, but it's annoying.

Gerber Big Rock Serrated $37:

Again, look at the difference in the layout of the grip.  It felt a lot like the Freeman Guide, but it was thicker and I like that better.  If the handle isn't a hand full than the knife usually feels too small for me.  I like big handles and I will not lie.

Over all it seemed like a nice knife.  The only thing that was a little weird was the knob (my thumb is on it in the above photo), it looks kind of funny and might or might not be comfortable when carving with the knife.  It's hard to tell without using it for a while and I haven't had an excuse to use it yet.

And the sheath?

This sheath is surprisingly good after the complaints I had with the first two.  It has a plastic form for the blade inside the fabric.  The knife slides in, easy as pie, doesn't slide around, and secures nicely.  It's not the prettiest sheath, but I probably wouldn't swap this one out.  The only complaint I had with the sheath is how big the belt loop is, it starts where the blade ends and goes all the way up to the top.  I'm not sure if that would cause problems with the sheath sliding around, or it is just convenient for people who like big belts.  Just something to watch.

Here's the three knives, side by side.  Pretty easy to see the differences in the blades and handles.

The three sheaths, side by side.  

I was amazed at how different they all were.  The first and third look similar, but the first is completely flat and the third has the plastic form inside so it is way thicker, it's easier to get the knife in and out.

Any of these three knives would make a decent choice for the budget camper.  They're all full tang, decently sharp, seemingly well made blades.  They're all under $40 and readily available at a lot of outdoor stores and online.  

I wanted to do this post to show you some of the things to look for when determining basic knife quality.  I wanted to look at the differences between common sheath knives and show how important it is to really handle them, get a feel for them, to see which types work best for you.  Remember, these are camping/outdoor knives, practical knives.  If you want something a little more intimidating, there are other options.

Wise Company vs. Backpacker's Pantry

Time for another Food-Off!!  It might not be as exciting as SPAM vs Corned Beef, but this will hopefully be as informational.

I was at a local hiking store today and noticed a section of dehydrated food.  I'd been there a dozen times but never noticed the meals before because they were on the back of the back shelf.  Placement, people?

The two brands they carry are Wise Company and Backpacker's Pantry.  I'd never heard of these so I wasn't sure which one I should pick up.  Sounded like I needed some first hand experience...

I looked through the available selection and found that both brands offered a "lasagna".  To be able to compare them, I wanted the meals to be as similar as possible.  It wouldn't be very accurate to compare a beef stew vs a chicken parmesan.  So, I bought Wise Company "Cheesy Lasagna" ($6.75) and Backpacker's Pantry "Sicilian Lasagna" ($9.90).

Nutritional Information:
Wise Company

Serving Size 1/2 package
Calories 370, from Fat 160
Total Fat 17g
Sat Fat 5g
Cholesterol 25mg
Sodium 1480mg
Total Carbohydrate 42g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Sugar 9g
Protein 16g


Backpacker's Pantry

(Sorry about the photo, I had problems getting focused on the white packaging) 

Serving Size 1 package
Calories 450, from Fat 120
Total Fat 13g
Sat Fat 6g
Cholesterol 25mg
Sodium 1810
Total Carbohydrate 58g
Dietary Fiber 6g
Sugar 15g
Protein 25g


I think Wise Company won points on the Nutritional Information.  Not only was it cheaper, it had almost as much nutrition per serving but contained TWO servings per package.

Longevity?  The Wise Company has a manufactured date and a best by date, shelf life around 7 years.  The Backpacker's Pantry did not show a manufacture date and was stamped for an expiration in 2015.  I'm not sure when the BP was made, so I'm not exactly sure of a shelf life, but it's probably around 3-4 years.

I followed the directions on both packages (don't forget to pull the Oxygen Absorber out of the Wise before adding water).  As you can see, there isn't a whole lot to distinguish the two visually.  Neither looked like a "lasagna", both looked like noodles and paste.  Yummy.

Left is BP, right is Wise.

The BP was evenly mixed and absorbed.  The Wise came out with pockets of unmixed powder.  For both of these I ended up adding about half a cup of water after they "cooked", and mixed them again for a more even texture.

Neither were as good as your mom's, neither I would consider "good" food.  I managed to choke down about half of each, though I'm not sure I'd want to depend on eating a lot of these in the future outside of a survival situation (or maybe ultra-light hiking).  If I were starving these would be amazing, but sitting in my living room they were not particularly appetizing.

Taste:

BP, came out with a better texture and it was mixed better.  It looked like noodles with a slightly clumpy sauce.  It tasted like tomato with a little cheese and noodles.  Kind of bland actually.

WC, didn't mix as well, it came out with those pockets of unmixed powder.  It was also a bit 'crunchier', than the BP.  Take a bite, there would be a couple of crunchy, less hydrated pieces (I followed the instructions, but maybe letting it soak a little longer might have helped).  However, there were also lots of chunks of meat and it was very cheesy.  It was kind of like making macaroni and cheese with a couple chunks of sausage mixed in.  It was very salty, slightly crunchy, but over all fairly edible.


Conclusions:
Wise had a longer shelf life, it was cheaper, it had more calories per package, and it tasted better.  It's a simple decision, between these two package options the Wise Company was definitely the better one.  It required more mixing after "cooking", even then it did not re-hydrate as thoroughly (more crunchy), yet it was still the better option.

Maybe, if you're getting other meal selections the difference might not be so drastic.  However, it's pretty clear that for a "lasagna" entree, Wise Company is definitely better than Backpacker's Pantry.

Gear Review: Princeton Tec Blast

When I was first putting together my GHB and BOB, I tore my house apart looking for some good flash lights.  When I came up short, I realized I had a couple of LED lights in my bag of Diving Gear.  That's when I remembered I had two Princeton Tec Blasts that were perfect additions to my preps.

These lights run $10-14 depending on the seller.  They're designed for Scuba diving, they run on two AA batteries, they're bright and they're waterproof to 500ft.  There are a lot of LED flash lights in the same price range, these though are pretty special, cheap lights that are not cheaply made.

Over my years of diving I've bought several different models of Princeton Tec lights, from cheaper to more expensive.  Every light I've used has been well made, bright, and about half the price of most dive lights.  Specifically, I've had two of these small Blast lights for over two years as back ups when diving.  They've been abused, taken diving, loaned out to friends, dumped in the dive bag, never really maintained (unlike my more expensive dive lights), and yet they worked perfectly (still on the original batteries too) and looked almost brand new when I just pulled them out.

They're designed for use in salt water, one of the most corrosive environments available, and heavy pressure environments so they are incredibly durable.

For the quality and the price, these little lights are hard to beat.  You could toss them in a GHB or BOB, forget about them, and you can be confident that they'll work when you need them.  Definitely a good addition for the price.

Book Review: SAS Survival Guide

I've had some experience hiking and camping, but most of it was a long time ago, so I find myself having to relearn a lot.  As for disaster preparation and survival, I'm practically a beginner.  So, as any good student, the first thing I began looking for was the right text book.

I decided to start with the SAS Survival Guide, it was highly recommended on many different survival websites.  I picked it up for $8 on Amazon.  Short review?  I think that's probably the best $8 I've spent in a long time.

This is an extremely cool book.  I didn't realize it when I ordered it, but it's pocket sized.  Thankfully, it's size doesn't limit it's effectiveness, it's a veritable encyclopedia of survival information.  It's designed to be useful in the widest variety of situations, it has a lot of generalizations, so it doesn't replace information for specific environments, but it is overall a very useful guide.

It's got an edible plant guide.

Shelter building

Useful knot tying.

There is really too much in this little book to list it all here.  Morse code, signalling, survival strategies, and dozens of other important subjects.  It's like a whole season of Survivorman in one book (Les Stroud is the man!).

Let's just say I'm very impressed with this little book.  I sealed it in a ziploc bag and it's now a permanent addition to my BOB.

My Get Home Bag

It'd been a while since I'd gone through my GHB and I figured this was a good opportunity to do an in depth post on GHBs.  Being in Hawaii the contents of my bag are probably quite different than what people would need in other places.  Most of the basics would be the same; clothes, water, food, fire starters... but depending on the local climate there can be a lot of variation.  Keep in mind your own environment when making a GHB.

This is the kit that I keep in my car.  Pretty much everything fits in the Swiss Army day pack that I picked up at Ross for $20.  The the top and side, a fleece sweat shirt and pair of shoes.  This being Hawaii, I'm typically wearing shorts, t-shirt, and flip flops.  Those three things aren't any good in a disaster scenario.  That's why a sweat shirt and shoes (socks are in the bag) are so important here.

While temperature isn't a huge concern in Hawaii, hypothermia is still a concern if conditions are wet and windy.  Tropical storms, earthquakes, and flooding are all possibilities here.  That's why you'll see my 'get home' bag prioritizes rain clothes, water purification, and fire starting. 

Here's everything pulled out.  I'll go through the contents in detail.  

From the left side toward the center: the sweat shirt, adidas workout pants (light, packs tight, some protection from the elements), Columbia rain jacket , socks.

Here's the water supplies.  Three water bottles, two are kept full.  I've got the stainless steel bottle and the GSI cup (reviewed in an earlier post) for cooking and water purification.  I keep the Dasani bottle so I can use it for UV purification.  There's also the purification tablets to the left.  Just above the bottles are Camelbak Elixer tablets, they dissolve in water like alka seltzer, they taste pleasant and provide electrolytes.

These are fairly self explanatory.  Sunscreen, 550 cord, Gerber multi-tool, Gerber sheath knife, two LED flash lights, Leatherman folding knife, and a compass on top.

In the middle: boonie cap, work gloves, bandana, watch cap, scarf.  Food: couple nutri-grain bars, trail mix, jerkey.  Just below the shoes on the right side is my fire starting kit: two sets of matches, lighter, flint and steel, hand sanitizer (very flammable, just be careful because the flame it creates is almost invisible in day light), and the cotton ball/vaseline kits I previously posted about.

I go a little overboard when it comes to my first aid kit.  For purely "get home" purposes you could probably halve this kit and still have plenty to go.   However, because I keep this bag in my car all the time, I tend to use this kit for any and all day-to-day first aid needs.  That's why there is so much more in here than the bare minimum.  I can't tell you how many times I've pulled this out and used it.

Here's the contents from the top left: benedryl, anti-diarrhea meds, alcohol wipes, moleskin, medical tape, triple antibiotic neosporin, tums, tylenol, carmex, and a wide variety of bandaids.  The whole kit except for the medical tape fits in a pint sized Ziploc bag.

A few more things that weren't really in the pictures: emergency poncho, emergency blanket (I hopefully won't need those two, but they're small, light, and could be life savers), baby wipes, bug spray, goggles, dust mask, and ear plugs.

I think that's everything.

After reviewing the kit I swapped a few things out, added more cordage, extra batteries for the flash lights, underwear, and another pair of socks.

A GHB is a very personal thing, it's all about what you need and what you're comfortable with.  My pack is a pretty good example of "over kill", I have way more than the bare minimum and a lot redundancies.  As is, the size and weight are comfortable and I'm very confident with the contents.