Outdoor Adventure USA

CARRY BAGS - EVERYDAY, GO, GET HOME, BUG OUT, ETC.

Our discussion this week will be a breakout topic from our Urban Survival net of a few months ago. Being prepared for emergencies and disasters is an enormous topic covering many subtopics that deserve attention. Bags, by whatever name, will be critical in your efforts to cope when the SHTF.

Our speaker will be Rick Schirmer, KK6CTT. Rick's experience in both the military as well as civilian efforts in emergency preparedness, make his advice invaluable. Join us.

01 Purpose driven and your experience.


Background: Boy Scouts, I missed the era of hiking that other, older Scouts, experienced. After the "50 Miler," the event happened just months before I joined the troop, there was little desire for the adults to ever do another, anytime soon, and I don't think they ever did another in the over 5 years I was with the troop, but I did learn what worked and what did not and "comfort," as we all know, did not fit in an overnight knapsack. 25 years of military experience (you wear what you are given which sets the stage for pretty much the gear you buy/carry for the rest of your life...in my case anyway). Five years of volunteerism within the Community Emergency Response Team, CERT, and Amateur Radio world with a natural draw towards the relay team or remote radio site operator vs. the EOC radio room person. These experiences have continued to build on the growing pack basics and the concepts that draw you to the different types of gear and manufactures. This as well as many years of hiking, camping and hunting...it all spells, "More gear does not necessarily mean better solutions," but the experiences help you figure out what works and what does not. This can be a very individualized endeavor so insight is welcomed and encouraged.

Construction and how it relates to the purpose; ounces = pounds. Fit and function.

Load plan: Checklist or generic? Will there ever be a sound answer to this age old question?

02. Construction (warranty and cost range)

I'm not a subject matter expert on the qualities of materials but I can loosely describe some companies and how they fit into my limited knowledge.

Consumer Gear:
- Jansport ($$): Great warranty that I have never flexed however, they wear well and I have not needed to test their warranty. Good prices with a slightly higher than the competitor price but there is a lot of history behind the company (since 1967). https://www.jansport.com/customer-servi ... ranty.html
- Camelbak ($$): Hydration gear that has stood the test of time for both their packs and their hydration systems. They have a line of gear that is in the consumer realm and another line that is the tactical, hard use section, both being of sound quality and price range. Another lifetime warranty backing their gear. https://www.camelbak.com/en/customer-service/warranty
Lowe Alpine ($$$): A longtime standard for hiking and climbing gear. https://www.backcountry.com/lowe-alpine-packs
Osprey ($$$): Backpacking gear and their fit philosophy. https://www.osprey.com/us/en/pack-desig ... custom-fit

Prosumer Gear:
- Maxpedition ($$$): Great quality, workmanship with what appears to be stiffer material than 5.11 gear. https://www.maxpedition.com/pages/produ ... nformation
- 5.11 ($$$): Tough, yet softer material with the same great workmanship that many of the other name brands in tactical gear possess. https://www.511tactical.com/customer-service/warranty/
- Camelbak ($$$): Military, tactical and hunting line up. https://www.camelbak.com/en/customer-service/warranty
- Blackhawk ($$$): https://blackhawk.com/help/warranty
- Tactical Tailor: A company formed to provide options to military members. They modified and improved many of pieces of gear military gear. Customizing pieces of gear for that "just right" fit and function. https://www.tacticaltailor.com/BagsPacksRucks.aspx
- Eberlestock ($$$$): In use for quite awhile in both the extreme hunter circle and tactical operator capacity. http://www.eberlestock.com/our-guarantee/
- London Bridge Trading ($$$$$): US made and definitely sought after gear. https://lbtinc.com/oh/randw


5.11 examples (and more), just because I was there on Independence day doing "net research" wink, wink...that is what I told my wife anyway!


MOLLE (pronounced "moly"): Modular Lightweight Load Carrying Equipment
TAP: Tactical Assault Panel
PALS: Pouch Attachment Ladder System


PALS is the type of webbing, where modular gear or MOLLE items affix. A plate carrier may be referred to as having a front and back TAP or Tactical Assault Panel for affixing MOLLE pouches.

03. Load Plan

My old trusted saying and not so humorous reality, "Travel light, freeze at night...Was it a one or two poncho liner night?"


I am a checklist guy. I think everyone needs to be a checklist person. Go get yourself a checklist and have the comfort of being a checklist person.


The ARES Field Resource Manual (a great place to start a list from an existing document) http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ARESFiel ... Manual.pdf
And an annotated more comprehensive list I put together from the above ARES Field Manual:
A generic go-bag list that identifies three levels of deployment from EDC to long term deployment
A more specific list shared by KG6WSL (Rescue Net) many nets ago:


Suggestions:
Some sporting goods stores carry these mini checklists and you can start a list from that source document, not to mention the internet as a source. I truly believe that an Excel spreadsheet is the way to put this together for ease of use. For example, I really believe in the way the military nomenclature did not work while I still thought like a civilian. It was useless and laughable but now that I put lists like this together I find their system was purpose built and necessary. Let's say my go kit should have a whole section on dealing with a specific gear set, say a camera or action cam. I would list anything associated with this camera in the following manner:

AC, Battery 01
AC, Battery 02
AC, Battery Charger 120V
AC, Battery Charger 12v
AC, Computer cable/download
AC, Mount Tripod
AC, Mount Accessories

Here's an partial of a camping list I use.


The level of detail is all up to you. I will tell you that being able to effectively sort your spreadsheet is a time saving luxury!

Hello all,

Please check me in for tonight's net.

Jack M. KK6WXQ

Hello all, thanks for hosting the net!

Please check me in early, KM6QQB

Carl

Please check me in. Looks like another great topic.

Please check-in John, KN6VL and Bruce, KD6GCO

These bags are not exactly tactical looking but if buying extremely well made equipment from a U.S. company that pays it's workers a living wage is important to you, check out the bags from Red Oxx in Billings, Montana -




https://www.redoxx.com/

Please early check in
K9ATK BRIAN
KD0EXI CHEYENNE
K9FOG TRISH
W9RIK RICK
KD0GPE AUSTIN
THANKS

Please give me an early check-in.
James kg5pmn