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The Pack on your Back.

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posted on Dec, 12 2006 @ 08:24 PM
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When the going gets tough, the tough get going. But what do you carry all that gear in? Internal frame, external frame, back board, harness vest, ruc-sac, head band basket. There are so many types of load carrying gear available and numerous materials to utilize. Deciding what best fits your needs is crucial when it comes time to bug out and get outa dodge. So ... what do you carry your survival essentials in and why?

Give us the details on your current system and your dream system. Feel free to include links. We can also discuss Dog packs, Saddle bags, Bike bags, and any other gear hauling system.

[edit on 12-12-2006 by Terapin]



posted on Dec, 12 2006 @ 08:35 PM
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I found a great old external frame pack...an old Klondike I think...it has removable sections that buckle in. I went with external as it allows me to center the load on my hips...being female this is a natural strength. It also allows air circulation around the body better than an internal frame and can be packed tighter. I can reach just about anything with minimal digging around.

The actual pack can also be removed from the frame easily enough giving me another tool...to carry wood, animal carcass......handy. LOL

My dream pack is the Mountain Hardware Bliss...but at a "new" price of over 400 Bucks here in Canada...it may be sitting on my wish list for a good long while.



posted on Dec, 12 2006 @ 08:36 PM
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Terapin please read your u2u's by clicking the following link.

www.abovetopsecret.com...



posted on Dec, 12 2006 @ 08:50 PM
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My general use pack is an internal frame, single compartment back pack. It has been custom made so that I can unroll it enough that I can actualy climb inside it for use as an emergency bivouac bag. cordura nylon with a gortex roll out. It has plenty of place for adding side bags and tie downs and it does have a small top compartment for gear that I may need to get at quickly while on the trail..

I have used External frame packs and find them great as well and I also have a pack frame that I can strap anything I need to. My father built it shortly after WWII and it is still as good as ever.



posted on Dec, 13 2006 @ 01:15 AM
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What I need to find is a good backpack for my stubby daughter. LOL Only five foot nothin' and a bit on the dainty side...unlike her amazon mother


She can't carry anywhere near as much as I can and her center of gravity isn't quite the same either...totally different build. The internal frames look a bit snugger, but I need for her to be able to carry enough as lightly as possible in the event we are separated...

She's tried ona few external framed packs that are darn near the same size as she is HA!...any suggestions i can check out?



posted on Dec, 13 2006 @ 02:05 AM
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I have used this backpack on several outdoor occasions:



It's the Blackhawk patrol pack and while quite on the expensive side, it is very functional and has lots of possibilities for customizing and upgrading. The only downside I have found so far is the fact that you have to plan the filling of the pack or you will find yourself digging trough your stuff everytime you need something from the depts of the pack.



posted on Dec, 13 2006 @ 02:50 AM
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I don't like to travel heavy, and in the event of an emergency I'm even less inclined to want to have a giant neon sign over my head that says "I have things you want - try to take them from me."

I have one medium-sized ammo bag (not for ammo), canvas with a long-ish strap, very similar to this -



Enough room for saltines and sausage, a map and compass, my fire kit, knives, whetstone, a hatchet, folding shovel, and assorted small items like hard candy, a tiny magnifying glass, a woman's compact (clam shell makeup case with a mirror in one half and storage for a spool of wire, a cotton pad, and some grease paint in the other), a few spools of thread with some needles, tape, super glue, trap wire, tackle, water tablets, extra socks, and a few bandanas.

It hangs across the chest and under one arm, and I can conceal it nicely under heavy clothing. The socks and bandanas keep everything from making noise, and I can slide it around to the front when I need something out of it, without making a big scene (taking my clothes off).

I also have one small medical bag, treated canvas, again with a long-ish strap, that hangs across my chest and under my other arm.

Similar to this -



It's for smokes, booze, a back-up fire-starter block, more bandanas and water tablets, some pain killers, more wire, another (small) knife, some jerky and peanut butter, and a few other personal items (pictures and keepsakes, a notebook w/ pencils & pens, etc.).

It's not a very good system, if your goal is to carry as much as possible, or to carry it without putting strain on your shoulders/neck. That's especially true with four bottles of water hanging off the straps on the sides of each bag.

It is, however, an ideal solution for me because I intend to make myself as unappealing a target as possible for all the looters who inevitably come out in force for situation X.

I'm a big guy, and that helps to a certain extent. Most thinking individuals would rather pick on someone smaller and weaker. But if I'm carrying around a mobile foodstand, and a tent, and a bunch of fancy toys, all decked out in shiny space-age fabric and new boots and whatever else, nobody is going to care whether I'm seven feet tall or seven hundred feet tall - they're going to want what I have, and they're going to make me waste time and energy dealing with them.

I would rather appear to have nothing, while having everything I'm likely to need. It does put a strain on my neck, and a full day walking around like that makes for a sore evening, but I think it's worth trading comfort for a low profile. Wrapping bandanas around the bag handle, where it rests on the shoulder, helps a little (but not much).

If I was going for a pleasure hike, I would love to get a big bouncy backpack that rides on the hips and sticks out ten miles and carries a general store with room to spare. But I think that in a survival situation I'm more comfortable travelling light and remaining discreet about what, if anything, I'm carrying.

My clothes are all second-hand, durable and comfortable (warm too) but not flashy. A long black wool coat keeps me warm and dry, while concealing the fact that I'm carrying anything (presuming I have either my vest or workshirt underneath to button up over the strap 'X' across my chest). The coat has loads of pockets for other things I'm more likely to need in a hurry.

I don't think my way is right for everyone else, but it feels right for me. Multiple, concealable, smaller bags, redundancy to insure against catastrophe if I should lose one of them, and less overall weight. I remember days spent with a sixty-pound pack, trudging up and down mountains with pots and pans, pasta and rice, poles and tent, sleeping roll, changes of clothes, and a whole bunch of other stuff (much of which I still think is worth having, like the fire kits, tablets, bandanas, etc.).

:shk:

No thanks, and certainly not in an emergency. I'd rather travel light. It's not just a matter of moving quickly - which is good. It's a matter of how much energy you have to expend. Hauling around a bunch of stuff tires you out, you need to eat more and drink more, rest more and move more slowly.

I guess it boils down to your objectives, where you're trying to go and what you intend to do when you get there.

I imagine that if you wanted to start your new life in the woods, you wouldn't be able to manage on just two small bags and the stuff in your coat pockets.

I'd like to find a way to bring a tent, but I'm thinking that's an impossibility. I may, however, sew a bunch of lightweight fabrc into the back of my coat. It would be very handy if I needed to build some semi-permanent shelter up in the hills, but I don't think that's ever going to be a feasible option.

My objective, at this point, is to move quickly to one of several safe places, and stay permanently at the one with the least drama in the surrounding area. No need to carry a bunch of food, utensils, cooking paraphenalia, water purifiers, clothes, an arsenal, etc., if you have those things waiting at your destination.

It may be that the whole crazy situation will be over almost before it's begun, and if that's the case, I'd like to be in a position to pick up where I left off, not stuck in the deep woods, cut off from the world, all wild-eyed, insane and malnourished from a diet of smoked tree rats and root-soup.




posted on Dec, 13 2006 @ 04:58 AM
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LOL Wyrde One...lord knows if it was just me I had to worry about...

It also depends on the climate you live in and what elements you have to deal with in the event of catastrophe. As well as other members of the family who may not be as mobile or adept


For light emergencies I don't go hauling out big pack


More than one plan for more than one situation.

In situation X...sadly the big pack is needed. Yeah I suppose it's a target but then again so is being female so I figure if they're going to take either all we can do is hope we're left alive and relatively unharmed. That's a sad fact.

I live in urban sprawl and the goal is to get the hell OUT ASAP. Deep woods. Really I doubt I'd put much faith in the human race in a major crisis so distance is key and to get there and survive once there we need the big pack.

My pack size is also dictated by climate and terrrain, as well as personal capability. No it's not a pleasure hike...I take it seriously (too seriously according to my kid - but shell thank me one day)

Rain gear is a pain but an absolute must...much as I wish it could be stuffed into a shoulder bag there's no way...we'd die of hypothermia before the losers tried to rob us or worse.

Prepped for a trek in the worst case scenario. Big ugly old sack..no bells and whistles and no kitchen sink either LOL. Very minimal for my comfort actually. Minimum for what needs to be accomplished and where we'll be while the world goes to heck.

Yeah I'd love to have the "new" pack...man it's cool...but...that's not what it's about right?

I guess the weight of the pack should be dictated by the weight of the situation.



posted on Dec, 13 2006 @ 09:00 AM
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I like to carry this Lowe Alpine pack! I find it not only comfortable, but roomy and loaded with features. Lowe Alpine is certainly not your typical military ruck but is still very high-end, adaptable and durable. It's priced modestly for a bag of this variety and has served me well. I recently received the upgraded version as a birthday gift, but have used the previous version for nearly 10 years - camping, extended hiking, survival training, on a spelunking trip, white water rafting trip, repelling trips and countless "unimproved camping" excursions. This pack has been through torrential downpours, driving snow and hot, hot weather and performed well in each. It has performed beautifully whether I'm in a rain parka, snow gear or hot weather gear. In short - highly recommended.



posted on Dec, 13 2006 @ 10:01 AM
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Military surplus medium alice pack with external frame. Fits every thing I need with room to spare. My dream pack would have to be a Large military alice pack with external frame. I have a medium for my wife a small for my son and a small for my daughter. What can I say there cheap at the surplus and built to last. Contrary to what you might have heard.



posted on Dec, 13 2006 @ 07:49 PM
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Since the dawn of time, man has been on the move. From the savannas of Africa to the Ice pack of the Arctic circle, Homo-Sapiens have been afoot and needed to carry their gear with them. I wonder if any of you have considered, or have experience with, Pack Baskets. In the history of human kind the Pack Basket has been a faithful companion on innumerable treks and is still a suitable alternative today. It is something that one can fairly easily build with materials at hand, needs no frame, and is quite rugged. They can be carried either by the current sholderstrap/hip belt design, or by the alternative and historic Tump Line, or head sling.

The Tump Line is a simple and effective method for hauling heavy loads across difficult terrain with many advantages. Basically, a Tump line or head sling works like this: A long sling, often of leather, is looped around a load. The other end of the slings bight is settled high on the forehead. While it does take a bit getting used to, and will tire the neck muscles of those unused to it, it is a very effective method of hauling a load. It is still in use by Sherpas in the Himalayas and found elsewhere around the globe. There are other advantages to a Tump Line as well. Ever loose balance on the trail and fallen hard while strapped into a modern frame pack and then have to heave and claw your way back on to your feet like a stranded sea turtle?? With a Tump line a simple toss of your head drops the load and allows you complete freedom of movement. With a Tump line you can carry most any object regardless of shape, and loads of 180 pounds (82 Kilos) are not out of the question.

Yvon Chounard, the well known Alpinist, climber, entrepreneur, and technical innovator- chose the Tump line later in his life after a bad back made it too painful for him to shoulder an alpine rucksack. No straps to chafe your shoulders, cut off circulation, or restrict breathing. No hip belt digging in and no frame to snag on the bush. There are basically only two ways to take the load off your shoulders, either go light, or use a Tump Line.

For those of you who wish to stick to more modern methods, here is some great information on Pack theory as it pertains to sholder/hip slung packs:

www.bushwalking.org.au...




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