I do have a commercial pack- Gregory Deva (2007 model) in fact, and I absolutely love this pack. Yes, I'm a gal, and as such, need gear that works for and with, me. A pack built for a 6 foot+ man wouldn't be comfortable nor fit me very well at all.
As such, my 60L commercial pack is what backpackers refer to as "bombproof". It will take whatever you want to dish out and then some. It has a rubberized, waterproof bottom on it, and built tough all the way around. It definitely doesn't fall into the "ultralight" category. On this side of the pond, the military surplus stores are getting to be as expensive as the backpacking stores are!! Not much savings there anymore. I should also mention that I do use this pack I have for regular backpacking trips also, so it serves more than one purpose, which is always good. I've tested all of my gear, to make sure I can use it and that it works for me and my own needs.

As for gear I carry regularly, I can make a short list but I won't include everything, no need.....or it would get really long. But here goes for a short list .....
60 Litre pack
-5F down sleeping bag (to be upgraded to a -40Fbag)
Exped 7 downmat sleeping mat
Henry Shire's Tarptent
Multi tool knife
Compass/Maps
Raingear
Titanium cookpot w/lid
One of 2 cooking stoves with fuel- cannister setup or Whisperlite International
Aqua Mira or Water filter (or both)
Bandana (helps to filter out large chunks in water)
Medical kit (my own I made up myself)
Lite Line (1oz per 50 ft of line) can be used for all sorts of purposes including gear repair, bear hanging line, clothes line etc....
dental floss- for gear repairs etc....
Duct tape!
Hiking poles- help keep one moving over rough terrain faster and easier, in my opinion
Xtra layer of clothes- including long underwear and xtra sox
Headlamp w/extra batteries and bulb
And for Mountainous terrain-- Ice axe, 6 point instep crampons and a light down jacket with a removable hood.
I also own an amateur radio for communications and have a good whistle.
Food (of course)
Fuel (to cook food)
Matches- storm proof and a lighter. A small amount of tinder, kept dry will help one start a fire under any circumstances.

Each person's needs will suit their own terrain and conditions. Just know how to use your gear well and how it will suit you. Practice with it every chance you get- camping trips or whatever. Even overnites will help.

Happy New Years!


Soul Sista

After many years of trial, I still favour a Don Willams Mountain Sack, which is constructed to be hard-wearing and very roomy. There are no pockets and the skill comes from packing it properly in the first place, and putting priority stuff at the top. It can be rope-hauled up cliffs without getting stuck, and has a low profile so that it never gets jammed up in rocks when you wear it. It is mainly designed for people who can climb and need to carry a complete survival set with them. Hope this helps

First I have to say that there are a lot of great gear ideas in this thread. But I think something else needs to be defined before we continue. “BOB”…What are we really referring to? I think some of you may be comparing apples to oranges. When I was doing contractor work in Iraq I had a BOB that was essentially a small backpack. I only carried enough “stuff” to help me if I was separated from my team. And with that it was only meant to last a couple days tops. The logic was the bag never came off your back while you were in country and was there to keep you going for a day or two until you could reach friendly forces. My point was it was very minimalistic and light. Some of the BOB’s I’m seeing in here would have been way too large. One of the criteria we had was that we needed to be able to sit in our vehicles with the bags on and still be OK (we’d tilt the seats way back). So my point is if your BOB is meant to carry all you need to hike 100 miles into the bush then maybe it’s not really a BOB. Not saying that you are wrong or right, if you have a bag with enough gear to accomplish your task of getting out in the bush then more power to you. I’m just not sure if we are all on the same page with relation to what a BOB’s mission is.

No, we're not all on the same page. For instance if I was presented with a situation that required me to disappear for a few days it's fairly safe to assume that I would need items to cover me for a few days. Combine this with the fact I would almost certainly have to rely on Shanks' Pony and you have a bag that has pretty much everything.

If only it was in a grab-it situation though. The ruck-sack, tent, sleeping bag are all within packing distance. Clothing I would have to pack. The BOB is full of items that would assist with a prolonged stay outdoors but even so, I would have to learn a lot of things pretty quick. To be fair I don't think everything would fit it my ruck-sack, let alone me being able to carry it for prolonged periods. As far as I can see it's all necessary though...

L.L. Bean- Lifetime warranty for the bag staying in working order.
Great for kids. After all who wants to carry all this stuff? If everyone dies I am going to go get my neighbors horses or the horses at the YMCA
and ride them. I did an Equestrian vacation twice overseas. A person needs very little for a forty hour week on the horse. Layered clothes, water bottle and lunch. Hoof pick, and all purpose tool, extra socks and underwear if you are out all week. Who wants to carry so much stuff and be so tied down? The only disaster all encompassing is an asteriod hitting the ocean, or a disease. For the disease self quarantine is what you do. Some of the islands on a lake here in this state look good for staying away from the disease senerio.