What Bag do you choose for your BOB

Before I made my decision as to what would work best within my system I created a favorites folder with many different bag options I came across during my reading and research on the internet. I've never used any of the packs other than the one I purchased so take this for what it's worth but here are all my saved links in the folder. In your second post you requested UK members suggestions so if the following doesn't help you maybe someone else will find it helpful.

www.botachtactical.com...

tac-force.com...

www.marsgear.com...

www.knifecenter.com...

www.kelty.com...

www.cheaperthandirt.com...

countycomm.com...

countycomm.com...

reply to post by kinglizard


wow I am honoured, lol a super mode one of my threads.
Thanks very much for the links, I will take the time to follow them and make a judgment.

I hope this also spurs on others to create their own B.O.B / survival bag .

many thanks.

reply to post by colec156


I wasnt going to reply to this thread as you have a pile of good ideas allready posted, however, since I tend to do things slightly different in regards to gear than most here, Ill add my two cents.

As with all BOB questions; from what to carry, to the type of bag, to how many BOB's you need and where to keep them, the most important question in my mind is what are you building your BOB for?

Is it meant to be extremely light with just the basics to get you either home safe or away from home as quickly as possible? Is it designed for getting you to a BOL (bug out location for the new survival poster) after you flee your current domain? Is it to carry everything you need to survive out for an indetermined length of time? Also, is it going to be purely dedicated to a BOB or will you use it for camping and other recreation trips?

Depending on what your plans are, this will determine your size, and then you can start looking at different options in that size. All of the links I followed in this thread lead to very high quality stuff, so you shouldnt have a problem finding one to fit your needs.

I use a full sized Kelty internal frame backpack. Here But I have alot of stuff I carry. I also use it for regular camping and hiking outings, so for me it makes sense. Sure its a little heavy, but I can haul it around just fine. Also, its not cammo, so I guess I dont really fit in with the cool survivors in my area, but thats a shame I have come to accept.

So while there are alot of options out there and in this thread, figure out first what your needs are, then go from there.

reply to post by salchanra


I completely agree.
The link I provided was for the bag of my choice.
My real bob in a big situation is this,I have a bag and a bike trailer attached to my awesome bike that I am in love with.Lol
My trip is 90 kms in the bush to get to a destination already waiting for me.
Its me and 1 friend trekking thru the bush to meet our other partner who is already there.(how lucky lol)
You definately need to tailor the situation to suit your needs.


[edit on 18-12-2008 by DrumsRfun]

All good points, but remember a BOB is for short trips, about 72 hrs max. the bag and the gear in it depends on alot of stuff...the season you will be traveling in, your needs, where your going, if your traveling with others or children, on and on. the bob just gets you out and taken care of until you find or reach another safe location. hopefully you have a plan and a predetermined location to head to. for those that think they can just pack a small hand bag of daypack and roam into the woods and live for extended periods of time.....TRY IT! in a week you'll be hungry, sick, and desperate. i just spent some time in the USMC and did three tours in iraq living 7 months at a time out of a full size pack and two sea bags, and still would have been out of luck with out support supplies (mainly water). remember water is priority number one, knowing you need atleast a gallon a day while on the move, you cannot carry enough even in a large pack (so you need filter gear or cashes along the way). always think lightweight, if you never did a 20k hike with full ruck....good luck! so try to keep it simple but complete with gear, food, and water to hold you for about 3 days until you can get to some place you have stored alot of supplies. go camping often and do alot of trial and error, refine your bob long before you actually need it.

Thanks for the tips and your service AgentBlack.

A PLCE military Bergen - 125 litres of valuable space

On top of that I carry a 20 litre camelbak for water.

Its dpm though and I'm hoping to change that over to an olive drab PLCE when I bring my other one back to the UK

This can all be carried on foot or by bicycle.
I prefer bicycle to get me out of dodge then foot for the back-country and rough terrain

[edit on 19-12-2008 by WatchRider]

My favorite BOB is a Gregory Deva 60 (2007 model)- rugged, 60 Litre and carries everything I could possibly need to take care of myself for a week or more. That includes, food, shelter, and the 10 essentials, and a warm sleeping bag with insulated mat. My base weight is under 15 lbs, which makes for a light carry, and an easy manuever if I need to move quickly. This particular pack moves with you when you need it to, and can be cinched down tightly to hug your body when you need a more stable load carry. This, by the way, is a women's pack. They also make a men's version, called the "Baltero".

My second choice would be Osprey- they also make fine gear- sturdy and able to take whatever one can dish out in the woods/elements.

Now, I'm not saying either or any of my gear choices were inexpensive- they weren't, and I've collected my gear and made my choices carefully over time and much research.

I also carry a Henry Shire's Tarptent- a lighweight alternative to traditional tents that still keeps one dry and comfortable in most weather.

tarptent.com...

For some great research options and some real life gear testing by real life people, try this link:

www.backpackgeartest.org...



Hope this may help a few of you out!
Peace and Happy Holidays to one and all!

Soul Sista

If you can't fight, run, jump, crawl, climb and swim with it on then its to big and to heavy.

And chances are if the situation gets bad enough to need a bob, you'll need to meet those requirements.

Its not going to be a nice little camping trip with the family, you don't "need" a ton of crap. Just because its cool or convenient to take with you in the back of your SUV on the family camping trip doesn't mean its going to be fun to carry on your back...

I don't care how bad you think you are, half the crap I see on survival forums makes me hit the floor in laughter at the prospect of these idiots in the suburbs carrying 200lbs of crap in their fresh new Multicam $500 Kifaru packs that they won't even let touch the ground cause they might get dirty.....
And their eagle plate carriers loaded down with 30 AR15 mags and a shiny M4 with not even a scratch on it...

I guess they assume that because they have the cool gear then they are good to go, but they don't consider the stamina and endurance required to carry even 25lbs on your back for a day nonstop over rough terrain much less their 200lbs of crap they probably haven't even used...


Whatever bob you choose consider wisely what you put in it, if you absolutely must put something in that pack think of the lightest smallest version of it you can find and apply that rule to everything.

Glad that the word BOB was described accordingly I know women that call a BOB a battery operated boyfriend,if you know what I mean

The way I chose my own gear was for my body, my stamina and what my own personal needs are, along with some serious research and consulting with those who have "been there" and know what it takes to survive out there for months on end.

I surely don't claim to be an expert. My Gregory pack I love because with the sturdy bottom, I can dump it off anyplace and not really have to worry about it. It works with my body well and with my particular body build, it "fits". I could go lighter, but I wouldn't have the support my lower back needs.

I surely don't have to have the best, finest or the latest gear out there, when I can get the same thing for less money ( and less weight) at the local thrift store. I even can make my own gear in many cases.

But I will say this, if your pack doesn't fit well, it's a total misery to carry, no matter what the weight in it. It pays to have a well fitted pack, regardless if it costs you 20 bucks at the thrift store or 500 dollars at a specialty hiking store. HYOH (Hike Your Own Hike) But why be miserable? That really seems pointless- this pack will be your best friend for the next many many months in most cases.

Choose Wisely
Soul Sista

reply to post by SoulSista


Hi Soulsista.

Thanks for the heads up and the advice.
I think I will pop along a few camping stores and the army surplus store and try a few out.

Talking about packs, when I was younger and fitter and travelling a great deal in the US as well as the UK. I came across an Amewrican made pack that I thought was the best piece of kit I had ever bought. IIRC It was called the Becker Patrol Pack, and I think it may have been made by eagle Industries. The beauty of the thing was it was basically a comfortable rucksack with absolutelu LOADS of various pouches and Pockets. I had mine for about ten years, swapped it in the end for some other pice of kit ( wished i had not now)

reply to post by Northern Raider


i still run across a becker pack ever now and again on this side of the pond.

hehe "kit" i love you red coats!!!

reply to post by colec156

Colec156-
C0le has some great advice too on gear- make sure you can easily carry what you need and make sure you know how to use what you have and need. The lighter you travel the farther you can travel each day.

I see and get alot of great advice from backpackers- long distance ones. It's not ALL good advice but alot of it is. I do my own research from and make decisions based on my own experiences and such from there.

**C0le- what makes me laugh alot are those "ultralight" backpacks you see some long distance backpackers with. They would never stand up to a real BOB use. They would fall apart within a couple of weeks me thinks. Now some are well made but I've seen some I seriously question, both the usability of and the durability of.

Happy New Year's All!
Soul Sista

reply to post by SoulSista


Thank you for your kind words.

I agree with you about doing your own research, infact every survivalist should go out of there way to learn new tricks and test what equipment works well and works for them.
There alot of great people here or a so willing to help but as most of you arealy know, try a few searches out there, there are other great forums to join and get a different perspective on situations and equipmnet.

BOB:

alice pack large with frame.
i have large bolt cutters
an hand axe
a plastic jar filled with rice.
a cooking pan.
6 packs of para cord.
2 reels of fishing line.
6 packs of fine rope (for making hand throw fishing nets)
6 cans of tunafish.
fish cleaning knife.
an assortment of knife sharpening files.
gun cleaning oils an supplies.
gloves rubber for cleaning fish, and jersey knit for keeping warm.
a Balaclava
a tarp.
a screwdriver and wrench kit.
a bunch of empty ziploc freezerbags.
a ziploc freezerbag full of matches and lighters with a bunch of tornup scrap paper.


in the alice system butpack i have
two canteens filled with water
a compass
a magnafying glass
more lighters
trenchplate
beef summer sausage and jerky.
a glass jar of peanuts
emergancy foil blanket.
change of shirt
wool socks
.45 ammo for side arm.

all the rest of my main rifle ammo i have in a side pack.

i think the alice frame is the best. its good support and if you ever need to take stuff out and travel lighter you can take the frame out and just have a normal pack.
hope this helps.

reply to post by TheRepublic


I am fast becoming a fan of the alice bag. Do they have internal or external frames ???
I have spied a few bergen types with internal frames that I'm looking as purchasing.

reply to post by colec156


mine has the frame that fits into the outside the bag, when you couple it with an alice pistol belt and buttpack all fully loaded it begins to approach the max that is manuervarble to carry comfortably. any bigger pack then that is superfolous. i like military gear because military does all sorts of reaserch and quality control for things used in high stress situations. a regular commercial company bag might be great for a weekend stroll in the park, but when you are bugging out you want things you KNOW will work. you can always take stuff out once you reach your bug out location like tools and food preperation items to lose extra weight. once you drop that stuff out youve got plenty of room to pick up other things or move comfortably through the woods.

just my thoughts.