Need Help. Is My BOB to Heavy?

I need some help with my Bug out Bag (BOB). I’m mostly concerned with how much it weighs. My BOB is 30+ pounds without the camel pack full of water( holds 3 liters). Right now I have 5 MRE in there, they take up 75%the room, equaling 6,000 calories. 3 meal bar equaling 7,500 calories, water filter, spare clothes. 60 rounds of .223, 40 rounds of .45, 7 ounces of silver, utensils, titanium cup, 100ft of pairacord, zip ties, crank radio, milti tool, First aid kit, suture kit, antibiotics, map of my location, and some odds and ends. This is just my bob.

My tactical vest is another story, with 6 mags of 30 round each of .223, 2 mags of .45 and 2 ceramic bullet proof plates 5lbs each. So over all I have 60-70 lbs….. is this normal?

As of fitness I’m now running with a 20lbs weight vest, just started, and I can do the mile in 11 min 8 seconds with it on.

How heavy are your BOBs? I’m worried I’m over loaded and I don’t want to do test runs with all my gear on. Last thing I need is my next door neighbors call the cops on me because some crazy guy is running around the neighborhood in full on military multicam and gear.

In the military(Australian) the packs are around the 30kg - 40kg mark.

I remember in scouts that we used to work on a 30kg max(this was an assured way to end up exhausted when hiking) but would try to keep it in the 20kg range.

When I camp with my kids, I try to keep the weight down 5kg each plus a swag(3-4kg bed/tent).

For the imperialists 2.2 lbs = 1kg.

If I might suggest a way to test this... Load up your bag with the same weight, ounce for ounce for things entirely harmless to carry around in public (ammo might raise eyebrows if checked..lol) and run down to your local nature center. Go hike the equiv of 5 miles ..more if you're good with it..and if you still feel good to go and do a couple hours work as would be the case at the end of the day if it's for real, then your pack/bag is about right.

Just my thoughts...and my approach.

vest sounds ccool may we all get some pics please..

reply to post by camaro68ss

I would drop the MREs and find something more useful that doesn't take up so much room. Maybe a 1 man tent, fishing gear, duct tape, animal snares, a tarp, a hammock, etc...You could probably fit all of that stuff in you b.o.b. instead of the MREs. Source your food. Sounds like you have plenty of ammo. Get a book about wild edible plants in your area.

Wrabbit has a good suggestion...

Just go hiking with your gear(or equivalent weight to replace the ammo/mags etc)... I do that a few times a year to my fav spot(an hour drive away) 9 mile all day hike

My bag is about 50 lbs full, have alot of similiar items, but maybe ill add some silver in mine as well... not a bad idea for barter on the move...

Might I also suggest a small fishing kit and some snare wire... just didnt see it mentioned is all... Duct tape and alumninum foil are good to have as well... wrap duct tape around an old credit card or ID card to save room in your bag, yet keep it sticky... I also keep a folding saw in my bag...

dont forget the TP too!

EDIT: i agree with the above poster to get some kind of shelter material going... I have a tarp, and also an "emergency tent" and "emergency sleeping bag"(both of those from amazon)

Wow your gear sounds way too heavy for me. My BoB weighs in at 40 pounds. My Rugger 10/22 weighs in at 5.5 lbs

Contents:

Back pack (Sand piper of California)
Small compact able sleeping bag
A one person feather light tent
Emergency blanket/tarp
Signaling mirror/whistle
First aid kit
Duct tape (gorilla brand)
Aluminium foil
3 fire sources (Bic lighters, blast match, flint and steel with char cloth)
Fire starters (vasolined cotton balls in an Altoids can)
Water filter, and water purifacation tablets.
High calorie survival bars
A camping spice kit for fish and other small game I catch/shoot to eat
small fishing kit in an Altoids can with extra line to use as cordage (15lb test spider wire)
One pocket knife (CRKT M15), one fixed blade (seal pup by SOG)
small hand saw (coil-able chainsaw blade with handles)
A camel back bladder that fits in my pack
A head light flashlight
A small (4 AAA batteries) LED flashlight
Extra batteries
150 feet of para cord
100 rounds of 22LR
Small field manuals for first aid and edible plant information for my area and a track/scat ID guide
Small mess kit (aluminium)
compact gun cleaning kit for my 10/22
Leather gloves
Black watch cap

This is all I need for more than a week of survival in the woods.

I have done multiple test runs with my gear to keep my wood craft skill sharp and to prove my gear capability's/shortcomings. I think that not practicing your skills and using your gear will become a huge detriment for you.

If there ever was a bug out event, I'd imagine that people would find a lot of discarded items in the woods due to packing too much stuff that does too little. How far away is your bug out destination from your normal stomping grounds? Do you have gear stored there? I think the worst thing you can do is run around like a target lugging all your gear on your way to your destination. Keep it simple and quick if it's a place you can walk to in a couple days and establish caches to resupply en route. The Native American scouts were successful for many reasons and it's worthwhile to read their history.

If you do end up going on test runs with your gear, something I have learned to do is to make an accurate inventory list of your BoB's contents, that way when you are done with your trip you can use the inventory list to check that the contents are in order and ready for an actual situation when you might need it.

Originally posted by starshift
If there ever was a bug out event, I'd imagine that people would find a lot of discarded items in the woods due to packing too much stuff that does too little. How far away is your bug out destination from your normal stomping grounds? Do you have gear stored there? I think the worst thing you can do is run around like a target lugging all your gear on your way to your destination. Keep it simple and quick if it's a place you can walk to in a couple days and establish caches to resupply en route. The Native American scouts were successful for many reasons and it's worthwhile to read their history.

my bugout location is 280 miles away where all the rest of my gear and family are. Im thinking a months hike. I have no caches, not a bad idea to get a few, but hard when you own no land in between two locations. My problem is my primary way to getting to our bug out location is by truck. i have extra tanks of gas to get there but if there is a traffic jam or EMP, im screwed and must go by foot

if there is a traffic jam or EMP, im screwed and must go by foot

I've been putting some considerable thought into this problem for the last few days.

Possible solutions.....Kick start two-stroke motorbike with a spare CDI pack wrapped in foil and stored on the bike.

In the event of it being disabled by an EMP, the only thing that would be fried would be the CDI pack.....change and ride.

Other....Older diesel engines with a decompression lever....these have virtually no electronics beyond the start circuit. Keep a spare starter motor and a new lead acid battery in a dry state with sufficient acid to fill it.

In the event of an EMP......swap batteries (after filling the new battery with acid) and try to start....if the starter is fried...replace and drive.

Of course, I'm uncertain about what is considered normal by Americans, but...Do you really need that much ammo?

Field strip your MREs - Remove the excess packaging they're contained in to save weight and space, if you want to keep 'em in their original packaging, that's a sacrifice you're going to have to make.

At the point where you think you might end up on foot - Unless there is a firefight in your vicinity - Plan to leave behind/drop the combat vest w/ sapi plates and full combat load of ammo. That's not ideal but it's sure f'n heavy, you'd agree I'm sure.

You'd hope that would not be required for bugging out - You're talking about a bug out bag here, not a full combat operations load but anything can happen I guess.

280 miles on foot, depending on your access to water, shelter/rest, and food will be somewhere between daunting and deadly. If it were me, I'd relocate my ammo cache and armor to the BOL ahead of time. Your shoulders will thank you for it! Just imagine how much more agile you would be in an engagement if you weren't weighed down by the vest. If I had a dollar for every mission I've conducted where I wished it were possible to leave the armor behind, I'd have quite a few dollars.

Rocking full combat vest, very impressive. Got an ACH to go along with it?

Fitness wise, sounds like you're doing the right thing there. Keep doing what you're doing. Don't run/ruck with excess weight if you can help it, your body will thank you for that too in the long run but it sounds like you're doing great.

Cheers & g'luck!

Originally posted by camaro68ss

Originally posted by starshift
If there ever was a bug out event, I'd imagine that people would find a lot of discarded items in the woods due to packing too much stuff that does too little. How far away is your bug out destination from your normal stomping grounds? Do you have gear stored there? I think the worst thing you can do is run around like a target lugging all your gear on your way to your destination. Keep it simple and quick if it's a place you can walk to in a couple days and establish caches to resupply en route. The Native American scouts were successful for many reasons and it's worthwhile to read their history.

my bugout location is 280 miles away where all the rest of my gear and family are. Im thinking a months hike. I have no caches, not a bad idea to get a few, but hard when you own no land in between two locations. My problem is my primary way to getting to our bug out location is by truck. i have extra tanks of gas to get there but if there is a traffic jam or EMP, im screwed and must go by foot

My caches consist of either locked privately rented PO-Boxes and rentable lockers in train stations, storage depots also use friends. Got 6 BOB's stashed + 1 at home. Being in UK I don't have luxury of firearms so have alternates (hand crossbows and bolts) + knife +machette in each bag.

PS. On your list you should add LED torch (with spare batteries) survival blanket/sleeping bag and at least 3 ways of making fire. If your by yourself I strongly suggest you also pickup an old 250cc dirt bike (or equiv) best way to get past traffic/road blocks that I know of.

In the Air Cav a pack would weigh about 50 lbs. Then you add your weapons and other stuff I'd say about 80 lbs was our combat load out.For me 100 or so Cause I carried the M60 and we didn't have assistant gunners so I carried the ammo too.Not fun in Korea.

70 pounds is too heavy, especially considering your mission is to get from point A to point B.

My advice to you is to use your gear in the field and subtract pieces as you learn what you need and what is just dead weight. If you don't use it for camping or on "dry runs" to weed out the bad and keep the good, your pack as a BOB will be pretty useless.

I know this because the first example of my bob was useless. I thought it was the bee's knees, but I'm not ashamed to admit that in practice, it wasn't. I learned that a good kit isn't ever just thrown together and magically perfect. Its all trial and error.

I hike on the Appalachian Trail whenever I find the time and have learned a heck of a lot from the "gear-philosophy" of the thru hikers. Thru hikers hike and camp for months on end, everyday for most of the day, for thousands of miles. Georgia to Maine. A few people turn around and do it again! Since I hike the North AT, a lot of the hikers have already been out for months and hiked most of the trail. At this point, they know what works for them and most of them have discarded almost all the gear they had started out with. I think there is a lot to be learned from this. Most of them have a sub 3k cu lightweight pack. Most of their weight (other than water) is food. Their packs are 8-20 pounds loaded. Some of them have 3 ounce cuben fiber packs! They are forced by necessity. Hold them up as an example.

If you wish to get some real specific advice, maybe you could show us your kit.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
If I might suggest a way to test this... Load up your bag with the same weight, ounce for ounce for things entirely harmless to carry around in public (ammo might raise eyebrows if checked..lol) and run down to your local nature center. Go hike the equiv of 5 miles ..more if you're good with it..and if you still feel good to go and do a couple hours work as would be the case at the end of the day if it's for real, then your pack/bag is about right.

Just my thoughts...and my approach.

edit on 10-4-2012 by Wrabbit2000 because: typo

I did this, for about 2 miles. I also went shopping at the mall, and grocery shopping. I did have to make adjustments. Just make sure you aren't carrying anything weird, the weight is what matters.

A practice is ground your ruck perform recons, then pick it up again. Normal folks can't march far so move in bursts while maintaining cover.

reply to post by camaro68ss
some tools to add: ax, shovel, bolt cutters, hand pump. One thing to get rid of or do is; dump the silver, can you eat that?
Who are you going to tried with '? not me, gold, silver, money, worthless, water ammo er lead /powder, spices salt pepper, fresh vegetables, this is what i will consider as cash, but that is just me. 50 to 60 lb pack is about right and other 20 -30 lbs for ammo, rifle, and or pistol and ammo, add in 5 to 10 lb bed roll sleeping bag, and tent.

Some tricks I like
wearing a pack with 25 lbs or so in reverse on my chest as a balance
also using a nice hefty walking stick to help with a variety of things
a blown knee or ankle would be a real drag...

Mountain bikes and bike trailors are also a very good idea
Canoes are a handy way to go

there is an outfit called a "travois" which is very simple
two sticks lashed at chest hight and with the trailing edges dragging out behind
even a dog can wear one
you can put quit a bit of weight on one
you could even come up with small wheels too