I have been thinking a lot about BOB's lately. Is there a way to determine the amount of weight each family member can carry in their BOB. I see a lot of places mention you should carry water in your bag but the amounts they recommend don't make sense to me. If you carried that much water, most of your bags capacity would be taken up with water... that makes no sense. It seems to me it would be better to carry a small emergency water bottle and know how to find other sources of water to drink. Could somebody tell me what sort of materials are used to make good backpacks. I baught an expensive tactical backpack, and it lasted a day... the material was so rigid it just cracked and split. I decided I could make much better, so i'm going to do it myself.
It is usually easier to buy a good quality pack than make one. A tach bag is a tach bag. Look through some catalogs uh, check on line for a internal frame pack. That is the type I prefer, lotta choices there. Many people will suggest an Alice pack but for me comercial made back packs are much more comfie. Check the seams, the more rows of stitches usually the better. I have an old, 30+, Rivendell Moutain Works pack that is the best! Outta biz I think. Go to a outdoor store like REI and check them out, it is a personal choice like your sidearm. Just gotta do alot of shopping to find the right one even then you will change favorites, kinda like women.
We have a lot of information on this forum already on bags. If you keep some basic information in mind, there shouldn't be too much trouble for you. Every person is limited to carrying no more than 1/3rd their own body weight in order for them to successfully hike for any extended period, and the lighter the pack is, the better. Some people can carry more, and this comes with practice and routine hiking only. I know a few guys who were the typical "tough guy" types, and they always believe they can outperform everybody else. They took on too much, and suffered for it. Remember to always plan accordingly. There is no absolute answer for carrying water. This all depends on your environment and your personal loadout routine. Camelback makes some fine water bladders, you should check into them. Carry a few collapsible canteens/reservoirs on your person as well -they are light weight and can carry more water as you come across it. We have threads on water filters/pumps also. Check them out. Many packs today offer internal bladder carry. Do not be fooled by the "rugged" tags on products - try only milspec or known suppliers such as REI, SUMMIT, PROPER, KIFARU and the like. You don't always have to pay top dollar for quality equipment if you know where to shop, but be cautious of the garage sale deals online, it's probably a Chinese-made scam. Find out whether or not an internal frame will suit you, or if you are best suited for an external frame pack. We also have topics on choosing an adequate backpack. Check them out, too. I have no advice for you aside from starting small and working your way up. Start with daypacks and milspec scout packs. Fill them up with a 1 to 3 day supply of kit and go out and do some hiking. If you cannot keep up with this, then a larger pack for extended carry shouldn't even be on your mind.
Check out Tactic Supplies - Home My get home bag is their Condor med assault bag, and my main bag is a Condor 3- day Assault bag. Good prices and fast shipping.
I love all of my Condor gear. At CTD it's their ModGear brand, but it's all made by Condor, too. Condor has real licensed multicam, which is awesome. Excellent quality. Really good prices on those bags.
i have a get home bag and a what i called a bad weather get out of town bag for use to leave if a earthquake or a fire forces me from the apt .. it filled with cloths and items need to survive a few days intill i get with the insurance pays for me for the items i had in the apt ..
Backpacks and weight / load constraints Hi Grape, The recommended human ergonomic weight load limits for carrying will differ between individuals considerably depending on general fitness, age, gender, illnesses and infirmities, build, etc. Environmental factors may impose limitations also...what one may be able to carry attempting a vertical ascent on a mountain, may be different to what may be carried on a formed road, or track. There are recommended rules of thumb that you can work towards. The weight load limit is a total weight load, not just what can be carried inside your backpack...so that would include clothing, footwear, load carrying harness, bags, pouches, water bottles, fanny pack, weapons, contents of pockets etc. ammunition etc. These are rules of thumb...that should be adjusted downward rather than upward, to take into account someone who has a mobility impairment (needs knee replacement or hip replacement, or perhaps suffers from emphysema or whatever. Maximum for Fit adult up to- 33.3% of bare bodyweight. Adults who are not fit up to - 25% of bare bodyweight weight Children K - 9<SUP>th</SUP> grade up to 10-15% of bare bodyweight. Children should not be loaded up excessively as their muscle and bone structures are still developing, and they do not have the same relative strength as adults. Adults with low bone densities due to osteoporosis, or ageing etc are typically going to be able to carry less than others. Adults who are elite athletes, or in the military and who are infantry or special forces combat fit may be capable of carrying somewhat more than 33.3%...but at some cost to performance. What you are able to carry in a bug out scenario as opposed to what you would like to be able to carry will always be a matter of compromise. Remember...the more weight you carry, the harder your body has to work, the greater the strain placed on muscles, skeleton, and internal organs. A body that is working harder will also place greater demands on food and water resources. The heavier the load, the greater the strain on neck, shoulders, spine, legs and feet, making them more vulnerable to injury. A heavy load may reduce your stability whilst moving and may make you more vulnerable to slips, trips and falls...particularly if fatigued. It may be better to cruise along with a 20-25% weight load or even less, than it might be to struggle along with a 33% or more weight load. Water. Every person in a party should carry water, and should have the capability of capturing water, and making captured water safe for consumption. Whilst training in the military, it wasn't uncommon for soldiers on patrol to carry between 4-6 x 1 litre water bottles and 1-2 x 2 litre collapsible water bottles / bladders making a total weight of some 6 – 10Kg just for water. How much you carry will depend on the climate, season, weather and prospects along the route to be able to find potable water. Some of your water containers should be PET bottles. PET bottles in good condition can be used to pasteurise water through the process of UV exposure to sunlight. Backpacks and load carrying equipment. There is a world of resources on the internet and elsewhere on backpack and bug out bag selection....as suggested elsewhere in this thread...Milspec equipment is probably more likely to survive rugged conditions and significant abuse than some cheap import civilian design. I favour an ensemble approach to load carrying. Survival essentials in pockets (shirt / jacket / trousers) and neck pouch. Belt load (includes pouches and bum bag)– water, basic survival gear, small FAK some food, ammunition, knife, machete / kukri / pruning saw Load Bearing Vest supplementary basic survival gear Tear-drop day pack carried on chest includes rain gear, a quilted vest, some food and cooking gear. (carrying the day-pack on chest helps balance the load of the backpack. Backpack - carries the rest. 1 or 2 water bladders/collapsible water bottles A bamboo stave....it's light, helps in stability while walking and can be adapted to make a light but sturdy stretcher (it has in a couple of its hollow sections a very minimalist survival kit, and can be adapted into a serviceable spear or fishing pole if needs be). Missile weapon (depending on circumstances) The distribution of survival resources are such that if needs be, I can sacrifice the big pack and still have sufficient to carry on without too much drama, at a pinch if circumstances dictate, I could survive on just what is in my pockets....though the stave would be a huge bonus. Refrences http://www.whitemountain.com.au/fitting_backpacks/loading.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/666559 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20515585/ns/health-kids_and_parenting
Having used everything from Kifaru to MOLLE and ALICE, I will say look at suspension. You want aluminum stays and an internal frame. Not that the others aren't workable, but good suspension will make for a much more comfortable load. I have 2X combat tested and HSAL approved bags- the Kifaru Scout and Kelty MAP 3500 (I think). Both have aluminum stays. Even the tiny scout. For larger bags, I currently have a Kelty Falcon Military and an Eberlestock Gunslinger (for carrying those precision long guns and close carbines). Both are great. (ETA: Notice the pattern in my choices- civilian packs are a lot further along than military issue packs.)
My main pack is from BPS it is a redhead spike Just over 7,000 cubic inches, its a good hunting pack in a civilian camo. for me it will carry everything I need to get started over with.
This is exactly the info I was looking for !! im looking at some of the bag options now like the Kelty... looking good. Thanks !
Is there a way to determine the amount of weight each family member can carry in their BOB. Trial and error is the only way I know of. Start out light and work your way up, I'd start with 50lbs. and go from there. As far as the rest of the family is concerned that depends on age, physical ability, endurance and determination. Anybody that tells you they can pack a 100lb pack all day long through the woods up and hills in rough terrain, is usually full of it. Not saying it isn't possible. I have no experience with the newer tactical backpacks, never put one on. I've used North Face and Kelty backpacks with good results for weekend backpacking trips. I can't remember the others I've used over the years, except the unframed ALICE pack (never again unless I had to). If you get an ALICE pack get one with the frame. Most commercial packs are made of denier polyester or denier nylon. Overstuffing or exceeding recommended weight of the pack could have detrimental effects on the longevity of the material, regardless of the manufacturer. Whether you go tactical or commercial you need a pack that has a frame, this helps distribute the weight down on your hips rather than on your back and shoulder straps. You can carry more weight longer with less fatigue. I have used internal and external frame packs, both have their place. An internal frame is usually more comfortable to wear.
The best way to tell is load your Pack up see whats comfortable and then get out there and pack it around. Kepp going out and hike with a full pack just like the military and get your self built up to carrying more.
