Getting home

deflinitely go with a waterfilter (katadyn, msr they all make good ones. They filter everything), I can confidently pack 1liter of water and a filter as I know there are little ponds and "pocket lakes" wherever I hike,a filter provides hundreds of gallons of potable water from any ditch or puddles,use a prefilter (bandanna over the inlet to help keep the muck out.)replacement cartridges are available.Filters are lighter than carrying 3 or 4 liters.Also go with the mountain house freeze dried baclkpacker meals( $6-7.00 a piece), you want alot of easy, no muss no fuss calories not chasing, killing and preparing scrawny squirrels and catttail tuber stew...being as you are in a single minded push home ( to family and supplies) and its "only" 45 miles you could dipense with any ideas of hunting or gathering along the way...

 

Thanks to all

You guys are really putting some good information out there. I need to explore some of them in more detail. Probably the first will be to add additional food items and get better equipped for water purification.

I carry the beretta in lieu of another .45 in my BOB because it is handgun that I would be least upset about losing. As I keep this pack in my car, I don't want to risk losing one of my more "premium" .45's. However, I have been eyeing one of the new Taurus 1911s. They are sound from what I have heard and seem reasonably priced.

One other thing that I failed to mention is my communication system. We have a UHF repeater on the farm with a 180' tower. I can contact my home and family members via this system from anywhere within a 80 mile range. With this, I can get confirmation that my family is safe in case I am unable to get across the river for a few days.

Again, thanks for the input.

 

Wow, great comm, you could probably get a brother to come out an pick you up ?
So you have personal comm from me'emphus to the ranch?

 

Well that must've sucked being so far from family( trinindad tobago? in the carribean?) diuring all the initial cra
ziness..were you onboard a ship or were you flown around living onshore??
details man...