BOB all packed yet?

Originally posted by DrumsRfun
I was out last weekend with a guy who is very new to survival.
Since he knows what I do he asked me to take him out in the bush for the night.
In regards to the op I always carry gloves and 2 hats,a ballcap and a toque.
Surprisingly I have camped in below zero temperatures and never needed my gloves but was thankful I had them for back up.
My point is this.
Before we left last weekend I asked him if he brought a hat.
As soon as he said no I knew he was gonna have some trouble.
The temperature was about zero and fell to about minus five overnight.
Knowing his sleeping bag was rated for zero I knew he was gonna need a hat.
430 am he wakes me up to tell me to take him back because he was freezing.

A hat is how I keep my body temperature up in cold weather and I will put it on or take it off as needed.
Since most of your heatloss comes from the head....I say always carry 2 hats as well as a set of good gloves.

Excellent reply "survival" is not all:tacto-cool" I am legend" but your HAT maybe the difference between maintaining your core temp at 98.6andnot. Also; its Good to know but hard to start a fire with a coke can and a chocolate bar when your hands go numb.and its over cast. People place Wayyy-haayyy too much emphasis on cool Ar's and other combat gear.

reply to post by 46ACE


And that is my point with this thread, it is not all the gee whiz gadgets out there that will make or break you. Sure the Light My Fire spork is a nice light eating utensil, but a fork and spoon from the kitchen will get the job done as well.

A decent stocking cap on a cold or windy night is worth more than a Sea to Summit x-bowl as much as I hate eating from what I just cooked in. Or in the case of the old faithful canteen cup, having to finish eating before I can drink from it unless the water in the canteen is cooled down enough.

Of course those are just examples, I actually use the Coleman anodized cook set and a stainless steel bottle. Yes it is more bulk than I need but yet light enough for options. One of which is trading the smaller pot and pan off to someone that needed it for something I might need. That is also a consideration to keep in mind. Some of your backup items can be used for barter for other things. Again not saying to over pack for the express purpose but it is something to keep in mind.

In a situation were weight has become a consideration, it helps make harder decisions to have extras to ditch first. Because the tossing of gear is always a bit demoralizing which is a hinderence in any situation long or short.

And yes the importance of a hat cannot be stressed enough. I wear a black BDU cover all the time and have on many occasions pulled down the ear flaps on windy days outside. And yes, I do keep a stockin cap in my coat pocket from Fall onward. In addition to head gear, they make a handy pouch for gathering small items like nuts or berries. Even a passable pot holder in a pinch.

Reply to post by Ahabstar

Yes, depending on the situation I have a couple different bags already packed. One is a camelbak for day excursions, and have a green duffel with extra cloths.

It is important to bring essentials, comfort items always should be considered last, unless it is insulation aka blanket and thick layered cloths.


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reply to post by doom27


How bout a fire starter and some dryer lint?

Personally, i'm going to go with a pair of chemical resistant gloves. With some standard general issue Wool gloves. And a pair of leather work gloves. They're worth the space they take up.

Tying them to the outside doesn't sound like such a good idea for the Chem gloves. Wanna keep those as protected as possible in my honest opinion.

reply to post by 46ACE


Honestly... I am BCDR responsible for one of the biggest companies in the world, I'll be on the moon by the time SHTF...
really