Get Home Bag

[cass1776]

Just curious what brands people use and find durable and dependable for a general get home bag. Ive been trying to figure out what one to get but the choices are many. Im really liking the Maxpedition Falcon 2 . I see that CTD has a Level 3 pack that looks close to it for less than half the price, which makes me wonder if it will fall apart in a month.
I just want to put this bag together to have in my truck at work with some basic supplies.

 

[Knob Creek]

My wife works in Boston and we put together a get home bag to keep in her office. We just used a good quality non-desrcript backpack from LL bean I think it was. We wanted it to be comfortable but not scream out "Tactical bag here with good stuff in it".

 

[AllaSnackbah]

i keep a regular molle army style backpack in the back on my car. i really love my camelback hawg though, excellent pack for a lightweight day pack

 

[Business]

I have a really nice insulated Burton bag that I use but the wife has 3 LL bean bags one for her and each kid. LL Bean is great because there warrantied for life.

 

[glostamon]

Lowe Alpine "Peak Runner" fanny pack.

http://cascadeclimbers.com/gear/product/Lowe-Alpine-Peak-Runner-Waist-Pack.html

Nice hands free storage for the basics. It can be concelled under a long coat or sweatshirt easily.
I get a pair of gloves, 2 snack bars, 2 16oz. water bottles,keys, small flalight, compact 9mm,lighter,spare mag,padlock,aspirin,hand sanitizer and cell phone in it.

For a GHB avoid the high priced tactical man-purses or military looking back packs . I'd prefer to not have any kind of visable baggage.
These are nice because you can wear it on your hip & cover it with a loose fitting windbreaker.
Its a get home bag not luggage for a week in the White mountains.

 

[Kid Presentable]

I have an old north face bag that I use, not the best storage wise but for a get home bag it does the job

 

[Queen Bee]

idk if you have the first issue of RECOIL, but near the back they have a really interesting pre loaded bag .

http://echo-sigma.com/shop/ghb

i almost want to buy this and store in my car...

 

[Rider]

idk if you have the first issue of RECOIL, but near the back they have a really interesting pre loaded bag .

http://echo-sigma.com/shop/ghb

i almost want to buy this and store in my car...

So tell me, is Recoil basically targeting wealthy preppers? I got a special offer to subscribe and the only thing I could think is that every subscription comes with a complimentary FBI profile.

For bags, I now use an SOC Three Day Pass. It isn't terribly military looking, holds plenty, and has a pocket for a Camelbak. I use it for commuting, and while I don't keep much gear in it, it easily carries my work stuff and some emergency gear without getting full or heavy. I like that it has both a padded waist belt and a chest clip for the upper straps. I've taken this on a couple of hundred mile motorcycle rides and it stays put. Of course, it is a military use bag, but in black it isn't too obvious.

I have been commuting for most of the past 20 years, so my priorities are on comfortable carriage, organization, and room. My days of hauling 15 lbs of laptop gear are over, since I can remote in from almost anywhere.

Far too many bags either don't hold that much, or are too damned heavy when loaded, or just aren't that comfortable. I don't like the timbuk2 bags - they don't hold much, and don't carry well. Maxpedition bags seem great, except that they don't hold a lot(smaller ones anyway), are expensive, and they scream military. There are lots of bags and companies out there, and you just have to find the right one for you.

 

[colt_fan]

idk if you have the first issue of RECOIL, but near the back they have a really interesting pre loaded bag .

http://echo-sigma.com/shop/ghb

i almost want to buy this and store in my car...

$250 for a bag that sits in my car, no thanks. Any basic weekend bag that its least 2500ci is more than adequate for you to get home for most people that live in the burbs and commute to Boston for work.

 

[Rob G]

Go to any army navy store can go wrong with a good quality molle bag.

 

[el duderino]

Camelbak mule pack may work for you, I bought one as a daypack, doesnt hold much but you dont need much in a get home pack. Not very tactical looking, more something a bicyclist might have, bought mine at EMS but REI may carry them also if your like me and like to check them out in person before you buy online.

http://www.amazon.com/Camelbak-M-U-L-100-Hydration-Pack/dp/B00437TWK0

 

[Boghog1]

idk if you have the first issue of RECOIL, but near the back they have a really interesting pre loaded bag .

http://echo-sigma.com/shop/ghb

i almost want to buy this and store in my car...

I'll build you a better bag for that amount of money

 

[cass1776]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I appreciate it. I also saw that bag in Recoil magazine, a little too pricey for me. I thought it was a cool magazine though.

 

[SeanT]

I have regular school type backpacks in both cars. They're well used and are fairly comfortable for long hikes. I wanted the school type so it wouldn't scream "rob me" to others.

 

[Coyote Gray]

We have ALICE packs, which I bought surplus. Just like I used to have in the Corps.

I understand the benefit of going "Gray Man" though. But to be honest, I know the areas I plan to hike through to get home, as well as how long it will take for me to get home by foot for my terrain, in various incliment weather.

If something goes so wrong, that I need to walk home from work, I am not very worried about the type of bag I have, so long as it works. Today, camo material is mainstream.

I think I purchased my ALICE packs for a little over $20 per...

 

[P-14]

I live about 6 miles from work so risk of a protracted BO trip is low for us. Home in less than 2 hours on foot. GH supplies in the car include wool hiking socks, USGI ponchos, gloves, wool watch caps, and bottled water. Our daily shoes will make the short trip.

Other supplies in the car are for using it for temporary shelter until we can get home (sleeping bags, etc.).

 

[blinky]

I have a few of these and really like them. Ncstar makes some decent molle bags for cheap if you look on ebay. Less than 40 bucks

http://www.ebay.com/itm/22088044009...NX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_2034wt_753

 

[codenamepaul]

Unless you paid 5 bucks, most any bag will do the trick given adequate size. The bag needs to last 3 days of heavy use without the straps breaking. After this, garbage.

 

[ShadeWPI]

A little off topic, but related to what you keep in a personal emergency supply bag that you keep with you all the time.

Work requires us to take an anual CPR, AED and First Aid class each year. While the class touches on a wide range of topics, one thing struck a cord with me today - Do I keep the items that I would need to respond to someone else's emergency on hand?

The instructor recommends keeping:

Change of Clothes
Glasses or safety glasses
2 pairs non-latex, non-permiable gloves
One-Way ventilator value / CPR barrier
Pack of Anisceptic Wipes

Why does he recommend keeping those items on you at all times? Those are some of the most important personal protection items for responding to someone elses' medical emergency. The change of clothes are to change your clothes after responding to an emergency if your clothes have been exposed to someone else's bodily fluids while the wipes are to clean your own hands and face after assisting in an emergency. There are a couple of additional tools/items I'd add, but they don't talk about because we have first aid kits through out the building for all the other supplies.

It just made me wonder: When you're putting together your everyday carry equipment, do you think about responding to someone else's emergency, or just self-sufficiency? If someone you don't know was having a medical emergency, would you try to help? Do you keep the above items on-hand "just in case"? What else do you carry to help with someone else's medical emergency?

 

[Rider]

Well, if you are a serious first responder, then these things make sense. But if you are looking to get home, then your gear shouldn't prioritize the assumption that you are in an emergency situation and stopping to help every injured person you see.

I would prioritize based on carrying the minimum amount of gear that covers the most probable scenarios, and add from there if you have room, money, and the ability to carry it.

I would not carry a CPR barrier for the simple reason that when I got certified this year, they told us not to practice mouth-to-mouth unless you had a barrier and were comfortable doing it. And then, i assume its good for one use and then you toss it. Chest compressions alone are what is now being taught. (you experts and practitioners can chime in and tel me I'm wrong, but this is what my company's trainer is teaching.)

So, I keep a first aid kit in the cars, have a few around the house, and know where things are at work(but good luck finding anything vaguely resembling pain or PMS meds in there) but don't carry much with me.

It's a slippery slope, and once you start adding things, pretty soon you're that weird guy who carries a giant pack everywhere, wears a Volunteer EMT hat(even though you're not), and has a concealed carry permit holder badge on your jacket. ;p. More importantly, you're now carrying so much it's unlikely you'll make it far without dumping half the crap you put in your bag.

 

[ShadeWPI]

Rider,

Compressions only is being taught as an alternative to CPR when no barrier is available OR you are not comfortable with ventilations. Chest Compression only CPR uses the remaining oxygen in the persons blood and lungs to help maintain brain oxygen levels. It is effective for 30-60 seconds from the time of the persons last breath, if that last breath was a reasonably deep breath. Immediate response is so important now that unless you witnessed the person lose conciousness, they no longer recommend calling 911 FIRST. The 2011 revised recommendations recommend 2 minutes of CPR before calling 911. This is because the chance of a person recovering from cardiac arrest after 1 minute is about 50% and drops 10% per minute there after. The 90 seconds required to call 911 drastically reduces the person's chances of survival.

I understand your position - but here's the question is: If it was not a "GET HOME" emergency and you encountered someone who was experiencing a medical emergency, would you assist them? Do you keep the materials to protect yourself from danger should you choose to help someone else?

The change of clothes I keep are dual purpose - they're part of my GET HOME kit, but I know they're there if I need to change out of contaminated clothes should I help someone.

 

[Rider]

Good info, thanks. Yes, I think that in my initial reading of your post(this happens when I am reading my iPad and waiting forever for pages to load) I got tunnel vision and didn't process that you were talking everyday carry/preparedness and so on. Sorry about that.

I want to take more courses on first aid/first responder type skills, so your questions are relevant. In answer, I currently carry very little. Since I commute, anything I put in the car is inaccessible, and what is at work could be of limited use(because it all gets looted and not replenished often. It is so bad that the admins for my group by 1,000 pill bottles of advil, midol, and aspirin since the first aid kits never have them.) I'd love to get one of those wilderness trauma/medical kits if I knew how to use it, but like I said, I probably couldn't carry it with me, so it would be of limited use at least on weekdays.

With respect to whether or not I would, the couple of times I have been tested, I have helped the person in need. I guess I am a good person or something, because I don't really think about it. That said, it is funny to see how people change when in a group. When you are in a group(say, at the train station) everyone seems to think someone else is going to help, and depending on the situation I will if I think I can. It's very bizarre to see someone get hit by a car 100 yards from the train station and almost all the people look at their watches(train's coming in 3 minutes) and keep walking. I stop to help, yell at a couple of people to call 911, run through the checklist, and in 5 minutes am being asked to step away my the police. (The person was mostly shaken up.)

That said, my recent experience has completely soured me on assisting almost anyone in any capacity. Simply consider that any time you help someone, from a close family member to a complete stranger, you open yourself up to the possibility of unlimited liability should that person decide to sue you. Your preparedness program should include not only beans and band-aids, but financial and legal preparedness as well. To the extent that you have any wealth, and are exposing yourself to other people, you are obliged to protect what you have.

 

[ShadeWPI]

I'm similar to you. I Added a few items to my laptop bag (backpack) for an emergency wasn't a big deal. A pair of light sweat pants, socks and extra tee-shirt. 2 paris of gloves, set of safety glasses, pack of sterial gauze and a compression bandage, plus a 10-pill bottle of low dose (82mg) aspirin. The change of clothes is to dispose of the cloths you were wearing if they get contaminated while helping someone else, so you don't bring it back home. The aspirin is for a person having a stroke or heart attack. If they're concious, a low dose aspirin is very effective at limiting the damage caused by both (don't give it if they're not concious)

While anyone can sue you for anything (or no reason at all) every state has a Good Samaritian Law that explicitedly protects an individual who is not medically licenced (nurse, parametic, medical doctor, etc) from liability as long as they operate within their level of knowledge and without malicious intent. While the exact wording varies from state to state (everyone should look up their states and that of any state they're going to travel to) the basics are the same - in a sue, the person must prove that you intentionally made things worse for the person or took action beyond your level of training.

 

[BravoWhiskey]

Go to any army navy store can go wrong with a good quality molle bag.

That is what I did. I was able to get a molle back pack that was great quality for 70 bucks. It carries everything I need and plenty of room for extras.

 

[codenamepaul]

You will want anything "military" looking to be covered. Less attraction to people who would want your stuff. On the other hand, a blaze orange hikers pack is not terrible concealable. Best to have a cover of some sort in either case. A 3'x3' piece of camo cloth with a black backing is what I keep handy. Bungee cord with hooks wrapped around the back strap area. Tuck the cloth under the bungee and it stays pretty good. Also works as a mini blanket too.

 

[P-14]

You will want anything "military" looking to be covered. Less attraction to people who would want your stuff. On the other hand, a blaze orange hikers pack is not terrible concealable. Best to have a cover of some sort in either case. A 3'x3' piece of camo cloth with a black backing is what I keep handy. Bungee cord with hooks wrapped around the back strap area. Tuck the cloth under the bungee and it stays pretty good. Also works as a mini blanket too.

I took the other approach. Normal-looking day pack for the BOB with an Alice pack cover. Cover goes on in the woods or at night.

Most commercial packs have reflective tape or thread woven into them so you don't get hit by a car at night. The Alice cover completely covers the pack except the shoulder and waist straps. Shine a flashlight on the pack to check.

 

[codenamepaul]

I took the other approach. Normal-looking day pack for the BOB with an Alice pack cover. Cover goes on in the woods or at night.

Most commercial packs have reflective tape or thread woven into them so you don't get hit by a car at night. The Alice cover completely covers the pack except the shoulder and waist straps. Shine a flashlight on the pack to check.

Me too. The cover I was issued for DS had a bungee that broke. I added some backing cloth in case I decided to go with the ALICE system

 

[ShadeWPI]

A water resistant "rain-fly" cover with a dark fleece backing with bungee hooks to attach it to the pack make a great masking cover. The fleece liner helps change the look, for an alternate cover color and assists in it serving as an emergency shelter / blanket.

As for color, I'd avoid true black and go with dark green, maroon, dark browk or dark green, then run in through the wash 12-15 times to fade the colors. True black actually shows up quite well in the dark as "too dark"

 

[Boghog1]

Shade do you know of any commercial covers like you describe?

 

[ShadeWPI]

Shade do you know of any commercial covers like you describe?

No, the one's I've seen in that style where home built with a sheet of fleece fabric or a commercial fleece emergency blanket stiched to the interior side of a water resistant cover, then water sealing over the stitching (like glueing and taping the seams of a rain-fly or rain gear.

The fleece backing helps it function as a makeshift blanket / shelter, and it breaks up the reflectivity of most water-resistant treated fabrics when you flip it inside out.