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What's in your backpack?
Pasadena Weekly ^ | 05/14/2009 | Christopher Nyerges

Posted on 05/14/2009 6:13:12 PM PDT by appleseed

It pays to peek inside Anthony Hardwick’s pricey survival ‘bug-out’ bag

Back when I first got interested in survival preparedness, I’d have long discussions with friends about the necessity of always having a pack ready in case you ever had to make a quick evacuation. We discussed all the contents of our survival packs, and considered both short-term and long-term survival needs away from home.

Knives, tools, water, seeds, clothes, fire, shelter, light. We agreed that the ideal survival pack — also referred to as a “bug-out bag” — would be lightweight and not a burden. We would bring these packs on our desert outings and test how well the items did in field conditions.

We learned that the more you knew, the less you had to carry. The packs that were best were also the heaviest and the biggest. If you could always put your pack in your car and drive away, then weight and bulk wouldn’t be an issue. But the reality of emergencies is that things happen when you don’t expect them, at a moment not of your choosing, when you’re not necessarily ready.

More recently, I have been interested in finding out what people carry in their packs and why they made those choices. Outdoorsman Pascal Baudar recently held an event where everyone showed and talked about the contents of their bug-out bags, and I asked Pasadena resident Anthony Hardwick about his selections.

“One never knows when a natural or manmade disaster will strike,” says Hardwick.

(Excerpt) Read more at pasadenaweekly.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Education; Food; Gardening
KEYWORDS: bob; emergencyprep; preparedness; preppers; survivalists
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To: appleseed

I find this thread and the replies fascinating because ever since I was a kid (I am 69) I have packed up small bags of “stuff I might need in an emergency”. I have them stowed away in my Tahoe. My daughter is aware of this fetish of mine and she laughs at me. I thought I was the only one who did this. ha!


81 posted on 05/15/2009 6:13:07 AM PDT by Ditter
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To: appleseed
Here's all I need in my bag. With it, I can easily get anything else I need.


82 posted on 05/15/2009 6:17:21 AM PDT by CholeraJoe (Just because I haven't run off and joined the circus, doesn't mean I'm not looking online for jobs.)
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To: Wisconsinlady

Designed if you don’t have a BOV but will get you to your BOL ;)

That’s vehicle and location.


83 posted on 05/15/2009 6:23:47 AM PDT by FrogMom (No such thing as an honest democrat!)
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To: PA Engineer

That Pocket Chainsaw looks to be awesome, the Samurai hatchet does too. Their prices are great.


84 posted on 05/15/2009 6:25:09 AM PDT by FrogMom (No such thing as an honest democrat!)
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To: PA Engineer

A rotate my B.O.B. fixin’s bump.


85 posted on 05/15/2009 6:41:41 AM PDT by WhirlwindAttack (Browncoats Unite, Up the Independents. Down the Alliance.)
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To: wtc911

I heard that it was pretty expensive stuff .... at the gun shows they always have several tables of first aid stuff so next show I’ll look for it ... thanks!


86 posted on 05/15/2009 7:03:32 AM PDT by SkyDancer ('Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not..' ~ Thomas Jefferson)
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To: NoPrisoners

There’s a book out about herbal medicine to look for when hiking ... think I’ll get it ...


87 posted on 05/15/2009 7:04:53 AM PDT by SkyDancer ('Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not..' ~ Thomas Jefferson)
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To: Trinity5

Somebody just posted me .... will look for it at the next gun show ... there’s always several tables of first aid and emergency preparedness stuff ... complete backpacks for sale too ...


88 posted on 05/15/2009 7:05:57 AM PDT by SkyDancer ('Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not..' ~ Thomas Jefferson)
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To: appleseed

Have to agree. I have 4 different bug out bags.. each one has a different purpose.. and I have yet to spend THAT much total.

Some are short term bags, one is a ham radio ARES deployment bag and my last one is an “End of the world TSHTF bag” and I managed to buy quality gear cheaper than that.


89 posted on 05/15/2009 7:10:25 AM PDT by eXe (Si vis pacem, para bellum)
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To: Squantos
In my part of the world water is the most important thing. All my vehicles always have 10 gallons in them. Personal bug out kits have at least a gallon. Around here electronics will do little good if and when the SHTF.
90 posted on 05/15/2009 7:13:13 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (Nemo me impune lacessit)
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To: SkyDancer

Yes, that’s one of the ways I made up the contents of a lot of stuff in my bags.. gun shows.

There is always a decent survival preparedness type table and someone is always selling survival food so I take advantage of gun shows to stock up/upgrade, or rotate my bags contents.


91 posted on 05/15/2009 7:13:19 AM PDT by eXe (Si vis pacem, para bellum)
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To: eXe

I have several packets of these nutrition tables - claim is that seven of them provides the necessary nourishment for a day. They’re sealed, I have several in my car. There’s a gun show end of May our family is going to so will pick up a bunch of stuff then ... thanks for all the info.


92 posted on 05/15/2009 7:16:44 AM PDT by SkyDancer ('Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not..' ~ Thomas Jefferson)
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To: TigersEye; Squantos; ansel12
You forgot a deck of playing cards.

Clan Lurker (3 of us including 14 yo Lurker Jr) each have 2 BOB's. One of them is a smaller Camelback type which stays in the car. The other is a medium ALICE pack with more stuff and is designed for longer term use.

In addition to the gear each of them has a deck of cards in there.

L

93 posted on 05/15/2009 7:19:04 AM PDT by Lurker (The avalanche has begun. The pebbles no longer have a vote.)
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To: Richard Kimball
We have a vehicle stashed. EMP proof old 4wd van with an extra gas tank, full of stabilized fuel on a trickle charger. It looks decrepit (intentionally), but it's mechanically in great shape.

Food, water, purification filter and camping gear are loaded already. One quick load from the house and we are ready. I can make it to a more secure site on the secondary roads with the fuel on board.

I'm too stove up to be hoofing it much anymore. And if we can't make it to Point B we can go off grid for close to a year with a few more items loaded last minute. So I guess I've got a bug out vehicle instead of a bag. :)

94 posted on 05/15/2009 7:25:54 AM PDT by WhirlwindAttack (Browncoats Unite, Up the Independents. Down the Alliance.)
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To: Lurker

Very true, and cards also help you to draw in the group or the kids and wife into an intimate, distracting activity that gives you a good opportunity to set a mood and to monitor their emotional state.


95 posted on 05/15/2009 7:26:53 AM PDT by ansel12 (Romney (guns)"instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people")
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To: yazoo
The problem with a bug out bag in the US is that just when you need it, it is likely that the roads will be jammed with cars trying to bug out.

Which is why I occasionally extend my daily 6 mile walk to 15. I'm not going to avoid a nuke on my charming city but I can put some distance between me and the zombies.

96 posted on 05/15/2009 7:31:50 AM PDT by Stentor (The Criminal Obama Administration.)
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To: ansel12; ItsOurTimeNow; Southack

2l “Platypus” bottles take up essentially no space empty, and are much stronger than a condom.
FWIW


97 posted on 05/15/2009 7:34:42 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: ansel12
Yep. When I saw those used casino playing cards on sale for a buck a pack I bought half a dozen.

I sealed them up in one of those food preserver things so they're air tight and water proof. Now there's one in each of our BOB's and Lurker Jr has a couple for his Boy Scout camping trips.

He said they were a life saver during one rainy weekend.

"Be Prepared!"

And for the record I don't think I spent 1500 bucks putting together our total of 6 BOB's.

L

98 posted on 05/15/2009 7:36:16 AM PDT by Lurker (The avalanche has begun. The pebbles no longer have a vote.)
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To: CholeraJoe
Here's all I need in my bag. With it, I can easily get anything else I need.

That was probably a joke but the reality is that one of the first and most fun things that most prepared men would be looking to accomplish in a community spirit would be to eliminate the sociopath riff raff from the equation.

The last thing that I would want to be in a dire survival situation is an unstable sociopath with a gun that was looting and a deadly threat to every father's family.

Look at the aftermath of hurricanes, those guys are enjoying their protective role as they gather to protect their neighbors and they are looking for an excuse to act.

99 posted on 05/15/2009 7:41:18 AM PDT by ansel12 (Romney (guns)"instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people")
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To: Southack
condoms

Besides the obvious, do these have any other use (Water balloons?)

100 posted on 05/15/2009 8:05:21 AM PDT by KosmicKitty (WARNING: Hormonally crazed woman ahead!!)
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