Huge post for Pockets, Mark, Tom, other bushcrafters to critique

[JustTheDad]

In advance, post is excessive. I'm sorry.

As I said in the other thread, I decided to put together some general purpose Go bags for my kids since I ran out of Christmas ideas. I mean seriously, all my daughter came up with for the "big gift of the year" was a Dyson Hair Dryer. I am crying about my wife actually getting her that one since it cost as much as each of these go bags, and that's including the Osprey and Gregory packs!

Daughter. 23. Very fit. Small dog. Lives in city. 38 mile walk/ride to my house. Has car/gravel bike. Kit should be ~25 lbs including the Osprey Backpack. Will organize the below sections in Zip lock bags and compression packing cubes. This will be a tight squeeze so food bag may be hanging off the pack.

Cash $300 in $60 packets.

Clothing. All sized slightly large. Weight just under 4 lbs.
3 pair underwear. (Boyshort style since dad bought them) Synthetic
3 pair mid/heavy weight socks. Synthetic.
2 sets light weight synthetic thermal underwear. black
1 medium weight stretchy synthetic pants. black
1 full zip synthetic sweatshirt. Gray green.
1 pair cool weather gloves
Warm hat/toque

Food. Each item is ~200 calories. 2#6oz
5 tuna/bean meals in rip open packets. Expire mid 2026
2 energy bars
2 fig newton snack bars
2 trail mix packs.
Plan to add some Quaker instant oatmeal packets and get some salt and pepper packets from KFC or such. Cooking oil maybe if I find tiny

Water: 4#11oz
2 bottles Smart Water. 1 liter each.
Life straw that fits Smart Water Bottles.
6 Water purification tabs. Individually wrapped.

Hygiene kit. Travel sized items. 1#10oz
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Antiperspirant.
Body wash 2 oz
Hand cream.
Chapstick
Sun screen.
Disposable razor.
3 pocket packs tissues
24 individually wrapped WetWipes
1 microfiber cloth.
Small comb
2x N95 masks.
Travel pack 16 tampons and small pack of some pad/liner things.
May add a tube of hydrocortisone.

Survival/Dad paranoia stuff. 4-5 lbs.
Map of area.
Pin on compass to add to first aid kit hip pack.
Scout orienteering compass
Headlamp with set of spare batteries.
Signal mirror.
Small Cabela’s multi tool.
Fixed blade knife: inexpensive Morakniv 3.9” blade.
Box of Stormproof UTO matches and 3 Zip tinders. (Kids will have box of Cochlan waterproof matches and a mylar poncho in their first aid kits which are in hip packs, not in this go bag/pack.)
Camp Chain pull saw.
6 Zip ties.
50 ft paracord.
1”x10yards Duct tape.
Mylar Bivvy sack (Only useful in warm weather I think. Dangerous in cold weather.)
Mylar Blanket.
Mylar Poncho.
Speedhook with 3 hook sizes.
Small Aluminum pot with top.
Spoon.
10x Celestron monocular (was only $14)
Small walkie talkie that takes the same aaa batteries as the headlamp. (Figured I’d wrap this one in tin foil and I suspect you’re going to tell me to just wrap the tinfoil on my head instead. I can leave these out and save 3 oz., but we had 4 cobra mini radios in the basement from when the munchkins were like 6 or 8 years old. I thought we could choose a family channel if something takes out the power grid or communications. If we have a mapped location to meet, it might prevent us from missing each other by a few hundred yards. Stupid addition?)

First Aid Kit is in separate hip pack. I gave her for hiking last year. From memory:
Sam Splint and cling wrap.
Tick tweezers
Band aids/gauze pads/tape/cleaning wipes.
Packets of Imodium, Tylenol, Benadryl
Bandage scissors.
Israeli bandage.
Whistle.
Mylar poncho.
Small flashlight.
2 water purification tablets.
Insect repellent wipe.
I plan to put the pin on compass on this bag.


Son. 21. Fit. During school year at college in Virginia. During summer in Colorado doing internship. College is 190 miles away by highway with Virginia sized “mountains” around. Has car.

Cash: same as above

Clothing: As above but his size. No long pants or sweatshirt but his school work clothes are fine. He has a Fjallraven Down Parka and a GoreTex Shell so he should be dressed for the weather everywhere. Daughter got the sweatshirt and pants in case she has to evacuate from work.

Food: Similar to daughter. slightly more.

Water: Same as daughter, a few more purification tablets.

Hygiene kit: Same as daughter. I left out the tampons/pad stuff but I think I will throw some in, just in case he travels with women.

Survival stuff:
Same as daughter but a better bivvy sack https://www.surviveoutdoorslonger.co...ape-lite-bivvy
It's not nearly as nice as what Tom linked to. No Amok Draumr either.
I added yoyo mechanical fisher in addition to the speedhook. There's lots of water between his college and us.

First aid kit:
Almost the same as my daughter’s. I build his for the hikes from the car to any rock climbing/bouldering locations.


Considered adding a light weight sleeping bag and a camp pad or a hammock, but I don’t think I can really make this a winter camping kit when it’s an all purpose go bag in a day pack. Anything bigger and it won't live in their car.

I need to find a pocket survival guide that includes how to make a shelter, start a fire, gut a fish, and points out how to signal for help. All the equipment in the world won’t help them with zero instruction but I’m the only prepper in the family and even I can only gut a fish. Give me a dead animal with fur and I’m going to have to phone a friend. (The MeatEater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival has already been ordered, but doubt my kids will never read that. I will.)

I put a lot of thought into the above, but as noted, I'm pretty clueless so please feel free to tear it apart and thank you in advance for doing that.

[mtpockets]

In advance, post is excessive. I'm sorry.

As I said in the other thread, I decided to put together some general purpose Go bags for my kids since I ran out of Christmas ideas. I mean seriously, all my daughter came up with for the "big gift of the year" was a Dyson Hair Dryer. I am crying about my wife actually getting her that one since it cost as much as each of these go bags, and that's including the Osprey and Gregory packs!

Daughter. 23. Very fit. Small dog. Lives in city. 38 mile walk/ride to my house. Has car/gravel bike. Kit should be ~25 lbs including the Osprey Backpack. Will organize the below sections in Zip lock bags and compression packing cubes. This will be a tight squeeze so food bag may be hanging off the pack.

Cash $300 in $60 packets.

Clothing. All sized slightly large. Weight just under 4 lbs.
3 pair underwear. (Boyshort style since dad bought them) Synthetic
3 pair mid/heavy weight socks. Synthetic.
2 sets light weight synthetic thermal underwear. black
1 medium weight stretchy synthetic pants. black
1 full zip synthetic sweatshirt. Gray green.
1 pair cool weather gloves
Warm hat/toque

Food. Each item is ~200 calories. 2#6oz
5 tuna/bean meals in rip open packets. Expire mid 2026
2 energy bars
2 fig newton snack bars
2 trail mix packs.
Plan to add some Quaker instant oatmeal packets and get some salt and pepper packets from KFC or such. Cooking oil maybe if I find tiny

Water: 4#11oz
2 bottles Smart Water. 1 liter each.
Life straw that fits Smart Water Bottles.
6 Water purification tabs. Individually wrapped.

Hygiene kit. Travel sized items. 1#10oz
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Antiperspirant.
Body wash 2 oz
Hand cream.
Chapstick
Sun screen.
Disposable razor.
3 pocket packs tissues
24 individually wrapped WetWipes
1 microfiber cloth.
Small comb
2x N95 masks.
Travel pack 16 tampons and small pack of some pad/liner things.
May add a tube of hydrocortisone.

Survival/Dad paranoia stuff. 4-5 lbs.
Map of area.
Pin on compass to add to first aid kit hip pack.
Scout orienteering compass
Headlamp with set of spare batteries.
Signal mirror.
Small Cabela’s multi tool.
Fixed blade knife: inexpensive Morakniv 3.9” blade.
Box of Stormproof UTO matches and 3 Zip tinders. (Kids will have box of Cochlan waterproof matches and a mylar poncho in their first aid kits which are in hip packs, not in this go bag/pack.)
Camp Chain pull saw.
6 Zip ties.
50 ft paracord.
1”x10yards Duct tape.
Mylar Bivvy sack (Only useful in warm weather I think. Dangerous in cold weather.)
Mylar Blanket.
Mylar Poncho.
Speedhook with 3 hook sizes.
Small Aluminum pot with top.
Spoon.
10x Celestron monocular (was only $14)
Small walkie talkie that takes the same aaa batteries as the headlamp. (Figured I’d wrap this one in tin foil and I suspect you’re going to tell me to just wrap the tinfoil on my head instead. I can leave these out and save 3 oz., but we had 4 cobra mini radios in the basement from when the munchkins were like 6 or 8 years old. I thought we could choose a family channel if something takes out the power grid or communications. If we have a mapped location to meet, it might prevent us from missing each other by a few hundred yards. Stupid addition?)

First Aid Kit is in separate hip pack. I gave her for hiking last year. From memory:
Sam Splint and cling wrap.
Tick tweezers
Band aids/gauze pads/tape/cleaning wipes.
Packets of Imodium, Tylenol, Benadryl
Bandage scissors.
Israeli bandage.
Whistle.
Mylar poncho.
Small flashlight.
2 water purification tablets.
Insect repellent wipe.
I plan to put the pin on compass on this bag.


Son. 21. Fit. During school year at college in Virginia. During summer in Colorado doing internship. College is 190 miles away by highway with Virginia sized “mountains” around. Has car.

Cash: same as above

Clothing: As above but his size. No long pants or sweatshirt but his school work clothes are fine. He has a Fjallraven Down Parka and a GoreTex Shell so he should be dressed for the weather everywhere. Daughter got the sweatshirt and pants in case she has to evacuate from work.

Food: Similar to daughter. slightly more.

Water: Same as daughter, a few more purification tablets.

Hygiene kit: Same as daughter. I left out the tampons/pad stuff but I think I will throw some in, just in case he travels with women.

Survival stuff:
Same as daughter but a better bivvy sack https://www.surviveoutdoorslonger.co...ape-lite-bivvy
It's not nearly as nice as what Tom linked to. No Amok Draumr either.
I added yoyo mechanical fisher in addition to the speedhook. There's lots of water between his college and us.

First aid kit:
Almost the same as my daughter’s. I build his for the hikes from the car to any rock climbing/bouldering locations.


Considered adding a light weight sleeping bag and a camp pad or a hammock, but I don’t think I can really make this a winter camping kit when it’s an all purpose go bag in a day pack. Anything bigger and it won't live in their car.

I need to find a pocket survival guide that includes how to make a shelter, start a fire, gut a fish, and points out how to signal for help. All the equipment in the world won’t help them with zero instruction but I’m the only prepper in the family and even I can only gut a fish. Give me a dead animal with fur and I’m going to have to phone a friend. (The MeatEater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival has already been ordered, but doubt my kids will never read that. I will.)

I put a lot of thought into the above, but as noted, I'm pretty clueless so please feel free to tear it apart and thank you in advance for doing that.

Wow, you put a lot of thought into that.

Well done sir, I have never seen such a comprehensive list for a go bag. You nailed it. I read it several times to make sure that I took it all in. There is nothing that I can critique on that. I even like your choice of packs, Osprey and Gregory are great choices. The life straw was also a great choice.

I will keep pondering it but I don't think that I could add anything, if I do think of anything I will be back and will be following this thread to see what others have to say as well.


LMAO, Your statement about the Dyson Hair Dryer made me curious so I looked it up, you weren't kidding about the price. Holy Sh!t batman lol

I hope that your children never have to use these bags but as parents you guys can take comfort in knowing they are as prepared as possible if needed.

Great Job!

[JustTheDad]

Wow, I'm surprised. I did put a lot of thought into it, but was sure I'd leave out something critical or put in something useless. From you, that ok give me a lot of peace of mind so thank you. Really, thanks!

I did look at some pre-made kits on Amazon which would have saved me money but they seemed to have items of questionable quality, but I learned a lot from looking.

Any recommendations on very basic fieldcraft/bushcraft guide to put in the bag? There are a thousand on Amazon, but I didn't find one where the description included cleaning fish and game that wasn't over 300 pages long. Something like this maybe:
https://www.mypatriotsupply.com/coll...ctions-3-decks

Problem is, there's no way to know what those actually cover.

[OldFartTom]

That's a huge and comprehensive list, I have little to add to that.

All I can say is make sure the flashlight batteries are lithium ones (I don't mean rechargeable) that you can get for really fancy electronics use. They are more expensive than usual long life alkaline like Duracell but you don't want to store the flashlight in a car and need it in 2 years time and find it dead or leaked mess.

The lithium ones usually have a 10 year lifespan, so can sit in that flashlight up to 10 years waiting for emergency and they are a bit less effected by cold than usual batteries

[JustTheDad]

That's a huge and comprehensive list, I have little to add to that.

All I can say is make sure the flashlight batteries are lithium ones (I don't mean rechargeable) that you can get for really fancy electronics use. They are more expensive than usual long life alkaline like Duracell but you don't want to store the flashlight in a car and need it in 2 years time and find it dead or leaked mess.

The lithium ones usually have a 10 year lifespan, so can sit in that flashlight up to 10 years waiting for emergency and they are a bit less effected by cold than usual batteries

Thanks Tom, I'll look for some. I had bought Costco batteries but I didn't know lithium cells are less affected by cold or that Alkaline cells would go bad faster. I'll check to see if they have dates on them, but even if they do, it's probably the date for when you store them in a cool dry place, not a car in NC or Virginia.

[weiss1967]

just add wheelgun in 454casull and they are all set.

[weiss1967]

I mean, the current kit is only good to get them in trouble. To get out, they would need

[JustTheDad]

Thought about that, well, not "that", but for now, I don't think either would be comfortable having a gun in their go bag, or even in their shared rental housing. Almost 100% sure sure my daughter would be a hard no. She does have pepper spray on her keychain and a larger can of Fox pepper spray in the apt.

As for my son, there are guns in the safe I consider to be, including an ambi AR lower that future proofed him against the blue party. I'm not anti gun in any way, but you know, 21 yr college student in a college in VA... . Bear spray might be a better option.

If he ever wants a gun for survival, I'd actually lean towards a rifle. Probably a left handed bolt action or a stainless lever. Light and shortish, maybe in 243 Winchester. That and some wilderness survival training.

[OldFartTom]

I mean, the current kit is only good to get them in trouble. To get out, they would need

I nearly suggested a felling axe or small chainsaw. When the zombie apocalypse comes, you need to destroy the head, that guns going to be little help

[weiss1967]

I hear you, “shared rental housing” is definitely no. I was thinking wilderness survival gun, to stop bear. I stood ground against bear once with swiss multitool knife. Forever changed the way I hike.

[JustTheDad]

That's a good point, Tom. If Cabela's offered a Bruce Campbell Signature Mossberg/Husqvarna combo pack, it would probably sell really well during the holiday season! And the fact that our minds go to the Zombie apocalypse speaks to how awesome our countries are, and how blessed we are. We feel very safe even after COVID and watching Ukraine get invaded.

It's difficult to temper Hollywood induced paranoia and focus on the only slightly more likely possibilities. The fact that dad's paranoia section is 5 out of 25 pounds indicates I probably did that wrong, but I tried. Water, snacks, cash, warm clothing, toiletries and a flashlight are the most likely items to get used. Maybe the Mylar rain poncho and multi tool since they both go hiking. Since everything will be packed in travel cubes, they can empty out a lot the bag and take the packs on a day hike with friends. They're really just slightly oversize daypacks.

I think the key to not laughing at the gift is knowing they can actually use everything in the bag, or the bag itself, any time it's convenient. That makes it seem a lot less silly. My daughter goes on weekend trips to the mountains or a lake house with a group of girls/women a few times a year. Matches and kindling help get the fire pit going for your smores. A fire pit is tricky for kids that don't smoke. Paracord makes a great temporary clothes line. Duct tape, goes without saying. Yes, I'm tempted to add a 10 day supply of Cipro, but it's good for traveler's diarrhea or a urinary tract infection in addition to anthrax.

I tried to keep it so there wouldn't be much in the bags that's was unlikely to ever make life more convenient or comfortable. Even with their indulged urban lives in the USA, and despite the fact that the bags could also help them survive a few days during a Hollywood disaster.

Oh, I added a few Plackers(SP?), the dental floss pics, and a travel sized Gold bond powder to the hygiene section. Getting a piece of steak or corn stuck in your teeth is uncomfortable, and powder is comfortable.

Also, it's a little known fact, but zombies are always short on dental floss. If you toss a few Plackers or a roll of dental floss behind you when they chase you, they'll usually stop and fight for it amongst themselves. Makes getting away easy.

Edit:
Weiss. Meant to comment on facing a bear with a multi tool. Sounds terrifying, glad you're still with us, and hope you weren't hurt. This morning when I fed the pups I checked my bear spray. Two cans sit next to their food bin. One expired in 2016, the other expired in June of 2021. I should probably restock. It's most important purpose is my peace of mind when I put it on my daughter's nightstand here if she house sits for us. It does go on some hikes too.

[JustTheDad]

Almost final build of my daughter's Go Bag is at 18.75 lbs including 2 L of water. That's without a camp pot since that hasn't arrived yet, and without the first aid fanny pack. I did decide to leave out the pull saw when I weighed it on our food scale and saw it was 6 oz.

About 5 lbs. less than expected.

[mtpockets]

Almost final build of my daughter's Go Bag is at 18.75 lbs including 2 L of water. That's without a camp pot since that hasn't arrived yet, and without the first aid fanny pack. I did decide to leave out the pull saw when I weighed it on our food scale and saw it was 6 oz.

About 5 lbs. less than expected.

You did great on that weight... You can pack for me any day lol..

Well done JTD, Merry Christmas to you and the family.

[JustTheDad]

Thanks.
Merry Christmas to you and yours as well, and a safe and healthy New Year.

[Plateauplower]

I’d swap the small Cabelas multi tools for functional multi tools (gerber suspension is cost effective and small or a leatherman). Include a bic lighter sometimes easier than matches and more attempts for fire. Include some protection, if you can’t do firearms, bear spray since it shoots farther and has way more capsaicin than the stuff meant for people.

Whites auto fisher reals can be used to catch fish or snare small game. Kind of cool.

[JustTheDad]

I’d swap the small Cabelas multi tools for functional multi tools (gerber suspension is cost effective and small or a leatherman). Include a bic lighter sometimes easier than matches and more attempts for fire. Include some protection, if you can’t do firearms, bear spray since it shoots farther and has way more capsaicin than the stuff meant for people.

Whites auto fisher reals can be used to catch fish or snare small game. Kind of cool.

They weigh more but I swapped the speed hooks to those auto fisher yoyos because I worried the kids would hook themselves with the speedhook.

That Gerber is pretty nice looking. As for bear spray, you know, I read somewhere that more people die each year from taking selfies than from bear attacks. Can believe it given how dumb people get with selfies, but both kids have ASP pepper keychains and a can of Fox pepper spray in their rooms.