Two night bug out bag

[Comit 2]

I'm putting together a bag for weekend camp/canoe/fishing.

The bag is a medium ALICE with frame. What I'm looking for is ideas of what is needed to fill it. Thing that are not brite in color. I want to blend into the surounding not screem out, HEY HERE I AM. I'll be sleeping in a hammock so I can sleep near rivers and not have to look for level ground.

What would you take along.

[Comit 2]

This will be my bed.

[Redlantern]

Nice looking set up for sleeping.

I'd make sure you have a first aid kit and toilet paper in your alice pack. After that, rain gear, spare underwear, map and compass and a fishing license.

[Comit 2]

I think I'll go with 1 or 2 nalgene canteens (in keeping with the Alice theme). I like the nalgene because I can boil water and pour right it into the canteen, not having to wait for it to cool. If you go this way and want to use a canteen cup and stove make sure you get the U,S goverment issue S/S cup and stove not the U,S issue type (made in China) cup and stove. They are not the same and don't fit right.

That is two of the big three, Water, shelter and fire!

As for fire I just ordered a Kukri from KukriHouse. It just departed from Dubai to New York. It should work well as a survivor knife. Fire steel and cotton balls/drier lint with a dab of petroleum jelly should work for a fire starter.

T,P is a good idea and should never be overlooked!!! Smell my finger .

What I'm trying to do here is get some flow on this fourm that has to do with basic camping/survival. There is nothing wrong with, where can I get the best price on a new A/C unit for my 30' RV. I'm just looking to cut down on some of the learning curve of thing like, Are all canteen cups the same, What are the best alcohol stoves. So I'm putting together a bag and hopeing for suggestions to make as good a pack as this site can put together. Maybe we can teach someone somethings!

Next, stoves and hopefully a Kukri report. I do like alcohol stoves.

[Redlantern]

Thanks for updating, your first post was a little vague. There is so much a person can pack with them, but it all has to do with what their intention is. As far as alcohol stoves go, I used to use a nine inch air bake pie pan with holes drilled into the rim and the bottom, pour a bottle of isoprophyl (heet in the yellow bottle, not the red) into it and have a a handy way of heating water for my dogs and myself. Pretty common way for mushers to heat the water for the dogs. I'm sure there are some smaller versions of this but since I'm out of dogs now, I haven't looked. one downside is trying to control the flame. not the best for cooking on. We used to use vacuum packed foods so we'd just throw them into the heated water to warm them for our meals. Not light, either but the dogs did the work.

What's your main interest? Winter or Summer?

[Comit 2]

Let's make it spring, summer and fall (open water). River fishing pack in and a two day cannoe float down a river.

For the pack in I like the freeze dried food. So a stove to boil water is all I would need. For this I'm on the fence with freeze dried coffee or my snow peak cup with a jet boil french press. I did pick up a Czech mess kit at fleet farm that works nicely with a super cat alcohol stove (fancy feast cat food can with holes around the rim). The mess kit is a little big for solo trips.

for a cannoe float as you said; the cannoe will do the work. I'll work on this later and just get the basic now.

The Kukri is in Indiana.

[itchmesir]

If you're looking to save space.. instead of TP.. look into travel kleenexes.. they come in tiny packs with maybe a dozen or so kleenex.. and they are about as big as the cardboard roll in the middle of the tp roll..

[Comit 2]

My camp knife came in yesterday. Now cutting wood for a fire or a rod holder will be easy.

This is part of the Czech mess kit on a supper cat stove.

The lid is from another mess kit.

[Comit 2]

For my water I want with the U,S. canteen, cup and stove. Sound simple? It's not. There are a lot of cheap knockoffs out ther. If the cup or stove say "type or style" it won't work right. I found this out the hard way.

This first pic has three stove, canteen cup and canteens. The first (from left to right) is(#1) a Gov, spec canteen stove, U,S. style or type S/S cup and canteen.(#2) The center is a U,S. Gov spec canteen stove and U,S. Gov spec S/S cup and (#3) the left is a U,S style canteen stove and U,S type Alum, cup.

#1 the stove and cup don't fit each other.

#2 the stove, cup and canteen all fit.

#3 the the cup and stove fit each other but do not fit the caneen.

Don't go with the cheap. Get the U,S spec.

The cup and stove will be for back up. Place some hot ember in the stove for heating extra water.

The trecking poles in the pack are for tent/tarp poles.

[Comit 2]

Here is how I make my camp site Joe.

Packed.

Unpacked.

It fits nicely in the right side add a pouch.

[Redlantern]

Been a long time since I was in the service, 25 years now. While I remember the gear was bullet proof (no pun intended) it was awfully heavy. There are some lighter options out there. More expensive, of course.

[Comit 2]

Yes there are lighter and the internal frame packs are all the rage. I do have a Gregory 60 and two REI Flash packs (no frames in the Flash). I’m using the Alice here because (1) It’s cheep. (2) It’s flexible. (3) I’m not looking to do long hikes with it, It’s job is to hold and organize my gear/food for a day or two of fishing. (4) It blends into the surroundings.

If you have a setup that you think would work for this type of thing I would love to see it. It is why I started this. So we can see, compare, learn.

For right now I'm just throwing things out there just to keep it moving along.

It has been 32 years for me.

[Redlantern]

Don't really have a particular set up just for a day or two of camping. I have a fairly large Kelty pack that I use for every day items such as bug dope, water bottles, first aid kit, head lamp, tp, lighters, maps, compass, camera, lunches, rain gear, duct tape, small amount of rope, small note pad and pen, bird book, fishing regs and a couple of tools. I normally put a lot of stuff in a #4 Duluth pack. Stove, clothes, sleeping bag, tent, pad, tackle box, landing net, etc. Not particularily light but I'm still young enough to carry it on portages. There are a few variables as to what I bring depending on how long of a trip I'm going on and where I'm going to, time of year and if I'm going solo.

[Redlantern]

I also should add that, depending on where your traveling, a 5' x 5' piece of blaze orange cloth would be a good idea. I was talking about a canoe trip I took on the Yukon river at work today and how we ran into a few difficulties. The orange cloth my dad insisted that we bring along really did help get some attention when we needed it. I'm like you , Comit, I prefer earth tones but sometimes something bright helps out.