25 pound BOB

[David W. Harrison]

Wife is under docs unders.. sh cant cary more than 20 pounds. so she wants a 25 pound BOB.... go figure.

5 pounds are already spoken for in the way of the pack, her knife and bear spray. So you hav 20 pounds left. try and be specific.

 

[Gazrok]

Small metal water bottle (with carabiner clip, and sipper tip, can always refill this)
Mainstay Ration Bars (3 days worth)
Water Purification Straw (check the Clear Sip threads here, it's a damn good filter straw for the money)
Two-way radio (you should have one also)
Crank flashlight/radio/charger (small and light, and can charge your cell phone, give light, and AM/FM radio)

Small first aid kit (like the kind you get for $7 at WalMart, about 4 inches by 4 inches)
Altoids tin worth of any needed or desired pills/meds (including a few multi-vitamins)
Small laminated map of area (showing key landmarks, possible supply locations, etc. Scout it out, indicate on map).
.22 pistol and 50 rounds
Whistle (around neck)
Firestarter stick, waterproof/windproof matches, Zippo lighter
Extendable Camping Fork (for roasting something over a fire)
Inflatable Pillow (for comfort)
Change of Socks and Underwear
Deck of Cards showing Edible/Poisonous plants for your region
http://www.campingsurvival.com/playingcards.html

Pretty much covers Water, Food, Fire, Protection, and Communication, and should still leave weight for some good stuff like hard candy, beef jerky, etc.

If you are somewhere where it can get cold, some additional items
Emergency Thermal Blanket (not the cheap $1 kind, but more around $10)
Pocket Warmer packs
Some Thermal Underwear (stored with the BOB, not in it)

Also, not everything has to be in the BOB. Consider a change of clothes and shoes to store with the BOB. You don't want to bug out in a business suit. (and you can store things in pockets to reduce your load weight).

 

[JarheadinDE]

Think of what exactly her needs are. Here are some suggestions:
Water: (1) 1qt canteen and a canteen cup + (1) walter filtration straw.
While the water adds some weight intially it will be consumed quickly and the cup can be used w/ the filter straw. Also the canteen cup can be used to cook with as well as boiling water & then poured back into the canteen.

Food: Instant soups are very lightweight. Instant oatmeal. Protein bars. MREs
There are all kinds of dehydrated foods out there that can be used. Remember to use foods that she will like to eat. The canteen cup can be used for cooking your food items if they need to cooked. Worse case have food that can be consumed cold.

Shelter: A poncho & liner. Change of clothes (seasonal). Mylar blanket.
Most people who have been in the military knows how usefull a poncho & liner combined can be. It can be a shelter or made into a sleeping bag or both. The change of clothes is helpful because if you are wet you usually become very miserable. Also does no good to have summer clothes in the bag & you have to bug out in the middle of the winter.The mylar blankets can be utilize the same as the poncho (shelter or blanket)

Tools: She has a knife & bear spray, but she'll need matches, 550 cord, don't forget eating utensils. Some sort of light source (flashlight or worst case a couple of tea candles).
Flashlight or some other light source. Matches for fire starting and light source. The 550 cord has mutliple uses so I would say try to have a 100ft bundle. The eating utensils unless all your food is stuff that can be eaten by hand.

Hygiene: soap, toothbrush & toothpaste, deodorant & depending on her age femine products.
Kind of speaks for itself

IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit): Any meds she might need, basic bandages & ointments.
I seen plenty of IFAKs on here that don't take that much space & appear to be lightweight.

I realize that this is a generic list. I also am assuming that you will be "taking up some of the slack" with what she is not able to carry. Also try to find items that can cover multiple uses. I believe there is a thread on here listing things that have multiple uses.
I've read somewhere that your BOB should not weight more then 30% of your body weight. So those with younger kids need to tailor their kids's bags to meet this requirement. My youngest daughter is 12 yrs old, so her bag that she is making will not be able to carry as much as mine, so like you I'm trying to find items that have mutliple uses & are lightweight. When you have her bag completed please share a pic of everything.

 

[David W. Harrison]

Yeah, this is all stuff she pretty much carries in it. She packed it up last night. She just needs a map and she carried a Sig 1911 in .45, so the protection is covered.

 

[Gazrok]

Wow, heck of a piece for someone with weight restrictions, but if it works for her, more power to her, hehe... I suggested the .22 due to the small ammo weight and size, but yeah, with a .45, she'll have stopping power for days, hehe.

My list assumes this is more of a "get home bag" than a "go live in the woods bag". If the latter, then a lot of other things to add.

Shelter: A poncho & liner. Change of clothes (seasonal)

A good poncho w/liner (and change of clothes) can add a lot of weight though. Carrying a cheaper one, if only using for a couple of days, isn't a bad idea. If clothes get wet, having just dry underwear and socks should suffice, while clothes dry. The apocalypse is hardly the time to worry about modesty.

Weight and travel speed is also why I suggested a food item that needs no cooking, and no utensils. If I'm hoofing it to my safe place, home from work, I'm going to want to eat on the go, not stop and cook a meal (though if I see an opportunity, I won't pass it up, like shooting a squirrel or something...that's what the fork and fire are for...)

The cord is a good suggestion I missed though, assuming you find a use for it (like making a shelter if needed or drying clothes, setting traps, etc.). Personally, I'm probably just going to rely on a poncho for keeping off the elements and keep trekking during bad weather, saving sleep for drier times. Taking the time to build a shelter or set traps and wait is going to mean I get home a lot later.

As the above poster mentioned, multiple use items are awesome. Another I should have added is a Multi-Tool, like a Gerber one with pliers, knife blades, screwdriver tips, etc., Just comes in handy.

 

[JarheadinDE]

As the above poster mentioned, multiple use items are awesome. Another I should have added is a Multi-Tool, like a Gerber one with pliers, knife blades, screwdriver tips, etc., Just comes in handy.

Forgot all about a multi-tool. Good call!

 

[Gazrok]

I'm a big fan though, of the bug out outfit. If I just changed into my pre-loaded fishing shirt and cargo shorts, I would still have most of the basic necessities just in those pockets. Grabbing the BOB just makes for a lot more options. My BOB is really more of a 4 day bag than a 3 day one, but with options to be a true bug out bag (i.e. go off and live in the woods) if need be. The shirt and shorts really help me carry more comfort type items in the BOB.

 

[David W. Harrison]

Yeah this is a GHB, not a go live in the woods for a year bag. She has a sig mosquito in .22 she likes to plink with. But she LOVES her Sig 1911 c3. And she carries the .45 so no reason to have the extra .22 also.

She also has a couple large yard trashbags in there AND.. hold for it people... TP!!!! 1 roll in a zip loc bag. I am SO proud of her for remembering this.

 

[Gazrok]

Yeah, TP is kind of a must. I don't carry many toiletries though. If I have to walk 50 miles, my wife is just going to have to put up with me being a bit stinky and unkempt when I get there.