Fanny pack urban "GHB"

[Magus]

I never go more than ten-fifteen miles from home. I sold my other GHB last disaster to a buddy of mine, no big deal. I used to get paid to build them out of Harbor freight stuff. (Or actual good supplies, depending.) So last week I was cleaning out my newest ride and found a fanny pack, and the wheels started to turn... Mini GHB! Let's stuff this puppy with some gear!
Cold Steel SR1 lite.
Leatherman rebar multi-tool.
3 1/2 "adjustable wrench.
1 Nebo tactical light with extra batteries stored in a pill bottle.
15' feet of paracord. Why 15'? It's what I had.
a 2-day supply of my medications.
A better-than-nothing mini medkit and two blood clot army surplus bandages.
1 8'X10 foot heavy plastic sheet.
1 foil space blanket.
1 torch lighter.
1 8" road flare.
2 chem lights.
A pack of smokes and hard candy stored in a zip lock bag. (I'll be swapping this off for go bars.)

I need to add a filter pen and a suture pack.
In a plastic 50-cal can I'm putting 3 cans of Vienna sausage, three cans of beans and franks, 3 packs of cheese Captain's wafers, and two bottles of sports drink. a bit of room to go, maybe I'll transfer the edibles from the bag?

 

[d_marsh]

The only downside I see, is that one would have to wear a fanny pack.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I don't think I could ever wear something called a fanny pack.

 

[UserNameTaken]

I like this, @Magus . I see several items on your list I need to add.

I carry a little "bag of doom," when I go out. Or maybe it should be called an "Urban Survival Kit." It's actually a black, ladies Le Sport Sac "Hobo Bag," that I appropriated from my wife. (A "Murse??") One zipper is broken, so according to her it's ruined... It's not a full "get home" bag, but more of a 24 hr and spare parts bag. My jeep and truck have full kits, but our Corvette and the beater only have minimal gear, if that, so I can toss my bag in the trunk and at least have some basics if something comes up across town. It's always a work in progress so this is the current stuff.

It carries:
B/u firearm, Glock 43 or (currently) Ruger LC9, in holster, with 2 spare mags.
Big can of pepper gas (6oz?) Small key chain can on outside.
Two spare mags for my Glock 19 edc.
Spare glasses. (not shown)
Flashlight - Coast brand from Home Depot, lights up the same as a $200 Surefire.
Bandaid kit, narcan (missing) Israeli combat wrap, quik clot gauze, and Cat 7 TQ, plastic bag as chest seal.
Toothbrush and little travel tube of toothpaste (probably dried up) floss, chapstick, hand lotion.
Pill box, with two vicodin, benedryl, promethmazine (motion sickness), two tylenol, etc.
My grandmother's Cross pen and case, sharpie, notepad, business card case, hand fan (the red thing).
PPE stuff, N95 mask, cotton gloves, surgical gloves, alcohol wipes.

In the blue bag is survival stuff:
My dad's WWII Navy compass.
Home Depot razor knife
Mini-leatherman (no longer made)
Swiss army pocket knife
Tweezers (for cactus, I live in the desert)
Mirror
Fire stuff, Bic, matches, striker,
Whistle
Hypo needle (for splinters)

Missing in pic:
Narcan
Glasses
surg gloves
22 rd mag upgrade
Duck tape
Safety pin

 

[Haertig]

Nothing screams "gun!" more than an older man wearing a fanny pack. So you might as well put a gun in there. Everyone's going to think one's in there anyway.

I'm not sure I see the need for plastic sheeting, road flares, adjustable wrenches, etc. in a fanny pack that you'll (assumedly) be wearing full time. For me, that kind of stuff belongs in a separate box stored in a car.

I don't think you need a suture pack in a "get home bag". Closing up a dirty wound is exactly the opposite of what you'd want to do.

I would add a small battery bank as a way to charge a depleted cell phone.

I would keep your Leatherman and your SR1 separate. One in the fanny pack, one in your pants pocket. The Leatherman would be my choice for fanny pack (personally I use my folder a lot more than my Leatherman - but you may be different). Knives are so useful that you don't want to risk losing both of yours in one fell swoop.

I would throw a Fox 40 Classic whistle in there.

Most of the stuff in a GHB will probably never be used. We can only hope. I would throw in some things that while not absolutely necessary, might make getting home easier. Things that will probably actually get used on occasion. Like Tylenol, Advil, Sudafed, bandaids, antacids, a small amount of Kleenix/toilet paper, etc.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I usually carry what I call a grab n go bag. It's a pack that I carry everywhere with me during the winter. In it I keep fire starters, lighters, matches, extra wool sweater, wool hat, insulated gloves, wool socks, knife and a few other odds and ends.
When I get stuck and have to walk home, that fire starter is a life saver. I build a few warming fires on my way home. Many times while I'm out plowing I get so cold that I'll stop and build a fire too.

 

[Magus]

Who said anything about wearing it all the time? I chuck it in on top of the spare tire. I'm tempted to just get another medic bag since they're available and cram in a few more things. I like the look of this thing.
https://www.temu.com/ul/kuiper/un9....ZW6wD24DjTD6k-Mtb_J6yTPOAfjN2wKxoC99IQAvD_BwE

I like how everyone tailors their bag to their own surroundings, there is nothing firearm-related in mine, that's a desert storm gas mask bag! Now I'm a freak, I also carry a respirator and 100-proof alcohol in a sprayer in my kit and gloves since COVID hit.
if I lived further up the road in TN. my GHB would look like Gramp's c00n hunting sack and have more in the way of food.

I'm not sure I see the need for plastic sheeting, road flares, adjustable wrenches, etc. in a fanny pack that you'll (assumedly) be wearing full time. For me, that kind of stuff belongs in a separate box stored in a car.

The car which is stalled due to an EMP, accident or gridlock. the very purpose of my bag is to get home without my car.

 

[Haertig]

I usually carry what I call a grab n go bag. It's a pack that I carry everywhere with me during the winter. In it I keep fire starters, lighters, matches, extra wool sweater, wool hat, insulated gloves, wool socks, knife and a few other odds and ends.
When I get stuck and have to walk home, that fire starter is a life saver. I build a few warming fires on my way home. Many times while I'm out plowing I get so cold that I'll stop and build a fire too.

For small, quick warm-up fires you might want to look at this folding wood burning stove:

https://fireboxstove.com/product/original-firebox/

This is a video for an earlier version (newer versions have additional feed slots for continuous feeding of sticks for fuel):


The above is a great stove, but for just heating you may not need all the fancy features and cost, although the folding nature of the stove is great.

They have a non-folding energency stove that would be good for quick heating needs:

https://fireboxstove.com/product/firebox-scout-2/

I would get either the "Base" version (currently $19) or the "Performance Kit" version ($29). Other, more expensive versions of this "Scout" stove ... I'd just get the a different stove - full sized "Folding Firebox" stove linked above.

 

[Haertig]

The car which is stalled due to an EMP, accident or gridlock. the very purpose of my bag is to get home without my car.

Sorry, I didn't understand when you said "fanny pack". Those are generally quite small, and things like road flares and 8'x10' tarps are not going to fit into what I was thinking of.

 

[Magus]

I saw one of those stoves at the surplus store, next trip out it goes in the bag!

 

[UserNameTaken]

@Haertig and @Mountain trapper you both make good points. I use much of the stuff in my daily doom bag pretty regularly. Some daily, some monthly. Light, pen and pad, Square credit card swiper, business cards, razor knife, leatherman, sissors on the SA knife, bandaids, tooth care (I brush after meals and at 70 still have all but two of my teeth). Compass occasionally if I'm in a city, but it's mostly usurped by GPS now. If I'm in the sticks I'll have a day pack of appropriate gear.

I have not used my spare gun or ammo, major FA suppplies, or fire starters. But I carry them, just in case. I keep an alcohol spray bottle in each car, and if I handle a lot of stuff in public (like the market) I give a good squirt before picking my nose.

I should add a charger. But my phone won't run out of juice if I'm in town. If I'm out of town I'm probably in my truck and it has everything short of a bunker. It has several 12v plugs and a 2,000 watt inverter with 3 120v plugs.

Also a couple of small chem lights. That's a good idea @Magus.

I only have the SA knife as my leatherman doesn't have sissors, which I often use.

 

[Caribou]

When I ran on the ambulance I built a trauma kit in a fanny pack. If I arrived in my POV before the ambulance I could go to work immediately. Today I keep it hanging on the headrest of the passenger seat where I can get to it if I’m in a wreck and need to treat myself. I also keep a tourniquet on the passenger visor for easy access.

 

[Haertig]

Due to my more suburban lifestyle and the fact that I don't really travel out "into the middle of nowhere" anymore, my "Get Home Bag" has morphed into an "Entertainment Bag" more or less.

It contains my Kindle, my tablet, two decks of cards, a folding cribbage board, some pieces of rope for knot tying practice, a battery bank, my charging pack (small wall adapter, cigarette lighter plug-in, cables of every flavor needed), my handheld ham radio (sometimes), my MP3 player (not used much with the other stuff that can now do the same things), a water bottle, granola bar, thermal coffee mug, sunglasses, spare flashlight, spare knife (sometimes), Leatherman tool (sometimes), Tylenol/Advil/Sudafed/Antacids, bandaids, and pen and small notepad.

I carry it all around in this nice bag (I don't have any outside molle pockets attached - I don't need the extra space):

https://lapolicegear.com/lapg-137-molle-bag.html

For longer trips away from home (mostly for airplane rides and overnight trips), I use the above bag's larger sibling:

https://lapolicegear.com/tabaoutbag.html

Both of these bags are top notch IMHO. I've been using them for years and years, they just don't wear out. I've given many of them as gifts to family/friends.

 

[Haertig]

For small, quick warm-up fires you might want to look at ...

I should never have mentioned these stoves. After posting, I went out and bought myself another one! Like I really need three of the things. But I have them in different versions/sizes. My first was the larger Original Firebox Stove. Then I bought the really small Nano Stove. Now I just bought the middle sized emergency version, the Scout Stove. These stoves are well designed and well made. I discovered them very early on, back when they were having the Kickstarter campaign for the very first one they offered. I actually have one of the prototypes of that first stove. I missed the Kickstarter by one day, and when I called to ask about future availability, the inventor was kind enough to offer me his final prototype, which was identical to what the first production models would be. They've gone through several design and feature upgrades since that first release and I've modified mine with my handy Dremel tool to mimic what they've done so I can use all the newer accessories released since initial introduction of my prototype.

 

[Caribou]

Most of the time when you find yourself in a survival situation you only have what is on your person. When traveling across wild country I carried a small pouch on my belt, along with my regular EDC stuff. This pouch carried a space blanket, Bic, another fire starter, votive candle, folding knife, mirror, orange smoke pot (that will leave a large orange dot downwind on the snow), a couple of Ramen flavor packets for salt and to make water more interesting and to bring up my spirits, floss for making a shelter or snare etc., small flashlight, compass, whistle, folded tin foil, small glow stick tie your floss to the glow stick at night swing it around your head and it gives you a green (or whatever) circle a few feet across which is easier to see than a small light, a P-51, a survival stainless steel credit card with fishhooks and other survival stuff that you could pop off the card. I’m sure there were other items.

If I ran across something small and especially flat, that I thought might make my life more likely or more comfortable I’d slip it in the pouch. Every year or two I’d open the pouch to refresh myself with the contents and to replace any worn or broken items. For example, the foil tended to need replacement regularly and every 4 or 5 years the flavor packets were no longer watertight, batteries were replaced.

 

[Mountain trapper]

For small, quick warm-up fires you might want to look at this folding wood burning stove:

https://fireboxstove.com/product/original-firebox/

This is a video for an earlier version (newer versions have additional feed slots for continuous feeding of sticks for fuel):


The above is a great stove, but for just heating you may not need all the fancy features and cost, although the folding nature of the stove is great.

They have a non-folding energency stove that would be good for quick heating needs:

https://fireboxstove.com/product/firebox-scout-2/

I would get either the "Base" version (currently $19) or the "Performance Kit" version ($29). Other, more expensive versions of this "Scout" stove ... I'd just get the a different stove - full sized "Folding Firebox" stove linked above.

I've looked at these stoves before, and I may get one sometime. When I need a warming fire it's usually just for a few minutes. To make my fire starters I pour wax in egg cartons and cut them in squares. They burn for about 20 minutes, usually that's enough to warm me up to continue walking or to get back to work. I take one of these wax blocks and put it on the road and light it. Nothing more simple than that.

 

[jazzy]

thanks for the great ideas guys. ive been thinking of making a sort of beginner pack for my grandson and youve given me a real good start.

 

[Weedygarden]

I use a fanny pack every day. It is exactly the right size for what I need every day. It is not a get home bag. I use if for keys, cards, a small pack of tissues, nail clippers, whistle, comb, calendar, small first aid kit, pen, light, lip balm, cough drops. It is not too heavy, not too large, but contains the things that I use every day. I rarely wear it, but I do sometimes. I usually keep the buckles together, and carry it.

I do have a back pack for a get home bag that holds much more.

 

[montanabill]

I admit I wear a fanny or whatever bag every day...
It holds my compact 9mm, phone and wallet. I tend to wear long sized carhart T shirts or military style long t shirts in the summer and they tend to cover my beltline when I wear them untucked.
The rest of my stuff goes in my front pants pockets....like leatherman wave, bic, reload magazine small flashlight. I seem to always have a jacket with me, either a motorcycle nylon riding jacket with multiple pockets that have a bit of everything or in them or in winter a hooded heavy jacket with multiple pockets that have mixed supplies.. Even if it isn't that cold I always take my loaded jacket with me.
One thing I usually carry is a roll of black electrical tape....I buy the stacks of them at harbor freight for cheap... They can hold a T shirt bandage on or stabilize a ankle or secure sticks for a makeshift splint.... I have even used it for doing on the fly wiring repairs.

 

[Magus]

thanks for the great ideas guys. ive been thinking of making a sort of beginner pack for my grandson and youve given me a real good start.

https://www.harborfreight.com/emerg...5kilisu6k4mERLQG0r22P23g3QXpbGCBoC6qoQAvD_BwE

Not a bad starting kit!

 

[montanabill]

I buy and use stuff from harbor freight....
A case in point tho is the plethora of multi tools available... I have a small box full that I have collected but always go back to my expensive leatherman wave. It really works and has scissors that can cut things including my nasty toenails.
Sometimes quality really does matter.

I used to think that having something even if it is low quality is better than nothing but having false hope in something that deters you from acquiring a better more useable tool is not so good.