Long Distance Get Home Bag

[YoungGunLover]

Ok guys, I'm going to be putting together a GHB for myself that I'll be throwing in my vehicle. My problem is, I do sales and deliveries, and on a given day I can be 200 miles away from my home. Some days I might only be a county or 2 away, and others it can be a different state. I'm preparing this bag for a situation where I wont be able to drive back home. Whatever the situation may be, this will be for any situation up to walking 200 miles back home.

My main question is should I treat this more or less like a BOB since I'll have such a long journey ahead of me? Or should i go for more of a GHB style. I'm leaning more towards a GHB load since I'll have a specific end goal, vs. bugging out. And I know I'll be able to resupply once I reach home. But I'm also looking at a situation where it could be a week + until I get home. Just wanted your guy's input on what I should pack the bag towards.

Also, any items you think would be relevant to this please suggest!

 

[Leadkrm]

Some type of backpacking stove. My backpacking gear is in my garage ready to go at all times. I also have a 5 day pack in my trunk.

 

[cwillour]

 

[MCgrease08]

My suggestion would be to have a modular system with 2 -3 bags or attachments. You have your basic pack with immediate essentials for if you get stuck somewhere close to home. You have a second small pouch you can attach for scenarios where you might need some camping and overnight supplies, tent, camp stove, etc.

It's good to plan for a long haul, but you don't want to carry all of your gear of you're just a half a day's walk away. Leave yourself some options.

 

[sloughfoot]

Bicycle.

 

[IndianasFinest]

A solid way to purify water. I have a MSR sweet water that I use on my hiking trips. A bicycle would be excellent if you have the room, if not even a pair of roller blades would make long distance travel easier.

 

[Sylvain]

200 miles on foot?
First of all make sure you're fit enough to walk all day with a heavy backpack.
You might want to have good walking shoes to keep next to that bag.

 

[YoungGunLover]

Thanks guys, I hadn't really given the modular system any thought. I will now. And as far as a camp stove goes, I was planning on using fire, but I'll give it a look into. And I agree a bicycle would be great, but no room. Maybe I could "procure" one if the situation came to it .

And yes I am in good enough shape to walk all day with a pack. And it's not that I'm wanting to walk that far, it's that I'll have to.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

Quite a bit of cash could come in handy. In some situations cash would be worthless, but in many cash would be darn handy.

I would make sure to include a sleeping bag that will keep you alive in the coldest weather we could have.

 

[Leadkrm]

The emergency blankets are great to have and take up little weight and space. My 4-5 day pack weighs 35-50 lbs depending on the weather. That also includes 3 liters of fuel which powers my stove and lantern. Tent clothes and sleeping bag as well as food and 3 liters of water.

 

[ddavidson]

My main question is should I treat this more or less like a BOB since I'll have such a long journey ahead of me? Or should i go for more of a GHB style. I'm leaning more towards a GHB load since I'll have a specific end goal, vs. bugging out. And I know I'll be able to resupply once I reach home. But I'm also looking at a situation where it could be a week + until I get home. Just wanted your guy's input on what I should pack the bag towards.

GHB style? What is that? Don't worry about what "style" your bag is or what it's called. You can call it a AHSOENSPS bag as long as it gets you where you need to go.

I would start with the bug out bag sticky at the top of this section. As you go through there though, take note of the purpose of the bags that people are describing.

One thing I notice with your situation is that you work all over. Consider your route on foot which is much different than by car. For example, determine your driving route via GPS. Then, measure the straight line distance between your A & B. The difference will be huge. On foot, you're going to want to be as close to the latter as possible IMO. Get maps and mark them up with things you need to know.

 

[Meister]

The book "Going Home" is all about this very thing. Entertaining and insightful.

200 miles is a long way at 7-12 miles a day with a sustainment pack. It's weather dependent as well.

Shelter- tent/tarp/hammock/bivy
Protection-weapon/pepper spray/ASP
Food-instant meals/MRE's/Snares/Fishing kit/Hunting gear
water-Filter/tabs/drops/steripen/containers
Heat-Fire gear/stove
raingear- poncho/rain suit/trash bags
accesories- Knife and sharpener/mess kit/cordage/field repair kit/Med kit/medication/vitamins/stimulants/light/NVG's/radio/rubber bands/clothespins/safety pins/maps and compass/Bug juice/Sunscreen
Clothes-extra Undies and socks, proper clothes for hiking, headgear/jacket/synthetic is best.

A plan!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just having a backpack in your trunk means nothing unless you learn to use it. Take it backpacking and see how it works. Know how long you can travel per day. Know landmarks along your way. Make sure your family is ready to protect itself without you. Never underestimate the need for water. Multifunction gear is best, as long as you know how to use it.

 

[Txlur]

Try backpacking light for gear suggestions. I'd go with the lightest stuff I can afford, bag, pack, tent, and clothes. Tons of experience on BPL, read a lot, and use search. A warning: very lib there. Just aff the weight of your freedom tools silently .

 

[Zoub]

Obviously good foot gear, water and weatherproof clothing. Some coats are good enough to be a shelter when worn in the rain. Keep gear light, food simple, esbit stove.

learn to hot wire vehicles and motorcycles.

binoculars, maps, compass, handguns

 

[1988-4551]

Definitely a map and plan to follow secondary roads, waterways

 

[OneShotFOGE]

I work in a job that puts me in a similar situation. This entire week I'll be on the road about 100 - 200 miles from home actually. All have had some good advice here. But make sure you always have a great pair of boots in your car. I leave a pair in mine at all times.

 

[Amishman44]

I've had two (2) jobs where I was driving 45 miles, one-way, to work and back each day! I was set up to walk it (planned for 3 days) whether it was winter, spring, summer, or fall! I knew people on both ends so it was only in the middle where my concerns were. I kept it light with a single back-pack + heavy sleeping bag.

I was prepared to abandon my vehicle, wearing most of what I needed, and simply carry the rest. The heaviest part of my pack were the 15 x 16oz water bottles (5 per day) for hydration, which would have gotten lighter each day as I walked. Food was cliffbars, powerbars and Met-Rx bars!

One thing I did make sure I had was a 9' x 12' tarp + short bungee cords and 100' of 1/4" nylon rope. One can do a number of things with a tarp...rain or sun cover, shield self from wind, as a wrap against cold, to capture/funnel water, etc.

Pretty basic...but then again, I can scavage pretty good if needed!

 

[sloughfoot]

It seems to me that alI this talk about tents and sleeping bags and water bottles is unrealistic. Who do you guys have to watch over while you get all that sleep? You do know that plenty of folks will slit your throat and take your stuff while you are sleeping?

7 to 12 miles a day? Not when I am trying to get home. A day is 24 hrs long and I can go several days without 8 hours snooze time. How about 50 miles a day or more?

Here is my list.. Water straw, blanket, hat, knife, boots. Clothing for the season. I'll probably have a handgun, but if I don't that's OK.

I have more stuff but i plan on it getting lost or stolen or unuseble and what do I really need to get home to my family.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

In my opinion, the ONLY difference between a GHB and a BOB is consumables. If you're going to be 20 miles from home, you can do without food and get by with a couple bottles of water, if necessary (and depending upon the weather). If you're 200 miles from home, food and water become your primary drivers (assuming your GHB preps are sufficient to multi-day use). To that end, I'd suggest your emergency equipment include a pack/bag large enough to carry 10 days worth of food - for your worst case scenario - and that the bag/pack be of a sort that can be expanded or contracted as needed to contain your "stuff." I'd also suggest you look at heavier-duty options for shelter and sleeping. At a minimum, I suggest you plan to carry a poncho and poncho-liner. As weather gets colder, you will have to plan for more "get home" clothing and additional insulation. For heating, you might consider one of several types of stoves available which burn wood rather than flammable fuels.

Food: MREs are high-calorie meal sets designed for use when physical exertion levels are high. Unfortunately, they are bulky, both to store and to carry. You might research different types of "energy bars" and see what they provide in the nature of caloric intake as well as energy boost. If you decide to use MREs or their civilian equivalents, you can break down the individual meals from their original container and they will pack more easily.

 

[churchmouse]

Rotate the contents with the seasons. Winter will require a lot more to survive than summer. More calories in the winter to keep going and stay warm. Warmer clothing and over night gear. Summer, water/hydration will be important.
200 miles is a long way for a person who is fit and up to the task. Are you that fit.