My GHB (long post better put the kettle on)

[Devonian]

you ruined another dreamer. you dragged guy back to earth

Sorry!!

[cpslashm]

24hrs?

It would take me three days to walk home from work!

[Devonian]

24hrs?

It would take me three days to walk home from work!

Obviously we all have different circumstances, but also who say's you have to walk?

[dazthechippy]

i think its a pretty good start from the op (we all like a list right?). We all have different outlooks and differing factors to account for when getting home and by nature some people will want to carry more than others.

This has helped me focus on mh GHB which at the moment is an old army patrol pack with loads of bits I've accumalated stuffed in it that I'm intending to sort out - it lives in my house at the moment so is no good there is it (he says feeling a bit stoopid).

So, I'm going to refocus on mobility (nice broken in boots and spare socks) with enough but as minimal as I can make it food and water for 36 hours/one overnighter. I work 20ish miles away and would like to think I could get home cross country in say 2 days max across mostly open country and fields, avoiding A roads and built up residential areas.

Thanks for reminding me and helping me keep it real (as dem rappas say) or for us normal folks who'd call it perspective..

[featherstick]

Indeed, we don't know Paratus's circumstances but the discussion is a reminder to prep for our own. I work in London, and live about 40 miles away. My EDC/GHB contains penknife, torch, lighter, FAK, bottle of water, couple of Snickers bars and a few other bits. The most important component is 100 quid in cash in my wallet. That would get me a fair way back in a cab. I've no real interest in carrying bashas, bivvys or 3-season bags around with me the whole time. I could walk back if necessary but would rather take a cab.

[lonewolf]

I have a very small survival bag(about the size of a "bum" bag)permanently in the car stuffed under the seat, it contains: 2 foil blankets, 2 lighters, torch and batteries, 1 knife, 1 spark striker, 2 light sticks, 1 small sharpening stone, 1 mini survival tin with contents. also in the car I have:FAK, 1 shelter/basha, compass and folding saw, also 2 bottles of water, and some OS maps of our regular trips. on a longer trip I also carry a small bag with a weeks worth of cook in the bag camping food.

[featherstick]

I have a very small survival bag(about the size of a "bum" bag)permanently in the car stuffed under the seat, it contains: 2 foil blankets, 2 lighters, torch and batteries, 1 knife, 1 spark striker, 2 light sticks, 1 small sharpening stone, 1 mini survival tin with contents. also in the car I have:FAK, 1 shelter/basha, compass and folding saw, also 2 bottles of water, and some OS maps of our regular trips. on a longer trip I also carry a small bag with a weeks worth of cook in the bag camping food.

That's quite a nice modular system, I might adjust mine to something similar, although the focus of my in-car bag is less "get home" and more "if we get stuck at the side of the motorway in pouring rain with 2 young kids".

[rik_uk3]

It always amazing me when I see these posts and this is not having a go at the OP, but surely with what is listed/shown as the contents, you could mount a mini expedition and in fairness to the OP, this list is fairly minimal compared to many I've seen

We all live in the UK, not the harshness of Alaska or the hazards of a rain forest, and in this case Area 3 (Surrey, Sussex and Kent!)

The GHB's are designed to get you home and as per the OP to support you for say 24 hrs on that journey.

In that situation if I was anywhere in the UK my main concerns would be suitable footwear; Water proof clothing/spare fleece, bottled water/snacks and money - in fact all the things I would already be carrying around with me anyway, plus always have a knife/torch and a few other bits in my pockets.

If we actually stop for a moment and think about what we are planning for........

How many people would fall into the situation of living in lets say Hertfordshire (just for arguments sake - but can apply to almost anywhere in the UK); and who then may work in or travel to London/Birmingham/Northants/Oxford/Bristol (etc etc)? And then how many of them would really need to set up camp and live like Huckleberry Finn for 24 hours whilst getting from A to B?

If you are in an urban area (which is almost certainly the case) there will be plenty far better shelters around which can be utilised. If you are in a rural area, well again, there will still be plenty of better shelters available ie: barns, sheds, stables, villages, churches, bridges! etc

And anyway if the intention is to be home within 24hrs, you would simply keep moving for as long as you could, maybe just hunkering down for a couple of hours kip in a doorway/church yard/under a tree/under a bridge etc etc is all you need before you get going again - do you really want to be getting the Lapland out and constructing your camp in the woods?

As for food, keep it simple! Protein bars/muesli bars/boiled sweets/bottled water - you don't want to be faffing around trying to get water boiled and meals prepared as we are only talking about getting home within say 12-24hours. How many of us regularly/occasionally go for this length of time without eating a proper meal??

Just my thoughts and as stated at the beginning of the post, this is not a direct criticism of the op, but a general observation on many similar GHB threads that I have read and never commented on.

A very sensible post, please them coming.

[lonewolf]

I have a very small survival bag(about the size of a "bum" bag)permanently in the car stuffed under the seat, it contains: 2 foil blankets, 2 lighters, torch and batteries, 1 knife, 1 spark striker, 2 light sticks, 1 small sharpening stone, 1 mini survival tin with contents. also in the car I have:FAK, 1 shelter/basha, compass and folding saw, also 2 bottles of water, and some OS maps of our regular trips. on a longer trip I also carry a small bag with a weeks worth of cook in the bag camping food.

That's quite a nice modular system, I might adjust mine to something similar, although the focus of my in-car bag is less "get home" and more "if we get stuck at the side of the motorway in pouring rain with 2 young kids".

mine's more of a general "emergency" bag more than a GHB although it could be used for that. we're generally within a 8-23 mile radius of home.

[Briggs 2.0]

As Devonian said, it's a lot of kit for a 24 hour get home scenario. 20KG in a sling pack is quite a load for one strap, have you tried this on a long walk? Mine is bloody uncomfortable with anything over 10KG - could you not replace your basha and sleeping kit with a lightweight bivvy bag or survival bag if you must have some sort of sleeping kit. The air to ground marker sheet? Is that necessary? Could that not be replaced with a hi-viz vest? Is two litres of water necessary? That's 2KG in weight and must take up a fair amount of room in your pack. Perhaps 1 litre and a foldable second carrier with some means of filtering water as you go.

But hey, it's all horses for courses and if you're sure you need it and can carry it, what do I know!!??