My GHB

[Deeps]

That Yugoslav kit was well thought through, for sure.

Think I paid about 7 quid for it too. Had my GHB in mind when getting it and I've never used it, even for a play.

[dazthechippy]

thanks for the info folks, 2 things come out of these discussions - suggestions of more stuff to buy, the Yugoslav kit looks a very good idea and also that ive got probably too much in the bag, going to pare it down a bit - might even try a walk with it on sometime now its in civvy colours...

[Deeps]

thanks for the info folks, 2 things come out of these discussions - suggestions of more stuff to buy, the Yugoslav kit looks a very good idea and also that ive got probably too much in the bag, going to pare it down a bit - might even try a walk with it on sometime now its in civvy colours...

Its good to see what others are doing but only you will know what works for your situation. Mine is larger and heavier than I'd like but I'm basing it on how far and how long I would potentially need it for. Its not practical to take everywhere with me though so sometimes I just throw some stuff either in a smaller bag or even a couple of pouches to put in a jacket pocket. Good luck with it and its fun playing with it and doing the research.

[jansman]

Mrs J asked me to nip to the next village to pick up a few bits 'n' pieces.Its a 3 mile round trip.I was tempted to drive ( air con is very tempting in this heat!),so I got my pack out of the car,with my hiking pole and shanksed it.I need the exercise for my back problem anyway,so it was win- win.The pack itself was easy to carry,and plenty light enough.Still not decided about a brew kit.However,in the unlikely event that traffic is halted and I have to walk home,this will do the job.

[Deeps]

Mrs J asked me to nip to the next village to pick up a few bits 'n' pieces.Its a 3 mile round trip.I was tempted to drive ( air con is very tempting in this heat!),so I got my pack out of the car,with my hiking pole and shanksed it.I need the exercise for my back problem anyway,so it was win- win.The pack itself was easy to carry,and plenty light enough.Still not decided about a brew kit.However,in the unlikely event that traffic is halted and I have to walk home,this will do the job.

If you have a brew kit, you can throw in a couple of sachets of cuppa soup and/or packet porridge giving you a lot more options for very little extra space and weight. Just mind a spork or the like.

[jansman]

Mrs J asked me to nip to the next village to pick up a few bits 'n' pieces.Its a 3 mile round trip.I was tempted to drive ( air con is very tempting in this heat!),so I got my pack out of the car,with my hiking pole and shanksed it.I need the exercise for my back problem anyway,so it was win- win.The pack itself was easy to carry,and plenty light enough.Still not decided about a brew kit.However,in the unlikely event that traffic is halted and I have to walk home,this will do the job.

If you have a brew kit, you can throw in a couple of sachets of cuppa soup and/or packet porridge giving you a lot more options for very little extra space and weight. Just mind a spork or the like.

It makes sense. I will look at weight options. I am not OCD, but before I rearranged the kit, it was near on double the current weight. This might be handy, I’ll just tuck that in...

I read lists of gear that folks shove in rucksacks that would give an infantryman nightmares.

[jansman]

Been using the GHB this week. We have been away ( still are, drinking tea in bed!) at a friend’s lovely cottage in very rural Norfolk. Mrs J packed stuff to cover most contingencies, but not all it seems.

She suffers with Hyper Mobility in her joints, and forgot Ibuprofen. First aid kit to the rescue. Her ( ahem!) bra strap broke ( and had not packed more) and needed a safety pin to effect a running repair. First aid kit to the rescue.

Daughter got a splinter, so tweezers from my trusty SAK Huntsman sorted that. That is in my pocket at the moment, and Leatherman in GHB, and I alternate them as I see fit. We have a barbecue here, so decided to get some coal and firelighters. But no matches. GHB to the rescue. Be nice to sit on the grass too... poncho and ( proper) reusable space blanket sorted that one.

Whilst out I had to use one of those public toilets where you wipe your feet on the way out! Anti bac gel from the bag. It was hot too, and a bottle of water £1.20!!!! No chance. Not ice cold, but the kit saved us a fiver there. Ha ha! That covered the car parking The nylon folding rucksack I keep in the glove compartment was handy too, for carting bits and pieces as we mooched around a rather pleasant seaside village.

All in all, I reckon my GHB , compact as it is, has passed the test with flying colours. Well, it’s TTFN, as I am off now for the fry up I can smell downstairs.

[Deeps]

Nice one Jansman, its good to be able to help out and it sort of vindicates what we do. Enjoy the rest of your break.

[featherstick]

Great post Jansman and I love that it reflects real day-to-day situations rather than TEOTWAWKI zombie apocalypse.

Just trying to think about when I've used EDC for mundane occasions: most ppl in the office know that I'll have painkillers. I've used SAK tweezers to prise a guy's bankcard out of an ATM. I've used the same SAK to whittle an Allen key to tighten up a pedal crank that came off a bike in front of me. Taking splinters out. I've used my length of duct tape to repair a split in a bike tyre (for an all-the-gear-and-no-idea roadie) out in the wilds of Suffolk at 3am on the Dunwich Dynamo. Also used duct-tape to mask off a blue light on an aircon unit which was making the mosquito-net and bedsheets flouresce bright-as-day in a hotel in Tanzania (bouncing off the optical brightener in the washing powder).

Several first aid incidents of varying degrees of messiness. Tissues to people weeping in public. Safety-pin from the FAK to a lady whose dress-zip burst on the train.

Proudest moment - 3-year-old managed to pull a venetian blind off the cross-channel ferry canteen window. Very loud crash, everyone looked around, Leo blithely announces "Daddy fix it!" to the room, and I did! SAK again, to tighten up a grub screw.

[jansman]

Excellent!