Module #4 - Mini Get Home Bag/Go Bag

[dangerman]

I'm looking to spend even more money on stuff I don't need by modularising my main bag. I call it my 'know I'm going somewhere bag' and it's a waterproof holdall. Inside there is a medley of little bits and bobs with no order whatsoever, they're all just chucked in loose and occasionally I'll go in to use something, but have to route around to find it. Which is a pain in the ass. And so my modular system has to be improved. I've been mulling over taking the most important bits and bobs and making a new module that will go inside the main bag. This way, I've got a smaller pouch that I can grab in a hurry and fit inside my every day back pack. I'm considering the Maxpedition Beefy. I like it because it's as big as they come, but still is small enough to go inside other things. I could make a paracord strap for it and use it as a mini sling bag should I run out of room in my back pack. Here's a selection of contents (presuming it will all fit inside)

Mini no I'm going somewhere (Maxpedition Beefy) concept. Anything with a question mark I'm considering removing, anything with a asterisk is something I don't own yet (pending reading reviews).

Tools:
Gerber suspension
SAK Spartan?
SAK KFS
Fallkniven F1

Fire:
Cotton balls in petroleum jelly
Magnesium block fire starter
Tealight candle
Lighter

Hygiene:
Wipes
A few disposable contact lenses

Food:
Flapjack
Mint cake

Drink:
Sawyer Mini Kit
Mini hip flask whiskey?

Power:
Long life aaa batteries in aa adapter cases
Aukey 2600mah battery bank

Keeping warm:
Sol Emergency Bivvy*

Miscellaneous:
Print of emergency contacts laminated
Family picture laminated
Important information laminated (All three on one sheet?)
P3 LED Lenser (battery in backwards)
Pound coin holder £15
Money pill £5
Paracord bracelet (clipped on the outside)
Phone charger cable
USB wall plug?

Do you lot think that this is a good solo survival kit? I'm imagining that I'll never need it, but I like making these kits and it's nice to know they're there. I think I'll probably be more inclined to throw this in my bag and take it with me to more places than I would be with the full size holdall, and I would also find it easier to carry on the motorcycle. I reckon with this kit, it's a solid and tiny 72 hour pack if the food is rationed. Also, has anyone got any experience of the SOL Emergency Bivvy?

Any improvements I could make?

[dangerman]

Has anyone got a Beefy? Is it big enough for all this stuff do you think? I think the knife will go into the zipped compartment on an angle, corner to corner. The knife in sheeth is about 23cm, the pouch is about 20 I think. But the main thing I'm not sure will fit is the emergency bivvy, and yet it's one of the most important things - that, the food and the water filter kit are the most likely things I can imagine making a tough time bearable.

An alternative would be the Proteus, of which there are blag Chinese versions for less than a tenner. For the amount of use it will probably get the Chinese version would probably do nicely and would fit all my stuff in easy, I reckon.

This Chinese bad boy is £6.89 (£5.99 if you don't mind the stupid desert camp colour).



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Utility-Tacti ... XjPaP_S4qw

And the Beefy, at a whopping £25.95.



http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00A ... DR4IZFO7VH

[Briggs 2.0]

I quite like Theurbanprepper youtube channel and his GHB vids are well presented and thought through. He uses a colour code system on his smaller packs so he knows what's what inside his large pack. And what's in what pouch.

I'd love to say I do the same but I don't, I'm not as organised as him. I like the Maxpedition pouches but they are either black or shades of khaki so I was thinking of using tritium markers on mine to identify them as first aid, EDC, EDC-extra, you get the idea. But I've not done that yet, so my stuff is organised like yours which I dare say is heaviest item at the bottom of my messenger bag.

I don't have the Beefy, sorry. I have a few of the smaller ones, I think one's an EDC and the others are Mini. I like the Mini because it slips nicely into cargo trouser pockets. I would say the Mini is not big enough for a Mini Sawyer without bulging badly - the Fatty looks like it would take a Sawyer though.

Edit: I've just google the Maxpedition web page and they now do a Skinny which looks bloody handy. Time to drop some hints to Mrs B, methinks.

[gaba]

The SOL emergency bivy is a really good and fairly sturdy piece of kit, totally recommend it and some very good ideas ☺

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[dangerman]

I quite like Theurbanprepper youtube channel and his GHB vids are well presented and thought through. He uses a colour code system on his smaller packs so he knows what's what inside his large pack. And what's in what pouch.

I'd love to say I do the same but I don't, I'm not as organised as him. I like the Maxpedition pouches but they are either black or shades of khaki so I was thinking of using tritium markers on mine to identify them as first aid, EDC, EDC-extra, you get the idea. But I've not done that yet, so my stuff is organised like yours which I dare say is heaviest item at the bottom of my messenger bag.

I don't have the Beefy, sorry. I have a few of the smaller ones, I think one's an EDC and the others are Mini. I like the Mini because it slips nicely into cargo trouser pockets. I would say the Mini is not big enough for a Mini Sawyer without bulging badly - the Fatty looks like it would take a Sawyer though.

Edit: I've just google the Maxpedition web page and they now do a Skinny which looks bloody handy. Time to drop some hints to Mrs B, methinks.

What do you think you'd use the skinny for? It looks nice and deep, but wouldn't it be loose in your pocket? I thought that was what's nice about the mini is that it fits so snug into the leg pocket. And the micro fits snug into the front pocket (when not packed too full).





I've watched loads of the urban prepper's stuff, he seems a nice feller - almost obsessively into this prepping lark. Incredibly meticulous and really nice quality footage. And somehow, I feel that should the zombie apocalypse actually come about, I think he'd still not quite be the most mentally prepared. Maybe that's just me being bitchy. I like his prepping modules and I have been inspired by his system, but I think he's a bit more wealthy than me. He can afford two or three of everything and the best quality of everything too. Me? I'm doing this on the cheap!

The SOL emergency bivy is a really good and fairly sturdy piece of kit, totally recommend it and some very good ideas ☺

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Brilliant! Thanks for the heads up. Do you have one? I was mulling over getting the two person one since I'm a big feller (6ft and 17stone), and I'm weighing up the concept that I might be with my wife when it could be needed. Do you think the one person would squeeze me in ok, or am I right in thinking of going for the two manner?

[Hoipoloi]

I considered the SOL emergency bivvi, also a military poncho. I went for the poncho as it was more versatile. However, if you will need shelter that is bright enough to attract attention then an emergency bivvi is the answer. Or maybe a poncho and an orange plastic survival bag?

[dangerman]

How small does your poncho pack down to? It's not the viability I'm after, I want something small and something that is capable of keeping me warm if I'm stuck outside in the cold. Like that night I spent on the street in Dublin. That was very unpleasant and could have really done with the bivvy then! In fact, had the bus station not opened when it did, providing shelter at 4am, I could have gotten ill that night.

This is why I want this kit. For those needless and ridiculous situations that I know I'm capable of finding myself in.

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[Hoipoloi]

I know what you mean. I spent a night in some remote village huddled up in an old telephone box

Here's my poncho strapped to the top of my Snugpak Response Bag to give some idea of size:

[Jaeger48]

Has anyone got a Beefy? Is it big enough for all this stuff do you think? I think the knife will go into the zipped compartment on an angle, corner to corner. The knife in sheeth is about 23cm, the pouch is about 20 I think. But the main thing I'm not sure will fit is the emergency bivvy, and yet it's one of the most important things - that, the food and the water filter kit are the most likely things I can imagine making a tough time bearable.

An alternative would be the Proteus, of which there are blag Chinese versions for less than a tenner. For the amount of use it will probably get the Chinese version would probably do nicely and would fit all my stuff in easy, I reckon.

This Chinese bad boy is £6.89 (£5.99 if you don't mind the stupid desert camp colour).



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Utility-Tacti ... XjPaP_S4qw

And the Beefy, at a whopping £25.95.



http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00A ... DR4IZFO7VH

The Chinese proteus is a great small bag. I use one as a small tackle case for fishing.

[dangerman]

I know what you mean. I spent a night in some remote village huddled up in an old telephone box

Here's my poncho strapped to the top of my Snugpak Response Bag to give some idea of size:

Ahahaha! It's a mistake you only make once, isn't it? Good stuff, I'll keep my eye on getting something similar. I've seen stuff on eBay sell at auction for next to nothing. What's yours made of? Is your little snug pack one of these little Chinese ones?

The Chinese proteus is a great small bag. I use one as a small tackle case for fishing.

Good stuff! That's reassuring, I've just ordered it. I had a couple of quid refunded to me from another seller and so it only cost me £4.90 for the black one. The way I see it, the saving justifies me buying the 2-person emergency bivvy. Since it's that little bit bigger than the Beefy it means I won't struggle to fit the double size in.

I like that the strap is 44inches and can be used as a mini shoulder/chest pack. I don't think I could ever use it as a vagina pack - I'm not quite charismatic enough to pull that off.