Critique my GHB

[mikefraz]

To start it off, my GHB is a Kelty Redwing 50. It is hands down the perfect bag for my needs IMO.
The bag-

First pouch-
Home made FAK
SOG Seal pup elite.

Second outer pouch-
4 days worth of dog food
Poncho
Flashlight
Multitool
2 BIC lighters,Waterproof matches, wet lighting mini-inferno pads, fire steel
20' of paracord
Mag for my Sig P226 (60 rounds of ammo inside my water bottle)

Main Compartment-
Sleeping bag (20*)
Kelty Apex 2XT (2 person 3 season tent)
2 liter Camelback bladder with inline filter connected
Extra socks
Gloves
TP
Duct tape
8 days of MRE's
Stainless water bottle

Weighs in at 35# without the bladder full.

What am I missing?
My trek home from college is a 2.5 hour drive. This is a worst case scenario GHB where I would have to walk the majority of the way home. Hopefully I'd be able to drive for some time before hoofing it on foot. I'm in the process of building an AR, so I will be taking some of my P226 ammo out and replacing it with 5.56 once I'm done.

 

[voodoo304]

The only extra things I would have in my pack are wet wipes and Chapstick. Other than that, looks good.

 

[Justin Case]

You listed dog food, so can I assume you'll be traveling with your dog? If so, do you have a bowl for your dog to drink out of? You have 8 days worth of MRE's but only 4 days worth of dog food? Maps for your route and alternate routes? IMO, you've done a nice job with your GHB!

 

[calcot7]

You listed dog food, so can I assume you'll be traveling with your dog? If so, do you have a bowl for your dog to drink out of? You have 8 days worth of MRE's but only 4 days worth of dog food? Maps for your route and alternate routes? IMO, you've done a nice job with your GHB!

You never know when you might want to invite someone to dinner.

 

[Justin Case]

You never know when you might want to invite someone to dinner.

LOL!

Well I do carry a few dog biscuits just in case I need to bribe some dogs along the way. It's cheaper than pepper spray.

 

[XDLover]

Plastic painters tarp or poly tarp and extra cordage. I carry para a d then twine and poly cord of some type.
Cook set? You can get them small enough and a 2.5hr drive probably is going to take a week to hike if you hike it all.
Bug spray and sun screen.
What about toilet paper?
A change of clothing in case you get wet and a pair of socks!
Of course it will also need seasonal things as well. Hand Warmers are nice!

 

[Meister]

To start it off, my GHB is a Kelty Redwing 50. It is hands down the perfect bag for my needs IMO.
The bag-

First pouch-
Home made FAK
SOG Seal pup elite.

Second outer pouch-
4 days worth of dog food
Poncho
Flashlight
Multitool
2 BIC lighters,Waterproof matches, wet lighting mini-inferno pads, fire steel
20' of paracord
Mag for my Sig P226 (60 rounds of ammo inside my water bottle)

Main Compartment-
Sleeping bag (20*)
Kelty Apex 2XT (2 person 3 season tent)
2 liter Camelback bladder with inline filter connected
Extra socks
Gloves
TP
Duct tape
8 days of MRE's
Stainless water bottle

Weighs in at 35# without the bladder full.

What am I missing?
My trek home from college is a 2.5 hour drive. This is a worst case scenario GHB where I would have to walk the majority of the way home. Hopefully I'd be able to drive for some time before hoofing it on foot. I'm in the process of building an AR, so I will be taking some of my P226 ammo out and replacing it with 5.56 once I'm done.

Looks great! I'm going to look into one of those packs for my wife. She hates the molle one she has now. You can either pack wet wipes or TP, I prefer wet wipes due to the cleansing ability when a latrine is hard to come by, as well as the clean feeling when you have to hoof it. They are also multipurpose. I'd say you're in great shape for a trek home, but that tent is easily spotted, might look for something less bright and maybe a little lighter.

 

[mikefraz]

You listed dog food, so can I assume you'll be traveling with your dog? If so, do you have a bowl for your dog to drink out of? You have 8 days worth of MRE's but only 4 days worth of dog food? Maps for your route and alternate routes? IMO, you've done a nice job with your GHB!

I only have 4 days worth of dog food because I have a dog that is very capable of catching his own food. And if worst comes to worst, he can always share my MRE's in a pinch.

Plastic painters tarp or poly tarp and extra cordage. I carry para a d then twine and poly cord of some type.
Cook set? You can get them small enough and a 2.5hr drive probably is going to take a week to hike if you hike it all.
Bug spray and sun screen.
What about toilet paper?
A change of clothing in case you get wet and a pair of socks!
Of course it will also need seasonal things as well. Hand Warmers are nice!

I listed toilet paper already. I am in the process of getting a decent sized stainless bowl to cook out of. I already listed a spare pair of socks as well.

 

[smokingman]

Socks and hygiene items.Staying clean will be important.Ever hike for a few days with out cleaning important areas? You will chaff in no time,and it will make it unbearable.

 

[mikefraz]

I have about 50 alcohol swabs on the FAK for cleaning, and like I've already mentioned, I already have spare socks.

 

[pirate]

A tampon or two.

 

[smokingman]

I have about 50 alcohol swabs on the FAK for cleaning, and like I've already mentioned, I already have spare socks.

So you are going to use alcohol swabs on chaffed inner thighs?I do not think the swabs would really remove much sweat and salt from your skin.Sure they will clean off dirt,but there is a saturation limit and you would be rubbing salt around not removing it.When you have tons of sweat you need a volume of water to remove it.

A hotel size bar of soap and a wash cloth would go a long way.We stayed in the Boundary waters for over 3 weeks hiking and paddling.Lots of sweat(and rain),there is no way i would give up my soap or washcloth for wipes or swabs.

 

[mikefraz]

So you are going to use alcohol swabs on chaffed inner thighs?I do not think the swabs would really remove much sweat and salt from your skin.Sure they will clean off dirt,but there is a saturation limit and you would be rubbing salt around not removing it.When you have tons of sweat you need a volume of water to remove it.

A hotel size bar of soap and a wash cloth would go a long way.We stayed in the Boundary waters for over 3 weeks hiking and paddling.Lots of sweat(and rain),there is no way i would give up my soap or washcloth for wipes or swabs.

I didn't think of that. That'll be an easy addition to add. Thanks.

 

[Dragon]

I'm going to make suggestions without reading everyone else's so if I repeat anything already said I apologize.

Batteries for flashlight in some sort of waterproof container.
Headlamp for any kind of night setup or movement that would require hands free + light. People really don't realize how hard camp is to make when it's dark, especially if you have to setup a tent. Practice doing that with and without light.
Baby Wipes. I recommend these to everyone as they're multi-purpose and anti-bacterial.
More cordage. 550 is great, but something else, maybe 20-25lb test fishing line as well?
Gold Bond is something else that can save you a lot of grief. Most people don't realize how much chafing can slow you down on a long hike, especially in hilly areas.

And finally, more redundancy on water purification/filtering. Purification tablets are too small not to add in. An amber eye dropper bottle filled with bleach (rotated out every 6 months if not used) and a portable water filter. I have a Lifestraw and a Steri-Pen Classic which are of about equal size but they do the job differently. It's easier to Steri-pen larger amounts of water than what I can fit into my mouth through the Lifestraw.

I don't see a reason for a large cooking bowl, it will just add weight and be difficult to pack. I used 1L nalgene bottles so I got a stainless camp cup that can fit right on them.

Ibuprofen, Aleve, and/or Advil/Tylenol. Label packages with a sharpie for max dosages etc,. I have knee problems so having Aleve with me can turn a painful 12mile hike into a tolerable one when it flares up.

SAM SPLINT!! Compact, molds to any shape for storage and can be a great tool to have if you get injured. Ever been forced to walk on a badly sprained ankle? With the amount of mileage you have to cover, it could end up being a bumpy road and even more so when you're fatigued.

 

[tom1025]

If it was me I would add.....

Compass / Topographic maps of your planned route.
Signal Mirror
Whistle
Walking Stick / Hiking Pole

As far as the dog goes I would look into getting him his own pack. REI has a whole line of gear for dogs. Unless you have experience hiking once you add water you will more then likely be looking for ways to cut weight from your pack.

 

[bmyers]

I agree with the others. Would suggest adding a good light and a headlamp that take the same batteries. Also extra batteries for each. An extra folding knife may not be a bad idea either.

 

[recon19d]

Man. I couldnt imagine having to hump a 2.5 hour drive. Thats what, 150 or so miles?? Ouch...If your legit walking that, im gunna say thats a MINIMUM of 6 days. Thats with alot of intestinal fortitude and walking the road. When I was Active Duty we would do a 20 mile ruck march with about 45lbs of gear and you would be DESTROYED for days. So I would say add in some gatorade power gels or something along those lines to help when your cramping. Im telling you, its not gunna be lack of food or shelter that hurts you, Its all that walking with that weight on your back. Stretch, stretch stretch and hydrate when your not moving. Aside from that, keep with your vehicle as long as humanly possible. Or someones vehicle at least. haha. 4x4 through fields, get the most bang for your buck. haha 'Merica

 

[Dragon]

Man. I couldnt imagine having to hump a 2.5 hour drive. Thats what, 150 or so miles?? Ouch...If your legit walking that, im gunna say thats a MINIMUM of 6 days. Thats with alot of intestinal fortitude and walking the road. When I was Active Duty we would do a 20 mile ruck march with about 45lbs of gear and you would be DESTROYED for days. So I would say add in some gatorade power gels or something along those lines to help when your cramping. Im telling you, its not gunna be lack of food or shelter that hurts you, Its all that walking with that weight on your back. Stretch, stretch stretch and hydrate when your not moving. Aside from that, keep with your vehicle as long as humanly possible. Or someones vehicle at least. haha. 4x4 through fields, get the most bang for your buck. haha 'Merica

Agreed. That is NOT going to be a short trip nor a pleasant one. On the weekends I do 11-12 miles on a moderate trail at 3MPH pace and when I'm done, my feet hurt for 3-4 days (My pack is 24lbs btw). Sure I could still walk on them the next day but the pace would be less and less. I really think people underestimate how tough rucks are until they've done them.

 

[caneman]

+1 on the dog pack (Check Amazon). Acquiring a bicycle along the way would really help if you can use one (Variable conditions). It can get the load off your back and be 2-3 times as fast.