My 72 Hour pack

[thedigininja]

I need to replace the old synthetic full length coat that saved my ass. Line one of those with mylar (a cut up emergency blanket) and you have a priceless piece of winter hardware. Not exactly designed for stealth though and you look like a right crack pot with your shiny jacket but you don't really care when the very dirt you've dug in to for the night is below freezing.

There's capitalism for that! 
http://www.columbia.com/technology-omniheatreflective/

Dammit! I should have taken out a patent on my awesome hobo gear. $300? Mine worked me out around the equivalent of $10.

[TrailingSpouse]

This is a winter gear thread now?

I used to do a fair bit of trekking in snow progressing from the Mournes in Northern Ireland to the Alps and topping off with the Himalayas     Mountain marathons... Climbing Instructor...

This was all some time ago - been a bit of a city boy recently.

Much of this below has already been mentioned and its not comprehensive - just some thoughts really.

Agree about the wide mouthed flask - or if you are like me, EXTRA wide mouthed :p  Careful where you put it : "Funny tasting apple juice!" but that's another story...

Socks, socks, socks.  Sleep with wet ones close to your body - they'll still be wet in the morning but at least they'll be warm. I never got on well with layering socks - so I just buy the heaviest most expensive hiking socks I can find.

Boots are critical - but I always seem to be cursing whatever I have on. Leather or Goretex - there's pros and cons to each.  Never lost a toe to frostbite - but even the white ones hurt a lot.  Sleep with boots in your bag rather than risk them freezing over night.

Gaitors. When I've not had them - I've usually regretted it.

Snow shoes could be a life saver.  Wished I'd had them a few times.  On one trek we could cover maybe 2k before the sun hit the snow (brutally cold though) but as soon as the sun came up we started sinking to our waist with every step, falling through into melting streams and bogs... hell.  This was compounded by being at 5000m with giardia and wolves circling on the horizon.  Actually the wolves helped me go on - if I had given up I'm sure they would have been on me pretty quick.

Same for crampons, rope, ice axe, dead man, ice screws etc - but that's getting specialised.  Mission specific I guess.

Sandals - solid lightweight ones for giving your feet a break in camp/ at night, and also for e.g. fording a river where you don't want to get your boots wet but need to protect your feet.

A foot care kit (notice a theme here?) cold wet feet blister more easily.  Long nails eat through socks.  A great uncle of mine DIED of trench foot in WW1.

Waterproof stuff sacks - for your socks amongst other things

More socks.  I don't really carry spare clothes - I'd rather be smelly than hump the additional weight.  But socks - such a moral booster - nearly as good as a cup of tea 

Suncream and goggles.  Especially at high altitude where the UV is stronger. Snow reflects like water - so you get double trouble.  Had snow blindness on one trek - walked for three days with my underpants over my head - peeping out through the fabric. Hehehe... ouch.

Layers of clothing.  Options, options, options e.g. it could be very hot in terms of radiant heat but with a freezing cold wind - requiring a thin but wind proof outfit.  Then the sun comes down and its so cold you can't think.  So, be in your tent, in your sleeping bag with a cup of something hot in your hands BEFORE the sun goes down...  A blizzard is a completely different beast... full waterproofs, and layers... Tricky to get it right - especially if active then not, like on a multi-pitch climb, or playing hide and seek :p  Has anyone solved the sweaty back problem?

Gloves. I seem to get cold extremities earlier than most.  Tried lots and finally settled on a thin pair of thermal gloves inside a massive pair of fleece-lined goretex gauntlets.  Its worth thinking through what might happen if your fingers are so cold you cannot feel them.  On this basis I put extra large tags on zips for example.  Also try e.g. opening a folding knife under those conditions. Check all your gear - can you operate it in mits? 

Keep the weight down *doh*.  Noodles rather than rice perhaps - they cook in two mins as oppsed to 10.  At altitude boiling water isn't as hot... so takes longer to cook = more fuel = more weight.

Quality fuel container. One fall and its A) leaked all over your pack contents B) well... no hot food or drinks.  Happened to me once - snapped the top off a plastic screw lid (cold makes some plastic brittle) Fortunately I had condoms... although my trekking partner gave me funny looks.

Pump-up muti-fuel stove - you need that furnace for melting snow, and they will burn kerosene, petrol, whiskey, perfume...

BIG stainless pot - again RE melting snow - otherwise you will be contantly feeding it just to get a mouthfull.  Also for making a snow cave...

Water purifying tabs - at altitude boiling water isn't at 100deg so it may not be sterilising.

A reflective tarp - I used to have one that had the same footprint as the tent - got a lot of use for various things.

Sleeping bag. I used to use a down sleeping bag on the warmth to weight ratio basis.  But it WILL get wet - at least mine always did - then its useless.  Plus you need a better kip mat as the down compresses under your body.  I've had one synthetic bag (Ajungilak 5 season) for twenty years now.  Its still going strong - still warm if wet, doesn't compress so much under my body - but its twice the bulk of an equivalent down one. 

Kipmat.  Never got around to buying a self inflating kipmat - but always wanted one.  But you need something - closed cell foam, is fine.. 

Tent - too much to say here and there's pros and cons of whatever design.  I had a 2-man Wild Country Quasar that was pretty pricey but lasted me nearly thirty years.  It went all around the world, jungle, mountain and desert, and weathered many a storm.  Full sized doors at both ends plus mosi nets that were fine enough to even keep out Scottish midges. The two openings are amazing for controlling ventilation. A bitch to pitch if I'm honest. Finally threw it away with a tear in my eye just last summer.  They still make them today with an almost unchanged design. Now with family we've moved on to the trusty old Vango Force 10 Mk5.  Whatever - understand the different factors influencing microclimate.  Sun, wind, reflectance, evaporative cooling, nighttime radiative cooling, thermal chimneys etc etc and how the landscape alters the ways these factors interplay   Choosing where to pitch your tent could make all the difference.

[Burt Gummer]

Happened to me once - snapped the top off a plastic screw lid (cold makes some plastic brittle) Fortunately I had condoms... although my trekking partner gave me funny looks.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one with cold weather camp experience anymore!
I'll write up a chat latter got to run.

[JoJo]

For those of us on blood thinners WoundSeal powder. It stops bleeding instantly. A packet of four applications weight about 1 1/2 ounces and is 1"x3".

[JohnyMac]

In my youth I /we (My buddy and I) did a lot of snow trekking. IMO, it was the perfect time to be on a trail or hunting. There was nobody around hence we had the PA. & NY forests of our youth to ourselves. Before we had driving licenses one of our parents would drop us off at a "X" on the map and we would be off on an adventure for a couple of days to be then picked up at "Y." I often laugh about parents today who would never drop off their 15 year old kids in the middle of "bum fuck" nowhere, complete with shotguns and pistols in the middle of January or February to go trekking off in 6" to 3' deep snow. Boy things have changed.   

I wish I could remember the tent we used as it fit our bill well. It was a three man one with a fly. IMO you need the three man tent for the extra room with gear and all in the winter. In the summer we just used a tarp that was able to be changed to different configurations.

My buddy carried the tent and I carried the pols and under tarp. This may sound crazy but we use to light a candle which was mounted on a clip on ashtray with a thin hurricane lamp over it, in the tent. It gave off the perfect light and actually gave off quite a bit of heat.

To dry out our boots at night we had these bean bag type things that we would heat next to the fire and then once warm we would put them into the boots and loosely cover them. For the most part, they were dry the next morning.

We never used those small stoves that you bring fuel for and pressurize. We always made a fire. I will say though when we did some backpacking in CA. & NM, some area's wouldn't let you build a fire. You could only use those pressurized cooking stoves. I do understand "the why" but the ambiance just wasn't there.

In those days I never used a synthetic sleeping bag. I used a down bag that (At that time) cost $200-. About 10 years ago I bought a synthetic bag and as TS wrote, it does take up a bit more room and weighs a tad more however I would not go back to the down bag again. One suggestion I have on sleeping bags is buy the extra long one. I am only 6' tall but the extra room it gives you is well worth the higher price and a tad more weight. I use to use the extra room to dry out things and keep things from freezing at the bottom of the bag with no loss of room. My buddy always suffered from cold feet. So he would put warmed up water in a empty canteen before he went to bed and stored down at the bottom of his bag in the winter.

While my buddy used a 2/3 length closed cell mat I used a 6' long one. We both had inflatable pillows covered in a flannel that I had cut and sown to fit.

Last we would always eat chocolate before we turned in at night. I don't know if it really did increase our body heat or not but it became a tradition when we turned in.

Just some ramblings in no particular order.
   

[Defiant_Faith]

I've been reading all the posts on IFAK, great information here. I ordered CAT tourniquets, chest seals, combat gauze, etc from NAR and will be updating our kits. The start of the new year is a great time to update BOBs.

[JohnyMac]

Great idea D_F 

It would be great to get feed-back from everyone on this subject.

When I goy home from NC in October, I did take some time to eliminate a few things from my Get Home/BOB. I am trying to keep it below 30 #'s and boy mission creep happens and before I know it the bag is at 40# again. I also know when I need it, I will go through it and leave out things I really do not need. One item is my hammock. I will just take the 13'x10' light weight tarp. You can do a lot with a tarp. Doing that, I will loose 3#'s easy. Of course my AR-7 rifle will not be in my pack but in my hands so that is another 4# too. I wish I could find larger capacity mags for it though.

Anyway, getting off topic. Thx for bringing this oldie but goody post up D_F.

[Felix]

72 hours must be no heavier than 30#s.
Shoutout to those including at least two sets of clean, heavy duty (wool) sox.
Question on those tourniquets though...
Seems to me like any injury requiring one would be a death sentence if not within dragging, hopping, crawling distance of an functioning, permissible Emergency Room.   Bugout/Get home bags not being deployed on larks.
Deep lacerations, gun shot wounds need doctor/surgical attention - exactly the like of which no where to be accessible.
So.   What to do?
Be your own doctor/surgeon.    Some sailors survived amputations down in dimly lit, rolling orlops of sailing days.   So don't say survival is impossible when faced with trying to do what modern surgeons spend years studying and practicing...
At a minimum, ANY wound care can benefit with exposure to some modern practices and supplies.
See: Citizen Surgeon, Erik Pearson, Pediatric Surgeon on the ever-ready YouTube.    Lots of modules discussing specifics - the same stuff med students would be looking for in "Cliff's Notes" form.
Beats the snot out of watching NFL or the NBA if ya ask me.

[Nemo]

Of course my AR-7 rifle will not be in my pack but in my hands so that is another 4# too. I wish I could find larger capacity mags for it though.

I have heard good things about these but have no personal experience.

Nemo

https://triplek.com/product/ar-7-22-lr-8-10-or-15-rd/

[pkveazey]

I'm in full agreement with the 35 lb. backpack. However, at my advanced age, I wouldn't last long with a backpack even that light. My Bug Out Backpack probably weighs in at about 50 lbs. Hmmm.... I won't hardly make it off my property with that much weight. My plan is to grab my backpack, make it to the woods, cut a couple of saplings and make an Indian drag. By doing that, I will only have to pull the drag and let the drag worry about the weight. Fortunately, I live out in the country and there are woods all around me. I think I only need to go far enough into the woods to not have people see any smoke or hear sounds from my campsite. I have a small alcohol stove in my backpack so smoke should not be an issue.  However, the smell of my cooking could be a problem if anyone gets close enough to smell it. Years ago when I first started prepping, I bought one of those "Granny" type shopping carts that has 2 wheels. I plan to use that if possible. I don't know for sure how well it will work going through the woods.

[Defiant_Faith]

I agree about not having a doctor/surgeon around and needing to be your own doctor. Definitely not there yet, but trying to get a playlist of videos to watch. I have lots of books about how to be your own doctor downloaded to a device. Watching these videos is much more beneficial than watching football.

I had to smile when I read about the shopping cart. We have a baby buggy that is German made, great for off-road strolling - my parents used it when I was a baby and they gave it to me - a vintage baby buggy. I decided to keep it for the exact purpose you are describing with your shopping cart. It will repurpose nicely if needed.

[Jackalope]

Carts can be difficult in wooded areas.  I once guided a client bear hunting, who insisted that he wanted to use a two wheeled cart for transporting his equipment (backpack) and it would potentially be used if he was able to harvest a bear.  After maybe a half mile, he ended up caching the cart, because it wasn?t capable of traversing the terrain.  We retrieved it on our return a few days later.  Interestingly, he had an opportunity to kill a bear, but wisely decided not to do so, because of the work that would have been required to pack it out 6 miles over very rough terrain.  He did get some good photos of the bear, which satisfied this urban client. We actually encountered the bear maybe 20-30 minutes after we reached our campsite. 

        Anyways, carts aren?t always the best solution, but may be better than nothing.  If I had to resort to using a cart, I would consider one of the single wheeled game carts.  Make sure it has the semi solid tires , or carry spare tubes/tires.  In a pinch a cart could be used to transport an ijured spouse, or child.  A single wheel cart also leaves less of a trail to follow than a drag.  In any case, don?t plan on going very far with a drag.

[JohnyMac]

A few things on this subject.

MrsMac and I went to Asia in 2004 as tourists. One of the countries we visited was Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and the surrounding area to be specific. We spent 10-days there and was impressed by the friendly enterprising people of the area. Blah, blah, blah.

On thing we learned though that has stayed with me since then was how the populous move heavy loads and most of it is done with two wheeled modes of transportation, specifically scooters and bicycles. Our room in the hotel overlooked a ferry landing on the west side of the Sai Gon River. Anyway, I would sit there while reading a book or enjoying a Bia Bia (333) beer and watch the hordes of two wheeled vehicles coming off or boarding the ferry.
These scooters and or bicycles carried people, pigs, dogs, fruit, etc. with ease.

We had hired a guide who was a former English teacher and his name was Ut'. He did a good job taking us around southern Vietnam while we were there focusing on our interests. MrsMac interests was cooking & culture, me was more about the American War, as they called our countries time there.

Anyway, where I am going with this visit to our past is that Ut' felt that the main reason why Vietnam won the war was the bicycle. The VC moved everything imaginable via goat trails in the jungle via a humble bicycle.



Jump ahead to 2018-ish. My stepfather passed away and my mother became a recluse of sorts; Consequently, I would drive down from NE Pennsylvania to the Philadelphia area once a week to visit, buy supplies, and on occasion take her to a doctors appointment. I always took my Get Home Bag just in case. I also had maps of the rail road lines between Philly and Binghamton, NY as that was going to be my trails home if a collapse or EMP happened. With that, here is the reason for this long story.

In my mom's attic, I had stashed away a good quality mountain bike I had bought at a garage sale. With the bike was two saddle bags and a smaller backpack. All three bags would house what I had in my 52-liter, 40# backpack I kept in my vehicle. I figured that with the bicycle and the route mapped out using the right of way along the rail road tracks, I would easily be able to make it back home in 10 or so days traveling at night and resting during the day. Needless to say, I never had to execute on my plan. 

Just food for thought on this subject.   

[Felix]

Grid down, combustion engine transport dead, bikes could shine.
But NOT as currently and typically configured in 99% of current rack occupants (go ahead waste time challenging my masked, boostered, 6'Rule percentages).   Used now primarily for "fitness" and "weight-loss", they are woefully anemic to the service some have employed them such as places/times circa Viet Nam.     Now please, not to say that "carbon frame" and such are a bad thing.   But where/how is one supposed to carry anything but a spandex swathed buttocks without racks, baskets, tie points. etc?
On my list of "Prep Things To Do" is to purchase and store tube repair, spare tires and RACKS for the "Mountain Bike" currently gathering dust in a shed.