My GHB (Slowz1k)

[slowz1k]

I was swapping my winter gear for summer gear out of my GHB this past weekend (I'm very late) and thought I'd snap a few pics and share.
I work in Downtown Greensboro, and live approx 10 miles from my office. Once out of town, and a 1.5 mile hike through a low income, crackhead infested, war zone, I'm dealing with mostly pleasant suburbia USA. This bag is primarily designed to get me from office to home. 10 miles is a short day hike, but you never know when you'll get detoured or delayed, so this bag should see me through a night or two if needed.

This bag resides in the back of my Suburban at all times, (unless I'm driving the wifes car, where it joins her GHB in the back of her Kia)
My GHB is put together with the idea that it will be combined with the contents of my EDC bag during an event. I feel that each bag will stand on it's own, but together they offer many more options and tools. Since the bag is meant to sustain only for a day or two, I run a little lighter on food during the summer months, knowing that my AO offers a few foraging opportunities if needed.
The first pic shows not only my GHB, but a items that reside in my vehicle and are independent of the bag, and "could" be taken if the situation dictated the need.
The boots are a critical for my situation. I work in a law office, so the dress code is "business casual" and up. My work shoes would have my hooves screaming in under a mile.
The FAK is a little more involved than my EDC FAK. It's more of a trauma bag, and weighs in at just over 1 pound. I can strap it to my GHB or leave it. Whatever feels right at the time.
The entrenching tool is mainly kept in the truck for vehicle recovery, camping, and odd jobs. It could be brought along, if needed, and would make a good weapon, but it's HEAVY. I would probably take it if I was further from home than my office.
The 150' of rope is lashed to the bottom of the pack. Like the spade, if I were further from home, I would probably take it. From my office, I would leve it in the vehicle.
The Boonie, flashlight, and head lamp are glove box items.
The .45 and spare mags are with me all the time.






The pack weighs 23lbs with out water.




The blade is one of the toughest knives I've ever owned. It was $9.99 from Cheaper than Dirt. I had to modify the sheath a bit to get it the way I wanted it.

[slowz1k]

Continued:::

Side pouch contents:
Roll of TP
SS cup
Can of sterno
2 candles wrapped in foil
SS water bottle


Outside Pocket Contents:
Fire kit
Shemagh
Rain Poncho
Trash bag
Cheesey multi blade knife
25 rounds of .45 (Not Pictured)
Silcock Key


Fire Kit Contents:
Esbit Stove and fuel tabs
Trioxane tabs
Matches in WaterProof Bottle
Fresnel Lens
Lighter
Dryer lint in ziplock bags
Chemical foot warmers



Main Pocket Contents:
Spare pants
T-shirt
Long Sleeve camo shirt
Tent fly
Insulated food bag
Canvas bag has underwear, socks, and small bottle of footpowder
2nd SS water bottle (not pictured)



I'm not sure why I wanted an insulated food pouch, but I like it so far and it can double as a water carrier.
Contents of the food pouch:
Spam and Salmon pouches, potted meat, 5hour energy, granola bars, various sauces, and drink mixes, surlpus mess kit, ziplock with coffee filters.



That's about it. As always questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome.

[ak474u]

That particular shovel will hold a mean edge if sharpened on one side, I've heard soldiers sharpened them for cutting roots, but it'd make a mean anti personnel weapon/hacking tool as well. Good looking bag. I've been reluctant to go all the way to a backpack for my GHB, I've got a combo GHB/EDC jumbo versipack that I carry in the vehicle everywhere except when I take out the trash, my Get Home would be over roads, and almost assuredly thru a city or suburban setting, so I went light. I do carry a decent amount of snack food (clif bars, slim jims, candy etc) but I don't foresee not being able to collect a quick snack on the move. I do however travel up to 75 miles from home, so once I have a truck vault, I'll be rethinking the GHB side of the equation, as well as adding a long gun to the EDC. I like your setup, the only weight issue I see may be the sterno, and theyre not terribly heavy, so maybe a smokeless fire is worth the weight vs. having to burn trash for fire in an urban setting.

[bacpacker]

I like the shovel, well actually the whole set up. Is the shovel one of the russian models? Looks like you have the bases covered. Other than the coffee filters, do you have any other water purification with you? Pretty nice mix on the food.

[Baker]

May have missed it, but do you have spare batteries for your lights? Remember Murphys Law.

Otherwise, all around good kit. Ever do a mock bug out with it?

[slowz1k]

May have missed it, but do you have spare batteries for your lights? Remember Murphys Law.

Otherwise, all around good kit. Ever do a mock bug out with it?

I do have a battery caddy in the center console of my vehicle. It has 8 AA, 4AAA, and a 9v. I should probably move it to the bag. Obviously, I forgot to pull it for the photo op...So it stands to reason that I would more than likely forget it in the heat of a "situation".

(sorry for the canned pic. Mine is identical to this one)


Never done a mock bug out with it. I've walked the more sketchy portions of my GH routes and backup routes from the office, but never with full gear. I have called upon many of the contents during camping trips though.

Bacpacker, good tip concerning the water... Thanks. I'll need to either get some purification tabs or swap my Katadyne over from my hiking bag when not in use. Might even get one of those straw filters mentioned over in another thread.
The shovel is German I think. I'll pull it out and check at lunch today.

[slowz1k]

I like the shovel, well actually the whole set up. Is the shovel one of the russian models?

I thought it was German, but who knows? These are the only markings on it. This thing is older than me!

[LUNCHBOX]

Overall a nice kit. If I changed/added anything....I like that you have a few days of food in your kit. I would add a couple mre style cracker packs if I could since your running different meats. I can't say enough good things about the Katadyne filters but a couple of the straw filters couldn't hurt. IMO, you may want to exchange the "cheesy knife" for a good blade that you can depend on. I noticed you said you were going from winter to summer but you may want to keep a emergency blanket in your kit (50-60 degrees is still cool at night in my book)

[slowz1k]

you may want to exchange the "cheesy knife" for a good blade that you can depend on. I noticed you said you were going from winter to summer but you may want to keep a emergency blanket in your kit (50-60 degrees is still cool at night in my book)

The cheesy knife may get 86'd completely. Between my EDC'd neck knife, CRKT folder, Gerber Multi tool and the big blade on the GHB, I should be fine in the edged tools department.
The E-Blanket should have been a no-brainer. Cheap light insurance for sure. I even have a few in a shoebox under my bed... (Pulled a quad while kicking myself in the seat meat)
Thanks for any and all input!

[realist]

Ditto what lunchbox said about the knife. If nothing else it is just added weight. I just wanted you to know that 1965 is not old.......