# Back packs/ get home bags



## midwestmom (Jun 24, 2014)

Putting some bags together. I have a good handle on what to put IN the bags, but am dithering on choosing the bags themselves. I've seen some people advocate a full ALICE pack which, while it can carry a lot and not be horribly out of place where we live, would probably be too big for my kiddos to wrangle and definitely would eat up the cargo space in the car. My son has an Under Armor backpack for school and it looks like it would be a good size for all the kids to use and has held up to a 10 year old dragging it around for months so that's a possibility, but could end up being pricey for all 3. I don't want super cheap that the straps break first time out and I don't think the girls' Vera Bradley bags would be very ....ummmm....practical. Suggestions?


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

My get home bags are very different from my bug out bag. For my get home bags I like just a plain backpack. Mine is a Jansport and looks like any old backpack you would find in the back of a car. My bug out bag is a medium alice pack I have modified to my taste and comfort. I dyed the straps and belt a solid nondescript dark brown and got a civie friendly pack cover to blend in if I had to. I don't know what kind of pack would be ok for kids. My nephews do ok with small school backpacks on hikes. I'd buy small backpacks in earth tones with a waistbelt you can tuck away if you aren't using it. For me my get home bag is something I keep in my car and is designed to get me back home from the farthest point of my daily normal travel. My bug out bag is a s has htf and I need to get somewhere safe away from folks and may have to live out of that bag for an uncertain length of time if for some reason I can't get to what I consider my bol. If I had a bunch of kids I'd probably focus more on survival education, a get home bag, and a solid bug in plan long before I started considering getting the heck out of dodge for an unspecified length of time in a bad situation with a bunch of kids in tow. Good on ya for preparing to keep your family safe in any situation though. Hopefully you find a good pack for them.

Here is one I found in the $60 range. Jansports have always held up well for me.
http://www.jansport.com/shop/en/jansport-us/all-backpacks/night-owl-t70g?variationId=0BJ


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## midwestmom (Jun 24, 2014)

They're normally within an hour walk of our house at any point in the day. I just want to have something in the car to get them all back home if we're on one of our rare trips farther away. I'll check out the jansports.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

midwestmom said:


> They're normally within an hour walk of our house at any point in the day. I just want to have something in the car to get them all back home if we're on one of our rare trips farther away. I'll check out the jansports.


My Jansport bag lasted 5 years of college with a very heavy book load and is still in good enough shape for me to feel comfortable with it as my get home bag. I've even used it on many overnight camping trips.


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## jnrdesertrats (Jul 3, 2010)

These are inexpensive I have seen them on sale here for around $20. http://www.lapolicegear.com/diplomat-3-day-backpack1.html


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> My Jansport bag lasted 5 years of college with a very heavy book load and is still in good enough shape for me to feel comfortable with it as my get home bag. I've even used it on many overnight camping trips.


My Eastpak bag is still in great shape and I got it back in '94 when I stared high school. Used it all four years and into college. I love this bag. Heck! It is my GH bag.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 27, 2012)

For a GHB I would recommend that you don't spend a ton of money. Use the money you saved over what you expected to pay for the contents of the bag. GHB doesn't need to be super-durable, unless you're planning on a multi-day foot trek through very rugged terrain.

If you were talking BOB, then, yes, you need a bag that will stand up to the elements for as long as it takes to get to you safety in a survivable environment. That could mean a few hours drive-time and a couple hours foot-trek, to weeks of foot-trek. GHB and BOB have a very different application, though their main purpose is to help you to get you from where you _don't want_ to be to a place you _do want_ to be. My main consideration is how long I could reasonably expect to be in need of the pack while in carry-mode....light-duty packs won't cut it on a 2-week hump with 50-60lbs of gross weight, while a heavy-duty pack won't even break a sweat, or rip a stitch, or break any hardware.

My oldest pack for my BOB is a 4,500 cu in Remington external frame.I've had it loaded to over 90lbs and carried it at over 10,200ft elevation back when I was more of a pack-mule...couldn't do it today if my life depended on it. My current GHB is a 3,600 cu in internal frame which I've loaded to close to 55lb and can manage on more level ground at 1/2 the elevation...doable, but if terrain gets steep something's gotta go eventually...like the food I'd be eating along the way.

I digressed...anyway you look at it, money saved for contents would be my bet, as long as you don't foresee long drawn-out foot-trek to get home. Cheaper packs generally won't handle heavy loads over long treks through rough terrain, but some can be can be modified to toughen them up a bit.

Check packs over inside-out very closely before you buy. Look at the shoulder harness, padding, stitching, internal intrusion of the harness and how it's secured, etc. Look for any weak points, including the zippers or other types of closures and fasteners...these are the deal-breakers as they will be the fail-points of the pack. Fabric type may not be a big concern, but I prefer 600 denier polyester...tough stuff, but noisy if you're in stealth-mode...there's always compromises. 1000 denier is too light for durability, but quieter. Other fabrics are quite, though durability may be questionable.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

I don't know how old or how big your kids are but if they can't carry the weight a backpack is designed to take you really don't need something super quality. I weigh over 220 and I try and keep my bug out bag under 60-70. Using that ratio for 100 lb kid that's about 20 lbs when allowing for less muscle mass. My get home bag is pretty light because I plan to want to move quickly in the event I'm using it. Haven't weighed it but is probably about 10-15 lbs without water. When I reread this thread this morning that's what came to mind.


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## midwestmom (Jun 24, 2014)

They are bigger kids. But my son is autistic and tends to get very attached to things like jackets and backpacks. So I want to have something he can be comfortable with for several years.


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

I agree with some of the other posters above that a GHB and a BOB have different requirements. Normally, I don't bother with a get-home bag when I'm just put-putting around our little town, because I could get out and walk home in an hour from anywhere in town.

If we go out of town, the first thing I make sure of is that we have good walking shoes on our feet! After that, the GHB needs to be a simple backpack that you can get from a thrift store or online -- at Craigslist or a local swap-and-trade Facebook page (there are at least 3 for my immediate area -- I'm sure there are some for your area). Pack in it a little first-aid kit, energy bar, flashlight, pocket knife or leatherman, bottle of water, and a few warm items of clothing (socks, long-john shirt, knit hat). Your GHB does not have to be big, and the more simple and worn it looks, the less likely you are to be hassled by people of ill intent.

BOB requires a little more thought and expense. Think: Living out of the bag on my back for a few weeks. What will I need in it?


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

After school lets out for the summer, school backpacks will be on sale. Buy one for each of the children. Or look for them at garage sales.

They will blend in when stored in a vehicle or when they are in use.


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## Wikkador (Oct 22, 2014)

Most survival issues do not change all that much ithin the same geo-location .. I see no reason to have all sorts of different bags. You can either answer basic survival needs or you cant. Simply being prepared to "go home" is a relatively low preparedness level. Keep in mind that during a crisis, just because you want to go home does not mean that you will not be required to do something else entirely or perhaps "go home" days later. 

A bag of stuff is a bag of stuff... build a kit that answers basic survival needs in your specific location and be done with it. All this talk about SHTF bag, BOB, INCH bag, GHB, MOD-GHB, LC bag, ELC bag and on and on... its just silly.

I have a rubbermade tub in my trunk and a single sling pack strapped to the top of it. In the bag I have very basic items.. fire, water, shelter, medical, firearm .. and in the tub I have add on items that I would pick and choose from if time allowed. It doesn't matter what the crisis is or isn't.. I have what I need to answer most needs pretty well and maintain for at least 72hrs.

I know what I am saying may sound a little pointed but I am making an effort to cut through some of the bull and help get you on good solid footing.


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## SewingMachine (Mar 26, 2017)

Seems like sound advice to me. I think a lot of what we do grows from the military, infantry and SF specifically. So there are patrol packs, main packs, E&E bags, and on and on. So we end up with a similar specialization of our kits. Not to mention we, collectively, are a market. If someone can theorize another piece of kit, and bag to go with it that we just cant live without, well, the buyers are there.

My camping gear is my everything bag. Its a nice setup. Overkill if I just want to go fishing for a few hours, but its good practice to hump it anyway. 

I keep a vehicle bag, with stuff I like to have, but wont die without if I have to hoof it. I don't need those bolt cutters on foot. I will find another way.

There was a guy here in Wisconsin that just stole 16 or so AR's and assorted guns from a dealer, and sent a Manifesto to POTUS. Then lit his car on fire.

My first thought - "Did he steal 20,000 rounds of ammo and a wheelbarrow to go with it?"

It is far easier to have too much "just in case" than to keep it to a manageable and effective bare minimum.

I know I tote a couple items that I should dump, but I just cant do it.


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## Wikkador (Oct 22, 2014)

Its like the people who are always spouting .."my handgun is what I use to fight my way to my rife". I am here to tell you that what ever weapon you begin to fight with is very likely the weapon you win or lose with. There is not likely to be an upgrade to something else, you run what you brung. 


What you have with you in regards to supplies -should provide at minimum of 72 hours of health and well being. If it doesn't, you are not reasonably prepared. 

you run what you brung.. you don't go get it.


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