How to lighten the load

[CharlesHarris]

How much should your BOB weigh?

The weight of your kit is determined by what you need your gear to do, and for how long? Basics are protection from the elements, hydration, navigation, communication, nutrition, health and medical. Sleep warm and dry at night, stay hydrated, stay oriented and move safely within your environment, maintain body and soul. In the short term food is a concern for morale warmth and energy. For duration long beyond the supply you can carry, sustaining a food source becomes critical. A BOB should sustain you for 7 days in any likely environment without the need to fish, hunt or steal. The planning goal is 7 days, at 20 F, 20 lbs. ~10kg+/-

FOOD:
So, do the math. An average adult male needs 2000 calories per day for moderate activity. An average trail meal (Mountain House) is 125 calories per ounce. The chili mac meal is 139 cal/oz.
2000 calories X 7 days = 14,000 calories
14,000 calories / 125 calories = 112 ounces
112 ounces / 16 ounces = 7 lbs.
1 lb (454g) dry food per day... Convenient! The remaining weight to plan is now 13 lbs. (5.9kg).

To cook freeze dried or dehydrated food you need a 800mL pot to boil water in. Throw in a small stove and you can cook anywhere, even while evading. SOTO windmaster, output 11,000 btu’s, 1-1/2 hours burn time per canister, boils a half liter with 5 grams of fuel. Enough to hydrate for one freeze-dried meal. The canister contains 110 grams of fuel so can cook 22 meals (one extra for this scenario). Some people argue that gas canisters don’t work in cold. They will if you carry them close to your body, under your anorak.

THE PACK:
Modern packs are too heavy, with all their bells and whistles. The old US military ALICE frame pack weighs 3.5 lbs. Your BOB pack should not weight more than an ALICE pack. The mountaineering community is making some packs weighing about a pound, waterproof, bombproof and expensive!. Google Figure 4, Wild things, Cilo and Hyperlite for examples. Take the frame out your ALICE and use a 3/4 of an army surplus closed cell foam pad to give shape to the pack and pad your back instead carrying around the frame.

HYDRATION:
Pack 2 liters of water = 4.4 lbs. Remaining weight to plan is now down to 9 lbs.(~4kg) You need the ability to purify many gallons/liters of water. Non-potable water requires proven modern solutions. Use either chlorine bleach containing 6% sodium hypochlorite or Betadyne from your first aid kit, 2 drops per liter. With your 2 liter water container, a pot to collect, melt and boil water in and your chemical purifier, hydration is not be a problem.

SLEEPING WARM AND DRY:
The most, simple, versatile method is the bag and bivy-sack combo. Use the closed cell foam pad in your pack to insulate yourself from the ground. I replaced my sleeping bag with a military quilt rated to 25 F (-5C) to save weight. With the bivy, 20 F (-10C) is no problem. Layer for colder temps. You can survive in almost any sub arctic environment with a silk, polypropylene or merino wool base layer, working layer (ripstop 60/40 or NyCo BDU), Goretex shell, knit wool watch cap, waxed canvas bucket cap and gloves.

MED KIT:
Most prepared med kits are too big and rarely used. The wilderness medical society reports the most common wilderness injuries every few years. # 1 Blisters, # 2 GI stuff/Diarrhea, # 3 small cuts on hands from knives # 4 forearm / wrist injuries from falls. Cover the basics; tummy, toes and tolerance (pain). Kit should be able to treat a major bleed (Israeli bandage and QuikClot Sport25), some small boo boo bandaging, tweezers, GI meds, Pain meds, Antibiotics, Allergy / Anaphylactic meds, Opthalmic ointment and if trained a 14 ga and NPA for good measure. http://theemtspot.com/2009/12/08/the-art...al-airway/ With needle / thread and duct tape, my med kit weighs 7 ounces.

Hands free trail lighting (Petzl LED headlamp) and cordage are also essentials. My pack is currently 14 lbs 5 ounces (no food, full water) with the mentioned items. With food 21 pounds plus pounds. I would like to get it to 20 lbs, but will settle for the 10 kilo goal. With a Leatherman or Gerber multitool and a sturdy, lightweight fixed blade knife on your belt, a mirrored orienteering compass, compact fishing kit, ferro rod and tinder in your pockets, you will be ready for most natural and man-made scenarios.