Bug Out Bags 101

[indyjohn]

Anyone no of a place here in Indiana (Indy Lafayette Merrivile) where I can look at, maybe buy a ILBE pack? Been seeing some good reviews on them, and am very interested.

Check the classifieds? I see some come up here from time to time.

Sorry I missed this revival.

Since July of 2013, more than 100 of the Marine Corp ILBE Main Packs and Assault packs have passed through my hands. Right out of the gate, I can tell you this:

* It is a great pack system. Taller people tend to like it more than average height people.
* It is very rugged and will take a beating but not so much from knives or bullets.
* >90% of them come from the government as DRMO, which means after it was turned back in by the original issue soldier, an inspector found something wrong with it that wasn't worth the time/money to repair. That issue may or may not affect the functionality of the pack.
* The Army Surplus stores here in Indy have them overpriced to a level that I find hard to believe, yet they sell them (I guess).
* Online stores like CTD charge the same price for their best example as they do for their worst example, and you don't know which one you will get. And they're still too high priced.
* In the current market, which is lean on supply, you should expect to pay $100 - $135 for a USMC ILBE Main Ruck in MARPAT Camo, with Lid/Belt/Shoulder straps in clean excellent shape.
* Ebay may be your best bet right now. I don't anticipate having any very soon.

Good luck.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

I've been watching you tube reviews on many packs. I like the Eberlestock Terminator, and the ILBE. Leaning towards the ILBE, but getting a good one is a concern. I have seen new ones on Ebay and Amazon, and even at their premium price, they are cheaper than the Eberlestock.

 

[Meister]

Sorry I missed this revival.

Since July of 2013, more than 100 of the Marine Corp ILBE Main Packs and Assault packs have passed through my hands. Right out of the gate, I can tell you this:

* It is a great pack system. Taller people tend to like it more than average height people.
* It is very rugged and will take a beating but not so much from knives or bullets.
* >90% of them come from the government as DRMO, which means after it was turned back in by the original issue soldier, an inspector found something wrong with it that wasn't worth the time/money to repair. That issue may or may not affect the functionality of the pack.
* The Army Surplus stores here in Indy have them overpriced to a level that I find hard to believe, yet they sell them (I guess).
* Online stores like CTD charge the same price for their best example as they do for their worst example, and you don't know which one you will get. And they're still too high priced.
* In the current market, which is lean on supply, you should expect to pay $100 - $135 for a USMC ILBE Main Ruck in MARPAT Camo, with Lid/Belt/Shoulder straps in clean excellent shape.
* Ebay may be your best bet right now. I don't anticipate having any very soon.

Good luck.

I'm currently using one as well. Best pack for the cash.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

Came in the mail today. My bran-spankin'-new ILBE pack. I'll be getting it loaded and adjusted this weekend to try it out. It looks like a very well made unit.

 

[Meister]

Came in the mail today. My bran-spankin'-new ILBE pack. I'll be getting it loaded and adjusted this weekend to try it out. It looks like a very well made unit.

It's perfect for my uses. The sustainment pouches were hard to find, but I finally found some. Once you get it loaded with your full kit, then adjust it as needed. Don't forget to leave room for a water bladder/ assault pack attachment or both. A sealine waterproof liner is another great addition. I have 2 for my ILBE. One for just the sleeping bag and the other for the rest of the kit.

 

[littletommy]

I just got my Buck Sideswipe sling pack in the mail today, it looks promising, haven't loaded it down yet. I've been tossing around the idea of a sling pack for quite a while, and first saw the buck pack on Sportsmans guide, ordered one, then got an email the next day saying the pack was back ordered til July 17!!!! Cancelled that order, and found the pack on ArmyNavy sales for the same price, $29, ordered it and had it in hand today, 3 days after placing the order, big +1 to ArmyNavy sales! Anyhoo, I wanted a sling pack for short hikes, and especially for our many trips to the Smoky Mtns each year. This thing isn't big enough for a bug out bag, but I'm thinking it would work well in my modular get home gear I keep in the truck.

The bag itself is plenty big enough to carry a decent amount of water, some extra ammo, FAC, and extra clothing, plenty of stuff to get me the 9 miles home from work. Seems sturdy enough, and has metal zippers and lots of exterior loops to attach things.

I'm taking it in the woods this weekend, and will post up a review of how it works out.

Here's a link to the pack

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[daddyusmaximus]

It's perfect for my uses. The sustainment pouches were hard to find, but I finally found some. Once you get it loaded with your full kit, then adjust it as needed. Don't forget to leave room for a water bladder/ assault pack attachment or both. A sealine waterproof liner is another great addition. I have 2 for my ILBE. One for just the sleeping bag and the other for the rest of the kit.

I do plan for the waterproofing sometime. As of now, the pack lives in the camper shell of the truck and is protected from the weather. Plus I have contractor grade trash bags...

 

[Meister]

The sea liner is a two fold deal. It makes most packs float, and keeps everything inside dry if you might have to actually use it as intended.

 

[teddy12b]

I just got my Buck Sideswipe sling pack in the mail today, it looks promising, haven't loaded it down yet. I've been tossing around the idea of a sling pack for quite a while, and first saw the buck pack on Sportsmans guide, ordered one, then got an email the next day saying the pack was back ordered til July 17!!!! Cancelled that order, and found the pack on ArmyNavy sales for the same price, $29, ordered it and had it in hand today, 3 days after placing the order, big +1 to ArmyNavy sales! Anyhoo, I wanted a sling pack for short hikes, and especially for our many trips to the Smoky Mtns each year. This thing isn't big enough for a bug out bag, but I'm thinking it would work well in my modular get home gear I keep in the truck.

The bag itself is plenty big enough to carry a decent amount of water, some extra ammo, FAC, and extra clothing, plenty of stuff to get me the 9 miles home from work. Seems sturdy enough, and has metal zippers and lots of exterior loops to attach things.

I'm taking it in the woods this weekend, and will post up a review of how it works out.

Here's a link to the pack

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I tried out the single sling pack type bag with an engineer field bag / haversack concept. It was awesome until I walked a few miles with it and just got tired of all the weight being on one shoulder instead of both. My bag wasn't heavy it was just annoying.

 

[teddy12b]

I do plan for the waterproofing sometime. As of now, the pack lives in the camper shell of the truck and is protected from the weather. Plus I have contractor grade trash bags...

The sea liner is a two fold deal. It makes most packs float, and keeps everything inside dry if you might have to actually use it as intended.

Have you gus looked into the sealline boundary packs? They're basically a seal line dry bag with straps. I was looking at one for the kayak this upcoming summer, thought you guys may want to look into those if yIure concerned about keeping gear dry.

 

[Meister]

I've seen them, but they aren't made for prolonged rucking. They put all the weight on your shoulders. For a canoe/kayak/boat/jeep trekking trip, it'd be awesome.

 

[teddy12b]

I've seen them, but they aren't made for prolonged rucking. They put all the weight on your shoulders. For a canoe/kayak/boat/jeep trekking trip, it'd be awesome.

Agree 100%. Next to zero support for any load in the bag, but depending on the application it could be handy.

For me it's a short walk to the kayak, but a shoulder strap would be nice. Once I get to the kayak, I'm done carrying it. I'll probably never buy one because it's hard to justify when I've already got a 30L sealline dry bag I don't use enough.

 

[littletommy]

I tried out the single sling pack type bag with an engineer field bag / haversack concept. It was awesome until I walked a few miles with it and just got tired of all the weight being on one shoulder instead of both. My bag wasn't heavy it was just annoying.

I actually found this one to be fairly comfortable. Granted, didn't have a lot of weight in it, but I liked not having to wrestle my way out ofa conventional pack to get at anything. The contour of the shoulder strap needs a little breaking in, as it kinda lays at an angle, but it didn't cause any discomfort in the 12 miles of carrying it. Overall, it's not something I would replace a conventional pack with, but I'm pretty happy with it for day trips.

 

[teddy12b]

I actually found this one to be fairly comfortable. Granted, didn't have a lot of weight in it, but I liked not having to wrestle my way out ofa conventional pack to get at anything. The contour of the shoulder strap needs a little breaking in, as it kinda lays at an angle, but it didn't cause any discomfort in the 12 miles of carrying it. Overall, it's not something I would replace a conventional pack with, but I'm pretty happy with it for day trips.

I'm glad it worked for you. I know the field bag/haversack concept works for a lot of people. Here's what I had put together:
















As you can tell, there really isn't a whole bunch of stuff/gear in the bag. It was enough to start bouncing around on my hip after a while and I just went back to my good old trusty backpack.

 

[littletommy]

I have right at 30 miles on trails with the slingpack now, and, while it isn't as comfortable or versatile as my other conventional packs, I really like the thing. My normal load for a day hike is firestarting, an Esee Izula, small first aid kit, extra socks, water filter, a few bottles of water, and snacks. Last time out, I wound up rolling up my long sleeve shirt and stuffing it in the pack, too. The thing I like about the Buck pack is you can switch the shoulder strap and carry it on either shoulder.

I've carried it enough to feel comfortable with its capabilities, and I'm even gonna take it on some trails in the Smokies next month, which was one of the main reasons I gave it a try in the first place, I'll have my bigger pack with me, but I'll have the option of paring down what I want to carry and taking the smaller sling pack, which is something I've been interested in doing with my Get home gear I keep in the car.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

Any pack you get to use as an emergency gear carrier should be large enough so that when you've opened all those "emergency" kits, the bag will still hold their contents AND that extra layer of clothing you may be carrying or wearing during inclement weather.

 

[RichardG]

Thanks to all for the shared experience. You'very saved me time and most importantly money. Best regards.

 

[CRAIGSTER]

Not a lot of talk about blending in with the surroundings though. If SHTF I want to look like the least prepared guy while I make my escape.

 

[Meister]

Not a lot of talk about blending in with the surroundings though. If SHTF I want to look like the least prepared guy while I make my escape.

Depends on who you talk to. More than one kit is best. Tacticool will only get you so far, especially if you live in an urban or suburban area.

Bugged Out Blog: Cache Contents and Strategy # 3-Grey Man

 

[Emiller]

Not a lot of talk about blending in with the surroundings though. If SHTF I want to look like the least prepared guy while I make my escape.

Lol good idea, never really thought about that.