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Phillosoph

Debugging Your Bug-Out Bag: 4 Other Stuff

So far, this series has dealt with shelter, sleeping, clothing, food, water and cooking.
In what will probably be the final part of the series, I am going to look at a few other considerations.
Many of my other recommendations will echo those in my articles on foundation survival kits.

Making a List, Checking It Twice

In Part 2 I mentioned grabbing fresh food from the kitchen and adding it to your bag.
Realistically, it is not likely that everything you will want will be ready packed in your bag.
There may be important documents or personal items you will want to take with you.
There may be things you will want to do before you leave, if time permits. Turning the gas and water supply off will reduce the damage to the house that might occur while you are away, for example.
Sit down, and make a list of things you will want to do before bugging out. List things you will want to add to your bag, and their location. Then leave your list for a day or so. Other things are bound to occur to you.
Then reorganize your list by location. In the kitchen, you will need to do this, and this, and take this, for example.
Once you are happy with your list, sleep on it, then add anything else that occurred. Print it out in large font.
You may be stressed and hurried if you have to use it. Make it clear and easy to read.

Radio

Many BOB lists suggest having a radio receiver so that you may listen to weather reports and other emergency broadcasts.
For obvious reasons, such a radio should not be too heavy or bulky.
Examples that use a hand crank power source and/or solar charging are available. Many of these also act as flashlights and phone chargers.
If the device has solar charging, you may want to come up with a way to carry it where it gets its required dose of sunlight.
Make sure that any design you buy can receive the emergency broadcasts for the region and country that you will be operating it in.

Flashlight

You may have brought a 1000 candlepower “special forces” tactical flashlight that can survive a nuclear blast and immersion in the Marianas trench.
It won’t be much use if the battery is flat.
At least one of your light sources with your bug out bag should be hand cranked.

Fire

Have a fire kit in your pack. This will supplement the fire kit you carry on your person, some of which will be part of your EDC.
Hexamine blocks have a very long shelf life, so having a pack in your bag as firelighters or as an alternative fuel is a good idea.
The alcohol gel for your stove may also be used for firelighting.
Kukri, Mora Companion and Fire Kit.

Tools

Your survival knife(s), penknife etc should be carried on your person. The small pouch in the photo above contains a sharpening stone and a fire kit.
A hiking pole or staff is worth having.
The pack carries tools that are less often needed. Unless you are in the jungle, your machete will likely ride in or on your pack until needed.
If you live in the colder, wooded latitudes, an axe may be more useful than a machete. A three quarter or Hudson Bay model is often suggested as a good compromise between utility and portability.
Digging tools are carried in the pack and only transferred to one's person when use is expected.
A crowbar is useful in urban areas, and makes a passable digging stick.
As advised in Part 2 of this series, carrying some lengths of cordage of various types and sizes is prudent.

Wash Kit

Since we are talking about a 72 hour scenario, our wash kit should be very basic.
Toothbrush, small tube of toothpaste, half a bar of soap, one razor, perhaps a small plastic mirror and a microfibre flannel.
That is all you really need in a 72 hour emergency scenario.
All this will fit in a small drawcord mesh bag.
Fit the bag in a small sandwich box and you may use the box as a wash bowl.
A tenugui or microfibre towel rides elsewhere in the pack so that it can dry.
We are trying to keep our load light, so consider a children’s toothbrush, a cut down adult brush or one of the travel toothbrushes. Some of the latter come with a really tiny tube of toothpaste!
No shaving foam, you can use the soap. It is debatable if you actually need the razor in a 72 hour emergency scenario. You probably won’t be attending any job interviews!
You can survive 72 hours without shampoo (or use the soap!)
A stick of deodorant, however, may be appreciated if you share your shelter!
A supply of feminine hygiene items may need to be included in your BOB. These have alternate uses such as fire lighting or as wound dressings.

First Aid

Suggestions for first aid kits for bug out bags often go over the top.
I have seen recommendations that a bug out bag include a full stainless steel surgical kit, a couple of reference books on medicine and surgery (680 pages between them!), diethyl ether, saline solution, a thermometer and so on.
Your first aid kit is mainly there for cuts, grazes, sprained ankles and such.
My own travel kit, which I have used for trips of more than three weeks (504 hours!) is shown here. The lice comb may not be necessary for a 72 hour kit. I hope to never need it!
Some disposable gloves in a Zio‑lock bag and a CPR face shield might be useful additions.
Robert dePugh stated that the basis of a good first aid kit was water purification tablets, aspirin, soap and a toothbrush.
In addition to pain relief, aspirin can treat fevers, inflammation and cold and flu symptoms.
Soap is in your wash kit. It is a far better antiseptic than hand‐sanitizer or most other things you are likely to have available.

Use Soap and Water
Yes, Soap Is Better than Hand Sanitizer
No, Soap Is Not Infectious!

The toothbrush is probably also with your wash kit.
Some water purification tablets should be carried on your person, others with one of your water containers.
To that list I would recommend adding some plasters, alcohol wipes and a roller bandage.
A twisted or sprained ankle is no fun when you have a backpack, hence the roller bandage. In addition to conventional plasters, have a few feet of elasticated plaster tape that is useful for the minor cuts to the fingers that accompany careless knife use.
A little tin of Vaseline is also useful for chaps and chaffing.
Both the Vaseline and alcohol wipes may assist in fire lighting.
A snake bite kit should be carried where venomous snakes are a likely hazard. Have a bee-sting kit if anyone in your party is allergic.
If you expect combat, you should have shell dressings, a CAT tourniquet and an CI-IFAK kit, but these items are more useful carried on your person, not in your pack.
I am of the opinion that any activity that involves knives and hand tools should have some plasters readily available.
Likewise, any activity where guns or bows are involved should have some shell dressings and similar nearby.
If you take any personal medications, place them on your list and add them to your bag or clothing pockets when you bug out.
Your “internal medical kit” should be “fully stocked”. Ensure all relevant vaccinations are up to date.

Paperwork

Have a roll or two of toilet paper.
Put each in a Zip‑lock bag to keep them dry and carry a tube of hand‑sanitizer with one.
Your hand‑sanitizer should be 60 to 95% alcohol, both for its antiseptic properties and to ensure it is flammable. Sanitizer and toilet paper are both possible aids to fire lighting.
In addition to the items in the bug out bag, have a Zip‑lock bag with a number of paper napkins or sheets of toilet paper on your person. I have this in the right cargo pocket of my trousers.

Books

Whether to take any books in your BOB is up to you. Most books claimed to be “ideal for your bug-out bag” are nothing of the kind.
My travel emergency kit does include a pocket edition of the “SAS Survival Handbook”. Greenbank's “The Survival Handbook” or “AFM 64-5” are good alternatives.
A book on identifying edible plants in your area might be considered.

Repairs and Spares

Repairs and Spares were described in the article on rucksack packing.
You do not need the bulky “housewives” offered by some merchants.
You just need a couple of needles, already threaded with a metre or so of invisible thread. A couple of safety pins. A couple of rucksack buckles. A few metres of electrical and duct tape. Perhaps a couple of buttons, a neutral-coloured cloth patch and a tube of super glue. All these fit in a little Zip‑lock bag.
No need for folding scissors. I have a penknife with scissors on my belt and another on my keyring.
For heavier repairs I use dental floss. I have a reel of this in my EDC and also some in my wash kit. Ensure one of your needles has an eye large enough to take dental floss and thicker materials you might improvise.
Other items to include in your bug out bag: spare compass, goggles/sunglasses, spare glasses, plastic mirror for signalling, whistle, ear plugs, notepad, sunscreen, insect repellent.
Some of these items are backup or spares for items carried on your person.
A few extra space blankets may prove useful. Find room for several large plastic bags (clear are most versatile), and some additional Zip‑lock bags.
To Part One
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Phillosoph

Debugging Your Bug-Out Bag: 3 Clothing

Conceivably, the need to bug out may occur when you are in the shower, or snug in your bed.
You will need to wear something other than your current garb! (Although admittedly pyjamas seem to have worked well for the Viet Cong!)Polycotton Long-Johns
In previous articles, I have talked about having an outfit to bug out in. These may either be kept with your bug‑out bag (BOB), or in your BOB and changed into when there is time.
At the very least, you should have a good coat and pair of boots near your bag. Packing these items in your bag will take up space you could use for other items.
Your boots should be in good condition, but broken in.
It is not a bad idea to have a pair of socks with them, ready to put on. Socks may be used to form a “nightcap” over the top of boots to hinder the entry of scorpions and other critters. A plastic bag over the top keeps the moths from feasting on your good wool socks.
It is wise to give your boots a good shake before putting them on anyway.
Tropentarn Camouflage
I suggest a good coat rather than a jacket. I intend to use my desert parka, adding the warm liner if needed.
Some books suggest your main coat or jacket be a breathable waterproof. These may be insufficiently breathable or hot in warm weather. If you wear your waterproof all the time the chances of it getting damaged are higher, and they tend to be very expensive!
In anticipation of its use, various useful items are already packed into the pockets of my parka. These are not EDC items, but supplements to the EDC items I carry in/with my trousers.
Parka contents include: neck-gaiter/headover, scrim scarf/veil, merkalon gloves, compass with sighting mirror, plastic mirror/heliograph, wire-saw, space blanket, cotton string/tinder, butane lighter. On a neck cord with a ferro-rod and striker are a whistle, snap-link and photon light.
Typically a warm hat, bandana and keffiyeh is nearby.
Various items from the BOB are likely to migrate to the parka or trousers so they are more accessible.
Kukri, Mora Companion and Fire Kit.
Also with the bag I have a hip‑belt with my kukri, Mora, sharpening stone and a small fire kit mounted on it.

Clothing

This topic of clothing to keep with your bug-out-bag I have previously discussed in my blog on “Dressing for Bug-Out”.
This blog will concentrate on what clothing to have in your bag.
A bug‑out bag is intended to support you for 72 hours, so you will not need that many changes of clothing.
On the other hand, wind, rain and sun can kill you in a few hours if your clothing is not suitable.
How much clothing to carry when travelling light?
Opinions differ here.
My theory is that you should have at least one complete change of clothing, since you should expect an unexpected dunking.
Some soldiers wear one set of clothing during the day and change into their alternate set to sleep, letting the day set dry and air. Kephart suggested a similar strategy.

Have a Change of Clothes

It is not practical to carry a spare parka, but a spare shirt/tunic and trousers will take little room inside a pack.
You should have two sets of undergarments, a “wear and a spare”, appropriate for season and climate.
Thermal underwear is great when it is really cold. Under most conditions it will have you sweaty and miserable. Have intermediate options.

Socks

One of the first clothing purchases for your bug-out bag that you should make is to invest in three or four pairs of good quality woollen socks. You will get nowhere without your feet.
Four pairs let you change into a drier pair whenever necessary. You may double up if it is unexpectedly cold. Two pairs of medium weight socks will be warmer than a single extremely thick pair.
A couple of extra (cheaper?) pairs of socks are worth the weight and may be tucked into various locations to pad other gear, stop things rattling etc.
For very cold conditions, have two pairs of boot insoles and alternate them. One pair airs and dries while the other pair is worn. Punch a hole in them so you can tie them to something when airing.
Similarly, sew loops of ribbon to your socks so they may be tied to the outside of your pack while drying.

Rain Poncho

Have a rain-poncho or two. If your poncho is in a pouch or has a pocket, keep a couple of lengths of paracord with it. These will be handy when rigging your poncho as a shelter.
Pocho Shelters
If it is very windy, one of these cords may be used as a belt for your poncho.
I always have a couple of spans of bootlace or cord in my left trouser pocket, and these may be used with the poncho in the same fashion.
Accessories such as hats, scarf and gloves may make the difference between comfort and catastrophe. Have spares!

Gloves

You should carry protective gloves and warm gloves. Glove liners are useful when you need more dexterity or it is especially cold.
When the wind is high or the mercury low, losing a glove can be serious. Have a spare set of gloves may save you using spare socks as mittens.
Sew a loop of ribbon, webbing or elastic to each of your gloves. You can attach them to your coat cuffs using a safety pin. This is probably more secure than the clips sold for the same purpose.
Or tie the gloves to a cord run down your sleeves and across your shoulders.

Headwear

Hats are another item it is wise to carry spares of. Extra woolly hat or headover in the cold, extra hat with brim in sun. In some parts of the world you may want a rainhat!
Pack a watch-cap with your sleeping gear as a nightcap.
Don’t let the wind steal your head-coverings! Buy a metre or two of elastic and add hat-straps to the hats that do not have them.
Carry several bandannas (some on your person) and a spare keffiyeh or scarf, depending on climate and season. Bandannas are another practical way to stop gear rattling, and serve as water filters, havelocks, oven gloves etc.

Eye Protection

Your bug-out bag should include goggles and/or sunglasses. In some environments these will be very important, so have spares. In such conditions carry one set on your person and your spares in your bag.

Hi-Viz

I prefer my clothing to be neutral or natural shades.
There will be times when you very much want to be seen, however.
A hi-viz jerkin with reflective tape weighs little and packs up small. You cannot really use this while wearing your poncho, so I would also recommend an orange or red cap or woolly hat.
There are hi-viz rucksack covers that increase your visibility when viewed from the rear. These might not fit if you have a lot of gear on the outside of your pack. In this case, have a panel of hi-viz material and reflective tape with ties that may be knotted around your rucksac straps.
This panel may be used as a flag to attract rescuers to your camp site.
If walking along roadways, walk on the side of oncoming traffic.
Part 4
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Phillosoph

Debugging Your Bug-Out Bag: 2 Sustenance

Food and Cooking

A bug-out is not going to be three square meals a day with a choice of ice cream flavours!
For a bug-out bag, most of the food should be capable of being consumed without cooking. A significant part should be food you can consume on the move.
Long shelf-life without the need for refrigeration or freezing is a priority.
MREs are an expensive and somewhat bulky way to stay fed for 72 hours. You will also be lugging around weight and junk you do not need such as multiple spoons, instant coffee and chewing gum.
Soldiers often strip down their MREs before a patrol. Vast amounts of fuel and money could be saved if many of these items were not included in the first place!
Stripping down the MREs for a bug-out bag beforehand is not really practical since you will violate the packaging and affect the shelf-life.
Possibly the best feature of MREs is the provision of flame-less heating pouches.
There are lots of other foods that meet the above criteria, many of them available down the supermarket. I suggest you read DePugh’s comments on food selection.
Some possible things to provision your BOB include:
Dried or semi-dried food such as sultanas, apricots and banana flakes.
Matzos.
Rolled Oats/Porridge: One of the few grains that can be eaten without cooking.
Cured or smoked sausage.
Tinned meats such as Spam, corned beef etc.
Trail mix (has a relatively short shelf life, but use it if you have it).
Home-made Jerky (a good stock of the store bought stuff may be expensive, so make your own!)
Cereal bars.You can make your own.
Lifeboat Biscuits.
Pinole (easily made from polenta).
Malt barley.
Note that many of these are “go-foods” which may be consumed on the move.
If you are not in immediate danger, add fresh foods you may have in the house. Priorities are fruit, cheese, bread, jams, butter, and cooked meats.
Carbs, fats and sugars: The end of the world is no time to keep to the diet!
Carry a bag of hard candy/boiled sweets. One of these can give you a quick boost when you are flagging.
Don’t waste space and money on vitamin supplements. Vitamin deficiency is not going to be a major threat in 72 hours!
While carrying a bug-out bag and its contents will consume energy, many reading this will be used to eating larger meals and more frequently than they need to. You can go a lot further on less than you might think.
In addition to the above, you may wish to put together a “brew kit”. In certain conditions hot liquids are much more than just a morale boost.
Have tea bags and coffee bags. If civilisation is ending you don’t want the last thing you drink to be yucky instant pseudo-coffee!
Add some variety such as hot chocolate mix, stock cubes, packet-soups and even some blocks of instant noodles.
If water supplies are a concern, sugars and starches take less water to digest than fats. Eating tends to stimulate thirst. Eating less food if water is restricted is usually prudent, and appetite is often reduced in vary hot weather, so the quantity of food may be reduced in favour of more water.
Many of us are carrying extra weight around our middles, so a couple of days on light rations will not harm us. A couple of days without adequate water will!

Boiling Water

Even if you do not carry a brew kit, some means to heat water to render it safe to drink will be needed.
This is another area where bad advice is common. I have seen recommendations to boil for twenty minutes and allow to stand for another twenty! The WHO standard specifies a rolling boil for ten minutes.This is not a strictly scientific criteria and is deliberate overkill. (This criteria may have been updated since I was educated!) Ten minutes is not really practical if your fuel supply is limited.
Generally, your actual requirement is to pasteurize your water (kill pathogens) rather than sterilize it. This may be done by heating water to 65°C for six minutes. More practically, since the pasteurization process is exponential, bringing water to a rolling boil (100°C) for a few seconds has the same effect. That is how humans have been pasteurizing water (and making tea) for thousands of years.
I am a qualified microbiologist (be it an old one!), but don’t take my word for it, do some research of your own. Many sites on solar cooking have information on water pasteurization and SODIS, and may have links to scientific papers on the topic.
German Mess Kit with Insert
A European mess kit is a better choice for cooking and boiling than a canteen cup. It will treat a more useful quantity of water and may be hung above a fire. It may also be used as a bucket to fetch water, collect berries and similar.
The interior of your mess kit may be packed with your brew kit and other items.
I would not recommend carrying your stove and fuel inside your cooking vessel, even if bagged up.
A mess kit or canteen cup is a pack item, not belt-kit.

Stove

A stove will be needed for when a fire cannot be used.
Alcohol gel stoves are probably the best option for your bug-out-bag.
Some of these resemble small paint cans with a pot stand. Other models of stove, such as the Crusader cup stoves, mini-Trangia and Trangia Triangle will work with either alcohol gel or solid fuel blocks. The Trangia stoves and the Esbit folding stoves can be modified to use gel by adding a metal dish for the fuel. Some solid alcohol blocks work with the standard Esbit stove.
Solid fuel blocks or gel may also be used to help light more traditional fires.
Other designs of stove, pot support or burning dish are easily constructed.
You may use your stove while the pot handle hangs from a stick or other support. This is useful when your cooking space is not totally level, or your pot is likely to get knocked.
Air Ministry Pamphlet “Desert Survival” 225:
Paragraph 11. The following items, in addition to water, should be carried if possible: heliograph, signal pistol and cartridges or flares, a small reliable compass, maps (indicating roads and sources of water if possible), tinted flying goggles or sun glasses, head covering, knife, matches, salt tablets, a minimum of concentrated emergency rations, first aid kit, anti-burn cream, torch, warm clothing (for use at night), and.a pair of strong boots. A useful maxim to bear in mind is “always fly in the boots in which you intend walking home”.

Water

You will need some means to carry water, the quantity depending on climate and availability. In arid and semi-arid conditions water is one of your priorities. In the jungle or Pacific Northwest there may be more water around than you care for.
Water consumption should not exceed water loss. When water supplies are a concern, minimize water loss. “Ration Sweat”. Cover your head and exposed skin. Stick to the shade. Hike or work at night.
When water is scarce, priority is for drinking rather than washing or cooking. Washing should be restricted to washing wounds and cleaning the hands before eating or medical procedures.
Each litre of water you carry will weigh one kilo/ 2.2 lbs, not including the container.
A water bladder with a drinking tube is recommended, since it allows you to drink on the move without needing to remove or unpack your pack. Stay hydrated!
A hydration pack is a water bladder with carrying straps, so it can be worn as a small pack when you are not wearing your rucksack. The hydration pack should either fit in or onto the outside of your rucksack when you are wearing the latter.
You only really need one bladder with a drinking tube in your bug-out-bag. The rest of your water may be carried in containers such as large soda bottles, which saves a few pennies. Refill your water bladder from the soda bottles as needed.
There are various pros and cons regarding keeping the water bottles in your bug-out-bag already filled.
Firstly, any water kept for an extended period should have a few drops of unscented bleach added to it. This sterilizes the water and harmlessly decays down into water and hint of salt over time. I would not keep water in water bladders when they are not in use.
Plastic components leaching into the stored water has been raised as an objection. According to scientific studies this is a very minor worry. If a nearby volcano or the local nuclear plant is about to blow, this may be fairly low on your list of worries!
There may not be time to fill-up your water bottles before you go. The mains water supply may have been cut off, or toxic waste dumped into the water supply by your friendly local industry may be the reason you are evacuating.
Filling the bottles in your bug-out-gear in a supply of water you stored for the purpose has been suggested. Presumably some people intend to use non-plastic bottles. Finding non-plastic storage bottles larger than a litre may be difficult. That may be a lot of bottles you will need to find room for!
Obviously, if storing water long term, use water that is as clean and clear as possible. Preboil it if possible. Reoxygenate it as described on the SODIS protocol before topping up and adding bleach or purification tablets.
Leaving the filled and sealed bottles standing in strong sunlight for a day or so will not hurt.
While most of your water should be in your pack, you should have a reserve on your person to carry when you are away from your main pack.
Hydration packs or canteens with slings are good, but there will be temptation to put them down. Slings or carrying straps may get caught on undergrowth and branches.
A canteen in a belt pouch may make sloshing noises that will give your presence away or alert game. A water bladder in a belt pouch may be a better option.
Smaller bottles, such as the US pilot’s flask (One US pint) can be carried in a large pocket.
With your water supply you might decide to carry a dew-sponge, length of plastic tube, and a bandanna/cloth to be used for initial filtration.
Your bug-out-bag should have a good supply of water-purification tablets for instances when you cannot heat treat your water. Get the sort intended for travellers, where a single tablet treats one litre of water. Some varieties treat 5 or 200 litres per tablet!
Water purification pumps are possibly not necessary for an individual travelling light in a 72 hour scenario, but useful for a squad or group or for a longer trip. Such water will still need chemical or heat treatment. Filtration will remove many harmful organisms but cannot remove all viruses.
Simple Spring Snare Trap
Recommendations for trapping and fishing gear for a bug-out bag can also get quite extensive.
In many bug-out scenarios there may not be time or suitable conditions for trapping and fishing. Trapping and fishing involves staying in an area for some time, when in a bug-out travelling may be a priority.
My EDC includes a six-span length of braided fishing line and 22 hooks on nylon. If I was expecting to venture into the wilds, I might add some additional gear to my EDC. I will talk about that another day. Today I am discussing what to carry in your bug-out-bag.
Brass wire suitable for making snares may be used for repairs or for other purposes, so a ten metre coil has a place in your bug-out bag.
A generous amount of braided fishing line also has many other applications. You might as well pack whatever was left on the reel once you had constructed your EDC fishing lines.
Some advise to also have a spool of light monofilament or flurocarbon line for when fish are shy of a braided or heavy line. All my hooks are on nylon and in a survival/bug-out situation I am most likely to be night fishing, so I expect line visibility will not be a major problem.
It is not a bad idea to fill the nooks and crannies of your bag with various types of cordage: ball of cotton string, bundle of bankline, hank of paracord.
Fishing hooks and lures cost little and take up little room, so have a good supply. They will be no great burden even if you do not have a chance to use them. All should already be tied to nylon leaders or fitted with snap-swivels.
A bundle of wire leaders will be useful if you find yourself lucky enough to be fishing for bigger, sharp-toothed fish. Long leaders may also be used as snares.
I am a little dubious about carrying fishing rods and other items intended for active angling. There are easier methods for catching fish. If travelling the most likely technique will be setting a night line while sleeping.
A fishing gig and a net are useful if you are certain that you will be fishing.
Most gigs I have seen have a screw fitting. You will need to modify this so you have a socket that may be mounted on a stick.
In Brazil, my girlfriend would use a net she called a “pulsa”. Her description sounds like a circular lift net, but it would be thrown out over the water like a frisbee and then hauled back, effectively trawling. Similar nets fold up to a size compatible with a large pack.
As far as active hunting goes, you may not have time if the emergency requires you to move fast or travel far.
All the chaos and human activity may make game shy, or they may have bugged out themselves before humans woke-up to the danger.
A hand catapult takes up little room in a bag, although you may have little opportunity to hunt with it. It could be useful in driving off aggressive dogs.
A .22 hunting rifle may not see much use either.
In a 72 hour bug-out scenario, other human beings are likely to be more of a problem than hunger. This should be figured into what firearms you decide to take with you.
Part Three
Categories
Phillosoph

Debugging Your Bug-Out Bag: 1 Sleep Tight

There are literally hundreds of books and websites telling you how to put together a 72 hour kit/Bug-Out Bag (BOB).
Generally I have tried to address less common topics.
Having recently seen just how bad some of these BOB suggestions are, I now feel inclined to share some thoughts and suggestions on a few topics.
If you are putting together a Bug-Out Bag (BOB) I suggest you first have a read of Robert DePugh’s observations on food and gear.
Then have a browse of Kephart’s Summer and Autumn Outfits. Several chapters of Kephart’s book are well worth a read before progressing.
Kephart’s mentor Nessmuk has several passages that provide further insight of what could be achieved more than a century ago:
"Fine woolen cassimere of medium thickness for coat, vest and pantaloons, with no cotton lining. Color, slate gray or dead­leaf (either is good). Two soft, thick woolen shirts; two pairs of fine, but substantial, woolen drawers; two pairs of strong woolen socks or stockings; these are what you need, and all you need in the way of clothing for the woods, excepting hat and boots, or gaiters."
"My own load, including canoe, extra clothing, blanket­bag, two days’ rations, pocket­axe, rod and knapsack, never exceeded 26 pounds; and I went prepared to camp out any and every night." [Including canoe!]
"I made calculations on losing the trail the first day, and being out a full week. The outfit consisted of rifle, hatchet, compass, blanket­bag, knapsack and knife. For rations, one loaf of bread, two quarts of meal, two pounds of pork, one pound of sugar, with tea, salt, etc., and a supply of jerked venison. One tin dish, twelve rounds of ammunition, and the bullet­molds, filled the list, and did not make a heavy load."
AFM 64-5 (1952) advises:
Don't overload; a 25-30 pound sack should carry all you need except in the Arctic in winter. Try to carry as many of the following items as possible: matches or lighter, candle, compass, necessary maps, airplane first-aid kit, notebook and pencil — all in waterproof containers — machete or stout knife, water, food, signal mirror, sunglasses, watch, small bottle of gasoline, gun and ammunition, wire or shroud lines, extra socks.
Arctic: In the winter, in addition to the essentials recommended above, carry a sleeping bag, parka, mittens, snowshoes, or skis, and mukluks. In summer don't forget mosquito netting and repellent, extra clothing (socks especially) and shoepacs. Wear sunglasses when sun is high on snow surface. Keep feet dry, summer and winter.
Desert: Water is the most important factor in desert survival. Carry along all you can — even at the expense of leaving behind some food and other equipment. Take along a piece of parachute to serve as a sunshade during the day; carry some extra clothing for the cold nights.
Tropics: The most useful aids to travel in the tropics are a machete, to help cut your way, find food, make a raft; a compass, for maintaining direction; a first aid kit, to keep you going in the face of fever and the risk of infection; stout shoes, that will save your feet and enable you to walk out; and a hammock.
Greenbank also recommends a 30 lb load, although he may have been influenced by AFM 64-5.
The US DOD definition of “manportable” is that an item is less than 14 kg/31 lbs. Of course, many soldiers get lumbered with several “manportable” items along with a heap of other gear!
Your bag may be heavier than this, but it is a good target to aim for. 
How to pack a rucksack I have described previously. Ideally, you want a large pack, packed light. The sleeping kit suggested belowis bulky, but relatively light. The mass of denser items carried above it helps compress it.
I will work on the common premise that a bug-out-bag is designed to keep you going for 72 hours until you reach safety or an emergency response has been organized.
I will limit myself to bag contents. Elsewhere I have discussed what to have with your bag..

Sleeping and Shelter

If you do not already have a rucksack you intend to use, it may be prudent to assemble your sleeping and shelter gear before you purchase your rucksack.
Your goal is a roomy pack, lightly packed.
How much room your sleeping and shelter gear takes up, and how you carry it will influence how much other stuff you take with you.
I hear of soldiers and some outdoor types omitting their sleeping gear and resigning themselves to being uncomfortable and having a bad night's sleep. This is not really advisable.
We spend at least a third of our time sleeping. Not getting a good sleep may very adversely affect our performance when awake. You may need to be at your best!

Poncho Liner or Blanket

At the very minimum, you will need a blanket or poncho-liner. These may also serve as a warm garment, and may be modified to better serve in this role.
A blanket or poncho-liner may be combined with other sleeping items for additional warmth.
Man in Poncho0liner
In a tactical scenario a blanket or poncho-liner will keep you warm but may be immediately discarded if necessary.
Many soldiers who “rough-it” could have simply thrown a ponch-liner over themselves.
This conjures up a nice image of the first sergeant doing his rounds and tucking in exhausted grunts. Aww!

Sleeping Bags

Unless you live in the tropics, you will need to have a 1 to 2 or 2-season sleeping bag and a 2 to 3 or 3-season bag for colder conditions. Select which best suits the anticipated conditions.
Which to buy first? Let the current season be your guide.
When it is colder, the bags may be used in combination with each other, and/or with the poncho-liner/blanket.
If you want your BOB ready to go at a moment’s notice, have the sleeping bag appropriate for the current season packed in your rucksack while the other “rests” uncompressed. This will prolong the life and performance of your bags.
Supposably, down bags pack smaller and are more tolerant of being compressed for long periods of time.
If you live where it is more often wet than cold, a synthetic bag may be a better choice.
Select according to your budget and local conditions.
A sleeping bag liner keeps your bedding cleaner. There are silk and fleece versions that may increase the temperature range of your sleeping system.
Your sleeping kit should also include a pair of sandbags or similar. If you have to sleep in your boots, cover your boots with the sandbags.
Have a woolly hat or headover to serve as a nightcap.

Kip Mats

The ground will probably be cold and wet at night. A kip mat costs little and will make a big difference to your comfort.
There are alternatives such as self-inflating mattresses. It is debatable if the expense is justified if the item is permanently to be kept in a BOB.
A rolled kip mat does not need heavy duty straps. I used a couple of polyester ribbons and buckles for one of mine. If you know your basic knots as you should, you can use a length of cord. The cord may be put to other purposes while the mat is in use.
Kip mats are often rolled and carried strapped to the outside of a bag. Unless kept in a camouflage sack, they compromise your camouflage.
They are also somewhat vulnerable in this position. Many soldiers do not bother carrying them since they are likely to be ripped away while the rucksack is hung on the outside of a vehicle.
A rucksack that is large enough to accommodate a foldied kip mat is obviously an advantage. The mat provides additional padding against the back.
If you do lose your kip mat, try stuffing a bin-bag full of leaves or similar. Your rucksack should have half a dozen large bin-bags. They have numerous uses.

Bivi-Bags

Bivi-bags seem to get much less attention than they used to.
A bivi-bag will keep you dry and a little warmer when it is not possible to rig a shelter. The variants with a lengthwise opening are probably a little easier to exit in a hurry. For the same reasons, I do not recommend “hooped bivis”, which are actually tube tents.
When on the move, stick the bivi-bag in the bottom of your rucksack and cram your sleeping bag(s) into it.
Most bivi-bags are green or green dominant camouflages. They seem to spend a lot of this time on brown forest floors!

Poncho/Basha

When practical, you can use your bivi-bag in combination with a poncho or basha.
Pocho Shelters
This keeps the rain from pooling on your bivi-bag and gives you some shelter when dressing or cooking.
You will also need pegs, some cordage and/or bungees. If it is really windy, you may need to peg down your kip mat and/or bivi-bag, so have enough pegs.
You will need some support poles for when Mother Nature neglects to provide conveniently located trees.
In the desert, or very cold conditions, use a double canopy above you for added insulation. A space blanket, spare poncho etc may be used.

Hammocks

If your evacuation will take you through jungle or wooded areas, a lightweight hammock may prove handy.
Potentially, a net hammock can be used to fish, although the holes are on the large side in many examples I have seen.
Nets may also be used to catch rabbits if you can “smoke” them out of their warrens.
Twisted, a hammock may serve as an emergency rope.
Locations where you might use a hammock often also require mosquito netting. Biting insects can be a concern in colder latitudes too, however.

Tents

A poncho shelter gives you good situational awareness, which is prudent if bad people might try and take your stuff or do stuff to you. Emergencies are likely to bring out both the best and worst of humanity!
In some climates or seasons a tent is necessary.
Single person tents tend to be cramped, so you will probably end up rigging a poncho shelter in addition.
Crawling in and out of a small tent can be a slow process. If you need to exit a bivi-bag quickly, stand up and let it drop.
“One Plus One” tents are designed to be roomier for a solo traveller, yet can accommodate two people if they get on well.
If you intend to bug-out as part of a group, two-person tents may be warranted.
Dividing the components of a tent between two people is generally not a good idea. If a pair are separated neither has a complete shelter.
The exception to this are tents made from military shelter halves. Each half may be used as a lean-to.
One person should carry the full two-person tent while the other carries individual emergency shelter items. The tent carrier’s load may be lightened by their partner carrying a greater proportion of the food or water.
Categories
Phillosoph

Coveralls: A Dose of Mono

I was watching an episode of MacGyver where they break into a museum to steal a jade dragon. No gloves, and they go in through a ventilation duct. All high security buildings have spotlessly clean air ducts large enough to accommodate fully grown men, naturally.
Miliciana wearing monos
In such a situation, I think to myself, drab-colour coveralls would probably a very good idea.
After the heist, the coveralls may be discarded to eliminate forensic evidence and change appearance. Anyone who looks like they have been crawling through dirty air ducts is going to draw attention.
Also, dressed in drab-coloured “boiler suits”, anyone that does see you may assume they are seeing maintenance or cleaners. You are probably less likely to be challenged than someone in wandering around in civies or a black polo neck.
The approach or departure to the target building may involve moving though rural terrain or parkland. A drab-coloured coverall provides a measure of camouflage in such conditions.
As an aside, I know of an airgunner who used to hunt wearing a pilot's flight suit. It was a single colour, but the loose cut created folds and patches of shade that tended to break up his shape. Fooled the bunnies, anyhow!
Around the same day as I was watching that Macgyver episode, I had been reading one of James White's “Sector General” books.
Implied in the book was that Monitor Corps personnel spend a lot of time wearing coveralls. Since most of the Monitor Corps in the books are spaceship crews or perform maintenance on the hospital station, and changing into environmental suits is fairly common, this makes good sense.
If I was designing a military-style organization from scratch, a range of coveralls for general and working wear seems a good start. Like the Spanish nearly a century ago, it may be found they are useful for field wear too.
That night, a Ghostbusters movie comes on. Dark tan coveralls are their uniform.
Before was an episode of Knight Rider, and it looks like the henchmen are wearing dark blue coveralls with a beret and police belt.
I also watched the Indian movie “Fighter”, where everyone is wearing flight suits, even if they are just cadets marching around the academy grounds.
At least two or three Bond films have the henchman spear-carriers in coveralls.
Synchronicity, or is the universe telling me to write about coveralls?

Coveralls, Overalls, Boiler Suits and Jump Suits

In British English, coverall and overall are essentially interchangeable. Americans reserve “overall” for the bib-and-brace type garment that paradoxically leaves the arms and shoulders uncovered. Brits usually call the latter “dungarees”, not to be confused with the USMC garments of the same name! Mia Goth demonstrates American overalls don't cover all below:
Mia Goth in dungarees/overalls
“Boiler suit” is another term for a coverall, unless aircrew are wearing them, when they become flight suits. Jumpsuits tend to be a snugger cut, particularly if used for free-fall jumps.
Honourable mention goes to the siren suits that helped many Brits through the Blitz.

Raider Wear

Another episode of MacGyver features Treasury men raiding a nightclub. This provides the bizarre spectacle of men in suits and ties lugging around a battering ram.
You would think that a “non-uniform” law enforcement organization would have a few “riot coveralls” or “squad suits” for such occasions.
As well as the obvious protective benefits, having a few people in such garb would at least provide some uniformed presence and prevent an operation being mistaken for a mafia outing.
An old Shomer‑Tec catalogue I have describes the Topps Squad Suit as “a rugged, low‑cost, professional‑looking garment that can be worn over, or in place of, a uniform during demanding operations.” and suggests keeping one in a patrol vehicle.
The coverall would need some form of distinction. “Law Enforcement” on a back panel would encompass the needs of most potential users. Velcro patches on sleeves and breast for more specific identification.
Elsewhere I have discussed the influence of police uniform colour on both the wearers and those they interact with. The Topps Squad Suit and many similar items come in black or very dark blue. This would be very uncomfortable in sunny locations, and looks very fascist, which may be counter productive. Dark colours also really show up any dirt.
In many parts of the world many civilians dress dark, so there is a potential for misidentification.
A coverall in police blue-green would be useful, and be an economical way to introduce and experiment with the concept.
Possibly the best single choice is “wolf grey”, as is used already by some police tactical units. As a neutral colour, it offers some concealment in many rural or urban environments and low‑light conditions for when this is needed.

Monos

During the Spanish Civil War, many of the militias were formed from factory workers. Many fought in their work overalls and coveralls, known as “monos”. Monos were found in greys, browns and khakis, but many of those of industrial origin were dark blue. One anti-fascist publication even called itself “El Mono Azul”.
Republican fighters wearing overalls and coveralls (monos)
The Soviet Union, Nazi Germany and Italy (among others) supplied the combatants with tanks, aircraft and advisors. Included in the military aid supplied were coveralls for tank crews, air crews and maintenance staff.
Monos became popular, not just for crewmen and technicians, but for front-line use, and not just with the ex-factory workers.
Many Spanish police formations had elaborate duty uniforms that were not suited to hard wear and combat. Police units that traditionally wore blue often selected dark blue monos.
Browns or khaki monos were more common with more conventional military units.
While the fashion of using monos as combat wear probably began with the Republican (left-wing) factory workers, troops on both sides used them.
“Osprey Men-At-Arms 074: The Spanish Civil War 1936‑39” has a number of photos and images of Nationalist (right-wing) troops wearing monos. Osprey Men-At-Arms 498: The Spanish Civil War 1936‑39 (2) Republican Forces” notes that monos were appreciated for their pocket capacity. An International Brigade veteran recalled his comrades buying new ones before the battle of the Ebro in 1938 (MAA 498 p.44).
The Spanish CIvil War had a number of influences on military fashion, but oddly, the mono was not one.
The US Army did experiment with a one-piece jungle-fighting outfit during World War Two. Dysentery was quite common in such campaigns, so the one-piece was found to be “less than ideal” in such situations!

The Bottom Line

That brings me to a “fundamental” issue when selecting a coverall. Does it have a “bomb‑chute” or not? A number of outdoorsmen who have experimented with one‑piece outfits have failed to consider this feature!
Another common error seems to be attempting to use the pocket capacity for dense items such as water bottles and ammunition. Since coveralls are loose in cut, this often proves uncomfortable.
It occurred to me that a coverall or two might be a useful thing for an individual outdoorsman to have available, too.
Coveralls seem warm for their mass and bulk. This may be because you are trapping a single body of air that can freely circulate, rather than separate masses for the lower and upper body. Clothing riding up on your lower back is less of a problem. Coveralls can also be combined with other warm clothing, either over or under.
I suggest that for general use you buy uninsulated coveralls. It is easier to add more insulation under or over than sweat it out in milder conditions. There should be enough room to wear your coveralls over other garments.
With just a shirt and shorts beneath, a coverall should be comfortable in warmer weather.

Bug‑Out Outfits

In previous posts we have talked about the need to have a bug‑out outfit as well as a bug‑out bag. Something that you can don quickly and easily that will provide some protection from the elements and possibly help conceal you from hostile observation.
Many coveralls meet these criteria and will fit over whatever you might happen to be wearing at the time.
A good coverall usually costs less than a combat jacket. Some police riot coveralls include Goretex as well as being fire‑resistant.
If a coverall is a full‑time addition to your bug‑out kit, you can pack the pockets with useful low density gear: hats, gloves, fire kit, cordage, space blanket, compass, plastic mirror, whistle, earplugs, sun glasses and so forth.
If you are going hiking or hunting, a coverall can ride rolled up in your pack until the terrain gets rough or you are away from civilization.
Coveralls that lack a bomb‑hatch tend to be very reasonable in price, being mass produced by the thousands for painters and mechanics.
The main challenge may be finding a set in a suitable tactical colour. Army surplus outlets often have a selection, some of them being intended for tank, AFV and aircraft crewmen. Most examples are single colour, camouflage patterns in such garments being rarer.
Choice of coveralls “with bomb‑hatch” is narrower. Most of the examples I have seen have been tank- or AFV-coveralls.

My First Coverall

I am not a great fan of MTP, since it tends to blob‑out to a khaki‑drab monotone shape. On the other hand, at closer distances the pattern may make dirt or stains less obvious. I was also a little concerned the sand/beige‑coloured monotone AFV‑coveralls might be a little light for general use. I don't intend this garment as my primary camouflage, but khaki‑drab is probably the ideal monotone for British countryside.
What swung it was the MTP coveralls I was offered were cheaper than most alternatives, and were in flame-retardment material!
MTP Flame-retardent Coveralls
When the coverall arrived, I was pleasantly surprised that it was lighter in mass than I expected. I am used to military gear being on the heavy side! The cloth was actually quite soft and comfortable. I would swear it was a good quality poly/cotton, but the label says it is all aramids and other flame‑resistant stuff.
What did puzzle me was the lack of pockets. This example had only two pockets, located on the upper thighs. The examples I had been looking at definitely had chest pockets, among others.
From what I can make out, the British Army currently uses two types of AFV‑coverall.
One type (NSN 8415-99-226-0794) is currently for training only, made from poly/cotton, and of the same design as earlier monotone AFV-coveralls (NSN 8415-99-212-5330), with about a dozen pockets. The exact NATO stock number (NSN) will vary with garment size
The other type, COMBAT FR, MTP for CR2 (NSN: 8415-99-313-5415) is for combat use, made of flame‑retardant materials and of a newer design that has only two pockets!
Because of the camouflage pattern, seeing pocket details can be difficult in on-line photos. The combat coverall has no flaps on the thigh pockets. The training version does, and additional pockets on the chest, hips and lower leg. The older design has a waist drawcord (missing on my example), while the newer uses Velcro waist adjustment.
Pocket detail of the older design is easier to see on photos of the sand/beige‑coloured version.
Sand/Beige AFV-Coveralls showing pocket arrangements

Adding More Pockets

Now, I would rather have pockets and not need them than need them and not have them.
Luckily, I came across a reasonably priced damaged MTP training coverall. The coverall is too small for me, but was designed for someone of my height, so the pockets were be of the right size. Chest size was too small to fit me, but I could salvage the pockets and fit them to my flameproof coverall.
This makes my coverall slightly less flameproof, but I don't drive a tank or an F1 car, and will make an effort to avoid catching fire.
And so I spent a couple of weekends unpicking stitches and sewing pockets onto the newer coverall.
Buy the older pattern poly/cotton “training”coveralls and you can save yourself some sewing.
My coverall now has 15 pockets!
• I added a small internal pocket inside one hip pocket to hold my debit card. Also inside this pocket is a D‑ring I can hang my keys from. (The keys are mounted on a carabineer)
• Added to the left breast pocket is a loop of webbing a snap‑link can be mounted on. This folds away beneath the pen pocket flap when not needed.
The damaged and now pocketless training coverall provides me with a lot of cloth and a couple of zips and Velcro patches for other projects. I may use some of this cloth to reinforce the elbows and knee areas of my coverall. I plan to use some to add some sleeve pockets when the 12 cm zips I have ordered arrive. Armpit vent zips are another option I am considering.
Admittedly, I have not yet put the coverall to particularly challenging uses yet. I jump into it if I want to fetch something from the local shop, hence the debit card pocket and key‑hanger. I don't even need to take my dressing gown off!
It has been quite cold recently but the coverall has been comfortable with just a light hoodie thrown on over it.
Inevitably, when I get back from the shops I often lounge about in the coveralls, and have been quite comfortable without needing the heating on.

Pockets Galore

The modified coverall now has the following pocket arrangement, in addition to those already mentioned:
• Two large chest pockets, with “napoleon” zip-fastened access. Mounted on the outside of each of these is a Velcro-flapped pocket designed to hold four pen or pencil‑like objects.
• Two roomy patch hip pockets, with slanted zip-closure. Zipped pocket closures are a feature many expensive combat and outdoor trousers often lack!
• Two Velcro‑flapped thigh cargo pockets. On the outside of each is a pocket designed to hold and allow the use of a notepad when seated. These are rather like those found on flight suits, but have a sideways opening panel to hide the notepad when not in use. The notepad inserts from one side.
Notepad holder of AFV coveralls
I sewed the thigh pockets to the upper surface of the existing thigh-top pockets the coverall had. These latter pockets are roomy, bellowed and have a side‑zip, allowing them to be accessed when seated.
• There are also two roomy calf‑level cargo pockets. These are probably best used for low density items such as cordage, emergency toilet paper in a ziplock, and a space‑blanket. If I have to use bowyangs with my coverall, I may experiment with passing them under the flap of the calf pockets. Calf pockets are a logical place to store bowyangs.
Adding pockets to a coverall proved to be a relatively simple task. Despite the different material, mine were a near perfect match. It doesn't really matter if the cloth you are using is not an exact match. Variations in hue and shade will add to the disruptive effect.

Zips and Handles

The main zip of the coverall is two-way, opening at each end. This zips up all the way to the points of the collar, rather like a Norwegian Army shirt. The left side is thoughtfully provided with a flap of material that prevents the zip teeth contacting your neck or cheek when the collar is worn open. The older version lacks this flap, but it is easily added.
Decades past, I read a book or comedy skit where a character claims fly zippers were mounted the wrong way, and should pull up to open. The coverall zipper does pull up to open, and that character is actually right! It is much easier to operate such a zipper one‑handed!
And a few days ago I came across some rain pants I brought in British Columbia (where they know about rain!). The zips on the side pockets pull up to open! Something to think about if modifying gear.
A two‑way zip is handy for situations other than a call of nature. You can open the lower end more to access garments and pouches worn under the coveralls.
If you keep your trousers up with a rigger's belt, opening the zip from the bottom allows you to use this, combined with your carabineer keyring.
On the subject of calls of nature, both the training and the combat coverall have a J‑shaped zip at the rear, covered by a Velcro flap.
AFV-coveralls bomb hatch
What appear to be shoulder straps are in fact grab handles. On the newer coverall, these are held down with Velcro so they are less likely to catch on projections within a vehicle or out in the field. A one‑piece garment and such handles allow a wounded or stunned man to be pulled up out of a damaged vehicle.
These handles could be used like shoulder straps to display rank, but would need a wrap‑around rank insignia rather than a slip‑over. Poppers are probably the best way to achieve this, although buttons, Velcro or hook and eye fastening are other options.
Both MTP coveralls have side vents that allow you to access the hip pockets of garments worn underneath. On both coveralls, the left is secured by Velcro and the right by a zipper. I have no idea why!
The right vent could be used to increase air circulation to the coverall interior. I suppose the rear zip could be used in this way too.
I have heard it claimed coveralls are often long in the body or short in the leg, but this example is actually a very good fit for me, and I am long‑legged.
Many old soldiers seem obsessed by the topic of blousing trouser legs. Doesn't matter that young soldiers have inadequate camouflage practice and their vehicles have no armour, rant about those trouser bottoms!
Many coveralls have elasticated ankles, so “problem” solved! If blousing is so essential, why don't combat trousers have the same? (Not really an issue with me, and I am an advocate of gaiters when available).
Many coveralls also have calf zips that allow you to put them on or remove them without removing boots. It also lets you roll up the legs, should there be a need.

Cons

Other than less than the expected number of pockets, my major complaint about the coverall is that the fly (flap of fabric over the main zip) and the baffle (draft excluder flap behind the zip) seem to be made the minimum width necessary. Someone doubtless worked out this would save so much cloth and so many pence per hundred coveralls made.
It would have been nice if the fly had been wide enough to allow popper fastening as an alternative in hot weather to using the main zip. I could always open the lower end of the zip, I suppose, provided there are no objections to me having my flies open!
The main zip and that of the right side vent have a tendency to catch on the fly or the baffle if you are not careful when zipping up. This may be due to the zips themselves, which have quite small teeth. The zips on the training coverall seem better in this respect, although the main zip on mine was the major incidence of damage.
The Velcro on many of the pockets is a potential source of noise, which means you may not wish to access those pockets in certain situations.
The Velcro pile on the sleeve cuff sometimes catches on a square of hook Velcro on the chest pocket, resulting in unintentional noise. Admittedly, this mainly occurs if the cuff has not been fully closed, so is more likely in hot weather. The square of hook holds the pen pocket flap open, so could be removed or covered by various means. Or construct a tape‑like strip of cloth that covers the exposed section of pile on the cuff.

Update

Zips arrived. I based the sleeve pockets on those often seen on many bomber jackets, with a vertical side zip. A five inch zip is a little small for this, even with my small hands, so I would suggest using six-inch.
The armpit zips have an opening less than five inches, but using a smaller zip might have been too fiddly. It is easier to shorten a longer zip.
Reasonably happy on how the sleeve pockets and armpit vent zips have turned out.
The grey zips are much less obvious than the flash photography makes them appear.
Left Sleeve Pocket Added to Coveralls Right Sleeve Pocket added to Coveralls
Coveralls are easily modified or customized. Some of the features described on this page may provide you with inspiration. If anyone is interested, I can provide details and measurements of the pockets I used.
Does a coverall have a place in your outdoor wardrobe? If you are not sure, it is within most of our means to experiment with one of the lower priced examples. It will probably prove useful for something, even if it is just doing the gardening or clearing out the garage.
Just please don't rob any museums.
Categories
Phillosoph

Mess Kits for Bug-Out Bags

I was reading some pretty useful advice on how to collect water while minimizing the chance of sediment and other large materials.
Hold the mouth of your bottle a fist-width below the surface to avoid floating debris (and mosquito larvae!). Hold it off the bottom to avoid stirring up silt. If the water is flowing, point the nozzle downstream to reduce the change of solids being washed in.
Cover the water bottle neck with a section of bandanna to filter water going in. Use a clove hitch or slip knot to secure the bandanna. This also puts a safety lead on your bottle to avoid loss!
Cover your canteen cup with another part of the bandanna and pour the water in the bottle through the bandanna into your cup to filter it a second time. Pour a little of this water into the bottle, to rinse out any particles that got in. Now sterilize your water.
The flaw in these instructions is that most water bottles are at least a quart or a litre, and canteen cups generally about half that! Biggest that springs to mind is the British Crusader MK.II cup at 800 mls.
I will come back to this topic presently.
After you have filtered your water, you still need to sterilize/pasteurize it. One of the most effective ways to ensure water is safe is to bring it to a rolling boil. Many foods you will encounter in a survival scenario will need cooking to make them safe or more palatable.
While there are ways to cook and even boil water without a metal vessel, life is a lot easier with one!

What Is Wrong with the Canteen Cup?

In his recommendations for SERE, Robert DePugh notes “Such cooking as may be essential can be done in the canteen cup.”
Many preppers and soldiers wishing to lighter their load are of a similar opinion.
The catch is that as they come, most canteen cups are wanting in certain respects.
The most obvious of these is most lack a lid. Lids save fuel and time. They keep bugs, dirt, dust and rain out of your food. In an escape and evasion situation, a lid may reduce tell-tale cooking odours.
Most canteen cups also require a stove. If you have to cook over a fire, you will need to jerry-rig some form of pot-support, or wait until the fire dies down to coals.
Not only do the side handles get hot, but your hand comes dangerously close to the fire.
How simpler things would be if your cooking vessel had a bail handle so you could hang it over a heat source!
It is possible to make or buy lids for your canteen cup. Similarly, there are a number of ways to add a bail handle.


I currently have three canteen cups sitting on the work table awaiting conversion. Each month I do not seem to have either the money or the time to gather the necessary tools and materials.
There is an obvious need for a low bulk cooking vessel. Can we do better than a canteen cup?
Suppose I told you that there is a superior alternative that is widely available and ready to use off the shelf, complete with bail handle and lid?

“European” Mess Kits

Instead of a canteen cup, why not carry a mess kit?
Specifically, I am suggesting the sort of military mess kit that looks like a binocular case, being either oval or kidney shaped in cross-section. I have seen these called “European” mess kits, although the Chinese and Imperial Japanese Army seem to have used the design too.
The bottom portion of the kit is a billy, with a bail handle. The upper part typically is a small pan with a side handle. This pan also serves as a lid during cooking or transport.
Many of you will have a passing familiarity with these mess kits. Their potential may have escaped you.
For a camping trip, I typically prefer a more versatile cooking outfit.
For a bug-out bag, where most of your cooking will simply be boiling or reheating, a mess kit of this configuration is ideal.
I have used my Swedish set for winter day hikes, since it fits nicely inside a daysac. With the snow thick on the ground, I have paused to cook myself some hot noodles.
Swedish Mess Kit
The familiar British and American designs of mess kit are actually atypical. The British Army used a “D-shaped” mess kit during the First World War and back through most of the nineteenth century.
The armies of most nations have used “binocular case” mess kits at one time or another. Many nations continue to use this design.
Most of the kits of this type available are described as German or Austrian, or “M31 pattern”. Do not confuse these with the pair of cups that fit outside of the German Army M59 water canteen.
German M31 Mess Tin
The more recent Bundeswehr mess kit variants are to be preferred, since these have handles that can be locked upright or out to one side, away from the flames.
The German kit (and some other examples) includes a third part which is a metal bowl/insert. The hook at the end of the lid handle engages a slot in the bowl, so the two may be carried together, or the pair balanced across the top of the billy.
German Mess Kit with Indert
There are also Chinese manufactured kits that appear to be the same design as the German. These appear to be of new manufacture, rather than military surplus.
Russian, Romanian, Hungarian and Polish surplus examples are also stocked by some suppliers.
At time of writing, prices are comparable to those of many metal canteen cups that come without lids.
Most of these kits must be brought army surplus, so you roll the dice on condition and actual design. If you want something unused, the Chinese-made copies of the German sets are an option.
To these options, I will add the Swedish M40 AL/M44 mess kit set that includes a windshield and spirit burner.
The Swedish kits have become more widely known and popular in recent years. Prices have skyrocketed since I bought mine, decades ago. I am not sure if these are still issued or in production. One company makes a stainless steel copy of the Swedish kit. An aluminium version with a non-stick coating would be very welcome.

The Case Against:

• Let us get one objection to this idea out of the way! This is that a mess kit will not fit neatly around a water bottle in a belt pouch like a canteen cup will.
Firstly, while carrying some water on your person is prudent, you should minimize unnecessary weight. To my mind it is more sensible to carry a canteen cup or equivalent in your pack, not on your belt.
Secondly, water is better carried in a bladder than a bottle. Water in a bottle may slosh around, and that noise may give you away while hunting, nature-watching or in a tactical situation. Excess airspace is seldom a problem with a bladder.
If you do carry water in a bottle, repurposed soda bottles work fine, and are lighter and cheaper than military style rigid water bottles. Soda bottles are much more flexible than thicker bottles. If the contents of a bottle freeze, the ice can be broken up without damaging the bottle.
In sub-zero conditions, carry your water bottles and bladders in the warmest part of your pack. Invert them so that the drinking tube or cap is lowest. Ice floats, so the lowest part of a container will be the last to freeze solid. Ice expands, so leave some airspace within a container if freezing is likely.
If you expect freezing temperatures overnight, pour some of your water into a cooking vessel. Ice in a pot is easier to melt than snow or ice within a bottle.
In very cold conditions, when you heat water, use what you do not use to top-up/warm-up your water containers.
If you do not carry a canteen cup on your belt, and you do not carry a military canteen, it does not matter that your cooking vessel will not nest around a canteen!
• Second objection is that most of these vessels have bare aluminium interiors. If you wade through the media sensationalism, groundless opinion and scare-mongering, you will find the evidence on possible health risks of using aluminium cookware is still inconclusive.
The surface of a cooking vessel is actually aluminium oxide, which serves as a protective coating. Prudence suggests that if you avoid cooking anything particularly acidic in an aluminium vessel, avoid prolonged cooking, or a combination of the two, you should be safe. If you use a very abrasive cleaner on your cookware, leave a short interval for the oxide coating to reform.
For a cooking vessel in an emergency kit, or one that is only used occasionally for trips out, bare aluminium is a legitimate choice. Remember that actual cooking in a survival or E&E scenario will be fairly basic and unsophisticated. Mainly just heating and boiling.
• Third objection to the mess kit is that it is larger than a canteen cup.
In a survival or E&E situation, most of your food will be from plants. These tend to be low in calories, so you will need to eat a lot of them. Bear in mind that in a survival situation, you may have to also cook for someone other than yourself. A cooking vessel larger than a canteen cup may be an advantage.
As my introduction has suggested, being able to heat treat more than half a litre of water at once is useful.
While it has more bulk, a European-style mess kit is still compact enough to fit in most daysacs. The interior space of a mess kit may be packed with food and other useful items, so effectively becomes zero bulk.
Generally, a mess kit is heavier than a canteen cup too, but bear in mind this is for two or three cooking vessels rather than a single one. My German mess kit is 400 g. 350 g if the metal bowl/insert is left at home. My Swedish five piece kit is 875 g, including windshield, burner and empty fuel bottle. Billy and lid on their own are 450 g.
The billy of my Swedish mess kit has a capacity of about 1.3 litres. The equivalent part of the M31 is 1.5 litres. It includes a measuring indent each 500 mls. Oddly, the German kit looks slightly smaller than the Swedish. Both kits can boil more than a litre of water to sterilize it.
For completeness, the lid of my Swedish Kit holds 550 mls. Both the lid and the insert/bowl of the German kit hold 400 mls each.
My Polish mess kit resembles the German model but is smaller. There is no insert and the bail handle lacks any locking mechanism. The billy has a capacity of one litre and the lid 500 mls. It masses 300 g. There is a measuring indent at half a litre.
One odd quirk of the Polish set is that it is top heavy when empty.
To put these masses and volumes in context, my 650 ml Crusader Mk 1 cup alone is 250 g!
Note that masses and volumes on this page were measured using items I personally own. Figures may differ from those given by vendors.

The Case For:

To my mind, it is not a billy if it does not have a bail handle. The bail handle is a simple feature that makes a camping cooking vessel infinitely more practical and versatile.
The bail handle of a billy lets you hang it over a fire. If your stove is a bit wobbly, you can use a tripod or crane for added security of your vessel.
In a previous post, we looked at how useful a bucket might be. A billy is essentially a bucket you can cook in. It may be used to fetch water or to gather berries. You can use it to transport a meal, even while the food is still hot. If you expect rain, leave it outside your shelter to collect fresh water.
An effective cooking vessel should be one of the foundations of your bug-out bag, 72-hour pack or survival kit.
The capacity of a European mess kit makes it more useful and versatile than a canteen cup, yet still compact enough to fit inside a relatively modest capacity bag. Or, looked at another way, it leaves room for something else you will need.
The lid of a European mess kit serves as a pot. This is often described by reviewers as a “frying pan”. It will hold a rasher of bacon, a couple of sausages, or a small piece of fish! More practically, the lid may be used as a drinking vessel, saucepan, plate or bowl. It could also be used as a ladle for bailing water out of an Indian well, or as a snow scoop for adding the final touches to a winter shelter.
Cooking vessels with a tightly fitting lid are recommended if cooking with hexamine.
The handle of my German kit lid folds easily, so care must be taken when drinking from it. Perhaps hitting the rivets would tighten this up. but I doubt it. Alternatively, drink from the insert/bowl. The handle of the Polish kit is better, but will still fold if held at the wrong angle.
If your cooking ability is limited to warming a can, a mess kit is wide enough to accommodate at least one. Discard the water used to warm a can this way. It will be contaminated with whatever was on the outside of the can, the glue from the label etc.
There are ways to warm a can without using a vessel, but that is outside the scope of this article.
Swedish soldiers call their mess kit a “Snuskburk”, which translates roughly as “dirty bucket”, “filthy jar” or similar. Apparently soldiers often neglect cleaning them after use. I do not really see why this should be the case.
If you have large hands. you may find it difficult to clean the inside of a canteen cup. This is another advantage of the larger capacity of a mess kit.
Your cooking kits should include a small sponge, such as the sort with a nylon scourer pad on one side. You can also use this sponge to mop up dew if you are short of water.
With the sponge, have a small bottle of washing-up liquid. I use a 50ml centrifuge tube such as a skirted Falcon.
If you have read my blog on a more efficient way to wash-up, you will know you only need a couple of drops of detergent and a few splashes of water to keep the inside of a mess tin clean. Should you lose your detergent, ashes from the fire may be used instead.
Since the main parts of the mess kit do not nest in anything, keeping the outsides pristine is not a priority. Once cooled, just give the outside a rub with some grass or similar to dislodge any loose soot.
Another advantage of a mess tin is that you get much more bang for your buck. For a similar outlay to a canteen cup, you get a pair of larger capacity cooking vessels. You do not need to buy a lid as an accessory, nor source a hanging device.

Packing and Carrying

Traditionally, a European mess tin is held together with a strap and carried on the outside of a pack or belt kit. Some armies issue pouches, but these generally follow the tradition of “an elephant is a horse built to mil-spec”.
A more effective solution is to make or buy a suitably dimensioned stuff sack. This sack can carry associated items you do not want to carry inside the mess kit, such as your stove and fuel bottle. Double-plastic bag the latter in case of leakage.
To this, add your container of washing-up liquid and your sponge.
Add a spork for eating with and stirring the pot. Since the mess kit does not have a non-stick coating, I use a metal spork that can also be used to lift a hot bail handle. The spork also serves as a can-opener, but I also have these on my keyring and my Swiss Army knife too.
A triangular bandage, bandanna, tenugui, or piece of old tee-shirt may be used to stop any parts rattling. This also serves as an “oven glove”, water filter and drying cloth.
Fill the interior of your mess tin with items such as a brew kit, packet soup, instant noodles, hot chocolate mix, quick-cook rice, porridge, OXO cubes, water purification tablets, a source of ignition such as a lighter or fire kit and so on. A bit of variety in your diet will always be welcome.
If you are more a cook, a European mess kit is nicely complemented by a US meatcan.

Stoves

There will be times when you cannot use an open fire to cook on.
The Swedish mess kit comes with its own stove in the form of a spirit burner and a windshield/stove.
Do not store fuel in the burner. It will eventually eat through the seals and leak into your bag.
The German mess tin is too big to use in the Swedish windshield. It will fit, but be too tight. Trying to remove the hot billy from the burning stove is not recommended!
European mess kits will work with a wide variety of other stove types. Some may need to be turned down a little to compensate for the pots' non-circular shape.
A hobo-stove made from a soup can will be of a good size for a European mess tin.
Spirit burners may be easily made from aluminium cans, such as shown here and here.
Some other homemade stove designs are shown by my pages here.
Many of the designs of stove intended for use with canteen cups or other designs of mess tin will work well with European mess kits. For example, the Crusader Mk II stove, which can use either hexamine solid fuel blocks or alcohol gel. The stove is designed so that the canteen cup nests slightly inside when in use. The mess billy is a little too big for this but will sit comfortably on top.
Chinese Trench Stove
Shown about is an interesting Chinese-issue mess-tin with stove. The stove is not unlike the Crusader cup models, but clips to the bottom of the mess-tin for carriage. There are air holes drilled in the underside, and the mess-tin has two side channels as “exhausts”.

Improvements

As I have discussed in a previous blog, mess tins are not as widely used by the military as they once were. Many soldiers now make do with just a canteen cup. Most of us, however, do not enjoy the extensive logistical support most soldiers have.
One company is already offering a stainless steel copy of the Swedish mess kit, so I think there is a good case for commercial versions of the European style mess tins.
I think many of us would be interested in an aluminium version of the Swedish kit with a non-stick or hard anodized coating. Essentially, the same materials and finish as the Crusader Mk. II cup.
Some of us would probably prefer a Swedish mess kit that was a little more compact. On the other hand, I think there would also be potential users that want it a little bigger.
An improved version should probably be available in one litre and 1.5 litre variants. The most practical way to do this would be to have two billies which only differ in depth. All other components would be the same for both variants.
Features I like from the German mess kit are the measuring indents, the locking mechanism on the bail handle and the insert. An insert for the Swedish mess kit might be useful, particularly if available in alternate materials such as plastic.
The stove for the improved mess kit should be capable of taking several fuel types. For example, hexamine, alcohol gel and spirits. Something along the lines of a scaled up Crusader Mk II stove, perhaps.
Categories
Phillosoph

Camouflage: Light, Dark, Neutral and Natural

Camouflage is about “not being seen”, which is one of the most fundamental of survival strategies.
If you cannot become “invisible”, you may be able to appear insignificant, uninteresting or become easily “lost in a crowd”.
Good use of monotone neutrals. In some shots the actresses blend into the terrain.
You may have spent good money on the latest designer camouflage, but it is of no use to you hanging up at home.
The most likely source of threat is other human-beings, and you are most at risk when other people are around.
Miyamoto Musashi tells us in the “Book of Five Rings”:
“In all forms of strategy, it is necessary to maintain the combat stance in everyday life and to make your everyday stance your combat stance. You must research this well.”
In clothing terms, what Musashi tells us means your everyday wear should be selected with a mind to decreasing your “visibility”.
Camouflage-patterned clothing does have a place in a prepper's wardrobe.
There are, however, times when using camouflage-patterned clothing may be counter-productive.
In cosmopolitan cities, clothing in camouflage or camouflage-like patterns may attract little attention. In other parts of the world, its use may attract unwelcome attention, or get you wrongly identified as military, paramilitary or a poacher.
Even if restricted to unpatterned clothing, there are strategies that we can adopt that will still decrease our visibility.
In previous blogs, I have touched upon a concept that might be called “camouflage without camouflage”. One can make oneself less observable by using a mix of non-camo-pattern clothing.
By using a variety of shades and hues, the basic identifiable human-shape can be broken up and become harder to distinguish. I have advised that you select clothing items in neutral and natural shades and colours.
While this remains good advice, a little more thought needs to be given to the system and some additional explanation may be warranted.

What is a Neutral Colour?

“Neutral colors are muted shades that appear to lack color but often have underlying hues that change with different lighting. Examples of neutral colors include beige, taupe, gray, cream, brown, black, and white. While neutral colors are not on the color wheel, they complement primary and secondary colors.”
On this blog I have stressed “neutral and natural”. Not all colours classed as neutrals are suitable for concealment.

Black

Regular readers should already know that “black is NOT a camouflage colour”.
In the movies, the bad guys, and often the hero will be dressed in black. It looks great on screen, and makes the actors stand out. This is exactly the opposite of the effect we want our clothes to have!
Even at night, black is to be avoided. In many partially lit conditions, black can be too dark, and stand out. Seldom is it dark enough for black clothing.
The special forces in Vietnam who dyed their gear black knew the colour would soon fade to a more useful dark grey.
Pure black clothing also tends to show the dirt, so you might like to rethink its usefulness as general wear.
If you want a dark suit for weddings and funerals, buy charcoal-grey rather than true black.

White

White is another colour that stands out and should be avoided. Like black, white really shows up any dirt.
The only time to wear white is when there is snow on the ground.
White garments used as snow camouflage should be uninsulated. If they are warm, you will be tempted to wear them all the time, they will quickly become dirty and will no longer be effective as snow camouflage.
Improvised Snow Camo
Obviously snow-camo should be unlined and of a material that is easily laundered.
Avoid white underwear if you can. Outer clothing can get damaged, and being exposed may expose you. Select underwear in neutral and natural tones.
If you have to wear a white shirt at a formal occasion, you may need a white undershirt to avoid the colour of the undergarment showing through.
If you have to wear a white shirt for work, carry a neutral colour scarf  or keffiyah you can cover it with when outdoors.

Blue

Not all shades of blue are neutral. Some that are neutral are not that natural. Neutral shades of blue or blue-grey can work in a winter or urban environment.
Light blue is generally a “cold” colour and can be used in the snow. Some snow-camouflage patterns use light blue and white to break up the shape.
Watch some nature footage of polar bears in the snow and ice and note how much the terrain appears blue, grey or blue-grey. Interestingly, the bears often appear yellow-white.
In an urban environment, light blue is often encountered as faded or mid-blue denim. Light blue is a good colour for a button-up shirt.
Darker blues are probably less useful for concealment.
A blue blazer is supposedly an essential in a gentleman's wardrobe (I don't have one!). If you want one, select a neutral shade of navy. If nothing else, it will at least go better with whatever other colours you may wear with it.

Undershadow

Many animals have lighter colouration on their undersides. This makes the shadow that their bodies cast less distinctive and is an example of counter-shading. The animal appears less three-dimensional and blends in better with the surface that it is upon. Behaviours such as crouching low further reduce the shadow, and the animal will often remain immobile while it thinks it is observed.
Interestingly, many aquatic or amphibious animals show an abrupt change from light underside to darker upper. When swimming near the surface the dark upper makes the animal very difficult to spot. A predator looking up from beneath will find the light underside difficult to see against the sky seen through the water surface.
A light underbelly, or clothing to simulate it, is of little use to a human, since we spend a significant portion of our time upright and bipedal.
Keeping close to the ground and remaining still is good tactics, however. If you are concerned with being observed you should never be reluctant to crawl if necessary.
An interesting example of trying to apply counter-shading can be found in the book “Second World War British Military Camouflage”, p.27-8 by Isla Forsyth.
Solomon J. Solomon was one of the early pioneers of modern camouflage. During the First World War he proposed “alterations to [British] soldiers’ uniforms to reduce their visibility, such as the darkening of the soldier’s cap and the lightening of his trousers.”
Upper surfaces catch more light, and correspondingly, need to be darker. Body areas that are commonly thrown into shadow need to be lighter.
Watch some videos of soldiers in action, and you will see they often appear as man-shaped blobs, darker than their surroundings.
Modern combat gear often uses exactly the same pattern for headgear, torso and legs. The chest area is often shaded by the position of the arms, yet often the equipment worn here is actually darker! Even in desert environments, soldiers wearing black or woodland-pattern body armour or load-bearing gear are still seen.

Illumination

When considering camouflage, a lot of attention is paid to colours and patterns. More attention should be paid to shade, light and contrast.
I have advised you to select items in natural and neutral shades, but how dark should they be?
If you have to hide in a dense wood, particularly at night, a mix of clothing items in medium or dark shades of natural and neutral colours may serve you. There will be lots of shadows, so use them. Camouflage is about behaviour as well as colouration.
Suppose you leave the wood to move across a neighbouring field. How well will your dark and medium-coloured clothes serve you then?
Even at night, the surfaces you move over may be relatively light. Grass and hay may reflect any available light, even that from the moon and stars. If you go prone, you may appear as a dark blob that attracts investigation. During the day you may be even more conspicuous.
Most of us spend a significant proportion of our time in urban areas. Even at night, this is an environment with many light or medium-shaded surfaces, and many areas are illuminated by artificial lighting. Dark outfits may make you stand out.
Discussions of camouflage often mention shade and shadow. Level of illumination in the surroundings is often not given that much attention. Clearly, if you are in a shadow, you are illuminated less, but it should be clear by now that light level has a much wider significance to camouflage and concealment.
In really deep shadow, what you wear probably matters little. There is no light, or more correctly, there is none escaping. Not all shadows or unlit areas will be this dark, however.
Stronger light can have interesting effects on concealment. Suppose someone is wearing a sand-colour outfit and lays down in a grass field on a sunny day.
You might think that someone in yellow would be easy to spot in a green field. One thing that would prevent this is that shade is more significant than hue. If the sand-coloured clothing appears a similar shade to the grass at the viewing distance, the figure can be over-looked. Another factor is that light materials reflect. Sunlight hitting the grass causes them to reflect green light. This green light may in turn be reflected from the light-coloured cloth, causing it to appear to have a green tint.
Effectively, your world should be viewed one of light and shadows.
Some areas are “shadow-dominant”. These include deep forests and jungles, and poorly-lit building interiors.
“Illuminated” areas include desert, open fields and many urban exterior areas.
This status may be changed by time of day, weather or season. At night, a wood may become even more shadow-dominant, yet in winter it may become better illuminated.
In shadow-dominant areas, clothing of medium-shade, with some dark items may be most effective. In better lit areas, lighter clothing may be less conspicuous.
Your movements may take you from light to dark areas or the reverse, so what should you wear? Having to deal with both light-dominant and shadow-dominant areas may explain why most attempts at a universal camouflage pattern have only ever proved partially effective.
In the early days of camouflage experimentation, a number of double-sided items were fielded or tested. Some had a spring-summer pattern on one side and a autumn/snow pattern on the other. Jungle/desert and green-dominant/brown-dominant were also tried.
The needs for the different patterns were thus either separated by season or by geography. As far as I know, no double-sided garments based on patterns for differing illumination levels have been tried, which is a shame.

Camouflage Patterns

For camouflage patterns for illuminated areas there are a number of options. Some of the patterns designed for desert use may prove useful in a wider range of environments. Make sure the pattern has sufficient element-size and contrast to disrupt shape and outline. Off the shelf, “tropentarn” seems to work well, although I would wish for a grey rather than green in the pattern.
Tropentarn Camouflage
Some urban patterns are good, although some use too much white or are too greyscale and could use some browns and tans.
Some newer patterns such as multicam use lots of colours and small elements, resulting in garments that appear a single colour beyond a few metres. This very much depends on the material and print. I have seen some camouflaged gaiters in these patterns that look like they might work. Polycotton trousers and shirts in the same pattern tend to blob-out at a relatively short distance. Generally I would avoid these patterns. They may be no more effective than cheaper single-colour items. Many of these patterns are also too green-dominant for a multi-terrain pattern.
For shadow-dominant terrain, you should probably consider “older” patterns such as US m81 woodland, flecktarn and British DPM. Canadian Cadpat is presumably intended for deep woods, although the green looks a little bright in some examples I have seen. Unfortunately, these patterns vary considerably. Browns can range from natural-looking shades to chocolate. Greens also vary and the lightest shade may be either light-green or a more useful tan. Contrast between elements and overall darkness may also vary.
Many of these patterns have too much green. While green is good for summer woodland and lush jungle, a pattern with more browns and greys would be better for other dark environments and seasons.
You may also encounter fashion/police patterns consisting of blacks and dark greys. These are too dark and lack sufficient contrast between the shades to disrupt the shape.
Ways to improve camouflage
Personal Camo-min

Camouflage without Camouflage

As was stated earlier, you cannot always wear a camouflage pattern. You may not have a garment such as camouflage parka (see below) with you.
How can you become less distinct wearing monotone clothing or “civvies gear”?
The first step is to mix it up! Different items should be different colours or shades. Obviously, what you select should be in neutral and natural colours suitable for your surroundings. Select medium and light shades unless the illumination level requires different.
Whilst you may not be able to wear a camouflage pattern, other patterns may have a disruptive effect, providing they do not use bright or primary colours. Some garments have pockets, collars or panels in contrasting colours, which may break up the shape.
Below is an example of the Russian Gorka wind-proof outfit. Some of these use camouflage, but they are also used in unpatterned cloth. Note how the two different shades and hues of neutral coloured panels break up the basic human shape.
Gorka two-tone suit
You probably know that several thin layers of clothing will keep you warmer than a single thick garment. You can also regulate your insulation more easily by removing layers. What many people do not appreciate is that a layered clothing system can be used to change your appearance and for camouflage.
For example, on the street you may be wearing a light-tan hoodie over a dark-grey bomber jacket. If you move into a darker area, you may move the bomber jacket to being your outer layer.
More layers often means more pockets. Thus you can carry a spare scarf or more than one hat, letting you further change your appearance.
Some hoodies or jackets are reversible. Generally I think you are better off with several thin non-reversible garments. They will cost you less and offer you more options.
If your garment is lined, ensure the lining is a neutral and natural colour too.
There is another advantage of having a wardrobe that is mainly neutral colours. Neutral colours go with just about anything. Most suggestions for a capsule wardrobe are based on having a versatile selection of garments in neutral colours.

Face and Hands

When James Bond wants to skulk around at night, he wears a black polo-neck. He never bothers to cover his face nor hands. He must leave a lot of fingerprints!
There is little point using camouflage if you do not cover your face and hands. Irrespective of your skin-shade, human skin can reflect. Hidden troops are often detected from the air since someone always has to look up at the spotter aircraft. Even at several thousand feet, an uncovered human face pops out and cries “Here we are!”.
Skin can be darkened and matted down by various means. Do not overlook local resources such as dirt, soot and soil. These do nothing to conceal your hair. Face-paint or dirt are also difficult to remove easily if you want to later appear innocuous.
You should carry suitable head and face coverings. A full-face balaclava/ski mask in a medium to dark shade of grey or brown would seem a good choice. However, some cops have been know to label these “ninja masks” and treat their possession as intent if they feel inclined.
Various face and head coverings can be constructed by combinations of suitably coloured and patterned bandannas, neck gaiters, scarves and knit-caps.
Gloves will be needed, and of a suitable shade and colour. Olive meraklon glove liners are a good start. Fingerless leather gloves (aka “recondo gloves”) are worth considering in milder climates. They provide some protection to the hands when climbing or crawling, so you may be more inclined to “go low” when needed. They can be found in tan-brown, or you can cut down old gloves that are surplus to requirements.

The Lower Body

There is no reason why your lower body has to wear a camouflage pattern that matches that of the upper body. The legs are a different shape to the torso and larger than the arms, so may need a different pattern to disrupt their identifiable shape. Using a different pattern for the legs may help break-up your overall recognisable human shape.
How well the concept of countershading can be applied to the human form probably warrants further investigation. Having your trousers lighter than your upper body is worth considering.
Desert patterns are suitable for trousers. UCP/ACU might also be worth trying for leg camouflage.
If we are considering monotone garments, our choices are probably various neutral tones of light-blues, greens, tans and greys.
Many style guides for capsule wardrobes recommend trousers that are lighter than the jacket.
Personally, I am wary of light-blue outside urban or winter environments. I actually don't own any jeans, wearing cargo trousers instead. Much of my EDC is in the pockets,
Greens are good for many rural settings, but may stand-out a little more than some other colours in urban areas. Some shades of green will stand-out in rural areas. Even neutral shades of green are less common in certain rural areas or seasons that one might expect.
Tans and greys are your most versatile choices for monotones. Tans and browns have the advantage that mud does not show up so much on them. On the other hand, the contrast of mud on grey trousers probably has a disruptive effect that breaks up the leg's shape.
Gaiters should be of a suitable camouflage pattern or neutral and natural colour. Since these are seldom worn in town, bows of textilage can be added to break up the shape. Ensure any materials used for textilage will not soak-up water.
Langdon-Davis had a lot to say about the distinctive appearance of black army boots. Footwear should be natural and neutral colours and matt finish when possible.
Black socks are supposed to make your legs look longer. I am not sure that works without black shoes and dark trousers. I generally wear boots so the socks are not visible.
Update: Recently I attended a funeral and noticed my boot tops were visible when seated, at least when wearing my suit trousers. Own at least one long pair of black socks for formal occasions. 
In town I often wear white cotton sport socks since they are cheaply available in quantity. In the field, spare socks may be used as extra carrying pouches tied to the outside of a pack. These should be neutral and natural colours.

Camouflaging Gear

The institutional military mind likes uniform, regular and symmetrical.
This may be part of the reason why personal camouflage has waxed and waned as a priority for soldiers.
Improving the camouflage of an item becomes unpopular when the additions must be stripped off for every parade or inspection. If you are outside of the military, then such restrictions will not limit you.
Previous blogs have discussed methods to improve the camouflage of your backpack. Similar methods can be applied to a chest-rig, contributing to the camouflage of your torso. Base colour for a chest-rig should be light or a desert pattern, since this area will often be shaded.

Camouflage Smock

A useful technique is to have a “camo-smock”. You put it on when you need a camouflage pattern. Roll it up and carry it when you want to appear non-military. You can carry more than one, and wear the most appropriate for the conditions.
Your bug-out outfit should include an item that can be used as a camo-smock.
My main camouflage item is a German Tropentarn desert-parka. Get this as big as possible so that it can form a camouflaged outermost layer over anything you may be wearing. There is a nice liner for it that makes it into a nice cold weather coat.
Without the liner, it is unlined so can be worn for camouflage in relatively hot weather. There are vent zips under the arms.
Being a parka, it comes down to mid-thigh so will fit over anything I might wear under it and partially conceals my legs and body shape.
Sleeves are long enough to conceal my hands and keep the wind and rain off them.
If this is a “field only” item, add some bows of textilage to the sleeves and shoulders.
How to add camoflage bows of textilage
The pockets of the smock/parka include items that can be used camouflage my hands, neck, face and head. Little point in camouflaging yourself without covering your extremities!
For darker conditions, I have a several metres of camouflaged scrimm that can be worn over the parka like a poncho. Bows of suitably covered material or scraps of camouflage cloth have been tied to the scrimm.
Categories
Phillosoph

Dressing for Bug-Out

When you reach for your bug-out bag (BOB), there are two questions that you should be asking yourself.
The first is: “Do I really need to go?” Escaping to safety is a meme that Hollywood has drummed into us. It makes for great movies, but in reality, “stay put” is usually a more prudent survival strategy than “bug-out”.
That said, if the answer was genuinely “yes”, your second question should be: “What is the weather like?”

Clothes Maketh the Survivor

Your chances are going to be much better if you are dressed for the conditions that you are likely to encounter.
With your bug-out bag should be a selection of clothing items that you may possibly need.
Let us work on the assumption that the survivor must fend for themselves for 72 hours.
Sadly, there is no single outfit of clothing that can handle all possible conditions, hence the selection.

Underwear: Unmentionables for the Unthinkable

Let us start at the foundation, the underwear:

Hot Weather Undies

Shorts

If the weather or climate is hot, your underwear can simply be shorts and t-shirt.
Swimming shorts are a good choice. Those made from synthetics dry very fast, simplifying laundry.
I like the ones with a mesh-lining that keeps things in place and under control.
If it is really hot, the shorts also function as outerwear. Wearing them is also handy if you have to ford a stream.
A useful tip for underwear of all sorts is to have each set a different colour. This helps you keep track of which has been worn and which is clean. White tends to show the dirt, however. Neutral and natural shades are probably the best for underwear. Among other benefits, they are less likely to give your location away when hung up to dry.
Not a bug-out consideration, but have one set of white undergarments for when you wear something that the colour of your underwear will show through.
Two pairs of shorts are sufficient for 72 hours. A wear and a spare. A third pair is handy in case things go more than a couple of days.

Tee-Shirts

For the tee-shirts, it is worth acquiring them in coolmax, since it is fast-drying. Again, get two or three, and have them in different neutral or natural colours.
For a 72 hour scenario, laundry is not a high priority. Plain cotton or polycotton tee-shirts can be found at reasonable prices in multiple packs. These are a good source of undershirts for short trips or your bug-out bag.
A pair of t-shirts in string-vest material are useful additions. In hot weather, they stop cloth pasting to your sweating flesh. In cold weather, they add an extra layer of warmth for very little additional load. 
String-vests will be most effective worn next to the skin.
A couple of string tee-shirts may prove to be one of your most cost-effective investments towards your comfort. Shop around and you will find them in useful colours such as “army green” (olive/khaki-drab).
Sports Bra
A bra will be needed for them that needs them. I would imagine a sports bra would be a good choice for a bug-out situation. I have no experience wearing bras, so will offer no further advice.

Temperate Climate Underwear

For temperate conditions, we will need more underwear. We need to keep comfortable at night and on the rainy days, so will need something more substantial than what we usually wear at home or working indoors.

Long-Johns

You will need two pairs of long-johns. Polycotton are probably fine for mild weather. You do not want underwear that is too hot in temperate conditions.
Polycotton is relatively easy to launder in long-term scenarios.
Polycotton Long-Johns

Long-Sleeve Undershirts

You will need a pair of undershirts, preferably long-sleeved.
Since your torso sweats more than your legs, have these in coolmax if you can. If you cannot get these, the same place that sold you the long-johns probably has long-sleeved tops in polycotton.
Have each set of your long underwear a different natural or neutral colour.
A string-shirt may be worn under these.
Coolmax Long Sleeve
You can wear your temperate underwear with, or instead of, your hot weather items.
If it gets colder than expected, wear both sets of long undies.

Underwear for Cold Conditions

If the mercury has dropped, you will need “proper” thermal underwear.
In previous eras this meant wool. This is not so easy to find these days and may be beyond your budget.
Modern synthetics are much easier to wash.
My personal choice is a set of Brynje long-johns and a matching long-sleeve top. These have a mesh construction, and seem more tolerant of extended (multi-day) wear than my merkalon set of more conventional construction.
If you are on a budget, you may be able to get along with a single set of thermals.
If you live where winters can be expected to be cold, two sets are a good investment.
On the other hand, if you live near the equator, thermal long-johns may be low on your list of priorities.
Your thermals can be combined with one or more sets of your temperate and hot-weather underwear.
Not strictly “underwear”, a wool or fleece shirt or a thin jumper may be worn over the underwear.
During the Second World War and Korean War, American soldiers would wear their woollen uniform trousers under their cotton field trousers.
The modern equivalent are quilted trouser liners. A variety of these can be found on army surplus sites.

Organizing Your Undies

The underwear items suggested above are fairly low bulk, so a set of each of the hot and temperate kit should be packed in your bag. Bagged up, this probably makes a comfortable pillow at night.
The set(s) of thermals, and the second set of hot and temperate underwear should be stored close to your BOB rucksac. Put on what is suitable for the day. Decide if you want to take the rest or leave some behind.
Trouser-liners are bulky, so only pack or wear them if you think they are really needed.

Outerwear

Ok, now you are in your undies. What else to put on?
This will depend on whether you expect the weather to be hot, temperate or cold.
Expect an unexpected dunking or downpour. Have a drier change of clothing you can change into while your other dries.
Wear one set of clothes during the day, then change into the other set for sleeping, letting the day set dry..

Hot Weather Outerwear

For hot weather, your outer layer should be something like a medium-weight shirt. Lighter shades handle strong sunlight better.
The shirt should be of a generous cut, for air circulation. This also allows warmer clothing to be worn beneath it.
It should be of a tight weave to resist mosquitoes and the wind.
It should have long-sleeves that can be rolled down for protection from insects.
Cotton or poly-cotton are acceptable for hot weather. Some of the newish synthetic microfibres may be sufficiently comfortable too.
A combat jacket can be worn instead of a shirt, but you do not want something that is too heavy or too hot. Probably best to avoid lined garments.
Have a spare shirt in your bag. The two may be worn together, as described previously.
For the legs, cargo trousers are good. They should be roomy enough to fit over trouser-liners and long underwear. Cargo pockets take your skin-level EDC kit.
If these trousers are always with your BOB, your SHTF survival knife/knives may already be threaded onto the belt.
Whether to pack spare trousers for hot-weather is up to you. If the trousers you are wearing get damaged, there are not many other garments that can substitute for them.
If you have a pair of cargo trousers that are past their prime, I suggest your ranger-roll them and retire them to your BOB as a permanent back-up pair.
If the weather is likely to be variable, it may be prudent to pack a thin jumper and possibly a light jacket or field coat.

Temperate Outerwear

For temperate conditions, outerwear is the same as for hot weather with the addition that something like a field jacket is more likely to be being worn.
The jacket should be large enough to fit over a fleece jacket and any additional layers of insulation you might don.
Field jackets such as the M65 can be fitted with a detachable liner, which is worth having.
A spare pair of trousers lets you double up if it is unexpectedly cold.
Fleeces are often seen worn as the outermost layer. They work much better if they are under something more windproof, such as a field jacket, waterproof or even just under a shirt.
Items such as tracksuit tops, hoodies and bomber jackets may be worn under or instead of the field jacket. The order of these may be varied to vary your appearance, which may be useful in certain conditions.
Several thin layers of insulation are more versatile than a lesser number of thick ones.

Cold Weather Outerwear

If it is cold out, ensure that you have the liner for your field jacket. If a bomber jacket or similar has a liner too, so much the better.
If it is cold, your field jacket will probably not be your outermost layer. Have a parka, and buy it big so that it will fit over your field jacket and anything else likely to be under it.

Insulation

I have talked about insulation. A common mistake is to use too much.
A good rule of thumb is that what you are wearing should leave you feeling slightly chilly when you are stationary. You will warm up once you are under way.
The suggestions above constitute a layer system. A layer system is a useful way to customize your insulation level before you set out.
Adding or removing items when under way may not be as practical as some writers make out. Try it halfway up an Icelandic mountain in a 60mph wind! (Been there, done that!)
When on the move, frequently vent your clothing to remove humid air.
When you stop, you can put on additional clothing or wrap yourself in a blanket, sleeping bag or poncho-liner.

Colours and Camouflage

In general, your bug-out clothing should be in natural or neutral shades.
Camouflage-patterned gear may attract unwelcome attention in some parts of the world. Choose greys, browns, tans and dull greens.
Do not buy underwear items in white. Darker or more natural or neutral shades tend to show the dirt less. Why worry about underwear colour? Torn clothing may expose it to view, compromising your camouflage. Easily seen colours of underwear (or other garments) hung out to dry may attract unwelcome attention.
Avoid black items for outerwear, it tends to stand-out and gets hot in the sun.
Of course, in an emergency you may want to attract attention.
Your BOB should include a hi-viz tabard or jerkin, preferably the type with reflectors. One of your shemaghs, and possibly one of your warm hats, should be brightly coloured.
On the subject of reflectors, a reflective device that can be fitted to the back of your rucksac is useful if you find yourself hiking down a dark road. Bicycle stores are a good place to look for suitable items.
German Desert Parka
If I do need camouflage, I have a German desert parka. Being designed for desert use, it is comfortable in fairly hot weather. It is uninsulated and has ventilation zips under the arms.
I brought the biggest I could find so there is room for both air circulation and insulation. It is in Tropentarn, which is one of the better modern off-the-shelf camouflage patterns.
The garment is long enough to cover most things I might wear under it.
IThe parka is also a valid alternative to a field jacket. Jackets like the M65 can be too warm for milder conditions. (Officially the M65 was a “Cold Weather Field Coat”)
The desert parka can use the same liner as the German flectarn cold-weather parka, so the garment serves as camouflage cover, field jacket and/or CW parka.
German Parka Liner
I can wear the desert parka when I need camouflage. It is easily exchanged for another jacket and stowed in a pack when I do not.

And When It Rains

That covers hot, cold and temperate. What about wet?
Every bug-out-bag should include a rain poncho.
These have numerous uses. They are reasonably priced and will often keep both you and your pack dry. They are easily vented. They are quick to put on, although this can become interesting if there is a bit of a wind!
A rain-poncho can also be used to construct a shelter for sleeping.
If your rain-ponch came in a little stuff sack for carrying, add two three-metre lengths of cord to this. The cord may be used for shelter construction or as a belt to stop the parka flapping in a strong wind.
There are some situations where a raincoat is preferable. A raincoat is in addition to the poncho, rather than an alternative.
A good raincoat packs up small when not in use, yet is large enough to cover and keep dry all the clothing that is serving as insulation. For me, this means it should be large enough to fit over my desert parka in winter mode with its liner fitted.
I would strongly advise against a waterproof that is also a warm coat. You will be tempted to wear it all the time. It is more likely to get damaged, and it won't be waterproof anymore..
In a tactical scenario, a raincoat would fit under the camouflage layer but over the insulation. This is quieter, and also protects the rainproof from damage.
On the subject of insulation, remember a rainproof garment traps air so acts as both a windproof and an insulator.
If you put a rainproof on you may have to take something else off if you are to avoid overheating.
It is a good idea to periodically vent clothing, even if using breathable waterproofs.
Simple, small-packing waterproofs became difficult to find for a while. Outdoor shops much preferred to sell more substantial and expensive breathable items. “Pac-a-macs” seem to be making a comeback on the internet, although many are in garish colours!
I have never had a problem with non-breathable waterproofs, since I understood about venting.
I also discovered that even expensive breathable fabrics have a finite life. The way you discover that is up is you get wet!

Boots

It is possible you own more than one pair of walking boots.
The pair you have with your bug-out bag should be suited to all-weathers and all-seasons.
You may have to traverse rubble and debris. Save the lightweight walkers for summer trips.
Boots for bugging out should be already broken in.
Personally, I like gaiters if I will be going cross-country.

Socks

You will need at least two pairs of socks, with three pairs or more preferable.  Your feet are important. It is worth investing in good quality woollen socks for your BOB. Four pairs of quality woollen socks let you alternate between pairs and double-up if it is really cold.
In certain conditions you may need to change socks several times during a day.
Sew a loop of ribbon to each so you can hang them on the outside of your bag to dry.
Choose socks in neutral and natural colours. You could use different coloured loops for each pair, although your nose will often tell you which set needs washing.
Spare socks can be used as mittens or carrying pouches.

Gloves

You will want several pairs of gloves.
You will need gloves for warmth, and gloves for protection.
Fingerless leather gloves provide protection with reduced loss of dexterity when in the brush or scrambling over rubble. These can be used with merkalon or silk glove liners.
On a hike in Iceland, an unexpected strongly gusting wind combines with relatively mild sub-sero conditions to create a -30 to -40 windchill. The hand holding my hiking pole was particularly exposed. Wearing fingerless leather gloves over glove liners avoided possibly serious injury.
Knitted gloves, woollen or acrylic, are not very stylish, but work well at keeping your hands warm and preserve some dexterity.
Good colours for gloves are mid-grey, khaki-drab and olive-drab.
Unlined leather work gloves can provide additional protection or another layer of insulation.
Leather work gloves may be used to protect you from thorns and rope burns. They may also be used as an oven glove to handle hot billy handles. They should be sized so they may be worn over woollen gloves and/or glove liners.
If desired, cuff-ribbing may be added to work gloves, or the top of old socks repurposed as such.
In cold weather, better insulated gloves and/or mittens may be required.
Add ribbon or cord loops to each glove so you can stash them on your snaplink when you remove them.
In bad weather, run a cord down your sleeves and tie the ends to your gloves. You may feel like a toddler, but this is better than a gust of wind taking a glove and the risk of frostbite!
The pockets of my outdoor jackets usually carry at least one pair of gloves. Keep your other gloves where they can be easily accessed, such as in an external pocket of your pack. It is not a bad idea to have all of these gloves in their own “glove bag”.

Hats and Scarves

You will need a hat to keep the sun off. I like a boonie hat, myself.
When the weather demands you wear your hood up, a suitably coloured baseball hat will be convenient.
Whatever your personal choice, add a cord so the wind does not steal it from you.
For cold weather, I tend to favour a watch-cap or folded headover. It is worth carrying more than one of these. If it is really cold, you can double up on hats. A headover or watch-cap may be combined with a boonie or ball-caps, as needed.
A tennis-headband may be useful in hot weather. A bandanna worn across the forehead is a possible substitute.
“You are not fully dressed without a scarf!” Bandannas, shemagh, neck-gaiters and a long woollen scarf also have a place in your BOB or coat pockets.

Protection

A bug-out bag is there for emergencies and disasters.
A dust mask may prove useful, as may goggles. As well as dust and sandstorms, explosions and collapsing building produce lots of dust. This can have immediate and long-term health effects. Sunglasses also protect against snowglare.
Kneepads should fit under the trousers. This is better for camouflage and air circulation.
A headnet against biting insects is well worth the (negligible) weight. It may be uses as an improvised fishing net or carrier bag.
In certain situations, head protection may be prudent. Volcanic activity may make it literally rain rocks. High winds turn roof tiles and other everyfay objects into deadly missiles.  Head protection may be a lightweight hockey or skateboard helmet, or a construction hard-hat.

Checklist

Have a checklist. When you are under stress or in a hurry you are unlikely to remember everything you need.
Some of the items for your bug-out outfit will be permanently packed in your bug-out bag. Items you intend to wear while carrying the bag may be stored near the bag.
For many of us, however, it is not practical to have a full, dedicated bug-out bag and outfit. Some items we need will be in general use. Other items may have been fished out of the BOB for a camping trip or for use during a cold-spell.
Hence, have a checklist of the items you want in your bug-out outfit so you can grab those that may not be there.  
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Phillosoph

Handcarts: AfriCart

Today I am going to talk a little more on handcarts.
Researching something quite different, I found myself on a page on USMC TOEs and once again encountered the following illustration.
Each machine gun section was provided with a MC-1942 handcart. Each 81mm mortar section was provided with two. The 60mm mortar sections, however, had no handcarts!
Looking for more information on the MC-1942 I instead found myself on this page on US Army handcarts. Notable was the information that such handcarts were intended for motorized troops. A pair of loaded carts fit between the seats of a 212 ton truck. When the truck could go not further, the infantry advanced with their handcarts.

US Army handcart with cover. Note detachably hauling ropes with handles.
Given the bulk and mass of some modern weapons and their ammunition, handcarts could still prove useful.

AfriCart

The marine and army carts use a T-shaped handle. Is this the best configuration? I wondered.
A quick look at rickshaws and similar devices suggested that a rectangular arrangement might be better. That, in turn, led me to the following interesting blog:
Note how the bicycle wheels are supported on both sides. Also note the easily adjustable handle and the folding stand legs.
The cart bed is 24 x 32" area, exactly the same as used in the US Army cart.
I am sure many of my readers could construct similar carts for their own use.
Don’t forget attachment holes for lashings or bungees and drainage holes.
A wire-mesh base is a possible option if you can source a suitably sized piece.
Non-pneumatic tires may be a sensible investment.