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Before we get started though I want to say something about the pack. The pack is real, as you'll see. The pack as about to be described is not for everyone, but it is for me for the scenario described in Going Home. I am a firm believer in the old adage of the more you know the less you need, you cannot loose, misplace or break knowledge. However, I also believe that having the proper equipment to ensure your survival is equally important. Certainly you can do without, but it is usually easier to have to proper item or tool for the task at hand. Take TP for a moment, you can use leaves, Mullien leaves are one of the finest of field expedient ass wipes, but isn't it easier to carry a small roll?
One of the most common things I hear about the bag is that it would be so heavy no one could carry it. I assure you that is far from the case. Is it heavy? Yes, but there are a number of variables that go into what is considered heavy. What is heavy to you or I may not be to someone else. In the book Morgan has a long walk ahead of him and he knows that he will be totally self reliant upon the pack. Sure he might find some supplies on the road, but he wasn't counting on it. This is one of the primary reasons Morgan set his daily distance goal so low, better to over achieve and gain the psychological boost it would give than to set the goal so high as to be unattainable and never be met.
With that in mind let's take a look at the pack.
Here is the pack all loaded up. The small bag beside the pack is the Maxpedition Devildog. This small bag was discontinued by Maxpedtion and the closest thing to it now is the Proteus. You can see the two quart GI canteen and the one quart, with cup and stove inside the cover. Inside the top flap is a 100oz water bladder.
Now lets take a look at the contents of the main compartment.
In the top of the pic you can see the first aid kit, more on that later, below it is the Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus kit. This is a very handy piece of kit, capable of charging AA and AAA batteries as well cell phones and other electronics. Below and to the right of the Goad Zero is a Sweetwater hand filter. I prefer this filter over some of the others because the filter elements are housed in a plastic case. This makes them very robust, an important consideration when living out of a pack. Beside that is a REI 6X9 tarp with stakes and guy lines.
Next you can see the ENO bug net in its blue stuff sack. This is another great piece of gear, especially for someone living in the woods in Florida. The hammock is in the large green waterproof bag to the right. Also in the bag are two pair of pants, long sleeve shirt, socks and underwear and the hygiene kit. The next item is the Primus Multi Fuel EX stove and fuel bottle. A multi fuel stove in a situation such as Morgan faced would be huge benefit, being able to use nearly any sort of fuel you come across gives the stove a level of versatility hard to deny.
Lastly there is a green bag with its contents laid out, they are: a pair of EMT sheers, a film canister of cotton impregnated with Vaseline, a GI lensatic compass, a small pair of pruning sheers, a roll of heavy wax string, 100' of 550 cord, 2 MRE spoons, roll of trip wire, U dig it trowel and small cloth. The uses for these items are endless and many are obvious, only your imagination and needs will limit what can be done with these.
That's it for today, tomorrow we'll look into the side pouches of the bag. You chime in with your thoughts and comments here, http://angeryamerican.net/showthread...9934#post19934.