My Ultimate 15lb Lightweight Day pack

My Ultimate 15lb Get home bag / Bug out Bag / Lightweight Day pack

People create multiple packs or bug out bags for a variety of situations and emergencies. My intentions when I put this bag together was to have a lightweight utilitarian day pack. Something that would be used on a constant basis on day hikes, hunting trips, out foraging, and even keeping in the car on your work days. The thought that the gear would be in constant use makes it more likely that you will have this gear with you all the time in case your circumstances change beyond just a stroll through the woods.

List of items and uses:

Military Tactical Backpack 34L

Light weight Rain fly / Tarp tent

Coleman Fleece sleeping bag (Straps onto Molle attachments for quick detach)

Emergency Bivy sleeping bag

Mylar blanket (2)

USGI Canteen with cook cup, Spork, and cover

MRE (1 X-MRE 1300XT)

Sawyer mini water filter

Stanley 8OZ flask (Bourbon 😉)

Small camp towel

Rain Suit (Cabelas pants and jacket)

Rain poncho (small plastic)

Long sleeved T-shirt (polyester blend)

Columbia wool hiking socks (1 pair)

Lightweight neck gaiter (2)

Lightweight boonie hat

Mesh foraging bag

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First Aid Kit (Adventure medical kit 1.0: added quick clot, sutures,chest seal, and tourniquet)

Paracord (100ft)

Gloves

Small folding hand shovel

CRKT Saker bushcraft knife + bushcraft tool

Fishing Kit (homemade cigar tin, Hooks, Fishing line, sinkers, small lures)

Fire kit (homemade cigar tin, 3 Ferrocerromium rods, tinder, matches, Bic mini)

Stormproof matches (25)

Paracord bracelet with whistle, button compass, and Firestarter.

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Map (United states interstate map)

Pen (2)

Field notes (3)

CRKT S.P.E.W. Knife

Led Flashlight

AA battery (2)

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Sewing kit

Hand sanitizer

Eyedrops

Chapstick

Cigars (Panter Sprint 10pack)

Bic lighter

These items were chosen based off of value, function, and some things that I already had in my position. I labeled this article my ultimate bug out bag. I call it this because of it being lightweight and having everything I would need for 72 hours in an unfortunate turn of events. There is no universal BOB that is going to work great for everyone. Sure, if I had wanted to spend a lot more $$$ there are certainly items I would switch out or add to this bag not to mention personalized items that other people may want or need but this kit was put together to essentially be my EDC bag and take place of the regular “get home bag”. I feel confident with this kit that it has the bare essentials to carry me long enough to get to one of my full-sized kits or much further. I carry this unit with me hiking, scouting, foraging for mushrooms in the spring, Canoeing, pretty much anything I can use as an excuse to carry it with me haha. The pack has extra room for items you may need to gather or bring with you that you find along your journeys. All of the items listed aren't counting a person’s E.D.C. essentials and depending on what the journey entails items may be added or removed from the list like extra ammunition, fishing equipment, game calls, field dressing kits, archery kits, and the list could go on and on. Hopefully getting a look at my lightweight pack with help some of you with your own.

Ok to break down what and why

Military Tactical Backpack 34L

I chose this pack because it was affordable comfortable rugged and it had plenty of space for the types of things I wanted to add to this kit. Its size is important because I wanted to be able to move fast and not be bogged down, having your bag the right size and not be oversized will help you keep gear down to a minimum at least for me I can find about 100 excuses to add more items to my kits.

Light weight Rain fly / Tarp tent

This option gives the user a lot of options. You can toss it up for a quick squall to keep the rain off your head or rig it triangularly to have a full A-frame tent; use it as a roof in a longer term primitive shelter. The fact that its is just a fly means its light weight and flexible (you’re not messing around with restricted tent pole when your trying to pick up camp in a hurry). Best of all it doesn’t weigh much.

Coleman Fleece sleeping bag (Straps onto Bottom for quick detach)

Again light light light. Ok not so water proof and you may find better options out there that work for you but combined with the rainfly it can may a nice addition for uncomfortable nights. Obviously, this choice was geared more towards warm weather events but in the addition to the clothes on your person and a light bivy or mylar wrap it can make the difference in a hypothermic situation.

Emergency bivy sleeping bag

Paired wit the Coleman fleece sleeping bag this makes a pretty solid sleep system. Waterproof.

Mylar blanket (2)

Heat reflective light weight and small. Not good use for stand alone but a great addition to any kit and for a couple of ounces why not?

USGI Canteen with cook cup, Spork, and cover

This unit give you a lightweight cook set with water storage all in one, alice clip came along with it so you can clip it on the outside of your pack. Excellent

MRE (1 X-MRE 1300XT)

To keep my pack light but still being able to carry some calories around with me I went with the good old reliable MRE. I only usually stock one in this pack but have room for two or three. One would give you enough to go on for three days in dire situations if you had no other source for sustenance and keeps you light weight.

Sawyer mini water filter

This little guy comes out swinging, with the capacity to filter more water then most filters out there and smaller than most it’s a no brainer

Stanley 8OZ flask (Bourbon 😉)

This is one of those comfort of living items. Whiskey has been proven to be able to lower blood pressure levels and the obvious reason,… why not!

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Small camp towel

Rain Suit (Cabelas pants and jacket)

Rain poncho (small plastic)

Long sleeved T-shirt (polyester blend)

Columbia wool hiking socks (1 pair)

Underwear (1 pair)

Lightweight neck gaiter (2)

Lightweight boonie hat

Sewing kit

Being my clothes gear I don’t go too overboard here, when I’m using this as a car bag I keep a change of clothes in the car for hard use. If I’m caught with this gear in my everyday getup I’m already ready to go. The kit still leaves enough room to add a change of clothes Which I add if going into any precarious situations,

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First Aid Kit (Adventure medical kit 1.0 Supplemented with quick clot and sutures)

Paracord (100ft)

Gloves

Small folding hand shovel

CRKT Saker bushcraft knife + bushcraft tool

This is a great combo the camp style knife is perfect for everyday use cooking, making extra cordage, batoning, building, crafting. This little piece of 1075 with a walnut handle can do it all.

Fishing Kit (homemade cigar tin, Hooks, Fishing line, sinkers, small lures)

Fire kit (homemade cigar tin, 3 Ferrocerium rods, dryer lint kindling, matches, Bic mini)

Stormproof matches (25)

Paracord bracelet with whistle, button compass, and Firestarter.

The tools cover cordage, cutting, fire, food acquisition, medical, construction, offense/defense.

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Map (United states interstate map)

Pen (2)

Field notes (3)

CRKT S.P.E.W. Knife

Led Flashlight (and extra batteries)

This covers navigation, communication and a backup on cutting, remember two is one and one is none, hard to do with a lightweight kit the do it with the important ones.

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Hand sanitizer

Eyedrops

Chapstick

Cigars (Panter Sprint 10pack)

Bic lighter

Just the extras in the small compartment.

As i said before this list can and will change over time but the important part is i feel confident this kit will get me as far as i need to go.

What are you carrying in your Pack? Leave a comment below