Bug out bag / PSk for Sweden canoe trip

[Thijzzz]

I've read parts of the various threadson Bug out bags, response packs and personal survival tins. Lots of info!

Now here's a situation: our holiday will be a 1 week canoe trip (Canadian open style canoe) in the Glaskogen Nature reserve in Sweden, second half of August. So it's the quiet end of the season and there may be a few days without seeing a soul.

I am dead serious on compiling a small, sensible pack that I can keep on me at all time when were are paddling. I had one nasty dream about our canoe tipping over over 20 ft of water and losing everything, which set of a more serious approach.

I have a small pack as seen in the other posts, that I will wear around my waist, so it won't be in the way with paddling.

This is the list I have compiled so far.

• Knife
• DC4
• Firesteel
• Tinder (cotton + vaseline)
• Folding saw
• Leatherman tool
• 2 x lightweight poncho
• Lightweight tarp
• Mini first aid kit (contents still to be specified, input welcome)
• Mirror
• Whistle
• Compass
• PDA /cellphone (with Tomtom installed on it)
• GPS-receiver for Tomtom > to pinpoint position
• Small list of emergency phone no's
• Solar power charger for PDA
• Aluminium drinking cup > Tip from Mors Kochanski in one of the threads, for boiling and drinking. Maybe a bit bigger then what I have now.
• Clothes repair set
• Ducktape
• Lighter in bicycle inner tube
• Stormproof lighter
• Decent but small fishing set + extra dyneema > I am an angler and this will be my best chance of catching wild food
• Book "Edable wild foods", small pocket version
• Copper wire for snares
• Headtorch + spare batteries
• LED torch
• Notebook + pen > to write up a plan, keep track of where we've been, what we've done, eaten, inuries and treatment, etc. This to account for, when after several days hunger sets in and your (mental) powers decline and you start second guessing earlier made decisions, you can read back to have a guideline: "This was the plan we made when we were metally fit, with such-and-such reasons."
• Paracord, maybe also some thinner cord
• Space blanket
• Condoms
• Compressible insulation jacket > Tips from Mors Kochanski in one of the threads
• Power snacks > for when you need to push through or be clear-headed to make important decisions. For this reason WWII pilots had benzedrine tablets in their PSK. Is something like it stil available? Otherwise add glucose tablets.
• Head net
• Suntan
• Anti-mosquito stuff

No water purification since the Swedish lakes are so clean you can drink from them. Not 100% sure though, might take some form of chemical treatment.

PS: Things that should stay dry will be packed in ziploc bags or small drybags.

I would really appreciate your input on this list. As said, this if for a situation that I deem possible, and I want to be prepared.

Thanks!

 

[EdS]

thing you may be pushed to fit it all in.

If you've got space blanket do you relly need 2 poncho. If I read it right this is a if the worst happens kit.

Be aware these bags do get in the way when paddling - the weigh gets to be a pain and they catch on your PFD

 

[Thijzzz]

OK, thanks. I haven't tried fitting it in the bag yet.

PFD and weight: good point!

 

[barryasmith]

Hi

Can anyone tell me what the bag is? I quite like it.

Cheers.

Barry

 

[Thijzzz]

The same design comes up under different manufacturers: Snugpak , Maxpedition, and may cheaper. Search for "bug out bag" or "response pack" and you'll find some threads with different brands and suppliers. Mine is a knockoff from Hongkong: http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Airsoft-Accessories-Supply__W0QQ_armrsZ1

 

[Limaed]

Space blankets are rubbish, almost useless, a Blizzard Bag is a much better bit off kit for the size of a video cassette you have a two season sleeping bag.

http://www.blizzardsurvival.com/

How are you waterproofing it all? A small canoe type bag would keep it all dry and could be used to carry water.

What about a strobe to attract attention from aircraft or a Personal Locator Beacon?

Ed

 

[sandbender]

"...Search for "bug out bag" or "response pack" and you'll find some threads with different brands and suppliers..."

They are very cool little bags, I've only just bought one, however it does seem as though you will have an awful lot of stuff attached to you while paddling.

My advice would be to carry much less on your person and perhaps store your 'grab bag' separately in another bag that is both brightly colored and that will float. If the unthinkable happens and you and up being separated from your canoe, then that unthinkable event may also have bent your ankles arms or legs in ways that they were never designed to be bent, if you have all that gear strapped to you then its going to be that much more difficult to either get back aboard or ashore.

If you haven't yet read it 'Song of the Paddle' by Bill Mason is well worth a read.

 

[EdS]

Space blankets are rubbish, almost useless, a Blizzard Bag is a much better bit off kit for the size of a video cassette you have a two season sleeping bag.

Not as warm but have you tried making a trap out of blizzard bag.

Space blanket is better for a small bumbag/large pocket worse case senario. Blizzard bags are great in a sac but they are suprisingly heavy.

 

[John Dixon]

It sounds as though you are an expereinced paddler, are you lashing your kit in or putting it on lines?. I have been on many trips and have played with bags etc, in my expereince you get annoyed by the bag and take it off. So what i found was that all i realy needed was my knife and a fire steal. the rest i can make. Carry this on your person idealy arround neck, if you put it on your BA you could get it snagged and you may need it when you portage..... Yu can all ways carry a few bits in your BA, plus your rescue knife but if you are like me and many others you take this off (calm ) waters, you may not have access to it i some times carry some fishing line and hooks folded into a piece of inner tube. tucked into my trousers and BA that way i could fish if need be- hobo style.
What grade if river are you on ?

 

[John Dixon]

Super glue
Sterri strips/ buterfly stitches
Duct Tape
Milatry style bandages very absorbant
Midge/ mosi repellent

Knowledge\training

if you cant fix it with the above you are in trouble!!!!!

once got a deep cut on left hand on a solo 5 day trip and the best thing to treat it was super glue and duct tape, plasters and other stuff would of just fell of with water and paddling action.

 

[forestwalker]

It sounds as though you are an expereinced paddler, are you lashing your kit in or putting it on lines?. I have been on many trips and have played with bags etc, in my expereince you get annoyed by the bag and take it off. So what i found was that all i realy needed was my knife and a fire steal. the rest i can make. Carry this on your person idealy arround neck, if you put it on your BA you could get it snagged and you may need it when you portage.....

For there? Knife, firesteel, a few bandaids, a military field dressing. Perhaps a map and compass. A small tin of bug dope could come in handy. If you wear cargo pants all can hang from your belt or fit inside a pocket. Or use a small "possibles" bags on your belt. We are talking about spending the night and walking out in the morning (and be done before the end of the day unless you get lost).

 

[cheapeats]

This thread is really useful I am doing the Allagash wilderness in August and have been thinking about the same stuff, I will post when I get everything figured out,

 

[squantrill]

Thijs,

First rule never attach anything to your body except at most a flotation device!!.
If you have a open canoe then get your self some water proof drums and store you gear in them, tie them down to the canoe so they dont go awol if you fall out. You can always take the bag with you and pop in a few items when wandering around.

The bag you have incidently is the same as I have and brought with me to Bushcraftweekend.
I find it fits enough in and I get everything in except tarp hammock and sleeping gear all the rest goes in it. However I have found it sits rather uncomfortable and ended up sticking on over my shoulder.

You list looks ok suntan cream and condoms are the most important ; ) I wouldn't drink the water directly it is really not worth taking the risk. You are I believe allowed to make fire any where so my suggestion would be to boil your water on the stops and fill you boat up with the water bottles.

Take plenty of dry bags and put everything in them, tie each one down securely keep a dry set of cloths for when you get in your sleeping area and take them off when you go outside always have a dry set in a dry bag on in a sleeping bag

Most important enjoy..

 

[big_swede]

• Knife
• DC4
• Firesteel
• Tinder (cotton + vaseline)
• Folding saw
• Leatherman tool
• 2 x lightweight poncho
• Lightweight tarp
• Mini first aid kit (contents still to be specified, input welcome)
• Mirror
• Whistle
• Compass
• PDA /cellphone (with Tomtom installed on it)
• GPS-receiver for Tomtom > to pinpoint position
• Small list of emergency phone no's
• Solar power charger for PDA
• Aluminium drinking cup > Tip from Mors Kochanski in one of the threads, for boiling and drinking. Maybe a bit bigger then what I have now.
• Clothes repair set
• Ducktape
• Lighter in bicycle inner tube
• Stormproof lighter
• Decent but small fishing set + extra dyneema > I am an angler and this will be my best chance of catching wild food
• Book "Edable wild foods", small pocket version
• Copper wire for snares
• Headtorch + spare batteries
• LED torch
• Notebook + pen > to write up a plan, keep track of where we've been, what we've done, eaten, inuries and treatment, etc. This to account for, when after several days hunger sets in and your (mental) powers decline and you start second guessing earlier made decisions, you can read back to have a guideline: "This was the plan we made when we were metally fit, with such-and-such reasons."
• Paracord, maybe also some thinner cord
• Space blanket
• Condoms
• Compressible insulation jacket > Tips from Mors Kochanski in one of the threads
• Power snacks > for when you need to push through or be clear-headed to make important decisions. For this reason WWII pilots had benzedrine tablets in their PSK. Is something like it stil available? Otherwise add glucose tablets.
• Head net
• Suntan
• Anti-mosquito stuff

No water purification since the Swedish lakes are so clean you can drink from them. Not 100% sure though, might take some form of chemical treatment.

That's more of an ordinary kit list, too much for a psk. I have never used a psk or BoB but I can imagine that you will get annoyed by this size of pack. Knife+firesteel plus some band aid is all you need. Sweden isn't really wild and you will have maximum 30 km to the nearest road in the area you're describing.

The central marker is Glaskogen nature reserve.

You don't need no PDAs or software, you'll be fine with a map and a compass, no need to bring expensive sensitive electronics. It's a recreation, not a scientific expedition. I think you wil be much better off with a book adapted to the location than a generic wild food book. Why tarp, 2 ponchos and a space blanket? I think a tarp will do well. Head torch is sufficient, skip the led torch, in the summer I don't use anyone of them. Head net? No, no need really. Bug dope is enough. Copper wire for snares? I think you could get in trouble with the law if a fishing inspector should want to check your kit. You will never ever have to use this so this is just unnecessary. Benzedrine is amphetamine, it is still widely available in the street, but it is highly addictive and can cause sleeping problems. Save that and the condoms for clubbing.

I think you are taking this way to seriously. The area you are going to is used by boy scouts and families, you will have no problems with just a basic kit in a ordinary pack. There are no rapids, no real risk zones. There are cabins and ready made lean-tos, so even if you do capsize you will have all the opportunities in the world to dry up, and if you get sick of it all you could walk out of it and stand by a roadside in less than a day. Take a step back and breathe, you will be fine, it's just an ordinary wilderness trip not an expedition into the amazonas.

But you are right with the water, totally safe to drink. And the notebook is a good idea, not for what you describe, but to make ordinary notes. The compressible jacket is a good idea too, have one and in the fall (autumn) it's brilliant.

 

[Momentum]

I think you are over doing it - Sweden is wilder than the UK but still has plenty of people and good emergency services. If it goes totally wrong then you'll need to walk out or call for rescue, not try and survive off the land for a month, so I'd make sure I had a knife, a couple of lighters or bix of waterproof matches, a mobile phone and maybe a poncho ready to hand. You'll be fine with that. Make sure you tie your bags to the canoe and that there's enough flotation and you shouldn't even need to worry about it!

 

[Thijzzz]

Thanks to everyone for their usefull input, especially to Big Swede for local info.
I will take a deep breath, ponder all new info, and take a second look at my BOB.

 

[Mr Adoby]

Seems like a very nice trip. The REALLY good thing about canoeing is that you don't need to carry all that stuff on your back.

Please remember that since this is in a nature reserve, there are much stricter rules about what you can do, compared to what is normally freely allowed in Sweden. For instance you may ONLY make a campfire at prepared sites with fireplaces and shelters. And if it's very dry you may not even be allowed to do that. You may not cut down any trees or break any twigs, and this also applies to dead wood. So you really can't make a campfire outside the prepared sites without breaking the regulations.

The Rights of Public Access are restricted in nature reserves. Regulations in the Gla Forest Nature Reserve.

These restricting rules ensures that the human impact on the areas outside the prepared camp sites is minimized. And the nature is allowed to be, or become, truly natural.

If you would prefer to wild camping in Sweden, and take full advantage of the Rights of Public Access and the freedom to roam, then you should avoid the nature reserves. But then you may not experience as "natural" nature and you would not have access to prepared windshelters and fireplaces.

 

[big_swede]

Oh, I forgot to mention, instead of an emergency fishing kit, bring a real one. Much bigger chance of catching some supper with the right stuff. More enjoyable too. A weeks fishing card is 150 SEK or roughly £12 or 14 euros.

 

[303Brit]

You mentioned wire for snaring.
Snares mean setting up traps and returning to them over a period of time.If you are totally cut off and miles from anywhere they might make sense.But be a waste of energy sitting around for several days,finding you have caught nothing then deciding to move on.

Also been mentioned by others here, have more in your pockets.Trousers pockets for the real basics.Since the last item of clothing a person is likley to ditch is his trousersYou might even have to ditch your belt.Jammed between logs in water maybe?A lighter attached with rubber bands to a Field Dressing is a good fire starting kit.Break the FD open for the cotton wool etc.plus they are usually in waterproof packages anyway.Though id still waterproof the whole set up.

 

[tommy the cat]

I think that it was a good question and a responsible one!
Thankfully we have good advice available on this site from people who are familiar with the area which is great for all of us.
My possibles bag would probably be more to do with stuff that I want to get at easily (ie bug spray tissues etc) rather than condoms, but would include a few diff ways to start a fire and first aid kit.
A good thread and keep us posted on how you get on.
Dave