Thanks for the help JD. But I think I have made up my mind to go with one that will take aa batteries. I am going all aa or aaa batteries in my flashlights and anything else I can get by with so I will only have to stock one kind of battery, ones that should be plentiful in emergencies. Plus I can get a solar panel and charger for those batteries for I hope about $115.00 or close to it.

And recently I have been looking at flashlights that don't use batteries! You wind em up and they operate off a capacitor. I had a couple sites bookmarked but hit the wrong button and they went into Al Gores internet limbo I guess. I think that to me a flashlight like that would be for long term pack and forget until you need it route.

Java Dog, will the 40 KK fit into the maxped bottle carrier, either the 10x4 or 10x5? Looks like they should. I am wanting to get a couple of them. I have an 18oz I take to work every night and really like it. Plus them being steel, HOT WATER without having to break out another piece of gear if you need to heat up water.

Yes it will fit in either, also nicely with a GSI steel cup with folding handles under it. I got the 40 with the optional flat top and D ring for extra room. I went with the 10x5 after reading many reviews from guys with the 10x4 that started adding pouches and too much outside. The 10x5 gives you more flexibility. I have an emergy bivvy, para, med kit, multiple fire starters, signaling, lighting, compass, poncho, multiple water treatments, food, plenty of room. With the extra width been also thinking about making a small hobo wood stove to fit around the KK 40 with the GSI on top.

thank you again. I will have to start checking again for all the stuff I would like to go with it. But for now, I've been up my regular sunday 24 hours and Am going to bed. thanks again and take care.

Skunkhunter

If there are going to be 8 of you in one place with a roof over your head, you may want to pool your $ and get one of these.

http://www.lifesaversystems.com/index.html

I picked up a steri pen for BOB but would get the lifesaver for a group/long term.

The Lifesaver Bottle looks like a neat piece of gear, but it cleans about 1,300 gallons. The Katadyn Pocket is good for 13,000 gallons. That's ten times the water for about I think the extra price makes up for this. Not is only the price per gallon much better with the Katadyn, but you have to take the Lifesaver apart and fill it up about a liter at a time. The Katadyn Pocket can be continually pumped until whatever water vessel you are using is full and is much faster at it.

If you buy the Endurance Lifesaver pack, you get about the same water filtering capacity as the Katadyn at more than twice the price and you have to carry 16 spare filters.

The more I look at the Katadyn Pocket the more I like it. People like Arch and others have nothing but good things to say about it too. Hands-on review are very important to me, second only to firsthand experience with it.

Might want to check out the Katadyn Camp. It isn't something for a BOB, but would be nice to have stashed at the inlaws. Looks like it would take a lot of the work out of the job. Might be slower, but it is much cheaper than the Pocket.

I was just going through my bag making sure everything is ready to go for a camping trip this coming weekend, and noticed something in it that hasn't got much play time in this thread.

How ever POP did hit on it - Hygiene.

I have two small "collapsible" toothbrushes, tooth paste, soap strips, large wipes, small wipes, small deodorant and shaving kit.

We all know the best way to keep from getting sick is to stay clean.

Plus, many of the things in a hygiene kit have double uses. Toothpaste will polish metal for making a signaling mirror. Toothbrush be used to clean more than teeth. Shaving kit - shaving around a wound for cleaning, bandaging or stitching.

Jarhead
Now you gave me another option for filtration, great find.

Hygiene is very important! I was in the restaurant business for 30 years and had chemicals to fix this problem Obviously short term solutions are easy to plan for.
Long term is another story. I haven't seen anything (haven't looked either) for long term solutions for when the short term luxury items run out. How does one clean up after using the "hole" you dug? Just thinking about it makes me sick. Using the same hands to cook with as you just wiped with without proper cleanup, you are asking for trouble.
Plants to wipe with? Check first so you wont have an allergic reaction!
Sanitizing your hands afterwords! Without chemicals I'm clueless.

A stinky subject but a real problem if you don't know what you are doing.

[color:"red"] Warning: Lye is a strong skin irritant and can do serious damage to mucus mebranes, i.e. nose, mouth, throat and private regions. Wear glasses and rubber gloves if you got em. Do not use the same pan/pot/utensils for making soap for cooking. In a bind, scrub the hell out of the stuff. Don't let this stop you from making your own soap. Avoid using a metal pot with lye unless in a well ventilated area. Outdoors is best. Follow those rules and you have nothing to worry about. The fat will bind with the lye and neutralize it. [/color] Filter water through cooled ashes from you fire pit. Wood ashes contain lye and the water poured slowly through them will absorb the lye. Then pour the runoff water containing lye into a pot. Boil and reduce about 75 percent. Add animal fat or grease and mix well. Once mixed, let it cool. Then scoop the resulting goop into some kind of mold/s. One of those plastic soap holders you might have had the original soap in before you ran out will work perfectly. Let is harden for a few days. Remove from molds to let all sides "breathe." Let stand for a week or even two weeks if you are in a humid region.

Now you have soap.

I am sure you can find more detailed directions online. It is a fairly simple process, but takes some time. But, if you are in a long term survival scenario, you got time.