How about a new thread topic? Or if we had a get-home-bag...it must have been awhile back!

I'd had been eyeballing a new small pack and decided to check out the Mystery Ranch Urban Assault 24. The other pack is a Vertx EDC Ready Pack and it resides in my trunk or gets moved to my wife's vehicle if we are off somewhere a bit farther than norm. Both cars also have bags with snacks, mylar blankets, rain ponchos, extra clothes and comfortable shoes and a bit of gear like water bottles and purifiers.

Just briefly I decided to make the Mystery Ranch (MR) a lighter and less stocked bag. Here's a few initial thoughts and I'll add more later and go over the contents more also.

Even though the specs say it's 25 liters ad the Vertx is 20....seems to me the Vertx is bigger! Some initial impressions are the MR rides higher which I like. The exterior side pockets are really tight to the body and the interior space pushes against them making water bottle placement more difficult. There is interior storage for a bottle on the inside along those outside pockets....but who wants to carry water bottles inside the pack? So I tried to go lighter with a lifestraw integrated into a collapsible water bottle....but it's only like 20 ounces and I'm not comfortable with such a small amount a water. Just ordered a small'ish/narrow nalgene bottle for the other side. The Vertx has more varied storage areas which I like. Plus the interior rear space (against back) is set up for a pistol and mags (or other things of course) with these things called tactigami that velcros where you want them placed. I've used it a few times like that and like it a lot.




Watcha guys carrying?

Those would be really good for an urban environment (meaning Anti almost anything we believe in) bags. I was using a Pigmy falcon II but just this week switched out all the stuff (changing to winter environment items) to my Condor II. Went from 18 liters to 23. Here's a list of the stuff I have in and or on it now, and than might well, probably will, change.

40oz Ozark trail single wall bottles with REI SS cups and titanium long handled spoon and fork on each side in Condor water bottle carriers.
Good multi function CR123 LED flashlight. Leatherman Wave. Fire Starting kit (in about a 4x4 inch pouch). Mainstay "Survival" food packet.
GOOD FAK. Folding "Survival" garden type small shovel.
2 Shemaghs.
100ft paracord. 50ft 5/32 cord. 100ft 50lb test "Thread".
Tin of instant coffee (hey, it's EMERGENCY rations Ray) with those little containers of Tea you pour into a 1 liter bottle and Sweetener.
Two All weather Survival Blankets that have "Pouches" sew in for your head and one for each hand.
USGI poncho (still looking for a liner, man are they hard to find!).
5x8 nylon reinforced plastic type tarp. (the kind from Wally World)
Winter Gloves and Leather Work Gloves
Frontier Pro Survival straw. Sawyer Mini filter with Maintenance kit
2 1 liter foldable water containers
a Fish mouth spreader to pick the SS water bottles out of the fire.
6 inch mini pry bar
SAS Survival manual
Heavy Duty Folder (Gift from DT)
Retractable Diamond Sharpening Rod
Head Lamp flashlight

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I plan on a mile hike to just work it out and see how how it all carries as I haven't had this pack loaded out like this before. I know I will be taking some things out once I get to looking at it again and again. I think that I might well make up my Malaga for Patty as she couldn't carry a conventional pack. We could pack it full enough weight wise to take advantage of another bag without weighing her down to much. I have tried to plan for two people for a three day "Emergency" and that is what has prompted me to pack some items I normally wouldn't pack.

I like the pry bar. Coffee is a must!

The way I have it packed now is perhaps more of a Bug out Bag instead of a GHB. But then again when planning on a GHB for two folks it will, I think, lean more towards a BOB gear wise.

So in the Mystery Ranch...in the back laptop area- a decent poncho, reflective survival tarp, 100 ft of 550 cord, 4 bungees, some zip ties and SOL bivy. Small top storage area- leatherman, headlamp, glasses. Inside main section 3-4 small instant coffee pouches (something is better than nothing! hah!), couple sporks, 2-3 glow sticks, SOS food ration block, water purifying tablets, bag with extra socks, hat, long sleeve pullover, kabar fixed blade knife, old belt, wipes. In a separate pouch I put ibuprofen/tylenol, immodium, lighter, container of stormproof matches and candle. In the 2 outside pockets- gloves in one and that lifestraw bottle in the other...another bottle is on the way.

I work 26 miles from home which would be a 9-10 hour slow walk home i figure. This is enough to keep me going and help me pass a night if needed. I wouldn't be overly comforatble, but that's fine. Plus I have other gear in the car for the family which would be added support. I had planned on a small Stanley cook set and a Mountain House food packet. But...decided the SOS food is plenty and space was running out. That leaves me with cold coffee which is a shame...but it's a day walk so I should be a big boy and keep it light, right? hah! Although...some of the things will come out of the bag and go on my person.

I found a small down sleeping bag that's extremely compact and snugpak bivy I'm thinking of buying to add the trunk for cold weather. But in general- this bag is more basic than my Vertx with much less redundancy built it....on purpose.

I haven't tried their bivy but I am a big fan of their jungle blankets and XL jungle blankets.

I decided to go superlight on my get home bag. Nalgene bottle, Big (24 oz/) GSI cup, Mil Poncho, Jungle blanket, tiny esbit stove and a survival straw, small fire kit. I added a soup packet and part of an MRE and a snivel kit.

nice...i bet that does not take up a lot of space or weigh much. I have an order in for one of their blankets and a couple other things...look forward to checking them out.

What did you keep from the mre? Pound cake?

LOL, I don't remember, probabaly somethign that I wouldn't care about eating because Iw as just that hungry

I seriously love the snugpack jungle blankets though. I use them a lot at home camping, napping and I keep one for each person in all our vehicle as part of a winter kit. I think I may add a zipper on one of the XL blankets to use as a sleeping bag/insert.

I have a travel pak blanket coming for my wife's car and a couple other things. I'm pretty interested in some other things...seems like good quality at good price.

It's a grey and rainy day here...figured I should follow upon the contents of the Vertx...needed to get the new sleeping bag in there too. I have this set up for a longer walk home...like having to come from drill home on foot for some reason.

In the small rear admin area I have- paracord, snaplights, bug repellent, tourniquet, compass, ibuprofen, lighter, neosporin, impodium, a folder, colgate wisps, all weather notebook, pen, coffee, iodine, extra batteries.

2 32 ounce nalgene bottles on outside pockets.

Next pocket, extra clothes/socks/hat, zip ties, bungee cords, wipes, gloves, a few sporks and a head lamp.

And in the main compartment, a SAK, poncho, 3 trash bags, collapsible stove, SOL bivy, several mylar blankets, emergency poncho, waterproof bag, Stanley pot with sterno inside, glock knife, sog tomahawk, tape, storm matches, life straw and 3 mountain house meals.

I also have a shopping bag in the trunk with extra clothes, water bottle and life straw, snacks, blankets and such for the kids...and an old pair of my sneakers. So I have some redundancy built it.

The last area against the back is great for storing a handgun, ammo and magazine. I have their 'tactigami' set up to fit either my Glock 19x or CZ p10c and an extra magazine when I need them.

I see I need another tarp for this one and bug juice for my Mystery Ranch. That's about it!