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Those unfamiliar with the term that is a backpack loaded with survival gear in case of emergency. It's supposed to last for 3 days. I've been doing some research with information other people have shared to get good ideas. Probably the best idea I have come up with on my own is the food. I made 10 bags of instant mashed potatoes. I threw in a little seasoning for flavor. It's all dehydrated though because I don't want to carry perishables. Each bag is about a meal so that's 10 meals right there. All I do is add some water and it's ready to eat. Conveniently they fit in 4 side pouches on my backpack I thought wouldn't be used because they didn't seem to fit my gear. With the air removed from the bags they're compact enough to fit in the pouches though.

I'm not very content with my first aid kit, but it's good for basic necessity. I have a flask full of alcohol for antiseptic. I need a new flask. I had a flask of hydrogen peroxide and it had a hole that leaked. I got a new flask and filled it with vodka. That one leaked too. I learned from the peroxide flask and put the vodka flask in a ziplock bag. The bag keeps it from leaking, but I would have felt a lot better if the flask wasn't leaking at all. I also have a tube of antibiotic ointment, a pack of gauze pads, and a roll of ductape. That is the extent of my medical supplies.

Clothing is decent at best. I need to repack my kit with socks because I used up my spares on a camping trip. I kept my socks packed in ziplock bags which apparently a lot of other people do for good reason. Trench foot is bad. That's where your feet are left in wet, cold, unsanitary conditions for extended periods of time and the flesh begins to rot. On my last camping trip my feet were soaked the whole time and I think I got the early stages of trench foot. I need a pair of flip flops to use in case my boots get soaked so I can keep my feet dry. If your shoes are soaked there's not much dry socks can do since the shoes will soak the socks. You definitely want several pairs of socks though and it's a good idea to keep them sealed in ziplocks. If your backpack falls in a river or something they keep the socks dry. My shirt and pants are fine. I also have a shemagh which is one of those evil muslim scarves. I use that term sarcastically. Anyway it can be wrapped around the face keeping it warm in cold conditions or protected from the sun on a hot day. In the truck I also have a pair anti fog goggles with a shade lense for sunglasses. The goggles work well to keep my glasses from fogging when I wear the shemagh. I have a hatchet that says I need to wear eye protection because the blade is brittle. The goggles help with that too.

Shelter is a big problem weight wise. I've seen super compact fleece sleeping bags which would be super great, but they're not really meant for the cold. I'm also a pretty big guy so I had to get a special sleeping bag to fit me off the internet. I keep the bug out bag and the sleeping bag in the truck. There are some loops on the backpack where I can attach bungie cords to the backpack to hold the sleeping bag on. I also have a tent in the truck that is 6x7. A heavy tent and heavy sleeping bag aren't going to be pleasant to carry on a 10 mile hike, but where I live it's usually really rainy and cold most of the year so sleeping on the ground under the stars isn't a very good idea.

Water is very important. This is probably the most important thing right here. The popular statistic is that a person can only live about 3 days without water. Truth is this really varies. If you live in a hot dry environment you will dehydrate faster than someone in a cold humid environment. If you're doing a lot of work you will dehydrate faster than someone who mostly rests. No matter how you look at it though water is a must have. My backpack came with a camelbak water bladder which holds a half gallon of water. I also have a 1 quart canteen. Water bottles usually hold 750ml or less. I chose the canteen for that little extra capacity. At a milsurp store I came across a canteen pouch. It's fuzzy insulated to keep your water cool better. It also has loops to run your belt through to keep it right at your hip. It also came with a little utility pouch I was able to keep a bottle of water purification tablets in. Total my capacity is 3/4 of a gallon. On my camping trip I kept track of how much water I drank without rationing and I went through 3 canteens a day so I figure without rationing I carry one day of water. Good to know. If I ration it that should last longer. Another good thing is to know your environment. We have tons of rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and tons of rain. Near constant rain makes dedicated shelter more important, but it's also a source of water so that is an advantage.