With the Christmas Holidays rapidly approaching people are going to be traveling a great deal. I pose a question:
What does your travel kit look like?
Ground travel?
Air Travel?
I do not fly so my ground kit will consist of my 3 day pack, 1 light weight M4 with a TA33, and my Glock 23 EDC gun. I pack at least 300 rounds of 5.56 and 100 rounds of .40 S&W. I have a BFG Ten Speed chest rig (old 6 pouch kind) that will have 4 mags. My 3 day pack hold the basics; space blanket, 550 cord, zip-ties, fire starter, Water purifier and Container, first aid kit, ammo, mags, saw, large fixed blade knife, chem-lights, flashlight, Leatherman, poncho, and so forth.
I will be driving about 450 miles across eastern North Dakota and northern South Dakota.
My over the road and through the tundra travel kit consists of 3 day pack, an LMT M4 with TA31H, a Glock 19 and a Eagle M4 chest rig holding 3 M4 mags and 2 pistol mags.
Inside my three day pack I have 4 more rifle mags, my surefire light with spare batteries, Leatherman MUTT(it was a gift so I try to find a use for it), Strider DB-L NSN, 550 cord, a lighter, field tarp, ifak, wool socks and wool long johns, german mess kit with esbit stove and fuel, cold weather MRE, canteen, energy bars and some instant coffee.
Kit for my truck includes sleeping system, ax, shovel, fire extinguisher, 30,000lb recovery strap, booster cables, tools, spare fluids and fuel.
Glad I’m not the only one that rolls like this. My girlfriend is becoming more accepting of my packing habits but some family members and friends still like to live like bad things only happen to other people in places far away.
Bringing a firearm has always been more about hunting for food than self defense, as I was raised.
Spent the better part of my youth in North Dakota. Traveling in winter always meant a three day supply of clothes, food, and water, in addition to a way to not freeze while sleeping, and purify more water from snow (camp stove and filter).
Why the firearm-heavy loadout folks? I can see taking a pistol sure and a couple spare mags, but where are your warm blankets? Your cold weather sleeping bag? High calorie foods, like peanutbutter or mixed nuts? I suspect it far more likely you will find yourself stuck in a ditch and freezing with a broken car window in a snow/ice storm than you will have to fight your way home with 300+ rounds of 5.56, even for those folks traveling to Memphistan for the holidays.
Stormin knows about cold, if he grew up in the land of 47below keeps the riffraff out!
Weapons heavy loadout gives me a warm and fuzzy which helps when it -30*…and because 'Murica.
All joking aside, I’ve been chased half way across Grand Forks County for going down the wrong rural road and happening upon a couple guys at the wrong time…I would have really liked to have a rifle and combat load with me that time but was unarmed and it will never happen to me again.
As for the cold weather gear and preps for that I wrongfully assumed considering my location that it would be a given I would have all the necessary cold weather gear with me. I have lived my whole life in North Dakota in the middle of nowhere and travel 35 miles daily on barely maintained roads. I don’t leave without warm clothes and extras in my vehicle. I thought about expanding on that but it would have been a long post. I may have to go back and add on.
I carry a full kit because I have faith that people will fall apart very fast in a disaster situation. I have to travel through several populated areas and if something bad happens I KNOW that people will turn into animals very fast. See my quote of myself below……….no truer words have been spoken. Better safe than dead.
Something rated to the lowest temperatures that you expect to see in the week of your travel. I just bring the good one. If I end up feeling to warm, I can unzip the bag a bit.
My thoughts exactly, I usually take the family to touristy destinations (prefer remote fishing locations). If an event happened, bugging-in hotel room with no preps or risk facing the panic shoppers/looting is not option with two kids. Making it out of city and to friends and family outside city is the what if plan. Plus I like to shoot at different ranges/comps while traveling. Wife gripes about gear taking up space, so left out rifle in exchange for 3day pack (standard goodies). Carry Glock 19&26- 8mags 2 fun sticks and 500rds, but prefer to keep more camping based gear than shooting in SUV. Knife, machete, rope, chain, tools, tire stuff, 3 tarps of various sizes, small stove, seasonal stuff, etc. plus whats in BOB/3day pack. And fishing poles, won that not “gear” argument with wife since we always go to the beach for vacations:cool:.
This year at Thanksgiving we took a two week road trip to visit the family in North Texas and North West Arkansas. (1500 mile trip) I thought hard on what to pack and kept a eye on the weather. I had just bought my wife a new 4Runner and she wanted to take it. My Super Duty is all outfitted with my road Kit and every inch of space behind and under the seats are utlized for an adventure but not the new truck. So I drug out an old three day pack and stocked it up. For Arms I decided to carry my Ruger 10/22 Take Down outfitted with Nodak Spud sights and 5 BX25 mags and a 333 round box of ammo. I carried my off duty Sig 229 in my Galco Sholder rig and the wife carried her M&P 9. I packed several wool blankets, small packing sleeping bag, some food and a case of bottled water, small shovel and tow strap kit from my old Jeep and a 20# tub of kitty litter for the Gato. It turns out we ran into the Ice storm in NW Ark the week after Thanksgiving. We Sat on I-40 for 5 hours behind a Jack Knifed big rig. Boy was I glad for the wool blankets and the food and water and had to use the kittylitter a couple of times when we had to stop to get traction to get moving…i have always been a big proponet of planing for the worst and now I think my wife is starting to see things my way.
Very good points. I too am taking my wife’s Expedition as apposed to my F250…harder to plan when it is from scratch. I have a very small Snug-Pak sleeping bag that I am going to put with my kit. That and the blankets that we always take should cover me in the event of it getting really cold.
Thankfully shooting is a steady part of all our family get togethers. So loading up with an ar, few pistols and a plate carrier is an expected. On top of that I throw my “family camping” pack in. It is an ilbe pack with ecws sleeping bag system (4 part army deal), a tent, sleeping pad, packs of datrex bars, water filter, a few disposable ponchos + mylar blankets, lots of ways to make fire etc. I can live out of that bag for weeks year round and keep the family warm and fed for a week on a stretch. The ilbe might be heavy but it sure has lots of room. Put the camping pack and gun fun together and we are good to go. Both our vehicles have good emergency repair kits and stay above 3/4 on gas at all times so switching rides isn’t much of a hindrance.
Bingo bango! For road trips I will throw in a Kalashnikov side folder, minimalist chest rig with loaded e-bloc mags. If it’s going to be Mad Maxx on the roads I want a .30 caliber puncher handy.
We too went traveling to visit relatives…via automobile but I travel a lot for work so some is via air…I use one standard load out kit for guns and ammo, the only exception is the if traveling via air the long gun left behind.
Standard is two pistols, one Glock 17, one Glock 19, with 6 extra magazines,small fixed blade knife, good quality folding knife, small parts/repair kit for Glocks, matches, lighter, water purification tablets, small ‘blow out’ med kit, and 150 rounds in factory boxes (important if by air), spare contacts and a small OTC med assortment. All of this, except the pistols, fits inside of an old fanny pack so it is convenient to store/transport. Two Raven holsters are used as well.
For long gun I have an UZI that, with the barrel removed (takes less then 10 sec on/off) fits into a standard three day pack so no going into/out of a hotel or home with telltale long guns in cases. Yes I know it is only a 9mm long gun but gives me both accuracy and some small extended range while maintaining ammo compatibility. The major reason is that it is concealable.
thank you doc!!! how u been ???
anyone who does not carry a complete load out in these times is brain dead to quote the great “tdl” who is currently retired freezing uh make that living in bum-f–k idaho.
sbr 8 mags 1 tracer 1 ss-109 car doors and such
nods can.,all the standard stuff. we carry
pistol 6 mags wife has her own side arm
chest pouch web gear
shoot me 1st vest. i know dont say it but a lot dont know. mine is blue denem.
food long term +stripped mre’s
camelbak,8 bottle of water
1st aid kit
tauma kit
approiate clothing per season hvy belt holster in pants knife on belt. stuff in pockets
gortex set up +gloves
hiking boots
warm sleeping kit if winter is a factor exwc’s poncho line camo poncho
100 ft of p=cord (of course)
randall knife (2) big little
gollock
incredible amount of fire stuff DONT USE BIC LIGHTER they are shit get a blast match
jet boil
huge amount of coffee
3 day li wt pack
std car stuff +4 cans of air. patch kit tiny compressor.
more i cant member"“”"
i use a truck vault so i would pack from there as needed
i live in n.ohio current temp at my house is 9 f-----g degree’s outside
have woke up to snow in wyoming in late july. not heavy only 2"
i fish a lot out west and will visit hackathorn (tdl),next summer. will add 1000 rds of ammo
lots more food
small car repait kit from my dealer.
tire chains winter stuff
usually dont carry but that far u never know.i dont care what anyone else carry’s
i am getting home to my wife and dogs
jjw,
Good load out. I am doing well…exhausting holiday season…
Do you pack it all in a duffle bag, a Pack of some sort, or several small bags?
I like to use an ACOG on my travel carbine. I do that and irons. I try to stay away from more batteries when in that kind of situation. Any thoughts on this?
I base my kits on weight because if we have to bail from the vehicle a big load of pre-stored gear is going to be left behind do to weight.
Mr. & Mrs. two day packs each have,
Four bottles of water
One package of 3600 calorie survival cookies
Six 33rd Glock 9mm magazines
Foil survival blanket, foil sleeping bag, plastic tube shelter
One fixed blade field knife made by Glock
One sealed container of water proof matches
One sealed container of Vaseline cotton balls
One small GRS radio with ear piece and 10 year storage life batteries
One small set of Binoculars 8x20mm
50 feet Paracord
One patrol sized GSW kit
One small flash light with a green filter plus extra 10 year storage life batteries
One LifeStraw personal water filter
One Wind breaker/rain shell jacket.
The kids packs only contain water, survival cookies, Foil survival blanket, foil sleeping bag, plastic tube shelter, One LifeStraw personal water filter and Wind breaker/rain shell jacket.
We always have are Glock Pistols except were the wife’s CCW is not recognized or open carry is not allowed and then I will carry both guns under my L/E status and arm her if conditions warrant.
We also check all magazine capacity restrictions for the states traveled and have a supply of ten or fifteen round versions for use as needed.
All the above fits in mini back packs which are black in color.
