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Travel Light, Freeze at Night: Comments and Notes on Packing

Whether you are a potential guerrilla force fighter, living in the hills trying to evade capture and wreak hate
and discontent on the enemy, a member of the auxiliary who is smart enough to know that you need to be
ready to flee at a moments notice, or are simply a guy who wants to be ready to run for a safe retreat
area when TSHTF, one aspect of that planning that receives a lot of attention in preparedness circles is
the development of the bug-out bag/go-bag/patrol pack/whatever cool name you prefer..There are
dozens of books (actually, I just did a books search on Amazon for bug out bag and there were
360 hits.). Any forum online that is related to firearms or survival will generally have hundreds of
individual threads on what should constitute a good bug-out bag.
Unfortunately, with many of these books, the tricks focus on generalist gear that may allow you to
perform multiple functions at a mediocre level, but none of them well. I hate to burst any bubbles (well,
thats not true, now is it?), but while aluminum foil is amazing shit, and it CAN work as a signal mirror
device, as well as allowing you to wrap a snared rabbit in it to cook on a campfire, it does not work
anywhere near as well as a fucking purpose-designed signal mirror. A razor blade in a fucking Altoids can,
will cut stuffbut not as well as a Benchmade folder thats had a good edge put on it. An unlubricated
condom will hold a lot of waterbut not as well as a 2qt canteen or a Nalgene bottle will.
The second drawback to these books is their focus on comfort items. Folks, if youre in a survival
situation, whether bugging out for your hidey-hole in Idee-ho, or youre simply trying to move from a
secure guerrilla base area to a nearby place to conduct a raid, and your focus is on whether you have an
entertaining novel in your ruck to read, or if your fucking IPOD is charged up.youre as wrong as two
boys fucking.
Third, these books are predicated on suburban housewife, soccer moms as the reader. They are seldom,
if ever, suitable for the prepared individual who expects to have to fight and kill the enemy, whether to
escape a horde of mutant-zombie-outlaw-biker-vampire-werewolf-communists.
Finally, too often, the supposed expertise of the authors of these books has to be questioned, as they
recommend shoving all this shit into the tiny ass assault packs that are de riguer in the military and
survival industries today. Recognizing the importance of always striving to reduce the mobility-destroying
load-bearing requirements of the partisan, it is critical to dispel some long-cherished myths regarding the
historical American woodsman-scout. When many Americans consider the mythological archetype of the
frontiersman, their visualization typically involves either an eastern long-hunter (think Daniel Boone or
Simon Kenton), or a western mountain man (think Kit Carson or Jedidiah Smith), slipping silently and
effortlessly through the timber, carrying everything he owns in a shoulder-slung possibles pouch, or a
small knapsack slung on his back. This, like the cowboy-plainsman with his bedroll strapped across the
cantle of his stock saddle, is nothing by Thoreauan fantasy.

This is seen, in the modern context, in the form of small, lightweight, one- or three-day assault packs.
These are not new to light infantry forces. From the haversacks of pre-industrial armies that lived largely
off pack trains of horses and mules and wagons, to the ALICE LCE buttpack, the concept has a great deal
of historical precedent.
The contemporary rebirth of the assault pack in the ongoing fight with the Caliphate is due, almost totally,
to the prevalence of vehicle-based operations, even for light infantry (as Ive mentioned numerous
times on this blog, as well as the old site, calling a fighting force that travels to within 1-3 KM of
the objective in motorized vehicles, and then walks the last little bit light infantry is, to me,
ludicrous). When you expect to perform your mission, after a short one-mile jaunt, then return just as
quickly to the trucks, only to be returned to the FOB in time for dinner and a show before bed time, theres
little reason to need to carry more than a simple day-pack. When the guerrilla fighter however, has to
literally live out of his rucksack, with his entire sustenance and shelter only what he can carry for the
duration of an operations, an assault pack will only suffice is his missions will be raids on the next door
neighbors.
The sad reality is, the assault pack concept only works for modern conventional infantry forces because
a) they are receiving heli- or truck-borne resupply on an average of every 48-72 hours, and b) the trucks
are generally less than two hours of walking away if they do run out of something in the meantime. For
the future resistance guerrilla fighter, or the auxiliary member who is concerned about having to go into
E&E mode in order to evade capture following compromise, and will need to traverse jungle/swamp
environments, alpine areas, or other non-urban areas, a return to the traditional rucksack will be
necessary, regardless of how well-supplied you expect to be thanks to well-planned and developed
caches, and logistics networks. While we should certainly have pre-planned and pre-positioned, and prenetworked to have access to these, any number of contingencies, from observers in the immediate area,
to being on the run for escape-and-evade requirements, could preclude our ability to access either of
these resources.
Even the simple amount of gear necessary for successful long-term operations in these non-urban
environments is great enough to require a full-size rucksack, despite the best efforts of tactical experts
within the military, and ultra-light backpacking gurus like Ray Jardine (you have to know if Ray knew I
was citing him on a militia website, hed be fucking appalled!), to reduce the weight of gear to the
absolute minimum possible. If, like Mr. Jardine, you can get your basic payload of sustainment gear (not
counting food), down to between seven and 12 pounds (a very laudable goal), youre going to need
room in your ruck for mission-essential gear, ranging from extra ammunition, to breaching tools, and aid
bags. I keep my go-to-war ruck equipped with a basic load ample to sustain me in the field, for two
weeks, without having to resort to snaring game or gathering edible plants (who am I fooling? I dont
eat plants anyway.). It still weighs less than 30 pounds (nevertheless, I make it a point to maintain
the ability to carry a 65+ pound ruck, so I can add mission-essential gear if necessary).
Prior to World War Two, and the development of realistically practical off-road motorized transport, longterm travel in the backcountry almost always involved the use of livestock for the transportation of
personnel and logistics. Guerrilla and irregular forces have historically made widespread use of the local
indigenous beast of burden as well, whenever possible, even as recently as the GWOT (SF made rather
extensive use of animal transport in the early days of OEF, thanks to the Northern Alliances reliance on
horses. Both SOF and conventional forces have apparently continued to make use of pack animals, in
various degrees, according to some of my sources who are still serving, especially in the more remote,
extremely alpine regions of Afghanistan, where it can still be nearly impossible for rotary-wing assets to

get to, and completely impossible to get wheeled or tracked vehicles in. Despite this, however, and
regardless of the reality that future partisans should certainly be looking long and hard at pack animals as
potential assets, for the light-infantry force, the paradigm in large part, remains focused on man-portable
sustainment load-bearing equipment in the form of the ancient rucksack.
It is neither necessary nor desirable to pack the kitchen sink in the partisans sustainment rucksack load.
We are not discussing recreational backpacking trips. Focusing the sustainment load packing list on the
basic necessary logistics of survival and combat-effectiveness, rather than on creature comforts, makes it
possible to minimize the partisans load to the barest realistic minimums. To cite a Mosby Maxim that
HH6 likes to quote me as saying, Dont carry more than you have to, but be able to carry what you need
to.
Among the simplest, but certainly the most effective methods of reducing sustainment load weights, is the
development and enforcement of standardized packing lists within a resistance patrol element. In order
to be effective however, these standards must be ruthlessly enforced by key leaders during pre-combat
inspections. At its simplest level, the light infantry sustainment load should encompass only the basic
necessities to ensure human survival: water, food, and adequate shelter for the given environmental
conditions. This minimalist approach leaves the partisan a sustainment load far less than the standard of
modern conventional forces, while still allowing for the addition of mission-essential equipment without
exceeding the ability of the conditioned, fit partisan to move and fight effectively.
The Packs
The selection of a suitable rucksack design for the partisan is most critically dependent on the demands
of the immediate operational environment, and the preferences of the individual. A resistance force
operating in a largely urban enclave guerrilla base, with ample support from a complex, established
subversive underground and extensive auxiliary support network, will have significantly different logistical
sustainment requirements than a less well-supported organizational element operating from a
swamp/jungle base or in an alpine environment.
Rucksack options, outside of the assault pack paradigm, range from military/military surplus options such
as the old ALICE rucksack with frame and the newer MOLLE designs, to the option of civilian recreational
packs from companies such as Gregory, Dana Designs, North Face, and Kelty. While these typically lack
the modularity or sheer brutal toughness of the military designs, it is important to remember that, despite
the sometimes oddball aspects of the mountaineering sub-culture, serious alpinists are extremely physical
athletes who demand a lot from their equipment.
Further, the relatively innocuous appearance of this equipment may, in some areas, assist the partisans
attempts to blend with elements of the local civilian population, in regime-controlled, denied territory, when
moving into and through built-up areas (consider the idea of a small guerrilla force infiltrating an
urban area to conduct a raid, either solo or in pairs, to rendezvous at an auxiliary-operated
safehouse, to conduct final planning and isolation functions prior to the raid, withing the regimecontrolled urban areaHave you ever spent any time in downtown Portland, Oregon or Seattle?
See where Im going with that?)
Finally, there is the obvious option of selecting the sustainment load rucksack from the current offerings of
companies that are catering to the military and PMC (Private Military Contractor) markets, with nonissue, COTS (Civilian Off The Shelf) rucksacks, such as Kifaru, Eberlestock, Mystery Ranch, and

others. While they offer a remarkably attractive blend of the best of both worlds (the robustness of
military designs, and the the ergonomics of civilian designs), they do suffer from two potential
drawbacks.
One, they are incredibly expensive. Although often no more expensive than comparable civilian sector
mountaineering packs, they are seldom found used, in thrift stores and second-hand stores, dirt cheap,
the way civilian models often are in resort areas like Jackson Hole or the towns around Yosemite.
Two, since most of them are obviously military in appearance, they may offer little advantage to partisans
who will conduct operations in built-up areas that require covert, versus clandestine, infiltration, and need
to avoid piquing the curiosity of regime security forces.
Ultimately, the selection of a pack for the sustainment load will depend on the physiognomy of the
individual partisan, what is locally available and affordable (although, as long as the internet is
available, local is a loose term in this case), and the operational/environment constraints of the local
environment, and its demands on what must be carried.
Ive gone through a wide range of rucksack options over the last two decades. I started with the ALICE
large ruck and frame, as a young Ranger, moved on to a civilian mountaineering rucksack courtesy of
Dana Designs, as a SF NCO, while I had a team daddy who let it fly, then tried a couple of different highend military rucksack systems from the commercial market before reverting to the big green tick of my
youth. Im actually back to searching for a suitable civilian market replacement for it however.
The ALICE pack is not ideal for anyone, is far from ideal for most, and is simply unbearable for many. I
accept that reality and seldom, if ever, recommend it, unless someone is on a budget, and often not even
then. Kelty makes some extremely durable, large-capacity internal frame packs that are not much more
expensive than a surplus ALICE ruck, while being far more comfortable for most people to bear.
Additionally, the availability of well-cared for, used high-end mountaineering rucks, makes the ALICE far
from the best choice regardless of the prejudices of those of us that grew up with it.
While our bodies long ago developed the necessary contortions to carry an extremely heavy ALICE ruck
and still remain tolerably comfortable doing so (at least as comfortable as a gut-check can ever
be), the truth is, there are far better options available. Denying that fact is hubris at best, and sheer
stupidity otherwise.
SMOLES
One issue Ive always had, when recommending packing lists, or developing them for myself or others, is
my well-developed ability to move quickly, cross-country, with inordinate amounts of weight on my back,
without complaint. This was beneficial when I was a young Ranger, packing a M249 SAW and a basic
load and a half of ammunition for it, as well as when I was a junior SF weapons sergeant, and had a
senior Bravo who insisted that I needed to pack a mortar, base plate, and a half-dozen rounds for it, as
well as my personal gear.
It has turned into a severe drawback in recent years however, as I still tend to over pack my ruck,
unnecessarily burdening myself with gear that is nice to have but far from need to have. Even here in
the Northern Redoubt, where wintertime temperatures and climactic conditions can get pretty demanding,

its generally not necessary to pack four fleece jackets, three pairs of thermal underwear, and an extreme
cold-weather sleep system.
Im not entirely certain where I first came across it, years ago, but I do know, from a survival standpoint,
the military once used the acronym SMOLES to determine the survival equipment requirements for
packing (I was actually reminded of this acronym recently on an internet forum dedicated to
wilderness survival and preparedness). SMOLES stands for:
Self-Defense
Medical Emergencies
Observation
Lost and Found
Extreme Weather Conditions
Survival
This re-awakening of the fundamentals has led to drastic reductions on my basic payload weight, as I
deliberately and mercilessly cull my gear on a regular basis (HH6 claims I re-pack my gear at least
weekly. Im pretty sure its not more frequently than once a month). If Im moving, whether through
the timber or across the desert, the heater on my back (the rucksack), keeps me creating more body
heat than I need. If I stop, it generally means Im moving into a hide site, which means Ill either be
crawling into a sleep system/shelter, have the ability to stoke the internal furnace (high caloric value food),
or need to stay cool enough, without going hypothermic, to stay awake for essential tasks.
Filling the rucksack load with the METT-TC influenced equipment choices that will fill each of these
categories, means that, at the end of the day, you have a pack that has the minimum amount of gear
necessary to survive and survive. We will discuss each of these in context, below.
Self-Defense
For most partisans, the self-defense aspects are completely irrelevant to the Tier Three, Sustainment
load. Self-defense comes from the Tier Two, Fighting Load.
Medical Emergencies
Most survival manuals, whether general wilderness survival or bug out bag books, focus on packing a
generalist first-aid kit. Theres nothing inherently wrong with that, and in fact, if youre going to carry a firstaid kit, in addition to your blow-out kit (BOK), it should certainly be in your ruck, rather than on your LBE
in the same pouch as your BOK gear (SUT classes include a period of instruction on TC3. Every
single class, I end up having to go through guys BOKs and throw half the shit in them on the
ground, because its first-aid gear that doesnt belong in a BOK). In a partisan organization, rather
than a simple go bag, the first aid kit should be very minimalist. Your team medic will have a medics bag
that has ample first-aid gear for most foreseeable injuries that might occur, or he should. Adding a bunch
of shit like sutures, abdominal wound dressings, and other advanced first-aid and medical gear that you

probably dont fucking know how to use anyway, is a pointless addition of weight to your gear. Leave it to
the medic.
In a tactical environment, medical emergencies constitute those occurrences that can occur that will
immediately (within 10-30 minutes) kill you dead, without intervention. The gear for remedying these
situations should be in your BOK, on your fighting load. The exception to this rule, in my experience, is
the recommendation that everyone in an element pack at least one 1000mL bolus of IV fluids, for fluid
resuscitation. A handful of extra Israeli Battle Dressings, or an extra CAT-T tourniquet would certainly not
be out of place however, if also not necessary.
Observation
Observation requirements in combat can range from the obvious use of binocular field glasses and
spotting scopes to see the enemy before he sees you, to the application of NODs or FLIR devices. It may
also include the carry of a flashlight or headlamp, for use after dark in limited areas, such as locating
spoor for tactical tracking, or reading a map.
For visible lights, Ive always used and recommended the use of red lenses for maintenance of nightvision. Ive been asked in classes about the use of green filter lenses and always said, I use red. It works
for me. I dont know of any advantages to green. A fellow SF veteran recently pointed out to me however,
one significant advantage of green lenses over red however.Its fuck all easier to read a topo map with
a green lens filter, since it doesnt wash out the contour lines like a red lens does.
Headlamps may also be necessary for use when both hands are required for a task, such as securing a
detainee, or gathering up materials on an objective for battlefield recovery. In such cases, while a colored
lens filter may help with maintenance of night-vision, it may also reduce visual acuity enough that you
leave something critical behind on the objective. A far better approach is to have a colored lens filter on a
hand-held light (Im partial to SureFire and StreamLight brands, personally. Despite the costs, they
have a far more established track record for robustness than any of the newer brands. Ill choose
quality over cheap any day of the week, and twice on Sundays), and a white lens headlamp for
searching personnel or objectives.
With NODs, Im currently in love with the AN/PVS-14 monocular. It may go in your ruck, or on your fighting
load, but for most people, most of the time, it should go in your ruck if youre not wearing it on your head,
and using it. While the AN/PVS-23 offers better depth perception for driving, it also costs better than twice
what the 14s do. The AN/PVS-7, while slightly less expensive, suffers from the same lack of depth
perception that the 14s do, while also degrading the natural night vision in both eyes, versus only one with
the 14.
I often get asked about the applicability of less expensive NODs, such as the older Gen 1 Russian
imported stuff, and some of the stuff you can find at hunting retailers like Cabelas. In a word, dont. Im
sure someone will post a comment on this article about how its better than no NODs at all. Youre wrong,
and you are doing nothing but demonstrating your ignorance when you do. The only way the cheap stuff
is even remotely viable is with the use of the IR illuminator device switched on. Having the illuminator
device on is the NOD equivalent of taping a fucking SureFire light to your face. If youre dumb enough to
assume that youre the only guy in the area smart enough to have NODs, then thank you in advance for
contributing to the cleansing of the gene pool.

Cheap, POS NODs are, in fact, far worse than no NODs. One, they breed false confidence, that will result
in your dying. Two, NODs are actually not all that hard to hide from. FLIR can be difficult to hide from, but
its not impossible. NODs are relatively easy to hide from however. Think about it. They magnify the
available light. Nothing more, nothing less.
If you are camouflaged and concealed enough to hide from naked eye observation in daylight, then youre
camouflaged and concealed enough to hide from NODs in darkness. Fucking rocket science, isnt it?
NODs, unless you are in an overwatch, support-by-fire position during a raid, running a precision rifle, or
belt-fed weapon, should never be mounted on your rifle. Put them in your ruck for safekeeping, until its
time to use them, then put them on a helmet or skullcrusher mount, and wear them. If youre using the
NODs to shoot with, drop the extra money on a IR laser.
Lost and Found
A lot of your land navigation and signaling gear will be in your Tier One or Tier Two loads. Signal mirrors
and VS-17 panels for ground-to-ground signaling should be in your Tier One gear. Radios should be in
your Tier Two gear. Compasses and maps should be in your Tier One gear. Extra batteries for all of this
gear will go in your rucksack however.
A lot of guys like to bitch about the battery requirements, and how we should all get primitive, like were
some sort of paleolithic hunter-gatherers. Thats fine, for what it is, and I can start a fire with a bow-drill or
flint-and-steel if I have to. However, from a tactical standpoint, I want to win. I will leverage everything I
can to that end, including the use of technology, when available.
I do not however, advocate GPS, for three reasons. One, I grew up with the old shoe-box sized
PLUGGER units. The batteries would last about twenty minutes on those things, then you were back to
map and compass, while still having to carry around that brick. I know modern GPS are far smaller, more
lightweight, and more reliable (my ex-wife had a wrist mounted GPS that she loved, and wore like an
extra watch), but
Two, they create a cookie crumb record of where youve been. That only becomes a problem if you are
killed or captured, and then its not a problem for you, but for your friends and family; nevertheless, its
something critical to consider. While theoretically you can erase the cookie crumbs, I have my doubts
about how difficult it would be for a computer-savvy person to dig them out.
Three, while the young bucks wont remember this, until 1996, GPS wasnt available for civilian receivers.
In 1996, recognizing the applicability of GPS to civilian users, former President Clinton issued a policy
directive that established the Interagency GPS Executive Board and opened the satellite system to
civilian recreational receivers. I dont think for one second that, given the impetus, Uncle Sugar wouldnt
flip the switch back the other way. Then, all you cool guys that either never learned to use a map and
compass properly, or have forgotten the details, are fucked.(I got asked recently to do some articles
on land nav. They are forthcoming).
Extreme Weather Conditions
At its most fundamental level, Che Guevaras recommendation of a poncho and a light blanket may be all
that is required for the partisan to function in inclement weather (as a young soldier, training

throughout the southern USA and many tropical and subtropical environments, we utilized
nothing more than a poncho and poncho liner as a sleep system even in winter). Even in winter in
alpine environments, it is theoretically possible that it may be sufficient. The interior of a snow cave
maintains a pretty steady temperature just above or at freezing. Ive stayed comfortably warm in snow
caves with nothing more than a poncho, poncho liner, and casualty-type, quilted space blanket. Of
course, on the other hand, Ive also frozen my dick off laying in a tank truck in the mud of an early spring
sleet storm, wrapped in a poncho and poncho liner, with MRE heaters shoved under my ass in an attempt
to generate heat.
As a result, although I suffered through as a young Ranger, I now refuse to scrimp on sleep comfort (of
course, as participants in the last Colorado class witnessed, my definition of sleep comfort can be
drastically different than most). I recognize the importance of being able to function for lengthy periods
of time without adequate sleep, have done so, and can still do so. However, when the opportunity to sleep
does occur, especially under tactical conditions, it is imperative to take full advantage of it, and get the
highest quality of sleep/rest possible.
In Colorado, I used a summer weight patrol sleeping bag, inside of the GoreTex bivy, with a casualty
blanket wrapped around me inside of the patrol bag. I generated enough heat that my hooch buddy
commented on it Dude, you put out a lot of body heat. Can I snuggle up to you for warmth? That was
fine, right up to the point the diesel motor starting roaring in my ear
Thats pretty much my current standard for cold-weather sleep gear. I go back and forth between the old
closed-cell foam sleep pad and a ThermaRest pad beneath it, but am pretty well stuck on the advantages
of the ThermaRest. In the warmer months, I use the standard Ranger Taco bivy system. It is a quilted
poncho liner (woobie) and a poncho, folded and snapped together into a sort of psuedo sleeping bag,
with the casualty blanket on the inside.
To the average camper, neither of these is going to be anywhere near comfortable, or even adequate,
as is. The secret, for me (and I know a lot of really expert people who disagree with me on this.),
is that I wear dry clothes to bed with me, for an extra layer of insulation to trap my body heat.
I once had a Ranger squad leader who had developed outdoor sleeping in a tactical environment into a
highly evolved scientific pursuit, worthy of study in architectural colleges. In addition to the basic Ranger
Taco, he modified the Ranger Hooch into a system that I blatantly and unabashedly stole. While the
basic Ranger Hooch concept simply involves stringing the poncho overhead to keep precipitation off, this
system allows the hooch to he pitched anywhere, under any conditions, and protect the individual from
the vagaries of almost any imaginable ill weather conditions, from snow and rain, to high winds, or any
combination of the above.
(My Ranger Hooch, separate from the Ranger Taco, includes a basic USGI ripstop nylon poncho
although you could use any of the civilian type shelter tarps, like Ray Jardines of silicon impregnated
silkin woodland BDU camouflage, because lets face it, UCP sucks as a camouflage pattern, with a loop
of about eight inches of 550 cord tied to every eyelet around the exterior, and a 12-inch loop tied to the
inside loops where the waistband strings were originally located.
The hood is cinched close as tight as possible, tied off with 550 cord, and has a six-foot long length of 550
cord extending from it. This provides a lot of options for tie-off points for suspending the shelter in
vegetated areas.

I include 8-10 stainless steel tent pinspegs are too heavy and space-consuming, as well as harder to
drive into the ground in most terrainas well as 8-12 one-foot bungee cords, and six sections of the old
USGI shelter half poles. These allow me a great deal of flexibility in creating elevated corners and sides of
the shelter, to control the ingress of wind and precipitation, while still allowing for maximum visibility to the
exterior of the shelter. Combined with the Ranger Taco, or a sleeping bag/bivy system, this provides me a
wide range of shelter options for protection from the elements when in a lay-up position or hide site. It
provides all of the benefits of a tent, besides the psychological crutch of solid walls, with none of the
tactical liabilities such as reduced visibility and situational awareness, and reduced egress options.
Finally, a new option Ive been playing with that is actually a very old one, is the use of a hammock, even
in cold-weather climates. The obvious drawback to a hammock of course, is the air flow underneath that
steals body heat. What I discovered however, was that putting a ThermaRest pad on the hammock first,
then a casualty blanket, before crawling into it with my sleep system, negated that drawback nicely. I
actually let someone use it at an SUT class in Idaho last winter, and he even remarked that he was more
than adequately warm through the night.
Other issues with extreme weather conditions include clothing to protect you from the elements when
youre not in a shelter. This is where most of us screw up. I prefer cold-weather environments over hotweather environments, by a wide margin. I can always put more clothes on in the cold weather places,
but I can only pull so much off before Im naked in the hot weather.
Unfortunately, Im also fond of staying warm. So, like most people, I tend to overpack. Of course, again,
my definition of comfortable is far wider than that of many people. The suburban soccer mom or office
hive worker will feel it necessary to pack a metric shit-ton of snivel gear to stay warm. Theyre not used to
being exposed to the elements, and so, regardless of protestations otherwise, they fear the discomfort of
it. So, they make themselves even more uncomfortable by carrying far more gear than they actually need.
As we ruthlessly cull our gear each month, we need to look at the realities. You do not need seven outfits
for seven days in the woods. You do not need a separate wet-weather parka and a cold-weather parka.
Instead, the wet-weather parka, with a layer or two of insulating material beneath, doubles as a coldweather parka.
For inclement weather protection, a lighweight, but durable wet-weather shell, a medium weight fleece
jacket, a fleece or wool stocking cap, warm socks and gloves, and something to cover your neck and
face, are generally adequate, unless youre operating in Minnesota in January, or north of Denali in
Alaska. Ive functioned outdoors, on the Montana Hi-Line, in February, with one pair of thermal
underwear, jeans and a Carhartt jacket, and a wool cap on, and stayed comfortably warm.
Think about what you actually need, then test what you think you actually need. My current snivel gear
packing list?
1) Four pairs of wool socks. While theoretically, I could wear one and be drying the other, tactical
considerations may preclude that, meaning I may need the extra pairs.
2) Silk weight, polypro thermal underwear trousers. I cant stand wearing heavyweight thermal trousers,
and my legs stay pretty warm anyway. These only go on when Im stationary. Wearing them while
humping a ruck will make you a heat casualty, even in cold-weather conditions.

3) medium weight polypro thermal underwear shirt. I finally got one of the newer waffle-pattern USGI ones
and fell in love with it. A far, far better product than the old puke brown ones.
4) medium weight fleece jacket. This is one place where the old Gen 1 ECWCS beat the new system
hands down. The black jacket is far warmer than the newer sage green ones. Ive also however, got about
two dozen different civilian recreational fleece jackets from Columbia, North Face, and other
mountaineering companies. In fact, for about nine months out of the year, Im generally wearing a fleece
of some sort.
5) waterproof, nylon shell jacket. Ive used a bunch of these over the years. Im actually not certain whats
in my ruck at the moment, because Ive got a bad ass softshell that I wear when its raining locally.
6) fleece beanie cap.
7) Unless its below 0F, I wear nomex aviators gloves, and thats it. If its colder than that, Ill wear
Thinsulate lined work gloves, or heavy duty, well-insulated GoreTex shells over fleece glove liners.
8) I keep a dry pair of multi-cam trousers in my ruck, as well as whatever pants I happen to be wearing.
Not much, in other words.
Survival
Under the heading of survival, were discussing the fundamental requirements the human body needs to
stay alive. This includes things like water, food, etc.
For most of us, water should be our first priority. I carry far more water than I need to in my current
operating environment. In the area of the northern Redoubt that were building SFOB Riflemans Ridge,
there is ample groundwater, in the form of streams and creeks, year-round springs, lakes, and snow, that
even in August, youd have to try to die of dehydration, as long as you have a way to purify the water.
Nevertheless, I spent a lot of years living in the desert, and old habits die hard. Further, I may not be in a
tactical situation that permits easy access to those water sources at any given time.
I keep two quarts of water on my fighting load, but I also keep a minimum of two quarts on my
sustainment load. While Im currently running an ALICE ruck, that means it is in a USGI 2qt canteen
strapped to the outside of the ruck. When I use a civilian-style ruck, Ill use a 100 oz Camelback bladder
to hold the water.
I also keep water purification in both my fighting load and in my ruck. While there are various methods for
this, ranging from high-end water filters to iodine tablets, I was introduced to a product 15 years ago that I
use to this day. Ive used it to purify water out of muddy puddles and out of cow troughs on the desert,
and have never suffered Montezumas Revenge as a result. Ive had people question the validity of it, but,
while I dont understand the science behind it, ION Stabilized Oxygen drops work, well.
Between the two tactics, I never seem to hurt for adequate water.
Food is a secondary consideration for survival. While there are those self-proclaimed experts who expect
to do nothing but snare rabbits and field mice for food, while gathering wild edibles, theyre delusional.

Trapping and gathering food is a viable option, if youre already an experienced trapper and you have
nothing else to concern yourself with.
In a tactical scenario however, the time needed to set and check traps will be restricted by the need to
conduct tactical tasks, and the fact that even experienced, expert trappers dont catch shit every time they
set a trap or snare (I run about a 20% success rate when I run traps, and while Im far from an
expert, Im not a novice either).
The idea that youre going to live off what you snare with improvised snares and deadfalls, in the longterm however, at least in a tactical context, is ludicrous to me. Guys that have a chance of living off their
traplines are not going to be doing much besides running their traplines. and they are going to be using
professional tools, not shit they made in the field.
Food must be included in your packing list. Whether its freeze-dried mountaineering foods, MREs,
canned goods, or staples like rice and flour is irrelevant. You will need food, and a means to prepare it. I
can go 48-72 hours with no caloric intake before it really starts affecting me physiologically, even when
Im physically active, but when it does start, it gets rough in a hurry.
I generally pack dried staples and canned foods, despite the weight. I also carry a MSR XGK stove and
one bottle of fuel, all in my ruck (I keep easy to eat, no prep snacks in my fighting load, and have a
stainless steel nesting cup over one of the Nalgene bottles on my fighting load as well).
Conclusions
While there is a lot to be said for the benefits of looking at some of the options described in the books
currently available of packing bug-out bags, the partisan needs to look at his patrol pack/go bag as a third
tier in his equipment packing list, and look at it in the context of what he expects to be doing. I have lots of
friends who ask my opinion on this authors book, or that experts article, on this as well as other topics.
In a lot of cases, the literature currently available from survivalist or prepper authors are fundamentally
useless. It seems like lots of people are jumping on the Doomsday Prepper bandwagon, looking to
make a buck (incidentally, if the folks over in Northern Idaho who advertised that they had
Doomsday Prepper Dogs for sale in the local paper over thereEnglish Mastiff crossesare
readers, please email me. I want one of your puppies.TMO needs a dog, and I want one thatll
scare the living fuck out of lions and tigers and bears, oh my.and will trade training for part of
the cost). When I tell these friends that I thought the book was fundamentally worthless, or left out
some pretty critical information, I tend to get the response, in lots of cases, that Well, yeah, but youre a
death-dealing Special Forces soldier. For those of us with no experience, it was a pretty good primer,
right?
The answer is still No! God is in the details. If an author cannot be bothered to know or include the
details, hes doing his writers a disservice, unless he at least points them to where they can find the
details.
Figure out what your needs are, based on your projected functions, and pack accordingly. Travel light,
freeze at night, and only carry what you have to, but be able to carry what you need.
DOL,

John Mosby