June Bug Out Exercise - Reviews and Observations

[mitunnelrat]

This trip didn't go quite how I'd like it too, between the two delays and then using my family property again, which doesn't have any fishing access. In hindsight though, that turned out to be a good thing.

First, because I was more winded than I expected to be. For anyone that hasn't strapped on their packs and gone cross country: I'd strongly urge you to do so! My hike was short distance (1/4 mile) over "flat" terrain and through an easily navigable woodlot that I'm familiar with, yet I could still feel every cigarette I've smoked and every extra pound I gained from over this winter. It made for slow going when coupled with the temp and humidity being high yesterday. I was happy to drop my gear:

On this trip it was my SDS ruck, AR with a 5 round mag, and my ATS war belt. There wasn't much on the war belt due to me continually screwing around with different configurations, but I did learn I want to move my knife. It sat just a bit further back than I like it. I also learned that if I have two waist belts on for different components I need to make sure I undo the right one when for dropping my pack lol

The second bonus to being on family ground meant I was able to get a water resupply from my family (I went through most of my 1.25 gallons very quickly), and my fiancee actually came out to see my setup. This was cool because I learned I was actually fairly effective at concealing my camp. It looked like this -from 10 feet away- when I started:

and I turned it into this:

I'm zoomed in a bit more on the first pic, but I put the tent in an overgrown area and added some foliage to the side facing the most likely approach route just to see how I'd do.

I feel better about knowing I'll be relatively well hidden against the average person if I ever need to do a complete job.

[mitunnelrat]

The tent itself is a Eureka Solitaire. A single person, non-freestanding backpacking tent. Its specs are listed in the provided link. At 5'7" it had enough room for me to inflate my sleeping mat, lay out my USGI MSS, and fully stretch out to sleep, with enough room to spare for my boots at the head of the tent, and my rifle/ warbelt and some small items laid out alongside me. It got significantly more cramped when I pulled my pack in behind me, but I still slept in relative comfort - and for a long time, but I'll get to that.


The attached rain fly has shock cord loops which attach to the tent stakes, and it covers the tent in its entirity. I didn't use the rear guy line so I could manipulate it from inside the tent, which worked well with the heat. The mesh and zippers were also excellent against stopping the mosquito army mounting regular assaults against me. My deep woods wipes did a fair job, they barely came after me, but my fleeting guests bitched continuously about getting eaten up. Score for a great product there!

Before I forget, I used my counterfeit WWII machete that is apparently a high carbon steel for gathering my foliage and clearing routes through stinging nettles.

I refinished it with deep forest green krylon and the cord wrap handle after stripping it of rust and a loose handle. Too bad I neglected sharpening it!

[mitunnelrat]

It was around this point I realized I was starving, so I took a meal break. I know the seasoned hands here have seen them before, but I'll showcase this one for the uninititated. The price is equivalent to a MH entree in my area, but the variety is far superior.

If you like M&M's, the grilled chicken breast meal has them. You'll just have to take my word for it since I ate them too fast to show them

It was after this meal I made use of my e-tool to dig a cathole. I didn't even bother taking pictures of that, but if anyone can tell me how to avoid mosquito bites to those rarely exposed regions I'd be most obliged. Worst one of the day!

After all that business was finished I got down to some comparison testing. I started with my esbit fuel tabs, moved to testing saws while everything cooled, and then did the trioxane tabs. I mixed up a grape koolaid electrolyte mix somewhere in there too.

If anyone isn't familiar with them, electrolytes are normally well regulated by our bodies, but are depleted during periods of heavy exertion and sweat. The hospital has a mix I became acquainted with after an experience with tainted water. This tasted much better. I knew I was seriously dehydrated by this point, so it was a good choice. I keep MRE accessories like this in a baggie for meal supplements and snacks. That definitely worked to my favor. But, back to the fuel testing.

The esbit fuel, then the trioxane:


The esbit tab burned for a total of 6 minutes, as opposed to the trioxanes 4 minutes. Neither came to a full boil, but both had bubbles breaking at the end of their burn. The esbit did slightly better here, which I'm sure is directly attributable to its longer burn time. I didn't cook anything with it, but it still worked out since I can drink warmer water much faster than cold. I just let it cool for a few before chugging it down.

[mitunnelrat]

Next up, the saws. The wire type was an inferior product. It kinked and broke after a single use through a thin sapling.

FAIL

I can attest the pocket chainsaw works well with just its pull rings. They and the saw pack compactly into a tin can.

I've cut a 5" diameter log with it, but for purposes of this test I used it also to cut a sapling for use as a handle. It did that adequately as well.


With my length cut I delimbed the sapling and cut a notch into one end to slide over the blade. The other had a handy hook in branch I chose to utilize. the problem with this saw came in with bending the sapling I chose. It snapped.

I couldn't keep any tension on the blade like that, so I chose to just use my little folding saw for the duration. Its going to take some more trial and error to select the right branch for using it fully extended, but its length would be a serious force multiplier over the folder. It cuts very well.

[mitunnelrat]

Another thing I did is take some time to go over my BOB, which has had a few changes since my review of it. I added a 5 gallon collapsible water jug to one of the sustainment pouches.

That same pouch held my MRE and the fuel canister also shown.

The opposite pouch acted as a catch-all this trip.

It also held a fuel canister, but underneath it was my MRE accessory pack, fire kit, chem light, road flare, and some batteries.

My main pack had a few changes too. I switched the MOLLE etool cover for the hardside ALICE cover, and put my mess kit next to it in another pouch. I'll be moving the mess kit to a sustainment pouch as I clean up after this trip, it wasn't as accessible there and I'm sure I could find something weightier to replace it.

The black pouch on the left is a hygiene kit, and they woodland camo pouch is a minor booboo kit. My main trauma kit replaced the pouch the mess kit is now in on the waist belt. Finally, I managed to stuff my poncho liner in a horizontal gp pouch. Soft enough and sized right for a pillow, well contained for packing, and still available as a blanket!


I'm getting a little happier with my load out. There's room for winter gear and more in the main pack now.

[mitunnelrat]

Continuing in that vein, I also added an M16 ammunition bandoleer to the front pocket for better organization.

Thanks to LUNCHBOX I also have a vz17 panel, I'll plug him here and say he's one guy you can definitely deal with in confidence! I also shoved a couple pair of gloves in, and the saws were behind and under that.

The bandoleer holds my katadyn filter, its hoses, and the third pouch holds cordage, tape, zipties, and some small tools like my CRKT Falcon and a sharpening stone. Somewhere along the line I left out fishing tackle. That needs to get in there somewhere as well, since I have the pole. I have the reel in a grenade pouch

and the rod itself is in the SDS butt pack, which is almostly exactly sized for my folded tent as well

[The Stig]

This is fantastic stuff. I can't begin to express how helpful and informative this is.

[bacpacker]

Rat, Great review of the trip. I have a Esbit I picked up recently and haven't tried it out yet so glad to here it's better the trioxene(used those and wasn't satisfied ofr cooking. Also the chain saw you like'd is very similar to what I've been looking at. It comes with 2 short hard nylon (I think) handles instread of the rings. I like the can holder though.
The concealment looked to be 1st rate to me after a bit of work. Most folks would walk right by and never see it.

I for one very much appreceiate the report.

[LUNCHBOX]

M, I just read that you had your fire kit, flare and batteries all in the same pouch as your fuel canister. I was just wondering if that is a good idea.....We all should know the answer, I know you were out testing your gear for all of us but your safety should be first and foremost.

[mitunnelrat]

With that it was getting close to time for my visitors, so I used some PJ cottonballs to ignite some kindling.

They burn well and for a couple minutes, which is usually more than enough time to get a good fire built. Everything I grabbed was so wet I had a very difficult time keeping it going. I even used my road flare! Not much luck. Its hard to tell, but that's water boiling out the end of my burning branch

The bottom line on this is I need to get better at finding dry wood for my fires.

I ended up filling my fire pit in and declaring that a loss for this trip. Luckily it wasn't a necessity for cooking or heat. One of my sister's and my fiancee arrived with some bottled water for me before I did that, but quickly abandoned the site due to the mosquitoes, as I mentinoned. I got a good laugh a bit later though, they sent my dad back with this:


I honestly didn't think they were that bad! That was pretty well the end of my day there though. I accomplished all I could, got physically drained from near constant activity in the heat, and decided to kick back in my tent for a round of solitaire. I woke up to a text message some time later, and decided it was best just to go back to sleep. All told, 10 hours racked out in the wilderness. I got up at 0530 this morning and started breaking camp. Once I was all packed up I made breakfast.

Oatmeal and coffee, warmed and cooked with the Coleman Peak1 micro backpacking stove I won as "rookie of the year" on anothe forum. Its now my preferred method for cooking in the bush. If my estimates are correct, it has a burn time as good or better than an equivalent weight and bulk of fuel tabs, with more impressive output. I enjoyed the coffee as my stove cooled, quickly stowed those few things, and was on my way. And so ends my trip, hopefully I didn't put too many of you to sleep.