WHAT SHOULD YOU BUY FOR A GHB?

BUILDING YOUR FIRST BAG

Dec 24, 2024

A co-worker asked me to give him a list of what to buy for a GHB for the vehicle and this is my take on the basics.

PLEASE! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PLEASE! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PLEASE!
DO NOT BUY TRASH OFF EBAY/AMAZON LIKE THE IMAGE ABOVE!
PLEASE! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PLEASE! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PLEASE!

There are a million GHB lists on the internet, my own 50 Mile GHB is an ever-moving target and a bit more than the norm as I’m likely hiking 50 Miles home if I need it, but if I were to build a bag for a family member, I would have no issues with giving them the items below, Budget or Premium.

These are just the minimal items, make it yours! Make sure you can carry it the total distance you might need to use it for, < 30% body weight is a good max weight for the bag.

Don’t think you can get away without a pad to keep you off the cold ground, you can sleep sitting up with a candle under your poncho or you can sleep on the ground with an E-Bivy and an air-mattress. Always test your gear!

SUGGESTIONS / COMMENTS?

Please add them to the comments below.

COST

This build comes out between ~$400 (Budget) and ~$1300 (Premium), now you can see why the pre-built kits are crap at $250.00. Build it slowly if you have to, but don’t go cheap!

*** indicates which I prefer, items marked with ^^ are ones I have not used before.

THE PACK

A 30L pack is about the right size for a simple GHB. It’s small enough to not get in the way and thus remain in the vehicle, but large enough to carry the essentials.

I prefer the quality of Surplus packs that can be had at an incredible bargain compared to commercial packs. Stay away from Walmart crap.

^^ US ARMY SURPLUS ACU ASSAULT PACK 30L 3 DAY MOLLE II BACKPACK WITH STIFFNER < $30.00

WATER CONTAINERS & FILTRATION

From there we need a water container & a means of purifying water. Here I would suggest a 1L stainless steel Nalgene type bottle that has a nested cup for the fact that it takes less storage space, allows you to boil water (treating it) in a fire and is not going to break like plastic can in the cold. My favorite setup is the Pathfinder Nested Cup set but you can save $20.00 with this compatible set below

MEDICAL

I advise not to skimp on medical. At the very least buy your tourniquets from a reputable source (not eBay or Amazon) because there are lots of fakes that break out there and when you are bleeding out, you will be glad the CAT-T windlass held.

Which brings up the point of training. It won’t mean a thing if you don’t know how to use it, so go to your local fire department and ask about free classes.