Now with thousands of Backpacks on the market,how do you pick the right one?To help you make the right decision when you go to choose your GO-BAG,Critical Edge has a few factors for you to keep in mind.
FITMENT:
When choosing you're GO-BAG,The most important factor is going to be your GO-BAG'S fitment to your body.You;re going to focus on your torso length,not your overall height.To measure your torso,
- Have a friend locate the bony bump at the base of your neck, where
the slope of your shoulder meets your neck. This is your 7th cervical
(or C7) vertebra. Tilt your head forward to locate it more easily. This
is the top of your torso length.
- Place your hands on top of your hips. The location on your spine
between the tops of your hip bones is the bottom of your torso length.
With your hands comfortably on your hips, it is the location your thumbs
point to.
- Using a flexible tape measure, your friend should measure the distance between the C7 and an imaginary line drawn between your thumbs. You now should have your torso length.
Use
your torso length measurement to find your best pack size.Because every
manufacturer uses different size naming conventions, this little chart
can be used to help you pick the right size.
Generally, manufacturers size their pack frames something like this:
- Extra Small: Fits torsos up to 15 ½"
- Small: Fits torsos 16" to 17½"
- Medium/Regular: Fits torsos 18" to 19½"
- Large/Tall: Fits torsos 20" and up
CAPACITY:
Your GO-BAG should be able to carry three day's worth of food,water and other survival gear,so your bag should range in the 30-to50-liter (approximately 1,830-3,050 cubic inches) size category.Your bag size will be dependent on your body size as well as how much weight you are able to carry.Know remember that the more gear and essentials you carry,the heavier your load will be.
FEATURES:
There are many bags on the market with different features so you will need to figure out which features you will need.Some bags have built-in compression straps so you can compress your overloaded bag to make for a less bulky pack.while others include an internal hydration bladder.Some bags have padded compartments for your electronic gear such as your GPS and radio units.Many even come equipped with military-style MOLLE webbing, allowing you to customize your GO-BAG with modular pouches.Do you want lockable zippers or a wet compartment to keep your wet clothes or shoes separate from your dry items?These are all things you have to take into consideration when your choosing a GO-BAG to meet your individual need.
REGIONAL CONSIDERATIONS:
When you choose your survival backpack(GO-BAG),you need to take into consideration the region you live in,as well.Do you live in an area prone to hurricanes,tornadoes,or earthquakes?What are the seasons like?Does it snow?Do you need something waterproof?Or maybe you live in a dry desert region and don't need the waterproofing, instead you should pick a light-weight ventilated bag.You must keep all of these things in mind to choose a GO-BAG that will be work for you.
QUALITY:
You get what you pay for in life,we all know there is cheaply made stuff and there is the high quality stuff.If you have been looking at survival bag's you will notice that the most common material that is used for heavy-duty backpacks is some type of nylon.
Nylon comes in many forms and fits many different applications such as:
You get what you pay for in life,we all know there is cheaply made stuff and there is the high quality stuff.If you have been looking at survival bag's you will notice that the most common material that is used for heavy-duty backpacks is some type of nylon.
Nylon comes in many forms and fits many different applications such as:
PACK CLOTH NYLON:
Which a smooth nylon material with threads of equal diameter running in the warp (vertical) and fill (horizontal) directions. It's somewhat shiny and slick to the touch. Many packs utilize this material, and a great number of daypack styles as well. It's not as popular as it used to be, but it's a perfectly good pack fabric. The chief advantages of pack cloth nylon are it's ready acceptance of urethane waterproofing, abrasion resistance, and excellent puncture resistance. The downside is that it can be a somewhat heavy fabric when compared to the other nylons.
CORDURA NYLON:
Cordura is an "air treated" nylon fabric originally designed by DuPont. It's characterized by a rough, fuzzy texture on the outside, and a somewhat rough texture on the inside. By far, it's the most popular fabric in use today for both backpacks and daypacks. The chief advantages of Cordura fabric are its abrasion resistance and light weight. It's not as puncture resistant as Oxford-weave nylon and doesn't accept waterproofing as well, but it's also a perfectly good pack fabric. (Keep in mind, we're talking about degrees of difference here. Coated Cordura fabric is considered "waterproof" just as Oxford-weave fabric is considered waterproof.)
RIP-STOP NYLON:
Rip-stop Nylon is starting to emerge in the marketplace, and more companies will probably be using it before long. Rip-stop nylon is easily distinguished by its regular "grid" pattern of heavy threads sewn in the warp and fill directions every quarter-inch. The heavy threads "stop rips" if the pack is punctured or torn. Nylon, when torn, has a tendency to start unraveling. If you're deep in the back country with no thread or duct tape, a torn pack can present an interesting challenge in carrying your gear. A torn nylon pack put under stress by 50 pounds of equipment, can quickly start to come apart. The "rip-stopping" design of rip-stop nylon can provide extra protection to help ensure that your pack won't disintegrate in front of your eyes the first five miles down the trail. The main advantages of rip-stop nylon are it's ready acceptance of waterproofing and it's lightness in weight. It's not as puncture resistant as pack cloth nylon, but just about as abrasion resistant. However, since rip-stop is typically used in lighter fabric weights, holes from prolonged abrasion in one spot may appear sooner than pack cloth nylon.
Now that you know about about the different types of nylon there are other important details to look at including zippers and plastic buckles on almost every single bag on the market today.Make sure that the zippers perform smoothly and reliably when pulled at different speeds and angles.Plastic buckles should feel sturdy and have positive indication that they are locked into place.We have noticed that name-brand bags that feature YKK zippers ITW buckles to be excellent choices.
You can't be certain of what type of disaster or emergency your going to face or when it;s going to happen.All we can do is anticipate and prepare for what ever mother nature throws at us. A survival backpack along with disaster planning,preparation the right equipment and supplies, a quality comfortable GO-BAG should be the backbone of your survival gear.There are many choices so please don't turn into a disaster trying to plan for a disaster,with a little patience,will find find a GO-BAG to fit your needs.
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