How to Get Out of Dodge With Everything
My go bag could save you life
In response to my last video on getting out of the city with my silver and gold stack, one of you said my case was too big.
Wait until you get a look at my real go bag. This is my “Get out of Dodge with everything” hard case.
You in San Francisco, also known as Bip City due to its smash-and-grab epidemic, might want to stick around.
And you hikers also, that are worried about thieves busting your car windows while you’re out on the trail might be interested in the solution I’ve developed as part of our get out of Dodge strategy.
Front and center, the central part of our “go bag” strategy is this rather large hard case from Nanuk. It’s called the 975W. It comes in different configurations, but all are based on a 177-liter waterproof hard shell case.
“W” in the model means it’s wheeled with four (4) strong polyurethane wheels with stainless steel ball bearings. Outside are two (2) oversized retractable handles designed for team lift, one person on each side if need be.
What makes this case special are the upgrades we’ve done. First, we replaced two of the built-in latches with TSA-approved lockable latches. The upgrade kit is sold separately.
Second, we bought four TSA padlocks, also made by Nanuk, which fit into metal grommets along the rim of the lid. One trick we found was to install the locks upside down and with a little pressure they will lock. Another tip, since these are TSA padlocks they’ll open with a standard TSA key. I got mine on eBay.
There are actually seven different TSA key designs, 001 through 007. I forget which these are, but on eBay they usually sell them as a pair of the most commonly used sizes - 003 and 007. The advantage to having the TSA keys to go with these padlocks is that it just makes it so much easier to unlock than spinning these padlock wheels.
That could be a potential downside of course if thieves are packing TSA keys in their toolkit. Just use non-TSA locks if that’s a concern.
Now, let’s look at it all locked up and loaded into the back of my SUV. The size fits great in my Grand Cherokee, nearly taking up all the space. My Jeep is equipped with cargo tie-down anchor points which make it very easy to lock down the case using a cable or chain together with a lock.
The case itself is so big that the only way to access it is by opening the hatch. Otherwise, it’s not going through a broken window or an open side door.
Now it should be coming into focus how this serves double-duty for us as first a pre-loaded ready-to-go emergency case. Taking the usual go bag concept we’re always told to have ready, taking it to the next level where we’re really prepared to survive an extended emergency away from home. And second, as a portable secure storage for our valuables when we’re away from home either traveling or enjoying outdoor activities.
That’s you, San Francisco. While no solution is going to offer 100% protection from determined robbers, making ourselves a harder target will push these thieves to look elsewhere.
We bring this case when we’re traveling, either into the cities or at the trailheads. We have to have some kind of gear and valuables with us during those trips. This is the solution we came up with which I think is better than trying to hide backpacks and handbags under a coat.
This all started with the pandemic really. When it first broke out in 2020 they had all the state parks closed here in Oregon and even put up yellow caution tape on wide parking areas along the coast to deter visitors. There was just nowhere to get out of the house to go do something. In response to those lockdown measures, we turned to dispersed camping, outside of established campgrounds on public lands.
We went through so much gear trying what works and what doesn’t, what is necessary, and what should stay at home.
Now, for what we always have loaded inside the case. Let’s unpack it.
Warmth and Clothing
1) A backpack by Shimoda, the Action X50. This design is specifically built for photographers but works great as an all-arounder. It’s low-key, rugged, and water-resistant. I like it because it’s very grey-man and generic-looking. I keep my change of clothes ready in here and it’s good to have this larger size in case we’re forced to go on foot.
2) Several Pendleton wool blankets. This style of blanket goes for $400 to $500 new but we got ours at a thrift store for much less. Wool is an exceptional choice for outdoor camping and survival situations. It retains its insulation properties even when wet. Wool's natural breathability reduces sweat buildup. And wool is naturally less flammable than many synthetic fibers, providing a level of safety around campfires.
3) Here’s a Pendleton packable synthetic blanket. I got this as an impulse buy at Costco… I think it was around $25. This has been one of the most useful items I’ve ever bought on impulse. When folded up and zipped closed it works as a decent pillow, not great but better than nothing. Open it up and it’s a decent blanket or throw it on the ground to make a picnic. It’s coated with a water-resistant coating which may put some people off though.
Camp
4) A 10x15-foot rain fly tarp, good for setting up a sun or rain shelter.
5) A Knives of Alaska Bush Camp straight-blade knife. It’s good for making kindling to start a fire. I’ve had this one for over a decade and it’s been a great knife. The D2 steel it’s made from may not be for everyone because, although it holds a sharp edge better than most, it’s also more difficult to sharpen.
6) A battery bank with a built-in inverter, good for up to 80 watts. We can charge our cell phones, radios, drones, rechargeable AA batteries, etc.
7) A Thermacell mosquito repeller that runs off the same fuel canister as the JetBoil. The Thermacell really does work. It’s not a gimmick. It’s not going to offer 100% protection from mosquitos, especially if it’s windy outside. But it does help, at least here in the Oregon outdoors. Tested and verified.
Food and Water
8) A ReadyWise 7-day emergency supply of food and water for one person. I found this at our local Costco warehouse. For two of us, this is good for 3.5 days… more than enough to get set up in a new location.
9) A #10 can of Mountain House beef stroganoff. This will extend our food supply by a few days. Be sure to have a can opener in your bag and a way to boil water. You can reconstitute this by adding boiling water to the contents of the can, covering, stirring, and waiting 5 minutes. This brand, Mountain House, is tops in my opinion along with Peak Refuel.
10) Water is heavy to pack around so instead of stocking up on ready-to-drink water we have the MSR Guardian Gravity Water Purifier. These don’t come cheap but are very highly rated. Another popular choice is the MSR Guardian which comes with a hand pump instead of gravity feed. I opted against that model because several people in the reviews said the pump handle was prone to breaking. Since I don’t want my gear to let me down in a crisis I opted for the more reliable gravity-fed system.
11) A personal-sized Sawyer Products SP2101 MINI Water Filtration System. You can use these two ways; either use the straw to drink directly from your water source or use the included drinking pouch.
12) To boil water we use the JetBoil system. Originally we got the Flash system along with a French press so we could make coffee on the road. Later we got the MicroMo cooking system which still makes coffee with the French press but is a little more versatile in its capability.
The Jetboil Flash is optimized for lightning-fast water boiling if you mostly need hot drinks or rehydrated meals, while the Jetboil MicroMo offers simmer control for basic cooking in addition to boiling.
13) A cookware set by GSI, the Pinnacle Dualist II Camping Cook Set.
Hygiene
14) Some mountain money, also known as toilet paper.
15) Venture large (12x12) body wipes. Let's face it, camping and staying fresh don't always go hand in hand. These wipes come to the rescue when showers aren't an option. While they might not give you that squeaky-clean feeling, they're big, thick, stay moist, and way more effective than baby wipes!
Additional Preps
16) A yellow 13-liter dry sack with a bunch of small items you need for camping such as a can opener, insect repellent, water purification tablets, and fire starter. Just a bunch of random little things.
17) A red dry sack that makes up our dust and radiation personal protection. Again, I won’t get into this bag just yet.
18) Some things may seem missing because we keep those either in the car, such as a first aid kit, or they’re part of my EDC, my everyday carry.
19) It ain’t cheap but the Thule Motion XT L Rooftop Cargo Carrier is absolutely worth the price! It looks sleek, provides tons of extra storage, and is super easy to install on aftermarket roof crossbars. It's incredibly secure and surprisingly quiet, even at highway speeds. We drove through heavy rain and everything inside stayed bone-dry. Thule's quality and design make it well worth the investment.
We’ll look at all these additional preps at another time.