I just read “Going Home” by A. American for like the 10th time and I thought I’d issue a challenge.

Let’s make a pack.

The premise is that your car stops moving because of a massive EMP just east of Tallahassee, Florida as you’re making your way home from a business trip at 5pm on the first Friday in November.

You must get back to your family in Altoona, FL, about 250 miles south-south-west of your current location.

The author guesses he can make about 10 miles a day.

In Florida in November you can expect the temperature to range between the mid 80’s and the low 30’s.

This being Florida, it will rain at least twice during your 25-day trek.

You will get at least two food and ammo resupplies on your way back.

There will be regular opportunities to get water, but it may need to be filtered.

You will have to cross a gently flowing river about 30 feet wide.

You will pass through a lot of pine forest, at least 3 urban areas, populations between 10,000 and 100,000 and the Ocala National Forest.

You will be involved in at least two armed conflicts with bad guys carrying pistols, and one with a group with long guns.

You must pack everything you’ll need on your back (except for what you’ll get at resupply).

What kind of pack do you use?

How much weight do you carry?

What items do you carry in the pack?

Food?
Clothing?
Footwear?
Sleeping?
Cooking?
Weapons?
Ammo?

i like many keep a go bag in the truck
it's set up for 2 people with two small over the shoulder "gym bags" and most mentioned items are "duped"
while I don't have 3 weeks worth of food in it, i have a 4 days worth of mountain house and a weeks life boat rations
3 means to filter water, 2 life straws and one R.O. that attaches to 2 soda bottles
fire starters,
broke in boots
2 pairs of socks, t shirts, underwear and a cap and shemaugh each
ponchos
2 washcloths in a baggie
a dry towel
2 horse blankets
1 large multi use knife
2 pocket knife
2 multi tool
1 tomahawk and sheath
300 ft para-cord
1 GI Shovel by glock
2 spare pistol and 12 rifle mag(usally 2 pistol mags on my on body
4 speed loaders for wife's 686 plus what ever she's loaded up with
and a large med kit that will be broken down to must haves if it has to be left behind.
i do not keep cooking utensils, cans, pots, pans etc are pretty easy to find but do have two S/S cup with handle that works for water or soup if i must.

whats missing

I'll liberate a bicycle and be home day after tomorrow.

Have you tried putting all of that on your back and taking a walk around the neighborhood? I know from hiking that one of the tricks is to put a good portion of the weight on your waist rather than your shoulders. I'm not familiar with the "gym bag" type pack, but it sounds like it might not do that.

well divide it by 2 and some of it hangs on belt, the bags carry cross body and switch side to side, i also have a back pack. small to med size thats a bail out bag
with other things in it..it would get sorted out and depends on total situation, backpacks in general are a dime a dozen and look like something someone might
want to steal out of the truck

Since EMPs don’t stop modern vehicles I’d keep driving until I’m out of gas at least.

I need Thad.  And Sarge and his boys.

He has a fakebook page if you are on, and want to talk with the author. It is a great series. From what I understand they are trying to make a series from the book.

Emp wont take out a car. I just drive home and not worry about fantasy time.

Or just keep one in your trunk:

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This.

And unless im mistaken the author was one of the people on that last survivor show....he did not do well, wasn't allowed to bring a gun to vancouver island so he bailed when a bear showed up or something..

Good books though

First, I’ll say that that was a good book and storyline…it got a little crazier in the following series, but I really enjoyed that first book and it really made you think things through.  It was “kit heavy”, but that’s also a hobby of mine, so it was enjoyable from that aspect.  I need to go back and read it again as I’m currently 550 miles from home (GA) working in the Northern VA area, so my bug-home plan is primarily truck first, mountain bike/trailer second and on foot with pack last (fitting for this scenario).

I too have a Montague folding mountain bike and looking to upgrade my trailer.  When you can easily travel 70-80 miles in a day on improved road conditions, it would make this trek much faster.  But, I also acknowledge that the worst-case scenario is traveling on foot with a pack in a non-permissive environment that may have some hostile actors where E&E is the better part of valor.

I have extensive backpacking experience and just did 106 miles on the Appalachian Trail from GA into NC back in May with no resupply, so much of my experience is being pulled from that recent trip.

I’ve upgraded my pack to a Seek Outside frame and two pack sizes.  I used the smaller 3500 Gila pack for my last backpacking trip, but I have a larger 4800 Unaweep for extended/winter trips.  This is still a lightweight pack, not ultra-lightweight, but more like a mountain-terrain hunting pack.  I would probably go with the larger pack if it’s winter, but I know I can easily do 100 miles with the smaller pack.  The larger pack compresses, so that’s a good thing and the frame can haul more weight than I want to ever do again.

The pack fabric is water proof, but I also use a waterproof liner.  Yes, it will seal up almost air tight and I’ve already did the floatation test and swam across our lake with the liner sealed up and the pack (roll top) sealed up.  If needing to cross slow moving water, this is a very viable option that is quick and effective.

My 106 mile starting pack weight with food, fuel, and about 3 liters of water was just under 40 pounds.  I also carried a HPG Kit Bag with handgun.  Weight is a factor for me and with some additions that pack weight would likely bump up to 50-55 pounds.  That’s a lot of weight, so I would really have to assemble and reassess everything.  I average 12-15 miles a day on changing trail terrain, but that’s with a 30 pound pack.  An extra 20-25 pounds would really slow me down, but 10 miles is likely feasible and easier to sustain as long as I’m not trudging through swamps or heavy underbrush for several miles.  I know my body pretty well.  The more weight, the longer the distance, the rougher the terrain, the longer time on my feet…all add up to needing more recovery time.  So, if I can do 10 miles in 6-7 hours being the longest time period (that’s almost 40 minutes a mile if walking off-trail), that gives me plenty of time to hunker down and rest.  That’s just a huge consideration for me knowing what my body can do consistently for several consecutive days.

My deviation here would likely be something like the HPG Recon Kit Bag where I could go somewhat discreet, but could add on a magazine pouch for an AR pistol.  I’ve thought about going with just a handgun, or adding an AR pistol or even a smaller braced-pistol like my MPX or Micro CZ.  The extra firepower would be nice, but the goal wouldn’t change…get home fast, be discreet, and avoid people.

What items do you carry in the pack?

























Food?

Food is something I’ve refined over the years.  A lot of ready-to-eat stuff, with one dehydrated/freeze dried meal for a dinner.  I average about 1.25 pounds of food per day.  It works for me.  Some additions would be some dehydrated soup packets I’ve used in the past.  They are very good base-meals and can really be stretched if you’re adding some wild edibles, fish, game, frog, bird, etc.

What I may consider is a small fishing/game kit I have.  It’s not big, a little over a pound with mini fishing kit, half-dozen small-game snares, and some fishing snares (Speedhooks).  I also have a pocket gill net and a frog gig in that kit.  The frog gig is handy for frogs, fish, snakes, and lizards…It’s a tough call as any fishing or snaring can be time consuming and with no guarantees; I would almost rather have extra meal bars and keep moving, but it’s something to consider and only doing 10 miles a day would give you a lot of opportunities to stretch your food plan.

Clothing?

I’m good with one set of clothes, but with additional layers.  Most of which would be in and out of the pack depending on the weather conditions.  Rain jacket/pants, mid-layer insulation, possibly a wind shirt.  Hiking pants, merino wool T-shirt and a very light button shirt (mostly for sun and bug protection).

The only change here is I would probably add in my Level 5 Soft-shell jacket in MC.  It may be too much for FL unless it’s late fall/winter, but it’s been a proven performer for active conditions and light precipitation (and it dries pretty fast when soaked).

My “sleep” clothes can augment what I wear daily or just be used as layers if really cold.  Silk-weight (Polartec) long-underwear (usually if temps are below 40 degrees), and a light merino long sleeve top.

Small boonie hat, merino wool hat, glove liners.

One extra pair of Ex Officio underwear…they can be rinsed out and dry overnight.  In fact most of my clothing is meant to dry fast (even the lightweight merino wool dries pretty quickly with a little sun and breeze).

Along with the pair of socks I’m wearing I would carry no less than two extra pair of merino wool socks.  I would rotate two pair daily and keep the third for “emergencies” and sleeping.

Buff, bandana, maybe a shemagh (not something I normally take backpacking, but versatile).

I would likely add in a pair of Mechanix style gloves.  Just something to add a little protection to my hands if breaking brush or navigating (rapidly) urban areas.

Footwear?

Salomon trail hikers.  No vapor barrier or Gore-Tex.  Not if, but when they get wet, I want them to dry faster or allow my feet to heat up and dry them out.  Having extra socks is where this is important.  My concern is pack weight. I like trail hikers, but would have to assess if higher-support boots are needed (but I really want to avoid).

I also pack a pair of Xero Shoe sandals.  Worst case scenario, I know I can hike in them, but they are more for just letting my feet breath but still give me minimalist protection when in/around camp.

Sleeping?

Ironically, my sleeping/shelter system is uniquely suited to FL.  I use a hammock.  I’ve slept over small creeks, washouts, and even swampy areas.  If temps are below 40, I would also have my under-quilt.

I currently use a Dyneema fabric rainfly, and it’s “camo”.  So far, it has proven durable, is very effective and extremely light.  The only downside is that if I needed to use an open fire, it’s the worst choice.  Given the low profile nature of this scenario, I think it would be fine as my insulation would keep me comfortable to just below freezing without the need of a fire.

My current quilt/sleeping bag/poncho liner is a JRB Sierra Stealth.  Can be worn as a layer, used as a sleeping bag, or just an open top quilt.  It has a little extra dry-treated down and while down can be risky, I’m more than comfortable with the performance of down in humid conditions and even after soaking it, it didn’t take much longer than a synthetic quilt to dry out (and it wasn’t clumpy either!).  If I was really concerned about wet conditions, I would likely switch to my HPG Mountain Serape, which is good down to the low 40’s, but my JRB quilt will get me down to freezing.

I do have a partial (Z-Rest) CCF pad if I need to go to ground, and if winter, I have a 6oz ultra-lightweight bivvy bag I could add.

I’ve used the above system for several hikes from temps just below freezing on up to 90+degrees and high humidity along with sideways rain storms.  For a short term like this in FL, I would be more than fine with the hammock, but still have the ability to go to ground if needed.

Cooking?

Here’s where I would make a slight change.  I currently run just an alcohol stove and small titanium pot, collapsible mug and a folding bowl/plate (which I love!).  My choice here would shift a little and add some extra weight, but would be worth it.

I have slightly larger titanium pot that houses the Bushbuddy gasification stove.  I can further nest (and use) my alcohol stove inside the Bushbuddy, which serves as a base and windscreen.  I’ve found I can stretch this combo very easily and the natural fuel stove that is double-walled and uses a very high temperature gasification process where burning really reduces smoke and ends in fine ash.  If the weather sucks or I need really low profile, I can use the alcohol stove.  I burn about 1oz per 3 cups of water, more than enough for a hydrated meal, hot drink, and a little left over for a quick whore’s bath.  Alcohol would have to be part of my resupply with food and ammo.

I’ll add my water in here.  I much prefer a hydration bladder (2.5 liter).  That would be my primary on the move hydration means.

While I backpack with just a plastic SmartWater bottle, I might consider the extra grams of a titanium water bottle for durability.  Additionally, I carry an extra 1.5-2 liter (empty) collapsible water bottle if I need to plus up my onboard water.  I do use a Sawyer water filter and would stick with the original, larger version for more throughput.  I always pack two “squeeze” bags that can also be set up as a gravity filtration system.  My concern is durability, but I figure those two, the other hydration “bottle”, and even my hydration bladder can be connected to and used as a reservoir.  Additionally, most plastic water bottles can be attached with a connector…

I always include a chemical means as backup, so I would have that as well (Aqua Mira solution mix).  One key item is a Sea to Summit Sil-Nylon 10 liter folding bucket.  This is such a great item if you have to haul a quantity of water from the source to the campsite.

Weapons?

I’ll talk tools here first.  This is where I would need to be judicious as tools and weapons weight can add up quickly.  As much as I love knives and guns, I want to be realistic but effective.  I can make do with a small fixed blade and mini-multitool, but this scenario would have me upgrade.  I still want a quality belt knife, with a 4” blade.  I have a custom that is my go-to choice.  I would likely have my multitool on me (Victorinox Spirit X) that is pretty versatile. Along with my EDC would be a pocket folder of some type.

The required addition I would have in my pack is a folding saw.  I can do far more with that than a hawk or axe at a fraction of the weight.  Given FL conditions, I may entertain a small (10-12”) machete…but that’s not a necessity for me.

Weapons would be tough.  If going really light, I would likely have one of my smaller CCW (Glock 43 or Sig P365) pistols on me and I always keep a few spare mags in the vehicle, and would keep a couple additional in the pack; maybe a spare box of ammo.

That’s not ideal, but realistic.  If I needed more stealth, I may consider my Ruger 22/45 LITE with suppressor in the pack.  A hundred rounds of .22LR is pretty light and is more than enough put down an aggressive dog or bag a lot of small game if that’s part of your plan.  Tough call, but this would be a good choice for me to augment my CCW.

Another option that I’m pursing and building would be a Glock 34 with a Flux brace and MRDS.  Kind of a poor-man’s machine pistol, but the brace would really help stretch accuracy out to 75-100 meters (which I can do with my G17 and Flux).  This is probably my best option, but I would likely still have my CCW with me and this is really a compact option, lightweight option/addition.

Lastly, if I was really paranoid I would have my DDM4V7 AR pistol in my (larger) pack.  It needs a suppressor, but I have an AR pistol (not the Daniel Defense) with me now while I’m in VA.  Red dot or compact ACOG and a half-dozen magazines would be more than enough to end smaller threats or break contact from larger ones.  The size is perfect for discreet carry, and even when slung, it can be non-descript at longer distances.  With the pistol configuration, I’m still able to engage out to 200-250 meters, but at that distance, I can likely break contact and find cover to E&E out of the immediate AO.  However, a “pistol” of this size is a significant upgrade from any conventional pistol, size and weight are the only major factors to consider.

Ammo?

Typical CCW is one magazine in the gun and one spare magazine on body.  I always keep a couple spare mags in my truck and if I have bug-home bag, usually two more magazines.  Add a box and as long as I’m not running towards a gunfight, that’s enough for personal self-defense.

As I consider adding a G34 with optic and Flux brace, I would bump my ammo up a little as a 30 round magazine with the accurate ranges out to 100 meters offer some pretty good suppressive options.

If I go AR15 pistol, I would be traveling relatively light.  My typical training load out includes three magazines in a minimalist chest rig and one (or two) on a battle belt.  While I doubt I would strap on my chest rig, I would consider using a HPG Kit Bag, and my Recon version can accept a BlueForceGear 3-mag pouch…that’s the option I would consider.  Add an extra loaded mag or two in the pack (62gr. Hornady TAP), and that gives me about 150-180 rounds, pretty much a combat load…but heavy for a lightweight kit.  Given my “mission” that’s probably excessive as well, but if you’re telling me I can expect at least two gun fights, I would err on the side of enough to either end them quickly and at longer distances or break contact and make distance myself.

A few other considerations:

Maps.  While I would likely have a topo map on my phone if it’s a routine route, having country/road maps and even a topo map would be extremely helpful. Not only to avoid choke points, populated areas, bridges, etc. but also water sources, alternate routes (railroads, powerline cuts, drainage ditches, etc.), and potential havens for stealth camping.  Land navigation is likely pretty important as most “obstacles” would require navigating around.

This last trip I took along a 5W Suntactics solar panel.  It’s a very robust design and worked extremely well even though I only had a few days (afternoons actually) with enough sun access, but it did top my phone off a few times.  I normally just carry a 10mAh battery bank, but the solar charger surprised me.  Needless to say, 106 miles, 7 days and a wakeup and I only burned through ¼ of my battery bank.  I used my phone as a GPS, topo map, Kindle, camera, and did a little web surfing and texting at night.  I rarely dropped below 90% during the 8-10 hours I was on the trail.

Same with my flashlights.  I had three (yeah, overkill).  A 14500/AA, single cell light (Fenix RC05), a single cell 14500/AA head lamp (Zebra), and a small button battery headlamp (part of my Kit Bag, Petzl e+LITE).  I just carry a single AA/lithium battery, but I also have a USB universal battery charger that will charge NiMH or the Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries.  Eneloops would likely be a better choice over the 14500s as they charge faster and are a little more robust IMHO, just with less performance output.

As it stands, have a Cloud Defense light on my DDM4V7.  I’m not sure I would stick with that or get something smaller.

Night vision.  I think this is a necessary addition (and on my short term buy list).  Even a quality monocular would be a massive force multiplier and a device that could easily help you avoid those “two expected gunfights” if you’re patient and cautious.  Batteries would have to be AA as that’s the easiest to charge via solar.

Another item that would add weight, but would be valuable is a pair of compact binoculars.  I have a pair in my regular bugout bag.  Being able to scout ahead would save you time and possibly avoid conflict.

FAK.  Right now, mine is a minimalist kit.  I would have plus that up some and likely add a small blowout kit.  Other than some ventilation accidents, prevention would be my focus.  Even a minor cut would get infected in that environment if not treated properly and kept clean.  I include mosquito repellent and sunscreen here…

Cache for resupply.  Given the Florida environment, I would likely do a bear-hang for these or at least a watertight 5 gallon bucket.  If the distance is 250 miles, I could likely get by with one cache/resupply at around mile 125 (plus or minus) for ideal conditions.  However, with two, I would likely but one at about 80 miles and around 160-170 miles.  That would also help reduce how much on-board food weight I needed.  Biggest consideration is weather…if it’s a big storm for a few days, you likely will have to stay hunkered down which will eat into your food supplies. These are both resupply and replacement items if needed and if not needed, you seal it back up and retrieve it later if possible, but nothing important to lose.  I wouldn’t need much:

Food resupply, all my choices are pretty shelf-stable
Extra alcohol fuel (12oz bottle of HEET)
Extra Sawyer 2-liter Squeeze bag
A few bottles of water and/or a canteen and canteen cup
A couple extra AR mags (loaded) and maybe just a box of 9mm ammo
50 feet or so of 550 cord
Bic lighter (or three)
Swiss Army Knife

Body armor?  Not for this scenario.  I have a covert kit, but at this point in my life, mobility is much better when I’m lighter and that would add just too much bulk and weight.  It’s a calculated risk, but it is one item I don’t think would make the journey.

Movement for me would likely be early morning (like 0200-0300) up to noon or early afternoon.  That would give me time to use the solar charger, find and setup a shelter after avoiding attention, collect/filter water, maybe fish a little or set up a half-dozen snares and take a nap before checking and policing up the snares in the late evening.  While not really considered, being able to go “gray-man” is a really good consideration.  Being able to just look like a normal dude with a backpack would draw less attention than if you’re going to a Call of Duty convention decked out in tactical gear.  It would also provide a good cover of you “just coming off a trail or camping trip”…

Just a few thoughts as I have recently just did this mental exercise coupled with my “bug-home” backpacking trip in May to test out the pack and 100+mile load-out.

I already keep a bag in the car, with basic content.
Couple of clothing items, couple days of food. Sawyer Squeeze and a backup method of water purification.
Basic first aid supplies in the bag, plus the car has a dedicated bag with additional supplies.
The pack doesn't have ammo in it, but there's always a mixed case of ammo in the car.
Base weight of the pack with a full three liters of water is just under thirty pounds.
Your first goal in any confrontation should be to avoid the confrontation in the first place.

A note to you guys with folding bikes. Carry xtra cables and housing and know how to replace them. Folding bikes are hell on cables.

If I was making the ride in FL I'd have a single speed coaster brake and eliminate the cables all together.

I will give you credit for the thoroughness and attention to detail in many of your posts, this one included.

Excellent post!

Yes, it would be nearly impossible to carry Enough food for 25 days. Most hikers carry five or six days worth.

Morgan had some pretty good luck in that area and was able to find alternate sources of food.

You could likely scavenge canned food along the way and maybe catch a break finding small game. Part of Morgan’s set up allowed for that. He had a cutting board, some oil and a cooking system that allowed him to cook game.

Although I doubt most people could make it 25 days hiking without food, most of us wouldn’t perish if we missed a few meals here and there.

If you're walking hundreds of miles you don't have time to hunt and process wild game. Maybe some sort of passive fish trap if you're sleeping near water that can be checked after you wake up, but even the time to construct that would be better spent walking...unless you're contemplating using some form of passive fishing gear that's not allowed in more normal times.

Hunt small game? Like others said, you won't have time to do that. Better to set up snares and have an edible wild plant book. Also, be prepared to eat bugs

Maybe I'm crazy or follow too many speed hikers, but I wouldn't want to be out for nearly a month averaging 10 miles a day.

With two cache sites available I'd be tempted to strip a pack down to <15lbs and blitz the first 48-72 hrs as fast as possible. During the first 24-72 hrs people will probably maintain some level of normalcy until the gravity of the situation sets in. That's a big opportunity to stick to paved surfaces and make a lot of distance in a hurry. With NOD, trail running shoes, and ibuprofen just keep going day/night as your stamina allows. Crash at the cache site, load up on sustainment gear, and start cross-graining once it's prudent to do so.

Great. Can’t wait to see your load out.

“Maybe I'm crazy or follow too many speed hikers, but I wouldn't want to be out for nearly a month averaging 10 miles a day.

With two cache sites available I'd be tempted to strip a pack down to <15lbs and blitz the first 48-72 hrs as fast as possible. During the first 24-72 hrs people will probably maintain some level of normalcy until the gravity of the situation sets in. That's a big opportunity to stick to paved surfaces and make a lot of distance in a hurry. With NOD, trail running shoes, and ibuprofen just keep going day/night as your stamina allows. Crash at the cache site, load up on sustainment gear, and start cross-graining once it's prudent to do so.”

Ok, so at 25 miles a day that gets you 75 miles. Only 175 to go. ??

This is why I've really turned towards dehydrated soup mixes.  You can boil any meat and add it to soup...



That's the constant battle and why I'm always upgrading, assessing, weighing, and determining needs/wants in my backpacking kit.  I've done my share of days of "go light, freeze at night", but that's not a strategy that can be sustained for long.  Bug bites, being perpetually wet, tired/poor sleep, etc...all can significantly affect your ability to trek on pace. Don't forget also, the more tired and distracted, the more likely you make mistakes and sustain mechanical injuries.  Determining "extras" is not as easy as it sounds.  Even ultralight backpackers carry a comfort item or two.  Sleep is incredibly important for my recovery, so I always make that a priority.  I've gone through and identified about 3-4 pounds of stuff I could easily get by without, but they offer a little comfort which really can be worth their weight for the phsyical or mental comfort they provide.

You're spot on with your reasoning, but it's taken me more than a few hundred miles to figure out that happy balance of what works best for long distance trekking without slowing me down or sacrificing any of the "comfort" necessary to keep morale up as well as staying well rested, recovered, and at my peak for situational awareness.

The OP mentioned having two resupply/cache points...that makes it markedly easier for the distance.  From my personal experience, my limit would be about 150 miles with a pack under 35-40 pounds...and that's a heavy load for me, and there would be few "contingency" items.  My base weight for backpacking floats between 12-14 pounds.  While water is heavy, as long as I there are sources, I can keep that down to just 2-3 liters and sustain a good pace.  Food weight is the biggest challenge.

I did put together a food package that would sustain me up to 14 days, the challenge is that most of the food choices required water and boiling, so it would slow you down some to setup, prep, cook, cleanup, etc.



For those that can start and sustain 20+miles a day...more power to you!  Even backpacking, it took me until the 7th day to hit 22 miles, but the next day was only 6 miles to finish.  Unless you're actively "backpacking", your body is going to let you know you're not in shape for simply walking with a pack the first few days.  Most active adults should be able to work up to a faster pace than 10 miles a day, but most will require a few days to get their "trail legs".

Having a cache resupply really simplifies planning.  Only needing to go 80 miles before a resupply is very doable and can help reduce your food weight.

So, I do have a couple of minimalist fish/snare kits.  I will give another plug for Speedhook fish snares.  Any body of water that has fish, especially the smaller bream/sunfish, these are pretty freaking reliable.  I've tried some various setups with these on my lake and outlet creek and they were probably 80% reliable.  Not all the fish were hand-size, but if baited properly, they will work extremely well.





ROCK6

148oz with the dry/bear bags (or 9.25lbs)...it's really hard to beat that for 14 days of trekking.  It's a two edged sword as the dehydrated and freeze dried stuff is lighter, it does require more water, best with hot water which requires fuel and cook kit, and the most time.  Those soup packets are supposed to serve four.  I would basically cut it in half and have a large meal, but that could be stretch also as I've added foil-wrapped chicken chunks, and sausage.  That could be substituted with any opportunity game or fish.  They aren't the most calorie dense, but pretty good vitamin/mineral wise.

A stack of tortillas are pretty shelf stable as well, at least good for 7-10 days in high temps and humidity along with your favorite nut butter...calories, fat, and proteins.  I actually prefer the freeze dried meals that are burrito-like or a curry as I can eat off a tortilla warp up the last big like a burrito...very filling.  If you don't go with tortillas, you can buy a case of shelf-stable MRE bread (which is what you see here) as a good substitute (but more expensive).

I also had some of those boil in a bag pasta with dehydrated sauce...those can be quite filling as well.

Instant oatmeal is another pretty stable dehydrated option.

I have to balance with the right amount of gorp, jerky, snacks or engery bars that allows me to keep ingesting calories without much stopping...but that's more preference for backpacking than necessity.  Now, notice I really only have one hot meal a day except for about 6 days of oatmeal breakfast.  The rest are snacks to just keep me moving.

The nice thing about section hiking is that it's very indicative of an emergency-scenario bug-home on foot situation.  Your body is starting cold and no matter how much training you do, nothing really replicates the effects of backpacking on your body other than backpacking.  You will likely start slow and your body will let you know if you're pushing to hard the next day.  Your appetite is always pretty low for the first few days as well.  Mostly it's the stress on your body and always being in a routine of having food easily available.  It simply takes 3-4 days to get your trail legs and trail appetite.  I still force myself to eat, but I don't eat near as much as I do past day 3-4.

ROCK6

Here's what Morgan carried according to another site...looks heavy. :)

Main Bag, Rifleman (Molle II, 9.5lb empty)
Maxpedition Devil Dog
Maxpedition Rollypolly

Water/Hydration
Sweetwater filter
Water Purification Tabs
1 quart Stainless Water bottle
2 quart canteen
2 liter Platypus bag

Food and Prep
Esbit stove
Stove tabs
10" square leather pot holder
Large MSR pot
Folding spoon/measuring cup
1/2 Scrubby
Small bottle cooking oil
Small Bottle dish soap
Cup Stove
Primus Multi fuel EX stove
Bottle of compressed gas
Bottle of white fuel
Grilliput
Small Cutting board 10x12
Seasonings

Clothing
Carhartt coat with arctic lining
Bellville Boots US issue Got-tex w/vibram soles
Merrell shoes
TrueSpec pants (2)
Skivvies (2)
Socks (2)
T-shirt (2)
Poncho (GI)
poncho liner (Woobie) w/stuff sack
Chore Coat
Columbia PFG fishing shirt (2)
Merino Wool Socks
Bandannas
Leather work gloves w/poly pro liners
Buff

Shelter and Bedding
Sleeping bag
Foam sleep mat
Eagles Nest Outfitters Hammock, Slap Straps and Bug Net
6 x 9 tarp and Rigging Figure 9s

Fire
Butane Lighter
Swedish Fire-steel

First Aid
Wilderness Outfitters SOS kit
Latex Gloves

Hygiene Kit
Toenail clipper
Tooth Brush
Tooth paste
Q-tips
T/P
Military permethrin clothing treatment system
Razor
Soap
mirror

Tools
ESEE4 knife
Knife field kit (Rust eraser, 4"Diamond hone, DMT fine diamond card and fine deramic tri sharp)
Channellock pliers
Leatherman Surge
U-dig-it trowel
Uncle Henry Folding Knife
Pruning Shears
Pack cloth

Lighting
Xenon flashlight
Spare CR123 batteries
Glo-Toob lithium Light
Energizer Headlamp

Comms/NAV/power
GP-L4 radio - County Comm
Silva Compass
Map
Ranger Beads
Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus Kit
Watch - Armitron Automatic

Self Defense
Springfield XD .45 w/2 spare 13 rnd mags of Hydra Shocks
50 round box of Hydra Shocks
50 round box of Winchester White Box Ball
Otis tactical cleaning kit
Roll of trip wire

Misc
Para-cord
Steiner Predator Binoculars
Pulsar Edge GS20 night vision

Klein linesman’s pliers - Left outside of Lamont
10 in 1 Screwdriver - Left outside of Lamont

Other items mentioned from his Personal Survival Kit
Water Purification Tabs
Coil of wire
Small Fire Steel
Section of hacksaw blade
First aid items

Sawyer filter and a 1l water bottle
ENO Hammock
Some cordage
Folding knife
$100 cash

250 miles on foot, I'd stop at convenience stores on the way and buy food as necessary.  Get home in a week before people realize the severity of an EMP and potential worthlessness of cash.

Good catch and pull into this.

Yeah, I remember reading that and doing the mental calculations...load weight was probably between 50-60 pounds, but I don't remember his food rations...

ROCK6

Weight?

this may have been said but this pack needs light source, maybe a jetboil.

The main characters GHB is the most comical thing about that book besides the writing.

if an e-bike survived the EMP, i'd try that, which would be worth 70 miles or so, and be fast and quiet, but otherwise, I'd take my helmet and NODs (which are actually shielded), travel only at night. also, i'm more worried about gators than people, so i'd prob stick to the roads and not walk through swamps or forest.    ten miles on paved flat land isn't hard and wouldn't take too long.  that should give me time to fiddle around with water and cooking and such in the day, and still get a few hrs sleep.

i will only list a handful of key items
- water proof sandals (i hike a lot through wet TN that's covered in creeks, so crossing creeks isn't a big deal), extra socks
- lightweight synthetic clothes, silk base layer, quality shell
- some sort of body lube to keep the chaffing down
- food would be https://goodto-go.com but the soups above would work great too.  heck, i'm not above ramen noodles if it came to that
- lots of good super lightweight stoves.  i like the ones that run on white gas, so i'd have that and a bottle of gas
- if i'm going to be in multiple gun battles, i'm going to have an AR, suppressed, IR laser.   not sure if i could carry my plates 250 miles, but i might start out with them, and go slower, rest more often, especially if i can find a way to put my pack on wheels
- i also like the camelback bladders, but walking at night i won't need as much water.   i have a micro msr filter
- garmin rhino 650T if it survived the EMP
- ham radio HT if it survived the EMP
- my goal zero for recharging AA for nods
- my pas-23 if it survives EMP, extra batteries
- ifak and bug spray
- i'd prob try to find shelter of some sort during the day, like a car rather than carrying tent/hammock/sleeping bag etc.  prob a lot of abandoned businesses, like motels, along the way i could hide in.
-overall, i'd try to stay under 20 lb pack, especially with the rifle and plates (as long as i can carry them)

Great pictorial!  It does may you go through the mental assessment if you have a bug home type bag.

Mey, it's a fictional story from an amateur writer who likes the topic.  It was enjoyable enough and makes you think of a few aspects many overlook.  Some ideas are a little out there, but overall, it was a good read if that's a hobby of yours.

ROCK6

Ok. This is great stuff. It seems like there are four different strategies emerging here, each of which have advantages and disadvantages.

Strategy One: Live off the land

This idea works on the assumption that you’ll be able to scrounge for what you need along the way by hunting, catching fish, digging up roots, etc.
To survive using this strategy you’ll need more tools than supplies. Your pack would have snares, traps, maybe a shotgun or a .22, food prep stuff, etc. Morgan’s pack leans heavily toward this strategy. He doesn’t have a lot of stored food. This is a great long-term strategy if you have the time and the luck to acquire what you need. Can you count on bagging 2000 calories a day while you’re walking 10 miles a day? I wouldn't.

Strategy Two: Credit card camping

There are lots of people every year who bicycle all the way across the county with little more than a bicycle, some spare parts and a credit card. Need food? Stop and eat. Need a place to stay? There’s a Holiday Inn. This isn’t likely to work for the entire trip, but it’s possible, or even likely that some cash would get you what you need some of the time.

Strategy Three: High speed, low drag

This is the pack light, go fast strategy. The less you have to carry, the more miles you can put behind you in a day. Lots of trail hikers have used this with great success. It depends, however, on reliable shelter and resupply. If you know that you’ll be sleeping in strategically placed shelters and sauntering into a town on Day 6 where you can pick up another week’s worth of mountain house and stove fuel, this works great. The distance here is too great and the resupply is too uncertain for this to be effective for the long haul. This might work well for the final leg of the trip, where we know we’re going to land somewhere with food and a bed.

Strategy Four: Food train

This strategy involves focusing your pack on carrying all the food and supplies you’ll need for the whole trip. A pack set up using this strategy would be loaded with freeze dried food, a water filter and jet boil, and not much in the way of tools. This would work well for a shorter trip, or if we’re traveling in our solar powered minivan. On foot, however, you just can’t carry enough food to keep you going for 250 miles of hiking.

So…what’s the answer?

I think it’s a mixture. I can carry enough food for a week or so, and some cash, and some passive fishing gear or snares to set up while I’m sleeping. Maybe the carried food gets me ten days down the trail, filling in the days where the other strategies haven’t worked. Maybe a few unlucky pigs or armadillos get me five or six days. Maybe I run across a farmer selling food by the side of the road or a corner store with a few cans of Dinty Moore. Maybe that gets me another week or so.
Sound reasonable? So…what do we pack?

I thought I’d clarify the resupply issue. Morgan is just coming back from a routine business trip so he wouldn’t have been able to anticipate the need for, or plan for caches.

By resupply, I mean he occasionally gets lucky. (The story wouldn’t be very interesting if he just starved and died).  He runs into people or situations that help him at random intervals which he can’t plan for or predict. In the hiking world they call this “trail magic”. It’s a thing. ??

What's comical about him 'bugging out"? What would you have him do?

I agree. In this part of Florida heading out through the woods could end badly. I grew up in this area. There are plenty of places where the brush is thick enough that you'd spend a lot of time and energy moving through it...and then there's the wet stuff.
I've run across more than one route that turned into waist deep mud pretty quickly. If you were by yourself you could get pretty well screwed if you didn't know where out were going.

No way am I trying to walk through the woods or carry 25 days worth of food. In FL you’re not going to walk anywhere fast in the woods/swamp and they will tear you up, if you don’t get bit by a snake/spider. Water is especially important due to the heat, clothing not so much. Light clothes and rain gear, especially quick drying and extra socks. Hygiene is important too, so you don’t start rotting from rashes. Kill your feet and get crotch rot will ground you fast. Bring some cash or something to barter and you can probably rustle up a bicycle pretty easily. I wouldn’t want to carry more than 20 lbs on my back.

I enjoyed that book as well.

I could ditch a lot of gear if I were to walk through Florida. My GHB is an Eberlestock Terminator. It's a bit of a heavy pack but very tough. I carry it with me when I'm away from home for work. I work on the exploration side of the natural gas/oil industry. I've been working in N.D the last several years and traveling back and forth between N.D, Idaho and Utah.
My pack is 53lbs as it sits right now, a good portion of that weight is due to the winter. Insulation and shelter being a top priority for me. It was -15 on my drive to work this morning. Add in coats, hats, gloves, etc. and things start to get heavy.
At the very minimum I have an AR, my G19 and my Ruger 22/45 Lite with me always. I have probably 2 weeks worth of MH meals I keep in my truck and my work apartment, it would depend on the time of year as to how much I could carry.
I feel confident I could feed my self hunting and fishing with everything I have on my journey home here, I'm "assuming" I'd be able to as well in Florida. My outdoor experience in that part of the country is limited to my military time doing my job and hunting/fishing when I had some free time. But that's been many moons ago. The huge amount of people in that part of the country would probably be the biggest problem.

I'm not going to bother with an extensive gear list but if you have any questions I will answer. Everything  I have is probably similar to what you guys carry too.
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I'd probably want a hammock instead of a tent since there's trees to take advantage of. I don't have that benefit in most of my AO. I'd probably want different fishing tackle too, everything in my GHB is centered around trout streams/rivers. I suppose I could eat the herpes monkeys and all the giant invasive snakes that are taking over the state (according to the news). I always have a few hundred rounds of CCI Minimags in the truck. My plan for out West is to take advantage of all the small game. I'm assuming there's plenty in Florida as well, but probably more competition for those resources. I've been shooting small game with a handgun for decades though and I'm not too bad at it.

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My plan would be 2 spare mags for the AR, 2 spare mags for the G19, and 1 spare mag for the .22/45. Than I would have to decide what extra ammo to pack. The thought of having to do this in Florida would be scary for me. I'd rather deal with the sub-zero temperatures, at least I'm familiar and confident in this area of the world. Go to protus' house maybe?

I live in the Spokane area and moved from eastern FL, not far from some of areas Morgan walked through. I hunted, backpacked and camped in those areas and agree with you, even when the cold is factored in. It seems like everything in those swamps wants to bite you. Factor in population and that area is not forgiving at all. I'll take NE Washington and N Idaho in a heartbeat.

I enjoyed the series and this discussion.

First thing I’d do before I donned my 50-60lb ruck full of goodies many people have already posted is take 5 minutes and invest it in my feet.

I keep moleskin and kinesiology tape in my bag. A few minutes spent here would help keep from being slowed down as a result of blisters later.

This is an interesting exercise that interests me. I just finished the book about a month ago. While reading, I found myself trying to use my setup in a similar situation.

I'm in the process of revamping my bag. I've added and subtracted over the years, but I need to do a complete tear down and reevaluation.

There is some good info in this thread