Just threw one together with a small backpack (1000 ci) and spare stuff I had laying around the house.  Please make some recomendations as everything else will have to be bought.

Large Pocket:

Socks
T-Shirt

Medium Pocket:

Binoculars

Small Pocket:

Survival Blanket
Poncho
Ziplock Bags
Waterproof Case
Pen
Pencil
Note Cards
Knife
Duct Tape
Flashlight
$1 in Quarters
Safety Pins

food, water, water purification,  gun, box of ammo (or at least extra mags), cash (small bills), map, small radio, extra batteries, possibly an extra pair of hiking boots or shoes, depending on how far you have to go to get home, small tarp or one man tent, bug spray.

when i assembled mine, i looked at how far i'd have to hoof it to get back home if caught at work.  it's 25 miles for me, which i'd guess would be a minimum of three days.  so i need food, water, protection from the elements for that amount of time.

you could easily do 25 miles in two day or even 1 on roads or a good trail.

True, unless you have to E & E some bad guys or some bad areas of town.

I figure 3 miles an hour with a full pack.  If it was a SHTF scenario, most likely you would only travel at night which might slow you down a bit.  So theoretically, you could do 25 miles in one night.  It would be close though.

I have about a 40 miles commute so my GHB is packed for at least 2, maybe 3 days of fun.

What state are you in? My pack varys some on the time of year. My work is 32 miles drive, but my mapped out route will be 36 miles. I plan on 3 days and pack for 4. My pack weighs about 23 pounds.
Last winter they shut down the Interstate 2 hour after I left work. That would've sucked being stuck spend the night sitting in a snow storm. But at least there would be enough in my trunk and pack to be comfortable.
No food=no energy, bkfst bars, instant oat meal, couple MH, JERKY ect
someway to carry water
Stainless steel cup and Nesbit stove
lighter and fire steel
Thermo lite bivy sack
550 cord, 50 feet
couple first aid items, aspirin, bandits, blistex, bug repellent, sunscreen ect

Add something to start a fire with, some high energy food and some water or sports drink.
One extra set of batteries for your flashlight.

For a get home bag I would skip most of the fluff and focus on energy and fluids, socks, flashlight and a defensive weapon of some sort, preferably multi-purpose like a good sized knife. I'm of mixed opinion on keeping a gun in the bag, cars with stuff in them get broken into.... On the other hand, spare ammo for your carry weapon never hurts, and a can of one of the sprays is not a bad idea. If you need the bag you take that out and keep it handy. The spare cash is always good too, but I'd make it a full roll of quarters and maybe a $20

Something to store drinking water in; Platypus or Camelbak bladder.
Bug repellent.
Moleskin.
Trashbag. I know you mention poncho, but I can imagine times when you might leave your stuff to "scout" a route. You- poncho, your cache-the bag.
My 2c

Stay safe

My recent experience with distance traveled per time spent.

We did a 5 mile hike in 1hr 15 minutes at a decent walking pace.  I was carrying 11-12 extra pounds (mini overnight survival bag + CCW pistol and extra mags + folder knife + pocket flashlight).  While I'm not in tip top shape, the pace we set was pretty quick.  I was pretty tired after that hour+.

The way I see it, I could probably do 4 miles per hour with that eleven pounds for an hour, take a break for an hour, the go again, repeating this throughout the day.  That gives me a pace of about 24-25 miles per day with the alternating schedule on even trails.  If it were rough terrain or I was walking through dense underbrush it would be alot slower.

I couldn't imagine what my pace would be if I had my BOB, which is 25+ pounds, and add my 9lb aerobics walking stick (to simulate carrying a loaded rifle).  I'd guess it would be alot less.

I am trying to work up to that load.  Next hike I go with the 11-12lb load and the 9lb stick.  We'll see how that goes.

i've broken both ankles, sprained both ankles more times than i can remember and dislocated a knee cap (resulting in arthritis in the knee), so my days of moving fast are gone.  if i could do 25 miles in two days, i'd be surprised and happy.  i can keep going for as long as i needed to, possibly 25 miles in a day, but i wouldn't be walking for a couple of days after.

what a drag it is getting older. . .

I did 27 miles in one day once, with a 20lb pack. I wasn't worth a shit the next day......And that was when I was 20 years old.....
Now that I am in my late 30's, if I had to walk multiple days with a heavy pack, I'd try to keep it around 10 miles a day. And I hike alot more than the "average" person.

Advice on long hikes the black top might be faster but its going to be hell on your feet trust me there is a trade of make it faster but not be able to walk for some time after you make it. If your hiking a long time and you stop might just want to say on your feet if you sit down it will hurt to get back up if you have hot spots on your feet. If your going to hike for 10+ miles add a pair of good hiking boots and a few pairs of socks to your pack.

This advice is given to you from someone who has done two McCrest hikes 20+ miles in 8 hours with a pack of 25+ pounds body armor, and a 240G machine gun. In my 4 years in the Marine I've learned a thing or two about going for a little walk I know I've done something like 150+ miles of hikes in the military. Your boots and sock should if they need to cost more then anything else. The only way I'd take a blacktop over the soft ground is if the ground is sand worst hike I did was 7 miles in the desert.


Advice on your pack try living out of it for three days if you can to see how it works and during the three days what you will need . Everyone has comforts that other may not need.

Remember to pull EVERYTHING out on a quarterly basis....

I THOUGHT I had a change of underwear and some canoe shoes in my GHB.... at least they WERE THERE originally... but I took some out and forgot to restock...so when I needed the shoes, they weren't there (sort of like moccasins). On the other hand, my baby was scared by the fireworks and I DID have some earplugs!

Ditto with cash and coin reserves....as all as the OTC meds you might store....check for expiration dates.

I would strongly suggest you go hiking with a similar or heavier pack before you start estimating milage.  I used to do a good bit of hiking on the AT and thought I could go 40 miles in 2 days.  I used ultralight gear <20lbs and made 22 miles the 1st day.  I was so sore when I woke up I could barely walk.  I ended up not completing the hike and had to have friend pick me up.  Walking out to nearest road was a few miles and hurt like hell.  I'm just saying see what you are capable of before assuming.

my .02

I have hiked some of the AT and LT as well

One thing consistent in GHB threads is that people pack gear for camping and they always think in 'business days'.



If your wife and kids are home alone in the dark waiting for you with the local yoots wandering the area....  I would think you would discard the idea of walking a 'day', laying up overnight and then resuming the trek.



More likely, if you are halfway fit - is to walk/jog at intervals in as direct a path as possible.  Doing this, you should cover 3-5 mph depending on terrain. Even taking into account delays and assuming just ONE mph average, it is possible to cover 10,15,20,25 miles in less than one day (24hrs.)



Obviously, to do this, you are dumping the fire-making gear, dehydrated food, extra knives, batteries, gear, gunk, funk, junk and stuff.  A small, small camelbak should be plenty.  It holds enough water to keep you hydrated for a few hours, can hold a couple candy bars or packets of honey, a folded N95 mask, electricians pliers, small crowbar, a poncho, a tiny FAK with a little ducttape and motrin, maybe a mini am/fm radio or your Ham handheld if you have one.  You should have your CCW and a knife on you already, right?  You dress everyday in low-key clothes and sturdy walking shoes or have them in a bag in the car/office right?



The balloon goes up so...  fill the camelbak, pop two motrin, drink as much as you can ram down your gullet, eat a Snickers and walk 100 yards, then jog 100 yards, rinse and repeat.  If your feet give you crap, put some ducttape on the hot spots. Drink constantly and eat another snickers and a couple motrin every few hours.  Keep one ear bud in and monitor am/fm broadcasts as you go.  Encounter a fence?  Cut a tie wire and slide under it.  Need to hide for an hour/the day because of folks you don't want to meet?  Duck into the brush under your poncho.



How much more do you really need if you are trying to Get Home as fast as humanly possible on foot? Speed, endurance and a sense of urgency are paramount, not gear.

I feel your pain...literally.  A lifetime of football/kickboxing/bad genetics have left me with 2 very trashed knees.  Three different orthopedic surgeons have said I need full replacements, but I am too young for them.  

"I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good ONCE as I ever was..."

It would be foolish to plan on good conditions when the SHTF.  Plan for three days, if it is only 1 or 2, great, but plan for the worst, hope for the best.

Heavy or light, make sure you have plenty of water and the means to purify more.

The way I see it, a GHB has a different purpose than a BOB.

Very likely there are still some services operating, and very likely people haven't gone full retard yet.  

The idea is to get your butt home as fast as possible, by whatever means necessary while people are still somewhat not panicky.  As soon as the populace has time to sit back and plan, you are screwed if you are not ahead of them.  Panicked people do not think/plan/etc, which gives us an advantage.   As soon as the reality of the situation has set in, the advantage we have, is gone.  

I'll be gone before that happens, long gone.  I will not be anywhere near civilization when the masses start trying to plan their way around in a lawless society.  

With that in mind:

1.  Unobscure backpack
2.  Moleskin, good wool (smartwool) socks, as well as cotton socks
3.  Packable windbreaker type coat
4.  Packable nylon (long sleeve) shirt and zip off pants
5.  Fire starting equipment (bic lighters/cotton ball type)
6.  $50 in small bills
7.  Water
8.  Power bars/cliff bars
9.  Basic first aid kit
10.  50' paracord
11.  Tac-light & led headlamp
12.  Extra batteries for both.
13.  Poncho
Need to get a portable radio, and some other small items.  However with what's in that bag, and what I carry on my person, I can figure a way out of most situations.  Again, like other people have said, good boots/socks are your best friend.

Another thing to consider.  Keep additional seasonal type items in your car, but not necessarily in your bag.  You may not need it all.  My car has it's own setup, and the idea is that if I can make a pit stop before I start trying to get home, I can tailor my load to my situation.  The things that stay in the bag are items that are universally useful, and not necessarily seasonal.  I'm not going to keep a parka in a GHB in the summer, etc.

I just wanted to comment on the rates of travel being referenced so far in the thread.

The average human can walk 3 - 3.5 mph, this is without carrying any type of load.  4 mph is considered a brisk walking pace, and at 6mph you are

jogging. I just wanted to point this out for reference, so people can better plan for just how long it might take to get home.  Also, as mentioned earlier in the

thread.  Weather will play a significant role in the rate of travel you are able to maintain.  Certainly if it is 90* - 100*, or -10* - 10* you won't be able to

maintain a 3 - 3.5mph pace for very long.  You will need to stop, rest, rehydrate, cool down/warm up, whatever, but it will slow you down.

Very well put!