PPP: Picking the Proper Pack

by Brian Loftus

Preptober Month Series — Week 4

Your pack is your lifeline. In an emergency, it carries your food, water, tools, and defense — everything you need to move and survive. Pick the wrong one, and you’ll pay for it with sore shoulders, busted straps, or worse… a failed mission when you can’t afford it.

That’s why we use PPP: Picking the Proper Pack. This framework comes straight from tactical and survival professionals and ensures you’ll always choose the right bag for the right job.

The PPP Framework

1. Purpose

The first step in choosing a pack is knowing its job. A “one size fits all” mindset is a rookie mistake.

Bug-Out Bag (BOB): 72 hours of essentials to evacuate in a crisis.
Get-Home Bag (GHB): Compact, lightweight, designed to get you from an office or car back to home base.
Everyday Carry (EDC): Small, discreet, keeps your bare-minimum survival tools on you.
Mission Packs: Specialty loadouts for hunting, patrols, or extended operations.

📌 Real-World Example:
During Hurricane Katrina, thousands tried to evacuate with random luggage, garbage bags, and duffels. Many abandoned gear on the roadside because it was too heavy, impractical, or poorly designed for carrying long distances. Those with proper BOBs stood a much better chance of staying mobile.

2. Proportion

The size of your pack must match the mission — and your body. Bigger isn’t always better.

20–30L: Perfect for GHBs or single-day missions.
35–50L: The sweet spot for most Bug-Out Bags. Enough for three days without being a burden.
60L+: Reserved for extended missions or group gear, not the average prepper.

💡 Pro-Tip: A fully loaded pack should weigh no more than 20–25% of your body weight.

📌 Military Lesson Learned:
Infantry soldiers often hump 80–100 lb rucks. They can do it, but it destroys knees and morale fast. For civilians, going “ultra-heavy” isn’t a badge of honor — it’s a liability. Mobility beats bulk every time.

3. Performance

Performance separates “cheap Amazon bags” from packs you’d trust your life with.

Look for:

Durability: 500D–1000D Cordura, bar-tacked stress points, YKK zippers.
Comfort: Padded straps, sternum strap, and waist belt to transfer weight.
Modularity: MOLLE webbing, side pouches, hydration compatibility.
Weather Resistance: Water-resistant materials, seam sealing, or rain covers.

📌 Case in Point:
A prepper in Colorado reported that his bargain-brand pack ripped along the shoulder strap seam on day two of a bug-out test hike. Gear scattered, morale tanked. Compare that to military packs designed to drag through sand, mud, and concrete — performance isn’t optional; it’s survival.

Common Pack Mistakes

Buying Cheap: That $40 “tactical-looking” bag won’t survive rain, mud, and load stress.
Overstuffing: If it feels like you’re moving house every time you pick it up, you’re carrying too much.
Ignoring Fit: Packs come in different torso lengths. If it rides wrong, it’ll destroy your back in hours.
No Field Testing: If you haven’t humped it five miles under load, you don’t really know your pack.

💡 Pro-Tip: Do a “ruck test” every few months. Load your bag, hit a trail, and see what works. Adjust gear until it rides like an extension of your body.

Loadout Philosophy

Think in priorities:

First-Line Gear: Knife, lighter, small med kit — always on your person.
Second-Line Gear: Carried in your pack — food, water, shelter, main survival gear.
Third-Line Gear: Bulkier or specialty items stashed in caches or vehicles.

This layering means you’re never “all in” on just your pack. It’s part of the bigger system, not the whole system.

Prepper Pro-Tip: The Ditch Test

Put on your fully loaded pack and ask yourself:

If I had to ditch everything but this bag, could I survive?

If the answer is no, you need to rethink your loadout.

Why This Week’s Sale Matters

The right pack is mission-critical. That’s why, for Preptober Month, all backpacks at Survival Gear BSO are on sale this week only.

Build your first Bug-Out Bag with the right foundation. Don’t be afraid to contact us for help!
Upgrade from a budget pack to a professional loadout. A JanSport backpack is not going to get the job done.
Train with gear that will last years, not months. “Buy Once, Cry Once” is a philosophy we stand by.

👉 Shop Backpacks — Preptober Month Special

Also on sale this week for 50% Off: Learn how to keep your pack in tip-top shape with these oldies, but goodies manuals:

🔥 Don’t cut corners on the gear that carries everything else. Your life may depend on it.

⚡ This wraps up our Preptober Month Series! We hope you enjoyed reading our weekly blogs and that you found great value in the information presented.