James,
Excellent article on the Field-Test Improvements to a Go Bag by Todd S. A couple of suggestions for your readers. First, as an experienced backpacker, I agree with the assessment about the socks. Athletic socks just don’t cut it for backpacking. In fact, no cotton socks will work effectively. Two moisture-wicking pairs of socks is sufficient for several weeks at least. I have learned, however, that the moisture-wicking performance is lessened with each day of use unless the socks are washed with soap and dried. The sweat from your feet contain salts and oils that will degrade the performance of the socks. As a result, I recommend that you carry an additional small bar of soap to wash socks and underwear frequently. More importantly, take several safety pins. Use these to hang wet socks on the outside of your pack so they dry. Rotate socks during the day: wear a dry pair to start, and around noon, swap socks and hang the used ones on the pack with the pins. This will prevent blisters and keep the feet warmer, and will extend the life of the socks.
Second, I recommend having a couple of sheets of aluminum foil (24”x12”) folded up in a baggie. These can be used for cooking, and are especially helpful to cook small game such as fish. Some folks think they can just shove a stick through a fish and cook it over the fire. But the meat of trout will begin to fall off the bones before it is thoroughly cooked. But you can wrap meat (or foraged plants such as bulbs) in aluminum foil and place it in the coals to cook the meat without losing any or dropping it in the dirt. It can also be shaped into a bowl for boiling water stewing.
Third: maps and compass weigh far less than GPS units and do not require batteries. I eliminate ALL electronics (except for a flashlight) from a true go bag designed for any wilderness travel. It may be “nice” to hear a radio, but in a true TEOTWAWKI situation, it seems like a luxury item.
Forth: the dependency on firearms for meat is unwise. I will carry a firearm, but I also carry wires and string for snares and a small survival book that shows how to set snares and deadfall traps. That way, most materials can be found or made from what is on hand in the wild, and the traps you set are “always working” silently.
Finally, regarding a “sleep sack” versus a sleeping bag: I cannot disagree more. The experiment was done during the summer in warm, dry weather. If this were to take place in the other 10 months of the year, a good sleeping bag will be the difference between life and death of hypothermia.