Backpacking which involves walking long distances with heavy gear on your back. That may be good as a sport but not that good in case of an emergency situation. You should keep kits that are less weight to carry around so that you need not take the strain of carrying heavy equipments.

I agree with keeping your BOB as light as possible. However, you need to buy reliable equipment, not just lightweight. There is a lot of equipment that is considered lightweight, but it has no durability. It does you no good if 2 days in to an emergency your gear falls apart. So while keeping the weight down is good, you need to balance it with gear that will also last a long time.

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Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

NRA Certified Instructor for Basic Handgun and Personal protection in the Home.
V.F.W. Life Member
NRA Member
U.S. Army Veteran

Yes, backpacks have to be light and easy carrying one. That's the reason why I alwyas use only essential items in backpack. Whichever item I think they are abundant like water I would not include them in my backpack. Mountaineers backpack are very professional than the ordinary backpacks.

The backpack is the life blood of your kit, without it or if it fails you are left juggling your survival items.
As such I went with the pack that the Teams (SEALS)are using. The Kifaru line of packs. They are not
light weight backpacking packs. These packs are rated "if you can carrt it the pack will hold it" and they
back their claim! I went with the Navigator model because it was the size I needed and I prefer panel
load packs for ease of acess the the gear inside. The rest of my gear was pared down in weight by
going to titanium cooking gear, hydration bladder instead of mutiply canteens, ultra light sleepingbag.
Most of my gear had been tested when I was a SERE Instructor. the newer stuff I just took in the woods
and beat it up (not literally) to see if it would fail.
So now I have a BOB that weigh 55lbs with 3 liters of water onboard and 10 days worth of food, and I
have the option of carrying a total of 9 liters if the situation calls for it.

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Retired Navy SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) Instructor
certified pistol, rifle, shotgun, home defense Instructor
NRA Life Member
Survival & Disaster Preparedness Instructor