So, Im sure this has been asked before, but what would be the latest and greatest 24/48 Hour Pack setup?
And additionally, describe your dream BIVOUAC (A BIVOUAC is basically a really cool CAP camping trip, for those who dont know)
Dream bivouac....well, there's the obligatory brigandry and of course, what "dream" bivouac would be complete without a virgin sacrifice. >:D
Never thought of a bivouac as a really cool CAP camping trip but they were pretty cool Army camping trips complete with guns, tanks, helicopters, lasers, etc. etc. etc... >:D
The latest and greatest 24/48 hour pack setup is that which is lightweight, easy to manuever in, and stows comfortably whereever you need it.
My dream bivouac would have me carrying a 24/48 hour pack setup that weighs a little less than a pound and has everything from a sharp Leatherman to a solar shower and a king size mattress to sleep on. The bivouac would occur in the middle of the strip in Las Vegas on a Saturday night with all expenses paid for by the hotel managers. I would make a poncho hooch that I would string between two parking meters and people would throw money at me as they passed by... :P
Honest answer wrt the pack: it depends.
find something that MAKES YOU HAPPY for your pack. I carry an Osprey Argon 85 liter mountaineering pack and a small PALS chest rig for my GPS, compass and notepad. Not for everybody. Expensive (to the tune of $400 for just the pack). Most guys get along just fine with a GI ALICE pack and/or webgear, or a less fancy backpacker's ruck. you've got a triangle of factors; cost, comfort, and durability. pick two. if you want a comfortable pack that'll last forever, you're gonna be spending some real money. if you want a cheap, durable pack, you're looking at vietnam-era milsurp, which isn't the most comfortable.
Packs and GT gear are VERY individual things. this is why there's not a particular pack endorsed in the GT Task Guide, and 39-1 has NOTHING to say about packs on searches. it'll take a serious time investment, but try things, talk to others about what works for them, and come to your own conclusion. my conclusion was a high-quality, expensive mountaineering pack and a small chest rig. your conclusion will likely be totally different.
My dream bivy? oh, dear. Airlift via CH-47 to the Jemez wilderness, establish a bivy site, execute a realistic misper search in collusion with SO, FD, local SAR assets, and ARNG. Porterhouse steaks and potatoes back at camp. rinse and repeat for a week, covering every realistically possible type of search.