Jack Stilts
Skid Plates
- Location
- Michigan
Hello, fellow Nationeers.
I’d like to post this thread because I have had nothing but ideas and inspiration (and possibly obsession) lately over being prepared. It has a slew of information, from plans to bags to supplies, so I didn’t want to place it somewhere it didn’t belong. This preparedness might sound silly to some, and it was at first. It was, of course, based on zombies. The preparation started with typical “zombie prep” – machete, ammunition, etc. But for me, it grew into more than that. Now, I’m not a “prepper” by any means. Personally, I think those people are nuts. Bomb shelters and canned goods to last into 2030. Not for me. My ideas have stemmed from a lot – camping, off-roading, overlanding, and general emergency preparedness.
I recently read a blog about a man who survived Katrina with his family. A lot of it was lessons learned and hindsight, both good and bad. It really opened my eyes to my “prep” and things that I should add / subtract from my plans. My idea for preparedness was slowly changing from a fantasy about surviving a zombie uprising to a very real emergency plan (which can also be used for zombies!).
Keep in mind – I am just an ordinary guy. I have no military / police training. I am not a hunter. I have never been part of a scenario in which I had to use my own skills to survive. All of this is based on what I have read, learned, and figured out myself. Information and literature have become my skills. I know there’s only so much I can learn and prepare for without actually being in a situation like that, but all I can do is know that I’m at least mildly ready. Mentally, I have stored enough information to use it at a later date. Physically, I’m in decent shape and I know what my body is capable of. I am in no way, shape, or form, an expert on any of this (but I do love Oxford commas…whoops, grammar geek escaped). This is merely a documented process and list that I’d like to share.
Over the last year, I slowly started making a list of supplies I’d like to have in the event that I would be on my own without any assistance. It was two pages long. When I had finally accumulated everything on that list, I needed somewhere to put everything. I started thinking further into “survival” and what it actually meant for me. So, I broke it down – there were things I’d like to have on the move and there were things I’d like to have if I were “bunkered down,” so to speak. I have factored in the Xterra (obviously), but didn’t know exactly what role it played other than bug-out vehicle (BOV). I didn’t necessarily want to put all my eggs in one basket just to one day need something and not have access to that basket, ya know what I’m saying?
My Xterra, being built as an expedition vehicle, was becoming a BOV in my mind. An all-out, carry-everything backup plan. “What’s the plan?” “Get to the X.” Because the X would have everything I needed. However, the backup plan needed a backup plan. What if the X was unavailable, despite everything I’ve done to prepare? It can have 35 PSI in all five tires, a full tank of gas, and a fresh oil change, but if the garage is on fire…that’s probably not going to work as a backup plan.
The list was broken down again. Recently, I have had MOST of my supplies in the X. My LOBO was loaded up, and I had two big ol’ Rubbermaid tubs in there, separating and organizing everything. One for vehicle recovery and vehicle maintenance (ratchet straps, coolant, etc.), and the other for general camping and hiking supplies (tent, machete, etc.). Additionally, there was a tub larger than those two which contained all the “survival supplies.” Food, water jug, tarps, etc. I also had my little bug-out pack, a Maxpedition Versipack (it’s a fanny pack, I’ve accepted it).
In my mind, that was going to work – all I had to do was grab the pack and get to the X, where I had everything else I needed. I even keep the .22 Ruger Takedown on the LOBO (locked, of course) in the event that something (zombies) happen while IN the X…but this goes back to the event that the X isn’t available. Either I’m at work and the X is in the garage, or vice versa (when I drive company cars). I started to realize that I needed to come up with something else.
Thus, the 72-hour pack was born. I started researching, as I always do. This was beginning to make a lot of sense. One pack to carry everything I’d need to survive for three days, which I saw as standard. One pack to grab and go. ONE PACK TO RULE THEM A- oh. Wait, where am I? Right, I drifted to Lord of the Rings for a second. The blog I mentioned earlier kept coming back to a 60-second plan and a 60-minute plan. Examples being: a 60-second plan is you wake up to your house on fire (GTFO in 60 seconds), and a 60-minute plan is knowing there’s a disaster heading your way (wildfire, tornado, etc.) and you have a bit more time to grab some things. Either way, the goal is to get out.
Note – I highly suggest reading the blog. It’s a bit of a read, but not only is it a powerful story – it has so much information in it that I never knew about the event itself. I didn’t live through it, so I only knew what information was available from the news (which was mostly useless / exaggerated / inaccurate, and the reason I don’t like the news!).
I learned that there is no true survival plan. Each person’s has to be their own, and no one can tell you what yours should be. I stared a notebook with different scenarios, including instruction if someone other than me needed it (i.e. if I were incapacitated due to having a newfound desire to taste some brains & flesh). I listed out where things are – certain things in certain areas like first aid, tire jack, ammunition. These are things that should be gone over with anyone else in your party, but just in case – I find it important to document the locations of items.
Speaking of parties, my dog is in mine. He has his own backpack which carries three days’ worth of dry food, a leash, and a collapsible bowl. He’s worn it on many walks to get used to it, and only weighing about ten pounds, it doesn’t over-encumber him too much. I should note here that he is a 70lb. German shepherd / Rhodesian ridgeback mix, and probably has more muscle mass than I do. In the event that we need to GTFO, his pack is put on just like mine is, and we’re good.
(Contrary to his expression, he is thrilled).
And speaking of packs, I think it’s finally time to go over my new 72-hour bug-out bag.
Extensive research (a whopping 20 minutes) was done on different packs and sizes and blah blah blah. I have a few Condor Outdoor products and I’m very happy with their quality. They have a 3-day “assault pack” that fit my needs pretty well. It had the overall dimensions I was looking for and enough space for me to fit inside (literally). In all her olive drab glory:
Let’s start here, shall we? This is everything I had in the Versipack, all laid out:
Starting from the lower left, and moving left -> right, the contents are:
This is what I wanted to add to my new pack (Versipack items still included):
I looked at the contents laid out in front of me and could not fathom how I was going to put all of this into one single pack. And then carry it.
Had to start somewhere, so I started planning out what would go where, and also weight distribution.
Starting with the main compartment, I strapped in my sleeping bag and hammock setup. This is all I wanted to put in there (I hate rummaging).
There are two large mesh pockets on the inside, and the top was used for clothes (socks, jeans, and my t-shirt of choice was naturally the new XterraPerformance shirt). The other was used for all the small miscellaneous items (wire, microfiber cloths, microfiber towel, batteries, etc.)
The back of the pack itself has a plate built-in to support the weight, and the padding is very generous. It’s quite comfy. The same pocket opens up to house the bladder, and the hose feeds out to the side.
The side pocket barely held my BioLite stove, but I made it work. The other side has the mugs, wipes, tea, fire starters, and collapsible water bottle.
The outermost pouch was turned into the first-aid kit. I didn’t want to bury it all deep in the pack; it needed to be quickly accessible.
The big outside pocket was used to organize the maps, notebooks, and other miscellaneous small items. The main area unzips to reveal the food storage – MREs, oatmeal, coffee, granola bars.
The lower pouch is…interesting. I wanted to house all the ammunition there, so the shells and boxes are in the interior pockets, and the bagged rounds & mags are in the outer pouch. Being that the ammunition is so heavy, I wanted it on the lowermost part of the bag.
All loaded up, save for the daily carry items (which will go in pockets / on shoulder straps).
Other daily carry items are present, such as a paracord bracelet (custom made with stainless steel D-ring – much more useful than the Wal-Mart edition with plastic clips), Bertucci field watch (water resistant, standard issue), 3” folding knife (half serrated edge), LED flashlight, Ruger LC9. I’ve read certain ideas that in the event of civilization ending or being lost in the woods, a watch is useless. I disagree entirely. Sure, if zombies take over the streets, it might be useless to know that it’s 3:14PM. But mine is used, for example, to monitor the amount of time that the water purification tablets I dropped in my bottle have been active. A watch can have a ton of time-telling uses, even when Eastern Standard is no longer relevant
As I mentioned earlier, the machete was traded in for a tomahawk. I think it will be better used to chop wood than a machete, and can be equally as efficient for other things (smashing zombie skulls). I also strapped the rope to the bottom of the pack for quick access.
All loaded up and ready to go.
The pack now weighed in at roughly 50-60lbs. This doesn’t sound terrible, but for my 130lb. soaking wet skeleton frame, it was interesting to lift it. It’s not too heavy once it’s in place and strapped in with the waist & sternum straps. Awkward to walk around at first, but I practice more and more with it every day. Just wearing it around the house and up & down stairs is making it more comfortable and making me stronger to prepare myself to carry it when needed.
The last thing I’d like to add is unrelated to a bag, but I thought it was pretty cool…
Your Hi-Lift can be used as quick storage for arrows! How ‘bout that.
Like any other plan for things like these, I hope this was mildly informational. Even if someone reads this and thinks “ya know, I never thought about adding _________,” then mission accomplished. That’s what I’ve gotten out of any other transcript / documentation on this subject, and hopefully I can provide the same.
See you on the trails!
I’d like to post this thread because I have had nothing but ideas and inspiration (and possibly obsession) lately over being prepared. It has a slew of information, from plans to bags to supplies, so I didn’t want to place it somewhere it didn’t belong. This preparedness might sound silly to some, and it was at first. It was, of course, based on zombies. The preparation started with typical “zombie prep” – machete, ammunition, etc. But for me, it grew into more than that. Now, I’m not a “prepper” by any means. Personally, I think those people are nuts. Bomb shelters and canned goods to last into 2030. Not for me. My ideas have stemmed from a lot – camping, off-roading, overlanding, and general emergency preparedness.
I recently read a blog about a man who survived Katrina with his family. A lot of it was lessons learned and hindsight, both good and bad. It really opened my eyes to my “prep” and things that I should add / subtract from my plans. My idea for preparedness was slowly changing from a fantasy about surviving a zombie uprising to a very real emergency plan (which can also be used for zombies!).
Keep in mind – I am just an ordinary guy. I have no military / police training. I am not a hunter. I have never been part of a scenario in which I had to use my own skills to survive. All of this is based on what I have read, learned, and figured out myself. Information and literature have become my skills. I know there’s only so much I can learn and prepare for without actually being in a situation like that, but all I can do is know that I’m at least mildly ready. Mentally, I have stored enough information to use it at a later date. Physically, I’m in decent shape and I know what my body is capable of. I am in no way, shape, or form, an expert on any of this (but I do love Oxford commas…whoops, grammar geek escaped). This is merely a documented process and list that I’d like to share.
Over the last year, I slowly started making a list of supplies I’d like to have in the event that I would be on my own without any assistance. It was two pages long. When I had finally accumulated everything on that list, I needed somewhere to put everything. I started thinking further into “survival” and what it actually meant for me. So, I broke it down – there were things I’d like to have on the move and there were things I’d like to have if I were “bunkered down,” so to speak. I have factored in the Xterra (obviously), but didn’t know exactly what role it played other than bug-out vehicle (BOV). I didn’t necessarily want to put all my eggs in one basket just to one day need something and not have access to that basket, ya know what I’m saying?
My Xterra, being built as an expedition vehicle, was becoming a BOV in my mind. An all-out, carry-everything backup plan. “What’s the plan?” “Get to the X.” Because the X would have everything I needed. However, the backup plan needed a backup plan. What if the X was unavailable, despite everything I’ve done to prepare? It can have 35 PSI in all five tires, a full tank of gas, and a fresh oil change, but if the garage is on fire…that’s probably not going to work as a backup plan.
The list was broken down again. Recently, I have had MOST of my supplies in the X. My LOBO was loaded up, and I had two big ol’ Rubbermaid tubs in there, separating and organizing everything. One for vehicle recovery and vehicle maintenance (ratchet straps, coolant, etc.), and the other for general camping and hiking supplies (tent, machete, etc.). Additionally, there was a tub larger than those two which contained all the “survival supplies.” Food, water jug, tarps, etc. I also had my little bug-out pack, a Maxpedition Versipack (it’s a fanny pack, I’ve accepted it).
In my mind, that was going to work – all I had to do was grab the pack and get to the X, where I had everything else I needed. I even keep the .22 Ruger Takedown on the LOBO (locked, of course) in the event that something (zombies) happen while IN the X…but this goes back to the event that the X isn’t available. Either I’m at work and the X is in the garage, or vice versa (when I drive company cars). I started to realize that I needed to come up with something else.
Thus, the 72-hour pack was born. I started researching, as I always do. This was beginning to make a lot of sense. One pack to carry everything I’d need to survive for three days, which I saw as standard. One pack to grab and go. ONE PACK TO RULE THEM A- oh. Wait, where am I? Right, I drifted to Lord of the Rings for a second. The blog I mentioned earlier kept coming back to a 60-second plan and a 60-minute plan. Examples being: a 60-second plan is you wake up to your house on fire (GTFO in 60 seconds), and a 60-minute plan is knowing there’s a disaster heading your way (wildfire, tornado, etc.) and you have a bit more time to grab some things. Either way, the goal is to get out.
Note – I highly suggest reading the blog. It’s a bit of a read, but not only is it a powerful story – it has so much information in it that I never knew about the event itself. I didn’t live through it, so I only knew what information was available from the news (which was mostly useless / exaggerated / inaccurate, and the reason I don’t like the news!).
I learned that there is no true survival plan. Each person’s has to be their own, and no one can tell you what yours should be. I stared a notebook with different scenarios, including instruction if someone other than me needed it (i.e. if I were incapacitated due to having a newfound desire to taste some brains & flesh). I listed out where things are – certain things in certain areas like first aid, tire jack, ammunition. These are things that should be gone over with anyone else in your party, but just in case – I find it important to document the locations of items.
Speaking of parties, my dog is in mine. He has his own backpack which carries three days’ worth of dry food, a leash, and a collapsible bowl. He’s worn it on many walks to get used to it, and only weighing about ten pounds, it doesn’t over-encumber him too much. I should note here that he is a 70lb. German shepherd / Rhodesian ridgeback mix, and probably has more muscle mass than I do. In the event that we need to GTFO, his pack is put on just like mine is, and we’re good.
(Contrary to his expression, he is thrilled).
And speaking of packs, I think it’s finally time to go over my new 72-hour bug-out bag.
Extensive research (a whopping 20 minutes) was done on different packs and sizes and blah blah blah. I have a few Condor Outdoor products and I’m very happy with their quality. They have a 3-day “assault pack” that fit my needs pretty well. It had the overall dimensions I was looking for and enough space for me to fit inside (literally). In all her olive drab glory:
Let’s start here, shall we? This is everything I had in the Versipack, all laid out:
Starting from the lower left, and moving left -> right, the contents are:
- Sharpies
- Vapur collapsible water bottle
- 12G shells
- 9mm rounds
- .22 rounds
- Electrical tape
- Gauze pads
- 100 9mm rounds
- 5 magazines
- Ruger LC9
- Maglite
- LED flashlight
- Backup flashlight
- Hollowed out flashlight turned into a sewing kit (first aid)
- 3” folding knife
- Green tea
- Advil
- Chap-Stick
- Microfiber cloth
- Small folding knife
- Compact first-aid kit and tape
- Cotton swabs
- Wire cutters
- Pocket saw
- Wire
- Batteries
- Spare keys (house, Xterra, firearms)
- Phone batteries
- Lock picks
- Rolled gauze
- Sanitizing wipes
- Stupid thing that was removed
- Fire starters
- Compass
- D-rings
- Water purification tables AND purification straw
- Paracord, zip ties, leather shoe laces
- Leather cover from an old journal
This is what I wanted to add to my new pack (Versipack items still included):
- Tanto style knife
- Phone charger
- 1L water bladder
- Matches in Zip-Loc bag
- Playing cards
- State map & notebook
- Latex gloves in Zip-Loc bag
- Respiration masks (2)
- Wool socks
- Handkerchiefs
- Clif protein bars
- Toilet paper
- Mossberg 12G with removable shoulder stock and shotgun scabbard
- 20 degree sleeping bag
- Cold-weather and work gloves
- BioLite stove
- Folding shovel
- Larger diameter paracord
- Machete (later replaced with tomahawk)
- Orange pack – full ENO setup (hammock, tarp, bug net)
- 2 mugs
- Flares
- Folding saw
- 2 MREs and coffee, oatmeal, spork, granola bars, etc.
- Camp pots
I looked at the contents laid out in front of me and could not fathom how I was going to put all of this into one single pack. And then carry it.
Had to start somewhere, so I started planning out what would go where, and also weight distribution.
Starting with the main compartment, I strapped in my sleeping bag and hammock setup. This is all I wanted to put in there (I hate rummaging).
There are two large mesh pockets on the inside, and the top was used for clothes (socks, jeans, and my t-shirt of choice was naturally the new XterraPerformance shirt). The other was used for all the small miscellaneous items (wire, microfiber cloths, microfiber towel, batteries, etc.)
The back of the pack itself has a plate built-in to support the weight, and the padding is very generous. It’s quite comfy. The same pocket opens up to house the bladder, and the hose feeds out to the side.
The side pocket barely held my BioLite stove, but I made it work. The other side has the mugs, wipes, tea, fire starters, and collapsible water bottle.
The outermost pouch was turned into the first-aid kit. I didn’t want to bury it all deep in the pack; it needed to be quickly accessible.
The big outside pocket was used to organize the maps, notebooks, and other miscellaneous small items. The main area unzips to reveal the food storage – MREs, oatmeal, coffee, granola bars.
The lower pouch is…interesting. I wanted to house all the ammunition there, so the shells and boxes are in the interior pockets, and the bagged rounds & mags are in the outer pouch. Being that the ammunition is so heavy, I wanted it on the lowermost part of the bag.
All loaded up, save for the daily carry items (which will go in pockets / on shoulder straps).
Other daily carry items are present, such as a paracord bracelet (custom made with stainless steel D-ring – much more useful than the Wal-Mart edition with plastic clips), Bertucci field watch (water resistant, standard issue), 3” folding knife (half serrated edge), LED flashlight, Ruger LC9. I’ve read certain ideas that in the event of civilization ending or being lost in the woods, a watch is useless. I disagree entirely. Sure, if zombies take over the streets, it might be useless to know that it’s 3:14PM. But mine is used, for example, to monitor the amount of time that the water purification tablets I dropped in my bottle have been active. A watch can have a ton of time-telling uses, even when Eastern Standard is no longer relevant
As I mentioned earlier, the machete was traded in for a tomahawk. I think it will be better used to chop wood than a machete, and can be equally as efficient for other things (smashing zombie skulls). I also strapped the rope to the bottom of the pack for quick access.
All loaded up and ready to go.
The pack now weighed in at roughly 50-60lbs. This doesn’t sound terrible, but for my 130lb. soaking wet skeleton frame, it was interesting to lift it. It’s not too heavy once it’s in place and strapped in with the waist & sternum straps. Awkward to walk around at first, but I practice more and more with it every day. Just wearing it around the house and up & down stairs is making it more comfortable and making me stronger to prepare myself to carry it when needed.
The last thing I’d like to add is unrelated to a bag, but I thought it was pretty cool…
Your Hi-Lift can be used as quick storage for arrows! How ‘bout that.
Like any other plan for things like these, I hope this was mildly informational. Even if someone reads this and thinks “ya know, I never thought about adding _________,” then mission accomplished. That’s what I’ve gotten out of any other transcript / documentation on this subject, and hopefully I can provide the same.
See you on the trails!