Survival thoughts

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).

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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.

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(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:

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Let’s start here, shall we? This is everything I had in the Versipack, all laid out:

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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
Note – aside from the firearms & ammunition, this whole kit was less than $100, and the bag itself was around $60 (and well worth it). Not a terrible price for a small start-up kit.

This is what I wanted to add to my new pack (Versipack items still included):

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  • 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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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All loaded up, save for the daily carry items (which will go in pockets / on shoulder straps).

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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.

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All loaded up and ready to go.

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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…

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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!
 

drbandkgb

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Holy cow Brian!

Great thread... We had one like this going at one time...

Keep us informed sir
 

chrishaynesusa

Bought an X
Location
SJC
Great idea,

regarding the back pack.. while I love Molle and olive drab as a miltary guy, I have read that a non threating/non military look may make you less of a target for having your stuff taken away.
I know you have a few firearms but if your bag was say, a pretty orange or red or blue you may not look as prepared or equipped from someones eyes who was looking to take stuff from other people.

just a thought, but it did make a certain kind of sense when I read accross it. I also am looking into putting my firearms into less conspicous carrying bags.
say a tennis racket bag or ski bag

or maybe even a pig :)
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Jack Stilts

Skid Plates
Location
Michigan
Thanks guys.

Mr. Haynes - I have seen the "civilian pack" debacle before. In retrospect, it is a fair point. On the other hand, I want to stand on a rooftop, shotgun in hand, and yell "Come at me, bro!"

Where did you get the pack for the dog?

That pack was purchased at my local neighborhood REI. I had my heart set on a Ruffwear pack (look them up - they make brilliant products for canines), but I needed a pack that day. This is an REI brand pack and it's been great.
 

Macland

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Awesome write up man! This is an impressive list. I had never thought of being a target for theft in the event of an actual emergency because of military themed stuff. I'll keep that in mind whenever I finally have the expendable income to do this.

For me I've just acquired enough water containers to store 34 gallons of water in legitimate containers.
 

Intender

Wheeling
Location
Lewisville NC
One thing I would throw in is a sterno or two, and a little sterno stove. I keep one in my truck and usually a couple of bags of the mountain house meals and bottled water for cooking. Not so much worried about end of the world survival as much as being type 1 diabetic and getting stranded somewhere overnight or even for a few days with no food to eat. I have been as long as 3 days with no food and had no trouble, but heat, cold, and stress throw my blood sugars off in a hurry.

I also keep a pack of waterproof matches in a waterproof container inside a small pot that have never let me down. Been using the same few boxes of matches I bought in 2001, and after sitting for 4 years and being forgotten about they still fired up at nxm and again when I was camping at URE a few weekends ago.

The great thing about a sterno is that one of them lasts forever (or longer if you conserve it) and as long as you can get a flame or even a good spark near it it will light and burn pretty much till you put it out. That biolite stove is awesome and something I would love to have, but in the event of an Irene type situation you could have trouble finding dry wood to burn. I have also got a big glob of sterno jelly on a stick before to start a wood fire when I needed one started in a hurry and didnt feel like playing around with it.
 

mudchet

Got Mud?<br><img src="http://i164.photobucket.com/
Founding Member
Location
Brentwood, TN
Great post Brian. I had my 60 second and 60 minute kits all ready to go a few years ago, but they need attention now. 9/11 started me thinking more on preparedness. The multi-day power outage in 2003 that hit the eastern US was a wake up call for me. While total armegeddon seems more likely with each day, more localized events like Katrina and Hurricaine Sandy seem to me to be the most likely events i might encounter and need to plan for.

Here in TN we get a lot of tornadoes and usually during that season I will fire up my chainsaw and make sure its runnng and i have fuel. Tornados and high winds can bring down trees like crazy If the weather looks bad i will throw the chainsaw and safety gear in the truck. In the event of a bad tornado, with the chain saw and my truck w winch, i have a chance at clearing the roads i need to travel to take care of my family.

Speaking of family, be sure to look at your survival plan and consider any health/medical conditions you or your loved ones have. Stock up on medicines that you take daily. If you or someone you care for depends on a medical device that uses power be sure to spend some time planning for that. True story: During the power outage of 2003 I was living in Detroit (affected by the outage) w my wife and 6 week old twins. While others were scrambling for batteries and drinking water, my emergency kit was serving us well. What I had overlooked in updating my kit was the fact that my wife was nursing. She used a breast pump to collect milk. Breast pumps run on electricity and we were without a generator A neighbor did have a generator, but my wife put her foot down and said theres no way she's hauling her pump over to a neighbors house to collect milk.
So, imagine yourself at the local wal-mart during the outtage. Power in the store is off. People are lined up to buy batteries, water, flashlights. Cops are there to keep things orderly. The store is taking cash only. I walk in and ask for a battery powered breast pump. All the males within earshot are giving me the "wtf" look. I had to assure the guy twice that i was completely serious. Turns out they had one, only one, which I quickly purchased.

Another thing I have planned to do, but have yet to follow through on is more skills training. There is a first aid course called "Wilderness First Responder" that I need to take. To me, that course is as important as having my kit prepared.

I also make sure i know how to use all the gear in my kit. I bet you at least 50% of all people with a compass in their bug out kits have never navigated with a compass or know what declination is.
 

TJTJ

Skid Plates
Founding Member
Location
NJ
Maybe I missed it on the skim, but, I didn't see much about changes of clothes.

I do a lot of disaster response, and one thing I see over and over again when disaster strikes (In real life, not from zombies) is that it happens a lot when you're asleep, and, not dressed.

IE: I show up, and there's people in their jammies outside in the snow freezing their patooties off while their house is burning/the flood waters are washing their neighborhood away, the Hazmat team is decontaminating stuff, and so forth.

What you are wearing when you run for daylight often is inappropriate for the weather...and, even if appropriate, can get wet or contaminated, and need to be removed to survive.

That can happen the second day or the third day too, depending upon the weather, and what S is hitting what fan, etc.

A way to clean and also dry yourself (And/or your party) off (Think towel, as in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, etc) is often underrated, albeit 99% of the time, more likely to be USED than ammunition for example. There are packable microfiber versions for example that would not sacrifice much weight/room. Similarly, changes of appropriate clothes, and a way to clean them so you have a rotation, is desirable for real life survival.

Stinky people have a harder time sneaking up on game for example....and if the landscape is contaminated with fallout/ash or whatever, hygiene becomes a higher priority.


Also, you did mention that keeping stuff in the rig is ok, unless the garage is on fire.

The same goes for the rest of the BOB stuff. As I mentioned, in house fires, people are lucky to get out in their jammies, and the cat is still in there but its too late, etc. Imagine you had to run to a part of the house that's on fire to get your BOB? It might as well be in the X in the flaming garage.

Its better to stash the BOB somewhere OUTSIDE, or at LEAST AT the exit you'd have to use, that you can get to, that's as unlikely as possible to be inaccessible.


I'm just adding to the stuff already mentioned.

:D
 
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sickboy595

Bought an X
That's a great write up. There's countless ways to "prep". Like TJ said you really didn't say anything about clothes other than socks. Maybe you have it covered. If you do make sure you have all climates covered by using the "layering" system.
I used to to be an avid backpacker before i blew out my knee and have spent thousands of dollars on equipment and clothes. Almost all of this stuff I have since converted all of it to my prep. I subscribe to the fast and light theory of prep so it fit for me.
I have a 72 hour that I keep in my rig that doubles as a " get home bag". I also have my main pack ready in the garage by the door that I can get to quick. I then have my family camping/prep gear....the heavy stuff in containers that I can grab and put in my rig. I won't get into to lists because there are millions of lists out there, but but with the third set, my family and I could survive for about a month, only needing some form of water to filter after the first week. I also have enough emergency fuel to get me to multiple "rally points".
Everybody does what they need to do to suit them. Looks like you're doing great.

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk
 
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Golf286

Wheeling
Location
Niwot, Colorado
Great write up.. My brothers and I have recently purchased some property 80 acres for our bug out location/destination.. The next steps there will be getting a cabin built and he well drilled.
 

Jack Stilts

Skid Plates
Location
Michigan
Wanted to revisit this with some updates to my plans and ideas.

The aforementioned bag is really a survival bag - heading somewhere for an undisclosed amount of time and using whatever is in there to survive. I'm okay with this, but because it's so heavy and full of useful gear (going to put everything to the test this spring to see if anything is redundant or useless), it's probably going to be transported in a vehicle.

That being said, I'm constantly in and out of different vehicles for my job. I'm home, to work, to a fleet vehicle, to the Xterra, back home, back to work, different fleet vehicle, Xterra, and so on. It's ever-changing, so I wanted a daily carry bag (feel free to insert murse commentary here) and to Mr. Haynes' point - it needed to be a civilian-style pack. What I ended up with is a very low-profile, slim, urban sling pack made by InCase. I've actually used it to travel for a few years, but never really had a good use for it until now. Being in an urban area, this blends in quite well while still holding enough gear to get me home in an emergency.

In the pack:

  • Heavy-duty carabiner
  • Electrical tape
  • Flashlight with spare cartridge (very convenient - it's like a spare mag for a pistol, already pre-loaded with batteries)
  • Serrated folding pocket knife
  • Matches
  • Headphones
  • Bandanna
  • 2 Ruger magazines
  • Phone batteries & chargers
  • Small first aid kid, gauze, etc.
  • Water purification straw (LifeStraw - just in case)
  • Notebooks
  • Paracord (of course!)
  • Hidden, reachable pocket to store Ruger 9mm if necessary
  • Sharpies, pens
  • Sanitizing wipes / hand sanitizer
  • Water bottle (full)

To reiterate - this is not the bag that would be grabbed in an emergency. It is minimalistic and has supplies necessary to GET to either a secure location, home, or the actual bug-out / 72-hour bag. Knowing I have this while I move around throughout my day gives me a little more peace of mind than having nothing.
 

XTorrey

First Fill-Up (of many)
I understand that the current bag you're talking about is just a Go bag, but it might not be a bad idea to add a little nonperishable high energy food (maybe a single MRE?) as a precaution. Depending on how long you may be delayed in getting to your BOB, that small bit of sustenance could become very important.

Has anyone played around with doing DIY supplies to save on cost? I haven't done much yet other than try my hand at some fire starters (which were tested in Moab for the first time a few weeks ago-worked well!) but I'm always looking for new ideas.

Sent from my KFSOWI using Tapatalk
 

Jack Stilts

Skid Plates
Location
Michigan
After much thought, the go-bag has been revamped – mostly because I was able to carry it, but not far. Maybe half a mile at the most. I knew I had to do some reorganization and rethinking.

I knew I needed to ditch a lot of weight – that was the main problem that was weighing me down (lolz). I realized I had made the mistake of carrying things that I didn’t absolutely need – things like a folding shovel, a stove, my sleeping bag, etc. N00b mistake of mixing up real survival gear with camping gear. I took out my sleeping bag, ENO setup, folding shovel, pots, stove, mugs, folding saw, and anything else that would be useful at a campsite and not on my back while I high-tail it outta dodge.

The revamp left me with the following items:
  • Shemagh
  • Entire change of clothes (wool sweater & socks included)
  • Drop-leg holster for the Ruger with LED flashlight (to be taken out and worn, leaving more room for additional space in the pack)
  • Zip ties, paracord, matches, backup glasses, cotton gloves, flashlight
  • Emergency bivvy, baseball cap
  • Spare keys
  • Food items – packaged tuna, jerky, granola bars, Clif bars
  • Sanitizing wipes
  • Flashlights, Leatherman multi-tool
  • Water purification tablets & straw
  • Sharpies / pens / spork
  • Steel wool, lockpicks
  • Notebook, maps
  • Handkerchief, monocular
  • Tomahawk (firewood), kukri (zombie elimination strategy)
  • Full first aid kit, respirator masks, sewing kit, ibuprofen, quick-clot
  • Wire cutters, electrical tape
  • More matches, mosquito net
  • Collapsible 1L water bottle (Vapur brand)
  • 12G shells, .22 rounds, 9mm rounds and magazine
  • Flares, work gloves
  • AA batteries, folding knife
  • 100ft. rope

I successfully shed more than half the weight of the pack when I made another realistic assessment of what I’d need if I were on the go, without the Xterra, and just this bag. It weighs less than 25lbs, and it’s easily maneuverable and quite comfortable to carry.

This is all considering the fact that I have relocated the “camping†items that were removed to my ever-growing camping bin that stays in the Xterra. I don’t really have to pack anything if I want to go camp on a whim (which happens quite frequently).

My plans really haven’t changed if the SHTF. My canine companion has his own backpack, I’ve got mine, and the Xterra will be used if it’s available. If it’s not, we’re still good to go.

It feels good to know that things are in the right place if they’re needed. Peace-0f-mind is a beautiful thing.
 

caseycamby

Suspension Lift
Location
Marion, NC
*slow clap*

I've gotten into this more and more lately and have been reading up and watching videos trying to soak in all the knowledge. It's starting slow..

It's honesty strange how people think you're crazy or paranoid for being prepared. I know there are some people out there who take it past the extreme but storing up on some things to better your chance to live is not crazy, quite the opposite. We'll see who's laughing *evil laugh*

I gotta ask, not the last list you posted but the one before.. Is there a "survival" reason you packed the headphones or was it just for entertainment?
 

Jack Stilts

Skid Plates
Location
Michigan
Hahaha, yeah man. I can't tell you how many times I'm called a prepper because I carry first aid supplies and some jerky with me. I was in the Boy Scouts, what do you expect?! I'm prepared. To be...hungry...

Headphones are purely for entertainment ;) Hopefully you didn't expect some super secret awesome use for them...
 

XTorrey

First Fill-Up (of many)
The only person that has openly given me a hard time about being a prepper is my mom, who lives down the road from the shores of lake Michigan. I calmly reminded her of the time a bad storm wiped out her electricity for a week, rendering her sump pump for her well useless, which in turn forced her to drive to the lake to collect water. When I asked her how she would have felt if she had prepared before that storm with water and food storage, she shut up REALLY quick. People don't stop to think that it's not just "doomsday" situations to prepare for-Mother Nature is cruel and unforgiving, and how will you survive if any catastrophic event hits your town?

Sent from the wastelands of Tatooine
 

Jack Stilts

Skid Plates
Location
Michigan
The only person that has openly given me a hard time about being a prepper is my mom, who lives down the road from the shores of lake Michigan. I calmly reminded her of the time a bad storm wiped out her electricity for a week, rendering her sump pump for her well useless, which in turn forced her to drive to the lake to collect water. When I asked her how she would have felt if she had prepared before that storm with water and food storage, she shut up REALLY quick. People don't stop to think that it's not just "doomsday" situations to prepare for-Mother Nature is cruel and unforgiving, and how will you survive if any catastrophic event hits your town?

Exactly. That was well-phrased. It's not just HIDE FROM THE COMMIES. It's general emergency preparedness.
 

dhyde79

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Location
Amarillo, TX
Awesome write up man! This is an impressive list. I had never thought of being a target for theft in the event of an actual emergency because of military themed stuff. I'll keep that in mind whenever I finally have the expendable income to do this. For me I've just acquired enough water containers to store 34 gallons of water in legitimate containers.

All of the stuff I've seen discussing the military themed stuff or military surplus stuff is that by using that, you draw more attention to yourself, you look like a combatant instead of a drifter.

My response to that is simple.

If you're having to walk openly where that's an issue, you very obviously aren't a combatant. The manner in which you carry yourself goes as far for identifying your nature as what you're wearing. Example: two other members of my IT team at work wear similar pants to what I do, 5.11 black tactical pants, or Propper, tru-spec, whatever brand you like doesn't matter. I have a few Propper polos, and, quite often, we're all wearing combat boots/law enforcement style boots. If you put the three of us side by side? Don't ask us to speak, just stand naturally, I'd bet you could tell who's been in the service just by how the person is standing. Ask us to move around normally, you'll definitely know.

Jack: fantastic idea and a great start you have. I use that exact same pack as my daily bag. I'll look em up, there were some smaller removable pouches I grabbed that made organization much easier in it...

As far as not having any training and not being a hunter, start looking around in your area, find people who are tactically oriented, and ask a couple if they'd mind showing you the ropes.

The idea of planning on your X being your Bug Out Rig is great, what I'd recommend is any gear you want quickly load able is go grab some "army duffle bags" the green tube ones, you can get over 100lbs of crap into em, and, if you put a "sleeping mat" in to help it stay open fully, you're fairly rigid, and, they'll fit fantastically in your "oh sh¡t, grab and go" philosophy.
 

dhyde79

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Location
Amarillo, TX
Not a bad idea. I've actually been meaning to throw something in there. A Clif bar sounds like it'd do just the trick.

Go for KIND bars if you can find a flavor you like. They're smaller, fill you longer, and don't make you as thirsty. Any "meal replacement bar" has to be something that isn't going to make you want to chug a gallon of water to wash it down.

Also, things like the stinger power blocks or Gatorade blocks, the gel electrolyte blocks are VERY important.
 

dhyde79

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Location
Amarillo, TX
After much thought, the go-bag has been revamped – mostly because I was able to carry it, but not far. Maybe half a mile at the most. I knew I had to do some reorganization and rethinking. I knew I needed to ditch a lot of weight – that was the main problem that was weighing me down (lolz). I realized I had made the mistake of carrying things that I didn’t absolutely need – things like a folding shovel, a stove, my sleeping bag, etc. N00b mistake of mixing up real survival gear with camping gear. I took out my sleeping bag, ENO setup, folding shovel, pots, stove, mugs, folding saw, and anything else that would be useful at a campsite and not on my back while I high-tail it outta dodge. The revamp left me with the following items: [*]Shemagh [*]Entire change of clothes (wool sweater & socks included) [*]Drop-leg holster for the Ruger with LED flashlight (to be taken out and worn, leaving more room for additional space in the pack) [*]Zip ties, paracord, matches, backup glasses, cotton gloves, flashlight [*]Emergency bivvy, baseball cap [*]Spare keys [*]Food items – packaged tuna, jerky, granola bars, Clif bars [*]Sanitizing wipes [*]Flashlights, Leatherman multi-tool [*]Water purification tablets & straw [*]Sharpies / pens / spork [*]Steel wool, lockpicks [*]Notebook, maps [*]Handkerchief, monocular [*]Tomahawk (firewood), kukri (zombie elimination strategy) [*]Full first aid kit, respirator masks, sewing kit, ibuprofen, quick-clot [*]Wire cutters, electrical tape [*]More matches, mosquito net [*]Collapsible 1L water bottle (Vapur brand) [*]12G shells, .22 rounds, 9mm rounds and magazine [*]Flares, work gloves [*]AA batteries, folding knife [*]100ft. rope I successfully shed more than half the weight of the pack when I made another realistic assessment of what I’d need if I were on the go, without the Xterra, and just this bag. It weighs less than 25lbs, and it’s easily maneuverable and quite comfortable to carry. This is all considering the fact that I have relocated the “camping” items that were removed to my ever-growing camping bin that stays in the Xterra. I don’t really have to pack anything if I want to go camp on a whim (which happens quite frequently). My plans really haven’t changed if the SHTF. My canine companion has his own backpack, I’ve got mine, and the Xterra will be used if it’s available. If it’s not, we’re still good to go. It feels good to know that things are in the right place if they’re needed. Peace-0f-mind is a beautiful thing.

If you didn't already, put the E-Tool back in there. Never know when you might need it, and hauling tail point A to point B can become an extended event that was unplanned for, e-tools were always the last thing into my rucksacks and the first thing reached for... ;)
 

Diadaga

Suspension Lift
Founding Member
Location
Virginia
The idea of planning on your X being your Bug Out Rig is great, what I'd recommend is any gear you want quickly load able is go grab some "army duffle bags" the green tube ones, you can get over 100lbs of crap into em, and, if you put a "sleeping mat" in to help it stay open fully, you're fairly rigid, and, they'll fit fantastically in your "oh sh¡t, grab and go" philosophy.

Might be a little expensive but the guys coming back to my unit now have new style duffels. The army decided to put a huge zipper on the side so now you can get at everything easier you don't have to actually know how to pack it anymore.


Sent from my mansion in Grouchland.
 
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dhyde79

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Location
Amarillo, TX
Might be a little officer but the guys coming back to my unit now have new style duffels. The army decided to put a huge zipper on the side so now you can get at everything easier you don't have to actually know how to pack it anymore. Sent from my mansion in Grouchland.

Still find the old stuff for dirt cheap....
 

Jack Stilts

Skid Plates
Location
Michigan
Thanks for the tips, guys. I actually have one of those duffel bags empty on the LOBO rack in case I have to bail out of the X. And the E-tool...eh. I know they're beneficial, but having never used one, I can find other ways to dig. That was one of the heaviest items in the bag. It's in the X for now. I might reconsider :)

Also, I didn't know about those electrolyte gels. I found out that Clif makes their own kind, and they're DELICIOUS. I popped a few of those in my bag, and a few in the X. Can't beat all natural and 80% organic ;)
 

XTorrey

First Fill-Up (of many)
Just be careful with the electrolyte gels and always test well before you really need one. Some brands of gel can cause some, uh, unpleasant side effects.
 
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