What do I need to survive and be prepared?

[Beprepared]

Thanks thats good info. Much of that I can personally verify and much was a new perspective.

[funkfool]

jerrymrc: Excellent info from someone who has experienced it first hand. Thanks for the post. Will spread it around to those who will benefit from it.

[jerrymrc]

For those that are interested our book fair has come back to the Hospital. The have the book "back to basics" for $15. You can google it to see if you might want one. If you do I can pick one up for ya and you can drop by or pick it up at one of the south shoots.

[Wulf202]

I've thought of packing a BoB to keep in my car. The only thing that is stopping me is that my car is more likely to get stolen/broken into than any SHTF situation where I'd actually need the bag. Well, that is my reason for not keeping guns in my vehicles. Again, once we move into a house, that could change.

It's not that big of deal to make a car kit, consider it disposable if the car gets stolen. Do you have insurance on the car? Consider some insurance for you life.



Throw them all in an old bag in the trunk or behind/under a seat. The kit can be put inside it's self and fit in with the spare tire.

space blanket- cheap and insulative in or out of the car one time use
matches- strike anywhere's in a film can
tinder- cotton balls in patroleum jelly in a film can or dryer lint
iodine tabs- clean water is better
signal whistle- get a pea less type, peas freeze
compass- small and can be glued onto something else or included with the whistle
tp- in a ziplock
duct tape- wrap everything you can in duct tape and strip it off when needed
first aid kit- singles of medicines, prescriptions, triangle bandages/bandanas, guaze and ace bandage
small knife- something with a decent edge, folder or fixed out of the extras box or a steak knife a $10 frost mora whatever
550 cord- it's rope and string
nalgeline- water is good
soup can- boiling water or holding a small fire on snow
gloves- leather or whatever you have that has no holes
socks- backup gloves or extra warmth or for changing when wet put in a ziplock
beanie hat- head looses something like 25% of the heat from your body.

you can add other stuff but that's less than $25 if you have a few things around.

a battery less flash light shaker or winder would do well

an old pair of shades, going snow blind sucks ass, and doesn't always happen in snow, trust me.

A disposable lighter, the cheap ones without the child proofing

Candles, emergency or tea type can be an instant fire to melt snow in the can or give you light and some heat at night.

A multi tool

A couple of power bars or similar

you can obviously get more in depth but that's a small usable kit that's cheap.

If you need a bag go to arc on saturdays when they have the half off sale and buy an old laptop bag or something with a shoulder strap thats big enough for your kit but disposable.


This dude is selling his "system" and in a completely different local but good info.
http://www.youtube.com/user/wilderne.../1/TcJ89SLK_-c
http://www.youtube.com/user/wilderne...AD006DF7770422

[Irving]

That is a decent list, and would easily fit in the smallest bag I have. The comment about my car getting stolen was more about guns than anything. A hat is VERY important, but I recently read some where that the whole 25-60% heat loss out of your head is false and over stated. That doesn't reduce the need of a hat though.

You know what might actually be nice, is something like a Mary Kay make up bag. I haven't seen one in a long time, but if I remember correctly, they have a bunch of pockets that would probably be easier to keep stuff organized in, while still being a soft style bag.

[Wulf202]

Well, i actually agree that the head and neck is about %25 of your POTENTIAL heat loss or gain due to the amount of blood that flows close to the surface. Your blood is liquid cooling/heating along with nutrients like oxygen for they organs. No matter how bundled you are if you go out in the cold without a hat you're going to get cold.

I've got a backpack for a real BOB and the car kit is just an old shoulder bag i found somewhere. You could use a soft sided lunch bag, or just roll it up in a tarp or blanket and tie off the ends. I tend to keep stuff shoved in with the spare unless it's mounted under the vehicle so I'm not tempted to put it in the house "just temporarily".

Having water in the kit itself is troublesome due to colorado weather. Alberstons use to sell a bag o water that was about 20oz for a buck that didn't leak when frozen even multiple times. don't know if they still do, even stale water is drinkable. consider coolaid singles or the like to cover the taste and add some electrolytes. It also sweats so keep that in mind when you store it in your kit.

[KevDen2005]

I posted this in a new thread as well but thought I would also post here since we were talking about it. This is my list:

1. Army poncho liner
2. Military style water proof bag
3. Silk weight long underwear (top and bottom)
4. Extra pair of pants (lightweight-conversion into shorts
5. 2 pairs of gloves
6. Extra socks
7. Gators
8. Balaclava
9. Emergency blanket/tarp (Green on one side-Silver on the other
10. Rag
11. SOG Seal Pup survival knife
12. Gerber multi-tool
13. Stove w/fuel
14. Cooking utensils/silverware
15. Water purification filter
16. 2 meals
17. 200 FT. of Parachute Cord
18. Candle
19. Electrical Tape
20. 2 silver/gold emergency blankets
21. 1 Trash Bag
22. Zip-lock bags
23. Silva Ranger Compass
24. Fox 40 Whistle
25. 3” x 5” Glass Signal Mirror w/ case
26. Emergency Strobe
27. Water-purification tablets
28. Head Lamp w/ extra batteries
29. Mini-Mag light w/ extra batteries
30. Orange construction marker tape
31. Baby wipes
32. 2 snap/cyalume lights
33. Pressure bandage
34. Triangle bandage
35. Strike anywhere matches in a water proof container
36. 0000 Steel Wool w/ 9v Battery (battery is kept in film container)
37. Carbide (kept in film container)
38. Lighter
39. Flint (Strike My Fire)
40. 1 package of emergency fire starter
41. Chapstick
42. 2 one quart wide-mouth Nalgene Bottles (BPA Free)
43. Canteen Cup or metal camping cup
44. Gortex shell (jacket)
45. Fleece Top
46. Boonie hat or baseball cap
47. Leather gloves
48. Sun screen
49. Tooth brush w/tooth paste
50. Soap

I know this seems like a lot, but I don’t like to take chances and like to practice using many different items. I am currently working on making a better first aid kit. I also will bring a small light weight snow shovel (depending on time of year). If I am only back packing I carry an Air weight Smith & Wesson .38 Spec. loaded with +P’s. w/ one speed loader.

I found that I can use the old military canisters used to keep NBC clean up material in as a small waterproof container. I cut out some trouser pockets on some of my old BDU’s as a way to carry most of the survival items and Parachute cord.

I also bring a +20 degree down sleeping bag made by Marmot