Basic Items to Survive the first 72 Hours after SHTF Moments

Couple of the Really GOOD space blankets, one Silver, one Gold is all the shelter one needs, plus, they provide heat and wind and rain or snow protection! plenty of packaged mixed nuts, coco powder, ammo for both my EDC and Truck Rifle, IFAK or two, MSR Water filtration system and a pair of Nalgene bottles full high energy foods. and a couple packages of Old Trapper brand beef jerky, Swiss Candle Lamps, SUPER handy and more useful then most people can imagine. one EDC knife, one fixed blade, and my Boarding Ax/Hawk! Couple hundred feet of 550 cord, pocket full of cheap but good karabiners, trekking polls, and water proofstuff sacks! I also keep a light weight winter Parka, even for summer times, it's worth every ounce when things get rough! Don't forget a really good pair of well broken in hiking boots, and wool socks with sock liners and a old school bandanna, super dooper handy to have, wouldn't get caught out with out my Bandanna!

 

Canvas is heavy, nylon tarps are better and a very small folded footprint unfolds to 10x10 which makes a decent temp shelter. Life straw but where are you going to store water? Suck and spit? Sawyer mini and a single wall stainless bottle might be better. Short term skip the food and stove, nuts, peanut butter, candy bars, raisins, lifeboat rations etc. Don’t forget your feet, extra socks moleskin, blister pads, foot powder. You mentioned 3 days, you don’t need much but warm and dry is paramount and if things have turned evil, at least a handgun, a couple of extra magazines (or speed loaders) and maybe extra 25 round box of ammo.

 

This is why the military does not use them.

 

Nice. However, one of my list for quick fixes is sneakers chocolate bars.

 

When you mentioned nylon tents, North Face or Mountain Warehouse are what came into mind. What's your preference?

 

I will take note of that. Thanks a lot. I am thinking of getting some NSAIDs like ibuprofen or paracetamols, some band aids or gauze with wound tapes. I do not think I would need to put some suturing kit as I do not know how to use it.

 

Exactly. Which is why it means carrying extra water.

 

I keep ar7 in my get home backpack and 300 rounds. As we fail Gov will try to disarm us. You cannot assume your EDC will be on your person. I carry almost everywhere but there are still places they disarm you now.

 

A tent is a tent
A tarp is a wealth of options.

Some time back I gave my 11 YO and 9YO grand kids a 9x9 tarp and some string. They each had a 'walking stick'. Zero training or input from me. I did help with any knots needed.



They came up with 3 different shelters - each - on their own which would have been fine for either shade or rain protection. My point, a tarp will allow you to work with any space / location you may find yourself in. Go look at a couple of videos on pitching a tarp, but remember, a tarp allows you to reside outside the box of a 'tent'.
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+1 on the Sawyer filer/SS water bottle/nesting cup

Food - granola bars, peanut butter in the 1 oz packets (Skippy for one), so-called protein bars etc. Tuna, SPAM! or chicken in the pouch. Face it - most American will not starve in 3 days. It is nice to have something to eat before going to sleep - I'll agree to that.
If you must have heat for your Chow, an Esbit stove is small, lite weight and can burn twigs.
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Per person -
two large trash bags (contractor weight - 4 mils) .
At least one fleece blanket
A change of undies, a long sleeve shirt and pants + two pairs of socks. Alternate - a sweatsuit + rain gear for over. All can be rolled together inside the plastic bags.

All of this will fit inside your tarp for carry, concealment and some protection.

Sleeping surface - trash bag and windshield screen



packaged and ready to go. The build your own kit referenced earlier - had this as a capstone project.

save copies of passport, driver's license, insurance and other important document as a JPG onto a SD card. Small, easy to hide and the documents can be printed out as a 'photo' at most big box stores

 

Think about your needs during the winter and the conditions you will face on foot.
I tend to look at the worst case scenario having been in SAR seeking lost folks in bad weather.
While water is the more important element in survival it is difficult to carry enough, I chose to carry bladders I can fill along the way and filter as needed, they are space saving better than bottles and the more you have the better not knowing when or where you'll find more water. However, a vessel one can boil water in cannot be ignored.
Through the years I have boiled down what I wear during the winter months. Long johns are too valuable to forget, the best you can get. Secondly I have sweat shirt with hood and a hooded wind breaker as well. These are my favorite as well as wind breaker over pants. The beauty of wind breakers is that even if your clothing underneath is wet keeping the wind off makes freezing weather tolerable. I re-treat my wind breakers with Scotch guard or what ever water repellant is available.
The beauty of layering is being able to shed outer wear as you perspire while hiking/working.
Foot wear is very important especially for wearing indefinitely and under adverse circumstances, and extra sox as well. Keeping your feet dry is critical.
Climate change is something we go through in cycles because of the sun and other anomalies the earth experiences.
Earth quakes can alter the shape of things and water resources as well. floods and fires are equally challenging. While your path of travel might use a bridge over a river, said bridge might be either compromised or used a means of fleecing the sheep.
Having a means of floatation might be of some value, if it is safe to do so.
While most folks don't do a lot of rope work, I find having rope invaluable both in rescue and simply making camp more comfortable. Paracord with the internal strands provide one with more to work with and is generally stronger than the cheap stuff.
Learning how to use ropes is a valuable skill in life.

 

My thoughts as well. You have many ways to use a tarp and a tent is just a tent. However, my first choice was a canvas tarp, I should be aiming for a poly tarp as it's light weight.

 

I think learning these knots will be a good start. I tried searching for a knot tying guide here but I think I am not using the search function well as I could not find one.

 

I have a fat boy sized hammock that I seem to need to get drunk to sleep in. (semi-insomniac belly sleeper). I figure if I am tired, sick, or the world is flooded I'll need to make it work.

There's mule tape and 550 cord in there with some little rigging gear like biners, pullies, and rope locks. Not much but hard to make my own pully.

I keep a thermal tarp (ala DKR design) folded up around a US patrol bag and goretex bivy with inflatable pillow (mine sucks but a little better than boots), woobie, knit cap, head bug net, and big thermorest pad.

And a ton of other stuff to be ditched at the first sock change if the calamity doesn't require it. Hazmat PPE set, plate carrier, light 3D camo mesh, blah, blah, blah...gets cached if not needed.

 

One thing I've done in my preps is to buy only electronics and flashlights that only use AA batteries, that way I can if necessary swap off batteries from one device to another. Ideally a solar panel and rechargeable batteries will do well, but some devices work best with Alkaline.
Having been in SAR I carry gear necessary on most search events. though they are short, every component; be it gear or training needs to be kept up and rehearsed or refreshed or replaced due to age or advanced in technology. Though it's been years since that time I still visit my Alice pack and review its Contance.
If what you keep in your vehicle is vulnerable to heat or freezing, rethink it.
In some circumstances it might serve better to keep the bag with you rather than leaving it in the car, especially if you tend to take a different vehicle from time to time. Sometimes I ride my motorcycle in stead of driving the car or sometimes I ride with friends, the bag is a part of me. My friends know this.

 

Strongly suggest that you check local laws on this one.

These may require a script to have in possession legally. YMMV,.

 

I won't lie. My 'emergency bag' looks like this. I'm too old to hump a ruck anymore.

 

I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

 

Note that the lids on PB jars are NOT water tight.
(I use two layers of Saran wrap between the lid and jar to keep water out.)
Many rodents will chew through the plastic jar, so keep that in mind if leaving it unattended, even if only while you sleep.

 

We also use the cans for cooking.
In the 1970s I had a series of canned meals for backing that I regulary used. More recently I've used a Juanita's Menudo can for a bushpot, another for a hobo stove, Goya sardines as a small frying pan, etc.