Ahhh. But a lot fo that stuff may be needed. 'Tis better to have and not need than to need and not have.
I intentionally keep my kits full of "too" much stuff. If I have transportation, why not have more. If I have to set out on foot, I will discard items that may not be necessary.
all im saying is that every thing that i need is kept in a 400ml re-usable waterbottle...or on my belt
You must be awesome at packing! Might I ask if you'd share what all you can put into your water bottle and belt? I'm always looking for another maximum use for minimum space tip!
Hi: sorry Imissed this, it's just hanging by a lanyard loop"permanently" means it and the knife are always in my pocket and never separated from each other but most"gurus" reccomend 3 methods of fire starting, I',m looking for azippo which in my opinion will do a dandy job of holding a single edged razor blade and a few fish hooks/sinkers maybe a .22 round or 2? .
sure! Bottle: small folding knife, 2 blades, Japanese steel emerg blanket with 3x3 clear plastic sheet on it band aids rope about 20 feet but it is very tightly wrapped, and about the width of a pencil wax covered matches & tea lite candle Belt Hunting knife full tang sharp enough to shave Gerber hatchet with small knife in the handle
Depends on the person and the situation. I know a couple folks that you could drop in the middle of the wilderness in their skivies or less with nothing but their skin then come back in a couple months and they will have built tools and a house, made a wardrobe and have added 10 pounds. A person with that level of skill would be more than adequatly prepaired with just a cell phone, a first aid kit, a couple bottles of water and a blanket for comfort. On the other hand many folks have very limited skill in makeing their own tools and would starve to death in the woods and land on a bushel of edible plants without knowing they were eadible. These folks will be screwed if they need anything and dont have it with them so will likely need even more than listed in the first post. Then there are the rest who have some skills but not so much as the first group and they will need tools to fit their abilities. Basicly the more skills you have for being able to get things done without tools the fewer tools you need to take along so it will change from person to person. The needs also change depending on the situation. If you are stranded in the milderness in a blizard its a bit different than if your stranded in the inner city because riots have the roads closed down. The comfort level you are comfortable with also plays into it a lot. You can keep from freezing to death by stuffing your cloths with dry pine needles, grass and leaves and such and sleep covered in (and on) a pile of ever green branches cut up for it so a knife is plenty for the purpose BUT its a LOT more comfortable to have a spare coat and a sleeping bag. Both work and neither is wrong but which to do depends on the leavel of comfort you deem acceptable for survival, that is assumeing you know where to get dry leaves and grass and such if its ben raining for a week when you happen to ned to prevent freezing. So in short, its a generic list for a person of average skills who wants to be reasonably comfortable in an emergency situation. ETA; I guess I should also mention that while the list sounds like a lot it all fits easily into a kids school type backpack. For my self I also have different levels of kits. The most basic being kept in my pockets (and belt) at ALL times would keep me alive with my own skill sets in most situations. I carry 2 pocket knives, a creditcard size whet stone, a Zippo with spare flints in my wallet and spare fluid in MRE Tobasco sauce bottles, a bic lighter, a handgun (with spare mag if its the smaller low cap gun) a cell phone and appropriate clothing for the season/location. Then I have a small pouch about like a bank bag that expands on that with a trapper type 2 bladed folder I made, a spool of spiderwire, some needles, water purification tabs, space blanket, fire starters for bad weather, more zippo fluid, napkins for wipeing butt with to avoid the pine cones, and another card of flints and another bic. Then I have a pack about like listed (has evolved some and changes regularly depending on what Im doing and most likely to face), then I have a LOT of stuf kept in my vehicle in kind of modular kits. Like my 'wreck assistance kit' that I keep in the back seat particularly on cross country drives. It has 9 road flares, full first aid kit, blanket, water, fire extinguisher, a knife and work gloves. I have a foot locker thats my mobile kitchen with spices and most of the basic staples (comes in great when traveling for work for weeks/months at a time as well as if was stranded). I have the tools for working on the truck in the tool box. Basicly my truck is a bug out vehicle that is used daily but fully stocked so that I could jump in any time and head out COMFORTABLY. Like the first post said at the end, one of the big purposes of the kit as listed is to make an emergency like an unexpected camping trip rather than a mirical you survived. Based on the kit you mentioned, I gather that you are comfortable with an absolute 'stay alive' survival and thats fine too, I just like to be more comfortable and hedge my bets a bit more and tend to advise similarly.
Thanks to everyone who posted ideas on this = good stuff. I like Monkeyman’s list and borrowed several things I had not thought of for my own bag. Over the years my packs keep evolving. On the road, I’m thinking supplies mainly for the practical, but also for emergency and survival (in that order of importance). That jibes with my life where mostly I’m glad to have some stuff I might use while just being out and about. Emergencies have been rare but are more likely than being in a survival situation. I’ve boiled it down to a fannie pack with gear and another tote with food (check pictures). I add additional gear into a backpack when the whole family hits the road, but this is my simplest one person pack. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /> Water: 1 liter bottled water and water purification tabs. Medical: 7 sizes of band-aids; burn pad; 2 sterile pads, gauze; 4 cotton balls; 4 Q-tips; waterproof adhesive tape (all in plastic bag). Medicines: 5 alleve; 5 advil; 6 bayer; 6 sudafed; 7 benadryl; 8 zantac; 10 immodium (these med’s fit in that 7-day pill container); 4 mini thins (ephedrine+caffeine); vicodin (no one else mentioned this, but you should have a pain killer in case you crash and get hurt); rehydration salts; neosporin; hydrocortisone. Hygiene: soap leaves; toilet paper (I also stash napkins from drive-thru’s in the car door); 4 antiseptic wipes; sanitizing spray; blistex 30SPF; visine; nail clippers; Off (deet). Food/Cooking: salted peanuts; 2 beef sticks w/cheese; 2 energy bars; 16 oz. flask of Jack Daniels; plastic utensils; red rub. (all good stuff just to have with you. I grab the peanuts and Jack when just staying at a hotel or someone’s house; the red rub is my own spice I use on everything) Fishing/Trapping: Pen fishing rod & spin reel (check out this emergency fishing rod and reel: http://www.gofastandlight.com/Ultralight-Pen-Fishing-Rod-with-Spinning-Reel-COMBO/productinfo/FI-PCOMSTF/ ); basic tackle & lures (in red/blue tube); snare traps @ 7’, 5.5’, & 3.5’ w/ 14g. wire. Fire/Light/Fuel: Surefire LED flashlight (12hrs) w/extra batteries; disposable LED broadlight (170 hrs); butane lighter; disposable lighter; waterproof matches; sterno Cutting/Knives: Leatherman Wave multitool; 4” Buck Vanguard 692; wire hand saw Clothing/Shelter: emergency bivvy; rain poncho; bandana; 100’nylon rope 550lb; 50’ nylon “shoelace” 188lb; 2 chemical hand/foot warmers (in winter). Other: mobile phone & car adaptor; button compass; Eton FR150 weather radio; pen, sharpie & notepad; folding hand shovel; 10x25 monocular; duct tape; krazy glue; Coghlan’s combo tool w/compass, thermometer, LED, mirror, magnifying glass & whistle (this is a must for all packs – check the “6 Function Whistle” http://www.coghlans.com/catalogue/productList.php?catID=17 ); pack of smokes; tin of skoal; $40 cash ($20, $10, $5, 5-$1’s); 110w. power inverter (cig lighter adapter; in glove box); 2 flares (keep in trunk); waterproof cover for fannie pack. While this sounds like a lot, it all fits into those two bags (gear in fannie; food in tote). I would like to put a small caliber handgun in the bag, but I live in the city and am afraid it would get me in trouble at some point. FWIW, out of all this stuff, I find I use these items the most: Leatherman, med’s, tobacco, lighter, red rub, peanuts, JD, toilet paper. I hope this gives others some ideas. Feedback welcomed.
In my survival BOB all I have is a bible because Jesus Christ is my savyer, and if I pray long enough he will show up in the form of John McPhearson and we'll ride off on a rainbow together =) Actually My BOB bag does have a bible, but mostly for moral and boredom purposes. Anyway, This is my list and some things on here are childish and don't reside in my SHTF bag and others I think are great. Also as fare as food goes.....I didn't really put anything on this list because I don't want anything going bad ect ect ect. but when I go shopping I always get enough extra to fill another book bag bursting with food that doesn't need refrigeration. that way I always know my food is fresh and good. If you have any suggestions for my list please feel free to give them, I'm constantly looking for new useful things to add. Ad if you see anything on my list that you think doesn't make any sense then let me know, I'd be glad to talk further about it. you may even make sense to me and get me to take it off the list lol. large expedition (110 pack) pack with back support sawviver military shovel markers: for leaving notes for people to find you ad saying in what direction ou are headed. Sharpies work great on rocks for those notes. recon scout machete with hand guard toilet paper vary large role of duck tape Henry us survive rifle telescopic fishing pole large spool of fishing line small fishing kit with hooks and sinkers and lurers ect. ect. ect. lots of super glue: for field wounds large first aid kit Bivy tent with bug netting foam to go under your sleeping bag to separate you from the ground 0 degree sleeping bag good tactical work gloves Frisbee ball (rubber/tennis/golf) bonny hat army nylon shirt and army nylon pants for comfort, keeping clean, lot's of pockets, good nylon is pretty much bite proof and tare resistant. army jacket (thickness depends of your climate) jacket would be for keeping worm and it would be padding from the gear on your back ect. ect. ect. food bug netting for your face full body bug netting LED flash light forever light flashlight good pair of hiking boots tarp cover to go on the ground for your tent cooking utensils eating utensils water bladder or canteen water filter system and purifying system pocket Diamond sharpener blast match and lighters compose camping shower 5G liquid soap for washing (bottle of dawn used in dime size could last you a year or more) signaling mirror big bundle of 550 para string or whatever would be best really good letherman nails: for setting up traps or hanging things, who knows Surgical field kit Universal Field Cleaning Kit for guns jet whistle binoculars (15x) camping sink for water: it's always a good idea to have a "Well" in the middle of camp for cooking, drinking, washing hands and face ect ect ect. so you don't have to keep running back and forth heat sheet 2 person survival blanket remington 81180 (20 gauge) 10 round mag extender for the remington 870 Molle Shotgun Scabbard shell belt (25 shells) or maybe a Bandoleer (Holds 55) lol Remington 20 gauge "super full choke": when I'm no defending myself, I might want to hunt and a super full chock would be the bast way to go if I needed the big gun zip ties flaying/shinning knife goo off large: the moment you get covered in tree sap or something else gets crap all over it that you now have to live will forever because you cant get it off....you'll wish you had this yellow knife sharpener: you get these at Walmart for $5. there great! solar panel battery charger: batteries last a long time and do a better job and I plan on being able to recharge everything I have that uses power so no worries there. There is always the "what if" stuff like what if something broke, but anything can brake I'm not going to live my life according to "what if". what if I stopped breathing....you know? rechargeable batters pot that will fit bottom of pack: for cooking, and it wouldn't take up any space sense it would be conforming to the bottom of my bag tea bags short wave radio waterproof naked into the wilderness' by John McPhearson (maybe a bible: good reading) salt and pepper small tin of bag balm- excellent for blisters, burns, scrapes, and gilding feminine pads- for wound compression pads head lamp hand held mirror note pad and pen pillow case-to gather into as moving among other uses razer blade pocket knife ( and extra blades)
Nice BOB. Sounds like it might be heavy, though. I have a lot of the stuff you’ve listed in my BOB. That’s different than the “emergency” bag I posted just for keeping in the car/truck at all times. A few items you might consider adding: <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /> Snare traps Trot line (both should be a necessity – you can set them and leave them overnight – hopefully have food waiting in the morning.) Frog Spear Ziploc baggies – to store/carry food Maps for your state and surrounding states Personal documents – drivers license, social security, passport, birth cert., etc.
Some other items I find useful and have packed away in my GHB. Quite a few things to be found around the house and when utilized properly, can be very useful. Neosporin: Dual use, the obvious medicinal purpose and also doubles as the vaseline in firestarter mode. You don't need a lot when dealing with dryer lint. Fires don't need to be huge starting out, a small fire will do and you can make it bigger. Band Aids: Small cuts and whatnot. The ones that typically come with the pre-packaged kits are almost entirely worthless. The Johnson flexible type works the best. Moleskin: Can double as surgical tape. Surgical tape: While duct tape can work in this role, surgical tape is made to be placed on the skin and hold. What's another half ounce anyway? Ace bandage: Muphy will twist your ankle when you are not looking. Reflector belt: For those times in emergencies when you need to be found quickly. After dark, these show up like neon in just about any light. To cut the weight/bullk even more, cut or take off the belt clips and use a piece of duct tape to hold it in place. Chem light sticks: One time use, sure, but handy to have especially if someone is looking for you. Back-up to the back-up of flashlights Illumination: LED flashlight (Inova X1) and keychain LED light. Always have backups to the backups. Spare batteries: Because they will always fail. "Disposable" Colemans Emergency Poncho: shelter (sort of), water storage, signaling device, rain gear, at the least a gear cover, etc etc. Costs so little and to lightweight and has so many uses to be forgotten out of a GHB or BOB. Wax paper: Firestarter. Not really heavy and water resistant to a degree. Works well in most cases. Juice can stove: Take one of the small 4 oz juice cans (steel), cut the top off with a can opener, saw or cut the middle out, slide top end into the bottom, drill 3/8 inch holes in the base (if desired), Voila! Use with simple coat hanger stand and can be used with tea candle or esbit tabs. Tea candles (6) and/or esbit tabs (6). Emergency candle like the kind that come two in a pack. Not the pink kind, the white ones with the small steel base. Liquid fuel stove: Either the alcohol stove (simple) or the Omnifuel (little more complicated) in the pack. Wet and Dry foods: Don't ever, ever depend on having water other than what you are carrying. Always carry wet (like MRE meals or tuna packs) foods in addition to dry (freeze dried, Ramen or packaged soup) foods. This way, if water is a concern, you have the wet foods that don't require you to squander away precious water in preparing it. Simple foods: Prepacked foods like energy bars, crackers, etc that are easy to eat on the go. Water purification devices: Filters, water purification tabs, or a simple empty Chunky soup can for boiling. I won't list Steri-Pens because I do NOT like depending on something that requires batteries, Murphy says your batteries WILL be dead when you REALLY need them, no matter if you changed them last week. Some people swear by then, but me, I'll use my pump filter. It's a personal thing. Empty steel Chunky Soup cans: For those too cheap to buy a aluminum or titanium hiking pot, this works well enough to boil water and fix soup packets. Drill two small holes at the rim and use an old wire hanger for a "handle" if desired. I prefer an old GI canteen and canteen cup. It's a heavy beast, but that steel is not going to break. Use with coat hanger stand to heat up liquids. The canteen replaces the Nalgene bottle I might normally carry. Again, durable as all get out. 550 Cord: I can't list the many uses, but one thing in the thread I noticed was people packing spare shoelaces. Why pack more when you have it right there in 550 cord? It may not look cool, but who cares as long as it works? Fire: Windproof lighter (butane), waterproof matches, Blast Match or magnesium bar Chicken or beef bullion: adds a bit of flavor to the Ramen and also helps give back the sodium lost while sweating. A good multi-tool knife: Gerber, Leatherman, Victorinox, SOG Paratool. Don't go cheap and don't buy the largest one they have. Simple is effective. Hatchet or Saw or both: Fiskers or Gerber pack hatchet and folding saw. Notepad: Those little GI green notepads are outstanding. Rite in the Rain are great too. +1 on the Sharpie as well as a pencil and pen. Pens run out of ink. Fortunately, lead won't run out of a pencil. A good first aid kit: Nuf said Duct tape...yeah, has to go in there. Micro fiber towel. Small, light and can absorb most small lakes and be wrung out and used again. Bandana(s): I prefer the triangle bandages or a shemagh myself. Can also serve as a towel, but I carry both. One for sweat, one for drying. A hat Baby wipes "Normal" medications you might need. Be sure to rotate. Cash: Over here I carry both 200 US dollars and 200 Euro. Better to have money is hand when asking for a place to stay during a winter storm than saying "I can write you a check or go to the ATM when it's all over." Depending on location, pointy-talky cards. For the Candian brothers and sisters in or near Quebec, English-French would be wise. For along the southern border or in heavy Hispanic areas, cards to habla español. I carry the generic phrases in English-German over here. "Can you take me to the nearest hospital?" is a phrase that will save your life. I won't get into the moral debate over people not being able to speak English in America, but you can be high and mighty with your principles all day long and still be SOL if you can't talk to the people. Emergency thermal blanket: Can also serve as a shelter
I always had a problem with zippos. They dried out after so long. Granted it was in my glove box, but when I was jonesing for a cig and no light and went into my glove box and the danged zippo was dry as a bone. Grrrrrrr. So unless you have a bottle of fluid. I'd look into a different method Did anyone mention a magnifying glass? They're good for fire starting aswell. Don't forget gelled hand sanitizer, it contains alcohol, good for hygeine, medical and fire starting. also 9v battery and steel wool is a good firestarter
i agree with the backups of backups - in fact, my packs are almost identically duplicated (just in smaller quantities in the second one) thanks for the reminders of the meds in the packs, i have them in the house, and know exactly where they are, but in an emergency, it'd be nice to have them ready to go! also, good call on the magnifying glass - i can't believe i haven't seen that on here yet - i keep thinking my pack doesn't have anything that you guys already have, that's why i don't offer up suggestions - but i remember burning ants on the playground and starting leaves on fire (or the occassional secret love note) perhaps a question of sorts - in the movie SHOOTER with Mark Wahlberg, he buys SUGAR, Salt, bottled water and a marinating needle - if any of you have seen it, is that feasible? (besides stickin myself with a marinating needle of course!) does that stuff really work like portrayed in the film? and in the off chance, should it be in small quantities in the pack? perhaps in a small food saver bag?
I just picked up two more big backpacks, these will be personalized by my oldest daughter and wife. That will give us five, one more than we actually need. It's always good to have a backup.
The easiest way to rehydrate yourself or someone else is with an oral (drinking) solution. There are many recipies, but this is the simplest: Salt, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon, plus 6 to 8 teaspoons of sugar, added to a quart or liter of water. You can drink it or take it as an enema (for the unconcious person). Giving anything IV that is not sterile is dangerous.
If they havent been mentioned yet... safety glasses/sunglasses wrenches sockets screwdrivers (for eye glasses also) pliers hammers hats for sun or snow sun tan lotion crosswords or suduko puzzles inverter Bug spray calomine lotion aloe latex gloves DC air compressor an assortment of motor oils and lubercation sprays Trans fluid Gear oil antifreeze baby gear if you have a baby or small child boots instant coffee spare acc. belts for your car tapes: duct, electrical, medical Some probably dont go here, but its a small list I could think of when thinking of car items, camping and being hurt or annoyed.
CRC as far as your music goes, you could save a ton of space and weight by digitizing all your cd's and put them on an IPOD. I have over 600 cd's, recorded at the highest bit rate (gives the best sound, even better than the original cd) and I still have over half the IPOD storage space available. And if you can afford it, get 2 IPODS and you will have a spare. I do.
ive collected 150 gig of mp3's and 1.5 terrabytes of movies i like all stored on a very portable external drive
I've got 5 kids (of varying ages) so each of their bags has something of entertainment value. From some star wars "guys" for the 9-yr-old, to my daughter's little pooh, they've each got something of comfort as well. We stay away from cable TV and play a lot of games as a family, so we've each got a deck of cards (won't get "used up" like a sudoku) and a set of dice. Any game that keeps score, I've been teaching them to do all their math in their head each round. I keep track of the scores for all 7 of us. Got to keep that mind active! I saw spare prescriptions on the list, but don't forget spare glasses as well! Great lists by the way ... take what works well for you ... personally, my family thinks I'm nuts for saving all that dryer lint. Chi
