Rural Revolutions Bug out bag

From Rural Revolution
http://www.rural-revolution.com/2010/12/bug-out-bags.html
Here's what our Bug-Out Bags contain (click to enlarge photo):

1. Sleeping bag.

2. Standard military hard foam pad. Good for a dry spot in wet conditions and as a fairly good "door" in an improvised shelter. Marginal for actually sleeping on, but hey, better than nothing.

3. 8 x 10 nylon camo tarp. A waterproof wrap for the sleeping bag/ground cloth/improvised tent or a camo cover. Has grommets but can be "up-graded” with item #18.

4. Ziplock bag containing copies of birth certificates, plasticized maps, immunization records, insurance records, title insurances, contact info for friends and relatives, etc. Each pack contains a complete set for the entire family.

5. New Testament. We will all need support in trying times.

6. Wash cloth/utility cloth.

7. Two bandanas (earth-tone). Nothing is more useful than a bandana. It can be used as a tourniquet, pot holder, sun block, sling, sweat band, extra pocket, gun swab, head cover, dust mask, and of course blowing one’s nose. The list is huge. Ask a cowboy.

8. Duct tape. As the saying goes, duct tape is like The Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it binds the universe together. With duct tape and two bandanas, the world is your oyster.

9. Mosquito netting. Good for bugs, filtration, camo (make sure to get an earth-tone color).

10. Gloves leather or synthetic working gloves with Thinsulite lining.

11. Light shoes (in this case, moccasins with rubberized soles). Wet feet suck. You can wear these while your boots are drying.

12. Medium ALICE pack with frame.

13. Knit watch cap (preferably with knit face mask)

14. Poncho Good also as a quick tent/shelter. Don't pack a rain coat. You want something that can easily cover the pack on your back.

15. 100 feet of paracord. Make sure you get the kind with either a five or seven strand interior. The strands can be separated and used for hundreds of things. (One time, while part of a group of pretty savvy survival types, I was asked to name the one thing I would have with me if dropped in the middle of nowhere. My answer was rope. Think about it.)

16. Spare ALICE pouch for things that should be close at hand.

17. Two canteens and ALICE attach-covers. Don't forget to fill (and change often) these with water the moment you have your kit done. It won't do you a bit of good to run out of the burning house with empty canteens.

18. Plastic snap together grommets. Excellent and easy ways to re-enforce a tarp, fabric, or blanket. Not as strong as metal grommets to be sure, but a lot easier to install in troubled times.

19. Food. Since food is usually one of the bulkiest items in a backpack, we purchased a 3600 calorie ration bar with a five-year shelf life. Supposedly this is a three day supply. Perhaps not, but it’s better than nothing and only weighs two pounds. You'll still be alive after three days but probably pretty hungry. (This ain't Lembas, folks.)

20. Toilet paper. (Hey, I’ve got three females in the family.)

21. Dental floss. This has many uses and is very tough.

22. Cash. This will also include some coinage. Might still be working phone booths somewhere.

23. First aid kit. The best compact first-aid kit I could find was $14 from the Red Cross. I upgraded it with Tylenol, Imodium, and Benadryl. A more extensive kit will travel with me.

24. Space blanket bag. This is like your standard space blanket, but formed into a bag suitable as a bivvy sack for outside your sleeping bag (a big multiplier for heat retention as long as you recognize its limitations).

25. Bar soap. Good for washing everything as well as finding water leaks in pipes, unsticking zippers, and lubricating saw blades and screws.

26. Two space blankets. Good for signaling, ground clothes, heat retention, etc. These can be duct-taped together for a tent, grommeted, used as a sun-shade, game-wrap, or (of course) a blanket.

27. Sewing kit.

28. Flashlight. This is an LED flood and single-point light with a strong rare-earth magnet and a hanging hook. (Spare batteries are not shown but we have them packed.)

29. Four ratchet type tarp holders. These make great clamps and tie-downs.

30. Clothing. One shirt, pants, two pairs of underwear, three pair of socks. The outerwear is in dark earth-tones or camo.

31. Matches, match cases, and a Bic lighter.

32. Florescent plastic survey tape. Each family member gets a different color.

33. Comb

34. Sun-block SPF 50

35. Sharpie, two pens and pad of paper.

36. A Leatherman-style tool: pliers, knife, awl, etc. with case.

37. Toothbrush and toothpaste. Sure you can make it three days without brushing. But why? I can tell you that a good tooth brushing will make you feel better no matter how bad a night you've had.

[It is mentioned to add Safty Sun Glasses] -Viscount

(Not shown: small mirror, compass, AM/FM radio, long johns, water treatment pills and hexamine fire starters.)

"The Gun Is Civilization" by Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret)

"The Gun Is Civilization" by Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret)

Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception. Reason or force, that's it.

In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.

When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your threat or employment of force.

The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year old retiree on equal footing with a 19-year old gang banger, and a single guy on equal footing with a carload of drunk guys with baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender.

There are plenty of people who consider the gun as the source of bad force equations. These are the people who think that we'd be more civilized if all guns were removed from society, because a firearm makes it easier for a [armed] mugger to do his job. That, of course, is only true if the mugger's potential victims are mostly disarmed either by choice or by legislative fiat--it has no validity when most of a mugger's potential marks are armed.

People who argue for the banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the young, the strong, and the many, and that's the exact opposite of a civilized society. A mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful living in a society where the state has granted him a force monopoly.

Then there's the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal that otherwise would only result in injury. This argument is fallacious in several ways. Without guns involved, confrontations are won by the physically superior party inflicting overwhelming injury on the loser.

People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don't constitute lethal force watch too much TV, where people take beatings and come out of it with a bloody lip at worst. The fact that the gun makes lethal force easier works solely in favor of the weaker defender, not the stronger attacker. If both are armed, the field is level.

The gun is the only weapon that's as lethal in the hands of an octogenarian as it is in the hands of a weight lifter. It simply wouldn't work as well as a force equalizer if it wasn't both lethal and easily employable.

When I carry a gun, I don't do so because I am looking for a fight, but because I'm looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don't carry it because I'm afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn't limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would do so by force. It removes force from the equation... and that's why carrying a gun is a civilized act.

By Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret.)

5 - 8 -1 Homemade Gatoraid or electrolytes solution

Hydration is important,
Home made electrolyte solution for hard physical activity or illness....

5 cups clean water
8 teaspoons of sugar (or less)
1 teaspoon of salt

Multi Use items

Ideas from:
http://offgridsurvival.com/backpackinggear/

■Bandana - cooling head or neck wrap, sunscreen, water filter, bandages.
■Candles - lighting, fire starter, waterproofing.
■Compass with mirror – emergency signal, personal mirror, finding your way.
■Dental Floss – fishing line, sewing thread, etc…
■Duct Tape – Use to prevent blisters, repair gear, bandage wrap….
■Metal Canteen with Cup- Boiling Water, cooking food, bowl for eating.
■Multitool – Knife, tools, scissors, nail cutters, saws,…..
■Paracord – For traps, cloth line, fishing, clothesline, food bag line.
■Plastic Baggies–carry items, emergency water carrier, storing food.
■Safety Pins – fishing hooks, hanging items, securing bandages
■Socks – warming hands, filtering water
■Tarp - Can be used for shelter rain gear, ground cover, rain catch, etc…

Working hard to get ready for the trip...

Current list with what I have packed
Packing List

Located     Packed      in the Car
79.2%          54.2%        43.8%
38                 26              21             Total Items 48

Food Water and Shelter
Sleeping bag fleece
Pillow
Blanket
Tent 2 man
Case of Vitamin Water
Gallon of water
Coffee
Diet Mt Dew

Hygiene
Tooth Brush
Tooth Paste
Shampoo / Soap
Floss
Towel

Clothing
2 Pair of pants
4 Shirts Polo
1 Suit and Tie
1 Dress Pair shoes
2 Tshirts
1 trunks
1 Sandals
Underwear and Socks

Tools
Tool Bag
Crowbar
Folding Shovel

SCA Gear (Hobby)
2 Costumes
Armor
Sword
Shield
Mug
Belt
Chain
Boots
Cane

Arms
9mm
Ammo

Entertainment, Communication & Documents
Laptop
Work Laptop
Install Skype for Wife
Extension Cord
Power charger for Phone
GPS
Vehicle Charger for phone
Power inverter
Generator
2 gal Gas Can
Birth Cert
SS Card
Drivers Licence
Voters Registration

Some stuff to take and set up that is a bit out of the norm

2kw portable generator

Skype on the boss' PC and mine

Folding Shovel in the car.

Small tent

Packing mostly this weekend I think.
The boss and I are still in negotiations about what firearms stay and go

I also have to look up all the transport laws in all the states I will be in.

Travel List for driving trip and basic need

Road Trip in the Zombie Apocalypse or just heading west

Food and Water
Water 3 gallons in small bottles (Zero Vitamin Water and one gal jug)
Cash for food and standard 3 day food supply

Shelter
Sleeping bag LW
Sleeping bag fleece
Pillow
Blanket

Hygiene
Tooth Brush
Tooth Paste
Shampoo
Towel

Clothing
2 pants
4 Shirts
1 Suit and Tie
1 Dress shoes
2 Tshirts
1 trunks
1 Sandals
Underwear and Socks

Tools
Tool Bag
Power Tools

SCA Gear (Hobby)
2 Costumes
Armor
Sword
Shield
Mug
Belt
Chain
Boots

Arms
9mm
AK
Ammo

Entertainment and Communication
Laptop
Extension Cord
Power charger for Phone
GPS
Vehicle Charger for phone
Power inverter

Cooking over fire and a Long drive

(not my spit)

This memorial day we cooked over fire.  My wife got me a meat spit for cooking over fire for fathers day.  This Monday was the first day we tried it out.  The polish sausage went very well.  The tenderloin was not cooked after two sets of coals so we finished it in the broiler for 20 min.  To roast a multi pound chunk of meat would take several hours or a hotter fire.  More fuel than I expected.

In a couple weeks I will be making a long drive, I am planning on doing it in one shot.  Although I may break it in two depending on further planning.  I thought this would be a great opportunity to plan for a trip across the country after the zombie appoc.  So I will be planning my real and imaginary gear for the trip.

Real things to do to save the planet...

Mercury filled lightbulbs, electric cars, windmills and solar panels... all are bunk and silly.  But while bumbling around in my life I found some smart people in Denmark (amazingly enough) had actually put together a list of things to do that would improve the planet.  Of course being the anti green guy I am since most of it is snake oil and alarmists trying to buy nice 9 million dollar beachouses, I wanted to read it for the laugh factor I get from reading greenie stuff. 

Imagine my frustration when it made sense and it was not at all funny but a great list.... check it out yourselves and see if you agree.

Copenhagen Consensus

Change is scary...

My wife and I are planning some major changes that will happen in the next couple weeks.  They are big changes for us but minor in comparison with any type of emergency.  We hope that we are making the right choices but at least we control if and when we make the choice and it is not forced upon us against our will, by events or persons.

In some ways I like change its an adventure.  If everything works out perfect we will be in a better position, if everything does not work out we will be in a better location.  So all in all the pros are bigger than the cons.

Bread and yeast

My wife tends to make bread often, its wonderfull.  She can and has made it all by hand from time to time but we have a cool bread machine that does most of the hard work.  The other day she ran out of yeast (well we found some and so we got to have some nice warm bread)

I was a bit worried that we would not have nice fluffy bread to eat if we ran out of Yeast for a long period of time.

So I found the following and we will soon be trying it.

Step 1: Capture the Yeast

 

This method is dependent on how much wild yeast is circulating in the air in your kitchen at any given time. Baking frequently adds yeast to the air, so trying to capture the yeast soon after baking bread will help ensure success.

 

 

 

1.Combine in a bowl:

• 2 cups of warm water
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 2 cups of flour 

2.Cover the bowl with cheesecloth and place in a warm area in your kitchen.

3.Stir the mixture once a day.

4.It will begin to bubble when you have captured yeast.

 5.Allow the mixture to continue to sit for 3-4 days after you first notice the bubbles.

 

Step 2: Dry the Yeast

 

1.Spread the liquid mixture out on plastic wrap or waxed paper to dry.

2.Break the dried yeast into chunks.

3.Grind it into small particles in the food processor.

4.Freeze the yeast in an airtight container for long term storage

Rolling with the punches

In the Marine Corps there is a saying "improvise, adapt and overcome".  This applies to so many things in life and makes you a much more happy person.  This weekend was my 12th wedding anniversary.  My wife and I had some nice plans that included driving over four hours to see a show.  The show was canceled but we had not been informed, as you can imagine there were dozens of people there, we were about two hours early to the box office, who were very angry, and I am talking screaming at the poor box office employees who had done nothing to cancel the show and get paid almost nothing to sit there and be assaulted by angry patrons.

My wife and I went to the beach and had a fantastic time looking at the huge navy ships and did some nice shopping.  We also found a very nice restaurant to have a wonderful dinner.  We were disappointed and I think my wife will start becoming pretty angry at the correct people today if we do not yet have a refund.  But all in all it was a fantastic trip and I got to spend more than 8 hours alone with my best friend in the whole world.

What I am trying to say is life is what happens when you are making other plans.  Starting over is an adventure and I for one love an adventure.  The websters definition of adventure is

ad·ven·ture (ad-ven-chur)
noun.
1. Being cold wet and exhausted normally in an extreme amount of pain.

Ok that is my definition, but cold wet and exhausted can be a ton of fun.  You have to roll with the punches and those who make the best of a situation are the ones who come out of the situation with the least amount of scars.  Learning to deal with the little issues like your show being canceled helps when it comes to the big things.

BOB (Draft always in progress)

Today is bug out bag.  I have been working on this list/kit for days now trying to get it to my liking.  No luck yet but I have gotten my Daily Carry and my Go Bag to something I like.  This all came from the weekend project of trying to put together my boys BOB's.  Now I know that I am putting together a mishmash of Daily Carry and Go bags for them.  Everyone should go over their lists and dump out what they do have in their bags and practice at least verbally an emergency and what you would need.  Better yet go on a camping trip with just your kit. 

I have settled on the idea that the BOB will be several kits some that are repeated for each member of the family and some that are not.  So far I have only cobbled together a mish mash of kits and tried to order them.  I of course will keep working on the lists and kits and hopefully sometimes soon will have something I like put together.

All lists are in PDF format on a link at the upper part of the blog
For now here is my current BOB list:
Bug Out Bag (BOB a list of kits)

BOB Hydro Kit
 Water Filter
 Bleach or Water purification tablets
 2 1 liter water bottles
 2 5 gal watter bladder
 7 to 14 gal of water

Sleep System
 Sleeping Bag Multi System
 Sleeping Pad
 1 Wool Blanket
 2 10 X 10 Tarps or Larger

BOB Shelter Kit
 2 or 4 Man Tent
 2 Tarps 20' X 20 or larger
 300' 550 paracord
 20 Tent Stakes

BOB Light Kit
 Flashlight
 Lantern
 Head Lamp
 AA and AAA Battery Charger
 Rechargable Batteries AA and AAA
 Pack of Candles

4 to 11 days of food
Basic 2000 Calories Food Pack (Sample)

 1 1gal Ziplock bag
 2 cups of rice (2.4 lbs)
 4 tbsp of powdered butter
 2 packets of oatmeal
 2 pouches of tuna
 2 protein bars
 2 single serving instant coffee
 4 packets of salt
 Hard Candy
 Seasonings

Basic Long Term Clothing
 2 pr Socks Cotton
 2 pr Socks Wool
 2 pr Underwear
 2 pr Tactical Pants
 1 pr Shorts / swim suit
 2 T-Shirts
 1 lightweight long sleeve shirt
 1 Full Brim Hat
 1 Wind breaker
 Walking Shoes
 Boots Hiking
 Shower Sandals

Winter Weather Clothing
 1 pr thermal underwear Bottoms
 1 pr thermal underwear shirt
 1 flanel shirt
 1 warm wool sweater
 1 pr Winter Boots
 1 pr wool glove liners
 1 pr water proof gloves/Mittens
 1 poly scarf
 1 wool cap
 1 pr winter tactical pants
 1 winter jacket-Parka /w hood

Mess Kit
 Plate
 Bowl
 Spork
 Cup
 Small Cooking Pot
 Small Frying Pan

Large Hygene kit
 Large tube of toothpaste
 Extra toothbrush
 1 Roll of TP
 2 Bars of Soap
 Deoderant
 Wash Cloth
 Beach Towel
 Camp Shower / Pump
 5 gal bucket
 Hygene Seat

BOB Basic Tool Kit
 Hatchet
 Machette
 Small Shovel
 Small Saw
 Claw Hammer
 Screwdriver set
 Open End Wrench Set
 Hack Saw
 Measuring Tape 25'

Repair Supply Kit
 Rubber bands
 Safety Pins
 Duct Tape
 Wire
 Epoxy
 Collection of various fasteners
 Box of 1gal Ziplock bags
 Box of ziplock sandwich bags
 Box of Garbage Bags
 Bungie Cords

Navigation Kit
 Quality Compass
 Area Maps
 Portable GPS

Comunications and Information Kit
 usb or DVD Disk with Books and info
 Laptop
 Portable Emergency Radio
 Portable Emergency Scanner
 Portable Ham Radio
 Portable CB /w SSB

Camp Kitchen kit
 Portable Stove
 Package of lighters
 Magnisium Fire Starter
 Box of strike anywhere matches
 2 Weeks Fuel for Stove

Utensils
 Cooking Fork Long Handle
 Cooking Spoon Long Handle
 Cooking Spoon Sloted Long Handle
 Ladle
 Long Tongs
 Spatula Long Handle
 Wire Whip
 Basting Brush
 Cutting Board
 Measuring Cups
 Measuring Spoons
 Mixing Bowl
 Can opener
 Pot holders

Cookware
 Dutch Oven
 Iron Griddle
 Iron Frying Pan
 Iron Griddle
 Large Pot
 Sauce Pan
 Coffee Pot

Knifes
 Butcher Knife
 Pairing Knife
 Bread Knife
 Peeler

Comprehensive Medical kit
 1 Medic Pack
 mirror with handle
 10 Tongue blades
 10 Gloves (sterile)
Sutures (1 of each)
 4-0 Dexon
 5-0 Dexon
 4-0 Nylon
 5-0 Nylon
 6-0 Nylon
 3-0 Silk ties
 4-0 Chromic
(Needles)
 2 18 g (2)
 2 20 g (2)
 4 Syringe: 3 cc
 1 Razor handle
 5 Razor blades for handle
 Safety pins (25 in assorted sizes)
 Insect repellent (REI Jungle Juice)
 Sun Screen
 Aloe Sunburn Ointment
 Oil of clove
Instruments
 Needle holder
 3 Hemostat (straight)
 3 Hemostat (angled)
 1 Scissors Straight Mayo
 1 Scissors Paramedic
 2 Pickups without teeth
 1 Scalpel handle
Scalpel blades
 5 #15
 5 #11
 5 #10
Prep
 Alcohol Rubbing 8oz
 H2O2 8oz
 Betadine solution (4 oz)
 4 Betadine wipes
 6 Betadine ointment
 10 Neosporin ointment
 4 Alcohol wipes
 Liquid soap (Campsuds) (2 oz)
Dressings
 100 Assorted Band-Aids
 100 Butterfly Closures
 Field dressing (4) (battle dressings, Carlyle pressure dressings)
 Grease gauze
 1 Vaseline
 1 Adaptic
 4 Medical Sponges
 Tape Roll 1"
 Triangle bandage (54" hypotenuse)
Drugs
 1 Benadryl 50 mg/cc Antihistamine
 2 Epinephrine 1:1000 Adrenaline (RX only)
 5 Atropine 0.4 mg/cc Anti Chemical (RX only)
 100 Tylenol (adult)
 50 Electrolyte tablets
 100 Excedrin Migraine
 50 Imodium
 100 Antacid

The Survialist Blog by M.D. Contest

M.D. Creekmore over at the The Survivalist Blog – a survival blog dedicated to helping others prepare for and survive disaster – with articles on bug out bag contents, survival knife choices and a wealth of other survival information is giving away a Go Berkey Water Filter System (a $139.00 value)! To enter, you just have to post about it on your blog. This is my entry. Visit The Survivalist Blog for the details.

Buying junk silver

I am not sure if buying junk silver is a good idea or a bad idea.  My track record with investments is worse than my gambling record and I fail at gambling.  I have a friend who is pretty savvy with investments, and he says that metals are perfectly set for bubble and then like all bubbles it will pop.  Add that view to hyperinflation and metals do not seem like such a great idea.

But silver, gold, copper and other metals will still be worth what they are worth so as far as keeping value you can not do better than metal.  So here is some info for buying junk silver.

http://www.2-clicks-coins.com/article/junk-silver-coins.html


Determining Junk Silver Prices
If you have a junk silver piece at hand, here’s a quick guide to determine your junk silver coin’s price.

Take note that all silver values are pegged at $10 per ounce of silver. So to determine the actual value, the silver weight is multiplied by the current spot price of silver.

Coin Silver                             Content Silver Weight    Face Value Silver Value
1942-1945     War Nickels                 35%   0.05626 oz. $0.05      $0.56
1916-1945     Mercury Dimes            90%   0.07234 oz.  $0.10      $0.72
1946-1964     Roosevelt Dimes          90%   0.07234 oz   $0.10       $0.72
1932-1964     Washington Quarters   90%   0.18084 oz.   $0.25       $1.81
1916-1947     Walking Liberty Half   90%    0.36169 oz.   $0.50       $3.62
1948-1963     Franklin Half               90%    0.36169 oz.   $0.50       $3.62
1964              Kennedy Half              90%    0.36169 oz.   $0.50       $3.62
1965-1970     Kennedy Half             40%     0.1479 oz      $0.50      $1.48
1878-1921     Morgan Dollar            90%     0.77344 oz.   $1.00      $7.73
1921-1935     Peace Dollar               90%     0.77344 oz.   $1.00      $7.73
1971-1976-S Eisenhower Dollar       40%     0.3161 oz.     $1.00      $3.16

So when the price of silver goes up by ten cents, a bag of 90% junk silver coins will rise by at least $70.

The Go Bag

I agree with many that the BOB is too limiting.  The multi tiered system is easier to manage.  Yesterday I went over my keyring kit and my Daily Carry, today I will go over what I have put together for my Go Bag. 

 

Each system builds on the other.  Adding the ability to go longer and do more things with each addition to the system.  Keys and Daily Carry should always be with you or within reach (such as in your car).  One day of food in the Daily Carry helps you if you need a quick snack and allows more room in your GO BAG, where only two days of food are stored.  This leaves only 10 days of food needed in the BOB.  I have left firearms out of the system since this is a personal choice and also depends on your abilities such as having a CCW or not.  If you own firearms you will know what and where they belong in the system.

 

PREP SYSTEM Concept:

KEY RING KIT (On your keyring)

 

The very basic of tools should always be on you.

 

DAILY CARRY (Small pouch, purse, Lumbar Pack, and in your pockets)

These items should be on you at all times and should get you to your car or safety, or protect you in a dire emergency.

 

GO BAG (Day Pack)

This should allow you to stay in most places away from home for 3 days when combined with the previous kits suffering only minor discomfort, unless conditions are very extreme, and even in that situation you should come out pretty much intact.

 

BUG OUT BAG (Backpack or Duffle Bags)

Allows for 2 weeks when combined with the previous kits of semi comfortable living away from home in almost all conditions. And allow for at least 1 week of multi person food and indefinite shelter.  Very much like planning for an extended camping trip that you can carry on your back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The GO BAG should be near you at all times such as in your car.  This bag allows you to reach your home or BOB.  It is made from several kits that may change during the seasons.

 

Here are what I have come up with for my GO BAG:

 GO BAG

• Water Bladder (3 Liter)
• Water Filter or Water purification tablets
• Flashlight
• Head Lamp
• Radio
• Small Binoculars
• 1 Deck of Cards
• 1 Pair of dice
• Pen and Notepad
• Sun glasses (safety glasses)
• 1 Saw
• 2 Large Garbage Bags
• 2 1 Gal ziplock bags
• 4 Ziplock sandwich bags
• 50' Steel Cable encased in plastic
• 50' Snare wire
• 1 Roll of duct tape
• 1 Roll of electrical Tape
• Lighter
• Matches
• Fire Steel

• 24 to 72 hours of food 6000 calories in 1 to 3 1 gal ziplock bags
• 1 1gal Ziplock bag
• 2 cups of rice (2.4 lbs)
• 4 tbsp of powdered butter
• 2 packets of oatmeal
• 2 pouches of tuna
• 2 protein bars
• 2 single serving instant coffee
• 4 packets of salt
• Hard Candy
• Seasonings
• Basic Outdoors Kit
• 1 Sleeping bag liner Fleece
• Emergency Bivvy Space Blanket
• 1 Tarp
• 10 heaters
• 1 Hammock
• Basic Mess Kit
• Spork
• Metal Cup
• Thermos 16oz
• Folding Stove
• 9 Fuel pellets
• Sewing Kit
• 10 Safety Pins
• 100' unbreakable thread
• 3 needles
• 1 Mini seam ripper
• 10 pins
• Hygiene Kit
• Sleeping bag liner
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Washcloth
• Towel
• Soap
• Razor
• Mirror
• TP in Small Ziplock Bag
• Fishing Kit
• 5 hooks
• 100' black nylon line
• Snap Swivels
• Lures
• Lead Weights
• Water Balloons (for bobbers)
• Fishing Knot instructions
• Base Clothing
• 1 Poncho
• 1 Full brim foldable Hat (boonie)
• 1 Pair Cotton Socks
• 1 Pair Wool Socks
• 1 Pair Underwear
• 2 Bandannas
• Clothing
• 1 lightweight sweater poly
• 1 windbreaker lightweight
• 1 pr tactical pants
• 1 Tshirt
• Warm Weather Clothing
• 1 Tshirt
• 1 pr Shorts (swim trunks)
• 1 Pr Underwear
• 1 Pr Cotton Socks
• Cold Weather Clothing
• 1 pr Wool Socks
• 1 pr thermal pants
• 1 thermal shirt
• 1 wool watch cap
• 1 poly scarf
• 1 pr wool gloves
• 1 hvy poncho
• Personal First Aid kit
• 1 TRIAGE/EMERGENCY CARE HANDBOOK 191 pages 7" x 9"
• 10 Cotton swabs
• 1 Fever Thermometer
• 1 "Kling" rolled gauze 4" X 5 yards
• 20 assorted strip and spot band-aids
• 10 Butterfly closures
• 2 pr. disposable gloves
• 1 Wet-proof adhesive tape 1/2" X 10 yards
• 1 Paper adhesive tape 1/2" 5 yards
• 3 2" X 3" pads
• 4 2" X 3" adhesive pads
• 5 4" X 4" pads
• 1 Mole Skin
• 1 Ace Bandage
• 5 Cotton Balls
• 2 1 gal. zip-loc bags
• 4 Sandwich zip-loc bags
• 1 Cold compress, crush to activate type
• 1 Pump style snake venom remover
• 1 small tweezers
• 1 EMT Scissors
• 1 small Disposable Scalpel
• 1 Tube of Sunscreen
• 1 Tube of insect Repellent
• 1 30ml dropper bottle of Alcohol
• 1 30ml dropper bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide
• 1 30ml dropper bottle of Witch Hazel
• 1 Neosporin (antibiotic cream)
• 1 small petroleum jelly
• 1 Coagulant Pack
• 10 Electrolyte tablets
• 1 Iodine
• 10 Excedrin
• 10 Advil
• 10 Benadryl
• 10 Caffeine
• 10 Antacid
• 10 Imodium
• 1 Lip Balm
• 1 Oil of clove 1 dram 

Weekend BOB workshop

This weekend the boys and I got together to go over our BOB's.  The boys each have a small day pack that we use when walking.  They are missing most of the gear involved in a BOB.  We are trying to get them pieced together so I tried to use my list of lists and it failed.  So I am working on a some simple lists to assemble various levels of gear needed on ones person.

First thing is that each boy needs some personal gear that they always tend to carry.  So we will deal with the keyring kit and Daily Cary bag.

Keyring Kit (On a Keyring)

• Whistle
• 20' 550 paracord (Knotted into a lanyard)
• Tiny Razor Knife
• P38 can opener
• Tiny multi tool
• 3 Safty pins
• Small keyring carbine
• Tiny Flashlight

DAILY CARRY (Wallet-Purse-Small Pouch I use a Lumbar Pack I got a Disney World)

• Cash $200
• Quarters $2.00
• Identification
• List of Phone Numbers
• Cell Phone / Camera
• Pre Paid Credit Card /w $1000 (I don't even have this but it is a great idea)
• Cheap emergency poncho
• Pen and Paper
• Mirror
• First Aid / Hygiene
• Band aids
• OTC Pain Killer
• Imodium
• Benadryl
• Lip Balm
• Comb
• Mini pre pasted toothbrush
• Disposable razor
• TP in a ziplock bag
• Lighter
• Windproof Fireproof Matches
• Food (In a ziplock sandwich bag)
• Tuna Pouch 6.4 oz in oil
• 2 Oatmeal packets
• One 500 calorie protein bar
• 5 Salt Packets
• Tiny roll of duct tape Flattened
• Electrical Tape
• 50' 550 Cord
• Sewing Kit (On a piece of cardboard or plastic)
• 5 Safety pins
• 50' unbreakable thread
• 1 needle
• Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Boyscout Huntsman
• Small Knife (I prefer the Skeletool CX with bits)
• Multitool with pliers
• Compass
• Small Flashlight
• Wire Saw
• Two small chemical heaters
• Cheap emergency blanket

 My list will be updated with the above kits since the boys had a very hard time following my outdated lists.

A little bit every day...

I started Ferfals book last night.  So far it has an amazing amount of information.

All week I have been taking the stairs in the morning, so even this little bit of work out helps its only 6 flights but at least I start the morning with some blood pumping in my system.  This weekend I will try and go for some walks with the boss.  I have some paperwork to finish up for the Arizona plan, I may go over that sometime in some other blog.

Amazing wheat...

Unlike many I am blessed with a wife who believes in prepping wholeheartedly.  When I arrived home after a long hard day at work for the most evil of evils, I was greeted at the door by a wonderful smell, although I could no place it.  As I entered the kitchen I saw my lovely wife busy with a knife smashing and chopping cloves of garlic.  She quickly dumped the tiny fragments of the seasoning into the crock pot full of refried beans and motioned me over while holding a spoon so sample what she called and often calls her cooking, the concoction. 

After having me sample the tasty beans she asked me what it needed, I mentioned that it could use a tiny bit of salt and she quickly added a couple dashes of salt and dipped the large wooden spoon back into the bubbling culinary mass, a sampled a taste.  She then with a big grin offered me the spoon and the beans were perfect.

The boys at this point were somehow pried away from their computer games and stalked around the kitchen, with the old beagle Pookie and the new beagle puppy Lucy in tow.  Literally Lucy jaws locked tight on my middle sons shorts growling and tugging at some unknown offence that the shorts had given.  The pack of boys and dogs hid just around the corner of the kitchen waiting for their moment to sample the beans.

My curiosity just a little peaked I asked her how come we had to add salt to the beans, since most canned beans have far to much salt in them, and we do have several dozen cans of refried beans in the pantry.  My soul mate then smiled slyly and said, "These beans are from scratch, I did not think they would be done so soon but I started soaking them this morning with the crock pot on warm".  At this point she motioned to a tray of yummy white disks on top of the microwave, all of slightly irregular shape and thickness, and said, "There are home made tortillas too!"

We have tried to make tortillas from scratch before and have failed several times, but this time as we all scarfed down with great abandoned, it was obvious that this time it was a total success.  She said that she had used the bread machine to knead the dough.  She had to make more tortillas since I ate all that she had left for our daughter, none went to waste.

She wants to plant some of the pinto beans in our kiddie pool planters to see if we can get them to grow.  I think we should sprout them first and maybe try a little green house action to get them started.  All in all it was a super test of survival cooking, although she used Crisco not lard for the both the beans and tortillas, and storing oils is very hard. 

She used flour, salt, Crisco, pinto beans, onion, garlic, (and we added cheese). 

Lessons learned:  We need a good wheat grinder, more salt, some way to store oils.

Death of a four footed friend

Monday one of our family members lost her battle for life.  She had been with us 8 years and we will miss her greatly.

Sierra Rhodesian Ridgeback 2002-2010

Family...

I am very lucky that my spouse (the boss) supports me 100% in our prep work.  I think that it would be very hard if not impossible to move forward with prep work without that support.  My children (all adults now) also are very supportive of our work and often inspire me and keep me going.  For example my youngest really wants to try making hardtack out of some of our stored flour.

My oldest sister has a blog of her own and she works hard on her prep work in spite of her recent financial issues.  My other sister has an amazing retreat where she, her husband and their young children have been living for the last few years.

I am lucky to be surrounded by such supportive people.

Food, food and more food...

As you may have heard the DOW did a record dip of over 900 points in just a few min.  I happened to be watching the news at the time.  It was scary to watch lucky for us it was a typo by some trader but if the system is that weak what happens when it is not a typo?

It just proves to me that nothing will be as valuable as food if some bad thing does happen.  Water is more important but easier to get here in Virginia.  But food is worth more than all the gold in the world if you need it.  I am thinking I will increase my supply up to 3 years for 5 or 6 people.  Most of it will be bulk food such as rice, beans and sugar.  On that note we put 50 lbs of rice and 50 lbs of flower into plastic buckets yesterday.  It was pretty easy and we did not spill much.  This food will be used as quickly as possible since we did not do any prep on the buckets, they are just buckets of flower and rice.  The Boss is going to start baking more bread and other flower stuff.

 

I am now looking out for bags of beans and I think I will buy more 5gal buckets.  Just FYI 50 lbs of flower just fits in two five gallon buckets and 50lbs of rice fills about one and a half buckets.  I think I also need sprouting seeds.  I have always liked sprouts but hesitated to eat them due to the greenie attachment of sprouting.

Physical Fitness

My boys have started a business, it is landscaping.  Unfortunately they can not drive so I have to haul them around to each of their clients (two now) where they mow and clean up yards.  I also to keep from being bored to death help mow for free (such a deal for them).  So I have been sweating my butt off helping them with their venture into capitalism.  So far it has cost me a bundle as I have gotten them new equipment and hauled them around.  But it is cheaper than a Gym and a better workout.

Food food and more food, according to many people and I happen to agree, you can never have to much food stored up.  The lack of food has been the biggest reason for mass death forever.

Making Fire

Fire and the skills to make it are essensial.  The boys and I attempted to make fire using various techniqies.  We had fire steel strikers, steel wool and a nine volt battery.  We were able to make fire with all these but the number one item that makes fire instantly was a simple cotton ball drenched in petrolium jelly.  We found that using the cotton ball method is easy and quick.  After practicing for several hours using various techiquies we are now pretty confident in our skills to make fire.  Soon we will try out some standard resipies like Bannock bread.

In Survival Mom's blog yesterday she had some very good points to make.  I have posted them below.

14

Store 14 2-liter bottles filled with clean water. This is enough water for one person for one week. Continue adding water storage as needed for additional family members.

10

Set aside $10 each week to go toward buying junk silver. “Junk silver” is the term used for dimes and quarters dated prior to 1965. These coins don’t have any value for collectors but do contain enough silver to give them intrinsic value.

4
List four simple dinners your family enjoys eating. Stock up on the ingredients you need to make those four dinners, and you’ll be ready to make that meal one night per month for one month.

30
Becoming better informed is one of the most important steps you can take toward preparedness and self-reliance. Spend 30 minutes each day researching topics that are highest on your list of priorities, such as gardening, raising livestock, storing fuel, etc. Your priorities will change as you become better informed and better prepared.

1
Take one training class that will help you become better prepared. Check out CERT classes, first aid, wilderness first aid, sewing, master gardening, and CPR. Stocking up on food and supplies is all well and good, but education and knowledge are priceless.

20
If two cans of tuna equals one lunch in your family, stock up on 20 cans of tuna. Those, along with some mayo, pickle relish, and bread will make ten lunches.


15
Schedule a monthly 15-minute fire drill with your family. Explain the procedure before-hand, practice, and then once a month, without any warning, sound the alarm. You can find tips here.

Weekend testing

This weekend we went to a park close to the house that has nice forest coverage.  We had gone there to get some nice green sticks to try cooking Bannock bread on over an open fire.  Our first hurdle was that the forest is full of deer ticks!  It was horrible, they covered our boots and pants.  We had used tick repellent and they were still crawling all over us.  This would be a serious issue in a GOOD situation, and one I had not put much thought into.  So far the only natural repellent I have found uses hard to find ingredients.  I will keep looking.  For now I will stock up on commercial repellent.  In no little way has this pointed out that there are lots of issues out there that you will never think of unless you go out and test ideas.

The second issue was cutting the green branches.  I had my Skeletool CX as our only cutting tool.  Other than the real danger of slicing our bodies it worked poorly at cutting down the saplings we choose.  We need a real cutting tool that is portable and slightly less dangerous to our well being.  Fortunately no one was injured by the process of cutting "walking sticks".  We choose sticks about four feet long and one inch in diameter.  They were easy to find and only took about ten to fifteen minutes to cut down with the leatherman.

We continued the walk and pointed out good places to make camps and how we would construct the shelters, always with the tick problem on our minds.  As far as game to eat we only saw a couple squirrels.  We decided to see if our skills were good enough to hunt one.  Not wanting to kill any squirrels since not one of us was willing to eat one, McDonald's was just to close, less messy, and likely more tasty.  I have never eaten a squirrel.  We set up one of our empty plastic water bottles on a log about 10 yards away and unpacked our wrist rocket style sling shots.  We used steel bearings that are sold as slingshot ammo as our projectiles, these are about the size of a 00 buck pellet.  Only my youngest son was able to even hit the bottle at that range and only after dozen of shots.  We also decided that it is unlikely that the projectile would have killed a squirrel or done it serious damage, not that we could have ever hit one.  We saw no squirrels that close to us and it was mostly luck that the bottle was hit.  Also the pellets did no perceivable damage to the bottle at point blank range and no damage to the log that we set the bottle on.  I do not think slingshot hunting would work.

Lessons learned:  Stock up on insect repellent and learn to make it, Slingshots do not work.  We plan on trying some pump pellet pistols in the future., Find and carry a small saw for cutting small trees.

The boss came up with a very good idea.

The boss being much smarter than I am came up with a good idea, I know its good since my middle son was very excited about it.  We are going to start this weekend.  The idea was to try a skill every day and then blog about the results.  To be realistic I will do some things on the weekend and other easier skills on the weekdays.  This may involve turning off our main breaker or not using our running water.  We will plan as well as we can what we are going to try for the week.

So far for next week (and this coming weekend) we are going to try some standard fire making techniques.  And then try some open fire cooking, mostly some breads.  Hopefully I take some notes and photos and we have a good time.  Lets see how this adventure goes.  Wish us luck.

From Ferfal game an obvious idea

Baking Soda.
Buy now buy lots.

Its readily available in most stores. Pretty cheap too, so have a good amount stored.
*Its often used for cooking.
*Absorbs and neutralizes odors, so people keep it in the fridge, freezer, small bags can be placed with stored clothes.
*It can be sprinkled on a wet toothbrush and used as tooth paste for a nice white smile.
*Mixed with water, it is used for sore throats and mouth washes.
*Body deodorant, rub some of the powder under the armpit and feet.
*Mixed with some water, it is used to remove stains.
*It is used for polishing metals, as well as general cleaning in the house.
*Mixed with water, it can be used as an alternative liquid soap.
*Mixed with water, its perfect for acid indigestion.

I would add baking soda an vinegar are also good to have, yeast too but I dont know how long yeast lasts although I think my wife is making bread with two year old yeast we keep in the fridge.

Physical Phitness!!!

Last couple days we have been doing very well on Physical Fitness. Worked out on Monday, and lawn and garden work for Tuesday for 3 hours. I feel a nice and sore all over.

On my side links I have a list of Hard Copies, this is stuff that should be printed out in case the interwebz and computers stop working for a while. On Survival Blog a post by Dakta Diamond with a few other things you should have stored on a laptop that is protected from EMP.

“Prepare a laptop inside a Faraday Box”


You should store the following references on your laptop hard drive [or on memory sticks, CD-ROMs & DVDs that you can access with your laptop]:

Barter:
To include valuable information on what people will need for survival trades and efficiency, for day to day living wants and needs.

Boots and Clothing:
How to repair boots and clothing, to include various sewing techniques, glues, patches, laces, buttons, zippers, sew kits, Velcro and items needed or stored.

Civil Defense:
Technical operation and/or procedures on how the civil authority will lead. Establish and support an authority figure during the crisis, which may mean you.

Combat Skills:
Various skills to lead and teach realistic offensive tactics and defensive tactics and positions. Don't overlook weapons training and weapons repair manuals. [JWR Adds: There are now some excellent training videos available on DVD, such as The Art of the Tactical Carbine, but of course they are no substitute for hands-on training and the hours of practice needed to create muscle memory. For some free assembly/disassembly manuals in PDF, see the manufacturer web sites, as well as Steve's Pages. (BTW, you'll also find a lot of useful military manuals at Steve's Pages, such as FM 3-105 Survivability. )

Command:
How to organize, maintain and discipline as a leader, how to give orders and create and maintain a disciplined organizational structure. See the military organizational manuals that describe Unity of Command and related topics.

Communication:
Various types of radios, CB, Morse code [HF ham radio], American Sign Language (ASL). Also to include antenna fabrication and/or makeshift communications devices.

Computer Programs:
In addition to backups of operating system and word processing/spreadsheets, include specialized programs related to radio communications, propagation, ballistics calculations, and others.

Construction:
Information on how to: Shelter building, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, welding, mold making and casting of raw materials.

Dental:
How to maintain good teeth and dentistry with the correct tools when need be.

Dictionary: You must be knowledgeable and have key references.

Economics and References:
What brought us to this economic crisis and who are the money masters? How long has the monetary system been around? You could download thousand of pages and help teach the truth. Store your own economic data. [JWR Adds: References on the standard weight and composition of various silver and gold might be crucial.]

Encyclopedia Britannica:
The entire world at your finger tips such as, science, discovery, arts, crafts, math, English, videos, writings, and so much more.

FEMA:
Federal Emergency Management Agency- procedures, operations, expectations and what to expect for various disaster assistance.

Food:
MRE, freeze dried, dehydrated, stored foods, canned foods, canning, bottling, cooking, preparation, recipes, gardening, raising animals, making your own bread, sprouts, cookware, medical care with [soft] foods.

Games:
Various games to keep you [and your children] happy and keep morale up.

Health And Fitness:
Exercising, fitness, eating correctly, not being lazy - work, work, work.

Herb and Vitamin Cures:
Store massive amounts of data on herb and vitamin cures and personal treatments for all types of ailments. Don’t forget your vitamins.

Hygiene:
Making your own soaps, bleach, laundry soaps. Learning to use household remedies. Toiletries, solutions, disease fighting techniques, and sanitary solutions to include corpse handling/burial.

Items Wanted/ Needed:
Keep notes and massive data on you need, not want, no matter how long it is. [JWR Adds: The Alpha Strategy by John Pugsley is a great starting point. The book is out of print, but a PDF is available for free download.]

Local Government Readiness:
It’s wise to be prepared. The government is a small number of people. Governments like to dictate how to, but you should learn how to, without the government. It’s a never ending battle of learning to live and to expect the unexpected. Remember, what can go wrong will go wrong. Often, it will be something you would have never of thought of.

Maps (Road and Street), U.S. and Canada:
Collect massive amounts of data on streets and/or other geographical data for your region, to include railroads, bus systems, sewers, drains, taxi depots, bus depots. Getting lost is no fun.

Medical:
Collect references on home remedies, medical and human anatomy. There are plenty of downloads out there. [JWR Adds: Start with a free download of Where There is No Doctor,and Where There is No Dentist, from The Hesperian Foundation.]

Monthly Checklist:
Include chores from every day to every month, month to month, year to year maintenance and up keep on grounds, machinery, equipment, tools, weapons and/or perimeter establishment and grounds.

Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC):
What to do in the attack scenario for nuclear, biological, and/or chemical attack or mishap. How to recover from the NBC situation. Recovery is your only option. There are lots of references on the Internet. I urge you to figure out what works best for you. Download it now and store it. You can always read more later. You must be able to retrieve data if the power grid is down, so plan ahead for alternate power source , inverters, and DC-to-DC adapters for your laptop. [Nuclear War Survival Skills by Cresson H. Kearney is available for free download.]

Outdoor Survival: How can you survive in the woods, desert, jungle, sea, ocean, lake, mountains, brush, bush. How will you gather water and food? Get videos and download as much info as you can because you will never know where you could end up.

Pests:
How to get rid of particular bugs, pests, rodents. How to attract them for your advantage and how to use them as bait.

Pets: Store food, water, medical, shelter, for your pets. Download veterinary guides to fix your pet's problems. Get antibiotics now and store them..

Pictures and Videos:
Store photos, pictures, movies and videos to look at and watch later. You will be surprised at just how much entertainment is out there. [JWR Adds: Instructional videos can also be stored--even ones found on YouTube.]

Power Heat Fuel:
How are you going to keep warm? How are you going to create power? Candle making, bio-fuel, liquor, wood, heat rocks, make a tent inside your home? Create electricity, solar, wind, hydro, Sterno, generators, steam power, Sterling engine power, making batteries, inverters, charge controllers, drawings, diagrams, schematics.

Protocols:
State the exact protocol or direction on how to handle the situation that just arose. Rule of thumb is to stay where you are for as long as you can safely.

Reading Materials:
Download books you might think you will like in the future. You may want to start downloading survival books, medical, nutritional, gardening, recipes, how to manuals, et cetera.

Religion:
Download various Bible translations for future reference. The Grim Reaper may approach you sooner than you think. Laugh now but tomorrow may be another story. You will want the hands of God to guide you, even if you are presently a little skeptical.

Security Intelligence:
Who, what, when, why, where, how many, what are your intentions, weapons, who is the leader? What are you facing? The biggest threat are your neighbors and/or neighborhood. Where are the hideouts in your area? Is it the church or the stream bed? The best defense is a great offense.

Shelter:
Download various shelter building techniques-- underground shelters, bunkers, domes, ICF block construction, wood construction, adobe, rammed earth, straw bale and anything else you can get your hands on.

Tactics:
Invisibility is a great benefactor, ghillie suits are great, but if your opponent has thermal night vision gear, you are screwed. The best enemies are ones that will fight themselves. Camouflage is the greatest tactic.

Terrorism:
Nuclear, biological, chemical, accidental, rail collisions, confusion, what to do and how to do it.

Transportation:
Buses, taxis, planes, trains, automobiles, animals, skateboard, foot/feet, bicycle, mini bike, moped, motor bike, electric skateboard, ski’s, camper, motor home, class A, B, &C, recreational vehicles, military vehicles, gyrocopter, helicopter, hot wiring, and so on.

Water:
Water filters, distilling, bleach, containers, pills, can you purify sea water? Do you know what to do if water is contaminated with nuclear fallout? How can you kill pathogens and bacteria? Water is the most vital information of all. Don’t take it for granted. What will you do if the tap stops working?

Weapons:
Manuals, drawings, spare parts, directions, tools needed for repairing weapons, oils, lubrications, cleaning supplies, gun safes, holsters, sights, extra ammo, extra magazines, and such.

Weather:
Information and understanding of earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, summer’s extreme heat, winter’s extreme cold, fall, spring, ice storms, volcanoes, wind-driven wild fires, heavy snowfall, landslides, tsunami, thunderstorms, floods, droughts, severe climate shifts and wind storms. Are you ready for all of these?