Worst Case Scenario Disaster Pack (1 Viewer)

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guys keep in mind this is just a small backpack here, cant fit a .22 on my backpack, no room for thermal blankets. trashbags are good idea, but i also have sevearl 1 gallon and 2 gallon bags taht i've packed stuff in. 100-200' of parachute cord jsut wont fit, but the truck has other solutions for that sort of thing. ofcourse eacher persons pack will vary, this was just a starter guide. thanks for the link BJC.

keep suggestions for survival gear that goes on your truck in a separate thread, this is just for waht you can carry on your back. as far as firearms i will have a 12-gauge pumpaction mossberg available in the truck, everyone respects the sound of a pump clearing the chamber ;)

The type of thermal blanket I was refering to is sold as an emergency blanket, it is about the size of an individul serving cereal box when stored. Very useful not only to keep yourself warm but to treat shock. A 100' hank of of parachute cord is smaller than a 500mL water bottle. Both items would run less than a small pizza to buy. IMHO you could get a well equiped kit together for less than the cost of dinner and a movie with your sweetie.

As far as the personel hygene stuff goes, I carry a toothbrush, floss, toothpaste everywhere any way so thats a given for me. The only other item I would have is a half bar of soap. I really like to wash myhands before I eat.

Store your emergency clothing in a plastic bag next to the backpack and wear most of it in the event of a real emergency. Polyprop underwear, and multiple layers of outer clothing are the best choice. They allow you to add or remove layers to suit the weather. Shop thrift stores if you are on a budget. Don't bother with extra underware. If you have an oops you can go commando while you rinse and dry.

On firearms. I doubt most people in urban settings would need one. If you really need a gub, the AR-7 is a 22 cal rifle that weighs about 2# and breaks down to store in the stock. It was original designed as a survival rifle for aircraft and is very robust. They cost $180 - $200 new. I really want one of these in my kit.

22cal is the perfect survial round. You can carry a lot of ammo for very little weight, which means you can afford to miss a lot. Since small game is more abundant that would probably be what you would be looking for, and larger rounds destroy more meat in small game.
 
guys keep in mind this is just a small backpack here, cant fit a .22 on my backpack, no room for thermal blankets. trashbags are good idea, but i also have sevearl 1 gallon and 2 gallon bags taht i've packed stuff in. 100-200' of parachute cord jsut wont fit, but the truck has other solutions for that sort of thing. ofcourse eacher persons pack will vary, this was just a starter guide. thanks for the link BJC.

keep suggestions for survival gear that goes on your truck in a separate thread, this is just for waht you can carry on your back. as far as firearms i will have a 12-gauge pumpaction mossberg available in the truck, everyone respects the sound of a pump clearing the chamber ;)

I just noticed this message.

Get a bigger pack. If you can't even cram a length of 550 cord in there, it's too small. Of course if you loose the deorderant and the toothpaste, that will make the room. 550 cord can save your life. Deoderant can't. ;)

Shotgun is good if you expect urban combat. But for a grab it and go setup, which is what I assume you are talking about here, a small handgun in the appropriate caliber for the situation is much more portable and can be carried without anyone even knowing you have it. .22 if you choose to carry it for backcountry survival, something larger for urban self defense.

Just depends what exactly you are trying to prepare for. You aren't too clear on that. Broke down truck in the desert? On the highway in a blizzard? Stuck in a hurricane? Civil unrest? Societal collapse? (face it, for anything except the last two, your paperwork and flash drive are pointless). For any one scenerio you can pack pretty light. For universal preparedness however it gets tougher.

Re: the need for firearms at all... In a back country situation where you are trying to get out, get home, or simply await rescue... a firearm will seldom be needed. Better off to carry the same weight in dried food than plan on hunting small game to eat. Especially if that is going to be a new experience for you. I carry a large caliber revolver for bear protection if in an area where that it a concern, but I'd leave that behind to save weight before I'd dump much else. In a back country situation where you are hoping to survive long term without outside assistance... Carry a rifle and a lot more gear than any of us are talking about here. In an urban disaster where there is the sort of breakdown that prevents outside assistance (The lovely metropolis of New Orleans is a prime example), that is where I would have concerns about safety that could be address with a firearm. Again a small sized, medium caliber handgun which would not weight much and could easily be carried concealed and protected from the elements as well as prying eyes.


That's one reason I like the multi-carrier approach. With a fanny pack, a day pack and a pocketed vest you can have a large number of items on hand. If the weight is an issue or something turns out to have absolutely no value at all in your situation, pitch it.
If it is something you keep in the rig at all times, then you can also raid your larger "truck" bag at the last minute for any items that are more appropriate for the moment as you are loosing the stuff you won't need.


Mark...
 
I've been following this thread with great interest and I've learned from every one's comment here. My situation might be different such that I prepare for emergencies with the family in mind (family = me, wife, and two small children). In my preparation, the vehicle is considered to be the most important piece of equipment, and all items must fit inside of the vehicle. The only thing I would carry on me would be a small pack for a short excusion, in case I have to venture away from the vehicle (the family would stay with the vehicle). In my scenario, extra fuel and water on hand to be able to reach at least two other major metropolitan areas in a slow pace (such as offroad, off major roads, and traffic jam such as those leaving during Katrina). Defensive gear, communications gear, and survival rations for infants and toddlers are also important in my case.
 
My situation might be different such that I prepare for emergencies with the family in mind (family = me, wife, and two small children).

many of us have families, my small bag is survival stuff in general, not just solo. also, in my cruiser at all times is one of those plastic boxes. only 2 square ft of space, it will support my family of four for one week comfortably and two weeks in survival mode.
maybe i'm nutty, but i like to prepare and know i can do it, it took three outings with my family to pare it down to what i have, the wife likes knowing we can do it and the kids think its fun to go "minimalist" while i was compiling data for the box.
we got a little hungry during the expieraments, but we know we can do it and what it might be like if we have to.
 
And by the way parachute cord (550) cord will fit in just about anywhere and is great stuff.



we (myself included) should get in the habit of calling it 550 or 7 strand cord and completely leave out the parachute part.

oh and your right, cody lundin has a great minimalist survival book, got alot of good info from him. another great book that has survival techniques but is really much more than that is "camping and wilderness survival" by paul tawrell.
 
I've been following this thread with great interest and I've learned from every one's comment here. My situation might be different such that I prepare for emergencies with the family in mind (family = me, wife, and two small children). In my preparation, the vehicle is considered to be the most important piece of equipment, and all items must fit inside of the vehicle. The only thing I would carry on me would be a small pack for a short excusion, in case I have to venture away from the vehicle (the family would stay with the vehicle). In my scenario, extra fuel and water on hand to be able to reach at least two other major metropolitan areas in a slow pace (such as offroad, off major roads, and traffic jam such as those leaving during Katrina). Defensive gear, communications gear, and survival rations for infants and toddlers are also important in my case.



Yep, it makes a BIG difference when you pack for more than just one person... I`ve had to build a kit with enough items for at least 4 people, and it takes a lot more thought and consideration of what others` basic needs will be ( especially when the "others" are kids or perhaps the opposite sex ) . My kit is probably a bit excessive but I can always leave some of it behind if I had to... Its really amazing how much water alone you should have on hand for say, a family of 4 to sustain proper hydration for just a few weeks time :eek:



Everything in my "kit" is packed into medium sized rubbermaid totes for quick loading into my rig, so if needed I can be mobile within a few minutes time. I also am using my vehicle as a base camp for an emergency so luckily I can pack a LOT of things in/on my Cruiser to extend my "stay" outdoors in virtually any environment.

Just make sure to rotate/replace stock periodically ( especially if you have plastic bottled water or liquid bleach in your kit ) and check everything once in a while for any time-related deterioration.


Simple but Ample food, water and shelter ( not in that order) is all you really need to be a whole lot more comfortable than the "next guy" in a major emergency or a temporary shortage of basic goods and services .


I cannot stress enough how important books/literature on basic survival and edible (local) food sources can be in a long-term shortage condition.... I have these books VERY high on the priority list of items for my kit, to provide both a quick and accurate reference/refresher course for use on the fly.


Being prepared is not about suffering from paranoia.... Its about being smarter than your neighbor who has nothing to fall back whatsoever and is suffering during even the shortest-duration disaster or emergency.
 
wow this is awesome stuff... looking at it objectivley idk why i put shaving cream and deoderant in there (i only shave about twice a week anyway and i love my own smell ;) ) theres definitely some rearranging i'll be doing here i'm really glad to be able to bounce ideas like this back and forth. as you can probably tell i've never NEEDED to rely on somthin like this, so i'm grateful for your input. as far as firearms are concerned, keep in mind i'm on a budget, the fold away .22 that was mentioned is a great option, but a 12-ga is still usually cheaper, and a handgun... forget about it, i'll keep the bulk and weight to save a few $100. also i dont particularly look foward to the situation of needing to shoot sombody, so somthing like a pump action is a great highly visible deterrant. i'm on the fence about a .22 over a shotgun though. the .22 round is great for these types of situations, but a gun is made to hit an object, and its just so much damn easier to hit an object with buckshot. ;) also consider if you're injured, somthin as simple as a broken finger, its a lot easier to load and fire shotgun shells. of course the trade-off is the # of rounds you can carry.

also, for me personally, when they come in i'll be carrying 2 jerrycans of fuel and 2 jerry cans of water in my truck so water filtration is a good idea incase i get separated from the truck but, being a single guy i can go a long time on 10.6 gal of water. i'd like more feedback on clothes though. since i never know in what situation i'll need to use this bag, i've tried to kit out for hot or cold climate. what fabric is best? i know i'm not too clear about what kind of disaster situation, because when it comes to being prepared, vauge is better. i'm pretty stubborn about keeping a pair of shoes in there, good footcare is so important esp. in any type of emergency. body heat escapes form the head and feet more than anywhere else... wet shoes = foot funguses etc. dry shoes are very important. in a few days i'll post a revised list of the contents


also not to stray from the topic, but i'd like the opinion of those of you that have actually had to deal with these situations: is it better to be at 110% when it comes to food (having good filling well rounded meals) for a shorter period of time or to eat on starvation rations for longer? to my way of thinking the longer you can keep your body in high-performance mode the better, when you start depriving yourself you crash physically and mentally pretty quick. i've never had to go more tahn 2 days without a solid meal so your feedback would be great
 
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my home is about 30 minutes north of New Orleans, so it got hit by the hurricane. i was up at school in baton rouge at the time, but i went back down about a week and half after the storm. there was no electricity and no water at all for weeks. therefore, there was no gas, no cell phones, and no way to get food except if you had cash and if the stores were open. so basically, water, food, and gas were most important in that situation

also, some things not mentioned (though pertains more to your rig than a personal pack):
-CB and HAM radio. you might be out of cell phone range if you are out in the woods, or the towers may be down from lack of electricity
-cell phone car charger
-small hand hatchet. chop down small trees, split wood, make fire, kill/skin animals,etc
 
. as far as firearms are concerned, keep in mind i'm on a budget, the fold away .22 that was mentioned is a great option, but a 12-ga is still usually cheaper, and a handgun... forget about it, i'll keep the bulk and weight to save a few $100. also i dont particularly look foward to the situation of needing to shoot sombody, so somthing like a pump action is a great highly visible deterrant. i'm on the fence about a .22 over a shotgun though. the .22 round is great for these types of situations, but a gun is made to hit an object, and its just so much damn easier to hit an object with buckshot. ;) also consider if you're injured, somthin as simple as a broken finger, its a lot easier to load and fire shotgun shells. of course the trade-off is the # of rounds you can carry.


Not to turn this into a firearms debate, or even try to convince you one way or the other. But...

Have you ever humped a shotgun over rough terrain in a hurry for a day? Thought about the weight of the gun and the ammo? And size? And the fact that you will be carrying it openly, making a statement whether you want to or not? The "visible deterrent" factor can work the other way pretty quickly.

Ever fired a shotgun while injured? I'd rather work a little more and a little more slowly to load a 22 with a bum finger than pull the trigger on a 12 gauge with a cracked rib or injured arm, :(

And don't feel like a shotgun is gonna toss out a wide pattern the will ensure that you hit what you are pointing at. A full choke birdshot load will spread out nicely. But it won't do much beyond pepper any solid target (even rabbit... much less a human agressor). And the range will be short. 00 buck out of an unchoked barrel needs to be aimed as carefull as a rifle bullet.

IF I KNEW I was going into a situation where I would have to use force to protect myself until the authorities had things in hand, then I could be happy with a 12 gauge. I'd more likely carry an CAR15. Or head the other way entirely. ;)
But as a "just in case' type thing, I'd prefer something more discreet which would simply be a part of the preparation, not a primary focus.


Clothes revisted:

Spare socks are worth more than most other items of clothing. Long underwear and/or clothing that can be layered for warmth is very important in cold climes. Completely loosable in warmer situations.
Don't foget the usefulness of a loose fitting hat in hot/desert locations and a snug fitting warm on in the cold. Gloves too. I can remember one late season exploration hike in the rain in high elevations. My rain gear kept my body no more than damp. The crossing and recrossing of the stream I was following was not too bad with the boots and pants I was wearing. But my feet were far from dry. It was not miserable cold and I was not thinking about that factor much. But when I got back to the rig I found that I was influenced by the cold more than I realized. It took a few minutes of work and frustration before I could even get the door handle open on the '40. Took a bit more before I could get the key in the ignition without dropping it. Really got my attention. Like I said, I didn't feel that cold, but my hands just refused to work right! ;)

Staying warm is important!!!


Food is more important in the cold too. You burn a lot of calories just staying warm. High carb/suger foods are the order of the day. Quick and easy to digest and easy to pack.


Your food, as well as all of your other gear is better if it is not particularly eye catching. Plain, inexpensive and boring stuff will serve you better than something that identifies you as "some sort of survivalist" or marks you as a target of any sort.


Mark...


IF you choose to carry a firearm (I would), you want it to be a very small part of you overall situation. With a shotgun in hand you world will tend to revolve around the gun to a (IMHO) too large degree.
 
Food.

As a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger school and later an instructor, I can tell you that you can go a lot longer on a lot less than you think. A Kalahari Bushman knows this but the average North American does not. 2 days without a meal is no big deal. 2 days without water is a very big deal. 2 days (or less) wet and cold can easily put you in the ground and at a minumum will screw up your motor functions and decision making.

My opinion is that it is pretty much a given that in a worst case situation you will not have everything (or anything) you need. Your needs will be dictated by where and when your personal adventure starts. It is a fact that what you need will be different smack in the middle of the Sahara desert than it is in the artic circle in January. Your "vision quest" even has good chance of kicking off with out you even knowing it. As a example, a few years ago my wife and I were bopping thru the Sharr mountains bordering Kosovo and Macedonia bullshitting and not paying a great deal of attention when suddenly there we were in a mountain white out. Potentially this was a serious situation. The key point is we had done treks in this area a number of times and felt well within our comfort zone but things change - just like that.

Worst case (survival) can I think be broken into 2 major groupings.

1. Stuck in a bad situation for a limited amount of time. You can build a kit to help you deal with this fairly easily and make a effort to have it handy. Your main goals for this kit are to stabilize your core body temp and keep hydrated. Knowlege and Attitude are key along with good old fashioned LUCK. People who you think shouldn't have any problem can die at the drop of a hat and people you think should die, don't. Once again I suggest you pick up a copy of Cody Lundin"s 98.6 as a starter. It isn't perfect, but pretty darn good. If you don't get thru the limited amount of time situation you won't have to worry about #2

2. Long term survival is different animal and once again is highly dependant on where and when and is a Grand Canyon of a subject.

I will make an effort in the next couple of days to lay out my daily be-bopping around day pack and take some pictures so you can see how small it can be. My kit is not 100% of everything I could possably need in every situation every where in the world. It is intended to give me a jump start on that really bad day.

Good luck.
 
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I keep 3 kits,

Personal Kit (1-2 Days) everything fits into a fanny pack.
Truck Kit (3 - 5 Days) Always in the Truck
Home/Base Kit (5 - 15+ Days) 2 roughnecks and Water containers

I normally go throw these once a year and rotate out anything perishable. I can't find my list of what is in each right now but I will be going throw and refreshing each kit in the next month, afterwards I will be able to post up their contents

 
well so far i've already made a few adjustments to my pack according to some of the excellent advice tahts been offered.

ditched the cotton shirt for a synthetic made by underarmor

ditched the sternos in favor of solid individual fuel tabs

ditched can opener

added LED light

added Gerber compact utility tool

added candles

added 100' 550 line

added 200 yd 20# spiderwire fishing line

added fishooks

added 2 thermal emergency blankets (didnt realise how small these suckers are)

ditched fullsize and small towels

added MSR packtowel

consolidated 2 MRE meals

added ranger vest

will be adding MSR warterworks soon




FYI i pretty much have a goal of 72hrs for this kit.
 
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man this thread is great! I dont really have a "survival" kit setup atall yet...but living here in colorado, I am well aware that I will need it before I begin my summer wheeling adventures....I plan to get something setup and then go somewhere far up into the Silverton/Ouray backcountry...leave the car, and practice using the equiptment and basic survival stuff...I figure its a good thing to have under my belt before I leave for college.

MJ1015- looking forward to seeing the pics of your stuff.
 
well i'll tell you honestly, the basics are cheap, but some things get pricey, i just dropped $200 on some of the kit for my bag today, and i still need a water filter (yeah i'll be boiling in the meantime) individually everything is fairly cheap, its just when you consider how much you can and need to fit in a well packed bag its staggering. i'm trying to learn to be creative and find effective low cost solutions for some of these items, cuz hell, $200 would have been nice to sink into a lift or tires ect. i mean driving a stock FJc is embarrasing. even your buildup has upgrades! (btw nice job with that truck!) and once you start packing a survival bag or bug out bag or whatever you wanna call it, its pretty addicting stuff, preparedness is a great thing my man.
 
How about zip ties?

Alvaro
 
zip ties are a great add.

Also there are small waterproof containers you can get at military surplus stores. They are a little larger than a pack of cigarettes. Put all your small stuff in those, and it will keep it all dry.

They also have larger (sleeping bag stuff sack) soft plastic sacks that are waterproof. You can stuff clothes, towel, and other non-sharp things in those. I payed 3 or 4 bux for mine. Blow it up with air, spin it tight, and see if there are any air leaks.

Military surplus stores are the bomb for finding all kinds of goodies.

I paid less than 10.00 for three waterproof containers, three boxes of fire tablets, and 2 of those stuff bags.
 
yeah, zipties are awesome, one time i made a GPS system out of zip ties. ok, no, not really, but they're pretty damn cool anyway.
 
FYI i pretty much have a goal of 72hrs for this kit.


Don't focus on any sort of timeframe too much over activities occurring during that timeframe.

Heck, with warm clothes and a couple of granola bars I could hole up in a niche for 72 hours and sleep, read, watch the clouds go by or whatever and call it a vacation. ;)


Mark...
 

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