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Survival kit
- Thread Starter TrustInFew
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I'll go with rice, grains, sugar and powdered milk.
i guess this kinda depends on your definition of "survival kit", as there are many "survival items" for each kind of kit...
Are you talking about a Get Home Bag. Bug out Bag, Bug in Bag? What would you need survival from?
I only ask these questions to get you thinking about what your overall objective is, as there would be different items in each, and some of the same items in each....
The bare necessities would be Water, Food, Shelter, Safety. from there, you need to figure out what your objective would be.. ie. get home, get the f out, stay in, etc....
Just think of the rule of three, meaning you can live.... 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food....
Are you talking about a Get Home Bag. Bug out Bag, Bug in Bag? What would you need survival from?
I only ask these questions to get you thinking about what your overall objective is, as there would be different items in each, and some of the same items in each....
The bare necessities would be Water, Food, Shelter, Safety. from there, you need to figure out what your objective would be.. ie. get home, get the f out, stay in, etc....
Just think of the rule of three, meaning you can live.... 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food....
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Before you can even start prepping you have to define what you are preparing for.
What myself or others are prepared for might not make sense for you based on location and needs. Once you define what you are preparing for then it will be an easier question to answer.
What myself or others are prepared for might not make sense for you based on location and needs. Once you define what you are preparing for then it will be an easier question to answer.
You need to stock up on food that has a long shelf life, ways and tools to making food, water, a means of purifying water, first aid(be thorough on this), candles(the "Jesus" candles at BiMart or the like last way way longer than those expensive 9 hour candles), matches, firesteel, tools to build and/or repair things with, small wood burning stove, SAS, guide to edible plants and practice.
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Foremost, a good fixed bladed knife at least 4 inches in length. You get what you pay for.
MSR Miniworks EX and a 32 ounce Nalgene bottle to connect to it, (carrying LOTS of water is the biggest hassle ever). Wrap a few dozen yards of Gorilla or duct tape around the bottle.
A metal match and a magnesium block. Substitute two different ways to easily light a fire that aren't fuel dependent, though an adjustable flame lighter can be thrown in for failure's sake.
Solo Stove. 9 oz of burn any organic material you can find goodness.
One steel or titanium cup or pot for heating water.
Mountain House. If your short term bug out food isn't freeze dried, you're doing it wrong.
Binoculars: 4 or 5 power preferred. If you can see trouble you can avoid trouble.
A baseplate compass with mirror and a map of your area.
An LED flashlight and at least two changes of batteries should afford you hundreds of hours of light. A LED headlamp also is small and a plus.
A handcrank powerable AM/FM/Shortwave receiver. USB charging capability for a cell phone a huge plus. News/weather is important.
A concealable 9mm handgun and three mags (ex. M&P9c) + at least one 50 round box of JHPs for reload. 9mm is the best trade off between weight and effective enough.
A Ruger 10/22 rifle. Takedown model if you can buy one, a regular one if you can't. Two rotary mags, two 25 rounders, two bricks of .22lr. Rifle will fit in a backpack, take down will fit in an even smaller pack. Again, weight and effective enough.
A box of non-lubricated condoms. (Water containers when coupled with a bandanna.)
At least 50' of authentic paracord in a dark color. Buy some clearance Christmas crap with bells on it and strip the bells for cheap and easy perimeter security.
A rudimentary first aid kit. Make sure it has ibuprofen and immodium in it. Hundreds of multivitamins can't hurt. Malnutrition can set in earlier than you think.
An impermeable tarp or at least eight by eight feet, preferably 12x12. Make sure there are lots of grommets.
About 10 of the smallest backpacking tent stakes you can get. Don't abuse them, they're handy for guying out your tarp.
A deck of Bicycle plastic playing cards. Boredom is a killer.
A package of steel guitar strings or two. Snares to go for five bucks or less on sale.
The oft-reviled space blanket. Try one--or two. It works, especially in combination with dry debris or pine boughs.
A synthetic pair of underwear and a polypro sweatshirt. Warmth that won't absorb moisture.
One or two pair of Smartwool socks. Some talcum powder if you have room.
Either cut your hair off or get an unbreakable comb.
Dental floss, flat, and waxed. More cordage in a small space, can be turned into an improvised wick in a field candle.
Ziploc style bags stuffed into one or two heavy duty dark trash barrel liners. More easily stowed containers and/or shelter.
A magnifying glass. Mine is on a Swiss Champion with all of the tools. Fire source, and magnifies splinters, stickers, and thorns for removal.
A good small pack to carry this stuff. Maxpedition, Kelty Eagle, a Duluth Pack, something that can be slung and/or waist strapped. A bigger pack is required to conceal a rifle.
In a BOB, weight is your extreme enemy. Don't pack any useless stuff.
MSR Miniworks EX and a 32 ounce Nalgene bottle to connect to it, (carrying LOTS of water is the biggest hassle ever). Wrap a few dozen yards of Gorilla or duct tape around the bottle.
A metal match and a magnesium block. Substitute two different ways to easily light a fire that aren't fuel dependent, though an adjustable flame lighter can be thrown in for failure's sake.
Solo Stove. 9 oz of burn any organic material you can find goodness.
One steel or titanium cup or pot for heating water.
Mountain House. If your short term bug out food isn't freeze dried, you're doing it wrong.
Binoculars: 4 or 5 power preferred. If you can see trouble you can avoid trouble.
A baseplate compass with mirror and a map of your area.
An LED flashlight and at least two changes of batteries should afford you hundreds of hours of light. A LED headlamp also is small and a plus.
A handcrank powerable AM/FM/Shortwave receiver. USB charging capability for a cell phone a huge plus. News/weather is important.
A concealable 9mm handgun and three mags (ex. M&P9c) + at least one 50 round box of JHPs for reload. 9mm is the best trade off between weight and effective enough.
A Ruger 10/22 rifle. Takedown model if you can buy one, a regular one if you can't. Two rotary mags, two 25 rounders, two bricks of .22lr. Rifle will fit in a backpack, take down will fit in an even smaller pack. Again, weight and effective enough.
A box of non-lubricated condoms. (Water containers when coupled with a bandanna.)
At least 50' of authentic paracord in a dark color. Buy some clearance Christmas crap with bells on it and strip the bells for cheap and easy perimeter security.
A rudimentary first aid kit. Make sure it has ibuprofen and immodium in it. Hundreds of multivitamins can't hurt. Malnutrition can set in earlier than you think.
An impermeable tarp or at least eight by eight feet, preferably 12x12. Make sure there are lots of grommets.
About 10 of the smallest backpacking tent stakes you can get. Don't abuse them, they're handy for guying out your tarp.
A deck of Bicycle plastic playing cards. Boredom is a killer.
A package of steel guitar strings or two. Snares to go for five bucks or less on sale.
The oft-reviled space blanket. Try one--or two. It works, especially in combination with dry debris or pine boughs.
A synthetic pair of underwear and a polypro sweatshirt. Warmth that won't absorb moisture.
One or two pair of Smartwool socks. Some talcum powder if you have room.
Either cut your hair off or get an unbreakable comb.
Dental floss, flat, and waxed. More cordage in a small space, can be turned into an improvised wick in a field candle.
Ziploc style bags stuffed into one or two heavy duty dark trash barrel liners. More easily stowed containers and/or shelter.
A magnifying glass. Mine is on a Swiss Champion with all of the tools. Fire source, and magnifies splinters, stickers, and thorns for removal.
A good small pack to carry this stuff. Maxpedition, Kelty Eagle, a Duluth Pack, something that can be slung and/or waist strapped. A bigger pack is required to conceal a rifle.
In a BOB, weight is your extreme enemy. Don't pack any useless stuff.
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You have some good basic answers already.. I would ask: What is it you envision happening that you will need it? Then you have defined you basic mission parameters
For me it's pretty extreme since I believe what the Good Book actually says (not what the false 501C government approved churches teach)
For me it's pretty extreme since I believe what the Good Book actually says (not what the false 501C government approved churches teach)
IMHO, as others have mentioned, one of the first things you need to do is to define what you are attempting to "survive." Significantly different levels of preparedness needed for surviving a long term nuclear holocaust winter versus a "normal" emergency like a power outage or losing one's job.
However, that being said, once you begin preparing for the run of the mill issues that plague everyone (like ice or wind storms, power outages etc) then you're getting ready for larger events as well. It's a matter of degrees and depth of your preps.
Water, shelter, food, heat/energy, protection, and first aid are all areas you should consider. How you address each of them depends on whether you're in your vehicle traveling, at work, at home, etc.
May I suggest listening to Survival Podcast and going to the forum? There's a LOT of good information there ranging from permaculture/organic gardening, economic freedom, to hunting and gathering.
Good luck!
However, that being said, once you begin preparing for the run of the mill issues that plague everyone (like ice or wind storms, power outages etc) then you're getting ready for larger events as well. It's a matter of degrees and depth of your preps.
Water, shelter, food, heat/energy, protection, and first aid are all areas you should consider. How you address each of them depends on whether you're in your vehicle traveling, at work, at home, etc.
May I suggest listening to Survival Podcast and going to the forum? There's a LOT of good information there ranging from permaculture/organic gardening, economic freedom, to hunting and gathering.
Good luck!
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survivalmonkey.com and paleoplanet survival forums are great, too
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A better way to "prepare" is look how people lived just 100 years ago. They lived off the land a lot more. Knew how to do things with their hands. Knew how to survive daily life in what now most would consider a survival situation.............
For thousands of years people have survived quite well. Only in the past 100 years have things seemed to have changed the most. While lots of modern things are very nice to have most are not needed to truly survive.
For thousands of years people have survived quite well. Only in the past 100 years have things seemed to have changed the most. While lots of modern things are very nice to have most are not needed to truly survive.
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The easiest route is to skim through the "what did you do to prep today? " thread and see what others are storing.
And I say skim because the thread has sooo many good pages and sooo many people prepping,you can't miss much by just skimming,lol
Then as others have said,take what YOU think is best for your family and start there. Like double or triple everything you have at your house right now.Maybe more for the little one.
And I say skim because the thread has sooo many good pages and sooo many people prepping,you can't miss much by just skimming,lol
Then as others have said,take what YOU think is best for your family and start there. Like double or triple everything you have at your house right now.Maybe more for the little one.
And..."Two is one, one is none" when it comes to providing something you need (i.e. have at least 3 wasy to do it!)
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Consider transportation with the kiddos in mind. A 18 month old is 20 to 30 lbs and not able to walk distance. So a wagon, stroller etc becomes really important if you want to carry any gear. I keep a chepo umbrella stroller in every car trunk, also have a bob stroller at home. But would not hesitate to borrow a grocery cart if I had to...
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I was actually just brainstorming that the other day. Making a heavy duty wagon/cart to pull stuff if you had to get out of dodge and all traffic was screwed too much gear to travel far on your back. plus you could haul the weak ppl in your family when needed. Takes no gas and would be great camping and such anyways. Sears sales one but I think I got just enough materials layin around to make one or atleast get a good start to it... Good ol redneck enginuity lol
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Welcome, Trustinfew...you are in good company.
Bravo on the notion of preparing for your family. Few things you do in life will give you such peace and yet such worry at the same time!! ha ha ha
anyways....I've been there done that with the prepping for an infant (I've been prepping since I was about 4 months pregnant and now my son is a little more than 3 years old.)
prepping for a family is different than prepping for a single dude who can hump 50 lbs of supplies and ammo out into the wilderness....
Aside from what's already been mentioned here are a few things to consider:
Leaving your home will be an absolute last resort. If you are inner city, and the city is rioting or on fire; then you might try to leave to go stay with family out in the countryside or even a sub-urb if nothing else is available. As glorious as some people and survivor fiction might make it seem, going out into the wilderness with a small child is not a realistic option. I've carefully considered our options and have decided that barring the most extreme circumstances, making our last stand RIGHT HERE is our best choice. We have plans for "bugging out" for a few of the worst situations; but that is not our MAIN PLAN.
As important as guns and ammo are; those are not the MOST IMPORTANT prepping items for a small family. Let's just face it...you are a small family and you cannot accept any casualties. If you get over-run by a gang of 12 thugs....then oh-well. It sucks, but there wasn't much you could have done about it besides banding with neighbors for a turf-war, or not being there when they showed up.
The biggest threats to your survival will be water, food, sanitation and medical (in that order). You stand almost no chance against looters, riots or armed gangs besides running away, and how far and fast can you really run with a baby? And of course you will not leave your family....so you are anchored to wherever they are- best to fortify that place.
As awful as it sounds, some things we cannot protect against because of our situation. Once you accept that, it will actually bring you peace and clarity because then you can move on and prepare for situations that you CAN improve...
I won't re-invent the wheel here, but I'll throw a quick list out
*rice
*beans
*pasta
*powdered milk
*cloth diapers, velcro wraps and wipes
*liquid pain/fever reducing medicines suitable for babies and toddlers
*hand sanitizer gel
PLEASE feel free to PM me if you want more specifics and I'll be happy to share. I've got a lot to share, but I don't want to overwhelm you....
Bravo on the notion of preparing for your family. Few things you do in life will give you such peace and yet such worry at the same time!! ha ha ha
anyways....I've been there done that with the prepping for an infant (I've been prepping since I was about 4 months pregnant and now my son is a little more than 3 years old.)
prepping for a family is different than prepping for a single dude who can hump 50 lbs of supplies and ammo out into the wilderness....
Aside from what's already been mentioned here are a few things to consider:
Leaving your home will be an absolute last resort. If you are inner city, and the city is rioting or on fire; then you might try to leave to go stay with family out in the countryside or even a sub-urb if nothing else is available. As glorious as some people and survivor fiction might make it seem, going out into the wilderness with a small child is not a realistic option. I've carefully considered our options and have decided that barring the most extreme circumstances, making our last stand RIGHT HERE is our best choice. We have plans for "bugging out" for a few of the worst situations; but that is not our MAIN PLAN.
As important as guns and ammo are; those are not the MOST IMPORTANT prepping items for a small family. Let's just face it...you are a small family and you cannot accept any casualties. If you get over-run by a gang of 12 thugs....then oh-well. It sucks, but there wasn't much you could have done about it besides banding with neighbors for a turf-war, or not being there when they showed up.
The biggest threats to your survival will be water, food, sanitation and medical (in that order). You stand almost no chance against looters, riots or armed gangs besides running away, and how far and fast can you really run with a baby? And of course you will not leave your family....so you are anchored to wherever they are- best to fortify that place.
As awful as it sounds, some things we cannot protect against because of our situation. Once you accept that, it will actually bring you peace and clarity because then you can move on and prepare for situations that you CAN improve...
I won't re-invent the wheel here, but I'll throw a quick list out
*rice
*beans
*pasta
*powdered milk
*cloth diapers, velcro wraps and wipes
*liquid pain/fever reducing medicines suitable for babies and toddlers
*hand sanitizer gel
PLEASE feel free to PM me if you want more specifics and I'll be happy to share. I've got a lot to share, but I don't want to overwhelm you....
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One thing to think about before you get too carried away focusing on surviving a "Zombie Apocalypse" is to research where you are living and see what has happened there in the past (Floods, Mudslides, Droughts, etc.) For example if you live (west, I think) of the Willamette you get those contaminated water warnings all the time so for you it would be wise to prepare for that (plastic 55 gal drum with a water spout and hose) However at the same time you wanna be prepared for anything both Natural and man made (riots, fiscal collapse) but you should focus on the what is most probable. As far as what gear you will be buying.
Even the most simple everyday challege could prove disaster if your not prepared. So research your locations geography and history to help determine what you should prep for. And then prep for that and then prep for everything else lol know that sounds confusing but hopefully makes sense enough.
Even the most simple everyday challege could prove disaster if your not prepared. So research your locations geography and history to help determine what you should prep for. And then prep for that and then prep for everything else lol know that sounds confusing but hopefully makes sense enough.
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All of the above is excellent and sage advice, but don't fail to address two specific issues in your planning... 1. An eight month old baby will require diapers and baby wipes... a lot of them. 2. The wife will require feminine hygiene products. If either one is uncomfortable in "that way" they will not be happy, if they are not happy you will be VERY unhappy. If you are VERY unhappy, you won't have your head in the game... and you all suffer, maybe even die (horribly).
As mentioned above, its a LOT easier to compile BOB or GHB for a 150-250lbs. man, but I have a wife, three sons, and three daughters and all of them can shoot (and I have awesome weapons and plenty of ammo for everyone). Needless to say, not only am I amassing a reasonable food stockpile, but things like TP (that's a huge consideration), soap, toothpaste, water treatment/filtration, feminine hygiene products... For us, I plan to mainly "bug in" and we'll DEAL with looters/rioters (if need be).
I have enough able family members in my household, and also have decent neighbors (that watch each others backs) that we can maintain a 24/7 "picket line" for general security. The reason I blather on is because you should put some thought into KEEPING your survival kit.
As mentioned above, its a LOT easier to compile BOB or GHB for a 150-250lbs. man, but I have a wife, three sons, and three daughters and all of them can shoot (and I have awesome weapons and plenty of ammo for everyone). Needless to say, not only am I amassing a reasonable food stockpile, but things like TP (that's a huge consideration), soap, toothpaste, water treatment/filtration, feminine hygiene products... For us, I plan to mainly "bug in" and we'll DEAL with looters/rioters (if need be).
I have enough able family members in my household, and also have decent neighbors (that watch each others backs) that we can maintain a 24/7 "picket line" for general security. The reason I blather on is because you should put some thought into KEEPING your survival kit.
