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Survival and Prepping

Nice kit Jarnhammer.

My wife and I took the same idea when we originally did ours years ago, we wanted to be able to go 'camping' for a week or two on zero notice. Nowadays we have kinda slacked off to the point were our bob is two rubber maid totes and sks for her and 308 for me (my wife is extremely competent with an iron sight sks... kinda scares me)

I have to admit, these threads make me want to go rebuild one proper like ;)
 
PuckChaser said:
I saw the radio and immediately felt you'd be better off with a HF radio if you're talking about prepping/survival scenario. Unfortunately, it's incredibly difficult to find a modern HF transceiver in a small form factor like your HYS.

Have you thought about a crank powered shortwave radio? In a zompocalypse scenario, a lot of comms are going to revert to old-school HF/shortwave to get messages out. It would be your best way to RX info from other non-zombie people.

+1.

HF radio makes sense to me. I believe you can also prepay SATCOM services (Inmarsat, Iridium etc) but that requires those satellite constellations to still be in orbit and functional. Also it will be far more expensive...depends how crazy you want to get.

Ideally my perfect mix would be something like a PRR between myself and my group, and SATCOM/HF for long haul.

Do you have an HF set up that you like/suggest PuckChaser?



 
Hey Jarnhamar,

Nice kit, thanks for adding in the comparisons too.  I like the PowerGas for my MSR Pocket Rocket, am trying out some Optimus stuff to see how it compares in the colder weather.  If you ever looking for a potset, I bought one of these suckers and they're pretty effin awesome.  Optimus Terra Weekend HE.  I opted to spend another $20 and pick up the windscreen off Ebay...wicked little system for canister stoves. 

Something to consider maybe...I carry a repair kit in my backpacks as well.  Some replaceable strap buckles, fabric repair kit, GORTEX repair kit, other little inexpensive do-dad's for hooking/hanging/strapping stuff onto my packs.  https://www.mec.ca/en/search/?text=buckle  I carry a 1/2 roll of duct tape in my backpack (and some in my helmet bag too), but I wrap it around an old bank card or something...makes it flat, fits anywhere.
 
Jarnhammer

Interesting kit.  I assume you intend to bug out.  My one observation is that the tomahawk is a great combat weapon but a poor tool.  I used one as part of my bush craft kit but ended up getting a Small Forest Axe (hatchet with 17 inch handle).  It hammers pegs and nails, processes wood much better and still splits skulls. 
 
My intent would be to Bug In. 

(There's really only about 1 or 2 scenarios that this would not be the case.)

As a member of the CAF, I would expect that if there is a major disaster situation in this area again, I'll end up involved in some way in the recovery process.  Meaning that my family will need to have the necessary materiel to subsist and survive while I'm at my day job. 

Personal thoughts on firearms.

1.  Must be reliable.
2.  Must be common caliber (.22/12ga/5.56/.308/.303/7.62x39/9mm)
3.  Must be capable of multi-use (hunting or personal defence)

If I'm carrying a firearm, there will be a small number of possible reasons:

  • -I'm issued one as part of the uniformed military response to the 'situation'
    -I must hunt for subsistence
    -Rule of Law situation dependence

The question of Rule of Law is, perhaps, the most important consideration. From my perspective, there are 3 possible scenarios.

1.  ROL has not been broken.  There is a police presence, and I am liable to be held accountable for my actions in a court of law.

2.  ROL has been broken, but is likely to return.  There is a limited police presence, but they are overwhelmed due to the scope of the situation.  It is highly likely that I would be held accountable for my actions in a court of law.

3.  ROL has been broken, and is unlikely to return.  The situation is of such a magnitude that the fabric of society has broken, and it is unlikely to quickly be repaired.  It is unlikely that I would be held accountable for my actions, there are no courts, and the police have scattered.


My considered response with respect to carrying firearms is different in each circumstance. 

In case 1, we face a 'normal' disaster response.  Hurricane Juan, or White Juan.  I assume that I'll be out helping, and a firearm is not quite the last thing on my mind, but pretty close to it.  I'll be running the neighbourhood's chest freezers and fridges with my generator again (most likely) and making coffee for all of them too(again) after helping with the OPS Center setup like I did in 2003.

In case 2, consider yourself to be in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, or the LA Riots in the early 90's.  Am I going to be like the Korean shop-keepers who manned the roof of their store with rifles?  Am I going to be the guy with "YOU LOOT, WE SHOOT" painted on the garage door?  Good question.  Moving around openly carrying firearms is asking for someone to shoot you first in this situation.  Defending your abode with force-on-force in a loss of Rule of Law scenario is an easy sell to a judge afterwards.  Going out with an AR-15 slung on my shoulder while I go to the local gas station to get my gas ration is probably a tougher sell.  The police will most certainly dis-arm and probably arrest you if you're moving around openly armed.  So, I think the answer here is that when in situ, presenting a hardened/aware target, with the ability to show lethal capability on a moment's notice is key.  If you must travel in this situation, having a discreet capability is important, because open presentation will result in you being seen as a threat.

The only case where I'd definitely openly display a firearm would be case 3.  If that happens, well, the fire-trench is dug, the Browning is emplaced, there's a rotation setup to cover the street, the rifle is carried, and the holster is full.  Mad-Max, here we come?

Of these, which is most likely?  Situation 1.  Guns not likely to be necessary.

In situation 2, when in situ, any rifle/shotgun/long-arm will do.  When travelling, that's when a handgun/PDW/Carbine would be best.

In situation 3, Mad-Max it up!

NS
 
Jarnhamar said:
Sundays show and tell.

Rainy day so decided to throw up a quick post and picture, I'll probably flush it out and clean it up later.

I've been rebuilding my bug out bag to a sort of hybrid version.  It's easy to load these things down with everything you 'might' need to the point where BOB's that people build push 100+lbs and turn into a walking hardware store.  They seem to take on a more fantasy aspect than practical.  I redid my bag (still a work in progress) to set it up as a BOB/go bag that I can grab it and basically go camping with for a week with just a few worst case item additions.

few items are missing from the picture, work in progress etc..

16atvz6.jpg


Bag is a Mystery Ranch Satl 3-day assault bag.

Environmental:
Snugpak Merlin 3 sleeping bag. Light weight, more of a summer bag but I supplement that with a ranger blanket and bivy bag which adds quite a bit of warmth. I'll be adding a snugpak silk liner for even more warmth and I have 2 space blankets (which can also serve as bag up shelters). I'd switch it out with a heavier snukpak bag when it gets colder.

Arcteryx Alpha rainsuit. Worth double their weight in gold, buying "factory seconds" will save you a lot of money. I added an Arcteryx Atom hoodie for warmth. Used to use Snugpak elite jackets but these are just as warm (if nor warmer) and less bulky/heavy.
Snugpak Ionosphere 1-man tent. Might switch to a hammock down the road.
Toque, gloves, 2 pairs of socks, underclothes.

Nav/comms:
I keep my spare GPS (Garmin vista CX) and batteries packed in here.  Silva Ranger compass and 2 maps of the area I haunt. (gotta throw in a road map too)
School flip phone with prepaid calling cards-important numbers saved into the contact list
HYS tc-uv99 hand held radio.  Chargers for the hand held radio and cell phone included
Power Monkey Solar charger, going to upgrade down the road to something with a larger solar charger.


Cooking/Water:
Jet boil Zip with a few canisters- used to have an MSR whisper light thinking the fuel supply would be easier come by if the apocalypse hits but it ended up being a hassle and messy.
Cooking pot got destroyed so I'm picking up either a Jetboil cooking pot and pan or if I'm cheap, picking up one of those old British army style mess tins.
Wide mouth Nalgene water bottle- I've seen a couple little DIY projects where people build survival kits and put them inside the bottle, pretty neat.
MSR Dromedary 10L collapsible bag
Life Straw (not shown)
Water Tablets
Down the road I'll pick up some kind of water purification system.  Katadyn Hiker Pro maybe.
MRE's, dehydrated packs and other high energy food stuffs.



Tools:
Sog Fusion Tomahawk- I'm not sure if it's just the tan coloured version or it's a new feature but the handle on this one feels almost rubberized which is a huge improvement over the grip of the older ones (which felt plastic and slippery)
Esee CM6- Less for utility function and more for my morale
Gerber multitool
Couple micro lights. Surefire light with a rail attachment to mount it on a firearm. Headlamp (missing)
hygiene kit including baby wipes.
Glowsticks and arctic candles.
Small fire starting kit (not shown)
Small survival kit in an Altoids tin.

First Aid Kit:
More on that later, prescription pill organizers are pretty handy.


Firearms:
2rqh82x.jpg


One of the most agonizing decisions to make IMO. I''m leaning towards the KelTec Sub2000 9mm or KSG 12GA.  I like these because they're discreet and you can pack them away pretty easy. Both are non-restricted so quite legal on crown land. 
The Sub2000 has the benefit of range (pretty accurate out to 100m) and it takes pistol mags so you have 10 rounds at a time. With the longer barrel the 9mm hits pretty hard.
KSG gives you 14 rounds of incentive for bears wolves and  Freedom haters to go away. Attached a 4 round shell-holder but I'm considering upgrading to a rail-carrier (below) that gives another 14 rounds close by. Need to figure out how to attach a bayonet..

412-e7RlS9L.jpg

No Credit card? :)
 
Jarnhamar said:
Sundays show and tell.

Rainy day so decided to throw up a quick post and picture, I'll probably flush it out and clean it up later.

I've been rebuilding my bug out bag to a sort of hybrid version.  It's easy to load these things down with everything you 'might' need to the point where BOB's that people build push 100+lbs and turn into a walking hardware store.  They seem to take on a more fantasy aspect than practical.  I redid my bag (still a work in progress) to set it up as a BOB/go bag that I can grab it and basically go camping with for a week with just a few worst case item additions.

few items are missing from the picture, work in progress etc..

16atvz6.jpg


Bag is a Mystery Ranch Satl 3-day assault bag.

Environmental:
Snugpak Merlin 3 sleeping bag. Light weight, more of a summer bag but I supplement that with a ranger blanket and bivy bag which adds quite a bit of warmth. I'll be adding a snugpak silk liner for even more warmth and I have 2 space blankets (which can also serve as bag up shelters). I'd switch it out with a heavier snukpak bag when it gets colder.

Arcteryx Alpha rainsuit. Worth double their weight in gold, buying "factory seconds" will save you a lot of money. I added an Arcteryx Atom hoodie for warmth. Used to use Snugpak elite jackets but these are just as warm (if nor warmer) and less bulky/heavy.
Snugpak Ionosphere 1-man tent. Might switch to a hammock down the road.
Toque, gloves, 2 pairs of socks, underclothes.

Nav/comms:
I keep my spare GPS (Garmin vista CX) and batteries packed in here.  Silva Ranger compass and 2 maps of the area I haunt. (gotta throw in a road map too)
School flip phone with prepaid calling cards-important numbers saved into the contact list
HYS tc-uv99 hand held radio.  Chargers for the hand held radio and cell phone included
Power Monkey Solar charger, going to upgrade down the road to something with a larger solar charger.


Cooking/Water:
Jet boil Zip with a few canisters- used to have an MSR whisper light thinking the fuel supply would be easier come by if the apocalypse hits but it ended up being a hassle and messy.
Cooking pot got destroyed so I'm picking up either a Jetboil cooking pot and pan or if I'm cheap, picking up one of those old British army style mess tins.
Wide mouth Nalgene water bottle- I've seen a couple little DIY projects where people build survival kits and put them inside the bottle, pretty neat.
MSR Dromedary 10L collapsible bag
Life Straw (not shown)
Water Tablets
Down the road I'll pick up some kind of water purification system.  Katadyn Hiker Pro maybe.
MRE's, dehydrated packs and other high energy food stuffs.



Tools:
Sog Fusion Tomahawk- I'm not sure if it's just the tan coloured version or it's a new feature but the handle on this one feels almost rubberized which is a huge improvement over the grip of the older ones (which felt plastic and slippery)
Esee CM6- Less for utility function and more for my morale
Gerber multitool
Couple micro lights. Surefire light with a rail attachment to mount it on a firearm. Headlamp (missing)
hygiene kit including baby wipes.
Glowsticks and arctic candles.
Small fire starting kit (not shown)
Small survival kit in an Altoids tin.

First Aid Kit:
More on that later, prescription pill organizers are pretty handy.


Firearms:
2rqh82x.jpg


One of the most agonizing decisions to make IMO. I''m leaning towards the KelTec Sub2000 9mm or KSG 12GA.  I like these because they're discreet and you can pack them away pretty easy. Both are non-restricted so quite legal on crown land. 
The Sub2000 has the benefit of range (pretty accurate out to 100m) and it takes pistol mags so you have 10 rounds at a time. With the longer barrel the 9mm hits pretty hard.
KSG gives you 14 rounds of incentive for bears wolves and  Freedom haters to go away. Attached a 4 round shell-holder but I'm considering upgrading to a rail-carrier (below) that gives another 14 rounds close by. Need to figure out how to attach a bayonet..

412-e7RlS9L.jpg

Do you have a family ?  Only asking because your kit seems to be for 1 person. 

Any suggestions for a 2 adult 1 child BOB ?
 
PuckChaser said:
I saw the radio and immediately felt you'd be better off with a HF radio if you're talking about prepping/survival scenario. Unfortunately, it's incredibly difficult to find a modern HF transceiver in a small form factor like your HYS.

Have you thought about a crank powered shortwave radio? In a zompocalypse scenario, a lot of comms are going to revert to old-school HF/shortwave to get messages out. It would be your best way to RX info from other non-zombie people.

I've been meaning to take a fancy HAM radio class a few of my friends took, sounded like pretty interesting stuff. We picked up the HYS on a pretty good deal, 6 of them for $25 each. We have a radio with hidden antenna set up at a cabin and vehicles have radios in them.  HF radio is something I definitely want to look into.

Jarnhammer

Interesting kit.  I assume you intend to bug out.  My one observation is that the tomahawk is a great combat weapon but a poor tool.  I used one as part of my bush craft kit but ended up getting a Small Forest Axe (hatchet with 17 inch handle).  It hammers pegs and nails, processes wood much better and still splits skulls.
You got me, like the big knife it's more for ambiance and morale (with a bit of firewood cutting)  ;D  My tomahawk has a small flat area intended to use as a hammer but it's not really practical. For any long period in the woods I'd most likely switch it for hatchet though I gotta say those Fusion Tomahawks are ridiculously sharp. I've cut through some pretty intimidating sized trees with it.

Do you have a family ?  Only asking because your kit seems to be for 1 person. 

Any suggestions for a 2 adult 1 child BOB ?
That set up is for one yes. I do have kids and I actually set up camping go-bags for them a while ago. Important items to note were age appropriate medicine, they're favorite food and shit for them to keep occupied like coloring books and toys.



One far fetched item I've read about, which could double as something to entertain kids, would be a little RC drone with camera that you can link to your smart phone.
 
Add one of these:

http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?p=69725&cat=2,40725,45454,69725

Can charge your phone with it even!
 
A supply of wire, that you could use for building an expedient antenna, or other repairs..........Where did all the WD 1 go?
 
I have some pretty solid neighbours so I expect we will band together, thankfully one of them has closed their daycare, I didn't want to think how we were going to care for another 10+ kids for up to a week or more. Making good connections with the people around you is going to be key, you will know who to trust and who to wary of.
 
Good references:

http://patriotrising.com/survival-pdf-files-manuals-guides/
 
I made a pr
NavyShooter said:
Add one of these:

http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?p=69725&cat=2,40725,45454,69725

Can charge your phone with it even!

I'm going to pick one of those up. I forgot to hold on to one of those windup radios we used to give the Afghans, pretty cool this one charges a phone.
this is pretty cool too.
http://www.bioliteenergy.com/products/biolite-campstove
Little stove you an cook meals or heat water with wood which also charges mobile devices.

 
Another rainy day.


BOAT (Bug Out Altoid Tin)

4l0v91.jpg

velx04.jpg

166ipw0.jpg




Altoid Tin - it's good luck if you buy a pack of these and eat the mints all at once.

Outside
Signalling Mirror
Thick rubber bands- vital to keep this sucker closed
Patches of thick gun tape stuck/layered on the top and bottom of the container.
1/2 Hack saw blade wrapped in gun tape.

Inside
Trojan water carrying device- if you're fixed it's absolutely vital to explain to your partner why you have this in your gear, along with supporting articles and links...
Alcohol swab
Commando/NATO wire saw- garotting unsuspecting wolves and bears etc..
Bic lighter- much easier than dicking around with matches
Button compass
Wire- snares, manly stitches
Microlight
Pencil with guntape
Safety pins
4x water purification tablets- might add more
Thread
Button- I heard they make a soup :)
2x Gravol & 1x Imodium
CRKT RSK MK5- comes with it's own altoids tin [ http://www.crkt.com/Ritter-RSK-Mk5 ]
2x Bandaids
Few fish hooks and needles taped to inside lid
Paper
Cotton balls

 
Jarnhamar said:
Another rainy day.


BOAT (Bug Out Altoid Tin)

4l0v91.jpg

velx04.jpg

166ipw0.jpg




Altoid Tin - it's good luck if you buy a pack of these and eat the mints all at once.

Outside
Signalling Mirror
Thick rubber bands- vital to keep this sucker closed
Patches of thick gun tape stuck/layered on the top and bottom of the container.
1/2 Hack saw blade wrapped in gun tape.

Inside
Trojan water carrying device- if you're fixed it's absolutely vital to explain to your partner why you have this in your gear, along with supporting articles and links...
Alcohol swab
Commando/NATO wire saw- garotting unsuspecting wolves and bears etc..
Bic lighter- much easier than dicking around with matches
Button compass
Wire- snares, manly stitches
Microlight
Pencil with guntape
Safety pins
4x water purification tablets- might add more
Thread
Button- I heard they make a soup :)
2x Gravol & 1x Imodium
CRKT RSK MK5- comes with it's own altoids tin [ http://www.crkt.com/Ritter-RSK-Mk5 ]
2x Bandaids
Few fish hooks and needles taped to inside lid
Paper
Cotton balls

There are some good 'survival tins' on the market these days, if you don't have the time or inclination to build one from scratch. I assume that there's a NATO Issued product out there somewhere too and, if so, I believe every soldier should be issued one.

http://www.shop.survivalkitsusa.com/Military-Scout-Pocket-Survival-Kit-Tin-SK1340M.htm

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRITISH-ARMY-BCB-COMBAT-TIN-KIT-NATO-ISSUE-SAS-MILITARY-SURVIVAL-TA-CADET-/390488338931

http://www.bestglide.com/ultimate_survival_usaf_info.html

 
Or you can purchase the ultimate belt (currently available on Kickstarter)

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wazoosurvivalgear/the-ultimate-everyday-and-travel-accessory-cache-b?ref=project_page_recs
 
dapaterson said:
Or you can purchase the ultimate belt (currently available on Kickstarter)

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wazoosurvivalgear/the-ultimate-everyday-and-travel-accessory-cache-b?ref=project_page_recs

That's really cool.
 
dapaterson said:
Or you can purchase the ultimate belt (currently available on Kickstarter)

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wazoosurvivalgear/the-ultimate-everyday-and-travel-accessory-cache-b?ref=project_page_recs

I'd love for the owners of the filled versions to explain that to CBSA/TSA/CATSA/etc.
 
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