The other morning I came to consciousness making a list of the various items that I needed to pack in a survival bag. I have no memory of the dream that must have sparked the composition of the list, but I've been thinking about it on and off ever since. Does anyone have such a bag packed? Do you feel like having such a pack leans more toward paranoia or common sense? I haven't put one together yet, but I'm leaning toward doing so, and weighing what to include and what to leave out. How much water, for example, should you pack? Water is heavy; maybe it would be better to invest in a really good camping filter, and only pack a litre or so? How much food? I wouldn't include canned goods in such a pack, simply because of the weight, but I'd certainly include a can opener. What other tools do you think would be worth their weight?
Obvious items for inclusion would be: Some water Some food Can opener Aforementioned water filter Change of clothes Pair of hiking boots Swiss army (or other multi-tool) knife Flashlight Radio Spare batteries for both Medical kit Road flares Pepper spray Huge bottle of aspirin Several lighters Compass Mylar emergency blanket Indelible ink marker Several wooden pencils Spiral notebook Asp or other collapsible baton Clothesline Duct tape Toiletry items
Anything else? Or is this too much stuff? Anything on there that isn't worth the weight of carrying it? I would probably, in an emergency situation, change into the boots at first opportunity, so they wouldn't really count toward the weight of such a pack.
What do you think about weaponry, from the pepper spray and asp mentioned in my list to firearms? To what degree, in an anarchic situation, would a pack like this be more of a liability than an advantage (due to other people wanting it)? Anything that could be done to mitigate the attractiveness of such a kit to other people who might be inclined to take it from you?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Oh, my. I just had this discussion on another forum. Maybe I'll get back to you when I'm not burnt out any more.
Suffice it to say, having a baby with you really adds what you need to take. And I'd consider several of those things absolutely unnecessary, but I see several things I wouldn't leave home in an emergency without (like emergency cash, brief medical history information, and vital documents in a waterproof pouch.)
And no, it's not paranoid. I've had such a pack prepared for as long as I can remember. It's in the same category as practicing fire and earthquake drills.
Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :
I don't see the point of duct tape or clothesline, and toiletries may be a luxury when what you're trying to do is stay alive.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Yeah, emergency cash and vital documents make sense, although I'll have to think about what those documents would be. I'm looking back on my list trying to see what you see as unnecessary. There are a couple of things (the notebook, marker, and pencils) that aren't necessary by any stretch of the imagination, but they're light weight and compact enough that I don't see any reason not to include them. The flares a person could probably do without, although they'd be pretty handy for attracting attention from emergency rescue people.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
The clothesline and duct tape are just handy for binding stuff up. I'm always surprised at how useful stuff like that is in non-emergency situations, and I expect it would be equally handy in emergency situations as well. The toiletries are a luxury, absolutely, but a toothbrush and toothpaste take up very little room. Of course, if you assemble enough things that take up very little room, they end up taking up quite a bit of room, don't they? Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
I think duct tape and clothesline is a great idea. You can use duct tape for so many things... like taping up your boots when you've walked a million miles to get away from the baddies. And clothesline can be good for drying your clothes from washing them in the stream...and for setting traps for motorcyclist baddies... and anything you need a line for.. maybe some sort of fishing implement?
Be on your own for a while, and you'll probably find tons of uses for both things.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Don't you always have to have duct tape and matches? Aren't those the universal tools that MacGyver always used????
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Vital documents: birth certificate, photo ID (preferably state-issued), marriage license, copies of insurance policies, or at least the policy number and type, vaccination records for children, the like.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
A flint would be a good idea, too.
I'm thinking post-apocalyptical here, maybe... like after the destruction of civilization. Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :
There are many resources to get a list of items for emergency kits.
I'm thinking of having a storage box of emergency items in the back of my car, but won't be including water since we're approaching winter and it will freeze.
And, I would love to add this to my emergency preparedness kit - a TV/radio/flashlight that you crank by hand to power, so you don't need batteries! I really would want just a radio or flashlight by itself, the TV part is maybe too much.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Civilization is not likely to break down permanently and leave people able to go wandering around with a survival kit. Most likely, you'd be fleeing your home in an emergency heading for someplace safer and more organized. That's what we prepare for, anyway.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
CaySedai, they sell flashlight/radio combos that run off your choice of solar, dynamo (crank), or battery power. I know 'cause we have one. Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Yeah, for that kind of survival kit a flint is in order, no doubt.
One of those sleeping bags that packs into a tiny little roll wouldn't be a bad idea either. You'd want to rig it up so that you could clip it onto the outside of your pack, I'd say.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
If you're using a frame pack, there's a place for that already. Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
Smokey's backpack has a place to attach her bedroll. I think of it more for camping than for disaster preparedness, though.
Posted by Derrell (Member # 6062) on :
Prescription meds and a copy of the prescription.
Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :
kq: what brand? Where did you get it?
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Go buy a thumb drive, a little hard drive that can fit in your pocket or hook onto your keychain. Scan all of your vital documents, and save them as graphics or PDFs to the drive. They won't be legal documents -- those you should be protecting somewhere safe -- but you'll have insurance numbers and suchlike to hand.
Granted, you'll also need access to a computer to get at them, but if you expect to travel any distance you'll be near a library or public PC access.
You can also scan and store precious photos (such as family photos or, say, a photo gallery of the contents of your house before the disaster, for insurance purposes), artwork, whatever.
I keep a backup of my writing and other documents on a disk at work just in case I lose my stuff at home, but a thumb drive can go with you everywhere. Just bought one for a friend of mine who's going to Ireland next month for just this purpose.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
You know, I hadn't really thought much about it, but the severity of emergency you anticipate of course dictates a very different type of kit. I was imagining something between Katarin's "civilization's end" kit and KQ's "get to the next town" kit.
I've been looking at the various sites that CaySedai linked to, and the LDS one definitely seems the most complete to me.
Items from the various lists that I hadn't thought of, but will probably include in my pack are: a couple of candles a hatchet a camping shovel eating utensils collapsible cup tin plate a roll of garbage bags a box of peptobismol tablets
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Chris, that's brilliant. I hadn't thought of anything like that at all.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Magnifying glass. That could be quite useful for starting fires.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
I think something somewhere in the middle of the end of civilization and just needing to get to the next town could also happen.
Of course.. I think it's the end of the world, and bad things are coming.
Edit: and that's exactly what noeman said.. about it being in between. I need to pay more attention..
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:kq: what brand? Where did you get it?
I have no clue where we got it, but I'm pretty sure we didn't pay as much as they're charging at this link. But that's the only photo I could find of the exact kind we have (although ours is pewter, not yellow.) There are lots of different kinds, though; google "dynamo solar radio flashlight" to get a bunch of different brands and a wide range of features and costs. Oh, and it's nice and light, about 3 ounces, but works well. Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
::nods:: That's the type of kit I plan to pack.
Man, this pack is getting expensive.
In terms of food, what ready to eat foods capable of long term storage have the best calorie and nutrient to weight ratio? I'm thinking nuts, beef jerky, and energy bars...what else? Powdered milk maybe. Beans and rice would both require cooking, but would probably be worth packing a bit of anyway.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Check out backpacking stores for good sources of lightweight, nutrition-dense food.
Of course, it's not the best tasting stuff ever, but better than starving.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
From another forum: one-person 72hour food supply that fits in a milk carton.
You must include include 2 liters of water for the dry mixes in this pack, have a cup, a spoon and 9 sugar packets.
Date packed__________________
This list/menu is placed outside the "quart" milk carton (not half gallon).
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Actually, in a situation like the one you'd be packing such a kit for, not-so-tasty is probably a good thing. You don't want it to be so delicious that you're tempted to overeat for comfort reasons.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
How about various sizes and strengths of sterilized needles and thread, not sure if these are included in one of your kits. Not only for repairs of tarps, blankets, backpacks and waterproofs, if the need arises, but also (correct me medicos if this is NOT a good idea) for potential major wound repair, if no help is on the way.
I would definately include pencils and paper because you never know when writing something down to remember it is going to feel very important, especially in a worse situation than a better one.
Toiletries as your "luxury item" I think is a good idea because feeling clean is a lot better and more comforting than feeling dirty.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
It's quite possible you'd be tempted to overeat for comfort reasons no matter what; we're almost all accustomed to eating far more than we actually need to survive.
Please remember that the list I posted was for an adult and is to "get you by" for three days. If you are packing a 72-hour food supply for kids, you need to pack more food.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Teshi, butterfly bandages should be in your first-aid kit.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Ah! See, I wondered that something would be somewhere. I'm just not all that up to date (or whatever) on medical things so I wouldn't think of butterfly bandages!
Still, you can't fix a tarp with a butterfly bandage (or you might not want to), so a strong needle and some strong thread wouldn't take up much space and could be very useful.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
My 72 hour kit has many of the things on your list, but man it's so heavy! Actually just the water (1 gallon a day for 3 days) is almost too heavy. I've taken out 2 of the gallon jugs.
You thought of everything in mine except for I have a nice big hunting knife and sharpening stone. Also my sleeping bag.
But Noemon, Noemon, Noemon, didn't you read Hitchhiker's? How could you forget a TOWEL?
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Penneys had one of those flashlights that you shake to generate power for it, no batteries necessary.
While is is a little impractical for most people, having it in this type of pack would be worth the $15, I think.
It has a fairly decent little blue-white light, and the bulb never needs replacing either...at least not for most wear and tear.
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
Those shaky-flashlights are cool. Since I first saw one I've been waiting to see one utilized dramatically in a horror movie.
--Enigmatic
Posted by Brian (Member # 8629) on :
I happen to be a little paranoid when it comes to emergency preparedness and such. Guess what my first merit badge was as a scout. Emergency preparedness. Then wilderness survival and first aid. So I have given these things a lot of thought.
My system for being prepared for any emergency, yet not having to lug a million things I won't need, is to break things down into groups. So besides my basic kit that has a knife, flint, food, water, first aid kit, etc., I keep one bag packed with everything I would need to go camping. Another has stuff I would only need in the winter (extra blankets and coats and such.) And a bag of things that I might need while 4-wheeling (shovel, tow strap, chains). Firearms and camoflage, just in case. And of course, a diaper bag. Then I keep them clearly labeled and ready to grab. And I keep extra water and food handy, so whatever room there is in my truck/car/backpack, I can fill up. But I agree, it's still best to find ways to conserve space and weight, like the suggestions about the milk carton 72-hour food supply, and multi-purpose items like duct tape. And I hadn't thought of the legal documents, with .pdf copies on a jump drive. Great ideas!
I also keep some basic stuff in my truck, which I keep full of gas in case we need to drive to my mom's house. Between she and my grandma, they probably have enough non-perishable food storage to feed the whole neighborhood for a few months. So that's my plan for my family.
[ September 23, 2005, 11:12 PM: Message edited by: Brian ]
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
One suggestion I heard for keeping your rations in your 72 hour kit rotated is to eat them every conference, for LDS types, or at daylight savings for normal people. You know, when you are all religiously rotating your smoke alarm batteries. Personally, I think for this first round of MREs we are going to have to go camping somewhere to get folks to eat them. Here's another link for an LDS related emergency preparedness program: KBYU TV
The trouble with counting on Grandma's food storage, Brian, is that a lot of people are going to have the same idea but if you are in Utah, there are going to be a lot of armed checkpoints that go up almost instantly after any disaster to prevent migrations between neighborhoods. It's not in any official plan and definitely not endorsed by the church. But there are a lot of gun owners here.
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