Survial Kit

[Damn Yankee]

All right I'll start

With all of these threads about surviving some kind of tragedy or civil unrest what are you going to grab and head for safety? Or are you going to die at home from the mobs taking what they want from you?

First aid kit
Some food
Water or chlorine to make drinking water
Arms and ammo

Much more can be mention but when the car runs out of gas what are you going to carry on your backs

And you people who say you are stocked up for a year, what are you going to do when 25 or 50 of us who are tired and hungry come to your door?
Share you supply's or shoot us?

Lets try to keep this civil and have a good discussion.

I am in my mid 70's so are the surviving masses going to say you have lived your life I am taking care of myself?

 

[Gunslinger808]

what are you going to do when 25 or 50 of us who are tired and hungry come to your door?

Sorry, but unless we've made plans to join up prior to any incident, your on your own.
I'm not going to starve due to someone elses lack of fore sight.
In a survival situation that severe, there are Two types of people, those that prepared and locust.

 

[mc5aw]

Depending where you are when all heck breaks loose, heading for safety may simply require going home, locking the door, and waiting things out.

As to roving hoards knocking on doors, I'd estimate that most people who are hunkered down and armed in an emergency situation will not allow two dozen or more desperate souls within spitting distance of their front porches.

Failure to plan is not a failure on anyone's part but one's own.

 

[Sebago Son]

I already live where most people would bug out to.

I'm ready.

If you show up and I don't know you you better be ready to barter for lead because there ain't no freebies here.

 

[Grayfox]

I intend to hunker down at home.
In my truck I keep what I refer to as my "Bug In" bag. Odds are that IF something should happen, it'd be just my luck that I wouldn't be at home. Its a small backpack with several days of food and water, a few basic survival needs, a weapon and ammo. Its job is to get me home.

As for the unprepared, they should have been. Tough luck.
And if 25 or 50 of them try to take my place, they will pay heavily for the attempt.

I really hate to be this way. Normally I'm a nice guy willing to help a neighbor. But consider this, if you share your supplies today everyone will eat well. Tomorrow everybody, including you, will be hungry again.

 

[Stevens]

I can't thing of a safer place than home.
Steve W.

 

[Gunslinger808]

Really, another point I'd like to make for those that want to bug out.
If you're going there, chances are pretty much the rest of your local population is as well.
The mountains might seem a big wide open area, but not when whole citys empty.
You thought it was bad getting a camping spot on the 4th of July?

ETA:
To me a bug out is more for a localized event such as train derailment, weather related problems, ect...
If it's state or nation wide, might as well stay home, cause there isn't going to be much safety in movement.

 

[Alpo]

And you people who say you are stocked up for a year, what are you going to do when 25 or 50 of us who are tired and hungry come to your door?
Share you supply's or shoot us?

Shoot you. Every one of you. Fill the front yard with corpses if necessary.

This is something that people have to decide.

It's like if you carry a gun. If you make the decision to carry a gun for self defense, then you must also have already made up your mind to kill someone. "If you try to hurt me or mine, or take what is mine from me, I will kill you". If you do not have that already in your mind, then carrying a gun is dangerous to you. When the bad guy is standing there saying, "Hand it over" is not the time to start deciding if you can shoot someone.

And by the same token, if you have not already made the decision that, "I worked for this; I went without for this; I suffered for this. This is mine, and ain't nobody gonna take any of it", then you are wasting your time preparing, because someone that has made the decision, "I will take whatever I want from whoever has it" will take it from you.

 

[jlrhiner]

I'll stay here as long as I can. Then to the farm.
I'll be nice when I can, hard when I have to. I feel everyone has the same chance as me to prepare. Those that I care about have nothing to worry about.
Be prepared!
I've lived it most of my life. Know how to make fire, at least 3 ways. Know how to harvest water. Know how to hunt and how to prepare game. Know how to build a shelter. Anything you can do to make these things easier on yourself, do.
You'll need a good pocket knife. I'd rather have my pocket knife than my Randall. But that dosen't mean I wouldn't take it. I also would want a good hatchet, if possible.
I carry a Zippo, although I don't smoke. I can also start a fire with a flint and steel, a bow drill, battery and steel wool, mini MagLite, compression and some household chemicals.
A good quality first aid kit. Mine is a commercial kit with a larger back up.
For shelter, I like a US surplus poncho with the liner. Having a tent or bivy sack is icing on the cake. (so is a sleeping bag)
I carry about 100' of 5/8" kernmantle style rope and 4 'biners. Also as much paracord as I can.
A lensatic compass. And the knowledge to use it.
I have a small watertight container that I keep another small first aid kit, a dozen tea bags with a dozen sugar and creamer packets. 12ea. beef and chicken bouillon cubes. A space blanket, a roll of heavy waxed decoy thread, a Bic lighter and a bottle of water purification tabs. Also a metal signal mirror and a SAK. This all fits in a 6"x8"x2" container.
I didn't cover firearms, as well, you ought to have that covered. The ideal survival gun is the one you have.

Now for Zombie's, that's completely different.

 

[MP1983]

if you rely on daily meds, you better have them...

likely I'd hunker down at home myself...if I had clean water running from the spicket in the front yard I'd make it available to those who need it....

if things got so ugly that civil unrest was the order of the day with no sign of relief, whatever we say here won't amount to a hill of beans...

 

[old bear]

As with most of the others here I'm staying in my home, or will be doing my best to get back there. I'm a city kid, I got no chance of trying to start a fire with a flamethrower and five gallons of high test, so why leave my comfort zone. As for the hungry masses ending up at my door, God forbid, demanding food and shelter well bears last stand is going to be
fought from the second floor front bedroom shooting down. I would never be able to stop a large determined mob, but I will not be going to my reward alone.

 

[redlevel]

And you people who say you are stocked up for a year, what are you going to do when 25 or 50 of us who are tired and hungry come to your door?
Share you supply's or shoot us?

I would provide a meal for hungry children, say under 14 years. I would order everyone away within the hour, and start enforcing the order. If I had plenty of greens growing, I would send them away with enough for another meal.

I am only about two generations removed from people who lived a semi-subsistence life. I can remember a time when most rural people in my area produced at least 50% of what they consumed. Living in a warm climate makes the job much easier. I know how to live on cured meat, dry beans, and turnip greens. I planted turnips, kale, and collards Friday. Second planting. The first planting is about ready to eat.

I realize the tactical problems involved in defending a farmstead, but after two or three months, I believe that would ease off. The hordes coming out of Atlanta and Macon would run into some serious firepower, and some serious will and ability to use it in this part of Georgia. Practically everyone I know is less than a minute from weapons at any given time, and many, if not most of us, are armed all the time now. You would be hard pressed to find a truck in Taylor County without guns and ammo. Most homes have at least one gun handy at all times, and dozens available quick as we can get the safe open.

I realize it is trite, but "A Country Boy Can Survive."

 

[Sebago Son]

Up here in the Northern Climes we have another whole set of problems... 4 months out of the year you will die if you are outside and unprepared.

Even Zombies freeze at 20 below.

 

[chud333]

We can skin a buck, we can run a trot line, a country boy
can survive.
From Hank Williams Jr.

Chuck

 

[Sebago Son]

I've read the 'tweets' coming out of Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Hartford and frankly, I'm taking them at their word. If the election goes wrong for them, they intend to do vilolence.

I travel on business and drive alot. Yesterday I was in Hartford. I am in Boston, Providence, Manchester, Worchester, Springfield, Bridgeport and New Haven often. I could see any of these cities being a problem if the balloon goes up.

Without going into politics I will be enhancing my mobile armory for the next few weeks. I've added a disassembled 870 and a hundred rounds of ammo. I've parked the Grand Marquis and am driving the Tahoe. I want to be sure I can get back home if trouble flares up...

Drew

 

[mc5aw]

I've read the 'tweets' coming out of Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Hartford and frankly, I'm taking them at their word. If the election goes wrong for them, they intend to do vilolence.

I travel on business and drive alot. Yesterday I was in Hartford. I am in Boston, Providence, Manchester, Worchester, Springfield, Bridgeport and New Haven often. I could see any of these cities being a problem if the balloon goes up.

Without going into politics I will be enhancing my mobile armory for the next few weeks. I've added a disassembled 870 and a hundred rounds of ammo. I've parked the Grand Marquis and am driving the Tahoe. I want to be sure I can get back home if trouble flares up...

Drew

Drew ... I won't inquire as to what you do business-wise, but I will say that you travel some tough territory. Throw Waterbury into the mix, and you have the worst cities in CT-RI-MA covered. Stay safe in that Tahoe ...

 

[old bear]

I've parked the Grand Marquis and am driving the Tahoe. I want to be sure I can get back home if trouble flares up...

Not a bad idea, nothing like a big old honking SUV to make one feel a little safer in tough times.

 

[brucev]

Members of the Chicken Little society do from time to time come out in the barnyard, look up and see the sky falling, especially as particular times such as Y2k, 2004, 2008, 2010 and now... 2012.

Apocalyptic EOTWAWKI scenario's make interesting fodder for Sci-Fi and Zombi type books and movies. Reality is that modern society is integrated at a high level. For most people the possibility of successful long-term primitive living is small. Most normal folks live normal lives going to work, coming home, taking care of their families. They do not have acreage in the country, vast storage capacity for food/fuel, etc. They do not have livestock and equipment for transportation, plowing, etc.

If the situation is only of limited duration... perhaps 3 days to a week, most folks will be fine simply staying home. A reasonable amount of basic staple foods, bottled water, etc. and a well chosen supply of quality ammunition for any necessary HD/SD will be all one needs. Not drawing attention to oneself but rather adopting a low profile will be the best strategy for successfully getting through such a period of trouble.

In a EOTWAWKI social meltdown, options will be few. Those who work together will survive better than individuals trying to stand alone. As resources are exhausted people will grow desperate. And desperate people will do desperate things. Mobile groups will seek out places where resources are available. And all the talk about shooting people, etc. if they come will be just that... talk.

When it comes right down to it, no single man or small group of people is going to successfully stand for long when a number of determined organized people come knocking at the door. If those who come knocking are naive, poorly organized, unarmed or ill-armed, their success will be limited. Otherwise, they will have the advantage. The very best chance of long term successful living in a post-EOTWAWKI situation will be to find a small group of people with whom one can band together and work to establish safe housing, food, security.

 

[Prodigal Son]

The way I see it, if you leave a few "laying" in the front yard others will think twice. You don't have to get them all.....just make them wonder if they are next.

 

[wbraswell]

If my TV and air conditioning go out, I'm killing everybody.