Guide to Preparing and Survival - The Gear

[AZ Prepper]

A very well written and thought out blog post that I thought you'd enjoy...

Guide to Preparing and Survival - The Gear
By: Chris Ludwig
http://www.angryludwig.com/blog-post...tid=bpCFZPPOIT


Get Home or Get out

Over 81% of the US Population is urban or suburban. This guide is intended to give usable real-world advice on preparedness and urban survival.

Some will advise stockpiling massive amounts of preps and equipment, others will advise age-old wilderness survival techniques, and others advise “armed-to-the teeth” combat tactics. I don’t prescribe to any of these schools of thought. To me preparedness must be logical and practical. Your equipment and preps should be useful to you in the real-world and part of your everyday life. They should be cost effective, even saving you money.

My equipment list is not intended to be a shopping list for you. This is my list based on what is important to me, and what works in my environment. You’ll need to customize this for your environment and needs. My preps are designed to cover the most common and likely scenarios for survival. My plans assume that there will be a viable eco-system left on earth post SHTF. If there is not a viable ecosystem on this planet, any “survival” is pure fiction anyways in my opinion.



Having food or water at home is the most basic of preparations, and it’s cost effective if done in the manner described here. But what if you’re not at home? What if your residence is destroyed or uninhabitable? What if your home preps are lost?

This is where the BOB, or Bug out bag comes in handy.

Personally I carry mine with me everywhere I go. It’s never further away than my car.

I call it my man-purse, rather than my BOB which gets a laugh or a snicker.

I started out with a single, small pack then later expanded to two with the first being an everyday pack / 72 hour pack, and the second being designed for more long term use. My truck also has supplies hidden away. The dual packs can be carried together or I can give one to a partner to carry to lighten my load. There is some minor redundancy between the two packs incase they become separated.

PACK A: Is my primary, it’s designed for daily use in my urban / suburban environment. Pack A has useful equipment for every-day use. It’s not designed for long-term survival, but I could live out of it for about 72-hours, perhaps a bit more or less depending on the emergency. It’s intended to get me home or get me away from home for a few days, whatever the situation calls for.

Weight: About 15 pounds (It’s important to keep this pack light. You can’t depend on your car or public transportation. You must be able to stay mobile and active on foot without your pack weighing you down. NOTE: TRUST ME on this one: Test your pack before committing to its contents. A pack may feel comfortable with a weight that’s not a burden; but you need to test it. Take it on a long hike, keep it on for an extended period of time, and you may realize it’s more of a burden than you think.

PACK B: Will be covered later in this article. Its more of a outdoor survival back. The equipment is less suited for day-to-day urban use, but much more useful for hard-core survival. This pack is rarely far from me, but almost never on me unless hiking.

Caution: Before we go any further, I must point out that this guide is not intended to be followed verbatim. This gear that I carry is customized to my skills and to my environment. The most important survival prep is water. The human body will begin to fail very quickly without water. Be aware that you body will require about a half gallon of water per day, more if you’re taking in the water in non-direct forms such as other commercial beverages.

Water is, without a doubt the most critical survival prep, but unfortunately is also a very heavy, large volume supply. I have an addition 5 gallons in the truck, and another 20 at home, but if I’m on foot, only 2 days worth. This is a bit dangerous, and can be completely unacceptable in some environments.

Fortunately for me, both my primary residence, and my escape routes are saturated with large fresh water supplies that can be easily purified.



If you’re not in such a situation, forget a lot of the “cool stuff” and make water about or more 50% of your overall preps.

Buying a pack: Casual or MOLLE?

There are two schools of thought here:

1. Get a non descript pack that won’t get any attention thus allowing you to keep a low profile.

2. Get the best most practical pack you can, because your life may depend on it.

Personally I went with option 2; and got military-grade gear although option 1 is smart too and is something I strongly considered. The main reason for my decision is that I don’t want an untested pack with me in a critical situation, and I don’t want to carry around a cheap non-customizable pack on a daily basis.

The gear I went with is called MOLLE or MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. MOLLE gear consists of backpacks, vests, and leg platforms which are covered in attachment points for other MOLLE gear, this gear being various pouches, pockets, holsters, and whatnot, most designed for a specific item(S), with some being more general. The MOLLE system is great because it’s customizable for the gear you want to carry. I keep my MOLLE modules inside my pack for organization and quick access. If I need to pick something up and store it I can always move these pouches to the outside of the pack creating an overall larger pack. It’s very convenient.

Pack A Equipment:

Survival in the woods is different that urban survival. To this end, Pack A (my urban pack has a lot of tech.

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Notebook Computer: Not many pure survivalists would put this in their BOB, but I do. Tech is my specialty. I selected one that is very light weight with very low power consumption. I work with technology for a living, which is the main reason I need this with me.



But it has other more “survival” uses:

1. Being able to access the internet and interface with other technology will be VERY useful in urban survival in all but the most extreme situations.

2. Knowledge is power and a massive amount of information can be stored and organized on a computer. The weight of the notebook isn’t much higher than a single book, yet I can store an entire library’s worth of information.

3. Even if you’re a minimalist, you probably can’t deny that having your photographs, favorite music, favorite books, and so on with you would be very comforting and soothing to the soul, just when you need it the most.

How to select and configure notebook for survival:

1. Power consumption should be your number one concern. A computer is useless without electricity so select a notebook that can be powered indefinitely from solar power. I suggest keeping it under 25W. My CF-18 can be directly powered by the sun (18W).

2. Weight and Size: Smaller and lighter is always better when you have to carry something. Be sure to check the overall weight and size including the power adapter and battery.

3. Toughness: Rugged Military / Industrial computers may be a good choice but they are very expensive and have the down side of being considerably bigger and heavier than a normal notebook. I personaly use the Panasonic Toughbook CF-18 which is a fully rugged, mil-spec, convertable tablet pc. Its also a smaller one, only 11 inches accross and under 5 lbs.

4. Get SSD!: I can’t stress this enough; most notebooks and netbooks have hard drives, but don’t fall for the big GB numbers, while SSD (Solid State Hard Drives) and much more expensive per MB, they consume less power and are much more rugged. Normal hard drives are very fragile and have complex precision moving parts, solid state does not. I highly recommend going with a smaller amount of reliable memory over the hard drive.
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Cell Phone

My personal choice is the Motorola Droid with the Android OS. It has an excellent GPS, a great set of software and tools, and can store yet another copy of my important information. It’s also easy to charge via any of the three power sources I pack. I also carry a standard SIM-based phone in Pack B (more info below)----------------

Mobile Power:

I carry three devises for power:

Brunton 26Watt foldable solar panel

Folds down to just 11in x8in, 1 in thick and weighs under 2lbs. This flexible solar panel can provide enough power to run and recharge many devices. It can also charge any 12v battery such as those found in cars. The Brunton 26 is remarkable in that it can provide a good amount of power even on cloudy days and produces enough power to run a cell phone even under just a light bulb!

Duracell 100W inverter with 4 amp hour battery

Weight: just over a pound. AC out plus USB out. This serves and power storage for any device under 100 watts. Its quickly recharged by the solar panel and can act as a power filter for sensitive electronics which may be damaged if directly connected to the panel (example computer).

Tekkeon TekCharge Mobile Power and Battery Charger

Charges up to 4AA Batteries via USB and can provide power via USB from the AA batteries to power cell phone or other USB device.

I carry 4 sets (12 batteries total) of Eneloop rechargeable AA batteries. Eneloop batteries, unlike most rechargeable do not lose their charge over time.



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Food and Water

I carry a full bottle of water with me in my Katadyn Exstream water purifier bottle. I generally drink it all during the day, it’s not a “survival only” water bottle, but I can insert the filter and then refill it from almost any water source to keep clean water with me.

I don’t carry any “survival food” in pack A but I do keep a number of snacks that I like. My own trail mix, breakfast bars, jerky, stuff like that, stuff I like and eat on a regular basis while sitting in traffic or to get some quick nutrients while in-between running errands or business meetings. I replenish this supply at home as I use it. All the food is selected for taste, high calorie, complex carbohydrates and protein. All if it can last for months if not used.

The food is contained in a modular MOLLE bag that can also be attached to the outside of the pack, so that in a survival situation I can free up internal space for salvaging as I go.

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Tools



My main tool is the Leatherman Charge TTi. Ever since I was a Boy Scout, some 20+ years ago, I’ve always carried a multitool. The Leatherman ones are the best by far. Don’t waste your time with lesser multitools, or Swiss Army knives, get an American Made Leatherman!

Leatherman sells a huge line of multi-tools, get one that fits your needs. Mine is constructed with titanium handed and all blades and tools have an excellent locking mechanism.

I also carry the simpler, much smaller Leatherman Juice C2 in my pocket at all times.

The pack also has a few other tools of my choosing not found in the Leatherman.

Just pick what you need . I’ve changed the tool lineup several times to reduce weight. I also carry electrical tape, paracord, and duck tape which can be useful for repairs and makeshift tools.

Flashlight: Don’t forget to carry a good flashlight with you. The Surefire E2D Defender Flashlight is a good choice, as it’s very bright, and very tough. So tough in fact that it can be used as a weapon. Originally I carried this in my pack, but I moved it to my AR-15



and “downgraded” my flashlight to a Rayovac 3V LED light. Why? Well the Surefire uses C123A 3.3v Batteries. Using these requires me to carry another battery charger and set of batteries, while the new flashlight used AA batteries. I decided to standardize all of my equipment to run on AA so that I only need to carry one battery type and charger.
I also carry a backup magnetic induction flashlight which gets charged by shaking it. It’s not very bright, but certainly better than nothing.

My AA equipment includes (not all in this pack):

• The Tekkeon TekCharge: Which converts 4 AA batteries into a 5V USB power source.
• Garmin Rino 530HC GPS / 2-Way Radio (see below)
• Backup Radio system, CB Radio, and Scanner (see below)
• Flashlight
• EoTech M552 Weapon sight

Firearms



Carrying a firearm is personal choice, I would not claim (like some) that this is a “must have” nor would I suggest to do without it. If you are not comfortable or trained with firearms, I suggest not carrying one, or leaning to familiarize yourself with the gun before carrying it.

A gun can be very useful for hunting food and for personal protection (which may be critical even in a short-term survival situation.

Here’s my personal advice on firearms:

1. Avoid trouble: Armed or not, skilled or not, you’re always better off avoiding conflict.

2. No matter now skilled or tough you are, there is always someone better; don’t be over confident.

3. Pulling a gun can drastically escalate the danger level of a situation, do not ever threaten someone with a gun. Either abruptly kill them or keep it hidden.

4. Guns are very difficult to shoot accurately when you’re under stress. Just because you’re good at the gun range do assume you’re going to be accurate and proficient in a high-stress situation. Unless you’re experienced in combat, chances are you’ll be shaking uncontrollably and your heart rate will be through the roof the first time you get into an armed conflict.



Again, don’t be over confident.

If it’s not legal to carry a gun in your area, I’d advise against it. You have a higher chance of ending up in jail than it’s worth. I live in Illinois where carrying a concealed weapon is illegal, but transporting one is not. Keep the loaded magazine out of the firearm and keep the firearm encased in your pack and you should be fine. I also suggest printing a copy of the “How to Legally Transport Your Firearm” document from the Illinois State Police web site. Not all police are familiar with the law and you may need to present this if harassed by an officer.

My personal choice for carrying is the Glock 19 (pictured above). It’s small, lightweight and reliable. I’ve fitted it with a Lasermax, guide-rod replacement laser site and I carry 2 magazines of 9mm (30 rounds).

The gun is housed in a modular MOLLE pack that can be easily removed from the main pack and either attached to the outside, freeing up internal space, or removed entirely and left in the car’s lock box if in a situation where carrying it is impractical or illegal.

Heavier weapons such as the LWRC M6A2 pictured above, or a shotgun may also be part of your survival preps, but since they dont fit in the BOB I will cover these in another article.

Assorted other small stuff

• Pen, Pencil, small paper notebook (waterproof)
• Lighters, waterproof matches, trioxine fuel bars
• About $400 cash in assorted bills, backup credit card, and state-issued photo ID
• First aid kit and medications: Includes basic wound treatment , rehydration salts, hand sanitizer, immobilizing bandage for wrist or ankle. Meds for pain, GI problems, and antiseptics.

PACK B:

Pack B Usually just sits in my car. It’s a larger more comfortable pack that I take with me when I’m on foot, camping, stuff like that. Pack B is more of a “survival” kit, less useful in day-to-day life. It’s also less urban in its functionality.

Pack B is more serious about survival, although pack A is more useful day-to-day, If I could only take one pack, it would be pack B.

There is little Tech in this pack, but there is some.

Radio Frequency Scanner


About the Picture: the picture here is the Garmin Rhino 530HC, Uniden scanner, Backup Cell Phone / PDA, Tekkeon AA Charger (PackA) and the Solio H1000 Solar Charger / Battery.

A portable scanner that can pick up on police, fire, air traffic, marine and HAM radio bands. This can be very useful during a disaster. It can provide you with the locations of assistance, or road blocks to avoid. It’s a good tool for general knowledge and situational intelligence. This device is sometime also in pack A. It is powered by AA batteries.

Garmin Rhino 530HC GPS with both a long life lithium battery (lasts roughly 24 hours) and a AA battery pack.
The 530 is also a GSRM radio transmitter, a weather radio, an altimeter, a barometer with trend graph, a thermometer and more. It’s a useful tool, but it’s also redundant with the Android Cell phone which also has all these feature and more; but the Rhino is much tougher, water resistant and doesn’t rely on cellular network which is finicky best. It also has pin-point off-road GPS navigation. I loaded the Rhino with typographical maps of the surrounding 500 miles around me providing me with useful escape data especially if the major roads are impassible or dangerous.

NOTE: Geocaching : The devise is accurate enough that I could burry a soda can anywhere in the world and you could find it with the coordinates. For those who REALLY like to plan ahead, you could hide or bury supplies all along various urban escape routes then retrieve the supplies and you move!

Backup Cell Phone

Just another cell phone for emergencies. It runs Windows CE and has a 16GB storage card with yet another copy of important data and the ability to display most of it. More importantly, unlike my Droid, this is a SIM based phone which means that it can accept most working SIM cards from other phones. Its also on the t-mobile network while the Droid is on Verison.

Solio H1000 solar panel

A lightweight solar panel with storage battery for powering a variety of small devices including all USB devices. It can also charge the AA batteries in the Tekkeon from pack A.

This device is redundant, but it’s lightweight and small. The idea being that if Pack A were lost, I’d still have some power.

AM / FM / Weather Radio which has a rechargeable battery, or can also be powered with AA batteries. The device also has a hand-crank for powering the device and or charging its battery. It also has USB-out for powering a cell phone, a 3-LED flashlight, and can broadcast and receive GSRM radio.

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Food and Water



Mainstay Emergency Food Rations: One of the only pure survival things I carry, pack B has four 3,600 calorie ration bars. Each package contains 9 pre-measured 400 calorie meals, which allows a person to get their full nutrition in a challenging situation. The Mainstay bars have a 5 year Shelf Life

Lifesaver Bottle 4000 Ultra: Eliminates bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi and all other microbiological waterborne pathogens from water without chemicals. Can treat up to 4,000 liters of water: 5.5 years of usage if you drank two liters every day

Iodine tablets: Small, lightweight backup to the water purifier

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Food Acquisition & Blades

Another gun, this time a .44 Magnum 6” revolver with 50 rounds of ammo. I’ve had this gun for many years now; it’s very reliable and accurate. I carry it here mainly for hunting. There are abundant deer in my area and a .44 Mag has the range and power to take one down. It’s certainly not the optimal firearm for such as task, but it is easily concealable, unlike a rifle or shotgun.

I also carry a 6-piece spin casting fishing pole and basic tackle kit. Lakes and fish are plentiful in my area making this another option for food acquisition.

I also carry a knife for processing the deer and a foldable fillet knife for the fish. Also stored in this pack is the knife sharpener for all my blades.

Lastly I have para cord (in the survival kit, see below) which can be useful in making snares and for setting fishing lines.

First Aid



Medications and comprehensive first aid for treating most common illness and injury but also includes more sophisticated functions such as treatment options for airway management, gunshot wounds including sucking chest wounds, burns, ankle / wrist immobilization, and truncates and Cleox for serious arterial bleeding.

The first aid kit is contained in a modular MOLLE bag that can also be attached to the outside of the pack, freeing up internal space for salvaging as I go.

Survival Kit

Pure survival basics in this pack:

A hand-powered chain saw blade, Matches, lighter, tinder, compass, maps, chemlights, para cord, duck tape, more basic first aid & meds, signal mirror, Mylar blankets, disposable ponchos, iodine tablets, whistle, trioxine fuel bars and a few other items I can’t recall at the moment.

The survival kit is also contained in a modular MOLLE bag.

Clothing

Planning for clothing can be difficult in my area with temperatures ranging from 100F and humid to -30 wind chills depending on the time of year. I adjust the clothing I carry based on the time of year, always planning on layers, with a moisture wicking layer of Under Armor, then cotton or some other comfortable day-shirt, then for fall and winter, a flannel shirt over that. For winter use, I’ll have a jacket over it all (hopefully on me since it doesn’t fit in the pack.) I carry a hat and gloves during the winter and additional water in its place during the summer. I carry 2 pairs of socks, but no other clothing item has a backup.

In the Truck.

Some heavy, but useful equipment is kept in my truck.

Everything here is gear I would love to have with me, but none of it is critical if I had to end up on foot.

Gear includes:

• USMC 100% wool blankets
• Duracell 600W Mobile Battery
• Wagon Tech 400W Battery with air compressor
• Some tools (mainly car repair stuff)
• A bolt cutter – A heavy but useful tool.
• 2 Tire Repair Kits and a spare
• CB Radio
• 2 Large tarps, bungee cords and rope.
• 5 Gallons of water, 10 gallons of Gasoline
• A case of water bottles