tips, advice, info....all welcome

[jimLE]

Emergency battery boost aka rechargeable and portable jump starter..i have one.and it's come in handy a few times. including the van i drive.i have a power converter,that plugs into a car lighter,and a 2 foot extension cord in which i keep in the van with it ..plus it has a usb port thats great for recharging things that require one.and it also has a air compressor for airing up flat tires and other things as well.and it has a car lighter which is great for the air pumps for air mattress's..

 

[jontte]

LOL,wearing the same underpants for weeks might suck big time ..did it once in a manouver in -86,gee we boys smelled bad when we came back

 

[jimLE]

you just had to point that out..and here i am eating..lol

 

[jontte]

just to keep you slim my friend

 

[Roninsensei]

Thank you, I have divided my weapons bag from my main bug out bag. Ar and a portion of ammo are in the Main bag. The weight won't be an issue, 2500 cummins as bug out vehicle. I an working a place to hide my weapons at my big out location. I like having the sniper rifle as I can eliminate thread before they get close enough to see me.. Around 450-500 yards. And the shotgun would be mainly for if I went back into town for supplies and needed to cover my ### in a jam or bust thru a door. Still think I should get rid of them?

If you re-read my post you'll see that each recommendation is situational and prioritized in a sort of fashion lol. My statement was meant as a priority of weaponry and weight. As I said if you have a (2500 Cummins) bring them in tow but, the reality is you may get shot at, broken down, road blocked, and a million other possibilities. I only wanted you to know the priority of weaponry. Hand gun and AR first. Shotgun and 30-06 later. None of them were a permanent dump list. We are taught to always look at being on foot period and, in that case we only think of those things first. Weight, weaponry, water, walk.

Now on to the things I love to talk about. Which shovel and tactical tomahawk?

 

[Maverick]

"my bug out bag contains"

Firearms already covered above

- lightweight tent
(why not just a tarp, tarp gives multiple uses, lighter, less issues in uneven grounds etc..)

-change of clothes (pants, shirt, waterproof jacket)
(Military poncho w/liner a better alternative to a jacket, multiple uses and in most cases lighter to that of a jacket)

- two weeks worth of "heat and eat" meals and snacks
(That's a lot of weight for the B.O.B. then to add the weight of the firearms, why not freeze dried 3 day's worth, learn to forage)

"i would escape out to my families farmland which is mostly woodlands now. this land butts to a stream leading about a mile up to a lake. it backs up to a huge swamp"

Why not keep most of these supplies on the family farm? You never mentioned how much water you plan on packing or purification filters?, if you already have a BOL that's were you want the bulk of your supplies not on your back, you will get further and faster going light if on foot.

 

[TRICK620]

If you re-read my post you'll see that each recommendation is situational and prioritized in a sort of fashion lol. My statement was meant as a priority of weaponry and weight. As I said if you have a (2500 Cummins) bring them in tow but, the reality is you may get shot at, broken down, road blocked, and a million other possibilities. I only wanted you to know the priority of weaponry. Hand gun and AR first. Shotgun and 30-06 later. None of them were a permanent dump list. We are taught to always look at being on foot period and, in that case we only think of those things first. Weight, weaponry, water, walk.

Now on to the things I love to talk about. Which shovel and tactical tomahawk?

Haha it's the SOG ones I'd the specifics to be honest it was a gift. I think they came from Wal-Mart. Are there some better than others?

 

[TRICK620]

"my bug out bag contains"

Firearms already covered above

- lightweight tent
(why not just a tarp, tarp gives multiple uses, lighter, less issues in uneven grounds etc..)

-change of clothes (pants, shirt, waterproof jacket)
(Military poncho w/liner a better alternative to a jacket, multiple uses and in most cases lighter to that of a jacket)

- two weeks worth of "heat and eat" meals and snacks
(That's a lot of weight for the B.O.B. then to add the weight of the firearms, why not freeze dried 3 day's worth, learn to forage)

"i would escape out to my families farmland which is mostly woodlands now. this land butts to a stream leading about a mile up to a lake. it backs up to a huge swamp"

Why not keep most of these supplies on the family farm? You never mentioned how much water you plan on packing or purification filters?, if you already have a BOL that's were you want the bulk of your supplies not on your back, you will get further and faster going light if on foot.

The tent if for my family more than anything, I would be fine with a tarp. The clothes I'm working on. The food has been down sized. And most is getting moved to a sealed box at my bol. There is water now in my bag as well as some will be taken to the bol,I water a filtration pump and there are plenty of water sources.

 

[TRICK620]

Thank you guys for all the help. Amazed at my lack of knowledge and your willingness to help and advice without condescending me.

I've decided, to rework my plan to bug in, and use my bol as a s-really-htf option.
Taking all your advice and putting it together.

Thanks again

 

[jontte]

this is a permanent learning curve,every time I think I have it..something pop-up that I don't have,don't know or needs improving...heck,but I still love doing this.

 

[psalm 7]

One thing I always recomend is take your gear and get in the Great Outdoors . Hike a good distance set up camp like you would in a tactical situation . You will be surprised at how you start rearanging your gear and some gear will fail . Most of my gear is Military surplus and does not fail but I find myself changing the way I pack stuff or move stuff around on my web gear for easier acsess or for better weight distrubution .

 

[TheShadowKnows]

I absolutely agree with the last post, it's essentialy to get out and use your gear so that you A): Know it works and B): Know how it works.

When it comes to knives and tools, like anything else out there, some products are good and some are bad. I personally like my SOG products but I was picky about which ones I bought and have extensively used all of them to make sure they suit my needs. Cold Steel is a pretty safe bet but often must be ordered online (at least in my area, I don't see a lot of Cold Steel products at my sporting good stores). KaBar (spelling, Ronin?) is a good brand overall with a few quirky products. SOG has a few things I wouldn't use but personally I like their Fasthawk and Voodoo Hawk. There are people here who would disagree with me on the 'hawks but like I said, I went out "into the field" and made sure for myself that they were right for me before permanently adding either one to my kits.

RoninSensei is an excellent resource on these forums when it comes to bladed tools and weapons, I'm sure he'll chime in again soon haha.

 

[TRICK620]

I use all my equipment, I hate buying something and not being able to test it enough to get comfortable with it. I go hiking/camping fairly often and I randomly will minimalist camp just to see what I can do with out or create multiple uses for. I haven't camped in a way to practice my prepping so maybe ill do that one weekend soon. Thanks for the advice guys

 

[Gazrok]

For any in an area that sees heavy snow in winter, another piece of advice is to have an inverter and and an electric blanket stowed in the vehicle. So, if you get stuck in the snow, you can stay warm even if the car is no longer running.

 

[psalm 7]

I got stuck on I 24 for 5 hours in the winter one year not by snow but because of a chemical spill . Haz Mat clean up . I had some suplies and magazines to read but other than my coat all I had to keep warm was a poncho to use like a blanket . Better than most had . Bumper to bumper with the unprepared is not fun .

 

[Gazrok]

Each winter, I read stories about folks that get stuck in the snow for hours on end, and I kept thinking to myself, if only they had an electric blanket while they waited. I'm in FL now, but I did live in Alaska once....

 

[jimLE]

i always have my nook color with me.in which i have books down loaded onto it,pluss i can keep it plugged in to the lighter to keep it charged up.so i have some thing to read there.but i still need to load up winter supplies for such situations like that

 

[Gazrok]

I personally like the SOG shovel and kit that WalMart sold. I've used it on occasion, and it's decent. Then again, for a GHB, I don't need it to last forever, just the trip home.