Posted: 8/4/2012 4:32:46 PM EDT
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Over the course of starting these I was hoping to get more participation, some months are really good, other months not so much.
I am going to start a different approach to doing this, and this month I would like to talk about equipment, in particular what we carry daily or have access to when stuck away from home or in the extremely rare instance we have to take off from home.....yes the bug out bag. First of all I am not a big fan of looking at things like getting away from the house in case of natural disaster or really, really bad things happening. I usually have a few bags packed up, but will carry what I need depending on how far from home I am and what it would take me to get back home in case society would collapse from natural disaster, man made incident, or whatever bad stuff could/would happen. I thought I would address what some of my plans/equipment I have set up for each bag. I will obviously leave some things out because of OPSEC. And, I invite you to do the same (while keeping your own OPSEC intact). My vision for this discussion is to talk about what we have and why we need it, as well as give/get ideas from others. For those who are still in the planning stage for your own personal safety perhaps this could be a decent reference for you. For those of us who already have a working plan, perhaps a change to fine tune some things. And for those who had not thought of it, or ignore the fact that ultimately YOU are responsible for YOUR OWN safety maybe a wake up call. EDC, or every day carry usually refers to what you have on your person at every given time. Be it in your pockets, on your belt, or within reach it is the items that can be put to work to take care of you. Most people will draw the line at a sidearm, maybe a spare mag, and possibly a small flashlight and/or pocket knife. In addition to the EDC I have, I also carry a rifle with me pretty much anyware I go. To over the top? Well, in my opinion I am pretty confident with my rifle and more comfortable with it than my pistol. My wife used to get on my about carrying everywhere...until we were backing out of the garage, on the radio was the news of the Omaha mall shooting. As luck would have it we were going to the mall as well. My wife's exact words were "we are just going to the mall, you really don't need your gun" After this she never brought up that she didn't think I needed to carry a gun with me anywhere else. I guess being me, I took this one step further....my thoughts are that if something did happen around me and I had the power to stop it but lacked the tools I really don't know if I could live with that. So, that is why I carry the off duty rifle. I generally like to keep a fairly small bag with me (or in my vehicle) as well. The bag does not have to be fancy, only functional and work with your own plan. My small daily bag is an admin pouch that was made to be placed on a load bearing vest or plate carrier. The bag itself is about 8" by 6" by 2" or so. As far as contents, being a Glock kind of a guy I keep 1-2 of the 22 rounds Glock factory magazines (to possibly supplement what I already have on my person). In addition to the mag, I keep some small weapon specific tools. Generally a Glock armorer's tool, a few extra pins, a spare slide stop, and some locktite. As far as other tools, I keep an AR front sight tool, a sight tool specific to the Aimpoint Micro Red Dot , a "cool guy tool" also know as a leatherman or other folding pliers with several other small tools contained inside. As far as other contents, I will generally carry a spare charging cord for my cell phone, a second small flashlight, and one of the battery carriers from Surefire that holds several small lithium 123 batteries and a spare bulb. Lastly in this kit, I carry a small spool of paracord (you never know what you can use this stuff for), and a small bottle of weapon lube. The next bag I have is a backpack (medium sized), and in this bag I will carry several spare mags for both rifle and pistol, a spare bolt carrier group for the rifle (along with a small bag of spare pins and springs extractor, safety detint spring, and a few "O" rings for the extractor. I also keep a small trauma medical kit in this pack. My trauma pack contains a tourniquet, a few Israeli bandages, a large triangle bandage, sterile tape, and Quick Clot sponges. I will also keep a MRE or three in this bag, boot laces, a large spool of par cord, a medium sized fixed blade knife (along with sharpening tools), and some water proof matches and a magnesium fire starting tool. The last things I keep in this bag is a small Otis brand gun cleaning kit, and a small handful of different size zip lock bags. My next bag is season specific, and I only carry this one in the winter time. In this bag I keep my thermal winter clothing, mainly a set of thermal underwear, thermal socks, heavy gortex pants and jacket. The only other items I have in this bag are heavy gortex boots. I only carry this bag in the dead of winter. So, what do you have set up......and why. R |
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I'd like to bring up the subject of water vs. food. I could probably live off my fat cells for a month. I'm not sure I could live off my "water weight" for as long. I'd take a flat of bottled water and a tub of orange Gatorade powder over MRE's any day. Berkey Black Filters (you'll have to find someone out of state since they aren't "IOWA" approved.) I like this topic. I'll post back when I'm not on my mobile. |
| Romp you hit the nail on the head...I've never understood how Berkey filters can be used around the world for decades filtering water holes filled with ox crap/piss but Iowa has deemed it not fit for Iowegians to drink out of and thus won't approve it to be bought and shipped to a resident of Iowa. |
I've always been a big proponent of emergency preparedness. Most people know I do my best to plan for the worst. Water - Food - Shelter - Security - Maintenance (Medical & Hardware) are areas that come to mind that I try to help people understand the value of when much is taken for granted. I'm still learning so I don't consider myself a expert by any degree but more than willing to help. I recently got my wife onboard in the last couple years and have taken the approach to inject emergency situations into our lives on purpose. Some days we loose power, Some day we loose water. And soon to come on a well planned day we loose transportation  Each of these experiences as simulated as they are make you think and really see how much you may need things or learn how to do things in another manner. I've also had weekly time set aside to talk about what we will do in various scenarios and how we as a couple will address it.
Romp, you mentioned a few items I didn't think to add. Something that has been on my list to do is create some kind of kit/bag to keep at work and one to take with me when traveling for work (often including flying) that doesn't waive any red flags. |
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Romp you hit the nail on the head...I've never understood how Berkey filters can be used around the world for decades filtering water holes filled with ox crap/piss but Iowa has deemed it not fit for Iowegians to drink out of and thus won't approve it to be bought and shipped to a resident of Iowa. It's another way the state makes money. Want to sell X here, pay us $$ for our approval. I frequent the Quad Cities enough it's a mute point at this time. |
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for EDC I have a surefire G2 in a holster and a CRKT M21 until I turn 21 im pistol less as such I am thinking about getting more into a bug out bag for the car but right now I have in the car always is a gas can (yes I have run out of gas because of my cheap ass), extra oil and coolant, blankets, a maglite flahlight,a jug of water, rain gear, a camp axe, and not all the time in there but some of the time a two person tent, Now for what I want is CB radio ( yes it would look stupid in a car but could be very helpful), a convert rifle bag for one of my ARs, and five day pack to put some of this stuff into it.
ETA maybe a few MREs as well and some para cord like Romp has suggested and of course extra mags for the rifle. |
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EDC on person: Always have a Ruger LCP in my right pocket, a spare mag, a Gerber Fairborn Auto knife, a small LED flashlight (type may vary, I have a lot of them), phone, and usually a Ruger SP101 357mag on my hip. I usually carry a "get home" bag in my vehicle, and at least a long gun or 2, but with the Kid turning 16, I have been not keeping it in there as much due to me and him sharing vehicles (not a good idea to have the kid jump in the car and go to school with my M4 or Keltec Sub2000 in the backseat).
See ya, ML |
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Berkey Black Filters (you'll have to find someone out of state since they aren't "IOWA" approved.) I like this topic. I'll post back when I'm not on my mobile. Point is the same, people commonly don't put enough emphasis on fresh water. The combination of bottled water for short-term and the filter for long-term use is a good idea. But that people put together a survival kit that they carry in their car and don't bother to put a few bottles of water in there blows my mind. Water is heavy, but most cars I know can handle it. |
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A few things I would add that haven't been mentioned are: 4 way tire iron (changing tires with the tools that come with newer vehicles sucks)...Jack stand (I don't feel safe changing a tire with just the jack included especially on a gravel shoulder)...good pair of leather gloves (I hate getting burned and bashing knuckles while working on a hot engine compartment)...I may add one of those jump start air compressor gadgets sometime before this next winter. I also always throw the coveralls in the vehicle during the winter months.
I do not pack fire starting and shelter type equipment in my work car...the reason is I work 16 miles from home so if I absolutely cannot get the car going or get someone to come pick me up then I will walk home easily before I would bother setting up a camp. I can also walk that distance without needing to eat, but I keep a fiber bar and a couple bottles of water in the car. Something I may add in the near future is an extra serpentine belt of the proper size for my vehicle. I would say all of this is for my work car which I only use for work so it is equipped accordingly and I don't use it for hauling family around. Our Suv is packed trip specifically each time we take it out. The one thing I do not take in my work car which bugs me alot is a weapon. I work at a no weapon of any type business. It sucks, but in this economy I can't just up and leave them or risk termination over this when it is my means of putting a roof over my family and keeping them fed. Of course we all know their little sign and policy has no weight of law, but they don't need weight of law to walk me out the door. |
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A few things I would add that haven't been mentioned are: 4 way tire iron (changing tires with the tools that come with newer vehicles sucks)...Jack stand (I don't feel safe changing a tire with just the jack included especially on a gravel shoulder)...good pair of leather gloves (I hate getting burned and bashing knuckles while working on a hot engine compartment)...I may add one of those jump start air compressor gadgets sometime before this next winter. I also always throw the coveralls in the vehicle during the winter months. I do not pack fire starting and shelter type equipment in my work car...the reason is I work 16 miles from home so if I absolutely cannot get the car going or get someone to come pick me up then I will walk home easily before I would bother setting up a camp. I can also walk that distance without needing to eat, but I keep a fiber bar and a couple bottles of water in the car. Something I may add in the near future is an extra serpentine belt of the proper size for my vehicle. I would say all of this is for my work car which I only use for work so it is equipped accordingly and I don't use it for hauling family around. Our Suv is packed trip specifically each time we take it out. The one thing I do not take in my work car which bugs me alot is a weapon. I work at a no weapon of any type business. It sucks, but in this economy I can't just up and leave them or risk termination over this when it is my means of putting a roof over my family and keeping them fed. Of course we all know their little sign and policy has no weight of law, but they don't need weight of law to walk me out the door. If we are still talking about something in the vehicle then you can improvise. Hammers, Wrenches, Box Knives, Wasp spay  , etc. There are many tools that have multiple applications if called upon.
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Always with me:
G19 or 34 Knife (emerson karambit or SOG pentagon) cell phone Small keychain flashlight (steamlight nano) emergency bag always in my vehicle or friends vehicle if traveling: AR or AK Two rifle mags Two pistol mags spyderco day hiker fixed blade knife Bottle of water MRE Electrolyte tablets ibuprofen Bug spray Superglue Duct tape 2 contractor grade trash bags 550 cord (15 feet I'd guess) Compass Signal mirror Streamlight g3 6 lithium batteries in 2 water tight tubes Waterproof matches Lighter Kindling (dryer lint) Clothes pins Needle and thread Medic shears Misc bandages (bandaids through oleas trauma) Quick clot tourniquet Tweezers Alcohol pads Broad spectrum antibiotic Solar blanket |
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A few things I would add that haven't been mentioned are: 4 way tire iron (changing tires with the tools that come with newer vehicles sucks)...Jack stand (I don't feel safe changing a tire with just the jack included especially on a gravel shoulder)...good pair of leather gloves (I hate getting burned and bashing knuckles while working on a hot engine compartment)...I may add one of those jump start air compressor gadgets sometime before this next winter. I also always throw the coveralls in the vehicle during the winter months. I do not pack fire starting and shelter type equipment in my work car...the reason is I work 16 miles from home so if I absolutely cannot get the car going or get someone to come pick me up then I will walk home easily before I would bother setting up a camp. I can also walk that distance without needing to eat, but I keep a fiber bar and a couple bottles of water in the car. Something I may add in the near future is an extra serpentine belt of the proper size for my vehicle. I would say all of this is for my work car which I only use for work so it is equipped accordingly and I don't use it for hauling family around. Our Suv is packed trip specifically each time we take it out. The one thing I do not take in my work car which bugs me alot is a weapon. I work at a no weapon of any type business. It sucks, but in this economy I can't just up and leave them or risk termination over this when it is my means of putting a roof over my family and keeping them fed. Of course we all know their little sign and policy has no weight of law, but they don't need weight of law to walk me out the door. If we are still talking about something in the vehicle then you can improvise. Hammers, Wrenches, Box Knives, Wasp spay , etc. There are many tools that have multiple applications if called upon.Absolutely, back any good man that doesn't want to be a victim into a corner and about anything can become a weapon. Either way I would much rather be able to carry my g19. |
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I usually keep a couple of these in my BOB. They work perfect for breaking contact or rolling through the drive up window at McDonald's when they fuck up your order. http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad110/strongarm66/Old%20School/GrenadeM26-001.jpg Old timers.. 
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I usually keep a couple of these in my BOB. They work perfect for breaking contact or rolling through the drive up window at McDonald's when they fuck up your order. http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad110/strongarm66/Old%20School/GrenadeM26-001.jpg Old timers.. http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/imgs/m67-grenade.jpg GOOD timers.......................... 
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I usually keep a couple of these in my BOB. They work perfect for breaking contact or rolling through the drive up window at McDonald's when they fuck up your order. http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad110/strongarm66/Old%20School/GrenadeM26-001.jpg Willy Pete is my preference. 
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Ok, back from being out of town at training for work......great to see people jumping in on this topic as I have been asked quite a few times about these things.
Water, sorry I left this out....I usually carry a case of bottled water in my personal car and a Hydastorm in my work car. I haven't heard about the water filters you mentioned Mike and Booger.....I will have to check into them. I am seeing a lot of great ideas, and am learning from this myself as well. Bottom line is practicality.....I appreciate well made and practical items. If you have a need for it and can find or create a tool that will fit your need then you are doing it right. Just throwing things into a bag and calling a "bug out bag" is what some folks will do.....until there is actually a need for the items in there to save your butt. I usually do not include tools left in the car as part of my kit...perhaps I should but I usually carry the obvious to change a tire and do minor repairs, as well as rain gear for classes......you just never know when you are going to need it. Speaking of rain gear, I am in a loaner car at work and was out of town for training and did not have what all I usually carry, and really missed not having my usual load out with me...oh well live and learn. R |
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Ok, back from being out of town at training for work......great to see people jumping in on this topic as I have been asked quite a few times about these things. Water, sorry I left this out....I usually carry a case of bottled water in my personal car and a Hydastorm in my work car. I haven't heard about the water filters you mentioned Mike and Booger.....I will have to check into them. I am seeing a lot of great ideas, and am learning from this myself as well. Bottom line is practicality.....I appreciate well made and practical items. If you have a need for it and can find or create a tool that will fit your need then you are doing it right. Just throwing things into a bag and calling a "bug out bag" is what some folks will do.....until there is actually a need for the items in there to save your butt. I usually do not include tools left in the car as part of my kit...perhaps I should but I usually carry the obvious to change a tire and do minor repairs, as well as rain gear for classes......you just never know when you are going to need it. Speaking of rain gear, I am in a loaner car at work and was out of town for training and did not have what all I usually carry, and really missed not having my usual load out with me...oh well live and learn. R about two years ago I was driving to mount rushmore with my grandparents we blew a tire near mountian terrain my grandpa and I got out and changed the tire and it was rainning. So that why I bring rain gear is because it suck to change a tire when your all wet  I also just recently purchased a GPS unit man does that help in cities I don't know aka Cedar Rapids
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I work outdoors daily out of my company vehicle. Like someone else earlier in the thread, they have a "no weapons" policy.
I have a backpack that I carry in and out of the truck daily with some basics that I don't want to leave in the truck which doubles as my dayhike gear for trips to Brown's Woods. Rain gear, first aid kit (home built), dry socks, work gloves, emergency supplies... and I keep a few things in the truck that don't go in and out as well such as a second pair of boots, a change of clothes, a machete (not a weapon, used for clearing brush on jobsites), etc. I have water purification tabs and a platypus bottle in my backpack as well as 2-3 nalgene's of water every day. I don't really carry food with me with the exception of that day's lunch in a cooler. |
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I work outdoors daily out of my company vehicle. Like someone else earlier in the thread, they have a "no weapons" policy. I have a backpack that I carry in and out of the truck daily with some basics that I don't want to leave in the truck which doubles as my dayhike gear for trips to Brown's Woods. Rain gear, first aid kit (home built), dry socks, work gloves, emergency supplies... and I keep a few things in the truck that don't go in and out as well such as a second pair of boots, a change of clothes, a machete (not a weapon, used for clearing brush on jobsites), etc. I have water purification tabs and a platypus bottle in my backpack as well as 2-3 nalgene's of water every day. I don't really carry food with me with the exception of that day's lunch in a cooler. Interesting perspective, and I will admit that something that I had not thought about. Assigned work vehicle and no weapons policy. A few thoughts on this.....I think a few people have mentioned things that can be carried and used as a weapon but are not designed as one. The first thing that comes to mind is a large 3 cell mag light, Possibly a kuboton, or tire checker. Yes these are all impact weapons, but when you are severely limited in what you can use then you must adapt to the environment. R |
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Ok, worst case senario......for those of us who can not possess a weapon while at work yet drive to and from work in your own car what are your plans for your own safety? I do not wish for anyone to break any personal OPSEC, but I am interested. Please advise.
R |
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First off, good topic Romp! This hits kind of close to home for me. I guess I took the whole Boy Scout "be prepared" idea to heart as I'm a big proponent of being prepared and having the proper "tools" available to get you through whatever situation that may arise.
As far as content lists, I would say Rick's is the most comprehensive one that's been listed so far. One thing I would add would be katadyn water purification tablets. They take up virtually no space and could be the difference between life and death. I'm all for proper filters and purifiers, but these are nice to add to any kit due to their size and cost. Another thing would be road maps for the area you're in and those around. They are generally free and take up little space. Finally, if you have young children you may add some things to keep them happy. I added a small box of crayons and some coloring sheets. Some snacks for them would be good as well. Since the issue of tire repair has come up, I would suggest keeping a tire plug kit in your vehicle(s). They are $3 at Wally World and are very easy to use. I keep one in every one of my vehicles (along with a 12V air compressor) and they have come in handy on more than one occasion. Once again, good topic! |
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i used water purifier tablets when i went to philmont those things are expensive!!! but I guess on the road you aren't gonna have pots to boil water with. The ones I got were around $10/30. I'm not recommending them for full-time use, but in an emergency, they are priceless. For something like Philmont, I would go with a filter or purifier. |
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Just sitting here thinking about things......
Was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on changing things around a bit. When I say this I mean by putting all defensive items together, all medical items together, ect.. I generally keep an "Oh shit kit" which is 5, 30m round Pmags, flashlight, med kit, and multiplier on a bandoleer hung over the passenger seat in my squad car, and when I am going out of town I bring this with me as an added insurance policy if I get into a situation. But was wondering how, or if anyone has a plan for something bad. I recently went to a school out of town that taught a significant amount of military tactics for individual officers, kind of a worst case scenario type of thing. I did pick up a few things and it made me look at things from the individual officer point of view....after years of working team tactics, it was kind of nice to see things from an individual point of view again. Remember when bad things happen, it would be nice to bring several well armed friends.......but in reality, we are generally alone with these things happen. R |
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I have just started to entertain the thought of the BOB when roaming around in town and on point to point trips. We do annual fly in trips to Canada in the spring and when we go feet down, we are 50-75 miles away from paved roads or a city. This makes you start thinking about what you would do if things go bad and a boat sinks on you on the lake and your partners can't find you for a day or so. These are a few of the things we make sure to have with us when we leave the cabin and inside the cabin as well. We start out wearing hunting/hiking boots and heavier then everyday use clothing so those items are a given for us.
Heavy fixed blade knife Leatherman Paracord waterproof matches I don't smoke but usually carry a bic lighter and a zippo fire starter tabs 2 magnesium fire starter blocks (one for fire, 1 to use for a signal fire/whole block at night) Gore Tex rain gear Extra fishing line and a set of tackle in a coat pocket outside of your main bag in case boat sinks/flips Portable solar charger for ipod/cellphones. We don't have cell service, however it's nice to listen to music when playing cards at night. Nalgene bottles/Carabiners ( clip the bottles to a pack) Water purifier - we use the Miniworks EX microfilter. They are amazing on how simple they work and how effective they are. Drop the feeder line into the water source and screw it onto your Nalgene bottle or or Hydrastorm/Source/Camelback and just pump away. No mess and clean tasty water in no time. They were at one time the standard issue for the Force Recon Marine units if I remember correctly. Cost is about $80 and is about the size of a popcan with a handle Microfilter Signal mirror Sunscreen First aid kit Granola bars or something else to snack on Since this is supposed to be about survival, we will leave out the Miller Light but hopefully the home base will have some chilled for our triumphant return!!
While it may seem like alot, you could easily fit those items into a medium size backpack and have plenty of room for 3-4 MRE's. Since it's Canada, we don't take firearms with us, but arming up and carrying some handgun magazines, rifle magazines and some spare parts would not be to hard. The idea of the cleaning kit is a good one, but I carry one of those fancy AR piston guns that need no lube or cleaning!! (just for Romper). Kidding asside, I have a couple of milspec otis kits for mutliple calibers with the Gerber tool and they would be easy to throw in or mount to the bag.
After writing this, i realize that I have a weapon mounted light, however I'm lacking a good handheld flashlight. |