AWOL Bag

Cannot emphasize how badly you need good footwear. Cannot. There is no way. Wear proper footwear, all day, every day. Garrison boots with a decent shine can pass as dress shoes, and are INFINITELY better. If you wear shoes that you cannot reasonably walk ten miles in, go to your local hiking or milsurp store and buy some. Wear them every day.

Foot powder in your kit is ESSENTIAL. If you expect to walk more than a few miles a day, expect your feet to sweat. Moisture on your skin causes blisters, worsens existing blisters, and worst-case scenario causes our friend, trench foot will make a reappearance. It can be more painful than poorly done dentistry. If your survival depends in any way on mobility, wear decent footwear and pack foot powder.

DE

One of the most useful tool I've ever used camping/bugging out is a folding shovel/ trenching tool. Mine has saw teeth on 2 of its edges. I've cut down sapling down with it in a minute or so using the saw edges. If you're in snow country, it's practical a must. I found it useful in the desert, too for digging for water seeps along riverbeds. With a sharpened edge, it can double as weapon if need be. Instead of a heavy coat, I would have a military poncho and poncho liner. Two layers are always better than one.

Merino Wool! It still keeps you warm even when its wet.

Another good thing that is light and great to have is some thing that is very flamable which you can start your fire with. Cotton/paper, anything that will light quickly. Then all you have to do is get firewood and you will have yourself a fire.

It will help alot.

[edit on 22-10-2006 by enjoies05]

Very nice
I spent alot of years in the BSA (Boy Scouts of America) We had a pocket size kit to keep with us at all times I still carry one today, just incase Ime not around any of my BOB's. Before I give you the list I would also like to remind you to stock up on med's. I have asthma I always keep plenty of extra inhalers around. Should society fall A extra supply may keep you alive longer. Yes I know you will die sooner or latter but as Sid says on the movie Ice Age I choose later. Any way on with the list.

The Pocket sized ESK (Emergency Survival Kit)

I put together this kit many years ago while a Boy Scout, and recently found an almost identical kit list I've mixed both list to come up with what I feel is a great kit. Ill list the URL to the list I found on the web at the bottom Some of the wording is from that page some of it is mine.


Water proof container can be made water resistant with wax for a short time only not a permanent fix.
10' of wire A medium guitar string works.
Razor blade or as I have in my kit 2 razor sharp arrow heads
small leather man style multi tool
bandana
3 sq. ft. of heavy duty aluminum foil
10 waterproof matches
8 water purification tablets (16.7% Tetraglycine Hydroperiodine)
Wire Saw with 2 finger rings (nice to have)
3" strip of 180 grit & 320 grit emery paper
5 assorted safety pins
5" long shrink wrap tube
Condom
Fishing kit
Sewing kit
Sponge
3' electrical black tape
Cotton lint
2 1/2" wide heavy rubber bands

Small metal container, use your imagination.

The small leather man style multi tool is a must, don't skimp on price make sure it has quality pliers jaws, wire cutter, scissors, and surgical sharp blade.

The 10' of wire has many uses, like antenna replacement, snares, attachment of expedient tools to shafts and handles, and general construction.

The heavy duty foil serves best as a pot to boil water for purification, lasting for 5-7 cycles. It can be used as a signal, light reflector, baking pan, solar still, or bits of it left as a trail marker.

The emery paper removes rust and corrosion, polishes, and sharpens; also used as a striking surface for the matches.

The shrink wrap tube can be used as an insulator, and when heated, shrinks to join items together. It is used as a straw to suck water from a seep or from below a surface.

The condom is capable of holding 2 gallons of water, elastic bandage, slingshot rubber, or trigger spring for a small animal trap.
The fishing kit, besides the obvious, provides line for surgical stitches, bird snares, and squirrel poles.

The sewing kit provides 25' of white thread, (white is strongest), sterile needles for surgical probes, fish gorges, etc. The needles are magnetized, so they can be used as a compass when suspended from a thread tied in the middle of the needle.

The sponge is disinfected, rinsed, and compressed under a weight to dry, reducing it's size. Used to absorb dew from vegetation, fish bait, etc., sponges were also popular with the Roman Legion. (Think Charmin)

The electrical tape is used to seal and water proof the container, and quite useful generally.

The rubber bands help hold the lid on, and keep the kit from easily falling out of shirt pockets. They provide triggers for snares, elastic for bandages, rubbers for slingshots, etc.

The fishing kit contains 25' of 12lb. monofilament line, (spiderwire is better) assorted small hooks,wet flies and weights. I now use plastic coin holders, with the line coiled inside, along with hooks, a few wet flies, and lead foil from wine bottle necks. I use foam strike indicators for bobbers.

The sewing kit is simply made by wrapping thread around a strip of shirt cardboard. I use a 3" wide strip, and notch the top and bottom where the thread rests. I then add 4 assorted sizes of sterilized and magnetized needles, and a cut down needle threader, fold cardboard around the kit like a book, and tape shut to seal.

The contents are housed in an any small container. I prefer metal, as the polished in

( sorry to many letters so ive continued it here :lol

inside can be used as a signal mirror, and it can be used as a dish, cup, or cutting board.

My favorite container is a 2" X 3" metal box a Zippo lighter came in, which contains all the above contents. Any of these boxes fit inside a cigarette package with the bottom cut out(hint), and the whole thing weighs a mere 4 oz.

Cotton lint is a wonderful fire tinder, wound dresser, anti-rattle space filler, and filter. For example, a funnel of aluminum foil, with a lint filter in the bottom, will clarify water prior to chemical or boil purification.
You can recover nice clean cotton lint from your drier trap, and fill the odd corners of your kit. It weighs almost nothing.

In addition, I always carry the smallest Victorinox Swiss army knife, a penlight; a lighter; a handkerchief; and a lock-back knife in my pockets, and a container of water within reach.

Your survival might depend on what is in your pocket right now. Stay safe.

www.freerepublic.com...

Hello.

There is a good web site with a discussion forum on being equipped.

www.equipped.com... and www.equipped.com...

The host has his head screwed on straight. It is a useful resource because the folks there can answer a lot of different questions on the subject.

I must point out, however, that each of us is ultimately responsible for our own lives. YOU are in the best position to decide what YOU need based on your situation. Having said that, there is a lot of basic gear that most everyone should have and this thread seems to have covered most of them.

I saw DeusEx list "hygienic". This is critical. Many people overlook things like simple soap and towels. I would add a number of containers to carry water in. There are specially designed water bladders of various sizes that collapse when empty to take up very little space and weight. I would also add a 2 or 3 stainless steel cook pots. angryamerican suggests heavy duty foil. This is fine but it does not hold up for long and it gets quite messy after use. A thin steel cook pot does not weigh a whole lot, and takes up very little space if you store other items inside of it, thus serving as a hard protective container against crushing of fragile equipment. Also, store a few diapers even if you do not have young children. A couple of good quality 2-Way radios (walkie talkies) are well worth their weight.

Above all else: Field test it!!! Take your vehicle and equipment out for some field tests. When an emergency situation arises, you do not want to discover that some new gadget you just unwrapped doesn't work! Be safe and use the buddy system.

-peace -Hilary

Great link, Hilary.

Thinking a little, I realized that this might not be quite specialized enough for some areas. What would you bring in South Texas? Northern Ontario? Seattle?

Remember to pack for your environment. Your priorities are as follows: SAFETY AND SHELTER. Everything else is icing on the cake. You can live without food (not pleasantly, mind you...but that's what the MREs and granola bars are for) for a limited time, but you can freeze to death in an hour overnight. Pack for your area and the seasonal requirements. Switch out the rain gear for cold weather gear if need be.

If it's winter, throw in an extra pair of gloves if you. Wet gloves are unpleasant.

DE

Another important thing about bugging out is where are you bugging out to? Here in Texas, you'd want to avoid the coast and eastern half because of the mosquito problem.
Have an area planned to evacuate to but remain flexible and plan on no more than 15-20 miles a day or night if on foot, 45-60 if on bike.

Somethings to include for bugging out in Texas:

Water purifier and filters.
A broad rimmed hat
Some form of salt/mineral supplement. With out a/c you literally can't drink enough water and fluids from May thru Sept anywhere south of Dallas/Forth Worth. Muscle cramps will make your rest/sleep cycle miserable.
That poncho I mentioned earlier will make a great shade if you need it.
Some form of weather alert radio. Weather can change so rapidly in Texas it's down right scary. From November to March, 40-60 degrees temperature drops can occur in less than 4 hours. It doesn't happen often but it happens often enough.

Originally posted by DeusEx
Also known as the bug-out bag

We have always had a three day bug-out bag. Ours can actually last much longer. Every spring we go through them to make sure clothing still fits and that there are 3 day emergency ration bars; water bags; and medicines that are up to date. My 10 year old daughter has packed her own each year. Hers isn't too heavy, but it has some essentials and a WHISTLE and COMPASS. She should be with us at all times but if anything happened those are two things that she'd need.

Just a reminder - A compass is vital. After Yellowstone or a nuke (or whatever) the surrounding countryside will not be recognizable.

For kid bags ... WHISTLES .. in case of separation from adults.

EDITED TO ADD - don't forget rub on bug spray. You don't want to get bit and catch something ... hospitals will be overrun or nonexistant.




[edit on 10/25/2006 by FlyersFan]

I used to call my 72 hour bag a b.o.b.
For a while.
Then I realized I'm probably never going to throw this on my back and go heading into the woods, living off the land heading for canada or something.

I guess you should try and prepare for what you would most likely need one for.

I call mine my "Get Me Home" bag.

That's what mine is designed for. To get me home to where 99% of my gear is located.
I carry a few extra items as well as the normal stuff I would need, to deal with certain situations, water tablets, compass (I may need to stay off the road) crank radio. I just added gloves, a cold weather face mask and a hat for the winter months.

but before you go building a bag, make sure you have a plan. Is your area prone to flooding? Are you near a Nuclear power plant? A Big city? Earthquake? Forest fires? It's going to be different for everyone.

For myself, I'm in an area that is not prone to flooding (Unless the ocean level rose about 20 feet), I am about 30 miles from a large city and about the same from the power plant. In any of the senarios that have run across my mind, I want to be home, thus the "get me home bag" (it's a modified 3 day bag), But I keep my "Supplimental bag" in a closet. It holds my survival gear if I really had to get out on my feet. (I.E. total break down of govornment and tanks are rolling through the street or something. Even though I doubt I'd be going anywhere, it'd be easy to get out if I had to I suppose. it has all the regulars you guys name, fire starter, snares, ammo and the such.)

But this a real good thread to get people thinking that way. Keep it up.
-DT

Excellent thread. Here's what I have to contribute:

HIGH Quality Claw Hammer - I recommend this in lieu of a hatchet/hammer. Preferably buy one that is balanced, and solidly made of titanium alloy, as it will be your favorite and most-oft used tool forevermore. The hammer head can be used for, of course, hammering things, tooling metal, smithing, but also the solid weight of something designed as a hammer can be used to split stone and chop wood (just make a wedge out of split stone). As far as the claw goes...my god...infinite uses. From digging, to prying, to climbing, to using it as a gaff hook to lift hot objects or drag/carry heavy ones. Trust me. Claw hammer. In fact, if you can only take one tool with you in your bag, bring a claw hammer. Additionally, it can be used as a rather effective hand-to-hand weapon against damn near anything, and even throws pretty well.

Wire Ring Saw - Let's be frank, you may need to saw some wood, at some point, but a saw is clumsy, heavy, and snags like hell on stuff. Instead, buy a wire and ring saw. Then use a supple but firm branch to create a bow saw out of it and use that. It will take a bit longer, but the advantages far outweigh the alternative if you're looking to save weight and not rip up your equipment.

Hammock (died black) - If you don't have a tent, or setting up a tent is not practical or ideal to your situation (such as being hunted), may I recommend this handy and comfortable alternative. Again, quality is very important here. Try to get the kind that paratroopers jump with, as they have clasps to keep you from falling out. Climb a tree, up above the branches, string up your hammock, sleep. Since it's died black, it will provide at least some natural camo against the crisscrossing leaves, and most people never look up. Evasive comfy sleep tactics aside, the netting itself is EXTREMELY useful as anything from a net-trap to a work-wall to hang your tools and utensils from to a clothesline.

Camp Suds - One bottle of this will do you well for a very long time. It works to clean teeth, hair, skin, clothing, equipment, rinses with very little water, and requires only a drop to clean most anything due to its concentration.

There's more I keep in the kit, but these are among the most absolute critical items I have yet to see mentioned in this thread.

Another suggestion for your socks (I'm so happy to see all these men happy about proper footcare); put your socks in a ziplock bag. That way even if your pack gets wet, you can still have dry socks. Also, if it's a dry night, and cold, it's better to have on a pair of dry socks that you have worn before (I don't know why, but that always was the recommendation in boyscouts). It did really keep your feet warmer. I dont' know why.

Definitely a hatchet over a machete, you want that hammer to work for you, and a machete would make a poor hammer.

A bottle of grain alcohol wouldn't hurt either. It is a way to kill bacteria, and you can use it as a mouthwash. Also, I really don't think it would hurt for people to have a field guide for plants, I read one when I was in the 9th grade, and at least know that if worst came to worst, I would never go hungry just foraging off of what I have in the back yard.

Rose buds alone have enough vitamin C to keep you healthy. Palmetto plants in the swamps can be eaten if you shave them down to their hearts (not as good as hearts of palm, but close enough).

Anyone that is into survivalism, should at least be in shape. You don't have to be ultra buff, but you need to be able to carry a decent weight. Don't just stay unhealthy and expect to be able to lug a full pack with a tent for a reasonable distance. You will be miserable, worn out, and not a happy camper.

Baden Powell had it down. Dare I say it, he was THE #E.

I think most of us are former boy scouts (I know myself and Niteboy are, and I think thelibra is) who still have the Scout Handbook on our shelves. It is, indeed, required reading. That, and a decent knife and multitool. These should be things you should carry on your belt all day, every day.

I recommend Gerber. One folding knife, one multitool. This is, of course, in addition to the sheath knife I recommend putting in the pack as well.

DE

Originally posted by DeusEx
I think most of us are former boy scouts (I know myself and Niteboy are, and I think thelibra is) who still have the Scout Handbook on our shelves.

My favorite was the one with all the Norman Rockwell illustrations. Hell yeah, I'm a Scout. Eagle Scout, Order of the Arrow, and Silver Tomahawk. Our scoutmasters were retired Marines, Army, and one Air Force guy they always gave a hard time (for having it so easy in the service). Let people say what they will about the scouts, they gave me a hell of a lot of vital survival and everyday skills I never would have gotten anywhere else, the self-confidence I needed to get through the toughest times of my life, and the humility to realize there'd always be someone better than me at doing something, but it didn't mean I couldn't do a damn fine job myself.

...er... sorry... I think I just had a Dad moment...

If nothing else we ever learned from the scouts, I can swear on my life that I use a square knot at least 5 times a week for something.

That book is enough to make almost any situation (short of nuclear/terror) survivable. Even if you are against the boyscouts, or you are not into scouting, that book alone, can save your life.

A book or info from the internet about what plants you can eat in your area might be a good idea.

I agree with knowing the foliage in your area.
I carry the SAS Survival guide in my small pack and a more extensive book in my other bag.

Though a good idea would probably be these cards :

www.safetycentral.com...

Broken down into east and western states.

-DT

Originally posted by FlyersFan
My 10 year old daughter has packed her own each year. Hers isn't too heavy, but it has some essentials and a WHISTLE and COMPASS. She should be with us at all times but if anything happened those are two things that she'd need.

FlyersFan, i'm curious, when did you start getting your 10 year old daughter to pack a survival bag? Has she never questioned the need for this and if so what have you told her? Has it never seemed a bit scary for her?

Sorry for the personal questions, but i have two daughters that are slightly younger than yours.

CX.

How about a woman's point of view? I'd add unscented baby wipes (in a travel pack), chapstick, hair elastics, and advil!

DH was an eagle scout, it seems the scouts really do prepare you.