Beyond the Bug out Bag

Ok a lot here have demonstrated that they have a BOB that will take them through some realy rough times.

What about what happens beyond that week/two weeks/month. How will you survive in an instance when you may have to go the rest of your life without a society there to help you?

Shelter; Most of you have working knowledge of how to build a decent temporary shelter but what happens when you need to make a more permenent structure? Can anyone successfully make adobe?

Water; This one should be easy and a priority. So do you find a nice spring or lake or something to gain water by?

Food; your BOB will only take you so far. and who knows how to grow a garden and perhaps get animals corraled for meat?

Weponry; How many bullets do you think your going to need for the rest of your life? What happens when your out of ammo? Think archery.

Im just throwing this out cause after the SHTF someone is going to have to clean up the mess.

So how are you going to survive the rest of your life if we have to go into annother dark age? Also remember your not going to be young forever. Eventualy your going to get old and feable and so how will you handle being less thain superman/woman in this new dark age?

BOB are for getting you to your stash ware you have supplies to weather a longer perioud abd to help you get set up with those things mentioned. I have tools in my North stash for perminate shelter building, as well as enough MRE's for two weeks. I also have plunty of ammo and arrows. I think most of the advanced survivilist on here have thought beyound the BOB and are well indowed with the knowledg needed. This should be a very interesting thread to watch unfold.

I am reading a book that is unrelated to this topic, but it does take place in Beirut. I notice how they are survivng in a society that could very well be a reality here. Life goes on, there are entire areas where the bombed out buildings are ripped to pieces yet on the ground floor they have cleaned up a bit and actually live work and sell within these confines. There was mention of stands that sell anything from produce to electronics out of these ruins. The human mind is resilient and resourceful enough to get by on what is available. I think if we all look to war torn countries and studied how they live while in the midst of hell, we could come away with valuable knowledge. I know I have been of a post nuclear mentality where everything is decimated, but the reality is that things may just deteriorate into chaos without destroying everything. If there are buildings standing, there will be people making due in them. We may not neccessarily need to live in artic tents or trees. I will be looking further into how societies survive as a whole. This may be the key to getting through a long term situation.

That is a good point shaddow watcher. I am glad you thought of that and you are right. So basicly people will still live in urban areas and get by with what they can.

I certanly wouldent and couldent stand living in an arctic tent for the rest of my life but at the same time I wouldent want to live in a bombed out building either. I think I would love to live in a nice log cabin in the woods somewhere that I built.

I wonder, what about electricity? could someone use an alternator hooked to a waterwheel or a windmill to gain electic power in a situation?

I am trying to see past surviving into living.

Another example is the great depression in the US 1929-1937.

Millions of Americans did without, but very few actually starved. Also, the crime rate actually went down. This was due in part to the fact that social relations were the only way to get food, i.e., neighbor helping neighbor, instead of you just cashing your paycheck and going to the grocery.

On the other hand, there were civil uprisings during that period. Particularly the Veterans army and some farm protest movements, that were violently put down by the government.

Still, people survived. I repeat myself, but the fact is, most "survivalists" tend to be loners, and ignore the most powerful resource:

Good neighbors.

They will keep you safer, warmer, and better fed than anyone else, including your government.

all the best.

The newer solar panels are really getting good response. I would think maybe try to suppliment your home's power with a few panels to get used to the concept. If things go south, you already have a tremendous resource in place. I watched on tv how you can heat your daily water needs with a simple system installed. It may take a while to recoup your investment, but to always have free hot water is nice. There was a great thread here about this, and it really caught my interest. Just another tool out there. I also have become very fond of YURTS

All I need is some land in New Hampshire and I'm set!!!

Thanks for the Yurt link, Dude. Cool !!! Oh, yeah; pass the Koumis.

We've really become fans of rechargeable batteries at my house. It started because we have kids of an age when all their toys are battery-powered; they can never remember to turn them off.

I'm wondering, is there a solar-powered battery charger on the market. Everything we have seems to run on AA batteries.

We bought a digital camera in part, based on which one seems to run longest off of AA batts.

My "bug-out bag" contains a crank-powered shortwave radio, a shake-it flash-light, etc. But I'd like to add some equipment that uses batteries. I haven't done so, because I know that the day I reach for the BOB, all the batts will probably be dead.

Anyway, just wondering.

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I love those shake flashlights, living in florida I have a couple in my hurricane kit. I also have seen those crank radios. They are a good assett too.

Didnt the army have some sort of a crank two way radio or something to that effect?

I have seen those solar water heaters. What I am thinking of is one of those instant water heaters. The ones that heat water only when you need it not a whole tank at a time. I think those would be efficent.

Im thinking of buying some cheap land in the mountains of Colorado. Because I know the environment well. I think with all the good tech out there. Solar panels , wind power. Highly efficent water heaters, solar lighting, LED bulbs etc you could build quite the survivalist paradice out in the woods using efficiant materials.

I'm not telling you what to do; but I would suggest you check out the legal environment as well. No point in buying survival land anywhere that they are going to tax the snot out of it, or use the fact that you own real estate in that state to tax your income with their state tax, even though you're a citizen of another state. *chough* Oklahoma? *cough*

Point is, the politico-legal environment might be far chillier than the nuts-and-berries one.

all the best.

All good points. One consideration I made when creating my BOB's is that the equipment and Itmes in it must be of high quality and be able to last for an extended period of time. Long enough to be able to live off the land. An example is these little tin survival kits that will get you through a couple days or a week or so. My mini survival kit is designed to last longer utilizing higher quality items in a greater quantity. What sense is there in having 3 or for fishing hooks and 50' of cheap mono filiment when you can create a little larger kit that contains a variety of hooks, lures, and a larger quantity of higher quality line. Yes you may spend a few more bucks but hey this is your life we are talking about.

good points photobug. I feel that a bob should begin as a simple collection of things you already have. As time goes by you acquire more stuff, or get better stuff. I want to be prepared now, but at the same time I can't drop big money into my bob. I stand by my belief that one should be able to make due with what one can find. If you rely on fancy gadgets too much, you may be sad when you cannot get to them in time. I think we discussed the different levels of need that dictates how many types of bobs needed. I mean your everyday stuff that you carry on your person is one level, the things in you vehicle are another level. The supplies at home is a bigger and bulkier than the duffel bag in the basement for quick evacuations. All scenarios have a process for need.
1. my stuff in my wallet and leather will get me to my motorcycle or truck.
2. My vehicle's stash will get me home or away for extended stay.
3. My home has long term supplies that will last @ 2 months as well as a duffle bag with camping gear inside for long term stays outdoors.

dr_strangecraft,

You asked if there is a solar powered battery charger on the market. I answered that here.

There is, and I'll write to the vendors if they can sell those to the USA if anybody is interested.

I've been looking online, and have found several; I just don't know whether the vendors are reputable or not, or how well the device actually performs in real life. Thanks for responding.

oh yes there are sevral solar powred battriy chargers, also if you have a larger solar cell system you can use standard rechargers. google solar battrie charger.

solar chargers

I recommend the coleman but Solio Universal Hybrid Solar Charger looks ok to just never heard of it.