My Supplies Gathered So Far, and other random stuff . . .

I started late on this due to financial constraints. But I finally started the process on Sunday.

I went and bought a Hi-Point .40 S&W. My next weapon will more than likely be a Mossberg 12ga (around December 15). Right now, I have 250 rounds. I will be getting more on the 25th of this month.

Yesterday I went shopping. I bought two magnesium firestarters, 20 lbs. of beans, 20 lbs. of rice, 25 lbs. of flour, 25 lbs. of sugar, two big cans of coffee, two big cans of peanut butter, 36 packages of Ramen, 400 tea packets, 24 cans of vienna sausages, 10 cans of spam, and a 5 gal. bucket of lard. I am currently looking for salt in bulk. I am thinking of buying ammo boxes to put this stuff in for safekeeping. Is there any other way to keep it dry and free of pests?


I already have a possible bug out location in mind. It is about 40 miles from where I live. It is in the middle of a medium/heavy wooded area with plenty of water nearby (though it needs to be cleaned before use).

I am thinking of going out there and erecting a permanent shelter (reminds me of my treehouse/fort building days ). Should I?

Also, my plan B and C bug out points are questionable, and I would like your thoughts. Location B is on or very very close to a ~35 mi/35 mi wildlife refuge. The other is somewhere in the King Ranch (which is ~100 mi/100 mi expanse of nothing but woods and brushland. Thoughts?


Also, any questions or suggestions?

I don;t think you should bother with bugging out as in the event of Sit X you have no idea if you could get there or not.

Staying home is always the best bet, but to familiarize yourself with the layout of the land around you and all the backroads.

Make an "emergency pack" that you could take with you at teh drop of a hat, with a little tent for shelter.

I know my bugout point A well. I have lived in the area most of my life. I know all the backroads, trails, etc.

Walking would take me two days to get there. I know that for a fact as well, because I have walked it a few times.

I plan on building my shelter at the point, and storing the supplies in ammo boxes. I have a BOB in the house and one in the car. I am planning on burying at least two . . . possible three BOB on different routes to my bugout point.

Biggest problem I see right off is transporting your food stocks to your chosen bug out point. Its one thing to head off if riots, mobs, etc... force you from your home, but how to move that stuff?

2nd, I have a high point in .45. Keep some extra clips, I seem to have issues with mine after 200 rounds or so.

As for constructing a permanent shelter. Obviously we are talking public lands here. Laws change state by state with erecting structures, may want to look into that before building. I know deer blinds are one thing, but a "tree fort" or ground structure could be something else entirely.

For the better location, you know your area better than anyone else here, but remember if you leave your home, others will be as well. Look for something that not everyone either knows about or can access. Avoid the masses.

Ammo boxes work fine if clean. I try not to keep food in them, but if I must, I line them with freezer bags, extra protection from moisture and any sediment that may be in the box. I prefer food grade plastic containers, with individual freezer bags filled with rice, beans, etc... Some on this site dont like heavy plastic as mice, shrews, etc... can eat through them, but Ive never had a problem.

Most any large warehouse store, i.e. costco, sams club, etc... should carry salt in bulk, thats where I get mine.

One suggestion I have is to potentially trade the Ramen for something else more nutritious, as Ramen when seasoned with the included packet is packed full of sodium and generally does nothing good for you at all. While it might be cheap to get in large quantities you also need to consider the nutritional value of stockpiled foods because they may be all you have access to initially.

i suggest you purchase an Ak-47 too , needs no maintainence too , literaly , if you have more money , then a Dragunov SVU/SVD sniper rifle would be excellent , if you want a cheaper sniper rifle , then go ahead purchase a mosin nagant sniper rifle with telescopic sight , this rifle is old ,but packs a real punch

also if you have elders(parents who are old) , keep them with yourself , they can be a help to

secondly, turn the land(part of it) around for agricultural use , you could use it to grow pearl millet , as it is extremely easy to grow

[edit on 18-11-2008 by sadchild01]

The land in my first choice is private property . . . and the old guy that owns it is friends with my grandma (and grandpa before he passed. They have been friends since the 50's) . . . he cares not what we do on his land . . . has been like that for as long as I can remember.

As for transportation of food . . . I was planning on building the perma-shelter and then transporting the supplies over there around Christmas time. I was looking at ammo boxes because they are metal, water proof, and airtight. I was planning on lining them though

Regarding Ramen . . I have bought all I am going to buy. The stuff gets annoying.

I am planning on buying more sugar, flour, coffee, and tea . . . as well as the needed salt.


I was also planning on buying some tobacco or cigs to help bartering.

I have a shipment of seeds coming in as well, ranging from fruits and vegetables to tobacco and a "questionable" plant or two

secondly, turn the land(part of it) around for agricultural use , you could use it to grow pearl millet , as it is extremely easy to grow

Having a pack tent may be a better idea. Like the other poster suggests. Especially if it takes two days to get to you bug out point. At Least you will have shelter the first night.

Also, you have to be ready for anything to change. If you can't get to your bug out point, or you have to leave your bug out point, you are better prepared. Also, you may not be the only one heading out there, and someone may stumble on to it.

Consider a cache hanging in a tree in a natural color duffel bag. If you have to get to it in a hurry, you can cut it down, and no digging. Also, less likely to have bugs find it.

Spend your money wisely. Ask yourself, what will my enemy be feeding on? Most likely MRE's. They are light to carry, heat with water, and you can get two meals out of one usually.

Check out this link:TheReadyStore

One case 12 MRE's $6.25 per meal plus shipping.

Ah, private land. Different matter entirely. Build build build. Get something that resembles a living shelter that can be heated, then a storage facility. Preferably off the ground.

This also answers my first concern as to how to get your food stocks to your bug out point.

If you can seal your ammo cans bury them. I have assorted ammo cans buried all over my property. Food in some, precious metals in others, a gun or two as well. I dig a few up every year just to be certain everything is okay inside. If you cant get a good seal, go to an army/navy store. Those places always have something you can seal and bury with minimal risk.

All in all, sounds like you have the beginnings of a very good bug out plan. Watch out with those "questionable" plants.

Sorry . . . two days on foot . . . it is about 24 miles from where I currently live. I have one two man tent. Maybe I shall get another. I also have a few tarps.

I have 2 MRE's in each BOB (in the car and at home). I have 3 in each BOB that I am going to be left at my way point(s).

[edit on 18/11/2008 by xxpigxx]

[edit on 18/11/2008 by xxpigxx]

I'd definitely add a .22 rifle as a backup and in order to hunt small and medium game. A 500 round bulk pack goes for under $15, so as long as you have a few hundred bucks to invest, you're not going to run out of .22 ammunition for a very long time. Its not all that loud and won't attract much attention, plus its small enough and light enough that you can throw 1,000 rounds into a backpack if you have to be on foot for a while with running into any real problems.

Hmmm, I know the King ranch quite well. That tells me of the topography your going to be dealing with.
I would suggest you consider building down rather than up.
Dig in and camoflage your area and the work you've done.
Also don't frequent the area any more often than you have to after it's completed. Let the animals and plants return to as much of a natural state as possible.
As for burying supplies, Ditto on the surpluse stores but instead of ammo cans, consider portable mess hall containers.
When we recieved mobile field kitchens they always had insulated and air tight secured containers that they brought the food in. The containers varied in size but on average were about the same size as a jerry can ( metal military fuel cans).
As for weapons and munitions, I fall back on tried and true experience.
It's all well and good to buy exotic and realy cool looking pseudo militaryistic assault weapons, or go for the " Dirty Harry" big bores, but I learned along time ago to carry a weapon and or caliber that you have half a chance of foraging for latter.
In my case I liked to carry an AK 47 simply because I could resupply my ammo off any losers in a gun fight. It also had the added advantage of making me sound like a friendly to any bad guys in the area.
I wouldn't recommend that as your primary if your thinking of using it in north america as it's just not as likely that your going to run into that many in the field.
Think ahead about all the other people living in your area. What are they most likely to have in thier closet at home. In dear hunting areas, safe bet you'll find a 30.06 in most houses, so there will be ammo. For a side arm, think about a 9mm because darn near everyone and thier brother has one these days., Also the more popular the caliber, the more likely any gun stores stock more in thier back room.
Either way think past the amount of supplies you are stashing, to the day you may have to forage for what you need.

reply to post by xxpigxx

My folks live north of you. Was down last week to see them. One of theiir friends is hooked up with the king ranch. Meeting her I don't think that I would hide out on their ranch. I know its big but I think you be better of a guest and not a squatter. Talk to some folks and see how they build their hog traps. Milo is a great crop for that country tons of it grown around there, it doesn't need much water, you can dry land it. It you can make it check out Copper Breaks. Even if there is water check it out before you settle on a place because a lot of the water in that area is salty or is high in sulfates. If you can find any area with white oaks their acorns are better to eat than the red oaks.

Knowing the folks down there I can say that there a bunch of good people but most of them are hard people. Ask them for something and they are good about giving it to you, try to take something from them and they will chop you up and drop you in a septic tank. Living off the land down there is easy compared to where I now live. best of luck.

Do not forget about knowledge. There are lots of good survival manuals available out there for "living off the land" but I would highly suggest browsing for the "Survival manual" our soldiers use. (Though I am sure there is a newer version they use now but this one is still a valuable resource of information) Also I would suggest the field medical manual. These 2 will be in my survival pack at minimum.

Here is a link I found which has a good collection for your personal knowledge. The 2 I am referencing are Survival (FM 3-05.70 [newer version] or FM 21-76 [older version]) and field medical reference (ST 31-91B).

Manuals


Good Luck!