Best Survival System For Whats Coming?

Ok so i am finally working again and getting some money in so i am going to be devoting a significant amount to making a Survival Pack.

So what i want to know is what are some of the things im going to need. I am supposing a collapse of society and security type situation. I want to know:

- things i need for a home Pack
- things i need for a field pack
- best weapons to get
- were to go to be safe (currently live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
- how to make a perfect evacuation plan from the city
- best items for survival
- anything extra i might have missed
- what i should wear (boots, gloves, knives, hats, etc.)

ive already purchased a survival book, and i found this website www.lifegearcompany.com...

which seems to offer some good stuff

I also had the idea of getting a group of people and taking over a local mall, but im guessing it would be hard to defend it without adequate supplies, manpower or weapons.

Also if anyone has any tips on the psychology of survival, how to lead people, or anything of the sort it would be appreciated.

The thing i am going for is the perfect or best Survival System that i can achieve.

So can i get some help...

Just search the survival threads on here. I've come across staggering amounts of information in the form of very extensive lists. You'll find everything you could ever want to know in the survival forum.

There are differing opinions from ATS members on certain types of firearms, knives and other gear so, I guess you have to choose what you feel most comfortable with.

I'll find one of the threads I've looked at and post it.

Here's one to get you started.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Look for other links from posters in this thread or use the search function and type in survival lists or bug out bags (BOBS) and you'll find more.

Hope this helps.



[edit on 11/30/2008 by soldiermom]

I did something like this earlier this year, after about 3 months of planning and online shopping around.

A good survival weapon is one that has a common caliber and use both in hunting and combat. I have a Ruger 10/22 with five 30-round clips. I'll be honest, I got that at Walmart. (= I also keep around an SKS, but I really want to have a combo of the .22 and a 30.06.

OK, I got a lot of surplus items from www.mainemilitary.com. They have a huge selection of stuff and it is all very cheap.

I suppose that you'll want a good knife, and I got Gerber LMF II Knife. It's really well balanced and I love the thing. I plan on getting a MOLLE vest and attaching it to that (so I can take off my pack and still have it with me.)

Speaking of MOLLE, that's my pack. Some sort of Assault pack, I can't remember...MOLLE is excellent because of the customization.

Mainemilitary has a good selection of gas masks, too.

As for plans, that's really up to you, I mean, what I did was lay out a list of objectives I wanted done; i.e. Get out of town, what to do in a certain situation, and then take notes.

Your main weapon, really, is planning. (In my opinion)

great advise soldiermom, I gave you a star.

tankthinker You probably already know this but survival is 80% will 15% brains and 5% tools (AKA gear). In other words knowledge is free but the will has to come from you. I get teased a lot about it but We have mostly home made gear. It saves you a ton and you know what you got.

Just my opinion any way. Several regulars in the survival forums have there favorite survival links in there signatures to try if you cant find what you need here on ATS. Odds are its here tho.

[edit on 30-11-2008 by angryamerican]

reply to post by tankthinker




Here is a site for Survival Foods allready packaged (military style)

www7.mailordercentral.com...

Another one here :

www.surplusandoutdoors.com...
This one is set on a page about a great hand operated type of chain saw,but the rest of the site is very good also.

Originally posted by tankthinker
I also had the idea of getting a group of people and taking over a local mall, but im guessing it would be hard to defend it without adequate supplies, manpower or weapons.

I'd be wary of malls or other similar commerce-centres as most of your average head-in-the-sand suburbanites will identify those areas as the ONLY sources of food and other commodities as they currently depend on in their daily lives at the moment

[edit on 30-11-2008 by citizen smith]

reply to post by Anonymous ATS


I would agree with Mr. Anonymous here. Plan, plan, plan, plan, and then plan some more.

Also if you are thinking evac, you need to also test your systems, know how to use them etc. If you have a family you need plans on where to meet, etc.

You also need to be flexible and have backup plans as well. Living in a city has its own issues and evac may not be possible in the short term so look at what you can do to shelter in place.

Originally posted by FredT
Living in a city has its own issues and evac may not be possible in the short term so look at what you can do to shelter in place.

If a shelter-in-place strategy is one part of the plan, it may be an idea to keep plenty of medium-weight clear plastic tarpaulin sheet in a basement or other area. If the window-glazing is smashed by explosion/intruder/etc you have the means to re-weatherproof and keep the building free from the elements and cold winds which would sap morale in winter months and require additional fuel to keep warm. It could also be taken with you as part of the bug-out gear as a shelter-build material in the wilds or other uses.

[edit on 30-11-2008 by citizen smith]

reply to post by citizen smith


Good call and no joke plenty of duct tape

Any plan you have or make has to be adaptable. Leaving your urban surroundings for an unknown rural or wilderness destination sounds like hardship and disaster waiting to happen.

With the economy circling the drain, it may be the perfect time to obtain a hunting lease on some private land in the country. Some landowners will lease the land for just enough money to cover the mortgage and taxes. Throw in some improvements and they may even knock off some of the lease money. This would be things like a corral, fencing and barn. The barn's roof could used to gather rain water if no running or surface water exists on the land. Cache some supplies and tools there. A practical cabin could be put up in a few days by 3-4 people. This a warm dry shelter not the Hilton. We're talking 12x24 or smaller cabin that will be used for sleeping and possibly cooking. If the soil isn't too rocky and is deep enough, an outhouse and a root cellar should the next priorities. Next building should be a weather tight barn or shed to store equipment. It doesn't have to be insulated just weather tight to keep the wind, rain and snow off you vital equipment.

No part of your camp should not be visible from any road. My dad's has an acre or more of cleared land that sits inside pie slice shaped property that sits on just 6 acres but you still have to walk/drive more than 100 yards in from the road to see it. If it's uphill or down in the bottom, folks are even less inclined to climb either direction.

A short fence around the camp will deter quite a few folks who might steal when they think they can get away with it but are fearful of getting caught or trapped. They tend to like places they can makes quick exits from.

reply to post by tankthinker


Just curious....why would you want to take over a mall? A public place that is bound to get looted is the very last place I would want to be. I wouldn't even want to be in any city big enough to have a mall!

If you ask me the best way you can prepare your self for survival is to work on it often. So you can figure out your needs as you go along.

If you can survive without having to buy a gun or to stalk up. It will be a lot easier to survive with it all.

In the beginning i did a lot of foolish things. I didn't really think to much about mobility and that all this # had a wight.
If you have to move to another location, its going to be a bitch to Carry all crap with you. To re-lokate is a factor you have to keep in minde.

To even having a chance at lasting a week you have to figure out have to find water and food. And when you find it have do you make it drinkable and eatable if that's the case.
Remember that your stockpile won't last for ever. And your ammo dont last for ever.

And another thing! the more you stalk up the more you restrict your mobility.

If you can survive with out being needy of having to stalk up on food and weapons, You will build up a good platform,and if you do get something for free it will just be a bonus to your ability's of survival.

A good tip:

learn to grow a garden in the winter and summer. learn have to secure your harvest so you can grow a new garden.

Learn to purify water with what you have on you or around you.

Originally posted by tankthinker
Ok so i am finally working again and getting some money in so i am going to be devoting a significant amount to making a Survival Pack.

So what i want to know is what are some of the things im going to need. I am supposing a collapse of society and security type situation. I want to know:

- things i need for a home Pack
- things i need for a field pack
- best weapons to get
- were to go to be safe (currently live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
- how to make a perfect evacuation plan from the city
- best items for survival
- anything extra i might have missed
- what i should wear (boots, gloves, knives, hats, etc.)

ive already purchased a survival book, and i found this website www.lifegearcompany.com...

which seems to offer some good stuff

I also had the idea of getting a group of people and taking over a local mall, but im guessing it would be hard to defend it without adequate supplies, manpower or weapons.

Also if anyone has any tips on the psychology of survival, how to lead people, or anything of the sort it would be appreciated.

The thing i am going for is the perfect or best Survival System that i can achieve.

So can i get some help...

In the last month alone I and many other have posted dozens of complete articles of stockpiles, caches, BOBs EDCs etc, just have a trawl through the last few weeks posts on the survival section.

[edit on 1-12-2008 by Northern Raider]

Thanks for all the info,

the main problem with getting guns and buying land is that im turning 18 in two weeks and money for that kind of stuff isnt that easy to get.

My family members don't believe in any of this stuff that is about to happen, so im actually not telling them that im stocking up, my dad would say it was a waste of money.

The thing about the mall was that i have a friend who has special forces experience and he knows other people our age from the military, i told him about what is happening and he said that if SHTF we would band together with everyone's family to be a stronger group. If we were a large group i would think we would need a stable source of supplies and a mall would be perfect. But i am unsure as to how far this particular plan would go so im preparing these other things first.