After reading this, and other survival threads, there seems to be one thing that is not honestly discussed.

Suburban Survival and Bugout.

More and more people are living in communities. There are fewer and fewer "natural" areas left (speaking for the US as a citizen here). If you are a suburbanite, like myself, things have to look a bit different.

First of all, where are you going to go? My family has some forest land, but most people do not have any sort of "out of the way" option. Most people in the cities are going to be stuck in the city, or another city similar to it. Just hauling butt out of town is not going to help much when someone points a shotgun at you for squatting on their land.

Next, if something in the city does happen, there is going to be no notice, or at least not enough to get ahead of the rush of people flooding pathways in every possible direction. You are going to be stuck in an endless traffic jam on every street in every direction. No matter the size of your city, if an alert calls out and people start clearing, you ARE going to get stuck behind an idiot.

Urban/Suburban survival could very well come in a vastly different form. Certainly a survival pack would be warranted, but not necessarily the same as a bugout pack.

If a catastrophy hit in a medium to major city that caused a mass exodus, those that get left behind and survive are going to have a vast potential of resources at hand.
Abandoned vehicles and structures make for decent short term shelters. Homeless and drug addicts prove this on a daily basis in this country.
There will be devastation, abandonment and death. Left behind will be food, clothing, pleasantries, sealed bottle/can liquids, etc. Hurricane Katrina proved that items left behind will become the property of the next desperate soul to encounter them.

Very honestly, an important factor in a SiTX is animals. It is not often spoken of, but this nation is already plagued with an overpopulation of dogs and cats. Add to that the surviving pets (dogs, cats, horses, amphibians, etc) of thousands (times a thousand) dead or departed owners and you have a crisis point from our normally friendly fellows. They will have to eat and dogs will likely resort to their wild side before going dead hungry. Of course cattle can be killed for food, but can you honestly say you would eat your dog? They arent stupid, they would be gone long before that time came.

These are just some things that I think about in a worst case scenario, because it is my reality. I have 3 dogs. I live in the burbs. I have to travel interstate and national park lands to get from city to country (my survival destination), provided I was able to make it out in the first place.

ok - 2 items left off the list i would not leave the house without :

hatchet / axe

machete

other crap i often carry :

wire saw - the small type

` hand power chain saw ` - the huge thing - its basically like a bycicle chain with cutting teeth - and 2 handles

queries - what the hell are secatuers for ?????????? my mother had a pair of secateurs - and if the world turns to crap - i dont intend to mainitain a rose garden :p


my last and biggest disagreement :

water filter - i use the katadyn pocket pump

and i would be lost without it

it converts ALMOST any water source into potable water - the only check you ever need to make is for evidence of chemical contamination / polution

At the risk of sounding really dumb.... what is a BOB?

I have to say there is a lot of great information here and I thank you.
Going through the thread I noticed some things, one of which was missing.
Basic medications
Caveat: ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO ANYTHING YOU KNOW OF?
Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, ASA) should be the first med you toss in this kit. Its actions are: mild analgesic, anti febrile agent (antipyretic to reduce fever) and anti-inflammatory agent. It is also used in low doses after a heart attack to reduce the risk of another heart attack .
It can cause acidosis, you should be hydrated when taking it and also increases the likelihood of bleeding. Try to avoid taking Aspirin when you first wake up as your clotting factor is reduced at that time.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is to replace Aspirin if you are allergic to acetylsalicylics.
Take as directed.
Take any medication that you currently take . . . meaning – >Have spare medications (up to date set) in the Kit.
Add to that “Anti” anything you can think of like: Radiation, Fungal, emetic AKA Puke!, etc.
Other stuff I will leave to your discretion, but.

AVOID . . . I will say this again: DO NOT take somebody else's medication to use for yourself
You can hurt or kill yourself as you probably have no clue what it is or could happen.
Example: Grandma's antibiotics. If you do not know what action it has or you do not take them correctly, you will possibly end up with a super infection. Leave a note in your Kit:
“I died because I was stupid. Take my BOB as a gift and have a nice day!”

First aid.
No sense having a BOB if you bleed to death . . . yes? Calling 911 just may not be an option.
Some people buy these little kits. But when they really need them, they open them to find a band aid, a safety pin and some ointment imported from China.
Make certain you have a kit that contains supplies for 1) Heavy bleeding 2) Temporary Wound closure strips 3) OB supplies AKA Baby is coming!!!! 4) Eye injury supplies and so on and so on.
Look it up on the web and get/put together the best one that suits what you think you can handle and carry.


Learn basic first aid please. Weighs nothing as you carry that in your Noggin. AKA Brain.

You also become a valued commodity if you have some medical training.

Some here stated to carry/use and/or eat off Plastic, like a Frisbee . . . Bahhh!
Wrong, But thanks for playing.
It's hard to clean/sterilize. You also do not want a residual scent like a Dog food dish for a pack of starving Pit bulls, a bear . . . Even Raccoons can get nasty on a good day.
You wish to avoid injury and open cuts at the very least.
If it can't be placed near a fire, try real hard not to have it.
You can play Frisbee with a hubcap (Why you may need a first aid kit.)

It is better to be warm, than cold. Carry (layer) clothes on you. So you look like a homeless person. Someone here already posted how these people know how to stay alive. Re-read that post.
Another good suggestion already made . . . A Zippo. Those things can have extra flints built in and burn more than just lighter fluid. (Alcohol, Gas, Acetone . . .)

Bottom line, one thing will not work for another. Get to know what works for your region.
Example: If you live in a Warm desert valley like Albuquerque, you may need to go North to the “COLD” mountains. Who and what may you find up there?

Documents: Somebody said to take a lot of these items with you. You could very well leave the originals in a waterproof lock box hidden in, under, near your home. Make “some” notarized copies and take those, only taking what originals are really needed. If things get that bad, your 401K and checkbook can be used for kindling.

Listen to some of the experts here. Pick their brain.
Hope this helped.
Peace.

Originally posted by MrWendal
At the risk of sounding really dumb.... what is a BOB?

Survivalist Acronyms
Bug Out = Basically it means if you as a person or family have to flee your home, town or place of work because the place has become to dangerous to stay in.

BOB = Bug Out Bag. A Rucksack, travel bag or container containing survival tools, clothing, food and kit

BOV (1) = Bug Out Vest. A travel vest fitted out like a BOB

BOV (2) = Bug Out Vehicle. A vehicle modified to help you bug out and sustain you during your journey, In the US its often a 4x4 like a Jeep, and in Europe its often a camper van. BOVs really should be capable of being lived in for at least a week, so they should have sleeping space, cookers, water, toilet, storage etc. But in the US the trend is for big powerful go anywhere 4x4s. Single folks tend towards the 4x4s, family guys the campers. Some folks have B O Boats, other cycles, other horses and a few light aircraft / microlights.

Cache = A remotely located store of food, fuel, and extra kit for survivalists to draw on, usually sited somewhere along the chosen Bug Out Route

EDC = Every Day Carry. Its a list of items that the seriously prepared will never venture out of the house without. Knife, Flashlight, Compass, Cell Phone, Wallet, Mulitool etc

FAK = First Aid Kit

FYI = For Your Information

GHB = Get Home Bag, same as BOB

GOOD = Get Out Of Dodge bag (another name for a BOB

INCH Bag = I’m Not Coming Home Bag (another name for a BOB)

IMHO = In My Honest Opinion

KFS = Knife, Fork, Spoon

MRE = Meals Ready to Eat

No Duff = This is the real thing, not a practise

PSK = Personal Survival Kit = Normally a small tin or pouch containing a mini survival kit, popular with soldiers venture explorers etc

PAW = Post Apocalyptic World

PDW = Personal defence Weapon

Retreat = Place of safety to live in during disaster, can be your home if modded or a camper van/ mobile home or purpose built facility.

SAK = Swiss Army Knife

SITX = Situation X (Unknown future catastrophe)

SITREP = Situation Report (Feedback from someone involved in an event)

TEOTWAWKI = Common acronym used by survivalists to describe a complete social collapse IE The End Of The World As WE Know It.

WTSHTF = When The # Hits The Fan

Originally posted by ignorant_ape

queries - what the hell are secatuers for ?????????? my mother had a pair of secateurs - and if the world turns to crap - i dont intend to mainitain a rose garden :p

For cutting smaller pieces of wood up to 20 mm thick for the camp fire, they are 100 times faster than a saw and are singled handed operation, You can snip a damn good pile of tindling in less than a minute, Literally you can cut one pice of wood up to 22 mm with one snip of the secatueur/ wood snips, it takes an average of three to four strokes to use a saw on the same thickness. Saws are better at inch plus wood, but sub inch snips are much faster.

Originally posted by wheresthetruth
After reading this, and other survival threads, there seems to be one thing that is not honestly discussed.

Suburban Survival and Bugout.

.

You must be joking theres are least three thread going now on urban survival, "Survival and Children" is one, "What to do when you just can not leave" is another, and "Citiess Viable Or Not? " is a third





[edit on 15-1-2009 by Northern Raider]

I see a lot of people using disposable lighters, zippos and matches. What are you going to do when they run out? I have found what I think is the ultimate fire starting tool. It always works even when wet. It can be used with one hand if necessary. It is never used up. It is light weight. It is simple to operate. It is simple to assemble. The fire piston is my fire starter of choice. There are many excellent links that show how to make and use one. Mine has been used to shame many boy scouts at the Scoutoramas and even many oldtimers at rondevous. It is quick, ingenious, and just fun to use.

respectfully

reluctantpawn

I live in a small city where the bush is only a few minutes walk away. A bow and arrow is a wonderful luxury in my environment but is impractical to carry in a BOB. Bows and arrows can be made fairly easily in the bush (especially small ones for small prey such as the varying hair). The difficult part is good arrow heads and bow string so I pack my own. The size and weight is minimal so I even keep a few of them in my day pack when out for a hike. I tried finding ones that would mount on a makeshift arrow but most are thread mount so I ended up making my own. I get them laser cut out of 0.05 stainless steel so they are tough and consistent. Because they are flat they store easily. They are designed to fit on arrows from about 6mm to 10mm. I spend time occasionally in front of the TV with a small grinder and sharpening stone putting edges on them and they can be used as a makeshift knife or spearhead. I carry a lot of them in my main pack expecting they can be used for trade. They cost me a fraction of what it would be to buy manufacture ones. Having a proper hunting/defense weapon like this with me is a real confidence booster despite my experience in the bush.

C,mon chaps, I started this thread let not fall out over the fact someone is not as diligent or studious as the rest of us. We all have off days and if the chap was seriously interested in learning he will eventually pick up speed and read the threads in full. Besides its Mondy, its pi**ing down here in Co Durham and I have a fuel leak on my van to fix., Lets be cool toaday.
Peaceful respects
NR

[edit on 19-1-2009 by Northern Raider]

Oh man. the big smoke was wet this morning as well. Ended up with a wet foot all day due to faulty steelies.

Back on subject though...

I have one issue with my BOB. I figure that if I ever need to use it then there's a pretty good chance I won't be returning.

So here's the thing, if you have to travel solo and cannot share the load what criteria would you employ for streamlining?

E.g. My SAS handbook would be essential because I don't have that knowledge in my head yet. Most of the contents will be used for living rough.

Guess I'll just have to man-up and work out more!