My concept of the Four man Survival Unit

Ladies and gentlemen I was just thinking about circumstances where a one man army sometimes just doesnt cut it. You need to have a closely knit team at times. So I divided up skill sets into four specialists:

Specialist 1 - Medical, trauma
Specialist 2 - Hunting, gathering, farming
Specialist 3 - Weapons, ammo, shelter defense
Specialist 4 - Communications, Navigation, Signaling

I am going to talk about Specialist number 4. I created a video tutorial showing you my emergency communications bag:

Video Part 1:


Video Part 2:


Items missing: Optics module and durable small scanner/radio system from Kenwood or Icom

Side note: the IR laser illuminator combined with any cell phone will enable a rudimentary night vision system. The IR beam will not be visible by humans, but the cell phone camera system will pick it up, giving you an advantage at night

Tell me what you think.

Sorry for the delay in video 2, it is still processing but it is definetly worth it. I go into intricate details on how you can set up your own kit.

2nd Vid still not working.

The concept of having multiple people performing specialties is useful, but I don't know if it is warranted or feasible for you.

What is your 'mission?' This team you set up seems to be in in for more than simple survival. What survival situation is this team preparing for? Are you a mobile unit? What is your means of transportation? Do you have a specific destination or go where your needs take you?

You bag in the first video seems to suggest your either relocating to a specific point and then setting up camp, OR you will have a reliable mode of transportation.

You have some high tech signaling plans. Who do you see needing to signal to? Can your tasks be accomplished with cheaper and more reliable means?

In any team, all the members will need to have some common basic skills covering all skill sets. Are specialist really needed? Perhaps your comm needs may be less and it would be better having a second weapons specialist etc, for example.

reply to post by Wolf321


Yea I will explain in the second video once its uploaded. I do have high tech means, and this bag is designed as such. Well there are certain things you cant do without this unit. For instance using my laser system you can precisely aim at your intended target because it creates a line at a specified angle as opposed to a dot without being visible to other groups, or you can use it in rescue mode by increasing the line width and signal everything.

This team is a survival unit, and it is designed to be on foot somewhere. You can keep such a bag in your vehicle and if something should happen, take the bag out, and meet up at the desired GPS coordinates or another discreet meeting place.

The mission would be to keep secret and stealthy and survive and keep moving.

I totally understand that everyone needs to have some other skills, for instance me, I work in healthcare and I could easily run medical if I wanted to; I just wanted comm because of the high tech toys.

Each individual should be also carrying a simple weapon, a air powered pellet gun to hunt small game, and a fishing set should you get separated from your unit.

Second video finally up!!

Why are you wearing gloves and long sleeves? Thanks for throwing up the videos though. Do you feel like that bag is a little small? Also don't you think it makes more sense for every member to be carrying an equal amount of kit? If the medical guy gets zombie slaughtered or falls off a bridge, no medical supplies.

reply to post by Domo1


So no one can ID me , no identifying marks etc...

Yea the equal amounts idea is probably better, definitely does make more sense, but I do have a lot of personal things in the kit. I think that evryone in the group should have at least a radio and a small panel to charge it with. I would have a lot more extra things because I would be specializing in it. The kit is small but is designed to be carried on foot.

PS: I definetly think the zombie apocalypse is coming...hear the story of the guy who ate someone in baltimore

reply to post by THE_PROFESSIONAL


Damn zombies.

Smart to get a solar charger dealy that can power up the phone and the batteries. Never heard of those batteries, going to look it up. I'm confused by the optics module you keep referring to. Please explain. It sounds like something I'm going to want. Probably more for fun than anything. Also explain EMP proof box. What's required to accomplish that? Very good idea to secure the electronics.

reply to post by THE_PROFESSIONAL


Its how the British SAS operate. 4 man teams each one specializing in a field closely linked to what
you described!!

reply to post by Domo1


When you have a laser it projects a single dot. Using a specialty lens called a line generator lens you can make it into a line like such:

www.ebay.com...

This laser is just 24 dollars and puts out a line which can be used for signaling as such:



The lenses are multiple types. Specialty lenses are more high quality and are made by this manufacturer:

www.edmundoptics.com...

But if you want to go with the economical way you can pick one up on ebay for 4 bux:
www.ebay.com...

Or you could buy the lens built into the laser as i posted on the first kit.

Inside the optics module I will also include an IR laser with a diffuser lens which will act like a illuminator enabling my cell phone to see at night. Hence I would have simple affordable night vision.

reply to post by Six6Six


Wow, really? I had no idea, that is pretty crazy, since I came up with this system myself lol. Maybe I am an SAS guy...you never know

reply to post by Domo1

Also explain EMP proof box

EMP is short for Electromagnetic Pulse. It is generated by nuclear explosions and specialty weapons. A nuclear explosion generates EMP as a side effect.

When electromagnetic radiation hits a conductor, we remember from basic physics that a current is generated. This current if it is high enough in power and voltage can damage your electronics.

In order to shield your electronics from EMP your electronics must be in what is called a 'Faraday Cage' constructed of a conductor to divert the radiation around your sensitive equipment.

If someone hits us with an EMP, only the people who shielded their equipment like the US military will have operating equipment.

reply to post by THE_PROFESSIONAL
Good areas covered as far as expertise I think - I would want my team to have each individual up to speed in all of those areas as well as carrying similar loadouts. Your bag's contents I found interesting, have you considered looking into a sturdy backpack (It'd free up your hands/your shoulder will thank you)?

Btw thanks for putting me face down on the bed in the 2nd video.

Edit: face down on the bed again. The gloves, what gives?

reply to post by Sek82


Hi thanks, and your welcome. I have considered a sturdy camping backpack. The only reason I am using my duffel bag right now is cause I had it laying around the house be functional as a socks container lol. I would in the future certainly look into a good Camping backpack.

LOL, are you the phone..?

Oh I have some personal effects of loved ones that I did not want on screen Gloves are so no one knows who I am hehe.

reply to post by THE_PROFESSIONAL


For some reason I thought it was more difficult to shield electronics against an EMP.

Never seen that type of laser. Probably going to pick a few up. I like the cheap night vision trick. Good thread.

reply to post by Domo1


Your welcome, yea make sure the laser you get has a power supply or is a simple 2 AAA operated system. The one I posted has some wires sticking out which means you would have to build your own power supply.

For instance this one:
www.ebay.com...:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Still needs a 5v power supply which you can build yourself or purchase somewhere and remember your power supply must operate on AA batteries. This whole system is designed to operate on AA's

This laser is 50 times brighter than your simple AAA laser pointer which are 5 mW. This one is 150 mW giving you plenty of signaling power.

As far as my research on EMP this is pretty good. Remember a microwave puts out EM radiation and you are shielded by the fact of that cage. This is the same exact concept.

Ok. I finally got finished watching vid 2. Let's break everything down.

You have a four man team. Each man is presumed to have a common set of basic skills and gear. Each man then has a specialty. You particular specialty is Navigation/Comm/Signaling.

Each person must be self sustaining and the purpose of having specialties is to enhance the quality and capabilities of each member and decrease the effort of having to multitask.

With that said, you will be bringing Nav/Comm/Sig skills and resources. Each member must be have their basic Nav/Comm/Sig ability and resources. This will include a map, compass, signal mirror, whistle, simple radio and ability to make fire. What will you be bringing that enhances the quality and capabilities and decreases the effort of these other individuals? First let's look at the needs of the group from your specialty.

Navigation. In order to navigate you will need a compass, maps and possibly a gps. Each individual member should already be carrying a map and compass. Your kit includes a compass. I did not notice a map, or gps. While other members should have a basic map, as the nav guy, you should have maps that have been pre-marked with locations of important resources, safe havens and destinations.

Communications. Everyone in the group should have the simple radio to monitor. The comm aspect of your specialty can be the most important as you can bring a lot to the group. This should be your specialties bread and butter. First, since you are planning to be in a group, having a set of FRS/GMRS 2 way radios for your group to use would be a great asset. You could also have a scanner to monitor UHF/VHF etc. Additionally, you should have a portable CB radio. In any SHTF or survival scenario, government will be broadcasting on AM/FM, Police-Military-Fire-EMS will be on VHF/UHF, and hundreds across the nation will be using CB's and Ham radios to communicate. It is likely all cell phone towers will be useless.

A lot of your kit was devoted to power generation and supply. You have a few different solar panel chargers. I would consider minimizing this and trying to locate the best single portable and performing one you can. Then, you could consider bringing in another power source, such as a hand crank power generator.

You have the small EMP proof box, and that is great. However, if your phone is not in there at the time of the event that activates your survival group, it may be pointless. Additionally, you have the HD's and flash drives in it, but no PC. Would they serve a purpose if you had no pc to connect to? All your electronic devices should be staged in a transportable faraday cage before any event. Considering the HD's and flash drives. Are they really necessary for your or your groups survival or simply luxuries?

Signaling. Each member of the group should have a signal mirror, whistle and ability to make fire. You mentioned a lot about the optics module etc that seem to me to be either overkill, excessive or the wrong idea. Who will you need to signal? Other group members or rescue. What are you bringing that enhances the quality and capabilities and decreases the effort of these other individuals in this regard? A single laser may be useful. Perhaps a simple more cover means of signaling like the old WW2 clickers. For rescue, you could have pen flares, gun flares, electronic LED flares, high visibility ribbon or tape, or perhaps one of those gps emergency locator beacons. These were not included in your kit.

Signaling may also entail marking a target or location. Tape, chem lights and some newer led marking devices are good for this, and can come in colors and IR. You could consider these for your kit.

Remember, when you go to utilize your kit, you will be carrying your own BOB or INCH bag and if you end up on foot, you may be responsible for carrying these extras on your own. Your passport should not be a component of the specialty kit, but your own BOB. The large flashlight in your specialty kit should be redundant from your own bag and unnecessary for this kit. Most of the things in the tackle box are really unnecessary or redundant from a personal BOB.

Additionally, aside from each members personal BOBs and their specialty kits, your group may have to consider additional gear you will have to divide up and carry. Will you all provide your own shelters? Would there be a single group shelter? Food and water on the go, and means to cook. If you end up on foot, you may want to consider breaking those four specialties down further and getting more people to help spread the load.

Glad to see your working on it. How well are the other 3 members of your group in their specialty preps?

reply to post by Wolf321


Thanks for your amazing reply.

. I did not notice a map, or gps.

My cell phone does have GPS built in as it is an iphone. I do need a basic map since 3G may not be working. Thanks for reminding me, I will have to include it in my kit

While other members should have a basic map, as the nav guy, you should have maps that have been pre-marked with locations of important resources, safe havens and destinations.

That is an excellent idea, along with premarked safe meeting spots in case of separation.

f FRS/GMRS 2 way radios

Yea I have to include the radios, but that wont be till a while out cause of money ya know

A lot of your kit was devoted to power generation and supply. You have a few different solar panel chargers. I would consider minimizing this and trying to locate the best single portable and performing one you can.

Yea I know,but I included a smaller panel which is very small so that I would not need to set up the big one if I was short on time or just did not need it. The small one can be kept outside attached to by bag while charging a pair of AA's or my cell phone.

However, if your phone is not in there at the time of the event that activates your survival group, it may be pointless.

Yea I know that would be a big problem, In the future I plan on purchasing another iphone without plan, activating it and keeping it as a backup.

Additionally, you have the HD's and flash drives in it, but no PC. Would they serve a purpose if you had no pc to connect to?

No they are not necessary for my group to survive, but I have my family photos, loved ones pictures, lots of goodies, it is just very dear to me.

Who will you need to signal?

In the event that we need to keep radio silence we could use the lasers for point to point communication within the group. Plus it would be a backup to the radios

pen flares, gun flares, electronic LED flares, high visibility ribbon or tap

but all of these are limited use with the exception of the LED flares. I like the idea of adding a GPS beacon, I could certainly add that.

Signaling may also entail marking a target or location. Tape, chem lights and some newer led marking devices are good for this, and can come in colors and IR. You could consider these for your kit.

Thanks for this, I will look into this as well.

BOB or INCH bag

Whats a bob or an inch bag

How well are the other 3 members of your group in their specialty preps?

Unfortunately I will not survive the zombie apocalypse because the other three members are nonexistent at this point lol..

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
reply to post by Six6Six

 

Wow, really? I had no idea, that is pretty crazy, since I came up with this system myself lol. Maybe I am an SAS guy...you never know

Yep pretty close here you go!!

Having only 4 men in the patrol does, however, require a balance of specializations be present throughout the unit. SAS Specialized Skills Each SAS trooper has a primary skill that they have specialized in.

In addition to this, most will also have a secondary level of expertise in at least one area as well as having a basic grounding in all skills.

Signals
Secure communications are absolutely vital for an SAS patrol operating far from HQ. An SAS signaler becomes highly proficient in the use of the various portable radio systems such as High Frequency (HF) Radio and Satellite Communications (SATCOM). Signalers learn procedures for burst transmissions and become fluent in morse code. SAS signalers will usually patrol and sleep close to the patrol commander so situation reports (sitreps) and other communication with HQ can be easily facilitated. In some cases, an SAS patrol may take a signaler from 264(SAS) Signals Squadron along on a mission. As the signals skill is so important, every member of an SAS patrol will have a working knowledge of the equipment and procedures. When comprising the team, the patrol leader will tend to avoid placing the signaler in the more vulnerable point (lead) or tailend charlie (rear) positions.

Medic
SAS medics undergo intensive medical training, beginning with a course at Hereford, followed by a stint in real life hospital. The medic is a crucial element of any military unit and especially so for an SAS patrol. In most cases the medic will be the only source of aid in the event of injury. SAS medics need to be able to deal with everything from infections to major gunshot trauma. They can also help with hearts and minds operations by establishing trust with local populations through medical assistance. Like signalers, the patrol's medic will usually be situated in the middle of the patrol.

Linguist
Language skills are crucial when dealing with natives whilst engaging in hearts and minds operations or when liaising with foreign troops. SAS soldiers are mostly taught languages at the Army School Of Languages in Beaconsfield and usually followed up by a visit to the respective country to practice using their skills in the real world.

Forward Air Control (FAC)
An increasingly important skill is that of Forward Air Control. SAS FACs undergo extensive training in the complex art of calling in aircraft to attack ground targets. Their job is made a little easier by modern technology such as laser target designators and IR strobe beacons, however they must, if needed, be able to verbally 'walk' an aircraft onto the target. This requires an expertise in map reading, an ability to clearly and concisely convey complex information; all whilst under tremendous pressure.

Demolitions
As many SAS missions end with stuff getting blown up (to use the technical term), a patrol will most likely need to contain a demolitions, or 'dems' expert. An extensive demolitions course is undertook which covers the various types of explosives, how to identify the points in a structure where best to place charges, and how to choose the types of target to hit in order to achieve the desired mission goals.

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
Whats a bob or an inch bag

BOB = Bug Out Bag

INCH Bag = I'm Never Coming Home Bag

These are the basis for individual survival on the move or when having to leave an area. If this isn't completely squared away, then you shouldn't even be considering a specialty kit.

Unfortunately I will not survive the zombie apocalypse because the other three members are nonexistent at this point lol..

Then you should be working on your one man survival gear alone.

Everyone has some aspect of specialty when it comes to survival. Once your personal survival gear is ready, then you can add a few extra items to enhance your comm capabilities if that is what you want. However, considering what you listed as the 4 essential specialties, if a situation requires you to get on the move to survive, hunting or defensive skills may come in more useful than comm for a solo go. That is unless your primary plan for survival is just to avoid the danger and then call for help.

reply to post by Wolf321


Oh thanks for the helpful hints. Chances are I will never really need this kit because I would be helping out in the local hospital. For instance the Japan quake situation, I bet the hospitals were jam packed..

Maybe I'm just going off the deep end lol..