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To: ChocChipCookie
“I have to admit that, yes, I am pimping my blog just a bit here. It has a completely new look as of Monday night, and I'm having a contest to give away a Survival Kit valued at $100. I'd love for a Freeper to win it! Contest runs until midnight on Monday.
Pimping aside, what other unusual must-haves should everyone have?”

How about the right stuff? I'm going to start by disagreeing with your first item. Lightsticks are OK for once-in-a-while use. They can freeze, and not work. They are expensive. They are one-time use, and they degrade with age. I used them extensively in the Air Force while doing equipment setup after dark and in a hurry, and they do have advantages over a flashlight, especially if you have a relatively large budget, but for long-term use, they are not really practical. If your survival situation is one or two days, maybe. A week or longer, get a rechargable-battery lamp with a built-in dynamo to recharge it. Or a 12VDC bicycle generator.

Add bicycles to your list, as well.

Also guns, ammo, and training in their care and use.

WRM, MSgt, USAF(Ret.)

The rest of the list is pretty good.

80 posted on 11/04/2009 9:20:09 AM PST by Old Student (We have a name for the people who think indiscriminate killing is fine. They're called "The Bad Guys)
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To: Old Student
"...Add bicycles to your list, as well..."

Extra tires for the bike are a must, and for every tire you should get 10 extra tubes.

When you run out of tubes you can stuff the tires with almost anything soft, like old clothing to make the bike ridable. A mountain bike survivalist once told me that even grass works in a pinch when you're out in the boonies.

91 posted on 11/04/2009 10:58:14 AM PST by I Buried My Guns (Buy Lots Of Ammo Today)
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To: Old Student
I'm going to start by disagreeing with your first item. Lightsticks are OK for once-in-a-while use. They can freeze, and not work. They are expensive.

I thought so too, but we had a Trunk or Treat for the local kids at my church last weekend. Anyway, aside from candy, they were giving away mini-lightsticks that you could loop together for and make a necklace. The girl told me they got them for only 25 cents each, in bulk. I just did a google search, and some places sell them for as little as 3 cents each. Here's a site that sells all kinds.

The only problem I have with them is if I let the kids use them while we were evading and hunkering down, they'd be like lit up targets. The usage of these would require strict light descipline.

AB, SMSgt, USAF(Ret)

99 posted on 11/04/2009 12:45:22 PM PST by Alas Babylon!
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