Posted on 03/24/2010 4:12:18 PM PDT by Noumenon
Most of this gear is off-the-shelf and relatively cheap. Check out Cabelas, CheaperThanDirt.com or SportsMansGuide.com for the best deals.
Assumptions:
1. Civil unrest ensues.
2. Communications go down.
3. You may have to fight your way out of wherever you are. or on the way to your destination.
4 You may have to abandon your vehicle
5. You may have to walk to a prearranged safe place or rendezvous/rally point.
6. You will move quickly and not camp out. Rest, yes. Camp, no.
7. The weather may suck - majorly. Hot, cold, wet, snowy.
Strategy assumes that you may lose your backpack and/or your sling bag. Or that you may not have time to suit up, and that you can only grab your sling bag/backpack and weapons. Try to wear a pair of decent hiking shoes or durable shoes in case you cant put your boots on in time.
First layer Combat Uniform
I prefer the old 80s era Swiss Alpenflage. Cheap and readily available (or used to be), works great for the inland Pacific NW environment. Rig for your area and circumstances.Strongly recommend good boots and a PASGT helmet with appropriate cover. Plenty of PASGT gear on eBay if you dont have any. This is what works for my area. Think it through and pack what will work for your circumstances. The important thing is to have comfortable, durable clothing that you can wear for days.
Your pockets/belt will hold the following essential items:
1. Strike-anywhere matches in a waterproof case.
2. BlastMatch with tinder of some sort.
3. Maps or even Jeppesen charts are very useful. You should also do a custom Google map of your E&E routes. You DO have more than one route, eh?
4. Compass In a worst case scenario, you may not be able to rely upon a GPS device. Learn how to follow a compass bearing. You can guide yourself through thickly forested areas, featureless winter landscapes, foggy sagebrush areas, etc.
5. LED Flashlight and extra batteries. Use what works best for you. Carry at least two.
6. Energy bar(s). Somethings better than nothing.
7. Extra Clothing Layer. Poncho and/or parka. This could also be a mylar emergency blanket. Area / climate / season specific. A poncho will fold up into one of your pockets.
8. Sunglasses.
9. First Aid Kit. Carry basic first aid supplies such as sterile gauze and pads, Band-Aids, moleskin, etc
10. Knife / multi-tool Preferably one of each. An extra knife on a lanyard around your neck is good insurance.
11. Water and the means to carry it. Adopt/adapt for your circumstances.
12. Water purification tablets dont take much room, either.
13. Wire saw. Notch a stick at each and lodge the saw's end rings in the notches and you've got a serviceable bow saw.
Extras if youve got the pockets or the inclination:
1. Small radio w/extra batteries. 22+ mile range/NOAA combo preferable. If youve made arrangements with others to meet up, that type of radio can be invaluable. But be secure about using one, though. Keep your plans confined within a small trusted circle.
2. 25-50 ft of parachute cord. Whatever fits. Very useful.
Ive left off fishing kit and items like that because youre probably not going to have the time for fishing and in any case, you have room for that sort of thing in either your sling bag or your small backpack. Ive also not included magazines and ammo, because youre probably going to be carrying that elsewhere.
Practice and test. Finally, when youve got that all together, field test it. See how fast you can get it all on, boots and helmet included. Do it again and again. Then do it at least once a week. Try walk, trot, run and see what rattles. Quiet the rattles. Then roll down an embankment, throw yourself down flat, crawl through brush, tumble if youre capable and see what youve got left. Walk, trot, run. Still quiet? Good.
Second layer Sling Bag
The sling bags offered by places like Cheaper Than Dirt and Sportsmans Guide are great. Theyre easily snatched up and the contents will afford you an extra day or two of operations in the field. Plenty of webbing attachments for your customization pleasure. The premise is that even if you dont have time to suit up, you can still grab your rifle and the sling bag and make a decent go of it. I wear mine on the left, since Im a right-hander. The one I use also has a waist strap to keep it from flapping in the breeze. To a certain extent, I replicate the essentials listed above in the bag and the list below reflects that. But it differs in some details and sports a few additions. Ammo, for instance. I hang a 3 magpouch on it for my AR carbine, and theres more ammo and an extra rifle/pistol in the bag. Theres an extra 15 round 10mm mag in there as well. Again, youre not looking to camp out you want to keep moving towards your destination. Rest, but dont set up housekeeping.
1. Strike-anywhere matches in a waterproof case
2.Fire Starter. BlastMatch with tinder of some sort.
3.Maps. >Same as above.
4. Compass. Yep, another one.
5.LED Flashlight and extra batteries. If youre smart, your radio, flashlight and any other device you might carry will all use the same batteries. Preferably AA.
6. MRE of your choice. A good meal (although some may dispute even the possibility) can make a big difference to your outlook. Even the (ugh) omelet ones.
7.Energy bar(s). Better to have 'em and not need 'em>
8.Extra Clothing Layer. Same as above.
9. Sunglasses AND regular glasses. For those of us who need glasses, the investment in an extra pair could be a life-saver. The sling bag described here accommodates glasses in hard cases nicely.
10.Binoculars. Compact, decent quality and keep them easy to get to.
11. First Aid Kit. Carry additional first aid as mentioned above.
12. Knife / multi-tool. /b> Preferably one of each. Again.
13.Empty Water container. You can fill it later. Itll add to the one on your backpack.
14. Water purification tablets.
15.Rifle / pistol mag(s). Full, and one of each. Theyll be inside the pack along with as much extra ammo on strippers as you deem fit. Dont overload it though.
16.Rifle ammo on strippers. 5.56 mm doesnt take up that much room and you can probably carry an extra 2 or 3 magazines worth. Remember to include a couple of extra stripper guides. Wear one around your neck; keep the other in a zipper compartment in the bag.
17.Rifle mag pouch. Hang this in an easy-to-get-to place on the outside of the sling bag. Most will hold three AR-style mags.
Again, practice and test. Still have everything? Good.
Third layer Small Backpack
Cheaper Than Dirt and Sportsmans Guide offer some nice compact backpacks. I like the Level III assault pack. Its big enough to hold more of what you need for an extra two or three days in the field, expands your available food and ammo stocks, provides for a change of socks, underwear and t-shirt, insect repellent, a small folding shovel and a hydration pack. Depending upon what you feel like stuffing in there, you can add a small waterproof bag with a towel and some baby wipes
Again, practice and test. Same as above. Still have everything? Excellent.
Weapons
When things get dicey, dont assume that youre going to just drive or stroll home. Rifle, pistol and a good fighting knife (that is, a knife that you actually know how to fight with) are essentials. The last thing you want to do is to get into a firefight. But you do want to have a chance to prevail if it drops in the pot. Again, carry what you know how to use. This will be no time for on-the-job training. If you dont have the skills, take a martial arts class of some sort (NOT tai chi or freakin' yoga) and get thee to an Appleseed event to learn how to shoot like a rifleman. www.appleseedinfo.org.
Everyones got an opinion so Ill just tell you what I picked and why.
1.Rifle. CAR15 or equivalent. Light, accurate within reason and you can carry lots of ammo. I carry 7 loaded mags one in the rifle, three in a quick-access pouch on the sling bag and two more in the backpack.
2.Pistol. Glock mod 20 with 1 mag in the pistol, two in the carry rig, one in the sling bag and two more in the backpack. This is a hard-hitting pistol, a real fight-stopper. No aspersions on .45s - I just like having 15+1 rounds of near-41 magnum persuasion on tap. Besides, if youre down to your pistol, then youve got other things to worry about besides calibers.
3. Tomahawk. One MOLLEd to my backpack. I like tomahawks.
4. Fighting knife. One MOLLEd to my sling bag.
5. Miscellaneous small knives. Everywhere.
Car Kit
I carry pioneer tool items that could prove useful in some circumstances. This is in addition to the usual road kit with flares, gloves, rope, a regular tool kit, etc. Let your experience and imagination be your guide here.
1. Shovel.
2.Pickaxe
3.Axe.
4.17 pound tamper bar. With a tamper on one end and a wedge on the other.
5. 24 bolt cutters.
6.Extra food and water.
7. Sleeping bag.
Again, your circumstances and training will produce endless variations of this list.
You pinged?
Congratulations on your pending nuptials! God bless you both. And thank you for your good advice.
Thank you.
Bump and BLOAT - turn ammunition into skill...
Wilderness Outfitters - Pathfinder School - Youtube clips on tons of survival and bushcraft topics
Or just go to Youtube and search for clips on "survival" plus any of shelter, fire, water, bushcraft, fieldcraft, knives, nets, fish traps, traps, snares, stoves, gear, lashing, knots, etc.
If nothing else, you can see how many people across the country are learning, doing, experimenting, planning, practicing, and sharing info on how -- to survive.
>Isolated rural properties became targets of the most horrific attacks imaginable. Invaders would stalk, snipe and attack, then stay for days torturing family members into revealing the locacation of hidden valuables, if any.<
Zimbabwe is another shining example of what can happen to those on large agricultural holdings.
I still believe the best way to go is a well fortified stone castle complete moat and a knight in shining armor.. A girl can dream, can’t she?
All the LED flashlights I've seen run on AAA batteries.
There is, however, an adaptor to convert a "two AA" MagLite to an LED bulb.
Alternatively, a half-dozen AAA batteries (two sets) are pretty minimal in space and weight.
They'll cut though heavy wire and chain-link fence, and get you past a wide variety of fasteners.
Four-month anniversary today, and people are still posting on it.
Good idea. I keep a set of 24” bolt cutters in the vehicle, but a it’s definitely a good and worth the added weight to carry a small set with you. Plent yof belt space and BDU pockets for that. Now added to the list.
LDS don’t believe in self-defense at all
Consider yourself corrected. You might want to tell my grandson that- he will come home from Afghanistan in May- first tour was Iraq.
Thanks !!!
Let’s just say that we have a good working relationship with our large animal vet. Often, what’s good for the horse....
So THAT’s where my missuz gets my horse pills.
Bump for updates/additions/deletions to 72 hour kit.
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