Two Letters Re: The “Field Kit” Approach for Organization, Preparedness, and Survival, by Christian Souljer

Mr. Rawles,
Reading the great post on preparedness kits I noticed a couple things that I do differently with my vehicle. I’ve got a spare tire mounted on a homemade bracket on the front of my truck. this took an hour tops with an iron pile and a welder. It’s not meant for pushing but it sits there comfortably mounted to the existing bumper and the metal near the hood latch. I would think also that with some forethought it could be incorporated into a big frame mount push bumper. its a classic ‘country’ configuration which clears up room in your truck bed or inside the vehicle. It’s never made sense to me to mount the spare tire under the rear end of a 4WD vehicle.
This setup also lets you put your chains on the tire which makes them easy to get too and easy to lay out when the time comes. Once they are on, just wire up the extra and throw a big bungee on to take up the slack and rattle. I’ve even found that a license plate will fit inside the rim of most truck tires (15″ or larger). If you are worried about theft you can attach a padlock and/or use a big nut/bolt and lock washer which will ensure that somebody has to take the time with a wrench or tire iron to get at your spare. This is a really cheap way to save space and make your rig more functional. Thanks, – Hi-Plains Reader

 

Mr. Rawles,
I just read the article about field kits and have to agree with Christian Souljer. I a similar setup in the event that I can bug-out in my truck. My plan is to bug-in but if I have to leave I have 2 options to my disposal ( driving or walking ). Most of my equipment is in rubbermaid type plastic boxes and ready to go. The only thing I would suggest is have several different size tarps to go with you. When out camping using my equipment I put up tarps over the tent and kitchen area to keep the rain out, for shade, and privacy for toilet and solar shower. As far as rope goes I have one box a dedicated rope box with different lengths and types of rope. Great article and keep up the wonderful work that you do. – R.H. in Asheville, N.C.

Letter Re: Asian Avian Flu Radio Show Archives

J.R.-
Just got the chance to listen to some of the Ark Institute radio programming archives from this October. It might be a good idea to remind people those audio files are still there to enjoy. Still just as topical today as then. – R.S.

JWR Replies: Thanks for mentioning that. For details on how to hear the webcast archives, visit the Republic Radio web site: http://mp3.rbnlive.com/Geri05.html.  The interviews that you mentioned were conducted on October 15th and October 22nd.

Letter Re: Recommendations on Body Armor?

Sir:
I’d read your post in SurvivalBlog about body armor – someone had asked for some recommendations. I own a small company and my employees wear armor, I’ve worn armor for ten years… And there have been some upheavals recently that those looking to acquire used body armor need, desperately, to be aware of that weren’t addressed in your answer – which was adequate but I felt needed elaborating on – so here goes!

WHAT BRAND OF BODY ARMOR SHOULD YOU AVOID WHEN BUYING USED…

Both Second Chance and Point Blank are facing bankruptcy and major lawsuits associated with some of their vests – specifically the so-called 4th generation fibers known as Zylon, Second Chance used them in it’s ULTIMA, ULTIMAX and TRIFLEX series of vests and Point Blank (who also make the PACA brand vest) used them in too many products to list here – so I’ll give you the PDF link to the document on file in the current civil case against them.

https://www.pddocs.com/PointBlank2/files/exhibit_a.pdf

I could ramble on about the foreign buyout of both companies prior to their spectacular failure rate – but it’s irrelevant to survival. So, what brand to buy?

Gee, I guess that means Safariland or ABA (American Body Armor) are safe huh?

Nope! Everybody messed up! Again, too many products to list here – here’s another link for Safariland’s vest exchange program.

http://www.bodyarmor.com/zylon/

I’d guess that the above manufacturers represent about 90 percent of the total law enforcement vests sold in the last ten years. They’d still own the market today, if they hadn’t gone to Zylon to try and increase flexibility in the vests.

Yes, there are other manufacturers (a couple dozen in fact), nearly all of them import their vests from our Chinese friends, few manufacturers make them here – and you can still get a quality vest WITHOUT Zylon from these guys… but you need to know more, you should understand what soft body armor can and cannot do.

The basic theory behind soft body armor is the same as a baseball glove, spread out the impact and it doesn’t do as much damage (or penetrate) Kevlar fiber has tremendous linear strength to other fibers, tightly interwoven like a trampoline, and layered, it catches the bullet, spreads out the impact and your skin is not penetrated – you go up in levels from IIa -> II -> IIIa (IIIa is the highest soft body armor rating – above that is level III and IV, hard ceramic plates)to defeat the more energetic 9mm rounds which are only a real threat for one reason, they are more pointy than other pistol rounds and FAST. Essentially, to defeat soft body armor you need to be fast and/or pointy – a 22 LR Stinger round is plenty fast, but is blunt tipped and will not penetrate even the lowest level of soft armor. The newer 17 caliber ballistic tips are a real threat to soft body armor. A 17 HMR I fired at a level II vest panel, waltzed right on through. Granted it was an old vest panel (about 8 years) but it seemed solid to me. I don’t know what energy might be left after penetration, I just wanted to know if it WOULD penetrate. Ironically, 12ga slugs and 44 Magnum rounds are so flat that even a IIa will stop them, you don’t get the higher rated soft body armor the heavy rounds – you get them to defeat 9mm subgun rounds. This logic stemmed from, I believe, the idea that you should always wear a vest that will stop the bullets you carry. And with many police agencies carrying 9mm HK-MP5 variant subguns, it spawned the popularity of the IIIa level vest. The dinky little round that FN developed for their P90 was specifically meant to defeat soft body armor – hence the near moratorium (note that they are now marketing a 16 inch barreled version of the P90 now for civilian sales) on the gun for civilian use, and the absolute moratorium on the ‘good stuff ‘ (steel tipped) and FMJ versions of their ammo. The new ammo for the gun is aluminum tipped, and deforms too easily to defeat a IIIa vest – or so I am told.

Incidentally, “NO!!!!” I will not conduct a series of tests to determine what newfangled bullets will or will not penetrate soft body armor. Hundreds of guys with more time than me have already done so. Google is not just a cute sound made by a baby. Look it up.

Things like ice picks and shanks go right through soft armor (sharp and pointy). Your vest will give you some protection against slicing damage in a knife fight, but almost none against a vigorous stab. There are a whole generation of specialized ‘stab’ rated vests that prison guards wear, although Second Chance does make a vest that has dual layers (ballistic and knife), I think they call it the Prism series.

All centerfire rifle bullets will penetrate soft body armor too. You hear/see those ‘trauma packs’ or ‘plates’ that some manufacturers put in their vest – they are NOT rated to increase the stopping power of the vest – they are to spread out potential heart stopping, or rib breaking (with accompanying lung puncture) impacts and decrease the amount of damage you might take if you get in a head on collision. Second chance used to make a hard-plate that increased your ballistic protection, they still do – but they add a LOT of weight – for about the same weight you can get a REAL ceramic plate that IS rated to stop rifle rounds.

The only thing that will reliably stop rifle rounds (most of them) is ceramic plates, commonly referred to as SAPI plates by the military. They are typically 10 inches by 12 inches (size varies with application) and slip into a carrier over your soft body armor, they are meant to be used in conjunction with the soft armor as some rifle rounds will fragment on striking the plate and the vest is supposed to catch those fragments. It is not very reassuring to know that only a 10 by 12 inch square on your torso is resistant to rifle bullets – but you shouldn’t be presenting ANY target to a looter/criminal – much less a fully exposed torso. Plates are HEAVY – not something you’d wear everyday. You are far more likely to be wearing simple soft armor in an everyday scenario, or while out working in your victory garden.

My entire point isn’t to dissuade you from buying body armor, it is to make it clear that you need to do your research before you buy – especially if you are going to buy used, or off of Ebay. You need to understand the limits of it, and find a way to make it part of your routine. Just yesterday a police officer was killed in a city south of me, I will be sending a contribution off to his widow – he was not wearing his armor when killed – although the department had issued it to him. Body armor is uncomfortable to wear, but if you do it often enough it becomes less annoying. That’s why I had some panels inserted into a levis jacket – even in a casual setting, I can have it with me without arousing suspicion (unless someone picks it up!).

Were I to make a recommendation, find a used vest that you can VERIFY was sold in the last year or two, VERIFY has no Zylon in it, and VERIFY that it has not been exposed to harsh environments. Apparently Zylon was super-sensitive to getting damp/wet, all manufacturers used to encase the panel in Gore-Tex to help with wicking away sweat, now some are encasing it in a thin rubber casing to totally exclude water dampening the Kevlar – because, YES! Even Kevlar will deteriorate with prolonged or repeated exposure to dampness/heat/sweat/bad-breath, etc… And when you get that used vest delivered, take the panels out and look at the dates or date codes listed, a LOT of used vest hawkers on the internet buy new carriers (the thing the panels go in) and the vest looks new in photos – but may contain ten year old panels. So, again, if you MUST buy used – buy from someone with a solid, honest reputation that you can VERIFY.

Soft body armor needs to be comfortable, if it’s ill-fitting you wont like wearing it, ergo, you will NOT wear it. For that reason I do not recommend EVER buying a used vest that doesn’t fit your measurements exactly. If you go to a police uniform shop, they’ll measure you for a vest, and then you’ll know the exact size front and back panels you’ll need to find in a vest. Be careful though, some uniform suppliers are ‘snooty’ – believing that only police officers and other government agents should have soft body armor (no kidding). In some states you may not legally possess body armor. I’m pretty sure New York City restricts it, as well at the PRK.

So be wary, do your homework and be patient for the right used vest to come along. For TEOTWAWKI I must say I prefer concealable body armor – what the goblins don’t know about they can’t take steps to circumvent. Make it obvious that you wear armor, and I can guarantee you a looter will stay awake nights plotting his next head shot. While you are toiling away insuring the survival of your family, they have ALL DAY to plan looting you – it’s their CHOSEN CAREER PATH.

In case you folks are wondering about the body armor I own…

1 Point Blank full vest tactical carrier (external) – with IIIa panels made by another manufacturer
2 sets of SAPI plates one level III and one level IV that fit in the above vest
2 PACA concealable IIIa vests. (kevlar only) 1 year old and 4 years old.
1 tanker style kevlar helmet
1 USGI camo pattern flak vest, five years old – fits nicely under either PACA. I’d rate it at a IIa for most applications, maybe a little less. It is, however, intimidating to wear – psychological factor is why I have it.
1 Levis denim jacket with IIa panels integral to the torso and back and upper arm. I can wear this anywhere and NOBODY knows I’m armored.

OK, so maybe I do have a bit of armor – and that’s not counting what I have for the family, maybe someday I’ll post the picture of my eight year old daughter and her somewhat large vest and AR-15.

I did manage to get hold of a few dozen “destroyed” body armor panels (for testing!), I trimmed, sandwiched and overlapped them in a few waterproof (vacuum) bags and sized them for my door and rear panels in my ’65 Landcruiser. I’d considered using lexan laminate bullet-rated plastic, but MAN is that stuff expensive!!! I didn’t pay for the ‘destroyed’ body armor panels, so it was just labor to make them. My source was a body armor representative that was swapping out vests for a couple of local departments (police departments buy new vests every five years regardless of use/wear) – this activity happens every day around the country – where do you think a lot of those used eBay vests come from? These panels are somewhat stiff given how I fastened them to one another, and are two layers thick everywhere with IIIa panels. These used vests are shipped overseas for police officers over there who cannot afford them. England is a big benefactor from this program, and many eastern bloc countries. (Was that politically correct?)

ALL that being said, body armor is something that is not only ‘nice to have’ but lends a passive safety factor to your life – you don’t have to ‘display’ it for it to be useful, and the stuff keeps you warm in the winter! I’ve had to lay prone for extended periods of time in the snow, and the armored parts of me stayed very warm, it also smoothes out the rocks that always seem to exist in any terrain that you might be called upon to go to ground on.

What do I think you should get? I think you should buy NEW – it’s somewhere between $300-500 dollars for a quality Level II these days – or you could go the used route, but I don’t think it’s worth my life to save 100 bucks… I read a passage from John Ross’s “Ross in Range” commentary area (www.john-ross.net) that says something along the lines of ‘Friends don’t let friends buy junk guns.’ – and I’d like to second that opinion but apply it to body armor. The time to find out that your body armor was just a little TOO old to stop that 9mm round going a measly 1000 f.p.s. is not when you’re wearing it. I’d also suggest reselling it every three years and using the proceeds to upgrade to the new stuff. If the political rhetoric hits the revolving finger slicer you might be faced with a few years of using the stuff – and unavailability of new replacements. The more life you have in the vest when the balloon goes up, the longer it will be useful. Or rotate the used vests (if you can afford it) to the barter goods bin (and seal them away from moisture and heat) – if you think a tanned piece of leather will be worth something in a disaster – imagine what value will be placed on any body armor you have tucked away as surplus. – J.H. in Colorado

Odds ‘n Sods:

Odds ‘n Sods:

A source for greenhouse construction kits:
http://www.growerssupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&division=GrowersSupply

   o o o

After an outbreak of H5N1 in India, the government killed all poultry within 10 kilometers of the affected town. If NAIS succeeds, our government here in the U.S. will know exactly what animals you have and where you are. If they decide to they can just come and take or kill your livestock. See:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\02\26\story_26-2-2006_pg4_14 and www.NoNAIS.org

   o o o

I recently discovered that WorldNetDaily columnist Vox Day has his own blog:  http://voxday.blogspot.com

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul." – Goethe

Note From JWR:

Please keep spreading the word about SurvivalBlog. Just by adding one line to your mail “.sig”, or by pasting a SurvivalBlog banner in your web page, you could help attract hundreds of new readers.  Many Thanks!

Advice on Grain Mills

I’m often asked for advice on grain mills. Having stored wheat and corn necessitates having a good quality durable grain mill. Electric-only mills are not recommend because they will of course become useless ornaments once the power grid goes down. An inexpensive hand-cranked mill will such as the Back to Basics Mill  or Corona Mill might suffice for a short term disaster, but in the event of TEOTWAWKI you will want something built to last.

I started out with a Corona mill in the early 1980s. It was a lot of work to use! It seemed like I burned as many calories cranking it as I got out of the flour that it produced. In 1998, we got a Country Living Grain Mill. It is a superior machine–much faster and easier to use. With just about any mill you will have to cycle the grain through several times to get fine flour. I recommend that if you are going to primarily hand-crank it that you get the “Power Bar” handle extension for extra leverage. Country Living Grain Mills are available through Ready Made Resources and several other vendors. Like any other quality tool that is built to last, they are expensive. But it is better to buy just one machine that you know will last you a lifetime, rather than a succession of “bargains” that turn into disappointments.  (This same logic applies to other tools that you buy for preparedness.)

Because they have a V-belt wheels, Country Living Grain Mills are readily adaptable to an electric motor for use day-to-day, or in  the event of a grid-up scenario.OBTW, for someone that has some mechanical acumen and some time of their hands, it is also possible to convert a bicycle frame or perhaps a piece of exercise equipment to power a Country Living Grain Mill. For any of you that have a background in welding, building such frames might make a nice “niche” home business.

Book Review: The Weapon by Michael Z. Williamson

The Weapon is a science fiction novel by Michael Z. Williamson. (481 pages. ISBN 9-781416-508946  Published by BAEN Books.) This is sort of a “intra-quel” storyline to Williamson’s novel Freehold, which I previously reviewed. (See my Sunday, February 12, 2006 post.) Like Freehold, this novel is a fast-paced Libertarian think piece. It is a tale of interplanetary colonization, set some 500 years in the future. The descriptions of the bureaucratic totalitarian central Earth government are contrasted with the “Freehold” colony planet, Grainne. The main character is a Grainne special operations soldier that is sent on a “deep cover” mission to Earth. The story heats up when Earth decides to invade Grainne, to “civilize” it. I enjoy Williamson’s writing. I enjoyed this novel even more than I did Freehold. I highly recommend it. There is quite a bit of violence and some adult situations, so it is definitely not a book to let your kids read. I should also mention that Michael Z. Williamson is a SurvivalBlog reader.

Letter Re: First Hand Observations on the Post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans Bus Evacuation

James:
I was a bus driver for the evacuation of the New Orleans Convention Center and figure that I should put my two cents in worth.We drove straight through from Ohio to a staging point (LaPlace) in New Orleans and were escorted to the Convention Center. This was on Saturday morning around 9 a.m. New Orleans time about a week after the dikes let go. We were lucky not to be in the first wave that came into the Super Dome earlier in the week as we heard they were still ordering parts to repair the busses that got busted up when they got mobbed. [By the time that our busses arrived] they had the evacuees fenced off a block from out busses and they only let through enough to load one bus at a time. They were literal bag people and brought what they had in bags and we loaded them up and took off to wait for a escort. We went to a staging site to get the escorts for our first leg of the trip and for all the busses to form up. There were ten in our convoy. We did not know where were going. We were told in Ohio we were going to Texas, but when we got to the staging area we were told we were going to Arkansas. Fort Smith to be exact a old WWII training base with some of the barracks restored. The evacuees needed off the bus to use the restroom and we were told not to let anyone off, but the call of nature reigns, so we let everyone off to pee and smoke before heading for Arkansas. The back story for not letting people off the bus (which we learned couple days later) was that they did this at another location and the people would not return to the bus in a timely manner and looted the site they had stopped at. The number one item looted was alcoholic beverages…so no stops anymore was the order of the day…
We had little food on board, just what folks in Ohio gave us to give to people, Vienna sausages, sardines, and water. Some of the other buses were luck in that they had pallets of MREs and water at the Convention Center and those at the end of the line were loaded up with them for the trip…
We started for Fort Smith with the escorts switching when jurisdictions changed. We were not briefed on the trip and it turned out they were not going to stop for anything. About five hours into the trip the last five busses in the convoy (we were the second bus, but everyone kept passing us) got off the highway and went to a travel center that was turned into a rest
stop for evacuees. Boy talk about a needed break. We needed to get out of the drivers seat for a while. Most of the busses had two drivers and a few had only one. We had two and learned latter that is what FEMA required for the trips, but some companies only sent one driver per bus. We drove straight through from Ohio to Fort Smith switching off every five hours or when we got sleepy. All DOT regulations were suspended for the emergency, no log books, no hours of service everything was suspended. We were running on agricultural fuel as they were so short of over the road fuel. The agricultural fuel is tax free and dyed red, so that the DOT can catch illegal use of non-taxed fuel. Anyway the stop was a evacuees dream come true, A tent with mostly new clothes and other items free for the taking and heater meals and water to drink and flush toilets. Speaking of toilets we did have a toilet on the bus and had to open it up. We were told by the company to keep it locked up, but on a non stop trip that was not going to happen. More on this subject, later. :O(((
We got our break and we told everyone on the bus when they heard us honk the air horn to get back to the bus or they were going to be left behind.
Everyone got back on the bus, but many got on another bus as they did not remember which bus they had been on. So off for Fort Smith again…the next two stops were for fuel as some of the busses had small tanks and did not get topped off at the staging point..We had a 210 gal tank and had topped off just before getting into the affected area as we did not know what the fuel situation was..We saw several mile-long lines at gas stations after we refueled and were happy we refueled when we did.
We got into Fort Smith at 5:30 am and were told no one off the busses….well that did not happen, our toilet was full and the evacuees had been on the bus some 20 hours and needed to stretch their legs and get something to eat. They had busses lined up what seemed like a mile on base. We could not figure out what was going on. We let the evacuees off as there
was a mess hall serving food, but they could not remove any items from the bus. Well it was 7 PM before they off loaded from our bus and the local authorities were stripping everything off the busses and going through everything and I mean everything. They took all our water and food off, so we did not have anything for any other evacuee we might be hauling, and they went through everything the evacuees had. They were looking for weapons and alcohol in particular and anything that might be considered looted items.
So expect to get searched. If it is a biological or chemical issue then expect everything you got to be trashed and then you will be issued clean items to wear and sleep in.
Anyway, we went to a hotel and spent the next day cleaning the bus up. The smell was unimaginable from the sardines and people who had not showered for a week or more and the toilet, which we dumped the next day…but we were lucky..on some of the buses people just went where they were and there were wet seats and other stuff laying around.  It looked like a party was going on with all the whiskey and wine bottles we found…
We heard that they relocated everyone from Fort Smith to smaller sites like Bible camps in the middle of nowhere and the evacuees were told they were not allowed to leave the site, but then again some of these sites were several miles from anywhere, so they had nowhere to go… The evacuees had no idea of where they were going when evacuated, some were flown to other places, some were bussed. Families were split up and they had no idea of where the rest of the family was. One story going around was that a lady wanted to know where her father was going and the guard she was talking too did not understand and she explained they put him on the plane that had just taken off, separating the family. They did not keep track of anyone and where they were going. They dealt with this issue once they got evacuees to a shelter/final destination.
We did not carry any more evacuees even though we were there for three weeks, sometimes sleeping on the busses due to lack of housing. It was very chaotic, more than what I am used to, out on disasters. I did enjoy my three weeks as my past disaster experiences prepared me for this one. The only regret was not being able to stock up on all the MREs that they had lying around. Pallets of them…I just got one or two at a time for meals…
I have been out on disasters for over ten years now and they are all chaotic at best especially the big events. They are too big to get a handle on in short order. They can take from days to weeks to get out of the chaos stage and into some kind of organization. The politics can be horrible to say the least…
If you have not been through one first hand and want to see what it is like before you are affected by such an event find a humanitarian aid organization and volunteer to go out on a or several disasters. It is a eye opening experience and very good to understand what you might be going through if an event happens in your area.
My take on the Asian Avian flu is that we will be sheltered in place which is isolation of the people infected with bird flu from the rest of us. We will have to fend for our selves in our homes or business pending on when the quarantine is issued. Hopefully you will be at home when the quarantine is issued. Figure essential personal will have to live at heir work locations to keep the power, water, sewer, phone, etc.. going. Have heard that care packages may have to be made up and delivered to residences if the quarantine is long term. Basically take a Tupperware container fill it with stuff–food water, etc.. and tell everyone to stay in their homes until it is dropped off on the porch and then after the people
delivering it leave then they can get it. Dealing with the sick and dead will be an issue, just hope you do not get sick. Mass evacuations are a last resort in a bird flu situation as it raises the risk of spreading the illness not controlling its spread. You end up in a mass shelter you will have a higher risk of getting the flu. Keeping people in their homes and restricting contact with others is the best defense. If you have any questions, I can try and answer them. Thanks, – Ron

Letter Re: Rifle Recommendations for Canada

Hello Jim,
I just wanted to clarify a few points on C-68 and current Canadian gun control laws. There is a 5 round limit on box magazines for semi-automatic, centrefire long guns. There is also a 10-rd limit on magazines for handguns. No grandfathering for magazines or individuals. So that’s why the Lee-Enfield magazines are unaffected. The only exception to the rifle magazine capacity limit is for the M1 Garand. As well, I believe the wording of the law, or at least legal precedent, has it that the magazines only have to be neutered in such a way that it can not readily be reverted to it’s original capacity by hand. – L.K.,  Ontario, Canada

Note From JWR:

If you know any soldiers that are deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Columbia, or The Philippines, please let them know about SurvivalBlog. In coming weeks, we will be covering a wide range of topics that will be of interest to them including body armor, IEDs, counter-sniper shooting, MOUT, and night vision equipment.

Today we feature another great entry in Round 3 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best contest entry will win a four day course certificate at Front Sight. (An up to $2,000 value!)  The deadline for entries for Round 3 is the last day of March, 2006. We’ve already had plenty of motivational pieces submitted.  Please keep your contest entries focused on practical skills.

The “Field Kit” Approach for Organization, Preparedness, and Survival, by Christian Souljer

When trouble comes and you are required to re-locate, there may not be time to try to find, organize and then pack your emergency gear. Just the stress of an emergency situation alone can keep you from thinking clearly enough to gather and pack all you might need. Getting your gear ready in advance can minimize this problem. Over the years I have developed a system in which I assemble “Field Kits” for my outdoor and emergency equipment and supplies. This allows me to keep my stuff organized and ready for future use. I assemble the kits with items needed and then I inventory the contents and I keep a copy on file as well as a copy in the kit. That way I know what I have in there two years down the road and I also know if any of the contents have a shelf life – they have been dated and a periodic inspection of the list allows you to know if an item (such as Aspirin) should be replaced or not. In the following paragraphs I will share my experience with building and using these kits including the number of years that I have employed each different kit.

I have assembled and used the following special purpose kits as described in the following paragraphs:

Bug Out Bag (BOB): I won’t write much detail about this type of kit because most of you know about these. (If not, do a Google search to get good contents lists etc., ) I use mostly backpacks for this purpose rather than a shoulder bag because I know if I have to carry the kit very far – a backpack is going to be much less fatiguing on my body than carrying the weight in my hands or on one shoulder or the other. I have a BOB backpack for everyone in my household, plus a few smaller spares. One thing I would recommend here though is to have an essentials kit within the larger full kit. For an example, a small pack inside the main compartment or attached to the outside of the large pack. (JWR recommends this.) In my main Emergency Backpack – I have a small but rigid Italian military pack that can be slid right out the top in the case that I am injured and can’t carry the large pack or if I am escaping some danger but have to move fast uphill – I can pull the little pack out and go. The little pack has all the essentials: plastic tarp, fire starters, water, a little food, flashlight, rope, compass, knife and so on. (I made my first “survival kit” as a Boy Scout in the 1970s, but this mentioned pack has been in place since 1993. I have field tested the overall pack.)

Rifle Kit: The rifle kit is a kit made specifically for a certain rifle. It can contain 6-to-12 spare magazines, spare parts, and cleaning kit, gun oil and lubes, and perhaps 140 to 300 rounds of ammunition that that rifle is sighted in for. These are usually made from the common “mini-range bags” that have 6 magazine pouch pockets on the outer sides, and has both handles and a heavy shoulder strap. They can be purchased for as little as $7.95. I buy the black or O.D. green colored bags. (Used these since 1998) [JWR Adds: For these kits (rifle of shotgun  accessories) I recommend that you use duffle bag that is big enough to accommodate a full set of web gear–complete with belt, suspenders or vest (LC-1, MOLLE, or perhaps set of the nice Tactical Tailor type suspenders if you have a big budget), magazine pouches, and and canteen for each long gun. IMHO no long gun is truly tactically functional unless you have a proper set of web gear–full of magazines–to go with it.]

Pistol Kit: The pistol kit is similar to the rifle kit – being made specifically for a certain pistol. It can contain 6-to-10 spare magazines, spare parts, and cleaning kit, and perhaps 100 to 300 rounds of ammunition that is known to work well in that pistol. These are made up from the same common 6 magazine pouch “mini-range bags” that have both handles and a heavy shoulder strap. (Used since 1998)

Rifle Range Kits: When heading to the rifle range, I take two kits I have prepared for that purpose. One is a toolbox, which holds most of my gun cleaning supplies and a few tools for adjusting sights, and for small repairs at the range. The second Range Kit is a shoulder bag, which holds all my paper targets, a stapler, and spare staples for mounting targets. It also holds my foam earplugs and my hearing protector headsets, range notepad/log, pens, and so on. Add your rifle, ammo and some lunch and you are ready for a day at the range. (Used since 1990)

Auto Kits: For my vehicles, I maintain multiple kits: (1) Emergency Road Kit in medium large Tupperware tub – jumper cables, flares, mechanics suit, space blanket, flashlight, etc. (2) In another medium large Tupperware tub is my Spare Parts and Repair Kit including hoses, belts, bulbs, fuses, radiator sealant, tire repair plug kit with spark plug adapter hose to fill tires, distributor cap and rotor. And for my 4WD I might include a spare water pump, alternator, starter and fuel pump. (3) A full tool set in a heavy-duty box. (4) Field Tool Kit – in my 1/2 ton 4-wheel drive Suburban I have made an additional long wood box (approximately 70” long, x 8” wide, x 17” high), which has small wheels on one end and a heavy duty cargo handle on the other end. It is tall but narrow and can hold all my field tools which include my high-lift jack, 1 or 2 come-alongs, 2 shovels, an ax, a hatchet, backpacking snow shovel, crowbar, tow strap, and large and small bow saws with extra blades. The top is held on with a window type latch on both hands and once the handle end is released the lid comes right off. You can pull a shovel from out the top or roll the box to the edge of the tailgate and set it on the ground. The wheels allow for you to roll the box all the way to the end of the tailgate before lifting out and you can also roll it across smooth ground for a short distance. This box is stained wood and coated with a sealer to minimize weather effects. (5) The Tire Chains Kit can be kept in a separate kit – a wooden box, plastic crate or in heavy canvas bags. Keep your chain tension devices in with the chains as well. (Parts of this kit used since 1992, but the wooden field box was built and employed in fall of 2005)

Chain Saw Kits: My chainsaw kit is two parts, the first being a chainsaw case with my saw, chain oil, 2-stroke oil, and funnel, spare spark plugs and tools. The second part is another Tupperware tub with pre-mixed fuel can, extra 2-stroke oil, and a large container of chain oil, heavy gloves and hearing protectors. I have not purchased extra chains or bars yet but they are on my purchase list and will be added to one of these two kits in the near future. (Used since 2004) [JWR Adds: I also strongly recommend buying a pair of Kevlar chainsaw safety chaps.]

Financial and Personal Papers Kit: This kit is composed of a medium-small fanny pack, which includes identification, passport, contact information (phone lists, account information), and some pre-1965 90% silver coins for emergency purchases or bartering. Also tucked into this little fanny pack are a “P-38” [key ring type] can opener, a small lightweight Gerber pocketknife, butane lighter and a small flashlight. For those that are so inclined, you can add other items such as precious metals, cash, a small pistol or whatever else will fit and you are willing to legally carry. (Used since 1998)

First Aid Kits: My first aid kits are in many sizes. I have the mini-kits in all the backpacks, and then I have some Auto Size kits in the vehicles, then a field medic’s medium, shoulder carry kit for field use. Then, the mega-kit that has all the extra supplies, field medical books and extra medicines in it. This is a large gym bag sized bag which is red in color. I also have a yellow and purple (magenta) bag of the same size, which holds my chemical masks, extra filters, potassium iodide, gloves, shoe covers, and wipes, etc. for chemical or nuclear emergencies. (I’ve had these kits in place since 1999)

Winter Survival Kit: This kit is added to the vehicles that I am driving during the winter and it is a “per-person” type kit. I include insulated over-pants (or insulated coveralls) with leg zippers, incase you have to do some work outside or walk in the cold weather beyond what you would be comfortable without long johns. A sleeping bag, a heavy wool blanket, a stocking cap, heavy work gloves with liners, a lofty poly-pro pullover, and a heavy coat or parka. Along with the extra clothing here, a sleeping pad, tarp or tent, and some field foods (two MREs, a can or two of mixed nuts, a few power bars, some chocolate bars, a large bottle of Gatorade and a gallon of water) are added to this kit. (Used since 1998)

Communications /Electronics (GPS) kit: This kit is composed of the small size (.30 caliber) ammo cans which are used singularly by themselves or if two cans are used they can be tucked inside a heavy outdoor carry bag with shoulder strap. Inside the ammo cans I keep my FRS radios, a portable CB radio, headsets, operating manuals and fresh extra batteries. I also keep my GPS and 12 VDC auto adapter in the cans when not in use. This kit is carried in my vehicle on camping and hunting expeditions or other field trips. In addition, in the very large size ammo cans (measures approximately 15” x 10” x 25”), I have my spare CB radios, and other electronic equipment [to provide them protection from EMP. The large cans I keep in the garage and they are grounded to an outdoor water pipe since they are stationary. (Used since 1999)

Fire Starting Kit: This kit can be as simple as a small cardboard box, which has enough dry tinder in a heavy duty zip-lock bag to start a fire in bad /wet weather. Included here should be some homemade or commercial fire starters, candles, safety-flares, etc, (I will save the details for another article). I keep my fire starting kit with my camping stuff and pack it in with my gear for the late fall hunting trips. (Used since 1986)

Camp Kitchen Kit: The Camp Kitchen Kit is a ready to go complete kitchen other than the food and it’s all packed into one box. It has stainless eating utensils (silverware) for 10 people. Over several years I found a number of stainless steel pots of slightly different sizes that will all fit together into one stack in my plastic kitchen box with folding lids. I also have a plastic pitcher, which I fill with the silverware, plastic re-usable plates, cups and bowls. I have a small grill to place over rocks, a coffee pot, several large serving spoons, spatulas, and kitchen knives. I have a roll of heavy duty aluminum foil, plastic wrap, half gallon baggies, and a whole box of strike anywhere matches, a long neck lighter, bar soap, a small bottle of dish soap, wash cloth, hand towel, and steel wool and copper scrub pads. Salt, pepper and other spices are included along with paper towels, coffee filters and about 60 paper plates. All of this fits nicely into my heavy-duty plastic kitchen box. (Used since 1988) I have a second box, which goes on some excursions – this kit has a large Dutch oven with lid, a lid lifting handle, a cast iron skillet and a manual coffee grinder. I keep at least two bags of charcoal (and some lighter fluid) on hand for the Dutch oven. (Used since 2003)

Notes on Kitchen Kits: Medium to large metal cups can be used for coffee, soup or whatever and can be kept warm by placing them on the campfire rocks or on the edge of your cook stove. It’s nice to keep your food and drink hot in cold weather! Some real decent outdoor cookware such as stainless pots and pans, utensils etc, can be purchased for very little money at a thrift store. I once had to buy some of these items when I went on an “emergency field trip” and realized in the rush that I had not gotten any cookware packed. I stopped in a small town and picked up all I needed for less than $3.00. Most of that stuff is now in one of two permanent kits.

Field Food Kit: It is a good thing to always have some fresh camping type foods ready in a box for a quick field trip. This can be the usual soup, chili, canned meats, rice, beans, noodles, MREs, and freeze dried food. Add to this power bars, Gatorade, and whatever else you prefer for quick field meals. (Used since 2003)

Stove and Lantern Kits: I purchased a propane adapter for my Coleman fuel stove and I keep both the adapter and the fuel tank with the stove to burn whichever is available. I can fit at least one propane bottle inside the stove when it is stored. I also keep spare mantles, and generators inside my Coleman stove and lantern boxes along with good quality strike any ware matches. And I store my stove and lanterns with fresh fuel in them so that they are ready to go right out of the box. That way when I arrive at camp in the dark, I can produce some light, or cook some food without having to refill first. I have not had any leakage problems in the 10+ years I have used this practice. Also, I never store (put away after a trip) a lantern with bad mantles, but rather put new replacements on if they need it before storage, but I don’t burn them in until I get into the field. (Used since 1995)

Fishing Kit: Mainly for organization – I keep most of my fishing gear in one large rubberized bag which is camo’d and is designed for holding duck and geese decoys. It has the usual handles and H.D. shoulder strap. I keep my fishing tackle boxes, gill nets, folding fishing rod/reel, and all my spare fishing gear in the bag except for the full size rods. The fishing rods are kept in an overhead rod holder (nice and out of the way). Of course I have some mini fishing kits/nets in my survival kits. (Used since 2004)

Hunting Kit: My Hunting Kit consists of a camouflage bag which holds hunting maps, game regulations, game calls, safety equipment like orange vests/hats, game bags, animal scale, game scents, and other things needed for hunting that are not included in the other kits. (Used since 1987)

Shelter /Camp Kits: In a GI duffle bag with shoulder straps I keep a full size camping tent, all of its poles and stakes, and some rope. I have a dedicated “ground cloth” tarp, which I keep with this duffle bag. In a second very large bag I keep most of my folded tarps of various sizes. I also keep most of my remaining rope in this big bag in two different large zip lock bags. In addition, I have a camp “outhouse kit” which is a regular home toilet seat mounted on an aluminum folding camp chair frame, along with a large tarp setup and more rope. (Used since 1996)

Personal Gear Kit: My Personal Gear Kit is a medium small bag sized to fit on the front seat of my Chevy Suburban. In it I keep the stuff that I want handy there and also things I might put into my pockets when walking into the woods but stuff I don’t want to carry on my person through the evening once back in camp. Things like a GPS, FRS radio, Binoculars, Range finder, gloves, sunglasses and other personal gear that you probably won’t need in camp. This bag keeps my front seat more organized during road trips too. (Used since 2004)

Packing and Storing Your Kits: Remember to inventory your kits as you make them. Keep duplicate contents lists on file, and label your kits well. In addition to my personal color-coding systems, I attach tags or in many cases I just make a label from 1-inch masking tape describing the type of kit and attach it to the box or to the shoulder strap of the kit. I affix the labels to either the end or side of the box, and also on the top of the box so that no matter how it is stored on a shelf – I can see one or both labels and I know what kit that is. If I am not sure what is in the kit – I just have to check the inventory sheet to verify the contents.
As JWR and others have mentioned – it is an excellent exercise to try packing your emergency equipment into your escape vehicle. This will help you learn two things, first – how to pack it most efficiently and second to know how much your vehicle(s), trailer, or whatever you are planning to use will carry. [JWR Adds: It is crucial that you pre-position the majority of your gear at your intended retreat, since you may only have one trip outta Dodge!] For packing your gear into your vehicles, it is good to find containers (boxes, bags) that will pack well together. For the larger kits, I usually use stackable boxes that together are a little shorter than the height of my SUV. Then I pack the smaller and softer gear around them.

Conclusion: Once you have made your kits, test them in the field. Make sure they work, and that they have what you need, but not a bunch of stuff you will never use. Having your equipment “kitted up” and ready to go will help you to be ready when the big event hits. Whether it is a tsunami, an earthquake, an economic collapse or a full scale invasion by foreign troops – you’ll be ready, and this preparation will give you some peace of mind knowing that you are much more ready that the average Joe. Once your done, help a neighbor and a friend build a kit. Be Prepared, – Christian Souljer, Pacific Northwest

JWR Adds: I greatly appreciate you sharing your experience and insights.  It goes without saying that it is important to rotate the perishable items in your various kits regularly. In particular: food items, batteries, some first aid supplies, and chemical light sticks.

Letter Re: Predicting the Timing for an Economic Crash?

Hi Jim!
All things considered, what is your best “guestimate” on when this economy will crash or the SHTF ? – M. in Montana

JWR Replies: Sorry, but I don’t have a crystal ball. All that I know is that with the massive debt accumulations (both Federal and consumer debt), the real estate bubble, and the burgeoning trade deficit, the U.S. economy is highly unstable. Other factors like international terrorism and the Asian Avian flu are totally unpredictable variables. The bottom line: Just be prepared, and be prepared soon.

Odds ‘n Sods

The USGS the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is an excellent resource when you are looking for specific areas on a map: http://geonames.usgs.gov/ You will want the underlined part–click on it: United States and territories. Enter the name of the place you want and the state (or any other information you have). It will give you several choices.

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Safecastle (one of our advertisers) is running a special on Mountain House #10 (1 gallon) cans of freeze dried foods at their on-line store–48 cans for $789 and free shipping. That’s a good deal, but for SurvivalBlog readers, if they email Vic, he will reply with an additional discount on top of the sale price.(For SurvivalBlog readers, only.) See: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8771416861 Vic’s email: jcrefuge@safecastle.net (Include :SurvivalBlog in the e-mail title.)

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The American Conservative magazine ran a thought-provoking article titled “War of the Worlds“, available on its website. (See: http://www.amconmag.com/2006/2006_02_27/article3.html)

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Doc (at www.bigsecrets.cc) contends that the best ballistic barrier that can be improvised on a low budget is a lamination of 1/8″ steel plate, 1/4″ plywood, and 1/8″ steel plate. In other words, cover both sides of plywood with steel plate. It won’t stop .50 caliber rounds or RPGs, but most shoulder fired weapons can be stopped with this barrier.