Survival To Go, Revisited- Part 4, by JMD

We have revisited my survival supplies carried on the go in travel, by airplane or otherwise. It’s been an extensive list. Now, let’s look at how we might use these in a survival scenario.

Survival Scenario

So let’s take a look at how this kit can support you in a potential travel survival scenario. Let’s say you’re traveling on business in New York City when the power goes out. You pull out your radio and start scanning to figure out what’s going on. You hear bits and pieces on various Ham, CB, and radio channels. Suddenly, you realize that a massive coordinated terrorist attack using explosives has apparently occurred. They’ve taken out the power grid for big chunks of the U.S. Experts are saying it’ll be weeks or even months before power can be fully restored.

You realize that in a day or two people will start panicking, looting, and rioting. They realize the food and clean water are running out, and they can’t access their social media accounts to complain. The police and National Guard are also trying to set up “temporary relocation camps” to keep everyone fed and sheltered, but they’re stuck in total gridlock. Since this is the People’s Republic of New York, you obviously don’t have a firearm. It’s late spring, and the temperatures are in the 70s-80s during the day and 50s-60s at night.

Getting Away From The Chaos

The first step is to figure out a plan. You pull out your hard copy map of the area, and from your pre-trip planning you remember that there are a number of large wilderness areas with decent bodies of water about 20 miles northwest of the city in New Jersey (Great Piece Meadows, Farny State Park, Norvin Green State Forest, et cetera). You attach your extra Molle pouches with your gear to your backpack and belt, fill up your water bottles and hydration bladder, put a full roll of toilet paper and extra small soaps in your dry bag, and head out of your Midtown hotel. Your first stop is the closest bodega, where you use your cash to also stock up on portable high-density foods (jerky, trail mix, instant oatmeal, instant soup, et cetera).

You’ll want to quickly get out of the city heading northwest, either through the Lincoln tunnel or by paying someone with a boat to get you across the river; there’s also a ferry and water taxis at the 39th street ferry terminal that may still be running. Without traffic lights, cars will probably be at a standstill, so you’ll either have to walk or obtain a bicycle or motorcycle. You’ll head up 495 to 3 to 46, which takes you most of the way to Great Piece Meadows, then start making your way up to Norvin Green State Forest. GPS should still be working. You’ve loaded all the area maps onto your phone/tablet before you left on the trip, and you have a battery and solar charger to keep it running.

Norvin Green State Forest is a wildlife preserve, so there should be plenty of fish and game available. Even on foot, a reasonably fit individual should be able to make the trip in one or two days. (Google maps shows it to be a three hour bike ride or an eight hour hike to Great Piece, then another four hours of walking to Norvin.) This quick relocation should also get you out ahead of the worst of the crowds and associated violence spilling out of the city. You settle in near an isolated lake, build a reasonably well-hidden shelter, and keep track of what’s happening on your radio until things calm down, and then hike back to civilization. So let’s take a look at how your kit could support your survival efforts in this scenario.

Water While in the Forest

You can carry enough fresh water for a few days. In addition, you’ve got filter and boiling capacity to keep going for a long time with the following supplies from your kit:

• 1.5L water bladder, 24oz Hydro Flask, and 1L Vapur Eclipse
• Whirlpack water bags
• Survivor water filter, which is good for around 250 gallons (more if you stock some replacement cotton and carbon elements)
• Aqua-pouch + pre-filter, which will extend the life of your Survivor filter even more
• Aquatabs
• Toaks cup, Esbit stove and multiple fire starters for boiling water

Shelter and Warmth

You can stay reasonably warm and dry with the poncho for a tarp and the Snugpack blanket for sleeping. You’ve got the tools to build a decent shelter and start fires when you need to. Below are the supplies from the kit that are useful for shelter and warmth:

• USGI poncho
• Wire saw, SAK/multitool saw blades, and Stanley FUBAR for cutting branches for a shelter
• Snugpack blanket
• Klymit Pillow X
• SOL survival blanket (in your trauma kit)
• Titan paracordand other cordage for building shelter
• Multiple fire starting options
• Hammock

Food

You have enough food in your kit to keep you going three or four days, plus what you can buy before you head out. You can also forage, hunt, fish, and trap. You’ve also got multiple fire starting options for cooking. The useful kit items for providing energy and food include:

• Food stocked in your carry-on/checked bags
• Food you can acquire with cash/precious metals
• Edible plants identification card
• Fishing kit
• Toaks cup, Esbit stove, and fire starters (boil water for instant foods, pine needle tea, et cetera)
• Spork
• Wire inside Titan cord and repair kit for snares
• Rubber tubing and leather pouches for slingshot
• Knife to attach to a stick to make a spear or to carve a spear point
• Cordage to make a bow and arrow

Medical

For injuries, you’ve got a major trauma kit, plus smaller kits that include:

• Trauma kit
• Minor wounds FAK

Defense

For defense, you’ve got several blades, a slingshot, pepper spray, and the tools to make clubs, spears, and a bow and arrows, These kit items are:

• Stanley FUBAR
• Knife
• Spear/arrow tips made from scrap metal using file on SOG PowerLock Traveler or Gerber Diesel multitool
• Slingshot (rubber tubing & leather pouches)
• Pepper spray
• Club/stick cut with wire saw, SAK/multitool saw blades

Health/Safety

In the kit, you’ve got protection from a number of hazards, medicines for most common ailments, plus the ability to maintain reasonable sanitation. The kit contains the following related items:

• Medicines
• Medicinal creams
• N95 and anti-bacterial masks
• Shamaugh and bandana
• Gloves
• Goggles
• Extra underwear and socks
• Wipes
• Soap and towel(s)
• Dry bag for carrying water for bathing
• Roll of toilet paper (assuming you grabbed at least one prior to leaving the hotel)

Electronics

You can listen in to what’s happening in the world, track your position on a map, communicate, provide light and stay entertained, plus have the ability to keep it all charged with the following electronic items from your pack:

• USB battery pack (charged)
• Solar charger w/USB ports
• Spare and rechargeable batteries with USB battery charger
• Wide band range scanner radio
• Cell phone and tablet loaded with maps and a wide range of survival-related eBooks (for brushing up or expanding your knowledge (You’d better be proficient with the core skills and activities well beforehand though.)
• Flashlights and headlamp

Assuming you’re reasonably well-versed on movement through potentially hostile terrain and wilderness survival skills, you could probably survive several months with this kit in the right terrain and conditions

Some Tactics

In my previous article, I discussed a number of recommendations for actions you should take when traveling, such as having maps of the area, knowing the locations of friendly embassies and military facilities in the areas you’ll be traveling, et cetera. I’m not going to repeat those, but I do have a few additional recommendations:

• Always maintain situational awareness. This is an obvious one, but the tendency most people have when traveling in general, and at airports in particular, is to bury their face in their cell phone or have the music cranked up in their earphones. If you’re not paying attention, you may miss the obvious signs of a pending attack or disaster. When you’re sitting in a public place, sit away from the crowds with your back to a wall and keep an eye and ear on everything going on around you. Wait until you’re somewhere safe to check your emails, social media posts, fruit ninja scores, et cetera.
• Avoid crowds. This kind of goes with situational awareness, since it’s tough to keep track of anything outside of your personal space when you’re crammed in with hundreds of other people. Remember, terrorists always want to attack crowded targets to maximize their perceived impact. For example, when you arrive at your destination airport, head off to the side of the baggage claim area, find a seat and relax; wait until the full-contact MMA match around baggage claim has subsided, then get your luggage. Tip: sit somewhere you can keep an eye on the crowd to make sure your bags don’t walk off without you, and make sure your bags are marked with something bright so you can quickly and easily identify them.
• Wash your hands often. A lot of recent studies have shown this is probably one of the most effective ways to avoid picking up germs. Getting sick while you’re traveling is no fun and potentially life-threatening.
• If you wear eyeglasses, use a strap. You may not be crazy about the look, but you’ll like losing your glasses in an emergency a lot less. Also, get an inexpensive second pair of prescription glasses and keep them in your bag.
• Avoid confrontations. Avoid getting into arguments with people, particularly outside of your home country, because you never know what will set someone off. If someone that looks like they’re looking for trouble asks where you’re from, tell them you’re Canadian, even if you’re not. No one seems to have a problem with Canadians. (I’ve done this on several occasions, and the troublemaker just looked at me kind of funny and said something like “Ah..okay” and walked away.) Yes, I’m proud to be an American, and I served in the military to help protect my country, but I’m not going to take a chance on getting stabbed by some drunk in a foreign country just to make myself feel better about sticking up for it. I know it’s great, and I honestly don’t feel the need to defend it to anyone.
• Go “Gray Man”. This goes hand-in-hand with avoiding confrontation but involves how you dress, act, and carry yourself when you’re out and about, particularly in a foreign country. If you’re an American, don’t wear a U.S. flag pin. Take any flag patches off of your bags. Try not to dress too much like a tourist. Spend some time when you first arrive at a new location to see how locals, similar in age and status to yourself, dress, move, and act, and try to emulate them as much as possible. I’ve found that, being a 50-something male, a decent khaki travel sports coat allows me to fit in pretty much anywhere, and the plethora of pockets allows me to easily carry a pretty impressive EDC kit without an extra bag. If I do need to carry extra stuff I have a plain-looking packable backpack in my checked bag. For pants, go with something like 5.11’s Taclite Jean Cut Pant or Ridgeline pants; they don’t scream “tactical/cargo” but still give you plenty of pockets for EDC carry. One more note on dressing to fit in: in most cultures outside of the U.S., adults generally do not wear shorts out in public unless they’re hiking in the woods or swimming at the beach/pool. The same tends to be true about baseball-style hats in Europe. If you see an adult wearing one, they’re probably an American.
• Footwear. This is a subject that’s hard to make a decision regarding. While you want something that’s comfortable when you’re flying, you also need to consider the possibility that you may end up being forced to walk/run a long distance in adverse weather conditions. The best trade off I’ve found is a low-rise hiking shoe like the Merrell Moab Adventure Lace Shoes. They don’t scream “hiking”, they’re comfortable, they’re waterproof (assuming you take care of the leather), and they’ve gotten me through some pretty serious rough-country hikes. Some people prefer slip-ons for easy on and off when they’re flying, but I’ve had them come off during strenuous activity in adverse terrain (e.g. mud), and that’s not something you want to have to worry about if you’re running for your life from a “spontaneous” anti-American riot. If I’m traveling in the winter time or to someplace there might be snow, I’ll either bring a pair of gaiters in my checked bag, or wear a pair of lightweight mid-height winter hiking boots. On a business trip, my dress shoes go into my checked bag. If it’s vacation, they stay home. If conditions at your destination are going to be really nasty, consider getting a pair of NEOS overshoes. They pack down pretty nicely and do a great job of keeping your feet warm and dry in snow, slush, et cetera.
• Have a plan. I’m not saying you should plan every day and activity down to the minute (actually, I’m saying you shouldn’t), but you should at least have a few things figured out before anyone ventures out. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, make sure you always know three things:
  • Where you and anyone else in your party are planning on going. Map it out before anyone heads out, even if it’s just the general area(s).
  • Where you’re all going to meet in the event of an emergency (primary, secondary, and tertiary). Map out very specific locations, down to the side of the street.
  • Where you are, and the fastest route(s) to safety, your hotel, and the agreed-upon meeting points (for various values of “safety” (think cover and concealment). As you’re moving about, stay aware of where you are relative to your meeting and safety points.

  FYI, paper maps still beat electronic maps hands down for planning and availability. You can lay them out on a table so everyone can participate in the planning, and they still work even when batteries are dead. Even if you’re with a family/group that plans on sticking together, people could get separated in an emergency, so make sure everyone understands the plan. Most hotels will provide you and your party with free paper tourist maps. Make sure each person has one with all meeting places marked and annotated, and stick them in zip lock bags to keep them dry.

  Also, nothing screams “I’m a tourist; target me” more than someone standing in the middle of the street with a map opened up and a dazed look on their face. Figuring out where you are is one time that cell phones with maps and GPS beat a paper map, and no one will give you a second look. Just make sure you’re in a safe place, and maintain awareness while you’re checking your phone. If you do need to pull your map out, find a quiet place off to the side (but still within shouting/whistling distance of a crowd) to sit down and look it over.

• Skills and Experience. The best kit in the world won’t help you if you aren’t proficient in using it. I’ve used everything in my kit while camping, hiking, or just in daily use, or else I’ve practiced with it (trauma kit). Be familiar with the basics skills necessary for survival (safety, medical, water, shelter/fire, food, defense, et cetera) and practice them both with and without your kit. For example, make a slingshot with a Y-shaped stick, some rubber tubing, and a leather pouch, and practice shooting it in your backyard. Practice starting fires with ferro rods and with just a couple of sticks (bow fire starter). Practice building shelters in the woods. (Just clean up after yourself.) Learn how to identify edible plants. Get some training on trauma first aid, and practice it. Use your radio to listen to what’s happening around you. The eBooks, guides and manuals you have with you should be just for refreshing your memory or coming up with new ideas. If you have to refer to them to survive in an emergency, you’re already well behind the curve.
• Keeping Track. I’m always paranoid about someone walking off with my carry-on backpack while I’m en-route or my checked bag from the baggage claim area, so I now stick one of those lost item trackers from Tile in both of my bags. If I’m en-route and I misplace my carry-on bag, I can pull out my phone and ring the Tile to locate it. When I get to the baggage claim area I turn on the app and as soon as my checked bag comes within range I know where it is. If someone tries to walk off with it I can ring the Tile so I can pinpoint it. FYI, Tile just released a new version that has a lot longer range (200’) and is supposedly more durable and waterproof. If you’re worried about the company tracking the location of your Tiles when you’re not actively traveling, you can put them in a RFID-blocking pouch. Stick the tracker in an outside pocket in your bags to get the best signal.
• Airport Security. Airport security around the world can be very inconsistent, even within the same airport on the same week. I’ve had things that I’ve carried through security dozens of times at my home airport be confiscated the next time I went through. One thing I’ve started doing is carrying a small pre-addressed padded mailing envelope with postage on it; if the security folks decide that something I’ve always carried suddenly can’t go through, and it’s something reasonably valuable, I can put it in the envelope and (hopefully) drop it in a mailbox somewhere outside of security.

Conclusion

Traveling is something most preppers feel should be avoided at all costs, but it’s an inevitable part of the lifestyle and career I’ve chosen, so I’m doing everything I can to be as prepared as possible, given my circumstances and today’s environment. I’ve made lots of good memories and friends all over the world, and I wouldn’t trade those for anything. As I mentioned, I’m always adjusting and adapting, so please feel free to leave any comments with your ideas and recommendations. Safe travels.

See Also:

• 1 – Survival To Go, Revisited, by JMD
• 2 – Survival To Go, Revisited, by JMD
• 3 – Survival To Go, Revisited, by JMD

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 72 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
5. An infrared sensor/imaging camouflage shelter from Snakebite Tactical in Eureka, Montana (A $350+ value),
6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
7. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
8. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
9. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
2. A custom made Sage Grouse model utility/field knife from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
7. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a $125 Montie gear Gift certificate.,
8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value), and

Round 72 ends on September 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Letter Re: Questionable Ammo in Storage

HJL,

Just a quick heads up. As most like minded folks I’ve been storing food and ammo for some time now. Lately .22 ammo has been more readily available so my son and I decided to do a little plinking with our pistols. We each had two mags with our pistols that have been loaded for some time. When we started to shoot 16 of the 20 rounds didn’t discharge. After a bit we reloaded with some ammo that had been sealed and stored and had no problems.

The ammo in question wasn’t cheap quality, but rather decent grade. I’m planning on going through all my weapons that I have loaded and check to ensure the ammo will respond when I need it the most. I don’t know if this is a problem with .22 only or with any round that hasn’t been stored in an air tight container. Before someone asks; the ammo didn’t have any oxidation on it either. Thoughts?? – K R in Kansas