Emergency survival kit

[rlk]

I have been looking around at a few survival kits to be used in case of hurricane, tornado, ice storm, or whatever. I have not found any that contain everything I want or think will be needed, but this one is as close as any I have found: http://www.quakekare.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=13

Does anyone have any experience with Quake Kare? I'm wondering if the things in their kits are o.k., or are they junk?

The same questions go for The Ready Store and their MREs: http://www.thereadystore.com/mre/case-of-mre/mre-single-deluxe-full-meal-case-of-12

Thanks, Bob

 

[The Tourist]

I still think that the concept of a 'BOB' is the better way to go.

Most gun guys have what is known as "bug out bag." It's geared more towards the reality factor of living within a crisis.

For example, a magazine like "Mechanics Illustrated" might opine you need water purification devices and matches. Those who build BOBs know that people turn into panicky looters in times of strife. In that regard, cammo paint, a sharp knife and a few magazines of spare ammunition might be of more value.

Don't over-pack. Carry only enough for three days. That's the average period of holding out until rescue comes. You can easily carry it, and move quickly.

Anymore time than that you're not 'surviving,' you're a homeless statistic of a serious disaster. Your needs from then on depend on more intense measures.

For example, would one spare box of bandages really helped Katrine victims in the long run?

 

[rlk]

Thanks Tourist.

My intent for the thread was geared around surviving at home, and asking if anyone has experience with either of the two outfits listed above: Quake Kare and The Ready Store.

My intent was not to have to carry anything, but to survive at home. Surviving at home assumes no electricity, water, gas, etc, and may also include no shelter, depending on the severity of the situation.

If I had to leave home, I'm not sure where I would go. I am not in a flood prone area, so I'm not worried about a flood, however, a tornado or hurricane could destroy the house or the surrounding infrastructure leaving a need for survival in/or around the current homeplace.

Since I'm in the country, I'm not too concerned about looters as the looters would have to travel a long distance to get to us. Also, I feel like our neighbors would band together to help each other out.

Thanks, Bob

 

[The Tourist]

Bob, it does take into consideration one element that we sometimes forget.

Not everyone owns a generator--or stores enough gasoline.

Even at home, many of your 'survival' items need outside sources of power.

If electricy shuts off, there's no refrigeration, no electrical interfaces to start gas central heaters, no stoves, no rechargers for cell phones, no computers, no functional sanitation, limited water...

In effect, you are living in a fancy-schmancy cold 'cabin.'

To my knowledge, the only people successfully living "off of the grid" are a couple of whacky old hippies in Arizona. Even Bill Nye and Ed Begley, Jr. are connected to utility companies.

How long do grocery stores have shelf stock when they anticipate a hurricane?

 

[Melensdad]

COSTCO has gotten into the business of survival care. They now offer, among other things, a 5 gallon bucket that is pre-filled with a reasonable amount of goods and claim it is good for 72 hours, I believe for 4 people, with food, water, and all sorts of other goodies.

Some of the best survival type food, in my opinion, is the freeze dried stuff. Good for 25 years, can be eaten as is, but is better cooked with water. I used to use it in my days back packing. Its compact in storage too.

 

[rlk]

Thanks for the info about COSTCO. I'll have to check their kits.

Bob

 

[bczoom]

I have been looking around at a few survival kits to be used in case of hurricane, tornado, ice storm, or whatever. I have not found any that contain everything I want or think will be needed

What I did was compile a list of what I thought I needed then used sites/packages to see what was offered (in the event I didn't think of everything).

What I found was it's best to get things myself and then build my own "kits".

I have a pretty extensive list if you want it which covers primarily bug-out-bags but it's a good list for home as well.

As for sites/stores to get food or other emergency essentials, www.beprepared.com is a good one. Many of the other things I got from Cabela's or made my own. (e.g. Buy dry foods from the grocery store, buckets to store the food from Home Depot, get rope, knives, ... from Cabela's or Home Depot.

 

[rlk]

Zoom, can you post your list here, or is it too large? I suspect others will be interested in it as well.

http://www.beprepared.com/ is an interesting site. Best one I have seen yet for prepackaged kits.

Thanks, Bob

 

[bczoom]

Let me get things together and I'll post it here later today.

I actually have it in Excel but need to tweak the algorithms some. I have it in 4 stages of preparedness/emergency.

In general, it's things that you'll want available/prepared in the case of bugging out but it works well for staying home. Actually, it's significantly easier to stay home as there's no packing of foods or otherwise.

 

[The Tourist]

easier to stay home

If I can, I probably would. We have the mutts now, and they are not outside style dogs. Who knows how my wife is going to travel in the future.

I still have a BOB, it's actually a 'dry box' full of stuff I can grab, and both my wife and I have vehicles with 4-wheel drive. We have safety equipment in the trucks.

In a pinch, a decent varmint rifle works for looters.

 

[bczoom]

OK, as previously mentioned, I have 4 levels of preparedness for emergencies.

The first level is setup for up to 1-2 days. This is setup in a "bug out bag" fashion and is for IMMEDIATE emergency (chemical spill, tornado, leak at nearby nuke plant...). In general, you have < 5 minutes to get dressed, get your stuff and get out.

For this scenario, there's 4 (one for each member of the family) CamelBak hydration packs with necessities.

Here's the bags

 

[bczoom]

OK, those bags have the large main pocket, a smaller pocket out the back and some side pockets.

Inside the main pocket (and I didn't take detailed pictures of is):
2 MRE's
1 fleece sweater
1 pair jeans
2 pair socks
2 pair underwear
1 complete rain outfit
1 fleece (light duty) sleeping bag
1 hat

I emptied the smaller pockets and here's what I have packed. Note, some of the stuff is a bit much for a 1-2 day emergency but these packs are the staple items for the next level of preparedness as well.

Note: There's a couple things in mine that aren't in the other 3 bags but otherwise, they're identical. The items I see that I don't think are in every bag (but may be in Mrs. Zoom's) are the survival knife, tear gas, QR powder and first aid kit.

OK, looking at the picture (back left to right then moving forward), it looks like the inventory is:
QR powder for instant wound clotting
First aid kit
Leatherman LED flashlight
tear gas
2 bottles of water
1 deck of cards
1 bag of hard candy, slim jims and candy bars
1 kitchen garbage bag
1 pen, 1 sharpie, index cards and paper tablet (in a plastic bag)
3 sets of foam ear plugs
1 leatherman utility tool
1 pair prescription glasses
1 candle
1 6-pack of Tic-Tacs (we like Tic Tacs...)
3 cyalume light sticks
1 6-pack of "hot hands" hand warmers
1 fluorescent/day-glow vest
1 survival knife
1 FRS radio
1 small first aid kit (bandaids and wipes)
1 utility knife
1 fire starter
3 lighters
1 pair rubber gloves
1 pair cotton gloves
10 pack of utility knife blades
6 AAA batteries
6 twist ties
10 zip ties

 

[bczoom]

Oh, forgot this picture/thought.

Although that looks like a lot of "stuff" to keep track of in a bag, it's re-bagged before in goes in the backpack to keep it somewhat organized.

The things not bagged are in the small side pockets of the backpack for immediate access.

Here's what it's like going into the backpack.

 

[bczoom]

If the situation is such that we are bugging out, I'll consider grabbing a couple more things on the way out.
First, 1 or 2 5-gallon buckets of MRE's.

Second, another 2 backpacks. These backpacks contain things that may be needed but if we're on foot, much of it can be left behind.

 

[bczoom]

OK, the blue/silver backpack is the first aid stuff.

Here's its contents. You get the idea so I'm not going to give a full inventory unless someone wants particulars. Basically, a big pre-packaged first aid kit, bug spray, suntan lotion, scissors, knife, particle masks, first aid books, surgical kit, flashlight, tissues and some MRE's (just to fill in the spare space in the bag).

 

[bczoom]

The 2-tone silver bag is the HABA bag (HABA = Health And Beauty Aids).

Don't ask what's in it as it's not quite organized but suffice it to say that most anything you could/would find in your bathroom, there's a copy in here.

 

[bczoom]

OK, for the first phase of preparedness, that's most of what I'd take. Not included/pictured are a few grab items.
Wallet
Cell phone
Prescriptions (if/as needed)
Cash
NOAA radio
Check books

Also, if needed or time allows, grab the kids gameboys, cell phone chargers, forward the home phones, notify someone that we're bugging out...

Not included in any of my posts will be any firearms or ammo. You figure out what you need...

 

[darroll]

In an emergency, I would choose to make my stand at home. We have two fireplaces that do not require electricity. We also have plenty of wood.
Stock up on canned goods. I ate a can of bean soup that had a throw-away-date of 2004. (I’m still here)
We lost power for over a week and what I did to keep the frozen food ok was to open the garage during the cold daylight hours. At night I covered the freezer with all the blankets we could spare.
The people in warmer climates need a generator or dried food. We have a couple of cases of Ramen noodles.
Even if times were good, you should act like a pack-rat and put things (food) away for a rainy day.

 

[bczoom]

Phase 2

This phase is where things may get a little more hairy. Again, it's planned & prepared for a bug-out but the things listed are items you would may want to consider having even if staying home.

For this phase, you may be out for around a week (give or take). This may be due to things like hurricanes, forest fires, flooding, local terrorist event or uprising. Basically, you may be heading 100+ miles away and may (or may not) have a place to go or stay.

If bugging-out (or not), another consideration and something to plan for is whether you want your location to be known or if you're in stealth mode.

For this phase, I add to the Phase 1 contents some Rubbermaid tubs and duffel bags of "stuff". As noted in Phase 1, I'm probably a little over-packed but Phases 3 & 4 may rely on some of this stuff and I'd rather be over-packed and discard what's not needed than to not have a needed item.

First, some duffle bags.
These are black bags (not purplish as seen in the pictures).
The first 2 are blankets/bedding materials.
The third is towels, soaps, shampoo, toilet paper and of course, a toilet.

 

[bczoom]

Then there's the Rubbermaid tub with some "personal defense" items.
Some are pictured, others 2gunsfiri are not)

 

[bczoom]

In another tub are more utility items.
(Those are sterno cans it the ammo can).

 

[bczoom]

Another utility tub

 

[bczoom]

Some, but not all of the kitchen stuff.
Again, the food is either in 5 gallon buckets (or will be when grabbed out of the pantry).

 

[bczoom]

Don't want to forget some tools

 

[bczoom]

Not included in the aforementioned is a couple deep-cycle marine batteries, power inverters, generator, fuel... Those are "grab" items and not pre-loaded.

Then you grab the tents, cots and such. Ummm, my truck got filled with the tubs, duffel bags... so these things need to slide in over the wheel wells and such which is why they're just sitting in a box for now.

 

[bczoom]

Phases 3 & 4 a SHTF fan scenarios. Basically, it's the same but on larger scale.

If bugging out in those scenarios, I'll have a trailer in tow full of stuff and probably in a convoy (strength in numbers).

 

[bczoom]

In an emergency, I would choose to make my stand at home.

Obviously, that's almost always your best bet. I've been through several emergencies in my life and most of the time, you're better off staying put. Now, there are some situations when you do want/need to bug-out. What if a train on a upwind track derails and dumps several thousand gallons of toxic materials upwind from you? Tornado? Hurricane? Nuke power plant accident? Local civil unrest? Local terrorist/chemical attack?

If it's something like being without power for a week due to a storm, that's something to prepare for but in general, I fire up the generator and it's more-or-less life as normal.

Although my stuff is packed, that doesn't mean I couldn't/wouldn't use it at home. Heck, for a power failure I may just pop up a tent in the living room (or outside, weather permitting) and tell the kids ghost stories.

 

[The Tourist]

That's a good, well-balanced and useful set-up. Well thought out.

My wife and I are thinking about getting one of those built-in water purification units. Usually there's some advanced warning. And in that scenario we can quickly stockpile fresh, potable water without adding any stabilizing chemicals.

 

[bczoom]

That's a good, well-balanced and useful set-up. Well thought out.

Thanks.

I didn't mention potable water but I'm well prepared for that as well. Be it already bottled, fill the CamelBak's or bulk water in totes.

My wife and I are thinking about getting one of those built-in water purification units. Usually there's some advanced warning. And in that scenario we can quickly stockpile fresh, potable water without adding any stabilizing chemicals.

If your public water (or ground water if you have a well) hasn't been immediately contaminated, you can just fill anything that will hold water from your existing water source. Use kitchen clean pots or whatever for drinking water. Fill the bathtub(s) and sinks for bathing and toilet water needs.

I have 5,000 gallons of water already in retention at my bunker. I also have about 10 400-gallon totes sitting in there ready to fill.

You can also treat water by using 16 drops of regular bleach to a gallon of water. Don't use scented, color-safe or bleaches with any added cleaners.

 

[Av8r3400]

BC-- Why not keep all that stuff right in the bunker? (Or did you ever sell it?)