OT: Emergency Kits

[mikeo80]

We have discussed weapons, food, water, etc based on our little home fortresses. I think that I am like most of us. IF the baloon goes up, I am going to get down amd stay down. For at least 15 - 20 days....Then let's see WTF is going on.....

However, when was the last time Murphy played favorites?

Soooo........

You are driving down the road, say 20+klicks from home base. About 30 - 40 klicks down range from you, you see the infamous "FLASH"........

OH, SH**!!!

Now that you have said it and done it.....

What do YOU have in the car for that "OH SH**" moment?

I am starting with three days of water, some blankets. That is it right now. Weapons pose a REAL problem for me since I work on Fort Bragg. The MP's FROWN on personal weapons. I would love to have a small weapon of some sort available....however....

My $0.02

Mike

[Cdnwolf]

An axe is always a good tool to have. Us Canadians added a winter emergency kit with shovels, blankets, some sort of heat, hand crank radio, cards, books etc.

[weswood]

Food, maybe just a couple MREs, good walking shoes if you're not wearing them, flashlight. Small 1st aid kit.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

I'll see you your infamous "FLASH"........
And raise you a series of storms that have cut electricity.

That bastard Murphy hit here just the other day!
To explain - my hometown has been racked by severe storms for the last few days. Electricity has been cut to some suburbs due to power poles being knocked down and so on. I think the last number I heard was that some 160,000 homes were without power.

My entire suburb was without electricity from 2PM Sunday to around 2PM Monday but the power company is saying that some suburbs may be without power for at least a week. They are advising people to stay with friends and relatives until the power can be restored.

Without electricity, modern society is screwed - no TV, no microwave ovens, no lights, no phone recharging, no computers, no fuel pumps, no ATMs, no cash registers at the supermarket etc. etc. etc.
I was lucky because I bought a generator some months back that will run for around 20 hours on a full tank, my home was the only one in the suburb with some form of electricity.

The incident has made me start thinking a whole lot more about having some sort of emergency chest that includes longlife food, water supplies (and spare water containers), flashlights, first aid kit and also some basic tools.
So while this is not so much a Bug Out Bag, the idea of having it in some sort of crate or chest means we can throw it in the car if we have to leave the house
I also have a firearms licence for a .22LR bolt-action and a .44Mag lever-action so I have that side of things somewhat covered.

[DocSavage45B10]

My webgear with full canteens, Israeli compress, and lensatic compass, first aid kit, k-bar, and my car tool kit. If I'm on a road trip add my Get Home Bag and either a springfield m1911 or a snub nosed .357.

Hi, by the way, new here, but this thread tickled my fancy.

[B.T.]

An item, that I have with me most of the time, is a multitool (Gerber, SOG, Leatherman, whatever. My tool of choice is a Leatherman Wave II, but this is a question of personal preference. Any model would be good to have.). These handy tools can be of big value in everyday life. If you don't have one (or don't want to carry it with you on your belt) at least a Swiss Army Knife/Pocket knife, with a blade, screwdriver, small scissors and the like should be there.

A lighter or some matches are also very useful.

And if you have a multitool or pocket knife and some matches, you can easily make your own toothpicks

[mikeo80]

Originally Posted by DocSavage45B10

My webgear with full canteens, Israeli compress, and lensatic compass, first aid kit, k-bar, and my car tool kit. If I'm on a road trip add my Get Home Bag and either a springfield m1911 or a snub nosed .357.

Hi, by the way, new here, but this thread tickled my fancy.

Welcome to the madness!

Stick around, we discuss a wide range of topics. Please add your three cents whenever you want. (I would say two cents, but that is what I add to the conversation! )

Just out of curiosity, and why I started this thread, what do you have in your "Get Home Bag"? I am looking to build one for each car. Any and all ideas are welcome!

My $0.02

Mike

[mikeo80]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

I'll see you your infamous "FLASH"........
And raise you a series of storms that have cut electricity.

That bastard Murphy hit here just the other day!
To explain - my hometown has been racked by severe storms for the last few days. Electricity has been cut to some suburbs due to power poles being knocked down and so on. I think the last number I heard was that some 160,000 homes were without power.

My entire suburb was without electricity from 2PM Sunday to around 2PM Monday but the power company is saying that some suburbs may be without power for at least a week. They are advising people to stay with friends and relatives until the power can be restored.

Without electricity, modern society is screwed - no TV, no microwave ovens, no lights, no phone recharging, no computers, no fuel pumps, no ATMs, no cash registers at the supermarket etc. etc. etc.
I was lucky because I bought a generator some months back that will run for around 20 hours on a full tank, my home was the only one in the suburb with some form of electricity.

The incident has made me start thinking a whole lot more about having some sort of emergency chest that includes longlife food, water supplies (and spare water containers), flashlights, first aid kit and also some basic tools.
So while this is not so much a Bug Out Bag, the idea of having it in some sort of crate or chest means we can throw it in the car if we have to leave the house
I also have a firearms licence for a .22LR bolt-action and a .44Mag lever-action so I have that side of things somewhat covered.

I hope that you and yours are ok!

Longest I have ever dealt with no electricity was three days. Thank God it was in the middle of Winter, and a nasty snow/ice storm. Did not have to worry about food spoilage. Had plenty of wood for the fire place. Other wise, it was get down, stay down, stay warm, watch over wife and kids.

My $0.02

Mike

[James Langham]

Working on current (rather random) contents:

* Assault vest with 2 torches, compass, GPS, string, ear defenders, mess tins, hexi burner & blocks, lighter, 1 x ration pack meal, brew kit, mug, 1lt water bottle, SA80 cleaning kit, leatherman clone
* Day sack sized first aid kit
* Webbing first aid kit
* 12 x first aid manuals
* 5 lt water bottle
* Box of 10 first aid kits
* Box of 30 Tough cut scissors
* Box of 20 resuscitation shields
* Assorted car spares (oil, brake fluid, etc)
* 3 blankets
* Set of coveralls (OG)
* 300 plastic pockets
* 2 paperback novels
* 10m extension cable

In pockets:
* leatherman clone
* lighter
* 2 x resuscitation shields
* 2 x pairs nitrile gloves

Those are the highlights, excluding paperwork, etc.

I lead a strange life...

[Graebarde]

http://www.survival-center.com/dl-list/dl1-toc.htm

Here's a nice site with loads of kit suggestions, some small and very basic, some huge.

[Graebarde]

Originally Posted by mikeo80

I hope that you and yours are ok!

Longest I have ever dealt with no electricity was three days. Thank God it was in the middle of Winter, and a nasty snow/ice storm. Did not have to worry about food spoilage. Had plenty of wood for the fire place. Other wise, it was get down, stay down, stay warm, watch over wife and kids.

My $0.02

Mike

In December 1977, just before Christmas, we got hit with an ICE storm in NoDak. The storm took down over 17 MILES of power poles in our area alone. We lived at the END of the grid. We got power back in late January, about three weeks without power in winter in NoDak. We were lucky however, as the temps never dropped below 20 degrees and light winds.. We just added cloths, used a Franklin fireplace to heat the living room, already had propane cook stove, and dug out lamps and Coleman lantern. Played lots of cards and board games by lantern, went to bed early.

The worst part was the water for the cattle. No electric ment putting the pumpjack back in operation on the old well for the first day. Do you realize how much water 120 stock cows need each day? Our neighbor had a portable generator he put in the back of the pickup and came over so we watered cattle twice a day while we sat in the house and played cards LOL.
Sure beat pumping 1200 gallons by hand.

We also carried winter survival gear in the cars from Oct to May.. heavy comforters, extra cloths such as Carhart insulated coveralls and snowpac boots, gloves, and watch cap. Also had a #10 can with a 1/2 gallon or so bottle of ethanol, a roll of TP, box of strike-any-where matches (which are nigh impossible to find today in the 'not safe to breath' world), a pie tin, and mesh grill.. this was the heater/stove. There was also a food pack and a couple of pint sized tin cups. I only came close to needing the use once in MARCH of '66 when we had a four day blizzard I headed home in. Six hours to make 30 miles, and lucky to make it.. boy did I get a lecture on THAT one.

Today I carry a food pack, six liters of water, two knives (6" Sheath knive with whet stone in sheath and Victronix Ranger model that is ALWAYS with me) axe, cooking utensils (minimal), ripstop poncho and LINER (whoopie blanket) , cordage, extra socks, walking boots (cowboy boots or gummies are NOT made for walking) maps, binoculars, compass, first aid kit (small with larger one in the vehicle too) fire starting kit (magnesium block with flint and steel and wad of dryer lint tinder), small sewing/repair kit (needles, pins, etc), small tool kit in car has basic tools.... Most items kept in a LARGE canvas purse.. yes a purse that is lined with plastic and is 'water resistant' if not water proof. Got it at a sale long ago, in a neutral beige. Carries well as a haversack. I'm looking for a couple more to add. IF I'm going too far from the casa, I throw the medium ruck in the vehicle with change of cloths, bed roll, etc. Winter calls for added items of course.

[weswood]

.45 acp, pocketknife, pack of smokes & lighter. I rarely go farther from home than I can walk in a day.

[DocSavage45B10]

My philosophy for get home bags is to tailor them for my planned trip, I consider them seperate from every-day carry / vehicle gear.

But you can never go wrong with beans, bullets, and bandaides. Portable water filters are nice, so is cash. Multitools are goodness things (mine is in one of webbing gear pouches), so are good maps. Some good TP can be a lifesaver, and a pair of gloves. Cell phone and charger, maybe a little solar panel too.

Its also -important-, nay vital, to pack a bag that _you_ can carry for 20+ miles a day if you end up on foot.

Originally Posted by mikeo80

Welcome to the madness!

Stick around, we discuss a wide range of topics. Please add your three cents whenever you want. (I would say two cents, but that is what I add to the conversation! )

Just out of curiosity, and why I started this thread, what do you have in your "Get Home Bag"? I am looking to build one for each car. Any and all ideas are welcome!

My $0.02

Mike

[B.T.]

Now, help me out: What does "TP" stand for?

Tactical Pen?

No, wait, is it ... Toilet Paper?

[DocSavage45B10]

Ever try to shit in the woods without it? That crap that comes in the MRE packages don't... cut it.

Originally Posted by B.T.

Now, help me out: What does "TP" stand for?

Tactical Pen?

No, wait, is it ... Toilet Paper?

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Originally Posted by mikeo80

I hope that you and yours are ok!

Longest I have ever dealt with no electricity was three days. Thank God it was in the middle of Winter, and a nasty snow/ice storm. Did not have to worry about food spoilage. Had plenty of wood for the fire place. Other wise, it was get down, stay down, stay warm, watch over wife and kids.

My $0.02

Mike

Thanks for the well wishes and yeah, we've got through without any injuries to people, pets or property so far. There's still storms in the area and we lost electricity for a few hours again last night. Some people in the worst hit areas have lost roofing and trees have been blown down onto fences, sheds and houses causing damage. The power company is still busy with repairs to the electricity network.

Somewhat ironically, I bought the generator months back because due to some repairs, my house was going to be without electricity for six days.
At the time I thought it would be a used for the week and then the gen would go into long term storage.

I even considered replacing it with something smaller because I didn't think I really needed a generator with the capacity to run a house but as it turned out, a few months later I needed it again.
Just goes to show that anything can and does happen so some prior preparation makes a big difference.

[pmulcahy11b]

HMMM...Emergency Kit...

Grab my data drives (I don't keep my data in the C drive itself). Lots of dog food and water. Winston, Sam, and Cody's medications. And our medications.

Next, it will be just what I can grab out of the closets, kitchen cabinets, and refrigerator/freezers. The cold stuff will go into a large cooler with lots of blue ice to keep it cool.

And any sort of evacuation we might have to do will probably involve a Chinese Fire Drill on our part, because we really don't think of it much. And it will also involve a crammed-full minivan.

[weswood]

Originally Posted by DocSavage45B10

Ever try to shit in the woods without it? That crap that comes in the MRE packages don't... cut it.

Man. I've used shirt pockets, the elastic cut off my socks, paper towels. MRE TP is a luxury compared to some things I've used.

This was back in the day when i was a meter reader for the local electric company. You might end up miles from where you parked your truck and God alone knows where the nearest store or gas station was.

[raketenjagdpanzer]

In FL in 2004 we got hit by no fewer than four hurricanes in the space of six weeks. There were sections of the Orlando area without any power whatsoever for three, four weeks. We went to visit friends a few days after the 2nd or 3rd one but due to the trees blown down throughout downtown Orlando we couldn't even make it in to their neighborhoods.

In my neck of the woods we were only without power for 12 hours or so. We're right on a main trunk line so it was not a long time at all before power was restored, but at the time we were on a pretty puny generator (900 running watts, 1000 starting which is a useless figure).

On the other hand, my dad (God rest his soul) brought a "portable" (on a trailer that could be hauled by a truck) 1 megawatt generator from his place of work and provided his neighborhood with power for the time they were down.

Anyway, we ourselves had the traditional "Florida supplies": flashlights, candles, bottled water, gas for the generator, easy-to-prepare food (canned Ravioli anyone?), a small fridge for our daughter's milk...

But all that's outside the realm; we didn't have a "go bag" although we probably should.

[boogiedowndonovan]

I live in earthquake country, they sell earthquake kits that have food, water, crank radio, flashlight, first aid kit, gloves, mask, Leatherman tool etc. All packed in a backpack. Doesn't sound too different than what everyone else has. I did supplement it with a crank cell charger extra food, idoine tablets and some other stuff I can't remember.

Also have important docs like passport and extra cash in a double ziplocked bag. But I like Paul's idea so I might scan and save them on a usb drive or something.

[DocSavage45B10]

The quiet grunt of desperation as you realize that you're god knows where in Iraq with your BDU trousers and MOPP suit around your ankles, your rifle across your boots, you're squatting over a cat hole you just dug with your e-tool, which you bent because the soil here is an inch of fine powder over sandstone bedrock... and you don't have any TP...

Priceless.

Originally Posted by weswood

Man. I've used shirt pockets, the elastic cut off my socks, paper towels. MRE TP is a luxury compared to some things I've used.

This was back in the day when i was a meter reader for the local electric company. You might end up miles from where you parked your truck and God alone knows where the nearest store or gas station was.

[TrailerParkJawa]

At the moment I don't have much in my car cause I had take out some stuff to carry my bicycle and other cargo. ( I have a subaru wagon). But typically I do stock the car with items for a very short term emergency.

1. Pocket knife or leathermen
2. Light sleeping bag
3. Small candle and matches
4. $2-$20 in change or small bills
5. 1-2 small bottles of water
6. Flashlight
7. Chem light
8. Mirror


The basic idea is to handle being stuck on the road for a single night or if I'm almost out of gas to have some change to put in some gas and mabye get a taco at jack & box.

[bobcat]

under the drivers seat: an ammo can survival kit good for 3 days in moderate weather.
in the back: a standard tool kit, adjustable link type fan belt, spare tire, 5 gallon fuel can, and a jack

if its a long trip i'll have my portable hide site(long term E&E/survival kit) a 5 gallon water can, and at least a case of MRE's in the back as well

not to mention the M1911 i always carry.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by bobcat

not to mention the M1911 i always carry.

So you have a permit to carry or are you permitted to keep a firearm in your vehicle in your state?

[Panther Al]

Originally Posted by Targan

So you have a permit to carry or are you permitted to keep a firearm in your vehicle in your state?

Concealed Carry in a vehicle is a very touchy thing: in a few places where CC is allowed, doing so in a car isn't allowed, but most are coming around to allowing it.


While I as well swear by a Kimber Ultra Carry 1911, following the lead and the suggestion of some LE folks back when I was in the upper midwest I took advantage of a neat little loophole.

You see, about everywhere, the laws say you can't carry a loaded rifle in your vehicle. And while a Pistol is handy, it is always better to use a rifle when you can. Crappy as 5.56 is, its still better in most places than even the .45.

So what you do, is buy - for example - A SiG P556. Its one of those 5.56 AR's that has been built as a 'Pistol'. 99% of the time, those sorts of Pistols are crap: the only way to make them work is attach a sling, and push hard forwards on the grips in order to get a stable shot off. Now, it helps if you have a fore-grip - but thats very illegal. So is attaching a folding stock.

Unless you get a SBR permit.

Now, the loophole is that federal law says than anything under 26" that isn't a registered machine gun is considered a pistol. Even if the P556 is given the SBR (Short Barrel Rifle) treatment, its still a pistol. So, a folding stock P556 with fore-grip and 30rd Mag, is a pistol - and can be kept concealed and loaded in your car within easy reach.

I'll take that over a .45 anyday in any situation that isn't tailor made for pistols only... and maybe even then.

[bobcat]

the only downside to that is the consequences of ever using an registered NFA weapon for self defense. even if you win the criminal action the civil action will destroy you. thus an AR15 in the back is a safer option from a CYA stand point. granted im not a lawyer so consult yours and get his professional opinion.

[Panther Al]

Depends a lot on the location: Where I was there has been more than a few SBR's involved in shootings: But all the owners was careful in the use of force and the civil bits was all non-starters.

Gotta love cell phone camera's.


And even then, if you are in an area where the law and the lawyers work more for the crooks than the good guys, don't bother with the SBR route. Even using a sling press the P556 is still a lot more accurate and capable than a Pistol in a lot of places.

Your milage may vary of course.

[Tegyrius]

Originally Posted by bobcat

the only downside to that is the consequences of ever using an registered NFA weapon for self defense. even if you win the criminal action the civil action will destroy you.

Can you cite any case in which civil action has resulted from the use of an NFA item in what was otherwise a "clean" defensive shooting?

- C.

[Panther Al]

Originally Posted by Tegyrius

Can you cite any case in which civil action has resulted from the use of an NFA item in what was otherwise a "clean" defensive shooting?

- C.

I can't think of any - but then I don't follow the courts nor have I been involved in any civilian shooting incidents myself.

In the three occasions where I have heard of SBR's being used, two times was inside the owners home against multiple armed assailants, and the third was a classic clusterfuck that could have been avoided - but the shooter covered his bases with said camera phone. Being off duty LE helped I imagine as well.

[Tegyrius]

Originally Posted by Panther Al

Now, the loophole is that federal law says than anything under 26" that isn't a registered machine gun is considered a pistol. Even if the P556 is given the SBR (Short Barrel Rifle) treatment, its still a pistol. So, a folding stock P556 with fore-grip and 30rd Mag, is a pistol - and can be kept concealed and loaded in your car within easy reach.

Al - citation? My reading of BATFE regs and rulings suggests that placing a formerly pistol-configured weapon on the NFA registry as an SBR (e.g. Form 1 registration of an AR or SIG 556 pistol) makes it legally a rifle, not a pistol, because the Form 1 records the act of "manufacturing" the SBR. It may be possible to return it to legal "pistol" status by (1) removing it from the registry and (2) removing the stock, but I wouldn't want to gamble on that.

- C.