Post by admin on Aug 31, 2006 9:18:23 GMT -5
First Aid/Emergency Kits –
Generic Substitution OK
Altoids Tin Kits:
NOTE: IF YOU BUY WHITMAN’S CANDY SAMPLER, YOU CAN FIT A BOTTLE OF POLAR PURE AND SOME MORE STUFF IN THE 30% BIGGER TIN - WHITMAN’S CAN RECOMMENDED IF AVAILABLE.
Last-ditch backup to everything else. Buy small tin of Altoids Mints, dump the mints (store in Ziploc for later use), and replace with:
2 single-edge razor blades with covers (Small folder with Whitman’s can)
BSA Hot Match and striker (can use P-38, but make sure it works first, some cheaper P-38's won’t spark the ferrochromium rod)
3 trick candles
3 PJ saturated cotton balls in vacuum-sealed plastic (seal-a-meal works great for this)
Micro Fishing Kit (2 small bait hooks and 2 #12 treble hooks, 2 pieces of split shot, 50 feet of monofilament all wrapped around small piece of cardboard)
Contractor Grade trash bag (2 for Whitman’s can)
Short roll of snare wire and finishing nails (Steel or galvanized wire works best - NOT braided!) Fine but strong wire (50# steel leader wire works too - need crimps)
Photon knock-off LED light (blue or white, red doesn’t show blood)
Water Container: Gallon Freezer Ziploc bag. Cover 3 seams with duct tape by cutting tape to length of seam, laying bag all the way out, align tape to cover half of seam, press to fix to plastic bag, flip over and fix other half of tape to other side of seam. Once all 3 seams are taped, bag will last much longer. Fold CAREFULLY and put in tin. Make sure you get ALL air out of bag. You won’t have enough room for water container if you use an Altoids tin instead of Whitman’s Sampler tin.
Finally, Seal kit with duct tape - keeps you from messing with it, and gives you a supply of duct tape. If you have access to a shrink-wrap machine, try shrink wrapping it to waterproof and possibly fool someone into thinking it’s still a tin full of Altoids mints - might come in handy.
It will take some work and finagling to get everything to fit, but it will. Once everything is in, seal kit, and DON’T OPEN!!! Everything will be fine for years as long as case is sealed and watertight, or at least sealed if you don’t run it through the washer!
Nite-eyez belt kit
(For people who can carry a “tool kit” at work) - Threaded on belt, so you always have with you!
Nite-eyez belt holster
Gerber Model 600 or 800 series Needlenose Multiplier (best one has replaceable jigsaw blades - 800 model) or Leatherman Supertool
Accessory hex tool kit available from Gerber (6 hex tool bits and adapter to fit on Phillips head screwdriver - adapter doubles as 1/4" socket
At least 3 spare jigsaw blades (wood and metal) - 800 only
BSA Hot spark Ferrochromium rod and striker
Eze-lap Pencil style sharpener - regular or rat-tail for serrated blades.
Mini-Mag solitaire AAA flashlight
Mini-LED Photon knock-off
Mad Money in qt size Ziploc Bag
Ranger or Button style compass
Micro fishing kit ( #12 treble hook with lead split shot tied to 50 feet of monofilament and wrapped around small piece of cardboard)
3 PJ saturated cotton balls vacuum-sealed in plastic (minimum size)
Thread Hot Spark, Striker, Solitaire, Compass and LED together using small piece of monofilament to keep them from getting lost. Stick Gerber tool, Mini-mag Solitaire and Eze-lap in front main, in little pocket below, connect HotSpark, LED and compass together using a piece of monofilament. Stuff accessory tool kit in very bottom, and the rest will fit - Barely! If you’re worried about losing them, connect longer monofilament loop to keychain keeper, included. Every thing else goes into back pockets. Add saw blades last so you can thread belt horizontally through belt loop. You can carry more stuff in vertical configuration with a reduction in comfort and stealth. (Horizontal carry nearly invisible underneath longer shirt that’s not tucked in.) Fanny Pack/ Mini-FAK
Swiss Army Knife w/ Scissors (Hiker or better) - DON’T buy Chinese knock-off!
12 Band-Aids
6 triple antibiotic ointment packets
3 pair Exam Gloves and CPR Mask
1 roll medical tape
1 Self-adhesive ACE bandage
1 Roller Gauze
2 Large Bandanas
3 4x4 sterile pads
1 travel tube Purell Handwash
3 Panty Shields (multiple use)
12 Benedryll
12 Imodium AD
50 Advil or Tylenol
1 penlight or blue/white LED (Red doesn’t show blood)
Pen & Notebook
1 tube Burn free Gel or Aloe Vera Gel
3 large safety pins
To have a fanny pack Emergency kit add the following:
3 N95 or N100 filter masks (Hardware store)
1 quart military plastic canteen with cover, cup, and stove
1 bottle polar pure water disinfectant (fits in little pouch on cover)
2 bars of trioxane fuel (fits between cup and stove) emergency fuel to heat water.
Hexamine tabs are a good alternative if you can get – burn without odor.
1 Mylar blanket (don’t open bag – you’ll never get it back in!)
3 Contractor-grade safety orange trash bags (poncho, emergency shelter, emergency sleeping bag, etc.)
1 bag of hard candy (peppermints or lemon drops preferable to dissolve in boiling water)
Mini-mag AA flashlight and batteries or LED light
Mini AM/FM radio and batteries (useful in your Area of Operations)
Nitrile Gloves if you live in a Plague or Tularemia area (handling small game)
3 ways to make fire – butane lighter, Magnesium Firestarter, ferrochromium rod and striker (available at local Boy Scout dealer) Tinder: 35mm Film can full of cotton balls saturated with Petroleum Jelly or Shredded Innertube.
Whistle – pealess type plastic – Fox 40 is excellent
Signal mirror – plastic
Compass and topo map of area I’d get 2: 1 of entire county (large scale 1:100,000) and 1 of area between work and home (1:25,000 or smaller) buy compass with adjustable magnetic declination, then pre-set declination to your area so all your bearings/headings are true North. Learn how to use it now, because you can get turned around fast as soon as you leave hard surface roads (the FIRST thing I’d do in an emergency around here is get off the freeways and major roads and take secondary roads) if you are forced to abandon your vehicle and walk! Make sure you laminate/waterproof maps.
Defensive weaponry: If TSHTF – it won’t take long for the “law of the jungle” to take over, and you WILL need to defend yourself and your family. Minimum: 9mm pistol with 3 loaded mags and box of 50 JHP rounds. I’d also pack a tactical folder – folding blade at least 3 inches long, parkerized, TiN coated, or epoxied flat black. Spyderco, Benchmade, etc. Always carry A knife on you unless you’ll lose your job, then be even more discrete carrying a knife!
Rope: Military Surplus 550 Paracord – about 50-100 yards if you have room, but at least 50 feet.
Fishing kit: 35mm film can with plastic sewing bobbin loaded with 10lb mono or 10/50 Spyderwire (preferred) with 1/8 and 1/4oz lead-head plastic body jigs and a couple of small treble hooks. Entire kit has multiple uses – if you can’t fish, the treble hooks can catch sea gulls! Or you can rig out the treble hooks to catch someone following you by stringing them out at eye level beneath a tree that overhangs the trail you are using. (Nasty…!)
Food: Not really needed – nice for morale! Lipton instant soups (chicken noodle, etc.) or my favorite dried concoction – 1 cup Minute rice, ½ cup dried veggies, 1 tsp chicken or beef bullion granules. vacuum seal w/ sealer, and double bag in a freezer-grade Ziploc. GORP/Trail Mix - Replace frequently, 90 days shelf life max, some not suitable for summer storage in hot trunk.
While on the subject of food, buy some 16-20ga stainless steel wire to use making snares, etc to catch squirrels, rabbits, etc. Buy about 50 ft per bag. Twist an eye in one end, and thread loose end through, forming a noose. Anchor loose end well with a nail or spike. Learn how to skin, gut, and clean small animals (Don’t practice on the neighbor’s cat!) Yeah, I know…Yuck – but the grocery store is closed – remember!
Most Important: Small Paperback Bible. (And a Magnifier!)
Almost forgot – TP to keep wife happy, although using it in the Wild is an experience I wouldn’t want to remember! Better alternative - Wet Ones Sample pack, but double-seal so they don’t dry out.
Buy a copy of a good First Aid Manual (US ARMY Special Forces Medical Handbook is the best) and memorize the relevant information.
Buy a set of “Survival Cards” deck of playing cards with survival info on back.
Gloves, Stocking Cap - Keep head and hands warm, rest of body warm!
Buy the biggest fanny pack you are comfortable wearing! The whole point of this kit is to wear it! Or at least keep it handy in the office, etc.
If you have a gun in your kit – you are legally and morally obligated to wear it, or lock it in a secure location.
Next Step up: Day Bag Kit w/ Camelback water bladder
Buy the Camelback Hawg (90oz) and get the positive on/off valve instead of the bite valve! If the Daybag included is too small, buy a larger compatible day bag.
Add: More bandages, include larger sizes of meds and lotions/ointments, Change of Clothes (Levis, long sleeve work shirt, wool socks, several pairs of underwear) work gloves and hat, Tarp or Bivy Shelter (backpacking equipment), at least ankle high boots – wear don’t carry.
Food: Increase food to 2-3 times what you had in fanny pack. Make sure it will handle heat.
If all this stuff (except boots) can’t fit in daybag, buy a bigger one!
Next step up: Bug Out Bag – If you need to leave home permanently on foot!
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you might need to leave home or car permanently with whatever you can carry on your back, or in a cart.
If this is part of your Survival Scenario: buy a large internal frame backpack, start with the stuff listed before, and just carry more of everything. Limit packs for adults to 1/3 body weight if in good shape (60 pounds max). Children and out-of shape adults should limit bag to 1/5 body weight(40 pounds max).
Add: Small backpacking tent - preferably dome style
Cooking gear – light and durable
Sleeping bag – light and warm
Bag liner – adds warmth if made out of Mylar or Tyvek
Water: several collapsible containers, and a good water filter
(KATADYN portable voyager or hiker)
Means to procure additional food: (small 22 rifle or pistol and 500 rds of ammo), more snare wire or traps, Hawaiian throw net, and a fishing spear or frog gig (just the head only - you can make your own pole).
Map Atlas, important documents, etc.
Communications: Handheld CB or 2-way/Ham Radio, Multiband Radio (AM/FM/SW) with external reel-up antenna to increase range. FRS/GMRS radios (Short-Range point to point – repeaters will be down shortly in the event of TSHTF or TEOTWAWKI)
Rechargeable Batteries and solar charger – essential to keep battery powered stuff running for more than a couple of days! Get one with a large solar panel – at least 2 sq ft.
TP: A couple of rolls apiece – use sparingly it may be all you have! See Note about Wet Ones.
Feminine Products: 3 months worth!
Large bandana – at least 2 each!
Sheet of Tyvek – You never know!
Duct Tape/bailing wire: You can fix almost anything with these 2 items!
Bug-Out Bag First Aid Kit
All Mini-FAK Supplies x3 except SAK, Penlight, Pen & Notebook
ADD:
Small Roll Duct Tape or Coach tape
Hydrocortisone/Benedryll cream
First Aid Book (Red Cross or Special Forces Medical Handbook)
Magnifier
Glow Stick
Personal Meds
Oral Thermometer
2 Mylar Blankets
Betadine Providine Iodine Solution 10% in original container, or glass vial (pack carefully - leakage/breakage can ruin your entire pack!)
Baby Powder
Non-sterile ABD Pads
Sawyer Extractor (bee stings, snake bites, etc.)
Epi pen (with prescription if needed)
CPR Mask
SAM splint
Hemostats
Suture/Scalpel kit
90% Isopropyl Alcohol
Sheet of Wax paper
Fine tweezers
Soap and Face Cloths
Large duffle bag or Tackle Box
Author’s Notes:
If you can afford it, carry a money belt with pre-1936 silver dollars, and 1 or 2 gold coins. FRN’s will be valuable for a very short while before banks collapse in the event of a major SHTF scenario. Carry credit card, calling card, and copies of critical ID in the money belt as well.