Disaster Preparedness (1) - Stuff
January 15, 2007
10:01 PM CST
I thought I’d publish a list of stuff which every family should on hand in case the Shiites Hit The Fan.
Now, a couple of caveats: This list represents our family’s choices, and our capabilities. (In other words, your mileage may vary.) I’m aware that Doc Russia’s bug-out bag would contain a mini-field hospital compared to ours, but we’re not medical people (beyond basic first-aid), so that’s it (here’s Doc’s personal kit, FYI).
All this stuff represents what we could load into the Suburban with about 20 minutes’ warning; longer periods of warning would result in greater amounts (we have a roof storage unit as well). As it stands, therefore, we have about 5 days’ worth of food, sustenance and such; and for a longer survival period, the quantities would increase, but not necessarily the item count. We also have a decent toolkit inside the Suburban, for those wondering about tools like screwdrivers and such.
Clothing choices would also be dictated by prevailing weather conditions.
For the benefit of those folks who’ve never done this kind of thing before, I’ve also provided links to some of the more arcane items, as listed by CheaperThanDirt.com and other outlets; but if you can get the same or better stuff cheaper or more easily elsewhere, good. (Like the Pirate’s Code, this is more of a guideline.) Also, please note that there are better items than the ones suggested (aren’t there always?), but these will do to start off with. (A cheap machete is better than no machete, when a machete is called for.) You can always upgrade later.
There are three categories: Suitcase (clothes etc); Backpack (personal stuff), and Survival Items. (I’ve actually combined my own suitcase and backpack items into a larger backpack, losing a few clothing items along the way, so I can carry a rifle if need be. Your mileage may vary.)
Here we go:
A. Suitcase
Clothing:
Underwear (4) and for girls, bras (2)
Socks (4 pairs)
T-shirts (4)
Jeans (2)
Sweatshirt & pants (1)
Raincoat / poncho (summer)
Overcoat, hat and gloves (winter)
Spare pair of shoes / sandals / sneakers / boots
Towels (2)
(For my Readers in colder climes, I cannot recommend L.L. Bean’s “Snow Sneakers” highly enough: light, easy to put on / take off with gloves, and my feet have never been cold with them on. They last about 4-5 years—with heavy usage.)
B. Carry bag / backpack
Games, CD players and CDs
Spare batteries � and when those batteries run down, that’s it
2 or 3 books
U.S. Army Survival Manual
Laptop computer & car power supply
Toiletries bag (inside the backpack):
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Sanitary stuff (girls)
Prescription medications
Tylenol etc.
Toothache remedy
Sunburn lotion
Shaving gear
C. Survival Items
Medical (in Ziploc bags):
Advil (sunburn, minor pains)
Aspirin (�heart meds�)
Tylenol-3 (Rx painkiller)
Benadryl
Antacids
Immodium
Potassium Iodide
Neosporin
10% hydrocortisone ointment
Antiseptic wipes or bottle of Curel
Antiseptic soap in its own baggie
Hydrogen peroxide / disinfectant
Calamine lotion
Band-Aids
Small roll bandage
Ace bandages (knee, ankle)
Sharp scissors
Tweezers
Tampons (for wound care)
Sponges
Eyewash / eye drops
Soft earplugs
Latex gloves
Stuff:
Large black plastic garbage bags
Ziploc bags
Insect repellant wipes and sprays
Toilet paper
Signaling & Navigation:
Emergency radio (with solar- or windup power
Mirror
Whistle (or one of these combos)
Small compass
Large Compass
Maps (for the 100-mile radius around your house, get one which shows all the small backroads and country roads, because major highways are likely to be parking lots)
Walkie-talkies & two sets of spare AA batteries
Pencils / pens
Sharpies
Paper
Flourescent orange or pink ribbon
Red spray paint
Fasteners:
100� parachute cord
200� twine
Ropes
Tie-downs
Duct tape
Zip ties
Assorted rubber bands
Safety pins
Red electrical tape
Superglue
Tools & Weapons:Leatherman Wave / Gerber multi-tool or Swiss Army Champ
Folding knife
Large fixed-blade knife (eg. Ka-Bar or machete)
Camp shovel
Cord or camp saw
.22 rifle w/sling and 100 rounds ammo*
Shotgun w/50 rounds ammo**
Rifle w/100 rounds ammo***
Handgun w/30 rounds ammo, per person****
Cleaning kit for guns (boresnakes, solvent, oil)
Shelter (in Ziploc bags):
Survival blankets
24-hour body / hand / foot warmers
Bug kits (nets, snake-bite etc) as needed
Work gloves
Tarps and stakes
Drinking:
Stainless steel flask of brandy (doubles as signal mirror)
Water-purifying tabs or -bag
Canteen & holder
Bottled water
If you expect to be walking for any distance, then a hydration system like Camelbak or MSR
Fire & Light:
Bic lighters
Dietz 2000 Lantern
Waterproof matches
Magnesium �flint�
Jeweler�s loupe / small magnifying glass
Emergency candles
12-hour light sticks
Mini-Maglite and 10 x AA batteries
Micro-light
Surefire 6P + 4 spare batteries
Large flashlight / spotlight
Sterno cans or small cooker like this one or this one
Foods & Eating:
Beef stock cubes
Soup packets
Vac-pack meals (eg. MREs)
Beef jerky
Energy bars / survival food bars
Candy
Small cooking pot
Uncooked rice
Corn meal
Sugar
Salt
Canned food
Evaporated / powdered milk
Coffee / tea
Powdered drink (pre-sweetened)
Eating utensils
Look, you can go crazy with this stuff. My suggestion is to start with what you think you’d need for just yourself, to last three to five days outside the house, living in (say) your car. Then add what you’d need for yourself and your spouse; and finally for yourselves and your non-adult kids.
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Suggested Firearms
*.22 rifle: pump- or bolt-action.
Taurus Mod 62 SS
Will never fail you. Ever.
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**Shotgun: pump- or semi-auto action. Examples:
Mossberg 500
Rem 870
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***Rifle: semi-auto battle- or assault rifle. Examples:
M1 Carbine:
SKS
AK-style
M1A:
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****Handgun:
Ah, come on. (Too many choices to list… oh, okay, just two: )
Springfield Mil-Surp (.45 ACP)
Ruger SP 101 (.357 Magnum)
