WELCOME TO OUR WEEKLY EDITION FOR FRIDAY JULY 31st, 2020

WE WELCOME ALL OUR NEW READERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVEN’T PREPPED YET OR MAY HAVE JUST STARTED THINKING ABOUT IT.

If you are reading this page for the first time please read our ABOUT section to avoid any confusion. Here’s the short version. If you are looking for babes with guns, camo commandos, zombie hunters, political rants, racial hate ideas, or quasi-religious doomsday stories:LOOK ELSEWARE!

        We put together plain, simple information on how to prep for storms, disasters and other possible threats so the average Ann and Andy can prepare with the least cost in time, space, effort and money.

 

BAGS PACKED AND READY TO GO!!!!

This edition will be about bags. Whether you call them GO Bags, GOOD ( Get Out of Dodge) Bags, BOB’s (Bug Out Bags) or 3B’s (Bounce Back Bags), their goal is the same. It is to provide you with the “Seven Sisters of Survival” for some period of time to get you to or away from a given point.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, the “Seven Sisters of Survival” refer to:

WATER, FOOD, SHELTER, FIRST AID / HYGIENE, ALTERNATE ENERGY, MONEY AND SECURITY.

We will get deeper into each of these as we cover the various bags.

But first:

I WHO HAVE NOTHING

If you are into prepping you’ll find you are into the gear that goes with it, from the simplest and most inexpensive to the finest and costlier items. But you have to keep in mind that there can be numerous situations where survival could come down to what’s in your pockets,   and MOST importantly, what’s in your head.

Now is the time to LEARN and if possible practice every survival skill you can, especially those that call for survival without gear. To that end I highly recommend Larry Dean Olsen’s   OUTDOOR SURVIVAL SKILLS.  Although written back in the 70’s, every bit of the information is still valid. This IS the real deal, from making flint tools to building a shelter, he takes you to total independence from gear. It has a place in your GO bag or backpack, but first,  get it into your head!

Along with this is the American Red Cross First Aid book. If you don’t have the time to take the course, at least get the book and learn the basics.

There are also a number of Army type survival manuals which have value. Sometimes you can find them at flea markets and yard sales. There are also a number of woodcraft books available at libraries.

Someone can steal your gear from you, but they can’t take knowledge out of your head.

           

BUT YOU CAN TAKE SOME STEPS TO PUT AN ACE UP YOUR SLEEVE BY WAY OF SOME KIND OF BAG.

First for when you are at work, is the

            This is your basic “ace up your sleeve” kit that can be taken into almost any average work environment and never draw so much as a second look.

           

1.     Water: Assorted sized zip lock bags for carrying water and other uses, or a roll up water bag plus water purification tablets.

2.     Food: Mints, gum, energy bars

3.     First Aid: A mini first aid kit with band aids, tape, ointment, and gauze pads. (You can also put in a small tin with aspirins, cold meds, etc.) plus a pack or two of tissues.

4.     Shelter: An emergency poncho along with Para cord from the bracelet.

5.     Alternate Energy: a mini flashlight, a Mylar foil blanket for warmth, a pack of 2 light sticks, a candle, matches, a small plastic pencil sharpener and a disposable lighter.

6.     Money: Some ones, fives and change.

7.     Self Defense: Pepper spray where legal. (A knife would be good, but remember you can’t bring one into work or school.)

8.     Support Gear: A tin box for carrying the items, signaling, and possibly cooking in, a mini AM/FM radio with batteries and ear buds,

                It starts with a simple, average lunch bag (photo 1), but inside it has the basics for your survival.

     

           

            It holds ( photo2, left to right from the top) assorted sized zip lock bags for carrying water and other uses, a tin box for carrying the items, signaling, and possibly cooking in, a Mylar foil blanket for warmth, a mini AM/FM radio with batteries and ear buds, water purification tablets, an emergency poncho, a pack of 2 light sticks, a candle, matches and a disposable lighter, a mini multi-tool,  a mini flashlight, 

 

( photo 3) and a mini first aid kit with band aids, tape, ointment, and gauze pads. (You can also put in a small tin with aspirins, cold meds, etc.)

           

          

NEXT UP: A GOOD IN”VEST” MENT

            I learned the idea of a “survival vest” years ago from the USAF. Wanting to give a pilot who has bailed out every possible chance, they made sure he would have survival items on him along with what comes with him when he ejects. The idea was that he may be unable to get to the other gear.          

                   I see the “fishing” vest as something that could be pre-packed and sit in a car trunk, then worn under a jacket or big pullover shirt in a “bug out”, especially if you end up having to walk. It would take some of the weight off your back, and leave more room in your BOB for other things.

            Like its “cousin” the lunch box kit, the vest is filled with your choice of whatever mix of items you feel fulfill the basic needs for survival. Also, by going with a standard   NON-camouflaged, khaki one you will also not draw any attention in most circumstances, even if it is seen on you. You can, if you wish, go with some black “assault vest” but walking out of a city with that visible might NOT be a good idea.  (Old saying “The nail that stands out gets hammered.”)

            Here are suggestions for the basics. Different sized Ziplock bags and purification tablets  (water), energy bars and bouillon cubes( food), button compass on Para code bracelet (can be taken out and worn) emergency blanket and poncho ( shelter),  Swiss style pocket knife or multi-tool and a wire saw, mini flashlight and possibly a pack of 2 light sticks  and a pocket first aid kit, disposable lighter and matches, a mini AM/FM radio with ear buds and batteries, and a small tin box to carry items, signal with and possibly cook in. You can mix and match for what feels good for you, such as putting in one of those “credit card” emergency tools.

            If in the worst case, you had to flee without anything else, or had your other gear stolen, this vest would be one more “ace up your sleeve”.    

           

           

 

OR YOU CAN GO DIRECTLY TO A BASIC “BOB”

                     Little BOB is one part of a system I designed to give us maximum options to cover different emergencies in different circumstances. It can be used as a Bounce Back Bag (BBB or 3BEE) or as a Bug out Bag (BOB).

            It, along with my emergency vest, my paracord bracelet with pocket gear set, our two person tent/bedroll, Mama Donna’s BOB and her shoulder bag water bottle carrier is in our vehicle on a constant basis as long as we are going to be within 25 miles from home. If we are traveling outside that range, I swap out Little BOB and the tent roll for Big BOB and its tent/sleeping bag.

            The system is designed so each part alone gives us at least a fighting chance to make it back home, or to bug out to a safe area. The vest and its contents were covered in a previous article and provide the bare bones basic survival gear and supplies. My Little BOB and Mama Donna’s BOB each provide us with the next set up as far as food and water. With both BOB’s, the tent/bedroll and her shoulder bag, we have better shelter and much more food and water.

            My current Little BOB is a small, good quality backpack I got at a yard sale for $5! On the outside there is a zipper pull ring which has a mini solar flashlight and a P-38 can opener on it. The right shoulder strap has a pocket that holds a quick opening knife. (see photos)

           

                        The pack is circled by an old Army style web belt that has 2 1 qt. canteens, one with a canteen cup, in covers. (This gives ½ gal or one day’s worth of water for 1 person.)  

         

           

             

            In the first front zippered pocket is an emergency poncho, a three pack of disposable lighters and a small fuel filled lamp with wick.

            In the second, and larger front zippered pocket is a pen, pencil, notepad, first aid kit (DIY well filled) and a large ziplock bag of personal hygiene items (soap, hand sanitizer, T.P., etc.)

            In the big main area, at the bottom is a nylon bag with 8 .5liter bottles of water (1 gal or another 2 days of water for 1 person) , a light weight, crank powered AM/FM radio /light, and a small, take apart shovel/pick with a saw edge and a compass in the end of the handle, A large pull string bag with 4 days of food in sealed plastic bags of LAPS (Light As Possible Sustenance, a homemade MRE of much better food with items such as tissues, matches, etc. LAPS will be covered in depth in another article.)

            The left side pocket has a small pair of binoculars and the right has a plastic travel mug and a small roll of duct tape.

            In total it can support 1 person for 3-4 days and two people for two days. I based this on the idea that we should be able to cover at the most 25 miles in two days. With only the vest, it would be rough, but doable. With the vest and Little BOB we would still face a challenge, but we’d have a better chance. 

            Weight IS a factor, especially when it comes to the water. But the risk of not finding water to drink is greater than the problem of carrying it. While it may slow us down, the weight will also diminish with each bottle consumed.

            As far as firearms are concerned, I don’t discuss what I may or may not have, might use or carry as each person’s situation concerning the laws of their area and their own personal feelings on weapons would cloud the issue of the BOB’s themselves. If you choose to carry, and possibly use firearms, be very wise about it. I prefer stealth to combat, and evasion to confrontation. My goal is to get to my safe haven, away from the madding crowd. Once there, I will deploy what I feel is necessary.

            Let someone else plan to fight the zombies, lead the revolution, fight off the invaders, or do whatever they think they are going to do as they are dressed up in their camo outfits. Use your head, and keep it on your shoulders. Get back to your safe haven or at least get out of the danger area to a safer one.  

           I do have this personal suggestion. Try to avoid camo backpacks, etc. any “ARMY” looking gear and any kind of bag that screams “SURVIVALIST”. Even my “ARMY” web belt and canteens can be either covered with a shirt or jacket, or dumped if they pose too much risk for their worth. Stick to basic green, tan, grey or black backpacks that are as “civilian” looking as possible. My vest, for example, is not an “assault vest” but a basic light tan fishing vest and Mama Donna’s shoulder bag is just that, a flowered red and black old shoulder bag.

           

AND FINALLY, YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER HAVING THE FULL “BIG BOB” IN A CLOSET OR IN YOUR VEHICLE

 

A “BIG BOB” is simply a large backpack with more supplies and gear, usually designed to:

A.)  Get you back home or to your safe haven if you are 20+ miles away (at work, on a trip, etc.)

B.)  Get you from your home (apartment, etc.) to your safe haven (mountains, etc.)

C.)  Get you from your home or your safe haven if the situation becomes too dangerous.

 

 

There you have the basics. Look around and think about your personal situation and consider what option may work best for you. BUT never forget that you may find yourself without any gear, so be prepared to, as teddy Roosevelt said, ”do the best you can, with what you have, where you are”

 

           

Thank You, Poor Richard and Mama Donna