Looking for some basics

[ravencreeper]

Hello everyone. I'm new to this forum and like a lot of others I have questions, lots of questions.

I've looked through the forums and figured this would be the right place to drop this post. If it's not, please kndly let me know. Don't want to offend anyone.

So I have been prepping for emergency situations for about 3 years now and have built several well stocked, but manageable bug out bags. Which brings me to one of my questions;

If I bugged out to a wilderness location and for whatever reason found myself in a situation where I had to dump most of my gear what would be the bare bone necessities I should take with me? Recommendations greatly appreciated.

Here are my thoughts below.

1. Water filtration or means to purify water

2. Some form of shelter

3. Fire making capabilities

4. Knife or some form of bladed tool

5. Compass to navigate with

6. Signal mirror

7. Emergency whistle

These seem to me like the bare necessities but I'm sure there are other opinions out there that I would love to hear.

Thanks in advance for your input.

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[crashdive123]

First - welcome to the forum.

Second - While you have been working on this for three years, we have no idea of what possible situations you face, the area in which you will be leaving from and heading to, why the woods and not a hotel, etc.

There is a whole mindset and process for preparing to bugout. Much of it includes performing a threat assessment, or a list of "what ifs" and prioritizing them. Once completed then you can start to prepare.

Since you are three years into this exercise -- in order for us to help you with what might be most meaningful to you -- try using this check list - not perfect for what you are describing, but should put all of the answers at least in the right ball park. http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...rio-Check-List

[hunter63]

Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome.
What are you bugging out from?

[ravencreeper]

Ok, well I thought I laid this out clear enough, but I'll try again. What I was looking for were opinions by others on what they would consider bare bones necessity.

As we can find ourselves many unpredictable situations, I was just curious what kinds of opinions were out there. I have planned meticulously for my area so I have what I believe I need for an imaginable scenerio. I'm just looking beyond the imaginable to the unpredictable.

Scenerio: I have bugged out to a chosen location in the forests of Western Washinghton, for the purpose of being obscure. The government has fallen and chaos and bad guys run amuck. I have three family members plus myself in our group. We've made it safely to our location and several days later we find ourselves having to abandon our refuge in a hurry because there is a group of bad guys close by. We need to move quick and we can't pack all of our supplies with us because they will slow us down, so what would be the bare bone items we should take with us to ensure our survival.

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[kyratshooter]

Oh you made it clear enough!

What we are saying is that preparing for an imaginary "bug out to the woods" scenario is illogical and ultimately impossible in spite of what is presented to the public at large by bloggers and the sellers of tactical equipment.

Most of us here have been at this outdoor living thing for much of our lives and we all have one thing in common. After the trip to the woods we return to civilization.

We all tend to prepare for things that could actually happen; fire, tornado, hurricane, chemical spill. In the past five years I have had to deal with each of these things in some degree. For the real life BOB your basic contents should be a good credit card so you can evacuate, check into a motel in a safe area, and buy some replacement clothes and a decent meal.

I am an old geezer and I have never had to face the fall of the U.S. government, though I just barely missed the fall of the Confederacy which I hear was a b!&$h.

This is the 21st century and all that empty land you are eyeballing for your free BOL is going to fill up very quickly. The only reason it exists now is due to the government you claim can fall apart preserving it for your recreational use. If that government fails you are going to see about 100 people per square mile invade your pristine wilderness. Everyone on the west coast that owns a backpack and a sleeping bag is going to be headed for the same mountains you are.

[Rick]

Not to be a pain but the scenario is pretty far fetched. IMO, you'd be far better off worrying about a tsunami/earthquake/volcano in Western Washington. There are no scenarios in which I can image bugging off into the woods. That's not gonna happen. Once you leave your home you become a refugee and they seldom fare well regardless of the scenario. Don't think for a moment that you can survive what others cannot.

Beyond that, are any of your family members children? Do you or they require any specialized medical requirements. Any animals? Any weapons? Every deviation changes the scenario and what you will consider bare necessities. I understand what you are trying to accomplish but it will be different for everyone depending on individual/family needs.

[ravencreeper]

Ok, well I guess that is that. Onto another forum and another topic.

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[kyratshooter]

BTW, the one item every Syrian refugee in Europe considers an absolute must have item is the phone you are using to tap-a-talk us.

Their scenario is much the same as what you are claiming to "prep" for and from what I can tell after the food is gone, after the back pack is gone, after the money is gone and after the raft sinks they are still hanging onto their phones and desperately looking for a place to recharge them.

[hunter63]

Ok, well I guess that is that. Onto another forum and another topic.

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Well, good luck on your quest......Most here are interested in reality.

If you have ever done a "Bug Out".....you will find that what you are suggesting, is about a week before things go bad....as even the strongest can't carry enough to get by.

Practice BO to a BOL in my BOV, several tries, in several seasons....proved a week is very do-able, two weeks gets kind of tight on some things......and that is with out the collapse of the Gov. and bad guys roaming around.

Remember to check those bags at least every 6 months.... for batteries, water that might freeze and food/meds going bad in heat/cold/damp conditions.

[ravencreeper]

Ok, I'll try this from a different perspective. You can plan for everything from blackouts to the second coming, but there are bare necessities that ensure human survical, water, food and shelter.

If I am driving, alone through a wilderness environment say, through a long stretch of forest through Canada. Hypothetically, I'm not a survivalist and know nothing about packing for a trip of this sort, what, besides fire, water and food would I carry with me as an absolute minimum for this kind of trip should my car go off the road and I need to try to survive until I can be rescued or find civilization?

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[ClayPick]

If it's summer, bug dope if you want any peace at all. The big can.

[hunter63]

You have BOB bags already packed?
Do you bring them along in that vehicle?
What is in them?......list?
Your list seems a good general start.
Careful with fire arms, if from the states......I'm told they are a problem bringing them up north.

Kinda a toss up on the first two
1) Shelter/clothing.......Proper clothing... don't need shelter....No clothing need shelter.
2) Fire....fire helps with both clothing and shelter....as well as water purification.
3) Water....dehydration will put you down any in any weather....faster if hot and dry.
4) Food...need calories.

Practice is necessary to see what and how your gear works.

[kyratshooter]

Ok, I'll try this from a different perspective. You can plan for everything from blackouts to the second coming, but there are bare necessities that ensure human survical, water, food and shelter.

If I am driving, alone through a wilderness environment say, through a long stretch of forest through Canada. Hypothetically, I'm not a survivalist and know nothing about packing for a trip of this sort, what, besides fire, water and food would I carry with me as an absolute minimum for this kind of trip should my car go off the road and I need to try to survive until I can be rescued or find civilization?

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You will need at least two of everything you can imagine the wife and kids will be whining about five minutes after the vehicle breaks down. That will vary depending on your selection of wife and children.

[LowKey]

The idea is not to put yourself into a "survival" situation. That little road trip of yours, you let someone know when you are leaving and you let someone know when you should be reaching your destination. Arrange to call upon arrival. Otherwise the someone should send out the hounds.
Bring a map or a gps device.
In the winter, tire chains may be in order. As well as a heat source and a heavy blanket. (Which reminds me I still have to throw the old sleeping bag out in the truck. Weather here has been deceptively warm so far. Slacking.)
You always wear clothes that'll take you at least 5 miles comfortably in whatever weather you might encounter. Or at least have them in the car. You don't want to be changing a tire in dress shoes and thin gloves.
You got kids/ wife in that car on that road trip? You plan better. Putting yourself in a survival situation is one thing, but bringing the fam with you on that type of adventure is downright reckless. You check the weather. You have the map, you have a GPS, you have something for the kids to do and you bring 4x the stuff you think you yourself would need. (Then get a bigger car to carry it all in.)

You can go to all the bug out forums you want and fantasize about running off to the wilderness. You'll get straight answers here. But if the cataclysmic event you are waiting for doesn't knock out 85% of the human race, the wilderness is not going to support you. Not you and not all the other feral humans out there.
Here's a US population density map.
http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/unit...on-density#map
Where are all those people going to go?

[kyratshooter]

Not too many of the 'bug out forums" left on the internet Lowkey, that is why they are winding up here. Those EOTWAWKI forums do not do well without a good apocalypse scare every few years. There was one forum so desperate for something to talk about that they kept their 2012 EOTW discussion section going until the early part of this year!

The end of the world, fall of the government, crash of the economy discussions have moved into the realm of the bloggers. It avoids discussion of things like population density and private property rights. Also the fact that if one could make a living on a chunk of land it would already be occupied.

[1stimestar]

Ok, I'll try this from a different perspective. You can plan for everything from blackouts to the second coming, but there are bare necessities that ensure human survical, water, food and shelter.

If I am driving, alone through a wilderness environment say, through a long stretch of forest through Canada. Hypothetically, I'm not a survivalist and know nothing about packing for a trip of this sort, what, besides fire, water and food would I carry with me as an absolute minimum for this kind of trip should my car go off the road and I need to try to survive until I can be rescued or find civilization?

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Tampons. And yea, bug dope.

[Phaedrus]

Yeah, the whole "bugout" scenario strikes me as impractical. As kyratshooter points out those of us that love the outdoors always return to civilization. And it's not likely that the woods will be a safe haven if the WROL falls upon us. Realistically it's hard to imagine the fixed BO location that could be secured against scavengers/marauders. If it's close enough to a city for you to get there expect lots of company when stuff hits the fan.

[Rick]

You are far more likely to be ejected from your home because of a neighborhood meth lab, industrial or hazardous vehicle accident, house fire or irate wife than the collapse of the civilized world. Are you going to head to the woods if your wife tosses you and your bug out bag onto the front lawn? Or if you have that unexpected house fire? Not likely. You'll either wind up at a hotel or a family member's home. Will you have a nice change of underwear, toiletries, your medicine, spare cash or clean shirt or will you be demonstrating how to start a fire with your fero rod to cousin Itt? By the way, he's flammable.

[Seniorman]

RAVENCREEPER - " ... We've made it safely to our location and several days later we find ourselves having to abandon our refuge in a hurry because there is a group of bad guys close by. ..."

In that case, I'd certainly want something essential which you did not list and that is a good firearm or two with ammo to match. Trying to repel bad guys using a knife is not a wise move, notwithstanding Rambo.

As for "bugging out" during a SHTF situation, I have said before that there will be so many bugger-outters up in the hills and forests, someone is going to have to install stoplights in order to prevent all the bugger-outters from crashing into each other.

As for me and mine, we're staying home.

S.M.

[kyratshooter]

I always reasoned that if I could repel the "bad guys" from a BOL resembling a hole in the ground then I could have repelled than from the house and had more than a back pack full of supplies for that purpose.

Once you start that refugee thing it never ends and you wind up some place like Toronto or Memphis behind a chain link fence staring at FEMA trucks, eating MREs and wishing you had planned better.

Can't carry more than 10 mags of ammo and a week of food in a BOB. Got all the ammo and a year of food and meds on the shelves here at the place.

Of course I live in the "east of the Mississippi" version of were this guy wants to escape too. 'cept I have garden spots tilled, electricity, cable, plumbing, and a supply of TP.

But I used 65 years of built up homesteading experience when I bought the spot rather than status or where the nearest school and mall access happened to be.

I am away from RR tracks and interstate to avoid needing evacuation. Above the flood threat level of the Ohio River. Not subject to forest fires. Self contained water and sewer. Located on a peninsula on a lake for easy community defense and far enough away from the big city for it to be a hard walk for the "bad guys" to reach me.

And if they do start the walk south???

Well this is Kentucky. We bought more firearms in the first 10 months of this year than California, Oregon and Washington state combined. They will lose at least one member of the unit at each house they attempt to loot, so there will not be many left when they get to me.

I ain't leaving this place, I just need more sand bags!

What is my biggest fear?

!!!!!TORNADOES!!!!!

I need a storm shelter!!!!