Survival Supplies???

[mcsoupman]

Ok, so the 2 recent earthquakes have me finally getting serious about planning



I went out a bought a combo of stuff for the emergency 72 hour bag and the long term gotta get out of the house scenarios. I know I haven't quite completed either yet, but trying to get it going. There are 4 of us so I have to consider all that. I have a full pantry of food right now also.

7.5 gallon water container, 4 gallons of water, 4 singles of spam, 4 of tuna, 4 of salmon, trail mix (4), dried fruit (4), soup (4), pudding packs (8), trash bags, band-aid kits (4), cotton swabs (4), nailfile/clippers kit (1), hand sanitizer (4), wipes (6), flint stone, water drops (says for 24 quarts), 4 toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss (4), lip balm (4), cough drops bag, 4 ponchos, camping aluminum cook set, spatula, slotted spoon, and 2 used cooking pans

My questions are about what to actually get. Is that a start, should I swap out some stuff? I know I will need more.

For both long term and Bug Out situations, are there "better" foods to get than others. Like is a can of green beans better than a can of corn. I know you need variety, but I want to buy for the best. If canned pineapples are better than peaches, etc . . . I see a lot of reference to 2000 cal, but I know from dietary stuff nutrition is good also for a long term say 1-3 month situation especially for my kids.

Is there a resource I can refer to?

Thanks for your advice.

[CSACANNONEER]

First and formost, forget stuff like spatulas, toothpaste and extra cooking pans. You are adding cost, weight and bulk that is a waste. Secondly, buying and storing supplies are not a bad thing but, how are you going to get to them if you are out of town or even at the mall? I suggest getting some education and hands on training in both wilderness and urban survial. Just reading or sitting in a classroom doesn't cut it. Learn how to make fire from what you can find in nature (you can always find the same type of materials in an urban setting too). Learn how to find water in a seeming waterless enviornment. Making a water still from a sheet of plastic and a cup does work but, it will not produce enough water to make it worth the energy. You can always walk through grass with early morning dew on it while wearing nothing but your socks. When your socks get full, wring them out into a storage container and keep repeating it until you get enough water or the dew dries up. If you know where to dig, you can usually find water within a few feet of the surface. Learn how to determine what plants are eatible and which ones will kill you. IF you plan on not having access to anything more than what is in your pockets right now, it will make you much more prepared than if you just stockpile supplies that you may not have access to.

[mcsoupman]

I agree that I will need some survival training but also concerned about helping my chances with supplies also BTW I also ordered a couple books to start reading up on.

[sholling]

I recommend keeping one of these kits and a first aid kit in each car and never-ever take them out of the car. If you have a herd of kids and the room then it's a good idea to keep two in each car - but they never leave the car. Their small size means that there is never a reason to take it out of the car. Add a good quality flashlight, spare batteries, extra chem lights, and a portable water filter to the kit and you have a decent quality "get home bag". The goal is probably (for me anyway) to get home and bug-in. What you don't want to be is one of the millions tramping around and stumbling over each other in the wilderness.

You'll find that Costco.com (online only) is a excellent source of reasonably priced emergency bug-in supplies - search on "emergency". Supplement the dedicated emergency rations with a few week supply of canned goods and just rotate in fresh canned goods now and then.

[GrizzlyGuy]

Since you are trying to configure one bag to support 4 people for 72 hours, I'd go with Mountain House freeze dried meals (in pouches). They balance the nutrition and the meals are tasty. You'll need to add a small backpacking stove + fuel and a pot to boil the water in. Go with the 2-serving meals for a single person, unless it is a small child, they might be OK with the single serving ones.

I have this stove/pot combo and love it, but you'll need a bigger pot if you want to boil all the water for 4 people at the same time. Bring along at least 2 of the fuel canisters.

Going this route will save you weight as compared to canned items, and even save you weight vs. MREs. Carry at least 1 day of water for everyone including what the meals will need (or have them carry some of the water) and add a Katadyn Hiker Pro so that you can get more clean water along the way (plus a collapsible water carrier or dromedary bag or two for storage).

You'll probably be bugging out via your car(s), so get some 3-gal or 5-gal water containers, fill them up, and leave them in each car. That should provide plenty of water for 3 days and you won't need to filter. Always have a filter (vs. the purification tablets/drops) because they can handle nastier water than the tablets/drops, and the output water tastes much better.

[wambrose02]

Check out SOS survival products they have a lot of gear that you would need in one place http://www.sosproducts.com/. Plus they have numerous kits ready for purchase. I have picked up a number of these kits http://www.myproship.com/index.aspx?...type=2&sku=540, and they are perfect keep them in the house and in the cars. The only downside is that the bigger kits are not in back packs but, you can always transfer everything over your self.

[ireload]

Mcsoupman here are some retailers that you can check out. Local Walmart is a good source for propane and white gas stoves in their camping section. Consider freeze dried foods for long term storage. MRE's and grocery canned goods I consider short term storage food.

Major Surplus

http://www.majorsurplus.com/Default.aspx

SOS

http://www.sosproducts.com/index.html

Long Life Food

http://www.longlifefood.com/mre.asp

Emergency Essentials

http://beprepared.com/Default.asp?bhcd2=1256010394

Honeyville

http://honeyvillefarms.net/index.php

[mschliebs]

I decided to change out the cookable foods in my GHB to ProBars. 3,000 calories worth plus jerky, nuts and a couple pop-top 4 ounce cans of fruit (50 calorie each and they are mostly water). My logic for going to ProBars (any similar product would do) is that less water is required. Remember, boiling steams off water you won't be putting into your body. Also, in tight situations the less time spent in one spot the better. If I have to move out fast (desperate and hungry people will be looking for a new best friend) I don’t want to fool with a hot stove and partially prepared food. I still maintain the sterno/coffee can stove and a Sierra cup for instant coffee and tea for something hot.

[sholling]

That's sort of why I went with "lifeboat" ration bars. They aren't as light as I'd like but they are designed to pack a lot of nutritional value into a small space and minimize thirst.

[Stormfeather]

Ok, so the 2 recent earthquakes have me finally getting serious about planning



I went out a bought a combo of stuff for the emergency 72 hour bag and the long term gotta get out of the house scenarios. I know I haven't quite completed either yet, but trying to get it going. There are 4 of us so I have to consider all that. I have a full pantry of food right now also.

7.5 gallon water container, 4 gallons of water, 4 singles of spam, 4 of tuna, 4 of salmon, trail mix (4), dried fruit (4), soup (4), pudding packs (8), trash bags, band-aid kits (4), cotton swabs (4), nailfile/clippers kit (1), hand sanitizer (4), wipes (6), flint stone, water drops (says for 24 quarts), 4 toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss (4), lip balm (4), cough drops bag, 4 ponchos, camping aluminum cook set, spatula, slotted spoon, and 2 used cooking pans

My questions are about what to actually get. Is that a start, should I swap out some stuff? I know I will need more.

For both long term and Bug Out situations, are there "better" foods to get than others. Like is a can of green beans better than a can of corn. I know you need variety, but I want to buy for the best. If canned pineapples are better than peaches, etc . . . I see a lot of reference to 2000 cal, but I know from dietary stuff nutrition is good also for a long term say 1-3 month situation especially for my kids.

Is there a resource I can refer to?

Thanks for your advice.

McSoupman, we actually just had a thread about this not too long ago! I am including a link and you can also check here in the Off Topic, its titled "SHTF Prep, what you and your family will need" I reposted it in Survival section as a request, but theres also some greta information in itin the original thread.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=408497

[Got Stuff?]

the emergency food bars are great. Easy to store and pack. Most calories per area and they taste not too bad!

[Darklyte27]

You got enough food for 2 people there for a few days, if you really want to stock up get some of #10 can food that has about 30 yr shelf life.
I got some from here

http://theepicenter.com/

[mcsoupman]

McSoupman, we actually just had a thread about this not too long ago! I am including a link and you can also check here in the Off Topic, its titled "SHTF Prep, what you and your family will need" I reposted it in Survival section as a request, but theres also some greta information in itin the original thread.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=408497

Thanks! You seriously are well prepared.

[mcsoupman]

Steap and Cheap Sale Right now

the emergency food bars are great. Easy to store and pack. Most calories per area and they taste not too bad!

I just bought some off of SAC right now

[PatriotnMore]

Ok, so the 2 recent earthquakes have me finally getting serious about planning

It's good to see you are serious, here is what it's going to look like when we have an emergency.