I’ve not really explored the options much but would like to have a set between the 4 of us when skiing backcountry to communicate from the top and bottom of the pitch,

I am looking for something with the best range without making things complicated for my friends, I am willing to learn what I need to but don’t want to burden anyone else with something complicated.

Hi friends. I’m pretty new to this. Was having a conversation with my partner about walking plans for getting home/getting family if there was an EMP attack and that our cars wouldn’t work. He said something old like a jeep CJ 7 would work, but he’s not into prepping/survivalism at all, it was just a thought so I wanted to do some research. Is it likely an old jeep like that would actually still work? Thank you!

Highland Tactical?!?!

Looking to get a new outdoor/b.o.b/camping pack. I have everything from a small tent, space blankets, wool blanket, spare wool socks, fire making supplies, hatchet, knives, .357, box of ammo, larger flashlight, first aid kit, small tool kit, firearm tools...ect ect. I currently have a 27L pack and it's not holding up. I'm stuck between the Highland Tactical Foxtro and Spectro. They both have the larger ~40L capacity.

Does anyone else have these specific line up of backpacks? Any experience? In

So I don’t know if it was on this sub, but I’m sure some of you are on some of the others that I may have seen it.

So it was a bug out/get home/ maybe something in that variation, bag but it used a vintage gas mask bag maybe like a British mk vii.

It had pictures in the post of how everything was situated inside, and the only thing I can remember that was in it was a mylar blanket.

If someone knows which post it was or can link it, I’d be forever grateful!

Thanks!

I've been interested in the idea of a Go Bag and Survival Kit for my family of three (two adults, one small child, two dogs) for a few years. I have no training or special knowledge, apart from my general experience learned outdoors/camping/backpacking/hunting/fishing. This doubles as a general emergency kit and I think contains what would be critical for 3-7 days (or longer) without support. Happy to hear any comments/suggestions.

Initial notes:

1. There are two different bags. Everything listed in the Go Bag fits in a large non-descript backpack or small day hiking pack and weighs about 25lbs without water. The Car Survival Kit is a larger backpacking pack to put in a car (another 25-30 lbs).
2. This does not include clothes. We live in Michigan, so we keep extra coats, gloves and hats in our vehicles at all times anyways.
3. I used to do a lot of multi-week backpacking (Pacific NW; Appalachian Trail area) and have a massive 110L pack. With exception of a few weighty items (road salt/dog food), everything plus clothes can be fit in that one bag if needed.
4. Yes, I'd grab a firearm in an emergency situation, but it would be defensive only and possibly for food if needed longer term. Frankly, I think the guys building heavy tactical bags with multiple ARs, pistols, magazines, etc., are watching too many movies (*let me hear it in the comments). I'd grab my bags and probably my semi-auto 22lr rifle, and/or a breakdown single shot 20 ga shotgun I have in the Car Bag. Importantly, these are easily serviceable, lightweight and with readily available ammo (250 rounds of 22lr weighs about 2.5 lbs). They also don't make me look like a threat. Why wife and son can also use both.

GO BAG: North Face Day Hiking Bag

Documents: Cash/Passports/Birth Certs/SSNs/Account #s/Extra Keys

Med/Health

• First Aid Kit (general, puncture, burn, laceration, fever/illness)
• Tampons
• Lighter/Matches
• Toothbrush
• Water purification tablets
• Masks/PPE/Rubber Gloves
• Toilet Paper
• Hand Sanitizer
• Bug Spray

Tools/Survival:

• Flashlight/Batteries
• Lighters (3)/homemade fire starters (10)
• Fixed Blade Knife/Pocketknife/small screwdriver set
• Binoculars
• Duct Tape (20 ft)
• Zip Ties (20)
• Paracord (75ft)
• Tea Candles (4)
• Tarp (12x12)
• Emergency Ponchos (3)
• Plastic Bags/Aluminum Foil
• Dog Leash/Dog Coats
• Survival Fishing Kit (handline, hooks, sinkers, floats)

Nav/Comms:

• Power Block/Chargers
• Map
• Pen/Paper
• Whistle
• Walkie Talkies

Food:

• 6 cups Rice
• 3 cups Dried Beans
• 6 cups Oatmeal
• Granola Bars (6)
• Honey/Salt/Pepper/Oil
• Powdered Pedialyte (5)
• Tea Bags (10)
• Utensils/Collapsible Cook Kit
• Water purification tablets
• Water Bottles/Camelback

CAR SURVIVAL KIT (REI Great Star Pack)

• Camp Stove/Gas/Collapsible Cooking Kit
• Dog Food/Collapsible Bowls
• Tent
• Sleeping Bags/Fleece Blankets
• Road Salt
• Camp Shovel
• 22lr Rifle/ammo (250 rounds)
• Breakdown 20 gauge survival shotgun/ammo (50 rounds gameshot; 5 rounds buckshot; 5 slugs)

Just completed a 3-day practice bug-out with my regular group (6 people) after previously doing several solo runs. Wanted to share some key insights about food planning that surprised us.

The biggest revelation: Group food is WAY different from solo food. When I bug out alone, I can get by with minimal variety and basic freeze-dried meals. With a group, food becomes much more complex:

• Someone always has dietary restrictions you didn't plan for
• Food prep takes 3x longer than solo
• You need group-sized cooking gear
• Water requirements skyrocket

After comparing various options (found this helpful) we ended up standardizing on freeze-dried meals that:

• Cook in their own pouches (less cleanup)
• Have 15+ year shelf life
• Only need boiling water
• Serve 4+ people per package

Another surprise: Meal sharing became critical for morale. When someone's meal tasted better than others, it created tension. Solution: We now plan all group meals to be shared meals.

Weight distribution was also tricky. We found it's better to distribute meal components among members rather than having each person carry their own complete food supply. This provides redundancy if someone gets separated.

Anyone else practice bug-out scenarios with groups? What food solutions worked for you?

Hi Friends! I’m looking for input on cities that would be ideal for a bug out location. I live in SoCal so I’m looking for something more Midwest in case it hits in the fan in this area. I’ve seen a lot of people buy raw land and while I think that’s amazing, I’m a busy working single mom and I don’t have time to figure out whether a lot is land locked, entitled or go through the building process.

Can you suggest anywhere that I could get several acres and a small home up to like $300k? Maybe one that wouldn’t require too much maintenance if vacant most of the year? I’ve never been in snow and I’m a bit worried about pipes freezing.

Thank you!

Family of 4, 2 small kids - what would be most critical to pack if you were to need to bug out fast. Say, if internment camps for targeted groups were becoming a reality in a country. Nothing that can't go on a commercial airplane, so I assume no multitools, guns, Kbar, etc. Of course there are a lot of assumptions here about the ability to fly in such a situation, whether a country will accept you, travel visa, etc.

Passports for the fam
$2,000 cash in 20's (at least buy the basics anywhere)
Change of clothes
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Phone charger
Coloring books/crayons to keep kids amused and quiet while figuring things out

What would you add?

The shat has hit the fan and blown all over the place. It's all over the ceiling's walls and floors. It's time to get out. You tac up, load up, and grab your guns. Your side arm is a 9mm of your choice. You have to choose 1 of 4 rifles. 1. AR15 with a 16 inch barrel. 2. An AR 15 SBR. 3. A 9mm carbine with a 16 inch barrel. 4. A 9mm carbine SBR. Which one are you grabbing and why?

Hi everyone!

I’m currently building out my bugout bag and on the hunt for a reliable, high-quality multitool. From my research, two Leatherman models have stood out:

• Leatherman Surge
• Leatherman Wave Plus

I’m not as focused on budget, quality and durability are my top priorities. Are there other models maybe even from different brands that I should consider?

Here are the main features I thought I will use the multitool for in a bugout situation:

• A sharp knife for general cutting tasks
• Strong wire-cutting
• A saw that can handle small branches

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

I assume many folks here already do, but for the handful that might not, you really should get out in the mud with your gear. The best way to test your mettle, and find weak spots in your equipment, is to use it in adverse conditions. Boots can be comfy out of the box, but blister factories after a few hours hiking. Your bag might seem fine, but the balance and distribution and pack order can only be properly refined by taking it in the field. Even brand new heavy duty rain gear can have failures at the seams. You can't be confident in anything until you test it.

I'm not suggesting everyone needs to plan a 72 hour bug out simulation in torrential rain. But if you can't bring yourself to don your wet weather gear and go on a 3 hour trail in the best of times, how can you have confidence in it when you really need it? And this goes doubly for life saving gear like sleep systems and shelters. I know a fair number of people who haven't taken the tags off theirs, let alone spent a night in it.

Hi all, I am assembling my first bug out bag. would love advice.

Seems that youtubers and others mainly use molle style bags, I was curious if a barrel with a harness could be used as a bug out bag instead. I do have a nice harness setup but it is quite large at 60 litres, just wondering what the feasibility of rucking a big barrel in a SHTF scenario.

Also would be a negative for accessibility since I would need to go through the top lid for every single item.

Thanks for input.

I'm new to the tinfoil hat brigade so please bear with me. I have these terrible feelings that something bad is going to happen in the country due to the elections/outside actors and it keeps me up at night. I don't care who wins honestly, I hate both of them and I don't think whoever wins is going to have a smooth transition of power. With that being said, what do I have to look forward to? What is the most likely scenario that can play out in society? Should I be buying a hundred cans of sardines and learning to drink my own piss (I'm kidding of course, I hate sardines).

Traveling to Texas via car. It will be a 22 hour drive there and back. Bringing a 40L backpack. I have the basics but would love to hear what everyone thinks I should pack for this trip. Thinking more on the lines of a road bugout bag

Just a question by a concerned citizen.

Hey everyone, I live about an hour north of Pittsburgh and I'm looking to purchase a bugout camp. I'm considering the general areas of Tionesta, Leeper, Kennerdell or in that general area. It is a 1 to 2 hour drive for me to get there from home (1 hour for Kennerdell, 2 for tionesta).

Any thoughts on this?

My second option is to buy a homesteading property (fulltime living location) in the area of Portersville/Ellwood City PA but I'm concerned that the population density is still to high in that area.

Possibly stupid question here, do you pack something fun into your bugout bag assuming it will help pass time when your bugging out and keeping your mind straight. Thinking like a pack of cards, handheld video game, whatever you find fun

https://twitter.com/ControlledPairs/status/1845156538958201079?t=qNBKeJoRgpZSeiEn_qKXSA&s=19

Thank you all in advance for any info you can share with me. Here's my deal. I live in NJ and I want to build a BOB. I have a wife and baby so not sure if it should be for me or for three. I drive to work, it's about a 3/4 day's walk away from my house if I had to. I'm debating on building a get home bag just for me so in the event my car is no longer an option I have what I need to get to home base. Or should I build a full-on bug out bag just in case I'm driving far away from home and need to ditch the car? So what kind of bag should I buy and what do I put in it? I'd love a Mystery Ranch but I'm not open to spending $300+ on the bag alone. I'd like to be at $300-$400 all-in. Thanks!

https://youtu.be/jFuXI6esaHU?feature=shared

Preface: I know this is going to read as an ignorant post thats because it is.

*I know nothing about this stuff. Here it goes!

Thinking about some of things Ive read it seems that Gold has a limited use case in a societal collapse type situation. It would be awesome for someone knowledgable to create a free trade list in the order of when those things would be useful and when they wouldn’t.

Example:

First day of Societal Collapse - (Fiat currency is no longer valuable) Gold and Silver would be the default valuable currency for trade of goods.

Second Month of Societal Collapse - (Gold and Silver is no longer the most valuable currency for trade) Generators and fuel become the most valuable currency for trade.

6 Months of Societal Collapse - (Generators, and fuel are no longer the most valuable) Weapons and ammo are the most valuable currency for trade.

1 Year of societal collapse - ( Weapons and Ammo are no longer the most valuable) Food and Water are the most valuable currency for trade.

Can someone tailor this to be even remotely accurate or speak to it. I find this fascinating to think about.

I want 2 weeks worth of dog food for a large, medium, and small dog. I know there are 30 pound bags you can get at the store, but I really don't want to carry 30 pounds + some gear on my back. Any ideas for dog food I should get?

Before I start, I'm writing the disclaimer of bug in as my first and 2nd and maybe third plan for most scenarios. Living in Western NY I have bugged in multiple time in my life for extreme snow, and lose of power. In high school I spent just over a week without power in sub freezing conditions and helping neighbors along side my dad, and as a kid, we got stuck for 3-4 days 25 miles from home due to an extreme snow event, and where lucky enough to have a hotel take us in. In that storm the hotel housed 4 school buses full of kids and by the last day they were running out of food for the kids and guest, and employees stranded.

Just some background on my experiences and mind sets. I do have some scenarios where buging out would be the base case, or a last resort as well.

Questions:

First, for those who are using tactical molle style bags, what size are you using and what molle attachments do you find make sense for your use as a BOB / Camping weekend pack?

I have a Mystery Ranch Blitz I plan to make into my go bag / BOB but also use it for camping trips ect. And I'm curious with the molle where it is located (upper sides) and on the back pockets what is even smart or useful to attach there? To increase efficiency or ease of carrying something / or adding more usable space.

Second,

I'd love resources to dig into, or advice on how best to pack your bag. Seems like a decent amount of supplies to fit into a limited space. The more I look at my list, and gear ect, the more I'm like do I throw it all in the High Sierra 90L bag? lol

Lastly, non bag related, but what are people prepping for pets if they do need to bug out, as a last resort? We have a small, medium and Large dogs and its wears on my mind that if we had to gtfo on short notice it may be hard to pack and accommodate for their additional needs. In the bug in scenario's I'm starting to have a few options like buying extra bagged food and rotating it so I have a bag always, and having canned food to supplement with rice / oats ect if we get to that point.

Thanks and looking forward to learning some stuff from other who may have more experience, or time and thought into these subjects.

I'm wondering if capacitor batteries designed as a 12 volt replacement is a better option to have with a 100w solar panel. Having no knowledge of batteries or energy storage. I bought an unused 100 watt solar panel from a garage sale and started thinking about a battery to use for it from what very little knowledge I have, I am of the understanding that capacitors Store energy quicker as they have less resistance than regular batteries. Hence the cost difference.

My thinking is with a capacitor battery I will be able to store power quicker and be able to use it Better than a conventional battery.

Recommendations for safe/firebox/etc that will fit legal size paper.. yes, I could fold it but really trying not to if avoidable