We're Almost Out Of Time - Last Minute Tips For Your Survival Bags

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that we are in times of turmoil.  Wars, disasters, stock market crashes….  It is happening all around the globe.  Are you prepared?  This article will discuss the fundamentals to building a survival bag and the methodology as to why you would build one.  Let’s get started.

First of all, if you haven’t read my article on a small easy to use go-bag, please see my article on my website:  http://discreetprepper.com/article_12_think_small.html or watch my videos at the end of the article.  I believe a “go-bag” does not need every single piece of camping gear to help you survive.  The less bulky gear you carry means the faster you can travel and the more room you have for food.  This type of system is great for a person who is suddenly thrust into a disaster situation and has to get home in one piece or for a person who has to hit the road running and will be forced to live off the land.

Small packs have their place, but on the other hand, if you are preparing to drive to a bug-out location, a large pack suited to your situation or needs may be necessary.  Please watch my video on Survival Pack Mentality to see what should go into your pack:

A large pack like I am describing is most likely in your car already or is sitting in the garage next to the car ready to be used in an emergency.  If this is the type of bag you want to build, here are some ideas on how to build your survival pack and what to put in it.

With all the gear you carry, you should have at least 3 ways of getting the job done.  For example, a magnifying glass is great for starting fires, but it is useless if it is night time or raining.  The same goes with purifying water.  You could use a filter, you can boil it, or you can sterilize the water with pills.  If you were on the run, or it is raining, it may be hard to make a fire and boil the water, so you would have to rely on one of your other options.  So overall, your pack should contain 3 ways to start a fire, 3 ways to purify water, 3 ways to secure food, etc.).    

Another idea which has served me well is to have (3) of the same type of items.  For example, you should carry 3 or more knives, 3 or more lighters, 3 or more types of cordage, 3 containers, etc.) in case of product failure, product loss, or to use for trade/barter.

Space in a pack is normally your biggest enemy.  One way I handle that is to carry heavy duty gear which can be used for multiple uses.  For example, your large metal cooking utensils can double for digging implements, your old containers can be used for water or food storage, and your tarp can be used as a tent, a water collection system, or as a poncho for wet weather.

It’s hard to know what is coming, but you may want to have multiple packs ready to go for a variety of reasons.  For example, you may want to make a bag for extreme outdoor living, a separate bag with your clothing and sundries, and a third bag with a mixture of the two. 

So basically, your packs need the following gear to get you to your location safely:
1) Fire making tools (You need to boil water and stay dry)
2) Water purification tools (You can only go 3 days without water)
3) Cutting tools and a multi-tool (good knife and a good saw is a must)
4) Shelter (a small tent, tarp, or even 2 ponchos used in conjunction)
5) Food (this is probably more important than most as you cannot create food in the wild)
6) Medical supplies (without the basics, a simple infection can kill you)
7) Cordage (for use with making tools, shelter and traps)
8) Hunting tools (You need to know how to get food)
9) Change of clothes (especially a hat, waterproof jacket and sox)
10) Self defense tools (carrying a gun may be illegal during martial law, so plan accordingly)
11) Bug spray (life will be miserable at night without it)
12) Flashlights and extra batteries (a heavy duty hand light as well as a head lamp)
13) A Compass (please know how to use it!)
14) Baby powder (this is a necessity if you are walking as it protects from chafing)
15) Cooking tools (for all that awesome food you are going to find )

Now that we have gone over the inside of the pack, let’s look at how to pack it.  I believe that a person must be realistic in packing a “go-bag”.   Many have the idea that they will flee to the woods and live off the land.  Seriously, if you think you will be safer taking to the hills and living off the land when it hits the fan, you better be ready for a rude awakening.  Do you think it will be easy to hunt for food?  I know many a good hunter that comes home empty handed, and that is during normal times.  In a time of disaster, I would imagine that every hunter in your county would be searching the same woods you are in to find food.  Also, even if you were lucky enough to score a squirrel or two, there would not be enough nutritional value to keep you healthy and strong.  Besides the lack of food, traveling over rough terrain with a pack for an extended period of time will wear you, your clothes, your mental awareness and your supplies down.  

Another down-side to living off the land is your safety.  People have no idea what it would be like trying to live off the land while constantly trying to hide from others.  How will you get past all the check points if there is martial law?  How would you get past the technology that the military would be using to spot people in the wooded areas?   When would you sleep?  You would never get any sleep unless you crawled up into a sewer drain.  That sounds like a lot of fun.  Also, try living outside for 5 days in a row in the rain; it beats you down.  I have the gear for long term living outside, but with my family of 6, it would be impossible to live securely and care for their needs.

Skeptics will be quick to say that a person who lives in the city will need to flee immediately to protect themselves.  I disagree.  Do you realize that even if you are in a city, you are much safer inside the walls of your home than you would be out on the run living in the woods?  I would rather hold my own as long as I could in my home where I could easily board up windows and defend the family.  At least we would have beds to sleep on from time to time.  You could pack the most inclusive pack in the world, but if you can’t protect it or yourself (you have to sleep, bathe, relieve yourself some time), what good was all that prep work?  I think the only reason to bug out of your house is if a natural /chemical/biological/nuclear disaster occurs and you MUST vacate to a safer locale.  At that point, dress for the weather, pack all the creature comforts your body can carry and get a buddy to watch your back.  Sleep in rotation so you can get some rest.  I have been in law enforcement for years and I know the type of people you will encounter out in the middle of no-where…  They will be people like you, who bugged out, but they won’t be as prepared as you will be.  They will want what you have.  

Now, let’s move on to discuss the next phase in this preparation study.  Let’s say you went out and bought all the gear you think you will need in an emergency.  (Maybe a little extra, but let’s face it, that infrared heat detecting night vision scope is wicked cool.)  Anyway, you got the gear, but it doesn’t prepare you mentally for a disaster situation.

Honestly, I don’t know that we can ever be fully prepared, no matter what we do.  When soldiers enter the battle field, they are told to “remember their training.”  Even though training will never be the same as the real thing, the training gives them the abilities they need to be able to handle the real thing.  Well, preppers need training too.  Now, don’t go grabbing your gym shorts and knee socks.  You need to train your brain, people!

All your gear won’t be worth a hill of beans if you don’t know what you have and where it is.  Whether you have been amassing supplies for 20 years, or just went out and spent your whole life savings last weekend, it is easy to lose track of what you have on hand.  If you don’t have some sort of organizational system, chaos will quickly ensue.  A difficult situation can quickly become worse when you forget where you put something you need.

Let me give you a scenario:  You are out hiking, you trip and manage to slice your head open on a rock.  (Don’t worry, nobody saw you.)  You know you threw a medical kit in your bag somewhere, but you have no idea what it has in it.  Was it just a pack of bandages?  Was there some gauze?  Did it have any antiseptic or antibacterial ointment?  It would have been nice to know the answers to these questions before you started donating blood to the forest.

Now in the event of a serious disaster, every second may count.  You need to know what you have and where it is so that you can handle the situation as quickly as possible.  Study your gear and familiarize yourself with exactly where everything is.

Okay, so you know what you have and where it is.  The next thing you need to do is make sure you know how to use it all.  This may sound obvious, but it bears emphasis.  You need to not only be capable of using all your gear, but you also need to be comfortable using it as well.   Now, you obviously do not need to practice turning on your flashlight.  (Or maybe you do – who am I to judge?)  But there may be things you bought for an emergency that you have never used before.  Even if it seems simple enough, try it once to make sure you will not have any issues in an emergency.  You don’t want to try to figure out how to use a fire striker while you are sitting in the dark chattering your teeth. The more familiar you are with your gear, the more comfortable you will be using it when the time comes.

The last thing you should do is probably the hardest part.  You need to honestly consider different scenarios, and determine how you would react in each one.  If you have a plan of action in your mind, you can simply carry it out if the situation arises.  Now, your mental scenarios should be general enough to apply to any disaster situation.  But they should be specific enough to evoke an emotional response.  Things to consider might include: Where could I get more water if I ran out?  If my neighbor asked for food, would I share?  If my home was destroyed, where would I go?  What if I can’t get there?

Push yourself to ask the hard questions, and really spend time thinking about the answers.  The more questions you answer, the more mentally prepared you will be when facing the real thing.  There might be some questions that you just can’t answer, and that is okay.  But anticipating the situations that may arise will eliminate the surprise factor and help you to more quickly assess the situation and choose a course of action.

So, just to recap:  Prepper training should include organizing your gear, getting comfortable using your gear, and creating an action plan for different scenarios.  These steps will certainly not eliminate the stress of an emergency situation, but they will eliminate the additional stress of not being fully prepared.  You can’t “remember your training” if you don’t have any training!

I hope this article has given you some ideas on ways to be more mentally prepared for an emergency situation.  If there is anything you would like to add, please let us know.  We would love to hear from you!
 

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