Be Prepared

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by koz

Any thought on a sled for hauling gear? You'll be able to use the rivers (frozen) to move longer distances with little vertical change.

Just a suggestion - you may want to go visit some "off-roaders" (for those who don't know "off road" in AK is where one doesn't have any access to the house except for snow machine in the winter or float plane in the summer - of course foot is the third option). They have great long term planning (sometimes 2 months between resupply during break-up). They also have some of the best redneck engineering that you'll see. Sometimes the indig have the best handle on what is best to have handy. I've spent a lot of time around Willow just up the Parks Hwy from you and there's lots of the off road types up there.

You may also do some testing with snow shelters before you go out - can save your ass when you're out in the bush.

I was thinking the same thing, drive to the end of the road, and then hit the trail with a snow machine and akhio.

I suspect that it depends on the distance, not sure what the range is for the snow machines.

TR

[AF Doc]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

What do you estimate the odds to be of you implementing this plan?

I'm still uncertain what circumstances would drive you to implement this plan.

What natural disaster would compel you to leave your town (where I presume there is some level of assistance, food, water, medical...)? Do you expect society in Wasilla to deteriorate to the point you would feel safer on the move than staying put? Under what circumstances would that happen? What is the estimated risk level that this would occur? Implementing your plan sounds like it would require you to quit your job, perhaps at short notice. Is that an option?

A vehicel breakdown is it's own kind of problem, but you sound well prepared for dealing with that eventuality.

[koz]

Most touring machines get around 10-15mpg depending on how hard you ride them and have a 12-15gal tank. Go conservative and say 120 mi..
I've gone out to help resupply some friends and pulled 5 propane tanks (100lb ea) with little problems.

These are a couple pics while on the trail - Ron (the guy in the winter camo) makes runs to supply the people around the area. You can see the trailer sleds that we hauled the tanks on and there's a photo of a house the owner. Notice the Natural Ice...

[24601]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

I have never been to Wasila, but I would imagine that once you leave the city limits, you are not likely to encounter anyone else on your 100-200 mile trek to your retreat destination. OTOH, I would imagine the odds of an encounter with large game or predators to be significantly higher. For that reason, since there are two people packing the gear and hardware, I would consider dropping one of the M-4s for either a 12 gauge shotgun with slugs, a heavy lever action rifle like a .45-70, or a heavy bolt action rifle (.308 or larger). If you are attacked by anyone, they are most likely to be in pistol range, the second M-4 seems to me to be overkill, unless you are being pursued by a platoon or a zombie army.

My primary hunting rifle is a Puma 92 (lever action), chambered in 454 Casull. It'd be going with us. Just need a sling put on it.

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Secondary to vehicle mobility is foot mobility. I would say that in your location, cross-country skis or snowshoes may be a necessity. You will need to be sure that you have good boots available at all times as well and maintain yourselves in top physical condition.

Next is going to be shelter. Hopefully, there is some sort of stocked cabin or facility at your destination, For the movement phase, if your vehicle becomes immobilized, and you have to hoof it, you are going to be spending some nights out in the boonies in what could be a pretty inhospitable area, depending on METT-TC. That will require a tent and some good bags, not a space blanket or woobie.

Fire is normally included in shelter, but if you are worried about pursuers, you may not want to be lighting up any large blazes. You seem to have covered several alternative firemaking methods, that is good. Hope there is ample combustible fuel when you need it. I would feel better with a good multi-fuel cooking stove.

If you are planning on building field expedient shelters or harvesting large game, a small axe would be pretty close to a necessity, and a folding saw would be handy as well.

You are looking at several days of hard rucking, possibly on skis or snowshoes to move 100-200 miles on foot, possibly as much as 2 weeks, even if the weather is clear throughout the period for daylight movement. 3600 calories each is not going to be enough, especially if you are hoofing it. You should develop a feeding plan with a couple of weeks of freeze dried rations and cooking gear. That way, if you can supplement your rations with wild game, you can at least prepare it in some manner other than roasting everything. Baked fish, for the 10th day, is probably going to get old.

There are a number of other equipment issues, but I would say that you are prepared, if you are going to move during the few months when the weather is warm and conditions are optimal. In general, I think you are thinking too much like a soldier and not enough like a camper or Boy Scout. As I am sure you are aware, the weather and terrain can kill you as thoroughly as an enemy with a weapon.

Hope that addresses some of your questions, best of luck.

TR

Some of what you bring up here is on the packing lists for the rucks, like snow shoes, tents, sleeping bags, things for digging in more. The vests would be bare minimum to survive, rucks for living/thriving.

Up here, we have earthquakes everyday, volcanoes that have spread ash and such on Anchorage, missile defense sites (if the world got to poo), and tsunamis have hit here. We live on a road about 10 miles from a sea inlet. Lots of things can go wrong, and we'd like to be prepared. It's not like the lower 48, we can be cut off easily from help. Most services besides police here are volunteer. Police where we live are State Troopers only, local city does not respond out here.

There is already discourse being heard/felt up here from what the incoming President has said will happen in new policy. People hunt to survive here, tax ammo 300-500% and take away guns won't go over well. I/we hope to never have to use a bug out kit, but better to be prepared than not. If it comes to the point of leaving our house, jobs don't matter, as Anchorage has gone to shit.

I'm sure my husband will add more, but I hope that gives you more of an idea of what we are looking at/for.

[frostfire]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Have you pulled the battery, and let it sit for a few minutes before reinstalling the battery and powering up again?

TR

speaking of battery, how does everyone here store equipment that uses battery?

I found that if I don't fully close the latch of the equipment (break the contact point) the battery lasts much longer. I figure it makes sense since if the circuit is closed, at least a small amount of energy is drained out of the battery as heat. Same principle as why new voice recorder or watch come with a plastic layer that cover the battery's contact point.

For equipment requiring immediate use when needed or requiring the battery to keep setting, this won't be applicable of course.

Always wanted to ask the questions but felt I was just being a cheap *******

[Diablo Blanco]

TF Kilo,

when I said "for zip ties of various sizes" I meant "or zip ties of various sizes". Yes... I know flex cuffs are just big zip ties... We used to use prusik cuffs made from 550 cord when zip ties or flex cuffs weren't readily available.



On other notes. I've gone back through my Go Bag and modularized it, seperating it into three levels of need. I have several locations within 300 miles that have all the large things so my bag is basically JUST a get me there bag. It serves me a lot better now. All my vehicles have food and water, plus the environment has its own offerings.

I always have a DR photon and a tool/knife with me. I don't consider this a level, it's part of my body.

My basic level 1 is a DR pocket survival pak w/ a few additions, a heat sheet, AMK ultralight medical kit, water container (platypus 1 liter bag). This one is for basic daily jaunts within 15 miles of my CP.

Level 2 adds a poncho, Katadyn filtration bottle squeeze bottle (I REALLY like the ease of this one) and a molle canteen pouch that will hold level 1 plus extras like a headlamp, sunblock (I burn)and chapstick, little bit of trail food, bandana, magnesium/bic, dogtag sized knife sharpener, flat sponge, small survival ref card, 20ft 550 cord. This one is for little trips that would take me 1-3 days to walk back from.

Level 3 is a small pack and adds wet weather gear, poncho liner, cas blanket (or thermolite 2.0 bivy), Survival Tabs (mmm tasty), electrolyte replacement and more bits of trail food, camelbak, MIOX, GPS, compass (button compass was already in level 1), larger FAK, 50ft 550 cord, all weather notebook and space pen, larger knife on shoulder strap, cold weather clothing (cap, gatorneck, snowboarder's face mask, gloves, ninja jammies), socks, microfiber towel (compact), hammock (net or solid), cotton balls soaked in vaseline and crammed into a 35mm fillm can, sewing kit, spork

If I'm intentionally going somewhere out of town and want to save on a hotel I'll camp at a KOA. Doing that I bring tent, sleeping bag, pad, pie pan, snow peak stove and mess kit and a good selection of food (mostly dehydrated/freeze dried), folding spatula (don't laugh)

Being a thread called "Be Prepared" I'd like to introduce the Urban Survival Kit. It has nothing to do with combat, but can be a saver of sorts.

USK Level 1 is a mini hygiene kit (after making this I liked it so much I use this one now when traveling) it's ultra small and fits in one of those Spec-Ops Mini Cargo Organizers http://tinyurl.com/4eaorg . It contains shortened toothbrush, small tube of toothpaste, chapstick, small bottle of hand sanitizer, kleenex moist wipes pocket pack, a small bottle of Campsuds, 1 Quattro razor, a small bottle of shaving oil [TRY IT! You'll stop using foam (http://tinyurl.com/4onc4s)], Optional: Small bottle of mouthwash (non alcohol), small bottle of lotion (I'm always running into ladies that need some), stain remover pen, nptepad and pen, condoms

USK Level 2 is a microfiber towel, washcloth, simply change of clothes, travel charger.

USK Level 3 is for longer trips. It adds travel packs of detergent, flat universal sink stopper, braided rubber clothesline, and inflatable hangars (don't laugh clothes dry out quicker), extra socks, extra drawers, a change of clothes, rubber door stopper, sewing kit, notebook and pen, fabric bucket.

Every level of the USK can fit into a small backpack/bag. Just throw it into the vehicle and its there if you need it.

[Conrad Y]

I just found this thread. Great topic.
I have much reading to catch up with the current subject matter.
This thread should be archived when it pans out.

[Beerhunter]

Just speed reading through the original post and comments all I can say is: WOW!. Some heavy duty stuff, give me a few days to digest it.
I do have some boots-in-flood-zone experience in a few natural disasters from a police perspective.
Keep this thread going, I owe you some war stories.

[Beerhunter]

Well gents, I've been through Ike (ground zero), Rita (near miss), Katrina (human fallout), Allison (flood zone), and Alicia (ground zero); so most all of my wet sneakers experience has been water related destruction in the Houston, Texas, Gulf Coast AO. Some OPS as public safety guy, some as a merely a victim.

Bullet comments:

-Emergency Management doesn't.
Just like the tired old MI joke, those words can be mutually exclusive.
OEM is now it's own civilian career field; ie FEMA!.
Civilian Emergency Ops would be best served by the military (yes, the Nat'l Guard). They really do have their Sh!t together.

- Most civilian government agencies use their "troops" as cannon fodder
(see above)

- People Suck
If you don't feed the animals, they will hunt. Katrina had a few urban
legends, however, I was in the the Astro Dome Human Recovery effort.
There were two looks that we got (we were in full sheriff's uniform) from
those folks:
the look of relief from the sheep, and the look of intimidation from the
predators. We seriously fucked up and didn't ID the jackals, now they live
amongst us..

- People are Good
There isn't enough room on this forum to tell you all the all the stories
of of good will that people will do for their fellow man.

- Post Incident
No matter what the natural or man-made disaster is, the post-incident,
human reaction will be the biggest problem and the most
dangerous. The government response to the recovery will be the deciding
factor as to how the population reacts. If the government reacts stupid,
the people will react stupid.

PSYOP

- Say something stupid on TV, and the people will do something stupid.
I watched a million folks tried to evacuate Houston on a freeway that
is packed on a normal day at 4:00 everyday during rush hour.
Don't follow stupid people.

Has anybody here heard of SSG Don Paul U.S. Army Special Forces (retired)? He wrote a few books on survival supposedly on the principles of an individual and as an "A-Team". Don't know much more about him other than he almost died back in January of 1976 during an A-team nighdrop into Panama. Both chutes didn't deploy properly and he bounced really hard (his phraseology).

I just want to know if anybody hear has read his books and/or knows of him personally?

[Pete]

It would appear he wrote 8 books on survival, the compass, pistols and rifles.

I must say I have yet to read any of them. Didn't even know they were printed.

[Peregrino]

Don't know him; however, they are still selling some of the books at the Bragg MCSS.

Peregrino,

Does that fact mean he writes a good/great survival book?

[Peregrino]

I guess they're OK. I glanced through them years ago, didn't see anything I thought was worth the money so I didn't buy them. YMMV, FWIW I've been doing "outdoor activities" since Boy Scouts (+/- 40 years) and nowdays rarely find anything in books on outdoor skills worth paying for.

[Monsoon65]

I posted this on the "What are you reading" thread.

My wife got me this book for Christmas:

"When hell breaks loose" by Cody Lundin

It has tons of info on water storage and purifications, food storage, shelter, you name it. Very good info and written for the average joe to understand and use.