Working on a survival backpack...
 

I think all of these things will fit in one heavy duty backpack if common sense is used...

I think I have everything you need to cook food, find safety, make shelter, kill stuff, stay *fairly* clean, protect and heal wounds, kill pain and protect yourself in the worst conditions...

Of course you want to have boots, thick leather belts, thermals, or anything else obvious that you can wear.

Feel free to correct/add, but tell me what you think as a whole. Ask questions as to WHY I have selected anything in particular.

This is...of course...from a girl's perspective:bear_rolleyes:. But respectable, nonetheless. Pack one for each person in your party and adjust items accordingly.

__________________________________________________ __________

Make a Backpack for 2 years�for one person

2 Packages of 88 Diaper wipes or 200 baby wipes (sealable!)
4 knives, 1 sharpening stone
2 pairs of goggles (for swimming/fishing)
200 SqFt Heavy Duty Tin Foil or more
BoyScout Handbook
Handbook of local edible plants
2 pairs of gloves and 2 hats (cold)
1 Razor with 16 replaceable blades (triple ziplocked)
1 deck of cards (double ziplocked)
3 vacuum sealed bags of 200 Garlic Softgels (antibiotic)
4 bars antibac soap (vacuum sealed)
2 pairs of long sharp scissors
20 Lighters
1 large roll of Duct tape (waterproof)
100 ft. Twisty-ties with dipenser (found in grocery stores cooking sections)
1000 feet of kite string
1 Spade
2 boxes of Baking Soda
3 HARD bristled toothbrushes
100 33 Gallon trash bags (doubles as poncho)
6 boxes of matches (strike-anywhere) will work to dry out lighters and light them
4 Solar or crank flash lights
Triple Ziplocked bag of garlic powder
As much thin rope as you can fit
10 spools of black thread
As many ziplock bags as you have room for
Garden seeds (non-hybrid...as many as you have room for)
4-10 cans of Pepper Spray or Mace (think about a weapons vest to carry this/others)
Handgun and as much ammo as you can carry
1 Baseball Bat (hang on backpack)
Vacuum packed packs of paper towels (20 per vacuum pack)
1 large lightweight pot (hang on backpack)
1 quart heat-resistant closable water bottle (hard clear plastic, Brita has a green one)
6' x 6' Tarp
3 12" 2x4s & 6 stakes (use to climb trees for food/safety) Requires creativity�
1 Axe
Glass Pipe (for smoking tobacco when you find it�)

MEDICAL
20 needles and several spools/ bobbins of nylon thread
1 FULL bottle of heavy duty pain pills
Rubber bands on your wrists (work great as tourniquets/storing needles)
Vacuum packed sterile Latex Gloves
4 tubes Desitin
8 tubes Chapstick
Duct tape and paper towels work perfect for closing wounds

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

I'd say add some extra ammo to whatever firearm you'll be carrying.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Nothing like my BOB. Or like what I would want to live out of for 2 years.


Lacking for food and water longterm. What are you using to either filter water or collect water out in nature? Also is the handgun the only real way to hunt, would consider a 10/22 long rifle in that mix.? I would switch the baseball bat with an ASP which is lighter to carry. How much does this setup weigh overall? I don't think you really want to consider living out of a backpack anyway for 2 years. You are probably going to die if it comes to this unless you are Special Forces or the Grizzlyman.

Will add more later, want to see what others say.


Bug Out Bag and Gear Forum Go check out this forum on ZH for more info on gear and bags.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Certainly leaves you better-prepared than most.

2 questions:

twistie ties?

baking soda?

Help me out here... why have I overlooked these items in my own preps?

To add:

multivitamins, cod liver oil gel tablets, etc.. as key dietary supplements

:applause_

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Where's the water purifier (katadyn) and piece of magnesium.....I think you need a donkey to carry all that .:wink:

Not being a wise arse.....how much would it all weigh?..... now that I give it some thought should be under 45 lbs. si or no ?

Right wrong or otherwise, I think you've got your Shite together, doesn't hurt to have emergency supplyies all in one place instead of strung out all over the house :ok:

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Rain water, distilled. Boil in pot under shaped foil lid, evaporated water runs out into heat resistant container. Voila!

Spears can be made from carved sticks, works in desperate situation. Bullets should be used in life threatening situations only.

You'll get used to the weight...not sure how much...start working out now.

It's not like this would be a choice...this is an "if you have to run NOW" thing.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Twisty ties for EVERYTHING. Hanging, binding, mounting things, etc...

Baking soda for disinfecting/scrubbing teeth, odor absorbency.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

i agree first #1 thing is clean water aquisition..filtration..distiller..etc

also agree on the loseing the Bat...i would swap it for a Machette...not sure what a "ASP" is ..the machette might sub for the Axe also saving weight

i like the idea of vacum packed paper towels.....but would also have some washable cloth

feminine napkins vacume packed make the best wound closers

i would opt for a very acurate 22cal pistol sutable for hunting ...such as a browning buckmark...or sig trailside it would be easy to carry a 1000 rounds of ammo

multi-vitamens

what is the triple sealed garlic for ????

the deck of cards i would get would have naked women on them ...entertainment and tradeable

benadryl ....for unexpected allergic reactions

good knife


OOPS ....some answers got posted while i was writing.....sorry for any duplication

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Agreed an all! The bat was just weapon that I can use...

Garlic is the ONLY natural antibiotic (doesn't weaken your immune system, either). It can kill infections in wounds from the inside out or kill infections you get that make you very sick.

I'll add multis, but if you are eating all wild food, you will most certainly get all the vits you need.

Great ideas with tampons/pads.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

please dont be offended by the cards comment i was being factual from a male perspective

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

NP...made sense to me.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Check out oreganol and super strength oreganol p73....garlic is not the only natural antibiotic.......oreganol kicks arse!!.......killed my dads nail fungus in two treatments!!

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

on the Multi's ....it depends on your climate.....if you can get "greens" year around in your area your probably ok

salt is something to consider also by area....

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

HAHA I was gonna mention salt.
That was a good idea about the benadryl TTAZZMAN.
I think cayane pepper might be very good to have .....stops bleeding instantly and many other uses, a good spice to.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

I carry a COMPLETE array of survival gear at all times.
One each:
knife
bandanna
lighter
.45
for urban terrain or populated areas, I add the following:
thousand dollars cash, krugerrand, credit cards, drivers license and passport.
out in the country, or for road trips add hi-power rifle and a hundred rounds .308

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Is it a cub scout bandanna by chance?

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1041/...973b74.jpg?v=0

:565:

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Good start but I think you really need to do some research and planning. I didn't check out the link to the BOB forum but that might be a good start.

All your items would be good things to have on hand if TSHTF. Have you put all this stuff in a pack and carried it? What about clothing? I live in the northeast and I'd die of exposure from your list.

I'm not giving you sh*t, I'm just saying that I don't think you can make it two years on what's in a BOB out bag unless your are a major professional outdoor survivalist.

My suggestion is put all that stuff on your list into a back pack. Then start on a real BOB. Like it's supposed to be. Something to get you out of a bad situation and keep you well and alive for a short time.

Having your list in a bag along with similiar stuff in more bags would be prudent to have available. Being able to grab a few bags loaded with supplies and gear would be comforting say if you had to evacuate in a hurry. Just toss multiple packs out the window (in case of fire) or into a vehicle (hurrican/evacuation) and then worry about figuring what you can really carry later.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Have you found the back pack yet that all that stuff will fit into? One that will not start tearing apart once you load it down?

Your physical conditioning will be a major factor in how much weight you can carry. You need to keep in mind that if you have to actually haul that pack around yourself,
1. that at the end of the day you are gonna be really tired
2. that you are probably not eating enough to carry the same amount of weight on day 3-5 that you could on day 1.

Unless you are superwoman, you might want to set a target of 30 to 40 percent of your weight as the limit for what goes into the backpack. And that means that living out of that backpack for 2 years just became a more challenging task, depending on where you are.

If you don't have to carry all your supplies yourself, but have some other way of getting it hauled around, the the idea of the BOB combined with duffel bags containing your other stuff is a good one. Hopefully you have at least one other person with you. If you do, then you could each carry your BOB, while strapping a couple of duffel bags onto a bike and pushing it with one of you at both sides of the handlebars.

It looks like you still have some thinking to do on this, but you have made a good start.

Some other stuff that I see from your list.

food
1 knife and a leatherman tool
1 flashlight
small candles - for heat and light under your tarp
fishing line and fishing hooks - the fishing line does double duty as sewing thread
a good machete will be lighter than an axe, but if you don't have one keep the axe
drop the bat - if you need a club pick one up off the ground, or make a hiking staff with your axe
you will need 2 quarts of water at a minimum
drop the stakes - you can make them with the axe
drop the paper towel - carry a washcloth and a towel instead
drop the goggles unless you are a very good swimmer
that boy scout handbook is gonna get heavy but it might come in handy as firestarter after you have read thru it
1 scissors
1 pepper spray

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

A few tubes of Crazy Glue weigh almost nothing and are great for cracked hands, chipped or split fingernails. Some even use it as sutures. A small tube of Shoe Goo, can come in handy for a variety of needed repairs.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

I have never thought of a 2 year BOB.
If I can't get to where I'm going in a month or so... I'm probably dead
in a serious shtf situation...
If I have no where to go, or I am not allowed to join some sort of community which would afford me shelter and a chance to grow,trade or work for food... I'm dead anyway.

I have two packs... a winter one and a summer one.
The summer one... 15 lbs for light and fast moving.
The winter one... 30 lbs..., but I would put on a lot of the clothes in there to keep warm, so no more than 25#'s to carry

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

SilvrSparklz, You're heads on straight but you haven't spent years reading survival forums or tried to "live off the land"

"I think I have everything you need to cook food, find safety, make shelter, kill stuff, stay *fairly* clean, protect and heal wounds, kill pain and protect yourself in the worst conditions..."

What is needed primo is a means to protect yourself, your loved ones and your preps.

Ones family needs to be trained in escape and evasion and know your rendezous.

A bugout bag should in my opinion be carried while away from the bunker and contain items that enable you to return.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Here is my list from this thread I started a few months back.
http://goldismoney.info/forums/showthread.php?t=292500

Compartment A
2 knives (Swiss Army and SOG)
2 flashlights (Surefire and Inova)
whistle
electrical tape
utensil trinket
superglue
matches
pens and paper
coin pouch (quarters and 1/10 Gold Eagles)

Compartment B
batteries
ear plugs
cheap pocket saw
poncho
emergency blanket
1st aid kit

Compartment C
energy bars
food tablets
honey straws
candle
utilty cord
duct tape
cable ties
foil
cotton
FRN's

Compartment D
water
water tablets
toilet paper
tissues
towelettes
bar of soap
soap leaves
alcohol wipes
band aids
q-tips
masks
trash and ziploc bags
socks

Compartment E
wool cap
blanket
2 pairs gloves (cold weather and utility)
hotties
bandana
mirror
potassium iodine


I'm waiting for a monocular to arrive.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Backpacking and living off the fat of the land was tough when I was eighteen and accustomed to hunting/traping and fishing for fun 24/7/365.
I can tell you this, the weekend warriors I see shopping down at the local REI couldnt last a week if they were in friggin Yellowstone during the spawning run.

For me, today.... not gonna happen. I'll be here or at the lake house... and if it gets to bad to manage, I'll be breaking out the vicoden and the single malt.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

That would be similar to what I would be doing. What type of single malt sir?

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

All proper whiskeys... Bunnahabhian, Laphroaig, Lagavulin... Oban. Can't get too peaty for my tastes.

But, alas the friggin doctors have all told me I can't touch the stuff anymore... which is all the more reason to put up a few if it all comes tumplin down.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

My advice is to test your BOB out. Go out overnight and you'll find what works and what doesn't. For your first run pick a night with decent weather. Then work from there until you can carry it for extended periods of time and works in inclement weather.

Just remember that the 3 day suggestion originally was because that was the most anyone was lost for before they were found. If you were bugging out (1) 3 days may or may not be enough (2) you may well not want to be "found".

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...ut+bag&spell=1

You might want to see what everybody else does...

:smile:

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Seems like you have some extra weight you could jettison. Two pairs of swim goggles, 2 pairs of scissors, and 100 trash bags sound excessive. Could you get by on fewer of them? I'd ditch the baseball bat (if the fight's that close, shoot them or use your axe or a machete). If you switch the glass pipe for rolling papers, you wouldn't have to worry about breaking it (and you could save the tampon wrappers for rolling paper...seriously). Also, I wouldn't recommend hanging a cooking pan off your pack. It can be noisy and it reflects light. You might find the need to be stealthy. You could replace your axe with a Pocket Chainsaw and save considerable weight. I would strongly recommend adding a water purifier. I don't know where you live, but you'd be dead around her if you'd relied on rainwater for drinking water!

Btw, (in reference to someone else's post) don't use tampons as dressings for body cavity wounds. They tend to come apart in the wound and cause problems. I laughed at your comment about duct tape and paper towels for closing wounds. My husband cut his arm badly on a caving trip, and I patched it up with paper towels and duct tape. The ER doctors had a fit! Lol! But it worked.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

I'd also recommend taking along some cayenne pepper.

1. Excellent for applying to cuts to stop bleeding

2. You can mix it with water and drink it. Good first aid for heart attacks, and also will help fight frostbite.

Lots of other uses as well.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Thanks for this post, since I am going backpacking this weekend coming up and a lot of this stuff I never even thought of.

If you are planning for SHTF, I would include a pickup truck in that:applause_ And a few extra gas cans. Then you could just put your pack in the bed, and drive to wherever you planned to walk anyway??:4_1_72:. You could then use your ASP or bat to break out a window to a store and take what you need!


One thing I didn't see in the first few posts was toilet paper, but maybe I missed it, or maybe it wasn't that important with all the other wipes and all.

ASP is a better idea than a bat IMO, smaller and easily carried. Gold and silver coins are an idea as well.

I'm sure everything I mentioned was already mentioned somewhere, didn't have time to read it all.

Mike C

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

If we are talking about a 2 year kit you will need a cleaning kit or at least oil for your firearm.

I see somebody else recommended some fishing hooks. I'd like to add a gill net to this.

Lastly, as much as I hate them, you will want some snares and/or traps.

Most of the mountain men in yesterdays gone by did have a method of transportation or a pack animal of some sort. Two years is a long time to be out and about. You might add some carpentry tools and find a place to build a proper shelter if your going to be gone long term.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

If you think it will be necessary to bug out it may be better to cache survival gear where you plan to bug out to and then retrieve it when you arrive. You have come up with a pretty good list but I think it would be far too much to carry any distance. I would want a pack that was less than 20 lbs total and would give me what I needed to reach that destination. Chances are if you are needing to bug out you will need to do so quickly.

Also if you are using a cache it will allow you to add more useful large items such as a rifle, fishing rod and hand tools for making more permanent shelter.

It would also be a good idea to have a few months of food stashed. I don't think it would be impossible to live off the land but it is no cake walk and you will need food while you adapt to it. Most people attempting this sort of thing would quickly die I think because after a few days of little or no food they will be getting weaker and have much less energy making everything harder(including thinking). Try not eating for a week and then do some strenuous exercise and you will see what I mean.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

I have been working on my bag some more this week. This bad boy weighs almost 50 lbs right now. That is without any guns or ammo. I need to break the bag down and come up with a different setup.

I have a spot on my bag that I can slide my AK into and it will not fall out or come loose. I also can easily carry my AR-15 with sling in front of me while carrying the bag. Still want the bag down to 35lbs tops.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

You want that bag down to 15 pounds tops[you may well have to do more than just hikeing], and stash supplies in your travel directions like Thor suggests. Get free or cheap 5 gallon pails with lids from your local bakery and dig some in secluded spots 3, 30,60, miles etc. out toward your more permenant bug out locations. Do prepositioned caches just like the people that hike the long hikeing trails do.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

I only need to get about 15 miles to reach my BOL. So 35 lbs is ok for me and it is all flat terrain.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

a couple of the local boys suggested that...one way to cache a rifle is to use pvc pipe cut to length and then glue pvc caps on both ends...this way it can be buried if desired and no water can get into it...fwiw....

in conjunction with a fishing rod, go for production with a net...i got a hundred foot salmon net with corks and lead line...

but i'm guessing most folks would need a trout net with smaller mesh....maybe search for a "survival fishing net"
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=...fr=lo&ei=UTF-8

and then maybe you'll want the option to set up a trout line....a line with multiple hooks and bait...

anyway...here are some spawning red salmon my wife took a photo of this last july....

.....

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

:ARMS1::ARMS1::ARMS1::ARMS1::ARMS1::ARMS1::ARMS1: :ARMS1: :ARMS1:

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Be sure to completely pack the gun in greese before sealing the pvc. Place the gun in a plastic bag and fill the bag with greese after packing the barrel and receiver. Stuff about 6 inches of material in the end and mark the outside of the tube on the stuffed end so you can cut the pvc and remove the gun. Glue the end caps and completely glue the outside seams. You may want to add an extra firing pin spring, mag, and firing pin to the tube. It may be easier to get working after many years if you dismantal the parts and stick them in their own greese bag inside the tube. You could use a glass jar with a plastic lid and fill the jar to the top with greese. Insert the parts and seal. Place the jar in a bag of greese.

Soak the gun in kerosene when you remove it. Be sure to clean it very well in the firing pin hole and the chamber area. You can remove the stock or grips and place seperately in the tube....they may degrade over time. Try to store a gun with a synthetic stock or synth grips. It should last for a long time underground.

Had a friend tell me the other day that you can use a WWII field phone to fish when the SHTF. ;) You'll have to use your imagination. It's not legal fishin'. For use only under tyranical rule.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Has anyone seen the minimalist end of the spectrum, wrt to bug-out kits? I'm referring to the "Altoids Tin Kits". This is as much survival gear that can be packed into a small container, similar to the metal container for Altoids Mints. This may be taking things to an extreme, but I'm thinking along the lines of a tackle box.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

I'd probably leave some of that behind (4 knives, Boy Scout handbook, 2 pairs of goggles) and add a hunting knife, multi-tool, compass, fishing hooks and line, water filter, fire piston, sling, pocket radio w/earphones, 2 way radios and batteries (if necessary) and a few gold/silver coins.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Colloidal silver is also a great antibiotic for both topical needs and taking internal.

And its also very easy to make. 999 or 9999 silver wire (I use .125 dia) a 3-5 Vdc power source (think little transformer that charges your cell phone battery) a glass jar, distilled water, time.

and you will have colloidal silver.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

There are many links for the Altoids tin survival kits, here's just one of them;
http://www.fieldandstream.com/fields...225788,00.html

http://www2.worldpub.net/images///fi...ltoids_462.jpg

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

use emule and look for Ray Mears. He's got some good videos.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

Thanks for the link. Cigar tubes (the ones made of aluminum) are excellent alternatives to the Altoids tins.

Re: Working on a survival backpack...
 

This rocks.