If there is anything scarier than facing a disaster it must be facing a
disaster unprepared. So when you have a SHTF moment that is worthy of a J.J
Abrams movie adaptation, I want you to be prepared. That’s why I am going to cover
the GO-BAG…the survival pack back you will need in case you have to “GTFO” quickly. With a little bit of planning you
will be prepared for whatever disaster life throws at you. Most experts suggest
that your GO-BAG should contain enough supplies to last you three days (72
hours).
There are dozens of sites on the internet with plenty of information on prepping and survival and it can be overwhelming and you might be wondering how you can prepare a GO-BAG for a disaster without becoming one your self. It’s actually pretty basic, and all you need to do to increase your chance of survival in a true SHTF Scenario is to prepare for your needs in the aftermath of any disaster by preparing a GO-BAG to meet you needs. The crisis is still going to be there, you are just going to be better prepared than the rest of the masses for the discomfort that can follow a natural disaster.
So what goes into a GO-BAG, There are five basic necessities that are critical for any survival GO-BAG: food,water,shelter,security,and fire. And of course you are going to want a change of fresh clothes.
Now we cant forget the women, they are with us for better or worse and when things do get worse in a SHTF situation, And they will. Keeping Sanitary conditions will be very crucial to survival and my wife as found a few objects that she has packed for her and the girls in their GTFO Bags and has even given me a basic understanding of proper sanitation for women that is necessary to ensure that diseases and illness do not occur. Typically, in a post SHTF situation, we need to think about sanitation conditions because they are going to be at a minimum (at the very least). Therefore, a woman’s personal hygiene is essential to her health and should be considered a Top priority. When sanitary conditions are not up to par, there is an increase of diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diphtheria. Typically, women and children are the most affected by poor sanitation conditions. Taking proper precautions and stocking up on sanitary items will help eliminate most dangers for your loved ones.
Let’s start with the GO-BAG and work
our way down the list of basic gear you need
in your GO-BAG to help you survive any disaster situation.
THE GO-BAG: A 72 hour BAG (GO-BAG)
According to most experts, need’s to contain enough
FOOD and
WATER
to last you (72 hours) three days, along with a few important items for
survival such as:
SHELTER, FIRE, CLOTHING, MEDICAL SUPPLIES,
NAVIGATION, SIGNALING, COMMUNICATIONS, SECURITY. Your GO-BAG bag should
be well constructed, able to
withstand
the rigors of any disaster situation and should be reasonably comfortable when it’s
packed full of survival gear. Your GO-BAG needs to have adjustability to
properly fit you so if it lacks adjustment or is not properly designed it will
be uncomfortable not allowing proper weight distribution. Make sure that you carry
the weight
on your hips and not the shoulders.
Now keep in mind that the more gear you carry, the heaver the bag. (For more
information, refer to,
SELECTING THE RIGHT GO-BAG).
Just remember when you select a GO-BAG; it needs
to fit you and your needs.
A
HIGH QUALITY SURVIVAL BACKPAC (GO-BAG) CAN BE EXPESINVE,SPEND THE MONEY AND PURCHASE THE
BEST GO BAG YOU CAN AFFORD
WATER:
Water is a top priority. You should have at least 3 litters in
your GO-BAG. A liter a day is the absolute minimum you need to live, but you
could need up to a gallon a day. Having adequate water in you bag is heavy and
bulky, so start with having a
Camelbak
100 oz/3.0L MIL SPEC Antidote Accessory Reservoir Long 90857
in your bag and Get your self a good
microbiological water purifier like the
Camelbak
All Clear Purifier Bottle (750ml/25oz, Pure Blue ) that will give you Reliable Purification,
Whatever the Destination. CamelBak® All Clear™ utilizes proven UV technology to
effectively neutralize microbiological contaminants to EPA standards. With a
built-in LCD to confirm your results, purification has never been easier. CamelBak
All Clear turns nearly any tap or clear natural water source into potable
drinking water in just 60 seconds, letting you hydrate on the spot. And, since
CamelBak All Clear is a water bottle as well as a purification system, you can
enjoy your water right after treatment or carry it with you.
SHELTER:
Staying Warm & Dry is going to be essential to your survival
and the fist thing to come to mind is adding a tent, but that will add a lot of
weight to carry when you have to BUG-OUT. Instead, pack a
Digital
Woodland Camouflage - GI Enhanced Poncho (Nylon Rip-Stop) to keep you and your GTFO Bag dry while
you’re hiking and double's as a tarp for a quick shelter. When the weather turns
bad you’ll be prepared. The benefit of this poncho over a tent is its light
weight and has multiple uses. Another item that is a must have is
Military
Modular Sleep System 4 Piece with Goretex Bivy Cover and Carry Sack . With this item you could sleep in a foot
of snow and stay dry and warm. Now don’t forget to pack
the 11.4mm
AssaultLine Static Rope (Black, 150') to build a shelter line. AssaultLine is
THE original low visibility, low elongation/static rope. Designed specifically
for military, police and other applications where low visibility is required.
Its construction is the same superior design and quality as the BWII series of
ropes but with a double twist cabled polyester sheath and a double twist cabled
nylon core.
FIRE:
Fire is one of the basic essentials for our survival on this
planet. Whether it is for warmth, cooking, light, or a sense of security, us
humans depend on fire. There are very few, if any, environments on the Earth
where humans can survive (over the long term) without it. Now storm proof lighters
and
UCO Stormproof Match Kit with Waterproof Case, 25 Stormproof Matches and 3 Strikers - Orange
have a place in your GO-BAG The UCO Stormproof Match Kit is waterproof and holds 25 matches as well
as spare strikers. UCO Stormproof Matches burn for around 15 seconds,
no matter how harsh conditions may become. The matches are windproof,
waterproof, and even continue burning underwater. An integrated striker
is attached on the side of the Match Kit, and can be replaced when worn
out.
you
should have a few different ways to start a fire. Don't rely on a single
source to produce fire. I carry and depend on my
Light
My Fire Original Swedish FireSteelArmy12,000 Strike Fire Starter Black which
was originally developed for the Swedish Department of Defense, The legendary
Swedish FireSteel® is the original magnesium fire starter. The Swedish
FireSteel 2.0® comes with an improved striker that makes it even easier to
build a fire in any weather and at any altitude. Good fire starting principles
apply for any kind of fire. You will need a nest of tender to receive the spark
and kindling ready. If you’ve made traditional flint and steal or a bow drill
fire you will appreciate 5,500 degree sparks these strikers produce. Be sure to
carry
Vigilant Gear® Tinder-Quik 50 pack (1 packet)
. Each Tinder-Quik Fire Tab is specially treated to ensure that
the cotton is waterproof and provides more than enough burn time to start a
fire. Each tab will burn for 2 to 3 minutes. Each bag contain contains 50 piecess .
FOOD: After Water,
food is the most critical thing us humans need to survive and thrive in any
SHTF situation. Your GO-BAG could be filled with all the latest and greatest gear,
but without proper nutrition to sustain your self; your body will weaken and
slowly shut down in a matter of days. To combat this problem you’ll need to
keep your body fueled up to stay alert and physically ready to handle whatever
situation arises in an emergency situation.
To stay fueled up, we recommend that
you’ll need to pack some light snacks such as trail mix,
beef jerky and protein bars along with some MRE's or freeze dried meals.
Now we can’t forget the standard MIL-SPEC diet of the (MRE) Meal Ready to
Eat. The MRE is not going to be much better than a 72 hour kit. But the menu is
going to be more diverse than you think. A complete MRE consist of an entrée,
where you’ll find your protein (meat).Most will also have a starchy side dish
and all come with bread and some sort of spread. You’ll also find a treat to
satisfy your craving for something sweet, with some sort of cake, cookie, or
wet/dry fruit. Almost every meal includes a snack.
(SORRY NO TOY) And some sort
of beverage.
(See the MRE Page for more
info)
Now if a Mil-Spec diet of sodium and saturated fat is not your style and you
want to lean on the healthy side, you’re in luck, with freeze dried meals made
for outdoor adventurers, They are similar to MRE’s lasting for years after
their manufacture date, but unlike an MRE these freeze dried eats only offer
you a single course, so you’ll need to select a few different options to build
a complete meal. These NON MIL-SPEC eats are USDA Inspected for quality and
normally get good reviews on tatse, and are, for the most part good for you.
There are meals for just about every need so if you have any health concerns,
there are meals for vegetarian, organic, gluten-free, MSG-free, and
preservative-free meals. There are a few different manufactures so you are
going to get a wide variety of meals to fit your taste from scrambled eggs all
the way to yakisoba noodles.
The only draw back to freeze dried foods over MRE’S that have their own
water activated chemical heater bag is that they do require any where from one
to two cups of boiling water per pouch, and a way to heat it, So you’ll need to
adjust your water supply so you don’t run out of clean drinking water and at
least have a metal water canteen to heat the water, to cook your meal.
SECURITY:
In a true SHTF situation you might be dealing with a “Without Rule of Law”
situation, or close to it, and people are likely to do crazy things to survive
and those that are not prepared are going to want what you have. Being prepared
to defend your self is part of the survivalist mindset. I will not go into
specifics about what type of gun you should pack because that is hotly debated,
and really a personal choice. You need to take a weapon that is comfortable to
you. A handgun is Ideal. Outside of guns your survival knife could be used as
weapon if you had to. You should be packing a fixed Blade Knife for any
survival situation. A fixed blade has less moving parts are more durable. while
folding blades and multi-tool blades have there place in your GO-BAG they don’t
do it as good as a fixed blade knife. Also something as simple as a big walking
stick or club can be a strong deterrent for bad guys. It’s all about giving
your self options to defend yourself and the ones you love, along with your
resources and supplies. If you do choose to pack a firearm make sure you fully
understand the local laws related to the carry and use of a firearm.
LIGHT:
There is a high potential that you will need light in
SHTF scenario. You should be packing a high
quality hand-held flashlight and a Headlamp that will allow you to keep your
hands free for those moments when you need them most. The SureFire Tactical
Headlamp is a good choice because it features a high-efficiency LED that
provides brilliant white light, adjustable in output from zero to 100 Lumens
via the knurled no-slip right-hand control knob. It runs on a single 123A
battery contained within the tilt-control knob, and features a battery access
cap with a short leash so you can’t drop it. The proprietary refractive optic
produces a wide beam optimized for your natural field of view, and included
red, blue and green filters give you the option of low-signature light that
also preserves dark-adapted vision. Another valuable SHTF feature is a setting
for a long-running SOS beacon for when you want to be found. The fine-weave SF
camo headband is strong yet comfortable, and features a moisture wicking Breath-O-Prene
forehead pad. Built from tough polymer and aerospace aluminum, hard-anodized in
Desert Tan, the Minimus Tactical is lightweight, and tough
FIRST
AID/MED KIT: A First Aid/Med Kit is another most have item in
you GO-BAG.We are not talking about a boo-boo kit. You need a first Aid/Med kit
with enough medical supplies to handle several injuries to include major blood
loss, penetrating injuries, deep lacerations and third-degree burns. This
Mountain series Medical Kit Weekender is a comprehensive kit allowing you to
treat six to seven people for seven days. The case is organized and packed full
of supplies such as four different kinds of medicines and a comprehensive
travel medicine guide.
Now that we have the basics covered, let’s talk about having a Blow-Out kit. Having
a Blow-Out kit with you could mean the difference between life and death for
you and your loved ones in disaster situation. Blow-Out kits were introduced by
the military to help prevent death stemming from three major traumas to the
body including severe blood loss. Penetrating chest wounds, and airway
obstructions, I don’t need to tell you that these are not a boo-boo kit that
you find at a local drug store. They include specialized tools and supplies to
help stabilize a patient until help arrives. Be prepared with the Falcon
Operations Group Ventilated Operator Kit providing you with.
Your
blow-out kit should at least contain the following items:
· SOFT-T 3rd Generation Wide Tourniquet
or CAT (Combat Application Tourniquet) that is a windless based application.
· SWAT-T (Multi-purpose trauma care device) should
be available in every kit.
· Compression bandage, such as an Olaes modular
bandage(used to apply direct pressure to a wound to stop bleeding)
· Celox Gauze or Combat Gauze is nice to have,
even though it expensive, But we are talking life or death and you can’t put a
price on your own life or your family members. (These items are hemostatic
agents used to coagulate blood and stops sever bleeding from major arteries and
veins), Now I think having these might come in handy, Don’t you?
·
Medical exam gloves (universal protection should
always be taken when you are touching another person to protect against
blood-borne pathogens or other possible disease).
· Nasopharyngeal Airway 28 FR (soft rubber tube
used to maintain an open airway in an unconscious person).
· A pair of medical scissors (safety scissors that
are designed to cut away or remove clothing or gear from a person to expose any
damaged areas of the wounded person).
·Halo chest seal (used only when a sucking chest
wound is present to assist in the patients breathing).
Regardless
if you choose to purchase a complete kit or assemble your own, you need to be
able to treat and sustain life long enough for advanced medical care to arrive.
Critical Edge recommends attending a medical course learning how to use the
tools properly can be a life saver. We highly recommend doing so.
PRESCRIPTION
MEDICINE: It’s very important to make sure you have
spare medication in your GO-BAG at all times. If you require prescription
medicine you may not remember to grab your prescriptions when you’re rushing
out the door. It’s important that you don’t forget to rotate your meds every
time you get refills.
CLOTHING: Clothing is very critical
in any survival situation and you must be prepared with
suitable clothing incorporated into your GO-BAG if you are forced to flee at a
moments notice. What is going to happen If you are suddenly caught in a
earthquake or other natural disaster common in your area and have to GTFO of
your house dressed in the middle of the night in nothing more than your fuzzy
silk P.J’S and Cute Little Bunny slippers and only you’re GO-BAG in hand, what
is the weather like outside? Is it in the cold rain or dead of winter in a
blizzard? Do you really want to picture the thought of yourself hiking through
the boonies in your silk P.J’s or shooting hordes of zombies in your Bunny
Slippers? Don’t Laugh Cause it could happen to anyone. But not you because you
took the time to prepare a GO-BAG with the right gear.
Don’t get carried away,
Your GO-BAG should contain enough gear to sustain you for three day’s. You can carry
more of the necessity, like your base shirts, socks, and underwear if you
vacuum seal them. You will feel good when you have a fresh change of close
after wearing the same underwear and socks for three days.
Don't forget this is your kit and you can change the contents as you think
best to accommodate the seasons. The best way to stay prepared is by using subloads,
now subloads are a way of preparing for many different environments and weather
conditions with out overloading your GO-BAG. Subloads are going to be used to
pack different types of clothes grouped together by weather and season.
Your base subload is going to consist
of pants, socks, and underwear. Additional subloads need to consist of clothing
for wet or rainy weather, cold weather, extremely hot weather or a combination
of them. Each subload should be vacuum sealed making them smaller and watertight,
saving room in your bag and keeping your clothes dry. Mark the bags for summer
and winter. Now the winter and summer subloads are kept at home and switched as
the seasons change. Your wet weather subload should be kept in your GO-BAG and
can be removed if not needed prior to bugging out. Regardless of the need for
your survival clothing you need to keep in mind your:
·
Local or
planned environment.
·
Time of year regarding climate.
·
Space and weight limitations.
·
COST:
WHAT CAN YOU AFFORD
“WHEN
YOU LAY OUT YOUR EMERGENCY PLANS, REMEMBER TO HAVE A COMPLET E SURVIVAL
CLOTHING SYSTEM READY FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE FAMILY.”
FIRST LAYER:
When building a clothing system, you need to think in layers. The foundation
comes first, as in your underwear, there is no away around it, you need to buy
quality underwear. You are trying to prepare for a disaster so you need quality
goods to keep you going and tighty whiteys are not going to work. You need
underwear that can withstand the abuse you might have to put it through during
an emergency. You need well constructed underwear with wicking. This means your
under garment is constructed with dual-purpose layering. The layer closest to
your skin is meant to draw the moisture (your sweat) from your body and wick it
to the outside layers. This is a very important feature that will help you
prevent chafing and rashes, which could become open sores and get infected. The
wicking feature also helps keep cold moisture from resting on your skin, which
can lead to hypothermia.
In the winter time I would recommend having under armour cold gear.
MIDLAYER: For your mid layer you should start with a
Men's Tactical HeatGear® Compression Shortsleeve T-Shirt Tops by Under Armour (Medium/Marine OD Green)
Ultra-soft fabric for the best in next-to-skin comfort with this
compression shirt. Lightweight, 4-way stretch fabrication improves range
of motion and dries faster. Advanced Moisture Transport System to keep
you cool, dry, and comfortable. Anti-odor technology prevents the growth
of odor-causing microbes to keep your gear fresher, longer.or if it’s really hot you could sweat
smarter with
Columbia Men's Freeze Degree Short Sleeve Crew Shirt, White, Large
Featuring zonal placement of our most innovative technologies for
maximum benefit—ultra-cooling Omni-Freeze ZERO on arms and torso,
sweat-and-heat transmitting Omni-Wick EVAP at center back and all-over
UPF 50—this performance outdoor tee delivers supreme comfort and
protection in extremely hot, humid climates.
helping you stay cool while others feel the
heat in a SHTF situation . Then pick a durable long -sleeve shirt to wear over it
to protect your arms from any type of debris in an urban setting and keep you
from getting scratched up in the woods. If you do get hot, you have your base compression
shirt so you can remove your long sleeve or you can always roll the sleeve’s
up. It’s hard to get much warmth from a short-sleeved shirt when it’s cold.
OUTER
WEAR: The first thing you need to keep in mind when selecting
your survival pants is fit. It’s essential that you choose loose-fitting pants
for movement and for sitting (a pair of ill fitting pants can cut off and
reduce the circulation in your legs) and if you enjoy wearing skinny jeans, please
leave them at home. In case you need to GTFO and have to drive for hours, a
lack of circulation will reduce your physical mobility when it’s time for you
to move. One of the most common things newbie’s ask about survival pants is,
“Is it OK to wear jeans?” The answer for you will be, “I wouldn’t wear jeans in
a survival situating because they neither breathe nor provide the comfort
needed for mobility and additionally they are limited in pocket space.”
Here are some critical attributes for your chosen
survival pants:
FLEXIBILITY: Your survival pants should
allow you to have full range of motion with out hampering your ability to run, crouch,
or lie prone. (Did I mention skinny jeans are out? Just abandon them all
together and even burn them.)
BREATHABILITY: When choosing your
survival pants you must avoid any fabric that will not allow your body heat to
escape to the surface.
MOISTURE WICKING: This is not a
requisite for survival pants, but more of an added bonus. You should choose
proprietary fabrics like Nike’s Dri-Fit or Under Armour’s Moisture Transport
System to help you stay cool by maintaining sweat evaporation when the heat
gets turned up in a SHTF situation
LIGHTWEIGHT: In a SHTF scenario when
you have to GTFO carrying your GO-BAG, firearms, ammo, belt holster, and
pouches, all weighing you down, the last thing you want is heavy clothes .You
must wear pants that help keep your load to a minimum
DURABILITY: The best survival pants are
going to be lightweight, flexible, and Breathable while being able to with
withstand the rigors of a survival situation. Ripstop exemplifies this by being
very durable. It’s made by weaving thread (such as cotton, polyester, or a blend)
in interlocking patterns making it resistant to tearing.
COMMUNICATIONS:
In a SHTF scenario, your new Smart Phone just might be actually be pretty dumb,
you need to consider other forms of keeping in touch in mind, such as a Spot Global
Phone. Okay you may not be James Bond but you’ll be able to communicate like
you are. The Spot Global Phone will give you the ability to connect with family
and friends whether you’re in the middle of the woods, on an island in the
middle of the ocean, or in some form of doomsday scenario. You will have an instant
critical connection with no noticeable time delays on a reliable network.
If feeling like a secret agent is not your style
you should at least have walkie-talkies, two-way radios that are GMRS, CB radios,
and even a ham, not the kind to eat, but the radio kind. You’ll also need to
have a way to keep your electronics charged. But that’s not going to be a
problem with light weight solar powered chargers. It’s also a good idea have
spare batteries for your electronic devices and flash lights. Make sure the batteries
are the same type so you can swap them out while others are charging.
NAVIGATION/BUG-OUT
PLAN: A BUG-OUT or Evacuation plan should include the
location of emergency areas, rallying points, multiple evacuation routes. Three
types of map’s such as city street maps, maps of the area, trail maps, etc
(make sure you use a water proof laminate to protect your plans). If you don’t have a compass I would recommend you get a quality
Compass like and a topographic map that
uses contour lines to represent elevated terrain and show man-made structures
and start practicing old-school navigation until it becomes second nature because
you never know when you may need this skill to dramatically increase our
chances of staying alive in true SHTF scenario.
Serious situations demand serious
Technology to keep you on track and the Casio ProTrek PRG260-1 with Triple Sensor
Technology will help you do just that, with three High-Sensitivity sensors to
calculate Temperature, Altitude/Barometric pressure and direction with one
simple touch of their dedicated buttons. A solar panel combined with a
large-capacity rechargeable battery enables this impressive solar time piece to
run smoothly for you in any SHTF situation, under any light with no battery
replacement.
SIGNALING:
In an event that you want to be found, you should think of having bright
contrasting colors. Signal mirrors, flares and strobes. Along with the huge
forest fire you started while trying to build a signal fire, these are just
basic methods to help you get noticed.
PERSONAL BACKUP:
Important papers including insurance papers, all licenses, marriage, birth and
death certificates, inoculation records, passports, deeds, pertinent medical
records, and other important papers should be photo-copied and placed in a
safety deposit box and one other set in a 100% waterproof pouch, along with
(perhaps) a few selected pictures for identification of loved ones if needed.
The pouch should either be put into your GO-BAG, or placed in an area that
would allow quick and easy insertion into your GO-BAG when needed. I would also
recommend including a video documenting your house, Just in case your house is
destroyed, you will have the vital documentation for reconstructing what you’ve
lost.
SOLAR-POWER:
You can plan for any situation and have the best gear to help you survive but
it won’t amount to much if you can’t keep your GPS unit, or batteries for your
flash light and optics charged. There is a whole market of solar powered gear
for survivalist to help you keep your gear going no matter what the situation.(for
more information, see OFFGRID SOLAR POWER)
