The long list of potentially useful stuff in bug out, SHTF, car kits, and more...

Tre_Asay

Enlightened
Joined
Jun 12, 2015
Messages
398
Location
Caldwell Idaho
...Spare batteries and flashlights (mostly) excluded.
I am coming up with anything and everything gear related that will come in handy for emergencies, potential situations all the way up to long term bug outs. If you have any piece of gear to suggest I will edit it in.
There will be in 4 categories: food and water, shelter, fire, tools. there will also be sub categories.
I am going to do a color code for the different items
green is EDC-Able, blue goes into 72 hour kits, orange for car / trailer kits, red is for stay at home or bug out base preps.

I am not going to mention specific brands for generic items EG, "folding saw" instead of "this brand folding saw"
I also want to make sure I add info for each item (pros and cons, uses and how long it will last, nutritional info for food.
Please note - to be truly prepared you need to learn how to use everything in your kit and become familiar with how everything is organized in your bags.



Food And Water *1
Food storage:

  • ​MRE (get three per day per person and you will be good to go)72 hour, Car/trailer, Home base
  • canned beans (Refried, kidney, black, white, lima, pinto, etc. High in protein)
  • canned meat (chicken, tuna, even bacon are high in protein)
  • nuts (peanuts, peanut butter, almonds, cashews, pistachios)
  • flour
  • oats and oatmeal
  • rice
  • cornmeal
  • popcorn kernels
  • potato flakes
  • dried fruit (raisins, banana slices, fruit leather)
  • canned fruit and vegetables (corn , peas, tomatoes, olives, pineapples, peaches, pears, applesauce, pumpkins, oranges)
  • canned milk
  • bouillon (chicken and beef flavoring goes great in soups and stews)
  • powdered eggs
  • powdered milk
  • whey protein
  • waxed hard cheeses
  • protein bars
  • tea
  • oils (shortening, clarified butter "ghee", coconut oil
  • honey
  • salts (iodized salt, canning salt, pink salt, epsom salt)
  • Sugars (powdered sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, canned sugar?)
  • Spices (pepper, cayenne pepper, basil, oregano, dill, cumin, rosemary, allspice, garlic)
  • Condiments (mustard, ketchup, mayo, pickles, hot sauce, bbq sauce, worcestershire)
  • Chocolate (coco powder, hot coco, chocolate chips)
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Dry yeast
  • Baking soda
  • vodka
Water storage:
  • bottled water 72 hour, Car/trailer, home base
  • Stainless steel water bottle

  • Glass jars
  • stainless steel holding tanks (runoff catchment may not be legal in all places)
  • plastic holding tanks
  • bathtub water bags
Food Prep:
  • Lightweight stove (gas, wood, other fuel)
  • Rocket stove
  • Mess kit
  • cooking utensil (pots, pans, spatulas, spoons)
  • Cooking oils

Water Purification:
  • Iodine tablets
  • chlorine
  • calcium hypochlorite
Utensils and Mess kits:

Shelter

Building Materials:

  • Parachord
  • wire
  • Trash Bags
  • Lumber
  • Screws
  • Nails

Tents:

Blankets, Tarps, and Sleeping bags:
  • Bivy sack
  • Emergency Blanket
  • Mosquito net

Clothing and footwear:
  • Bandana
  • Cold resistant gloves
  • Heat Resistant gloves
  • Cut resistant gloves
  • Poncho
  • Change of clothes
  • Wool socks


Fire

Lighters:

Firestarters (Airplane "safe")

  • Fresnel lens
  • Ferro rod
Kindling and Fuel:
  • Beeswax (stable, burns well, multiple uses)
  • petroleum jelly

Extinguishers:


Tools

Cutting:
  • Woodworking tools (chisels, carving knife)
  • Hatchet
  • Axe
  • Fix blade knife
  • Folding knife
  • Saws (bow saw, hack saw, folding saw, snow saw, chainsaw)
  • Chainsaw mill
  • Knives (fixed blade, folding, cooking)
Hunting and Self-Defense:

  • Takedown carbine
  • Game processing knife
Building:
  • shovels (snow, spade, hand trowel, folding
  • Hammers
Repairing:

  • Air pump
  • Tire repair kit
  • Gloves
  • Zip ties
  • tape
  • Jumper cables
  • Locking pliers
  • Wrench
  • Pry bar
  • Multi-bit screwdriver

First Aid:
  • Bug spray
  • Sunscreen'
  • emergency medication
  • antibiotics
  • bandages
  • clotting agents

Multitools and multi-function:
  • Silcock key (for getting water)
  • Multitools

Signaling and Orienteering:

Illumination

Batteries:
  • Lithium Primary batteries are recommended for long term storage in survival kits
  • Rechargeable batteries with some sort of off grid generator can be useful for long term situations

Non powered lights:

  • Glowsticks: some say they are useless, others horde them, but in the end they give off light.
  • Flares (good for signaling, just don't use in places that are prone to wildfires
Recommended Features:
  • Long lasting low modes (there is a saying "it is better to have a little light for a long time than a lot of light for a little time")
  • Durability and reliability
  • ability to use multiple power sources (solar, crank, rechargeable)
Communications
Cell Phones:

Ham Radios:

CB Radios:

Storm Radios:

Powering Them:


​Personal Hygiene



*1 information provided by:
http://www.happypreppers.com/37-food-storage.html
http://nutritiondata.self.com/





 
Last edited:

nbp

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
10,970
Location
Wisconsin
Heat reflecting bivvy sack, bandannas, hand warmers, paracord, fixed blade knife, mulititools, Nalgene style bottles, tarp, battery powered radio, first aid items, stormproof matches, ferrocerium rod, compass, maps of local area, a puppy (for morale) ;)
 

cland72

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 23, 2009
Messages
3,276
Might I suggest communications?

Huge +1 on this. With the tornadoes in DFW on 12/26, I was able to monitor each surrounding county's SKYWARN amateur radio repeater so I knew exactly what was happening in real time. That is a legitimate SHTF scenario.
 

Tre_Asay

Enlightened
Joined
Jun 12, 2015
Messages
398
Location
Caldwell Idaho
Got it, there are more categories to add.

I am also thinking for this thread that we should try to list battery types and what are the best features to look out for in a flashlight.

I am hoping that this will be a good reference for people to look at the list and figure out what they need for where they are.
 

cland72

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 23, 2009
Messages
3,276
I am also thinking for this thread that we should try to list battery types and what are the best features to look out for in a flashlight.

For me, my SHTF equipment all gets lithium primaries. 10 year shelf life and extremely low chance of leaking.
 

Tre_Asay

Enlightened
Joined
Jun 12, 2015
Messages
398
Location
Caldwell Idaho
That was exactly what I was thinking, A pack of lithium batteries and cr123 in flashlights / gear to leave in packs.
 

Crazyeddiethefirst

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Joined
Mar 13, 2012
Messages
2,005
Location
Southern California
Emergency medications, Cash, gold or silver coins for bartering,weapons & ammo, sharpening supplies for knives, etc. Since I am a woodcarver, I have an auxiliary bag with carving tools and wood blanks. The tools can be very useful for a number of things, and I can carve things for bartering. It is also very useful as something to teach the kids and grandkids if they are bored(I also have spare bars of soap for the kids to practice on). In addition to keeping them busy, it also is invaluable in keeping them quiet if circumstances require
It. I also have multiple Kevlar gloves and and Kevlar/leather finger guards to prevent injuries. In the first aid kit I also have multiple trauma bandages and clotting agents as well as sutures, medical grad stapler and medical grade superglue...
 

scout24

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 23, 2008
Messages
8,869
Location
Penn's Woods
As far as portable water containers, I'm a fan of the Platypus collapsible bladders in various sizes. If I'm going to carry a rigid bottle, it's going to be multi purpose. Kleen Kanteen (I'm sure there are others.) makes a 27oz single wall stainless bottle with removable top. Nice for boiling water to purify it if needed, and melting snow...
 

Hooked on Fenix

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
3,071
Add a poncho to the list. I prefer the good ones that can be buttoned together as a bivy sack and connected to extra ponchos to make an enlarged shelter/tarp. Also in an emergency situation, no water purification tablets or single chemical is sufficient for purifying water. Yes, they will kill what is in the water, but they do not remove anything such as chemicals. Think about oils, gasoline, raw sewage, etc. in the water during a flood or a chemical spill like the one the EPA caused in the Colorado River this year. You need a carbon filter for chemicals, a decent ceramic or hollow fiber filter for bacteria, and possibly a U.V. pen for viruses (if you don't use a hollow fiber filter rated for viruses). I like having a Katadyn Pocket filter with a Carbon Cartridge and a Steripen (for the viruses). Alternatively, I think a Lifestraw Family or Mission Purifier is a decent choice too. Also, there are chemicals you can add to the water that sink all the particulate matter to the bottom of the water. That combined with bleach is what is used in widespread disasters that require a large amount of water for people to drink. Your mileage may vary with that treatment depending on what is in the water.
 

jabe1

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Joined
Apr 25, 2008
Messages
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Location
Cleveland,Oh
Great subject. I think most people can benefit from other's ideas on this. The trick is to make the bag still portable without using a trailer....

PPE:
vinyl gloves, dust mask/ respirator, safety glasses, leather gloves.

first aid:
aspirin, benadryl, nu-skin, super glue, tiger balm, ace bandage, sterile suture kit(or steri-strips), cortisone cream, quick clot, alcohol wipes.

Paracord!

Lots more, but much of it is personal preference.
 

Hooked on Fenix

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
3,071
Great subject. I think most people can benefit from other's ideas on this. The trick is to make the bag still portable without using a trailer....

PPE:
vinyl gloves, dust mask/ respirator, safety glasses, leather gloves.

first aid:
aspirin, benadryl, nu-skin, super glue, tiger balm, ace bandage, sterile suture kit(or steri-strips), cortisone cream, quick clot, alcohol wipes.

Paracord!

Lots more, but much of it is personal preference.

For first aid, don't forget a Sam's Splint, medical tape, Neosporin, guaze and trauma pads.
 

Burgess

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 10, 2006
Messages
6,542
Location
USA
Great Thread Here !

lovecpf




Insect Repellant !


Few things worse than being the Center of Attention
of every flying insect for miles around . . . . .


:sick2:
_
 

Treeguy

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 16, 2013
Messages
432
Location
Quebec, Canada.
I forgot to mention I carry a Sharade Axe SCAXE2 in my truck. It fits great under the seat. Perfect, JIC tool. It also has a fire starter built in handle.
http://www.arizonabushman.com/reviews/schrade-axe-scaxe2/

I hear you. I have a few good small axes and they are very handy.

But if you want to cut down a small tree and make firewood or tent poles or whatever out of it, this is absolutely my first choice. Small and lightweight. Easy to carry. Faster, more efficient, and safer than an axe. Been using this same model at work for years. Love it! Cuts only on the pull and cuts very, very well. About $20. Buy two.


stihl%20handy%20cut%20folding%20saw.jpg

I want an axe and a folding saw, but I want the folding saw first.
 

Treeguy

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Joined
Apr 16, 2013
Messages
432
Location
Quebec, Canada.
Which saw?

Sorry about that, I posted a bad picture and gave no description.

There are a hundred models of folding saws to choose from, but I like the Stihl plastic handled folding saw. Inexpensive, lightweight, transports well, doesn't look like a weapon, cuts well, bright orange makes it easy to find when dropped or put down in the bush, and tough enough to do some good work. A year or two ago there was a discussion about axes here at CPF (I think) and I did a test and cut down a small balsam tree in my backyard and turned it into firewood. I posted some pics. I know that what I did with the folding saw was faster and safer and more efficient than doing the same work with an axe. And, if this means anything, I could have done it in the dark. Not a good time to play with axes. ;)


http://www.worldofpower.co.uk/media...b33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/0/0/00008814110.jpg
 
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