SHTF Scenario: What lights/tools would you want to have?

carrot

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Supposing you were in a (generic) urban SHTF scenario where the only safety is to stay active or keep moving -- no finding a little corner to curl up and nap in... and it's dark. There may or may not be other people on your side, and there might be people that are a danger to you (terrorists, burglars, cannibals, aliens, evil robots, gremlins, leprechauns). It could be hurricane season or it could be bombs and nerve gas, whatever it is, the S has really HTF, and all you know is you really want to survive and get the H out.

What lights and tools would you want to have with you? (Only things that can be EDC'd, no flamethrowers or chainsaws or anything.) What would you do?

Also, if you choose to have guns with you in said SHTF scenario, assume you do not have enough ammo to go hunting down baddies.

If you're really bored, you're welcome to write a short story... ;)
 
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my name is fake

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i wll take ALL my flashlights, cheap ones, expensive ones, they all come along. batteries too of course.


tool-wise, id take my leathermans & my knives . I dont have a gun but i do have this thick AL rod i got from somewhere that can be used as a weapon with some modifications.
 

Navck

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Long running lights with tatical blinding mode.
HDS EDC + AA tube = My choice
Gun? Something that makes each shot count, and possibly in .45ACP Or 9x19mm due to the commonality of those rounds.

Again, easily found things are important...
 

bobbagum

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For weapons...

12D maglite if they ever make one :laughing:

That seems to be the only redeeeming quality for a stock mag
 

Mike Painter

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carrot said:
If you're really bored, you're welcome to write a short story... ;)

I had all the neat toys I needed and when I turned one on the bads guys saw them.
They thought they were neat.
They didn't think I was.
My end
The end.
 

PD575

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My Surefire M2, a Surefire 6P w/KL5 LED head, about two dozen CR123 batteries and my SL Stinger XT with extra battery stick, (heck, I'll bring ALL my flashlights and batteries), my Wilson Combat 12 guage, my Sig P220ST and all ten of my mags, my Ruger MKII .22 pistol w/extra mag, as much ammo as I can carry with me for all of the weapons, as many of my knives as I could take with me, a machete, my Garmin GPS unit, my Texas topography maps, two-way radios, my handheld police scanner w/extra lithium batts, emergency first aid kit, blankets, rope, tarp, waterproof matches, water, food, water purification chemicals (yes I have about a year's supply of that stuff too) and my wife would pack my Glock19 with about 10 boxes of 9mm ammo. Also a few other things that I'm probably forgetting. All of this is already ready to go in a large trunk in my garage. If the "S" ever really did "HTF" that bad, it would take me all of about three minutes to throw that bad boy in the back of my Tahoe and split with my family to the hill country where we have a large ranch. The water is three factory-sealed 5 gallon jugs that I keep in an inside closet and which I rotate out every year. The "bug out trunk" contains dried food items and canned non-perishables. Figure I could hunt for food on the ranch if things got real bad for a long time.

Believe me, I've gone over this situation with the family and long before "911" everyone would look at me and think that I was crazy everytime I brought up the topic. I've earned respect in this matter ever since that fateful day and now it doesn't seem so far-fetched to them anymore.

There's only one little detail that I've left out until now...
I'm a LE Officer and if this situation ever materialized, I doubt that I'd be going anywhere but to roll call to prepare to employ and enforce some sort of curfews and martial law. I guess my dad and brother would have to get everyone out to safety.
 
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beezaur

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I think I would want my stuff in a small backpack, one that was fairly nondescript and low contrast, easy to blend in in a variety of settings. I would carry some basic camping gear: a water filter, raingear, clothes that will work wet and for sleeping in, a means to clean up when required, compass, notebook and pencil. Binoculars and a weapon would probably be quite welcome for security.

I would want a small set of tools. Something to pry with, a multitool, and a few others. I think you would end up needing to make some things and get into places in this kind of scenario.

For lights, I would want a few small ones with good runtime that could use batteries that could be scavenged. Probably single AA size with some means to use AAA in them. You can scrounge those sizes from lots of gadgets. One would be a color that was difficult for night vision devices to detect (if that is possible -- cyan?). One would be white, and one would be red.

I would choose stealth over power, both in flashlights and in general philosophy. It was the small manmmals that survived the K-T boundary extiction event, not the dinosaurs. Darwin's "survival of the fittest" means that which fits into its environment the best, not that which is the most powerful.

Scott
 

Vee3

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I'd take my big fannie pack with a 1st aid kit, cell phone, handgun and two mags, Leatherman, Bic lighter, pepper spray, SL PP lux 4aa, TL-3 and Arc AAA plus batts. I'd also carry some kind of big hardwood stick.

And some small fragmentation grenades....
 

Bryan

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I can't imagine a situation where the S would HTF enough for me to need a good selection of my tools. If it happened in a public place, well it wouldn't matter because I wouldn't be armed nor would I have much lighting on me. If I was home, I'd probably just try to hold my ground there with my family. I don't think a hurricane warrants the need for me to be armed anyway, but I guess everyone has their own opinion.
 

Lit Up

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I think I'd have to carry this little Dorcy 1XAAA of mine, definitely.

I've tried for the past two nights to kill a half depleted Duracell alkaline with it.
(Left it on while sleeping 7-8 hours each night)
When I wake up, it's so weak that you can look at the LED and it's barely glowing.
(Think Photon here that is just about dead)

The crazy part is when I turn it off for an hour and come back to it, it's back in all it's glory once again. :huh2:
Haha I give up!

Plus I'd want low illumination. Wouldn't be smart to advertise in a situation like that with a 'sun' stick.

As far as the 'Mag club' goes, I'd much prefer an ASP baton carried on the hip instead.
 

paulr

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Flashlights are just a hobby. In an urban SHTF they're not THAT important. A Photon II on a keychain is enough for 90% of the situation. A Fenix L1 in the pocket is good for 80% of the rest of what any larger EDC can do. The EDC that I really want doesn't exist: an ultralight, plastic, 1AA headlamp with two or three LED's and a Petzl Zipka-like headband. An L1P with a good two stage switch (not the resistor mod some CPF'ers are using) and a solid bezel-up pocket clip (attach to hat) would be the next best thing.

As for non-flashlight tools, well, that belongs on a survival board and is a much wider question.
 

Lit Up

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paulr said:
Flashlights are just a hobby. In an urban SHTF they're not THAT important.

Very true. In a situation like that, moving undercover of the darkness is your friend.
 

turbodog

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These threads keep coming up.

After living and working through katrina, which was a shtf situation and still is for a lot of areas on the cost, I feel I am in a position to offer some real advice on this.

Which will promptly be ignored I am sure, because I didn't list the 497 lights you *think* you need.

1. water, and a means to get more (filter, boil, etc)
2. food, and a means to get more
3. weapon, can be used to find 1 and 2 above and protect what you've got
4. shelter, a LOT of people lived in cheap camping tents after katrina
5. 1-2 lights
6. basic medical (tylenol, sunscreen (lot of time outdoors))

Without listing much more, just pretend your whole family is going camping for days, without access to any more that you can EASILY tote (and/or run with). And add in the possibility of armed confrontations.

If we had to vacate quickly, I'd grab a large duffell bag from the camping closet. I'd toss in water purification, small tent, sleeping bag, knife, 1 light, 2 cell phones, case of ramen noodles, jar of pnut butter, .40 semi auto, and a bic lighter.

I figure we could be packed and out the door within 1-2 minutes. Then I would probably haul butt on the 4 wheeler straight into the closest woods.


The things katrina people neglected (other than evacuation!) was food/water/etc to survive the first 3 days until more organized help arrived.
 

hquan

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you may want to search the survivalism newsgroups / websites as this is a common question.

I just bought an HDS U60 for EDC and for an emergency situation (hurricane). I'm also planning on getting some incan / LED hybrid headlamps - maybe a Diamond or maybe a PT EOS. I want a hybrid for the incan benefits of fuller spectrum + throw and LED benefit of long battery life.

I am by no means any kind of survival expert - but from what I've read, I've either bought or am planning to buy:
#1 - HIGH quality knife and sharpener - swamprat battle rat knife or Bussy combat knife
- I've read that if you have a good knife, you can make just about anything else that you'll need.

#2 - firestarting kit - sparklite, strikeforce, and Doan's Magnesium firestarter
- lighters are easy to break, and don't work when wet

#3 - water purifier (First Need brand)

#4 - book in water tight bag - SAS Manaul of how to survive anywhere in any climate

#5 - book - special forces field medical guide

- primus multifuel cook stove and repair kit (can use just about any liquid fuel - from gas to kerosene to jet fuel:grin2:)

- dog food (to take our dog) - by the way - don't let your dog run wild. They WILL eventually form into packs... and they WILL start hunting...:faint: I don't care how much ammo you have, running into 3-4 packs of 30-50 dogs each will cause you major problems. I'd rather have my dog's senses on my side.

- cat food (to take our cat) - studies have shown the common house cat to be the most efficient predator of small prey. Which means that you may have to compete with your cat for dinner. I'd lose as she's a MUCH better hunter than I am. Besides, she's family.

Haven't finished researching the following:
- first aid kit
- small tent
- food
- traps and snares (much more efficient at catching dinner than hunting) - but also illegal in many areas...

There are some other items that I've got written down somewhere - but I think that the top 3 items will go a long way.

I read some where about something called the rule of 3's:
you can survive:
- 3 minutes without air
- 3 hours without shelter
- 3 days without water
- 3 months? (not quite sure on this) without food

Also, 2 of any item really = only 1 of that item.
 

Lit Up

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I'd also add a few bulbs of garlic to the first aid kit. (Natural antibiotic that'll keep for a few months)
 

Flakey

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Those books on survival are GREAT tools IF they are read BEFORE the S hits TF. sitting in the woods reading the SAS survival guide is probably going to be wasting a whole lot of critical time that should be used finding suitable food water and shelter. It is very true what is said about a good knife. i think one of the main requirements of this survey has been missed by almost all. "Only things that can be EDC'd" i doubt very much that most of you are walking around every day with first aid kits, 40 gallons of water, tents, machettes portable stoves and the like. Every Day i Carry the following items in my pockets, (next to cell phone and wallet of course)

9a4ce855553e.jpg


assuming that SHTF doesn't involve me fighting asailents armed with firearms. a 200 lumen flashlight (P91) and a 3inch folding knife are a fairly good combination ESPECIALLY at night although i have found that within melee range a light this bright is blinding even in direct sunlight. A good flashlight and a good pocket knife can be EXTREEMLY usefull in an "OH S*&T situation." In most OH S situations running to your car to get somthing is either 1, impossible or 2, if you have made it to your car you have already escaped the oh S situation ... gratz. The knife is a Benchmade Aries, 154CM grade steel ($180) the C3 retails for about $130+pilas+beamshaper+p91 coming soon. so yeah i carry around $300+ of gear in my pockets every day. (pocket first aid kit might have to be added soon) but it is a great feeling knowing that in many situations i am better prepared than most. What do you guys acutally carry on your person that would help you in a situation like say .... i dont know .... escaping from a burning building or tower .. cutting yourself out of somthing .. really sucks to think about that but it is a reality now.
 
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turbodog

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Also,

You all know that moss grows on the north side of trees, right?
















I guess that's so when you get hungry enough to eat moss, you'll know where to find it in a hurry.


:p
 

hquan

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I guess that it would depend on how fast SHTF. In the case of a hurricane - people have PLENTY of warning that it's coming - so you'll have time to get home, get your family and get your gear.

In the case of 9-11, what you have is what you have. Perhaps we need to further define what SHTF scenario the original poster had in mind? Are they referring to an end of the world type situation or just a city wide situation? I would imagine that the lights picked would change - as it's a difference of holding out a few months before help arrives - or starting the world over... In the latter scenario, long battery life becomes even more important.

I seriously doubt that there are any high priority targets in NC (outside of the military bases - which I'm no where near). So my preparation is geared toward a Katrina like scenario - of a major hurricane...
 

Lit Up

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hquan said:
I guess that it would depend on how fast SHTF. In the case of a hurricane - people have PLENTY of warning that it's coming - so you'll have time to get home, get your family and get your gear.

In the case of 9-11, what you have is what you have. Perhaps we need to further define what SHTF scenario the original poster had in mind? Are they referring to an end of the world type situation or just a city wide situation? I would imagine that the lights picked would change - as it's a difference of holding out a few months before help arrives - or starting the world over... In the latter scenario, long battery life becomes even more important.

I seriously doubt that there are any high priority targets in NC (outside of the military bases - which I'm no where near). So my preparation is geared toward a Katrina like scenario - of a major hurricane...

In a nationwide scenario, your flashlight would probably outlast you.
Most romanticize about escaping to the woods and hunting/fishing. Problem there is several million others will also share that exact same idea. Woodland food resources would dry up quick.
 
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