Survivalists - How far along are you?

[pico]

GP100... flooding might make you be required to bug out, but that won't kill you. I would have a BOB on hand to leave if you must, but hopefulll never need it. When I lived in Louisiana, my wife and I kept all of our important documents in a watertight container. We still do, and use ammo cans for much. Just be sure if you use a similar container that the gaskkets are solid.

[GP100]

Yes, I do need to get to my bug-out stuff. 72 hours for wife, myself, and 1.5 year old....

[Ningishiddza]

Yes, I do need to get to my bug-out stuff. 72 hours for wife, myself, and 1.5 year old....

You can look on-line for strong-boxes. They're fire-proof (unless you're hit by a Boeing 767) and come in different shapes and sizes with different styles of locks. You keep your passports, birth certificates, shot records (ie last TB test, last Tetanus shot etc), life insurance policies, copies of wills, codicils, trusts etc, bank account information (and other financial information related the account numbers and locations of money market accounts, 401(k) Plans, stocks, bonds, safety deposit boxes etc) and a copy of your address book, or at least information on critical contracts (in the event you don't have your cell-phone, don't have access to it or there's an EMP Event and your cell-phone is as useless as used toilet paper).

I keep photo negatives in mine addition to those things (as well as rare photos of ancestors).

[Tired Old Man]

Bug out cooking ?
I have plenty of stuff for cooking onsite. One stove that would work bugging out. But then I have to bring fuel. Hell I always thought I would just make a fire. This might be better......

The Dakota fire hole.

http://www.survivaltopics.com/surviv...kota-fire-hole

[blackbird357]

I have a gun i"ll take what I need

[pico]

People were able to get by hunting, but they thrived once they began to cultivate the land. Taking a gun into the wilderness is a way to supplement your food supply, but having some food on hand is key to being able to function at a much better level, especially if you have a hard time hunting or trapping or fishing for food. You could much more easily take eadible plants and such over hunting for meat, but that is just my opinion, and you know what they say about those;)

[XKEJag]

How far along? Well, until this glorified apartment (condo) sells inside an over-active city, not far along at all.
Viewed some cheap, rural, developed land today that had a raunchy, small trailer on it. There was lot's of space to grow food eventually, and almost decided to purchase the acreage until....the wind kicked up and blew some diesel type aroma's through the scattered tree's. When asking the Realtor what that acrid smell was, she said non-chalantly: "Oh, that's just the oil refinery over the hill there." Great, like I really want to breathe Benzene (among many of the chemicals) fumes several times a week. Looked up oil refinery health risks tonite, and found numerous sites talking about the many potentially fatal diseases that one can acquire when living in a certain radius of those toxic places. So, back to the drawing board. Anybody else hanging there hat in a city, as you await the opportunity to get the dodge out of hell, and into a rural arena? Growing some tomatoes, on my tiny deck is looking bleak. Other then a few boxes of food-stuffs, not far along at all.

[pico]

There are alternatives to actually buying remote land. You can get land claims and such that can get you access to the land. Gold deeds are another option. Then you could hide supplies on the land where hopefully it would not be discovered.

I am in the process of going thru my firearms and liquidating the ones I rarely use or would otherwise not use in the event there is a SHTF scenario. I am primarily keeping battle rifles, like the H&K91, my better AR 15 rifles with 20" barrels, a few of my better SKS, a couple of 30-30 lever actions, a few 10/22 rimfires, a half dozen Beretta 92/96 handguns, and a half dozen remington 870 shotguns. I also will have a few mauser action bolt action rifles and carbines in 7x57 mauser and 7.92x75 aka 8mm mauser. I find the SKS is more rugged and more accurate than the AK 47, so I am dumping my AK action rifles and carbines, as well as RPKs, and weeding out all off calibers in bolt actions and such. The only semi odd caliber gun I plan on keeping is one of my Glock 20 handguns, which is 10mm and setup as a carbine at the moment with the long barrel and buttstock. I can remove the buttstock and barrel to return the the original factory setup in short order, and also do barrel swaps to make it .40 S&W, .357 Sig, and my favorite 9x25 dillon. I also have a long slide for this, as well as the correct barrel, to convert it to .45 ACP. It makes a fantastic trail gun. Anyway, the point I am making is to simplify arms with common ammo. Mine will be primarily 9mm parabellum, .308 or 7.62nato, 5.56 nato, 7.62x39, .22lr rimfire, and 12g. shells. I will also have a large supply of .40 S&W ammo, as my berettas all have slides and barrels to convert them to the IMO better caliber that most LEA in the US now use.

[XKEJag]

The land claims, and gold deeds suggestion has me thinking for sure. Will check into that and see which states offer these cool options.
That SKS and the glock 10mm with the switching barrels idea is great. Have a german 22 hand model, but hasn't been cleaned or used in a long time. "Arms with common ammo".<<<<yes! So, then have to have a certain stock pile of arms cleaning oils/brushes too.

[pico]

Yep... bore brushes can work for multiple firearms. Remember that .308/7.62 NATO will likely work fine for 7.62x39 and 7.62x54r. The .223 brushes will likely work fine for .22-250, .22 LR, and any .22 caliber round. Having lubricants, grease, oil, and such in abundance is also a good idea.

[steven]

I ran into a nice handcrank radio at walmart. It even comes with adapters to charge various phones. But one small downfall was no weather band on it. $75 Smackers

[joho]

You don't need that much.

In any Armageddon scenario, 50% of the people will be dead within 60 days, and the ones not dead will be starving to death and not able to move around. You can walk right up on them and slit their throat without any resistance.

you make it sound like a walk in the park

the 50% that are left will comprise of pure lucky ones and ones with good survival strategy's

and what ever % is left in 1 year will have seen it all and done it all

[pico]

Ningi is overly optimistic. I plan for what I can possibly imagine happening, and if a comet lands on my ass, then oh well. If I survive whatever whenever, at least I have enough on hand to outlast the vast majority of the populace, and if they try to take by force what I own, then perhaps they will kill me... or take what is mine, but I guarantee I will knock off more than they knock off, and the next victim down the road will have a lot less ass pots to deal with. It is always better to take care of yourself than to not be prepared and let 'Uncle Sugar' wipe your ass and feed your ass an MRE. Store can goods, if nothing else, and if you are killed in a disaster event, perhaps your food will survive you and feed some poor sap that searches your home for anything of value down the road.

[pico]

Well, this weekend I am heading out to the range hopefully... and likely for the last time for the season. I was able to trade an AR M4gery I had for a nice 21" barrel Saiga .308 the other day. I am really looking forward to shooting this bad boy, as I am a big fan of the simplistic design of an AK 47 action but love the longer barrel and much better ballistics of the .308 round. Anyway, I will post how I make out if I am able to actually go.

I wanted to make a note to all that might not be heavily invested in survival gear that deals still abound if you know where to look. I have seen many deals lately on gunlistings.org, which is searchable by state to find local face to face transactions that do not require paying fees out the ass, and much can be had at great prices. In Iowa, with new hunting seasons being added, shotguns are often for sale locally. I have been able to sell off my off models, even if higher end shotguns, to get nearly all Remington 870 pump actions. These are my shotgun of choice, being they are rugged, easy to maintain, and parts are fairly common. The simplistic design makes repairs something I can handle.

If you can find any semi auto .308/7.62x51/7.62 NATO rifle/carbine for sale privately, you should consider buying these at present. If the UN small arms treaty were to be signed into law by the US, the foreign imports would dry up instantly, and the price of these firearms would likely go thru the roof. CETME clones out there are currently available for under $600. These have had problems in the past, but if the rifle proves to be a winner, then these are worth much more. I think the H&K 91/CETME rifles are top notch if proven, and the Saiga .308 firearms are also top notch. M1A/M14 rifles are excellent, as are FN/FAL.

Anyway, not to turn this into a firearm only thread, I have seen a large number of storage food suppliers having sales recently. If you are in the market for freeze dreid foods, you should consider now as a buying opportunity. Many of the sellers of mountain house brand foods are offering free shipping and having concurrent sales of upwards of 25% off the normal price. I can say these foods actually taste excellent, and this is coming from a guy who grew up in New Orleans eating at great restaurants like Commanders Palace and Brennans. The Chicken a la King is a family favorite, and I must tell my family they need to wait for the next disaster to eat another can of this excellent meal.

[Tired Old Man]

While I still think it cost less to stock up on can goods, thanks Pico. I added a few more food items from Mountain House.
But I still need to pick up some more can goods.

A park across from my elementary school. This was way back when. I don't think you could do it today. Hobo Stew.
People brought can goods. From peas to carrots to corn. Green beans, Lima beans you name it. It all was cooked up in a very large pot and severed. It was great.

[GP100]

Have recently been able to stock up on a bit more ammo, upgrades to medicine kit, and have amped up on some batteries and flashlights.

Still want to:
-Get a knife (waiting on getting a simple gun cabinet first, to make sure its away from honest hands)
-Start rotating stored water
-Finish maxing out available space with food storage (have over 3 months stored thus far)

[pico]

GP100... good going on wanting to get into a FIFO routine... especially with water. It gets rather stale after 9 months to a year, if kept in sunlight. I used to keep gallon water bottles in a laundry room I had in Louisiana. After 9 months, the water had a greenish tint. I keep all my water in the basement, and it is in the coldest portion that is only lit when I flick the lights on.

My knife experience is fairly shallow, but I have liked some of the cold steel knives, which aren't all bad for being mass produced. My go to pocket knife is a Boker kalashnikov that is tan. It has held up extremely well over the last 3 years of regular use.

TOM... those canned goods are fine. I have been doing much of the same lately, especially with beans and soup. I buy them on sale (sometimes 3 or 4 for a dollar), and put them into the inventory. I have been able to get large amounts of meals on hand that cen either be eaten warmed or in a worst case scenario, eaten cold from the can. Having ass loads of beans and rice sealed up in Mylar bags is good, but you still need to have water and heat to make them edible. With cans, you can simply open and eat if you need to.

I forgot to add that people should check Walmart if/when they shop, as they have been putting ammo on clearance at the one by me. I have been able to get lots of winchester brand 30-30 ammo for a $12 per box, until they dropped the price again and I was able to get it for $10 per box of 20 rounds. This is quality stuff. They also have been selling reloadable winchester brand 7.62x39 ammo for even less. Anyway, buying ammo cleananced should not turn you off, as the ammo is still perfectly good and should last 50+ years if stored correctly.

[Tired Old Man]

I thought about giving Selco his own thread in here. But his blog fits in here. It is a lot of reading but it will make you think.

"Surviving one year in a city surrounded by the enemy army and cut off from the rest of the world. I'm Selco and have been through this SHTF school I never wanted to attend during the Balkan wars 1992 - 1995. I write about this here. "

http://shtfschool.com/


"Truth is: You never know how far you are going to go with some things in order to survive, there is no chance to know that before SHTF, everything else is only talking and discussing in front of PC, in nice and warm room, safe, not hungry or thirsty and not under fire or chance of losing life or that loved ones get murdered anytime."

[pico]

Well, for Christmas this year my wife and I have decided to not give presents to each other... so I went out and bought her a few survivalist gifts and figured at least the items are practical... and having something as a gift is never a bad idea when the wife agrees to not give presents;) (not that she is that type of person). Anyway, I picked up a Rayovac 8 D cell battery 2 light latern and 8 rechargable batteries for it. It lasts around 14 hours on the maximum setting, and will easily light a large room. Then, I picked up a pair of kerosene lanterns and a dozen spare wicks. These are an old design which was a KISS purchase. Something simple seems the best route for this. With around 20 gallons of Kerosene on hand, it should be just the thing if we have a storm that knocks out electricity, as it pairs up well with my 23,000 BTU Kerosene heater.

I am also building her an AR 15 that will have a 16" barrel with the full rifle length sighting. I am going to put on magpul furniture in OD Green, as the green on black combo helps to break up the lines of the gun at range a bit better than black on black. Add on a foregrip from magpul that is angled makes for a very comfortable hold. I will likely top it off with an ACOG... not sure yet. I never liked mine, so may dump it off on her;)

[Tired Old Man]

I need a wife like that. Honey for Christmas this year I'm buying things I think we need.

Pico I don't know your wife but let me give you a small bit of advice. Get something that is just for her. Hell it could be a pink AR15. But get something just for her.

[pico]

I need a wife like that. Honey for Christmas this year I'm buying things I think we need.

Pico I don't know your wife but let me give you a small bit of advice. Get something that is just for her. Hell it could be a pink AR15. But get something just for her.

I got her covered... a tee shirt that says "All I got for Christmas is this crappy T Shirt";)

[Tired Old Man]

I got her covered... a tee shirt that says "All I got for Christmas is this crappy T Shirt";)

LMAO.....
It sounds like you have a good woman Pico. Add a dozen roses or a box of ammo just to be safe.
Even better. Offer a day off for her. You take care of what needs to be done around the house for the day.
That would be Survival.......

[XKEJag]

Reminds me of when some close relatives gave some survival gear for Xmas gifts. One was a blanket to keep body warmth in, with some kind of astronaut coating. Used to hike in the forest, and mountains with some large, black garbage bag's for what-if scenerio's. Just rip a hole in the top and on sides for head and arms. Works good for maintaing body heat too.
Looking for a solar powered batter re-charge unit. So many gadgets require batteries, and if the electric grid is down, the usual A/C battery re-charger is dead for sure. There must be some company, or two, that are making these.

[pico]

For you guys in Florida, or anyone near the ocean, here is a pretty interesting Youtube video on salt water desalination

http://www.youtube.com/user/GREENPOW.../3/5GhkOnEO3X0

[pico]

Okay... began assembly of my first Pico Panel. I bought a 1.5 gallon epoxy resin mix that will encapsulate the back of the solar cells to the tempered used glass, and this was way cheap if you buy it as an epoxy for countertops. It can easily repel water, and will not haze nearly as much as others. Cost me around $105 after shipping, but far cheaper than Solar panel epoxies. Anyway, I will get a few more panels assembled and then epoxy all of them at the same time to save on my labor.

I was able to buy a bunch of tempered glass from a guy off craigslist that had torn down a Burger King sun room section. The curved glass and straight pieces were all double paned, but I plan on taking them apart and using the clear glass as solar panels and the tinted as a greenhouse. With the two integrated, my Spring 2012 greenhouse project will likely be around 350 square feet, and once installed, shoudl easily support some fall and winter veggies, as well as a couple of lemon and orange trees of the dwarf varieties. I got all the glass for $100, and some other tempered glass for only $110, so I will be needing to buy strickly lumber and caulking, as well as some gravel, screws, nails, and some aluminum to act as mounting brackets. I figure the totale build will cost no more than $500 plus my time. I plan on digging out a section to make the greenhouse only need to be about 5 feet above ground level, but making the inside a roomy 8 feet clearance. Anyway, I will likely rent a smaller backhoe and get my root cellar done at the same time.

Craigslist has been a godsend, as I have been able to dump my crap I no longer feel is needed, and pick up tools, materials and such, for very little coin. Consider using it as a way to practice your negotiating skills. I have been very successful in getting prices much lower than they are listed for, and with some practice and bullshit stories, you can too!