Preparedness,
Page 3
Small
pot
No, not the leafy green stuff. A cooking pot. The U.S. Army makes an
excellent item called a canteen cup that fits around the bottom of their
1-quart canteen and therefore takes up almost no space and is very lightweight.
This small aluminum cup make a great cooking pot for all sorts of things,
including a hot cup of coffee.
Heat
tabs
You could just build a fire to cook food with, but that usually involves
quite a bit of work, not to mention that it would draw considerable
attention to your location. Small compressed solid fuel is much more
efficient. In a pinch, you could use a product called Sterno, used by
the catering industry to keep food warm, but this was designed to keep
already hot food warm. It is also rather messy and bulky, making it
a mess to carry. Portable propane stoves are nice, but are usually very
heavy and require expensive fuel to operate. A company called Carr &
Day & Martin, Ltd. from England (see below for contact information)
make a product called the Pypro Caricook. The Caricook is a small metal
stove that is basically worthless, however, the solid fuel tablets they
sell with it are marvelous. It is relatively inexpensive, lightweight
and will boil a canteen cup full of water in a few minutes. The U.S.
Army also has a product made of compressed trioxain fuel. Most people
know these as heat tabs. These are a little hard to come by, but if
you see them, grab them. They pack the most heat in the smallest amount
of fuel. One third of a heat tab equals an entire Pypro tablet.
"E-Tool"
or entrenching tool
A small lightweight foldable shovel. Necessary for burying waste. Can
also be used as a hammer, if required. Waste burial is extremely important.
Human waste left in the open, especially in large quantities, can be
considered a biological weapon.
Sleeping
bag
Depending on your climate, a full blown sleeping bag may not be necessary.
A lightweight blanket may do. For most people in North America, however,
a lightweight sleeping bag that is rated for at least ten degrees below
zero Fahrenheit is recommended.
One
pair boots
This is in addition to whatever you are already wearing on your feet.
There is nothing worse than having to walk ten miles in wet boots and
socks.
Zip
lock baggies
This is how you keep everything dry. Get the 2-quart freezer bags. Put
everything in them. That's right - everything. Don't forget the toilet
paper. Get the freezer bags, because they are thicker and more durable
and can withstand being opened and closed a hundred times. You can suck
the air out of them with a straw before closing them up. That way they
will take up less room.
Food
The biggest problem with food is that it is heavy. It is suggested to
only pack between three and five days worth of food in your rucksack.
Anything more will make the thing too heavy to carry. Stick with easy-
to-prepare dehydrated items. Be careful with items that may leak. Since
you will probably be storing your survival kit until it is needed, pack
away some food that will last. Ramen noodles are an excellent choice.
It doesn't matter if they get squashed, they are easy to cook, they
don't leak, they're inexpensive and they last forever. Prepackaged military
rations can be a good choice. There are many varieties available from
many countries at most Army/Navy stores. The Australian meals are the
most tasty. These tend to be rather heavy and expensive, but will last
forever. They usually require little or no cooking and can be eaten
right out of their bags. The U.S. Army MRE (Meal Ready to Eat), while
kind of bland tasting, is packaged to fit nicely in the bottom of an
Alice Pack. Outdoor supply companies sell a wide variety of commercial
brand dehydrated food to choose from. This tends to be the most expensive
option, but the best tasting.
Snacks
You will still get the munchies and it is not always appropriate to
break out the cooking utensils and fire up the heat tabs. So bring along
some hard candy, granola bars and other non-perishables. Keep these
in readily accessible pockets for easy access while on the move. Take
it easy on the amount of goodies you bring. Remember, you have to carry
all this shit.
Transistor
radio
That does not say Boom Box, Stereo System or CD Player. This isn't so
you can groove to the latest Prodigy tune. This is so that you can keep
appraised of current events. That way you will know when the emergency
has passed and when it is safe to return to society. You should probably
try to find an older analog one that will definitely not be susceptible
to the Y2K issue. You wouldn't want to get miles away from everywhere,
only to find out your radio doesn't work.
Weapon
This is optional. In my opinion, you do not need a firearm to mearly
survive. Unless, of course, total armageddon or nuclear war occurs and
civilization as we know it ceases to exist. If that happens, though,
you're going have greater things to worry about. Anyway, if you have
a weapon and plan on bringing it with you, be sure to pack a few extra
rounds of ammunition. Don't assume that you will have some on hand when
you need it. Buy it now and pack it away.
This
is just a basic list and should be adequate enough to enable someone
to survive on their own for an extended period of time. You may feel
the need to add additional items, while they probably are not necessary
for survival feel free to do so. Just remember that the goal here is
that you will be able to carry all of this. If you have family, don't
forget that your spouse and children need a "kit", as well.
January
1st, 2000 will come and go without too much trouble. The biggest problems
will be caused by people who panic due to media hype. Some problems
may arise from the actions of small third world nations, who do not
have the resources to correct their situation. It would take total failures
of all systems in several countries around the world to have a major
impact on the US. It is extremely doubtful that a calamity will occur,
however, if it does, you will be prepared.
Space
Rogue
Contact
List
Brigade
Quartermasters
125 Cobb International Blvd.
Kennesaw, GA 30152-4300
http://www.actiongear.com
Supplier of Army/Navy surplus and outdoor gear
Carr & Day & Martin, Ltd.
Lloyds House
Wilmslow, Cheshire
England
Makers of Pypro Carricook Solid Fuel cooker and fuel tablets.
Mass.
Army/Navy
15 Fordham Road
Boston MA, 02134
(617) 783-1250
Supplier of Army/Navy surplus from around the world
Super Trooper
P.O. 2373
Anniston, AL 36202
1-800-633-2282
http://www.supertrooper.com
Supplier of genuine U.S. Army issue equipment
U.S. Cavalry
2855 Centennial Ave
Radcliff, KY 40160-9000
1-800-777-7172
http://www.uscav.com
Supplier of Army/Navy surplus and outdoor gear
Eastern Mountain Sports
http://www.easternmountainsports.com/
Supplier of hiking and other sporting goods
REI
http://www.rei.com/
1-800-426-4840
Supplier of hiking and other sporting goods
U.S.
Geological Survey
Eastern Region and Headquarters
USGS National Center
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, VA 20192, USA
703-648-4000
http://www.usgs.gov/
Supplier of topographical maps of the entire US and many other countries
British Orienteering Federation
National Office, 'Riversdale'
Dale Road North
Darley Dale, Matlock
Derbyshire.
DE4 2HX
+44 1629 734042 / 733769
bof@bof.cix.co.uk
http://www.cix.co.uk/~bof/index.html
These folks love maps and often give free map teaching classes. They
have links to clubs around the world.