it has been interesting at time to see where topics end up. What is in BOBs and survival kits and firearms. I don't know how to start this and Plainsman
jump right in but it would seem to me the there will be a difference in what i pack here in the high desert and what some would carry in heavy forested or wet
areas.
High desert main concern is water,fire,shelter then protection/food. Summers 100/120* F to 30-55*F winters. No bears and a few coyotes and cougers in mountains
. Coyotes have been hunted heavy and run at the sight of a human. Form my house I can see bare dirt for 10 miles and the mountains are visible as far as the
eye can see. If SHTF I would be with family and we would gather together and make plans. Unless there was a major earthquake or natural desaster ( volcano) i
don't think there would be a mass hit the road and get out. My first concern would be getting everyone together and safe. I keep a travel bag that is more
for protecton on the road and some snacks but that is about all. In prepadness I do have a BOB that gets heaver all the time with more stuff. A small travel
trailer nicknamed "Escape Pod" sits in the back yard. I sometime let the popane bottle get to low from camping for comfort and the water jugs are
empty but that is just lazy me.Fireams are mostly long range as again there is little cover other than sagebruch and rocks. Big bore sidearm is the norm unless
you like the little bullets. Handguns calibers work better if they start with a 4. Most have a 22 of some sort because ammo is cheap.
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where you live and what you carry
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 southern utah |
where you live and what you carry |
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Posts: 102 (06/14/09 13:34) Tenderfoot |
Last Edited By: southern utah 07/25/09 10:45.
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lawdog41 |
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Posts: 587 (06/14/09 20:57) Dog Soldier |
High plains desert is somewhat similar, the farmers have to water their crops to get then to produce.
Around here we have sagebrush, corn, wheat, millet and cactus. It makes for some long views along some stretches of road. Just saw the handguns brought to a CCW class, most were mid sized auto's of the 9mm and .40 flavors. Those in the know brought .45's There were a surprising number of .22's brought by those who just like to keep them in the car for emergencies. Those who have a need for a handgun generally carry a big bore around here, angry cows and horses sometimes need a bit of stopping. Sadly if it's not to another residence, there's no real place to bug out to from here. The lack of water limits the general populace to keeping themselves in place. I have been playing with the idea of a travel trailer with an electric (PV) submersible pump carried along. There are a surprising number of old house wells as well as uncapped agricultural wells around here. And with an appropriate pump water would be much easier to find. |
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southern utah |
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Posts: 103 (06/15/09 22:50) Tenderfoot |
I remember seeing campers with a 12 volt pump down in a stream and a garden hose run up to the trailer. Seems like each of us has a little different set of
needs in case we need to rough for a while. We should set a bug out list for our bug out vehicle and camping accomadations.
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FXDXT |
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Posts: 764 (06/21/09 15:03) War Chief |
Here in New England depending on where you happen to be standing and what season it is, it can be -40 all the way to 105*. Because of that one really has to watch what they carry with them for clothing and footwear especially in the winter time. Water is never a problem...even halfway drinkable water isn't a problem usually within sight of where you are standing.. You may end up with
Beaver-Feaver in the outback drinking from a stream but it is rare. Better to purify your water before you drink it anywhere but you can generally get by.
Running from a disaster around here if you live in southern NE would be a disaster...the highways would clog up and make it look like the people from Houston fleeing a hurricane in a few hours. Hunkering down is really the only choice unless you really have a place to go, have enough fuel on hand to get there and get out before the crowds.
Bob
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RoberrtRogers |
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Posts: 31 (07/25/09 09:50) |
I think the main problem in many areas would be too many people clogging up the roads, consuming everything edible, and making the water unsafe to drink (feces
everywhere). So if you start with this premise you can figure out what you need to get by. But everyone is going to have different considerations based on
where they are and what they plan on doing.
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southern utah |
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Posts: 117 (07/25/09 11:00) Tenderfoot |
Robert like you say the roads would be plugged in big cities. I use to worry about the flood of people from Las Vegas NV and California but not so much any
more.Vegas has a standing order of shuting down the freeways and the people frem CA would be stacking up out of gas. It would be a riot as people fight over
the next victum in the road block. I would guess that we have maybe 2 weeks worth of food in the city as all is trucked in out of CA and northern Utah. All my
life here in Utah we are told to have a years supply per person in storage but I would guess most don't have much more than the next meal. The few I talk
to figure all the food would be gathered in a central location to take care of everone one but I don't like the idea of asking someone in charge for food
back . I will keep what I stored until the take it or TRY. I would feed some if need be but I want it my choice.
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silverstate51 |
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Posts: 207 (07/25/09 16:18) Tenderfoot |
Southern Utah,
I live between Vegas and you. Clark County's Emergency Plan (which I have a copy of) calls for sheltering in place, not evacuating. However, the plan does not call for actively preventing people from leaving the Vegas Valley. Resources are to be allocated to resolving the specific disaster issue. Since most natural disasters affecting Las Vegas are of short duration (flash flood, earthquake) road closures are limited to specific damage areas. In several GTFOD projections, southern Utah could expect between 30 to 65 thousand saints descending from Vegas into the St. George-Cedar City area within the first 96 hours after a disaster. Most of whom think (mistakenly) that the church has warehouses of food put away for just such an event. Cross country, if need be. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Personally, what I carry concealed depends on how I'm dressed, and where I'm likely to be. Ranges from .380 up to .454(under hunting jacket). But always, what I carry is reflective of what I believe my life to be worth, the highest quality. |
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southern utah |
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Posts: 119 (07/26/09 15:58) Tenderfoot |
My ex's uncle was a metro captain years ago. He told me that the standing order for Metro in a major disaster was to shut down the main roads in and out of
Vegas. Things may of changed since then. In the late 70s the loacl Civil Defence figured that 1-15 would turn into 4 lanes headed south out of SLC and we would
have 180k people here with in 4 days. I don't think people realize that they will just make things worse. I have often thought of way to get out of St
George area and get to a mountain location some where along H-89. I have a son and nephew that are Henderson PD and daughter who's husband is Air Force at
Nelis and we have talked out way to get out of town. I hope the boys have a heads up and can get things moving before the place is closed down.
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silverstate51 |
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Posts: 208 (07/27/09 11:34) Tenderfoot |
When Vegas was only 400K in population, they believed they could contain and control events by blocking the arteries out of town. These days, resources will
be directed to containing the area around the specific event, not trying to keep 1 million + people from leaving. If the disaster were big enough to cause
everyone to try and leave (a desert Katrina), Metro just doesn't have the resources to stop them.
Far easier and more effective to contain and control the area around the most likely events (man made or flash flood) and keep a smooth exit flow from the immediate area. Clark County has no total valley evacuation plan, preferring to shelter in place. That does not mean preventing a million + angry people from leaving. Metro and the hotel/casino industry will work together to shelter in place as many people as possible, but if you prevent them from leaving, you accept legal responsibility to house and feed them. Clark County just does not have the money to do that (and can you imagine a three day weekend, when the valley population could exceed 2 million?). |
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southern utah |
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Posts: 121 (07/30/09 19:53) Tenderfoot |
plainsman and others, what kind of terrain and population is in your area. Would you head out or hunker down and try to wait it out. Do you have family and
friends to count on or are you on your own. Do you have a safe location to go to. Are there plans to get there at first warning or wait tell it hits the fan.
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M203TANGO |
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Posts: 3 (09/01/09 00:31) |
I live in a pretty good sized town. In one of the wetter states of the Pacific North West. After spending a couple of semi miserable nights after getting stuck
in my 4x4 in the woods I put together a survival kit. For the old folks here it held the 10 Essentials. It fit in a US Navy canvas gas mask bag from WWII.
My Emergency Kit for the last 19 years is in a WWII German gas mask cannister. Besides the basics it holds a drinking straw, lifeboat ration, $5 in quarters and $30 cash. My truck is my survival kit. I carry a GP tool kit, a few canned goods, 1-2 gallons of water 3-5 qts oil+trans fluid+fuses zip ties and road flares. Usually one complete change of clothes+vest+2 stocking hats, gloves. First aid kit, road triangles, 3 fire extinguishers. This is my normal year round loadout for my sled. Of late I carry concealed 24/7. My piece w/2 extra mags w/JHP. Plus 1 extra mag in truck+40R JHP+50R RB extra. My backup 22 w/3 mags +150R extra. In winter I carry 1 or 2 flannel shirts and coat and raingear. If snow is in forecast I've got firewood+concrete blocks in bed for weight and full gas tank. Throw in insulated coveralls and am wearing my Sorel type boots+spare boots 6 pr winter sox+3 or 4 MREs+more food,mess kit and bedroll. I carry my axe and some cedar kindling,round point shovel, snow shovel and sand/de-icer. I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Last Edited By: M203TANGO
09/01/09 00:37.
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