[mojo2]

There's no better time than now to start preparing for a disaster NO ONE wants to come but no one can guarantee won't come.

Here's a link with a bunch of lists of recommedations.

With scenarios such as what we see on TV today, in mind what 5 or 10 items would you say are YOUR #1 priorities if you had to survive a week without help?

Here's my list:

1) H2O purification tablets and/or handpump filter and plastic 1 gal. (min) water container. Supply of dry condoms. Small bottle of Courvoisier.

2) Wind-up/battery powered multi-band radio & flashlight.

3) Waterproof/windproof lighter/matches AND Swedish Firesteel.

4) Multi-tool (knife, screwdrivers and etc.)

5) Firearm of some kind (one shot .22 cal. survival rifle or .45 cal M-1911 or 12 ga. shotgun) and holster and ammo & cleaning kit.

6) Survival Mirror & Magnifying lens.

7) 25 - 50 ft length of nylon rope in nylon storage bag to accommodate all other items in kit.

8) First-Aid & sewing kits in large Ziploc plastic bags.

9) Toilet paper

10) Survival manual

11) Survival blanket

12) Multiple vitamins

13) MRE's & workout bars.

14) 2 bars soap & face towel.

15) A few packs of smokes.

What's your short list going to be for one week?

[effgee]

Toilet paper???

[PacHead]

Originally Posted by effgee

Toilet paper???

Yeah, they do use that in your part of the world don't they ?

[effgee]

Originally Posted by PacHead

Yeah, they do use that in your part of the world don't they ?

No they don't - what would give you that idea? Btw, weren't you the guy who needed an extra heater in his room to keep himself warm?

[:dragonflypro:]

You might want to add some food, man.

MRE's & workout bars. Non-perishables after that.

Also, one that seems petty but can save your bacon: SOAP. 2 bars minimum.

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by :dragonflypro:

You might want to add some food, man.

MRE's & workout bars. Non-perishables after that.

Also, one that seems petty but can save your bacon: SOAP. 2 bars minimum.

I figured I'd just shoot or loot and scoot for food. (jk)

Come to think of it maybe I should get some food and cigarettes to use as barter.

<mojo2 adds 2 bars of soap and face towel to list>

[PacHead]

Originally Posted by effgee

No they don't - what would give you that idea? Btw, weren't you the guy who needed an extra heater in his room to keep himself warm?

Yeah, I was the person who bought that questionable canadian heater, and I returned it and got a better one which was much, much quieter.

Is using a heater in the wintertime a crime or something ? Is AC in the summertime acceptable to you ?

[von Wrangell]

1. knife
2. warm clothes
3. condoms
4. zippo

For a week that's enough and only takes about 2 minutes to prepare.

[Atomic Rooster]

Tinfoil hat.

[badidea]

Originally Posted by mojo2

There's no better time than now to start preparing for a disaster NO ONE wants to come but no one can guarantee won't come.

I don't get it - if there's no proof that this disaster will come, why the hell do you want to prepare for it?
I mean there's no proof that global warming is caused by humans and therefor I always read here there is no need to do anything to stop it...

I suggest you better wait until the disaster is here, then you go back in time and prepare yourself -> you can save yourself a lot of money and uncomfortable effort if nothing happens!

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by von Wrangell

1. knife
2. warm clothes
3. condoms
4. zippo

For a week that's enough and only takes about 2 minutes to prepare.

Yeah! You have snow to boil (but in what container? )

[von Wrangell]

Originally Posted by mojo2

Yeah! You have snow to boil (but in what container? )

Only two days of snow here the last 12 months. Just several rivers and lakes within the next 10-15km that can be used for that purpose. And you don't need to boil it.

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by badidea

I don't get it - if there's no proof that this disaster will come, why the hell do you want to prepare for it?
I mean there's no proof that global warming is caused by humans and therefor I always read here there is no need to do anything to stop it...

I suggest you better wait until the disaster is here, then you go back in time and prepare yourself -> you can save yourself a lot of money and uncomfortable effort if nothing happens!

See, THAT's where you've overlooked a minor, sort of inconsequential set of possibilities.

Hell can arrive from a number of fronts.

Oil disruption. Hurricane. Flood. Earthquake. Tornado. Blizzard. Drought. Nuclear/Biological/Chemical attack. Tsunami. Volcano.

And for the record, as a listener of Coast to Coast AM, I believe global warming IS caused by humans but it's a by-product of a lifestyle that's quickly gonna have to change.

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by von Wrangell

Only two days of snow here the last 12 months. Just several rivers and lakes within the next 10-15km that can be used for that purpose. And you don't need to boil it.

Nearby clean lakes, rivers and streams and no madding crowds to deal with. Wow, it sounds like one might almost welcome a natural disaster up there. It would be like a vacation in a way!

Almost. Maybe, sorta.

[finboy]

Given what we've seen, #5 seems to be the most important. With that, you can get the rest.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by mojo2

With scenarios such as what we see on TV today, in mind what 5 or 10 items would you say are YOUR #1 priorities if you had to survive a week without help?

Nothing. I'm usually stocked for about six months anyways.

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by finboy

Given what we've seen, #5 seems to be the most important. With that, you can get the rest.

You know, your comment made me think the more important thing than a kit and a list is a strategy...a plan.

I would make friends with all my biggest, baddest neighbors and let them know I have smokes and weapons. Then we'd just become like the roving bands of well armed militia that we saw and fought and who killed our Rangers in Mogadishu (thanks to OBL's funding and training) in Somalia.

NOBODY would eat unless mojo2 approved it.

I would be a Warlord. Warlord Mojo2. Has a ring to it!

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by Doofy

Nothing. I'm usually stocked for about six months anyways.

Water and non perishables, too?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by mojo2

Water and non perishables, too?

The well eight feet from my back door has been supplying fresh, clean water since the 18th Century (and there's no chance of it being flooded out). That's on top of the three-odd month supply of bottled water I usually have (I bulk buy most things - it's cheaper).

Non-perishables? Define please?

[badidea]

Originally Posted by mojo2

And for the record, as a listener of Coast to Coast AM, I believe global warming IS caused by humans but it's a by-product of a lifestyle that's quickly gonna have to change.

Oh well, sorry then! For some reason I thought you're one of those who don't believe that global warming could be caused by humans.

I know that hell can arrive from a number of fronts - I justed wanted to the make the point that doing nothing will change nothing but doing something might help (or not) and that's our only chance to prevent/prepare for global warming disasters.

[von Wrangell]

Originally Posted by mojo2

Nearby clean rivers and streams and no madding crowds to deal with. Wow, it sounds like one might almost welcome a natural disaster up there. It would be like a vacation in a way!

Almost. Maybe, sorta.

In the few disasters so far the crowds have gone out of their way to help instead of cause problems. Might have something to do with us being so few but it could also have to with our culture.

And no, we won't welcome natural disasters up here. In fact we are just waiting for the next one to strike. Could be eruptions under glaciers (possible that two different volcanic eruptions are about to happen, we are in fact waiting for one of them, Katla and volcanoes under Vatnajökull), could be volcanic eruptions from some of our bigger volcanoes (such eruptions could go on for years and have a drastic effect on life in Europe or NA depending on the weather, Eldgjá, Laki and Askja), could be earthquakes >6 on Richter (won't do much damage though but could cause a disruption in our lives, Geography of Iceland) and the list goes on.

I guess the difference is that we have planned ahead and live by the rules of nature instead of trying to do it the other way around which is what it seems like much of the West is doing at the moment.

[finboy]

Originally Posted by mojo2

as a listener of Coast to Coast AM

That explains a lot.

That comes from someone who listened to Art and George (with a critical ear) for years, every night (for the noise).

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by Doofy

The well eight feet from my back door has been supplying fresh, clean water since the 18th Century (and there's no chance of it being flooded out). That's on top of the three-odd month supply of bottled water I usually have (I bulk buy most things - it's cheaper).

Non-perishables? Define please?

Oops, I meant perishables. Fruits, veggies and etc. That well sounds marvelous!

OK. I'm no longer worried about Doofy surviving a natural disaster.

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by badidea

Oh well, sorry then! For some reason I thought you're one of those who don't believe that global warming could be caused by humans.

I know that hell can arrive from a number of fronts - I justed wanted to the make the point that doing nothing will change nothing but doing something might help (or not) and that's our only chance to prevent/prepare for global warming disasters.

I'm with you in that belief. The writing is on the wall. Americans WILL forget this tragedy soon. I see how people forget what things were like just three or four years ago and so I have started to get people to take action in San Francisco NOW. Think locally, work locally!

[iLikebeer]

Some of you guys are lying or forgetting. All these posts and not one person mentioned beer. I remember seeing a hurricane news story where the order of things they ran out of were:
1)plywood
2)BEER!!!!!!!!!!
3)gas
4)water
might as well stock some guns, gold, and cash while you're at it, just in case it's really bad

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by von Wrangell

In the few disasters so far the crowds have gone out of their way to help instead of cause problems. Might have something to do with us being so few but it could also have to with our culture.

And no, we won't welcome natural disasters up here. In fact we are just waiting for the next one to strike. Could be eruptions under glaciers (possible that two different volcanic eruptions are about to happen, we are in fact waiting for one of them, Katla and volcanoes under Vatnajökull), could be volcanic eruptions from some of our bigger volcanoes (such eruptions could go on for years and have a drastic effect on life in Europe or NA depending on the weather, Eldgjá, Laki and Askja), could be earthquakes >6 on Richter (won't do much damage though but could cause a disruption in our lives, Geography of Iceland) and the list goes on.

I guess the difference is that we have planned ahead and live by the rules of nature instead of trying to do it the other way around which is what it seems like much of the West is doing at the moment.

I suppose there's nothing more an intelligent people can do but what you are doing or have already done.

But you live well and that is a great thing.

Uh, but condoms?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by mojo2

Oops, I meant perishables. Fruits

Orchard.

Originally Posted by mojo2

veggies

Fields full of potatoes.

Originally Posted by mojo2

and etc.

Example: Milking herd standing about 20 feet away from me. They're not mine - next door's - but we're sufficiently friendly to help each other out in a crisis.
Example: Redundant heating systems - I've got gas, electricity and solid fuel (so if push comes to shove I can go chop a few trees - of which I have plenty - down to power the heating/cooking).
Example: I buy in bulk, so there's enough canned stuff to last about six months.
Plenty of other options - this little rural community has been surviving since way before they invented any mod cons, including petroleum.

Originally Posted by mojo2

OK. I'm no longer worried about Doofy surviving a natural disaster.

The only thing likely to happen here which I couldn't cope with are rampaging hoardes of less-prepared people. But as our government doesn't let us have weapons, I can't do much about that (except move out of the country to somewhere which allows semi-auto shotguns, which I plan to shortly).

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by mojo2

Uh, but condoms?

Very good for keeping stuff (like matches) dry.

[von Wrangell]

Originally Posted by mojo2

I suppose there's nothing more an intelligent people can do but what you are doing or have already done.

But you live well and that is a great thing.

Uh, but condoms?

hehe, I was wondering when someone would pick up on this. It's the best way to store water. Doesn't take up any space or weight when not used but is able to contain a few liters when used.

[von Wrangell]

Originally Posted by Doofy

Very good for keeping stuff (like matches) dry.

And that

[ghporter]

While having an "emergency kit" is a fantastic idea (I've had one set up since the FIRST time I lived in Biloxi-and weathered a hurricane there), there's one imperitive item that must be added to all of it: a WORKABLE plan for getting out at a moment's notice. Yep, when it gets as bad as it already looked like Katrina was going to be, the wisest thing to do is just leave. This MUST be part of one's emergency planing.

[Gee4orce]

The simplest rule is to have a 2 minute bag packed. The contents of which are decided by the following question:

"If you were to leave your home in 2 minutes time and never return, what would you need take with you ?"

[Gee4orce]

oops

[davesimondotcom]

The most likely natural disaster of the scale of Katrina to hit my area would have to be a severe blizzard. I do live in a seismically active area, but earthquakes that actually do damage around here are rare. (See Hebgen/Quake Lake, 1959)

But, in a blizzard, we're prepared in our home for keeping warm, having enough water, having enough food. I'm not really worried about a blizzard.

Next on the list would be the little volcano nearby to go up. In that case, we'd be dead before we knew anything happened. (I live north of Yellowstone Park, which is a very large caldera, and if it blew, much of the state of Montana would be gone.)

Floods don't concern me, because even though I live close to the Gallatin River (within a mile), the ground here is so porous that water doesn't stay on the surface near our home. And our lawn can testify to that.

What I'd be most concerned about is the human element. The way people are acting in the area effected by Katrina, even though it's only a few, can cause others to panic as well.

Since my wife and I are avid campers, on a moment's notice, we could be out of our house with all necessary gear and our pets. Would take all of five minutes (if that). Everything is in dry bags ready to go. Food and water from the fridge before we go, in a cooler. Ice from the freezer. Medicine. We're outta here.

[:dragonflypro:]

The bug out bag is a family staple here.

It never gets opened unless it is being refreshed or refined.

Oh, to the person who mentioned gold. Gold is dangerous. Seriously. People get a fever for it. Kill for it. It is pretty much culturally a fact. If you feel you need barter, silver is a much better alternative.

T

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by :dragonflypro:

Oh, to the person who mentioned gold. Gold is dangerous. Seriously. People get a fever for it. Kill for it. It is pretty much culturally a fact. If you feel you need barter, silver is a much better alternative.

The importance of this can't be underestimated. Valuable goods to barter can be useful, but don't get too valuable. Although gold is technically a cultural thing, it is common to so many cultures that it may as well be treated as though it were a basic fact of human nature. No one knows exactly why gold has managed to appeal to so many cultures reaching back into ancient times, but it has.

In any case, the other thing to keep in mind is that you can't become dependent on stockpiles. Many people in NOLA probably kept stockpiles -it sounds like common sense, after all- but I'd be willing to bet that many of those were quickly ruined by the floodwaters. A "good-sized" stockpile isn't going to be portable, and so if it located in a place which is destroyed or rendered inaccessible then it becomes useless.

The only supplies you can truly count on are those you carry with you at all times. I've carried a Leatherman around for several years now. The knife if the only part that's truly vital to survival; I've never had to use that part, but the other tools have come in handy at the strangest times. A Swiss-army knife or similar device would work just as well. You could even make do with a plain knife, but people tend to look askance at that nowadays; if this worries you then Swiss-army knives and multitools draw much less suspicion.

[andi*pandi]

I have no idea, depends on weather and how long I have to pack. In the two-minute run out of the house scenario, I guess it would be water bottles, sweatshirt/jackets, food, a blanket, first aid kit. If I have five minutes, then I'd grab a tarp, flashlight, utility knife, matches/lighter. Give me an hour and I'd have spare clothes, sleeping bags, and I'd find that crank radio we put somewhere.

but chances of us having to leave our house are slim. Fire, but we're more likely to be snowed or iced in. I guess we may have to leave if the snow is ever so much that it caves the roof in. We should get a fire ladder for the upstairs.

It does remind me again of the need to put valuable papers in our fireproof safe... that is still in the packaging.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Millennium

The only supplies you can truly count on are those you carry with you at all times. I've carried a Leatherman around for several years now. The knife if the only part that's truly vital to survival; I've never had to use that part, but the other tools have come in handy at the strangest times. A Swiss-army knife or similar device would work just as well.

Our police have been known to prosecute (with jail time) people who carry Swiss-army knives in their car gloveboxes (not even on the person).

Sensible country, the UK.

[scottiB]

Blow-up doll in case the wife doesn't make it.

[FulcrumPilot]

I would invest in a simple to fly aerial transportation device that can be stored in your basement. A pocket zepplin may be.

[Scifience]

* Swedish Firesteel (yes, this really works, even in rain)
* Pot (for cooking, boiling water, etc.)
* Water filter
* Condoms (great for storing water and other stuff)
* Semiautomatic Rifle (for hunting and self defense)
* Week's supply of dry, high-protein food (trail mix or the like)
* A few day's worth of bottled water
* Crank-powered flashlight and radio (with spare bulbs for the flashlight)
* Satellite phone
* GPS
* Solar charger for phone and GPS
* Sleeping bag and compact pop-up tent
* A few dozen feet of sturdy rope
* Sewing kit
* First aid kit
* Seeds for vegetables
* A small hatchet
* Backpack

That's what I have packed and ready. Pretty much everything else could be made or acquired using those materials. Additional clothes could be made out of animal skins. Food could be gathered, hunted, or planted if necessary. Water could be boiled to kill bacteria and if necessary filtered to remove chemicals. Additional tools could be made out of stone and tree limbs.

While it is a bit more than 10 items, it can be carried fairly easily in a backpack. It provides a good foundation for survival, and I feel that I would be well-equipped to handle a crisis.

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by Scifience

* Swedish Firesteel (yes, this really works, even in rain)

I'd never heard of Swedish Firesteel before, but that looks really good. Easily portable, nonvolatile, and usable even in poor conditions.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Doofy

Our police have been known to prosecute (with jail time) people who carry Swiss-army knives in their car gloveboxes (not even on the person).

Sensible country, the UK.

I spoke to a gentleman who relocated from England to the U.S. a while back. His profession is armsmaker-he specializes in the "interssting" kinds of specialized tactical rifles and accessories that can make a difference between life or death for a combat soldier, and he takes his business seriously. I asked him why he moved to the States, he said "I can't do my job back home. They won't let me make a spoon there-here! you could have your eye out with that!" It seems from my point of view that the government of the UK is kind of over the top (WAY over the top) when it comes to "protecting the citizenry."

Scientifically, I doubt there is enough actual incidence of crimes committed with pocket knives to make them a "weapon" in any but the broadest sense. Here in Texas, the law states that any knife over a certain length (I think it's about 5") is considered a weapon. I have a 4" or so boot knife I hike with, but my Gerber multi-tool (like a Leatherman but it pinches your hand differently when you use the pliers) is always handy and almost always useful.

[ThinkInsane]

Funny enough, I've got every item on your list in my home right now, either as a part of regular day to day items, or as park of my hiking/camping gear. I buy bottled water by the case, as I drink a lot of it, and my pantry stays pretty well stocked. I even picked up a generator a couple of years ago when a major ice storm left everyone in the area from just north of my to Quebec without power (ironically, the last big ice storm we had, everyone in a 10 block radius lost power except for me, for some reason my building is on a different grid).

So, I've got food (canned, dehydrated and MRE's, I buy that stuff by the case for hiking) and clothing, emergency power, items to deal with contingencies, fire arms, a cat I can eat if I get a might peckish, fresh water, heaters, sleeping bags, a winter-weight tent if I need it, an expedition size pack if I have to hoof it out, scuba gear if I have to swim for it, and I've even got 13 1 troy ounce gold bars in my safe which will always be money, even if money isn't (my grandfather used to give me one for my birthday every year before he died). I think that about covers it. Anything else I might need?

And no, I'm not a survival nut, just an outdoorsy kind of guy.

[PacHead]

Hurricanes like the one in New Orleans don't exactly happen too often. I think some of ya'll are a bit paranoid to be talking about stocking up on supplies as if doomsday were imminent. I'm sure there's a few old bomb shelters from the 60's that are available for purchase.

[ThinkInsane]

Like I said, most of my stuff I have anyway for recreational purposes. The only things I bought for emergency purposes were the generator and a couple of space heaters, given that my area is prone to blizzards and ice storms. No heat or power is a real bitch in the middle of the winter.

[Scifience]

Originally Posted by PacHead

Hurricanes like the one in New Orleans don't exactly happen too often. I think some of ya'll are a bit paranoid to be talking about stocking up on supplies as if doomsday were imminent. I'm sure there's a few old bomb shelters from the 60's that are available for purchase.

I don't live in an area particularly prone to natural disasters. However, during the big blackout a few years back, I was quite glad that I had many of the things that I did ready for quick access. It isn't just natural disasters where such items come in handy; infrastructure failures, terrorist attacks, and general collapse of civilization are all occasions where a survival kit would come in handy.

It never hurts to be prepared, but it can hurt to not be. I'll err on the side of caution, thank you.

[PacHead]

Originally Posted by Scifience

I don't live in an area particularly prone to natural disasters. However, during the big blackout a few years back, I was quite glad that I had many of the things that I did ready for quick access. It isn't just natural disasters where such items come in handy; infrastructure failures, terrorist attacks, and general collapse of civilization are all occasions where a survival kit would come in handy.

It never hurts to be prepared, but it can hurt to not be. I'll err on the side of caution, thank you.

Yeah, I suppose you're right. It doesn't hurt to have the basics of course. I suppose it's just a matter of degree of how far one takes it. I have heard of people in New York who ride to work on the subway with a gasmask in their briefcase. I guess if something did happen, they would be the smart ones.

[ThinkInsane]

Originally Posted by Scifience

I don't live in an area particularly prone to natural disasters. However, during the big blackout a few years back, I was quite glad that I had many of the things that I did ready for quick access. It isn't just natural disasters where such items come in handy; infrastructure failures, terrorist attacks, and general collapse of civilization are all occasions where a survival kit would come in handy.

It never hurts to be prepared, but it can hurt to not be. I'll err on the side of caution, thank you.

You know now that I think about it, I didn't lose power in the big black out either, even though most of the city did. Maybe I shouldn't have moved. I think the building might be plugged directly into the nuke plant or something.

[PacHead]

Originally Posted by ThinkInsane

No heat or power is a real bitch in the middle of the winter.

I'll second that. I started a heater thread awhile back.