In this post I'm not talking about bugging out because of a fire, I'm talking about your bug out fire.
A couple of things on this.
First, as I've said in the past you need to have at least 3 methods of making fire NOT including the matches that you should also keep in your bug out bag. To me a match should be used only as a last resort.
Second, once you've built a fire during a bug out, it should not EVER be allowed to go completely out. It needs to stay burning. Having an actual burning fire of even a very small size means it's far easier to build a roaring fire for something should you need it (like an injury).
Having said that, keep in mind that during the day smoke can be seen from quite a ways off, especially in the mornings. Therefore, your fire should be allowed to get quite small once the sky begins to brighten so that any smoke is dissipated and not visible anymore only a foot or so above the flame.
A word of caution about keeping your fire burning. Doing that may mean keeping a "watch" awake at all times. If your group is larger than 5 or 6 people this will be fairly easy. If your group is smaller that will make keeping your fire burning constantly AND thinking about reducing the size of the fire before it can be seen as morning comes a bit challenging.
If your group is very small you may want to consider trying to combine with another small group.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Can you eat?
That's a big question I ask people that hire me to consult with them about survival.
Can you eat?
Most of the time I'm greeted with a blank stare wondering what I'm talking about followed by a, "yeah ... of course."
So I take them to their bug out location, take their food away and ask them to start eating at which point they mention that I just took their food away.
So let me ask you something. Let say a bug out becomes necessary. Worse, it becomes necessary for the bug out to last longer than the food you have in your bug out bag.
Can you eat?
Most people would talk about hunting. The problem is that once you start hunting you'll find that not long afterwards the prey you are hunting starts learning there is a predator and starts avoiding your area.
The truth of the matter is that if you truly want to survive you need to be able to READILY identify the edible plants and roots. Nearly everywhere plant life is far more abundant than animal or fish life. It therefore makes far more sense to think much more "gather" than it is to think "hunt."
So, what plants exist BOTH of your bug out areas? (and you do have two of them, a primary and a back up bug out location correct))
Can you easily go out to your bug out location and survive on little more than what you can gather from those edible plants?
On that note, let me say something. If you can build a fire, and if you're smart and your bug out bag includes things you can cook with, then you can make soups. They are easy to make and if you throw plenty of variety into them are often pretty tasty.
If you don't know what edible plants are available where your planned bug out locations are, now is the best time to start learning. Often it doesn't take much more than a few internet searches to learn this information. Now you just print it out, and make sure that you can quickly and easily identify the plants you can get food from (berries, roots, leaves, etc). MAKE SURE that you can do this even in fairly dim light!!!
Can you eat?
Most of the time I'm greeted with a blank stare wondering what I'm talking about followed by a, "yeah ... of course."
So I take them to their bug out location, take their food away and ask them to start eating at which point they mention that I just took their food away.
So let me ask you something. Let say a bug out becomes necessary. Worse, it becomes necessary for the bug out to last longer than the food you have in your bug out bag.
Can you eat?
Most people would talk about hunting. The problem is that once you start hunting you'll find that not long afterwards the prey you are hunting starts learning there is a predator and starts avoiding your area.
The truth of the matter is that if you truly want to survive you need to be able to READILY identify the edible plants and roots. Nearly everywhere plant life is far more abundant than animal or fish life. It therefore makes far more sense to think much more "gather" than it is to think "hunt."
So, what plants exist BOTH of your bug out areas? (and you do have two of them, a primary and a back up bug out location correct))
Can you easily go out to your bug out location and survive on little more than what you can gather from those edible plants?
On that note, let me say something. If you can build a fire, and if you're smart and your bug out bag includes things you can cook with, then you can make soups. They are easy to make and if you throw plenty of variety into them are often pretty tasty.
If you don't know what edible plants are available where your planned bug out locations are, now is the best time to start learning. Often it doesn't take much more than a few internet searches to learn this information. Now you just print it out, and make sure that you can quickly and easily identify the plants you can get food from (berries, roots, leaves, etc). MAKE SURE that you can do this even in fairly dim light!!!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Are you ACTUALLY ready?
I know lots of people with bug out bags, ammunition, stock piled food and water, hardened homes, barriers to create additional perimeter security, stock piled first aid supplies, and so on and so on.
Do you know how many people that I know with a WRITTEN survival plan other than myself?
None.
Not a single person that I know personally has a written survival plan. Not a single one of those people with kids have talked with them ... let alone practiced what to do in the event of some kind of disaster or civil uprising.
So let me be clear about something.
As ready as you might think you are, if you don't have a written survival plan in place, then you aren't actually ready for much.
If you haven't practiced that plan, especially with any children, then you aren't ready for much.
Now, if you have children and they're younger than 8 or 10, and something happens while they are in school, then your plan for them might be something as simple as two or three places where they are to wait for you to get them.
However, if something happens and they are with you, then practicing what their role is, and what they are supposed to do in any of several different types of crises is important. It can mitigate some of the obvious stress when they know what they are supposed to do and how to do it.
Besides, practicing some of these things can actually be kind of fun. A bug out isn't much more than a weekend out camping.
However, every person needs to have a job (over the age of about 3) in a disaster. Every person needs to know they are helping and that they are contributing. That they are doing what they can, what they are supposed to, and that the other people in your group are doing the same.
Like I said, it'll keep stress levels down and your chances of making it through some sort of calamity much higher.
If you live in an older neighborhood with older homes, your local fire system probably can't handle a major fire that could go through your neighborhood like a book of matches.
What about a flood if you live somewhere that's possible, or earthquake, or hurricane, or even a massive (worst in recorded history) blizzard that shuts your city down for two weeks.
No matter where you live, some type of natural disaster is possible, and in every instance it is HIGHLY likely for that disaster to completely overwhelm the ability of local response to deal with it quickly, or the federal government to deal with it at all (e.g. Katrina).
More to the point, you probably know what kinds of natural disasters are possible where you live.
So, you should have a written plan of what to do, who is going to do what, and what the "chain of command" (e.g. who is in charge) should be.
This should be written, agreed upon by all involved, AND IT SHOULD BE PRACTICED.
Your plan should include contingencies for you being able to stay at your home, at an alternate "bug out location" fairly close to your home, AND the possibility that the disaster will be far ranging enough that you will need to bug out to a completely different geological region (if you live on the coast, moving to the interior, or if you live below sea level, moving well away and above it)
Your plan should further include how to handle civil unrest. Again, the plan should include what to do if you're going to stay put, move to a close by bug out location, or move to a much more distant location.
Your two bug out locations should be defined, and AT LEAST 4 different routes of getting to each of them well known and memorized by ALL members of your group older than about 5.
Yes, I said older than 5. Disasters can cause crazy and unexplained things to happen. Civil unrest can cause crazier and more unexplained things to happen. If your child is old enough to run, then they are old enough to run away from you at the WORST possible time (fear can quickly overwhelm reason in a young child). Should something happen, and they get separated from you, then it's a very good idea for them to know where they should go and how they should get there.
Like I said, having a written plan is a MUST if you have children and having that plan practiced is just as important.
So, do you have a plan?
Do you know how many people that I know with a WRITTEN survival plan other than myself?
None.
Not a single person that I know personally has a written survival plan. Not a single one of those people with kids have talked with them ... let alone practiced what to do in the event of some kind of disaster or civil uprising.
So let me be clear about something.
As ready as you might think you are, if you don't have a written survival plan in place, then you aren't actually ready for much.
If you haven't practiced that plan, especially with any children, then you aren't ready for much.
Now, if you have children and they're younger than 8 or 10, and something happens while they are in school, then your plan for them might be something as simple as two or three places where they are to wait for you to get them.
However, if something happens and they are with you, then practicing what their role is, and what they are supposed to do in any of several different types of crises is important. It can mitigate some of the obvious stress when they know what they are supposed to do and how to do it.
Besides, practicing some of these things can actually be kind of fun. A bug out isn't much more than a weekend out camping.
However, every person needs to have a job (over the age of about 3) in a disaster. Every person needs to know they are helping and that they are contributing. That they are doing what they can, what they are supposed to, and that the other people in your group are doing the same.
Like I said, it'll keep stress levels down and your chances of making it through some sort of calamity much higher.
If you live in an older neighborhood with older homes, your local fire system probably can't handle a major fire that could go through your neighborhood like a book of matches.
What about a flood if you live somewhere that's possible, or earthquake, or hurricane, or even a massive (worst in recorded history) blizzard that shuts your city down for two weeks.
No matter where you live, some type of natural disaster is possible, and in every instance it is HIGHLY likely for that disaster to completely overwhelm the ability of local response to deal with it quickly, or the federal government to deal with it at all (e.g. Katrina).
More to the point, you probably know what kinds of natural disasters are possible where you live.
So, you should have a written plan of what to do, who is going to do what, and what the "chain of command" (e.g. who is in charge) should be.
This should be written, agreed upon by all involved, AND IT SHOULD BE PRACTICED.
Your plan should include contingencies for you being able to stay at your home, at an alternate "bug out location" fairly close to your home, AND the possibility that the disaster will be far ranging enough that you will need to bug out to a completely different geological region (if you live on the coast, moving to the interior, or if you live below sea level, moving well away and above it)
Your plan should further include how to handle civil unrest. Again, the plan should include what to do if you're going to stay put, move to a close by bug out location, or move to a much more distant location.
Your two bug out locations should be defined, and AT LEAST 4 different routes of getting to each of them well known and memorized by ALL members of your group older than about 5.
Yes, I said older than 5. Disasters can cause crazy and unexplained things to happen. Civil unrest can cause crazier and more unexplained things to happen. If your child is old enough to run, then they are old enough to run away from you at the WORST possible time (fear can quickly overwhelm reason in a young child). Should something happen, and they get separated from you, then it's a very good idea for them to know where they should go and how they should get there.
Like I said, having a written plan is a MUST if you have children and having that plan practiced is just as important.
So, do you have a plan?
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Answers about my bug out bag post
In my last post, "Stuff for your bug out bag" I gave a list of items that should be in both a bug out bag and a separate list for a shorter term "go" bag.
I almost immediately got some comments asking question or challenging what I had. Instead of having some super long reply to comments, let me just answer the questions here now.
1) Should the pistol and rifle be in every bug out bag, or just in one bag if there are multiple people?
A) Every person should have their own firearms ... ASSUMING they are competent with their use. Giving a firearm to someone that doesn't really know how to use one is just asking for someone to get hurt and a bug out is the WORST time to be teaching firearms skills. Secondly, and this is totally personal opinion, a real "this is not a drill" bug out is stressful. For that reason I personally wouldn't give a firearm to anyone less than about 12 years old unless they are VERY skilled. My son didn't have firearms as part of his bug out or go bags until he was 15 (but settled down, got serious, and he's now sporting an AR-15 that he can reliably use at targets over 500 meters away). My youngest daughter however is like Annie Oakley and got hers recently at 13 (.22 for both the pistol and rifle). Again, this is just personal belief and you have to gauge it based on what you think your kids can handle.
My reason for saying each person old enough and skilled in their use should have their own firearms is two fold, first each person should be largely self-sufficient. Second, even if one or two members of your group are so overwhelmingly more skilled with a firearm than the other people in the group having everyone carry their own firearms and ammunition simply means a better "spread" of the weight being carried. It gives those people that will be doing any shooting much more ammunition than they could carry on their own.
As an example, myself and my son are likely to be the only two people actually doing any hunting in a bug out or using a firearm in self defense. However my wife and other children all have both a pistol and a rifle.
2) You list .22 for a rifle and a handgun ... why not a shotgun or something higher caliber for the rifle or the handgun?
A) Before I get started you should know that the kind and type of firearms that should be carried for a bug out is a hotly debated topic with the various experts both online and off. There are a lot of pros and cons to the various types and calibers of firearms so understand that I am just giving you my own opinions on the matter.
I really like to have both the handgun and the rifle to be the same caliber. This allows the ammunition you are carrying to server double duty which means you can carry less ... which means less weight carried.
Secondly, and this is largely probably a result of my military training, I am not a fan of shotguns. I know that birds are everywhere, are easy to find and make an easy and readily available food source, which means that a single shotgun can bring down several birds making feeding easier.
However, shotguns are LOUD. During a bug out I'd rather not announce my location. My goal is to hunker down, stay out of sight and quiet, and generally be left alone until some kind of normalcy has been returned.
.22 handguns and rifles are more than accurate enough to take out small "varmints" for food, I'm a good fisherman so there's food that way ... and .22 can be quieted very easily as it's a subsonic round.
Further, .22 ammo is so light that quite a lot of it can be carried.
Those things all equal up to using a .22 for both a handgun (self defense) and a rifle (dual purpose self defense and hunting).
Having said that, take note that my son is using a .223 AR-15 (he thought it was cool that I put the assault rifle as part of his bug out bag).
Also, and I haven't said this before, but I'm using a .45 for both my handgun and rifle to give us something with a bit more kick should it be needed. Now, the .45 ammo is probably three times heavier per round (okay, maybe twice) which means I can't carry as much.
However, there's 7 in my immediate family (including my oldest daughter's fiance) which means with that many people I have the ability to start varying the "weaponry" a bit.
I almost immediately got some comments asking question or challenging what I had. Instead of having some super long reply to comments, let me just answer the questions here now.
1) Should the pistol and rifle be in every bug out bag, or just in one bag if there are multiple people?
A) Every person should have their own firearms ... ASSUMING they are competent with their use. Giving a firearm to someone that doesn't really know how to use one is just asking for someone to get hurt and a bug out is the WORST time to be teaching firearms skills. Secondly, and this is totally personal opinion, a real "this is not a drill" bug out is stressful. For that reason I personally wouldn't give a firearm to anyone less than about 12 years old unless they are VERY skilled. My son didn't have firearms as part of his bug out or go bags until he was 15 (but settled down, got serious, and he's now sporting an AR-15 that he can reliably use at targets over 500 meters away). My youngest daughter however is like Annie Oakley and got hers recently at 13 (.22 for both the pistol and rifle). Again, this is just personal belief and you have to gauge it based on what you think your kids can handle.
My reason for saying each person old enough and skilled in their use should have their own firearms is two fold, first each person should be largely self-sufficient. Second, even if one or two members of your group are so overwhelmingly more skilled with a firearm than the other people in the group having everyone carry their own firearms and ammunition simply means a better "spread" of the weight being carried. It gives those people that will be doing any shooting much more ammunition than they could carry on their own.
As an example, myself and my son are likely to be the only two people actually doing any hunting in a bug out or using a firearm in self defense. However my wife and other children all have both a pistol and a rifle.
2) You list .22 for a rifle and a handgun ... why not a shotgun or something higher caliber for the rifle or the handgun?
A) Before I get started you should know that the kind and type of firearms that should be carried for a bug out is a hotly debated topic with the various experts both online and off. There are a lot of pros and cons to the various types and calibers of firearms so understand that I am just giving you my own opinions on the matter.
I really like to have both the handgun and the rifle to be the same caliber. This allows the ammunition you are carrying to server double duty which means you can carry less ... which means less weight carried.
Secondly, and this is largely probably a result of my military training, I am not a fan of shotguns. I know that birds are everywhere, are easy to find and make an easy and readily available food source, which means that a single shotgun can bring down several birds making feeding easier.
However, shotguns are LOUD. During a bug out I'd rather not announce my location. My goal is to hunker down, stay out of sight and quiet, and generally be left alone until some kind of normalcy has been returned.
.22 handguns and rifles are more than accurate enough to take out small "varmints" for food, I'm a good fisherman so there's food that way ... and .22 can be quieted very easily as it's a subsonic round.
Further, .22 ammo is so light that quite a lot of it can be carried.
Those things all equal up to using a .22 for both a handgun (self defense) and a rifle (dual purpose self defense and hunting).
Having said that, take note that my son is using a .223 AR-15 (he thought it was cool that I put the assault rifle as part of his bug out bag).
Also, and I haven't said this before, but I'm using a .45 for both my handgun and rifle to give us something with a bit more kick should it be needed. Now, the .45 ammo is probably three times heavier per round (okay, maybe twice) which means I can't carry as much.
However, there's 7 in my immediate family (including my oldest daughter's fiance) which means with that many people I have the ability to start varying the "weaponry" a bit.
Stuff For Your Bug Out Bag
Look around the internet and you can find quite a few talking about what should be in a "go bag" or your bug out bag ... so I figured why shouldn't I join the chorus! :-)
Now, at this point I'm going to say something. In my mind there is a HUGE difference between a "bug out" (natural disaster that may take several days or a week for the government to stabilize) and an emergency (we need to get out for at most a day) "go".
Here is what I think should be in a full "bug out" bag:
Also, notice how I structured the list, and this is basic survival. Think about water needs first, next came food, then food prep, then fire, then self defense, then shelter, and finally the shovel (human waste disposal) and the hatchet and rope in case the bug out ends up needing to take longer than expected you can create more "permanent" structures. I also have ways of catching more food (fire arms, fishing, and snaring). Then I also have pictures in there for a little mental sanity.
There should be one of these bags for every person in your household. If you have young children (less than 10) you'll have to add some of their things to your bag, but if they can talk, they should have to carry some things on their own, at least clothes, food, and water.
Here is what I think should be in a "go" bag:
Again, notice how the list is structured: water, food, self defense, shelter and finally contingency items in case it takes longer than a day.
The idea with a "go bag" however is to make it really easy to grab, go, and not look strange walking around with it. If you're like most of the industrialized world and you live in a city, walking down the street with a huge backpack on your back will get you noticed.
In a "go" situation (e.g. civil unrest) being noticed could be a bad thing.
Again, everyone should have their own bag!!!
Further, to be honest, in a full "bug out", I would grab my "go bag" as well.
Now, at this point I'm going to say something. In my mind there is a HUGE difference between a "bug out" (natural disaster that may take several days or a week for the government to stabilize) and an emergency (we need to get out for at most a day) "go".
Here is what I think should be in a full "bug out" bag:
- a quart of bottled water
- iodine tablets to make more water drinkable
- 3 days of freeze dried meals
- Food prep (pan, pot, spoons ... easily found in camping supplies)
- Plate, spoon, fork, knife
- At least three ways of making a fire AND a couple boxes of matches (which would make 4 ways of making fire ... and you should be capable of making fire every way that you carry)
- Clothes for three days (error on the side of the clothes being for weather colder than you will probably see ... if it's hot, you can take clothes off, if it's cold you only have what you have and that's it)
- Walking stick (tied beside the bag so it can't be forgotten)
- Some kind of hunting quality knife
- A firearm and ammunition for it (personally I keep a .22 pistol IN the bag which in the event the thing is needed I would wear and a .22 rifle tied to the outside)
- A small pup tent
- a sleeping bag (I live where it's cold so mine has a -30 comfort rating), and pad (I use the texalite pad, it's thin, light, improves comfort and keeps you off the ground)
- A shovel (breaks down and goes into the bag, the shovel head also has saw teeth)
- A small hatchet
- 20 feet of good quality rope
- Fishing pole and lures (ONLY if you know how to fish and your bug out location has a place to do it)
- First aid kit that includes the ability to sew up a bad cut ... AND YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW
- Pictures of loved ones printed from my color ink jet and placed into individual ziploc bags
Also, notice how I structured the list, and this is basic survival. Think about water needs first, next came food, then food prep, then fire, then self defense, then shelter, and finally the shovel (human waste disposal) and the hatchet and rope in case the bug out ends up needing to take longer than expected you can create more "permanent" structures. I also have ways of catching more food (fire arms, fishing, and snaring). Then I also have pictures in there for a little mental sanity.
There should be one of these bags for every person in your household. If you have young children (less than 10) you'll have to add some of their things to your bag, but if they can talk, they should have to carry some things on their own, at least clothes, food, and water.
Here is what I think should be in a "go" bag:
- A quart of water
- freeze dried food for 1 day
- A pistol and ammunition for it
- Walking stick
- Tarp large enough to make a lean-to or fold over shelter
- Sleeping bag and pad
- Hunting knife
- At least two methods of making fire and a box of matches
- a pair of underwear, a shirt, and a hoodie type jacket
- The camping shovel I mentioned above with saw teeth on the shovel pan
- 20 feet of rope
- Fishing pole and lures (I like to fish obviously ... again, only take IF APPROPRIATE)
Again, notice how the list is structured: water, food, self defense, shelter and finally contingency items in case it takes longer than a day.
The idea with a "go bag" however is to make it really easy to grab, go, and not look strange walking around with it. If you're like most of the industrialized world and you live in a city, walking down the street with a huge backpack on your back will get you noticed.
In a "go" situation (e.g. civil unrest) being noticed could be a bad thing.
Again, everyone should have their own bag!!!
Further, to be honest, in a full "bug out", I would grab my "go bag" as well.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
It's about awareness
When it comes to survival, like I've said a few times now self defense is important.
And when it comes to self defense, awareness is a major piece of that. In the military it's actually called "situational awareness."
At any given point in time, you need to know who is around you, what do they look like, how are they moving? What are your options should there be a physical encounter (e.g. a fight)?
What weapons are immediately at hand?
How far away is it? What kind?
Now here's the thing about that ... some "weapons" don't appear to be a weapon at all.
As an example, a decent sized heavy book is actually a VERY powerful weapon and often there are books all over the place.
It's about being aware of your options.
Further awareness is also about your ability to determine something as a possible weapon (or shield) that others may not consider.
My last point on this ... situational awareness is a SKILL that must be honed. You have to work on it.
Pay attention to the cars around you when you drive, what kind they are ... and by "around" I mean within a quarter mile if you're on a major road or interstate.
When you are walking or in a store, how many people are there, what do they look like? WORK on it, be aware of who is around you and what they are doing. Be aware and develop this skill.
And when it comes to self defense, awareness is a major piece of that. In the military it's actually called "situational awareness."
At any given point in time, you need to know who is around you, what do they look like, how are they moving? What are your options should there be a physical encounter (e.g. a fight)?
What weapons are immediately at hand?
How far away is it? What kind?
Now here's the thing about that ... some "weapons" don't appear to be a weapon at all.
As an example, a decent sized heavy book is actually a VERY powerful weapon and often there are books all over the place.
It's about being aware of your options.
Further awareness is also about your ability to determine something as a possible weapon (or shield) that others may not consider.
My last point on this ... situational awareness is a SKILL that must be honed. You have to work on it.
Pay attention to the cars around you when you drive, what kind they are ... and by "around" I mean within a quarter mile if you're on a major road or interstate.
When you are walking or in a store, how many people are there, what do they look like? WORK on it, be aware of who is around you and what they are doing. Be aware and develop this skill.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Are you "go" ready?
I've been talking a lot about the "bug out bag" because it's so important. There are a number of sites that talk about what should be in it and all that good stuff, and honestly I'll be doing this as well myself in later posts.
Before I get into WHAT should be in your bug out bag, I want to cover an important concept first. In certain "communities" there is what is known as the "go" bag. The idea is the same as a survivalists bug out bag, in fact they are nearly identical.
The difference is that people that talk about "go bags" understand that this is something "go ready". It's something that is right now. Now prep time, no messing around ... grab and go.
I know lots of people that have a bug out bag that isn't "go ready". They would need to grab a firearm and ammunition. I knew one person that stored the food for their bug out bag in their basement but their bag was kept in their bedroom on the second floor.
This isn't good. A bug out bag NEEDS to be "go ready". In the event a bug out becomes neccessary time will be a very precious commodity and you do NOT want to put yourself in the position of having to do ANYTHING other than grab it and go.
Your basic survival firearm should be in it along with plenty of ammunition, food, water, methods for making water depending on where you live, methods for making fire, shelter, sleeping gear, cooking gear, and so on.
Is your bug out bag "go ready"?
Before I get into WHAT should be in your bug out bag, I want to cover an important concept first. In certain "communities" there is what is known as the "go" bag. The idea is the same as a survivalists bug out bag, in fact they are nearly identical.
The difference is that people that talk about "go bags" understand that this is something "go ready". It's something that is right now. Now prep time, no messing around ... grab and go.
I know lots of people that have a bug out bag that isn't "go ready". They would need to grab a firearm and ammunition. I knew one person that stored the food for their bug out bag in their basement but their bag was kept in their bedroom on the second floor.
This isn't good. A bug out bag NEEDS to be "go ready". In the event a bug out becomes neccessary time will be a very precious commodity and you do NOT want to put yourself in the position of having to do ANYTHING other than grab it and go.
Your basic survival firearm should be in it along with plenty of ammunition, food, water, methods for making water depending on where you live, methods for making fire, shelter, sleeping gear, cooking gear, and so on.
Is your bug out bag "go ready"?
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