Build a survival kit

[guncrasher]

nobody is stashing away beer and weed?  those are needed for those long hours looking out the window waiting for the black helicopters to show up.


semp

[Meatwad]

Actually, in your survival kit, you really need only socks.

Not only can you wear them, but you can make boiled socks, fried socks, socks thermadore, sock casserole, etc.; you can filter water through them; you can burn them for warmth; you can rub them together to generate fire; you an wipe with them; you can use them as bandages or tourniquets; you can leave bits of them behind to mark your trail; and so on.

After some thought, it seems that survival is all about socks.

Thought it was a towel

[Brooke]

Thought it was a towel

 

[Bizman]

Somewhat on topic.  A suggestion.  It always a good idea to have on hand, at home, a few days worth of food like canned food or dried foods.  To keep these fresh, each year, donate, the food to your local food band then resupply.

Donating is noble, but why would you buy food you don't like to eat yourself? I have a bunch of cans in the pantry. Instead of being some sort of survival precautions, they're waiting for the day I don't like to go shopping for food.

[Brooke]

nobody is stashing away beer and weed?  those are needed for those long hours looking out the window waiting for the black helicopters to show up.


semp

That's what a wholesome game of tiddlywinks is for.

[Brooke]

What got me started on wanting some supplies around is as a result of the following.

I was at a financial conference that had a presentation on technology, and there were a couple of science-fiction writers in attendance as well (David Brin and Vernor Vinge).  As part of a wide-ranging resulting discussion, someone in the audience brought up the topic of electromagnetic pulse attacks, how easy they are to pull off, and what the consequences would be.

I knew that there were folks concerned about EMP, but I had assumed it was a bunch of crap with an associated fringe crowd of nutters.  However, I talked to this guy afterwards, and he did not at all seem like a kook, so I decided to look into it briefly myself.  Since I have a background in technology (BS in engineering, MS in applied physics, and a Ph.D. in science), I felt that I would have no problem quickly getting a feel for whether or not it was a bunch of crap.

I was enormously surprised to find that EMP's can indeed be about as easy to cause and about as destructive as claimed.

That was when I decided that it might be worth it to have enough supplies to last my family for a while.

I consider the odds of an EMP attack to be very small.  But the consequences would be life or death.  So, I figure that spending $800 or so once in my life to be able to survive it was worthwhile.

[Ripsnort]

nobody is stashing away beer and weed?  those are needed for those long hours looking out the window waiting for the black helicopters to show up.


semp

Those are always well supplied.   

[Ripsnort]

A rogue solar flare is much more likely than an EMP burst. Historically, earth has already encountered them on a smaller scale.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1989_geomagnetic_storm

Folks, it's common sense to prepare for any disaster unless you feel confident your government will be there for you. It's called Risk mitigation.
And Murphy's law is written as such...Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Anything you're prepared for will never happen (or so we hope)

If more people prepared, there is less burden on the community as a whole should the inevitable happen.

[Brooke]

So, what I did afterwards was to research the cheapest, easiest way to provide for survivability.

What I did was get 5 gallon buckets, 5 gallon mylar bags, a heat sealer (for the bags), 2000 cc oxygen absorbers, and then proceeded to make sealed, oxygen-reduced bags of pinto beans and of enriched, long-grain white rice.  (Together, they make a complete protein.)  Each bucket has about 1 man-month of calories.  This stuff will keep for maybe 30 years, and it cost me about $25 per bucket to make.

I added a water filter that will filter out all bacteria and most viruses (Sawyer Products SP128 Mini Water Filtration System for $20) and that lasts nearly forever (just back flush if it gets clogged).

I added some low-cost but good firearms (Marlin 795 for under $200 and a Mossberg Maverick for about $200).

So, not too much cost or hassle.

Fortunately, though, based on where I live, I don't have to store large quantities of water as long as I have a water filter.  If someone lived where there isn't natural water, adding a lot of water to your storage needs is a large hassle and possibly large expense.  At least there is the hot-water heater for most people that can retain some.

[Ripsnort]

You've got my curiousity up on the following:  5 gallon mylar bags, a heat sealer (for the bags), 2000 cc oxygen absorbers,

Can you PM me more info? Where did you get the 5 gallon mylar? What sort of heat sealer? I think I could find the oxygen absorbers...

[Brooke]

A rogue solar flare is much more likely than an EMP burst. Historically, earth has already encountered them on a smaller scale.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1989_geomagnetic_storm

Folks, it's common sense to prepare for any disaster unless you feel confident your government will be there for you. It's called Risk mitigation.
And Murphy's law is written as such...Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Anything you're prepared for will never happen (or so we hope)

If more people prepared, there is less burden on the community as a whole should the inevitable happen.

Yep.  The only less-bad thing about a CME is that it might not take out cars and trucks, which if so would be an enormous help compared to an EMP attack.  It would, of course, still be an enormous disaster, and lots of people would perish.

[Brooke]

You've got my curiousity up on the following:  5 gallon mylar bags, a heat sealer (for the bags), 2000 cc oxygen absorbers,

Can you PM me more info? Where did you get the 5 gallon mylar? What sort of heat sealer? I think I could find the oxygen absorbers...

25 and 50 lb bags of Pinto beans and enriched, long-grain rice (don't use brown rice -- it doesn't last 30 years) is from Cash and Carry in Bellevue.

5 gallon plastic buckets and lids from Home Depot.  (I do a quick wipe and rinse with soapy water, and let them thoroughly dry for a couple days before I use them to reduce plasticizer in case a mylar bag breaks inside.  Important to make sure they are dry if you do this before you seal them.)

These mylar bags (cost $2 per bag):
http://www.amazon.com/Mylar-Gallon-Emergency-Storage-Supply/dp/B0077CSRXQ?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

These oxygen absorbers (need one packet per mylar bag, cost 75 cents per packet):
http://www.amazon.com/Oxy-Sorb-10-Packs-Oxygen-Absorber-2000cc/dp/B004FRZ45K?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

This heat sealer (set to high, clamp it, and hold for about 7 seconds, and it is a good seal; cost $95 but worth it):
http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Sealer-Model-KF-150CST-Storage/dp/B003HO30TE?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

So:
-- I wash the buckets, dry them out, and let them dry for a few days before I use them.
-- Put the mylar bags into the bucket and fill with rice or beans to about 4 inches below lip of bucket.
-- Seal the mylar along the top leaving about 4 inches still unsealed.
-- Push out extra air for all the filled mylar bags.
-- Open my bag of oxygen absorbers and put one 2000 cc absorber through the 4" gap on each mylar bag of stuff.
-- Reseal the bag on any spare oxygen absorbers.
-- Seal the last 4 inches on each of the mylar bags.
-- Wait a day or two to check that the bags are sealed.  Sealed ones will look like they are vacuum packed, as oxygen taken out creates a vacuum.  If they don't look vacuum packed, you probably have a leak in the bag, and you should rebag that one.
-- Label the outside with what it is and month/year it was created with Sharpie marker.
-- Put on lids.  Be careful with rubber mallet to pound along only the rim to seal them on.

Rip, if you live in or near Redmond (you live in Redmond, right?), if you want to borrow the heat sealer, just let me know.  I can meet you at Three Lions pub and buy you a beer -- we can drink a toast to Zack -- and I can hand over the sealer.  Also, I want to do a few more buckets worth, so if you want to go through it with me some day, just let me know.

[Ripsnort]

Thank you for the information and offer!
You're a little bit north of where I work (Bellevue, near I-90) but I do want to tip a glass with you one day!
Lacrosse spring season is in full swing and summer will be soon, but I'll make some time and hook up with you. My kid practices at Marymoor Park for Summer Lacrosse so I'll make one of those evenings work and ride with him (then steal his car for 2 hrs and meet up with you)

I will probably just buy a sealer as I can think of a number of things around here I'd like to seal up (approaching 7,000 bullets now. )

Great info, I put those items in my cart for the next Amazon purchase.

Brian

[FLOOB]

Don't confuse your gear with your survival kit. A survival kit is what you have on your body all the time in case you get lost or seperated from your gear/pack/camp after a night of eating mushrooms or guatemalan insanity peppers. It's on you when you sleep or fall out of the boat, all the time.

[morfiend]

My survival kit contains some string,a hook,a small knife,big bag of seeds I have collected over the years and my condenser!

  The seeds would take about 6 months work to become valuable but the condenser could be set up anytime and with in a couple hours I'd have an endless supply of a very trade able product! OR I could just drink myself to death and not have to worry about anything.......



  If whatever is going to happen,I hope it happens close by so I dont have to worry about survival,not sure I'd want to live in a world where it's dog eat dog,we're almost there now,luck for me I dont have all that much more time so I dont worry about such nonsense........