- Joined
- Oct 8, 2006
- Messages
- 2,097
A friends daughter was leaving for college. I wrote this for her. The goal was a kit she could keep in her book bag and always have with her. Its all about doing much with little.
Id already given both sisters things like Vic Farmers, paracord, surplus ponchos, and Guyot bottles. Neither is a survival enthusiast. Both understand about just-in-case. They occasionally carried some of those presents.
After a week of rain they used found materials and started a fire. They sawed a branch in half with the Farmer, banged and split it, and used the dry wood. It took them half an hour, but by golly they started a fire.
OPEROR NON EGO INSECTUM
Dont Bug Me
Dorm is on fire! Get Out Now! Chemical spill on the highway! Get Out Now! Hurricane! Explosion in the pesticide factory! Terrorist attack! Earthquake! Book of Revelation! Get Out Now!
Dress for the outdoors. The more you can carry on your person, the better. Grab your credit card, checkbook, cell phone, pocket knife, Ritter Pocket Pack, the stuff you normally have with you. They should already be in the pockets of the clothes you plan to wear tomorrow. Youre not a morning person. Get everything arranged while youre still awake. Thumb drive with your documents and copies of anything youd hate to lose; family pictures, passport, birth certificate, drivers license, student ID, Piled Higher and Deeper thesis. Stick them in your pockets.
Forget school books. Forget your teddy bear. Grab your bug out bag and
Stop.
Just stop.
Gear is important, but its not primary. The most important thing you need is skill. Can you tie a bowline and a truckers hitch? A ferro rod is small, tough, reliable. Starting a fire with one isnt intuitive. Neither is laying a fire. Can you build a debris hit? Can you rig a tarp shelter? How about if the tarp has no grommets? Learn what doesnt work when failure costs you nothing. Reading isnt the same. Watching YouTube isnt the same. You need dirt time. You need muscle memory. You need trained hands. Knowledge weighs nothing and makes a huge difference. Skill weighs nothing and makes a huge difference. The more you know, the less you need. Stranded man. Dead in car. Emergency kit unused. (True story.)
When the balloon goes up, attitude is vital. Attitude is everything. Expect to die and you will die. A positive attitude drastically improves your chances. You never give up. You are determined to survive. No matter what. Obstacles dont stop you. You deal with obstacles and keep going. Middle aged man, out of shape, no emergency kit, no training. What kept you alive through this terrible ordeal? Im in the middle of a divorce. I wasnt going to let her walk away with everything. (True story.) Determination helps you survive. Intention helps you survive. I cannot overstate the importance of positive attitude.
A word about your bag. Small.
The original BOB was military. Youre separated from your patrol. You parachute from a dying plain. Youre gathering information never-mind-where. You must be ready to move now. Get the hell out of Dodge. Get back to your buddies. Make a run for the border. Whatever else you are carrying, you want stuff to get you back home. That means a kit you always have with you. In your book bag. In your briefcase. In your backpack. In your pockets. Murphy might goose you in class, at work, riding the Greyhound, in your dorm, at an away game, driving to town. A bulky kit gets left behind. A heavy kit gets left behind. If the Book of Revelation strikes, youll wish you owned a smaller kit.
When John Muir hit the wilderness trail, "I rolled up some bread and tea in a pair of blankets with some sugar and a tin cup and set off." A sailor carried a knife, tarred cord, silver coin. He was prepared to cut, bind, and buy. Hobos wore packs that let them run flat out. My father was a hobo during the depression. He carried a blanket or two. Always a pocket knife. Sometimes a water bottle, Especially out West. Nothing else worth mentioning. I asked. I'm glad you didn't call me a bum. He wouldnt know a Bugout Bag if it Bit him on the Bindlestiff. Somehow he got by.
This extravagant kit weighs five pounds.
BE PREPARED
Thats the Girl Scouts Marching Song
Be the grey man. Nothing special. Attract no attention. You cant be a better gray man than a student in a college town. This kit should fit your book bag, leaving room for books, laptop, lunch. Emergencies lead to chaos. Think Katrina. It doesnt take much for the human predator to come out. Your bag should fit and function well, but be ratty looking. Not worth stealing. Check Goodwill and yard sales. Military looking is bad. Do you want the National Guardsman to think you a terrorist? Empty your bag on the street? Watch the crowd collect your stuff? I didnt think so.
Make an emergency number list. Not just 911. Phone and email numbers for family and friends. People who will come get you when youre stuck but good. You may have those numbers memorized. That doesnt matter. When you are drunk, sick, under arrest, wounded, beaten up, panicked, the most obvious stuff flies out of your head. I have all that stuff on my phone. How many times have you checked Facebook and discovered your phone was dead? You dont have a portable phone charger? Oh.
Make a laminated cheat sheet. Read it while leaving a message. Without the essential information, Uncle Clarence cant help you. You know how easily Clarence gets confused. Which information is essential? It depends. Dont waste the message. Tell the nice robot:
Who you are.
Where you are.
If its Walk and Dont Walk youll have a long wait.
Try, "Downtown Boston, corner of Fifth and Franklin, Safeway parking lot."
Date and time.
The situation.
What you need them to do.
Phone number to return your call. Especially at a public phone.
Pay phones are scarcer than they used to be. If you can find one you will need:
Quarters. If you reach Uncle Clarence, give him a quick update, give your phone number, have him call you back. Does he think youre made of quarters?
Phone card. Does Clarence think youre made of plastic?
Please dont answer that.
If the emergency has the cell system clogged, a text message may get through.
Dear Daddy, Gone hiking. Its the Chico Marx trail in the Dakota Badlands. Back Sunday night. Leave a hiking map with Chicos trail marked, for Search and Rescue. Chico Marx trail? Never heard of it. Lets see that map. Oh! She meant the Shaka Zulu trail! You just gave SAR a smaller universe.
Some girls only offer their boyfriend the moon.
Have a pixelated survival book. In your phone, not downloaded. Its expert advice that weighs nothingas long as your battery holds out. Too bad they dont make something that can charge your phone outdoors. John Wiseman's SAS Survival Guide is a decent all-climate manual.
Youre skiing cross country and your roommate breaks a leg. Good thing you left a note. Call for help if you have coverage. Text for help, sometimes that works. Wear your red coat. Spread out your orange poncho. Pitch your turquoise tent. Stomp XXX in a field of snow. Make them big enough to see from the air. Dont bother with SOS. Recognizable and artificial catch attention. XXX is easy all around. Spread ashes or greenery in the bottom of each trench.
Dont be so literal. If youre skiing in Death Valley lay the X pattern with rocks and plants.
The Kims took a wrong turn. Stuck on a logging road. No cell coverage. Daddy went for help and died. The family stayed with the car and lived. The lesson is an exercise for the student. (True story.)
Practice with the signal mirror in your Ritter Pack. Signal with your flashlight. Man stuck in a gully, out of public sight. Strobed his flashlight against a nearby building. Someone noticed and investigated. (True story.) Dont make a signal fire. Make three. Three fires in a row, or in a triangle, will draw a pilots attention. To hell with Leave No Trace. Have the fires ready to go. When you hear an airplane, light them up. Throw damp boughs or pieces of tire into the fires to make smoke. No, that Jumbo Jet doesnt count.
Remember searches on the ground. Fire and smoke are still good. Leave surveyor tape dangling where it will be spotted from any direction. If you have chemical light sticks, tie some paracord to the end of one. Swing it in a circle. After dark, dummy! Dont forget the Ritter Packs whistle.
Satellite phones get coverage where cell systems fail. Personal locator beacons and satellite messengers seem good.
Id already given both sisters things like Vic Farmers, paracord, surplus ponchos, and Guyot bottles. Neither is a survival enthusiast. Both understand about just-in-case. They occasionally carried some of those presents.
After a week of rain they used found materials and started a fire. They sawed a branch in half with the Farmer, banged and split it, and used the dry wood. It took them half an hour, but by golly they started a fire.
OPEROR NON EGO INSECTUM
Dont Bug Me
Dorm is on fire! Get Out Now! Chemical spill on the highway! Get Out Now! Hurricane! Explosion in the pesticide factory! Terrorist attack! Earthquake! Book of Revelation! Get Out Now!
Dress for the outdoors. The more you can carry on your person, the better. Grab your credit card, checkbook, cell phone, pocket knife, Ritter Pocket Pack, the stuff you normally have with you. They should already be in the pockets of the clothes you plan to wear tomorrow. Youre not a morning person. Get everything arranged while youre still awake. Thumb drive with your documents and copies of anything youd hate to lose; family pictures, passport, birth certificate, drivers license, student ID, Piled Higher and Deeper thesis. Stick them in your pockets.
Forget school books. Forget your teddy bear. Grab your bug out bag and
Stop.
Just stop.
Gear is important, but its not primary. The most important thing you need is skill. Can you tie a bowline and a truckers hitch? A ferro rod is small, tough, reliable. Starting a fire with one isnt intuitive. Neither is laying a fire. Can you build a debris hit? Can you rig a tarp shelter? How about if the tarp has no grommets? Learn what doesnt work when failure costs you nothing. Reading isnt the same. Watching YouTube isnt the same. You need dirt time. You need muscle memory. You need trained hands. Knowledge weighs nothing and makes a huge difference. Skill weighs nothing and makes a huge difference. The more you know, the less you need. Stranded man. Dead in car. Emergency kit unused. (True story.)
When the balloon goes up, attitude is vital. Attitude is everything. Expect to die and you will die. A positive attitude drastically improves your chances. You never give up. You are determined to survive. No matter what. Obstacles dont stop you. You deal with obstacles and keep going. Middle aged man, out of shape, no emergency kit, no training. What kept you alive through this terrible ordeal? Im in the middle of a divorce. I wasnt going to let her walk away with everything. (True story.) Determination helps you survive. Intention helps you survive. I cannot overstate the importance of positive attitude.
A word about your bag. Small.
The original BOB was military. Youre separated from your patrol. You parachute from a dying plain. Youre gathering information never-mind-where. You must be ready to move now. Get the hell out of Dodge. Get back to your buddies. Make a run for the border. Whatever else you are carrying, you want stuff to get you back home. That means a kit you always have with you. In your book bag. In your briefcase. In your backpack. In your pockets. Murphy might goose you in class, at work, riding the Greyhound, in your dorm, at an away game, driving to town. A bulky kit gets left behind. A heavy kit gets left behind. If the Book of Revelation strikes, youll wish you owned a smaller kit.
When John Muir hit the wilderness trail, "I rolled up some bread and tea in a pair of blankets with some sugar and a tin cup and set off." A sailor carried a knife, tarred cord, silver coin. He was prepared to cut, bind, and buy. Hobos wore packs that let them run flat out. My father was a hobo during the depression. He carried a blanket or two. Always a pocket knife. Sometimes a water bottle, Especially out West. Nothing else worth mentioning. I asked. I'm glad you didn't call me a bum. He wouldnt know a Bugout Bag if it Bit him on the Bindlestiff. Somehow he got by.
This extravagant kit weighs five pounds.
BE PREPARED
Thats the Girl Scouts Marching Song
Be the grey man. Nothing special. Attract no attention. You cant be a better gray man than a student in a college town. This kit should fit your book bag, leaving room for books, laptop, lunch. Emergencies lead to chaos. Think Katrina. It doesnt take much for the human predator to come out. Your bag should fit and function well, but be ratty looking. Not worth stealing. Check Goodwill and yard sales. Military looking is bad. Do you want the National Guardsman to think you a terrorist? Empty your bag on the street? Watch the crowd collect your stuff? I didnt think so.
Make an emergency number list. Not just 911. Phone and email numbers for family and friends. People who will come get you when youre stuck but good. You may have those numbers memorized. That doesnt matter. When you are drunk, sick, under arrest, wounded, beaten up, panicked, the most obvious stuff flies out of your head. I have all that stuff on my phone. How many times have you checked Facebook and discovered your phone was dead? You dont have a portable phone charger? Oh.
Make a laminated cheat sheet. Read it while leaving a message. Without the essential information, Uncle Clarence cant help you. You know how easily Clarence gets confused. Which information is essential? It depends. Dont waste the message. Tell the nice robot:
Who you are.
Where you are.
If its Walk and Dont Walk youll have a long wait.
Try, "Downtown Boston, corner of Fifth and Franklin, Safeway parking lot."
Date and time.
The situation.
What you need them to do.
Phone number to return your call. Especially at a public phone.
Pay phones are scarcer than they used to be. If you can find one you will need:
Quarters. If you reach Uncle Clarence, give him a quick update, give your phone number, have him call you back. Does he think youre made of quarters?
Phone card. Does Clarence think youre made of plastic?
Please dont answer that.
If the emergency has the cell system clogged, a text message may get through.
Dear Daddy, Gone hiking. Its the Chico Marx trail in the Dakota Badlands. Back Sunday night. Leave a hiking map with Chicos trail marked, for Search and Rescue. Chico Marx trail? Never heard of it. Lets see that map. Oh! She meant the Shaka Zulu trail! You just gave SAR a smaller universe.
Some girls only offer their boyfriend the moon.
Have a pixelated survival book. In your phone, not downloaded. Its expert advice that weighs nothingas long as your battery holds out. Too bad they dont make something that can charge your phone outdoors. John Wiseman's SAS Survival Guide is a decent all-climate manual.
Youre skiing cross country and your roommate breaks a leg. Good thing you left a note. Call for help if you have coverage. Text for help, sometimes that works. Wear your red coat. Spread out your orange poncho. Pitch your turquoise tent. Stomp XXX in a field of snow. Make them big enough to see from the air. Dont bother with SOS. Recognizable and artificial catch attention. XXX is easy all around. Spread ashes or greenery in the bottom of each trench.
Dont be so literal. If youre skiing in Death Valley lay the X pattern with rocks and plants.
The Kims took a wrong turn. Stuck on a logging road. No cell coverage. Daddy went for help and died. The family stayed with the car and lived. The lesson is an exercise for the student. (True story.)
Practice with the signal mirror in your Ritter Pack. Signal with your flashlight. Man stuck in a gully, out of public sight. Strobed his flashlight against a nearby building. Someone noticed and investigated. (True story.) Dont make a signal fire. Make three. Three fires in a row, or in a triangle, will draw a pilots attention. To hell with Leave No Trace. Have the fires ready to go. When you hear an airplane, light them up. Throw damp boughs or pieces of tire into the fires to make smoke. No, that Jumbo Jet doesnt count.
Remember searches on the ground. Fire and smoke are still good. Leave surveyor tape dangling where it will be spotted from any direction. If you have chemical light sticks, tie some paracord to the end of one. Swing it in a circle. After dark, dummy! Dont forget the Ritter Packs whistle.
Satellite phones get coverage where cell systems fail. Personal locator beacons and satellite messengers seem good.
Last edited: