Do you keep a give away BOB?

I would have welcomed them all.

Probably would have gotten a few together to move a freezer or two to my house and stored what I could, designated rooms for kids.

Like an extended slumber party!

It must have made you feel very good that you could help.

Carl-
 
Raisedby wolves said:
I would have welcomed them all.

Probably would have gotten a few together to move a freezer or two to my house and stored what I could, designated rooms for kids.

Like an extended slumber party!

It must have made you feel very good that you could help.

Carl-
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Funny part is while the emergency is happenin' ya don't really think about what your doin' decisions have to be made fast and ya gotta stay on top of everyone to make sure they take care of their own and as people relaxed more the older kids took care of the younger ones, the woman that didn't help the men stayed back and made food and sandwiches for the one's who went back out to shore up their homes along the creek/stream, rescuin' stranded vehicles and in the end reachin' out to help other people in the community.

The only time it ever gets remembered now is when the street has a yearly block party and we all get together for the day and remember what it means to be and have good neighbors and friends, also how lonely and hard it would be without them.

My old man used to say, "50 people can raise a barn in a day while a man alone can only dream about it".
 
Toucan Oasis said:
Noop.
If they haven't figured it out by now ???
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Yknow, it's funny. I grew up with nucular anneye-ah-lashun, and in a military family. I had anti terrorist/kidnapping stuff drilled into me from an early age, but not survival. Never that. (granted, any chance to wander through countryside was a good time)

In high school I started getting into preparedness, wilderness bumming (overnighters), and such. But I know a lot of people who haven't been exposed- who are told everything is and always will be fine. AAA and the PD will always be there. But, given a chance and some support- humans are very adaptable. The ellay korean girl across the culdesac who asked me how you put a registration sticker on her scion (NOT JOKING) could very well end up a damned fine squirrel hunter.

mentally lost, unprepared, confused, shell shocked- that's all fine. The ones I won't have are the freeloaders, the sh*theads, the takers.
 
Raisedby wolves said:
I already suggested to my friends that they get prepared.

When I get the patent response "If something happens, I'll just come to your house" I always give the same response "If you do, the only thing you will get is shot."

Not my responsibility to prepare for someone who didn't do it themselves when they were warned and I offered to help.

Carl-
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I had this same conversation with some friends, they said I was paranoid, I asked them what would they do if the SHTF, they said come to my house, I said if they do they better bring something more than their appetite.
 
Although I haven't rode a bicycle in a million years, I was thinking of buying a hybrid to facilitate the "bug out" part of BOB. Do you think it more practical than a motor bike?

My ice storm experience taught me that local food and fuel dry-up very quickly. But I'm not sure which would be more useful if you do have to move.

Thoughts?
 
my suggestions would be to get a bog standard good quality 26 inch 'mountain commuter' bike. if by hybrid that's what you mean, then yes. in terms of electric hybrid bikes, pass- just get a bicycle and ride it once in a while. You don't have to race- a decent single speed MTB will get you cruising at 15mph for 6-8 hours if you aren't in awful shape. no problemo!

26 inch? yes. easier to scavenge parts, even though they may be low end parts- if you hit scavenge mode who cares? and it's easier to get a pair of studded tires for that wheel size.
 
When I first thought of this, I wanted to post, and I waited thinking it wouldn't engender any discussion. I was wrong, and its been good to see that its something to think about. Thanks all.
 
Only of the things I'm considering is what a giveaway BOB would be and what it could and should consist of.

Should I assume that the person(s) are travelling with me? or that it's just a supply kit for people cmaping out around my house because of an event similar to what was described by Erdelyi? What kind of stuff is going to cause more problems than it solved?

A space blanket is an easy one, as is a P38 and a couple fo countycomm "one buck" LED lights. But- for example- I carry iodine in glass vials (inside protective cases, I should do photos of that) because I know how to use it for first aid/medical and water purification. But what if I give it to someone who somehow manages to miss the whole DROPS per liter thing and dumps the whole 2 ounces into a gallon of water and sucks it down?

I can't afford to put nice knives into multiple kits like that, but I've got enough used SAKs and usable $5 Schrade lockblades (they aren't Buck 110s, but they will cut stuff) to fill a dozen throwaway kits. Same with older nalgene bottles, supersporks, and such. Hrm, maybe I should hunt for surplus sales and grab a pile of older pistol belts, ALICE canteen kits and mag pouches to base these off of.

I'm thinking that it's going to be as much a comfort kit as a BOB if it's going to someone whose experience level is really low.

Not to compare the girl down the street with my son, actually- my son's setup is getting more advanced every week. But when he was 4 and 5, his kit was at least 80% comfort and rescue. Orange bandana, whistle, windup flashlight/radio, earbuds. Hot cocoa mix, honey/sugar/salt packets (hard boiled eggs are a regular hiking/park treat and salt is always handy), a couple granloa bars and some peppermint candies, space blanket, colored pencils and paper.

What you are looking at in a situation like this MAY be more akin to refugee than "helping stock the personal gear of a survivalist"- your guests for the bugout (or bugin) may end up becoming that, but at first you might be giving them a bag that's simply a psychological tool. Helping to fill the bottom parts of Maslow's Hierarchy.

If- for whatever reason- you have nothing, a magic bag with your very own eating utensils, a tiny bit of food and water security, and warmth- well, that might turn you from shell shocked and shut down to willing and able to Do Stuff.
 
I am thinking that someone shows up, needs kit so they can go back to their home, and move their family or evacuate on foot. I am assuming that I am prepared and capable of sheltering in place. Alternatively, we move in a group.
 
I am thinking about this, and I have predicated my process on the idea that whoever came to the door would not be staying. If they stay its a different scenario. Since our family has a long standing staged evacuation plan, this would be in furtherance of that plan.
 
koyote said:
I'm thinking that it's going to be as much a comfort kit as a BOB if it's going to someone whose experience level is really low.


but at first you might be giving them a bag that's simply a psychological tool. Helping to fill the bottom parts of Maslow's Hierarchy.



If- for whatever reason- you have nothing, a magic bag with your very own eating utensils, a tiny bit of food and water security, and warmth- well, that might turn you from shell shocked and shut down to willing and able to Do Stuff.
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Very good points. I would imagine that the bag would definitely be a comfort bag for most. No sense in filling it up with items that most people don't know how to use. One could easily make a 72 hour bag (few water bottles, power bars/tuna cans) along with some items that will last longer.. lighter, matches, small knife, cheap can opener, space blanket..ect. Not too expensive but enough to make a real difference both physically and mentally.
 
I agree. But I tend to think in terms of tools as much as anything- the tools to make a situation better. I wouldn't NOT include water and food, but I am thinking of a heavier focus on the basic tools than most commercial 72 hour kits provide.

I'd love to find a decent $4 jack sack (shoulder bag) ... maybe time to hunt the surplus sites a bit more.
 
I do not carry a kit specifically for giving away, but I have given gear away to people over the years. I gave my ex a pretty decent kit to keep in the car and I set my friends up with free knives and such when I decide I don't need the spares I have. I try to encourage preparedness when possible.
 
Kits for the untrained should have basic instructions. If they have no idea how to use the stuff, it’s useless to them.

“That plastic oven bag can carry water. Pour water in through the bandanna. Fill it to the line I’ve drawn, that’s one quart. Add one Micropure pill, seal it with the twist tie. Wait an hour, and you have safe drinking water.”
 
If you have the extra packs and kit, what does it hurt? Even if you don't hand them out, it makes essential gear much more portable and faster to load up the truck/car with:thumbup:

I have some close friends spread throughout the country. My son was named after one of my closet friends who is still back in Washington State. I spend several months up there for temporary duty and we linked up and discussed this exact same thing. We both keep an extra bag or two for each other. Additionally, I've had several very close military friends visit while they were on temporary duty...I wouldn't hesitate to give them a bug-out bag full of gear to get home if needed. Once you are set, including your immediate family, it's good policy to look out for your close friends and neighbors...I still keep a low profile, but willing to extend the good will if needed. Even the most prepared people get stuck in bad situations...helping them out is a good investment for the long term.

ROCK6
 
Codger_64 said:
... An weary, ragged woman knocks on your door and stands there with a thin, scared young child in her arms. She asks you for water, maybe something for her child to eat. Yes, it is her fault for not preparing to feed herself and her child in a disaster she didn't forsee. Maybe someone did tell her to prepare and she didn't. Maybe her now dead family did prepare but they and their supplies didn't survive whatever happened. Does it endanger your family to hand her a can of tuna and a bottle of water? Or to hand her a tiny bag of kit and shut the door?
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Do you mean a waif like this Margaret Keane image? You might well say she is dragging a dolly, or cuddling a starving puppy. That would tug at heart strings even more.........

margaretkeane1.jpg


Lets keep an even playing field in these discussions. Picture yourself in Haiti this week. There is no food, no water, no medical help. Your family is days away from starvation. Someone knocks...................

Do you hand out a can of tuna and a bottle of water then? I think probably not.

Don't be so hard on others for their responses, when we have not established a common scenario for discussion. Just saying.:thumbdn:
 
No, I don't. At least not specifically. I could probably cobble together some good bags from extra stuff I have, but I don't do it planning to hand them out.

If it's truly a disaster, then I have to think of my own family first.

There's also the problem that while images of starving children pull at the heart strings, it isn't enough. I've seen too many hard times, and I've seen, first hand, people let their kids suffer to use them exactly that way: to extract goods from others that they wouldn't otherwise give up.

I believe there are some legitimate reasons people may come by with no provisions. Perhaps they did prepare and were separated from them? But such people will bring something to the table. They may offer what they do have to cooperate and survive. Or they may barter skills and labor.

Then there's the worst of the lot: your own family. Yeah, had them over for the hurricanes in '04. Oh yes, they were happy to sit around and eat my food, drink my water, etc. But when it came time 'Hey how about helping me fix my fence?" it was "Nah, it's too hot." "Let's get these shingles nailed back down to keep the roof from leaking." "Nah, I don't care, it's not my house." Or they started complaining "I hate these MREs! Don't ytoyu have any real food? I don't eat canned hash and SPAM, or cold instant potatoes!"

Of course, when I tell them to GTFO, I'm the bastard.

No, if I truly have extra, and I truly think someone is needy, I'll help. or if someone brings something to the table to help cooperate and survive, I'll do what I can. But I'm not stocking up for every moocher that comes by telling me that they're "entitled" to what I have.
 
Well as soon as i get a BOB i plan on putting my P226, ammo, Tenacious,fixed blade of some kind(i dont have one yet) , Fire steel, tinder, cheap flashlights probably the kind that dont need batteries, change of cloths, money, candles, utensils(hobo tool), matches, sharpening stone, swiss army knife, duct tape, blanket, portable radio, satellite phone or CB radio.

For others it would be pretty much the same except the gun is mine and the tenacious and fixed blade so in exchange i would put in a slipjoint knife
 
I don't think I can make a sweeping yes or no if I would deny someone supplies just because they weren't prepared. When the 'canes all decided to hit my friends and family south of Houston, many of them found out that they had to work together to keep out the true trouble. They stocked up everything they could in one of the guy's garages since he had a nice generator. They ran armed security for their neighborhood, cooked or dried all of their perishables, etc. They didn't deny anyone help except those who wanted to take it by force.

I am the same way. I am prepared. I am willing to help those when I can. I may not be able to though, so I try to more readily prepare myself with advice I can pass on.
 
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