"Tactical-ish" Emergency Cache??

steve-in-kville

steve-in-kville

Joined
Dec 25, 2001
Messages
1,139
I've been searching past threads on bug-out gear to keep around in case one would have to flee quickly. We live in a rural setting and we have a larger family than most. In most circumstances we would sit tight rather than flee.

We've been building up our pantry with canned goods as well as an alternative cooking source besides electric. Being in touch with my inner-mall ninja, I'm organizing my guns and outfitting a few rugged rifles with sturdy scopes and keeping a cache of ammo for each. Also some sharp knives for dressing game, food prep, etc.

Any other thoughts on what should be added, especially as we head into winter? I have a distant relative that tells the story of going most of the winter without electric on the farm. Caused some minor inconveniences, but coming from a family of 12, they got through it.

steve
 
Something that`s often overlooked is having an extra supply of basic toiletries. Your wife and daughters (if you have any) may be cranky enough with no heat or electric...don`t make things worse if they run out of tampons or pads when the roads are all closed because of a storm.

Some extra blankets are always nice.

Winter is a time for hot drinks and soups. Try adding some hot chocolate or hot cider mixes to your stash. They may not be something you like often, but when the heat goes out they`re pretty welcome all around.

Lots of batteries.

Board games, cards, good books.
 
Any suggestions on an alternative source of cooking? I checked into those gas stoves that are used for camping. Also... plenty of candles or lanterns of some type.

Good idea on the female stuff. Wouldn't have thought of that.

steve
 
For cooking maybe try looking into alcohol stoves. I have used them when camping with my Boy Scout troop. One ounce of denatured alcohol will last for long enough to boil water and there are alot of different varients. Also, maybe try dehydrating some stuff as this makes it take up less room and it is also easier to cook if all you need to do is add hot/warm water.

Google 'mini bull designs' for the site we get our stoves from.

~Cody
 
I work for a large food distributor and we make/sell various soup mixes... just add water. I've never had a chance to try any of them, but maybe its something I should look into.

steve
 
Having spent alot of miserable time in disaster zones as a USAR member, the first thing I can think of is the (Because you wont miss it till you dont have it)following: #1 LISTERINE!!! #2 Campho Phenique #3 Jolly Rancher Hard candy...I NEVER eat candy but hard candy is really soothing during those times. after Hurricane Katrina, Jolly Rancher hard candies were worth gold. I made a ton of friends and calmed plenty of nerves by carrying these in my pockets and vests. Instead of saying, "Hi, are you doing okay?" I would simply start by handing them some candy. Remember, alot of ppl I ran into had nothing left but anger,desperation and a gun! #4 Dental floss and toothpaste. Millions of uses. #5 I have used over 5 knives just cleaning one wild boar, what I would have given during those moments to have a sharpener.....#6 a few of those cheapie hand held fans with all sorts of batteries. #7 propane little soldering tool. Why? Cuz we needed one and didnt have one. Went looking and scrounging for one amongst the other teams and found that 4 out 5 of them were looking for one too. See what I mean?

When I think of more I'll let you know. Hope this helps. I dont know much but I do know this stuff.
 
Oh yeah, alot of guys I know over in the sand box will back me up on the above. This is almost the same list they send to family and friends. Wouldnt hurt to remember our guys and gals over in harms way during these times. If you dont know anyone personally, ask around. twenty bucks goes a Loooong way to salute Americas finest. Dont mean to get on a soap box, not my intent.... okay,that's not true...I am. Sue me. :)


I see you are in PA, Think ice storms,flooding and sometimes but rarely tornadoes. We HAD a saying prior to Hurricane Ivan and Katrina that after a disaster, "The First 3 days are on YOU" That is being changed to a week or more now....


Last but not least, Here We Go Steelers, here we GO!
 
think about all the things that will go down without power. do you have a well? does it have a pump? need a generator, if you don;t have a well, were is the water going to come from? My family farm has gone though many week long power outages, and you just keep going. candles are good, lanterns are good, but are you really going to cook for 6 or more people over an alcohol burner? get a big coleman stove that will sit on your stove top, and some propane tanks (just make sure you crack a window open) I BBQed outside at -35 because i couldn't find the coleman, not fun. Do you heat with wood? My parents outdoor boiler needs power to run the circ-pump, and the fans, = Generator. we have a bulk fuel tank at the farm, so with rationing a small generator used smart will last a very long time. take a look at what daily things will still need to get done. also look at what habits you might need to change, I grew up under more primitive circumstances than most people my age, I've eaten roast chicken that my sister made, from a live chicken earlier in the day, so some things for me are natural (grocery shopping twice a month, 1 month food in the house past that.) killing and eating something, I know people that can't prep raw precut meat and eat that day, are you, or your family members going to be able to deal with that?
I think it comes down to my parents having a very self sufficient childhood as well, my dad grew up in a house without power, and I'm not that old. when I was 12 I knew that if everything went bad, it would be part of my job to keep things running. We lost power for a week in the winter when I was 14 and the army didn't come dig us out, we lit a fire under the tractor to plow the road so the school bus could make it, if there was power in town. So i think it comes down to attitude more than "I've stocked up all of this stuff, now we will be fine!" because as others have mentioned, you will be on your own, and rural areas tend to get left out, because there are fewer people, and they tend to be more prepared. there aren't any good reasons why a rural residence should be grid dependent, and if you were to ask my grandfather I'm sure he would say that 110v was a step backwards in some regards. the house I grew up in was built with 12vdc from a windmill and a pile of batteries. Maybe I'm just a backwoods hick trapped in the big city, but that's what I think.
 
Its never a bad idea to have one of those hand held water purifiers that are primarily marketed to hikers. Some brands, like Katadyn if memory serves, can purify hundreds of gallons on a single filter with minimal maintenance. Admittedly, they do it slowly, but in the right situation, I doubt you'll mind much. ;)
 
We were down without power for a week when a tornado struck. It took that long to put up new poles and lines.

Cooking - propane coleman stove. I now keep two of three 5 gallon tanks full. I bought an adapter to refill the little bottles for a light, and we ate pretty well using up the freezer. Then it was back to canned goods.

Lighting - propane camp lights are nice, but too bright. We have an Alladin lamp that runs on oil, uses a mantle, and is incredible for light output. Not nearly as hot and quite a bit as portable. Smaller ones can be used for the bathroom, etc.

What I found worked really well was rechargeable LED yard lights. Each kid got one for their use at night, they could read by them, and move around the house. Mornings they would put them back on their ground stake to recharge. Very convenient.

A generator is great, fuel storage not a big problem, but you need to match it to your largest appliance or you'll burn it out. In our case it was the washing machine that fried(we still had running water.) Obviously ditch using the dryer - do you have a clothes line up outside and a place to use one inside for winter? Plus it's a good lifestyle change - being dependant on minimal electricity reduces the impact when it's gone.

Bicycles with flat reducing gel in the tubes come in handy when you need to reserve gasoline for important trips, and a vehicle with decent mileage is better just to stretch it further. What happened to all the 4 and 6 cylinder minitrucks?

Large scale water storage may be something to look into - such as what they use in Bermuda, a 1500 gallon tank in the ground that collects rainfall from the roof. For many, it is their only source, and they drink it untreated in many cases. Not recommending that, but if you have it when no one else does . . .

Of course, be advised that going too far in terms of long term self sufficiency makes you as suspicious as a whacko religious group in Texas, but I think as long as you don't use the word "compound" describing your home, you might get by.
 
when I was in the south pacific they recommended the rain water over the town treated water. the tanks were screened to prevent animals getting in, and a small pump (you could use a windmill) added air to keep the water fresh and kill bugs. I grew up on untreated water, and I'm fine, and I have a friend to frequently drinks strained swamp water, I guess being a forest fire fighter and growing up off the grid gave her very powerful digestion! on the plus side, fresh water from a well may be better for you than municipal water as most places have very high nitrite content, and while I've forgotten why exactly its bad (it has something to do with ammonia i think) I know it kills my fish, so preparation may even make you healthier, not to mention reduced stress.

just how "rural" are you?
 
Something that`s often overlooked is having an extra supply of basic toiletries. Your wife and daughters (if you have any) may be cranky enough with no heat or electric...don`t make things worse if they run out of tampons or pads when the roads are all closed because of a storm.
Click to expand...

The feminine items can also double as wound management items.
"New Uses For Tampons"
I have read several accounts of tampons being used by combat soldiers to help mitgate bleeding on gunshot wounds. I guess it also makes sense that maxi pads could be used as field expedient field dressings as well.

It is also a good idea to make sure that if anyone in your family needs to perpetually take some medication, you get a supply to keep on hand (to be discarded and replaced at expiration of course) to ensure that you have some on hand in the event of lack of ability to access meds- ie storm, travel, etc... If you talk to your doctor, rationally, there is a good chance that he will give you the script. Also, make sure you have adequate stocks of OTC medications on hand as well.
 
tirod3 said:
What happened to all the 4 and 6 cylinder minitrucks?
Click to expand...

In many cases, especially lately, it just doesn't seem like the trucks with the smaller engines are offering that much of an increase in fuel efficiency when compared to the full sized versions.
 
Moisture, heat, and light are the enemies of medications. If you can obtain meds in the original sealed manufacturer's bottles tablets/capsules, in most cases, will last for years past the expiration date...again assuming cool/dry storage. Upon opening, examine for any changes in uniformity, color, shape etc. which are indications of moisture damage. If anyone can get a hold of the militaries tests on medication expiration data, post it up. They are the ones who know which meds last years after the expiration, and which do not.
 
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