Things to carry when expecting an terrorist attack?

Joined
Sep 9, 2002
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156
O.K., so we have the media, law enforcement, local "experts" and various other people telling us what New York City dwellers should keep on hand in the event of a terrorist attack. I would grade most of the advice as rubbish, but I can't really do much better because I've never really thought about this.

So, if YOU were putting together a bare minimum of gear to keep on you at all times this weekend, assuming that an attack of some kind may happen at any time, what would you take?

My thoughts so far center around getting away from danger and/or surviving the "fallout" from an attack (whether that be getting lost, concrete dust or getting trapped somewhere) and getting to a safe place. Here's what I've come up with:

1L water
bandanas (for bandages and/or face masks in the case of dust making breathing difficult) *note* water is mostly for this application
swimming goggles (cheap and work in a pinch for avoiding dust)
folding knife
multi-tool
compass (cheap mini's available at http://www.therangerdigest.com/ are probably good enough)
flashlight
cell phone
calling card
tape of some kind (again, for bandages)
"work" or other sturdy gloves
at least $100 cash
3 food bars
I.D. of every type
city map (usefull for knowing cites to avoid)
walkman (for listening to radio warnings/info)
extra batteries for flashlight and walkman
loud whistle(?)
shoes comfortable enough to walk miles in (in case subways stop running)

Anyone have any other suggestions?
 
I find it interresting that you have food bars, but no water dedicated for consumption. The water will probably come in handy before the food.

i would also add a few.

String/cord - too many uses to number.
extra socks - Collecting bag, mittens, even dry socks.
Little Pry Bar
safety pins to hold things together
superglue to hold them together better. Also good for immobilizing any terrorists you meet that you want to keep for questioning...
children's chewable aspirin for the heart attack from the unusual exertion of myself or someone else.
mini fire extinguisher, too bad the itty bitty halon ones are now outlawed...
 
Best thing is to keep it simple like you've done. Here's what I always carry, which wouldn't change much in a 'terrorist alert' (translation: BS):


On my person:

basic first aid kit
good knife or two and SAK with a saw
flashlight
sturdy footwear
clothing you can run, climb, sleep and work in
cash and ID
bandanna
whistle
mini bic lighter with 6 feet of duct tape around it
10 feet of paracord

In my daypack:

3 liters of water in camelbak
survival blanket (bag style)
GI poncho
xtra socks, gloves and a hat
extra fleece jacket with hood
GI canteen cup and nesting stove
3 MRE entrees and lots of littler snacks
sewing kit/fishing kit
Larger blade for chopping wood or zombies
extra SAK
a good book (usually sci-fi)

I would only add some sort of gasmask or escape hood type of thing if I was worried about some sort of terrorist incident. Otherwise I carry this stuff everywhere, and don't have to add anything except a comfy sleeping bag when I'm out camping.
 
body armor for repelling terrorist bone fragments.
AR-15 in .223 with about 30 full magazines
.45cal 1911 with about 20 full magazines
a little water in a canteen
a big fighter style blade
some jerky
 
i think there is not much you can do, however if i could take anything.

Hummer with a browning M2 mounted on it with 5000 rounds.
a few LAW's
Extra Gas
HK PSG-1 with 20 extra mags and a good scope.
 
Hmmmmm....what to carry if I KNOW i'm going to be
attacked by a terrrorist? :rolleyes:

Like I can read the future!:eek:
 
body armor for repelling terrorist bone fragments.

careful, the terrorist's visits at the haj pre to suicidal bombings may have encased their flesh in armor piercing metals

:D
 
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Originally posted by csp20108
My thoughts so far center around getting away from danger and/or surviving the "fallout" from an attack (whether that be getting lost, concrete dust or getting trapped somewhere) and getting to a safe place.
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I would add a very sturdy prybar for breaching doors, 18" long absolute minimum. Some mechanism to prop or tie one-way doors open (if you have to backtrack as you evac a building) is another consideration. A couple spare pair of goggles might also come in handy. A painter's mask with extra canisters is a somewhat bulky addition to your soaked bandana dustmasks and will handle some organic vapors as well as dust. But it lacks the multi-functionality of bandanas. I will address a few of your listed items individually.

1L water I agree with Grommit that you'll probably want to increase this amount considerably for the reason mentioned. When you get dehydrated, your judgement goes bad pretty quickly and the it's often unnoticed until the consequences slam you. Extra water is easily wanted for hydration (always overestimate this amount), dustmask soaking as you noted, eyewashing, wound irrigation, washing & general sanitation, cleaning your goggles, etc.

folding knife, multi-tool These can be somewhat redundant in the size of jobs they do. IMHO consider the multitool or a SAK complementing a large-ish fixed blade (7"-10" blade). Another option is different tool combinations like prybar/pliers/hatchet or visegrips/crowbar/hammer.

compass (cheap mini's...are probably good enough) The space needed to carry a decent rudimentary compass isn't much more than the space needed for a mini. However, the accuracy & durability of the bigger compass is much higher.

flashlight I would add several (five or six) waterproof mini-LED lights like Photons or Inovas to the flashlight. You might also consider the Inova X5 for its very high durability. A small LED headlamp is also a good consideration for its hands-free operation.

3 food bars This will hold you for about a day. IMHO increase the number to about 10. Lifeboat bars are another option for food. They are very sturdily packaged and taste bland enough that you won't be tempted to dig them out until really needed. ;)

walkman (for listening to radio warnings/info) You might consider a radio that will also monitor shortwave and/or police & weather channels.

loud whistle(?) IMHO this is one item that you should DEFINITELY have on you at all times, regardless of circumstances. You can blow a whistle much longer than you can holler or scream. A collapsed building's dust will also chew at your throat as you scream, further shortening the time your voice will hold up.

shoes comfortable enough to walk miles in (in case subways stop running) Also consider the sturdiness anbd support of the shoes or boots. A collapsed building will present ankle-twisting and abrasion possibilities on par with the roughest ground on earth, with the possible exception of some lava flows.

Here's a couple of prior threads containing info that may serve as a launch point to other options for your kit. A search here on BFC, as well as the web in general, should find a ton more info on kit & BOB contents.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=170078
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=172771
 
I agree that having a supply of water in these circumstances is extremely useful; but how do you effectively carry quantities more than one liter?

I often (especially in warm weather) have a standard one quart U.S. army canteen around--but even that is sometimes a little bulky/awkward.
 
a camelbak is very convenient and not at all bulky. Mine slips into a pocket in my pack and it holds 3 liters.
 
So, what would I want to have if I'm in the middle of a terrorist attack that just happened? Let's say I'm in the crowd that's probably dead for sure.

A cell phone to tell as many people that I'll see them later.

A pic of my family.

My ID's, for obvious reasons.

And a Bible, so that if I run into a terrorist that somehow survived during the attack, I could use it to bash him in. The good book can be mighty heavy.
 
I'm inclined to agree with the latter posts (i.e. plane ticket, teddy bear, etc). My EDC is pretty much on par with everyone else around here (parentheses again: Surefire E2E, Arc AAA, LMan Wave & Squirt, Sangean AM/FM/WB/TV pocket radio, CRKT or Spyderco, a wallet full of all sorts of goodies, etc), all there to make me feel prepared and secure. BUT, none of it will do diddly if I'm 5 feet away from a car bomb (BTW, I think the threat of a dirty bomb is a crock, with the exception of the initial explosion) or a thousand feet from a chemical/biological dispersement.

That said, relax and enjoy your weekend wherever you are. If it happens, it happens. I'm typing this as choppers fly over my roof, for God knows what reason. As far as I'm concerned, It's Miller time in the Big Apple. :D

Take care,
Al
 
One more thing (sorry if I'm hogging the thread). Please don't think I'm being flippant about this whole situation. I'm not. I'm pissed off beyond belief. PO'ed at bullsh*t righteous indignation on OBL and his filthy followers part, PO'ed at our government for over-alerting the public, PO'ed at the media for using this as another ratings ploy (personally I think Joe Millionaire should be sharing a cell with Joe Terrorist down in Gitmo, but that's a W&C thread that I'm not about to start.)

Anyway, just wanted to say that we are all on this boat together and if we let whatever bastard that wants to disrupt our nights sleep, get to us, then that's just another battle they've won.

Let the weekend proceed. Enjoy.

Al
 
If I knew, or strongly expected a terrorist attack, I just wouldn't be there.

Given that, one thing I ALWAYS would have, would be a very good set of street maps, for the area where I worked, etc. And as others said, plenty of water.

FWIW. L.W.
 
Originally posted by RokJok

folding knife, multi-tool These can be somewhat redundant in the size of jobs they do. IMHO consider the multitool or a SAK complementing a large-ish fixed blade (7"-10" blade). Another option is different tool combinations like prybar/pliers/hatchet or visegrips/crowbar/hammer.

But if he is in NYC, wouldn't carrying a 7"-10" blade knife be against the law? I believe they have a 4" blade length limit there.

Pascal.
 
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Originally posted by Pascal
But if he is in NYC, wouldn't carrying a 7"-10" blade knife be against the law? I believe they have a 4" blade length limit there.
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Pascal, point taken. Thanks for the reality check. :)
 
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