Ultimate Carry Gear?

J

john Fitzgerld

Joined
Nov 2, 1999
Messages
3
It may sound silly, but cost factors aside (if most of us budgeted properly, and bought fewwe high quality items over a longer period, instead of medium quality over short time), and legal factors aside (laws change all the time, and this is sort of a post-apolocypse/"Mad Max on crack" gear question), what would you carry while society is in ruins, also applicable if you lived in a rural area with lots of land during normal conditions? Figure you need some medical gear, light (water proof probably best), camo clothes, web gear/LBE/LBV/tac vest, or whatever you want to carry gear with, weapons/ammo, knives/tools, shelter gear, fire gear, SERE gear (see my other thread), water carrying, food carrying/obtaining, etc.

Consider you have almost unlimited funds, but the items actually have to exist, figure you have to carry all this gear on you and may have to run with it (so no 150 lbs packs!), realize that you wont live in 100% comfort yet you will live and can improvise with what you have, consider that your tools may have to last for a really long time (consider packing some primitive weapon, bow and arrow, sling, etc. for when your ammo runs out), consider some minor barter items (1/10 oz - $40 gold coins may be best), and also consider repairing gear when it breaks, and consider changing environments - must float, must be corrosion resistant/proof, resist heat, maybe hammock for jungle, cold gear for artic, etc. This gear can be module. It may sound like a silly question with little merit, but if I have thought about it, I am certain at least a few other Blade Forum members have. PS consider first line/second line/third line gear set ups as well. I did not think body armor would be good, except maybe light level 2 or 2A.
 
Keeping in mind money is NO object...

Guns:
1. Any S&W .357 with 4" Barrel
2. Mossberg Model 500 in Full Synth
with Speed-Feed Stock (3" chamber)

Knives:
1. Cold Steel Trail Master Bowie
in all black to keep elements
at bay.
2. Cold Steel Desperado
==> Close encounters!
3. Microtech Auto Socom (TANTO ONLY!!)
4. Any bellied Buck Hunter

Light:
1. 1, 3 C Cell MagLite
2. 1, 2 AAA Cell MagLite
3. #, Neon Glow rods...4"...Blue or Green

Fire:
1. Zippo w/ acessories
2. Waterproof Matches (obviously)
3. Coleman/Wangly Firestixs
==>wax and magnesium
4. Magnifying Glass/Lense

For Food:
1. R.T.E.'s (good one's if money no prob)
2. Some heavy .357 slugs/12 gauge 000 BUCK
3. Pocket Fisherman and accessories
4. Water Purifier (filter or tabs)
tabs make nasty tasting water!



------------------
God's choices in inflicicting suffering are unsatisfactory to us, nor are they understandable, unless innocence offends him. Clearly he needs some help in directing the fury with which he flogs the earth...

 
I don't know about Mad Max on Crack...how about Richard Marcinko on Ginseng??? Anyway, I have on occasion actually hoped civilization would disintegrate so we can get down to the essentials and cut out the deadwood (morgage brokers).
Unlimited funds wouldnt substantially change what I already have prepared...

A. Knives:
1. Busse Battle Mistress (indestructable survival knife)
2. Al Mar Warrior (sadistic fighting knife)
3. Some kind of multi-tool SAK (havent decided on one yet)
4. A couple of Cold Steel Bushman (beaters, skinners, eating tools)

B. Guns:
1. S&W M19 .357 "Combat Magnum" (with a supply of .357 & .38 ammo)
1b. Possibly a Berretta M92f (depending on weight sum of complete gear)
2. Mossberg 500 (with various shot)
2b. Possibly Short-stock AR15 or AK47 w/synthetic stocks (again depending on load)

C. Pack: I have a small South African backpack that is my favorite, but I would probably take my medium ALICE with frame because its waterproof and holds more stuff (emphasis on small, light, and useful):
1. Boyscout spark rod.
2. Lighter.
3. Several large heavy contractor garbage bags (for storing food, water, to be a tent or improvised flotation device).
4. Fishing line & hooks.
5. Snare wire.
6. 50-100 feet of parachute cord.
7. Vial of USP resublimated iodine crystals (for long-term use water purifier).
8. Some ziplock bags (they don't take much room and are good for lots of things).
9. Rain poncho.
10. 1 extra set of durable clothing.
11. Entrenching tool.
12. Small pot or can to cook in.
13. Gloves.
14. Small first aid kit.
15. 2-3 carabiners.
16. Needle & Thread.
17. Mosquito/Fish-netting.

D. Other Stuff:
1. Water Bladder.
2. Bivy tent.

I would give the most weight allowance to ammo. If I had to consider barter material, I would get a box of vials of antibiotics from the farming supply store. Or rob a pharmacy or vet for pain-killers.

It will be amusing to see the forests surrounding population-centers crowded with busy survivalists when civilization collapses. Your local state park will look like central park, only the joggers will be wearing camo bdus.

This is always an amusing topic.

[This message has been edited by James Sass (edited 03 November 1999).]

[This message has been edited by James Sass (edited 03 November 1999).]
 
I'll be brief and won't rehash all the misc. equipment mentioned.

Cutlery:
Coldsteel Trailmaster or Lightweight Kukri
Leatherman
Buck 110 (optional)

Rifle/Shotgun:
Is the danger primarily from large 4 legged animals (e.g. grizzly)- shotgun - or packs of the two legged variety? My inclination is to go with an M16 or whatever civilian
version is available and it should also have a quick attach/detach SCOPE + extra mags.

Handgun:
I really like the Browning 9mm, but here we're talking backup (or a midnight nature call type weapon).
My choice - a lightweight .38 spcl snub. Needless to say, spare ammo.

Travel light!

mosh



 
In regards to escape & evasion gear for TEOTWAWKI, bug-outs, etc., some people have made some good suggestions about specific equipment.

That said, let's look at your approach. I prefer to approach this in layers:
1) On you
2) On your web gear
3) In your pack

The idea is that you might be forced to dump your pack to escape pursuit. You might be surprised when you've taken off your web gear and have to flee without it, or it might get caught on something and force you to jettison it or be captured/killed. Read the first chapter of David Brin's The Postman for a very scary depiction of this worst-case scenario.

On you should be the things that you absolutely, positively can't do without, such as a knife, firemaking equipment, compass, small survival kit, etc. To augment your pockets and pants belt, you may want to make a BMR (Biafra Mile Run) pouch, supposedly developed by mercs in Africa in case they had to make a "run for the border." You wear it on your chest, under your clothes, and it holds a few basic essentials (in the case of the mercs, a small pistol, cash, Canadian passport, etc. :-) ). On your web gear go more essentials, such as water, ammo, first aid kit, etc. Your pack holds bulky items such as sleeping bags, as well as refills (more water, more ammo, etc.)

The thing to do in deciding on items, is to evaluate each with some questions:
*Do I really need this?
*Is there something smaller/lighter that can do as well?
*If I do need it, what's its priority? (pack, web gear, etc.)

You may have some duplication, such as more than one knife. In some cases, you may decide that an item isn't needed, or that something else is better for the weight. A prime example is a big, heavy fighting knife. I read an article several years ago by Chuck Karwan, in which he slammed the M9 bayonet by stating that he could carry a lightweight knife and an alloy frame .38 for about the same weight. Today, you could substitute a 14oz KelTec P-11 9mm pistol and a lightweight utility knife like the 5" Russel Harrington camp knife for a big knife.

You may also consider being able to use a "stealth" mode. If there are pockets of nastiness with other areas that are still "normal," you'd want some casual clothes and some kind of bag or pack that your long gun and other stuff could go into. You could keep a compact pistol (like the KelTec) handy.

Consider also that you may not need to bugout in some situations. In some cases, it may be safer to hunker down than to join the chaos out on the roads...

Food for thought. I hope this helps.

Regards
Dirty Bob
 
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