Urban B.O.B.

[kycolonel]

"I'm not derailing or quashing anything. If someone else wishes to explain to someone something so simple, they are free to do so.

Your patience with us simpletons is appreciated.

"I think it would be a waste of their time as you have already made up your mind."

Please add clairvoyance to your list of expert areas that noone should comment on without first passing your screening.

Have a nice day

 

[hoopster]

".......Prybar/boltcutters, lockpicks, prybars, etc"

Help me understand those of you who carry these type implements in your BOB. I get the fence/wirecutters, but are you really going to cut or pick locks during a crisis? Seems to me this is the one time you could be 1) detained for carrying these tools if caught or 2) shot on sight for using them. If I were to catch someone with these tools during a time where looters were a risk, they would be in serious trouble.

As far as I know none of those tools are illegal. They could also come in very handy. You just have to use discretion when transporting and using them just like any other asset.

 

[Don Rearic]

"I'm not derailing or quashing anything. If someone else wishes to explain to someone something so simple, they are free to do so.

Your patience with us simpletons is appreciated.

Don't insult yourself and then turn around and claim that I am insulting you, it's not going to work. If you want to infer you are stupid and use an insult, that's fine. Have fun.

"I think it would be a waste of their time as you have already made up your mind."

Please add clairvoyance to your list of expert areas that noone should comment on without first passing your screening.

Have a nice day

I'm not clairvoyant at all, friend. I can read and I can comprehend what I read. Here is a quote from your post on the last page, I think it is post 52:

".......Prybar/boltcutters, lockpicks, prybars, etc"

Help me understand those of you who carry these type implements in your BOB. I get the fence/wirecutters, but are you really going to cut or pick locks during a crisis? Seems to me this is the one time you could be 1) detained for carrying these tools if caught or 2) shot on sight for using them. If I were to catch someone with these tools during a time where looters were a risk, they would be in serious trouble.

Your last sentence:

"If I were to catch someone with these tools during a time where looters were a risk, they would be in serious trouble."

OK, so they would be in serious trouble. Maybe you would be in serious trouble as well.

 

[kycolonel]

Thanks hoopster for the thoughtful response. I had heard also that these tools were legal, but was also told by a leo friend to be very careful about how and where I carried these specific tools, including in my vehicle. To him, they raised more suspicion than a knife or other legal weapon. Hence my question.

 

[kage]

Alright gentlemen, everyone is entitled to their opinion and we can leave it at that. Everyone is here to learn and to contribute if they have something to share (just as both of you have done) and there is no call for personal attacks of any kind.

To get back on topic: there's some excellent advice here and I won't rehash what's already been said, but I'll offer an alternative instead.

I carry a BOB in my car, another in my office, each family member has one at school or work and we have our individual ones at home. All of this is in addition to what I carry EDC, so it's a decent amount of carefully thought out equipment, which is always being "improved" upon (read: I find an excuse to get a cooler toy to replace an older one).

If you work far from home then you could consider doing a survival cache. Something as simple as a buried 5-gallon bucket with basic supplies in it half way between work and home with the intention of supplementing your work BOB or replacing it if it's lost, seized, etc. What you put in should be disposable as it may be discovered by accident and lost to you. Throw in some food bars, water container (like a Platypus), water treatment, fire kit, a cheap ss mora, Fiskars sliding saw, 550 cord, trauma supplies (roller gauze, trauma pad, duct tape, petrolatum gauze, 4x4 gauze pads, etc.), wire, multi-tool, small pry bar, duct tape, contractor bag, small tarp or sheet of plastic, wool cap, space blanket, small pack to carry it in and/or whatever floats your boat. You may want to carry a small trowel in your BOB to dig this up with or stash one somewhere near by, but of course this being Bladeforums you'll have a knife with you and this being Wilderness and Survival Skills you'll know how to carve a digging stick.

Sure beats carrying a large ruck full of gear if you end up not needing it. The idea is if you have to abandon your vehicle and have to hoof it home, your injured, you can't get to your home due to disaster or riots, or what have you.

Also, you probably want to check on your cache at least once a year to be sure it's still there and to update anything that may be expired (meds, water treatment tabs, food bars, etc.

Just my .02.

 

[Don Rearic]

Everyone is here to learn and to contribute if they have something to share (just as both of you have done) and there is no call for personal attacks of any kind.

I'm not attacking anyone, quite the opposite.

 

[hoopster]

Thanks hoopster for the thoughtful response. I had heard also that these tools were legal, but was also told by a leo friend to be very careful about how and where I carried these specific tools, including in my vehicle. To him, they raised more suspicion than a knife or other legal weapon. Hence my question.

I have thought of that which is why I say to be discreet with them. I don't actually own any bolt cutters but they are useful at work so I'd like to get a pair for at home. Then at least I have the option of grabbing them if I feel they may be necessary when heading out.

 

[Fonly]

One thing I would reccommend would be bus maps, they have all the stores, areas of high traffic, things that would be of use to you if our new to a city.

The big thing is knowing your area, if that means taking $100 one day, or less depending on vehicle, and driving around your area, find ways out of town, remember, even calm streets are going to be busy if a citys being evacuated, but it will me much easier than taking a main route.

the gear is all an obvious thing, depending on what you do can determine what is with you on a regular basis. I keep a full AFAK, sam splints, CPR masks, N95 masks, nitrile(sp?) gloves ect, ect, But, im afraid that comes with knowing more about firstaid, some cases it makes you carry more.

To me firearms is somewhat of an asset, especially when your in an area where you know authorities are going to be able to cope with everything, im sure for the most part I wont need it, but its the age old thing, have it and not need, than need it and not have it.

 

[Bushman5]

bicycle bicycle bicycle! i can tell you for a fact that (especially living in traffic hell Lower Mainland BC) this will get you around better than anything. Especially in my area, where ALL the major routes, bridges, tunnels and highways are designated "Emergency Use ONLY" during disasters, NO ONE will be able to drive out of town. HOWEVER, a bike can be used to escape this hellhole, there are many different routes including an overland (hydro powerlines access road) route that avoids all public areas and people.

grab some basic gear, grab a bike and get out to your fallback location (in my case my parents out in harrison lake BC) or my buddy in Yale

 

[Joben]

Bike FTW.

The Official Zombie Survival Guide agrees with Bushman5.

No seriously, it makes some good points.

Bikes don't run out of fuel per say, they keep going as long as you do. They are quiet, they are discreet, they are energy efficient and much much faster than walking. You can carry them short distances if necessary. And last but probably most important, they can be used to travel on roads choked with traffic or abandoned cars.

 

[C_Kyle]

I agree with the bicycle.

 

[Smash05]

Doug Ritter does what I think is a good job on his site in this regard. www.equipped.org.

 

[Foilist]

If you work far from home then you could consider doing a survival cache. Something as simple as a buried 5-gallon bucket with basic supplies in it half way between work and home with the intention of supplementing your work BOB or replacing it if it's lost, seized, etc. What you put in should be disposable as it may be discovered by accident and lost to you. Throw in some food bars, water container (like a Platypus), water treatment, fire kit, a cheap ss mora, Fiskars sliding saw, 550 cord, trauma supplies (roller gauze, trauma pad, duct tape, petrolatum gauze, 4x4 gauze pads, etc.), wire, multi-tool, small pry bar, duct tape, contractor bag, small tarp or sheet of plastic, wool cap, space blanket, small pack to carry it in and/or whatever floats your boat. You may want to carry a small trowel in your BOB to dig this up with or stash one somewhere near by, but of course this being Bladeforums you'll have a knife with you and this being Wilderness and Survival Skills you'll know how to carve a digging stick.

.

This is some excellent advice. There is a place close to the halfway point on my looooong commute just beyond the burbs where the country begins. A blue blaze hiking trail comes within sight of the freeway for a few hundred feet.

Now don't you CT guys go diggin' around there!

 

[koyote]

Kage- excellent thought. I might extend it here in a few minutes.

I actually no longer have something that's strictly a BOB. I have a go bag for ham stuff, and I have all the various levels of survival/living gear from pocket to cell phone case (has it's own small SAK, flashlight, iodine tabs, and bandaids) to various bags I carry, a kit on my bicycle, the van, etc.

lockpicks aren't something I worry about carrying- other tools I have no problems with, they aren't THAT strange for people who look like me to carry- I look like I 'work for a lviing'

the cache idea is interesting on another level. I love the idea in general and can think of several ways to spread it out and hide them.

The idea of small associative groups putting together group effort ones intrigues me. I wouldn't ever advocate something the size of WSS as a whole forum doing this- with that big a group you have major trust issues and secrecy issues. But I could see small regional groups working out a system of 10 or 12 caches....

 

[GPB]

-Clint Smith

The fact of the matter is that a handgun is not anywhere close to being as effective as a rifle. A rifle will give you a much more effective round and far greater accuracy at any distance.

I know that if I ever need a firearm for self defense and I have the choice, I'll take my BCM AR-15 over any of my handguns.

Interesting, I hadn't revisited this thread until tonight to see your slam.

Clint nor Thunder Ranch are foreign to me RS ole buddy, neither are Awerbuck (YFA) or Ayoob for that matter. The question here was "Urban" I believe. If you plan to carry your rifle and shotgun around any large metropolitan city after the earthquake or big fire, don't stand next to me.

I think if you asked Clint, he would recommend the HG in your BOB in the BIG CITY when discretion is required in front of millions of frightened citizens and hundreds of LE, FEMA, FF and NG all around you. If you HAD to execute the Gravest Extreme (Mas) to defend yourself, the HG would perform just fine. Discretion, not ATTENTION!

Ask Clint, see what he says!

 

[BoxANT]

Bicycles excellent for getting out of an urban setting (traffic jams). However, I would sooner throw it in the back of my car and get as much distance as I can w/ the gas guzzler (who knows, may get lucky and beat the traffic).


As for the utility/legality of bolt cutter, pry bars (FUBARs), lock picks, ect.

I see them as useful tools in a situation w/out any form of law and order. That is to say, no running water, no more food, gas, light, ect ect. In this case, breaking in to buildings, safes, ect may become an unfortunate reality.

I don't like the idea of theft, but I can imagine situations where it may happen.

Pry bars (fubars) are just plain useful If there is an earthquake and you have to clear some rubble, or bust down doors, having a fubar on hand will give you a very useful advantage. It can help get people out of cars, bust down doors/fences, and just help remove any obstacle that might hinder your progress.

And lets not forget that how useful they are at dispatching zombies

 

[kage]

Foilist and Koyote: In the past I have buried 5 gallon bucket caches at 10-15 mile intervals (depending on terrain) with the idea being that these could provide me with basic essentials for a day. The interval was set for one day's travel and included MREs for a meal supplement.

I have done these for longer distances in case I had to leave my home and head out to my bug out shelter in a remote area. I did this in NC and in Japan and fortunately never needed it, but did test it out for fun by going out with nothing but what I had on me and using the caches as my survival gear.

I'll expand on this more when I'm not so tired.

 

[dougo83]

Just curious, why do you think a rifle would be better than a handgun in an urban situation?

It would depend on what I am doing and where I am. If I am simply at a location and trying to survive, I want a long gun. If the situation is, as some conspiracy-types suppose, a foreign military coming over on my land, I am going to want a .22LR, a few thousand rounds and a coupld of Coke bottles. I WILL make them hurt. If I am in a more urban location or scouting for food/shelter, a handgun seems more prudent and less noticeable.

the stanley FUBAR is ideal for this :thumbup::thumbup:

I want this.

".......Prybar/boltcutters, lockpicks, prybars, etc"

Help me understand those of you who carry these type implements in your BOB. I get the fence/wirecutters, but are you really going to cut or pick locks during a crisis? Seems to me this is the one time you could be 1) detained for carrying these tools if caught or 2) shot on sight for using them. If I were to catch someone with these tools during a time where looters were a risk, they would be in serious trouble.

I carry the wire cutters. Boltcutters are small enough to throw in the pack and a pry bar, especially something shorter like the FUBAR, would also fit. No, I am not going to waste my time picking locks. I also don't want to bust down any door I don't have to, but if an earthquake or some similar event happened, LE and such are gonna be damn happy if I am out with a sledge or other entry tool assisting.

ky--the ignore button is your friend

ROCK-is that a Cop-Tool on your pic?

 

[EmsRescueGuy]

This is a great thread, :thumbup:

Over the past month or so I have been tinkering with my own BOB. I took a lumbar pack and filled it with 1-2days of food and water and some other survival basics, I palnned the pack with enough to keep me alive until I can get either home from work or to a place where I can begin to gather more supplies.

this thread has given me alot of ideas. I am adding A fence tool to my kit.

I have one of these in my kit, its non sparking which may be a concern in urban areas with gas leaks and such.

http://firstrespondernetwork.com/items/products/tooling/other/4-1-emergency-tool-rb-16-detail.htm

 

[ROCK6]

ROCK-is that a Cop-Tool on your pic?

It's CRKT's MAC-1 (Multiple Access fire & rescue Knife) ; a pretty decent little tool for the price.

ROCK6