SURVIVAL SUPPLIES LIST ON THIS PAGE: BACKPACK ITEMS CAR EMERGENCY PACK MEDICAL SUPPLIES LIST MOTORIST'S WINTER SURVIVAL KIT RED CROSS LIST OTHER BUGOUT BAG IDEAS SURVIVAL ITEMS FOR YOUR BACKPACK, CAR, & HOME BACKPACK or CARRY-BAG: Back Pack- Large enough to hold all the below or a large G.I duffel bag with carry straps. Flashlight & Extra batteries/bulb Emergency Strobe (LED Flashing) & Extra Batts. Notebook (waterproof if poss) Pens/Pencils Maps / Road Atlases Money ($20 Quarters; $100 Small Bills) Spare keys, phone card Tools: VICE GRIPS, Screwdrivers (Phillips & Slotted), Adjustable Wrench, Tin Snips (Heavy-Grade Scissors); Lightweight HAMMER (also good for defense) Survival Saw ("wire" saw) Butane LIGHTER; Fire Paste (a gel that ignites damp wood); Matches; Survival candle in a can such as the Nuwick Candle-good for 120 hours Knife - folding (Gerber lock blade knife) Disposible Shavers; Soap; Toothbrush; (Baking Soda doubles as Toothpaste, multiple uses, saves space); Paper Towels - more uses than toilet paper, more space-efficient Whistle Watch/Timepiece (Cheap, tough LCD plastic watches Probably best) Compass Binoculars Mirror - Small handheld for signaling Radio - Grundig Wind-Up AM/FM/SW (Small, built-in generator + Batt Pwr, cheap[$40] ) Space Blanket (Thin, Foil Lined) Rain Suit Navy Watch Cap-wool (90% of body heat is lost via an uncovered head!) FOODS: High-Calorie, "Compact" Items; (Even if you don't eat this stuff normally, Consider Low-Temperature, Labor-Intensive, Emotionally-Trying Conditions & Plan Accordingly): Chocolate; Vegetable Oil (Pure-Fat & Condensed - Very Practical!); "Morale" Foods; "Survival Bar" (3-day); Beef Jerky-vac sealed; WATER: 1/2 Gal For your carry-bag/Backpack; Because of water's weightiness, a small WATER FILTER should be included - even a few Coffee Filters pressed between a couple of plastic planters; BIBLE & other Reading Material TOYS: Playing Cards, Frisbee, COPIES OF IMPORTANT PAPERS: insurance papers, drivers license, important phone numbers, bank information, weapon permit, military id, shot records, passport, medical insurance cards, etc. TO TOP AUTOMOBILE EMERGENCY KIT Water (2 5-Gallon "camp" containers Katadyn Mini Ceramic Filter with replacement filter 4 water canteens Vitamins Road Flares (3) Fire Extinguisher (2A10BC) Pry bar (small) Nylon line (50 ft) Disposable Razors Wire (heavy, 2 yds) Plastic wire ties (10) WD-40 (small can) Duct Tape Gas siphon Space blanket Sweatshirt Leather gloves Dust mask (2) Butane lighter Waterproof matches Candles Walking Shoes Blanket Sleeping Bag WARM CLOTHING: Wool "Watch-Cap", Jacket, Sweatshirt/pants, wool socks, Heavy-Duty boots Gas Can Nylon Rope (11mm, 110 ft.) Plastic ties-various lengths "Twist-Ties" Plastic garbage bags (2) Safety pins (20) Whistle Paper Towels Watch Compass Portable radio (Pref. Grundig "Wind-Up" Gen/Batt type) & Extra batteries 2_Way Radio: handheld 40-Channel CB SURVIVAL BOOK(S): e.g., "Survive Safely Anywhere-The SAS Survival Manual" by John Wiseman Maps / Road Atlases TO TOP . Automobile MEDICAL Kit: Any Prescription Medication(s) that are required Tylenol 500mg (10) Asprin 325mg (25) Ipecac (small bottle) Decongestant (12) Dramamine (6) Antihistamine (12) Antacid tablets (roll) Kaopectate (10) Caffeine tablets 100mg (8) Sunscreen (SPF 25) Anesthetic gel (small tube) Soap (small bottle) Antiseptic wipes (6) Water disinfectant tablets Drug interaction card Oral rehydration salts Bandage Scissors Prescription medicines Contact lens system Ace bandage Rolled gauze (2) Neosporin (small tube) Gauze pads 4x4 (5) Gauze pads 3x2 (5) Triangular bandage Eye pad Medical tape (1.5"x50') Moleskin (1 sheet) Bandaids 1/2x3 (15) Bandaids 1/3x2 (6) Instant cold pack Ammonia inhalents (2) Rubber gloves (2) Tampax Sawyer extractor Tweezers Scalpel, #11 SAM splint Hypo-Hyperthermia thermometer 10cc syringe w/ 18 ga. catheter TO TOP Motorist's Winter Survival Kit Len McDougall, Outdoor Writer (LMwriter1@yahoo. com) Hardly anyone who's ever gotten into trouble saw it coming. That's the point behind "survivalism, " to anticipate and be ready to meet as many potentially tragic situations as possible, and in as much comfort as possible. 1997 alone, winter storms were the number two cause of weather related fatalities, most of them occurring during an unusual blizzard that swept across the I-70 corridor through Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The scenario was repeated all along those freeways: A car lost control, turning sideways in the road; the cars following locked up the brakes, losing control; now the freeway is blocked, all traffic is stopped, and snowplows can't get through. You don't have to live up here on Lake Superior to be threatened by snow. To that end, following is a list of items I personally consider most necessary for driving in snow country. Snowshoes, at least one pair. Many of the motorists who died during the "Blizzard of '97" did so within sight of a lighted gas station sign, but they couldn't get to it through waist-deep snowdrifts. Sleeping bag, large, rectangular, synthetic-fill. Good for spending an unplanned night stuck in snow (I've done that a few times); also good in any season for warming accident victims who're in shock. Rugged leather work gloves with woolen or synthetic knit liners, because you'll likely be working in snow with your hands. Pac-boots, ankle high, because its really tough to walk through snow wearing pumps or loafers without suffering frostbite to the toes. Warm clothing: Knit synthetic or woolen sweater; windproof overpants; hooded fleece jacket; knit "tuque" style hat or ski mask. Long-handle pointed shovel, because nearly everyone stuck in snow is "high-centered, " meaning that snow has packed into the undercarriage with sufficient force to raise the vehicle's weight off its tires, preventing it from getting enough traction to move. Simply breaking apart that packed snow with a shovel is usually enough to get moving again. Flashlight, for seeing, signaling, and to keep from getting run over by emergency vehicles. Don't buy a cheap light unless that's also how you regard the value of your life - I carry only Mag-Lites, in the woods or otherwise, but I've also been pretty impressed with Petzl's LED headlamps for times when both hands are needed for up-close work. Jumper cables, because having a dead battery doesn't make being in a blizzard more comfortable, and it may be someone else who is blocking your way who needs a jump. I make my own from welding cable, because I like my cables to be long enough to reach the other guy's battery when I'm parked behind him. Water. A jug of water in the trunk is a block of ice in winter. A chemical handwarmer duct-taped to the bottle will help to thaw it, but it'll be a while, so the best bet is to carry a bottle of water in the passenger compartment. Contrary to dogma, you can safely eat snow to get water, but only if your body is warm. Most critical is to be dressed to be comfortable indefinitely while outside in subfreezing weather - just as every dogsledder, snowshoer, winter camper, and ice fisherman does (sometimes even kayakers). Urban lifestyles may prohibit dressing like a Yooper during daily life, but the trunk of even a small car can carry several times more emergency gear than a winter camper can stuff into a backpack. No one ever needs to be a victim of snow or cold. And for the inevitable few who require something to complain about, here's a topic for you: My 6th book, The Field & Stream Wilderness Survival Handbook (www.amazon. com), contains a number of itemized survival kit checklists for everything from summer hiking and backpacking to snowmobiling and winter driving. These checklists aren't derived from imaginary scenarios thought up while seated in a recliner, but from more than three decades of saying, "I sure wish I'd thought to bring one of those." TO TOP Red Cross List WATER: Store water in durable plastic containers such as soft drink bottles. Milk cartons and glass bottles decompose or break. A normally active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot environments and intense physical activity can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers and ill people will need more. Store one gallon of water per person per day (two quarts for drinking, two quarts for food preparation/sanitation)* Keep at least a three-day supply of water for each person in your household. Food Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking and little or no water. If you must heat food, pack a can of sterno. Select food items that are compact and lightweight. *Include a selection of the following foods in your Disaster Supplies Kit: Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables Canned juices, milk, soup (if powdered, store extra water) Staples--sugar, salt, pepper High energy foods--peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix Vitamins Foods for infants, elderly persons or persons on special diets Comfort/stress foods--cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops, instant coffee, tea bags First Aid Kit Assemble a first aid kit for your home and one for each car. A first aid kit* should include: Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes 2-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6) 4-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6) Hypoallergenic adhesive tape Triangular bandages (3) 2-inch sterile roller bandages (3 rolls) 3-inch sterile roller bandages (3 rolls) Scissors Tweezers Needle Moistened towelettes Antiseptic Thermometer Tongue blades (2) Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant Assorted sizes of safety pins Cleansing agent/soap Latex gloves (2 pair) Sunscreen Non-prescription drugs Aspirin or nonaspirin pain reliever Anti-diarrhea medication Antacid (for stomach upset) Syrup of Ipecac (use to induce vomiting if advised by the Poison Control Center) Laxative Activated charcoal (use if advised by the Poison Control Center) Contact your local American Red Cross chapter to obtain a basic first aid manual.     SUGGESTIONS AND REMINDERS Store your kit in a convenient place known to all family members. Keep a smaller version of the Disaster Supplies Kit in the trunk of your car. Keep items in air-tight plastic bags. Change your stored water supply every six months so it stays fresh. Rotate your stored food every six months. Re-think your kit and family needs at least once a year. Replace batteries, update clothes, etc. Ask your physician or pharmacist about storing prescription medications. Tools and Supplies Mess kits, or paper cups, plates and plastic utensils* Emergency preparedness manual* Battery-operated radio and extra batteries* Flashlight and extra batteries* Cash or traveler's checks, change* Nonelectric can opener, utility knife* Fire extinguisher: small canister, ABC type Tube tent Pliers Tape Compass Matches in a waterproof container Aluminum foil Plastic storage containers Signal flare Paper, pencil Needles, thread Medicine dropper Shut-off wrench, to turn off household gas and water Whistle Plastic sheeting Map of the area (for locating shelters) Sanitation Toilet paper, towelettes* Soap, liquid detergent* Feminine supplies* Personal hygiene items* Plastic garbage bags, ties (for personal sanitation uses) Plastic bucket with tight lid Disinfectant Household chlorine bleach Clothing and Bedding *Include at least one complete change of clothing and footwear per person. Sturdy shoes or work boots* Hat and gloves Rain gear* Thermal underwear Blankets or sleeping bags* Sunglasses Special Items Remember family members with special needs, such as infants and elderly or disabled persons. For Baby* Formula Diapers Bottles Powdered milk Medications For Adults* Heart and high blood pressure medication Insulin Prescription drugs Denture needs Contact lenses and supplies Extra eye glasses Entertainment--games and books. Important Family Documents Keep these records in a waterproof, portable container. Will, insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds Passports, social security cards, immunization records Bank account numbers Credit card account numbers and companies Inventory of valuable household goods, important telephone numbers Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates) [End Red Cross Section] TO TOP . OTHER SURVIVAL-PACK IDEAS: [Portions From "Mike's Bugout Bag": www.icomm.ca/survival/Mike's%20Bugout%20Bag.htm ] 3.1) Food: Figure a bare minimum of 2000 calories of food with 60 grams of protein per day, biased heavily towards starches but with extra fats in the winter. Cooking supplies (stoves, firewood, gas) will be limited - this whole thing will be like a one-man birthday party. You get no presents that you didn't bring for yourself. Ramen noodles, powerbars, beef jerky, trail mix, and vitamin supplements. Some have suggested macaroni carried in ziplock bags, salt pork and ship's biscuit. If you're mobile, you can supplement that with canned foods: Canned stew, spaghetti, pork and beans COFFEE: If you normally drink coffee, tea, or pop, sudden deprivation may affect your abilities, so keeping coffee or tea in your bag is advised. Some wilderness Emergency Medical Technicians have been seen to carry caffeine pills (Vivarin or similar) for this very reason. In the same vein, smokers or recent ex-smokers should keep nicotine gum or patches packed-staying quit under the stress of an emergency evacuation is not going to be the easiest thing in the world. 3.2) Water: The average human needs a gallon per day for drinking alone. There ain't no way around it-without water you will die within three days. Someone has suggested that it's possible to live on half of this if you "don't move much." There are multiple ways to store water. 5-gallon water jugs for camping. Some people take a 2-liter pop bottle, fill it about 3/4 full from the tap, and add a small amount of bleach. Then, cap the bottle and freeze it. This ensures that the drinking water in question will be cold and potable (when thawed), and can be used to keep perishables from spoiling. 15-gallon beer kegs is another possibility. WATER PURIFICATION: The easiest method is to treat the water with an iodine preparation such as Potable Aqua or PolarPure. 3.3) Medicines: If you use any medicine on a regular basis, make sure you have a supply on hand, be it nitro pills, Paxil, allergy medicine, birth-control pills, or whatever. For what it's worth, an OTC pain reliever, an antacid, an antihistamine, and some sort of anti-diarrhea med have been known to come in pretty durn handy. If you expect to have to evacuate to a place above 8,000 feet or thereabouts, you might want to talk to your doctor about drugs to treat altitude sickness. INSECTS: Insect repellent and bug nets have their place. Mosquitoes, ticks and chiggers can make you almost wish you gave up & stayed behind. . Some people claim that garlic and/or lots of B vitamins work quite well. A pure liquid DEET mixture is more conventional. 3.4) Hygienic needs: Soap, antibiotic (Neosporin, etc.), a clean hand towel. Pre-moistened towelettes, alcohol prep pads. Need one mention toilet paper? For sunburn or windburn, some Chapstick and a bottle of SPF 15 sunblock is essential. 3.5) Light You'll need a good, solid, durable flashlight. I keep a 2AA Mini-Maglite and a 2D MagLite with spare bulbs & batteries. Beyond that, an area light can be rather useful. Something like a lantern and/or a bunch of Cyalume lightsticks are quite useful for actually trying to work under bad lighting conditions. However, in my experience Cyalumes tend to go dead after a year or two in storage. TO TOP 3.6) Navigation: Start with a decent compass (I like the Silva Ranger 15CL, but that's a little feature-rich and high-dollar for most people who just want a backup). A cheaper Silva or Suunto should be adequate for the non-compass-obsessed. Carrying a second compass to avoid the problem of one getting a little out of whack is advised. Avoid the really cheap ones. Add road maps for your county and the surrounding counties. One map that I have that I've found to be extremely useful is a laminated copy of the road map used by Sheriff's dispatchers in my county. If you contact your Sheriff's Office or county Emergency Management Agency and explain why you need it, you should be able to get a copy. GPS and other toys may be nice, but too much money for a gadget that does what your brain and a map can do, and they'll need batteries. 3.7) Clothing and Shelter: Pack at least one full change appropriate to the season, plus extra underwear and socks. (Note: 'Appropriate to the season' means _no_ cotton outerwear or longjohns in the winter-that's asking to freeze to death). Whenever the weather is above freezing, I like cotton duck trousers such as Carhartts, and have been looking for a wool version for winter use. Treated with a good waterproofing agent such as Scotchgard, these trousers can be an exception to the rule about cotton outerwear in areas given to dry or mild winters. Then add a coat. Then a hat. Then gloves. Then footwear (I like a pair of Wolverine steel-toed boots with lug soles, and adding a pair of wool-lined mukluks in the winter and track shoes or sandals in the summer). At the bare minimum, you'll need a tarp of some kind to keep the wind and rain off-and that's in the summer. In the winter, you'll need to add a decent sleeping bag, shell, and mattress. Luxury is unimportant, but being able to remain warm even with wet equipment is critical. 3.8) Tools A knife is essential-sturdy, sharp knives are among the most useful tools made. The big "rambo" knives are almost useless, though. A sturdy folder (Buck or Schrade or Gerber or the like) and _maybe_ a midsize sheath knife or kukri/parang is all you need. Pliers, shovels/E-tools can be helpful, but can also be extra weight. A good compromise are the so-called "Leatherman" tools-I personally like the Gerber version over the Leatherman. It's ten bucks more, but the handles don't pinch the skin off your fingers when you use the pliers. I've heard good reviews about the Leatherman "Wave" model, but have not yet tried it. Duct tape can fix anything-they don't call it the "handyman's best friend" for nothing. Don't forget a CAN OPENER! You can get cheap folding P-38 can openers at Walmart three for a buck. Not having one to open your beans is frustrating sometimes. Some sort of cordage is almost a requirement. I personally like parachute cord, but some have reported that nylon seine twine is almost as strong, a little more widely available, and takes up less space. 3.9) Weapons KNOW YOUR LOCAL LAWS! Bugging out only to end up in jail facing a weapons charge is a _bad_ way to handle an emergency. In most states, concealed carry of a firearm or other dangerous weapon requires a license, and some states or localities may also regulate the open and unconcealed carry of weapons. Do you plan to fight an infantry engagement? If the answer to this is 'yes' then a full rifle or shotgun is indicated, along with a psychiatric evaluation. Fighting a war while running from a chemical spill would at the least be really bad timing. At any rate, too many guns and too much ammunition will weigh you down, and has a nasty habit of appearing INDISCREET. Whatever weapons you do carry, make very sure that they will function even with a lack of regular maintainance, that you can maintain them with a minimum of equipment, and that you can shoot effectively. 3.10) Signaling and Radios A radio capable of receiving all-news formatted AM stations should be the first radio that you add. After that, a licensed ham should add a 144MHz FM handheld with extra batteries, and an unlicensed individual should get a license. TO TOP 3.11) Misc. Stuff: Keys-when you lock the house you'll probably want to be able to unlock it afterwards. Also, do you have spare car keys? Spare mailbox key? Safe-deposit-box key? Extra photo ID just for the bugout is a help-an old military ID or expired driver's license...non-US citizens should have their passports and visas with them at ALL times. Also, copies of your insurance policies can be a big help should the house need repair or you need medical care. If you live in one of the third-world backwaters like Illinois that requires a specific ID to transport a firearm, then you want a copy of that if your bag includes a gun. A pre-paid phone card goes a long way too...you might just need to call Mom and tell her that you won't be in for dinner that weekend because you're running for your life. Passports can be helpful, and if you're outside of your country of citizenship then you do not want to be separated from your passport or visa, or WHO Yellow Book _EVER_. 3.12) Packing it all up You need a bag that will hold all this stuff, with some degree of protection from the elements. Personally, I prefer just using a large bookbag...keep it simple. (Plus, in college towns like this one a backpack doesn't look all that out of place). As a rule of thumb, if the bag is perfectly packed when you first pack it, then once you open it up in the field you'll never get it repacked. Therefore, a bag should probably be about half again as big as you actually need. Note about brands of equipment: I'm not a big fan of US Military-issue equipment. It's made by the lowest bidder in a contracting system that seems driven more by politics than by producing quality equipment, and as a result almost all of the Mil-Spec gear that I've used has turned out to be shoddily-made crap. Well, not all of it. My canteens have held up well, as has my ripstop poncho. OTOH, I've ruined more ALICE packs through normal use than I care to think about. The REI house brand is usually serviceable-my current pack was made by REI and has seen almost three years of moderately hard use with very little apparent wear. As far as compasses go, the higher-end Silvas, Suuntos, and Bruntons are almost identical in quality as far as I can tell. They all run in the $40-$50 range. High-grade sleeping bags abound-I currently have an Slumberjack Everest Elite that has served well for almost ten years, but is now facing retirement-sleeping bags lose their insulating power with time. Still perfectly adequate for 3-season use, but not for winter if I have any choice in the matter. (Editor's note-the bag has since been supplanted by a Sierra Designs synthetic-fill model rated down to +5 degrees F ...excellent bag for winter use if a little bulky) For knives-if you want a folder, you want a lock-blade for safety reasons. Buck and Gerber knives tend to be _very_ well made, warrantied from here to eternity, and hold their edges reasonably well. Spyderco and Benchmade folders are also good, and incorporate both blade serrations and one-hand opening. My Gerber Gator is now in semi-retirement, having been replaced with a Benchmade AFCK. As far as sheath knives go-I like the Buck Special with 6" blade. Everything else that's at all well made is is way beyond my budget. (Well, except for the US Marine-issue KaBar, which is heavy and a little awkward in my opinion. Others will disagree.) I won't recommend one firearm over another in this document. Shooting skill takes precedence over the choice of firearm itself any day. TO TOP My own kit: Backpack of the day, (Either a Lowe Alpine day pack or a medium REI Traverse Newstar, depending on the season): One pair of cheap imitation Carhartts work pants wool shirt two changes of underwear two pairs of wool socks with capilene liner socks two t-shirts change of longjohns (late fall through early spring) small towel, with a bar of Dial soap and foot powder All packed in large ziplock bags gloves (lightweight wool liners and medium-weight leather shells) Wool watch cap in winter, and wide-brimmed bush hat in summer shatter-resistant sunglasses wool scarf in winter Folding knife (carried in my person pretty much all the time) Buck Special sheath knife Gerber Multi-Tool (carried as a key fob) 50' duct tape 50' parachute cord one bottle, aspirin one roll, Rolaids one tube, generic triple antibiotic ointment ten 3"x3" gauze pads 30 assorted bandaids one roll, adhesive tape two pairs, surgical gloves 8-oz bottle, Doctor Bronners miracle patent medicine soap or whatever. one bottle, SPF 15 waterproof sunblock one bottle, 100% DEET bug dope 3 days worth of Nicorette (TEOTW would be a bad time for a relapse :) Mini-Mag light, extra bulb, two sets of extra AA batteries six Cyalume light sticks, assorted colors AM radio, with more batteries of its own. Yaesu 2M/440 HT, with yet more batteries compass, Silva Ranger model 15CL Food bag containing: Hot cereal mix, tea bags, jerky, powerbars, ramen noodles, Tabasco sauce, small sealed bottle of vitamin pills, and the like (Roughly 10,000 calories total) MSR Whisperlite 600 with about a quart of white gas two 1Q Nalgene lexan water bottles, and one MSR half-gallon water bag. One MSR MiniWorks filter-make sure that the filter element is in good shape, and backed up by a bottle of PolarPure iodine. Mil-surplus ripstop poncho with liner; sleeping bag and ridgerest pad (Oct 15-April 15) Armaments as dictated by local laws and situation old school ID; medical insurance card; spare apartment and truck keys; $25 prepaid phone card; $50 paper; ~$5 in change; small spiral notebook; mechanical pencil I keep the following in my car: AAA road maps of most of the midwest; E911 map of my county, laminated, and dry-erase marker; registration and insurance; Five bucks in change; Chilton's manual and GMC owner's manual; rags, Rain-X, wrenches, screwdrivers, shovel, prybar, axe, jack, chocks, spare tire, booster cables, tow strap, one quart each of oil, brake fluid, ATF, plus one gallon each of coolant, wiper fluid, and drinking water, flashlight, road flares, 3 days canned food, orange reflective vest, parka CB radio and antenna mag-mount 2M/440 antenna Plus, I ["Mike"] perform _ALL_ scheduled maintainance on the mfr-recommended 3000 mile interval, and never let my fuel load get below a 200-mile (city and heavy snow driving) reserve. "Mike's Bugout Bag" is from: www.icomm.ca/survival/Mike's%20Bugout%20Bag.htm TO TOP

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