OT- Bug Out Kit

[RustyJr]

I have a two seperate questions that I would like opinions on. I am considering making a "Bug Out Kit" for a couple friends to keep in their vehicle. I was considering putting it all into a 3 foot piece of 4" PVC with a screw on cap. Figured this would keep it all together into a water proof container that would also keep it relatively secure from getting broken or lost as well as providing a water carrying container. What are your opinions on this system? I am putting a knife in the "kit" and was considering one of these: http://www.swedishknives.com/morakniv.htm
Does anyone have any opinons or experiance with these knives?
Any information or insight would be appreciated.


Thanks,
RustyJr

[jeepnik]

Sounds like it would work. Two points, fit it with some sort of sling to aid carrying, and put some silica in it to prevent rust. Or, and use teflon tape on the thhreads. You might, also, think about some sort of "wrench" as it might be very difficult to take apart after it heats and cools a few hundred times. You could probably attach a smaller tee to the top of the cap and then any appropriately sized rod could be used to open it.

As to the knife, those look good, but personally, something like the Pilot survival knife the UAAF issued might be more useful, not to mention extremely robust.
This ones over forty and still going strong.

[RustyJr]

I was thinking of drilling a hole through the "block" that is in the top of the cap and then taping a steel rod to the outside of the ube to help unscrew it. Would that be a feasible method of opening it if i were tight?

RustyJr

[AJMD429]

I prefer a 5-gallon bucket, with a screw-on 'Gamma Seal' bucket lid replacing the cap. Waterproof, doubles as a chair, stacks easily, low 'profile' vs a sealed/capped PVC pipe (must have a rocket or guns or something evil in it), and Consolidated Plastics or 5GallonBuckets.com sells the buckets in bunches of colors.

• Red - family first aid/emergency bucket
  
  Blue - bottled water (or just fill bucket itself)
  
  Yellow - personal but 'generic' gear - socks underwear & tshirt, paper towels, silverware, cans of tuna, energy bars, Leatherman or Gerber tool, cup/bowl, parachute cord, duct-tape, plastic sheeting, trash bags, small amount of money, 2-way radio, county map of the state (weather warnings love to tell you what county the tornado is in, but where the heck is that county...?), mirror, small first-aid kit, batteries, flashlights, list of family/friend contact info.
  
  Green - shared supplies (rope, tarp, duct-tape, cooking equipment, hatchet, vice grips, other tools, etc.
  
  A small backpack with individual person's clothes, medications, firearms, whatever can compliment the above setup.

[/url]http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/CAMP307-1.html[/url]

http://5gallonbuckets.com/

I think having a few knives that cost less can be better than one knife costing a bunch, depending on the situation (loss, loaners, trade, and duplicates in different 'kits'). Some of my best knives from a 'survival' standpoint have been cheapies (good basic steel, but nothing 'well fitted' or showing 'craftsmanship'). If I have a really well-made and nice knife, I'd rather actually use it day to day, and keep the other in the bug-out-bucket.

The Mormon church encourages everyone to keep a 72-hour kit, and I think it's also a good idea to have a family '72-day' kit in the form of a full pantry, some source of water, extra fuel, emergency fund, etc., as well as have a '72-week' plan for hard times like our current financial situation in the U.S.. Of course such disaster-planning meant you were a 'survivalist' up until the DHS said it was ok to do; now it's a good thing...

I haven't formulated a '72-year' plan yet...

[jeepnik]

I should think so. If it's really tight, you could just sit on it to hold the tube in place and have at it. Plus if its really stuck, you could probably find something to use as a "cheater".

By the way, I did a little experiment some years back with some .22lr ammo. I stuck it in a 2" schedule 40 pipe with regular pipe caps on the end, and some silica inside. After about six years, the ammo worked just fine. I left it in my garage, which is uninsulated. The ups and downs in temperature aren't to extreme, as this is SoCal by the beach, but the humidity can get up there sometimes. Just some food for thought.

[rjohns94]

the knife is very good. You will like it. Dave and Cody, of duel survivor fame, recommend and use these knives. They are not expensive, hold a great edge and are very sturdy. Owned one at all times for most of my life. The system you are thinking of will work. I just use a backpack.

[Rube Burrows]

I have a two seperate questions that I would like opinions on. I am considering making a "Bug Out Kit" for a couple friends to keep in their vehicle. I was considering putting it all into a 3 foot piece of 4" PVC with a screw on cap. Figured this would keep it all together into a water proof container that would also keep it relatively secure from getting broken or lost as well as providing a water carrying container. What are your opinions on this system? I am putting a knife in the "kit" and was considering one of these: http://www.swedishknives.com/morakniv.htm
Does anyone have any opinons or experiance with these knives?
Any information or insight would be appreciated.


Thanks,
RustyJr

They make great skinning knives. Hold a razor sharp edge too.

make sure you pack in there some kind of metal container to boil water with.....cant do that with the PVC. Although, I guess you might be able to get it hot enough to kill the funk without the boil.

[2571]

Mora make great knives. Most guys who actually use them make a better sheath & discord that plastic thingamabob they come in. Sometimes hard to get Mora knives as they sell out quickly once they make it over here.

FWIW, I've got a Mora ice drill for winter fishing. Good steel, easy to sharpen.

[adirondakjack]

It's a good knife. back it up with a $5 diamond covered sharpening stone (1X3" size, Walmart) and ya got a good sharp knife. Not gonna chop trees with it, but it will really cut.... I think the hole in the cap block and say an aluminum or steel el-cheapo tent stake "L" shaped, 6" long, would make a fine handle to open it. A little silicone gel or white lith grease (or even KY type, glycerin-based stuff) on the threads will help keep em from binding too tight and still be waterproof. BTW, ya can use DWV (thin-walled) pipe instead of heavy sch. 40, if the fittings work.

[Cliff]

Mora Knives are usually two for around 25 dollars through sportsmans guide. I own about four now. Laminated blade easy to sharpen, plastic scabbard is okay. But they stay sharp and light weight. They almost always have them in stock. Another knife item which is handy is the folding box cutter bladed knives. Carry extra blades, not to bad. Usually find them at Building supply stores, (aka Lowes or Handy City). Our ancesters used stone knives about max. of 2 inches. Otherwise look around the net for knife sales. Custom knives are very good but if you lose them it hurts. If you go with 5 gallon bucket set up get a pack board back pack set up with a shelf to hold the bucket in place. 5 gallons of water is around 40+ pounds. ATB

[piller]

Mora knives are easy to sharpen as all you do is lay the knife flat on the sharpening stone and then tilt it until you feel the bevel contact the sharpener. Make a motion like you are slicing a thin layer off the sharpener and then do the other side the same way. The sort of wide, flat bevel is great even for people who cannot sharpen any other knife as it gives good tactile feedback when you have it right. The steel in them is good. I keep several around for the times when I am afraid that I will lose the knife I am using and at the cheap price of the Mora knives, you can afford to lose one. Here are a couple of websites to order them from.
http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html
http://www.swedishknives.com/
I have one of the sandwiched blades which I made a handle for and put a buttcap on. It is as sharp as any knife I have ever seen. It will shave kleenex. The only other knife I have ever seen do that is a knife made by Angel Sword using S7 steel.
For those wanting stainless steel, the Mora knives in the Sandvik stainless steel do get very sharp and hold a good edge. There are many types and grades of stainless steel, but that is enough for its own topic.

The rest of the bug out kit sounds good. I need to start making my own. I am not sure what the future holds, and it never hurts to be prepared for any eventuality.

[Blaine]

I'm not in a particularly bad area, certainly not urban, so I believe I'll hang out right where I am...in my double wide in an Auld Phart Park...if it started to get too bad, I'll walk across the Hwy and be in the middle of thousands of acres of Ft Lewis.

[jcw]

Interesting idea of using a PVC tube. Still thinking about that one. Our emergency bags are in smaller internal frame backpacks. Easier to store and I think much easier to carry if you have to leave your vehicle. I love the Mora knives. You can not go wrong with them. I quit taking my more expensive knives hunting. As far as edged tools go, We all have mora's in our bags. We also have a Ka-bar and a couple of Gerber hatchets and a short heavy blade machete in the supplies.

[mergus]

I am by no means an expert on Bug Out bags, but I have been reading up on them and I currently have 2 of them, one in the truck and one at home. I have one at each place in case for some reason I am seperated from my truck when something bad happens.

One thing you want to think about before outfitting the bag is, what is the purpose of the bag? Is it for survival in case of a natural disaster, or an EOTWAWKI type of thing with massive civil unrest? Living here in Vt, I am more concerned with natural disasters, like what Irene did to southern Vt a couple of weeks ago, than I am with civil unrest and roving gangs of low lifes.

The 2 scenarios do overlap, but they also require different equipment, and different mindsets. Each of my bags has a survival blanket, matches, fuel tablets, a couple of pieces of candy in mouse proof containers, a half dozen .22 LR shells hidden in MacDonald straws and a half dozen of the short Aguila 12 ga shells hidden in what looks like a Necco Wafer candy container. I also have a small flashlight, a decent knife, a sharpening stone, $20 in small bills, a pen, a small pad of paper, some napkins in a small bag and 20 foot of 1/4" rope. I also have one of those stainless steel sporks that CRKT now makes. Recently I bought a couple of those kits you can use to pour in a wound to get it to stop bleeding. I also have in each bag, band aids and an ace bandage. I keep a small amount of water in the house bag but not the truck bag due to Vt winters.

Each of my bags is the kind you can throw over one shoulder, and weighs only a couple of pounds. I sprayed each with a water proofing spray to help keep water out, especially if I were to set it down on wet snow.

To compliment all of the above, in my truck I keep a small Cold Steel shovel, radiator hose repair kit, a gallon of 50/50 water/anti freeze, some tools, and a small bottle of power steering, a quart of oil, and a manual bicycle tire pump. These items all fit in a plastic milk crate.

Be sure to check the inside of your kit every now and then to make sure nothing leaked, or mice got into it or whatever.

Like insurance you buy, its a nice feeling to know you have one more base covered in life.

Mergus

[quietman]

Don't care what all the survivalist "experts" are saying these days. There's a difference between a bugout bag and an emergency kit. You need to decide which of the 2 you are wanting to make. Mergus made some good points and is correct that they overlap. Also, if you're going to carry an air pump, be sure to have a tire plug kit too.

Don't like the hard storage idea.. Hard storage like a pail or pvc pipe do not a bugout bag make. They are difficult to carry, a PITA to open and close in the cold. Also, they trap too much heat inside when sitting in a hot truck. However, for a home emergency kit, they are one darn good thing to have.

A small emergency kit can be put into a day pack and can be used to stay warm and keep yourself fed in a natural disaster.

A more serious kit can be put into an internal frame pack or large daypack. Wally world has a 2 day hunter pack for $27. It's not intended for a long backpack trip, but to carry enough stuff that if you get caught in inclement weather you will have enough with you to spend a night (2 if you're careful) in the woods.

My work has me drive all over Colorado and Wyoming year round in all kinds of weather. I finally woke up and decided I need to carry a well outfitted kit in my truck.

So there's a 2+ day internal frame back pack with food, shelter, a change of clothes (You should ALWAYS have extra socks in any bag. Get your feet wet in winter and you'll know why.), a single burner backpacking stove, a mess kit, matches, fire starter, etc. Includes a self inflating mattress I can unroll in the bed and use the topper for a sheltered place to sleep.Every once in a while my truck will throw a fit trying to start in the winter. Maybe 2-3 times the entire winter is all. So in the winter, I carry a catalytic heater that will fit under the engine (4WD).

Use pre made freeze dried meals in it and carry more than I'll need. I still remember the couple that got caught in a blizzard out here with 2 little kids. Blizzard stopped all traffic on !-25. Poor kids hadn't had a bite in 18 hours by the time the national guard got there and started bringing food to the stuck cars. If I'm stuck with others, plan is to make sure little kids don't suffer.

Also carry plenty of tea bags in it during the winter. Why? Snow is too pure by itself for drinking water so you need to "contaminate" it with something.

As for the knife. A multi tool with a 4 inch blade is a better option. If you're thinking self defense, a walking stick is a better choice.

Also, knive's are a personal thing in that they need to be comfortable for the individual. I've handled some knives friends have and think they're the greatest thing in the world, yet they don't like each other's knives, and I don't like theirs. It's a matter of how the handle fits our hands and the balance we each prefer.

And remember a first aid kit. I keep a pretty good one in my truck 24/7 because of working remotely and in case I need it when I'm teaching karate / weapons each week. I can cannibalize it if I need to walk out of an area.

[quietman]

I haven't formulated a '72-year' plan yet...

Good one!

[O.S.O.K.]

OK, my 2 cents:

First, the knives - good choice but I would go with this model http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=78455



I have several - they are inexpensive, but excellent, carbon steel blade knives. The one shown above will hold-up a bit better to rough use than the wood handled models IMHO. Include a pull-chain saw and you won't feel the need so much for a larger knife that can better chop wood.

As to the BOB, if this is a "grab and go" type of thing that may leave the vehicle, then I would steer away from the PVC tube and go with a medium-sized pack (think patrol pack or military assault pack). You can put in a colapsible water container along with a good quality water filter.)

As for the rest of the contents, common sense rules - you are in Florida, so it would most likely need to customized for hot weather, so items like salt pills would be included with the first aid kit. Perhaps a Sawyer extractor kit (for snake bite treatment/first aid) and the like too.

You may consider a manual charger unit (the kind you squeeze with your hand) for a cell phone... something not usually mentioned...

I won't make a complete list - but a good gun and a quantity of ammo is also advisable... a handgun and holster in something like .357 Mag would be a good choice IMHO as it can handle anything that you would run up against and is a very common/prevailent caliber. 45 ACP as well.

[RustyJr]

After reading several responses I think I may steer away from the PVC tube theory. As to firearms, they each have there own and know what they are comfortable with. I found a german day pack at cheaper than dirt for 3.97 a piece that I may choose to use. Does anyone have any recomendations as far as packs or bags that are not too expensive yet good quality for the price?

RustyJr

[Cliff]

The German day pack you mention is one good bag. They used to sell three for 9 dollars. They are water proof, and the liner will pull up so it can be tied shut. They were used by East Germany. The ones I got came with straps to carry them in normal fashion. Have a green wet camo pattern. Hard little pack to beat for the price. ATB

[O.S.O.K.]

Not a thing wrong with that IMHO!

[Lawyer Daggit]

Some years ago here we had some pretty bad bush fires. Biggest problem most people had was getting fresh water. I suggest you keep a weeks supply on hand, you probably won't need a week, but, you will inevitably wind up helping a mate in distress / blow in etc. If you don't keep a weeks supply at least have a filtration system.

Have a rendezvous point and an alternate destination. Don't just head to an area where you are not known and expect people to welcome you. They won't. We have a holiday home in the mountains about 150 km away and used that.

[harry]

Most of these types of threads on Bug Out Bags and what have ya forget to ask the question "Where are you going to Bug Out To". So you grab your bag and then what? You will hear "I'm going to the hills or I'm going to the mountains". Well these are not the places to go if your going to drive 200 or 500 miles to get there, all the good camping spots will allready be taken. All kidding aside, you need to know where you will try to go, go there and see what you will need when you get there, and think about what it will be like in the middle of winter or the worst time of year in the area you will be going to.
Harry

[Cliff]

Harry has a good point, where are you going to go. If you don't read science fiction, you should pick up a copy of Lucifer's Hammer. Good reading and points out just how hard it is to go some place. The central character was well off financially and had a country place with a small observetory he would spend time at. Discovered a comet which later turned out to be on a collision course for earth. His name was Hamner, the comet became Lucifer's Hammer. Anyway he loaded up and tried to get to his place in the country. Had a International Travel All 4X4. Managed to get there only to find the people who worked for him and tended to his place stopped him and turned him away, saying they had to try to survive as well. Good Book.

[MrMurphy]

Empty kitty-litter buckets also work for those with cats, just as well as 5-gallons. And they don't roll around, being squared (and stack well).

Handy for storing spare clothing and tools, etc.