Setting Up a Hide Site

I came across some good information about setting up a hide site. Here's some good insight offered by J.I.R


Considerations For Each Adult:
- Backpack with frame : This is your last ditch bag and should be near you at all times.
- Water filter (PUR backpack model) is a good one polar pure Iodine crystals in every pack. They are light, cheap and essential.
- Several plastic garbage bags. These have multiple uses. You can't have too many.
- 2 x canteens with cups. This allow you to carry some water and cook if you must.
- 6 x MRE in the pack (12 more at the cache or sleeping site)
- P38 can opener
- 2 butane lighters
- 2 camping candles or other heat source
- Box of self striking fire starters are sometimes handy
- LED light and spare batteries (rechargeable) can come in handy
- Someone should carry a 4 watt solar battery charger. These are important to have along [to charge batteries for night vision, communications, and intrusion detection gear.]
- Generator radio AM/FM/Weather (with cell phone charger and LED light) This is a critical piece of equipment, so have two of them, but be careful not to play it out loud. Ear buds or head sets will keep you from giving your site away. Boredom is your biggest enemy and a radio can be a great way to stay entertained and silent.
- A good sleeping bag is a must. It's cold underground or when you aren't moving.
- Insulating ground pad is also a must.
- 1 emergency blanket/poncho
- 1 poncho liner (Army. Great piece of gear!)
- 1 x large drop cloth and a roll of heavy plastic are handy for underground living.
- 1 hat and wool glove inserts
- 1 set of thermal underwear (tops and bottoms)
- An extra set of clothing. BDUs or other outdoor wear and a spare pair of boots (Clothing can be rolled up inside a plastic sheet and put into a laundry bag and carried outside the pack). Remember, extra socks and underwear are always needed!
- Ka-Bar sheath knife (7 inch) or equivalent.
- Leatherman Multitool or a Swiss army knife
- Small machete (at least one in the group is very handy and has multiple uses).
- Medical Stuff (I recommend keeping this with your last ditch bag)
- Spare eyeglasses if needed
- First Aid Kit for minor wounds
- Sewing kit
- Aspirin
- Imodium for emergency treatment of diarrhea (packets of salts are even better)
- Iodine swabs
- Burn cream (not much is needed, but if you need it you will be glad you have it)
- Anbesol
- Chap stick or petroleum jelly
- White tape
- Emergency blanket (cheap is fine)
- Scalpels or Razor blades
- Safety pins
- Large bandages (2 or 3 can be life savers if someone is shot)
- Dental floss
- Hand sanitizer
- Insect Repellant
- Small lock blade knife
- Tweezers
- Prescription medication
- ID cards, credit cards, cash on hand
- A pistol of some kind. I highly recommend the Ruger SP101 in .357 Magnum and a couple of speed loaders.
- Other stuff to load in your truck or large car: A bicycle! You can load a lot of stuff on a bicycle and cut down on the number of trips required from the vehicles to the hide site. Bike tracks are a giveaway, so make sure they start at least 25 meters from your vehicles and erase them as well as possible after the last trip. Whatever you use, be prepared and willing to haul everything by hand from your vehicles to the site. Without a bike or dolly, its going to require something like 12 trips. You can improve on this by using a cargo carrier of some kind. Vary your route between the vehicle and hide site to minimize your tracks. You might want to unload and then move your vehicles to avoid anyone tracking you.
-Shovel, crosscut saw, axe or hatchet and pick axe (army E tools are light, but not as good as full size tools). All tools should be loaded in a bag that you can sling or tie to a bike.
- 100 ft roll of repelling rope may be very handy. 550 cord is also handy.
- A roll of wire for rigging noise makers and rigging brush and shelter


Food:
- You will want 10 or 11 buckets for each member of your group:
- 6 buckets of wheat, 2 buckets of beans and 4 gallons of oil.
- 2 buckets of rice (and a bucket of sugar if you wish). and 2 pounds of salt. Spices and bullion are very nice to have, but beware of odors!


This will be the bulk of your provisions and will weigh something like 400 pounds per person! Don't begrudge the weight. It will get lighter soon enough.
- 24 rolls of toilet paper (in a plastic bag) You will miss this if you don't have any.
- At least one grain mill. Two is much better. You can hide the extr aone in your cache.


Kitchen/living area stuff
- 24 x MRE
- Sterno stove + large candle heater in a can (12 face-inches of wick makes a lot of heat)
- Fuel (10lb, paraffin to recharge cooker. Each pound will burn several hours with care )
- If you are going to burn wood for fuel, use a hobo stove to minimize smoke and light.
- 4 pots. (2 for cooking, 1 for cleaning and one left with the food cache.)
- A dutch oven is really handy. You won't regret the weight long when you cook with it
- Tea, Coffee, Sugar, Gatorade powder
- Tobacco (2 x 6 oz cans with rolling papers) (for those with a monkey on their backs)
- Water, 6 liters (12 x 1/2 liter plastic bottles)
- Plastic bags. 20 heavy trash liners and 20 freezer storage bags
- Spare batteries (12 x AA. Mostly for charity)
- Soap, washcloth and towels (2 large ones)
- 4 large Poly Tarps (camo) and 550 chord
- Fem pads (for that time of month. Include at least one bag per female per month)
- Deck of cards
- Bible and other reading material. Boredom will get you killed. Depression will too.
- It might be worth the weight to carry a lot of books. Reading is a quiet activity and could keep you from going out of your mind!
- In a suitcase or preferably another bucket that's waterproof (keep in the sleeping area.): Hat and wool glove inserts for each person. Extra clothing is good to have.
- A wool sweater and outer cold weather gear. Blankets will be handy.
- If you can manage to set up a hide site with these few essentials without anyone observing you, you can probably stay hidden for up to 200 days with care. That six month breather will allow you ample time to assess the conditions of the local area and plan your next move. More importantly, if a major population die-off is going on, a well stocked hide site will allow you to miss most of it. Hiding outdoors is not easy or comfortable, but it may be your best way to keep breathing.


Provided by: J.I.R.

Bug Out or Bug In Bag

Here’s a question for your weekend cogitation. Actually, here’s two. No, make it three:


1. What are some key differences in items you’d put in a bug-out bag and a bug-in bag?
2. Given your location and circumstances, how do you decide whether you’re more likely to need to bug out or bug in?
3. Assuming you conclude that you’re more likely to have to bug in than bug out, is a special bag for the purpose even necessary? I mean, after all, if you’re bugging-in can you presume you’ll already have everything you need right at hand in your home?


Here’s why I’ve been thinking about this: When I lived on my glorious hilltop in Cabin Sweet Cabin, and when I was in that borrowed fifth-wheel in the high desert, nearly every emergency scenario I could think of involved staying put. I was on high ground. In the middle of nowhere. With local resources.


Now … different situation. I’m in a small town and not that high above the normal level of the local river. Something happens (big storm, flood, earthquake that shuts off power and water), I most likely could just retreat to my upstairs and “bug in.” OTOH, something happens (really big flood, earthquake that damages the house, etc.), I could potentially be forced, or impelled, to bug out. But it’s a tossup.


Having both a bug-out and bug-in bag is a great thing. Or having a dual-purpose bag. But assume both resources and bag space are limited here.


BTW, I’ll answer question 3 for myself. I do think a bug-in bag is needed, just to have emergency gear handy in one spot. I might, in theory, have all the food, water, and flashlights (always flashlights!) I need right here in the house, no bag needed. But what if I were forced to retreat upstairs? Nothing up there but a cat and a lot of junk waiting to be hauled away. That’s where the bug-in bag goes.


A bug-in bag could also be helpful at your office, your mother’s house, etc.


Claire Wolfe Backwoods Home magazine

Food Insurance

Emergency Food Supplies for One Year

Lishah Smith, eHow.com


I want to do this! What's This? ...Natural disasters, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, remind us to keep emergency food supplies on hand. Stockpiling emergency food supplies enables you to provide for your family, in the event the community cannot. Resources are limited and restricted in a time of crisis. Your time preparing ahead for such events gives peace of mind and security. Remember to always check the expiration dates, rotate items and replace items as needed.


Water


According to the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA), each person in your household needs a minimum of 1/2 gallon of water to drink daily. Pregnant or nursing women, young children, the elderly and those on special diets will require additional daily drinking water. FEMA recommends storing 1 gallon of water per person per day. For example, a 2 person household would need 2 gallons of water for 365 days. Ideally, you store 1,460 gallons of water for a year's supply.


Dry Goods


Dry goods that do not need special cooking are important for your emergency food supplies for one year. For example, store unsalted crackers, nuts, granola bars and cereals. These provide energy, calories and nutrition. Unsalted items lower the chances of becoming thirsty or dehydrated to minimize water intake.


Staples and Cooking Ingredients


Include cooking ingredients in your emergency food supply. Flour, powdered milk, rice, wheat, salt, pepper, other cooking spices, coffee, tea, sugar substitutes and sugar are good to store. Instant foods are simple to fix, filling and often nutritious. You should store instant foods that require a small amount of water to prepare. For example stockpile instant potatoes, grits and oatmeal.


Comfort Foods and Special Diets


According to FEMA, it's important to include foods your family enjoys. These foods will bolster moral and provide comfort. Additionally, keep in mind special diets of family members. Be certain to include foods that meet dietary restrictions. For example, infants and toddlers need finger foods, high carbohydrate energy foods and high-protein foods. Pregnant and nursing women need high-calorie nutritious foods and larger servings. Stockpile multi-vitamins and nutritional supplements to maintain energy and health during a crisis..

Portable Solar Kit used in Haiti

Editors Note:


Thanks for your readership. Currently, I've been searching the web for a practical solar product that's portable, durable and would give us additional solar options at the retreat. While surfing the Web I came across this great product that I wanted to share. This system will be a great addition to my more permanent solar system. Additionally, this system was used in Haiti after the earthquake.


Scout 150 Expedition Kit



Regards,


Keith Carlson
SurvivalBlogging.com
612.245.9898