Fit feel and familiarity (Getting to know your kit)

Bill Masen - February 18, 2021

Advice

FIT, FEEL AND FAMILIARITY (Getting to know your kit)

So you have done the research, bought the kit, developed your plans and stockpiled everything including the assault systems kitchen sink. Now what are you going to do Wait for Armageddon? I hope not.

It’s no good at all having a great piece of kit if you are not totally familiar with its feel and fit, and you need to be very comfortable about using it. Why buy an all singing all dancing tactical folding knife then put it away until it is needed? Does it open and close smoothly, can you cut a rope, fillet a rabbit, defend yourself with it, sharpen it or is it too big or to lightweight for the task?

Does it sit comfortably on your hip or in your pocket now? What about after 8 hours with your rucksack pressing it into your hip, can you unleash it, open it and use it with cold, wet, tired hands?

Your expensive flashlight with its lifetime warranty, can you strip and replace the self-cleaning switch, Is it big enough powerful enough to do the job for a full evening in your blacked out camp site or retreat, or is it always getting in the way, pulling your belt down, and eating batteries faster than a kids toy?

Be honest, if you were stressed out, scared stupid and fleeing for your life along with your family, Could you put your hand straight to your compass, flashlight, map, knife or whatever in your bug out vest or bag without having to unpack or rummage about for it. What about the vest / bag itself Is the vest up to the job? Is it comfortable? not going to slide up or down, ride up into a knot or disintegrate at the first time its put to use.

It’s the same with the BOV’s super duper tyres you paid a premium rate for, and what about the PV unit or wind generator you have obtained, will the tyres give the traction you seek or are you going to end up with terminal wheel spin in the inevitable piece of swamp along the route to your destination. Or the PV and turbine working flat out simply don’t provide enough energy to stop your freezer from thawing out. What if for example the turbine produces so much noise it lets the residents of the next county home in on your secluded retreat?

You have the will, you have the need, and now you have the kit to enable you to survive, so get familiar with it use it, get comfortable with it, reassure yourself that it will be up to the task, Why not for example wear your vest for a few days at a time partially loaded, so you get used to it, let it find its shape, find out the best way to load it with your kit. You don’t need to go into town looking like you are ready to start a war, but it will do you no harm at all to use your vest as a gillet carrying your knife, flashlight, compass, first aid kit, Para cord, wallet etc for a few days. Perhaps you could make it your car coat or your dog walking jacket. It’s the same care that is needed with the new boots you have recently invested in.

Now you have realised that bugging out in a vehicle is going to be almost impossible and have purchased those 200 dollar boots, are they up to the job? To stiff? Poor fit? Not broken in? Not water resistant? Do they take forever to dry out etc?

You need your bug out boots, clothes and kit to be snug, comfortable and familiar at hand, and up to the job.

I got myself what I thought would be an ideal garment to use as a bug out vest, I bought it, loaded it up, then put it away whilst I waited for Armageddon. Then one day I thought I would take the mutt for a good long hard walk and decided to try out the vest…………………………. It is now into its third set of alterations and modifications to make it more comfortable and better suited to the task I designed it for.

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Ref:  “stressed out”, “scared”, fleeing for life w/ family

Re:   Para 1 mentioned plans

Does the plan address the stress events?  Does it address enroute injuries ? Who reviewed the plan ? Are there records of modifications to the plan ?

Some I&Ws – Indicators and Warnings: Who selected the expensive flashlight and why ? Who selected the folding knife with what criteria? 

Are the garment aspects of kit such as vest(s), jacket, hood, helmet, all weather, all season, some specialty aspect such as incorporated floation vest, fire retardent ? 

Costs get drastically reduced when involved in a local organization such as “Neighborhood Watch”, local CERT program, Sheriff’s Auxillery Reserve. Concurrent with the reduced costs comes quality guidance on getting set up.  The websites and stores not the ideal place to start a prepper setup.

“No man is an island …” John Donne.

Foot Note: Perilli and Michelin African tires (illegal in US) are prized by those getting the self-proclaimed salvage rights when stripping the stuck vehicle.

 

I need to work on using my preps more… It’s easy to buy them and stick them in a bag, but it is naive and stupid of me to just say “I’ll figure it out when I need to use it”

 

Excellent topic, Bill.

Knowing your kit is an example of when familiarity doesn’t breed contempt, it means the items work, are suitable and you can handle them in your sleep.

Thank you for posting this.

 

Quality items are difficult to find some times and it pays to try your kit out to ensure you haven’t purchased something that is of poor quality but made to “look good”.

My husband’s $350.00+ boots started to fail within a year. I then determined that this supposedly higher end and “big brand” company is indifferent to resolving such issues. Now I have to source another pair for him and will be looking more closely at 1) construction and 2) their track record with respect to customer service.

And your point about knowing where everything is, I am like that with our van also. We have a console and everything is in a specific place for a reason. I want to be able to reach my hand in there in an emergency and pull out the resqme tool if we’re in an accident and not spend 10 minutes fumbling around for it.

Really good post and points, Bill, thank you.