Active New Top (30 days) Compact Card Prioritized bare bones go bags on a budget A2 - September 25, 2021 I want input, but will start things off with a few of my own ideas. Critical preps are water, shelter, and food. My first go bag was a daypack I happened to have lying around, with a bottle of water, Anyoo rain poncho, wool sweater, Powerbars, a map, cheap compass, pocketknife, small pad of paper/pencil, Mylar blanket, lighter, boo-boo first aid, and a slim Maglight flashlight. The bag sat in my front closet on top of an old pair of hiking boots with socks stuffed inside. It sorta covered basics, but in a very cheap and haphazard way. But I didn’t have the money for anything better. As I became more educated about what a go bag needs to have (thanks, ThePrepared people), I added better gear…but again, still on a budget. Here’s how I did it. WATER—REI wholesale and sales to the rescue. Bought my metal water bottle and water filters this way. SHELTER—I still don’t pack a tent in my go bag. Too heavy. But I still use the Anyoo rain poncho ($25/Amazon) because it’s tough and huge when not rolled up. It has eyelets on the hem for use as a shelter or ground sheet. FOOD—I’m not a fan of indigestion during an emergency, so concentrated Powerbar-like things don’t work for me. Instead, I carry PROBAR (Wholeberry Blast) meal bars. 360 calories per bar. There are cheaper ways to scarf calories, and you can even make your own, which is *very* much cheaper, but you’ll need a vacuum-sealer. I also prefer Mountain High meals, for their ease and nutrition, but they’re expensive. I only carry three of their meals in my go bag, so the expense isn’t such a hit. CLOTHING—I use Poshmark and sales at outdoor stores. I pick quality…but at a steep discount. Example: I found a Skea down ski jacket for $18. Other good used places: REI wholesale, threadUP, Patagonia Worn Wear. My winter layers (and yours will depend on your climate) are wicking tech poly next to my skin, then wool, fleece, down, rain shell. In summer, it’s wicking tech poly next to my skin, then a SPF camp shirt, a light fleece or down sweater for cooler nights, and a rain/wind shell. I pack each season’s clothing in its own zippered bag and switch them out twice a year. Quality inexpensive brands: Amazon Essentials, Little Donkey Andy, Columbia. GEAR—Again, sales and the above used clothing/sports outlets carry backpacks and other camping-like gear. I’ll say it again: buy quality, lightly-used items. FIRST AID—I’ve never been able to figure out a way to do a solid first aid kit on the cheap, so I bought a big first aid bag and filled it—very slowly—over time. (VANQUEST FATPack 7×10) I will try to do I’ll do a post for home preps on a budget, next. Read More 14 32 Gear Small solar set up for short term emergencies JennyWren - September 13, 2021 For some years I have had a couple of small solar powered set ups. One is a 12V system, the other 5V. The 12V consists a 25W 12V solar panel, 20W 12VSealed Gel Battery A 200W inverter. It’s a basic set up that provides sufficient power to illuminate the shed where it resides and I can also use it to charge my laptop, travel kettle and a few other small items. The 5V system is more portable and I use it when I go camping. This consists 28W 5v folding solar panel, 2, 20,000mAh power banks an assortment of usb friendly leads to charge any number of usb items, including phone, tablet, I run lights and a fan off the power banks. The power banks are really handy for camping and one lasts me a week. Neither were particularly expensive to buy and both have proven handy. Thinking about the temperature sensitive medication, you could run a small electric cooler or one of those mini fridges from the 12V version. Any question s, ask away and I’ll do my best to answer them. 🙂 Read More 6 8 Gear Looking for recommendations on metal detectors Bigwig - September 8, 2021 I’m looking for recommendations on metal detectors. One of my neighbors lost his keys in the snow and asked me if I had one. It made me think that it might be handy to have one around for various uses. Knowing nothing about them, I’m assuming there are a number of trade-offs depending on the purpose for its use. Looking for something that is cost-effective for the more casual user. Read More 6 3 AdviceGear Thoughts on Blue Can Emergency Drinking Water? CamilleContributor - September 6, 2021 I was doing some research on how to safely store a supply of emergency water in my vehicle. I am moving to a more tropical climate to start graduate school and temperatures there can climb quite high for the majority of the year, and because it’s a hurricane/flood zone it’s important to have a supply of emergency water in the vehicle in case I need to evacuate. I have read through the Best Emergency Water Storage Containers for Your Home article by The Prepared team and I think it’s very well researched, but I have concerns about using the home storage containers recommended (which are plastic) for months at a time in the incredibly high temperatures found in a car in the tropics. Even though it may not be super dangerous to my health to be drinking water stored in plastic at high temperatures for a long period of time in an emergency scenario, I’d still like to avoid it, and I worry about the plastic warping in the heat and losing it’s integrity. I was also looking for a method of water storage that was easy to grab and drink while driving, no pouring out of a larger, potentially heavy and bulky container required. I found Blue Can Premium Emergency Drinking Water on Amazon. It basically looks like a pack of aluminum soda cans, except they are filled with water that the Blue Can company claims has a shelf life of 50 years. Reviews on Amazon are quite mixed. It’s about $2 a can after tax and shipping. Does anyone have any experiences (good or bad) with using Blue Can Emergency Drinking Water in their preps? Read More 11 5 AdviceGear Anyone have any experience with heated clothing? pnwsarahContributor - September 5, 2021 Hi TP friends, After Oregon’s snow/ice storms and multi-day power this past winter, my partner and I realized we needed to get serious about the implications of living in an on-grid, all-electric house in the event of a prolonged power outage during cold weather. We’re not stoked on generators for several reasons (Most prominent: We don’t want to have to store all that fuel; we don’t want to spend a ton of money on something we will be far less likely to need when we inevitably move), and we’ve been thinking about heated clothing as an alternative. My two main questions are: (1) “What brands are good quality?” (i.e., function reliably; won’t set us on fire), and (2) the more fundamental, “Is this even a good idea?” Before you take a stab at (2), some context: We live in western Oregon. It doesn’t get that cold. When it does get seriously cold, it doesn’t stay that way for long. We’re avid outdoorspersons. We have multiple sleeping bags, multiple down comforters, multiple down jackets, two tents, and a LOT of fleece and wool blankets and clothing. We can always heat water on a camping stove in the backyard for tea and hot water bottles. We also have a husky mix, who doubles as an XL, living hot water bottle. For all these reasons, I am very confident in our ability to create a space in our home where we can sleep comfortably on a cold night without heat. While I am confident in our ability to create a warm bed/blanket fort for ourselves in our house in winter without heat, I do not want to actually LIVE in said bed/blanket fort for the duration of a power outage. That would suck. We have friends who lived in a shipping container for two western Oregon winters while they were building their house. One of them bought a heated jacket to get through it. That’s where we got this possibly stupid idea. Both friends are, however, very much alive as of this writing. So… thoughts? Experiences? Alternatives? Brand reccos? Thanks in advance… Read More 9 29 AdviceGear Nerds, Geeks and Wizzards. What is a typical Silicone valley preppers EDC loadout Bill Masen - August 20, 2021 Considering this most excellent TP website was created in part to help enlighten and assist the Tech types of Silicon valley, from Gates, Bezos, Zuckerberg down over. I was wondering to what level that part of the community has developed its own Silicon prepper EDC requirements? I’ve read all I can by the two authors of this site, and Brad Garratts tome Bunker in an effort to better understand the needs and requirement of the modern, highly educated, technologically advanced thinkers. But I find there is very little in the way of feedback from these new preppers. Is it possible for someone to reach out and get some feedback and what decision making processes the technonauts are reaching, and what equipment choices they are purchasing and why. Thanks in advance. Read More 9 21 Gear ♨️ How much cooking fuel for 2 weeks? Lowell - August 18, 2021 Having 2 weeks of food & water at home is a basic preparedness tenet. If the grid is out while I’m going through these reserves, I’d need enough fuel for my Jetboil to boil all the water for my emergency food supply. Based on my calculations, a single 450g canister ($10) would be enough to boil all the water I’d need for my partner and I to eat 14 days of Mountain House meals. Does that sound right to y’all? Have I made an error in my calculations? Read More 7 16 AdviceGearScenarios N95/NIOSH mask sizing for women? Ryan - August 12, 2021 Hello all, having a bit of trouble finding small/women’s sizing for N95/NIOSH masks and was wondering if anyone could point me towards the right product? Currently sitting on a couple of boxes of 3M 8210 masks, which fit me (male), but which don’t fit my wife (e.g. she can still smell odor through it). Did some searching on the website and Google, but haven’t found anything concrete, mostly KN95s in pastel colors. Unfortunately, half-face/full-face respirators won’t fit the bill for this particular need, as she can’t wear them at her work (school). Thanks! Read More 9 6 AdviceGear “Grey Man” vs “Hard Target” Caliber Carpenter - August 11, 2021 It’s been brought up before in several discussions already but I figured it would be good to have an entire thread dedicated to it. So let’s hear your thoughts on Grey Man vs Hard Target strategies and when each should apply. My personal opinion is that they are entirely subjective and depend on your scenario and surroundings as to which will be more effective. I will say I believe that whichever you choose to do in the moment you need to go all the way to one side or the other. If you’re trying to go Grey Man, you need to completely blend, nothing that will stick out in the slightest. I personally think the molle on backpacks is a pointless argument for anything over a typical school sized backpack, anything bigger than that is likely to draw attention no matter what it looks like. People are used to seeing small to mid size backpacks every day, they are not used to seeing full size rucks, no matter what kind. My personal “Grey Man” loadout if I had to do any sort of urban evasion (which hopefully I wouldn’t) would be jeans, a hoody, nondescript ball cap, sunglasses, and my Swiss gear mid size backpack. No visible weaponry or other gear whatsoever. Curious to hear what everyone else’s thoughts and ideal loadouts would be. Read More 17 34 GearScenarios Anyone know of any gluten-free MREs? LCS - August 10, 2021 So far I have just used gluten-free granola bars in my bug out bag. I’d like something more calorie dense, that takes up less space, and has a longer shelf life. Read More 11 8 Gear Emergency toilet – bedside commode chair Bigwig - August 6, 2021 While I’ve seen a number of options for an emergency toilet, I’ve never seen using a bedside commode chair. An image of one is in the link below: https://images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/productImages/1000/02/02ba2a43-32b9-4632-9ab9-bab8c459ec3a_1000.jpg Most affordable options are a bucket with a toilet seat. I would think the advantages are: More comfortable – as it is purpose-built. It also has a frame and handles to make it more stable for the user. Cost-effective – the cost is not much more than a 5 gallon bucket and a bucket-specific toilet seat. Portable – can be folded up. Any thoughts on why a bedside commode chair is not being recommended? What are the downsides? Read More 8 17 AdviceGear Best way to store paper products to avoid mice Jen - August 6, 2021 I am a new prepper and looking for the best way to store tp and other paper for the long term. I live in a rural area so mice are an issue. I was thinking a military metal locker but am not seeing where I can buy one in good shape. Thanks! Read More 6 12 Gear Which Go Bag backpack(s) do you like and why? Lowell - August 2, 2021 A couple months ago, I bought myself a 5.11 RUSH72 so that I could get started on my GB. I had spent a couple hours looking through the recommendations in the 45-55L premium section of this article, but gave up after feeling overwhelmed by a combination of the lack of reviews, the prices, and the lack of off-the-shelf internal organization compared to the RUSH72. Although an OK stop-gap, the RUSH72 doesn’t seem like the right fit for me. I went on a 9 mile hike yesterday, and my back/shoulders were killing me. I originally had attachments set up like in the photo below, and then my partner advised me to move these to the sides of the backpack which was a big help! However, even after that, I couldn’t get the back to fit right. I think a big part of this is that I cant cinch the waist straps down tightly enough; I’ve got a ~35″ waist, and the tightest these straps went still left some room. Somewhat relatedly, my buddy has the same pack, and the buckle broke just from tightening it! Also, the straps are notably less smooth than my Osprey Atmos AG. The Best bug out bag survival backpack article isn’t quite as sharply opinionated as others on this site in terms of *exactly* which options people prefer and for what reasons, so I’m opening it up to y’all: Which Go Bag backpack(s) do like and why? , Read More 20 55 AdviceGear , Thought I’d post two articles I had published by FMG several years back. “Knives for the Field” and BMBG “Bare Minimum Go Bag” Kakuli470 - July 29, 2021 https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:e616883e-223e-4a36-bd67-27afc18bc07d Read More 13 9 AdviceGearScenarios Airline travel, what carry on preps do you all include? CR - July 14, 2021 Hi All! With travel resuming (I traveled throughout last year domestically too, fun, creepy, empty airports) I thought I’d ask the question of what all you travel with on an airplane, specifically carry on. Usually due to space & weight constraints my preps don’t go much beyond proper clothing, etc. for the journey & destination, but I kinda always feel exposed without some goodies that are prohibited on the plane, so what do you all do? Also I’m a little gal, so can’t load up too heavily or I’d look like a turtle. Read More 11 11 AdviceGear Millbank bags for BOB water purification? LadyKaos - July 1, 2021 example: https://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/the-brown-filter-bag—the-millbank-bag-is-back-29422-p.asp in the past when backpacking/wild camping etc I have used these to get clean water, my method is to let the water run through the bag, then boil it or use a water purification tab, I liked it because it was simple and easy, and it never made me ill so I assumed that it must work, although I’ve never seen “millbank bag” on anyone’s BOB list, is there a good reason for this? Read More 11 6 Gear NRG-5 Emergency Rations: What do you think? César López - June 29, 2021 Some time ago I was talking to a friend of mine who had recently bought a box of BP-ER Emergency Food. https://www.amazon.es/Emergency-Exteriores-campamentos-Supervivencia-situaciones/dp/B07NPWBN1V By this time I was doing my research on emergency food as well, but I thought that NRG-5 Emergency Rations where better: https://www.amazon.es/Tactical-OPS-Alimentos-Emergencia-Emergency/dp/B08WCQ8MGV/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=nrg-5&qid=1617536159&sr=8-12 My friend got the BP-ER because he had read that they tasted better and had better long-life (Althought the lot of NRG-5 I bought lasted even more than him’s). I bet for the NRG-5 because they had better nutritional values that other rations (I mean, minerals and vitamins). We could met and tasted them. My friend was right, BP-ER are tastier (as long as emergency food could be) and they had better looking than NRG-5. We tried to feed the ducks at the park we were meeting and they seemed to dislike both of them. On the other hand, my 2-year-old girl, love them. I’m still with the NRG-5 because of the nutritional values. The only thing that really bothers me about the NRG-5 is that they are not Coast Guard approved. I checked this using the instructions you gave in this post: https://theprepared.com/gear/reviews/ration-bars/ Resuming: Does anybody tried NRG-5 and, if you do, what do you think about them? Thank you very much. Read More 14 39 AdviceGear DIY ranger bands – the ultimate prepping rubber band Robert LarsonContributor - June 19, 2021 The wife’s bike got a flat tire this week so I saw it as another opportunity to make some more ranger bands. What is a ranger band? It’s a great prepping fastener along the lines with duct tape, super glue, and paracord. Pretty much it is a piece of bicycle inner tube cut into a strong and durable rubber band that can be used to secure gear together. Now for a bunch of uses from random people on the internet: Many people attach ranger bands to the sheaths of their knives so that they can attach additional gear to them like a ferro rod. Although I’ve never tried it before, they are supposedly flammable and are a source of tinder. Here is someone using ranger bands to strap a flash light to a rifle, and another picture of more gear strapped to a knife sheath. You can use ranger bands to add some more grip to something like a knife or flashlight too when placed around the handle. I’ve used ranger bands in all sorts of cases from adding some additional rubber bump protection on some gear so it doesn’t get scratched, securing multiple items together, or using as a strong rubber band to hold containers shut. The diameter of the inner tube you use will determine the diameter of your ranger band. I tend to use the 1.75″ diameter bands the most but there are all sorts of sizes such as 1/2″, 1″, 1.75″, 2.50″ all the way up to motorcycle tubes. When cutting your inner tube, vary the width of each band and don’t cut them all the same size. Make some super thin, some the width of your finger (my most commonly used) but also make some 1″, 2″, 3″ or even 4″ wide bands that can be slid over various things. And don’t cut up the entire tube in one sitting, leave about 1/4 of the tube left over so if you have a specific need case you can cut to the length you want. For example, see that last picture of the ranger band knife handle? You could cut a piece of tube the length of the handle and have one solid piece instead of three separate pieces like that guy did, if you want. I’ve turned popped tubes into ranger bands from bikes we have had, but also have gone to a local bike shop and they had a trash can full of used tubes and I could pick whatever size I wanted. I tend to like the cheaper tubes better for ranger bands that can be stretched out more than the really thick puncture proof tubes. Not bad for a free prep where a standard 26″ bike tube will give you a whole sandwich baggie full of bands. Or you can buy 48 bands from Walmart for $18. Does anyone else make or use these? What use cases can you see yourself using them in? Read More 7 4 Gear A question for Californians with electric stoves/ranges Jonnie PekelnyContributor - June 18, 2021 This is another version of my question from last year (?) about cooking in a disaster scenario, but now the scenario I have in mind is much more frequently occurring. I’m currently shopping for a new (to me) gas range, or oven, whatever you call those things that have burners on top and an oven underneath. I love having a gas stove, but I know that they will be being phased out in the next few years. Here in California and probably in some other parts of the West, it’s pretty common now during fire season for the electricity to be turned off to prevent fires. This is also exactly the time when we are supposed to avoid generating sparks outside, so it’s not safe to cook on the porch with your camping stove. This has been occurring so frequently lately that it’s hardly even a disaster scenario. I’m usually unaffected by this problem because I can always light my gas range manually. (Plus I like the control a gas range gives me much more than electric). But if we are all going to be using electric ranges soon, how are we supposed to cook during fire season electrical outages? Many of you no doubt already face this problem. Would you share how you’ve dealt with it? Read More 11 12 GearMetaScenarios What’s the favorite women’s underwear you’d use in an emergency, in your BOB, or SHTF scenario, and why? Carlotta SusannaStaff - June 17, 2021 Since we women and/or people with breasts and vulvas have a greater variety of body shapes and needs, I think it would be helpful if we include as many details as we’re comfortable in sharing, such as bust and hips sizes, what you’re looking for in a bra or panties, does the material matter, would you change your selection between winter and summer, etc? If we keep a standard format it might be easier to find suggestions. I’ll propose the following format, but we could adjust/edit according to what you folks think. Bust: 35 in (34A)Hips: 36.5 in (M) What I look for in a bra: My bust is not particularly large so I only need light support so my boobs don’t dance around too much when walking or hiking and my nipples don’t rub into the fabric of my top. I want a bra that’s not tight (don’t we all!) and is comfortable to wear all day long, but also that doesn’t dig into my flesh when I carry a backpack. However, my under bust is slightly larger than average, and so my biggest issue is that bras that are a great fit for my bust dig into my underbust, or if they are a great fit for my underbust, they are too large for my bust. Favorite bra: Patagonia Barely Everyday Bra. PROS: This is so far the bra/lette that hits all the spots for me. Light support, breathable, comfortable when wearing a pack (as it’s a bralette it doesn’t have hooks in the back that are usually uncomfortable) and, most importantly, the elastic part under the bra is not tight at all, while still being elastic enough to keep my boobs in check. The first time I wore it camping I even forgot to take it off when I went to bed! CONS: It takes ages to dry! Ok, not ages, but slightly longer than I would like. A full day vs few hours, if that makes sense. What I look for in panties: Mainly, four things: Is the crotch wide enough to keep me entirely covered when walking? I also suffer from cold butt syndrome, so if I camp or sleep outside I always keep my panties on. This means that I’m looking for panties that are generous in covering my whole butt. I usually go for either bikini, hipster, or shorts styles, but bikinis seems to be the most versatile and are the types I keep in my BOB. Thirdly, I want seams that are not too tight around my leg or waist, and that don’t chafe when walking for a long time. Lastly, are they breathable? Favorite panties: Patagonia Barely Bikini Underwear. Breathable, the seams are super comfortable, and they cover everything generously. Interestingly, they have a round seam around the legs but they don’t dig in at all!REI Co-op Active Bikini Underwear. Same as above: comfortable, super light, and they cover everything fine. I wear them quite often and after a couple of years I’ve noticed that the seams around the legs and waist started looking as if stretched out. I say “as if” beacuse the performance does not seem affected at all. I’m wondering if they are going to fail soon, or not. In comparison, this is not the case with the abovementioned Patagonia Barely underwear. Mention of shame: Smartwool Seamless Bikini Underwear. I had to add this because I was shocked by the poor design of these panties. They are very comfortable and breathable, but the crotch is so narrow that I had to throw them away – they were useless even when wearing them at home! Read More 23 13 Gear Items with multiple uses – Lighten the BOB by using these! Robert LarsonContributor - June 13, 2021 What are some items that have multiple uses which can help cut down on the shear number of items to prep for or lighten a bug-out-bag? Or what are some modifications you have made to some items to allow them to be used in different ways? Here are some I have done: Took a file to the back side of my knife so that it can be used as a ferro rod striker. I have a Glock 22, which is normally a .40 caliber gun. I have a conversion barrel that I can swap out the stock barrel in less than 15 seconds and the gun will now shoot 9mm. 2 different caliber guns in one package! Fresnel lens, can be used to magnify what you are looking at for like first aid or used to start a fire. I have a small credit card sized one in my wallet, and also got a large sheet sized one at Dollar Tree for a dollar. Tarps! I love tarps! I have like a dozen from when Harbor Freight gave them out as a free item with every purchase. Shelter, protect the car seats from pet hair, used to signal, collect water, and so many more uses! I’ve thought about replacing my shoe laces with paracord, but heard that it is too slick of a rope to hold a shoe lace knot well. Have any of you done this? Another one I like is the alcohol wipes in your first aid kit can be used as an extremely flammable fire starter, sanitize your knife, or clean up your eating utensils. I love these little things. Read More 12 22 Gear Minimizing bug out bag weight CamilleContributor - June 6, 2021 I’m interested in any tips or advice others would like to share about minimizing bug out bag pack-weight without sacrificing the quality and usefulness of gear. While I really appreciate the gear reviews, basic no-nonsense information and the kit builder feature on this website I also know that the pack-weight of 41.7lbs listed for a bug out bag on this site isn’t realistic for me to carry. I’m a farmer and very active but carrying something that weighs a quarter of my body weight over any distance more than 5-10 miles would most likely result in some type of soft tissue damage or other complications that would be disadvantageous in an emergency situation where I would have to bug out farther than that distance to be safe (and I like to play on the safe side and assume I would have to bug out at least part-way if not all the way on foot). Currently my bug-out bag which contains the essentials I feel I need weighs about 27lbs (not including a full 2L water reservoir) because I look mainly at ultra-light camping gear for traditionally heavy items (ultra-light gear can be pricier to obtain the same high quality but it is worth it for me in the weight savings category). There is a lot of discourse on how to reduce pack-weight for long distance hikers that I read before building my kit since I knew pack-weight would be a concern but only some of that can translate to a bug out bag because the expectations for the kits are incredibly different. I have never seen any discourse by preppers about reducing pack weight despite the fact that if you can’t actually carry it-you aren’t getting out of an emergency situation anytime soon with the things you need to bug out with the most. Thank you in advance for any suggestions or tips! Read More 21 38 AdviceGear HoverGlide floating backpacks UbiqueContributor - May 27, 2021 Has anyone tried this backpack? It looks like it would reduce fatigue. https://www.hoverglidepacks.com/ Read More 13 15 Gear Selecting water purification strategies, method and equipment for bug out and bug in scenario LNMOt - May 24, 2021 Hello! I’ve spent the better part of the last 10 months working hard on getting a 8-12 month food supply in place – I’m pretty much there. I’ve got the beginnings of a decent first aid kit / medicine stock, etc – more work to do here but I have a good base to build on. We have a solid plan for home and property defense. But when I take a good hard look at my preps, I realize my water prep situation is in need of some serious improvement. And since, without water safe drinking water, my 8-12 month supply of food will be pretty useless, I figure I should go ahead and get things corrected as soon as possible. I read the fantastic Prepared review / guides on Best Portable Survival Water Filters and Best Home Water Filters. Great information, but I must admit I am still quite overwhelmed as there are so many different options and set ups! I believe I am stuck in an “analysis paralysis” situation. So I thought I would post asking for some guidance in making a decision on what gear to buy. First, let me outline my current water situation and also what I’m trying to prepare for: Current Water Situation and Set Up: I have about 1.5 weeks worth of drinking water (store-bought bottled water) in my prepper pantry. I am going to try to add a bit more bottled water but there isn’t much more space for it. We own our own house – we live in a smaller resort town in New England, but the area where our house is located is relatively rural. On our property, we have a good sized pond with a small natural fresh water stream feeding the pond. We are going to be adding trout to our pond in the next few weeks. Our pond water is not clear and there is a large amount of muck and silt on the bottom of the pond – we have been working hard to clean it up. Needless to say we don’t swim in the pond. This will take some time to clean up. I do have a biomass emergency stove that I bought several years ago that I could use to boil water (for dried food pouches, etc). But boiling for water purification just doesn’t seem like a good long term option, as pointed out in some of the excellent guides on this website. What I Would Like to Prepare For: Get Home Situation – surviving on foot getting back to my house from my work. On foot it would be probably a two day walk if on the highway / paved roads, probably a day or more longer if I had to go through rough terrain like the woods. While it’s possible I would encounter water sources on the journey, I haven’t really spent much time planning a route back home from my work, nor have I spent any time looking at potential water sources that I could find on the way. However, it’s safe to assume that in Northern New England in the woods I would encounter some fresh water on my way. Also, if we had to bug out, I would imagine my water preps for the get home situation would also work for a bug out situation? Bug In Situation – most scenarios I am preparing for center around a bug in situation that would last months, perhaps up to a year. I am not at the point in my preparedness where my family and I could survive long term (gardening, chickens, livestock, etc). At this point my goal is to ensure myself, my two small children and my husband could survive without having to leave our property for up to one year. A Few Other Things For Consideration: For all of my water preps, I am concerned about filtering out viruses as well as bacteria and protozoa. Chemicals if possible. I have a two year old and a 4 year old, so hard to suck from water filtration bottles aren’t an option for them, nor is the survival straw option really. I am willing to invest in the best, most durable water filtration / treatment options. Even if it takes multiple months I’ll save up the money. Buy once, cry once? One thing that I am quite confused about is finding a filtration option that will last reliably for a year? I know there are so many options and there are limits on how long the filters will last. I appreciate everybody’s help in advance with helping me make these decisions and providing guidance and feedback! Read More 14 14 AdviceGear I bought one of those “lifelike” masks from Facebook and it’s total garbage shtfhappens - May 20, 2021 Duh, I know, no surprise. But sharing to help you avoid the same mistake! Does anyone else see/remember those video ads on Facebook about lifelike face masks? The videos made it look like there had been some big improvement in the technology or something, and that these cheap masks were now good enough to fool people or cameras that are not looking too closely at you. I’ve seen other reports like this one that do show more lifelike masks, so I thought it was feasible. I’ve always thought about having some kind of identity concealment for those rare situations where you might need to hide who you are. Maybe it’s from mass facial recognition, participating in a protest, or something like that. Even if you’re not doing something wrong, the day may come where you need to hide. So I spent the $40. It ended up being blatantly false advertising… what they delivered was nothing like the videos shown. And now the Shopify store that sold it is entirely gone. I still have hope about affordable and worthwhile masks in the near future. But definitely avoid the advertised ones on Facebook! This is where it ended up Some close ups Read More 10 2 Gear < Prev 1 2 3 … 6 7 8 9 10 Next > Recently Active What is the best camp stove for an emergency power outage or camping? - 1 week agoWhat three firearms would you have for prepping? - 2 months agoRecap from the 2024 SHOT Show - 2 months agoWhat is the best place to buy mylar bags? - January 15, 2024Prepping Holiday Gifts - January 7, 2024 RULES This forum is heavily moderated to keep things valuable to as many people as possible. Full community policies are here. The basics: 1. Be nice to each other. 2. Stay focused on prepping. 3. Avoid politics, religion, and other arguments. 4. No unfounded conspiracies, fake news, etc. 5. Debate ideas, not people. FILTER Show all Advice Gear Meta News Scenarios Skills

Prioritized bare bones go bags on a budget

A2 - September 25, 2021

I want input, but will start things off with a few of my own ideas.

Critical preps are water, shelter, and food.

My first go bag was a daypack I happened to have lying around, with a bottle of water, Anyoo rain poncho, wool sweater, Powerbars, a map, cheap compass, pocketknife, small pad of paper/pencil, Mylar blanket, lighter, boo-boo first aid, and a slim Maglight flashlight. The bag sat in my front closet on top of an old pair of hiking boots with socks stuffed inside.

It sorta covered basics, but in a very cheap and haphazard way. But I didn’t have the money for anything better.

As I became more educated about what a go bag needs to have (thanks, ThePrepared people), I added better gear…but again, still on a budget. Here’s how I did it.

WATER—REI wholesale and sales to the rescue. Bought my metal water bottle and water filters this way.

SHELTER—I still don’t pack a tent in my go bag. Too heavy. But I still use the Anyoo rain poncho ($25/Amazon) because it’s tough and huge when not rolled up. It has eyelets on the hem for use as a shelter or ground sheet.

FOOD—I’m not a fan of indigestion during an emergency, so concentrated Powerbar-like things don’t work for me. Instead, I carry PROBAR (Wholeberry Blast) meal bars. 360 calories per bar. There are cheaper ways to scarf calories, and you can even make your own, which is *very* much cheaper, but you’ll need a vacuum-sealer. I also prefer Mountain High meals, for their ease and nutrition, but they’re expensive. I only carry three of their meals in my go bag, so the expense isn’t such a hit.

CLOTHING—I use Poshmark and sales at outdoor stores. I pick quality…but at a steep discount. Example: I found a Skea down ski jacket for $18. Other good used places: REI wholesale, threadUP, Patagonia Worn Wear. My winter layers (and yours will depend on your climate) are wicking tech poly next to my skin, then wool, fleece, down, rain shell. In summer, it’s wicking tech poly next to my skin, then a SPF camp shirt, a light fleece or down sweater for cooler nights, and a rain/wind shell. I pack each season’s clothing in its own zippered bag and switch them out twice a year. Quality inexpensive brands: Amazon Essentials, Little Donkey Andy, Columbia.

GEAR—Again, sales and the above used clothing/sports outlets carry backpacks and other camping-like gear. I’ll say it again: buy quality, lightly-used items.

FIRST AID—I’ve never been able to figure out a way to do a solid first aid kit on the cheap, so I bought a big first aid bag and filled it—very slowly—over time. (VANQUEST FATPack 7×10)

I will try to do I’ll do a post for home preps on a budget, next.

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Small solar set up for short term emergencies

JennyWren - September 13, 2021

For some years I have had a couple of small solar powered set ups. One is a 12V system, the other 5V.

The 12V consists a 25W 12V solar panel, 20W 12VSealed Gel Battery A 200W inverter. It’s a basic set up that provides sufficient power to illuminate the shed where it resides and I can also use it to charge my laptop, travel kettle and a few other small items.

The 5V system is more portable and I use it when I go camping.

This consists 28W 5v folding solar panel, 2,  20,000mAh power banks an assortment of usb friendly leads to charge any number of usb items, including phone, tablet, I run lights and a fan off the power banks. The power banks are really handy for camping and one lasts me a week. 

Neither were particularly expensive to buy and both have proven handy. 

Thinking about the temperature sensitive medication, you could run a small electric cooler or one of those mini fridges from the 12V version.

Any question s, ask away and I’ll do my best to answer them. 🙂

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Looking for recommendations on metal detectors

Bigwig - September 8, 2021

I’m looking for recommendations on metal detectors.  One of my neighbors lost his keys in the snow and asked me if I had one.  It made me think that it might be handy to have one around for various uses.  Knowing nothing about them, I’m assuming there are a number of trade-offs depending on the purpose for its use.  Looking for something that is cost-effective for the more casual user.

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Thoughts on Blue Can Emergency Drinking Water?

CamilleContributor - September 6, 2021

I was doing some research on how to safely store a supply of emergency water in my vehicle. I am moving to a more tropical climate to start graduate school and temperatures there can climb quite high for the majority of the year, and because it’s a hurricane/flood zone it’s important to have a supply of emergency water in the vehicle in case I need to evacuate.

I have read through the Best Emergency Water Storage Containers for Your Home article by The Prepared team and I think it’s very well researched, but I have concerns about using the home storage containers recommended  (which are plastic) for months at a time in the incredibly high temperatures found in a car in the tropics. Even though it may not be super dangerous to my health to be drinking water stored in plastic at high temperatures for a long period of time in an emergency scenario, I’d still like to avoid it, and I worry about the plastic warping in the heat and losing it’s integrity. I was also looking for a method of water storage that was easy to grab and drink while driving, no pouring out of a larger, potentially heavy and bulky container required. 

I found Blue Can Premium Emergency Drinking Water on Amazon. It basically looks like a pack of aluminum soda cans, except they are filled with water that the Blue Can company claims has a shelf life of 50 years. Reviews on Amazon are quite mixed. It’s about $2 a can after tax and shipping. Does anyone have any experiences (good or bad) with using Blue Can Emergency Drinking Water in their preps? 

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Anyone have any experience with heated clothing?

pnwsarahContributor - September 5, 2021

Hi TP friends,

After Oregon’s snow/ice storms and multi-day power this past winter, my partner and I realized we needed to get serious about the implications of living in an on-grid, all-electric house in the event of a prolonged power outage during cold weather. We’re not stoked on generators for several reasons (Most prominent: We don’t want to have to store all that fuel; we don’t want to spend a ton of money on something we will be far less likely to need when we inevitably move), and we’ve been thinking about heated clothing as an alternative. My two main questions are: (1) “What brands are good quality?” (i.e., function reliably; won’t set us on fire), and (2) the more fundamental, “Is this even a good idea?”

Before you take a stab at (2), some context:

We live in western Oregon. It doesn’t get that cold. When it does get seriously cold, it doesn’t stay that way for long. We’re avid outdoorspersons. We have multiple sleeping bags, multiple down comforters, multiple down jackets, two tents, and a LOT of fleece and wool blankets and clothing. We can always heat water on a camping stove in the backyard for tea and hot water bottles. We also have a husky mix, who doubles as an XL, living hot water bottle. For all these reasons, I am very confident in our ability to create a space in our home where we can sleep comfortably on a cold night without heat. While I am confident in our ability to create a warm bed/blanket fort for ourselves in our house in winter without heat, I do not want to actually LIVE in said bed/blanket fort for the duration of a power outage. That would suck. We have friends who lived in a shipping container for two western Oregon winters while they were building their house. One of them bought a heated jacket to get through it. That’s where we got this possibly stupid idea. Both friends are, however, very much alive as of this writing.

So… thoughts? Experiences? Alternatives? Brand reccos? 

Thanks in advance…

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Nerds, Geeks and Wizzards. What is a typical Silicone valley preppers EDC loadout

Bill Masen - August 20, 2021

Considering this most excellent TP website was created in part to help enlighten and assist the Tech types of Silicon valley, from Gates, Bezos, Zuckerberg down over. I was wondering to what level that part of the community has developed its own Silicon prepper EDC requirements?

I’ve read all I can by the two authors of this site, and Brad Garratts tome Bunker in an effort to better understand the needs and requirement of the modern, highly educated, technologically advanced thinkers.  But I find there is very little in the way of feedback from these new preppers.

Is it possible for someone to reach out and get some feedback and what decision making processes the technonauts are reaching, and what equipment choices they are purchasing and why.

Thanks in advance.

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♨️ How much cooking fuel for 2 weeks?

Lowell - August 18, 2021

Having 2 weeks of food & water at home is a basic preparedness tenet.

If the grid is out while I’m going through these reserves, I’d need enough fuel for my Jetboil to boil all the water for my emergency food supply.

Based on my calculations, a single 450g canister ($10) would be enough to boil all the water I’d need for my partner and I to eat 14 days of Mountain House meals. Does that sound right to y’all? Have I made an error in my calculations?

  

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N95/NIOSH mask sizing for women?

Ryan - August 12, 2021

Hello all, having a bit of trouble finding small/women’s sizing for N95/NIOSH masks and was wondering if anyone could point me towards the right product? Currently sitting on a couple of boxes of 3M 8210 masks, which fit me (male), but which don’t fit my wife (e.g. she can still smell odor through it). Did some searching on the website and Google, but haven’t found anything concrete, mostly KN95s in pastel colors. Unfortunately, half-face/full-face respirators won’t fit the bill for this particular need, as she can’t wear them at her work (school). Thanks!

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“Grey Man” vs “Hard Target”

Caliber Carpenter - August 11, 2021

It’s been brought up before in several discussions already but I figured it would be good to have an entire thread dedicated to it. So let’s hear your thoughts on Grey Man vs Hard Target strategies and when each should apply.

My personal opinion is that they are entirely subjective and depend on your scenario and surroundings as to which will be more effective. I will say I believe that whichever you choose to do in the moment you need to go all the way to one side or the other. If you’re trying to go Grey Man, you need to completely blend, nothing that will stick out in the slightest. I personally think the molle on backpacks is a pointless argument for anything over a typical school sized backpack, anything bigger than that is likely to draw attention no matter what it looks like. People are used to seeing small to mid size backpacks every day, they are not used to seeing full size rucks, no matter what kind. My personal “Grey Man” loadout if I had to do any sort of urban evasion (which hopefully I wouldn’t) would be jeans, a hoody, nondescript ball cap, sunglasses, and my Swiss gear mid size backpack. No visible weaponry or other gear whatsoever.

Curious to hear what everyone else’s thoughts and ideal loadouts would be.

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Anyone know of any gluten-free MREs?

LCS - August 10, 2021

So far I have just used gluten-free granola bars in my bug out bag. I’d like something more calorie dense, that takes up less space, and has a longer shelf life.

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Emergency toilet – bedside commode chair

Bigwig - August 6, 2021

While I’ve seen a number of options for an emergency toilet, I’ve never seen using a bedside commode chair.  An image of one is in the link below:

https://images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/productImages/1000/02/02ba2a43-32b9-4632-9ab9-bab8c459ec3a_1000.jpg

Most affordable options are a bucket with a toilet seat.  I would think the advantages are:

More comfortable – as it is purpose-built.  It also has a frame and handles to make it more stable for the user. Cost-effective – the cost is not much more than a 5 gallon bucket and a bucket-specific toilet seat. Portable – can be folded up.

Any thoughts on why a bedside commode chair is not being recommended?  What are the downsides?

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Best way to store paper products to avoid mice

Jen - August 6, 2021

I am a new prepper and looking for the best way to store tp and other paper for the long term.  I live in a rural area so mice are an issue.  I was thinking a military metal locker but am not seeing where I can buy one in good shape.  Thanks!

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Which Go Bag backpack(s) do you like and why?

Lowell - August 2, 2021

A couple months ago, I bought myself a 5.11 RUSH72 so that I could get started on my GB. I had spent a couple hours looking through the recommendations in the 45-55L premium section of this article, but gave up after feeling overwhelmed by a combination of the lack of reviews, the prices, and the lack of off-the-shelf internal organization compared to the RUSH72.

Although an OK stop-gap, the RUSH72 doesn’t seem like the right fit for me. I went on a 9 mile hike yesterday, and my back/shoulders were killing me. I originally had attachments set up like in the photo below, and then my partner advised me to move these to the sides of the backpack which was a big help!

However, even after that, I couldn’t get the back to fit right. I think a big part of this is that I cant cinch the waist straps down tightly enough; I’ve got a ~35″ waist, and the tightest these straps went still left some room. Somewhat relatedly, my buddy has the same pack, and the buckle broke just from tightening it! Also, the straps are notably less smooth than my Osprey Atmos AG.

The Best bug out bag survival backpack article isn’t quite as sharply opinionated as others on this site in terms of *exactly* which options people prefer and for what reasons, so I’m opening it up to y’all: Which Go Bag backpack(s) do like and why?

, 

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, 

Thought I’d post two articles I had published by FMG several years back. “Knives for the Field” and BMBG “Bare Minimum Go Bag”

Kakuli470 - July 29, 2021

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:e616883e-223e-4a36-bd67-27afc18bc07d

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Airline travel, what carry on preps do you all include?

CR - July 14, 2021

Hi All! With travel resuming (I traveled throughout last year domestically too, fun, creepy, empty airports) I thought I’d ask the question of what all you travel with on an airplane, specifically carry on. Usually due to space & weight constraints my preps don’t go much beyond proper clothing, etc. for the journey & destination, but I kinda always feel exposed without some goodies that are prohibited on the plane, so what do you all do? Also I’m a little gal, so can’t load up too heavily or I’d look like a turtle. 

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Millbank bags for BOB water purification?

LadyKaos - July 1, 2021

example:

https://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/the-brown-filter-bag—the-millbank-bag-is-back-29422-p.asp

in the past when backpacking/wild camping etc I have used these to get clean water, my method is to let the water run through the bag, then boil it or use a water purification tab, I liked it because it was simple and easy, and it never made me ill so I assumed that it must work, although I’ve never seen “millbank bag” on anyone’s BOB list, is there a good reason for this? 

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NRG-5 Emergency Rations: What do you think?

César López - June 29, 2021

Some time ago I was talking to a friend of mine who had recently bought a box of BP-ER Emergency Food.

https://www.amazon.es/Emergency-Exteriores-campamentos-Supervivencia-situaciones/dp/B07NPWBN1V

By this time I was doing my research on emergency food as well, but I thought that NRG-5 Emergency Rations where better:

https://www.amazon.es/Tactical-OPS-Alimentos-Emergencia-Emergency/dp/B08WCQ8MGV/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=nrg-5&qid=1617536159&sr=8-12

My friend got the BP-ER because he had read that they tasted better and had better long-life (Althought the lot of NRG-5 I bought lasted even more than him’s). I bet for the NRG-5 because they had better nutritional values that other rations (I mean, minerals and vitamins).

We could met and tasted them. My friend was right, BP-ER are tastier (as long as emergency food could be) and they had better looking than NRG-5. We tried to feed the ducks at the park we were meeting and they seemed to dislike both of them. On the other hand, my 2-year-old girl, love them.

I’m still with the NRG-5 because of the nutritional values. The only thing that really bothers me about the NRG-5 is that they are not Coast Guard approved. I checked this using the instructions you gave in this post:

https://theprepared.com/gear/reviews/ration-bars/

Resuming: Does anybody tried NRG-5 and, if you do, what do you think about them?

Thank you very much.

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DIY ranger bands – the ultimate prepping rubber band

Robert LarsonContributor - June 19, 2021

The wife’s bike got a flat tire this week so I saw it as another opportunity to make some more ranger bands. What is a ranger band? It’s a great prepping fastener along the lines with duct tape, super glue, and paracord. Pretty much it is a piece of bicycle inner tube cut into a strong and durable rubber band that can be used to secure gear together. 

Now for a bunch of uses from random people on the internet:

Many people attach ranger bands to the sheaths of their knives so that they can attach additional gear to them like a ferro rod.

Although I’ve never tried it before, they are supposedly flammable and are a source of tinder. Here is someone using ranger bands to strap a flash light to a rifle, and another picture of more gear strapped to a knife sheath.

You can use ranger bands to add some more grip to something like a knife or flashlight too when placed around the handle.

I’ve used ranger bands in all sorts of cases from adding some additional rubber bump protection on some gear so it doesn’t get scratched, securing multiple items together, or using as a strong rubber band to hold containers shut.

The diameter of the inner tube you use will determine the diameter of your ranger band. I tend to use the 1.75″ diameter bands the most but there are all sorts of sizes such as 1/2″, 1″, 1.75″, 2.50″ all the way up to motorcycle tubes.

When cutting your inner tube, vary the width of each band and don’t cut them all the same size. Make some super thin, some the width of your finger (my most commonly used) but also make some 1″, 2″, 3″ or even 4″ wide bands that can be slid over various things. And don’t cut up the entire tube in one sitting, leave about 1/4 of the tube left over so if you have a specific need case you can cut to the length you want. For example, see that last picture of the ranger band knife handle? You could cut a piece of tube the length of the handle and have one solid piece instead of three separate pieces like that guy did, if you want.

I’ve turned popped tubes into ranger bands from bikes we have had, but also have gone to a local bike shop and they had a trash can full of used tubes and I could pick whatever size I wanted. 

I tend to like the cheaper tubes better for ranger bands that can be stretched out more than the really thick puncture proof tubes.

Not bad for a free prep where a standard 26″ bike tube will give you a whole sandwich baggie full of bands. Or you can buy 48 bands from Walmart for $18.

Does anyone else make or use these? What use cases can you see yourself using them in?

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A question for Californians with electric stoves/ranges

Jonnie PekelnyContributor - June 18, 2021

This is another version of my question from last year (?) about cooking in a disaster scenario, but now the scenario I have in mind is much more frequently occurring. I’m currently shopping for a new (to me) gas range, or oven, whatever you call those things that have burners on top and an oven underneath. I love having a gas stove, but I know that they will be being phased out in the next few years. Here in California and probably in some other parts of the West, it’s pretty common now during fire season for the electricity to be turned off to prevent fires. This is also exactly the time when we are supposed to avoid generating sparks outside, so it’s not safe to cook on the porch with your camping stove. 

This has been occurring so frequently lately that it’s hardly even a disaster scenario. I’m usually unaffected by this problem because I can always light my gas range manually. (Plus I like the control a gas range gives me much more than electric). But if we are all going to be using electric ranges soon, how are we supposed to cook during fire season electrical outages? Many of you no doubt already face this problem. Would you share how you’ve dealt with it?

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What’s the favorite women’s underwear you’d use in an emergency, in your BOB, or SHTF scenario, and why?

Carlotta SusannaStaff - June 17, 2021

Since we women and/or people with breasts and vulvas have a greater variety of body shapes and needs, I think it would be helpful if we include as many details as we’re comfortable in sharing, such as bust and hips sizes, what you’re looking for in a bra or panties, does the material matter, would you change your selection between winter and summer, etc? If we keep a standard format it might be easier to find suggestions. I’ll propose the following format, but we could adjust/edit according to what you folks think.

Bust: 35 in (34A)
Hips: 36.5 in (M)

What I look for in a bra: My bust is not particularly large so I only need light support so my boobs don’t dance around too much when walking or hiking and my nipples don’t rub into the fabric of my top. I want a bra that’s not tight (don’t we all!) and is comfortable to wear all day long, but also that doesn’t dig into my flesh when I carry a backpack. However, my under bust is slightly larger than average, and so my biggest issue is that bras that are a great fit for my bust dig into my underbust, or if they are a great fit for my underbust, they are too large for my bust.

Favorite bra: Patagonia Barely Everyday Bra. 
PROS: This is so far the bra/lette that hits all the spots for me. Light support, breathable, comfortable when wearing a pack (as it’s a bralette it doesn’t have hooks in the back that are usually uncomfortable) and, most importantly, the elastic part under the bra is not tight at all, while still being elastic enough to keep my boobs in check. The first time I wore it camping I even forgot to take it off when I went to bed! 
CONS: It takes ages to dry! Ok, not ages, but slightly longer than I would like. A full day vs few hours, if that makes sense.

What I look for in panties: Mainly, four things: Is the crotch wide enough to keep me entirely covered when walking? I also suffer from cold butt syndrome, so if I camp or sleep outside I always keep my panties on. This means that I’m looking for panties that are generous in covering my whole butt. I usually go for either bikini, hipster, or shorts styles, but bikinis seems to be the most versatile and are the types I keep in my BOB. Thirdly, I want seams that are not too tight around my leg or waist, and that don’t chafe when walking for a long time. Lastly, are they breathable?

Favorite panties: Patagonia Barely Bikini Underwear. Breathable, the seams are super comfortable, and they cover everything generously. Interestingly, they have a round seam around the legs but they don’t dig in at all!
REI Co-op Active Bikini Underwear. Same as above: comfortable, super light, and they cover everything fine. I wear them quite often and after a couple of years I’ve noticed that the seams around the legs and waist started looking as if stretched out. I say “as if” beacuse the performance does not seem affected at all. I’m wondering if they are going to fail soon, or not. In comparison, this is not the case with the abovementioned Patagonia Barely underwear.

Mention of shame: Smartwool Seamless Bikini Underwear. I had to add this because I was shocked by the poor design of these panties. They are very comfortable and breathable, but the crotch is so narrow that I had to throw them away –  they were useless even when wearing them at home!

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Items with multiple uses – Lighten the BOB by using these!

Robert LarsonContributor - June 13, 2021

What are some items that have multiple uses which can help cut down on the shear number of items to prep for or lighten a bug-out-bag?

Or what are some modifications you have made to some items to allow them to be used in different ways?

Here are some I have done:

Took a file to the back side of my knife so that it can be used as a ferro rod striker. I have a Glock 22, which is normally a .40 caliber gun. I have a conversion barrel that I can swap out the stock barrel in less than 15 seconds and the gun will now shoot 9mm. 2 different caliber guns in one package! Fresnel lens, can be used to magnify what you are looking at for like first aid or used to start a fire. I have a small credit card sized one in my wallet, and also got a large sheet sized one at Dollar Tree for a dollar.  Tarps! I love tarps! I have like a dozen from when Harbor Freight gave them out as a free item with every purchase. Shelter, protect the car seats from pet hair, used to signal, collect water, and so many more uses!  I’ve thought about replacing my shoe laces with paracord, but heard that it is too slick of a rope to hold a shoe lace knot well. Have any of you done this? Another one I like is the alcohol wipes in your first aid kit can be used as an extremely flammable fire starter, sanitize your knife, or clean up your eating utensils. I love these little things. Read More

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Minimizing bug out bag weight

CamilleContributor - June 6, 2021

I’m interested in any tips or advice others would like to share about minimizing bug out bag pack-weight without sacrificing the quality and usefulness of gear. While I really appreciate the gear reviews, basic no-nonsense information and the kit builder feature on this website I also know that the  pack-weight of 41.7lbs listed for a bug out bag on this site isn’t realistic for me to carry. I’m a farmer and very active but carrying something that weighs a quarter of my body weight over any distance more than 5-10 miles would most likely result in some type of soft tissue damage or other complications that would be disadvantageous in an emergency situation where I would have to bug out farther than that distance to be safe (and I like to play on the safe side and assume I would have to bug out at least part-way if not all the way on foot). Currently my bug-out bag which contains the essentials I feel I need weighs about 27lbs (not including a full 2L water reservoir) because I look mainly at ultra-light camping gear for traditionally heavy items (ultra-light gear can be pricier to obtain the same high quality but it is worth it for me in the weight savings category).

There is a lot of discourse on how to reduce pack-weight for long distance hikers that I read before building my kit since I knew pack-weight would be a concern but only some of that can translate to a bug out bag because the expectations for the kits are incredibly different. I  have never seen any discourse by preppers about reducing pack weight despite the fact that if you can’t actually carry it-you aren’t getting out of an emergency situation anytime soon with the things you need to bug out with the most. Thank you in advance for any suggestions or tips!

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HoverGlide floating backpacks

UbiqueContributor - May 27, 2021

Has anyone tried this backpack? It looks like it would reduce fatigue.

https://www.hoverglidepacks.com/

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Selecting water purification strategies, method and equipment for bug out and bug in scenario

LNMOt - May 24, 2021

Hello! 

I’ve spent the better part of the last 10 months working hard on getting a 8-12 month food supply in place – I’m pretty much there.  I’ve got the beginnings of a decent first aid kit / medicine stock, etc – more work to do here but I have a good base to build on.  We have a solid plan for home and property defense.  But when I take a good hard look at my preps, I realize my water prep situation is in need of some serious improvement.  And since, without water safe drinking water, my 8-12 month supply of food will be pretty useless, I figure I should go ahead and get things corrected as soon as possible.

I read the fantastic Prepared review / guides on Best Portable Survival Water Filters and Best Home Water Filters.  Great information, but I must admit I am still quite overwhelmed as there are so many different options and set ups!  I believe I am stuck in an “analysis paralysis” situation.  So I thought I would post asking for some guidance in making a decision on what gear to buy.  

First, let me outline my current water situation and also what I’m trying to prepare for:

Current Water Situation and Set Up:

I have about 1.5 weeks worth of drinking water (store-bought bottled water) in my prepper pantry.  I am going to try to add a bit more bottled water but there isn’t much more space for it. We own our own house – we live in a smaller resort town in New England, but the area where our house is located is relatively rural.   On our property, we have a good sized pond with a small natural fresh water stream feeding the pond.  We are going to be adding trout to our pond in the next few weeks.  Our pond water is not clear and there is a large amount of muck and silt on the bottom of the pond – we have been working hard to clean it up.  Needless to say we don’t swim in the pond. This will take some time to clean up. I do have a biomass emergency stove that I bought several years ago that I could use to boil water (for dried food pouches, etc).  But boiling for water purification just doesn’t seem like a good long term option, as pointed out in some of the excellent guides on this website.

What I Would Like to Prepare For:

Get Home Situation – surviving on foot getting back to my house from my work.  On foot it would be probably a two day walk if on the highway / paved roads, probably a day or more longer if I had to go through rough terrain like the woods.  While it’s possible I would encounter water sources on the journey, I haven’t really spent much time planning a route back home from my work, nor have I spent any time looking at potential water sources that I could find on the way.  However, it’s safe to assume that in Northern New England in the woods I would encounter some fresh water on my way.  Also, if we had to bug out, I would imagine my water preps for the get home situation would also work for a bug out situation? Bug In Situation – most scenarios I am preparing for center around a bug in situation that would last months, perhaps up to a year.  I am not at the point in my preparedness where my family and I could survive long term (gardening, chickens, livestock, etc).  At this point my goal is to ensure myself, my two small children and my husband could survive without having to leave our property for up to one year.  

A Few Other Things For Consideration:

For all of my water preps, I am concerned about filtering out viruses as well as bacteria and protozoa.  Chemicals if possible.   I have a two year old and a 4 year old, so hard to suck from water filtration bottles aren’t an option for them, nor is the survival straw option really. I am willing to invest in the best, most durable water filtration / treatment options.  Even if it takes multiple months I’ll save up the money.  Buy once, cry once? One thing that I am quite confused about is finding a filtration option that will last reliably for a year?  I know there are so many options and there are limits on how long the filters will last.

I appreciate everybody’s help in advance with helping me make these decisions and providing guidance and feedback!

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AdviceGear

I bought one of those “lifelike” masks from Facebook and it’s total garbage

shtfhappens - May 20, 2021

Duh, I know, no surprise. But sharing to help you avoid the same mistake! 

Does anyone else see/remember those video ads on Facebook about lifelike face masks? The videos made it look like there had been some big improvement in the technology or something, and that these cheap masks were now good enough to fool people or cameras that are not looking too closely at you. I’ve seen other reports like this one that do show more lifelike masks, so I thought it was feasible.

I’ve always thought about having some kind of identity concealment for those rare situations where you might need to hide who you are. Maybe it’s from mass facial recognition, participating in a protest, or something like that. Even if you’re not doing something wrong, the day may come where you need to hide.

So I spent the $40. It ended up being blatantly false advertising… what they delivered was nothing like the videos shown. And now the Shopify store that sold it is entirely gone.

I still have hope about affordable and worthwhile masks in the near future. But definitely avoid the advertised ones on Facebook!

This is where it ended up

Some close ups

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Gear