August 31, 2013

TOP POST-APOCALYPSE THREATS

THIS IS YOUR POST-APOCALYPSE THREAT DOWN!



You might be aware of the threats that can cause complete collapse of society, but what are the main threats after society has collapsed?  Here are the top 17 threats that will be present in any collapse of society.  This does not include a continuation of any of the possible causes (e.g. nuclear winter, pandemic).  I've listed them in order of least threatening to most threatening.  Depending on your situation, your threats could be in a different order.



17) PACKS OF DOGS
Some dogs will get loose and survive.  They will return to their primal instincts.  They'll eat house cats and dead bodies.  Not a major threat, but you might come across them.  They could have rabies and parasites.  They might go after your chickens and rabbits.






16) CITY FIRES
There won't be any firefighters around to put out fires.  There will be explosions as people abandon their jobs and people will be using fire to cook and get warm.  Fires are bound to start.  Once they do, no one will put them out.  I estimate 70% of cities will burn.  These are also a low threat, because you should have bugged out before this happens.  However, it will cause consequential threats as we will see below.





15) CHILLED TEMPERATURES
As a result of city fires and forest fires that will rage out of control with no one to put them out, we can expect a mild nuclear winter.  The sun will be blocked out by all the smoke, so we will get chilled temperatures.  This makes survival more harsh and grow seasons will shrink.






14) DISEASES
With lack of hygiene, lack of clean water, no vaccinations, no treatments, no mosquito abatement programs, diseases will surely be on the rise.  We can certainly expect third-world type diseases to enter developed countries.  In the US, malaria and West Nile Virus will spread.  Sexual Transmitted Diseases will spread into certain communities.  If you get sick, treatment will be hard to find.  Your best advantage will be to stay isolated and drink clean water.






13) THIEVES
There will be plenty of common thieves.  When there's not enough food to go around, people turn to a life of crime.  If they find your camp, it could result in gunfights.  If you're lucky, they will just steal and leave.  If you're luckier, you can catch them and exact punishment.  If you're luckier-er, you can catch them, utilize them for hard labor, and eventually they join your alliance (Remember, a lot of these people would have never stolen anything pre-collapse).  If you're luckiest, you'll be in a position so hidden, that you never have to deal with thieves.






12) AIR POLLUTION (ASH)
As forests and cities burn, the air will be polluted with poisonous gases and tons of ash that will rain down for months in some locations.  Try to bug out to a location that is not downwind of cities and forests.  All this pollution will be bad for your lungs and cause sickness and induce asthma attacks for some people.  PLUS, it will rain down on your crops.  A layer of ash that falls onto leaves will prevent photosynthesis from happening.  You might need to grow your plants under plastic or dust off your crops every morning around 9am.







11) APOSTATE MILITARY GROUPS
You've probably considered the possibility of gangs or warlords rising to power, but you should also consider this possibility too.  I expect most military guys to abandon their posts or be dismissed by their superiors to go home and be with their loved ones.  However, some of these guys will be on base thousands of miles from home and won't make it back.  They will also be forward thinking and realize that it is going to get ugly quick.  I believe there will be some good military groups, some bad military groups, and some in between military goups that band together and survive.  Some examples of this have shown up in film (28 Days Later and Revolution on NBC).  I think most of the military groups that survive will be good, but we can't eliminate the possibility of apostate military groups who use their superior weapons and training to rise to power.  We love our military, but let's be honest, there are a lot of young guys in there who simply don't have the morals and values necessary.  Hopefully, these apostate groups become rivals to the cartels and prison gangs.






10) HUMAN HORDES
Zombies everywhere!  That's what they will be like when they evacuate cities as the water turns off and conditions deteriorate.  I have love for my fellow man, but they will be like locusts looking for anything to eat.  We would help them if we could, and we might be able to help some, but we can't help everybody.  And obviously FEMA won't be able to do that.  So, the natural result is that they are a threat.  Your best bet is to try and avoid them, so you don't even have to deal with the pain and suffering.






9) DROUGHT
As a result of the constant smoky skies, we will see a mild nuclear winter.  Weather patterns and climates will change for a year or two.  I think this will result in a temporary drought in many places.  That's bad news for crops and possibly your anticipated water source.






8) STARVATION
If you are reading this, you are probably somewhat involved in the prepper movement.  Still, s*%t happens to the best of us.  Our food can be stolen.  Our crops might fail.  Animals will be hunted to the brink of extinction and bodies of water will be over-fished.  There could be some unknown factor as well.  Starvation is still a threat.






7) FLOODS
Our water ways and irrigation systems are very complex and require continual human control.  Right now, our current levels of water flow require water being drawn out for human and agricultural use.  When water is no longer drawn out for these purposes, we can assume that rivers, streams, lakes, deltas, and water tables will return to pre-human levels.  Levees and damns won't be able to hold the excess water.  Water breaching will happen in many different locations.  Also, as the years pass, damns will begin to break and kill many people in flash floods.  This is just another reason why the mountains are all the more attractive post-apocalypse.  For additional help with this issue, take a look at the USGS 100 year flood maps, so you can see what areas are in danger.






6) STREET GANGS
They are currently a form of organized crime.  Unlike the police, national guard, and military, who will largely disband and be with their families, gangs will likely coalesce and be strengthened.  They will have the weapons and numbers.  It will only take a week or two, before they begin systematically looting and stockpiling food.  They will be deadly and dangerous.






5) FOREST FIRES
As spoken of already, these will happen.  Most of them will be started accidentally by people who are learning to cook on open fire and warm themselves with fire.  Yep, it's a brand new concept for some people.  Not only will they cause all the atmospheric and crop problems, but they can cause direct problems.   If you bug out to the forest, which is basically what I recommend, you might have to deal with forest fires.  If the forest is your lifeline for foraging, hunting, and camouflage, it could be taken away from you.  More startling is the fact that a forest fire can come upon you with very little warning.  It might be 4am and all of a sudden there is increased wind and an orange glow outside.  You might not have time to grab all your supplies.  Be aware of all the bodies of water in every direction, but especially downwind and uphill of your current position, so that you can jump in and take cover in a worst case scenario.






4) PRISON GANGS
Similar to street gangs, but these guys are usually more violent and deadly.  In a collapsed society, most likely these guys will be released or escape at the same time.  They will be far from their loved ones, so most won't try to find their families.  These guys will transform into raiding, looting, raping gangs in less than a day.  Bug out to a location that is far from any prison.  Heck, they might even make their former prison, their new HQ.  It has great defenses after all.






3) NUCLEAR RADIATION AND FALLOUT
From the talk I've seen about nuclear power plants, it seems the consensus is that there is a real concern of nuclear power plants going into nuclear meltdown when society collapses.  This will cause the contamination of water nearby and the wind will carry lethal radiation 100 miles downwind.  With dozens of nuclear power plants in the US, nuclear radiation and fallout becomes a serious threat.  Do not try to survive near a nuclear power plant or downwind of one.  If nuclear radiation and fallout is a top threat without bombs being dropped, imagine how much of a threat it would be if there was a nuclear war.






2) WARLORDS
Warlords and their militias will rise up.  They could have a criminal background or not, but the main difference from these guys and other gangs is that the warlord will be an intelligent man who adapts and thrives in a post-apocalyptic world.  They will also learn to be ruthless.






1) DRUG CARTELS
Public enemy #1 will be the drug cartels.  These cartels are currently the largest illegitimate organization in North America.  When the military, national guard, police, and border patrol dissolve, cartels will have nobody standing in their way.  They will spill over the border like nobody's business.  They will establish strongholds in LA, Phoenix, and San Antonio.  They are already accustomed to savage crimes.  They behead people in Mexico on a regular basis.  In a post-apocalyptic world, drug cartels will be like kids in a candy store.  They will have the numbers, the guns, the ruthless mentality, the intelligence, and the pre-established networks.  They will roll over entire areas and become the first evil empires.

August 24, 2013

CONCRETE CANVAS SHELTER



This could be a great idea for a bug out shelter or a bunker for your backyard.  It is a fabric that has concrete mix meshed into the fabric.  You blow it up to a round strong position, wet it, and let it dry.  24 hrs later, you have a concrete shelter that will last about 20 years.  I emailed the US distributor and they said they cost between $20,000 and $30,000.  There are 2 sizes: 25 sq meters and 50 sq meters.


I'm envisioning the possibility of bugging out with one of these and setting it up in a national or state park once society has collapsed, haha!  I likely wouldn't have enough electricity to blow it up as required, so I'm thinking I would use a series of pvc pipes that can brace it up into the round shape it is supposed to be.  Anyways, watch these videos.  They are awesome.






http://www.concretecanvas.co.uk/Concrete_Canvas_Shelters.html

August 17, 2013

HOW TO GET RICH AFTER THE SHTF!



STEP 1 STAY ALIVE

You can't get rich if you're dead.  They key is isolation, knowledge, and supplies.

STEP 2  COMMUNITY

Be part of a community that is surviving, honest, stable, growing, but most importantly, is secure.  A man can't get rich by living as a hermit.  Being isolated for the first year or two is good, but begin to form a community after that.  Society is necessary for economic prosperity.  It's also very hard to get rich in a community where there is constantly a fear of theft, so at least within your community, there needs to be a sense of mutual security.  This will be lost for most of the world, so your community will need to hold on to it OR revive it.  Keep in mind that the basic prerequisite for this mutual security is that everyone's basic needs are met, so your community needs to be surviving well.


STEP 3 TRADE NETWORK

Become part of a trade network when they open up a few years after the collapse.  Maybe you can initiate this yourself, but it will be dangerous, especially if you rush it.  (See my blogs on Forming Alliances and seeing other people after society collapsed)  This will basically start out as armed caravans, like humans have done for thousands of years.  At first, trade routes will be foot trails through the woods between trusted communities.  Later, they will be along roads, rivers, the coast, and maybe some railroads. Trade allows for you to buy and sell goods with others.  You can acquire what you don't have and they can acquire what they don't have.  Most trades will be the kind that simply make life more pleasant -- different foods and decorations.  However, some trades will be the kind that help society develop.  For example, let's say one community has secured spare metal and they are making quality windmills.  Whoever joins their trade community will be able to purchase a windmill from them and dramatically advance their own society.  If other communities sell seeds, gasoline, batteries, horses, plows, scale sets, etc. you can see where this goes.  Everybody advances together and benefits.  Also, ideas spread and large alliances form, which is also key to economic prosperity.  At some point, these networks will have a new currency and banking systems, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

STEP 4 CAREER

There are many careers you can choose that will make you rich after society collapses:

STOCKPILER - Perhaps the easiest way to get rich, at least initially after the collapse, is to stockpile NOW what others will need POST-COLLAPSE.  It can start with small barter items, but if you really want to be the new Sam Walton, you should stockpile much more.  Stockpile as much of the long-term survival items as possible.  Get multiple shipping containers.  Stuff them with survival items.  Bury them in strategic locations in your region.  After the collapse, you can dig up these containers and sell the goods.  Not only will you get rich, but you'll literally save lives.

FISH FARMER - Set up large ponds and aquaponics systems.  Fish like tilapia reproduce fast.  They can quickly grow to large numbers and provide lots of food.  You can sell the fish and you will do well.  However, when it comes to raising animals and other low-skill industries, my suggestion is to start that industry, but hand it off to the community to do it themselves.  Allow others to create their own ponds and raise their own fish, while you move on to another career, perhaps a caravan merchant.  My reasoning for this is that raising animals to large numbers is something that will benefit whole communities and whole regions.  If you can raise your community and network to a level where everyone easily has enough food, it will allow everyone to advance as a society to create opportunities to make even more money somehow.  If all you do for the rest of your life is have your pond and sell fish to your neighbors, you are missing out on bigger opportunities.  It's better to grow the pie than be obsessed with taking most of the pie.

RABBIT FARMER - Raise rabbits.  Like tilapia, they reproduce fast and provide excellent meat.  Not a lot of supplies are needed.  Again, it's best to get this industry started and then release it to the community to move on to a better career.

LARGE ANIMAL BREEDER - If you can secure and keep safe goats, sheep, cows, horses, etc. after the collapse, you will be well situated to make money and help people at the same time.  Most horses and cows won't survive the collapse.  Many will be stolen and eaten.  Most dairies and herds of cattle will be targeted by the hungry masses.  If you can keep a group of them safe and continue to breed them, you can sell them and do well.  Horses will be the primary transportation for many people.  If you can breed horses and train them, you will be a tremendously important person.  You'll get rich from that!

PERFUME MAKER - Soap will run out.  Deodorant will run out.  Baking soda will run out.  It won't be long before everyone smells like sasquatch's armpits.  Perfume is fairly easy to make.  Plant flowers in your bugout location.  Have hundreds of glass vials and atomizer bottles with you.  Sell perfume.  Make money.  Make women happy (and men).

SOAP MAKER - This is valuable for the same reasons, plus hygiene is necessary to avoid deadly diseases.  The process is a little harder than making perfume.  We won't have manufactured lye to use, so you'll have to go primitive by using white wood ash and animal fat.  If you can master the skill of making soap, it will be so helpful to everyone and you'll make easy money.  Carve your insignia on the soaps and trade them far and wide.  It will help to establish report with people everywhere, so that when communities begin to unite into small nations, they will look favorably on you and your community.  "Oh we use your soap!  Thanks so much.  We had no idea how to make soap."

CASH CROP - Apart from your basic crops to eat, there are certain crops which can be cash crops. Often times, these are the crops that are bought and sold as commodities on the market today.  They usually have a secondary or tertiary use, because they can be processed, stored, and used for that purpose later.  Here's some ideas: sugar cane, sugar beets, corn (food, oil, create ethanol), soy (food, oil, fuel), plants with soft toilet paper-like leaves (suggestions?), alfalfa/hay (horses), fruit trees (dehydrate and trade), cotton (clothes), wheat, coffee, tobacco (but please don't).

EQUIPMENT RENTALS - Get pieces of equipment that will be useful later.  You can rent them out or lease them to people.  Treadle sewing machines, backhoes (if you have the gas for it), bicycles, farm tools, weaving looms, Biolite Stoves, horses and plows, wagons, dirt bikes, foot pumps, etc.

TRAVELLING SERVICEMAN - You can travel from community to community and provide a service to them for a fee.  You can: drill wells, dig fish ponds, build chicken coupes, enhance their security perimeter, be a doctor, be a dentist, build windmills, electrify villages, fix machines, etc.  Travelling from place to place is dangerous, but if you do something like this, you'll be like the new age Johnny Appleseed.  Your efforts will really help to make life better and grow economies in your wake.

TRAVELLING INSTRUCTOR - Similar to a serviceman, but instead of creating things for them, you can teach them to survive and improve their lives.  Teach them how to hunt, make soap, raise fish, raise animals, plant crops, catch water, purify water, heat water, store food, rig solar panels, dig irrigation canals, etc.  If you find yourself teaching them the more basic skills, they probably don't have much to offer you, but if they are a more advanced group that is ready to learn more advanced skills, they can probably pay you more.  Again, this will tremendously boost economies and come back around to help you one day.  I suppose this is similar to what volunteers in the Peace Corps do.

TRAVELLING MOVIE THEATER - Travel with solar panels, a battery unit, laptop, speakers, projector, canvas, and DVDs.  Charge people to watch your movies!  It will be awesome and FUN!  You can also show them video messages from the other communities and news stories of what's going on there.  It will let people know they are not alone and there are other good people out there surviving as well.  It will be news and entertainment.

PHARMACIST - Pharmacies will be gone and all modern drugs will be used up quickly.  If you can have a garden of medicinal plants and create the bests herbal/natural remedies possible, you can get rich.  Anyone can grow a tomato plant, but few people know what medicinal plants to grow and how to prepare and apply their medicine.

CARAVAN MERCHANT - Venice got rich because they engaged in ocean trade.  You can do the same.  Once trade networks are established and minor production has begun, such as many of the things mentioned here, soap, horses, medicine, sugar, salt, seeds, oil, ammunition, you can engage in full-fledged caravan trade.  You'll get rich.  At some point, you'll get so rich that you can just send others out on the caravans and you can stay home where it is safe.

BOOKSTORE OWNER - You can sell booklets that contain information about how to do certain things that will benefit people.  It is best to stockpile these booklets now.  You can also print them out post-collapse if you have the means.  Survivalsage.com can help you out with this process, as it has many valuable articles, booklets, and manuals.  Or you could just be nice and give them out for free to help your community and network advance, while you move on to a better career.

AMMUNITION MILLER - Ammo will be in high demand post-collapse.  Preppers are usually prepared for this, but rations will get low at some point.  Preppers will only make up the minority of the good guys who will survive.  Also, what if we have to fight a war against the drug cartels and prison gangs?  If you store the equipment and materials to produce ammo, you can get rich.  But make sure to only sell ammo to the good guys.  No Destros here!

GOLD SMITH - If you have the equipment and can learn how to refine, test, weigh, and shape gold (and other precious metals), you can make lots of money.  You can also bring flexibility and stability to an economy by ensuring the public the accurate value of gold and silver.  Most people can't just look at a gold bracelet and tell what karat it is and the market value.  You can learn to do that and be prepared for post-collapse life.

INFRASTRUCTURE NOBLEMAN - If you can secure and operate an important piece of infrastructure that has value post-collapse, you will get rich and be a blessing to all of us.  For example, if you secure some oil rigs and are able to operate them and then also refine the oil, you can be the first tycoon post-collapse.  Other examples might be: hydro power plant (Be realistic.  Don't go for Hoover Dam or Niagara Falls.  Go for something small.), solar power plants and electrical grids, mines, salt evaporation fields, etc.  BEWARE: Only secure and operate these infrastructures if you are sure you can keep them under control.  We don't want you to get a solar power plant and electrical grid in operation only to have the Zeta drug cartel take it away from you.  That will be a major blow to all the upright citizens and will likely add a decade or two to the reign of the bad guys, before the good guys can rise to power.

ALL OF THE ABOVE - Why choose only one career?  You can prepare and learn how to fill each of these roles.  If you can do that, you'll be super rich.  It also makes you flexible based on what is needed most.

AMBASSADOR FRANCHISER - I think I just made this term up, but in order to do this, you should prepare to do multiple careers.  Then, when society collapses, you will spend time training apprentices under one trade.  When they are ready, you will send them to another community to do their trade there.  You will lend them the animals/supplies they need and they will in turn pay you a portion of their income or a flat rate.  Additional incentive will be that if they do well and meet their end of the deal, you will train them in another trade to grow their business even more.  This idea might not work depending on the career and the people you are dealing with.

STEP 5 REFLECT

Finally, reflect on why you want to become rich.  Some greed is ok, but I hope it will be to make earth a more livable place.  You will have more responsibility.  Will you work to revive a civil society or do you just want to get rich?  Will you hire a private militia and declare yourself king?  Will you fight against warlords and drug cartels?  What political system will you help to shape?  What judicial system will you help to establish?  I'm grateful that most preppers are really great people with good family values.  Hopefully you guys rise to power and your morals remain intact.  It will be a trying time for everyone and we can never know for sure how we will react.

August 15, 2013

DOOMSDAY CASTLE DEFENSE SUGGESTIONS

I know the castle isn't finished yet and they've probably thought about a lot of these features, but here's what I would do to add to the defense of the castle.

Click on the pictures for larger images.



























ROAD BLOCKS - Prepare boulders that can roll onto the road leading to the castle.  Don't put them close to the castle.  Do this far away from the castle.  Or you can use other items or just blow some large craters that make them impassible.  As soon as everybody is accounted for, block the road.

SILENT INFRARED PERIMETER ALARM SYSTEM - This gives you a heads up so there's no surprise.  Once the alarm goes off, call everybody inside the castle into battle positions.  Usually, they won't know they've tripped an alarm.

NO TRESSPASSING SIGNS - If it were my castle, I would place these around the perimeter of the castle at the point at which the castle becomes visible.  I would write something like, "NO TRESSPASSING.  TRESSPASSORS AND THIEVES WILL BE SHOT.  TO REQUEST A FRIENDLY ALLIANCE, STEP INTO THE OPEN UNARMED, WAVING A WHITE FLAG."


FALSE COVERS - Fill sandbags with sand and shrapnel.  Place them in a location where the attackers will take cover.  However, on the castle side, at the base of these sandbags, place explosives that will detonate when shot, like Tannerite (or remote detonated).  You want your attackers to take cover in these places.  Once they are there, boom.

UNDERGROUND ESCAPE TUNNEL - In a worst case scenario, you can escape through this tunnel.  Make sure the exit from the tunnel is not visible and place locked gates or some kind of obstruction to prevent attacks from the tunnel.

TRENCH WITH SPIKES - It's a cheap and effective barrier.  About 10 ft. wide is good.

BARB WIRE - Another great barrier.  If it is placed right next to the trench, the barriers will multiply their effectiveness.

HINGED GROUND BOARDS - This is a good idea for wherever there is a gap in your barriers -- choke points.  As you retreat into your castle, you can swing these things down and they will have spikes on them to fill in the barrier gap.  You can also add explosives to the front of them, like claymores or more Tannerite/shrapnel sandbags.

MOAT/PONDS - Used for thousands of years for a reason.  The only reason I don't have one moat that goes all the way around is to keep the gene pool of the fish separate in order to prevent diseases from spreading or to allow for different species.  I would also put the moat a little further from the castle in order that if people get next to the walls, you can drop oil and fire on the attackers without worrying about polluting your fish ponds.  Or avoid these complexities by making it a true moat and put your fish ponds elsewhere.

MURAL/BLINDS - Your defense is great, but with the big castle at the top of the hill, it means you are also visible.  How far can you see from the top of the castle?  That's how far people can see you.  I'm in the mindset that it's better to avoid conflicts than risk death, even if it is a small risk.  People will get curious and desperate and some will steal and attack.  At some point post collapse, having a huge fort at the top of the hill is ideal, but for the first 5-20 years, it can attract problems.  I suggest camouflaging the castle and adding treetop blinds to help eliminate your profile that stands in contrast to the rest of the forest.

SWIVEL SLINGSHOTS - Having these large swivel slingshots bolted in place will extend your range for launching molotov cocktails and bombs.

BUCKETS OF FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS - For as long as people have been sieging castles, the castle defenders have been pouring tar on them and lighting them on fire.  It's one of your best up-close defenses.  Use molotov cocktails or flares to set them on fire.

MOLOTOV COCKTAILS - These can be thrown or launched at enemies approaching or used to hit people at the base of the castle.  Just be careful up there and don't mess up.

GUNS - Obvious.  But store them inside or keep them waterproofed on the roof.  If you can get some machine guns mounted up there, that would be great.  I would easily replace slingshots with turrets anyday.

PIPE BOMBS - If you use more than just guns, your attackers will get more scared.  The combination of gunfire, false covers, molotov cocktails, and pipe bombs will cause much more fear.

August 12, 2013

LONG TERM SURVIVAL ITEMS



Everyone's survival supplies are going to be different depending on the scenario.  Here's my scenario for this list:

Complete, long-term collapse of society.  Bug out to mountains.  5 - 6,000 ft elevation.  Temperate climate.  Not super cold.  Some snow in the winter, but not much.  This list is for 1 person, but it is also assuming that this person may add numbers to his group.  So for more people, just multiply the items or get larger items when necessary.  Doesn't take into account the needs of females, infants, elderly, or handicapped people.  Be sure to add your medications to this list if you have any.  Clothes are assumed and not listed, except for some accessory type clothes.  Some of the items are actually lists within a list, like the first aid kit, tool set, or doctor's toolbag, etc.  I would be bugging out with this stuff, so large vehicles and trailers are valuable, but there is an option of taking multiple trips or pre-storing this stuff in your bug-out location. For a better visual of this list, you can watch this survival supplies video.



--LISTED IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE--

  1. all purpose survival knife
  2. Fire starter
  3. assorted seeds and beans (something to grow for every season if possible, also sprouts (alfalfa, soy, mung), asparagus, medicinal plants, and cash crops)
  4. mess kit (first method for water purification)
  5. sleep system
  6. hunting rifle with suppressor, scope, night vision scope(converter?), thermal imaging scope , and extra magazines
  7. ammo
  8. survival sage (1st source of electricity)
  9. emergency radio am/fm/shortwave/noaa w/light and crank powered (2nd source of electricity)
  10. buckets with air tight lids, food grade
  11. big ole first aid kit (make sure it has sutures , quick clot, lots of reusable bandages, antiseptic, antibiotics, slings, air splints, blister prevention/treatment, surgeon disinfectant soap, latex gloves, aspirin, immodium ad, etc.)
  12. shovel
  13. rat traps
  14. toothbrushes
  15. big tarps (at least 3: water proof shelter, fish pond-black tarp if cold area [pond liner], rain catchment)
  16. large backpack
  17. paracord
  18. axe
  19. water bottle (stainless steel)
  20. 9 months of stored food (freeze dried, dehydrated, canned, powdered, grains, sugar, honey, etc.)
  21. binder with hard copies of most important survival info, including color pictures of edibles in the wild in your area and how to prepare them, laminated or waterproofed somehow
  22. large water filter with extra filters (second method for water purification)
  23. maps topo and political/street
  24. baking soda
  25. mason jars
  26. Tattler reusable jar lids and gaskets
  27. pressure cooker/canner
  28. cotton towels all sizes
  29. tilapia (live, or best type of fish possible)
  30. compass
  31. cooking set (spatula, tongs, ladel, knives, etc)
  32. BioLite BaseCamp Stove (3rd source of electricity)
  33. LED flashlight/lantern (handcranked)
  34. multi-tool
  35. grill rack for cooking/dehydrating
  36. gun cleaning kit
  37. knife sharpening kit with honing oil
  38. camouflaged infrared perimeter silent alarm system
  39. dental repair kit
  40. gorilla tape (camouflaged)
  41. hand gun with suppressor, laser, and holster
  42. ammo for it
  43. ghillie suit
  44. spotting scope with tripod (or binoculars)
  45. rechargeable batteries (all sizes)
  46. battery recharger
  47. walkie talkies
  48. bleach (third method of water purification)
  49. signal mirror
  50. dwarf fruit trees
  51. MP3 player & headphones
  52. cutlery
  53. hand operated grain mill

---- CAR WOULD BE ABOUT FULL ----

  1. large barrels with the siphon, wrench, and faucet attachments
  2. cooking oil
  3. multi-vitamins
  4. mosquito net
  5. soap
  6. mylar ziplock bags all sizes heavy duty
  7. desiccant packs
  8. toothpaste
  9. pens
  10. printer paper
  11. reading glasses
  12. wood stove with chimney piping and roof panel protector
  13. work gloves
  14. heavy duty aluminum foil
  15. doctor's toolbag
  16. cutting board
  17. dental floss

--- TRUCK WOULD BE ABOUT FULL ---

  1. horse with all its gear (male & female if possible)
  2. outdoors cook set
  3. dentist's tools
  4. lighters
  5. petroleum jelly
  6. bow saw with extra blades (or buck saw)
  7. salt
  8. paintbrush (for manual pollination)
  9. chickenwire
  10. rabbits
  11. razors (some prefer to go with old school blades, save space and money, but requires more skill)
  12. low power laptop packed with software/movies/music/games/podcasts/family photos/etc
  13. cash
  14. sledgehammer
  15. glass vials
  16. patch kit for plastic/tarp/rubber?
  17. hand auger drill set
  18. water well hand pump set
  19. radio antenna extension
  20. small backpack
  21. emergency blanket
  22. family canopy with screen and magnet closure
  23. camouflage netting for vehicle, campground, outposts, hunting, etc.
  24. sewing kit
  25. hand pump pressure sprayer
  26. insect mesh hat
  27. camp shower
  28. go away kits
  29. spare fabrics (cotton, denim, leather, etc)
  30. rain suit
  31. fertilizer
  32. large fishing net
  33. kick butt manual tool set including some large tools like bolt cutter
  34. nails
  35. protractor
  36. vinyl floor roll
  37. goats
  38. earthworms
  39. jerry cans (gas cans are fine)
  40. cot with matt (or bunk cot/cot couch)
  41. Gatorade powder mix
  42. solar panels (4th source of electricity)
  43. combiner box
  44. inverter to turn DC from solar panels into AC
  45. battery (Duracell Powersource 1800 or even bigger)
  46. ham radio with antenna long extension
  47. chair (chaise lounger)
  48. deodorant
  49. headlamp light (I like the ones with night vision)

--- TRUCK WITH LARGE HORSE TRAILER WOULD BE FULL ---

  1. greenhouse unassembled (low-lying) (or sheets of greenhouse plastic and pvc pipe)
  2. bear pepper spray
  3. metal chests with pad lock (waterproof it before burial)
  4. large tip felt markers
  5. fishing hooks
  6. fishing string
  7. wedge
  8. game call
  9. small water filter
  10. machine gun
  11. ammo for it
  12. field dressing/butcher knife set
  13. silver coins
  14. garden/farm tools set
  15. deck of cards
  16. flex cuffs
  17. eye glass repair kit
  18. vaccuum sealer
  19. processing table (table with sinks)
  20. washboard (or an alternative manual wash)
  21. tea
  22. comb/brush
  23. shampoo
  24. spray paint cans (brown, green, yellow, gray, whatever makes things blend in)
  25. pond liners
  26. two man tent
  27. rubber wash tub
  28. hoses various lengths with connectors and spray nozzles (some normal hoses, some pocket hoses)
  29. various size plastic containers for liquids and solids, tupperware, bottles, pitchers, squeeze, pour
  30. bird traps
  31. bird food
  32. bells
  33. wood gasifier
  34. dust masks
  35. water pumps foot operated
  36. condoms
  37. game scent
  38. drum liners or contractor bags (clear 3 mil)
  39. water thermometer
  40. filet knife
  41. solar oven
  42. mineral salt blocks
  43. bulletproof vest with tactical pouches
  44. helmet (maybe balistics kind with visor)
  45. sun block
  46. tweezers
  47. straws
  48. tactical shotgun with suppressor...I know what you're thinking, but just go along with it, it's possible - ish
  49. shotgun shells
  50. splitting maul
  51. small woodwind instrument
  52. potatoes
  53. smoker baskets
  54. snares/snare wire
  55. freshwater testing kit - ph, ammonia, and nitrate
  56. LED floodlights
  57. fish scaler
  58. sinkers
  59. survey meter (like geiger counter)
  60. Potasium Iodide tablets (or Potasium Iodate)
  61. laser printer with extra cartridges
  62. monowalker or game cart
  63. large lantern (hand crank style)
  64. digital camera (and digiscope connection)
  65. barb wire
  66. watering can
  67. explosives (tannerite?)
  68. blankets
  69. large fresnel lens
  70. machete
  71. duster
  72. motion detector lights
  73. fire pucks
  74. rangefinder
  75. scissors
  76. water storage treatment
  77. am radio transmitter
  78. carabiners
  79. black electrical tape
  80. oxygen monitor/meter for pond
  81. rope
  82. come along
  83. screws
  84. fish trap
  85. SOL Escape Bivvy
  86. waterproof cache tubes (like mono vault)
  87. dirt bike w/ spare parts
  88. power tool set
  89. pipe bomb materials
  90. industrial strength glue
  91. bunjee cords
  92. camo face paint
  93. nail clippers
  94. scale set
  95. pocket knife
  96. rifle 22lr
  97. 22lr ammo
  98. metal mirror
  99. hesco bastions
  100. manual oil press
  101. megaphone
  102. crovel extreme
  103. family pictures
  104. comforter
  105. night vision goggles
  106. hatchet
  107. horse cart/wagon
  108. rotary hand pump
  109. cb radio
  110. can opener
  111. fireplace tool set
  112. tea strainer
  113. ethyl alcohol
  114. storm whistle
  115. oven thermometer
  116. funnels
  117. spotlight
  118. chickens
  119. chicken feed
  120. soundproof foam lining
  121. jewelry
  122. biodiesel refinery kit
  123. chain saw
  124. picnic table foldable (or regular banquet table)
  125. cologne/perfume
  126. hand cranked air raid siren
  127. food dehydrator (low power)
  128. gold/metal smithing equipment including kiln
  129. generator
  130. taper saw files
  131. oxygen absorber packs
  132. solar fire starter
  133. trash cans
  134. assault rifle (tricked out)
  135. ammo
  136. thermos
  137. beekeeping kit
  138. hard copies of important survival books
  139. caffeine pills

---  LARGE MOVING TRUCK WITH HORSE TRAILER WOULD BE FULL ---
(To take more than this would require a semi-truck, multiple trips, or multiple vehicles)

  1. garden cart/wheelbarrow (collapsable one?)
  2. boresighter
  3. chewing gum
  4. mushroom growing kit (spores)
  5. duckweed
  6. solar garden lights and bug zapper w/ off switch
  7. fire extinguisher
  8. flare gun and lots of flares
  9. pocket chainsaw
  10. fishing lures, plastic worms, bait
  11. gold flakes
  12. old school shaving soap kit with extra bars
  13. bees
  14. cotton balls
  15. self-adhesive laminating sheets
  16. microfridge (or portable ice maker)
  17. ice trays
  18. gas mask
  19. epoxy putty
  20. kiddie pools
  21. bushcraft knife
  22. doodle sketch drawing board
  23. sand bags
  24. security cameras
  25. pigs
  26. pig feed
  27. big rugs for living quarters
  28. hanging scale
  29. ballistics shield
  30. wire
  31. animal cage traps of various sizes
  32. shoulder bag
  33. talcum powder
  34. sand paper
  35. manual meat grinder
  36. lotion with aloe
  37. voice alarm system
  38. soldering gun
  39. emberlit stove
  40. toilet paper (yellow pages or tightly bound industrial rolls)
  41. clothesline
  42. garden safe pesticide
  43. multi-ladder
  44. distillery set
  45. dvds
  46. computer speakers
  47. liquid measuring cup
  48. manual blowing forge
  49. double wash basin
  50. all weather blanket
  51. hard candy
  52. tactical goggles
  53. pulley set
  54. superworms
  55. roll of screen to cover bug containers, form sifting box, dry food, etc.
  56. forage mix for grazing animals
  57. plow
  58. arc welder
  59. protective welding gear (helmet, gloves, clothing)
  60. welding rods
  61. tape measure
  62. fishing pole
  63. large mirror
  64. oil lamp
  65. anvil
  66. fishing bobbers
  67. saint candles or emergency candles (with colored wax)
  68. LED flashlight
  69. hydrogen peroxide
  70. Coffee
  71. coffee filters
  72. coffee percolator
  73. laundry detergent
  74. kinetic watch
  75. micro hydro turbine generator (5th source of electricity)
  76. stakes
  77. small chess set (or just make one out of bark)
  78. nuts, bolts, and random hardware
  79. dutch oven
  80. Koolaid
  81. plastic zip loc bags
  82. thermometer
  83. fish net
  84. fishing scent
  85. spare pvc pipe and joints
  86. wash n go portable sink
  87. gaiters
  88. projector
  89. utility bucket
  90. heavy duty cable
  91. fully automatic lightweight gun
  92. ammo
  93. climbing sticks (or tripod)
  94. carrier pigeons
  95. pigeon food
  96. metal grates
  97. pestle and mortar
  98. poison
  99. knee pads
  100. UVPaqlite
  101. bug repellant
  102. hot pads
  103. plastic tubing
  104. smoke grenades
  105. squeegee
  106. vinegar
  107. spare electrical wires
  108. heat powered stove fan
  109. sniper rifle (with scopes and suppressor)
  110. ammo
  111. drag bag
  112. snow shoes
  113. waterproof duffel bags
  114. butter churn
  115. projection screen
  116. leather laces
  117. sewing awl
  118. food plot seed
  119. notebooks
  120. truck winch
  121. solar water heater
  122. rubber boots
  123. shackles
  124. hot cocoa
  125. laminate saw
  126. treestand
  127. flashbangs
  128. sentimental box
  129. tomahawk
  130. LED tap lights
  131. swim goggles
  132. hand & body warmers
  133. FRS energy drink powder
  134. smoker
  135. alcohol still
  136. trail marking tape
  137. bio-sand water filter
  138. bear-proof containers
  139. ballistics mask
  140. laundry wringer (or mop bucket wringer)
  141. aluminum duct piping and spark arrestor
  142. cargo net
  143. baking powder
  144. chapstick
  145. garden safe fungicide
  146. bluegill (live)
  147. cable ties
  148. Body Glide anti-chafe balm
  149. zippo lighters
  150. zippo lighter fluid
  151. mini hacksaw
  152. measuring cups and spoons
  153. *dish brush
  154. incense and holder
  155. Hippo Roller or Q drum
  156. grinding wheel
  157. work insoles
  158. Delta Light Ball (Dynamic Entry Flash Illuminator)
  159. swivels (fishing)
  160. sheep
  161. basic mountaineering equipment
  162. butcher’s twine
  163. gold panning kit (including sluice box)
  164. seal stamp (or custom ink stamp)
  165. clothes pins
  166. moth balls
  167. hand saw
  168. wash tub
  169. typewriter with extra ink
  170. poncho heavy duty
  171. plywood
  172. game hoist
  173. large ice chest that locks with padlock and medium ice chest or tub that sits inside it or a large ice chest that has hollow walls
  174. mechanical pencils
  175. pencil lead
  176. pencil erasers
  177. reflective tape
  178. scent eliminator
  179. collapsable water jug
  180. cabela’s camp kitchen
  181. pack axe
  182. motorcycle trailer
  183. drip irrigation system
  184. fire paste
  185. heavy duty garbage bags
  186. duct tape
  187. board games
  188. handheld battering ram
  189. safety pins
  190. survival card tool
  191. sundial
  192. liquid spray-on sealant
  193. flashers fireworks
  194. bicycle with touring gear (bags and trailer)
  195. bicycle pump
  196. spare inner tubes
  197. tire repair kit with portable tire inflator
  198. external hard drive
  199. nuclear, biological, chemical suit
  200. agriculture film
  201. seed starters
  202. parabolic mirror
  203. pedometer
  204. camelback
  205. sharpening rod
  206. posters
  207. wok
  208. pellet gun
  209. pellets
  210. saw set pliers
  211. spinner bike electrical generator (6th source of electricity)
  212. various straps, fasteners, buckles, cam buckle tie downs, velcro, ratchet straps, etc.
  213. crossbow
  214. arrows
  215. can cooker (or pressure cooker)
  216. double swords
  217. spray bottles
  218. harmonica
  219. plastic bags
  220. Martinelli’s Apple Juice bottles
  221. snake tongs and stick
  222. froe
  223. bandana hankerchiefs
  224. bottle rockets
  225. rescue cart
  226. biolite camp stove
  227. utility sled
  228. shakaulu knife
  229. bear traps
  230. tea kettle
  231. pack raft
  232. seeder
  233. strings of firecrackers
  234. mini battle shield
  235. large vinyl signs with common messages to people approaching
  236. whiteboard (or chalkboard)
  237. dry erase markers (or chalk)
  238. iron non-electric
  239. hand muff
  240. UV Glow Stick
  241. portable bidet
  242. locust farm
  243. jacks
  244. atomizer bottles
  245. full-spectrum flourescent lights
  246. Grommet kit
  247. concrete canvas shelter
  248. lifestraws
  249. corrugated tin sheets
  250. equipment and materials for making ammo
  251. water repellent spray
  252. portable toilet (or bucket lid seat)
  253. hydraulic jack
  254. rebar
  255. donkey/llama/camel/mule/ox (male & female if possible, and gear)
  256. rolling pin
  257. surveillance drone
  258. wet suit
  259. weather meter shooting tool
  260. manual jerky slicer
  261. concrete mix
  262. treadle sewing machine
  263. cow
  264. dog whistle
  265. waterproof pouches for electronics and documents
  266. saw blade sharpener
  267. Paul Elkin’s homeless shelter
  268. plastic egg cartons
  269. periscope
  270. stream machine water gun
  271. lock pick tools
  272. waders
  273. caltrops
  274. rain gauge
  275. water salinity monitor
  276. sheet metal
  277. tracker knife
  278. wrist, ankle, knee braces
  279. 2x4s, 4x4s, and other spare wood
  280. barometer
  281. auto fluids
  282. spirulina algae growing apparatus
  283. electric fence
  284. meat/game shears
  285. mini air horns
  286. minnows (live)
  287. aquarium fish net
  288. zipper repair kit
  289. sets of flags
  290. hack saw
  291. carnauba wax
  292. portable closet
  293. two man two handed cross cut saw
  294. aeroponics aparatus
  295. cinder blocks
  296. griddle
  297. Infrared light
  298. hand carders
  299. laminated barter store catalog
  300. basic auto parts replacements
  301. yo yo fishing reels
  302. adze
  303. tow cable
  304. hammock tent
  305. cherry bombs/M60s/1/4stick dynamite (good kind from Mexico)
  306. umbrella
  307. leather conditioner
  308. plastic windows and installation materials
  309. trekking poles
  310. staple gun
  311. staples
  312. figure 9 rope tighteners, cletes
  313. tactical gloves
  314. water purification tablets or drops
  315. baking dish
  316. diving mask and snorkel
  317. flippers
  318. mixing bowls
  319. axe sharpening stone
  320. bullwhip
  321. windmill (7th source of electricity)
  322. boatpack
  323. weaving loom
  324. Triwick emergency candles
  325. gator treble hooks
  326. desalinator
  327. boar spear
  328. metal pipes
  329. bill hook
  330. whiteboard erasers (or chalkboard erasers)
  331. gyroplane
  332. camcorder
  333. peeler
  334. fan
  335. freshwater snails
  336. fire pit
  337. hygrometer
  338. magnifying glass
  339. padlocks
  340. chains
  341. pvc film roll on dispenser
  342. cross country skis
  343. cross country boots
  344. cross country poles
  345. snake bite kit
  346. road flares
  347. astrolabe
  348. spinning wheel
  349. grappling hook
  350. folding saw
  351. plastic roll
  352. electric blanket
  353. monocular
  354. military field telephone system
  355. mouse traps
  356. crampons
  357. ice axes
  358. masking tape
  359. drawknife
  360. poncho/tent
  361. solar trickle charger
  362. bow
  363. butterfly net
  364. tick twister
  365. hunting blinds
  366. spare air
  367. rainwater harvest system
  368. bagster
  369. food chopper
  370. windsock
  371. fire retardant sheeting
  372. colored pencils
  373. freshwater mussels
  374. kinesio tape
  375. woodman’s pal machete
  376. soloflex weight bench
  377. dumbells
  378. bread pan
  379. gsi outdoor’s camp kitchen
  380. colander
  381. rubber bands
  382. hour glass
  383. anemometer
  384. national guard uniforms
  385. FEMA jackets
  386. welding goggles
  387. coffee straws
  388. carpenter saw
  389. insulation
  390. mouth wash
  391. dosimeter
  392. personal identification papers
  393. jumper cables
  394. minnow trap
  395. microfiber sponge
  396. battery tester
  397. plastic net roll
  398. urumi
  399. basejumping parachute
  400. roof shingles
  401. large warming stones
  402. resistance bands
  403. dish soap
  404. dovetail saw
  405. space heater
  406. climbing claws
  407. wet ones
  408. crayons
  409. pencils
  410. pencil sharpener
  411. rock salt
  412. manual ice cream maker
  413. paint
  414. large paint brushes and rollers
  415. pea gravel (rocks)



Nothing more I can think of is really worth bringing.  Just go back and double up on the most important items, barter items, and items most likely to break.  Or add major infrastructure facilities/equipment/materials, like refinery equipment, large radio towers, storage warehouses, backhoes, bulldozers, wood pallets, etc, but this is really the kind of stuff you would need to have at your bug out location beforehand.




Here are some helpful questions to consider in creating your own list:

How long will it last?
Can you make it instead?
Can you scavenge it instead?
Is it a need or want?
Is there a better alternative?
What is the value/space ratio? (flint high value, small space; wood stove mid-high value, large space)
Is there a manual and a powered version of it?  If so, get both, as long as you can power it.





Stuff you don't need:

gas stove
regular batteries (Except for the ones that you already happen to have at home.  You can bring those.)
matches (Likewise, you can bring whatever you happen to have at home.)
water stored at home (since you’ll be bugging out, but you might want to do it as a favor for a neighbor)