The Free Online Survival Guide

[FreakyStylie]

I just found this site today, and it is pretty well organized, and extremely thorough. Not all of it is Zombie Survival compatible, so it will take a bit of sifting through, but it brings a lot of questions and scenarios to the surface.

Sibi Totique: The Free Online Survival Guide

It's got twelve chapters, and the first is set up as so:

Chapter One
1.) Get the ability to cope with a Crisis Situation
2.) Risk Assessments
3.) The Media in a Crisis or Survival Situation
4.) How you can reduce your own vulnerability
5.) Travelling with vehicles during a crisis or survival situation.
6.) Staying warm during a survival or crisis situation
7.) Light during Emergencies and Survival situations
8.) Survival Training
9.) Responding to an emerging crisis

Anyway . . . just sharing.

 

[technovapir]

Thanks Freaky. You're always finding me ways to get out of doing work! I'll be reading for days to get through all that stuff, but it's a pretty good read!

 

[CES]

Every time i think i can give up and coast there's new stuff that i can and should do - thanks Freaky, I might end up surviving in spite of myself

 

[FreakyStylie]

Sorry guys. I was just impressed with the amount of work that was put into this thing. I will say that that first BOB will probably weight at much as me! :yikes: But it does give you a good list of things to think about.

 

[muttSRT]

dammit freaky...nice find, but you just killed a post I was going to make that I have been working on for the last 4 days. I was doing a BOB post, complete with checklist and links and then you go and find this. Now I got to scrap my post, but still, a nice find!

 

[technovapir]

Every time i think i can give up and coast there's new stuff that i can and should do - thanks Freaky, I might end up surviving in spite of myself

CES, mabe you & I should just plan on meeting up somewhere and have a cocktail while we await our fate. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready enough...I have half a bug-out bag packed, and several cans of SPAM - but not much else!

 

[FreakyStylie]

dammit freaky...nice find, but you just killed a post I was going to make that I have been working on for the last 4 days. I was doing a BOB post, complete with checklist and links and then you go and find this. Now I got to scrap my post, but still, a nice find!

Don't scrap it. Yours would probably help make that post make more sense. There is a lot of information in that site, and it would be nice to see it from another person's perspective. Especially one that we already understand a little better. Besides, I like to have as much information available as possible.

 

[muttSRT]

Don't scrap it. Yours would probably help make that post make more sense. There is a lot of information in that site, and it would be nice to see it from another person's perspective. Especially one that we already understand a little better. Besides, I like to have as much information available as possible.

I will finish it then...I basically took the link that techno pasted and added to it.
How to Make a Bug Out Bag | The Art of Manliness
I liked the way the author in techno's post broke the bag into categories. I also added some extra categories that would help in a disaster bag vs a BOB for long term survival. The hardest part was trying to find all the links.

I do know that after spending so much time working on the bag that #1 my bag will be heavy, #2 my bag will never be complete #3 there is no such thing as a perfect bag for every situation #4 you can only prepare so much

 

[whynotvap]

There's a lot of stuff on that list (AoM's), that you can explain multiple uses for too Mutt. Things like a candle can also be used to add waterproofing to canvas, fishing line can also be used securing tarps, stitching clothing (or people), as a trip wire, and of course for fishing. Other things like identifying flint and 'chert' rocks for fire making tools if you loose or don't have a fire stick too. What rocks can I use to sharpen my blades, etc. Also, if you can find the time, a fire making demo for those that don't 'do the outdoors thing'. You know, the basic stuff that never seems to get covered like making a 'pine cone' fire starter when the gel runs out. The simple knots you need to know and how to tie them. There are dozens of 'basic' things that don't get covered simply because survival writers assume the reader already knows them.

 

[FreakyStylie]

Speaking of multi-use, I think I'm going to be converting one of my dead attys into a steel wool fire starter accessory tip. I know 9v will start it quicker, but 5v should work pretty well too.

If anybody has a good tip on how to break down a bag into separate sections, that would be good info. I'm having a hard time deciding what I want vs what I need. Like Mutt said, my bag will be heavy, so if I need to make quicker time, I would really like to have a separate bag inside that I can just pull out and drop the rest on the fly. Maybe I could stash it to try and recover at a later time, but when time becomes critical, I don't want to sort out what I really need.

 

[whynotvap]

Natural disaster: Must haves are water, shelter, food, some form of communication (even a mirror), first aid. Z-day/rioting: water, food, weapon/ammo, defensive alerts (fishing line and noise makers), shelter, first aid. Shelter is more important in a natural disaster than a riot as in the it will be a rally point and the latter it'll be a target for looting (freestanding buildings or large campsites at least). In any scenario you will need water and first aid gear with food following closely behind if you don't expect help within 3 days. Both could benefit from weapons for defense of your property but will be even more so in a riot situation. There really isn't anything you wouldn't need for a basic camping trip that you couldn't live without except maybe the radio, camp stove, camp chairs, and the beer/soda cooler. If you want a ready made 'NEED' list, you'll need to check with the mountain climber crowd. They pack everything needed and count grams of weight!

 

[muttSRT]

Maybe we should start a BOB thread where we start with the basic bag, and people add items to the list? This way we can all create the perfect BOB together?

Obviously, the bag you pack will depend on where you are located. Southern winter clothes are much different than northern winter clothes. Urban bugging out is different than mountain bugging out. I only been there once, but I dont remember seeing too many fishing holes in down town New York, so a fishing kit will be a waste of space and weight there.

Just an idea.

 

[whynotvap]

NYCfishing.com - New York City Fishing Links for the Metropolitan Area. Central Park! There are, but yeah, I get the idea. You'd be surprised at how many little ponds there are in a city/suburb and there are multiple uses for all that tackle...

 

[muttSRT]

NYCfishing.com - New York City Fishing Links for the Metropolitan Area. Central Park! There are, but yeah, I get the idea. You'd be surprised at how many little ponds there are in a city/suburb and there are multiple uses for all that tackle...

Well that surprised me.

 

[FreakyStylie]

Even if there is fishing in New York, I'd be afraid to eat what I caught.

I like the idea of building a BOB here. I've got a lot of the stuff I need already, and have been just tossing it all in a box. As I was doing this, I realized that I could find something much smaller, lighter, or multi-use. What would be a good knife to shave with?

 

[technovapir]

I like the idea of a BOB list thread too. As I've been working on our BOB, I keep thinking that I need 2 of them. One smaller version to keep in the car...and a more extensive one to keep in the basement. My car doesn't have a trunk, so I have to be creative, even with my tools & first aid kit.

 

[FreakyStylie]

Remember to put super glue in your first aid kit. After hearing about it, I unfortunately found myself in the ER a few years back with my stepdaughter's finger split open. I asked a couple of the ER nurses about super glue, and they all said yes. They actually use a more pure form to quickly suture wounds. (Irrigate thoroughly before applying though.)

 

[muttSRT]

You can shave with just about any knife out there, as long as you sharpen it. YouTube - Busse Combat kz2 shaving
When choosing a knife, make sure its a full tang. There are lots of forums debating between carbon steel vs stainless as the blade of choice. I carry one of each. Stainless is harder to sharpen, but holds the egde better and no rust. Carbon steel is easier to sharpen, but doesnt hold the edge as long and will rust. Whatever you choose, buy good quality cause this will become your main tool used daily.

As far as your BOB, you really only need 4 categories- water, shelter, fire, food. A knife will do both shelter and food. Once you start your fire, you can boil your water. Use charcoal from your fire with a t-shirt to set up a primative water filter, boil the filtered water. Anything else you can pack, will just make life that much easier. Of course a well stocked first aid kit is highly recommended. Also, take some time to read about plants in your area. Some are edible, some can be used in first aid.

I will go over my checklist I started and make a post here. Everyone can copy and paste it and add to it. Links are always a good thing if you have them. At the moment, money is the main thing keeping me from completing my BOB with all the supplies I want.

 

[FreakyStylie]

...At the moment, money is the main thing keeping me from completing my BOB with all the supplies I want.

Amen to that. I'm one of those people who gets kind of ill feeling when spending anything over $100. My house looks like crap right now because we are pulling out and going through all the crap we haven't even looked at in 5 years, and seeing what we can sell when yard-sale weather comes around, and what just needs to be donated to better causes.

 

[muttSRT]

Before we start the BOB list, we need to decide the categories. These are what I use:

WATER- includes carriers, filters etc
SHELTER- tent, blanket, sleeping bag etc
FOOD- 5 days of food, utensils etc
FIRE- fire starter kits, lighters etc
FIRST AID- duh
CLOTHES- another duh
TOOLS- knives, multi tools, camp axe, machete etc
LIGHTING- flashlights, candles, batteries & solar chargers etc
COMMUNICATION- cell phone (while they work), emergency radio, 2 way radios, whistle, signal mirror etc
PROTECTION/SELF DEFENSE- GUNS AND AMMO!! but a knife and machete are fine too
NAVIGATION- compass, maps, GPS etc
INFORMATION- id's, permits, survival pamphlets, any info you dont want destroyed in a natural disaster (including pics-not so much for survival)
HYGENE- duh
MISC- paracord, duct tape, sewing kit, ear plugs (especially if going to a shelter), etc
BAG/POUCH- main pack and a removable pack with the 4 basics-water, fire, shelter, food
ECIGS

These are the categories I use. The reason so many categories is because of the way I pack my bag.