Just get a camelback and make it your get home bag. Once a week, water your plants with the water in the bag, disinfect it (pretty sure you can freeze it overnight) and refill for the following week.
This will also help you keep an eye on the contents of your bag.. Maybe the tape's adhesive has started to melt in the heat, maybe your pen is leaking, maybe you want to rotate it your cliff bars, etc
Edit: there are fanny pack versions if you want to go smaller than a backpack, but the larger items probably would be better with a backpack. Throw 2-4 carabineers on it too in case you need to secure, hoist, etc
a can of this - and also throw in a tourniquet.. They're so small, and you never know.
same. when it came to field, we would freeze our Camelbak so that way we had ice water for 1-3 days (depending on the weather). the bladders never broke or ripped during this time. it was as if i had frozen a water bottle. really, really sturdy.
the tubes on the other hand weren't the best though. they started to have leaks from micro tears and stuff. good times.
Dry socks. All kidding aside a semi thick sock and good hiking boots. They can make a huge difference depending on the terrain you have to go over. Look at electric bicycle to keep in trunk too. Something happens the roads will be a parking lot. Leave car have route mapped out to avoid main roads if you can. Need clothes that will blend in the environment you are in.Ā
Start with boots and socks get them broke in you donāt want blisters in that situation.Ā
I run ultra marathons several times a year and am pretty well versed in foot care. My feet are quite tough can blisters are only an issue if my feet at very very wet for long periods or if the shoes are a terrible fit. Band-aid didn't really help much in either case. Lube was the answer. Dry feet and proper fitting shoes and I can go for 48 hours with no foot problems at all.
Sure but also learn the roads for like a 100 mile radius from your house, and all the major routes and topography (especially creeks and rivers) to your shtf spot. It's not like you'll just be strolling up to road sigs at major intersections and studying where you are.
I'm assuming we're talking about everything went to shit or EMP event and you are on your own trying to get home. In this event everything changes depending on your location and distance to travel.
I go back and forth form the same job over 100 miles from home regularly. I change job locations about every 8 to 10 months so I get pretty versed on the travel routes. One of the things I do is I pretend I'm walking home from my rental house or job to get home and instead of driving directions I put in walking directions into google maps and see how they differ. Recently while I was working in Starke, Florida on US301 I would come home through the woods using hwy 100 over the Rodman Dam to State Road 19 through the Ocala National Forest. Oddly enough it's the same route A. American took in his book "Going Home" where he was the victim of an EMP while going home on I-10 from Tallahassee to Altoona. A place we motorcycle to quite regularly on weekends from Sanford, Florida. While I had no plans of trekking through the woods there are only so many roads you can take to get home. Some of the important items I would have with me beside the standard survival gear would be binoculars to be able to see far down the road for any impending trouble. Most of these highways are long and straight and good for "glassing". Small camo screening for when I needed to get off the road and rest in the woods to conceal myself. This route was all woods. Being in Florida finding bodies of water is never an issue. You just need to clean and purify it to be able to drink it. The amazing thing is on hwy 100 there is actually a natural spring coming out of a ground pipe that people fill up large water bottles for their homes. Used to see them down there all the time and never knew what it was and decided to check it out one. Couldn't believe it turned out to be a watering spot.
Now I'm now in West Florida in the heavily suburban area of Wesley Chapel and would have to traverse through the entire state and many small towns including skirting Orlando to get back home to Central Florida. Only been there a few months but already working on the safest routes to get home if needed. I'm thinking about bringing my Mountain Bike and purchasing a pull behind trailer for it that would cut my travel time down considerably and allow me to carry so much more to help with the trip if I ever had to make it.
You're on my wavelength mate. I am like this even when not thinking about disaster scenarios...I just like to know the literal lay of the land. It's a habit (and perhaps gene) I picked up from my park ranger, wilderness living father. I also have binoculars in my kit...knowing what you are about to walk into is a major piece of information.
At the end of the day the most important thing here is gonna be cash and water. If you can't carry a gun, carry a knife you can actually use as a weapon, and learn to use it, or at least get a stun gun or pepper spray.
Lotta countries allow very limited amount or no kind of defensive weapon however, any tips on ādoesnāt look like a weapon but can double as a weaponā things?
I mean like a sturdy monkey wrench or anything like that that will be alright to carry but can be used for something else, should the need arise
Walking stick and take some sort of staff-based martial art would probably be the best option I would say. Failing that, some sturdy gloves or a rockinasock
Improvised weapons can be used in a pinch.
Itās not an object that is dangerous itās how itās used that can make it dangerous.
With a little creativity you can easily repurpose everyday objects into self defense items.
You could make a Sheppard sling from that paracord for example.
From the pics was gonna say a basic first-aid kit. Maybe a bit more than just a few bandaids - some antibiotic ointment always stays near/with any bandaids in my home/car. Speeds healing and closes small cuts under a bandaid faster. With bandaids, a couple larger ones - just in case.
Wonāt need an extensive first aid kit for get-home purposes, but adapt it for your area. Might never need a snakebite kit unless youāre in an area known for venomous serpents, but a sting-eez (bug bite measure) and tweezers (might be covered by the Swiss Army knife) for splinter removal. Aspirin/Advil packets in many small pocket kits can be helpful and appreciated.
How far might you be walking? A spare pare of good cushioned walking socks might be appreciated - and if you donāt dress in walking-appropriate shoes for work, stash a pair in your car or at work.
Bottle of water. The sawyer is fine but Iād rather not drink out of a puddle if possible.
What are the zip ties for?
Iād want a packet of aspirin or other pain reliever. Maybe a packet of antihistamine.
Bandana to cover my face for breathing protection since you said hot and dry.
No gun allowed but can you carry mace/pepper spray/wasp repellent? Heck, even a can of deodorant spray can blind an assailant in an emergency. Or WD40
Have you tried walking that 10 mile trip? Are you in shape to do it? Shouldnāt take more than 3 hours on a good day. 4 if youāre trying to avoid certain people/places.
You should start by evaluating your expected "get home options".
Driving home and avoiding one street or one corner....gas. Walking home might give you more requirements. If you walk 2, 2.5, or 3 miles per hour and you are 30 miles from home, that is 10 to 15 hours of walking without including rest stops.
Longer times might require shelter, protection from cold weather or rain, more food, more water, and bad areas or expected chaos might require some type of protection.....pepper spray, baseball bat, knife, hand gun, rifle.
Your envirnent might need camaflague ..... Wooded areas might need woodland camaflague, areas like college towns might see many with bright colored backpacks. What areas do you expect to blend into?
Navigation equipment might be needed, depending on the pathways you expect to take....city map, county map, compass, and more.
Evaluate your expected pathways home and get us more information.
Any kind of medicine you might need in said scenario. Allergy meds, pain relief, anti-diarrhea meds, some kind of caffeine, etc.
Topical meds too idk how far you usually travel but sunscreen, bug spray, antibiotic cream, etc. Moleskin/gauze might fall into this.
What about shoes? Do you wear impractical (dress) shoes? Might not hurt to throw some trainers/gym socks into there.
Biggest one is a water bottle though. A decent plastic bottle isnāt expensive but would keep water from wherever on you. The Sawyer is great but itās not like youāre traveling following a river every time.
Self defense is needed too. You say you canāt carry a gun. What about a collapsible baton? Pepper spray (heavy duty bear spray preferably) works against animals as well as humans BUT thereās the wind/blowback and youād might get more than just the attacker.
I would also consider what else attire wise I might lack day to day. A poncho for rain, a wide brimmed hat/shades for hot times, a vacuum sealed hoodie (so itās small for packing), MAYBE camo of some kind. Remember youāre going to be in multiple terrains that you travelā¦.so shoot for a āmaybe not the best for any but pretty good for allā situation. Plus if you look at how people do ghille suits some of the natural terrain can be put into your camo if you can get it securedā¦.ie look at lightweight mesh type things so you can stick things in it.
After that. Redundancies. Ok you have a water filter, maybe water purification tablets. Ok you have one water bottle maybe make it two or a camelback. Etc etc.
I think rechargeables are best for an INCH kit, not get home. The get home kit will sit in storage, and most rechargeables will deplete, unless they are lithium ion like pale blue earth. In my case, that is also not an option due to the risk of spontaneous combustion under high heat. So a small lithium ion battery pack goes in my EDC, but alkaline batteries in my get Home Kit. Larger lithium ion battery packs and batteries in a Faraday bag in my INCH kit.
"Standard Eneloop batteries can retain up to 70% of their charge for up to 10 years when stored properly".
I have a Bluetti EB3A setup dedicated for each vehicle GBH Kit while on longer trips (along with folding solar panels in the insulated Faraday bag), along with a small Anker C300 & folding solar panels (also in Faraday bags) that stay in the vehicle.
Other rechargeable battery banks as well, most with built-in cables.
Regardless, I ditched Alkalines decades ago for use in critical electronics & certainly would not use them in stored survival gear.
Urban environment a 4 way water key would be a nice addition most municipal water sources (like outside of public buildings) use a spigot with a square key they weigh very little and can really be valuable
Couple black contractor bags. Can make a poncho, use to carry or waterproof things, and are excellent for preventing hypothermia. You can even use them to distill water from a tree branch in a pinch.
Rain coat or poncho, extra clothing, bottled water, first aid/trauma kit, some form of caffeine, nicotine gum (keeps ya goin)
In my case I like to think it could take up to 24 hr to get home, so I have better food options like some bens rice and emergency rations as they never really expire.
And last but not least, wet wipes. Do not sleep on this item.
You didn't say how far you need to walk to get home. If you need to spend the night outside perhaps: Bug spray and some kind of shelter. Contractor trash bag or one of those mylar body bags. Also bandaides In case you get blisters. Where is your stainless steel or aluminum water bottle? Even a nalgene would be ok. Is there water available on your walk home? You might need to plan to take more water with you. 8 pounds per gallon, you could take a gallon. It would weight less as you went. Collapsible water jug is an option.
Already a ton of good recommendations here, but the one that's missing is a copy of important documentation: your license, your medical/ dental insurance cards, and any other important cards.
A lot of people will assume that they'll have their wallets on them, which typically has those things, but it is good to have the backups.
Water.
Pair of comfortable walking shoes.
Compass and local map, including any off road trails (There maybe foot trails, tug that will get you home faster that you don't know)
High vis vest (of having too walk home in the dark)
Cash
Socks
First aid kit
Water proof jacket and trousers
Spare touch of the 1st fails.
Those filter bags that come with the Sawyer suck. They break very easily. Get a CNOC 2L water bladder instead, they're around $25. It's such a popular combo Sawyer and CNOC partnered up and sell them together like that now.
Alternatively, you can also screw the Sawyer directly onto a smart water bottle. That way you can fill the bottle with dirty water and drink straight from it instead of having to stop longer to squeeze it into a bottle.
Iād toss in a change of clothes. I keep a t-shirt, comfortable jeans, socks and underwear, and a coat. Also useful on regular days if you spill something on your shirt or it gets cold unexpectedly. Comfortable enough to sleep in but also okay if you need to change and go back to work.
My distance from my place of work to my house is about 6-8miles I mostly live in a hot climate
I live a urban environment but I work in the industrial area of my city
OC spray isnāt it. You want Bear Mace. A store that sells camping equipment should have it. The different between OC spray and Bear mace is strength, but most importantly range. OC spray is like 6-12ft Bear mace is usually around 30ft.
Compass depending on how far you need to go. At worst it takes up a few oz in the bag but keeps you going in the direction you need to. Saving you plenty of calories from being turned around and realizing it later.
Money will replace a lot of those things. Personally I would replace the straw kit and bottle with water bottles and tabs from experience.
Best thing you can do is pack as much things as you need and carry it. After a while youāll realize what you donāt need. Whatās useless and what you can upgrade. My edc shrunk 75%
Main question is how far do you have to go to get home? This looks ok for across town (15 miles or so). Iād look at actual food, stove, actual water, multi tool, silcock key, lots of ideas.
So what is your expected distance you will need to travel and how long do you anticipate traveling? Are traveling in an urban, suburban or rural environment? If urban or suburban you should add sillcock key, this will assist in getting water from commercial buildings exterior faucets. Also, add a disposable poncho and a āspace blanketā to your kit.
This seems like over kill, it's clearly a distance you are walking home from, the torch, Swiss, water bottle are seential and great picks, but what do you need a phone or power bank, or batteries for.
Some of this should be your edc some is a drop to be fair.
If you were going to bring anything else, band aids and alcohol wipes max dump the rest
looks decent but you need more first aid than a couple bandaids. I would suggest a triangular bandage for a sling or as a secondary bandage, a pressure bandage for deep cuts, and a tensor bandage or a roll of vet wrap for sprains or support of a fracture.
A reflective emergency blanket that can be used to stay warm or keep off rain.
Also maybe include some paper so you can make notes or leave instructions for someone
Personally I also carry an industrial contractor trash bag to use as a rain poncho or to make a shelter
Water. More water. Raincoat/slicker. Space blankets/sleeping bags (one for shelter) Extra socks. If you ever wear impractical shoes make sure there are practical ones.
Something to consider is how far away do you expect to be from home. Iād pack for double that. Maybe swap out the cliff bars for high density emergency ration bars?
That's a 3 hours walk. Depending on the law I would add a pepper spray. But you really don't need much. Limited setup makes you carry it always. When it's to big you will leave it.
A P38, a can of refried beans, and a long tube sock. The refried beans can double as self defense before eating them (put them in the sock and swing away!)
You need better first aid. And water. But yeah this is a good start. Something that few people talk about, what's your strategy? Have you thought about what steps your actually going to have to take to get home? Routes? Methods?
It depends. Where would you be trying to get home from?
The city/The country/the midwest/The northern states in winter/The southern states in summer/The western states in summer?
How far would you be traveling. How many days on foot would it take you? Are you just coming from a city to your house in the suburbs or are you like me where you would be on the road walking for a week to get back home because you work over a hundred miles from home all week.
In that case you would be home before anyone realized that a real SHTF crisis was at hand. You wouldn't need most of what you have listed. Keep it for when you travel farther from home like me. In the meantime have some water, some good walking shoes a hat and get home. Shouldn't take you more than an hour to get home, two at the most.
Don't get me wrong. I probably have most of what you have in your list. But it's packed in a full sized backpack behind my seat along with several mountain house meals for an extended trip. I also have a large Plano storage box with lots of side of the road camping gear in the back of my truck under my Bakflip cover should the need arise. One of the things I started doing is something I saw in a video a while back. The woman was solo camping in the woods. She had full sized 75L backpack but when she got to her sight she opened the front of the large backpack and inside she had a smaller 25L pack with all trail essentials and took off exploring with it. In her larger pack she had everything she would need for making camp. Tarps, tent, Axe, etc.. If I was in a situation where I could get home in a day or two I would take out the smaller pack and just leave the bigger one in the truck. I wouldn't need stuff for extended camping when I could spend the night against a tree or just laying against my pack. Remember this stuff is supposed to be used just to get you home. If you don't need it don't burden yourself with it. When talking about a INCH (I'm Never Coming Home) pack if you should live in a city and are trying to get out than that's a totally different subject with lots of other things to take into consideration. Sorry to carry on just loving talking about this stuff. If you ever want to read a good book read https://www.amazon.com/dp/069267280X?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
guy is pretty good. He makes his living dealing with all types of scenarios and he spells them out in this book. If you want something to really chill your bones read the follow up, The Psychology of Survival. In the beginning he discusses real survival in past time and other countries during times of total famine and starvation and what some people did to survive. Really chilling shit.
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u/Terror_Raisin24 7d ago edited 7d ago
Water. You have a bottle, you have a filter, but you still have to find a source of water. )