Paracord

Possibly the most useful stuff you can come across, amazingly strong nylon based material that will support roughly 550lb (250kg) of strain, hence the term 550 paracord.

The beauty of paracord besides its strength is how versatile it truly is- Paracord is threaded cord (generally 32 strands) which means that if you need some thinner cord to say…sew up your leg after being bitten by a zombie or make a fishing line then you can just split some thinner strands of cord with relative ease.

Para cord is used to build shelters (A frame for example- look at the downloads section for a manual), quick fix equipment by tying it up before it falls apart (think ruck sack) and thousands of other uses. Its used commonly as a handle wrap for edged instruments but that is only one example of the many tasks it can accomplish if you use your grey matter and some creativity.

The fact of the matter is; Paracord is strong, light, cheap(’ish) and will last forever so you have no reason to not have it in your BoB, one day you will be thankful to have remembered to pack it in.

You can buy it over eBay (look for 550 cord) and most army surplus/ tool stores.

Also Check out these examples for inspiration:

http://www.m4040.com/Knifemaking/cordwrap.htm

http://www.slatts.fsworld.co.uk/slatts-knot.htm

http://www.freewebs.com/nrgmechanics/550paracordsling.htm

http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/771863/post/974596/hl/tutorial/#974596

http://www.lighthound.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=6

http://stormdraneslanyard.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkRlGEaTjAk

http://www.survivaliq.com/survival/food-procurement_s2.htm

http://www.survivaliq.com/survival/food-procurement_s4.htm

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bjMmla9DSzo&feature=related

Lighting

Being able to see in dodgy lighting conditions could be the difference between life and death (ForcedeFrappe.com- selling fear to the masses since 2002 ), having a torch with you is important.

So lets talk options; high end torch manufactures use 123A lithium batteries, they are small, powerfull and have a long shelf life.

All this sounds awesome however they are expensive and in a prolonged crisis will be hard to find so I suggest having 1 top end torch for tactical reasons (emergency/ first 3 days of crisis where compromise is not an option) and another torch using a more common power source (AA cell batteries). A wind up torch could be useful for a seriously longterm crisis, something to think about.

The strength of the beam (how bright it is) is calculated in lumens and the higher you go the brighter it will be-however the quicker the battery will run out too so as with everything you need to pick the right balance. I would suggest a torch with variable levels of light output like the Fenix T1 or TK10 . Fenix lights are reliable, sturdy and powerful and you really can’t go wrong with them.

Other brands include Surefire , NiteCore Tactical, ZebraLight, Olights and Muyshondt Flashlights.

Prices vary and so do the features so look around at what is available to you and decide what you are prepared to spend relative to the features offered. In my experience Fenix offer great torches at a reasonable price but what you go with is up to you.

Communication devices

In a crisis you will want to be updated on the situation as it happens so bringing a portable radio is a great idea- Cell phones will be unlikely to work based on passed events (Katrina for example) so having alternate modes of keeping in touch with the rest of the world is a great idea. Local and national radio stations will broadcast all relevant information from the most affected areas (don’t go there!) to current safe zones which can make such a tool indispensable in your survival arsenal.

Knowledge truly is power.

I have a cell phone with 5 spare batteries + a car charger and a wind up radio. I really can’t advise you on what to get since my knowledge of comms is negligible at best. I know enough to survive but beyond that I wont be holding communication classes anytime soon!

Look for power source, how rugged it is (waterproof radio could be a good idea- look at the ones designed for use in showers) and the general cost.

http://www.buyasurvivalkit.com/category/8502366041/1/Radios-Weather-Alerts.htm

Looks like an interesting website- specially the Black & Decker “Storm station” Flashlight, radio and power inverter! Looks ideal however I do not own one but if I get it I will write up a review.

Right, so you have your bag now so lets start filling it!

Water.

Not only is water delicious you also need it to survive, while you may be under the (misguided) impression that you can be happy with 1ltr of water a day you would be sadly mistaken, while you may be “ok” with 1ltr a day after having done no excersise in reality (bugging out) you would be out for the count after your adrenalin runs out. You will be trying to remember if you have everything and running as fast as you can to get out of dodge, this means that you will use insane amounts of energy and as such will need to consume far more water than normal to remain fit and alert.

So lets talk options; in my previous post I discussed having a hydration bladder which is essentially a water bottle built into your bag, Very useful invention. But you want to bring along the more tradionational type of water containers simply because they tend to be far more rugged and as such will not tear. They are easier to fill up and you can give them to a friend should he not have thought about potential end of the world scenerios like you (How silly, everyone knows zombies are just waiting to take over the world).

Water bottles come in various shapes and sizes and more importantly price ranges so I will just focus on the more popular models:

• Nalgene bottles; cheap, sexy and expendable. plus they come in various sizes and flavors (read: colors).
• Military water bottles; cheap, tough and kinda sexy- you can buy them everywhere and they will treat you well, an added benefit is that they can come with a pouch with molle straps so attaching it on the outside of your rucksack is a cinch.
• Thermos; not as funky as the choices above me but when your stuck in the wild with angry squirrels wanting to devour you…you will be glad to have something comforting like hot irish coffee (or whatever tickles your fancy).

You may also want to have a big evian (or coke) bottle full of delicious water in your rucksack in case you don’t find any water along your route (always prepare for the worst so when the worst happens you can punch it in the face).

I personally have two Thermos aluminum bottles and one military bottle, however not everyone can pull off such a daring look, at then end of the day choose what is right for you.

Bic lighters

Bic lighters amongst offering fire making abilities happens to be the universal symbol for awesome, intelligent and sexy individual.

Everyone knows what they look like so I will spare you 500+ words on the magical properties of the blaze orange version (although red/pink/blaze orange is a good color simply because if you drop your Bic it will be easy to find. Something to think about).

And finally, the Multi-tool.

Swiss army knives are made by two companies, Victorinox and Wenger. Which you will choose is up to you- both are unrivaled for the price (Save perhaps Opinel & Mora) and will serve you faithfully for various task such as preparing food, opening beer bottles and sharpening a stick to fend of would be invaders. I personally carry a Wenger Ranger purely because I am a rebel and dig rooting for the underdog.

I don’t personally own a Leathermans however I will just say this-

Leatherman tools are supposedly fucking ace and are off the hook reliable with a long history of producing quality products.

A popular choice is the Leatherman wave.

Thats all for today but this week (I promise) I will work towards getting at least halfway through the list.

Gear, gadgets & sharp things are great but you need somewhere to put them all in and so the first step to building a bug out bag (BoB) is getting a bag!

Bags/Berghens/Rucksacks/A.L.I.C.E Packs/Field packs ect. come in different shapes and sizes, it will come down to you to pick one that will suit your needs, environment and budget.

I will list some bags that are popular as well as known brand at the bottom of this post but first I will just list options that you might want to take into consideration when choosing your bug out bag.

1. Capacity is measured in liters, 35 is really the minimum you want to go with 50+ being ideal.
2. Your bag having a physical frame will make it more comfortable to carry at the expense of cost (they are more expensive).
3. Hydration bladder (a built in water bottle basically, with a tube sticking out so you can drink as you march! )Very useful.
4. How many compartments? Having a separate section for food/Medical supplies/Comms device is useful when you need certain items quickly.
5. M.O.L.L.E straps allow you to add more pouches to your bag as well as tools such as torches and knives.
6. Military surplus bag or civilian hiking bags? your appearance and how people will view you can be an important choice when picking your bag, military surplus bags tend to be seen as more “aggressive” while civilian bags won’t depending on your location this can be a pro or a con.
7. What sort of terrain will you be facing? pick your bag based on your environment (Waterproofing, toughness ect.)

Now that you have a better idea of what you need I would advice you to go to a store a try on a multitude of bags, the fit, finish, features and design. After you have tried and know what you want then hit the web to find the best price.

Pick your bag based on what you need from it. There is no right or wrong.

Popular bags:

French army bergen/A.L.I.C.E Pack (Military surplus bags, buy them on ebay)
Berghaus

Karrimor

Highlander Rucksacks

Lowe Alpine

Kifaru

North Face

(I know short post people but work is keeping me busy this week- next post will be better I promise!)