SHTF Survival Gear List

[vincentfields]

Howdy guys, this is my first post here. I've always been pretty big into survival type things and I really enjoy this forum. I was in a special operations unit in the Marines and I teach self-defense/ fighting techniques to groups nationwide. I'm a federal law enforcement officer (BOP) and a big gun nut.

Hopefully my survival gear list will help some of ya'll with yours, and hopefully I can pick up a few things to add to mine. I have it where my wife, dog and I can can fit everything in the jeep and take off on short notice if necessary.

Vince




Emergency/ Survival Gear List

4 Wheel drive Jeep Cherokee
- 4 ½’ suspension lift
- 32' tires
- Big steel front protective bumper with winch
- Fog lights
- 4 large lights mounted on top
- 2 Batteries installed
- Wilderness rack on top
- Spare full size tire- Mounted to rack
- 5 Gallon Empty Gas Can- Mounted to rack
- 5 Gallon Empty Water Can- Mounted to rack
- High Lift Jack- Mounted to rack
- Shovel & axe- Mounted to rack
- Fire Extinguisher
- GPS
- Maps
- Cell phone charger

ON BODY
Sunglasses
Jeans
Boots- Black leather, comfortable
Socks
Underwear
T-Shirt
Handkerchief
Camo Winter Jacket (If cold)
Hoodie Sweater (If cool)
Boonie hat
Tactical belt
Flashlight (On Belt)
Multi-Tool (On Belt)
Knife- Large non-folding
Kel-tec pistol- 380
Cell Phone
Watch
Wallet- extra cash + credit cards

WEAPONS
- Pistol (.40 SA XD with tac light for me and 9mm Ruger for wife). Worn concealed in front of pants, on right hip in holster, or under arm.
- Pistol- Kel-tec pistol- 380
- 2 extra mags for each (- Ammo- 100 rounds for each pistol (or more?)
- SKS (with scope, sling, and hard plastic case)
- Silencers for all weapons
- Extra 30 round mag
- Ammo- 100 rounds (or more?)
- Survival knife (On left hip)
- Gun cleaning kits
- CS, FB’s & Smoke

EQUIPMENT
Bags-
- Large military green duffle type (2)
- Backpack, Large Camo, military
- CamelBack pack with water bladder
- Green backpack with water bladder
- Green/grey military flight duffle bag

Large Tent

Sleeping bag (In or on large pack)

Ground Mat (In or on large pack)

Change of clothes (In large camo backpack)
- Pants- Camo BDU’s or Jeans
- Blouse- Camo BDU or hoodie
- 2 T- shirts
- 2 pairs of underwear
- 2 pairs of socks
- 5 handkerchiefs
- Coat/ jacket as appropriate
- Hat- Black beanie
- Gloves- Black leather thick and black thin fire resistant
- Flip Flop shoes
- Tennis Shoes
- Towel
- Washcloth
- Black ski-mask

HYGIENE BAG
- Soap
- Shampoo
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Q-Tips
- Tweezers

MEDICINE BAG
- Tums
- Multi-Vitamins
- Pepto Bismol
- Headache Pills Acetaminophen
- Sleeping Pills
- Caffeine Pills
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Triple Anti-biotic Ointment Cream
- band-aids
- Gauze rolls
- Tape
- Scissors
- First Aid Kit
- Eye Drops
- Saline Solution
- Hand sanitizer
- Toenail clipper
- Needle and stitching thread to close wounds

EQUIPMENT- MISCELLANEOUS
- 6 in 1 hand powered radio/ light/ compass, etc
- Flashlights (2 Lithium-Ion Brinkman Flashlights)
- Extra LI Flashlight Batteries (6 or more)
- Night Vision Monocle
- Gas Masks (2)
- Mirror- Camping/ Signaling
- Paper Towel Rolls (2)
- Toilet Paper Rolls (7)
- Laundry detergent
- GPS Handheld system
- Extra Batteries for GPS & Flashlight
- Cell Phone Charger- Car and home
- Long stemmed lighters (2)
- Candles
- Citrinella Candles, Large bucket type
- Box of waterproof matches
- Fire starting sticks
- Duraflame log
- Zip Lock Bags- Waterproof Huge bags for gear and smaller bags
- E- Tool & bag (On or in pack)
- Solar Shower
- Flair Gun- Extra Rounds
- Rain Gear- top and bottom
- Whistle- Loud
- Nylon Cord- 50 ft
- Sewing Kit
- Rubber Gloves (4 sets)
- Safety Glasses
- Hearing protection- electronic
- Tarp
- Trash bags (1 roll)
- Tampons

Tool Kit
- Adjustable Wrench (10â€

[CZ-75]

You have toilet paper on your list for hygiene... which is good.

But it should also be on your list for a form of currency.

Don't forget cooking oil. Can be used to prepare food, start fires and as a diesel fuel substitute.

[jreinke]

You should add super glue to your medical items list. It's great for gluing minor cuts. Saves on bandaids!

[szemke]

You should add super glue to your medical items list. It's great for gluing minor cuts. Saves on bandaids!

+1 make sure to get the GEL and not the runny stuff!!!!

[Wilder]

I would add an electirc wench to the vehicle list. A tow rope only help if there is someone to pull you, if you get stuck.

I was caught like this in LA(state) after Katrina.

I don't see emergency fuel either. This also happened. You can't ride without fuel. Most is stored in under grond tanks and can't be pumped.

[cqbdoc10]

Another huge thing to have are baby-wipes for personal hygiene. You won't always have access to enough water for a proper scrub-down, and after 4 weeks of no showering, a once-over with wipes will make you feel like you just stayed at The Plaza in New York. Trust me, I know.

I see that you have "fire starting sticks", but you should always have a simple flint block for starting fires. It will ALWAYS work.

Thermal blanket. And I mean the type that is standard military issue which have the foil in the center of the green material. And have two of them. If you have to GTFO fast (while leaving the tent and most other things behind) and its cold, you can use one to lay on the ground to reflect you body heat and conserve it, and use the other as a blanket. I've done this in 45 degree weather after not eating for 3 days, and it will save your ass in a shitty situation. Plus, going nut-to-butt (spooning) with the wife will help heat conservation as well.

Also, get a standard military poncho. I don't care what anyone says, this is an essential piece of kit. You have the ability to use it as rain gear, or as cover for a lean-to if needed.

Super glue is a good idea as well, as previously mentioned. Two substances that not many individuals have knowledge about that are potent coagulants are paper (yes, paper) and spider webs. Both of these are natural remedies that will act as stop-gap measures until proper medical attention can be gained. In SERE school we were taught this little trick, and they both work better than you would expect.

Also, get a coagulation agent such as CELOX, or whatever type/brand you like for your medical kit. If you start to bleed, and bleed bad, you need to stop it fast. Also, if you are going to get an antibiotic cream, DON'T use Neosporin. Neosporin sucks, seriously. If you can obtain a prescription for Altabax or Bactroban you would be much better off than with Neosporin. And since you aren't carrying any oral antibiotics, you should have something that will actually kill the bugs than can infest a wound. Additionally, get some iodine, whether it is tablet form (that can dissolve in water) or carry a small amount of liquid in a bottle. You have suturing material, and in order to properly irrigate a wound prior to closure you need to mix some of the iodine with some sterilized water to prevent infection. Rubbing OH and H2O2 are great, but they aren't good enough. And just for completeness, get a cravat. They are also a multipurpose device: improvised tourniquet, shoulder sling, pressure bandage, etc. Absolutely indispensable.

Next, you need a water filter. Water (if drunk in proper quantities to avoid dehydration) will only last so long, and one can only carry so much. You should always have means to appropriately sterilize water enough for consumption. I recommend the SteriPEN. Which brings me to my next point.... a hiking stove. An instrument such as this is multipurpose: you can cook with it (obivously) and also use it to partially purify water through boiling (although I would still recommend a filter since some bacterial spores can withstand boiling and remain viable). Plus, if you are going to be using the solar shower that you will have with you, you should really sterilize the water you will be using in this as well, since you will most likely be obtaining it from a stream or what not there will likely be nice little protozoans swimming around that will cause serious problems.

Just a couple things off the top of my mind. If I think of more, I'll let you know.

[no4mk1t]

A nifty stove made from Pepsi cans. Works great! I have made soup and boiled water on this when the power went out. Will boil a cup of water in 3 minutes. About the same as a microwave. Runs on just a capful of denatured alcohol.

[Brian HHI 7265]

OK, so you have your list... Now where are you going to go? I missed that in your list of essentials.

Much better to have a place to go, or to have enough body bags for your party if you try to tread on other folks areas. Not all folks who stay in place are unprepared. Just a word of warning.

Years ago there was an Indian who made the acquaintance of Pope or Young, I can't remember which. He was the last of his tribe and wise in the ways of the woods. He couldn't make it and was starving. I doubt you'll do better. Eventually, you'll come up against those folks "in place" if you have any intention of surviving long term.

My suggestion: prepare a place to head to that has what you need. Living there 100% is better yet. That makes you the "dug in" folks and better able to withstand an assault. Generally it takes 4 or 5 : 1 to overcome an entrenched position. The folks in place have the clear advantage.

[vincentfields]

Great replies folks, I appreciate this information and will modify my list.

I live in a small city in S IL (17k people) and don't have a great secondary location to relocate to if the SHTF. I have family in the country about 10 miles from here, and there are lots of woods and national parks areas that I could get away from the city and camp at if necessary for a few week.

In my mind getting away from the city with my gear would be something I'd do a situation where it was too dangerous to remain in such a populated area. It would be a situation in which there were roving gangs looking to take my supplies by whatever mean necessary. This could be the aftermath of an extreme earthquake, tornado, nuclear attack, civil war, riots, etc. Where I live in the heart of the city doesn't seem like it would be a good place to be when the SHTF. However realistically if I could survive in my home until it blew over I'd try to stay there if it wasn't TOO dangerous.

[ctdonath]

Get thee hence to http://www.NearDeathExperiments.com

[st33ve0]

I would add an electirc wench to the vehicle list. A tow rope only help if there is someone to pull you, if you get stuck.

I was caught like this in LA(state) after Katrina.

I don't see emergency fuel either. This also happened. You can't ride without fuel. Most is stored in under grond tanks and can't be pumped.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/746372/ho ... ly_a_rope/

Got this from http://conditionyellow.blogspot.com/

[Brian HHI 7265]

Vincent, what are the chances of stocking up a retreat with your family? Seriously, a prepared place is far more liveable than thinking of being in the "wilderness" with 10,000 other folks. It also gives strength in numbers - a major advantage.

I live in rural Maine, and one would normally think it'd be a prime place to be able to "live off of the land". But how long will the game hold out when everyone is counting on it to feed them?

Just for shits and giggles, I shot every red squirrel I could for the past 2 years. (It helps that I hate the bushy tailed rats!) I shot well over 100 of them over that time. For the past year I've seen none. OK, my point... when everyone is shooting red squirrels for the pot, they won't last long, and will take even longer for the population to rebound. Bigger game would be depleted faster and take longer to rebound. I'd plan on having a major cache at a safe spot.

In looking your list over again, 3 MREs per person per day might be too few. Check the calorie count on them. For humping stuff you'll want more, 3 per day is OK if you're not burning many calories, but that probably won't be the case if it's cold or you're expending effort.

I don't know if they were on the list... but survival bars are also good to have. High in calories and they taste like a lemon cookie. I have the Mainstay brand stashed away, but there are others. They keep forever unopened.

Too, if the power goes out at your retreat how will you preserve meat if you do shoot a deer or steer? Go to a farm supply and get 50# sacks of food processing salt. It'll just be a few bucks per bag, but will allow the preservation of meat. It'll also prevent you from craving salt. Trust me on this, if you don't have salt, it's a major negative to the body. You MUST have it.

[vincentfields]

Brian,

Thanks for the input. My get away gear is mainly intended for me and the wife to make it for a short while (2 weeks max) to get out of the city till things settle down. A stocked retreat/ secondary location would be wonderful, but we just dont have that option right now. We are buying a home, paying off student loans, and just dont have the cash for a secondary location right now. Someday I plan on having just that.

While I was in the Marines in a special operations infantry unit, I lived off of 3 MRE's per day out in the wilds just fine. This included often hiking 20-30 miles per day. I'm sure it would be no problem for a 2 week get away.

[dcmdon]

I know its a lot of fun to fantasize about the end of civilization. But statistically its far more likely that your SHTF scenario will involve a house fire or weather related evacuation.

Your stuff, while well set for the end of the world is totally inadequate for either of the more likely scenarios. Missing are:

Laptop computer containing scans of the following docs for everyone in your family:
resume
marriage license
birth certificate(s)
insurance policies
medical insurance cards
credit cards, front and back
Social security cards
last couple of years tax returns
mortgage statement
credit card statements
car loan statement

You can also store intangibles on the computer, like valued photos.

Finally, have a backup of the above info on an encrypted usb fob. Mail it to someone at your most likely bug out destination.

This is the kind of stuff that you will NEED to try to get your life back in order in the event of a Katrina like event or a simple house fire. All the fireams in the world wont help you if your house burns down. Its not sexy or fun, but its practical.

[hambone]

More Ammo - Without question. 100 rounds of each won't cut it.

[dcmdon]

Which is why I think the .22lr should be your primary SHTF gun.
You can assemble:
two 10/22 rifles
one ruger mkII pistol
25,000 rounds of .22 ammo

for a grand total of about $1500, and all of it can fit in the trunk of a car. Think about that for a minute. That is a mind boggling amount of utility for less than the price of a custom AR.

[RexT]

I know its a lot of fun to fantasize about the end of civilization. But statistically its far more likely that your SHTF scenario will involve a house fire or weather related evacuation.

Your stuff, while well set for the end of the world is totally inadequate for either of the more likely scenarios. Missing are:

Laptop computer containing scans of the following docs for everyone in your family:
resume
marriage license
birth certificate(s)
insurance policies
medical insurance cards
credit cards, front and back
Social security cards
last couple of years tax returns
mortgage statement
credit card statements
car loan statement

You can also store intangibles on the computer, like valued photos.

Finally, have a backup of the above info on an encrypted usb fob. Mail it to someone at your most likely bug out destination.

This is the kind of stuff that you will NEED to try to get your life back in order in the event of a Katrina like event or a simple house fire. All the fireams in the world wont help you if your house burns down. Its not sexy or fun, but its practical.

That is one hell of an idea that I havent thought of.I have burned discs of pictures and gave multiples to friends to store in their gunsafes,just in case something happened to mine.

[dcmdon]

I work in IT. Not sexy. But I get paid to think of the documentation needed for "BCP"s. (business continuity plans)

[Hush]

I didn't see any rifles or shotguns on the list which would be great for small/med. game /two legged varmints.

[dcmdon]

I should have been clearer. I wasnt saying my list was complete. I was saying that that stuff is just as necessary as the other hard core items that others mentioned.

A lot of that other stuff certainly is necessary.

In the real world, we all have bulk/budget/weight constraints. I do think a lot of the stuff I listed should be high on anyones list. Shoot, skip the laptops and go buy 2 - 2GB USB fobs at walmart for a total of $20. That will give you enough room to store all of your critical docs.

If you work an unskilled job, rent your home and pay cash for everthing, then whats in your wallet is all the documentation you really need.

Don

[Diomed]

I know its a lot of fun to fantasize about the end of civilization. But statistically its far more likely that your SHTF scenario will involve a house fire or weather related evacuation.

Your stuff, while well set for the end of the world is totally inadequate for either of the more likely scenarios. Missing are:

Laptop computer containing scans of the following docs for everyone in your family:
resume
marriage license
birth certificate(s)
insurance policies
medical insurance cards
credit cards, front and back
Social security cards
last couple of years tax returns
mortgage statement
credit card statements
car loan statement

You can also store intangibles on the computer, like valued photos.

Finally, have a backup of the above info on an encrypted usb fob. Mail it to someone at your most likely bug out destination.

This is the kind of stuff that you will NEED to try to get your life back in order in the event of a Katrina like event or a simple house fire. All the fireams in the world wont help you if your house burns down. Its not sexy or fun, but its practical.

Too realistic.

Not sexy.

Fail.

[dcmdon]

the pepsi can stove is not sexy. but holy crap. how clever is that

[B-Mac]

How is all this s--t gonna fit in a Jeep?

[dcmdon]

all the s--t I listed weighs less than an ounce on a USB thumb drive

[sortafast]

you should also have some water purification/filtration in your set up. If you have rivers/creeks/ponds etc in the area you could cut back on the amount of water you transport in favor of treating water in the field for use. And redundancy is great here as well. Get some of those kill everything tabs, as well as a really nice water filter/purifier.

I also second the 22lr as a major part of the kit. Some good SS rounds and a can would also be great. a 10/22 or an AR with dedicated upper along with a pistol would make for great gear. Also, 1k of 22lr weighs nothing and can last a long long time, vs a similar qty of 223 or 7.62x39.

I am no commando, maybe of the armchair variety, but I would want a few more mags than just one or 2 for bugging out.

I would ditch the flip flops for some rafting sandals if your intention is to use them in water. And you need more socks, and for me I like good quality wool socks. Keeps you warm when they are dry or wet and are a lot more comfy on longer hikes. Also a food saver is your friend for packing clothes. I keep 2 pair of socks in my hiking/going into the woods by myself bag that have been food savered. They take up a lot less space, and they are now water proof.

citrinella candles have been worthless as a bug repellent in my experience. I used some "all natural" bug repellent once that worked like you would not believe, but I have not been able to find that stuff again (nor can I remember the name of it )

You also left off the paracord. Life in the post SHTF world would not be worth living with out some 550 para cord (black or ODG of course).