Hiding a Survival Kit - sensible idea or paranoia?

[twisted firestarter]

I can't help thinking that we live a fragile existence and a national emergency could happen any time. If something terrible happened how would we all cope? probably better than the average person because of our interest and skills in bushcraft. Lets face it if a nuke went off we'd all be stuffed but if something slightly less serious happened which affected the infrastructure of the country, be it a natural disaster/ terrorist attack or something else our normal way of life would soon stop as mass hysteria took a grip. In a crisis situation the supermarket shelves would empty very quickly, the petrol stations would run out of fuel, cashpoints would run out of money...you get the picture I'm sure.

So I have been thinking about getting some emergency provisions together which I can hide somewhere 'Just in case'. I am thinking of a large container which is both waterproof and rodent proof and stocked with a decent knife, a saw, fire making kit, Millbank bag, large water container, big tarp for emergency shelter,first aid kit, warm clothes, wash kit, food (dried and tinned) which I can add to with foraged goodies, a torch, radio, lots of spare batteries, sleeping bag, wet weather kit and all those other bits I will remember just after I've posted this

Any ideas on what else could go on the list? Does anyone else ever think about this?

or am I just being irrational?

 

[rancid badger]

very definitely paranoia- when was the last time anything went that bad anywhere in the world?

no, bugger it,you want it big, comprehensive and well hidden away mate!

Oh and manuals-

lots of manuals and reference books.

I'm not into this sort of thing to be honest, and to me it smacks a bit of " the end is nigh" etc. but I suppose there's no harm in a bit of forward thinking. mind you, look at how many people die without making a will!

I'm serious about the manuals by the way

kind regards
R.B.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Some drivers were stuck for hours on the M8 this morning, having a brew kit and snacks and water would have allowed a nice cuppa on the hard shoulder. Would have been interesting if it had been colder. Luckily I have a 1 mile commute so would not have worried me.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7070520.stm

Once had to wait 3hrs for a snow plough to clear the rd to a hillwalk I had done. Luckily packed plenty of kit for the walks contingency.

Nick

 

[scanker]

You don't have to look very far away or very far back. It's only month's since severe flooding put many people out of there homes over here and there's any number of natural disasters abroad to pick on.

I don't think it's paranoia at all, more "be prepared" like the scouts of old. I normally have a bag with various bits of kit in the car, just in case of a breakdown in the middle of nowhere. This is only an extension of that really. Try a search for Bug Out Bag or BOB, here, maybe BB or wider.

 

[pibbleb]

I have to say I don't buy into this kind of thing in a big way, but there is nothing wrong with being prepared as has already been pointed out, mass flooding earlier in the year is just one example.

A few years ago we put together a BOB, well two. We live 30+ miles south of London and things weren't looking great being that close to London.

Anyway we put together two bags, one had baby spares in it, nappies, wipes jars of food. In addition it also had in it my wife's spare medical stuff (she's diabetic).

The other had water, and tinned food. We also had an escape and evasion plan. However, how practical it was I just don't know.

If I'm honest it no longer exists, broken down and used!

Just complacent I guess.

P

 

[Ogri the trog]

To hide provisions in a secret place is all well and good if you are near enough to, and able to access it, when the do-do hits the aircon! Plenty of the examples quoted are "mini emergencies" that require a kit to be on-hand. I think I'll go with the flow and say that bug-out bags and sensible preparations would be a better use of the resources you have.

Ogri the trog

 

[spamel]

If you want to stock up, get a load of tins in the cupboard. Just buy extra ones on your weekly shop over a few months. Stick them under the stairs, and rotate with the fresher tins now and then. After a few months, you'll have quite a bit of stuff under the stairs that could keep you going for a few weeks. Try making some jerked meat for when electricity fails so that you have preserved meat. Dry fruit for a similar effect, or stock up on preserves and jams and pickled foods. The pickled stuff will come in handy at christmas! It is the little things you can do at home that could help you out in the long run.

For a more detailed plan of what you can do, Lofty Wiseman has an urban survival book out. Now, I've never read it, just had a quick scan once, but I reckon it will be full of sound ideas.

 

[EdS]

very paranoid and possible on the way to some where in the American mid west. IMO

 

[spamel]

That is true! Although I'm sure that is what the powers that be want: A frightened, paranoid populace. Wouldn't want to dissapoint them!

 

[British Red]

I think Snukins sig line says it all really

Be a good citizen. Consume, Conform, Obey. Thank you for your co-operation.

Please do not consider any form of self reliance. You will be guilty of thought crime and sent for "re-education".

Red

 

[twisted firestarter]

Well thanks for the various comments

This idea has been with me since the cold war/nukes era when I was a school kid. I remember being shocked when we were made to watch a public information film while at school about how to prepare for a nuclear attack (masking tape on the windows and hide under the table) :theyareon

Back then the village where my grandparents lived even organized a rota for who should take what provisions into the tunnels in the local hill if it went pear shaped. They were responsible for making sure there was Jam and dry biscuits in the communal larder!

I really don't think the end of the world is nigh, I just like the old arabian aphorism-

"Trust in god, but tie your camel first"

 

[Porcupine]

if preparing means stocking up on machineguns and having concrete antitank moats around your house i think you are overdoing it yes...

if you mean having food for a week that doesnt spoil when electricity runs out, combined with a normal bushcraft set you are more on thr right track i think.

 

[twisted firestarter]

if preparing means stocking up on machineguns and having concrete antitank moats around your house i think you are overdoing it yes..

I suppose I'd better cancel the cement mixer then

 

[FGYT]

Me n a mate had a few Canisters dotted about the New forest when we where teens

Had Army rations hexy survival bags etc
we used the Pains Wessex schermuly plastic canisters the square ones

well it must have worked as we survived the cold war and the 80's

I think we pulled em all in years n years ago but if you find as square grey plastic canister with a red screw on top in the forest it might not be a Geo Cache

best bet is home & car prep as your likley to be near one when a civil emergancy happens

Not like i can go off into the Ulu on my tod living of witchetty grubs n bark and sleeping in a differnt ditch every night these days now ive got a wife n small baby and joints start to ache if its a bit cold

wonder if the police will now accept Just in case of massive floods etc as a reason to have a large knife perminantly in you car now

 

[gregorach]

OK, I can understand having a BOB prepared.... But why hide it?

 

[dave k]

You have to remember civilization only carrys on because there is food available. 3 days without any meals and there would be a mass revolt, riots in the street, people being killed and a genrally nightmare situation.

I would not worry about trying out `bushcraft` or getting together a 3-4-5 day survival pack. I'd be looking to get away from as many people as possible as quickly as possible. If there is no food about, life will roll back to the `strongest will survive` method. You can't argue with someone if he's got a gun, or he is 6ft tall with a baseball bat. If there is any situation where you would realisticly need a week-long survival pack, you're most likely to be killed by someone else far before you die of starvation. Look at examples in Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. 2 days without food and water, and people massed together inside the stadium. Rapes, people getting together in mobs and being judge/jury/executioner, people getting left for dead, people getting killed. If this kind of thing happened in the UK there would be far more voilence, just because there are less weapons.

My plan for this? either get to the harbour and get on a boat to somewhere else, or grab a rucksack full of stuff and drive as fast as possible away from people.

 

[Tourist]

I did some official emergency planning back in the dark early 80's and found it quite amazing what came out from a group of civvy's, coppers and squaddies in a room.

Firstly you need to define the kind of eventuality you will be dealing with, because official organisations have a plans and contingency folder on the shelf for different levels of eventuality and specific enventualities. For example: are you just considering living more comfortably through the inconvenience of local flooding or the roof getting blown off your house; or, are you interested in surving the total breakdown of society; or, getting through a 6 to 8 hour traffic jam in the depths of winter.

The planning committee I was on was focused on total collapse based around a nuclear scenario. The interesting points that came out were:

1. There would be mass confusion and panic...........obvious really.
2. People have an instinct to want to feel safe, the womb factor. It was found by shrinks that over here people would try to travel to places they have felt safe and happy........normally places they have been to on family holidays.
3. Electric power would be terminated..........think about that, most things are driven or pumped by electricity and electric motors, even water, sewage and natural gas.
4. Communications would be terminated.........I know because I was told this as my name and phone numbers went into a special directory of people whose phones would still be selectively allowed to work. Some of the civvies in this group were even trained up in radio communications.
5. Roads would be at gridlock.
6. There are only 5 days of food in the food chain from field to supermarket shelf, maybe even a bit less with the advent of just in time provisioning nowadays.

So, for your different scenarios your survival kit would need to be:

1. For a local problem, a couple of decent holdalls, any prescription meds that are needed and a shelter facility(tarp, tent, caravan).

2. The traffic jam problem. Well, I always have a brew-kit, blanket and boots in the car.

3. Total collapse of western society, a couple of warehouses full of kit and food. Because if you have not got it, you cannot nip off to Tesco to buy it anymore.


Quick note on food to store: A sack each of sugar, flour, powdered milk and rice offer lots of culinary permutations especially if you add salt and a boxes of tinned meat and fruit. Added to which, its cheaper than buying boxes of MRE's or Compo.

Quick note on storage methods: Plastic drain pipe sections with end caps, waterproof and big enough for most things, Mossberg the shotgun people used to sell a survival kit in a pipe section - including a pump shotgun.

 

[SimonM]

HMG have a web page devoted to this containing some very useful info:-

http://www.preparingforemergencies.gov.uk/

I have a supply of water from Tesco in the loft (5 large bottle @ about 90p each) and a large cupboard full of dried food / pasta / tinned goods which i have built up over a few months. SWMBO thought I was mad until the floods struck. Fortunately we were not affected BUT it made her think.

As for the car I aways have a bottle of water / brew kit / poncho liner / FAK and contents of a couple of rat packs in a box in the boot.

Mad? maybe, but "prepare for the worst and hope for the best" has always been a good motto to me!

Simon

 

[stotRE]

I always make sure that i have a brass compass and silk escape map sewn into my TEFO (town equipment fighting order) just incase.

You do not want to know where i hide my cigar case survival kit...............ooohh a sailor must be thinking about me.

 

[Tengu]

Hey, I have one of those grey tubs FYGT, is it yours?