So, now we are getting a new US President...

[gowertony]

excellent lists
I have already started carrying a small rucksack as a EDC kit with an amount of cash {The banks can fail without notice}
andif this happens cash will be king for a short period before our currency fails

[Deeps]

excellent lists
I have already started carrying a small rucksack as a EDC kit with an amount of cash {The banks can fail without notice}
andif this happens cash will be king for a short period before our currency fails

This is the thing, its all very well having the 3 means of starting fires and different bits and bobs we like but one of the most useful preps is having a wee stash of cash. I used to carry anywhere between 50 and a couple of hundred stuck away in the back of my wallet but I found I was delving into it a bit too often, I've capped it at 50 (its sometimes less these days due to my abject poverty ) and I seem to be more loath to use it. If the worlds going to hell in a handcart in the short term people will be programmed to just ask for more money for things and cash will still work. That's not really a serious scenario that I prep for but hey, who knows.

[2ndRateMind]

Hi guys. Couldn't agree more. I hadn't forgotten cash. I'll list it under the Admin/Navigation/Miscellaneous header. (If I carried an emergency stash everyday, I'd only spend it! But really, my wallet goes with me, mostly, and that works for me for everyday purposes). Meanwhile, just waiting for a few goodies to arrive in the mail, and I'll post the Admin list, too. Anyway, thanks for reading.

Best wishes, 2RM.

[2ndRateMind]

Right, then. Today's short list for the 72hr bug out bag is Bergen and molle pouches: 'something to carry it all in'. Again this is a descriptive list, not a prescriptive list. You may have different ideas, for different reasons, and I am sure that, given your own circumstances, you would be entirely right. But this is the kit I have:

1 x Pilgrim Spartan Bergen.
1 x molle Water bottle pouch
1 x molle Admin pouch
2 x Assorted molle small utility pouches.
1 x set dry liners for bergen/pouches as necessary

Comments
Pilgrim Spartan Bergen (£350) from Dragon Supplies is probably the most expensive bit of gear I own, and I love it the most, but not for that reason. I could write a whole essay on why it's so good, but I'll spare you the boredom of my enthusiasm. Just be assured that I think it was worth every penny I paid for it, and, being on a low income at present, I don't have that many pennies.
Water Bottle pouch. (maybe £12-18 or so) The bergen has waist belt molle attachments, so this pouch accepts a litre of water you can get at without having to take the bergen off.
Admin Pouch (£10) Another waist molle pouch, to take pen, notepad, wallet, mobile phone, torch, etc
2 x Utility pouches Still some more room for waist molle attachments. Configure freely!
Dry liners (maybe £60 to 120 if you want all your bergen contents/side pockets/attached and assorted pouches completely lined) But you probably only need to keep stuff like sleeping bags, spare clothes, etc away from the wet. You may decide that waterproof stuff sacks are a more flexible and economic alternative.

Best wishes, 2RM

[sethorly]

Good to see the OS map there. I presume it's an OS Active 1:25000 one that comes pre-laminated.

I didn't see a compass in those lists, except for the button one which may not be sufficient. Your primary route out may be compromised.

You have no way of processing wood. The standard kit is a 10cm/4inch knife (I think you have this), a Bahco Laplander saw (pretty much the unbeatable standard), and a hatchet or medium axe. I didn't see any pre-prepared tinder either (eg. cotton wool pads rubbed with vaseline).

You may want to have a collapsible container to carry water from a source to any temporary camp, along with an easy way to boil/sterilise it (comes back to that metal waterbottle I was talking about before).

Medical - consider an israeli battle dressing and tweezers.

Finally, you probably already know this but I reckon you'll need a wiking base layer (eg. merino wool) as you'll be sweating buckets carrying that lot. Not sure what clothing you'd have. If you're going for such a large amount of kit, consider bunging in a few 9 inch nails for shelter building - I would; bugger being minimal-impact when SHTF.

[2ndRateMind]

Thanks sethorly. There are two more lists to come, Admin/Navigation and Miscellaneous, and Clothing, but all your points are absolutely valid.

Best wishes, 2RM.

[Arzosah]

You're doing so well with these lists! My BOB is very different from yours, it's more a bag to get me out of the front door in half an hour or so if/when I'm needed for nursing duties for my mother. But I have a molle-like bag that goes over my shoulder, with a bigger first aid kit in - over the counter painkillers, bandages and plasters, handgel, that sort of thing. Then I started to put my stainless steel stuff in the top little compartment - really good nail scissors that can be used medically, tweezers, tick tweezers, nail clipper, pencil sharpener (for creating kindling), safety pins, another compass (er, thats not stainless steel!), a tiny sewing kit in an old metal tin from the Body Shop, that sort of thing.

My BOB would still be good if there was a house fire or something, and I had to literally run out of the house, but it is canted towards the 300 mile trip I have to plan for. It's also got proper preps in - a windup radio, water tabs, etc, a tiny first aid kit - but that extra first aid kit is very detailed, and would definitely be helpful.

Looking forward to your next posts - I'm catching up at intervals, I'm afraid, but it sounds like its going really well for you.

[2ndRateMind]

You're doing so well with these lists! My BOB is very different from yours, it's more a bag to get me out of the front door in half an hour or so if/when I'm needed for nursing duties for my mother. But I have a molle-like bag that goes over my shoulder, with a bigger first aid kit in - over the counter painkillers, bandages and plasters, handgel, that sort of thing. Then I started to put my stainless steel stuff in the top little compartment - really good nail scissors that can be used medically, tweezers, tick tweezers, nail clipper, pencil sharpener (for creating kindling), safety pins, another compass (er, thats not stainless steel!), a tiny sewing kit in an old metal tin from the Body Shop, that sort of thing.

My BOB would still be good if there was a house fire or something, and I had to literally run out of the house, but it is canted towards the 300 mile trip I have to plan for. It's also got proper preps in - a windup radio, water tabs, etc, a tiny first aid kit - but that extra first aid kit is very detailed, and would definitely be helpful.

Looking forward to your next posts - I'm catching up at intervals, I'm afraid, but it sounds like its going really well for you.

Ha Ha! I'm having a ball! And I really value all the feedback! But my pack is an unashamed TEOTWAWKI pack, which should automatically cater for lesser eventualities. Even though atm, it's still too heavy. I'm going to have to jettison some gear, unless I can find a willing slave to carry half the stuff for me Maybe those decisions will make for another list!

Cheers, 2RM.

[diamond lil]

Arzosah I really like the sound of your BOB.

[Arzosah]

Thank you Lil, much appreciated