# Prepared?



## Hudson69 (Aug 16, 2010)

Hola all,
My new job has me travelling all over the State of Colorado, literally.  The only problem with this is the fact that I have to use a company car which is a Ford Explorer with 130K miles.

I cannot stock it up myself since there are three investigators that have access to it.  I am looking to put together a gear bag that is multi-seasonal that should have what I might need if I am halfway between Rangely and Meeker and the vehicle croaks or I go on an unprepared, snow initiated, off-road excursion.

Any ideas in this regard; it should be something that I can haul easily from car to car and my POV is fairly small (SX4).

Thanks


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## Bill Mattocks (Aug 16, 2010)

Hudson69 said:


> Hola all,
> My new job has me travelling all over the State of Colorado, literally.  The only problem with this is the fact that I have to use a company car which is a Ford Explorer with 130K miles.
> 
> I cannot stock it up myself since there are three investigators that have access to it.  I am looking to put together a gear bag that is multi-seasonal that should have what I might need if I am halfway between Rangely and Meeker and the vehicle croaks or I go on an unprepared, snow initiated, off-road excursion.
> ...



I'm from Colorado.  Winters on the Western slope can be brutal, as well as in the High Country.

In the bug-out bag:

Water, water-purification device or tablets, energy food, blankets, glow sticks, iron-oxide based heating devices, Sterno-style heat tabs, ways to make fire.  Lensatic compass (and know how to use it) with waterproof topo maps of the state and grease pencils to mark the maps.  Multipurpose knife/saw/ax/adz.  Rope, string, first-aid kit.  Flashers, flares, binoculars, polished steel mirror. Dry clean socks, polypropylene union suit. Spare boots are good to have, but take up room.

In the vehicle with you, within grab-reach:

Charged up cell phone (doesn't even have to be active, all cell phones can dial 911 regardless of active status).  GPS.  Lifehammer (http://www.lifehammer.com/).


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## jks9199 (Aug 16, 2010)

A spring-loaded centerpunch is a useful tool for breaking car windows with little or no force needed; the spring does the work so you don't have to swing it like a hammer.

You should be able to fit an emergency kit in a standard backpack, though I'd suggest getting one of the largish Camelbacks.  That way, the pack contains a way to carry water...  Bill's got a pretty good list above.  I'd say that any compass and reasonable maps will do; the lensatics just make some things easier.  But that's assuming you're planning on having to travel, rather than wait for rescue.  (Waiting is almost always the smarter course.)  A good machete is a great multi-use tool for cutting all sorts of stuff -- and it's cheap.  Heat sources are great -- but useless if you don't have a pan of some sort to heat with.  Easiest cheap expedient is a metal coffee can with a snap on lid -- and that can also serve to hold stuff in the kit.  Using Sterno cans for heat works -- but they can dry out if not used.  The dry solid fuel stuff lasts much longer.  Don't forget rain gear (an inexpensive poncho -- not the disposable super thin ones -- is what I'd recommend, but large trash bags make functional field expedient ponchos, too.)  One of the foil "space blankets" is good, two is even better.

In all seriousness -- look at the Boy Scout Camping and Emergency Preparedness merit badge handbooks.  They generally put a lot of really good information in the pamphlets -- and the reasons why.


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## Brian R. VanCise (Aug 16, 2010)

Great advice from both Bill and jks9199.  Not much else is needed but do not scrimp.  Instead make sure you have a bag that contains the necessary items particularly because of where you will be working. (cold, crazy winters)


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## Bill Mattocks (Aug 16, 2010)

Winters in the western states can be brutal.  One story that never left my mind from when I lived there:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...119&dq=air+force+cadets+carbon+monoxide&hl=en

Bottom line; if you can stay dry and warm and have a source of water, you can survive, generally by waiting to be found.  Everything else is good to have but less essential.  I like to be able to make clean water, fire, and stay warm no matter what circumstances I find myself in.  If I could only take one thing with me and had to survive with it until found, it would be a space blanket.  I can drink my...well, you know if I have to, but if I get hypothermia, game over.


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## Bill Mattocks (Aug 16, 2010)

jks9199 said:


> A spring-loaded centerpunch is a useful tool for breaking car windows with little or no force needed; the spring does the work so you don't have to swing it like a hammer.



I like it because it also has a little hook to cut nylon webbing.  Useful if caught in a belt that won't let go for any reason.

I saw it used on a Mythbusters episode; I had learned to love it when I was in law enforcement, but that just clinched it for me.


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## Bill Mattocks (Aug 16, 2010)

Also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bug-out_bag

Two great places to find this kind of stuff is military surplus stores and mountaineering stores.  The latter is more expensive, but the stuff they sell is often much lighter and therefore easier to carry.  But lots of places sell lots o'crap too.  I always check to see if other people are using it before I buy it for myself.  I'm not too much into name-brands or top kit, I just want stuff that works, and I don't mind humping a little extra weight, I'm a big guy.

A lot of the contents of the standard bug-out bag are common to everyone.  But some depends on what you're preparing for a deck of cards?  Some money, in cash or gold specie?  You get the idea; some people are survivalists preparing for _TEOTWAWKI _ and some are just planning to get found if their car breaks down while they're chasing bad guys in the Sierra McNasties.


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## Carol (Aug 16, 2010)

Bill Mattocks said:


> I like it because it also has a little hook to cut nylon webbing.  Useful if caught in a belt that won't let go for any reason.
> 
> I saw it used on a Mythbusters episode; I had learned to love it when I was in law enforcement, but that just clinched it for me.



ResQme's centerpunches that have the seat-belt cutter as well....and USA made, to boot.  I keep mine on my keychain.

http://www.amazon.com/ResQMe-Keycha...feHammer/dp/B000IE0EZO/ref=pd_bxgy_auto_img_b

Ditto on the Camelbak.  Also, try to pack a charger for your cell.

The other things that I would add is a small bottle of hand sanitizer and a roll of athletic tape.  I'm loathe to carry much in my backpack when I hike but those are two things I won't go without.  Athletic tape is strong and can tape up anything from a sprained ankle to a tent; sanitizer helps with hygiene and disinfecting minor scrapes.


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## Hand Sword (Aug 17, 2010)

LOL. Some sort of OFF spray (Right Carol??  )and sunscreen. MRE's if you can get some.


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## Blindside (Aug 17, 2010)

Instead of blankets I would suggest a decent sleeping bag, it compacts better in the trunk and will provide better warmth, with the downside of being less versatile.  

I carry mine in a backpack that I can toss from vehicle to vehicle as necessary, I would add some food as well.  I use two MREs and some canned food.


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## Bill Mattocks (Aug 17, 2010)

FYI, and purely coincidentally:

http://www.woot.com/

*Houdini Auto Escape Tool - 2 Pack*

*$7.99*



+ $5 shipping
                      Condition:NewProduct:                         2 Houdini 30100 Auto Escape Tool - Window Breaker, Seatbelt Cutter, Safety Whistle & LED Light                                              Here's a review:

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/02/06/houdini-automotive-escape-tool-review/


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## Blindside (Aug 17, 2010)

Oh, and light, light is good for signaling, and your own personal use.  My BOB/blizzard bag has a cheap LED flashlight and one of those hand crank flashlights, sort of cheesy but it has kept worked in the backpack now for about 8 years.  I don't regularly go through the BOB, it just gets tossed from one vehicle to another, and I have found the batteries on my LED flashlight dead at least once.


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## Catalyst (Aug 30, 2010)

*Medication Dependency (Necessity)*
If you're dependent on any type of Medication, you're most likely already carrying some on you. You may want to assess exactly how much you're carrying on your person and if that's enough to get you through any anticipated situations.


*Hygiene (Nice to have)*
1.) Pocket Pack of Kleenex / Individual Moist Towelettes
Depending on when you last ate and how long you're stranded, at some point you may need to answer nature's call to pass solid waste. A pocket pack of kleenex (15 tissues) can come in handy. It doesn't take up much space and doesn't weigh very much. A second usage for the kleenex is to shred and add to a tinder bundle if you have to make a fire and dry tinder is at a premium.

If you don't want to carry kleenex, you may want to include some individually wrapped moist towelletes - again, they don't weigh much and don't take up a lot of space. Purell makes an individually wrapped sanitizing towellette that you can get a box of 100 for less than $5.00. Just drop a few in a ziploc bag and put in your G.O.O.D. Bag. I like these since they're both pre-moistened and have sanitizer on them.

Otherwise, if you're stranded on a deserted road in the Rocky Mountains and your plan is to use leaves to wipe - make sure that you can identify poison ivy, poison oak, etc. so that you don't use them. Ouch !


Just some things to think about.


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