Armageddon, wait! I have to find my gear!

[cmiller683]

So here's the deal. Us common folk don't have the storage space nor the money to have a room full of oh-shit gear. We don't have Rubbermaid Totes full of food, guns and ammo. Our SHTF gear is used every month, if not every day.

I have a single tote in my closet for when a hurricane hits. It has 6 gallons of water and enough food for a week for two, at most. All my camping gear and knives are stores in shoe-box-size rubbermaid's in my office or in a large rubbermaid in the garage. My gun stuff is stored in my bedroom closet in an old wooden tool-chest.

I have a pretty good handle on where everything is. I have a Camel-Bak for my EDC bag, and pack it accordingly. Whatever isn't packed is in a labeled rubbermaid.

What about ya'll? Do you have a B.O.B. full of stuff that you'll never use unless it starts raining fire (so, you'll never really use it)? Do you keep a basement full of rations and ammo? What is your S.O.P?

Just curious, in case I can improve my own setup.

CMiller

[kalikraven]

I'm in hurricane country so I have a bunch of food/water stocked up. I also have a genny and 7 5 gallon gas cans that get filled when a storm is brewing. 3 tanks for the gas grill with two allways full, and I stocked on charcole briqettes kept in airtight containers in the garage. I also have enuff ammo to protect myself and family for a while. More importly I'm not the only one in the house that knows how to use a gun. My wife and stepson shoot with me and my stepdaughter has on occasion also.

You don't want to run into an emergency and then figure out that your missing something, that's whay it's called "preparedness."

[PA PATRIOT]

Ton's of cash are not needed to build separate home and mobile SHTF kits, Since most Home front operators don't need exotic high dollar gear for that what if event good lower cost practical gear made by Eagle and Black hawk will fill the bill. Food stores can be built over time on only a few dollars a week when shopping at local low cost food stores like Aldi's or Food Basic's but knowing what long term food items to buy is the key. I use three decent sized totes that are sturdy with handles and clasp closers, the first covers basic food and sanitary needs for four people for two weeks. The second covers clothing, rain gear,compact thermal blankets and a basic large tarp shelter if forced into the out doors. The third holds simple tools, rope, cooking and collapsible water storage and purification items. Add a sleeping bag per person and your mostly set for a short term bug-out at a cost most can afford.

[High Desert]

You dont need a lot of extra dollars or storage space to lay away some food. The Mormans have a lot of free litature on squirreling away a years supply of food on a budget.

"Eat what you store, store what you eat."

With all the unemployment going on, extra food is just more insurance for bad times in my opinion.

HD

[arizonaranchman]

I live in a rural area in the mtns far from the nearest city. I have a generator, well and septic system, so those are taken care of. Also have a 250 gallon propane tank for the house. With these cooking, etc is not threatened by a cut-off of the grid. I focus on canned food regularly so the supply of that is above normal. I have a small solar set-up that will run a light and a one or two other small items in the evening.

Be sure to have lots of batteries (rechargable preferred - use a solar set-up to keep them charged) and a good radio so you can monitor events.

Any flashlites, etc that use bulbs are LED types to conserve on battery power.

Have a portable high quality water filter in case you have to go on the move and water quality is quesionable.

[carshooter]

Keeping your gear separated and sort of pre packed like you do is an excellent idea. While it may not be dedicated gear, as long as you store it in the same place after use, you still know where it is to grab and go in an emergency.

It doesn't take much planning or preparation to be ahead of most with food and water, just stock your home pantry a little deeper by buying extra of what you normally use.

[HES]

I live in Hurricane country. My family and I also camp a lot. We are also heavily involved with the scouts. So we use our stuff all the time. We keep our supplies in 6 of these storage boxes (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Contico-Storage-Locker/2476189?findingMethod=rr)* that we picked up from Walmart neatly stacked in the garage. If the SHTF, First thing to get loaded are the guns and ammo. Then I take the stuff in the pantry, throw it into two empty boxes, load the 6 boxes, two spare propane tanks, the pre-packed ruck sacks, the tents, and load it into the truck. We also fill up the water cans, throw them into the truck too and within 45 minutes to an hour we are gone. If need be we can forget the food and water and be able to beat feat out of the area in 10 minutes. All of these supplies have been built up bit by bit over the years. So total value is high, but immediate expenditures were low.

* = These boxes are pretty damned good. Flimsy when unloaded, solid when loaded and locked. Cheap at about $17 each. Big enough to hold what you need it too, but small enough to keep you from overloading it to the point to where you can't carry it.

[Huntindoc]

My true>SHTF gear it stored in a very large tote with wheels, handles and shoulder strap. It is a large, soft sided Cabelas bag with the hard bottom case about the size of a footlocker. Much of the gear in it never gets used but occasionally I do use something out of it for camping. I just put it back when I get home. I am still building it but it it mostly done. I call it my bug out bag and has emergency rations water as well as water purifying stuff for my whole family.

About the only other thing that frequently comes out of the bag that I need to put back in is the emergency radio. It is a wind up/battery/solar powered one with NOAA alert feature.

[arbninftry]

Very few people can actually afford long term, and I mean long term SHTF support. Phila PD (& Marshall Dodge) (read his other posts on other threads) hit the nail on the head. Prep one can at a time, you eat what you store, store what you eat. If you live someplace you will bug out from, like I do. (El Paso TX, will not be a long term WTF place for me). Remember you can have all the crap in the world to survive forever, but do a load plan, rehearse a movement plan and look at actually doing a rehearsel with everyone. I had a chicita, told her we were going camping a few hours away, said lets go she was all excited to go, well lets say she really had no sense of urgency. So my rehearsal, was a learning experience. When it is all said and done, who and what you take is really important, who you will call is also important (will you wait for them??). Also, when you pack out, it will take longer than you believe it will. I can live in shit standing on my head for two years, (did it living with Iraqis x 2) but the people around you will have tears in their eyes over what freakin boots to take. Point is rehearse, and include all in the plan, whether they know it or not.

[chubs]

My current (slowly building up) setup is not unlike your own. Ammo, along with med supplies, is stored in shoebox size rubberware. My bed sits up off the ground, so that is where I currently stow most of that. I have three BOBs that will make their way into vehicles. I'm currently compiling the rest of the supplies for them, but as it stands it'll just have basic rain, fire and personal defense gear. Just enough to stay dry, warm and hydrated. One currently stays in my trunk and the other are sitting in my closet for easy access.

[Baldy]

I have similar concerns as the OP as well as a few more. My biggest three are #1 not being near all of the stuff I prepared , #2 If your whole plan hinges on bugging out, what if you can not get there, and #3 Long term. These may seem like questions rather than concerns but if my plans are similar, what are the contingencies? I am not saying don't prepare but what if you can not reach your supplies or your designated BOL? Especially those who do live in an urban area, you will not be, by a long shot, the only ones who are headed for the hills. Long term? This seems to be the toughest nut to crack. Eventually the hordes will find us and our supplies and outnumber us hundreds to one. They will most likely scrape the ground clean of any living thing edible on it. So how do you prepare, plan, defend, plant, and live effectively without being noticed or at least evacuating to a location or area that is not the first or even second place everyone else will logically head to. Even in a short term event, people will naturally move from the high population areas they are in to where you are. My point in this is to see what people have thought of that I have not, or is it really just a gamble?