Why I'm here.

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Thought I would post a blurb about what brought me here, and why I consider myself a beginning prepper.

I have been I guess a closet prepper for a few years now. I openly discuss it with the other few people who will be at the BOL if anything happens. We have been doing prepping activities pretty much our whole lives, canning, hunting, foraging (mushrooms and fruit really) raising cattle and chickens and rabbits, gardening. Whenever work and travel allowed me to do it, anyway.

So I always have it in the back of my head. I don't live in fear, but I try to plan ahead, you know?

So as part of that, I took my BOB, with my base pack setup and an extra 25 pounds of food, beer, and baileys, and took the pistol (loaded, with 2 extra mags) and the AR (unloaded, NO ammo) and in the beginning of December I took a 3 day, 2 night trip. I walked, through woods, no trails just right out overland for a little under 8 miles, set up camp, spent a day doing whatever, and then fully loaded with pack and rifle, just bushwacked around and did stuff.

And it was a real wake up call. The pack was poorly adjusted, and destroyed either my hips, or my neck and shoulders. The rifle clunked around and got caught on everything. This was serious woods now, some spots I got into all I could do was fall over, stand up, and then fall forward again. Crouching under fallen trees, crawling, all of the good stuff.

And I suffered. I didn't have any gear failures, but it was not a walk in the park. I really felt like with some changes, I could perform better.

One thing was obvious, if there was an emergency, and I was going to have to go anywhere on foot, carrying my gear, and extra food for the wife and daughter and dog, and the rifle and extra ammo, and possibly wearing armor... it doesn't look good. Not right now.

And my base pack, it is nice lightweight stuff. My basic setup without food or water or gun stuff is 25 pounds.

Now leaving on foot is clearly my worst option. We have vehicles, and I maintain them. But for now, I am concentrating on a worst case scenario. I need to get into the nuts and bolts of getting the most bang for the buck when it comes to food weight, and I need to get familiar with not just shooting, but carrying the rifle, adopting it and the weight of the pack into my normal routine. I want some offensive and defensive tactics that allow me to keep the pack on, and stay mobile. And keep my head under stress, and just make it all work properly when the time comes. I know no battle plan survives first contact, but I'm searching around trying to do my best to not just instantly face plant if I actually have to do some of these things when it matters.

So I'm beginning. I look at this as stage one.

I picked this site basically because it seemed like it had the fewest things I was looking to avoid.

 

[Brent S]

Thought I would post a blurb about what brought me here, and why I consider myself a beginning prepper.

I have been I guess a closet prepper for a few years now. I openly discuss it with the other few people who will be at the BOL if anything happens. We have been doing prepping activities pretty much our whole lives, canning, hunting, foraging (mushrooms and fruit really) raising cattle and chickens and rabbits, gardening. Whenever work and travel allowed me to do it, anyway.

So I always have it in the back of my head. I don't live in fear, but I try to plan ahead, you know?

So as part of that, I took my BOB, with my base pack setup and an extra 25 pounds of food, beer, and baileys, and took the pistol (loaded, with 2 extra mags) and the AR (unloaded, NO ammo) and in the beginning of December I took a 3 day, 2 night trip. I walked, through woods, no trails just right out overland for a little under 8 miles, set up camp, spent a day doing whatever, and then fully loaded with pack and rifle, just bushwacked around and did stuff.

And it was a real wake up call. The pack was poorly adjusted, and destroyed either my hips, or my neck and shoulders. The rifle clunked around and got caught on everything. This was serious woods now, some spots I got into all I could do was fall over, stand up, and then fall forward again. Crouching under fallen trees, crawling, all of the good stuff.

And I suffered. I didn't have any gear failures, but it was not a walk in the park. I really felt like with some changes, I could perform better.

One thing was obvious, if there was an emergency, and I was going to have to go anywhere on foot, carrying my gear, and extra food for the wife and daughter and dog, and the rifle and extra ammo, and possibly wearing armor... it doesn't look good. Not right now.

And my base pack, it is nice lightweight stuff. My basic setup without food or water or gun stuff is 25 pounds.

Now leaving on foot is clearly my worst option. We have vehicles, and I maintain them. But for now, I am concentrating on a worst case scenario. I need to get into the nuts and bolts of getting the most bang for the buck when it comes to food weight, and I need to get familiar with not just shooting, but carrying the rifle, adopting it and the weight of the pack into my normal routine. I want some offensive and defensive tactics that allow me to keep the pack on, and stay mobile. And keep my head under stress, and just make it all work properly when the time comes. I know no battle plan survives first contact, but I'm searching around trying to do my best to not just instantly face plant if I actually have to do some of these things when it matters.

So I'm beginning. I look at this as stage one.

I picked this site basically because it seemed like it had the fewest things I was looking to avoid.

Actually testing the things you accumulate for prepping is really smart. What good is the most expensive gadget if it doesn’t work for you? I have often thought that if I had to go it on foot that I would have to drop 90% of the gear in the first ten miles. I came up with a multi bag plan a while back. One bag has my essentials, the others have things I want but could live without. If I get too tired or have to move faster then I can lighten the load some.

 

[TexasFreedom]

I have to ask, where are you going? If things fall apart, do you have a bug out location? Or are you going to roam on and on until you get lucky & find somewhere? As Brent said, testing your gear is a great idea. But to what end?

I know many people start 'prepping' just thinking they'll live in the woods & live off the wildlife. It's a start, but it's a horrible plan.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

I'm going to a rural BOL. It's well stocked, and assuming I can get there, there would be between 6 to possibly ten of us, depending on who can make it. Some of us are a bit far flung. I don't have intention of roaming, if it can possibly be helped. I have a family, and my parents and one of my sons live within a few miles of the BOL.

In another post, I explain that I am doing test runs on time/difficulty in getting to the BOL by different routes.

TexasFreedom, I am really just taking the actual routes I have selected, to see if they are feasible, given the wife and daughter will be with me. I mean, I have to face the fact that some things just might not work. The daughter is a beast in the outdoors, though. I think I could put her in the canoe, describe the end take out, and she would end up there. She makes me proud!

I grew up hunting and fishing, and poor. I know I am not going to head out and shoot an endless supply of delicious animals.

So there are more options driving, but just on the off chance that couldn't happen, I really feel like I should take the water route (more detail in my scenario post) and then the foot route. That foot route, though... man, what a hike. No joke.

 

[simpleman]

Sounds to me you are doing a pretty good job at getting ready, even better than a lot of "preppers" I know. I may be wrong but it seems to me that anything you do to prepare, whether it works or not, is something to learn from and not a mistake! The Wife and I have a BOL we can drive to but depending on what is happening it could be cut off 10 to 15 miles away, depending on route, and hearing what you did has me thinking that we should try hiking it for the "just in case" also. Good Luck with all that you do!

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Thanks. Good luck to you and yours as well!

 

[Gazrok]

One thing was obvious, if there was an emergency, and I was going to have to go anywhere on foot, carrying my gear, and extra food for the wife and daughter and dog, and the rifle and extra ammo

Have the wife, daughter, and the dog carry their own stuff! Seriously, get them packs too!

Don't pack as much food and drink, rely more on a filter straw for drink, and on hunting, fishing, gathering more for food (and pack lighter food).

The rifle will be a pain in the butt, but maybe if you had a pack that kept it straight vertically?

The water route has the added bonus of not having to carry stuff, and the ability to take MORE stuff. (probably quicker too)

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

The water route has the added bonus of not having to carry stuff, and the ability to take MORE stuff. (probably quicker too)

Absolutely. My wife has a kayak, and I have a pack raft that could hold even more. Way quicker than on foot.

I have a waterproof DIY soft case for the rifle, that I can attach to my main pack, or carry on a sling, but I need to get used to carrying it. If the situation didn't require me having it right in my hands, I would pack it.

 

[Psalm7]

I keep several types of web geat M.O.L.L.E and A.L.I.C.E . also several types of back packs , ruck sacks and other load bearing equipment. One thing I recomend is set up Your gear like You want it then go for a hike , camping or do a little yard work be active wearing it . That shows You how it works and stuff You need to adjust on it . I prepp to Home Stead but keep field gear for patrol's and hunting gathering excursions. I also keep gear in My vehicle for a get home kit .

 

[Gazrok]

I would think the pistol would be fine for needing a weapon quick at hand. If you have distance to range for the AR, you have time to get it off your back.

Pack raft is a GREAT idea....

 

[Robinjopo1]

I have a huge duffle bag of emergency stuff that will definitively take 2 people to carry. I dont have a bol, but some would call my existing home one.

85 year old mother, special needs son, (nothing physically wrong with him) just mental. So I'll just be hunkering down. I'm pretty well prepared. Surrounded by water which is the most important element of survival.

 

[Psalm7]

I prepp as a homesteader self sufficient from modern convenience if need be . I keep get home bags in My vehicles and patrol bags and web gear for their purpose . As far as bug out it would be grabbing one of them and going . Travel light with basic survival gear . If something has ran You out of Your Home then obviously You need defensive measures. Trekking across Country carrying a heavy pack until the clothes rott off My back leaving Anyone that cant keep up or being left because I cant keep up doesn't sound like a plan to survive. I focus on making My current location My prepp .

 

[Brent S]

I have a huge duffle bag of emergency stuff that will definitively take 2 people to carry. I dont have a bol, but some would call my existing home one.

85 year old mother, special needs son, (nothing physically wrong with him) just mental. So I'll just be hunkering down. I'm pretty well prepared. Surrounded by water which is the most important element of survival.

My wife couldn’t travel either, so it would take a lot for me to abandon the homestead too. About all that would get me to leave would be a nuke plant accident or something similar. Trucking thru the wilderness isn’t really an option anymore. Not to say that I wouldn’t run off into the woods a little ways to survive, and take careful aim at any intruders....

 

[Gazrok]

Oh I'd leave, but poison everything I left behind.

Then, come back later, burn the bodies and clean up, and make and plant new stuff.

I'm a vindictive little bastard....