[roosterjuicer]

When I first joined this site and blundered my way onto this particular part of the forum, to be quite candid, i thought ya'll were a little crazy. However, upon further review you do have a point.

I think in a disaster situation (hurricane Katrina for example), where the normal keepers of society cant or wont do their jobs, utilities are non existant, resources are scarce, and the crack runs out and people get irritable, you have to be prepared. So i just wanted to say, I am on board. So now its time to get prepared.

I am pretty well prepared defense-wise. I have a lot of shotguns, and a lot of bullets for the shotguns, although mostly hunting ammunition. I have a great hunting dog, so i think if i can get out of town, I can live off pheasants . I also have a few pistols and plenty of ammo. I also have an AR-15 and about 500 rounds for it. I have a red dot sight on there, but i have iron sights too. I also have a german shepherd for home defense.

My questions come up with non-defense needs. and when I cant get out of town. here's what Ive thought of already.

Water- (how many gallons is a good number?)
Water purification-(what are some good companies to look at?)
Food-MRE, canned goods (any other ideas?)
Sleeping bags, blankets, clothes, socks
tent
small propane stove-(how many bottles, any brands?)
an axe or hatchet
an assortment of other tools-(reccomendations for must haves)

what else should I have?

what about keeping the dogs alive? or does the cost of the dogs outweigh the benefit of the dogs?

[Shotgun Shooter]

I'm no expert on survival and the such. But I just had to touch on the dog thing.

A dog devotes their life to be with you. I wouldn't go anywhere without my dog in a SHTF situation. Hes been with me since I was 4. I am now 18. So, I personally would sacrifice a few things in order to get dog food.

How big of water drums can you get ahold of?
If you're not limited to space, you can use those hawaiian punch 1 gallon bottles. I've got 3 in my room and each of them cost 1.97.

S.S.

[dunerunner]

You can run a small DC electric pump through a charcoal house filtration system off of either solar, wind, vehicle or human power into five gallon poly containers. Treatment for micro-bugs can come later. Dry clothing (food savers work great for this), shelter, sleep sacks for your bags, good knives and axes, a couple of solar panels or an automotive alternator that can be used to build a water or wind electrical system and a couple of batteries are a must. Have MRE's on hand in the event you have to bug out on foot, canned food if you can get out by vehicle. Weapons that you have plentiful ammunition for or your favorite .22 if you're on foot. By all means take the dog, if worse comes to worse; well have you ever seen the movie 'Little Big Man'?

[orangello]

Solar Powered Battery Charger VW/Audi & Other Makes - eBay (item 220371966526 end time Mar-08-09 12:53:34 PDT)

I've been toying with the idea of picking up a couple of these for alternative electricity, but they don't put out much juice. They are darn cheap though designed to keep a 12v charged; when the fuel runs out, there should be plenty of car batteries around to run radios, lights, or water pumps. I have wondered, for peeps in really rural areas, if the plastic barrels from car washes could be cleaned for water storage.

Having heard the Katrina stories from all of my relatives in MS, it seems worth a bit of preparedness. They all have generators now.

[sgtdeath66]

Originally Posted by roosterjuicer

When I first joined this site and blundered my way onto this particular part of the forum, to be quite candid, i thought ya'll were a little crazy. However, upon further review you do have a point.

I think in a disaster situation (hurricane Katrina for example), where the normal keepers of society cant or wont do their jobs, utilities are non existant, resources are scarce, and the crack runs out and people get irritable, you have to be prepared. So i just wanted to say, I am on board. So now its time to get prepared.

I am pretty well prepared defense-wise. I have a lot of shotguns, and a lot of bullets for the shotguns, although mostly hunting ammunition. I have a great hunting dog, so i think if i can get out of town, I can live off pheasants . I also have a few pistols and plenty of ammo. I also have an AR-15 and about 500 rounds for it. I have a red dot sight on there, but i have iron sights too. I also have a german shepherd for home defense.

My questions come up with non-defense needs. and when I cant get out of town. here's what Ive thought of already.

Water- (how many gallons is a good number?)
Water purification-(what are some good companies to look at?)
Food-MRE, canned goods (any other ideas?)
Sleeping bags, blankets, clothes, socks
tent
small propane stove-(how many bottles, any brands?)
an axe or hatchet
an assortment of other tools-(reccomendations for must haves)

what else should I have?

what about keeping the dogs alive? or does the cost of the dogs outweigh the benefit of the dogs?

well to start, water how much is enough- depends how many people
purification- dont know about that
you got the food thing figured but i would say go with mre's therefore you wont need a can opener
sleeping bags- depends on your climate if it gets cold then a nice -30 bag is wise to keep on hand, clothes arent that important to bring cuz you can wash your clothes when you bath in a creek or pond. but socks are a must, you need to keep your feet clean and dry to avoid "jungle rot" which could kill you in one form or another
dont know about propane cookers, my thought is keep matches and a magnesium striker. fires will keep your moral up higher than a mini stove will and provide heat.
i would go with a hatchet, maybe one with a saw in the handle. i think gerber make one. and always always bring a pocket knife and a fixed blade atleast 6 inches long.
as for the dog dont bring alot of food for him, just enough to feed him for a day, what ever you kill he can have as well. also a few high calorie bars wouldnt hurt either

[bkt]

Originally Posted by roosterjuicer

When I first joined this site and blundered my way onto this particular part of the forum, to be quite candid, i thought ya'll were a little crazy. However, upon further review you do have a point.

I think in a disaster situation (hurricane Katrina for example), where the normal keepers of society cant or wont do their jobs, utilities are non existant, resources are scarce, and the crack runs out and people get irritable, you have to be prepared. So i just wanted to say, I am on board. So now its time to get prepared.

I am pretty well prepared defense-wise. I have a lot of shotguns, and a lot of bullets for the shotguns, although mostly hunting ammunition. I have a great hunting dog, so i think if i can get out of town, I can live off pheasants . I also have a few pistols and plenty of ammo. I also have an AR-15 and about 500 rounds for it. I have a red dot sight on there, but i have iron sights too. I also have a german shepherd for home defense.

My questions come up with non-defense needs. and when I cant get out of town. here's what Ive thought of already.

Water- (how many gallons is a good number?)

Between 1 and 3 gallons per day per person, depending on where you live and what level of activity.

Originally Posted by roosterjuicer

Water purification-(what are some good companies to look at?)

Berkey is good. Water purification tablets are a must. Boiling water will do in a pinch.

Originally Posted by roosterjuicer

Food-MRE, canned goods (any other ideas?)

Split peas, lentils, beans and rice store easily and keep for a very long time. Flour, sugar, oil/lard.

Originally Posted by roosterjuicer

Sleeping bags, blankets, clothes, socks
tent

If you want ideas on surviving outside the home, do a search for "survival kit" on this forum.

Originally Posted by roosterjuicer

small propane stove-(how many bottles, any brands?)

As many as you like/can carry.

Originally Posted by roosterjuicer

an axe or hatchet

An axe AND a hatchet AND a folding camp saw. Firewood comes in handy when your propane bottles run out.

Originally Posted by roosterjuicer

an assortment of other tools-(reccomendations for must haves)

Rope, knives, compass, maps...the list goes on. Do that search for "survival kit" and you'll see plenty of ideas contributed by many folks here.

Originally Posted by roosterjuicer

what about keeping the dogs alive? or does the cost of the dogs outweigh the benefit of the dogs?

Dogs are outstanding alarm systems and deterrents. Keep your dog around. They can eat all sorts of things, including those parts of animals you hunt that you'd maybe rather not eat.

[roosterjuicer]

great post bkt very helpful, thanks a lot

[CA357]

Don't forget a basic First Aid kit. Keep regular plain ol' bleach on hand for water purification as well. Rotate it out though, because it has a finite shelf life. Make sure you have any meds that you may need for you & yours and your dog too.

Make sure you have personal hygiene items as well. Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and razors at minimum. You'll feel better if you keep up your hygiene.

I'd suggest you do some internet surfing. You'll find more lists and information than you'll be able to stand. Once you have the information you can better decide what you need and what is important to you.

I will withhold comment about abandoning your dog.

[roosterjuicer]

let me make it clear that I dont want to abandon my dogs...i like them more than my fiance sometimes

however, if things get really bad, when every pound you are lugging along and every ounce of food and calorie consumed is extremely important, its an important issue to determine.

[CA357]

That's a horse of a different color.