My cross-country GHB (Page 5 of 14)
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replace the thread in your sewing kit with dental floss, it's stronger and has more uses. I prefer the unwaxed kind, but thats just personal preference. Get some more P-cord in there if you can, 16ft isn't a lot, I'd want at least 25ft preferably 50ft. Braid it up and weave it through your extra PALS webbing on the outside of your pack. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. P cord just has to many dang uses. one bit of advice for your meds, make sure you have the expiration dates written on the bags as well as the dosage. I prefer to put all of that info on a little card that I slide into the bag because the ink will wear off the bag with time. I'd ditch the corban, the only time I've ever used it was as a barrier between an athletes hairy leg and the medical tape I used to stabilize their ankle. They just didn't want to lose the hair on their legs. I've found that the stuff isn't really worth carrying even though it weighs next to nothing. It tears to easily if you're using it to cover anything and don't cover it with another bandage (which you might as well use in it's place) Also if you need th nasal airways, you're pretty fucked. Any injury bad enough to require you to use one will mean that a person has other serious issues that would probably mean they're going to die later on. Having it in your kit isn't a bad thing, but if you're in a SHTF get home across country situation and you need to pull that out of your med pack the person might as well be DOA. As far as epi goes, if you're just carrying it for the sake of carrying it I'd reconsider it. EPI pens do not last that long and are a bit on the expensive side. Not to mention if you don't know when to admin it you can potentially kill someone. If you carry one, you need a second to admin another dosage because 1 in 3 people who have an anaphilactic reaction will need another dose later on to stop the reaction. Then again if you need to carry epi you know all that already. And if you're looking to save weight look at getting twinjects instead of epi pens, you kill 2 birds with one stone. Furthermore the lightest you'll get, and also the least painful, is to go with syringes and vials, also a smaller package, but if you don't know how to admin it, then DO NOT go this route because you need to know the dosage and more. Also make sure you NEVER put your thumb over anything on an epi pen, I've seen people shoot the needle straight through their thumb because they weren't careful. That needle is big too.... toss out the band aids, I never use them because unless you change them regularly it can make things worse and cause an infection to set in. the triple A ointment I'd swap out the one dose packets for a tube, Overall your kit looks pretty good. I kinda ragged you on your med kit, thats always something I'm very picky about. If you don't mind carrying extra kit, then by all means do so but be realistic with what you carry. I only take what I think will help in a situation, and realistically without advanced medical care in a SHTF situation some of the kit that people have will only delay the inevitable. The only things I'd consider adding to your med kit is an ACE wrap, 2 4x4 gauze, and irrigation syringe, a roll of gauze, and another cravat/bandana. I'm not quite sure what your iron on patch is for, but if it's something you have a use for then keep it in there by all means. My biggest advice for people putting together a first aid kit for SHTF is to look at what WEMT/WFR's carry. A lot of things can be improvised and a lot of their kit is multi use Your early warning kit is petty cool, I've never seen something like that before. Personally I think it's extra that you probably don't need but again your kit your choice. The only thing I think your kit is missing is something to treat water. |
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Thanks, I used to mail stuff ahead, but got out of the habit. I should probably start again. |
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There are tabs x 2 in the kit I have not had time to post on this thread much lately, too much work. It has changed a bit, for non-related reasons it is all completely low-pro now. Completely civilian ruck and clothes. No signature. I still think for an emergency, signalling to your team without throwing a huge signature to everyone is smart but for other reasons I need to be invisible, so my gear has changed. I'll be using it all for a few months straight in another culture, so when I'm done I'll give an AAR on what I learned. |
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Just spent a nice night in the mud under some bushes trying to stay awake and alert. What I learned is my clothing system alone is good for 40 degrees. I could sleep decent with no additions besides what I would wear in the winter. At 35 it started to get cold and add light rain and more important 20+ MPH winds and it started to get cold. Legs and feet were all that got cold but that is enough to make your whole body cold. Not bad but I was glad when I could move out and get to shelter. If had been trying to sleep it would have been uncomfortable, and for sure not sound, but I could have gotten some rest. I think with any ground insulation and I could have slept pretty well at 35 with wind. I have changed my clothing a little. I've gone with a hardshell over the top of everything and I had windproof fleece gloves, neck warmer, and hat. I have lightweight wool long underwear on also. If I had taken and deployed my pad or bag I would have been very comfortable. I'm thinking that full clothing system, jungle bag, and pad may take me to near 20 ok. |
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I was wearing some mountain hardware softshell pants. The problem was not the temp but the ground contact. I needed to lie fairly still and no matter what position I was in I had a good sized contact patch with the ground. With my upper body I was laying in a near empty day pack so I was fine. I like the MHW pants a lot as the more I do things the more I like windproof. I was wearing smartwool silk weight bottoms under them. In normal circumstances you would get a better choice of what ground to sleep on and could at least get some vegetation between you and the mud and dirt. In this case, the ground was not really of my choosing and I could screw around preparing it. I needed to just get in a spot which allowed me to see what I needed to see and lay there. I have an old surplus german folding pad that is pretty small and really thin, not a very good pad for sleeping on but perfect for this application, unfortunately I was too stupid to bring it. |
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I don't know anything about fishing, does it come in colors, how strong, and how thick? Trip wire needs to be not seen, and strong. |
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Thanks to whoever brought this thread back up. I was just thinking about it the other day. Reading through this reminded me that back in the early 1970s, I used to hitch hike back and forth to college on occasion, particularly if I ran out of gas money. I went to school about 200 miles away and it wasn't unusual to grab a ride each way over a weekend in just about any kind of weather. Did a lot of walking on back roads when rides were scarce. Even camped out in some abandoned farm houses and fields. I remember always have a pocket knife, some matches, a blanket and a few other things in a day pack. Sometimes went with just what I could carry in my pockets. Me and a buddy hitchhiked all the way from Michigan to Florida one time. It is amazing what was fairly common then, you would never even think to do now. And no, I wasn't a hippy. |
I prefer to use braided line as well for the applications we are discussing, Whether it be PowerPro or some other brand you can usually get it in dark green. The 80 and 100lb line I use for Grouper digging is thin, pliable and wickedly strong. It may not only trip you but it'll damn near cut your foot off :-) I keep about 50ft of it and about 50 ft of lower strength in all my bags. But even the lower strength stuff is lightyears ahead of thread for use in sewing/repair, lashing, tripwire and duh, fishing. For backpacking down here I carry a little ice-fishing rod wound with 20lb test green PowerPro. It's the same thickness as 6lb mono, which is pretty damn thin. So with a braid you get ridiculous strength, 3 times thinner than comparable mono, comes in several good colors, including green, white yellow and red, and is as pliable as thread. |
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Radio Shack 12VDC car adaptor with alligator clips: link Less than $8 |
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Just a thought, you could use Anderson Powerpoles for some of your Electrical/Ham gear. For example you could have one(or two if you need) male cigarette lighter plug that terminates with powerpoles, then you could connect it to the cord for the radio that has its cord terminate in powerepoles. By doing this you could both save space and have multiple possibilities for power connections(alligator clips, cigarette lighter) for multiple devices. I have done this with most of my HAM gear and it has save me more then a few times. Good place for Powerpoles: http://www.powerwerx.com/ This thread has really got me thinking about a lot of things a new way, Thanks, |
+1. for some details, see "DC power connectors / anderson powerpoles" and "notes on operating from batteries during SHTF" in the Ham Radio 101 thread: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=22&t=604477 both of the above posts are located towards the bottom of page 1. ar-jedi |
"Due to the special procedures performed by the Enigma machine, the solvability is so far removed from practical possibility that the cipher system of the machine must be regarded as virtually incapable of solution." -- German cryptographer, 1937
| One thing I was curious about, there does seem to be some redundancy here. I see 2 folding pocket knives, and 2 multi-tools. Is that just a backup? Seems like you have a backup of everything. |
Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom.
I carry two pocket knives pretty much all the time. As far as the multi tools one was a micro that was mostly for scissors and tweezers, I quit carrying it actually, as I changed jackets and didn't have a way to keep to all organized. I bought a really cheap multi tool and broke the blade off of it to see if TSA would let me through with it just as a tool. NO GO, they took it even though it no longer had a knife. A lot of stuff is backed-up if it is important enough. Some of it is from the fact that since I'm not on a military patrol I don't normally carry everything on my body that I would want and some of what I have on my body is not as good as I would want. But I want some capabilities on my body if I don't have my bags with me. |
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RAGNAR Great thread! You have been very polite and a true "quite professional" in answering everyones questions and comments. I am curious as to your set up now and know you are busy earning your cool guy pay, but when you do get the chance can you post the low profile updated gear list with pics. Thanks Rangers lead the way! |
| Great thread, I'm lookng foward to seeing pics of the new bag when you get the chance. |
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"All Arfcommers should wear thier multicam smoking jackets or jammies around the house in anticipation of JBT tasering/dog shooting/civil rights violation or the occasional impromptu gangbanger street theater." - m24sh
"All Arfcommers should wear thier multicam smoking jackets or jammies around the house in anticipation of JBT tasering/dog shooting/civil rights violation or the occasional impromptu gangbanger street theater." - m24sh
Umm... if you take a closer look at the hat in RAGNAR's kit and at his sig line, you might see that he's basing his expectations off of experience, not hypothosis. A pouch of tuna is a whopping 80 calories. Not something that'll make a significant difference one way or the other. A MRE peanut butter packet is 260 calories. I'm in WI. Fats in your food is a good thing in a cold environment. RAGNAR, have you considered adding hydration salts to your medical / comfort stuff? Bump. This thread is too good to fall off the radar. |
"Eventually, I managed to use the squirrel to break down the door..."
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I got the impression that some of this gear would be meaningless for ME to carry because I lack the training/experience/expertise to use it all. I think in the end, it seems that these bags are *personal*. So while you can get really good ideas from other people's stuff, you really do need to tailor it to your own needs. I'd probably have less first aid stuff. I took Combat Lifesaver's Course, that is the extent of my knowledge on first aid. Only thing I retained from that really was how to give IVs and thats pretty much it. And I dont' think many people are going to be carrying 2 bags of ringers lactate with them. Good stuff. I've tagged this and I'll be using it to figure out what I'll carry in my BOB. |
Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom.
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I figure this is the 3rd time I have read this entire thread through. Excellant thread with a whole lot of info in it. While I already knew about layers and already used layers to stay warm I have done more thinking about what I specifically am layering up and how different stuff works together. I now use less stuff in the backpack to stay warmer for the same length trip. Using what you have more intelligently means you can accomplish the same with less. Next step is accomplishing even more with less. Best statement in entire thread and one I would use for a sigline if I did not lean on gear so hard in some cases was, "skills trump gear." The more skills I get the more I realize the brain is the solution and everything else is just what is available to help you solve the problem quicker. I have a list of notes from the first and second time I read this thread, I added to it yet again with this 3rd reading. I still chuckle at some of the folks posting questions and comments that show they did not read the thread. I thought that stuff was for general discussion, but I guess 9 pages of good info is a lot to sit down and go through. In a week or so I will do it yet again though. |
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I was biking outside of Elpaso TX in the summer > 100+ temps and found a couple who had ran out of water/lost. They were in the shade of an abandoned ranger station. There was a Soda vending machine on the porch and it still had power to it but they had no change ? They had been there at least a few hours and the female couldnt walk at that point. I always carry 8 quarters wraped up in a few 1 dollar/ 5 dollar bills then taped tightly together and left in the botton of my Camel back. A few coins can save a life |
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Goods points. This is my bag, not yours. I'm not even sure it's right for me, let alone someone else! I should have time in the next few weeks to post about the changes I've made to it and the things I've been learning. As far as responding to others comments, even if I don't agree with you, it doesn't mean the comments are not helpfull to me and others reading the thread. Even to disagree thinking has to take place! Lately I've been leaving the radio at home but taking the night vision. I'm not sure if it a good trade-off, or if I should figure out how to have both. I have been reducing what is in the bag while increasing slightly what is in my other bags. So to have all my gear I would need my checked bags and once at location would need to go back to my hotel to have everything. |
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Thanks for responding to everyone. I had ANOTHER question for you. Where do you get all your nifty travel-size stick form stuff like the sunscreen, bug repellant, and anti-chafe stuff? I checked my local Walgreens and they had a very poor selection (although I did get a nice travel toothbrush). Also does anyone know of a place that sells the individual packs of Motrin, tylenol, and other types of meds like you carry? I know you just dump yours in zip lock bags, but I like the little packets for some odd reason. |
Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom.
www.minimus.biz/default.aspx |
"Eventually, I managed to use the squirrel to break down the door..."
Also you can check office stores(i.e. Office Max, Depot). They sometimes have them in boxes with the coffee and candy in the back. |
Marmot Garmsal http://marmot.com/fall_2007/equipment/packs/air_flow/garmsal green one good carry one bag, wish it was bigger but them it wouldn't be a carry on bag any more. |
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This site is great, thanks. I'm ordering up $20 worth of stuff, including getting some stuff for my wife. She likes it too. They dont' have suncreen or bug repellant in stick form tho. |
Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom.
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That site is great, thanks! |
"Heroes in war are nice, unfortunately most of them are dead"~ SGM Fortunato, USAR
Proud Member of "Ranstad's Militia"...The Fantastic Bastards
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I did and I'm beyond perplexed by what you posted. My first viseceral reaction is to respectfully ask you(and I fully intend on being polite here) to post some type of mini CV so I know what you base your info on. What you posted in here, now in 2008 is essentially 5 year old opinion garnered from reading 3-4 year old papers and internet discussion threads on anecdotal field reports about the first uses of 1st gen QC by Marines who were the first to field it. Firstly do you have papers/proof/evidence of QC induced MI/CVAs? It seems a tad counter intuituve that large granules(compared to RBCs)applied to an arterial bleed will move through the capillary bed and into the lungs, make it through there and continue on to obstruct coronary and cerebral perfusion. Eevn if there was a transection of the femoral vein that the QC gets sucked up into it'd end up as a PE not an MI pr CVA. Even if this really does occur(I'm doubtful) then the issue would be negated by QCs new formulation with much larger granules contained in a mesh bag. That also tells me again that you are working off very old info. How can you be teaching the masses if you are unaware that QCs new formulation is no longer loose powder in an evelope but a cooler. Also there are other brands out there(Celox, Woundstat, HemCon) yet you're content with a blanket statement. Bottom line is that QC(or any other hemostatic agent) is a tool in a box. When bleeding control is done poorly Also the exothermic reaction that was occuring was sometimes due to the fact that the QC was incorrectly applied, i.e. too much. I've read most of what I could get my hands on about it. From the original USN ONR 2002 paper on it with the heperanized swine study to more recent ones. As a Navy Corpsman who taught guys in my WPNS Co. first aid classes I can tell you they don't digest everything so poor initial use reports didn't surprise me at all. Especially when the reports documeted the incorrect applications.
Then don't make the blanket statement that they are "bad" as you say or dangerous. Tell "your" audience how to use them correctly. There really isn't a difference in the TQ usage in war vs civi. A gushing artery is a gushing artery and I want to make it stop. Otherwise, I'll let the below stand regarding your post on TQs.
What you've forgotten about TQs seems to be the basics. Again, I'd love to see your CV.... |
Licensed to kill gophers by the government of the United nations.
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REI has a lot of the same stuff. They also have little sticks of Bodyglide sunscreen + anti-chafing stuff. Haven't tried it but seems like a nice double duty idea. |
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I am new here, and This community forum is great. This particular thread is a home run. Here are some thoughts. I have a family of wife and five kids, 12 and younger. We are in the process of creating various survival kits for various senerios. Each 4x4 vehicle will have its own larger "move out to another location" kit of various things for living. Then each child gets his/her own pack with enough to get along for a few days should we have to go it on foot. I have been out of the military for a long long time, but not yet ancient, I still have the mind set to some degree, and so that helps, but a some of the lingo and accronyms are not sinking in. So here is something for us to think about. Lists for adults vs kids for the back packs. A list of acronyms and full names to explain what they mean for those of us just gearing up. A list of equipment and or sites and stores where the stuff can be bought or bartered. This was eluded to, but I am going to state it bluntly. I think we need to create regions and a network of contacts, and names, alias's if needed, so that if we need to group we can, or if anyone needs assistance in getting from point A to B, or home, a strategy can be had. Similar to the underground railroad. Also familar call signs of certain frequencys and laminated lists for travel when the phones go down. I know that if the time comes, we are once again going to have to act link red blooded Americans and stand together rather than be selfish, and I for once would be glad to do what I can to assist as a point of regional and locational reference for someone in survival transit. And any thing else that will help all of us to survive disaster, war, civil disrest, etc. Having said all of that, here is what I could provide to those who may need help, and due to the fact that I lost a lot of money this past year I can only do what I can do: navigation assistance in our area. a floor to sleep on if still here. a meal and water as long as we have food and water. inclusion to others thinking the same here. ammo to tide over if I think I can spare it etc. I can assist for a distance up and down (North and South) the I-81 corridor, and East and West on the I-70 corridor for a distance. Ther are other thoughts I have, but do not feel comfortable putting them out in public at this time. I still need a lot of supplies and radios but I will get there. If this list exist then I need to know where. This post is a bit fragmented. I am tired and I have 6 boys running through the house for my sons BD party. Tim |
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The problem with helping "strangers" with food or water is getting them to move along and keeping your preps a secret as well. You don't want every Tom, dick, and harry to know that you have food, they might come back and try and take it. It's a good idea in theory. There is the SF locator in the forum too, check that out and see how that suits your needs. As far as gear goes, local sporting goods store, military surplus story should have most of it. You might also check your local/state forum and see if you can link up with people in your area. |
Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom.
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Indeed, I agree. I am talking about those who are at the time, "prequalified" before anything happens, by the networking aspect. Sporting good stores will be looted and wipped out in very short order when something goes down. Just today the local shop sold 6 AR's in a hour. People are getting ready. Both the good and the bad. Tim |
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Point taken. I appologize if I kinda did some hi-jacking here. I was thinking to a point that a lot of BOB, and HGB cross country is cross country and requires many of the same items, and perhaps the same senerios. But I can easily start a new thread also. BTW-You certainly have me thinking outside the box, as I am preping to do some traveling for work. Thanks!! Tim |
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Tactical Aid First thing, you have to assume that the victim has multiple wounds and there are multiple victims, also you have limited or no ability to "secure" the site depending on where you are and your team size. As a lone operator I probably cannot move victims far as I am exposed while doing it and how many victims am I going to move? The best I can hope for is some kind of ability to "clear" an area for a short period of time and them maybe make a short victim movement. Most civil medical people NEVER see life threatening bleeding, they see scary bleeding, By the time formal aid givers have arrived in a civil situation people with life threatening bleeding are dead. When you are there when the wound happens a lot changes. Stopping life threatening bleeding is the priority, not airways, we'll get to them in 3-4 minutes when it matters, but airways won't matter if there is no red stuff left to carry the oxygen with. First, every extremity wound that looks life threatening is getting a tourniquet. 60 secs hands free with a prepared cravat tourniquet and 30 sec with a CAT. I need hands free as I need to treat others, and other wounds, and I need to be able to fight if the situation changes. Then bleeding that cannot be stopped with tourniquets are going to be packed. If that won't stop it then no choice but to go in and clamp. Once all the bleeding that will kill people is taken care of we'll work on airways. Nasal airways work on conscious and unconscious people. There will be no CPR given during tactical aid. If their heart is not working because of combat trauma, it's broken and can't be fixed. |
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| no problem, just didn't want to see it become everything about BOBs. As far as networks. I have mine and its based of off people that have been friends for years down to people I have met a few times. Everyone should have friends and friends-of-friends on thier travel routes, but you need to have all their contact info and probably have talked to them. |
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I ordered their book, not bad, not great either. Whats funny is I have basically been doing this stuff for 25 years but didn't ever think to go on the internet and talk about it. Whenever I see some giant abandoned building I can't help but go in it and explore! |
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thanks I'm going to try to rig some up and see how they work. making a little 8 AA pack to charge things off of also. I've been using this iGo charger for my phone and wanted to get everything to charge off of it but they don't have plugs for my digital camera and video camera, but maybe I should just make plugs for everything. |
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