Preparedness for when

GreyQueen

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

So £18 a pair?



EDIT: I'm having second thoughts about the wind up radio.

It weighs 10.6oz (300g). :eek:

Does anyone know of a lightweight (around 5oz/150g or lighter) one?

Alternatively, does anyone know of a radio which operates on button cells?

Shoulda known to be more careful around the witty prepsters on this thread. That's £4.50 each to you, Bob.:rotfl:Everyone else can have two for £9.

I have a small windup radio which weighs 3.5 oz inc its headphones but it is FM only and those stations are on pre-sets. I have a vague recollection of reading somewhere that it is the AM channel which would be used for broadcasting info in an emergency situation, so I'm treating it as a leisure toy and keeping my eyes peeled for a micro AM/FM radio, even if it meant using batteries rather than wind-ups.

It wasn't expensive, about £6 I think. It was bought in an indy hardware store and I cannot recall the brand off the top of my head but I'll mosey by there tomorrow if I remember and get it for you.

**************

My grab-and-go bag is heavily weighted towards getting out of my tiny city centre flat in the event of an emergency such as flood or gas explosion (we've had both).

The idea is that it contains enough to support me in reasonable comfort in a community centre sheltering arrangement or enough to get out of Dodge in a hurry and head towards family; on foot, pushbike or public transport. It's heavily-weighted towards the assumption that I won't be hiding in the woods, but there is a second and larger bag with the camping equipment beside it, and it would be a fast move to grab that as well/ tranship the contents.

It's very much a work-in-progress but here is what there is so far (all in a 35 litre daypack lined with a heavy-duty PVC dry-bag btw).

Clothing (because I may be bugging out as we Shoeboxers did once before, when there was a gas exposion and fire, and the fire brigade was banging on doors in the middle of the night, ordering everyone to get out NOW!). I'm assuming if a similar thing occurs, I may be running out the door barefoot in my jammies with only a few seconds notice.

Clothes;
1 pair lightweight technical fabric trousers.
1 longsleeved technical fabric top.
1 black microfleece top.
Several pairs knicks and socks.
1 pair black longjohns
1 black longsleeved thermal vest top.
A Buff (brandname for a tube of stretchy fabric which can serve as a scarf/ hat and a 1001 other things).

By technical fabrics I mean synthetics which don't hold water and weigh very little. The trousers and top I got from a c.s. cheaply. The sleeved top was a man's so although it otherwise fitted, the sleeves had to be shortened a couple of inches.

The longjohns and longsleeved vest are very very warm and could go under main clothes or be used as pjs if I needed to wash thru the outer clothes. Have done similar when on long backpacking trips. All the clothes are sealed in Webtex ziploc plastic bags for extra protection.

In additon, but not able to fit into this BOB, is an unlined very lightweight GoreTex jacket with huge and very useful pockets, in a nondescript olive drab (good for both urban and rural lurking) with a pair of socks in its pocket and a pair of hiking trainers. They are in a separate mesh bag attached to the BOB.

Reasoning; I flee in jammies, barefoot in middle of the night, clutching bag. Stop at a safe distance, add jacket, socks and trainers over jammies, and am decent and warmish. Can dress properly later on from contents of bag.

Water; a pattern 58 water bottle, sitting in the crusader aluminium cup, with the hexa stove to fit, all nestled into a pouch. You can cook in the crusader cup. Pouch is plain black, as my army surplus wallah had some which had been readied for the police or summat. Holds everything together neatly and some room in there for extras like water puri tabs.

Note to self; this hasn't got a strap and I'm far too shortwaisted to wear military style belts. Will be getting a strong nylon carry strap from a cheapy bag and adding that, if I ever need to carry it separately.

Plus an empty Platypus water bottle, rolled up and secured with a ponytail band. I've travelled all over the world with these bottles and they're fab. You can even put hot water in them and use them as HWB.

Small folder holding all the vital documents, in another ziploc bag.

My medications (enough for a month).*

Spare pair of spectacles * in my current prescription, in a strong but very lightweight case, with microfibre cleaning cloth.

Cash.
A Petzl headtorch and 2 packs AAA batteries to fit it.
A small handcranked torch.
A small tin holding a USB stick with backups of my computer files. (Paper copies of everything needed for an insurance claim are at the parental home).
Waterproof notebook and pens/ pencils.
A map of my region cannibalised from a cheapy road atlas and laminated front and back with stickyback plastic. Takes up almost no room and weighs very little.
Bag of peanuts, bag of dried apricots, some breakfast bars.
Coupla small cans of sardines.
Knife, fork and spoon set.
Emergency shelter bag - Karrimor brand.
Small first aid pouch.
Hank of paracord and safety pins esp nappy pins.

Washbag incorporating a small mirror containing the basic toiletries, plus antibac gel, a cloth eyeshade (very useful if needing to sleep in overlit places) and a universal bath plug.

For those who haven't had the pleasure, a universal bath plug is a rubber plug with an oversized flange which can be held over any size of plughole by the weight of the water. It turns any kind of sink into one where you can have a stripwash or wash out a few clothes. Has saved my bacon many a time - camping shops have them.

Apart from the rucksack's own raincover which lives in the top pocket of the ruckie and very small microfibre towel that's it.

This isn't intended for camping out in the woods but urban situations. The other ruckie contains an ultralight backpacking tent, sleeping bag with silk liner, closed cell foam mat. I have additonal stuff like stoves and hexamine but can put them together in a hurry.

My everyday carry includes another torch, the mobile charger, swiss army knife, emergency sewing kit and extra meds, plus a small first aid kit and some ladies' monthly supplies. Each of my keyrings has a few extras like can openers, torches and whistles.

* These two items are the essentials; my medication is the only thing between me and the Grim Reaper and I'm so ruddy shortsighted without the glasses that I'd be a danger to myself and others. Everything else I can improvise, but not those two.

I also have the knife from my bushcraft course which is most definately classifiable as an offensive weapon. It has a hank of paracord on its plastic scabbard and can be worn around the neck under clothes, which keeps it with you always and out of the way.

Needless to say, if I felt it necessary to carry such a knife, I'd be considering the risks of needing it far outweighed the risks of being caught with it and prosecuted. We're talking real zombie apocalypse territory, it's not something I'd tool around the city with; I'm a middle-aged woman not Ramb0.

Well, having everything out of the bag has proved instructive and I've thought of one of two things I want to change a bit. In this type of situation space and weight are important.

I once repaired someone's glasses on holiday using the wire from inside a twisty-tie (threaded thru the hole where the screw had dropped out) and they serve multiple uses. As do large safety pins - I have some which were used on me back in the 1960s. With some cord and safety pins you have a washing line.

Righty, going to take a teabreak, take some notes and repack the bag ready for overnight and make a few changes over the next few days.

[Deleted User]

Perplexed_Pineapple wrote: »

Bedsit Bob's kit is all sensible but then you have more of a medical kit than a first aid kit really

Bare in mind, that kit is in my BOB, and is meant for circumstances where medical assistance may be some time coming.

My car kit is the standard one.

depends what you want and how much you can carry.

My BOB 1st Aid kit is roughly 7"x4.5"x4.5" and weighs 15oz. I consider it to be worth every ounce.

Bedsit Bob, thank you for posting the contents of your BOB, it looks like an excellent reference for new BOB planners

No problem. Glad to be able to help.

[Deleted User]

GreyQueen wrote: »

keeping my eyes peeled for a micro AM/FM radio, even if it meant using batteries rather than wind-ups.

I'd settle for a battery radio, if it takes button batteries.

AAs are too heavy.

I can carry 30 AG12 Button Cells, for the same weight as a pair of AA batteries.

GreyQueen

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

I'd settle for a battery radio, if it takes button batteries.

AAs are too heavy.

I can carry 30 AG12 Button Cells, for the same weight as a pair of AA batteries.

Yeah, a teeny-tiny radio would be great, I really hope someone reading can signpost the rest of us towards one.

One thing I forgot to mention is that I have a tiny compass designed to fit over your watchstrap, only £1.99. Sweet little thing. It's a case in some situations that if there was widespread destruction of built landmarks in an urban environment (people had trouble after Hurricane Katrina) a small compass can be useful to orient yourself and move towards the desired direction.

I've always been a bit nerdy and liking to know where the compass points are (hometown is s.w. of this city, f'rinstance). This city has some tall buildings which are helpful landmarks and I know where they are in relation to other things.

Navigation by tower blocks, now there's a thing........:rotfl:

[Deleted User]

£land sell miniature radios, but they're FM only , and I think they take penlight batteries, so it's a double

BTW. I've just weighed my BOB.

It weighs 15lbs, so light enough to travel fast (even cross-country) if necessary.

daz378

great suggestions for the contents of a bob , particularly with an urban slant, i havent got a ruck sack yet , though i do have spare nike type sports bags , will set up an interim sports bob,, if a dusty murky fire situation some type of swimming goggles might be an idea..... my weekend off as falllen on bank holiday again

GreyQueen

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

£land sell miniature radios, but they're FM only , and I think they take penlight batteries, so it's a double

BTW. I've just weighed my BOB.

It weighs 15lbs, so light enough to travel fast (even cross-country) if necessary.

Respect. Just reloaded mine and hung it on the Stilsons. 18lb.

The biggest part to the weight is water. Oh, and the 400g bag of peanuts. Think I'll look at small packs of nuts for greater ease when munching on the move. I can see a few other ways to shave a few ounces here and there but they require changing a few things. But I want to add some boiled sweets.

I've also added enough meds to see me good for just under 5 months. The meds are the kicker on my personal survival thingy.

[Deleted User]

daz378 wrote: »

I do have spare Nike type sports bag

If this is a shoulder bag, then I wouldn't recommend it.

To travel fast, you need the weight secure, high on your back, not swinging from one shoulder, banging into you.

Check out your local Aldi.

If you are lucky, they may still have some of the £4-49 day sacks left.

They're big enough (about 30L capacity, plus front pouch) to hold my entire BOB list.

daz378

just copied standard bob contents on to a pad.....its highlighted gaps in my prep or that i need more of the same, will start filling the gaps on saturday..... the little stuff you forget like drawingpins/safetypins etc.... on lates rest of this week....also add my sas pocket survival guide

daz378

thanks bedsitbob, prepared to spend about £20 , 30 ltr capacity is a good reference point as to what i need, should get one from argos of reasonable quality... will have quick search on the wb.....found this should do the jobhttp://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9099641.htm