We are all survivors.  I can prove it.  If you are reading this, then you are alive and surviving.  We all survive every day.  Our home is our shelter.  We use cars for transportation.  We barter our skills in a workplace in exchange for money.  That money is then used for supplies.  And so on and so on.  Our lives are comfortable.  So what happens when that comfort is disrupted?   Chaos, insecurity, fear, anxiety, despair, alcoholism, etc…not a pretty picture.

To prevail in an unfortunate situation, I believe the most important skill one must possess is the ability to adapt.  This is accomplished by knowledge, experience, and preparation.  The focus of this article is on being prepared.  Three things in my life have made me a prepared individual:

1. My time in the Boy Scouts.  The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared”.  I’ve learned and practiced outdoor skills and survival.  I have carried this over to my adult life in my outdoor adventures.
2. My military service.  Discipline and teamwork are stressed.  Weapon and tactics training were learned.  It has contributed to my overall survival mindset.
3. My career as a Service Technician in communications and electronics.  If it’s broke, I fix it.  A lot of thinking outside the box and adaptability is required, many times with no outside help.

So, what does it take to be prepared and survive the unexpected?  I feel one must be mobile or capable of instant mobility to survive.  This leaves the options open.  You should also layer your supplies as to minimize unexpected losses which increases your adaptability.  “Wear plenty of layers.”  I’m sure you’ve heard that as a child.  Your mother said this so you would stay warm.  This was so you could adjust your insulation according to temperature and activity level, to adapt to the temperature.  I am going to discuss how to apply the layering principle to your personal survival.

There are three layered levels in our lives:

1.  The contents of our home or other permanent shelter.  This could also be a stocked survival retreat.

2. The sustainment gear we can carry with us in a backpack, Bug out Bag, vehicle, bicycle, etc.
   
   
3. What we can carry on our person every day – Every Day Carry.

In the military, we had line gear.  Line 1 was what we had in our pockets.  Line 2 was our fighting or web gear.  Line 3 was our sustainment gear or rucksack.  So let’s start with the basics:

Food:  Even though humans can go 3 weeks without food and stay alive, mental and physical capacity will diminish within a couple of days.  You should have food with you that requires no preparation on your person such as Power Bars, Gorp, MREs, Spam, jerky, canned stew, etc.  Your transport or backpack can have more sustainable food.  Don’t forget something to cook in.  Anything that cannot be cooked in a pot can be cooked on a stick over a fire.

Water:  This is more important than food especially in arid environments.  Also don’t eat if you do not have water.  It takes water to digest food.  Have a way to purify water.  A portable water filter, iodine, or chlorine tablets will work but boiling is best.  Carry bottled water in your vehicle.

Shelter:  Depending on the conditions, shelter may be more important than food and water.  You can’t eat if you are frozen to death.  Learn how to make field expedient shelters, debris huts, etc.  Carry a bivy and sleeping bag in your Bug Out Bag.  Clothing is also shelter.

Security:  What good is it to have a large stash of supplies just to have someone take it from you?  Security comes in many forms…staying hidden from others, blending in, weapons, or just keeping your mouth shut.  Fire will keep animals at bay.  Don’t carry a gun unless you know how and are willing to use it.

Health:  This includes hygiene, sanitation, and first aid.  For example, don’t use the knife that you just field dressed a squirrel with to cut up your cooked meat.  Either wash it thoroughly or use a separate knife.  You do have soap don’t you?  I’m amazed at how many people don’t include soap in their Bug Out Bags.   Don’t drink untreated water.  Treat cuts and scrapes.  Use toilet paper if you have it.  Brush your teeth.

Communication:  People are social beings.  If alone, have a portable radio to listen to surrounding news.  I have an AM/FM/SW radio that is just a little larger than a deck of cards.  It is analog so it has a long battery life.  A shortwave radio allows me more options.  Sometimes news from other countries may be the only form of information due to an EMP or communications blackout.  By the way, I put a label on all of my electronics indicating their battery life and every device uses the same size battery.  A police scanner is very useful.  2-way radios can be very valuable to groups or used as a barter item.

Fire:  Have multiple ways to start a fire.  Fire starting and building is your most important skill.  It will purify your water, cook your food, heat your shelter, keep predators at bay, and signal for help.  Bic lighters are king.  Carry a flint and steel set on your person at all times.  Magnesium works well in wet conditions.  Backpacking stoves work great for quick meals and draw less attention than fires.  Keep one in your car.

Hunting / Gathering:  Snares and traps can be left unattended allowing you to do other tasks.  Learn a few edible wild plants.  Fishing gear is small and very useful – just some string and a few hooks is all you need.

Evasion / Signaling:  Grizzly bear on your trail?  Just stumble across a meth lab on a hike?  Government out to get you?  Ok, this is a little extreme but if there is a major disaster staying away from others might be the desirable thing to do.  Those that are unprepared may want to take what you have.  People also spread disease.  The flip side to this is signaling.  If you are just lost you need to be found.  A whistle, signal mirror, or smoke from a fire are your best options.

Navigation:  You just bugged out.  Where are you going?  Learn to use a map and compass.  Don’t rely too much on GPS.  They can break, batteries die, and the satellites can be re-tasked for military operations.  Have paper maps covering where you are all the way to where you are going.  What if the roads are clogged with traffic escaping from a hazmat spill?  Do you have bike trail maps?  Do you have a bike?  You need multiple routes of escape and methods of transportation.

The Seven Cs:  These items are the most basic necessities needed to survive.  They will directly contribute to keeping your ass alive more than anything else.  The first four are the most important – Canteen, cup, knife, fire starter. 

Staging equipment is critical.  It must be secure yet accessible.  If your permanent shelter is compromised or unavailable then you become mobile.  Your mobile layer is your second layer.  It may be a Get Home Bag or a complete BOB inside your Bug Out Vehicle.  Your vehicle may be your new home.  A bicycle or scooter is a good backup to have in your bug out vehicle (BOV).  So how do we stage and carry all this gear?

My Layered Bug Out System:

I am going to describe and comment on my system and you can decide if it works for you.  Take my ideas and use whatever you feel is beneficial to your situation.

I keep extra food and supplies at home as we all should.  My food stockpile is a mixture of long term grains sealed in mylar, canned goods, MREs, [freeze-dried] backpacker meals, and the like.  This allows for variety in terms of taste and nutrition.  I rotate my supplies and I do not store much more than can fit into my vehicle due to the possibility of needing to bug out.  Any structure can be penetrated.  If people want what you have, they will get it and you can’t keep watch 24 hours a day by yourself.

My 4x4 BOV is not my daily driver but is always maintained with a full tank of gasoline.  Most any vehicle nowadays will go at least 300 miles on a tank of fuel.  I have enough stabilized fuel stored to get me to any one of my Bug Out Location choices.  A cargo carrier attaches to my rear receiver and a bicycle carrier attaches to my front receiver.  The luggage rack rounds out its cargo capability.  I have opted to not use a trailer because of lack of maneuverability and off road ability.  I can live out of my vehicle in a stationary location with complete isolation for six months to a year.

In the event of an EMP, fuel shortage, martial law, etc. full sized motorized transportation may not be an option.  My BOV may break down or roads may not be passable.  My next layer is a bicycle.  One could even use a game cart, dolly, wagon, etc.  You can only carry a limited amount of gear on your back.  A bicycle is 3 times more efficient than walking and can carry much more weight.  Mine is set up with panniers and my gear is always packed.  I also carry a tractor tire inner tube, pump, rope, and climbing gear which allows me to transport myself and gear over almost any terrain.  The inner tube is for traversing water.  I can transport 200 lbs. + by walking beside and pushing the bicycle.

This leaves the final layer – what is on my person.  My personal carry gear is also broken down into layers.  My pockets have a Bug Out Altoids Tin B.O.A.T.)  A chest rig carries my Seven Cs with a sidearm and can be completely hidden by a sweatshirt.  On top of this would be web gear and rifle in appropriate circumstances.  The final layer is a rucksack.  Another option I have experimented with is a fanny pack strictly for survival.

The above is available for an extreme situation where bugging out may be required.  My normal everyday life doesn’t require these drastic measures.  If there is a major power outage during a snow storm, I’ll just stay home, listen to my portable radio, and cook on my butane stove.  Drastic measures aren’t always needed.

One more item to talk about is a Get Home Bag (GHB).  All of my gear is staged at home waiting if it is needed but I have to get there to use it.  My GHB is combined with my EDC.  Since I am in the service industry, I am required to travel at times in a company service vehicle.  This limits what I can always have at my disposal.  Along with my tools and test equipment I carry a very small day pack.  This holds my Seven Cs, some food, extra ammo, and a few work items.  It is always near me or in the vehicle I am traveling in.  I have a cocealed carry permit and carry every day.  I carry a flint striker on my key ring as fire is more important to me than a knife on my person.  I already carry enough stuff on my belt.

This completes the philosophy and application of my layering system.  Take from it what you will.  If you learn something from it, that’s great.  If it saves your life someday, that’s even better.

A Note on EMP:

Being in the communications business, I have witnessed what lightning can do to a communications tower site.  This is the closest thing I have seen to an EMP.  I also have access to high power radio equipment and have done experimentation with Faraday cages.  My conclusions show that non-continuous shielding (such as screen) will not stop all frequencies.  The only cheap and easy thing I have seen that will shield all radio frequency energy is properly wrapped multiple layers of aluminum foil.  I have had popcorn tins fail along with microwave ovens.  I also will not ground a Faraday cage due to what I have seen lightning do.  I wrap all of my electronic devices that go in my bug out bag.

[Some deleted, for brevity]

Lastly, don’t let the preparedness bug monopolize your life.  Have a preparation plan, carry it out, then relax and enjoy what you’ve accomplished.  If the world goes to pieces, you’re ready.  If not, then sit back and enjoy a cold one.

Jim:
I wish to address some issues with the recent "Combat Gear Primer" post.  Surplus stores are a great place to buy surplus gear.  It is one stop shopping.   I am an old school prepper.  I believe in a web belt with gear upon it and an ALICE pack for patrol situations.  The web belt is compatible with the old school ALICE and the new MOLLE pouches. In my opinion, a vest keeps you up off the ground with all the stuff on your chest.  I want to become part of the ground when the SHTF.  If I am bugging out, the CFP-90 pack gives me plenty of room and is adjustable to any body frame.

As far as camo clothing, in his novel "Patriots", Mr. Rawles points out the ability of being able to identify your fellow group members.  This can be accomplished with just [everyone wearing] a boonie hat of the same color.  A ten dollar purchase is a lot less than requiring everyone to purchase expensive camo patterns.  As far as the Chinese made copies, as much as I hate to say it, there are some darn good ones out there, at or above the US made and at $26-to-$32 dollars, new.  I hate buying foreign, but quality is quality.

Boots are the most important gear purchase of all!  With no fuel and if this becomes multi-generational, footwear will be of the utmost importance.  I personally, at present, have 15 pair.  Good used boots are available from $20 up at a surplus store.

On the subject of body armor: Yes, it is available.  Yes it works. .But, there is something known as blunt force trauma.  Put on your body armor and stand.  Let me take my baseball bat and hit you as hard as I can with the bat.  That is basically the same blunt force trauma you will have with a ballistic vest.  It will save you, however, you will still be incapacitated for a period of time.  Being a former Firefighter/EMT I can tell you lots about blunt force trauma.  3,100 Ft. pound of energy (average) is spread across the vest.  My point is to bring people to reality: Body armor can save your life. But, you will probably be incapacitated and out of the fight. Body armor is not magical.

In closing, we are all on a budget, and most of us making Water and food are our top priorities.  Think outside the box when it comes to gear.  A "Man Purse" thrown over the shoulder with magazines and first aid kit, is better, in my opinion than a tactical vest.  What is "cool" is not always that is best! -  G.I. Jim   

CPT Rawles:
I have had the privilege to wear all three of the Army uniforms mentioned in this article. Here are a few notes on durability:I wore BDU's in Basic, AIT, and a rotation at NTC (National Training Center). Nothing beats this uniform. They took a beating and always looked sharp. If you happen to get a tear in your uniform, any dull color patch or thread will hardly be noticed in the overall pattern. This uniform utilizes buttons exclusively, which is durable, convenient, and easy to fix with a needle and thread. BDUs come in two different styles, Winter and Summer. Obviously, Summer BDU's are much lighter and thinner than Winters. Winters are hardy and extremely hard to damage.

I spent 15 months in Iraq wearing ACUs. While the material itself is up to the challenge of every day use, the colors fade extremely fast. The colors themselves didn't actually conceal us very well either. We just looked like white dots on a tan background. The jacket uses a zipper which gave only minimal problems; however, the velcro that was used on all the pockets was a disaster. After a month of use, the pockets would not reseal. Plus, if you ever needed something in your pocket, nothing gives away your position like a nice big "riiiip." 

In Afghanistan, I used the new Multicam. The colors are terrific for concealment and do not fade very much at all. The trouser cargo pockets returned to button fasteners and some clothing engineer finally fixed the velcro problem for the breast pockets. They are still noisy, but you should have body armor on during a tactical situation so the breast pockets shouldn't be an issue. The biggest problem with this style is the fabric durability. Every single set I own has a belt loop missing and numerous other tears. I was issued a new style of adhesive patch, but they never stayed and I ended up replacing them every couple weeks.
If you do not plan on using the uniform daily, I recommend the Multicam for it's color and general ease of use. If you are looking for a day in and day out uniform, there is nothing better than a good old set of BDUs.
Hope this helps. - Mark P.

Gents,
This article pointed out a lot of good options, but some statements were not quite correct. The older BDU woodland pattern was continued with some elements of the military up until this year. The Navy NECC/NCF is in the process of switching over to a new digital woodland pattern now, so expect an influx of surplus BDUs on the market relatively soon.

Most of the grunts and Seabees I work with will agree, the older all leather non steel toe combat boots set the bar for top notch service. I have the same set I've had for 12 years now, and they are still going strong after a couple hundred long distance marches, and even a tour in the desert when my desert jungle boots gave up the ghost. For a long-lasting boot try and find a set, and break them in, better than running shoes.

ALICE gear is still used by most of the NECC (Naval Expeditionary Combat Command) units as well. Its older, but the old school ALICE pack with the frame holds up to long term use better than the MOLLE I had when I was in the Corps. Combine a MOLLE LBV with an extra large ALICE ruck with frame and you’ll have a combination that will last for years of hard use.

Regarding helmets: Although the standard PASGT does impede your field of view in the prone, adding an improved suspension system helps greatly preventing the helmet from falling down over your eyes, not to mention it improves the comfort over extended wear periods. Thanks for posting Andrew A,'s great article! - M.K., USN

What is combat gear, and why do you need it? Well, your combat gear is simply your gear that you wear from day to day, in a combat situation, or more aptly for us, a TEOTWAWKI situation. I am a young prepper living in the central Carolinas. I have been collecting military gear, such as uniforms, helmets, vests, and such for over 8 years. Over those 8 years, I’ve seen what the average soldier wears through combat in Iraq and what a Delta operator might wear in Afghanistan. However, please keep in mind that as preppers, most of us have never received the specialized training of a soldier, and 99% of us have never had the training of a Special Forces Operator. That being said, let‘s discuss what an average prepper might need in the way of combat gear.

Uniforms
The uniform is the most basic of items that a prepper can find, and might be one of the most useful. There are several different types of camouflage to choose from. The most ubiquitous form of camo that can be found is the US M81 Woodland type, commonly called Battle Dress Uniform (BDU). This camo was used from 1981 until 2005 when it was dropped by all branches of service, except for auxiliary organizations, like the Civil Air Patrol (http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/) (check that program out as well, it’s a great resource for knowledge). It seems that everybody and their brother has a pair of the BDU pants. However, they can frequently be found at local thrift shops and occasionally at Goodwill and Salvation Army for under $5 for the pants, and under $3 for the shirts. I personally have picked up all of my BDU items from surplus stores and Goodwill [thrift stores] for under $4 for the pants, and normally $1 for the shirts (large sizes as well). The great thing about the BDU pattern is that the US Military made a lot of their gear in this pattern, so you can have a lot of your gear match in color (this would certainly help in blending in to the environment. If you have two shades of green, some black, and some tan on your gear, you might stick out just a little bit).

In 2005, when the BDU was dropped from service, most of the branches of the Armed Forces went to a pattern designed for their duties. Most of these patterns are pixilated or better known as “Digital Camo”, such as the Army Combat Uniform (ACU) pattern, which is an ugly mix of gray and tan squares. One of the most effective uniform patterns that came out of this switch was the Marine Pattern (MARPAT), which is available in Woodland or Desert types. The woodland stuff blends in really well with the surrounding environment, better than the BDU. However, it costs significantly more, with prices being around $15-$30 for a shirt and the same for a pair of pants. Beware of Chinese-made copies. To differentiate: Genuine MARPAT material has a small Marine Corps Emblem known as the Eagle, Globe and Anchor or EGA and “USMC” stamped below that in very small letters printed on all of the fabric.

There are also many other camo patterns, too numerous to discuss here, but I would like to discuss Multicam. This is a camo pattern that is being introduced to our soldiers in Afghanistan, dubbed the AMU (Army Multicam Uniform). It has a good color to it, and it tends to blend into most environments quite well. It is more expensive than MARPAT, but because it is being mass produced for the military, look for prices on it to drop like a rock in the next five to ten years. The Multicam pattern is being used on rucksacks, vests, helmet covers, etc. just like the BDU and ACU patterns have been.

So, which pattern is best for you? If money were no object, I would get five sets of Multicam. However, most of us don’t have the luxury of a large piggy bank. I have used the BDU pattern in the woods around here (mostly hardwoods like Oak), and in the prone position, as well as the kneeling position, I avoided being spotted until I made my presence known. The BDU however, has four front pockets that are parallel to the ground, while MARPAT and Multicam have two slanted chest pockets, facing inwards, and pockets on each sleeve that are slanted at a 45° angle which help in accessing the items in those pockets. Special Forces operators, finding the digital patterns not suitable to their needs, modified BDU uniforms to the same pocket configurations as the MARPAT and Multicam, removing the bottom pockets, moving them to the sleeves, and slanting the top chest pockets. I have found this to be quite utilitarian, especially when using a vest that covers up your front pocket area. These modifications can be made on a standard sewing machine, or the sewing ladies at the off-base surplus stores (if you live by a military base) can help you with this, at a normally reasonable price.

Boots
In my personal opinion, you cannot go wrong with a simple US Military surplus pair of black leather combat boots. There are two types of the BDU black combat boots. One type is all leather, and offers a lot of ankle support. The other type is commonly referred to as the jungle boot, with only a leather shoe, and canvas reinforcement above the ankle. The boots are normally quite a bit more expensive than the uniform itself. Like-new condition ones, in large sizes can go for $30-$60 a pair. But, if you shop around, you can really find bargains. Since the BDU uniform was in use for so long, thrift shops often have used BDU boots in stock. I was able to find my first pair for $2, and although they were quite used and already broken in, I added a $10 pair of insoles and they wear great.

If you don’t want surplus, that’s fine. There are a multitude of commercial boot makers that the soldiers have utilized during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Among the best are Danner, Altima, and Oakley. Most of the commercial boots come in two varieties; low top and high top. Unlike the standard military issue boots, low top boots allow for more movement and agility. Some of the best low tops are the Oakley Assault Boots ($130 range) and the Danner Hiking Boots ($150 range). Most of your commercial high top boots are of poorer quality than surplus (save for the aforementioned brands), and had a zipper on the side of the boot that facilitates putting on the boot and removing the boot. However, this zipper is likely to break and be more of a hindrance than anything. You simply cannot kill lace up boots. Laces break? Tie them back together! Break them again? Then why didn’t you replace the laces with 550-Paracord and be done with it!

Combat Load Bearing Equipment
There are three ways to carry your “battle rattle”; the ALICE system, the MOLLE system, or a vest. The ALICE system was used by the US Military from the 1960s until about ten years ago. It utilizes metal clips which attach to a utility belt. The belt is also held up by suspenders. There are a variety of pouches that were made for the ALICE system- everything from radio pouches, first aid kit pouches, canteen pouches, magazine pouches, etc. It is not hard to find the components to the ALICE system, and at dirt cheap prices. You normally can buy a complete system for under $30. The ALICE system is customizable to a certain degree, and is a good starting point for combat gear. The standard surplus ALICE gear is OD Green. The cheaper commercial stuff (that is not very reliable) comes in black as well as tan. There is also the transitionally-issued Load Bearing Vest (LBV) that was used by the military in the 1990s. It is BDU woodland camouflage colored and has four M16 magazine pouches on the front, as well as two grenade pouches. It has suspenders and tightens by lacing up the sides. You can also attach an ALICE utility belt to the bottom of it.

The MOLLE II system (spoke "MOLLY", not "MOLE-Y" or "MOLE") is the newest system developed for the US Military to carry the standard gear for a soldier. The MOLLE system includes different types of pouches, similar to the ALICE system, but instead of using clips, it utilizes straps that slip through loops on a MOLLE compatible vest, backpack, or Camelback. The MOLLE system is more customizable than the ALICE system, but it is also more expensive. It comes in all of the major camouflage colors of the US Army, as well as tan and black. The most versatile way to carry gear with the MOLLE system is something called the Fighting Load Carrier (FLC). It is a vest that covers the chest fully, and has wrap around MOLLE loops. It closes with a zipper on the front as well as buckles. The FLCs can be found for $15-$30 a piece, and the pouches can cost around $3-$6 each.

Another way to carry your combat gear is through a vest . There are many makers of these vests, and some are MOLLE compatible, while others already have all of the pouches sewn onto the vest. All of the vests that I have ever seen have the option of attaching a utility belt below the vest. Also, vests adjust in size around the sides, and it laces up. Normally, one size fits all. Some of the most popular makers of these vests include Blackhawk, 5.11 Tactical, UTG, and Condor Tactical. From what I have heard from soldiers, seen in the surplus stores, and my own personal experience, the Blackhawk brand is very durable, and can take a significant beating. There are way too many layouts of vests to be discussed thoroughly here, but I personally use the Blackhawk Omega Elite Cross Draw vest, which allows me to carry 3 magazines for my battle rifle, 4 magazines for my pistol (not including one in the pistol itself), as well as a small FAK (First Aid Kit), my Ka-Bar knife, some 550 paracord, a strap cutter, and a multi tool. Not to mention I can always attach more pouches to the belt if the need arises.

Body Armor and Helmets
We always see “Bullet-Proof” vests and helmets in the movies. Sadly, this is not an accurate term. While some helmets and body armor are designed to stop bullets, others are not, and it’s important to know the difference. The US Military first started issuing Flak Jackets to the B-17 Pilots flying over Germany. The first body armor for the soldier on the ground came during the Vietnam conflict. However, the first Kevlar body armor came into existence in the mid-1970’s, and is called the Personnel Armor System for Ground Troop (PASGT). There were vests that were issued in the BDU Woodland pattern, and they came in various sizes. However, these vests were designed to stop grenade shrapnel, not bullets. They do, however, offer protection against some small caliber rounds.
There are also PASGT helmets (mostly called Kevlar helmets) that are relatively cheap on the surplus market, for under $50. These helmets are normally green or black and you can buy BDU, ACU, or MARPAT covers for them. The updated version of the PASGT helmet, known as the ACH (Army Combat Helmet) offers more ballistic protection to soldiers. However, please be aware that with helmets, you lose a lot of mobility. It’s difficult to have a full range of vision with a PASGT helmet on in the prone position.

Commercial body armor is a hot business. There are different levels of protection, and those are a separate article by themselves. However, a good rule of thumb is to remember that “soft armor” (Kevlar) is rated to a 9MM pistol round, and “hard armor” (Ceramic plates inserted into body armor) will stop up to a 7.62x39. A higher level of protection can be offered by wrapping ceramic plates with soft Kevlar armor. Most of the personal body armor that Law Enforcement wears is soft armor, and Military uses the Ceramic plates. The plates and the soft armor can be inserted into a piece of equipment known as a plate carrier, which, true to its name, holds the plates for you. If you are looking for a good concealable armor, Safariland makes some interesting products that, when worn cannot be seen under a t-shirt. Kevlar fiber does deteriorate over time (depending upon who you ask, of course), and ought to be replaced every 5-7 years. The military body armor system, called the Interceptor Body Armor (IBA), is a plate carrier system that works with either soft or hard armor, and has MOLLE loops to allow for your combat load. It comes in BDU, ACU, Tan, and will soon be available in Multicam. They are, however, expensive (especially with the ceramic plates!).

Where to Get Your Battle Rattle
When you are in the market for buying personal combat gear, I do not advise buying online. The online marketplace generally has the same prices on the same items everywhere on the net. However, you can find real bargains if you are willing to look for them. First, I would advise looking online to see what you like, who makes it, and what the general price tag is on it. Then, go to your local flea market, and look around for the surplus dealers. Or, if you can afford it, drive down to your nearest Army or Marine base and look through the surplus stores, and get to the local off-base flea market early. Flea Markets are Surplus stores are the best when it comes to gear, and sometimes uniforms. However, I recommend buying pants from your thrift stores because they have lower prices on camouflage pants than your local surplus dealer. If your surplus dealer does not have what you are looking for, get to know him, and let him know what you are on the lookout for. It helps to bring printed pictures of exactly what you want. Often times they have duffel bags of stuff they aren’t putting out, and they might just have what you want. Don’t be afraid to haggle. Also, don’t be scared of used items. Most of the time, they are gently used an therefore priced much lower than new items.

[JWR Adds: There is also a subtle psychology to the sight well-worn looking web gear. The sight of brand new looking web gear screams "newbie" or "armchair commando". But seeing old, well-worn web gear imparts the "wizened veteran" look, and usually respect and "don't mess with him" restraint. Older gear also looses the sheen that is typical of new nylon, so it is less reflective.]

Get the dealer’s name and phone number (or a business card) and call him and ask him if he has a certain item, or if he will be getting any new items soon. Most dealers make trips to their sources every so often, and they have the best stuff right after they get back from buying it.

Notes:
- Most recent US Military magazine pouches are designed to fit the M16/M4 5.56 NATO 30 Round Magazine. If you are looking for something to fit an AK or FAL magazine, then bring a magazine with you when you shop to insert into the pouch and make sure it fits. I have found radio pouches will work well with AK magazines.
- If you buy the ALICE system, invest in extra clips. They often cost about a dollar a piece, and are well worth it when they break
- Larger ALICE pouches fit on the back of the belt, and the pouches often have holes where the suspenders hooks will fit into the pouch.
- MOLLE webbing is ideal for the placement of walkie-talkies and chem-lights (glow sticks)

[JWR Adds: Pouches for odd-shaped magazines such as Saiga 12 shotgun drum magazines, XS drum magazines, and FN P-90 are available from TheVestGuy.com. They can make nearly all of their gear in MultiCam, on request.]

Conclusion
Now that we have learned exactly what is available, at the lowest cost possible (because being frugal is part of the preparedness concept), get going! Try on different gear. Find out what is best for you. Research what soldiers are currently wearing, and look up pictures of special forces soldiers, because they normally carry the lightest gear possible, which is ideal for bugging out. Find something you like, except for the color? Then spray paint it! Soldiers have been doing that for twenty years now, and it doesn’t hurt. So, I hope this article has helped point you in the direction of what you may one day need to save your life! Hey, who knows? Maybe you’ll turn that Bug Out Bag into a Bug Out Vest.

I am not trying to offend anyone or represent myself as an expert. I know there are many preppers on this forum that will see none of what I am writing here as new. However, some people may need this information or have not thought of it. As for me a lot of this was learned over 13 years in the active Army and seven years as a policeman. I was placed working and living in some of the most inhospitable weather situations someone could find themselves in. Enough of my ranting and I will get to the point.

As I was finishing my final preparing for winter and watching the news about the storm hitting the plains states I realized that I should call my family to make sure they were ready for bad weather. This caused me to get a migraine real quick. Then I thought that I should put this all in writing so I could send it to them every winter and make my life easier. With that I figured why not share this information to everyone who reads this forum.

The first thing you should consider is weatherproofing your winter gear and camping gear just in case you actually need it. For my Goretex jackets (Yes even Goretex gets soaked thru eventually) and my canvas work jackets I waterproof them using Camp Dry (you can use any commercial waterproofing spray but I prefer this one). I recommend doing this outside if possible due to the fumes or in a well-ventilated area. It can also contaminate the area where you are working, due to silicone overspray. Also test the fabric of what you are about to weatherproof to make sure it doesn’t stain or ruin it. If you decided to use this product or others inside put something on the floor under the work area to protect it from staining.

For Bivvy Sacks for sleeping bags also use a product like Camp Dry to keep your sleeping bag dry. Also use a seam sealing product to make sure the seams are extra protected. You don’t want water just pouring in at the material seem and causing you to get soaked. Now I know they say the seams are already sealed, but do you trust them with your warmth and safety?

Now on to the topic of weatherproofing your boots. If they are leather boots use a product like Snow Seal and liberally coat the boots and then put them in the oven at 180 degrees for 1 hour (yes I said oven, by doing this you open the pores of the leather and allow it to absorb the Snow Seal. If your boots are made of something other than leather, then use Camp Dry, of course test the boots first to make sure it doesn’t ruin them. Wet feet can make you miserable real quick along with being a deciding factor in if you survive or not. Now to socks, cotton socks are evil! They will cause you to lose toes or worse. The reason for this is cotton doesn’t wick moisture away from the skin very well, but it is great at wicking away the heat from your feet causing your feet to stay cold and end up freezing. So get wool socks or advanced fabric socks as they are the best choice. They wick moisture away from the skin and will still keep your feet warm even when wet.  Always remember warm feet are happy feet and will help you survive.

Now your vehicle as you will most likely depend on this greatly in bad weather. Make sure your headlights are working properly and are bright after a few years they start to get dim and should be replaced. Also if you have the type of headlights that have a clear plastic cover you will probably notice that they are milky white. You need to fix this with a commercially available headlight polishing kit and follow the directions. I found one at a local auto parts store for fewer than thirty dollars. It made my headlights like new.

Windshield wipers should be in good working order and of a good quality that won’t clog with ice and stop working properly. If they are bad replace them before you need them. Not seeing and driving are not a good combination, with that also make sure that you have a winter grade windshield wash as if it freezes up then it won’t help you.
Next is your battery and alternator, the two things that almost always fail when bad weather hits. Go to an auto parts store and have them put the tester on them to make sure they are okay. This will go a long way in easing worries about your vehicle not starting when you need it most.

As for vehicle maintenance not only does your oil need to be changed regularly but so does your antifreeze, power steering fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid, differential and transfer case oil if you have them. With these an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Now to your emergency kit for the car, in this should be a minimum of jumper cables (not everyone has them, but every care has a battery so if you have them you can get a jump), a set of work gloves (for changing tires and such) a knit cap or some other winter headgear, warm gloves, blanket’s, a few common tools (to tighten battery cables and such), emergency markers (I prefer flares and strobe lights over reflectors, as reflectors require headlights to hit them to be seen). Also having a days’ worth of food and water in the vehicle is nice in case you get stranded in your car. You can get emergency food rations and water from most survival or prepping web sites.  Having sand for traction and a compact shovel to dig out is a must also. You can also make traction ramps buy cutting heavy grate material about the width of 1 ½ the size of your tires and 3 feet long. Using this can also help you or someone else get unstuck in snow. Tire chains or snow tires are a must and if your tread is getting to the point of being only ¼ an inch deep get new tires. I know this seems a lot for your vehicle but when the worst case scenario that you never thought would happen to you does happen you will be better off for it. I know there is more for this topic but this is a good start. I also add my bug-out kit to my vehicle every time I get in it to drive. Also my bug-out kit and vehicle kit are one and the same. It makes it larger and heavier, but then I am never in the situation of saying why did I leave that at home

Now for the house besides back-up heating, food, water, lighting and the normal prepping stuff for bugging in there are a few items to consider. On backup heating you have to be careful due to carbon monoxide poisoning. I use the Mr. Heater MH18B Portable “Big Buddy” Heater by Mr. Heater as it has an automatic low oxygen shutoff system and tip-over safety shutoff.  If you don’t have something that senses when the oxygen is low or is made for indoor use then you need to have someone stay up preferably in shifts to watch the heater along with making sure there is enough ventilation in the room so there is not a build-up of Carbon Monoxide. This also goes for daytime heating and also for cooking. For lighting using low sulfur mineral instead of lamp oil in your oil lamps as it is cleaner and safer. Also it will keep you from having to repaint your house when everything is back to normal. This also goes for candles they will stain the pain in a house along with being a fire hazard. This is since we don’t run around using candles every day we will make mistakes that can and will be tragic. On that note with heating, cooking, and lighting you should have a couple a house-sized ABC fire extinguishers for emergencies.

You need one or two heavy tarps, parachute cord, and small sandbags so that you can put a temporary patch on your roof should a tree fall due to ice and snow and uses your house as a target. For windows having 2 inch wood screws, sheet plastic, and a couple of sheets of plywood to close up a broken window or door is a lifesaver. Also if you can precut the plywood for the windows it makes the repair a lot quicker.

A note on shoving snow, shoveling snow is considered heavy strenuous labor. It is also one of the leading causes of heart attacks in winter. So like any heavy workout take 15 minutes to warm up so your body realizes you are about to do something difficult. While working on removing the snow take many breaks. I normally only shovel snow for 15 minutes at a time then take a break so my heart rate can go back down. Also it may be cold but stay hydrated.

I hope everyone has a great winter, and hope that at least some of this information is helpful.

Prepping on a budget is quite important to my family as I am sure it is to many avid readers of this fine blog.  I have purchased the book, "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times" and am following it to the best of my ability and financial means.

However one aspect that is woefully lacking is my nighttime surveillance capability.  Sure I have strong LED flashlights with rechargeable batteries, solar panels ready to recharge those batteries at a moments notice, and enough batteries to last a lifetime.  I have solar powered motion sensitive lighting on each corner of my house just like any good Prepper.

However in many instances that I can envision, I would want the capability see what is going on in and around my area of operations (AO) without alerting what I am attempting to observe that I am attempting to observe it.  Whether it is shooting that feral hog out of the garden, observing the deer that are eating my grapes, or seeing what that two legged predator is doing walking my fence line on the back of my property.

I have been looking and reviewing various night vision scopes and binoculars, however of the ones that I reviewed, none that were in my price range seemed worth owning and the ones that were barely in my price range had marginal reviews. 

With money being so tight just to make ends meet, let alone prep, I simply could not afford to roll the dice and take the chance that a particular night vision scope would fulfill my purpose.  And, even if it did, with the" two is one and one is none" philosophy; I certainly couldn't afford multiples of any of the scopes that I had seen.Not only that, but even if I could find an affordable (to me) night vision scope and I could afford to get multiples of that scope, I would need one that could fit multiple uses as well.

For example, I would need one that I could fit as a head-mounted unit to use as a hands free unit that would allow me to keep my hands free for other things and still see good enough to scout.  I would want a handheld one that I could have on me at all times just in case I get caught out after dark.  I would want one that I could mount behind the iron sights or scope of my ARs.  And, to make it all worse, I would want several of each to allow each member of my family and group to have the same capabilities.

With all of these things on my checklist, it certainly appeared that I was going to have to sacrifice and either have one that I squeezed into many roles, or spend more money than I could really justify on trying to cover all of the roles that I needed to.

Then Christmas rolled around and I went shopping for my children.  As I was walking down the toy aisle of my local big box retailer, I came upon a infrared binocular toy from Spy Net that had been marked down.  So I took $20 out of my prepping budget and made the purchase.  With the caveat that if I didn't like what I was seeing through them in a test, it would still make a cool Christmas present for a 10 year old boy.

Now I might lose some readers here, but please bear with me.

This night vision toy functions only as an IR viewer--it does not have an light amplification intensifier tube.  It uses any ambient light source and two built in infrared lights (if there is no sufficient ambient light source) to light the way.  Instead of an intensifier tube, it uses a tiny CMOS camera that transmits to a small LCD screen.  The upside to the CMOS camera is that it will not be damaged by a sudden bright light source like some early intensifier tube night vision equipment, and can still function during the day.  The downside is that they are not as durable as intensifier tube night vision devices and they rely on a lot of circuitry to operate.

When I brought it home and test it as soon as it was dark, outside. The first thing that I noticed is that it does an amazing job of using any ambient light source.  The small CMOS camera and screen showed decent detail and I could mostly identify people at a decent distance (25 to 30 yards), not just as people, but also some facial features allowing recognition. 

The second thing that I noticed is that the two built in infrared lights were woefully inadequate at lighting anything beyond 15 feet.  The good news is that I was only looking for the first thing, because I had no intention of using the built in lights anyway since they had no control to turn them off if they were not needed (or desired).

I had purchased this with the specific intention of taking it apart and modifying it to increase its capability and increase its durability several fold.

As I took it apart, it amazed me on how compact and small the actual functional unit was.  About 90% of the size of the binoculars was just empty air surrounded by plastic that was made to look high tech for a kid's toy.  The actual unit was able to fit in the palm of my medium sized hands with room to spare.

So after disassembly, and removing all of the extraneous controls (it has the ability to record and playback video and audio which I didn't need and just added extra bulk), so those circuits were quickly cut and removed along with their corresponding wiring and controls. 

I was left with just the CMOS camera, the circuit board, the attached video screen (about .75îx1î) the power switch and the battery pack. 

My next job was to fashion up a durable housing to place this in.  Since it is so small, I was able to make the housing a bit larger for durability. 

I was originally wanting a cylindrical tube, however because the rest of the unit was square, using a round tube would increase the size of the whole unit too much, so I used a thin walled square cross-section aluminum tube and placed the circuits inside.  To help increase durability and protect the circuits, I poured clear resin inside the square tube and let it dry (keeping the resin away from the actual camera or screen of course).  This will help reduce any shock that it might endure as well as protect the circuits and wires from damage.

I used a very small section of square tubing to house the unit itself, then I added in a shade on the backside (between the screen and the users eye) to help cut down on the glare from the small screen.  Lastly I added on a rubber eye piece from an old scope, so the user could get a good "eye weld" onto the scope for optimum viewing.

Since I had removed the very inadequate infrared LEDs, I replaced them with a Solar Force flashlight with an infrared emitter.  The flashlight is mounted to the outside of the unit, so it could be removed and replaced if necessary.  The final step that I used was wrapping the entire thing in Kydex and heat forming it around the aluminum tube.  This made it easier to handle and added yet another layer of protection.

So for a bit under $50 for the entire thing (which unfortunately entailed some trial and error with the aluminum tube and Kydex forming) I have a functional, seemingly durable night vision scope (durability testing will come after I have made a few more and established a solid methodology of how I am going to use these).

My next version (which I have already ordered) will be a bit more compact with a smaller housing and I will use it as a single side head mounted unit.  This will allow me to use it as both a hands-free unit for observation, but will also be able to use a rifle or pistol in the dark (after much practice of course).

My intermediate plan is to have one of these for each member of my house as well.

I have not tested these extensively for durability yet, but I can honestly say that it works better than I had could have hoped for.  This first unit is just a bit unwieldy, but I am not discouraged at all since this is my very first unit.  I am certain that I will find many ways to improve it as I discover the ways that I will use it and how it can be modified.

In my humble opinion, this could never take the place of a dedicated, purpose built night vision device, but like the old saying goes, "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king."

I would rather have limited night vision capability than money put back saving for a better unit.  And for the very limited amount of money that these cost, it could be a great intermediate step and backup as needed.

JWR Adds: Most night vision monoculars are not up to the recoil stresses of mounting on a rifle--even a light-recoiling 5.56 mm. Also, the mounting interface for anything other than a purpose-built rifle scope tends to be problematic. Even a scope without a reticle (depending on the reticle of red dot scope mounted behind it) can still be a challenge to mount with reliability. The "duct tape and bailer twine" school of gunsmithing (also known as WECSOGing) is fraught with peril. In essence, re-purposing a toy IR scope can work with very limited reliability, but don't expect it to work for you as anything more than just a hand-held monocular.

The next step up from a toy IR scope like Robert describes is buying a Bushnell Gen 1 night vision monocular. For under $180, these are sturdy, reliable, relatively weatherproof, and they have a decent built-in IR light. They operate on two standard AA batteries. They can sometimes be found used on eBay for less than $90.

Beyond that, purpose-built rifle starlight night vision scopes start at around $400. A fairly decent civilian model is made by ATN: the MK350 Guardian. But keep in mind that there is no true low-cost substitute for mil-spec quality. Sadly, that level of quality comes only with a high price tag.

If you already own one or more night vision monoculars (such as a Yukon), then a low-cost alternative is to wear a night vision monocular in a head mount or helmet mount, and attach an infrared laser to a Picatinny rail on your rifle. The rifle is then shot "from the hip", using the the laser pointer for aiming. (Sort of a "Poor Man's PAQ-4".)

The bottom line: I recommend that you buy the best night vision gear that you can afford. As Robert pointed out, that can begin with a miniscule budget. Watch eBay closely for used Russian night vision monoculars (such as the Night Owl Brand.) These sometimes sell for as little as $60. They are better than nothing. Even after you eventually save up and buy the PVS-14 of your dreams, be sure to retain your older, less expensive, night vision gear. Those will be useful for spares, or worth their weight in gold, for barter.

What follows is a collection of tips, tricks and strategies that I have personally tested/evaluated and passed on to students within my capacity as a survival and tracking instructor working with responsible civilians, military and law enforcement. Some of this has been around for years, some of it is very recent wisdom, most of it is just common sense. This is not an exhaustive study in any way, but rather a useful primer designed to inspire creative solutions while adhering to time worn tactical truisms. Note also, we are not covering SERE, as survival and resistance are truly separate topics.

Setting Out

Assuming we find ourselves in a sufficiently hostile environment such that we must immediately begin to manage our physical and psychological responses to extreme external pressures, the following recommendation might strike a person as counter-intuitive. That recommendation: sit down, have a cup of tea and relax.

The tea is optional of course, however the sitting and the sentiment are not. Common sense dictates that first steps lead to later consequences. Recent research shows that as human animals under stress we are literally subject to our hormonal and biological responses. Let it be clear: you must take this step.

Techniques such as tactical breathing (breathe for four, hold for four, exhale for four) have become standard training for EMS, public speakers and elite soldiers alike because they work to balance the fight/flight response and gain leverage on the adrenaline dump that accompanies survival situations.

Specifically, sitting down forces a person to acquaint themselves with the environment, let go of the urge to bolt wildly into the unknown and--in many individuals--contributes to and facilitates the calming effect of conscious breathing.

This whole activity might last two minutes or twenty. It all depends on you, the urgency of the situation and related factors. But to forgo this step defies both conventional and cutting-edge wisdom. Consider learning a few mantras, prayers, yoga positions or whatever else you can use to bring you back down to earth and center your mind. Cause you’re going to need it in a major way.

Taking Stock

This is not the time to wish you had studied, procured and trained with your survival kit so let’s pretend that anyone reading this has taken it upon themselves to arrive to the moment in question with at least the barest of essentials--the big five of food, water, fire, shelter and security. So those are covered, but what else do we have at our disposal? What are we missing that we might need or might come in handy? If we need to travel fast and light, what can we ditch or stash for later retrieval?

This is the step where you must come to grips with your situation. You have taken a moment, at least, to calm yourself and manage those primal instincts now you must force logic and training to the forefront and make choices based on that logic. I would urge you to explore the concept of the Trivium, as well as the related topics of logic and rhetoric as such activities and tools can only strengthen your mind and add tools to your toolbox.

Moving on, just as the scope of this essay cannot cover survival kits, its scope can neither cover every conceivable escape and evasion situation. There are simply too many permutations. Therefore and due to the adaptive nature of such situations, as well as my own natural distaste for lists, we must emphasize adaptation and flexibility of thought. We are talking about escape and evasion, yet is it possible to simply lie still? That wouldn’t make for a very good escape scene in a movie, but it might very well give you a tactical advantage in certain scenarios. Again, it cannot be emphasized enough: the point here is to gather your resources, evaluate the situation and make choices.

Your resources are in your survival kit, in your environment and in your mind. Evaluation of your situation includes timing, distances, pursuit forces, places of safety and all other factors affecting your current status as well as your prospects in the immediate future. Making choices is essential--it forces a return to logic and re-evaluation of any possible assumptions you have made thus far. As well, the making of choices is an act which has within it the elements of courage, self determination and (hopefully) humility.

Pace of Movement

Movement in E&E is defined less by your wants and more by your environment. Let’s assume you have made your plan. For example: you find yourself five miles from your home; WROL environment; you’re being pursed by a force of unknown character/training; you have at your disposal a small personal survival kit, light weaponry, no effective long range communication ability; night is falling.

If you know the way home, run. Just flat out run for a mile. Take a break to watch your back trail and if it’s clear, keep running and repeat until you are to a safe zone. Yes, give some serious consideration to noise discipline but as a tracker I can tell you that the single most effective counter-tracking technique is speed. Pure and simple. Forget about dog legs, fake shoe prints or anything else. Just run and increase the time/distance gap.  

Now, let’s take the above scenario but let’s say you are 20 miles from your safe zone. Depending on your level of fitness and knowledge of the area, running may still be a decent option. However, at a certain distance or given changes in other decision making factors you are going need to examine other options. As well, you may need to seriously evaluate your pursuers.

Silent Movement

Even with night vision optics silent travel at night can be very difficult and often impossible in certain terrain. Since our above scenario involves lightweight outfitting, let’s consider things without NVGs and without flashlights, as the latter must be strictly rationed to avoid detection.

Let’s just say it: unless you’re in the desert, avoid moving at night. If you must move at night, you are facing the quandary of utilizing well established and easy to travel trails and/or roads which can be a highly dangerous proposition if you don’t know the area or don’t have a clear idea of where your pursuers are moving. Bushwhacking by day has it’s downfalls as well, however at the least you have an increased ability to control your noise.

Silent travel really comes down to choosing your route, slow movement and manipulating sound-producing debris such as leaf litter, downed limbs and the like. Put your weight into your back foot and use your forefoot to gently brush aside a clear area to place this foot on the ground. Repeat. It takes forever and one mistake will make waste of your accumulated effort. I will note that for some people the process of putting weight on the back leg, stepping forward, etc. is actually counter effective. So you need to practice this and fine tune it.

Choose paths based on topography and levels of travel resistance i.e. avoid thickets, vines, areas of dense deadfall in favor of grass, moss or triple canopy where undergrowth is sparse.

The take away points here are: move twice as slow as you think you should and actually pick up, kick aside or otherwise physically move noise producing articles in your path.

One other note from personal experience: I have found that the technique of ‘high stepping’ actually does work if you can sustain it over a series of obstacles. It is particularly useful in area of low light and prevalent exposed tree roots or similar hangups. It has something to do with the fact that the foot is striking directly down upon the earth versus sweeping forward where toes can be caught up.

Habit of Movement

Related to silent movement is your habit of movement, though this line of thinking can also include your other counter-tracking techniques as well as some utilization of day/night routines dependent on your environment as visibility factor.

In our scenario, let’s say your safe zone is on a basic azimuth heading north. Don’t start out going north, instead move east and northeast making a few doglegs and/or roundabouts along the way. Gradually pull your line of travel toward your actual destination. If you have the opportunity or if travel in any way permits, turn around and study your back trail at some distance to evaluate and monitor your pursuers. This is a place where magnified optics have their weight in gold.

In a longer term evasion you need to establish habits that both serve you and avoid detection. This seems contradictory insofar as habits of prey are what most all good hunting is based on, thus avoiding habits would appear at first to be a worthy strategy. The difference is that we are humans and have the capacity for instantaneous evaluation and adaptation. With this in mind, you need to rapidly determine what is serving you and what is not. If traveling early and late in the day and holing up midday is working, use it, habituate it but only to the extent that it serves its purpose. The survival literature time and time again shows that success often comes when a sort of rhythm is established. Whether this is literally the rhythm of your feet and breath as you run, or whether it is in your routines hastily established, if they work use them.

Most likely you are going to need to rest. You might also require water. If you need it--get it and move on quickly. If you can continue without it---go without, as every stop and every choice will have it’s consequences at some point. Speaking of consequences, if you recall when you took a moment and ‘made your cup of tea,’ keep in mind that this ethos is in fact central to your entire act of evasion. So return to that ideal of double edged calm and evaluation. Keep your options wide open; dump a plan if it stops working; continually seek to interface with reality based on its terms while seeking to establish your own foothold in continued survival.

Using the Environment

We mentioned evaluating your pursuers and rest stops. Generally speaking, most people don’t carry pruning shears in their EDC gear, though snipers often carry them as part of their standard gear and for good reason. In an evasion scenario such as we are sketching out, there probably isn’t a whole lot of use for a fully functional sniper’s hide, (though, in keeping with our ideal of adaptation never discount the option of burrowing in and hiding) however modified hides based on well established principles are highly useful and should be practiced.

Where terrain and plant life make it possible, use your pruners to carve out niches in dense thickets. Blackberry vine tangles are ideal because no one wants to touch them and no one would consider that you might actually go inside one. Evaluate the area for an escape route and line(s) of sight; make as few cuts as are needed to burrow into the mass of vines; once firmly entrenched, start to hollow out a useable space, establish a hasty exit route and check your line of sight.

This concept can be utilized in trees where gaining an immediate high-ground advantage is untenable. If you can climb the tree leaving minimal evidence of your effort, staying in the tree as pursuers pass is not a totally unfounded nor untested idea. However, even if you just ascend the tree and make a few choice cuts to gain a decent vantage point on your back trail, it might be worth the effort.

Use of the environment is also going to give you immediate feedback on the talent and tenacity of those on your trail. If your decision making matrix deems it appropriate, consider purposely taking an extremely difficult route. Certain high angles, rapid ascents, rocky terrain, open meadows and the like will allow you to study and make retro-determinations on your hunters’ prowess with respect to tactical acumen, stamina, weaponry, as well whatever else pops out at you.

Good literature on natural concealment is widely available so I won’t harp on it too much. Suffice it to say that a person need not spend more than a minute or two collecting various foliage to effectively break up the conspicuous outline of the human head and shoulders. Attached with paracord, laces or simply tucked into folds in clothing, you can even do this while you’re moving. Avoid leaving obvious traces of your activity such as the white of cut limbs or mangled fern fronds.

Survival skills and their limits are going to play a role in this category of evasion, mainly with respect to what calorie sources you can utilize. I recommend adapting the old concept of the Possibles Bag here as it allows for hasty acquisition and storage of materials found without necessity to pause and rummage through gear. It also allows your pockets to remain available, clean and dry for other uses.

A long utilized method of sustenance by military evaders involves the use of livestock, goods and other useable items usurped from locals, generally in rural areas. This may or may not be appropriate given your situation. For soldiers trapped behind enemy lines and among hostile, fearful or bribe-hungry locals the risk should be weighed carefully. In other scenarios, simply asking the locals for assistance may be optimal and put a swift conclusion to your problem.

This aspect of evasion also brings up the possibility of switching roles from hunter to hunted. Classically, traps and related devices as well as sniper work are brought up in the discussion at this point. It goes without saying however, that these and other tactics and techniques cross a certain line which may or may not be appropriate based on your personal situation. Evaluations such as legality, rules of engagement and morality all must be read in here with their appropriate caveats.

Tips/Tricks/Etc.

I will leave you with a short recap of the high points and a selection of handy tips to keep in your mental back pocket. Recall that when the adrenaline hits, take time to make tea, breathe or whatever else you find forces you to humbly and quickly square up to reality. Like setting the table for dinner, now that you’re tuned in start evaluating, making decisive, logical decisions. Move at the fastest and safest possible pace, utilizing terrain, foliage, weather and anything else possible to your greatest advantage. Stealth is directly related to speed so consider trade offs and continually force yourself to re-evaluate your decisions and assumptions based on the feedback reality is offering you along the way. Ultimately, deliberate action coupled with common sense and perhaps a healthy dose of humility is going to fair you pretty well.

-Don’t follow obvious terrain features such as rivers, rims, tree lines.
-Take care of your feet. If you feel a hot spot, then stop and evaluate.
-Smoke is an effective scent mask.
-Learn how to make a Dakota fire pit. It gives off low light, and when burning certain barks and woods it is near smokeless. Use it only if you absolutely must, to live.
-Keep a 5x7 earth-tone survival tarp in your kit. Cord pre-attached to tie offs.
-An inexpensive monocular or set of binoculars kept in the car or in a pocket can be very handy.
-For calories on a mid to long term evasion look to insects, grubs and fish. In that order.
-Cardiovascular stamina cannot be overestimated.
-Smear dirt+spittle on the stumps of cut limbs or trees.
-Hopping from rock to rock to log, doglegs, walking back in your tracks and other counter-tracking techniques have their price---they tell your hunters something about you, so use them sparingly if at all and never the same technique twice.
-Do a web search: ‘Etymology of red herring.’

Thanks to Jim Rawles and those who participate in SurvivalBlog--such a great source of material. It has been a real pleasure to review the material on this site and note the obvious amount of knowledge available as resources for others in proper disaster planning. When you see nation changing events happening around the world, it is nice to see a level of common people thinking about such things, preparing for such events, and sharing.
 
I have read other’s ideas on weapons related gear and I agree with many of their thoughts. My personal training comes from the Marine Corps as a Marine and NCO, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, civilian firearms trainers and others. This includes my own instruction of weapons and tactics training for SWAT and other tactical situations as well as the many decades of use of firearms and their related carry gear.
 
If you have an interest and are reading this material, at some point, you have probably gathered an array of personal protection pistols and long guns. Others have written about recommendations and the advantages of certain types and brands of weapons. Americans, depending where you live, may chose from many fine firearms. For those of us living in hoplophobic states, with legal restrictions on silly things like magazines and semiautomatic weapons, lawful choices become more difficult. I will point out that, even in these places, you can still gather fine weapons to meet an acceptable level of preparation. I have made and live with these choices.
 
Disclaimer: I am not advocating that anyone break the law. You must check your state and local laws regarding how you would utilize firearms and under what circumstances. I offer this information for consideration but the ultimate decision would rest upon the person possessing and using any firearm (and in some states, even the possession of types of semiautomatic weapons and the magazines used).
 
As long as we have law enforcement to respond to emergencies, within reason, we should use them. This material comes under the umbrella of, “what do you do when you call for a cop and there are none coming to your assistance?” In our culture, in almost any event where a citizen must use a firearm (pistol or long gun), ultimately law enforcement will probably review the circumstances regarding that use and come up with a judgment on that use. I am suggesting that we all must put forth thought and consideration as well as proper training now so that we may make better informed decisions on what we should do under the direst circumstances. I have personal experience in dealing with firearm incidents and I know they are frequently life changing events. That experience comes from four years as a Marine and 36 years in law enforcement.  
 
Many law enforcement personnel are trained and immediately think of people with firearms as threats. We need to continue to work on this issue so that covert carry and even open carry may not be seen as an immediate threat but a right of a citizen under the US Constitution. (I admit, we have a ways to go.) I recall a grade school friend bringing a .22 rifle to school for a project. He was not stopped, frisked and arrested either on the street or at the school. This was a better mindset for cops, and maybe, a goal for the future.
 
With such considerations in mind, my discussion is based upon the premise (or, in some cases, recommendation) that before you gather this weapon carry gear and related equipment, you have already decided or obtained the best quality firearms, related equipment, and training you can get or afford. Related to the topic, I hope that you have enough gun for any fight you need to be involved with. I like 7.62 because it is not understated in a fight. Neither is 12 gauge. An M4gery carbine is lighter but the extended effective range is nearer than the 7.62 NATO. (Since time and distance are your friends in a fight) . Iron back-up sights are required equipment on a serious weapon but I believe that a set of red dot type optics are quicker and easier for any grade of shooter. I also prefer handguns in calibers that start with a “point four.” Do not go cheap on weapons, magazines, or optics (“buy cheap twice or quality once”).
 
How will you carry your weapons and meet the necessary feeding requirements for your equipment? If your state requires a maximum of ten rounds in a pistol, you may find that a pistol with such a maximum mag count by design is a good size for your hand or, ultimately, if you cannot handle the situation with ten rounds in a secondary weapon, you need to add more thought to your primary weapon type. For that primary weapon, what kind of sling system will you need? A quiet way to carry a long gun is without a sling but, from experience, I can tell you that most will adapt a sling, piece of rope or something to help carry the weight of the piece.
 
A sling must work for you and it must work with your gear. I really prefer two-point adjustable padded slings, over one-point or three-point slings. Again, this is a personal preference from my experience. Military (“silent” or web) two-loop web slings can be used to carry a weapon over the right or left shoulder to the rear or front, butt up in the Rhodesian or African carry. These work if you practice with them. Try some out that belong to friends before you pick a sling you like and practice with it and with your gear so that you know that they work together. Use good training to assist in these decisions; see what works. For the taller people, if you find a sling you like is a bit short, have your rigger or shoe repair fit in an extension that works for you (this should apply for smaller people as well). Now is the time to pick a good sling.
 
Next, consider and study the circumstances of how you will deploy your weapons (again, training helps). All the equipment in the world may not be what we need in a serious social situation. The best way out of a gunfight is to not get in one in the first place. As you consider carry equipment, can you build up a set of gear that will allow you to carry a “combat minimum”? Can you wear a loose cover jacket or carry a covert “sports bag” that you can modify with the help of a para-rigger or shoe shop sewing machine (maybe adding some MOLLE strips inside to add loops or pouches) to carry loaded mags and not make you look like a GI Joe? If it is not raining, can you wear a serape like Clint Eastwood wore in his westerns so that you can wear or carry gear what will allow you to be seen but maybe not thought of as being an immediate threat? This is a topic for serious thought and consideration. You do not want to be shot on sight by someone a long way off who thinks that you are a bad guy? Can you have both a covert set of equipment to carry the minimal magazines and related gear you need to feed your weapons as well as an overt set of pouches and gear carried in manner we think of as load bearing gear? Why can’t you have both kinds? Remember, we should have a set of carry gear for each weapon available to us. Having a covert weapon and related equipment has merit – even if it is for someone that may be scouting ahead of others.    
 
Besides wearing many of these items, I have read a lot of material about vest’s and other load bearing gear. What is sometime missing is just how you put it together. We have a fresh crop of young military veterans. In the “Sandbox” and other “climbs and place,” they are wearing a lot of high speed gear and I am sure most of you can get some pointers from them about what works and what does not. Even if I am a generation older, I offer this material on things I find that work. 
 
During a certain age, the Marine Corps issued me 782 gear that included the hook type belt attachments. These swung to and fro against your body as you walked and canteens with these attachment points beat you when you ran. After wearing M1 cartridge belts, our individual M14 mag pouches slid onto the pistol type web belt and were more comfortable but four of them took quite a bit of space in front (most of us were pretty slim back then). Later we were issued the M16 and their mag pouches were the GI LC1 and later LC2 generations, both with the metal “ALICE” clips that dug into your midsection where they were attached on the inside of their very stiff web belts. We were not allowed to exchange out these clips like certain Army types using para-cord. After loading mags, in VietNam many of us carried most of our loaded 20-round M16 magazines in the pockets of OD green cotton bandoleers. (So save their safety pins). It is still a great way to grab additional full mags and walk away.
 
I did not like the hook type attachments that started, I believe, in WWI and continued until Vietnam or the ALICE clips (I do not use the word, “hate” but the feelings for those clips is pretty close). After my discharge, again wearing a green and tan uniform (for a Sheriff’s Office), I was again issued web gear as part of a riot unit and later a SWAT unit. With a wink and a nod, I was allowed to gather my own gear and modify it to be more comfortable (maintaining a “uniform” look). I took to using OD paracord in lieu of ALICE clips until I found that black nylon cable binders (zip ties) worked even better for me (put on, adjusted and then the ends are melted so that they did not come off). MOLLIE came later and I quickly learned how to adjust and wear it.
 
Today, drop down holsters are considered “Tact-a-cool”. I still have one that came with, again, ALICE clips. But I never felt encumbered with the GI leather holster for issued Model 1911 pistols. While stationed at a Marine Barracks, I learned to put a couple of stitches on the rear edge of the holster to hold it flat against the leg. I still have one modified this way (the hooks are on a leather slide-on carrier instead of going through a web belt). If this Marine were ever again put place to repel boarders, I might wear that holster (with some molding, you can holster a cocked and locked M1911). It protects the weapon and you can transition from your primary long gun to the pistol quickly. In the late 1960s, I also carried a C4 bag or Claymore Mine bag that I used as a “dump pouch.” More recently, Marines carry issue dump bags on their vest or belts (“adapt, improvise, and overcome”).
 
To carry my gear today, I still use a 2” nylon pistol belt with a plastic buckle or a padded MOLLE pistol belt with an Uncle Mike's nylon “Universal” holster (this holster allows me to fit a light/laser to the pistol) and I wear it strong side at waist level; a TUFF five mag holder; an old Cold Steel Tanto knife I carried during my SWAT years; a couple of hard plastic AR mag holders; and an “improved” Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK or “blow out”). Depending upon the need, I add a GI canteen and cup that is equipped with a sling or use a CamelBak. I prefer to wear my pistol on a belt rather than a load bearing harness or vest. Maybe I am old fashioned, but I may even wear the pistol holster on the trouser belt and wear the pistol equipment belt with the rest of my gear riding on top (and using nylon belt keepers to hold both belts together). This way, even if I have to drop most of my equipment, I still have some warfighting gear (a light but long cover jacket also covers this belt). Depending upon the situation, I can add a load bearing vest (LBV) with extra mags and other gear. 
 
If you choose to use a carry belt, former military web belts or the newer nylon pistol belts work fine. If you like the para-cord attachment method, after gathering the parts for the belt, I suggest you first position each piece of gear where you want it, then run the cord through the piece of equipment’s ALICE clip slot or MOLLE slots, under the belt, up the back, and over the top. Tie off the cord at the top of the piece of gear so that the knot does not sit inside the belt. Once you are sure of the placement and it is on tight, melt down the knot with a fireplace lighter. I usually use an OD green para-cord. Note: Since you remove the interior cords and use the “tube” for this task, you can heat the end of the “tube” to make it solid, thread the para-cord through the grommets or not and, depending on what the item is, sometimes I use the grommet and sometimes I do not.  
 
The cable binder (zip tie) method is slightly different. Position the gear, run the binder through that piece of gear (ALICE clip slot, etc.), then under the belt and over the top of the belt. Position the locking tab portion of the binder on the gear side so it will not move against the body as you put the running end of the binder through the locking portion. I sometimes use two or three binders for each piece of gear and may even run one diagonally from one corner to the other. As you adjust placement, do not over tighten and crush the belt. A triangular file is handy to make slight groves inside where the binder turns 90 degrees. This helps eliminate some of the tension curve in the tie. Again, once you are sure of your placement, ensuring the locking tab and end are away from the body, melt the running piece in the locking tab with the lighter. Since I do not find OD green ties, I use black.
 
An examination of my gear will show you that I may be using para-cord, cable binders, nylon snap belt keepers, and MOLLE at the same time to secure multi-generational gear items. The idea is to make your gear secure and available – oh, and quiet. By the way, don’t worry about the color of you gear (assuming it is not fire red) as mix-match makes good camo.   
 
The only thing I do not like about some LBVs is that, depending upon the vest and the placement of the gear, it makes me feel too high when I am trying to get flat on the ground (Okay, even the old style military buttons and thread is too thick when someone is shooting at you). When I see pictures of most troops and Marines wearing LBVs now, either they are spending less time on their belly or they are good a digging a deeper fighting positions – or they may be moving fast from an armored vehicle to the target building in built up areas. I adjust the LBV high so they clear the waist belt and I try to position the gear on the vest so that I can get the middle of my chest area down flat on the deck. The vest’s I use are the old 2-buckel woodland pattern that has enough room so that I can wear my gear this way. I also position a dump pouch on the left rear of the vest so I can drop mags in there if I have the time (or to carry a box of loose shotgun ammo). By the way, if you take the bottom belt out of these vests, they make a good MOLLE style gear belt.
 
I am pretty picky about the placement of my gear so I have different harness and vests setups for different weapons. [JWR Adds: It is indeed wise to have one set of web gear for each of your long guns. You never know when an absolute worst-case situation might occur where you suddenly want to hand out spare guns to relatives, neighbors, and friends. Any weapon without a set of web gear and a full complement of magazines won't be of much help.] There is a lot of new gear out there as well as military surplus and inexpensive enough that you can work up your gear as you want it. Also, it is worth finding a para-rigger or knowledgeable shoe repair person to modify or repair your gear to make it work as you want it to work.
 
Before I had LBVs (for SWAT), I wore a web belt, a nylon four-point shoulder harness (the three-point works almost as well), the Tanto knife, GI leather 1911 holster, a radio, twin pistol mag pouch, two AR mag pouches (six mags), the old USMC jungle first aid kit, and a canteen (before we purchased our first custom LBVs). I had a butt pack ready with food, dry socks, and other needed gear to add if needed. I have always liked this type of rig. You can improve it by adding a poncho and a butt pack (by the way, you can rig up two butt packs with the four-point shoulder harness). With this rig and a protective vest, I had great access and it allowed me to move and maneuver as necessary.
 
Like most cops, I have lots of pistol holsters and I find holsters are still an individual thing (for the person and the weapon). One kind of holster or carry method does not seem to be enough and, before you know it, you have a collection of them. Do not spend good money for a fine pistol and not on a good belt, holster and mag pouch. Check them out and get what you want. The traits you are looking for are; carry, access, and protection (your order may vary). If you want real comfort, you probably should not be carrying a pistol (or long gun). (By the way, start a chart of holsters and, as you get a new one, try all your pistols in the new one to see what else may fit. I have saved a fair amount of money using this chart for a new pistol or mag pouches.)
 
I also have a pretty fair collection of civilian and GI packs and war-bags. Again, depending on the situation you will be attending with this equipment, you may need to add a pack. I have worn most of the recent generations of military packs over the years and I still like a the US military issue ALICE medium ruck pack. But, if at all possible, I do not recommend this pack if you are using a long gun during a fight (drop the pack if you must maneuver). Proper maneuvering requires the ability to move smoothly and as fast or slow as you needed at the time and balance is important. You should be prioritizing as much weight off your body as possible (and still meet mission requirements). Besides your weapons, add one combat unit of fire in ammo (it varies with weapon and caliber), at least one additional unit of ammo loaded in mags or stripper clips in bandoleers (GI or home made), you will probably not have explosive weapons – frags, Claymores, etc. so use this for additional ammo in stripper clips/bandoleers, water, some energy food, IFAK, bug juice, a light, poncho, some kind of tool to improve a firing position, and something to carry all this as comfortably as you can (yes, I know a pack mule would be nice but no).  
 
At some point, you should have your weapons, gear, ammo, and carry equipment all together. Hopefully, you have already put it all on and made sure you have access to everything you need when your weapon’s bolt locks back with an empty chamber or another immediate action need arises. You can also jump up and down without making a lot of noise. Next, you need to try hiking, crawling and climbing over things to see if adjustments should be made. Once you have done this, tape down any loose ends, shiny spots, etc. with black or OD tape. I frequently see people show up at a range to begin long gun training. They are wearing the very minimum gear that they can. But, if you ask them to lay out the gear they think they need for a serious social situation, they have a lot more. Proper practice should be with the gear you need – not some lighter weight version to look “cool.”  
 
By the way, we have not spoken about protective vests yet. To wear a vest is another individual decision that needs to be made (your sling and gear will fit different with or without the vest). Both soft and hard protective vests are hot, somewhat restrictive, and not cheap. Besides deciding if you are going to use one, you need to figure out what level of protection you want to purchase. When in my SO uniform, when vests came along, besides the one issued to me, I bought a quality product and I wore it. The price of soft and plate armor has come down so the cost issues are easier but I suggest that as soon as someone shoots at you, you will ask yourself, “why am I here and why am I not wearing armor?” We should also bring up helmets. I recall that about 33% of all peace officers killed by firearms are shot in the head. Now, if cops are not around and you are in a gunfight, you might consider that the one-third of shooting incidents could include whoever is present.
 
As to the level of a vest protection, assess the potential aggressor. For most cops, a soft vest that will stop high end handgun ammo is the usual compromise. If you suspect your aggressor will have a rifle, hard armor is called for. It is always weight vs. threat. This applies to helmets to a lesser degree.
 
A note on individual first aid gear: 1) they are primarily for the individual carrying the kit; 2) they should have some basics like band aids, aspirin, etc.; 3) a small bottle of water purification tabs and; 4) basic treatment for gunshot wounds to include a tourniquet and gunshot bandages (1 or 2). 
 
We have also not discussed communications or night vision gear. You get to decide what you can use, what you can afford, and what you want to carry (remember the extra batteries). Once you make the decision, work with the equipment to make it work for you.
 
Once you have all your gear, put it in a bag (a bag for each set). I used to use a parachute bag but now I use a civilian style heavy cloth bag so it looks like luggage. Do not leave it out so that a “midnight shopper” sees it and takes it away when you are not present.  
 
Priority of Considerations:
Thought process – when and how can I protect myself and my family?
Training
Weapons and optics
Ammo
Sling
Carry gear
Other equipment
 
With all the parts available as surplus or new products, you get to pick your own rig for each weapon you may use, and high or low profile. You can start with a belt rig and then go heavier by adding or changing to a LBV. I know what works for me and I get to pick from gear going back awhile as well as new stuff.
 
Whatever you get, practice with it. You want to wear and use it enough that muscle memory builds so that when your mag goes dry, you automatically reach for replacements in known locations. Find places where you can wear and practice with your gear where you will not have the cops showing up due a hoplophobic reporting party calling in a “man with a gun” complaint (all part of your operational security mind set).

There are so many moving parts to being prepared. Juggling priorities, money, and time are part of it. I fit in recreation as it applies to firearms so I get to slide in some of these issues into that consideration. YMMV.
 
Keep your musket clean and your powder dry.

Hi James,
I had to send a note regarding this article. As a former outdoor professional I can't take the chance that someone reading the article would walk away from it with the idea that it's okay to tie your pack or bundle to you when crossing a body of water.  No! Never!  That is potentially deadly.  I don't care if you have practiced it a hundred times without a problem.  The 101st crossing could be the one that gets you.  I have lost 8 friends over the last 20 years that were world class mountaineers, elite back country skiers, professional river guides, etc.  They died in the pursuit of their craft.  It really hammered home that accidents do happen and it only takes once.  One was a world class mountaineer that fell to his death because his rope didn't clear the gate on his carabineer.  He had clipped in thousands of times over the years.  It only takes once.
 
You should never never tie your pack or bundle to you when crossing a body of water.  When carrying a backpack across a river or stream always unbuckle the waist belt and sternum strap.  If you were to fall you want to be able to get out of the pack quickly and kick it away from you.  You don't want to have anything like strings or straps that can wrap around you and impede your ability to swim or float.  If you do fall and can safely grab a strap that's okay.  But don't hang on to it if it is acting like an anchor and pulling you down.  Let it go if it is pulling you uncontrollably in the current.  Better to lose your stuff than your life.
 
Most river guides will be wearing a knife, usually attached to a web belt in a sheath.  They do this for a reason.  They can pop a tube of the raft if it's wrapped around a rock, cut the straps of gear in a capsized raft, free entangled people and so on.  It is one of the most important anything when dealing with rivers.  In Flasher's article it was even mentioned the dangers of "getting tangled up in the cord".  This should have been the red flashing light...danger, danger.
 
Most river professional use strapping like the ones sold by Northwest River Supply (NRS) and not cord to tie down gear in a raft or canoe.  There's a reason for it.  One being that the knot on cordage will tighten greatly when wet and pulled on (such as flipping in a rapid and being pulled by the current downstream).  There's not a chance of untying those knots, they have to be cut, thus the knife readily on hand.
 
If you are going to cross a deep river where you are going to have to float your gear across then you would want to ideally have it out in front of you, not on either side or behind you.  If you are going to use your gear as a floatation device then you can either put it under your trunk and kick with your feet or hang onto it with it in front of you.  If in a current, then point your feet downstream and loosely hang onto it at one side if having it in front of you is not possible.  Mostly you want to keep yourself in a situation where you can let go of it and get away from it if need be.
 
I would only cross a body of water where I had to swim or float with gear as an absolute last option if there was any kind of current.  Ideally, you want to choose a crossing where you can wade across.  Use a stout stick for maximum stability and to probe for holes or rocks on the river bottom.  Face upstream at an angle using the stout stick to brace yourself.  Move deliberately, one foot at a time.  River crossings should be made on a diagonal moving upstream.  If with others, link arms and have your strongest in the lead.
 
Apologies for the lecture but this isn't something to take lightly.  I have crossed a 100+ streams and rivers while backpacking and have taken a couple of falls.  Even with all the skills and know-how, accidents do happen.
 
The other thing I noted pertained to eight days to go 40 miles.  Even with a full pack and out of shape it should only take maybe four days.  If it is taking longer than you are carrying way too much gear or stopping too often.  Scale it down.  Ideally, you want to get there fast.  If you are walking around with a full pack or carrying a number of smaller packs then you are a moving target.  You want to be as inconspicuous as possible. Take care, - Skylar

JWR Replies: With regard taking eight days to cover 40 miles, I believe that that author was referring to slow, cautious, tactical movement. This involves travel primarily in hours of darkness, with frequent halts for observation and "listening halts", especially in locations where ambushes are likely.

I'd like to start off by expressing my appreciation for this blog – I've learned a lot from everyone here. I'm fairly new to prepping and I am by no means an expert. In this article, I will be putting together some of the things that my group and I are doing to raise the odds that we will get home when the Schumer Hits the Fan (TSHTF) and referencing other articles that I found helpful.

Like most people, I commute a long distance to work. I do this because there are few to no jobs in my field that pay a wage that I could live on close to home – just like everyone else. I am fortunate in that my commute is just less than 40 miles, but that is still a long way to walk – especially if I'm walking through the woods and avoiding towns and roads.

Why would I be walking? Several reasons. Although it is stated in this article that there is a fairly good chance that my vehicle will still be running when TSHTF (assuming the event is EMP related), everybody and their dog will be trying to get out of Dodge, and the roads will be backed up. See this article for more information. Even the back roads. I am under no illusions that I'm the only one who knows these roads.

Another reason is that the roads will become traps fairly quickly. There will be plenty of goblins out there whose survival planning involves robbing and pillaging those who had the foresight to prepare. I intend to increase my chances of not meeting any of them, and getting home safely in spite of them. The most successful survival strategy is to avoid a fight, rather than try to survive one.

Where Are We Going?
First, credit where it's due: this idea was adapted from this article. What I did was to go to Google Maps, and find several different ways to get from the area where I work to home. I then downloaded the USGS maps for those entire routes. It may take some poking around, but you should be able to get contiguous maps for the whole route. It's best to lay out more than one route. More on this later.

Here's a tip for working with these maps. They are in PDF format. If you can get your hands on a computer with the full version of Adobe Acrobat installed on it (not just the reader), you can export the map as a JPG image. In version 8, it's File/Export/Image/JPEG, but that may vary, depending on your system.. Once you've exported the image, you can then edit and print it using your favorite image editing software. I use Photoshop, but you can use less expensive (or free) image editing software. The idea is to be able to read the map on the go.

I generally cut out a lot of the extraneous area that I'm not likely to be traversing in my travels. That being said, I usually leave a good amount (several miles worth) around my intended route as I have no way of knowing what conditions will be like when TSHTF, and I want to keep my options open. I leave especially large areas surrounding towns and natural barriers (rivers, cliffs, steep mountainsides, swamps – you get the idea). The more you can cut out of the map, the larger the features in what you're printing will be.

If you end up with a lot on a single map, you can cut it in pieces and print each piece, or just print detail maps (a zoomed-in section) of the areas of interest (like towns or river crossings, for instance). I have more than a dozen maps for my 40 mile commute. One of the nice features is that the USGS maps show where there are houses and other structures. However, you need to be aware that the structures shown will be those that were there in the year that the survey was done. Just be aware that if the date on the map that you downloaded is 1984, there is a high likelihood that there are far more houses and businesses around now.

Once you have your maps to your satisfaction, you will need to print them. I prefer to use a color laser printer. Color, because it's easier to read the map, and laser because inkjet tends to smear very easily with the slightest amount of moisture.

I highly recommend purchasing (or borrowing if you're lucky enough) a laminator. A fairly decent one will cost around $100-$150 and the pouches around $30 for 100 (don't get the cheaper ones – they're really flimsy and they don't seal as well as the heavier ones). This may seem like a lot of hard-earned cash to lay out, but these maps could mean the difference between making it back to your retreat or not.

I typically lay out my maps by route (see Options below), and pair them up. If I have a large map with a detail map of something on the large map, they will go together. If not, then I pair them up in the order that I will likely use them as I'm working my way home.

When I laminate them, I put 2 maps in each pouch – like a printed book, you can see a map on both sides of the page. I then 3-hole punch them and put them in a 3 ring binder in the order that I will be traveling. Take care how you orient the maps when you laminate them – they should all face the same direction. When flipping through the book, you should not have to turn it more that 90 degrees and back to see all of the maps upright.

This book stays in my vehicle at all times. If I'm out with the family in my wife's vehicle, I put the book and my B.O.B. in there. My wife has her own "emergency kit" that stays in her vehicle all the time.

Options
Once again, credit where it's due: This came from this article.

I have several routes that I can take to get home from where I work. Unfortunately, they all involve major roadways – one major interstate and two State Highways. However, all three of my main routes home can be (mostly) through heavily forested areas and State Game Lands. This is a big plus in avoiding ambushes and just generally keeping a low profile.

One major problem that I will have is that I have to cross a major river (and possibly a smaller one, depending on which route I'm forced to take). There are two main bridges over this river that I will be avoiding like the plague when TSHTF. I can't help but think that bridges will be nothing more than shooting galleries: you can only go forward or back, there is no cover for you and the goblins likely have a lot of cover. Not good.

Using the USGS maps (and my knowledge of the area), I have identified at least seven good crossing points on the major river – two for each route. One route actually has three good crossing points. Depending on the time of year and recent rainfall, I may have even more.

The subject of river crossing brings me to my next point:

G.O.O.D. Bag
There are many outstanding articles here regarding G.O.O.D. kits and I don't want to re-invent the wheel. Keeping in mind that there are many more, a few good recent ones can be found here, here, here and here. As you can see from the selection of articles, I liked the ones having to do with the medical aspects of the B.O.B.

So, I've come to the river and I've scouted it out and am ready to attempt to cross. How do I keep my gear from getting soaked? My solution is rather simple: garbage bags. I use the big 30 mil, 50 gallon industrial sized bags. I'll simply put my gear into several different garbage bags and tie them to myself. I have a couple of hundred feet of paracord packed in my bag that I'll be doing the tying with. Each bag will be tripled – three bags, one inside the other inside the other. This has several advantages. First, it will (hopefully) keep my gear dry. I have actually used this method on canoe trips, and it works pretty well as long as you tie the bags well and don't snag them on anything. Second, they can be used as flotation devices. When I pack the bags, I put a little bit of gear in a bag, blow some air in it and tie it up, leaving a bunch of the top of the bag free above the knot. I then put this bag inside another bag, leaving some air space between the two bags. When I tie up the second bag, I pull the top of the first bag (above the knot) up into the part of the second bag that I'm going to tie, and then I tie a knot in both bags, leaving a section of the bags above this knot to do the same with the third bag. This way, if any of the bags gets ripped, you don't risk losing the contents. Depending on how bulky the gear is in each bag, you may not have enough of the inner-most bag left to tie into the third knot (the third knot will be rather big if there is 3 thicknesses of garbage bags in it), but that’s not a huge problem.

The next trick is to be lavish in your use of the cord to tie the bags to yourself. If you tied the bags as I explained above, you should have the outer knot near the end of the bags, and two more knots further down towards the contents. Tie your cord around the lower-most knot – the one on the inner-most bag. You will be tying all of the paracord knots on the outside of the outer-most bag. Now, take the long end of the cord, and wrap it tightly around the bags between the first and second knot (the first knot is on the inner-most bag, second knot on the middle bag, etc.), and then tie it here. Do the same thing between the second and third knots.

I have a "duty harness". It consists of a webbed duty belt with heavy padded suspenders with many attachment points. This is what I will be tying the bags of gear to – NOT to my belt loops on my pants. In the event that I get tired to the point that I'm struggling to stay afloat because I'm stressed out, I've been attacked, the current is too strong, I've been hiking for longer than I'm accustomed to or a combination of these, and I want to use the bags as flotation devices, it would be nice if they held my head out of the water, rather than my other end.

I recommend practicing this now as trying to figure it out under the stress of TEOTWAWKI probably won't give good results. Some of the things that will take some figuring out are how much cord to use between the bags and yourself, how much gear to pack in each bag, how much air to put in each bag. You'll also want to practice swimming with all of these bags tied to you – they WILL interfere with your movements. When choosing your crossing point, keep this in mind. I found that using a modified side-stroke/breast stroke to be the most effective and the least noisy. Using a crawl-type or any other stroke that takes your hands and arms out of the water generates a lot of attention-getting noise and tends to get you tangled up in the cords. Your bags of gear will tend to keep gravitating towards you as you settle lower in the water or make headway. If you use longer lines, or tie them to your belt, they will interfere less with your movements, but will not work well as floatation devices. This would work for smaller creeks, but not a larger river.

One point: when you put the gear in the first bag, it should float easily on its own. Don't pack so much in the bag that it barely floats (or doesn't float at all) and try to make it up on the outer bag(s). If the outer bags get ripped or leak, your gear can become an anchor, which tends to be counter-productive. Having several bags holding you up can be a good thing – especially if the river you have to cross is very wide or has a strong current. The down side of having a lot of bags is if the current is strong they tend to drag you down-river. They also make you a bigger target. I think that I would prefer to cross at night for this reason.

I actually tried this on the major river that I have to cross this past summer. I went to one of the swimming beaches with my gear already packed up in several bags as described above. It was a hot day, and there were a lot of people around swimming, partying, hanging out, etc. I got out of my truck, donned my duty harness, walked down to the river and started tying all of these bags to myself. To say that I attracted a lot of attention would be an understatement. However, I did find out that the amount of gear that I intend to carry, packed into several packages as described above will support me with my head out of the water, but will also slow my progress across the river appreciably. I think that I will probably use a smaller number of larger packages as I don't intend to spend too much time in the river, if I can help it.

Preparation
This is a very broad topic, so I'll just touch on a couple of points. First of all, if at all possible, I recommend taking the time to try and walk your route(s) home. Or at least, parts of them. Practice the skills you think you may need. Can you reliably build a fire with only your firesteel and whatever is available wherever you happen to be? Under stress? In the dark? Do you have an alternative method of making fire? Two? Can you navigate from your maps (whatever type you decide to use)? If you have to cross a river, can you without losing or ruining your gear? At night? In the rain? Or freezing weather? How long will it take you to pack all of the gear in your B.O.B. into plastic bags to get across that river? Can you do it silently? In the dark? How long will it take to re-pack it into your B.O.B.? Can you do that silently? Where will you build the fire that you will need to dry-out/warm-up after being in the water? What are the OPSEC considerations of building a fire near where you crossed? What will you do with all of those wet plastic bags? Try to think your scenario through. Better yet, walk it through.

Although my home state is part of America, where citizens have 2nd Amendment rights, I work in a state that doesn't allow citizens to carry guns (and the requirements for ownership are onerous – especially for those of us who live elsewhere). If your state is similar, how will you defend yourself if that becomes necessary? Will you carry a weapon even if it's frowned upon? Where will you keep it? How will you get to it when TSHTF? How much and what type of ammo will you carry? This is a highly personal decision, and I'm not making a recommendation one way or the other. That being said, it's definitely something you need to think about now – most likely, the goblins will have weapons.

One of the problems that I think I may have is that I can't carry enough food, clothing, etc. for the entire trip. Especially if it happens in winter as I'll need to carry even more food and clothing. I'm thinking that under ideal conditions, the trip will take about 8 days. Under less than ideal conditions (and we all know that TEOTWAWKI will occur at the worst possible time, in the worst possible weather), it will probably take a lot longer. I've decided to use the buried cache to get around this. I had a source for 8 gallon plastic drums with lids and metal snap-rings. Sort of like your standard 5 gallon pail with a snap-ring lid, only bigger. I've buried three of them – one on each route. In each one is two weeks worth of MREs, several pairs of socks, soap, underwear, first-aid supplies, vitamins, insect repellent, garbage bags, a sweat-shirt, t-shirts, a pair of jeans and a few other items (yes, it was expensive putting them together). They are located away from homes, roads, businesses, etc. on public lands where few are likely to go or stumble upon them. With the 8 days of food that I have in my B.O.B. and the 2 weeks worth buried, I will have 22 days of food for myself. Considerably less if my friends didn't bring enough with them, in which case we'll have to hit more than one.

I am the only person who knows where they are and how to find them. This is important. No matter how well you think you know someone, if they know where your cache is and they get there before you do when TSHTF, you will most likely be out of luck. There are three friends of mine that I will (hopefully) meet up with to travel home, and they don't know where they are. They'll find out when we dig one (or more) of them up. Yes, I'm paranoid… But am I paranoid enough?

Communications
I mentioned that there are three friends of mine that I will be meeting up and traveling with for mutual support. They are all further away from home than I am, and I'm not going to hang around where I work waiting for them to show up (it could take several days for them to get there). We will be using hand-held radios with selectable output power levels to communicate. We will have specific frequencies and times that we will be broadcasting on to contact each other.

One of the things that we decided on early on was to stay away from CB radios. They are simply too common and you never know who is listening in. One option that we have considered is Marine Band radios. These require a license to operate, but in a true SHTF scenario, I don't think that anyone will be enforcing that. With that being said, there is the possibility of a "slow decline" type of scenario, where there will still be some law enforcement out there and we would be putting ourselves in jeopardy needlessly. We're still working through this one. The selectable power levels are a must, though.

OpSec
Now we come to security. The maps that we all will be using are very readable. If one of us should lose our maps, whoever finds them will know whatever we write on them. Therefore, my group has agreed that nothing gets written on the maps. No X's, Town names, road names, marks, scribbles, doodles, nothing. We have come up with our own names for potential meeting places that would make no sense to anyone but us. If anyone leaves the group for any reason, those of us remaining will change all of the codes and pick new meeting places.

Each person has his own maps for getting from his place of work to the next person's, in addition to his own routes home, in case we don't meet up. No one knows anyone else's exact route, although we're all going the same general direction, the three routes I came up with are vastly different. The river crossing points on the two that are furthest apart are more than 20 miles distant from each other.

We will be using short, low power transmissions at set times. We won't transmit from a meeting point. Just because we're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they're not out to get us (and our stuff), and so we will be playing it out as if the goblins can hear everything we say and will attempt to use it against us.

No one will be staying within a half mile of our meeting places. At certain set times, we will make short low-power broadcasts to let the others know we are near using our code names for the meeting place. Once one of us gets to a meeting place, if circumstances dictate that we need to move on, we have mutually agreed upon signs that we will be using to let the others know that we were here and moved on, when we left, which meeting place we're going to next and possibly why we had to leave. We decided to let each other know when we left so that those following will know whether to try to catch up. If you're more than a day behind, it's probably not worth it. If we left because of something dangerous, it would be good to let those following know so that they don't waste time hanging around there, needlessly putting themselves in danger.

In my opinion, your best bet is to travel in groups if you must travel.

So there you have it – my plan for getting home when TSHTF. I welcome comments, criticisms, suggestions, rants, whatever – I'm still learning, and would like to get others' views on my plan.

Keep your head down, your powder dry and avoid confrontations.