survival pack ...

[SOAZ]

lots of good ideas ... what makes it challenging is I don't know who will use it when, so it needs to be basic, and easy to throw into a car and generic enough to suit different tastes.:chowtime:

This is not a kit designed for people doing any heavy hiking or wandering about. People will be close to their vehicle (the fire service keeps tabs on us nowadays) so neither weight nor portability in the field are issues.

The bulk of the kit will be water, gatorade-like liquid and powerbars I would guess. But I like the idea of the self-heating meals and or MRE's. For a community kit I'd like to stay away from camp stoves, etc ... as that gets complicated and those items tend to disappear over time.

Thanks for all the good ideas ...

My first instinct was a flint for fire... hmm. They'll have plenty of fire around though. :shakin:
Throw in a bottle of iodine for clean water or a small water purifier maybe??

 

[robert]

Be careful which candles you buy if you decide to throw some in- most melt in the hot environment of a car into a worthless blob.

More water! You can live without food for a while, but dehrdration sets in pretty quick in the desert.

MREs are a good choice, but will reach their expiration date much faster in the heat. Freeze dried foods (Mountain House makes some decent ones) are easy and light to pack but will require you to add additional water to your list.

Esbit stoves are cheap and easy to pack and will heat water for coffee or freeze dried foods just fine. Cheaper than Dirt sells them for under $2/each and extra fuel tabs are cheap too http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/MLT9089-1269-1391.html

 

[j_nigrelli]

i don't know how it tastes, but maybe some "ensure" type of nurishment drink that can be chugged right on the spot?

energy bars do take a lot of water to choke down.

don't forget hard candy. and i remember Hershey's used to make tropical chocolate bars that wouldn't melt. or course it bordered on "baker's chocolate" - but it din't melt in the backpack!

 

[Clutch]

Most army navy stores are a good soure for the MRE.

Do they still have saltpeter in them?

 

[thallca]

As a working news photographer I always thought that if I was out on a assignment and it turned into a survival situation I would just eat the journalist! They are so tender! You know the ones, showing up at a major disaster with nothing more than skirt and heels for the ladies or sports jacket for the guys and the best hair and makeup you have ever seen in your life. Now thats good eaten!:chowtime:

 

[calamaridog]

As a working news photographer I always thought that if I was out on a assignment and it turned into a survival situation I would just eat the journalist! They are so tender! You know the ones, showing up at a major disaster with nothing more than skirt and heels for the ladies or sports jacket for the guys and the best hair and makeup you have ever seen in your life. Now thats good eaten!:chowtime:

Thanks. I got a good laugh from that

 

[spunky2268]

Resuscitated following the current wildland fires

Jeff,

Sorry 'bout the necropost, but was wondering if you had utilized this with the current situations out West.

Did you have any luck with this? Any final inventory or words of wisdom? Still using a cooler as your container? Taste tests on the jurnos?:chowtime:

Thanks for sharing!

Spunky

 

[CoastalDefender]

I'd pack everyone a Nalgene bottle with a snaplink on the cap tether. You never know what situation they'll be in, or just how far they'll have to hike to "get that shot". It would also help prevent against littering, as well as work better than pallets of waterbottles in their vehicles. Few gallon-size water containers and nalgene bottles.

And give each person the bottle, don't just leave them in the rig to get mixed up, etc.

I'd also stay away from providing trail mix or anything that has nuts in it. People have allergies, (and I think we all know how dangerous nut allergies are), and even someone else eating a nut in the vicinity could be very very bad in the wrong situation.

However, you should look at what's most important in the short term- water, salt, carbs.

I'd go with the powerbars like you suggested. But get the "harvest bar" type and such, as the "powerbar" style (very compact) tends to be hard as a rock in the cold, and difficult to eat. The more "light" type bars are still edible when it's cold. We all know how cold it can get in the high-desert in the nights and mornings.

For salt I would stick with pretzels. Get a huge bag at Frito-Lay warehouse in your area of the small snack sized ones and throw a bunch in each kit. may not be everyone's favorite, but they're a decent source of sodium and keep very well over long periods of time.

I would also pack an emergency strobe for each vehicle, or if possible even on each person. In case someone gets separated from the group and finds themself in a life/death situation. With all the air-support in the area, someone is bound to notice a strobe.

Hope that helps, and that I didn't go over something already hashed.

 

[CoastalDefender]

Holy crap! Total necrothread! :archaeolo


I didn't even check the dates, just posted thinking this was about San Diego. :bike_rider:

 

[spunky2268]

Yeah, but not archaic...

Jeff posted the thread starter back in May of this year. Hadn't seen any wildfires 'til now. Wondered what direction he took with the pack.

Spunky