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                     σ  Survival Pack  σ
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     At the last meeting, someone requested information on
what should be included in a basic survival pack.  Most of us
have either been in the military or have in some way been
involved in camping trips at some level, so we have a general
idea of what should be included in a pack.  Many of our
patriot recruits however have never been exposed to woods or
"rough living" at all and it's the responsibility of us more
experienced people to help these folks in any way that we can
in training them how to survive without the pumped in water
and electric comfort of our homes.

     The following lists show what should be included in a
good basic pack.  Use this as a guideline to make up your own
pack or to double check to make sure that you have everything
that you may need in your already prepared pack.  Your
personal needs of course may vary from this basic list, but
an honest effort has been made to list what the average
person with no experience should get together and have
prepared at all times.

     The lists have been divided into three categories, ...
Priority 1, Priority 2 and Priority 3.  If you are preparing
a pack for the very first time, use the list and read the
detailed explanations to understand exactly what you need for
each of these categories. It is strongly recommended that
each person of the family has at least the items in Priority
1 in their very own personal pack.  Even little children
should be able to carry a small book bag pack or hiking pack
that can carry their personal food and clothing so as to take
some of the weight burden off of the parent's backs.

     Use the following guide as a check list.  As you gather
each item, check it off the list.  By the time you have all
the items listed checked off, you will have a fine basic set-
up that will enable you to survive for several days away from
a populated area without help from anybody.  Remember the
term "American Ingenuity!  The items for your pack do NOT
need to be expensive or high tech items!  For example, if
your funds are limited there is no need to purchase an
expensive set of canteens, ... empty plastic liter bottles
from soda make excellent and "free" canteens that are easily
stored in a pack!




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Ό                                                           Ό
Ό                                                           Ό
Ό                                                           Ό
Ό                                                           Ό
Ό    Priority 1 : (* Read the detailed explanations on the  Ό
Ό                    following pages!)                      Ό
Ό                                                           Ό
Ό         Food & Water - (Prescription Medicines)           Ό
Ό         Clothing                                          Ό
Ό         Shelter                                           Ό
Ό                                                           Ό
Ό    Priority 2 :                                           Ό
Ό                                                           Ό
Ό         Weapons                                           Ό
Ό         Ammunition                                        Ό
Ό         Sleeping Bag - Blanket                            Ό
Ό         Fire Starting Materials                           Ό
Ό         Prescription Eye-glasses                          Ό
Ό         Rope                                              Ό
Ό         Insect Repellent                                  Ό
Ό         Survival Tools                                    Ό
Ό         Maps & Compass                                    Ό
Ό         Cooking gear                                      Ό
Ό         First Aid Kit                                     Ό
Ό         Toilet Paper                                      Ό
Ό         Light Source                                      Ό
Ό         Soap, Toothbrush & Other Personal Hygiene Items   Ό
Ό                                                           Ό
Ό    Priority 3 :                                           Ό
Ό                                                           Ό
Ό         AM / FM Transistor Radio                          Ό
Ό         Small Bible                                       Ό
Ό         Small "Survival" Books or Pamphlets               Ό
Ό         Sun Glasses                                       Ό
Ό         Sun Screen Lotion                                 Ό
Ό                                                           Ό
Ό                                                           Ό
Ό                                                           Ό
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Priority 1 Items:

FOOD:
          The easiest (and most expensive) way to have food
          in your pack is to purchase "Meals Ready to Eat"
          (MRE's) from an Army/Navy Surplus store or a
          survival store.  The cost (as of this writing) is
          around $4.00 for each meal if purchased separately,
          or around $36.00 to $40.00 per case.  (12 variety
          meals.)

          The advantage to MRE's is that they are totally
          self contained.  In addition to an (arguably)
          tasty and nutritious meal, each meal package also
          contains toilet paper, (freeing up much needed
          space in your pack as you won't have to pack
          separate toilet paper), a book of matches, snack
          candy, coffee, powdered drink mix, gum, salt,
          sugar, hand cleansing towelets and eating utensils.
          Each MRE is about 1800 to 2200 calories, ... enough
          to keep an adult healthy (if not happy) for another
          day.  Remember, you burn more calories while on the
          move than you do sitting in the comfort of your
          home in front of a TV.

          The MRE's come packaged in a water tight vacuum
          sealed thick plastic pouch. They are quite buoyant,
          and in a pack will provide more than adequate
          flotation support to use if crossing a deep river
          or stream for even a full grown adult.  Being
          sealed the way they are, they can be buried for
          weeks or months and retrieved at a later date for
          consumption.

          The disadvantage of the commercial MRE's is of
          course they ARE quite expensive compared to what
          you could prepare for yourself in a home made MRE.
          If you wish to take the time and trouble, you can
          dehydrate your own fruits and vegetables, prepare
          stews and soups, jerk beef and other meats, pack
          dried beans and legumes, rice and commercially
          prepared bread and biscuit flours, (just add water)
          mixed nuts, etc .

          The disadvantage of preparing your own MRE's is
          that for the most part you will need to re-hydrate
          the foods before you can eat them using much of
          your precious drinking water, and you will have to
          cook them to make them edible. (The commercial
          MRE's can be eaten dry if necessary, as the main
          course already has moisture in it, and they don't
          need to be cooked or heated.)

          If you decide to prepare your own MRE's, be sure to
          concentrate on high energy, high calorie LIGHT
          WEIGHT foods.  Be concerned about nutritional
          properties of the foods that you pack.  Whether you
          buy commercial MRE's or prepare your own, you
          should pack supplemental "one a day" type multi
          vitamins to stay healthy.

WATER:
          Water will be one of the heaviest and most vital
          items that you put in your pack.  Every member of
          the family should have and carry at LEAST one
          container of water.  Water is for drinking!  It is
          not for washing hands or cleaning cooking gear!  If
          needed, clean sand does a fine job of scouring
          cooking gear.  Water can be carried in plastic
          "screw top" bottles or canteens.

          A small bottle of water purification tablets is
          vital.  It's suggested that you have at least one
          bottle per person in your family.  They can be
          bought at Walmart, K-Mart, and many other
          department stores or anywhere that camping supplies
          are sold.  A drop of chlorine bleach per quart of
          water can also be used to purify contaminated
          water, ... but if you decide to pack a small
          plastic bottle of bleach, be sure that the lid is
          FIRMLY secured as bleach rubbing against skin for a
          day will cause sever burns.  River and creek water,
          ...  even water from a ditch, ...  can be made safe
          to drink if you use a water purification tablet or
          bleach.

          Water can also be boiled to kill any bacteria or
          insect larva if you don't have the purification
          tablets or bleach, but it's very time consuming and
          smoke from a fire may give away your location to
          those that you are trying to elude.  Many people
          are packing the little "purification straws" in
          their packs for emergency use.  (These can be
          purchased at most Army/Navy Surplus stores or in a
          survival store.)  Using one of these straws, you
          can literally scoop up a cup of muddy water and
          suck through the straw giving you a safe drink.

PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION:
          This is of course self explanatory.  It's suggested
          that you carry at least a 30 day supply of any
          medication that you or your family members need to
          take on a regular basis.  Little children's
          medication should be carried by their parents or an
          older sibling.  Be sure if you're diabetic that you
          bring a supply of syringes and alcohol.

CLOTHING:
          It's important for each person in the family to
          carry at least one change of clothing in their
          pack for health reasons.  (A cold wet and clammy
          shirt on your back is not only uncomfortable, it's
          unhealthy and dangerous as well.)  I carry several
          pairs of socks, (blistered feet are not fun to walk
          on!) and underwear.  Time permitting, socks,
          underwear and other clothing can be washed in river
          water, creek beds or road side ditch water and
          allowed to dry in the sun or near a secluded camp
          fire.

          I personally carry two changes of camouflage
          clothing and two changes of black (night use)
          clothing.  It's not necessary to spend a lot of
          money on specialty clothing, although it's nice if
          you can afford to.  A couple of pairs of good
          sturdy jeans will last a long time in the woods.  I
          also carry a set of lightweight "tennis shoes" to
          give my feet a rest in camp from the hiking boots
          used while traveling.  The use of a plastic bag to
          hold soiled or damp clothing is also recommended.

          Every person should have some type of waterproof
          poncho or rain gear.  Bright red or other
          florescent colors are NOT recommended!  A large
          poncho can also double as a lean-to type shelter or
          a ground cloth for sleeping.  Camouflage rain gear
          and ponchos are available quiet inexpensively from
          Walmart and sporting goods stores.  At times
          extremely GOOD bargains can be found at Army/Navy
          Surplus stores.

          I also carry at least two baseball type caps.  (I
          prefer the camouflaged kind.)  We live in a sub
          tropical area, and for the most part we're not used
          to being outside all day.  A good cap with a visor
          can ease a lot of eye strain from bright sun and
          help prevent heat stroke on a blistering hot day.
          Also keep in mind that 80% of your body heat is
          lost through your head, so wearing a cap or hood on
          a cool or cold night will make you far more warm
          and comfortable.

SHELTER:
          I personally carry a small two man tent with
          collapsible tent poles and stakes.  It's extremely
          lightweight and compact, ... easy and fast to set
          up and break down.  Again however, it's not
          necessary to spend a great deal of money on an
          elaborate tent or shelter.  A thick sheet of
          plastic or a light weight blanket sprayed with
          water repellant makes an excellent lean-to or two
          sided tent, and they're easy to pack.  Even a
          poncho stretched from a tree in a lean-to
          arrangement can be quite comfortable and snug on a
          cold or drizzly day or night.  Let your budget and
          your family's needs be the guide, but DON'T waste
          money on a large, heavy, hard to set up brightly
          colored dome tent.  The key words should be "LIGHT"
          for ease of carrying, "EASY" and quick to set up,
          and "COMPACT" for packing purposes.


Priority 2 Items:

WEAPONS:
          The choice and preference for weapons is as varied
          and individualized as the people that will use
          them.  If you do not yet own a weapon, ask the
          persons you meet at the meetings what their
          personal preferences are and why.  Make your own
          decision as to what to purchase, and if at all
          possible, try to purchase one that someone at a
          meeting may have to sell.  It will probably save
          you considerable money by purchasing someone's
          extra weapon, and has the added advantage that
          there will be no yellow ATF form showing a trace of
          the weapon to you.  (THIS IS LEGAL!  In this state
          (Florida) it's totally legal for any citizen to
          sell or dispose of a any weapon to anyone he/she
          chooses.  It is not necessary in this state to
          register ANY firearm with law enforcement, nor is
          it recommended for you to do so.)

          It is also strongly suggested that you consider
          purchasing a lightweight 22 caliber rifle and/or a
          22 caliber target pistol in addition to your main
          firepower.  Don't sell this small caliber short!
          It makes far more sense in hunting (to supplement
          your MRE diet) to shoot at a squirrel or rabbit
          with an inexpensive 22 caliber bullet than to blaze
          away with a Colt AR-15 .223 caliber round!  A
          properly handled 22 caliber rifle or pistol can be
          deadly against a human as well, ... and the
          accuracy can be phenomenal.  With practice, you
          should easily be able to put a 22 bullet into a two
          inch circle at 25 yards (75 feet) which is
          equivalent to placing the round in a squirrel's
          head in the top of a tree.

          Another strong advantage of the 22 caliber rifle or
          pistol is that it's quiet, (harder for those you
          are trying to elude to determine where a shot is
          coming from), and that the ammunition is cheap and
          very light to carry.  Even a 12 year old child can
          handle the weapon to bring in much needed food, and
          many women that may be more timid with the heavier
          rifles and pistols become dangerous and deadly
          shots with a 22.

AMMUNITION:
          Self explanatory.  Carry the ammo that you will
          need for the weapon(s) that you have chosen.  At
          least 100 to 200 rounds is recommended, but be
          careful of the weight!  Ammo is VERY heavy, and
          most common rounds can be appropriated in the field
          as needed.  It's also recommended that you carry
          LOADED extra magazines for your semi automatic
          rifles or pistols.  It's the easiest way to carry
          the extra rounds, and makes re-loading an empty
          weapon very fast.  If you are carrying a 22
          caliber weapon as a primary or supplemental weapon,
          you can pack literally hundreds of rounds at very
          low weight.  Even a pre-teen child can carry
          hundreds of 22 rounds with no strain.

SLEEPING BAG - BLANKET:
          You will need a good sleeping bag or a blanket
          for sleeping in order to be fully rested and
          healthy each day.  There is no need to spend a
          great deal of money on the "best of the best" in
          sleeping bags.  Most light weight (3 to 5 pound
          sleeping bags) are more than adequate for the area
          and elevation that we live in and can be purchased
          in the sporting goods/camping department of most
          department stores from $14.00 to $20.00 or so.  Be
          sure that each member of the family has their own
          sleeping bag, and make sure that it's attached
          securely to the pack to stay in balance.  These
          bags roll up nicely and once packed into a separate
          small duffle bag or stuff sack, it can be attached
          to the pack simply and is then very compact and
          easy to carry.  If you don't have a sleeping bag or
          need to wait to purchase one, a good quality
          blanket can be used instead.

FIRE STARTING MATERIALS:
          As any smoker that has ever tried to light a
          cigarette with a wet Bic lighter can tell you,
          there's nothing more frustrating than trying to get
          fire and not being able to when you need it.
          Certainly you should include several Bic type
          lighters in your pack, but keep in mind these
          things will NOT work when they are wet!  Old
          fashioned kitchen matches ("strike anywhere", ...
          not the "safety matches") with the striker head
          dipped in hot candle wax and then allowed to cool
          will last for months even if they become submerged
          in water.  You can also purchase "fire sticks" at
          the Walmart sporting goods section or other camping
          supply outlets.  A "fire stick" is a wax
          impregnated sawdust bundle that will burn strongly
          for a half hour or so once ignited.  These can be
          used to coax wet wood to burn in starting a camp
          fire or even used alone to cook one quick meal on
          the trail.  You can make your own "fire sticks" by
          soaking tightly wound paper in candle wax and
          letting it cool, although they won't burn as long
          or as cleanly as the commercially prepared ones.

          Fine steel wool will also burn brightly and quickly
          when ignited with a match or lighter, and is also
          very useful in starting a camp fire with damp wood.
          For around $5.00, you can also purchase a small
          magnesium block at the camping supply section of
          Walmart and other department stores.  These little
          blocks have a built in flint striker that is used
          to ignite the shaved magnesium from the block.  You
          take your camp knife, shave off a little pile of
          magnesium, and then holding the striker next to the
          pile you scrape the knife edge along the striker
          producing hundreds of bright long burning sparks.
          With practice, you can start a fire just as fast
          with this as you can with a match, and it has the
          added advantage that it doesn't matter if it's wet
          or not.

PRESCRIPTION EYE-GLASSES
          Again, self explanatory.  It will be dangerous and
          frustrating stumbling around if your eye-glasses
          become broken or lost.  I personally keep a spare
          set of regular and prescription sunglasses in my
          pack at all times.  It's better to be safe than
          sorry!

ROPE:
          Rope is an often overlooked and extremely necessary
          piece of equipment to keep in your pack.  It can be
          used to support tent poles, secure a lean-to, hang
          meat and food from a tree to keep animals from
          stealing your precious supplies, as a tourniquet,
          to tie extra equipment to a pack, to repair broken
          pack straps, used as a belt and literally hundreds
          of other uses.  Medium weight cotton rope is the
          most preferred because of ease of handling and
          tying, but nylon rope is strongest.

INSECT REPELLENT:
          Much to the back yard "Barbecue King's" surprise,
          the woods and fields are swarming with far more
          insects than they could have ever imagined.  If you
          have not camped out in the woods before, heed the
          warning!  A small and inexpensive bottle of liquid
          insect repellent will save you many hours of
          miserable scratching and perhaps even infection
          from insect bites!  This is an often overlooked and
          much needed item for your pack.  Every member of
          the family should have at least one bottle.

SURVIVAL TOOLS:
          The key to this category is multi-use tools and
          light weight!  It becomes very easy to go overboard
          with all the different tools and gadgets that you
          "think" you will need.  Remember, every thing you
          pack is going to be that much more weight on your
          back, and that many more calories that you have to
          burn to carry them.

          Basic tools that you should have are; a strong and
          very sharp knife, a hatchet (the flat end of which
          can be used to pound in tent stakes) or small
          collapsible wood saw, and a multi purpose pocket
          knife such as a "Swiss Army Knife" that has a
          blade, tweezers, pliers, scissors, awl, file, etc.,
          and finally a small sharpening stone for your
          bladed tools.

MAPS & COMPASS
          Each adult and teenager in the family should have
          at the very least a map of the state where you live
          and a good reliable compass.  If you are part of a
          group of people that intend to rendezvous at a
          location, each teenager and adult in your family
          should have a clear understanding of where that
          meeting place will be and when, with the
          approximate route to the location marked out on the
          map.  A good quality working compass is vital, for
          it becomes very easy to be turned around in the
          woods and fields where there's no roads or street
          signs to guide the way.

          It's obvious that the map with the rendezvous
          location should be well guarded or even committed
          to memory.  At no times should the map be left
          lying around in the open or be allowed to be viewed
          by prying eyes of your neighbors or co-workers.

COOKING GEAR:
          This is another area where weight can be a
          tremendous factor.  It's not necessary at all to
          have a complete set of cookware in your pack
          complete with pots and pans and skillets and coffee
          pots.  A very simple field kit (available in
          Army/Navy Surplus stores) or a back pack cook kit
          (available in department store camping sections) is
          adequate.  One kit can easily prepare two MRE's in
          a short period of time.  If you rub bar soap on the
          bottom of your cook ware before placing it on a
          fire, it makes clean up as simple as wiping it down
          with leaves or a cloth.

          I personally keep one set of metal eating utensils
          (fork and spoon) in my pack to be used with my camp
          knife to stir and help prepare food.  In addition
          to the MRE's, I also carry a small plastic spice
          container that's divided into compartments and
          holds different herbs and spices that will help
          make wild foods more palatable and tasty.

FIRST AID KIT:
          There are many commercial small and inexpensive
          first aid kits available in department stores and
          drug stores.  A very simple first aid kit can be
          made by using a water tight small Tupper-ware box
          and placing first aid products in it, thus avoiding
          the cost of buying a commercial kit that may not be
          as complete.  Be sure to provide plenty of Band-
          Aids, anti-biotic creams, small scissors and
          tweezers, (if you don't have a Swiss Army type
          knife with them included), larger bandages,
          adhesive tape, perhaps an Ace bandage for sprains,
          a magnifying glass to help with splinters, etc.
          Most of the items one would put in a first aid kit
          are very light and small, so you can really cram
          them in there.  Don't forget the aspirin or other
          pain killers!

          Included with your kit should be a good quality
          snake bite kit!  This is another item that's often
          overlooked, but is vital should the need arise for
          one!  They are very inexpensive and are available
          almost everywhere.

TOILET PAPER:
          There's an old soldier's saying that goes, "I'll
          share my rifle, and most of my ammo if you need it.
          If I only have one biscuit, half of it is yours,
          ... but don't you touch my toilet paper!"  Nuff'
          said.

LIGHT SOURCE:
          Undoubtedly a lot of travel will be done at night.
          Even if it's not, there will be times when you may
          need to travel at night and will want a light
          source to guide your way.  Do NOT buy the large
          multi cell "Mag Lights", as they're too heavy and
          too powerful for what you need!  A small pencil Mag
          Light or equivalent will do fine, ... illuminating
          a few steps in front of you and yet very light to
          carry.  (Be sure to carry a couple sets of fresh
          batteries.)

          Another good source is the little "snap lights",
          ... the liquid filled tubes that glow with a soft
          green light when you snap them.  Be sure to
          purchase green ones and not red ones, and keep in
          mind that though light in weight, they can only be
          used once, so a large supply will be needed if you
          intend to depend on them exclusively.

SOAP, TOOTHBRUSH & OTHER PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS:
          This is another item that's often left behind, ...
          and sorely missed in the field.  Unscented bar soap
          is good, but there's commercially available
          unscented tubes of soap used by hunters that's
          better because it uses very little water to rinse
          off.  Remember, it's not only more pleasant to have
          clean hands and a clean body, but it's healthier
          too!  Fungus infections on your skin and scalp will
          make you miserable, and left unattended could
          actually be life threatening.  Do yourself and your
          companions a favor and bring soap!

          The same goes for the toothbrush.  Clean teeth and
          a clean mouth not only feel better to you and smell
          better to your companions, it's healthier for you
          as well.

          Women and teenaged girls should bring their choice
          of tampons or sanitary napkins.  A sanitary napkin
          also makes a superb bandage for large cuts or
          wounds.

Priority 3 Items:

AM / FM TRANSISTOR RADIO:
          If there's room in your pack, or if the weight is
          not too oppressive, the items in the priority 3
          category are "nice to have" but are not necessary
          for your actual survival.  First on the list is a
          small AM / FM Transistor radio.  "Knowledge is
          power" is an old saying, ... and although news and
          information may be sketchy at best and full of
          false information at worst, it's still a good idea
          to have a general idea what's going on if possible.

SMALL BIBLE:
          This is a matter of personal preference.  In my
          personal opinion however, a life without God is not
          a life at all, ... and the guidance, encouragement
          and hope that a Bible provides for me is
          indispensable.  The Bible goes with me.

SMALL "SURVIVAL" BOOKS OR PAMPHLETS:
          If you're a novice in camping or back-packing, one
          of these small and inexpensive books is a jewel box
          full of hints and tricks in surviving in the woods
          and fields.  They can teach you everything from how
          to build a pit fire to roast your food to how to
          build a lean-to out of tree branches.  If you're
          inexperienced, and if you have no one that "knows
          what to do" along with you to help and guide you,
          these little books can be life savers.

SUN GLASSES:
          If you travel around a lot during the day in this
          sub-tropical area, you will be very grateful that
          you remembered to bring along some "shades".  They
          help with eyestrain and can prevent headaches.

SUN SCREEN LOTION:
          For a fair skinned person, this is almost a must!
          It will be unpleasant enough to try to survive in a
          new environment, ... so there's no sense in doing
          it while miserable with blistered skin.  If you've
          never had it, let me assure you that sun poisoning
          from a sever sun burn is not fun!


Conclusion:
     In preparing this for you, I've tried to be as thorough
as possible, ... especially with the understanding that this
MAY be the first time many of you have tried to put together
any kind of survival pack.  If you follow the basic
guidelines that I've put down, you will have a pack that
should be comfortable to carry and will give you several days
worth of food and supplies to carry you through the woods and
fields.

     Your needs may vary slightly, so by all means add to or
delete from the list provided as needed!  There are many
items that I didn't include in this basic pack, ... small
binoculars, a metal foil based survival blanket, (good for
draping over yourself when a helicopter or plane is nearby to
block off your infrared heat print from their scanners,) a
two way radio for communicating with others in your party,
etc.  As time, money and weight permit, you may find many
other items that you personally choose to carry in your pack.
The key here is to survive, ... and only you know what is
most needed in your personal situation.

     Good luck, .. and may God Bless you and America!



 