5. RE: Bug Out Firearm / Ammunition Load
In response to:
..."if you had to leave your home and travel somewhere for whatever reason how much ammo and arms would be too much to carry on just your person?" No car, no boat, just walking it...so it's all on your own steam.
I would want a pistol, a long gun, and a back up pistol. But I don't know what I'd choose between a rifle or shotgun if I could only take one with me. Which would you all take?
How many mags or reloads for a long gun and a pistol would be too much...considering space in your pack for food/other supplies? How important would ammo and guns even become?
Question #1. It depends on your future prospects for the given situation. If you are moving to a known sanctuary or safe area (where civilization is still up & running), your requirements are short term (i.e., as long as it takes you to get there). If you are planning for a long-term foraging/hunting lifestyle (a "Postman" post-nuclear warfare environment), your plan will require a modified loadout. For the first scenario, a long gun, handgun, and a moderate load of ammo would be enough. For the second, you would need to weigh (pun intended) the practicality of humping an additional .22 long rifle and/or shotgun. These weapon types would be for hunting. If I were going to actually cut into my ruck weight by adding a second long gun, it would be a lightweight .22 rifle (AR-7, Marlin Papoose, etc. along with a 500 rd brick or two of .22 LR ammo). Unless you are SURE of your rucking capabilities (meaning that you have current practice with your planned weight & distance), plan to go with no more than 50-60 lbs (total weight of everything on your body). You will be doing well to make 15 miles a day in a SHTF situation.
Question #2. RIFLE. You can only handle one long gun if a fight erupts. Make sure it's one which is effective at all practical ranges. You need a centerfire, medium caliber, repeating rifle (.223, 5.56, 7.62 x 39, .308, 7.62 x 54, 7.62 x 51, 30-30, .270, etc.). The rifle wins against the shotgun. It isn't about the relative merits of stopping power or appropriateness for limited tactical situations. It's about which type of weapon will give you the best performance over an entire spectrum of possible events. You can carry far more rifle rounds than shotgun shells. A rifle gives you more range, penetration, and accuracy than a shotgun. If your priority is small game hunting or very close range defensive use, a shotgun is great. For everything else (and even for those two scenarios) a rifle is the tool of choice.
Question #3. The rifle is for everything. The pistol is for "Oh sh*t". In the 5.56 caliber realm, 300 rds is about right (10 x 30 rd mags). You won't have frag grenades, claymore mines, C-4, AT-4s, LAWs, additional 7.62 machinegun ammo, smoke grenades, night vision goggles, tactical radios, etc.). Thus, you can add some additional rifle ammo IF your rucksack load of food, water, shelter, and clothing allows. If your ruck is light enough, toss in another 90-180 rds worth of pre-loaded magazines.
In 7.62/.30 caliber realm, about half of what you would carry in 5.56 will be about right...maybe a little more (160 rds).
In .22 Long Rifle: If the rifle is your primary long gun, get the best quality repeater you can afford and carry 1000 rds. If it is secondary (takedown rifle stowed on pack) carry a lesser amount of ammo (500 rds).
Ammo for your pistol should be around 3-4 ready magazines (including the one in the weapon)
In any event, I wouldn't plan on carrying more than 2 x 50 rd boxes worth of pistol ammo. One of these would be pre-loaded in your mags. The extra 50 round box would go in the rucksack or backpack. If need be (due to weight considerations), carry 4 loaded mags and call it a day.
For a revolver, carry a loaded cylinder, 3 x speedloaders, and an extra box of 50 rds. If weight is a concern, lose the extra 50 rds.
If you are going to pack a .22 pistol in your ruck (for hunting) one or two 500 round bricks should see you thru at least the next winter...
The combat caliber pistol is for self defense only, not food procurement. You are unlikely to need a bazzillion rounds of handgun ammunition and if you think that you might...you need more rifle ammo instead.
In Afghanistan (the remote and far from immediate resupply/rescue parts of Afghanistan), I carried 430 rds of 5.56 (13 x 30 rd mags & 2 x 20 rd full tracer mags) and 45 rds of 9mm. Of course, I also had frags...and friends with frags (and automatic rifles and machineguns ).
Your main effort in SHTF movement should be to get to where you need to go, in one piece, and with no drama. You should move like a rabbit avoiding hawks... not a male pit bull looking for a dog fight.
Water weighs 8.8 lbs per gallon. You will need 3 qts per day while on the move (more in summer). Your water load and a good purifier or filter kit is probably more vital than a handgun. Likewise with regards to that expensive 2 lb custom fighting knife...
I'll summarize using my version of a reasonable weapons load (which allows you to still carry all the other shiznit you need):
1 x 5.56 semi-auto w/ 300 rds [about 7-8lbs of rifle & 5 lbs of ammo]
1 x loaded and reliable combat caliber handgun w/ 3 x reloads [3-4 lbs pistol & ammo combined]
1 x lightweight adjustable sight .22 LR handgun w/ 500 rds [3 lbs pistol and ammo combined]
Total weapon/ammo weight for 3 month trek to grandma's house through hordes of zombies: 20 lbs maximum
6. RE: General Survival Food / Water Considerations (written immediately Post-Katrina, but with emphasis on Winter Conditions)
Some Stream of Unconciousness Thoughts:
1. The old military C-rations & modern MREs always include packets of powdered "kool-aid" type drink mix. They allow you to drink otherwise unpalatable water you have just filtered/purified from some rice paddy, stream, seep hole, or puddle by masking the taste of both the nasty water and whatever chemicals you have used to sterilize it. They also provide vitamin C. Just add enough for flavor (as opposed to adding an entire packet to a single cup or canteen). You can stretch the powder out.
2. For below freezing cold weather, Crisco shortening sticks are great source of calories & fat. Use to fry anything (if possible) or just add to cookpot (soups, stews, etc.). They are easy to carry, require no refridgeration, and can be stored forever. Also available with butter flavoring already added. Have used with great success in extreme winter environments (snow mobile expeditions in Rockies & above Arctic Circle). Canadian Army Inuit Scouts carry frozen fish & Crisco along with a deep fryer or deep pot/pan. Makes a hot, greasy, high calorie, high fat, high protein winter meal...mmmm...GOOD. Also corn dogs, hush puppies, hashbrown patties, frozen chicken, etc. You can also use Crisco sticks during warmer weather although it could get a little messy without a ziplock bag.
3. Winter temperatures allow you to carry just about anything that you would ordinarily stock in your freezer or fridge...
4. I habitually carry butter during cold weather...think high fat/calories and add it to all food.
5. Semi-hard / hard cheese, dried fruit, trail mix, nuts, dried / cured sausage (pepperoni, landjager, summer sausage), tinned meat (spam, tuna, corned beef, etc.), and hard crust bread or crackers will travel well, even during warm weather. They require no fire or stove, deliver all the nutrients you need, and provide lots of calories. This is standard fare for backpacking, Alpine ski touring, and climbing. It's also really handy for when you need to conserve fuel or can't light a fire due to a desire to keep a low profile.
6. Instant mashed potatos, rice, cheese macaroni, hominy, pasta, cous-cous, oatmeal, grits, or cream-of-wheat are bombproof, lightweight, and simple to prepare (even with cold water). Premix with seasonings, bacon bits, brown sugar, or salt and place in ziplock freezer bags. Add some butter, margarine, or crisco and you are good to go. Lots of carbs (and fat if you have the butter or shortening). In a pinch you can eat the stuff dry and wash it down with some water. Every supermarket in the land carries pre-packaged meals in some sort of flavor combination you can grow to love. In survival situations, add any food you've got to a batch of instant starch... it's all about the Hamburger Helper.
7. For SHTF, with regards to canned or retort pouch meats, always choose foods packed in oil vs. water (i.e., sardines or tuna in oil or greasy corned beef). FAT is your FRIEND. This is no time to worry about breaking your diet. Moving with a rucksack during cold weather can require an easy 4000 calories per day, especially when being chased by zombies...
8. Washboard abs are nice, but love-handles rule. 2% body fat is UNDESIREABLE in a survival situation. Slightly fat folks handle stress, cold, and lack of food better than willowy folks (especially in winter conditions). Bears and Humans are omnivores who are designed by nature to eat whatever is available whenever it is available...and store the excess as fat (for hard times). THE EASIEST WAY TO CARRY SURVIVAL FOOD IS INSIDE YOUR SKINSUIT. BTW, this also applies to water. Hydrate at every opportunity; fill your canteens, jugs, or camelback...but also drink your fill when you have water sources available.
9. A plastic bottle of One-A-Day multi-vitamins is light weight, worth more than it's weight in gold, and is the cheapest long term dietary insurance policy you can carry. One 100-tab bottle will easily see you through 3+ months of uncertainty. Vitamins will supplement what may soon be a long-term crappy diet, help you to ward off sickness, maintain night vision, and enhance your body's ability to recover/heal from physical exertion and injury.
10. If you plan on cooking anything, the best means (nutritionally) is to stew your food. Every bit of dripping, cook water, and juice is retained and consumed (along with calories that would be cooked out over an open roasting flame). Rinse your cookware with clean water and then drink that. Naturally, don't stick dirty hands into your rinse water.
11. My basic military cook set for the last 30 years has consisted of an aluminum GI canteen cup and a plastic spoon. That's all you actually need.
If you are carrying GI 1-qt canteens (2 are recommended), carry a second canteen cup. Your canteens will nest inside the cups and take up little room. One cup is for heating water and the other is for food. After heating water and adding to chow, refill the water-heating cup and continue to heat more water. I haven't used a steel mess kit since Basic Training. Every ounce counts if you have to carry it on your back. The important thing is to always have some sort of container that can accept food if you are fortunate enough to stumble into a situation where someone else is offering the grub.
12. For winter use, add a deep, stainless steel, backpacker type cookpot with lockable lid and folding handle. It should be at least 2-qt sized (you will need a lot of hot water and the ability to melt snow over a fire). It can also be used to store a small stove, food, or anything else that needs protection from impact.
13. An all stainless steel thermos bottle is priceless for cold weather use. It will weigh more than a comparable canteen but will allow you to prepare hot boiling water once per day, travel, and have the capability to prepare a hot meal (dried foods in #6 above) in about 2 minutes when the sun goes down. A 2-qt capacity thermos works best. The smaller ones don't carry enough water. An all-steel thermos can be placed on top of stove or wood fire to reheat contents or even to thaw frozen contents. No plastic covers or outer liners! Thermos bottles with the glass inner liner will break...make sure that the bottle uses a steel liner. BTW, old surplus metal canteens work great in winter due to their ability to be placed directly on stove/flame but will not insulate water that you have previously heated for later use.
14. Beans & Rice: Cooked together, they offer a complete protein (substitute for meat) and lots of carbohydrates. Add oil, butter, or crisco for fat.
15. Always keep something exotic stashed away for the appropriate SHTF moment. Sometimes a dose of surreality is all it takes to pick up the spirits of your party. "Hey folks, we may be cold, but at least it's raining...tinned truffles in wine sauce anyone?".
16. Never forget salt. Keep it in a waterproof container.
17. Never forget spices (pepper, garlic, etc.)
18. Tobasco sauce will make a catfish milkshake taste good...
19. Even if caught up in a rapidly unfolding disaster, don't overlook what you may already have in your larder. Potatos & Onions (already wrapped in Mother Nature's skin) should be tossed into your pack or vehicle (if you have the room). Put 'em on a sharp stick over a flame or boil. See # 16 above.
20. HONEY is one of the best survival foods extant. It is a readily digestible simple sugar for quick energy and provides an insanely high level of calories for when your body needs energy RIGHT NOW. Glucose tablets (like diabetics use) are also a good thing when your ass is dragging.
21. Peanut butter is high fat, some protein, and provides a lot of calories.
21. Instant coffee, cocoa, or tea can make all the difference under almost any bad circumstances.
22. Twinkies are an intrusion from a separate space/time continuum. If you are dead and buried with a Twinky, it will still be edible several years later. Have your friends geo-cache your burial site for future consideration...
23. Dehydrated vs. wet food is always a conundrum. Weight vs. availability of water. If you have a vehicle for your bugout or SHTF, carry the wet goods in the vehicle. Carry more of the dry stuff and high-octane energy food in your backpack. If the weight problem comes down to more water or more food...choose water.
24. Dried baby formula can be added to almost any other foodstuff to increase nutrition (especially for ill elderly and children). If you are bugging out with small ones, stock up on pre-mixed liquid formula and some sort of electrolyte (like Pedia-lite)
25. MREs are the simplest and most proven SHTF food you can easily store and carry. Big-brained folks in military labs earned big paychecks coming up with these. They are self contained, long lasting, require no water, and are designed to keep Joe on the go under almost all conditions. The mistake most people make is thinking that 3 MREs equals one day's food. Plan on two stripped-down MREs per person, per day. If you can carry complete cases in your vehicle you are golden. But, if you plan on carrying on your back, open every pouch (by carefully slicing open one end) and dump everything on the floor. Toss everything that you don't actually like, need, or plan to use. Repack the things you want (mixing/matching/adding) into the bags. Feel free to augment the factory meals with an added ziplock bag full of instant oatmeal, rice, etc.. This will save humping useless weight. Roll-fold one end of an opened bag (squeezing out as much air as possible) and seal with duct tape. In the military, this is called field stripping an MRE. You will lose some of the storage longevity provided by the outer pouch factory seal but increase your ability to carry more days of food.
If you even remotely entertain the notion of using your MREs during cold weather, retain the chemical heater elements. Practice using the heaters once or twice before a SHTF situation develops.
Weigh each bag before putting away. Figure out (by weight) how much food you need per day. Every ounce counts against mobility. Every calorie counts for survival. The implied task is to do this long before you have a desperate need. You should be able to reach for a modified pouch and know that everything you need for one meal is right there (minus water).
26. You've got to mesh your food load against your bug-out/evacuation plan intentions. If you have no experience at backpacking, pick-up a book at Barnes & Noble for good advice concerning caloric intake requirements, food menus, weight vs. packaging ideas. This goes along with preparedness skills pertaining to SHTF (physical fitness, shelter making, first aid, etc.). Have a plan for how much food you can reasonably carry to support how long/far you intend to travel. You're better off with candy bars and Kraft Macaroni that you are comfortable with than some exotic emergency meal you've never seen, prepared, or tasted.
27. Always keep something in reserve. In a buttpack, pocket, or belt pouch. This is your emergency meal; something that will give that last shot of fuel to get you through the snow storm, across the swamp, or over the mountaintop. It's your nutritional last-best-move and only to be used for last resort...not as a handy snack. High calorie, high fat, high sugar (pemmican, honey, chocolate bars, whatever). You'll reap a psychological comfort just knowing that it is there, even if you never have to crack it open.
28. Walk through your local supermarket. Take a look at the hundreds of items offered and purchase samples of things you don't ordinarily eat. Prepare them at home using the gear you plan on having for your SHTF situation. Almost anything dry can be repackaged (in smaller or larger portions) using freezer bags, soft plastic bottles, or food vacuum sealers. You can essentially manufacture your own version of Mountainhouse freeze-dried meals right off your supermarket shelves. Buy things in bulk (like canned freeze-dried miniature shrimp, powdered egg prefect, or dried meat). See what items certain cafeterias and resaraunts purchase for long term storage.
You'll eventually come up with a menu that you can afford to buy, carry, and live off of.
29. Somewhere in New Orleans is a guy on a roof eating a soggy Twinkie that floated by. Don't be that guy.
30. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to every suffering American along the Gulf Coast. I'm sorry it has taken this event to revitalize BOB/SHTF discussion on this and other similar threads. Hopefully we can all glean useful knowledge for the inevitable next time...
Hope this helps...
