Who's reviewing their Bug Out Bag

[pete f]

i second the idea of a water pump purifier. mine has been to columbia, equador, guatemala and most of asia(with my nephw) and not one time have we gotten sick from water drank from it. I would also add call your dr ( you do have a personal doctor) and get an annual perscription for both pennicilin based and sulfa based antibiotics. you get a scratch from that crap floating around inthe water and you do not get on antibiotics you will end up in a world of hurt. I am allergic to both and now carry 50 pills on azithromycin and 30 of biaxon. both wide spectrum STRONG antibiotics. total cost to me was about 50 bucks they have a 3 year shelf life.
note the Z packs suggest the the normal dossage should be two pills the first day and one more for three days. so 50 pills is 10 episodes worth.

bring bleach at least a gallon of it prefer three or four half gallons bottles, less likely to loose it all at once. water bladders. fold flat, hold more when open.

clean trash bags, in emergency, can consider them sterile enough to hold water in . place in rinsed out five gallon bucket fill with water add ten drops of bleach tie closed and wait two hours. safe to drink bathe ec.
a roll of fifty takes up no space can also use them as ponchos.

 

[NukemJim]

Anti radiation pills contain an iodine compound. In the event of a nuclear exchange there will be a lot of strontium-90 floating around. Your thyroid gland will absorb it if it aint already loaded to the gills with iodine.

Uh you might want to doouble check. Strontium goes to bone. ( I give Strontium 89 to people) It is Iodine that goes to the thyroid. Primarily I-131, but also including I-125, I-129,I-123 etc.

However most survival kits that I've seen incude Iodine pills for water purifaction a glass or two of that a day and your thyroid will be well fed. ( as a mater of fact if you take too much Iodine for too long you can have different problems )

NukemJim

 

[rbmcmjr]

Depends on what you mean by an anti radiation pill. In the strictest sense, no, they will not stop your body from absorbing radiation. But then again, a little radiation never hurt anybody. Anti radiation pills contain an iodine compound. In the event of a nuclear exchange there will be a lot of strontium-90 floating around. Your thyroid gland will absorb it if it aint already loaded to the gills with iodine.

Um, no. There may be Sr90, but the KI (potassium iodide) in those pills is intended to block uptake of the radioiodine (e.g., I-131) that is released. Your thyroid can only absorb so much Iodine. If you preferentially load it with a stable isotope, it can't absorb the radioactive versions, which are then purged from your body.

See: www.fda.gov/cder/drugprepare/KI_Q&A.htm for more information.

Rick - radiation professional

 

[Steam dragon]

Sometime in the last couple of weeks I saw mention of a new water filter that looked like a straw, filtered down to virus level, and was good for like 700 gallons of water.
You just stuck it into your source, and drank.

Best of all according to the post, was the price. about $2.00

If that post was true, we could
Air drop Thousands of these to the folks in NO, and they'd at least have the water problem solved.

Countertop, was this on your blog? or maybe Kim's.
Now I gotta go searching...
I'll post a link if I find it again.

 

[atomchaser]

Potassium Iodide (KI) pills would only be useful if you are downwind of either a nuclear detonation or a nuclear reactor accident. Even in that case most of the radiation dose would come from drinking contaminating cow's milk. Cows are great bioaccumaltors of iodine fallout because they eat so much forage. Don't take KI unless directed to do so by health authorities.

 

[countertop]

That wasn't on mine Steam Dragon, though I am familiar with those (actually invested a number of years ago in a company that made water filters to fit in water bottles).

I don't know what their durability is though, and that could cause significant problems. I would hate to see what would happen if you dropped those down - and they expired after 3 or 4 gallons - and you ended up with people drinking essentially unfiltered water.

Yuch!!

 

[Chrontius]

They're good for a year, and I don't think they're available yet. They work on iodine purification coupled with activated carbon filters. They don't get everything, but it'd help.

http://www.lifestraw.com/

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000890054889/

 

[vasilia zheitseva]

*moan* ...reviewing da bug out bag, big time upgrades needed!

allow my twisted mind to expound a bit on the subject - just single points, not an essay, LOL :

*your feet. pretty important in my book - a good pair of hiking shoes with a backup pair in the ported baggage may be vital, if you have to walk miles instead of driving.

* BTW, when was the last time you went for walk? do you know how many miles per day you can walk?

* one small med item i found useful was a silicone patch for blisters that stay on, even when your feet get wet. (brand: Compeed)

* maps of the area you live in are a pretty obvious need, but you'd surprised how many folks forget these. they are a handy backup to a GPS.

* also worthy of mention: my local conservation department carries maps of state parks & waterways guides that show elevations, river access points, etc. i'm sure many folks think parks would be a place to go to, but there are many conservation areas in my state that are off the beaten track & fairly isolated, with water sources.

* last but not least: PRACTICE. take a weekend off & go camp. tell your family it's playtime & do a mock evacuation. try & live in your house without any power, water, or gas for two days. go take a trip to a campground without amenities & just your bug out bag.

* then review: how did you fare? uncomfortable? forget something? pack too heavy? straps break? wrong items? did your child/friend/spouse have a mental breakdown over no toys/PC/smokes? did someone panic?

* i found that if you work through the motions, you will be less likely to encounter the panic & feelings of shock when a situation does really occur. for you folks that have loved ones, imagine wasting less time arguing with your spouse & kids over what to take with you or finding things to take.

and the pack straps won't break.

nikita

 

[garrettwc]

*your feet. pretty important in my book - a good pair of hiking shoes with a backup pair in the ported baggage may be vital, if you have to walk miles instead of driving.

And extra pairs of socks to change out so your feet stay dry.

 

[countertop]

Some thoughts

*your feet. pretty important in my book - a good pair of hiking shoes with a backup pair in the ported baggage may be vital, if you have to walk miles instead of driving.

Hiking boots are ok if your going off the trail and carrying a heavy load. If not, I'd suggest some comfortable sneakers (the beefed up hiking kind are real good). They are comfortable for your feet and don't weigh much and you can switch them out with the boots.

* BTW, when was the last time you went for walk? do you know how many miles per day you can walk?

My wife walks 6-8 miles a day. I ride my bike 16 miles to work a few times a week. Walked 5 miles on the beach yesterday morning, no problem

* maps of the area you live in are a pretty obvious need, but you'd surprised how many folks forget these. they are a handy backup to a GPS.

A map is good - I suggest the DeLorme state maps - they've got roads and pretty minor trails/logging roads covered and are soemwhat good topo's (Not USGS top quality, but passable). Of course, I don't own a GPS and don't recommend one. Get a compass, learn how to use it. And get some common sense. Between common sense and a compass, if you have a map, you will never need a GPS (I certainly wouldn't rely on it when the pressure is on).

* last but not least: PRACTICE. take a weekend off & go camp. tell your family it's playtime & do a mock evacuation. try & live in your house without any power, water, or gas for two days. go take a trip to a campground without amenities & just your bug out bag.

* then review: how did you fare? uncomfortable? forget something? pack too heavy? straps break? wrong items? did your child/friend/spouse have a mental breakdown over no toys/PC/smokes? did someone panic?

Good advice and fun too.

 

[roscoe]

Those water purifiers won't work on the water in N.O. - it is ocean water contaminated by way too much other nasty stuff. The best bet is always to have your own supply if you possibly can.

 

[chopinbloc]

while this is true, a filter is essential. if you can find water that isn't full of salt or pesticides, you can almost certainly make good water from it with a decent filter. here's the straw filter tip: use a t-shirt or other cloth to pre-filter the water. i discovered on a hiking trip that water filters clog quickly if you run too much sediment through them.

 

[Cosmoline]

I'm doing a complete overhaul of my earthquake kit and making up a duplicate for the truck. I've got survival stuff all over the place right now. I'm even looking for a waterproof box that will serve as a flotation device in a tsunami situation.

I'm focusing on being able to survive about a week without power or shelter.

 

[AStone]

There's a major discussion going on in our Strategies & Tactics forum right now about this issue.

He's right.

You should really come join this thread.

Where am I lacking?

Got woman?