Here, for your convenience, we have assembled a checklist of all the equipment we recommend having on hand, just in case today is the day. We will add to it as we add articles. Each item on the list has a number associated with it (1 through 5). If the item is a 1, it is either not that critical, or only useful in unlikely apocalypse scenarios. However if an item is a 5, having it on hand will be the difference between life and death, it will be useful is almost any sort of apocalypse, and before the apocalypse hits it is probably going to useful (and fun).
Of course, this is not just a simple check list one can blindly follow, each item requires careful consideration. For example if you’re in Mexico, a brimmed hat would be on your list, rather than a winter hat. To help, each item has links to our articles related to it.
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Clothing
- Wool Socks (5)
- Dust Mask (5)
- Rain Coat (5)
- Long Underwear (5) [Get Some Long Johns]
- Down Coat (5)
- Goggles (4)
- Extra Clothes (4)
- Mittens/Gloves (4) [Army Issue Mittens ]
- Russian Bomber Hat (3)
- Gas Mask (1)
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Rations
- Iodine Tablets (4)
- Pump Water Purifier (3)
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Tools/Weapons
- Gun (5) [Get a Gun]
- Fire Starters – Matches, Magnifying Glass, Magnesium, Flint and Steel (5)
- Phillips and Standard screwdriver (5)
- Adjustable Wrench (5)
- Compass (5)
- First Aid Kit (5)
- Map (5)
- Collapsable Saw (4)
- Crowbar (4)
- Hunting Knife (4)
- Crank Flashlight (3)
- Can-opener (3)
- Needle and Thread (3)
- Binoculars (3)
- Leatherman (2)
- Fishing Equipment (2)
- Small Radio (2)
- Harmonica (2)
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Shelter/Storage
- Canteen for Water (5)
- Canteen for Fuel (5)
- Tarp (3)
If you see something important missing from the list, please let us know.
[...] Let’s face it, You’re not ready|Equipment Check List| [...]
A Phillips screwdriver would be of some use for American stuff I suppose, but my kit will have a Robertson one in Canada. For our climate, wool and a reflective blankets would be in there too. And I’d rather have a whistle than a harmonica… Why no compass? And a mirror?
A good Leatherman (Wave or Charge) has the screwdrivers, a saw, two knife blades, and a can opener (plus much, much more). Buy two (stash one, carry one) and never, never leave home without it – should be a 5. Also, find at least 8 grams of USP Resublimated Iodine Crystals. Very economical and easy to use. Will treat up to 5000 quarts of nasty water to hold in that canteen – should also be a 5.
[...] Let’s face it, You’re not ready|Equipment Check List| [...]
How about water proof shoes?
http://www.thenoz.wordpress.com
Swedish Firesteel for starting fires, and Lensatic Compass and directions for use of it. White amaranth seeds for planting
one of the few plants that is a complete protein, golden giant
makes about a pound of seed per plant,leaves are edible too.
Fishing line, hooks, bobbers, shake or crank LED flashlight,
waterproof insulated boots for winter, 28 ga. galvinized steel
snare wire for making snares, knife sharpener, rose germanium
or oil of penny royal for natural tick repellent, plans to make
an Astrolabe to tell day, month, year, and time by the sun and stars, an edible plant list for your region
You are missing some things and I am sure I will come up with more for you but right now it id 5:30 am for me so I am a little foggy. A signal device like a mirror or polished metal. a back Pack. A tarp to keep dry. A good pair of heavy boots. binoculars or a good scope. Friends that you trust with your life for company (so you do not go stir crazy) and to share the work load. Fishing line and hooks. Perhaps tin cans to set up a perimeter alarm at base camp.
Have all this planed out in advance including several meeting places and places to go to depending on the danger zones.
Yes I WILL survive.
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Oh yeah a magnifying glass. A book of edible plant life.
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Oh and the flash light should not be the shakable kind they are a bit fragile you should get a crank capacitor light and a crank capacitor radio.
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That Swedish Firesteel looks like it will make some hot sparks.
I always carry a magnesium fire starter.
It is a block of magnesium with a flint bar along one edge.
Use your knife to scrape off an American quarter sized pile of shavings then hit it with a spark.
Talk about easy and dependable fire starting!!!
It doesn’t just make sparks. It makes a fire.
http://tinyurl.com/b3z389
1 oz. bottle with USP resublimated iodine for treating thousands of gallons of water, method is a little tricky, it canbe fnd here: http://www.raems.com/webad/USP.html
needles, thread and yarn of all sorts would come in mighty handy. Patches. A spindle for after all the yarn stores have been looted.
If you have a gun you’re going to need a cleaning kit for it, plus extra patches and oil. Springs and small parts break, so get extras. And a small file to sharpen the saw. Make a trip to Mexico to stock up on Cipro — will probably be good for trading even if you don’t need it yourself.
And join a church or a gang or something: http://exiledonline.com/war-nerd-apocalypse-never/
A firestarter of any sort, firesteel, magnesium, old fashioned flint and steel, matches (in waterproof seal/plastic bag), magnifying glass for daytime fires
Some of these rankings, when compared to others, do not make sense. First, Harmonica = 2, but Gas Mask = 1. Lets be serious, you’re not going to be so bored you want to listen to a harmonica. You’ll probably be spending too much time either killing zombies or hunting/gathering. Besides, pandemic disease is sufficiently likely to necessitate a gas mask as a 3-4 range item. Second, first aid kit. You don’t think its that important because every time you’ve ever gotten sick you’ve probably never had to worry about it. Just wait until you cut your finger and it gets infected and you have nothing to treat it with. You lose the finger, maybe the hand. Then try using any of the category 5 items with just your non-dominant hand. Not easy. Although this list could go on, I’ll finish with this. CROWBAR. Seriously, this is a tool and a weapon. You will not get far without this. Need to break in somewhere? Use a crowbar. Quick, there’s something behind you! Use a crowbar. Crowbar – post-apocalyptic necessity.
I want to preface this post with the following: I am a gun owner and I in no way disparage the practice of gun ownership. However, in an apocalyptic situation having a gun might not be as important as it is made out to be. Guns are relatively complicated machines that require maintenance and input (ammo) that become depleted over time. Thus, I suggest investing some time and money into a bow and sword. I know, I know, sounds ridiculous. Who do I think I am, the sick lovechild of Robin Hood and a Ninja Turtle!? Sadly not. Bows can be very useful because they are silent and their ammunition can be made from flint, wood, and feathers if necessary. Swords are good for close combat and do not need reloading. Remember, guns are only useful while the ammo lasts and unless you have a .762mm hollow point factory a rifle is only so useful.
N.A.T.O standard rifle and you can use a rifle for more things than a handgun (its kinda hard to bring down an Elk with a 9mm pistol) and 5.56/.223 or 7.62×51/.308 is alot more common than the other rifle calibers out there. If you ever need more in a bad situation there are plenty of places to find it if you use your imagination.
You need food, preferably something that is light and stores a long time, possibly MREs or dehydrated food. Plastic sheeting and 550 cord are very important. Rain clothes are very important both for wind, rain, cold, etc. Insect repellant and sunscreen are super important if you’re outside or planning to be. A crank radio is very important for information and news, particularly if you’re “bugging in.”
“Plastic sheeting and 550 cord are very important” I would agree with this, not only can you make shelter, you can also tie it over a bush to get water if it is scarce, and water gained from plants by evaporation does not need treating.
I’m surprised that any form of rope did not make it onto your list until Roach brought it up, and perhaps when your finger is rotting a book on medicinal herbs(as well as some knowledge of simple medical techniques) would be useful also edible plants, and insect and animals(thanx Ex_MislTech)locally and abroad,unless of coarse the apocalypse left your area completely livable, you might be relocating your place of habitation. Also if you are on the move how much weight do you suppose you can lug across however far on limited food supplies with a back pack that you used in high school get a good 60-80 litre pack and learn how to pack it properly, as you may have a car for the first while till fuel becomes low, are electricity scarce, solar and wind powered vehicles only travel so far and recharge so fast that for the moment will not be of much practical use. Its only so long till that vehicle needs repairing your going to need spare parts tools and mechanical knowledge, and as good as that all is, when the road or bridge is washed out by floods, or avalanches, or mud slides or whatever its going to come down to you walking. Especial if where talking long term apocalypse (and I assume we are) how long are our unmaintained and unused roads and bridges (kind of important) going to last, not long, your gonna be walking sooner or later.
I hope your not apposed to killing, gutting, skinning and cooking animals as well.
I’m not sure if this was mentioned or not, but I would like to add a whetstone, and instead of a sword, a machete would be very practical and be supported by said whetstone. A dull blade is near as useless as a gun without ammo.
A book on guerilla warfare and their traps would also be usefull in case the government inacts marshall law.
Oh and as for the canteen of gasoline, doesn’t gas become useless after a little while anyway? It thickens I believe.
yea, I’ve been researching way to survive in even the most extreme case scenarios, and even in everyday cases, i found that a multi-tool is always a good thing to have… o and recreational drugs can also help with boredom and depression….
Dude you totally left off the need for pens and paper and stuff… And why the hell do you need 5 guns, like all the same ones or rifles and shotguns and pistols, I mean you need to specify this stuff dude
Some rope (paracord), a sharpening stone, a p-38 can opener, an enameled cooking pan for cooking on open fire, the military survival handbook, rubber tubing (surgical tubing) and REPLACEMENT BOOT LACES!
A hiking backpack will be good. you need something that can hold a lot of stuff comfertly, and keep your hands free. also, it needs to be strong and last a lot of years. Another thing you will need is needle and thread. you can keep clothes way longer if you make repairs.
I’d suggest a good bow. Not too powerful, so that you can make arrows, A sling. A blow gun wouldn’t hurt anything. I would also take a Ontiaro knife. It’s a machete with a good sized saw blade down the back. And nobody mentioned a shovel, I have a Mil-type folding shovel. Thats enough for now, Happy apocalypse!
Why a harmonica?
I am really surprised that not one person has mentioned the need for a watch (preferably water resistant and solar,mechanically, or motion powered). You may think “hey where do I have to be on time? society has collapsed”. But the fact is you are not always going to be able to see the exact position of the sun (you shouldn’t stare at it anyway) or moon. Not to mention that solar/lunar motion does not allow for accurate measurement of smaller units of time.A watch is going to help you.
1. figure out when the sun is going to set/rise.
2. coordinate shifts (for guard duty, carrying loads, ect).
3. measure long distances (figure out how long your step is and count the number of steps per minute to figure out rate of travel).
4. navigation. longitude is measured in in hours/minutes/seconds. if you are planning on moving east of west for any distance this will be handy.
5. Medical. measurement of heart rate. knowing when it is safe to take dosages of medicine.
6. food prep. over cooking food drains nutrients. under cooked food can cause sickness. most scavenged packed food will let you know cook time.
7. rationing. the human mind will say more time has passed than actually has. a watch will let you keep track of when to consume rations.
8. measurement of fuel usage (this generator goes through a full tank every 12 hours and we have used four hours of fuel).
The fact is the clock was invented for a reason and I am sure this is only a small fraction of uses that you can find for it. It also has the benefit of being small and nearly weight neutral.
Well, I’m not big on a watch, I’m more into a wind up travel clock. They are still small. But I don’t want anything that needs power. A wind up pocket watch isn’t a bad idea either.
I didn’t see a hack saw on the list. Am I the only one who sees this as a problem? And they didn’t have a file.
A few more things:
Mosquito Head net – camp preferably
Snake bite kit
Geiger counter or Nuke Alert
A few 1 gallon ziplock bags ( keep survial book dry, store food )
Stainless steel camp cookset
Wool blanket ( stays warm even wet )