Types of Shelter

Having shelter is a huge factor in surviving any situation. It keeps you warm, dry and safe. It also helps the morale and makes you feel "human." Depending on the situation you may have to build your own shelter from local materials. There are many variations and techniques in building a "debris" shelter. Here are a few examples of debris shelters.

Using branches and leaves

Using pine boughs

If you have done a bit of preparation than you may be lucky enough to have a more water tight shelter. I have a tarp in my BOB and each vehicle. They come in very handy and make a great shelter. Again there are many different variations, this is just one example. Remember if you are in a situation where you want to be rescued, having a brightly colored tarp where rescuers can see it, well help greatly.

The next step up would be a tent. There are literally hundreds of different sizes, types and styles of tents on the market. Finding one that will fit your needs could be a daunting task. Things to consider when looking for a tent are... how many people will need to fit in it, will it be light enough to carry with you, what type of terrain/weather will you most likely encounter. All of these will dictate what type of tent to get.

This is a small 2 man tent

Now we get into a little more comfort. Having a truck or SUV gives you many more options for shelter. You can throw a few sleeping bags in there and have instant shelter. Of course this is assuming you have your vehicle. This type of shelter is very useful and I have used it many times.

Finally the most comfortable of all, the camper. Nothing beats having a real bed to sleep in. These have all the comforts of home and can make any survival/disaster situation more tolerable.

Clothing

Clothing is an important part of any type of survival. Having the proper clothing can keep you warm and dry. I have put together a few outfits that I use frequently. These all work well and can be found fairly readily. The first picture is what I use for hunting and camping in colder climates. Alaska is notorious for being cold and wet so having good quality clothing is a must. This is Cabelas Outfitter Fleece with Windshear. The berber fleece not only keeps you warm, even when wet, it is quiet while stalking game. I purchased the jacket, pants, pullover shirt, gloves, watch cap and neck gaiter all from Cabelas. It works very well for me, from moose and bear hunting to lounging around the campsite.

Next is an example of my every-day wear. I wear this when hiking, shooting or just going to the store. The pants are Blackhawk Tactical Pants and I have various colors. The shirt here is Columbia but I own several different brands. Of course the leg holster only gets used when in rural locations and I wouldn't take my rifle into Walmart either.

This is my rain gear. I have both DCU and Woodland Gor-Tex that I can use. Gor-Tex is great for keeping the water out, but it doesn't breathe very well. Luckily the jackets have zippers under the armpits to aid in this. I also have fleece liners for the jacket and pants for colder weather.

This is what I would wear out hiking in semi cold and rainy weather. The pack is my Camelbak M.U.L.E.

Of course this is what I wore while serving in the Air Force. It's the new ABU or Airman Battle Dress Uniform. I don't really wear it much, but I like having different types of camouflage at my disposal.

Of course I have the old mainstay of camouflage, the BDU or Battle Dress Uniform. What I love about BDU's are their versatility and functionality. They are comfortable and can be found everywhere.

This is me wearing my BOB. I have several different packs to choose from depending on the situation, but I mostly use this setup.

Having good quality clothing for the type of environment you will be in is paramount when it comes to surviving. I have been cold and miserable many times because I didn't have the proper clothing and I can tell you it sucks.

F2 Tornado in 2006

May 25, 2006 an F2 tornado ripped through my home town. With wind speeds hitting 120 mph. These pictures were taken 2 houses down from my home. Luckily the only damage I had was a broken window and the neighbors tree fell in my yard. Estimated damage was close to 1 million dollars. The worst damage was done to mobile homes.

Bugging In or Bugging Out

In all survival/disaster preparations, deciding whether you will stay or leave is a top priority. The answer to this question dictates how you should prepare. Of course the scenario will dictate which you should do. Common sense will go a long way to determine when you should stay or when you should go. Lets take a flood for instance, should you stay or go? Well if you live in the path of the flood and your house will most likely be submerged, leaving is the best option. If a tornado rips through your town staying will most likely be the best option if you have a safe area to hold up in. I, like most, would prefer staying home. It's safe, secure and what we know. Leaving could end up being worse if you get trapped because of traffic or road closures. Some recommend traveling by foot to avoid the roads, but trudging through a disaster area isn't really the smartest decision. In any case having a plan for both is a good thing. When making a bug out plan be sure to have alternates routes of travel. Try to avoid highly congested areas and bottle neck locations ie. bridges, toll roads etc. In my bug out plan I am limited because I have to travel through bottle necks and high congestion areas. There is only 1 way out of town and there is no getting around this. So staying home unless it is absolutely neccessary to leave is what I'll do. You just have to make your plan to fit your needs and within your unique limitations.

Bug Out Vehicle

Having a vehicle that is capable of getting you and your family out of a disaster is imperative. Most everyone has a means of transportation of some sort. Depending on the situation, any vehicle can serve this purpose. These are the vehicles we have available.

This 2007 Jeep Cherokee is my wife's daily driver. We drove it when we moved from Indiana to Alaska. It gave us plenty of room for everything we needed for a cross-country trip. We added the cargo hitch rack to carry extra fuel and bulky items. It is very fuel efficient and comfortable.

This is our 2002 Jeep Wrangler. We use this mainly for fun, but it is a perfect BOV. It's small, maneuverable and very capable off road. It doesn't provide much cargo room, but with all the accessories and racks that can be added it's doable. We added a winch and air compressor to help while offroading.

This 2007 GMC Sierra 2500 HD is my daily driver. The truck has plenty of power and enough room for the family to sit in comfortably. The camper is an 8' cabover with a 30 gallon water tank, heater, stove with oven, sink, refrigerator, shower and toilet. It is fully self contained with propane and 12v electric. It works well for camping or extended stays.

As you can see it's very easy to make your every day vehicles work for you in a Bug Out situation.

Survival Mindset

Many experts, including survival expert Cody Lundin, state that 90% of survival is psychological. Even the US Army Survival Manual states, "Without the will to survive, your chances of surviving are greatly diminished." Survival Psychologist Dr. John Leach found that only 10 to 15 percent of any group involved in any emergency will react appropriately. Another 10 to 15 percent will behave totally inappropriately and the remaining 70 to 80 percent will need to be told what to do. He also states that the most common reaction at the onset of an emergency is disbelief and denial. The best thing you can do in a survival or disaster situation is S.T.O.P. Not just stop what you are doing but use the S.T.O.P tool.

Stop: Unless it's dangerous, quit moving and sit down. take at least 30 minutes to allow the adrenaline to wear off.

Think: Assess your choices and tools available.

Observe: Take the surroundings into account, because this will affect what comes next.

Plan: Based on your previous actions make a plan. Make some immediate decisions and get going. Don't expect anyone to help you, and don't procrastinate.

Ray Smith, a former Marine Drill Instructor, with 27 years on active duty as a survival instructor, was asked, "What is the secret of survival?"
"Faith in God. It's a major factor in all survival scenarios."
Basically never give up, always stay positive and think before you act. Everyone gets so caught up in stockpiling gear they forget to prepare their minds. Don't forget this important step in your preparation.

Food Storage & Stock Rotation

Storing food is an essential part of disaster preparation. Everyone needs food and water to survive. There are some basic rules that need to be applied when doing this. First, the type of food you store is important. You have to think about how you will prepare it in a disaster. Will you be able to boil water to cook rice, will you be able to keep things cool if the power is out and things like that. In addition, having food that you and your family already eat is especially important. Not only does this help with preparatio,n but it will add a sorce of comfort in a disaster situation. The next thing you should think about is rotating your stock. Food and water doesn't last forever. So constantly rotating and replacing things is a necessity. Another reason why stocking foods your family already eats is impotant. Another thing that does not store forever is medication. Whether it's prescription or over the counter medicine it needs to be rotated and checked. Another item that needs to be rotated and checked periodically is batteries. This is not a difficult habit to get into and doesn't take very much time to do.

Firearm Choices and Selection

I constantly get asked the question, what is the best firearm for self defense. That is a tough question to answer. You could ask 50 people and get 50 different answers. There are tons of firearms on the market today, all shapes, sizes and even colors. It can be an overwhelming task for sure. First we must decide what kind of defense we want this firearm for. Will it be for personal protection or home defense? Will we need to conceal carry it or not? So lets say it's for personal protection and we need to conceal carry it. There are many firearms that fit this scenario well. A 1911 in .45 ACP would work well, but so would a Ruger LCP chambered in 380. There are also many revolvers that would get the job done too. Personally I prefer semi automatic pistols over revolvers. Not that they are better or worse it's just what I prefer. I have several pistols for conceal carry that work well for me. First is my Sig Sauer 2340 in .40 S&W. It is not the lightest or the smallest pistol ever so it may not be comfortable for everyone. I also have a Taurus PT 111 and a Taurus PT 709 "slim" both in 9mm. The 709 is a bit more comfortable to carry, so much so my wife carries one. It really comes down to personal preference and which one you can shoot effectively. Any of these would work for home defense as well or you could take a different approach. 12 gauge or 20 gauge shotgun is a great home defense gun. Some even prefer an AR-15 style rifle to serve this purpose. I have several of each in my home, but use my conceal carry Taurus. Since I have small children in my home, most of my firearms are kept locked up. The only firearm I keep locked and loaded in my home is my Taurus 709 and even that is kept in a Gun Vault safe next to my bed when I'm not wearing it. No matter what firearm you choose, familiarize yourself with it and use safe gun practices.

Frequently Overlooked Items

So you have stocked up on food and water. You have created a plan for your family, whether it's staying in your home or leaving. You have put together bug out bags for yourself and family. So you're done right? Wrong There are several important things that you shouldn't forget to do. In an event of a "bug out" scenario, leaving quickly is usually necessary. Having everything you need in one spot makes it easier. Things like Wills, Deeds, Insurance paperwork, I.D's, Birth Certificates etc. are very important documents that you should always have. I think it is a good idea to have copies of the originals and/or scans stored on a USB drive. I prefer the USB drive because it is compact and easy to store. You can also scan or store sentimental items like photos, children's artwork etc. Most items can be scanned and easily transported. Family heirlooms can be bulky and heavy which makes them very hard to transport. You must decide what can and what can't be replaced, as well as what you can and can't live without. Personally we keep all our important documents in a fireproof safe and scans of them on a USB drive. We also like to keep cash in case ATMs aren't working.

Natural Disaster Preparation

I'm sure everyone has been through at least one natural disaster in their life. They are very common events that can devastate a community. Where you live will dictate what natural disaster you should prepare for. Luckily most of the preparations are the same. The main difference is whether you can stay in your home or not. Lets take a tornado for instance. If you live in a mobile home you may want to seek shelter elsewhere, however if you have a basement or storm shelter you may decide to stay. A flood, on the other hand, is a different story. A basement is not a good place to be in a flood so evacuation is the best option. For an ice storm or blizzard it would be better to stay put and wait it out. The most common thing you will have to deal with if you stay in your home is lack of power. No lights, no gas for heat or cooking, and no water. This could last hours, days or even weeks. Taking the time to prepare now will make things much more tolerable in that event. There are simple things you can do to prepare for this. First you need some sort of lighting. Flashlights, candles, lantern or even having a generator will work. Then you need some sort of heat. Kerosene heater or a wood stove would work. Often times if you have natural gas it will still be available even in a power outage. I prefer cooking with gas and having a gas water heater so that helps. Next you need food and water. I suggest at least a weeks worth of food in your home at all times, but recommend 2 weeks worth. Water can be stored easily in plastic containers or jugs. The recommendation for water is 1 gallon of water per person per day. A great water source that is always available is in your hot water heater. Most water heaters have 30 gallons of water in them at all times so that would sustain a family of 3 for ten days. I have only listed the basic items required to get through a natural disaster. These items should be a part of your preparation along with an evacuation plan. As I said most disasters require similar planning except the decision to stay or leave.

BOB or EDC for Baby and Pets

Many parents already have a form of EDC for their babies in the form of a diaper bag. A BOB for your baby is really no different. The only real difference for us is the bag we use. We found that most diaper bags on the market are not build for heavy use. So we opt for a small backpack to carry all our son's necessities. Extra diapers, formula, bottles, clothes, medication, blankets and toys. We take bottled water and powdered formula instead of already made bottles. Since most parents are used to carrying this already, it should be a very easy practice to get into.

Now an area that seems to be overlooked is a kit for your pets. Our dog pulls his own weight in our survival planning. He has his own backpack that contains his own water, food and cup for eating and drinking. It works out very well and takes some load off of us. This may not work for you, but it's an example of what can be done. Be mindful of the weight your pet can carry comfortably and safely. Remember your pet is your friend not your workhorse.

Emergency Roadside Kits

An emergency roadside kit should be one of the first things a person buys. They range in price form $30-$60 depending on what they contain. I decided to create my own kits instead of buying a premade one. My wife and I both have identical kits in our vehicles. We also have our EDC Bags with us every day along with a bag for our son.

Contents of our Roadside Emergency Kits

First Aid Kit
Fire Extinguisher
2 Hazard Triangles
2 Road Flares
Tire Gauge
Jack & Lug Wrench
Spare Fuses
Portable Battery Booster/Air Compressor Combo
Flashlight
Gloves

We also have Winter Kits that get added each year in addition to the Roadside Kits.

Contents of Winter Kits

Window Scraper
Tow Straps
Blanket
Small Folding Shovel
Extra Set of Warm Clothes Including Gloves & Hat

For longer trips like our trip form Indiana to Alaska we add other items. Some of the items we added for that trip were...

Basic Tool Kit
Coolant
Hoses
Water & Food
GPS
CB Radio
Oil
Fuel

It looks like a lot to carry around, but it really isn't. My truck has room for all this under the rear seat and my wifes Jeep has room in the rear storage compartment. It's better to have and not need than to need and not have.