Any fellow survivalists utilize their truck?

Just passing this on - might be some interest around here for this:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/buy-sell-trade-other/216557-fs-bio-chemical-warfare-suit.html

 

Lol, that's too much even for me.

 

OK, I know I said I don't carry a fixed blade, but the new Becker Short KaBar looks like one I'll have to pick up. 4.4" blade is big enough for light batoning and bushcraft but small enough to skin a deer. Great sheath, too.

http://www.knifeworks.com/kabarshortbeckerdroppointplainedge.aspx

 

That's really nice. I like it.

 

gonna sub this thread for future reading. always thinking about the "what if" situations and would like to be all around better prepared and knowledgeable.

 

I have a cold steel"roach belly" I keep in the center comsole, and a second gen kabar on my good bag. the roach belly is one of the best skinning knives I have ever used, and the kabar can handle pretty much everything else. IMO.

 

This^ is the best way to get other people on board that are skeptical of the "prepper" or "survivalist" mentality.


my wife also said "we need a home defense shotgun"

 

im sure thats what Ill get. Academy has the longer barrel version one for 270 plus my sister can get me 20% off.

 

I'm looking at the 887 at Academy to use for hunting and just in case...

 

I have a 6 by 14 enclosed trailer i'm setting up. I going to use a 12 volt battery and an inverter, i will have a solar panel on top of the trailer to keep the battery charged. I will have a generator and battery charger for back up.
question is should i mount the battery outside or would it be ok inside the trailer, i am thinking about fumes while charging ????
THKS

 

Should should be fine inside. That's the way houses are done. If you're really worried about the fumes then make a vent to the outside. I've already had three batteries stolen off of trailers that's why I'm against having it outside.

 

get an Optima yellow top battery, it's a sealed battery and there are zero fumes, plus you can mount it in any position without spillage. I run two of those on my truck, and one red top starting battery. They also fit perfectly inside a .50 cal ammo can.

 

get two 6 volt deep cycle golf cart batteries. they are designed to be drained then recharged. I believe the lifespan on these will be much longer than a standard 12 volt battery.

 

Sub'd.

I was raised with the beliefs that you should always do for yourself and family and not rely on others. Using the lessons of my youth and having great grandparents and grandparents who lived through the great depression who imparted the lessons they learned has really impacted my life. I was raised fishing, hunting and working on the various farms, walnut, fruit, vegetable, cows and cattle. I then spent the first 10 years of my adult life as a US Marine (Radio Op) where I spent more time overseas than stateside.

I am now happily married and have two wonderful sons. I am lucky to have a good job and own a decent home. I bought my Tacoma last year as an ideal supplement to my prepping. As with anything I am trying to be as well educated and well rounded as possible and the last 64 pages have helped some so thanks in advance.

Like many of the people here I am constantly adding to my collection of guns, food, water, first aid and many of the other things that will help me be self sustained.

I have only seen one person mentioned a trailer here but I feel that a trailer is a great addition to any truck. I bought a used US Military M101a1 trailer pretty cheap ($400) and I am in the process of modifying it for any situation that may require me to leave my home or to go camping while also remaining useful as a utility trailer.

www.govliquidation.com

Watch out because it will cause you to go real broke.

Wess

 

Wess -

Nice to see a trailer mentioned. You might find the following thread helpful in your build...

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/forums/42-Expedition-Trailers

Lots of guys doing builds in the expedition side of things -- but they transfer to what we are talking about -- a lot!! Couple of guys around me have cargo trailers that they are working on conversions for and when my truck is (more) finished I want to try and swing a cargo trailer and work it out to be a camping/bugout kind of thing.

Best of luck & keep your head down!!

 

Tim,

That's agreat site and I spend a lot of time their reading. Tons of great ideas and yes they all translate to what is being talked about here too.

I too have a long list of mods to be done to my truck to make it more expeditionary/ survival ready. Things like mid travel suspension, front winch bumper, sliders, rear bumper, aux fuel tank, increased bed storage, etc.

I look at the trailer as a way to increase my ability to survive any situation that I may find myself in. My trailer already has a proven off road and cargo capability and is basically a blank canvas. So its primary role is mobile towed support of my truck and family. It tows great behind my truck. The largest change to the trailer is an axle swap so that I can outfit it with the same size wheels and tires that will be on my truck. Other than that I plan to add fuel, water and propane tanks, cargo storage, bike rack, solar system, etc.

I am always looking at ways to expand my knowledge and capabilities so my family is always taken care of.

 

Thats the new Tweener line of beckers.... they basically took the BK-2 BK-5 and I believe the BK-7 and made smaller versions.... Theyre awesome and come with grigivory and micarta with a pretty sweet sheath too.

I love my bk-2.

 

Thanks for posting that... Ill be attending.

 

Here are some helpful hints and tips for you all.

Strip down the extra packaging inside those MREs. You can make them about half the size. The bags can be resealed or duct taped closed.

Vacumn seal your extra clothes. They will stay fresh and water tight and take up less room in your bags to. The vacumn sealed bag can be used to collect water, cover a wound etc as the inside of the bags are food grade. The same thing can be done for your first aid kits to. Shrink the size of the bandages, keep meds longer. Ammo too.

A small road cone can be used as a funnel in an emergency. Punctured fuel tank perfect.

Find out if there are any morman canneries near you. Very inexpensive way to prep yourself with long term bulk foods. Stock up on spices. I have over a years worth of food on hand but just recently started added to my stockpile.

Nylon webbing. Can be used for many things from making snow shoes and tire chains to rappelling/rescue harnesses to first aid and shelters. I personally like the 1" wide military nylon tubing. Check your local rei or surplus store.

Wrap 20 feet of duct tape around an old credit card.

I am currently swapping out all of my old yard tools with wood handles for solid fiberglass handles as they don't warp, crack or break from the weather. I personally like Nuplo tools.

I have a small pry bar 17" I keep in my truck, it can be used as a hammer too. Better tool for the job than my Tops knife.

This might be taboo but I know what kinds of weapons my local law enforcement has and carries. Not that I wish anyone harm or that I want to be a cop but an abandoned cruiser may contain some useful stuff.

Hope this helps.
Wess

 

Could not agree more!! You have re-inspired me to continue to check the trailer option - get my friends motivated to help and learn from them for when I get mine - and found a couple of things that might be of interest...

The first one - has some good ideas and a nice series on trailers as well...

http://www.alpharubicon.com/bovstuff/bovstuff.htm

The other is a great source for a "blank canvas" such as we are talking about - and I really like the idea of a folding bunk bed and some of the other options they include for the DIY'r....

http://www.modulinecabinets.com/folding-bed.html

Great luck with your build - and look forward to seeing sometime!!