Any fellow survivalists utilize their truck?

I have one of those, first time i used it to chop a few branches the blade twisted/deformed in three places. I was not pleased, obviously poor metal.
have you used yours much have i got a lemon or are they all garbage

 

Friend dropped off some of these stove in a can units here which might be worth a peek if you don't have a different "go to" setup for cooking/heat/signaling. Still, they are small enough that I don't have a problem dedicating space for them in the truck.

http://youtu.be/6OTT8tM6L6E

 

I hacked the shit out of some mesquite trees with mine and I didn't have any problems.

 

I got one of these and I love everything about it. Less space and very useful!

MSR UNIVERSAL STOVE


http://www.rei.com/product/830342/m...r:adType=pla&gclid=CO_cxrCk17ACFWIGRQodT3GC2A

 

I have about 20 of these pre-made for camping. I love them...can't get any more compact than these.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverage-can_stove

Instructions: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Simple-Beverage-Can-Stove

 

I used it a fair amount, I bought it while spending the summer living in a tent, and used it almost everyday. While I did have to sharpen it it is still sturdy. The part I thought was going to give was the handle.

 

I also really like the MSR products. I have two of these:

http://www.rei.com/product/660163/msr-pocket-rocket-backpacking-stove

I keep one in my BOB with a small can of fuel and I keep one in my "camping bin" in the back of the truck. I have several small cans of fuel in the truck in the bin. I also keep several more cans of fuel in the house. This is a great stove and for heating water for Mountain House or more water for MRE's or instant coffee (Starbuck's VIA is in plentiful supply and will make great barter as well) -- it can't be beat. I would not want to fry eggs or cook an entire meal but for what it does - it does it well.

Went camping this past weekend to practice skills and it worked great. Got soaked but who knows -- when the SHTF might not be sunny -- and my tent kept me bone dry!!

Great thread!!

 

back to books...besides wool series and selection event, what other "not batshit crazy" books are there on this subject? especially ones that may have some relevenacy regarding how to prepare, etc.....?

 

am also about 5% of the way through Cormac McCarthys THE ROAD....honestly I dont like this writing style very much, but am going to try to stick with it...

Am also readin SAVAGEs....makes that piddly 50o shades book look like 7th grade dance...some of the passages I tell ya!

 

just finished Selection Event and I would not recomend it.

 

Not sure if this has been mentioned but When Technology Fails by Matthew
Stein. A good book in and of itself it contains tons of references to other books on a variety of subjects. I've bought at least 20 books based on his recommendations and there's several more on my list.

 

regular meds can be a very important part of survival, i'd stock up on those that you need and put them in your truck your bag etc, and rotate them out every few months to keep them from being 'expired' meds lose their potency with age.

 

in a societal collapse the drug stores will be one of the first places to be emptied.

 

Jon,

You may want to discuss with your physician a three month prescription to allow you more flexibility in travel away from pharmacies. Many physicians do this for seniors who take advantage of mail order pharmacies who deliver the medications in bulk for a bit of a savings on the overall costs. I would check with your insurance provider and inform them that you intend to go this route and ask if they have a mail order pharmacy that they recommend or at least a list of the ones they prefer you avoid.

And while we are talking about medicines let me turn you guys onto something that may be of interest to you. Read your medical insurance policy completely as you may be overlooking benefits that you already have that you can be using right now at no additional cost to you. My wife caught a line in our policy that stated that they would reimburse us the purchase price of a first aid kit. Being curious we called and asked what kind of first aid kit would qualify and the agent stated that if it's sold as, and invoiced as a "first aid kit" then it qualified.

Now keep in mind that our go-to truck storage container is the Pelican 1550 case I decided to search for a supplier that sold a first aid kit in a 1550 case. Found one after a brief search at First Aid Supplies Plus in Virginia and forwarded the link to our insurance agent, she informed us that the first aid kit I found did qualify for reimbursement. We ordered it up immediately and after speaking with the owner of the business we found out that we also qualified for free shipping as part of their military discount. So after eleven business days our first aid kit costs us absolutely nothing.

 

^awesome find!

 

+1 I am checking with my insurance company to see if I can get in on this as well.

 

Excellent idea!!!

 

Don't know why I didn't add it earlier, my wife is DoD GS and we have United Health Care on the "Federal Employees Health Benefits Program"

 

Wow and lol, I freaking love this thread!! I finally finished reading it and wanna thank all the contributors for the entertainment and information. I laughed and learned some great ideas. I was raised to saddle my own horse and shoot my own snakes. I have most of the skills and gear I need to deal with a "generic" emergency. I am not specifically prepared for a zombie apocalypse or nuclear holocast or alien invasion and I don't have a tinfoil hat (yet... ) I believe the individual is responsible for themself and the gubmint is responsible for society. A temporary loss of gubmint can reveal the best and worst of people, hard work and preparation keeps the individual ready to deal with the surprises. Thanks for the thread Jez, rep added.