Any fellow survivalists utilize their truck?

First rule of marriage: never 'make' your wife do anything. Make her think it was her idea to begin with & the world is your oyster.

 

NVR - Haven't read through all this thread so apologies if repeated. I consider myself a prepper for quite a while, but for multiple reasons. Of course there's the fun zombie thing, camping, but also for many real world (and often occurring situations). I live in northern VT and also used to drive back to PA at times throughout the year. Winter makes you prepare here...

Perhaps start small with a more real world issues mindset than pushing the EOW and BOB stuff. Avoid mentioning it in those terms. Many people that are hesitant think it's all the crazy stuff in the movies, but once they go through a two day storm related power outage, with some basic preps to make things comfy if not completely normal, they tend to open up more. Like, that wasn't so bad, and it was something we can control.

The camping suggestion was good. Also, maybe like "hey I could use a flashlight and extra gloves to keep in the truck. I needed to check under my hood when it was dark and cold." Then a knife and basic tool set / multitool to fix what you were "looking at". Extra rope for tying things down in the bed on the way back from Home Depot or Blood Bath and Beyond (as far as she knows). Make it look like you have legit work-around-the-home functions for your items. Most things you probably want have multiple purposes anyway - rope, zip ties, knife, multitool, duct tape....

And go with ...I think I'll just keep everything in one spot so I have all my "tools" together when I want to work on the dryer / truck / lawnmower (just happens to be a bag instead of heavy metal tool box). Having it look like the normal routine will make it be the normal. Good luck!

Arc'

 

That's a good approach. Anybody could sell that to a wife.

I will add... It's just as important to know what you have as it is to have it. It's easy to see something in a store, think it would be useful and put it in your bag, or take something from your bag to use around your house and forget to put it back. If you don't have a way to remember what's in there it's easy to forget what you have and don't have. Even easier during an emergency.

 

Anyone have an opinion on compasses? I'm talking for use in land-nav, not the one that makes perfect circles on paper/wood etc.

Looking at Cammenga, since they are military supplier. Also looking at the phosphorescent dial vs. tritium, since tritium has a life of roughly 10 years. Although I had Trijicon night sights on my G22 and the tritium was only starting to get dim at 17 years.

Thoughts, experience?

 

I'm not sure what experience you have but I spent $12 on a Brunton and with the money I saved took some navigation courses.

 

wonderful ideas thanks to all

 

I'd go for the cammenga compass. I have a Brunton too as a backup, but the camm I have is very rugged. Skip the tritium unless you really want it, go for phos. If you are wandering around at night you'll already hopefully have a headlamp or something on to use with it.

Or just jam the gas on the Taco and spin it until it's pointed in the right direction

Arc'

 

i just got the 72 hour bags from la police gear. WOW! best bag that $30 can buy. this thing is heavy duty. i wish it wasnt so heavy duty, but hey i cant complain. it just makes it a wee bit heavy. awesome bag

 

haha my wife hated it at first. But then i got her to watch the first season in order and kinda catch up, now she is into the story. She still hates the zombies but ohh well. Another show is falling skies, just as far fetched...Aliens instead of zombies but the same idea. She likes watching all these new survival shows too. Mostly because they are military or ex military and she is intersted to get a look at what I do during some of my training. I am a active duty Marine. So that all helps me justify having a few cases of MRE's in the house, plenty of bottled water, alot of ammo and guns, a BOB in her Jeep and my Tacoma. Plus when we hike, camp or go to the range together I always find a way to teach her something. She is def a "girly girl" but I think I am slowly opening her eyes to the idea of being prepared for the worst and hoping for the best. When shit hits the fan the first people to die will be "snooki and jwow" types lol.... thats my wifes favorite show and i HATE it.

 

what he said. Doesnt matter what brand or quality it is. If you cant use it correctly its just dead weight. But if your looking into this much your most likely trained enough to use it.

 

Good points. I lived northen VT for a long time, the winters there will def make you think ahead. I used to snowmobile wayyy up north in Maine. Heard some horror stories about guys not prepared.

sorry I keep doing all these different posts. I have not looked in this thread for a few weeks and keep seeing things I want to comment on. Great stuff gents.

 

Was in PA in the mountains. Found a guy frozen in a ball next to his snowmobile. - was not pleasant reporting that to the rangers.

 

that sucks...

 

Yep. looked around. The guy could have made a fire, ripped apart part of the snowmobile for shelter, fire, melted snow for water on the hot engine. He was on a popular route. Guess he got stuck out there overnight and didn't have a clue what to do. Rangers suspected booze was a factor/ -

anyways, point is to have the knowledge to survive in any situation you put yourself in. You do not know, ASK. Read a book. Search on the internet. No reason why someone should perish over pride.

 

I'd love to take a land-nav course once I finally get an outstanding compass. Too many people rely on GPS, what happens when the sat. fails, or you run out of batteries? The old ways can be the best.

 

I make fun of a buddy because he got his sled buried in 4' of powder (riding alone) and ripped the seat apart to build a fire. He's alive though...

 

I need to make one of these bug out bags!

 

right on....all these young guys rely on electronics in the field. When shit hits the fan all you will have is your compass and a map to get you out alive.

true that. living and breathing is nothing compared to a $200 seat.

 

I spent my entire childhood trying to convince teachers that calculators would be readily accessible when we needed them and we were wasting years on things we wouldn't need. Fast forward to being an old man and not only was I right but calculators are more readily accessible than we ever even imagined. Point: student.

 

Yeah, that is tragic... Regardless of what the situation was (no skills/knowledge, alcohol, etc).

I say that because you shouldn't of had to find him like that.