Bug Out

I'm currently in the market for a good bug out rifle and am looking at an M1 Carbine or maybe a commercial reproduction. It's lightweight and reliable. With modern ammunition the .30 carbine round is quite effective. I am deffinately interested in the fact that it was used by our nations military for 3 wars. World War II, Korea, and some in Vietnam as well. Loaded with Winchester or Remington 110grain softpointr or Cor-Bon DPX 110grain hollowpoints the round is effective for personal defense as well as hunting of deer and similar ungulates.

Combined with a good combat knife and a good pack such as the Sling by Phenix Gear that is equipped with bug-out supplies this would make an ideal combination.

Survival Weapon

When thinking in terms of good firearms for survival purposes the opinions vary about as much as opinions on politics. My own personal survival weapon is a Harrington & Richardson Tamer 20 gauge single-shot shotgun. It has a 3 round onboard storage capacity.

On the weapon itself I keep one slug round and two No.3 buckshot rounds. My waist pack holds several pouches of ammo, mostly No.6 and No.4 game loads as well as additional slug and buckshot rounds.

I also have a survival knife and flint on the belt as well as a small trapper style pocket knife for cleaning any small game I might harvest for the purposes of keeping myself well fed.

Out on the survival trail my main quarry is squirrels, rabbits, snakes, and turtles. This is because that is the most amount of meat I would be able to eat in any one sitting. As I want to be keeping on the move killing a larger animal and trying to preserve the meat would take up precious time. However, having said that if the situation develops into what looks to become a long term survival situation, then making a semi-permanent camp would be an ideal way to shelter myself and give a good signal to any potential rescuers. If that situation arises then harvesting deer or boar and preserving the meat would be a worthwhile practice.

Training

I advocate that everybody take some form of survival training. God willing you will never have to use it, but it will be worth it if you do

A good trail gun

I love hiking and backpacking. Its a pastime that I have always loved. Sometimes the places I go there are certain things that can happen. On the trail the chances of needing a firearm are rather rare, but when you need one you really need one.

My personal favorite is my Smith&Wesson Model 19 .357 Magnum with a 4-inch barrel. Depending on where I am the first load is usually a snake-shot load followed up with 180grain Remington Hollowpoints. I like the 180's because on the trails where I frequent the 180 is an all-around load. It will serve if I am the unlucky 1 in a million that is faced with an angry bear or even an unhappy wild boar. Also in the mountains where I like to hike there are a few pot farmers and the big hollowpoint will serve me well if I ever get in a pickle because someone thinks I am gonna narc on their farm. I also carry a few handloaded low-powered rounds with me in case I get in a jam and need to procure some small game. They are loaded with .38 full wadcutter target bullets and travel at about maybe 800fps. Enough to anchor small game but won't tear up too much meat.

Sometimes I have been known to carry a full-powered rifle or even a short barreled shotgun with me. For rifles I really only ever carry my Marlin 336 .30-30. But I am currently working on building a scout-rifle out of an Enfield that I got for a song because it was sporterized. Right now it has the scope mount and a back up peep sight and I am currently waiting on a synthetic stock. It cuts down the weight of the rifle. Granted carrying a rifle is gonna add more weight but a good full powered rifle is a very reassuring thing to have out in the wilds.

I like to carry at least 20 to 30 rounds with me on the trail, usually in some kind of cartridge holder that fits my belt right along side my knife.

When out on the trail a good map and compass are worth twice their weight in gold. When you buy a compass dont be a cheap little bastard, buy a quality compass that will hold up to abuse. I like the Cammenga military issue compass with tritium that glows in the dark. Its worth the money trust me.

The 3-day bag (or BugOutBag)

I am a firm believer that everyone could benefit from building a bug out bag.

Basically, a Bug-Out-Bag (BOB) is a pack with enough supplies to help a person for three days.

The categories for a items in a BOB are as follows:

1. Shelter
2. Food & Water
3. First-Aid
4. Protection

In my personal BOB shelter is covered with an emergency tube-tent. This basically is a large plastic tube that you run a string through and tie off to anchor points. I also have an emergency space blanket. I also keep at least 50ft of Paracord(550cord) in the kit as well.

Food and Water is covered by three MRE's from the surplus store a 1qt canteen and a 3-litre CamelBak Bladder in the pack. I also have some granola bars and drink mixes such as Gatorade and Nuun electrolyte mixes. I also have some water-purification tablets. I also have a slingshot with some 3/8ths steel ball bearings. Not ideal for gathering food, but effective once you get the hang of it. I also keep plenty of snare wire and some basic fishing tackle in the kit as well.

First-Aid is pretty self explantory with an individual First-Aid Kit and a larger one for a group.

Protection... By protection I mean preservation of life in general. I have a survival kit that I built stored in a waterproof canoeing bag. I also have a handgun that I keep with my pack. A Smith&Wesson Model 19 .357 Magnum. In the pack I have a box of ammunition and two speedloaders in there own holster. I could easily put the holster on my belt.

One piece of equipment that is vital to every bug-out-bag is a good quality knife. Mine is a Gerber Big Rock model camping knife that is razor sharp. I also have a flint and steel on the knife sheath.

That is my basic bug out bag. I reccomend everyone take the time to put one together if for no other reason than it gives you something to do, makes you think about things, and gives you just a little bit of insurance.

Are you ready?

Looking at the way the world is now and the state of things I was just wondering...are you prepared?

The American economy is currently in the pisser. Jobs are being lost all over the country and money is running out quicker than most people anticipated. By 2014 the country's debt will be due in several major industries. Just to pay the interest on the debt our taxes would have to be doubled.
Our President so far has only entertained bad ideas that will increase our taxes and do nothing to paying off this debt. What will you do when this debt is called? People will lose more and more jobs. Socio-economic breakdown will ensure. What will you do? Will you hope that the government can fix the situation? If so then you will be waiting a long time. The incompetence through which the government operates will do nothing for you!
Your best bet is to start making preparations so that you and your loved ones can make it. For starters at the least you should stock up one warm clothes and sleeping bags, because when the money goes, so do the utilities. You need to start thinking of food and water. Canned foods are a great place to start but even those have limited life spans. My reccomendations is to start learing how to garden and grow your own food. Start learning the ins and outs of hunting. If you live in a major metropolitan area like I do, I would suggest getting an accurate and powerful air rifle. The pellets are cheap and you can feed yourself and family off of small game all year long if you learn how to do so. I have a Gamo Shadow air rifle that shoots 1000fps and is accurate to boot. I have taken both rabbits and squirrels with it.
I know that some people will probably read this and call me paranoid. But I would rather be paranoid and wrong, than be right and totally unprepared. I'll be back with more info later