post apocalyptic survival gear

[chico13]

recently i wached the Movie The book of Eli and i started thinking about gear that people would carry for post apocalyptic survival. so what i wanted waz for you to list things you woild cary with you if you needed to travil cross country in post apocalyptic earth (picturs are encourged)

[bpa]

I have not seen the movie, and do not intend to. If TEOTWAWKI, and I survive, I would try to stay where I happened to be at the moment. Leaving a marginally habitable place would expose me needlessly to desperate people for whom survival, rather than moral behavior, will be a priority. Everyone will need goods of some sort. I would obtain stores of goods and barter them for others. There's a living in there. As I said, not facetiously, I would go into retail. Makes more sense to me.

[spoonrobot]

Pip-Boy.

[Golden]

Pip-Boy.

+1

Some may think the 3000 A series is a bit basic, but I've always preferred them for their reliability.

[Hoshnasi]

I figure if its supports V.A.T.S. I'll be ok!

[chico13]

thats all well and good but what if u needed to fined out if your family waz ok ok lets not say cross country lets say cross county what would you take with you

[bpa]

thats all well and good but what if u needed to fined out if your family waz ok ok lets not say cross country lets say cross county what would you take with you

The best thing to do is have a communication plan. If I go looking for them while they go looking for me, there is a very good chance that we will miss each other. Why move unless your current location is untenable?

[Bullzaye]

To the OP...my attempt at an answer:

So, assuming that there is some situation in which your traveling on foot for some extended distance becomes absolutely necessary, for whatever reason we may care to envision, the initial list of necessities is somewhat straightforward.

First, we'd need to address water, shelter, and food. I placed water first, because we're most dependent on it. Depending upon the particulars of the situation, the distance being traveled, the location, and the time of the year, we'd have to carry a reasonable amount, and have a means to, hopefully, generate more potable water along the way.That could mean a filter system, or purification tablets...likely both. Shelter would also be very location/season dependent, from as little as some shelter from the rain, to as much as a full tent and sleeping bag. The ability to start a fire might be included as a function of shelter, depending on weather. Our need for food would also vary with distance being traveled, and terrain. A short walk over flat terrain might require almost no food, whereas a month or more of walking over difficult and harsh terrain, especially in very cold weather, might require more food than we could possibly hope to carry. Depending on the precise scenario, food might be available along the way, in the form of hunting/gathering, or even pilfering.

Having gotten that out of the way, what's left? Well, if we're making a long trek, on foot...I'd like to have a pair of first-rate, sturdy, waterproof boots. I'd also like to have some kind of "back-up" footwear, small lightweight hiking shoes/sneakers that would pack easily. Several pairs of decent socks.

Next would be clothing that's appropriate for the situation, and hopefully a 2nd set in our pack. Appropriate outerwear...a jacket (waterproof/resistant), hat and gloves. Protection for the eyes...goggles/sunglasses/whatever. While not vitally important, some sunscreen/lip balm might be helpful.

While it was implied earlier, I guess I should add a need for a quality backpack/LBE/canteens, etc. Also, I mentioned it earlier, but more as an aside, so I'll repeat it here...some fire-starting method/system would be most desirable.

After taking care of food/water/shelter/clothing...let's get our most basic and useful tool...a knife. Not much point in trying to discuss which is best...we could fill the whole forum with that discussion. Just say a decent fixed blade as a "one knife-does-it-all", and maybe a good folder as a back-up (a can opener feature might be very handy). Some sort of sharpening system would be useful, if just a whetstone. Some might prefer a hatchet/tomahawk over a knife, some might prefer both. I'd like to have both...if space/weight allows. If not, I'd probably lean towards the knife.

So, for me...if I have a knife...it's time to pack a first-aid kit! This can be as minimal or as all-encompassing as your skill or size/weight limitations will allow.

Now...let's talk guns! Yeah! I thought we'd never get here! Anyway...once again we could spend years debating this. Easiest to just say, pack whatever guns/ammo are appropriate to the particular scenario. If we're looking at a depression-type economic collapse, and your trip is mostly along rural routes...you might not need any gun at all, though a concealed handgun would probably make me more comfortable. If it's a large-scale EOTW situation...can you carry too much firepower? For a one-size-fits-all answer...I'd select a good semi-auto rifle in a common caliber. If we're talking about a trek through rural locales, I'd probably prefer a 7.62X51 (M1A, HK91, FAL). If we're traveling through a lot of urban areas, I might prefer a 5.56X45 or 7.62X39 (AR, AK, SKS, etc.). A reliable handgun of some sort would be good, either a semi-auto in 9mm/.45 ACP/.40 S&W in the platform of your choice, or a DA revolver in .38/.357/.45 ACP/.44 Mag. (Note: quality pistols carried in cheap holsters on flimsy belts are almost as useless as not having them at all. Likewise, cheap optics on good rifles.) In urban areas, some might prefer a 12 gauge shotgun over the semi-auto rifle...in rural areas, some might prefer a scoped bolt-action rifle over the semi-auto. Both could be valid choices, depending on scenario...what's most important is user confidence and skill. (For caliber considerations, consider likely ranges encountered, as well as the likelihood of resupply of your caliber). One last firearm that might bear mentioning is a rifle and/or handgun chambered in .22LR. These can be useful in procuring small game, and while perhaps not the best choice, can do the job as defensive weapons,with the advantage of low noise, and very lightweight ammo.

For locations/situations where firearms might be unavailable, we'd need to locate an alternative means of self-defense. For this I'd be thinking along the lines of a walking staff. A decent sized knife and/or tomahawk could work here, as well. I suppose a bow & arrow might be a useful substitute for a firearm, if it's available.

The last thing to mention would be person-specific necessities: Medication, prescription lenses (spares), cigarettes (might be a good time to quit!), coffee, toilet paper (most of us would much prefer to have this...but I didn't list it as a survival necessity!), feminine hygiene products, other little needs we may all have.

These, IMO, are the basics. Any more falls into "nice to have" or is scenario-driven. Nice-to-have things?: Comm gear, good binoculars, compass/GPS, maps, flashlights, "junk" silver coins. The list could go on forever. One thing I will mention...an old axiom. Two is one, one is none. For me, that suggests that any item that I've deemed imperative to my survival, if it's at all feasible, I'll carry at least one back-up, perhaps more. So, I'd carry at least 2 knives, perhaps 3 or more. Same with fire-starting systems. The more critical it is to survival, and the smaller/lighter/less-expensive it is, the more likely I am to carry multiple examples.

Well...that's my thoughts, for the moment.

Tim