Go Bags

[peterb]

Other things I like are med-alert bracelets as they help first responders and are easy to have.

I bought a couple of sets of personalized dog tags for when I go biking/hiking/not carrying a wallet, and ended up wearing them almost all the time. Contact info, blood type, etc.. Cheap and easy to do for family members.

[Joe S]

I really second/third everyone check out the Listening to Katrina blog, and make a realistic assessment of their risk factors. A lot of people tend to think of having to run and gun from Ivan (WOLVERINES!) or survive in the backwoods after al-Shabab takes out the power grid, but the documentation and comfort stuff will be sorely missed if your house burns down but society is intact.

Also, really be honest about the capabilities of anyone else involved. When my living situation changed from an apartment with a couple of former hard-charging Marines to my very-civilized lady and a cat, it changed my game plan for nearly everything A LOT.

[zuplex]

Go here: http://www.bugout1234.com

And here: http://cellphone1234.com

Read the fine print on the items listed to understand the concepts behind the items. Pay particular attention to the types of items used to keep cell phones and other USB items charged.

One thing not listed is this USB quick charger for AA and AAA batteries: https://www.amazon.com/EBL-Battery-A...ebl+usb&sr=8-4

I have it and it works pretty well.

[Drang]

Oral Rehydration Salts are an inexpensive, compact, addition to your 1st Aid Kit that will help with dehydration.

Two cheap and easy recipes to make them, if you need to:
1. Handy expedient

• Half a teaspoon of table salt
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 liter of water

2. World Health Organization "Official" recipe.

• 1 quart water
• Half teaspoon of sea salt
• Half teaspoon baking soda
• Quarter teaspoon of salt substitute (potassium chloride; cream of tartar is a substitute.)
• 8 teaspoons of sugar

IIRC, the sugar in these helps the body absorb the chemicals provided by the salt and (in the latter recipe) other components.

[Nephrology]

For those of you carrying dental hygiene stuff, consider a film canister (do they exist any more?) sized nalgene bottle of baking soda. Cleans the teeth, can be used to mix a soothing wash for oral sores, a little goes a long way, rinsing is optional, uses little water to brush (can use just saliva on your brush if necessary), and does not freeze in low temps. Not a very good antiseptic, but neutralizes the acids produced by bacteria on your teeth.

Credit for that tip goes to Patrick Smith, of Kifaru.

About a dozen years ago, as a fan of John Wiseman's SAS Survival Guide, I spent $20 or so and got several ounces of Potassium Permanganate. For a short term kit I think it is worthwhile... sterilize water, anti septic, anti fungal, potential chemical fire starter with a small amount of sugar and glycerine. Carry it in the same sized container as your baking soda, and a similar sized squeeze bottle of glycerine.

I learned the hard way to carry 3M Vetbond from Amazon. Not cheap, and not approved for humans, but it smells less and stings less than superglue for sutureless wound closure. Of course, there are rules to closing wounds in austire conditions, but I think @Nephrology would know those. Everyone else can research fhem.

All of these are relatively small enough and light enough they make it into my EDC bag.

pat

You can also just use regular super glue - it's fine. I think they are just different cyanoacrylate esters. The stuff they use in dermabond is 2-octylcyanoacrylate IIRC but I don't think that particular form is isubstantially different than any other cyanoacrylate baed adhesive. Loctite makes a reasonably priced version too - ~$18/3mL, which should last a long time. That said, i

That said, liquid adhesive bandages are of somewhat limited utility. Vetbond/dermabond is good for relatively superficial non suturable injuries (like cutting a small amount tip of your finger off, for example). It's less helpful for suturable lacerations as it does not provide any tension to the wound, which you need to bring the edges of a laceration together to allow for healing.

Re: wound closing, when I suture my prep just consists of sterile saline irrigation. Clean tap water would also probably fine. Goal is to remove particulate debris that will impair wound healing or could serve as a nidus for infection. Fancier antiseptics like chlorhexidine, betadine etc are usually used in the hospital for prepping a field for much invasive stuff that should not be attempted at home (eg surgery) so no worries there.

[Nephrology]

Yes, unless you are carrying something very light, or for very short distance, you want a backpack of some sort rather than a messenger bag arrangement. Agreed on a quality pack with a good suspension system.

Gotcha. Well, fortunately, no messenger bags in this household... but I do have lots of backpacks.

The mystery ranch backpacks are actually not terribly unreasonably priced but will probably have to wait. They are nice, though. I'd love one just for daily use.

[Cookie Monster]

Oral Rehydration Salts are an inexpensive, compact, addition to your 1st Aid Kit that will help with dehydration.

Two cheap and easy recipes to make them, if you need to:
1. Handy expedient

• Half a teaspoon of table salt
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 liter of water

2. World Health Organization "Official" recipe.

• 1 quart water
• Half teaspoon of sea salt
• Half teaspoon baking soda
• Quarter teaspoon of salt substitute (potassium chloride; cream of tartar is a substitute.)
• 8 teaspoons of sugar

IIRC, the sugar in these helps the body absorb the chemicals provided by the salt and (in the latter recipe) other components.

All the Oral Re hydration Salts have I used have tasted like ass, hard to choke down. Used to dilute Gatorade but found this recently and it is good:

https://www.skratchlabs.com/collecti...12511158566983

[littlejerry]

I would highly advise anyone packing a go bag to ruck that bag however many miles you think it'll take you and see what works.

Also understand how far you can move on foot and how long it takes.

You may be better off sheltering in place vs rucking 30+ miles if your body isn't up to it.

[Drang]

You may be better off sheltering in place vs rucking 30+ miles if your body isn't up to it.

Sometimes bugging out isn't an option.

Sometimes bugging in isn't an option.

You need to be prepared for either contingency.

[Rex G]

Sometimes bugging out isn't an option.

Sometimes bugging in isn't an option.

You need to be prepared for either contingency.

This. Either way, one should have an organized bag of goodies.