06/09/2012 - Training Exercise Debrief

Date: 06/09/2012
Exercise: Assess current bug-out situation
After the past few days of reflection on where I really am with all this, I am embarrassed to say that I am in fact UNDER prepared, if I can even say I am prepared at all.
Specifics: Assess, research, find, and price all the items for your 72-hour pack without firearms.  Weather: Predicted: Sunny, Hot
                 Actual: Sunny, Hot
 Involved: Myself (Civilian)


Report:
Assessment of equipment:
1. Civilian urban-style backpack - Insufficient. Needs replaced.
2. LED flashlight - Sufficient. Will need to carry extra batteries
3. 550 Cord - Sufficient.
4. Knives - Sufficient, HOWEVER, a larger survival knife is needed.
5. Headlamp - Sufficient.
6. First Aid Kit - Sufficient.


Research and Findings:
http://uncrate.com/stuff/equipment-bug-out-bag/ - This was sent to me by a friend who is also involved in all this. I think I could model my pack after this. I needs some changes but it's pretty universal.  

My next step was to decide where I could procure all my gear from. Just a quick list:

Dunham's Sporting goods - Could easily be used to get ammo, but that isn't what we set out to do. Wasn't overly helpful.

Dick's Sporting Goods - Lots of luck here. I found a plethora of gear and various prices that could easily be placed into categories like Good, Better, Best. I found a pack that I like that seems a little big, but well made and made for hiking. Its a simple pack with a light frame used for as a "Hiking Day Pack". Its a North Face pack and will run me $119.00. That is a little too high for me at the moment. I will continue to shop around.  Also found standard light sticks at $1.29 a piece. I don't really know if that is a good price or not. I will look into that as well.

Wal-Mart - I do NOT liking shopping here. I find that quantity is more important that quality and this is a quality situation. They have some packs, but I don't know how well they'll hold up. Also they carry camel backs and tons of camping gear. It seems that most of this gear is Coleman or off brand. Last time I checked Coleman was still a decent company.
Internet - Obviously, I can find everything I want on the internet at various prices. But by buying online I can not hold the object to know exactly what I'm getting which is a big con in this whole ordeal.


Pricing:
I originally wanted hard numbers at the end of the day. I have decided that may have been a silly ambition. To decided what my pack will include in just one day would be silly. But I did grab some prices for things I KNOW I want.

The exercise was a success. No one was injured. Total Time was around 4 hours.