Let's make a list of things that you probably should have on hand if shit hits the fan and there is no more market, no more town to run to, to get things or get fixed up.

Must Haves (IMO):
Survival Knife
Compass
Rope
Map
Some dry foods
At least 1 Pot/Pan
First Aid Kit
Fire stone/Fire starter
Wet Stone

Optional (IMO):
Mini-surgical kit (scalpel, needle, thread, tweezers, small pliers, etc...)
Some canned foods
Can opener
Change of clothes
Sleeping area (hammock, sleeping bag, etc...)
Tent
Repelling Gear
Axe (for chopping wood so you ain't gotta go around collecting down broken logs and sticks)
Cup(s)

Please be advised, this is not meant to be a comfortable experience... it's meant to high tail your behind out of whatever mess is going on around you and avoid being marched in somewhere by someone saying "I'm from the government, I'm here to help you".

From a sole survivor perspective or family?

I'll do family anyway this is the way I see it.

1. Gun + Ammo
2. Roof over your head
3. Private water
4. garden full of grub
5. collect old newspapers...there wont be bogroll around, I recommend the daily mail lol :p
6. Cooking gear

Starschildrens looks good from an individual and travelling perspective but its still missing the bog roll, dock leaves might do I guess but theyd need to be bloody big for my ass

Can opener
Canned food,that is filling and each can would feed two.
Multiple Bic type lighters
Candles
Mosquito net and light ground tarp preferably rubber or plastic.
Weapon of choice, whatever floats your boat
knife of choice, plus also I have a hobo knife has spoon fork and multiple devices also is really handy
mirror,with attachment to look around corners like a stand on the mirror
first aide kit
your backpack
binoculars
immediate water canteen,meaning a day or two personal supply
water purification kit <<< {this is the most difficult item and would and can cause you all kind of danger and get you into bad situations}
Basic run out the door list to have packed,if your in a dangerous inner city, and have no stock pile of supplies or safe house, location,or group setup

@Andy - The list I made was actually what I used when I went hiking (all except for the ax, tent, and sleeping area). However, my list would not change much, it would just double and triple (for my mom and 6 year old son). I forgot bum wipe, although I wouldn't consider it a necessity in an emergency.

@Rick - Nice add with the hobo knife and mirror...would not have thought of that on my own.
As for the water purification kit, those I can actually get without a problem where I live at WalMarts (camping section) and the Camping stores...pricey, wouldn't trust them, but can be gotten. Boiling water is also a good way to get germs and stuff out, just bring it to a boil (or let it go for a rolling boil for 5 minutes to be sure)...wont get rid of calcium or a bunch of other stuff, but will kill off a lot of parasites.

StarsChildren wrote:
Personally I wouldn't plan on going hiking with a wife and 4 kids in tow
Thats just me though :p

StarsChildren wrote:
It's all about location,and in today's world the natural land would be hunted out,poor critters suffer,idiots would run amok,desperate family's will cry,and drinkable liquid is the new gold

andyh wrote:
I see your point... and hiking out is the last option here too. We have a good 3 month stock, can be stretched to 6 if needed. Fireplace and wood out back. I wouldn't want to put a child through hiking it out, but if push came to shove I would in a heart beat. And as it is a possibility of having to, no matter who you are or where you are (unless you're up in the boonies already or have a safe house to go to), I thought for those less inclined to test their survival abilities it might be a good idea to make lists. We can all learn from each other that way.
Rick wrote:
Definitely about location lol... if your living in a city chances are people are going to go crazy if society collapses because of a natural or man made disaster. Less likely in small communities, but still a risk factor. Hunting is last on my list of options to survive, I don't feel like chasing my food and would feel bad about taking the life of another animal just trying to survive itself, but I know a lot of people that would have no qualms about it (and still yet, I know people who wouldn't even know where to look if it came down to having to hunt --- they'd probably look in their non-operating fridge as the first option of "hunting" ).

StarsChildren wrote:
It would in my opinion eventually evolve to cannibalism,before a calm and agriculture mentality took hold of the survivors,if there are any above ground areas left to cultivate

crowbar to open stuff
rifle
wire to trap instead of hunt
fishing stuff
hatchet
saw
priceless faberge egg

StarsChildren wrote:
A strong knife can open can lids too. put the point on the edge of the lid, knife vertical, and hit it with your palm, it will push thru and you can go around the can lid repeating this...lid off.
batou wrote:
Id take bear grylls, thats about it, but cant afford him,... though if i got your faberge egg thats a different story. Just a heads up, alls fair in love and SHTF situations and all that.

Ok so ive thought for a few days wether to post or not and err here goes

So before we start putting lists together you yes YOU need to do some pre planning and take in a variety of possible situations that may arise.
First of all SHTF : What would cause you to leave you home rapidly ? As most on here I think live in an urban environment, RIOTS also for both city and country dwellersFloods and for people living abroad also the possibility of Forest/Mountain Fires Catastrophic storm systems
These are the most realistic scenarios that your going to face and for the people involved it is a SHTF moment. Now the lucky part for you, is that if not immediately, there will be emergency services/military units on hand to help you within a few days. For this list I will take it that you all ready know where you are going or your secondary RV point.
So you need that grab bag for a weeks survival tops tbh but if you ration yourself you can make it last a lot longer.
This is what I would personally take in the UK, I'm not going to need a weapon for this.Also the UK is not short of water.

A decent size Bergen to start, then fill that fucker up.

Tactical Assault Vest- google it.There are so many versions out there take your pick. The amount of pockets they have and you can fill with all light items, plus items you will need immediately to hand.

Maritime Flares- expensive but worth there weight in gold

Decent knife/small axe- axe will double as a hammer, make sure very sharp

Tent/ground sheet(or) bivi bag/sleeping bag - easy shelter to keep you out of the weather. Tents these days fold up to a very small package so a must for me.

Fire steel, lighters/Candles - steel as the back up, use your lighters, remember its only for a short term. I always carry the cotton wool balls mixed with vaseline to give you a 2 min burn when lighting fires.

Water purification ( plus I would always boil water)- especially in flooded areas, sewage dead humans/animals etc

Food- now remember you have to hump this food on your back, each to there own but I like rice/pasta and chocolate for moral. Sweeties nothing like a nice sweet to cheer you up. Its all about the moral at the end of the day

Utensils by this I mean something to cook your food in and something to eat it with. I always used the metal cup on the water container.Most gadget survival knives come with a eating utensil on it.

Torch- wind up and battery- don't forget the batteries you can get loads from a £ shop in the UK.

Radio - wind up or battery ( optional to take) shrugs shoulders

Insect repellent- depending on location

Clothing-now I sacrifice 8 changes of clothing for food, who gives a fuck if I stink when rescued I certainly don't. 1 change would suffice for me.Extra socks wont go amiss though + a towel to dry items with Remember the seasons though, as you may need to take extra clothes in the winter.

Talcum powder for you feet and ass Look after them feet

Emergency First Aid kit think about the situation that may arise, so pain killers(lots and strong ones), light plasters, heavy bandages for sprains, some clean film for burns(riots/fires), sterilized needle and thread. You tailor the list to your specific needs

Para cord/utility rope-15m again rolls down to nothing , so several lengths, also in the £ shop

Documents- if you have your documents in one place in a house don't forget to put them in a water proof bag and take them. Would save a lot of hassle in the future if you can keep them. Insurance docs, cards, birth certificates,passports, what ever you deem vital documentation.

This is not a definitive list, add , take away do what the fuck you like to it, but that would do me for several weeks Remember though, that this is for the Emergency that will be resolved within several days and the most realistic scenarios that will befall somebody on here.

Children over 5 can carry small bags on there backs as well. Do they not go to school with a mini rucksack with books in it?? Light items, but never give everybody your only means of fire or water purification, spread it around the family unit.
So when I get chance Ill do something else for a real SHTF scenario !!

Rick wrote:
I don't really think the natural land would get hunted out...maybe in the suburbs but there is so much undeveloped land out there(surviving it is a whole other can o' worms). This reminds me that I need to get a book on foraging!

Rick wrote:
Reminds me of that movie "The Road". So grim that I'm still not sure if I liked it. The cannibals were creepy, though!

entran­ger­mer­cen­ary wrote:
Nice add Merc. Thanks

Only thing I don't agree with is "emergency services/military unites to help"... I don't know about other people, but I would personally go in the opposite direction they were heading in if I needed any real help. If they left me alone in my house, stayed away from me and my family, I'd probably stay put, but if they showed up and insisted on trying to help me, I'd probably leave real quick lol. Others may feel comfortable getting help from them, and that's great if you do, but I wouldn't trust them or accept their help (not even if hell froze over, and Satan's ass is 100 miles south of me and did actually get snow flurries this year).

So the question(s) arises... in what instance would you, general you, accept help from emergency services/military units? Or would you not accept their help in any situation? Can they be trusted? Is it plan for the worst possible scenario (nuclear winter and martial law), hope it's just flooding or a major storm, and how to survive it without the government, OR plan to survive any scenario just long enough to get the help that the government might provide? (I don't know if that made any sense )

Good advice, probably some of it isn't relevant for the UK.

andyh wrote:
Seems he has plan A and thats it...die on his land with his kids. I would like to of hear him say as time progresses the situation will be assesed and other plans may well be made.

StarsChildren wrote:
If you ever needed real help I can assure you will snap the hand off that is offering assistance. Its all well and good writing it on a forum but when an emergency arises ghost busters ain't going to help. A reality check is in order

Planning for any situation/scenario is difficult, but basic principles will stand you in good stead , then you must adapt to the relevant situation.
Many years ago having come back from an operation, it was with surprise to see all the men women and children rapidly getting on lorries and any vehicles they could get into to leave the village. The word was the Tigers were coming so we set up a defensive perimeter. When all the civvies had fucked off it was our turn.I had 1 water bottle, 1 passport in pocket, 1AK, 1Steyer, 1 Side arm, 1 Gerber BMF knife. Pockets full of ammo and grenades. Some bug cream, lighter, steel flint. Now we were walking out , light and quick, relatively well armed.

Now the key to this was no clothing or bedding was required , as was no food or water

WHY ?
Well food was a plenty, if it moved you shot it and ate it.Pigs , cows and sheep running wild. Water was available and in plenty of supply.
Clothes and bedding and shelter
Villages had been deserted, people got up and left with the clothes they were wearing and minimal amounts of what they could carry. You could go through these villages and cloth yourself. Plates cutlery everything just abandoned.As for sleeping , just dragged a mattress if you wanted down the stairs and slept on the ground floor with bedding that was left in the house. (because of constant shelling, obviously downstairs was safer )

Why am I telling you this ? Because unless the earth is wiped clean by a meteor strike this is in fact the scenario most people who survive will find when travelling . Deserted villages with supplies all ready in place. There will be bedding , shelter, utensils. The best way to describe it is like this. Step outside of your house , now go back in, what you see you will leave, and that is how that house will be , unless gutted by fire or damaged in some way, but there will always be something to salvage.

TO survive you need to be mentally strong, have several plans and adaptability. Remember Ray mears, Bear Grylls show you is made for TV and tbh not really relevant to the vast majority of the population who will never be in a Mountain white out/ Jungle type environment unless a plane crash

Ill do a bit on Mountain/Wilderness stuff when I get around to it.

Some good advice and tips in there merc... thank you

entran­ger­mer­cen­ary wrote:
You've not much chance with a wife and kids in tow.
Depends on the area I suppose but I wouldn't say most folk are cut out for tabbing across the countryside for hundreds of miles and living off the land. You may aswell get a decent spot in the 1st place thats well kitted out like he says and defend it to the hilt.
A bloke on his own...well thats different.

Another thing that comes to mind is... whether you be out in the wilderness or at home, ready for a long haul, people who come looking for help. Do you help them, be it medical food water, etc... or do you turn them away? And if they have kids, does your plan change to help them because of the kids or do you turn them away?
This crosses my mind often. I would like to think I could help people if they were truly in need of it, but risking the safety of my own child by helping someone else always comes back to mind. People seem to have a violant nature and be pretty big assholes, especially in a natural disaster or man made disaster... is it really survival of the fittest at that point or do you help those who may not have been ready for something to happen?
I know in one of my travels, my first go around didn't go as expected and I met some very violant assholes that I did nothing to encourage their behavoir other than being outdoors after dark on my own. And if that type of activity is to be expected, is it really worth the risk of safety to help someone else?

Sorry a little off topic, but when surviving, it is a chance that it would come into play that you may meet someone who needs help.