Greetings all. I am new to this forum and fairly new to the idea of survival prep. I do have some background in protection from people, just not in the larger area of equipped to survive so to speak. I am also a registered nurse with many years of ER experience. Which brings me to my questions.

How much is enough? I have my EDC backpack. I have a larger pack that will get me through 3 days or so. I am not sure though at what point it goes from prepared to overkill. I keep adding things to my bags and they are becoming too full. For example, water. I have seen it suggested that there should be 1 gallon of water per person per day. So for my wife and I 9 gallons should get us through the basic disaster. But Katrina showed us it took approx 5 days to get water to the superdome. So instead of 6 gallons do I store 10? Or 20 just in case? And if 20 why not 25? Same with food.

How about a first aid kit? I have advanced training and knowledge so do I add equipment up to my level of training? If so my kit will be fairly large, to large to carry with me so I have to pare it down some.

Ok I'm new and confused and am looking towards the wonderful community at large to help me with ideas. Thanks Doug for a wonderful resource. You have and will save lives with your work here.

Thanks

Dennis

Welcome to the party Dennis!

Tough question... I'm sure you will get a lot of different answers from different people... Only you will be able to determine what is enough.

Water treatment is probably a good idea as you can carry things to treat water a bit easier than carrying a large quantity of water.

What type of survival situations do you feel you and your family may be in?

Welcome new guy. Don't worry about being confused. Some of us have been here for a while and are still confused.

First, welcome.

Second, get over the idea that you are actually going to carry all that gear and supplies on your back. Think about those kits in the context of bugging in, either at home or at work. I drive a pick-up with a bed cover and keep my 96 hour kit and other camping supplies there. If I'm home I add it to the bug-in supplies. If I'm at work it provides supplies to allow me to wait out a period when attempting to get home would be a bad idea. I don't have to be at work, the truck is nearby wherever I happen to be. The only part of this kit designed to go with me is a Camelbak to carry lots of water and light shelter should I decide to walk home -- <20#.

Bottom line, it's your kit. Take the recommendations as a place to start and tune it to your specific needs.

Hi Dennis, and welcome.

Adequate equipment is a relative thing. Rather than think "What is enough", think in terms of bare minimals. Foremost in any list is useful knowledge and a way of thinking. From there, you consider the types of situations you are most likely to find yourself in that would require equipping yourself beyond EDC, and then think of what is the minimum you would need to satisfy your basic needs. This way of approaching things will yeild a smaller, more manageable list than doing the what if... type of planning, for which an equipment list never ends.

From a minimalist perspective, then, you can determine what you'd need to get by on and then you can, with some forethought and a little practical application, determine what upgrades/additions are going to be the best bang for the buck. You weigh the perceived risk against the additional encumberance factors and you will find that there are a lot of things you think you need but could really do without in a pinch.

It helps to ask yourself once in a while, "How hard would it be if I didn't have a particular item with me in a survival situation?" A lot of stuff comes out of my bag when I do that, especially after hodding a 40 lb bag around all day.

First of all welcome.

Second, I suggest looking at the ETS web site's comprehensive listings where Doug has provided excellent guidelines to get you started.

Disaster Preparedness:
Disaster Preparedness

Medical:
Medical Group

Also the FEMA web site has useful information:
FEMA Plan Ahead

Pete

Welcome!
First, like was mentioned already, think of big quantities as "bugging in" sizes, ie, 1 gallon of water/person/day. No way you want to carry 3 or 4 gallons of water if you bug out. Rather, I have something to treat water in my bag. Now, yeah, you're in Sacramento so your water access is rather limited if you leave home. Head east, hit the mountains, find a nice stream. I've also found that about 2-3 quarts/day is about when I hike, so really, if you bug out you might be OK with 1.5 gallons for 3 days. A lot of my camping is in the Sierras, being from CA myself.

Personally, my house supplies can probably get me through a week. My BOB can get me through 3-4 days of food/shelter, but only about a day of water (Michigan is much wetter).

Don't forget, just cuz you bug out, you don't have to CARRY everything. A wagon or something else with wheels can really help with the load distribution. Or you can grab everything and toss it into your car.

Also, have a plan for where you are going, and then pack accordingly!

As for your FAK, well, I'm a long time EMT. I wouldn't personally pack anything that goes beyond BLS. Less chances of lawsuits, plus if you initiate higher level care, then you can legally only turn over care to someone of RN or higher authority. That means when the EMTs finally show up, you have to go too! Finally, it'll get expensive replacing things with an expiration date. Gauze really doesn't go bad, y'know? Of course that means someone might die, but let's face it, if they're that bad, you're probably endangering yourself and others by taking a higher level of care than the situation can safely allow. As the prehospital folks learn, SCENE SAFETY FIRST. Triage yourself- if you can't be safe, you shouldn't be there.

Hope it's a good start. Welcom!

I have an old cartoon.

Two USAF officers are standing in front of a jet festooned with rockets,bombs,drop tanks etc.
First officer says " The new fighter can carry 300% more fuel, 250% more external ordnance, 200% more cockpit armor and 400% more cannon ammunition. Theres just one problem, we can't get it off the ground."

If 'ignorance is bliss' being prepared can approach a compulsive disorder with back ups to backups until a earthquake will likely crush you under 15 cases of MREs and a dutch oven with 600 matches inside.

You are miles ahead of most people. Take a deep breath and GO SLOW on any additions. You have at least 3 days to think about it.

Yep, no point in a bug-out kit without a place to bug-out to. If you have a place to bug-out to, store/cache supplies there so that your BOB is only needed to get you there, not to sustain you there. I'll leave the FAK commentary to the EMT's here (I learn so much when they start talking shop).

Welcome to the forum, please stick around.

As the others have said, your question asks something only you can answer. The answer depdns on what YOU and those you will be taking care of will need. Those needs can really only be known after they arise. Preparing is trying to anticipate what your needs might be.

So, you need to examine the people for whom your are selecting. How much food and water and other supplies do they need? Don't forget to think about hygeine, medical supplies, with food think of both nutrition (vitamins, minerals, etc.) and calories, shelter, clothing, etc.

You want things to be both enough and flexible. For example, my BOB has a pair of golf rain pants. Water repellent enough to keep me dry, light enough to wear in summer, warm enough for winter if I put a pair of thermals on underneath.

You also need to examine what kind of events could cause you to go to your preparedness supplies. What are the kinds of things that might happen in your area? What are the needs that might arise when those events do arise? How much warnign time will you have if one happens? All of these answers may change your preparations. Most people tend to think of the worst possible events, because if you are prepared for the worst, then you are also prepared for lesser events.

You also need to consider your capabilities. I know of no one who is going to carry a weeks worth of food and water on their back and actually be able to get anywhere. I think some people rule out walking all together, because they do not consider it an option. Don't plan for an escape route that you and your family are not capable of utilizing. Don't plan on carrying what would be too heavy. If you have different plans or levels of plans, plan for differnet kits. For example, if a car might be an option for you, plan on stuff you can take using the car, but also have a plan if the car cannot be used or in case you must abandon the car. Always have a plan for bugging in too, because sitting in your home with your supplies may be the best option.

Finally, if you continue to do this, you will realize there will never be enough. You will never know if you preparations are enough until the peril is over.

One thing you can never have enough of is knowledge, but your supplies and kits may constantly be reanalyzed and rearranged, and thought about over and over again. That's not a bad thing, because thinking about it simply means you are continuing to prepare and that your preparations continue to improve.

Welcome.

As far as home water is concerned Izzy hit it right on the head. One thing to consider from personal experience, if your at home when a disaster comes and your bugging-in, fill your bathtubs with water and some extra 5 gallon buckets from the lumber stores.

A tub will give you about 40-50 gallons of water and since its in your pipes it won't be contaminated. You can ration this for hygiene, drinking and food prep. Then save the grey water. If you practice tonight you will know how much water it takes to flush your toilet by pouring this grey water into it, usually a couple liters. Then you can know you can flush your toilet once or twice a day with it.

Preparedness is not just about stuff and stockpiling.

It's also acquisition of knowledge and skills. (i.e. your hot water heater is a stockpile)

Should keep me busy for the rest of my life.... ;-)

Sacramento -- major plausible natural disaster threats are earthquakes and flooding?

Everyday car kit, for me, would include: backpack, hiking shoes/socks, headlamp, flashlight, batteries, rain hat + poncho, 3 or 4 32oz Nalgene water bottles full of water, NUUN tablets or Gatorade powder, Cliff MoJo bars, leatherman, First Aid kit, leather gloves, hiking poles, bear spray (self-defense), AMK Heatsheets bivvy.

Home supply: At least 2 weeks of food and water for peops and pets. And we have bicycles and bike trailers in case cars are not an option. Actually we have the bikes for fun but like many things, they are dual-use.

Good habits to get into include keeping your vehicle in good working order and keeping fuel tanks full or at least half-full. And keep some cash at home. If something major happens, ATMs may not function for awhile.


Welcome aboard!

Welcome to the fire Dennis! The only things I have worth adding to what has already been said are:
1. Blast's short essay on being prepared
2. If your plan involves a cat getting wet you need a new plan!

-Blast

Welcome Dennis, from another relatively new guy.

For your home of a designated bugout location, you can store up as much as you feel you need. But a BOB/SHTF bag has to be light enough for you not to want to leave it at home.

I only carry 4 20-ounce bottles of water in my bag, but I also carry a 32-ounce Nalgene bottle and 200 water purification tablets (plus some coffee filters and means to boil water also).

I carry 9 400 calorie emergency food bars (in one 3600 calorie package), 3 MRE entrees, and 8 granola bars in there right now. I'm thinking of adding a few more MRE entrees as I found a few more at MREDepot that sound pretty tasty.

I put a few more things in my bag than I probably need. For instance, I have a Thermolite II emergency bivvy as well as 3 space blankets, I have a tarp as well as 2 contractor bags, I have 50' of white paracord and 50' of Olive Drab paracord. I have 1 lighter, 1 match safe of waterproof matches, and a magnesium fir starter. I have 2 compasses, one of which is just a tiny zipper pull one. I have 2 flashlights, again 1 is just a Rayovac penlight.

I'd rather err on the side of having something and not needing it than vice versa. In my line of work, I'd rather have 10 feet too much wire than be 2 inches too short. There's no such thing as a "wire stretcher" to my knowledge, lol.

Welcome Dennis!

Glad to have you join us, there are many folks that participate (& Lurk) on these forums and quite a few of them are knowledgable about the many different aspects of being prepared.

Water storage concerns:
Consideration needs to be given to things like what if...the water containers leak or get hit / bumped into / knocked over or off of a shelf? There will be others that depend upon individual situations.

While 1 gallon milk jugs are great for storage, they need to be monitored for plastic degradation due to water chemicals, sunlight and ultraviolet exposure, heat, freezing, and not to forget...being close to other chemical containers as flavors and smells can leach through plastic containers.

The floor loading issue is much different if you are on a single floor building with a concrete floor versus a wooden floor over a basement or in a multi floor structure.

As others have noted, there is "hidden water storage" in most houses that have hot water heaters, commodes with storage tanks in back or on top of them, plus a certain amount that will reside in the house piping itself. In the event that you have warning of an incoming issue/disaster as we do in Florida with hurricanes, it is wise to fill tubs, and other containers with water well before the storm is close. Having water purificaton available is always a good thing especially for those events where you simply do not have water storage available and need to "do it on the fly".

So draw up a log to sit on, hang around the campfire with us and feel free to chime in.

Regards,
Comanche7

Dennis

Do you really need to carry all that stuff? Unless you expect your neighborhood to be underwater, wouldn't it be easier to camp out in (what remains of) your home (or the backyard ... or a local park). So you could go back and fetch more of the wwater when you need it. Take a look at how much water your family is using each day. I try to plan for my family having access to about the same amount of water for a couple of weeks. It adds up. You could just fill a (clean) 44 gallon drum with water, add some purification chemicals, and store it in your backyard.

First-aid. Well ... you're the nurse. The main thing is that you're going to have to clean and sterilize wounds. There's time for infection if you don't do this. Wouldn't hurt to have some injectable lidocaine (wound cleaning hurts). Bandages & splinting materials, of course. You've got a tough problem with analgesics, because the medical system won't kick them loose. Codeine, or better vicodin, would be great if you could nab a little. A broad spectrum antibiotic would help too. Keep in mind that you will b enormously busy after a natural disaster - because the neighborhood will be coming to YOU for medical assistance! Think about that.

Take it steady. Learn how to b resourceful and improvise. You can improvise a pretty good cooking stove with scraps of metal and chicken wire, or you can use Coke cans or tuna cans. You need some fuel, and it's worth keeping some denatured alcohol around fo that. Try this stuff out now while you've got plenty of time. That way it will be no sweat if you ever really need to do anything.

Disasters bring out the best and the worst in people. But o matter who those people are in your neighborhood - they definitely will NEED a nurse. You will be able to negotiate a trade of your skills for just about anything you need ... food, water, batteries etc. So no need to freak out.

cheers,
Pete

One to add to the water list: Some of us can get water straight from the ground around our homes. My house is on top of a hill, but the water table is still normally about the level of the base of the foundation.

Wow. I would like to thank all of you for the great responses. You have given me a lot to think about. I will try to respond to some things specifically.

Again thanks everyone for all the help.

Dennis

We all have areas of expertise or greater comfort.So it is natural for an EMT, RN or other medical pro to pack more quantity and quality than my kit. And while even a full pharmacy would be emptied in a major emergency, a kitted out EMT connecting with ie a trauma surgeon with little or nothing would be a welcome sight indeed.

Hi Newperson!

You ask "how much is enough". The answer is simple- how much is enough for you? What are you planning on having bite you, for how long, and how many people do you need to worry about? Any special needs (special medical issues? pets?)? Any special considerations (ag chem plant a mile away? house is under an overpass?)? How are you going to react (dig in? bug out?) under certain conditions?

I mean, some of us plan for everything, and I mean everything. Zombies, aliens, Atlantians, yeah, some of have plans for those invasions because prepping becomes as much a lifestyle or hobby as it is an activity. Others just worry about what is likely to happen, and sleep well.

In SOCAL there's no such thing as too much water. . . .that and you can't have too many knives or 4x4's.