I am 23 and a broke college student. Since Sept. 11th, I have been assembling my own Survival equipment. The list is below, and I am wondering what is next(besides food, i left all that out). Priority for equipment is important, as i have a limited budget. I got all my stuff through the internet, and a lot of it for relatively cheap prices.(IMSplus.com, RangerJoe's, Survivalsurplus, you name it, I have it bookmarked and I shop around for the best deals.) I am kinda a military buff, and have recently got into hunting. I know A LOT about military stuff and weapons, but not so much about civilian weapons. Specifically, what gear should i add next? With regard to firearms, I was thinking of a Ruger mini-14(too expensive tho), a simple .22, or a handgun. Opinions? Suggestions?<br><br><br>Clothing<br>q BDU’s (shirt and pants)<br>q BDU cap<br>Web Gear<br>q Medium Alice Pack w/ frame (camo)<br>q Butt Pack (camo)<br>q *“Y” suspenders<br>q Tactical Vest<br>q Pistol Belt<br>q Canteens w/ covers (2)<br>q Pouches (Shotgun shell, compass, utility, flashlight)<br>q Extra A.L.I.C.E. clips (4)<br>Cooking Etc.<br>q Trioxane Fuel Bars (36)<br>q Canteen cup<br>q Cup stove<br>q Ziploc freezer bags, 1 qt. (15)<br>q Water purification tablets (50)<br>Optics/Lighting<br>q Camo 10x25 Binoculars w/ case<br>q Anglehead flashlight (camo)<br>Tools<br>q Ka-Bar Night Raider Fighting Knife<br>q Leatherman tool<br>Survival<br>q *200’ of Para-cord<br>q Matchbox w/ 25 matches<br>q 250 wooden matches<br>q Windproof butane lighter<br>q “bic” butane lighter<br>q Disposable poncho<br>q First-Aid kit<br>q Survival (reflective) blanket<br>q 10 hr candles (2)<br>q <br>Firearms<br>q 12-gauge Remington 870 Express Magnum shotgun (bird & slug bbls)<br>q Butt-stock shell-holder (5 shells)<br>* In-Transit<br>

Well for starters what are you going to survive? You do not have a sleeping bag listed. This is critical. You cannot keep warm with a mini 14. I would take a deep breath, and research the subject. This site and it's many links is a wealth of information, as are the many books and videos. On your budget finding the best item for YOU the FIRST time is vital. We all have closets of bad past choices. Your best investment right now is time.

What kind of survival situation are you envisioning? I suspect you are thinking about an urban situation where conflicts might arise...In any event, the basics are still basics - like Chris says, sleeping bags are pretty important. I would vote for a better civilian backpack over the alice gear you are accumulating, but that is an area of intense personal preference.<br><br>If you hanker for a nice 22, I would recommend the AR-7 survival rifle - light, breaks down and disappears into the stock. And it is very effective. I forge the name of the current manufacturer, but it is currently marketed in local stores for about $150.

http://ubb.plainsmanscabin.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=4<br><br>Above is a link to a forum that discusses BOB and survival kits. You may want to surf on by and review some of the past topics for some ideas.<br><br>Military gear is green and durable. But it can also be unnessarily heavy. There are some civilian products that might be better choices depending on what your goals are. The first might be clothing. Camo means to blend in with your surroundings. BDU's with an ALICE pack on city streets is not camo. Kakhi slacks and a flannel shirt with a day pack or civi pack blends much better in an urban/suburban environ.<br><br>As one who has been playing around with survival kits for a few years, let me suggest that the more knowledge you have, the less gear you need. For the most part your BOB is complete except maybe for some snares and fishing gear.<br><br>Now I would suggest you begin to learn and study firemaking techniques and food & water gathering techinques. Also start investigating where you are going to Bug Out to. Ideally that location is where you have cached supplies and have a support organization of people to assist you in your survival.<br><br>You have taken the first and most common step in survival, the backpack survivalist. Soon your backpack will be too small and too heavy to carry all the gear you feel you have to have. Then you will become a vehicle survivalist, maybe with trailer in tow. At this point you will have all the gear possible to recreate a habitat and fend off legions of maurauding hordes. Soon after that you will come to the realization that regardless of how much firepower and ammo you have stored, you can only fight off so many hordes and you are better playing the run and hide game. Next you will slide into the Bug in rather than Bug out phase. <br><br>This is where you finally come to the realization that your primary residence is the best place to Bug Out to. That is because you already have shelter, food, heat, cooking, and a community to assist you. Once you reach the Bug In phase, then you start looking for a place that makes sense to Bug In. The elusive self sufficent retreat away from the urban sprawl with enough room to hunt and grow crops.<br><br>Some of use take the plunge and buy the acreage and move to a small farm outside of a small town. Solar power, well buckets, livestock raising, hide skinning, square foot gardening, bee keeping, and reduction of the weapons arsnel to as few calibers as possible that are better for gathering food instead of armed invasion.<br><br>As mentioned earlier, take a deep breath. Let it out slowly. 9/11 scared many people and they are trying to make up for "lost time". You have a decent BugOutBag, albeit heavy on the military side. Take some time to start gathering information about how to become more self sufficent and less reliant on the just in time inventory system of modern life.<br><br>Take some first aid courses. Join the local Orienteering club. Practise using the gear in your BOB in the back yard. If it doesn't work in perfect conditions with excellent lighting, weather, and no pressure, how will it work in the field? You don't have to trek to the far side of the world to test your gear. Pitch a tent in your backyard and try to get a fire started without using matches or a lighter. If it gets dark, wet, or boring, go back inside and watch TV with a Beer. Try again the next day until you can. Skills are more important the gear.<br><br>Good luck!

You might want to think about the " gray man look" provides good camo in the bush and doesn't stand out around people other wise your going to get to much unwanted attention. The military even uses it look at the spec ops guys in afghan except for those stupid shades they look like an other Afghan from a distance.

AR 7. Check out www.22world.com They categorize the AR 7 as a jamomatic. Mine certainly fits the category.

My first advise- dump the **** LBE. If you really need it, go with a civilian vest. Otherwise, mount a lot of stuff off your pack, particularly on the waistbelt. Most of the packs from Blackhawk can take ALICE gear on the waistbelt, as can a suprising number of civilian packs.<br><br>Unless you are a college student, say, 100 miles from Dushanabe (sp) and studying Uzbekistan culture and history, you won't need military gear. You will usually want to stick out like a sore thumb, so you can get pickup easier. In an urban situation, it might make thinks worse, becuase when the Gaurd gets called in, they might mistake you for (a) a deserter, or (b) a wack-job with a commando-complex. If you combine (b) with a gun, especially if there is a curfew, don't be suprised if a large number of gentlemen with automatic weapons are kinda grouchy towards you.<br><br>You also usually won't need a lot of weapons. If you are in a suburban situation, the shotgun is good if you are digging in at what is left of your residence. Urban, a handgun of suitable power and concealibility (asuming you have any and ALL liscences you need) is probably better, but at an evac camp you will have to turn it in. As a bush pilot, a Mini-14 is a poor choice, becuase it is both too powerful for small game and not powerful enough for big/dangerous game. <br><br>As a college student, if you are in the dorms, you need a 72-hour bag, that's it. Every college has evacuation plans, and most states have kept them current. The only issue is feeding them. And if you live off campus, well, figure it out as you go towards the college.<br><br>I've also got something to say about the Bug-Out-Bag phenominia. If you are talking a 72- or 120-hour Evacuation Bag, fine. Heck, every person in my family has a 72-bag, and most of us a 120-bag. I kept a stripped down 72-bag in my closet at college, with a second in my car. <br><br>However, a lot of BOB people are talking about a bag they grab as they try to escape from the city with thier SUVs by driving cross country over rubble, and making a speed run for the "country" and "living off the land". As one of the people living in the country, don't do it. We won't have the resources that are going toget at organised evac centers. And we don't want armed vagrants camping on our land, poaching and setting up questionable fire-lays. Stick to the area where help will be, becuase this isn't a movie.

First of all, pay very close attention to the posts from Cyberraven and Resqman. It's good advice.<br><br>Let me add a few things....<br>1. The "Y" harness sucks and should have never replaced the old "H" harness. Get one of those if you absolutely must have military gear.<br><br>2. GI anglehead flashlights suck. You can find something better. You should find something better.<br><br>3. Why do need a vest AND web gear (the harness)? <br><br>4. If you MUST have military style gear, get a large ALICE pack, not the medium. I have carried both, for many, many, many miles and will take a large anyday. They hold more, are more comfortable and they require a frame, thus preventing the folly attempting to carry the medium pack without one. How do I know this? Trust me, I know this.<br><br>5. Get rid of ALL of your ALICE clips. They are of the devil. I have scars (plural) from the !@#$%^ things. Replace them with cord or wire ties. Again, this is if you MUST have military style gear.<br><br>6. 36 Triox bars? How do fit all of the marshmallows in the ruck? <br><br>7. BDU's are great....if they fit. They also come colors other than camo. I like the khakis, not the desert camo, the khakis. They are are less likely to "spook the horses" and if you wear one pair in the field for long enough they become camoflaged (dirt, blood, grease, etc...).<br><br>8. As for the gun, I vote for the .22. Ammo is lightweight, cheap and ubitquitous (sp?). Anyone who may question it's stopping power obviously has not heard of a brilliant technique to double (shoot twice), triple (shoot three times) or even increase it more (you should have the idea by now).<br>I reccomend Taurus's new 62A. It holds 15 rounds, is fairly accurate and breaks down into two easily carried and hidden pieces.<br><br>That is all.<br>Ade

Awww ade! dont say that bout the angle head flashlights! i left (forgot bout) mine out in the dirt during monsoon season here in arizona, and a month later i came across it and flicked it on, batteries still had juice and it worked like a charm! its been my fave since and i wouldnt mind knowing what flashlight you had in mind. Besides the maglight, i dispise its weight but love the bashing attribute and quality

Thanks for all the info guys! ( and the constructive criticism).<br>Though I live in MN, the camo thing might not be a big deal(everyone hunts here) but what about a poncho, tent, other weapons etc.?<br>Any other suggestions?