I'm 23 and live in rural western NC with my elderly grandmother. I work in a drugstore in a small town 15 miles from home. I'm not in great shape but I'm working on it! We have well water, monitor heat, gas stove as well as a wood cookstove. There's a lot of home-canned food in storage and a fair amount of store-bought canned stuff at any given time. I was hoping some of the experts could look at what I've got and advise on what else I might need, given the sorry state of the world of late!

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT-
-A folding pocketknife, usually half serrated
-Keychain with a Leatherman Squirt P4, a Photon Micro Light OR a keychain sized MagLite, and a waterproof box for an Immodium, a Claritin redi-tab (dissolves in the mouth, no water needed!) at least a 4-day supply of an Rx antidepressant I'm on, a chewable pink bismuth tab, and some advil
-Contact wetting drops
-A plastic vial with 10 chewable glucose tablets
-of late, a bandanna (its HOT here and I use it to tie my hair back so I can drive with the windows down)
-I HAVE a Leatherman wave, but confess I don't carry it often.
-I have a cell phone too, and it's always nearby but only on my person ALL the time when I travel.

This helps complement my weaknesses pretty well - poor vision, low blood sugar, dependence on a prescription antidepressant (tho I can hopefully wean myself off the Rx shortly)

WEAPONS-
-A Bersa Thunder .380 7-shot automatic with spare clip and glow-in-the dark sights (not tritiums, but sight paint I got from Sportsmans Guide)
-A .410 pump shotgun
-A Henry AR-7 style .22 folding rifle (I was seriously thinking about pawning it to get cash toward a more potent pistol, but I think of what a good addition it could make to by B.O.B. in my car....)

I'd like to get a high-cap 9mm now, I was thinking of a Taurus PT-911 9mm 15 shot with tritium sights and a blued finish (or would a stainless one 'keep' better? I just read last night about Rugers I think, that 'stainless' dosen't really MEAN stainless)

CAR KIT-(car is an 03 Subaru Impreza - not Turbo thankfully, with hi-grade gas $2.50/gallon here!)
-A first aid kit under the seat, supplemented with such items as Sing-Eze, and a 60ml bottle of aloe and lidocaine gel for burns
-A plastic tote with a bottle of water, some trail mix, an emergency blanket, some hand warmers, and a folding shovel. Kept behind passenger seat for easy reach
-a warm sleeping bag in the trunk (I keep it in the backseat during winter)
-my 'bug out bag' in a backpack with assorted items - extra change of clothes, water in a large plastic canteen, some pasta in a can and some energy bars, a *cough cough* "survival" knife with goodies in the handle and sheath, a swiss army knife, ect ect ect...

First of all I know I gotta get a good fixed-blade knife for that bag. There's an army surplus store now open in town (woo hoo!) but they mostly sell just clothing (D'OH!) - but I found a NICE sturdy axe/hammer/crowbar/nail puller combo tool there I gotta add to it. I want some Mainstay Rations too for my kits, if for no other reason than the long shelf life. Changing out the bars I use now pretty often is a pain in the rear!

HOME KIT (originally designed for a DIFFERENT home, btw)
-Sterno stove and fuel
Propane lantern and cans of fuel
-Candles and lighters
-LED flashlight and batteries
-1 Gallon water and some bottles of flavored water
-some canned food

Looks like a good start! I didn't notice a compass anywhere listed, so you may wish to add one, perhaps to the stuff in your car, if not to that and your personal kit.

I also didn't notice any provisions for fire making, which seems to be a more glaring ommission. I'd add a lighter and a sparklite with some kind of tinder to your daily carry and the same to your BOB with some water proof matches as well.

You already mentioned that you know you need a better fixed blade - a Mora might suit your needs - inexpensive and capable.

A tarp or some heavy duty garbage bags could assist you in making a shelter.

Toss 20' of 550 cord in your back pocket with the bandana - easy to carry and very useful. Add another 50' to your BOB. Along with the 550' cord that I carry in my back pocket I wind up two zip ties wrapped in cut up bicycle tubing - comes in handy.

A needle and thread (dental floss works very good) are useful for EDC.

I hope these suggestions are useful - Have fun building your kits!

Keep the AR-7, it is far more useful than you might imagine.
550 cord, fire lighter and tinder are needed. Add a can opener incase you lose the SAK. What do u use to treat water?

You don't carry your cell, or wave most of the time? Why not. Work out a good every day carry list of gear and plan.on using it.

Add some .380, .410 and .22 ammo to your car kit, I'm not syre if you have the firearms in the car or in the house. 15 miles is a long way to go to get a firearm if beeded. Do you carry at least 1 with you?

I keep the Bersa with me on occasion, locked in the glovebox. I don't have a permit, but according to a coworker who was in law enforcement for 15 years, this is legal. At least, I know it's the way she carries herself. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I do have a Bic or two in my kits (and a dedicated candle lighter in the home kit), but I do need some other fire supplies...

The canned stuff I have has pop-off tops, but a can opener would be a wise choice I suppose!

Hey sounds like you are headed in the right direction with your kit.
I did not see a towrope or better yet a snatch strap (Non Hooked ends as the hooks are dangerous if they slip loose and snap back) listed in your kit. You have a capable little car but things happen and you might be able to help someone else.
I agree with the Mora knife suggestion they are by far the most knives for the money that I have found. Ragweed Forge http://www.ragweedforge.com carries a good selection and Ragner is a good guy to deal with.
A small pry bar from your local hardware store along with a hatchet (local hardware) or a machete (Ontario from Army Navy store works) is likely to take you farther than the little combo tool you mentioned. Most of your combo tools and “survival” knives are made of less than ideal steel.
All of your kits seem to be a little light on water buying bottled water will help it store in the car better. I carry a cooler during the summer and keep a gallon of water in it for drinking during the day. If I put fresh blue ice in it in the morning the water stays nice and cool all day and is very drinkable for a couple of days.
Understanding the basics of using a map and compass is a skill that should be worked on. I may have overlooked it but I did not see a compass listed on your list. Any of the little base plate compasses ($10-15) or sighting compasses ($15-up) by Nexus, Silva or Suunto should serve you well and can usually be found at outdoor stores or even Wal-Mart.
I have some of the Mainstay bars but find that food I eat on a regular basis changed out of my kits yearly do better for me.
I use to live in your part of NC (Ashville) and liked the feel of having forest and mountains close around you no matter where you were. Of course almost every year someone gets hurt or worse in those same mountains. Even though the winters there are usually moderate you get slammed every few years with a hard winter. Those hard winters are the ones to prepare for. Make it so you and your grandmother can live for a week or so with out power. Make it so you can survive in your car for a few days in that kind of cold weather. Those are the kinds of goals I aim for when setting up my house and vehicles.

You are in a special need situation. Your situation does not fit the bug out or wilderness survival situation. You have to stay in contact with civilization to keep a continuous supply of medicine for yourself and you grandmother.

It sounds like you are describing a shelter-in-place scenario. You have to take care of you grandmother. You are also dependent on medication yourself. Your goal seems to be to be able to get back to you grandmother if some emergency happens. Then you need to be able to shelter in place for an unspecified period of time. I can not see you being able to bug out. It is possible that you and your grandmother could be required to evacuate to a shelter.

I suggest you check out Ready.gov http://www.ready.gov/index.html they have all the information you need to make a good plan and what supplies you need.

I don’t believe you would be in great need of a survival firearm. Everyone that is able should have a self-defense firearm. There is a reason most police carry Glock pistols. They are very reliable. Tell us about your shooting experience. How powerful of a handgun do you feel confident shooting? Do you have the mindset to defend yourself or your grandmother? My wife for example keeps telling me that she would not be able to pull the trigger even if it was to save the life of her children. I suspect “mom the protector” hormones would kick in. If you can not see yourself pulling the trigger then you do not need a self-defense weapon. You might prefer a less-than–lethal weapon. Pepper spray and SureFire lights come to mind. Your tactic would be “stun and run.” Stun the bad guy with the pepper spray and run to someplace safe and call the police. Many of us here have a CCW and live in a strong man state. Plus us older guys would rather shoot than run.

Let us know what you plan to do for different emergencies and I am sure the people here can give you excellent advice on what to have and do.

If I ain't said it yet, thanks a lot for all the great tips! And if I have, then I'll say it again!

Yea, I've gotten stuck before (in my old Escort) - luckily my great uncle was on hand with a tow chain.

I have a bottle of Potable Aqua in the bag in the trunk of my car for treatment needs. I'm thinking about getting one of the filter bottles too, I think I saw them in a Cabelas catalog.

I don't know if anyone could tell for sure they'd kill in self defense unless they were 'on the spot.' Just as the man said he thinks his wife COULD kill if she had to, despite her thinking otherwise - maybe I couldn't, despite my conviction that I could. If I have to take a life in self-defense, or ESPECIALLY defense of my loved ones, I think I'm mentally prepared.

I'm not worried about the medicine for me - the tablets are so small I can keep probably up to a months worth on my person at almost no weight. I'm grateful that Grandma is on nothing 'stronger' (DEA-wise) than an occasional Tramadol (Ultram) for pain. Having a shelter kit is a good idea, and with the weather here (unbearably hot in summer, with tree-downing storms - and cold in winter with ice) being prepped for blackouts is high on the priority list.

Working in a drugstore has it's perks, one of them being I know exactly how early I can refill prescriptions to make sure we have some medicine 'ahead.' For those working to supplement kits with Rx meds, I HIGHLY reccomend seeing your doctor first. Even if you have a 'running prescription' for something like Vicodin for pain, you won't get very far in most places trying to get early refills on it. Even if you tell them what you want it for. Even if someone came and told ME, then I'd still have to get an o-k from the doctor first.

I'm off work this week, so I got plenty of time, and no excuses not to check and re-stock my kits as needed. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

A great and fun way to do this is orienteering. Go to THIS SITE and click on the CLUBS link on the left. Then, select a club near you, and go to one of their events.

Just make sure that you cary a basic survival kit and don't mind a five-mile walk in the woods. Orienteering is a fun way to practice a vital skill.

Eh, the exercise'd be good for me anyhow! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Though I doubt I'll be going through deep wilderness in many scenarios, but better safe....

I started with evaluating my current car kit and backpack. Naturally I thought that should be a higher priority than the home kit since it's mostly redundant of what I have at home anyhow! The backpack is a very nice one from Outdoor Addentures I think, with a space and hooks for a hydration pack. My first unpleasant suprise as I went thought the backpack came when I found out the Wal-Mart 2 liter canteen with a metal outer had rusted from where the 'teen had leaked a bit. Luckily I double ziplocked it, so it didn't hurt anything else.

So, I'm guessing ALL plastic for my next bag water solution! I guess 2 all plastic 1 liter canteens would do better than that one with the rust risk! Would one of those hydration packs be a viable option for water storage?

I found quite a bit of expired medicine from where I supplemented a FAK....time to go shopping! I've already got a long list from just those two kits, oy...and I know I'll find more expired 'extras' in the main car 1st aid kit and my home kit....

Let's run down the backpack some more, to show what I have (or HAD if expired)
-Margarine bowl with 2 granola bars, a can of ravioli, and some peaches in jello (expired - but the ravioli didn't even have a date on it so I tossed it to be safe) I may find a more durable and maybe ergonomic type plastic bowl.
-A towel and washcloth
-A pair of heavy work gloves ('slightly' used, think I'll get a new and less stinky pair for my bag)
-A rain poncho
-In one of MANY nifty storage pouches in there, a garbage bag and grocery bags. I replaced both with newer ones.
-Some sunscreen in a tiny 60ml bottle from work (exp). I'll replace it with fresh and add a 60ml bottle of some great Aloe-Lidocaine gel that is good till 2009!
-A bottle of Cutter bug repellant - no exp date, reckon it's still good?
-A pair of jeans, t-shirt, and cap. Wonder if I can get a good deal on a pair of long johns now for winter use?

I would go for the Nalgene bottles if you're looking for ultimate leak-proofness. Beware there are imitation bottles out there now, and they might work fine, but I don't have any first hand experience with them.

What I can say is my 1L Nalgene (the smoke-colored Lexan ones) bottles have been everywhere and I've never had a leak. Not so much as a drop. Definitely worth the money for quality and peace of mind.

http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/subcategory.asp?categorysubcategorycode=5

Prices seem to run in the $7-9 range per bottle, depending on where you order or buy them from. Sometimes the outdoors stores (REI, EMS Sports, Sierra Trading Post, etc.) will have sales and you can snag the bottles for $4-5.

I don't want to presume to tell you your own business, but I think you are being a little anal retentive about expire dates. Without going into a long disertation as to how they are set by the FDA and DepAg, all I will say is that it is essentially arbitrary.

I have a couple of doctor friends that have been working with Doctors Without Borders now for about 10 years. 90% of the time, ALL they have is epired donated goods, and there have never been any complaints or problems. Caveat: biologicals - not relevant to this discussion.

Expiration dates are for a controlled temperature usually considered room temperature. Any of the things you keep in your car (food, meds, water) will be affected by the heat of your car during the summer and greatly change what would normally be still good. Just change everything on a rotational schedule it saves a lot of head aches.

Sounds like a good mix of gear to me. I think I would keep the AR-7, a good 22 can be a valuable game getter and can have more range than a pistol. I have one of the Springfield M6 carbines in .410/22 Hornet. It offers some good game gathering options.
My main concern is to be able to get out of town in an emergency. I think that the way traffic is around here, I will be stuck in the city anyway. So, I keep bottled water, keep a water filter around and extra canned goods that can be cooked on a camp stove or gas BBQ. If the power ever goes out in the summer and stays out, survival will be a matter of staying cool and hydrated. For home defense, I keep a 40SW auto around and a few boxes of ammo. 12 guage is a backup tool to me, less manuverable. Anyway, you are doing good! Cheers!

Looking much better after some shopping today. There are some loops on the back of the pack, a plastic clip, and three small mesh outer pockets that just seem to scream for some gear! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> I think I'll get the hatchet/crowbar/hammer/nail puller combo tool and slip the handle in a back loop, if I see it's secure enough. Maybe a backup flashlight with lanyard for the clip. And maybe some little bottles of water or Gatorade for the pockets?

I remember reading in a reprint of Lofty Wiseman's SAS Survival book (...now maybe I should toss THAT in there to be safe!) to put in salt tablets or electrolyte tabs. Important idea? Gatorade would take up more room, but might be more thirst-quenching.

Got the car kit pretty well ready too...I'll post an inventory later.

Go to this page and study all of Doug's kits carfully, especially those which seem closest to your needs in terms of size and portability. You're off to an outstanding start but are missing some basic stuff as well. Cordage, firemaking, water purification, etc.

Here's what I suggest. Find the kit or kit's of dougs which match your needs the best as far as size and portability then copy it as closely as possible with what you have available. Then add the "special needs" items specific to your situation, such as prescription meds, glucose tabs etc.

You can learn a lot from studying Doug's kits.

I'm no expert but IMHO you're off to an outstanding start! Keep it up!

What's the weight limit on a decent backpack? I went to Outdoor Products' webpage and could find no details. There was an FAQ page, but nothing ON there....?

Well, the car kit is done and the extended car kit/B.O.B is all but done. As an above poster mentioned, with wintertime storms (and summertime storms) It's wise to make sure an extended stay in the car, should that become needed, would be comfy. The backpack is like an extention of the car kit, plus some goodies should I have to leave the car.
In the pack I have a store FAK supplemented with a LOT of meds to make a decent Medical Kit, including:
Immodium
Loratadine (claritin) redi-tab (no water needed!)
Dye-free generic Benadryl caps
Meclizine (aka Dramamine less drowsy formula) for vertigo
Camphor/phenol/yadda yadda bite/sting gel stick
Generic Advil (my preference) and generic Tylenol too
Tums
Aloe/lidocaine/menthol gel for burns
A dental repair kit (....that I need to take OUT of my car FAK and put IN my bag's kit...!)
Hydrocortisone cream
Clotrimazole cream
Neosporin + painkiller ointment

In each of the side pockets of the bag I have a mini-Powerade, plus a tube of 10 extra glucose tabs in one. I ordered a bottle from the page someone here kindly linked me to (there WAS an outfitter in town that sold them that I always meant to check out...closed down 6 weeks ago! <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> ). To supplement that, I ordered a water filter straw. I got some matches in a waterproof vial, 2 sealed BICs, and *cough* a magnesium block. Yeah, I should read more often BEFORE I buy! Also a pin-on compass 'just in case' I need to get from point A to point B out somewhere that lacks convenient road signs. Let's go back to list mode so this durn post won't get TOO long!
-Hatchet/hammer/pry bar/nail puller combo
-folding spade
-space blanket
-personal hygeine items (No Rinse shampoo/soap, toothbrush, ect)
-sunblock
-'food kit' with some canned pasta & soup, mints, gum, kleenex, hard candy, tuna in a pouch, can opener ect...
-rain poncho
-clothes: jeans, shirt, socks, tightie-whit....er....underwear <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> , cap, sunglasses (need an extra bandanna too!)
-wet wipes
-roll of clear duct tape (clear because I had a roll of it laying around already) wrapped in some aluminum foil with a small sew kit and my BICs inside the tape roll
-sharpening stone (2)
-Swiss army knife
-cheap LED flashlight
-2AA mini Maglite
-AAA radio (but no AAA batteries, this I shall remedy STAT. I just glanced and thought it took AA's! <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> )
-bug-repellant packets
-lip balm
-I KNOW I'm omitting something which I'll think of...no doubt after I hit 'continue' and if not then, for SURE when I hang up!

With this plus my car kit, I think I be covered on the road. I dread winter coming up as I'll have to add some stuff like long johns and hand warmers, while I'm hard pressed to think of stuff I can REMOVE! But as long as the pack can take it, it's all good. Well, the pack AND my back...I almost hurt myself strapping it on this afternoon!!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

In most cases the weight limit is the carrier [YOU] not the pack. Shy of stuffing the thing full of lead you will run out of room before you exceed the weight the pack will carry. From your discription of your physical condition figure your max load will be about 25 pounds.

I know a firearm is the coolest part of any sak, but let me take the opposing view here.

I'd use the extra money, space and weight allowances for more food, cash and water -- most situations require just sitting in one place while things get fixed.

t ro