1. Are the Columbia River AutoLAWKS knives good enough, or should I save money towards Doug Ritter's Mark 1 knives? And is it just me, or is everyone experiencing security-guard freak-outs when they learn I'm carrying a pocket knife?

A - Any knife is much better than no knife at all, but Doug's knives are wonderful and worth it.

2. How many spare batteries is too many?

A - They're pretty small and light. I'd certainly bring at least one extra set, if not two or more, especially in a car.

3. There's myself, and what I should carry for saving myself. And then there is the wife, the two young boys and possibly the mother-in-law. How much stuff is enough, and how do you plan for the possibility of having to protect an extended group in a BOB? For instance with my first attempt at setting the kit up, I had put (15) MRE main-meal envelopes in the duffel bag. That might be overkill... Is one emergency bivvy enough, or should I have two, or enough for everyone?

A - your shelter will need to accomidate everyone in your party, but then again your vehicle might be a shelter too.

5. Anybody ever have a BOB stored in the back of their car or truck stolen by thieves who thought they'd get something better? What do you do to protect your kit?

You might put it in one of those small black plastic Rubbermaid tubs with the clip-on tops sold at Walmart. The black color hides it from view a bit.

6. My SUV is diesel-powered, so I have a yellow five-gallon CARB diesel gas can in my garage, to throw in the truck if we have to bug-out. I've already read the various forum posts on storing extra gas to take with us if there's the chance of being caught in a traffic jam. I'm looking at roof-top basket racks to hold it. How would you lash it down to a roof rack basket if it didn't have welded gas can brackets on it already?

A - Rope. I have a diesel tractor, so I have to haul the fuel in those 5 gallon plastic cans. I bought a large Rubbermade tub that can fit two cans side by side. This helps prevent them from flipping over on the short side and limits the junk on the bottom from "infecting" my SUV.

6. Should I wrap the magnesium/flint firestarter in something plastic to prevent inadvertant scratches from rubbing against othermetal in the bag or pocket from causing a problem?

A - I wouldn't worry about it. I'd be more likely to put it in a little snack bag to protect other items from it - not so much as to prevent sparking. BTW, I much prefer the Magfire type sparkers to the Doan's one.

7. Considering I live outside of DC in central Maryland, some of this is ridiculous, right? No Oregon mountain BLM roads around here and we rarely leave a suburban environment. Or is that the point -- it's when you do something unusual that something happens? Or is it better not to try to explain to unenlightend people and just let them think I'm nutty?

A - I have a bag that can go into my truck if I'm going outside my normal commute (in the Chicago suburbs). I don't leave it in my truck all the time.

8. Any chance we'll see GPS-equipped PLB's come down to the $100 level in the near future? I remember when GPS units were much more expensive, but they've come way-down in price too.

A - Not likely at all. You're barely seeing $100 GPS's right now. The PLB makers have to make a product that is much tougher than a GPS (in an environment that is more akin to automotive standards than a typical GPS - high temps, vibration, etc...) that has to be able to sit for years unused, but have a very high chance of functioning when needed. Just the fact that is is clearly a safety item means the manufacturer inherents some liability if something goes wrong - there is a price for that liability.

9. Does anyone pack a snake-bite kit anymore, or is that old-school? Also, the QuikClot products and an epinephrine injector sounds useful, although expensive. How do you buy these things without a doctor's prescription?

A - Skip the snake-bite kit. These days the recommendation is to get as good a look at the snake as possible and get the victim to treatment ASAP. The cut & suck thing is ancient history. Even the Sawyer Extractor's effecacy - for insect & snake bites - is up for debate. Some say if it is applied almost immediately it may help. It doesn't look like it could do any harm.