Hi everyone, I'm a 22 year old male living in NJ, about 20 min from NYC. I was wondering if you could recommend some things to do to help me prepare for a possible disaster. I'm on a very limited budget, as I have been laid-off recently. I don't really have much of a kit, only stuff I use to go camping (backpack, tent, sleeping bag, etc.) but was wondering if you could give me some pointers. <br>Thanks everyone, <br>Jim

Welcome to the forum.<br><br>First you need to determine what kind of disaster you want to prepare for and where you think you will be when that happens.<br><br>A PSK, Pocket Survival Kit, is a small kit you carry on your person all/most of the time. The most favored container at this time is an Altoids tin. These typically only have the most essential of supplies. <br><br>Up from that, people have camera bags, briefcases, fanny packs, daypacks, totes, etc sized kits that they carry with them. The drawback is due to their size, they tend to get left behind. The advantages include because they are larger, you have more suppiles.<br><br>There are BOB, Bug Out Bags. Usually a daypack or backpack with enough supplies to keep a person alive and relatively comfortable for 72 hours or more.<br><br>There are home kits. These can grow to fill a basement.<br><br>Cover the big 6 areas first: Knife, Water, Fire, Shelter, First Aid, Signaling. There are lots of options for each of these depending on how deep your wallet, the size of your container, durability, redundancy, and other factors. Suggest you review the Equipped to Survive website that hosts this forum for some great ideas and gear reveiws.<br><br>Typically this forum is focused more on basic survival skills and the first two sized kits. There are other forums that discuss the larger kits and extended preparations. You might want to use a search engine to look for DISASTER PREPAREDNESS. I have found http://ubb.plainsmanscabin.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi to be a great forum for discussing these topics. http://www.frugalsquirrels.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi is another forum with a more militaristic slant. http://www.mrssurvival.com/cgi-bin/ubb/Ultimate.cgi has a larger female population of posters and their posts reflect their sensabilites.<br><br>Your question is akin to "I need to buy a vehicle, tell me which one is best." It will depend on your lifestyle and what you want your vehicle to do for you.

Welcome Jim,<br><br>You've come to the right place. Unfortunately, your question is so general as to make any comprehensive answer nearly impossible. When you say, "disater", what do you mean? You mention camping, but most people don't use the term "disaster", at least not in the literal sense, when talking about camping. The most common "disaster" most people will likely ever face is a disruption in utilities and civic services due to environmental (tornado, hurricane, earthquake, fire, etc.) or social (riot, terrorism, etc.) upheaval. Perhaps the second type of "disaster" most people might face as they go through their normal day to day lives would be a criminal assault of some sort. Those that travel into, or even merely through, wilderness areas could someday find themselves lost and/or stranded, and have to survive until they can be rescued, or can rescue themselves.<br><br>There is no subsitute for knowledge. Before I ever posted to the forum, I read literally all of the articles on this site. While you, perhaps, don't need to go that far, I would recommend that, before you spend any money on gear, you first spend some time reading through the larger website proper. Doug has done a terriffic job of creating and compiling quite a lot of useful information. Just familiarizing yourself with what's available online here will be an excellent introduction to emergency preparedness in all its myriad forms. You'll get a much better return of information for your investment of time & energy if you do that first. It'll help you refine your questions to the forum, so you'll be able to "help us to help you", so to speak.<br><br>I would recommend you begin with the Urban Survival section, followed by the Disaster Preparedness section and then the Medical Group section.<br><br>After you have read the above sections, you'll be ready to move on to the wilderness related areas of the website. I would start simple and work up to more complex and dense information. The Survival Skills & Techniques section would be an excellent first step, followed by the reality check provided by the True Life Stories - Lessons Learned section.<br><br>With all of that under your belt, you'll be in an excellent position to take copius notes as you thoroughly digest the Basic & Wilderness Survival Equipment section. With all of the information provided by the other sections, you will be in a far better place to evaluate what your truest and most immediate needs are, as you read all of Doug's excellent Survival Gear Evaluations.<br><br>Make lists as you do all of this, to help yourself begin to plan your next steps: What kind of disasters do you want to prepare for first? What kinds of kits do you want to build first? Since you say you're on a tight budget, you should concentrate on the kinds of situations are you really concerned about in the immediate future, and leave out what's merely theoretical, at least for now. What kinds of gear do you already have or can improvise with what you already have? What are the most cost effective solutions for the items which you do need to purchase? Etc.<br><br>Then, go through the Survial Forum archives. We've discussed the most amazing assortment of topics. There are a lot of good ideas and many, often dissenting, opinions. You'll find yourself forming your own opinions, and many of the questions you would otherwise have had for us will have already made their answers apparent to you.<br><br>Then, come back with all of your unanswered questions. By then, you'll have many quite specific questions, which we will hopefully be able to answer with better answers than the "go look elsewhere" approach I've taken here. <br><br>It's a lot of reading, but it'll be a worthwhile education, if you want to truly be as prepared as you can be. I think, if you do this, you really will find many of the answers you are seeking.<br><br>I hope some of that helps.

Jim,<br><br>As stated it all depends on what your lifestyle is like. If you are a "white collar" office worker, there is only so much you can pack around in your pockets, and you might want to think about what would go into a brief case without taking up too much space. If your blue collar you can get away with a lot more, and maybe a back pack. Considering the heavy urban environment, I would suggest for a PSK something a bit more "urban." A "mega key chain" would probably be a good idea. Small decent survival whistle is a universal idea. You can use it to call for help in the city or in the woods. You probably won't need any fire starting or shelter kinds of things, but a good phone card or an extra 20 in case you get mugged (sterotypical thing for a west coaster to say about New Yorkers) might not be a bad idea. <br><br>If you have any reason to believe that you will be traveling off into the woods, some of the more rugged items might be smart. <br><br>Sometimes, a good "backup" plan might be better than tons of expensive equipment. Don't get me wrong, the equipment is fun to play with and can save your life, but on a limited budget, a generalized plan might be worth more to your overall well being than all the "oh poo" gear. <br><br>Think about what you can do to escape your location in the event of a major baddy. Think along the lines of "hey I have a friend in upstate NY, maybe he and I can make arrangements to be eachothers backup." That way if you have to bail from your location, you have a place to go, and vice versa. Cheap stuff you can do is plan for outages. That way you can alway "bug in." Water is cheap, and necessary. You can fill some jugs full of water and stash them in the hall closet for that day when the city falls apart. You can keep some candles around. Blankets. A first aid kit. <br><br>What I'm trying to say is, don't over extend yourself for the eventuality of the extreme bad day that may or may not happen. Concentrate on getting through the right now, and as your resources improve, start concetrating on the maybe. If you overextend yourself planning for an unlikely eventuality, you might not be able to deal with something more mundane, like paying for repairs to your car which you need every day to drive your kids to school.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate all your help so far. The situation I'm in is that I rent an appartment and I don't have all that much room to prepare as i would like to (stockpiles of water, food, etc.) I do have family living in NW NJ in a pretty rural area, so that may be a possibility if I have to leave home. A couple of my concerns are being so close to NYC, poeple are really packed in here, so if there was a major emergency, I think I'd have alot of trouble getting out of the area. Any tips on this? <br>I'm also wondering if in a major emergency (i.e. another terrorist attack, major flood) I should stay put and try to wait it out, or as they say "run to the hills."<br>As far as a PSK I'll look at the other posts in the forum and put one together.<br>Thanks again,<br>Jim

ok jex,in my opinion the best way to move around a conjested city or leave is via bike or motorcycle i have rode a mountian bike or ten speed in the city and in the country just about all my life as well as motorcycles. in an emergency you can thred thru anything a motorcycle has the advantege of power,speed,and more cargo carrying capacity........a mountain bike has the advantege of goinig around obstickles via sidewalks, stairs,any were a road is not an option for travel........even an elevator......you need no fuel,and you can carry what you need in a day-pack on your back.........of corse you will have to ride regularly to build endurance....hope this gives you some good options...........

Well, how secure is your building? Not likely to be burned in an orgy of rioting and looting, should such a thing occure? If that's the case, stock water (5 gallon blue water cubes are heavy in large numbers, so check the strength of the floor- if you can't have waterbeds, it may be a weight issue) and 3-5 days of food. Stash a couple lamps and oil along with a couple of good books that you've not read in a long time in the kit. Add a small battery powered radio. A good mountain bike. A decent shotgun. Maybe a nice bottle of wine and a couple of gourmet wet pack meals (tres chic MREs- pricy but)- you and your SO would already have the candle light. :)<br><br>That way, when it hits the fan, get to your place, wait for FEMA, ARC and the Guard to show up, and enjoy the books. Stay out of the way of riotius mobs. Watch the door and repell boarders as needed. Once things have called down, volunteer for grunt labor with the relief folks- I've never heard of an urban incident where such things weren't needed, even if all it is is to set up tents and run messages.<br><br>Also, does your building have a tenents organization? I see no reason why groups that handle community watch activities can't also do emergency planning at the personal level.

Prepare in general for two basic scenarios: In and Out<br><br>In:<br>You will be holing up on your domicile for the duration. <br>Presumed: Shelter is provided by current domicile and therefore not part of preparations; utilities are compromised of absent; commerce is disrupted or absent. Durration may be as much as a month.<br>Needed: All utilities may be suspended or suspect. Even if the water is still flowing you shouldn't count on it being safe to drink - especially during flooding. Some bottled water is a good idea - two gallons per day per person is the usual suggestion. There are large volume bladder type containers that fit under the bed if you have a space constraint. Work something like the chamber of a water bed. If you have a water bed then you could clean it and cycle the water in it every few months and be all set. <br>Some method of creating safe water will be needed - usual recommendations include filter and fire since fire is not usually safe within a home unless you have a fire place or heat with wood I would normally recommenc a filter. for the "stay at home" scenario a large gravity filter is probably best. These are usually the size of two large saucepans stacked. <br>Some method of heating will be required. Here a wide range of options are available. A small kerosene heater is easily storable and would heat 1 room adequately on a very small cache of fuel - say 5 gallons. Here we begin to fill up the bottom of a small closet. Another option is to go cold. This is not often recommended but if you are in good health and have adequate clothing it is doable but very uncomfortable. Even with this option you should be prepared to melt water since it will freeze even if you don't.<br>Some light source is convenient though not necessarily a life saving issue. A lantern that works on the same fuel as you cached for the heater is cheap and very effective.<br>Some food source is mandatory and since you will be in an urban area hunting and gathering will be quickly seen as looting and frowned upon by your neighbors. If you have a fueled stove or heater that can boil watter then dried foods such as rice and beans store very compactly and have a very long shelf life. If you are getting by without a heat source and have water then freeze dried foods are an option but they are very expensive. Some form of cured meat is often a tasty addition with a reasonable shelf life but unless you make it yourself it is pricey. <br>If the situation turns toward social anarchy you should probably consider the bug-out scenario before the armed defense options. In such situations it is reasonable to assume that there will be more disruptive types than peaceful types. Fortunately, in NJ /NY area the people have proven quite capable of enduring major disasters without turning hostile. In such circumstance you are much better off joining with the community in mutual support and aid than hiding in your hole or running for the hills.<br><br>The OUT scenario.<br>Presumed: Things are bad enough that you need to flee the scene - either your domicile is destroyed or made unsafe or the social structure has collapsed. Utilities are gone; public service agencies are stretched beyond capacity; basic market infrastructure is gone; physical infrastructure is suspect, collapsed or clogged (roads, bridges, etc).<br>Needed - destination, transport, travelling supplies, camoflage ( I don't mean a chille suite. I mean that you will need to look as ill-equipped as possible since any indication that you may be better equipped than your neighbor will be met with a request for aid with a greater or lesser level of politeness / hostility depending upon the personality of the needy one) . In this scenario you have already made the decision to abandon the community in favor of finding a better / safer location for yourself and your loved ones.<br><br>The most important consideration in this scenario IMO is the destination and preparations made there. If your destination is reasonably distant from your home then you will need more transport than otherwise. If your destination is another families home your preparation will require diplomacy and relationship building. Even the closest family members may feel put-upon if you move in unexpectedly for a month or two with your entire family. You should ask their permission to make them part of your emergency planning and ask them what they think you should to for them in order to prepare them for your potential arrival. Cached food-stuffs can be a help if they rotate them.<br>Transport - If your travel distance is under 50 miles and your destination is stocked; I would recommend the mountain bike or simply walking. The bike could cover that distance in two days. For two days hard travel with a comfortable destination to lookforward to you can travel very light. Water and filter, clothing for travel, light tent for stopping and an exbit stove to get something hot to drink and warm yourself should be all you need. If you are proficient, lisenced and emotionally prepared to use it you might ride armed. No need for much food beyond cliff bars for a two day ride. The advantage of traveling so light is that you are certainly not a target. You've got nothing other than the bike. <br>50 miles on foot is another thing. You will need much more food. 50 miles is the maximimum I would want to tackle on foot. I would expect this to take a week or more. Substantially more food will be required. Carying water for the trip is out the trip will be too long. The filter is much more important. You will be moving slowly enough that you will interact with others more or be forced to work at avoiding such contact. You will be an easier target and a more attractive target due to the greater gear. The off-road moto-cross motorcycle is a good option if the distance is large and you expect to be traveling a large distance. It is a bit of a target though. Be sure that you are fit enough and skilled enough to handle the mororcycle off-road before you consider this option. Just owning one and riding on the road every now and then doesn't make this a viable option. Go out there in the dirt and get messy, fall over a few times, carry the gear that you expect to need so you know how the bike will handle. etc.... Remember that using this option you will need to plan on carrying more mechanical supplies and more medical supplies to handle the potential of falling and breaking yourself or your bike.<br>In an urban setting a 4X4 doesn't help that much. You can't go off-road when there is a building in your way. If you are in a suburban environ where traveling accross yards is a possiblitiy then maybe. If you are a great distance from your destination then a vehicle is required and the 4X4 is your best choice. In this case the 4X4 becomes your shelter easily enough and fuel becomes a major concern.<br>Travelling supplies: Water and filter, appropriate defensive gear, Mechanical supplies as needed to maintain transport, shelter as needed depending upon mode of transport, Clothing - this should be prepared as if walking since you may be if your transport fails you. Food - here cliff-bars or other emergency rations are best since they are light and take no preparation.<br><br>The out scenario described relies on a well stocked and welcomming destination with support community. If you are considering an out scenario into true wilderness then you will need a different preparation.<br><br>Read all of the references that were posted on this thread before actually spending anything. Your milage may varry.<br><br>Stay involved and stay safe!

Speaking from a "white collar" world, you'd be amazed how much gear can be stashed in the pockets or velcro-ed into a zippered DayRunner organizer. I think I've covered all the groups - signaling, fire, sharps, meds, etc., and it's all very innocent looking on my desk. I carry it everywhere. There's a world of urban trouble out there - I learned my lesson years back when I got car-jacked and left in the middle of nowhere with no keys, no money, and no ID. I've carried my own version of a pocket PSK ever since.