Newb question

Okay so I am slowly getting some of the acronyms used here but is the a list somewhere that tells me what each means? I was trying to figure out who BOB was for the longest time. Now I will have to go back and read those post again. On a side not I found this site while doing some research for making up PSK for a group of scouts. This site has been a great help. Thanks to Doug for putting it together!

Kurt

The easiest way is to list the ones you dont know a one of us will give you the answers.
I have problems with some of the general everyday American terms used, because I live in a different country. I think some of my questions seems stupid, but if I didnt ask, things dont make much sense.

BOB, bug out bag

what else do you need translated? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

For the longest time I thought TEOTWAWKI was some Anasazi God overshadowed by the ever popular KOKOPELLI. Then somebody explained it was 'The end of the world as we know it.' Gear is called Kit in the U.K. and 'Chris' Junk' by my family and friends. If you need to order medicines, you FAX a list for your FAK, or first aid Kit. PSK is of course Personal Survival Kit, aka Pretty Small Kit by pessimists. most of this stuff comes via the LBTOJ, or little brown truck of joy ( UPS)

If you have problems try here.

http://www.acronymfinder.com/

Boghog1,

ETS- Equipped to survive
BOB- Bug out bag
PSK- Personal survival kit
EDC- Everyday carry
FAK- First aid kit
SAR- Search and rescue
SAK- Swiss army knife
RSK- Ritter survival knife
UAV- Urban assault vehicle
SAS- Special air service
RCMP- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
CHP- California highway patrol
EBR- Energy bar wrapper
WTF- What the...?

TR (BMF)

MRE- meals rejected by Ethiopians but some call it meals ready to eat <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

So Boghog1,

Welcome aboard! Being a Scout leader myself I'm very interested in what you are having your boys put together. Tell us more!!

My boys will be graduating into Boy Scouts next March. Last year we put together a small kit that fit into a fanny pack:

Whistle on coiled wrist band

Princeton-Tec Pulsar microlight - got a GREAT deal from Campmor.com

33 gallon orange trash bag - from http://www.spectrumtrashbags.com

If the boys have knives - most do - they are encouraged to place their knife inside the fanny pack along with their Whittling Chip card.

For graduation to B.S. they will receive a hiking staff and Suunto M3 compass from the Pack, and a Magfire fire starter (sparker) from myself.

They have been required to bring their kits along when going on any outdoor activities. I always carry a few extra whistles and plastic bags in my car just in case they forget theirs.

Thank you everyone for the help. When I come across new ones I don't understand I will be sure to post up. As for the kit we just made small FAK for everyone to carry and will be doing a PSK this spring, we make sure they all carry whistles with them as well as water bottles. They will be getting thier whittling card this year They are Bear scouts for now.

MRE- Meals rats won't eat.

As a teacher, I often remember that old saying, "The only stupid question is the one you don't ask". For that reason, I try not to use the word "obviously", but I feel that it is condescending. Well OBVIOUSLY you can interchange 7 and 9 chords most of the time. For anyone who is not a musician and has not studied music theory, that last sentence is not obvious and I would be a snob to assume that anyone who does not know that is stupid, especially because I ask so many questions that are obvious to other people.

Don't forget when TSHTF (The Sh*t Hits The Fan) it won't matter how many "stupid" questions we asked if we haven't taken the time to assemble a BOB and PSK not forgetting the FAK...speaking of which, maybe some of these should be put in the FAQ on the ETS site PDQ.

Biggzie brings up a good point though. Reading SAS books, I often run into phrases that I'm sure Brits find commomplace, but I have a hard time deciphering. It amazes me that between the US, the UK and Austrailia, we all speak slightly different forms of English. Maybe I just need a spot of tea. Or I'll just go home and throw some tucker on the Bar-B.

After being brought up on c-rations, compliments of the USMC, MREs are a remarkable improvement. I actually like them. I have trouble keeping them stored in the truck, as I am tempted to eat them.

Most kids die from exposure. I'd strongly suggest they carry some kind of "shelter" with them too. A 33 gallon plastic trash bag is compact and simple. Bright orange ones are great and are likely available from your local highway department. If lost the boys should tear a face-hole just below one corner.

Go through Doug's Survival for Kids section on equipped.org with the boys. Have them practice putting the bags on.

The most important thing for them to know is to carry their kit with them at ALL times when "in the field" (it won't do them any good if they don't have it), admit that they are lost, stay put, and make themselves "findable". The most important thing for leaders to know is to be willing to call for professional help sooner rather than later.

I have read through and will read again and again the kids section and yes shelter is very important. I will also make sure that in addition to making the kit they know how nto use it. "wow this is cool wire I wonder what it is for?" is not going to be heard. When I was about 12 or 13 I went on a "one hour" hike that lasted about 12 Turns out we walked past the camping area about 3 or 4 times. No one had a whistle and the adult that was leading us didn't have a compass. Needless to say. I quickly learned what I could at that young age about survival. I wish the web was around when I was a kid because getting the information wasn't as easy as it is today.

I think reading phrases used as everyday terms elsewhere is harder than watching them used on TV or the movies. TV gives a vissual context to hear the phase so its very easy to understand. I have no problem watching British or US TV/Movies.
We all tend to type as if we are talking everyday. I usually glance at peoples location before reading what they have typed, because I tend to understand better that way. (Hint to those without locations <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> )
In the past week reading refferences to Cheese Puffs and Pop Cans had no meaning to me because I had no visual refference to put them into context. One I had to ask, the other was worked out from someone elses post who worded it differently.
Im sure people tend to take my responses differently than I intend sometimes. I know I have a more sarcastic style that Americans sometimes sometimes dont quite understand.

So what do you call "pop cans"?

In the States, most people refer to carbonated syrup ladened beverages as either "pop" or "soda". I hear some folks down in Texas call all of those kinds of beverages "Coke", which is a brand name. Rather different, those folks.

We dont call it soda pop.
We call it 'softdrink' or sometimes 'fizzy drink' to kids.
So we call the softdrink cans or beer cans depending on the contents.

Hard drink is reffering to drinks with alcohole content.

Seen this?

Here's Bob and from now on all your TPS post should have proper covers.

I like the MRE also. I guess it dependes on wich ones you eat all the ones I have had have been great! <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Don't forget radio protocol........

WTF,O (What the F..., Over)

Jon Davis

Your supposed sarcastic streak is a breath of fresh air mate, keep it coming (from a Midwest Yank).

Troy

IMHO ?

IMHO= In my humble opinion

Pete

In My Honest Opinion

Troy

Yes, when someone writes "around here" or "in my area", it would help to know where he is from, indeed...
So I second Biggzie (and Chris also... IIRC), please fill in some location in your personal references.

And use Groo's map....

TIA

... Humble Opinion... ??!!?? <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

or does it mean the same thing ?

Amazing, what can be found on the Net .....!!!!

I never suspected there was a difference, and I discover there are people who make studies on those differences ! <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

According to those maps, it looks like people in your middle-west are saner than the rest of the US population and are not interested in these subtleties.
Or is this area less colored, just because it is less populated ??? <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Both!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Nah, you can be honest and not at all humble.

I'll look forward to smartening up! I'm on page 20 of the forums. Strategies are changing and the cat gets to wear a pack.....

What the hell is a bug out bag? it sounds like a mosquito net!

A BugOutBag, loosely defined, is a pack, bag, duffle, ... container of your choice, that has the gear that you deem neccesary to survive, should you have to grab it, walk out the door (or run <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />), and not look back. Generally, it has a LOT more gear (shelter, food, weapons/tools, commo gear, extra clothes, etc.) than you could or would want to try to pack into an EDC (every day carry) kit. Anybody got anything to add to that???

Troy

Hi Troy,

If 'commo' means common, I'll assume you include standard fire making, knife, flashlight, signalling, etc. But I would add water supply along with filtration/treatment and containers, FAK, and personal supplies. Brushing your teeth and feeling clean goes a long way toward roughing it without feeling like crap... And if you meant common, and not comms, then I would also add FRS/GRMS 2-way Radio/Cell/HAM,Locator beacon/shortwave, etc.

I think saying you would include Personal Survival gear (with backups you can carry in pockets), and everything necessary to survive outdoors for at least 3 days without requiring any assistance probably covers it.

Yeah !!! I guess that's the problem of half (if not more...) the guys (and girls) here, on ETS Forum :
we ALWAYS have to add something to our BOBs, EDCs, PSKs etc... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Cheers guys that has been buggin me for ages!!!

By commo, I was referring to communications gear... I wasn't shooting for a complete list of what I'd include, just trying to get the general idea across, but thanks for filling in any holes I might have left. A complete listing and discussion of what I consider neccessery in a BOB would have been a MUCH longer post <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Troy

Good point Frenchy... you can never have too much gear... as long as you can carry it all <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Troy

I hear ya man... I don't even want to think of all that I *could* put in... it just makes my wife groan and my wallet shrink. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

i thought i knew most all acronyms around here, but this one stumps me -> KOKOPELLI

A large petroglyph in arizona desert-- thought to be god of fertility

Check this out:

Kokopelli

Go into any store featuring Southwest decor and you see him all over the place. He showed up as a secret Santa event at work (in the form of a gift) and one of the gals said, "I love that guy - it's Coco Billy." The name stuck for quite a while.

"Thought to be?" <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Kokopelli most definitely IS in the Southwest. A culturally sensitive survivalist is always aware of the local manifestations of the godhead and renders proper respect,be it synagoge or petroglyph. Sedona doesn't count. When I lived in Arizona you went there for the fishing. The only valid power spots are the cash registers <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Failure to offer a pinch of cornmeal to the 4 cardinal points will prduce Han the white bear of Hopi tradition faster than Bart in all your handgun posts. I know, he came disguised as a desert mouse who chewed holes in my new boots <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

"Thought to be?" <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Kokopelli most definitely IS in the Southwest. A culturally sensitive survivalist is always aware of the local manifestations of the godhead and renders proper respect,be it Temple or petroglyph. Sedona doesn't count. When I lived in Arizona you went there for the fishing. The only valid power spots are the cash registers <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Failure to offer a pinch of cornmeal to the 4 cardinal points will produce Han the white bear of Hopi tradition faster than Bart in all your handgun posts. I know, he came disguised as a desert mouse who chewed holes in my new boots <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

he looks excited! Nice Petroglyph.

Yep, it's true. Any carbonated soda is referred to as Coke down here. My family is all from the east coast so I hear pop and soda a lot but if you actually use those terms down here people look at you funny, like they have to think about it for a second before they realize you mean "Coke" which of course could actually be Sprite, Dr Pepper, root beer or who knows what else. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />