If the shit hit the fan, what would be in your bug out bag? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: nbritton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 12:46:20 am
content: If the shit hit the fan, what test equipment would be in your bug out bag? Lets assume you can only take what you can carry on your back... so no Tek mainframes. Also it should be water resistant, and also be able to survive EMI from a gamma ray burst, EMP, or solar flare.As a kid I remember having a radio shack pocket multimeter, but I recall it wasn't really that reliable and the battery was always dead when I wanted to use it.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 01:23:06 am
content: Why would you need a multimeter in a situation like that?

author: nbritton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 02:53:53 am
content: Power distribution and electricians work, such as wiring up solar panels, charge controllers, batteries, and inverters. Converting automotive alternators into generators. Testing batteries. Troubleshooting. Macgyvering.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 03:04:22 am
content: Quote from: nbritton on July 19, 2016, 02:53:53 amIf you can get access to any of this, you will have no problem finding a multimeter.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 03:27:32 am
content: In terms of a meter, just a small pocket meter (reminder for shootout video...)In terms of power, one of those USB power banks and a solar panel (or one of those combined things)Also a AA/AAA charger with Eneloops etc

author: JPortici
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 05:10:00 am
content: I'd want to keep a battery powered scope (more for having a show to whatch whenever i can see wiggly lines)on thing i should have is an SDR(maybe connected somehow to the scope so i could see the spectrum for radio channels and other signs of civilization. SEE? A SCOPE IS TOTALLY JUSTIFIED)

author: jh15
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 05:14:03 am
content: A movie player, DVD or whatever, an abandoned car back seat, and some Viagra for us graybeards.What else you gonna do?

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 05:19:45 am
content: oh dear, the electronic "preppers"

author: ivaylo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 05:55:02 am
content: Quote from: Simon on July 19, 2016, 05:19:45 amBeat me to it...

author: LabSpokane
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 06:02:31 am
content: Please not here. I just don't want to see this horseshit on an electronics forum. Ever.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 06:31:54 am
content: Quote from: LabSpokane on July 19, 2016, 06:02:31 amwell just don't look at it then.

author: mrpackethead
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 06:41:54 am
content: def need a batterizier.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 06:42:16 am
content: hahahahaha

author: chickenHeadKnob
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 06:54:36 am
content: Quote from: Simon on July 19, 2016, 06:31:54 amYou know there is a non-kooky version to being prepared that even includes some electronics. Think of that young African entrepreneur who developed the solar (or was it a wind turbine?) charging station for cell phones. The guy was king in his village, where plenty of people had cell phones but there was no electric grid. Locally to me the one disaster that has reasonable probability of happening is a Richter scale 9 subduction zone earthquake. There will be thousands who wished they had water, food, and way to keep there flashlights and phones charged.

author: XOIIO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 07:06:26 am
content: Quote from: chickenHeadKnob on July 19, 2016, 06:54:36 amAgreed, having a solar panel and inverter kicking around wouldn't be a bad idea in my mind, not for apocalypse situations that likely won't happen, but general emergencies, natural disasters, or if you get caught out traveling and your car battery dies or something. (though a solar panel that could power a decent inverter would be somewhat large I think, hmm

author: StuUK
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 07:10:24 am
content: A pack of wipies to clean up the shit that hit the fan....

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 07:15:46 am
content: If there was going to be any test equipment in my bug out bag, it would be a simple analog multi tester. It doesn't require any batteries to test voltage nor current. Beyond that? Test equipment is the last thing to worry about in the zombie apocalypse. You need to worry about ways of gathering, storing, and purifying water as #1. Shelter is tied with #1. Then food and fire. Everything else is just luxury.

author: HackedFridgeMagnet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 07:58:43 am
content: You'll need knowledge so take the internet.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 08:37:58 am
content: Hand crank dynamo, LED flashlight, LED light + cells to suit.Leatherman wave or similar.Water purifying tablets.Condoms and socks.Fish hooks.Shovel.Wire coathangers.All housed in nested mess tins.As many survival blankets as I could fit into the remaining space.Maybe Yaesu FT-817 or similar QRP shack in a box, coils of wire to jury rig a dipole/longwire.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 09:33:55 am
content: Quote from: XOIIO on July 19, 2016, 07:06:26 amin the UK you would get about 100W per sqr meter in direct sunlight. a hand cranked jenny might be better power to weight ratio.

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 09:37:10 am
content: The usual camping gear.But I live in the US, highly unlikely I'll ever need it other then a natural disaster. On the other hand, I live 2 blocks away from a major naval base, so if it's nukes, I'll enjoy my 1 micro-second tan, so add come coconut oil to that bag.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 09:44:51 am
content: Quote from: CJay on July 19, 2016, 08:37:58 amAdd a bottle of Chardonnay and the night's a good'n.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 09:50:49 am
content: Quote from: Gyro on July 19, 2016, 09:44:51 amWell, they're for gathering water, waterproofing things but yeah, they do have other uses too

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 09:56:49 am
content: Sorry, couldn't resist it, the two on the same line gave me the fleeting impression of a gentleman who likes to do things in comfort!

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 09:57:10 am
content: Quote from: nbritton on July 19, 2016, 12:46:20 amA DNA test kit to find out to whom the excrement belonged to.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 09:59:42 am
content: Quote from: Gyro on July 19, 2016, 09:56:49 amI've got to the sort of age where comfort is greatly valued

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 08:23:45 pm
content: We had a power failure a few days ago that lasted nearly 16 hours. Power is pretty reliable here. There are occasional random dips, but I only recall two extended outages in the last 10 years and both lasted less than an hour. It never hurts to be prepared.

author: bitslice
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 10:02:59 pm
content: There are only a few countries where this is relevant,if something happened in the UK I've got nowhere to go, and the local rabbit population is not going to keep 150,000 people fed for very long.So say this was the USA, and you needed to get from a city to a safer location 50 miles away, why carry a bag full of equipment?The first day is going to be simply walking out into the countryside, so just pre-bury anything you might need for the next day in a barrel 10 miles away.Repeat every 10 miles

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 11:36:40 pm
content: Quote from: chickenHeadKnob on July 19, 2016, 06:54:36 amDo the Canadians like Americans have non-tivial power blackouts on a regular basis? Its humorous to see the reports (including new media) of people sitting in their cars with the engine idling so they have somewhere warm and power for the mobile devices.

author: jh15
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2016, 02:30:43 am
content: I would want medical iodine in my go bag for the occasional dirty bomb to saturate my thyroid.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2016, 03:09:09 am
content: If you are worried about EMP and gamma pulses your bugout bag better be a deep cave with a Faraday cage. Then you can keep whatever floats your boat. Probably condoms and a high end oscilloscope will be equally valuable/worthless.For the much more real natural disasters a simple multimeter and some solar power sounds like the main electronic needs. Commo gear for those so inclined and trained also makes sense.One more thing to think about. For forest fires, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters that leave society intact, but which may not leave your home intact, a hard drive with photos, documents, account numbers, contact information, policy numbers and the like makes a whole lot of sense. Portable and a big help in restarting life elsewhere.

author: chickenHeadKnob
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2016, 06:56:56 am
content: Quote from: Someone on July 19, 2016, 11:36:40 pmWell since this addressed to me, my answer would be "it depends". There is great regional variation in geography and the type of disasters that bring down the grid. But in general we have better reliability than the US with some caveats. For 25 years I lived in a city suburb that had underground service and a was fed by a substation designed in part by my father. Not a single power interruption except for 1 hour from 10:30 to 11:30 AM one summer morning as scheduled maintenance swapped out equipment. During those same decades there was the ice storm in the Ottawa valley to Montreal area which was one of the most costly disasters in Canadian history. In places people were without power for more than 3 weeks. After more than 24 hours without power in a Canadian winter shit gets real uncomfortable especially if you are one of those precious snowflakes that is unprepared for sudden involuntary camping. There is an area of central Canada and includes a few north east states that is liable to get the meteorological phenomenon of super-cooled rain drops hitting the power lines and trees and freezing instantly building up a heavy coating. The prairie provinces and the north which has more severe cold typically only get those conditions on the shoulders of winter, that is early and late winter. Same thing for blizzards, in the middle of a sub-arctic winter it is usually too dry and cold to support a blizzard.Quebec hydro has a particular susceptibility to solar flare carrington type events and one did cause a big outage once. Most provinces have grid ties to the U.S. states immediately on their border and "wheel" power to states deeper south. It works out well because the provinces with excess hydro power (Manitoba, Quebec and previously BC) experience peak demand in the middle of winter around 5:00 pm on the coldest day when everyone starts cooking supper. The U.S peak demand happens on the hottest days of summer when every yank cranks his air conditioner to max. The exception is southern Ontario I don't know what happens there but Ontario hydro has been FUBARed for decades. Worst managed of all the Canadian utilities by far. Those grid ties form a shared vulnerability as U.S faults can propagate north. There have been a few large scale events, one I recall is where a Con Edision transmission line sagged so much from the ambient heat plus load it contacted trees and brought down Toronto/southern Ontario. Years ago, before the internets, there was an IEEE spectrum article about the challenges of operating the grid tie points around the great lakes. The article described a poorly understood (at the time) interaction of phase angle limits and load transfer disturbance that could propagate in a circle around the lakes like a ground loop from hell.I now live on Vancouver Island and the power outages here always happen in winter during wind storm events. The strong winds can come and go in an hour and bring down massive trees. If you are in a well served urban area you may notice nothing, but if you are the last house on a remote string in the bush then you could be without power for days.

author: station240
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 20, 2016, 10:16:00 am
content: Quote from: nbritton on July 19, 2016, 12:46:20 amYes but what are you going to test with said test equipment ?As EMP etc will have fried or badly damaged most electronics.In that case all that is left to test are things like car batteries and petrol generators.Maybe you get lucky and find things like valve radios or relay based equipment that does still work.Honestly, you can test this sort of thing with a light bulb, not much need for a multimeter when survival means not bothering with anything that doesn't work.

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2016, 11:13:12 am
content: Quote from: chickenHeadKnob on July 20, 2016, 06:56:56 amThanks for the details, some countries do disaster preparedness well, Australia and US dont seem to be them and it sounds like Canada is similarly poor in co-ordinating its population to be prepared.

author: apis
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2016, 04:32:49 pm
content: Preparing for the zombie apocalypse is silly of course, but there are lots of realistic scenarios that could interrupt the normal infrastructure. How well you should prepare and for what depends on where you live. For example, from what I have heard the north american power grid, like the Scandinavian is susceptible to solar flares events. It's quite possible a flare will knock out the grid and damage transformers that could take several weeks to replace or repair (and maybe longer if much of the globe is affected). And then there are natural disasters, epidemics and of course war.A lot of 'prepper' stuff you see on TV is just dumb though. I saw one couple who was hoarding liquor in their basement, they were God fearing people that didn't drink but for some reason they believed that ethanol would be super valuable after the apocalypse.Having a bag with spare clothes and medicine and perhaps some food in case you need to evacuate from your home suddenly is probably a good idea though, and something many governments recommend. It's also a good idea to have food, medicine and some way to stay warm and cook at home in case of an extended blackout. I know in Sweden the government expect citizens to manage for at least 3 days without running water, electricity, medicines or food supplies. I suspect you need more than that because the government planing won't work perfectly since they've never tested their plans in real life. But exactly what you should keep and for how long depends on where you live and what your personal needs are.Some things you can't really prepare for though. From what I've read you are lucky if you get wiped out by the initial strike during a nuclear war for example, so no need to worry about EMP's or fallout shelters! A lot of people are really naive, thinking they will be able to live of the land and so on, but you can tell they have never caught a fish in their life much less a rabbit. And they will have to compete with millions of other starving desperate people. A really bad pandemic could also be nasty but also something that is hard to prepare for. A bug out bag wouldn't help at all in those scenarios.A bug out bag should only have the bare minimum you need to evacuate from your home quickly. If you have any tools at all I would say a pocket knife. A multimeter would be pretty low priority. Anyone who's been hiking in real life knows every gram you have to carry is 'expensive' (slow you down) so you only bring what is absolutely essential for the trip. I suspect people who have never hiked in their life will not get very far if they have to suddenly pack a bag and walk several miles during a disaster. So stay fit and go hiking is probably the first thing anyone who want to prepare for situations like that should do.

author: PartialDischarge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2016, 04:59:13 pm
content: from what Ive seen and read online nothing beats US inhabitans (didnt want to say citizens..)when it comes to preparing SHTF bags, bug out bags...I personally would include medicines, money, high energy meals, and defensive/hunting weapons, plus all the things I usually carry on hiking trips...

author: FuzzyOnion
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2016, 03:37:01 pm
content: Quote from: LabSpokane on July 19, 2016, 06:02:31 amI was certainly surprised to see it. Since I'm probably slow, I don't totally get it either. Major meltdown - Wild West rules apply. Bushwackin' and dry-gulchers. Whoever has the most guns wins.We'll be counting on the all the preppers for supplies.

author: apis
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2016, 05:43:52 pm
content: Quote from: FuzzyOnion on July 21, 2016, 03:37:01 pmI've even seen Martha Stewart make a bug out bag!Quote from: FuzzyOnion on July 21, 2016, 03:37:01 pmIn a "major meltdown - wild west" scenario I've been wondering if it would be better to live in the US or not. On one hand, you might actually have your own arsenal, on the other hand so does every one else! I saw a computer game once about a post apocalyptic world. If you got lucky you could kill a prepper and get his supplies, but you had to be careful because they were armed to the teeth and well hidden.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2016, 06:34:30 pm
content: an umbrella and a shovel ... and my towel of course. you always should have a towel ...

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 21, 2016, 06:49:18 pm
content: Quote from: FuzzyOnion on July 21, 2016, 03:37:01 pmDon't be silly, they are preppers, you will ave to get past their guns. Something really wrong with america.

author: Delta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2016, 09:14:04 pm
content: I've never understood the ones who horde gold.Gold has pretty much zero value (apart from some specialist electronics applications), and crucially your can't eat nor drink it!They seem to think that after the apocalypse, all our currencies will have no value (ie people will no longer exchange them for goods and services), but goldwill!

author: 3db
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2016, 09:29:21 pm
content: Quote from: StuUK on July 19, 2016, 07:10:24 am

author: apis
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2016, 09:50:39 pm
content: Quote from: Delta on July 21, 2016, 09:14:04 pmIt's strange though, before fiat money, gold was used as money for a very long time. Before that and in other places people have used rare but worthless things like clamshells. Money is weird in the sense that whatever is used as money becomes more valuable simply because it is used as money (since that increases demand for it). So, money is whatever peoplebelieveit is.

author: PartialDischarge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2016, 02:36:35 am
content: Quote from: Delta on July 21, 2016, 09:14:04 pmApocalipse or not, I can assure you that in 50 years the notes you carry in your pocket, whatever the country, will have no value. Gold will.The beauty here is that neither nature nor we cant manufacture gold, but bills and coins...

author: FuzzyOnion
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2016, 05:29:20 am
content: Quote from: Simon on July 21, 2016, 06:49:18 pmOh, why not? The whole thread is silly - lighten up. Something really wrong with America??? Just catching up?I can't wait for the November election - either way, there will be lots more to comment on after that debacle.

author: GEuser
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2016, 10:55:53 am
content: Rule 303

author: batteksystem
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2016, 10:59:45 am
content: Quote from: CJay on July 19, 2016, 09:50:49 amPut one sock over your head and rob the bank

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2016, 11:02:56 am
content: Depends on the nature of the shit.Give me five minutes warning of a full nuclear exchange and I'll be out there in the garden sitting in a deck chair ready to watch the mushroom clouds. Will I survive long? No, but in those circumstances I wouldn't want to. As for the other stuff, there are more important things than electronics. It's an interesting exercise to sit down and think what can be abandoned in place whilst you make your escape, do you take tools and a multimeter or an extra bottle of water and a basic first aid kit? My money would be on the water and medical gear.Eighteen years ago I relocated to a different continent and faced some hard choices about what I took with me to my new home. In the end everything I owned fitted on to a single freight pallet with room to spare and I used the freight costs I saved to buy new stuff at the other end.

author: SkyMaster
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2016, 10:35:16 pm
content: Quote from: Someone on July 20, 2016, 11:13:12 amIn Canada, the government expect people to be able to live all by themselves for 72 hours when a natural disaster stricks.Get Preparedhttp://www.getprepared.gc.ca/index-en.aspxHazards and Emergencieshttp://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/hzd/index-en.aspxYour Emergency Planhttp://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/plns/index-en.aspxEmergency Kitshttp://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/kts/index-en.aspxAlso, when a major natural disaster occurs, the military forces usually get involve, but they need an order from the Minister, and this always take time.

author: Delta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2016, 11:16:19 pm
content: My bag would contain:- One forty-five caliber automatic- Two boxes of ammunition- Four days' concentrated emergency rations- One drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine,vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills- One miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible- One hundred dollars in rubles- One hundred dollars in gold- Nine packs of chewing gum- One issue of prophylactics- Three lipsticks- Three pair of nylon stockings.

author: PA4TIM
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2016, 11:45:55 pm
content: Nobody wants a zombie detector ?

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 12:36:36 am
content: Quote from: PA4TIM on July 22, 2016, 11:45:55 pmDo you know how to make one? No? That's why you need the test gear in your bug out bag, so you can design and build one once you've actually got zombies to test it on.

author: kwass
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 02:32:39 am
content: Quote from: Delta on July 22, 2016, 11:16:19 pmEnjoy your stay in Las Vegas!

author: PerunNS1488
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 10:08:05 am
content: Quote from: Delta on July 22, 2016, 11:16:19 pmGun, ammunition, drugs and dollars i understand but other stuff? What the hell man?$100 in rubles would be a waste of space O0Condoms, lipsticks and nylon stocks - are you going to become a post apocalyptic prostitute?

author: Delta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 10:33:29 am
content: Quote from: PerunNS1488 on July 23, 2016, 10:08:05 amYou need to learn to stop worrying...

author: bitwelder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 12:16:11 pm
content: As the OP was asking about test gear, nobody plans on keeping a Geiger counter around?Such good occasion to calibrate it for off-scale...

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 12:19:37 pm
content: Quote from: bitwelder on July 23, 2016, 12:16:11 pmYou might not need one, if it all looks grey and burnt in the distance ahead, don't go that wayA Geiger counter is probably the only useful bit of test kit if it were to be a nuclear disaster but ultimately if it was just head in the opposite direction to the blast as fast as you can.

author: VK5RC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 12:24:31 pm
content: I am MUCH more worried about biological rather than nuclear war, but I am not that worried about either really.I suppose the good camping gear, I already have some but I would need a good gun and ammo, a reverse osmosis water pump and find my copy of Lewis Dartnell's The Knowledge, ….. something like restarting civilisation etc.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 12:33:24 pm
content: I think the simple fact is most people would not be capable of restarting civilisation. We all think we are really clever because we run around without computers and smartphones and use other complicated machinery but in actual fact the only thing we have been smarting doing is earning the cash to buy those things which other people have designed because they are smarter than us. A lot of our modern equipment replaces basic tasks. For example I am the 1st to admit I use a satnav and that I would struggle without one. I am terrible at memorising directions as I probably have attention deficit so I don't bother to do things the hard way. I could read a map and indeed follow it and if I had the correct type of map and compass probably use it but in everyday life I just get my satnav out but unlike most people I do make adjustments to the route based on my preference of main roads I don't just blindly follow it. I'm sure a lot of people who use a satnav don't even check the route they are likely to take.

author: razberik
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 12:49:40 pm
content: What about good old gasoline generator ? The time for buying good old one is right now.Also good old car, like GAZ, or UAZ. Or Lada Niva ?Quote from: Delta on July 22, 2016, 11:16:19 pmWait, in disarmed UK ?I recently bought few stripper clips for Lee Enfield from ebay.co.uk last month, I think you don't need them anymore.

author: PerunNS1488
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 05:02:01 pm
content: Quote from: razberik on July 23, 2016, 12:49:40 pmThose "good old ones" from former eastern bloc countries look tough. In reality their engines are complete and utter turds and you won't find spare parts to keep them running. Their voltage regulation circuitry is fine if you want to run incandescent lightbulbs, hairdryers or maybe 70's tube radiostation, apply inductive load and it's likely that your modern PC or inverter arc welder will be fried.Also, fuel economy of those old military generators is awful.Get a proper modern generator based on Honda GX engine (or its clone). Those engines are used everywhere, fixing them and finding spares is easy.Quote from: razberik on July 23, 2016, 12:49:40 pmGAZ 69 - based on 1930s/40s technology. Old and unreliable POS. Avoid unless you want to keep the body and replace everything else with modern 4x4 car parts.UAZ 469:1. In the event of a crash you'll likely die because driver's safety was not considered in design stage.2. Early 70s soviet technology, better than GAZ 69 but still crap.3. Fuel economy? Soviets didn't care.4. You think it's reliable? Nope. They break. A lot. Mostly trivial stuff but it's still anoying if you are stuck in the middle of a forest with a broken car.5. Parts are getting harder to come by.6. It's slow, easy to roll and uncomfortable.If you need a reliable car get a Toyota pickup. Both TopGear and ISIL agrees that it'll keep working right until it's blown to kingdom come.

author: razberik
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 05:22:34 pm
content: Perun - very well, I listen to experienced.My prepper friend is convincing me buying old czech generator, for about 4000CZK, thats about ... 162$, 150€, 645zl.He is saying that if I want serious proper modern engine, I have to pay three or four times money more than for this old one.About cars - In fact, I am not into cars. What is availability of parts for old toyotas in central EU ?GEuser - Damm I simply love Lee Enfields. These are hard to find in CZ. Mine cost me about 570$. But I wanted it a lot and never seen a significantly lower price.It always bring attention while at range.1916 Birmingham.

author: eugenenine
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 06:32:22 pm
content: I'd take my Simpson 260 because it can double as body armor.

author: apis
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 09:17:40 pm
content: Quote from: bitwelder on July 23, 2016, 12:16:11 pmIf there is an accident at a nuclear power plant that might be a good thing, especially if you can't rely on the government.In case of nuclear war as well, but in that case most simple and cheap radiations counters available commercially wont work because they will saturate at much lower levels than what you would worry about during a fallout. And they need batteries and might be damaged by EMP's. To survive fallout the old manuals from the cold war claim you need to stay in a fallout shelter at least one meter below ground and stay there for at least a week. After that an industrial level radiation counter would be invaluable though. What to do next to rebuild society is anyone's guess, and it is (or was at least, people doesn't seem so knowledgeable about these things anymore) generally accepted that the lucky ones were probably those who got killed by the initial blast.A design for a makeshift radiation meter that would work up to 43 röntgen/h (1 roentgen is approximately 10 mSv) was designed back then, that isn't based on any electronics at all (the Kearny fallout meter).

author: apis
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 09:29:35 pm
content: Quote from: Simon on July 23, 2016, 12:19:37 pmFallout would potentially affect a much larger and different area than "ground zero" (depends on the weather), and if most of the densely populated world (and large parts of the sparsely populated) have been carpet-bombed by nukes you will have a hard time finding areas not affected.Quote from: Simon on July 23, 2016, 12:33:24 pmYep, so very true. Place a modern man in the wilderness and see how long he/she would survive. Our monkey cousins would all do much better. On top of that, in a disaster situation people would also have to deal with the effects of the disaster, and other people. The "rebuilding society project" would seem like an utopian fantasy.

author: FuzzyOnion
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2016, 09:49:21 pm
content: Quote from: PerunNS1488 on July 23, 2016, 10:08:05 amAs Delta noted - you need to stop worrying and watch the movie "Dr. Strangelove".

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2016, 05:38:51 am
content: Possibly the ONE good thing about passing 60, having a few minor but very annoying health problems, and some recent major disappointments in life, is that surviving after a civilization crash doesn't much appeal. Really no point. Also I definitely don't want to be around long enough to observe all the world's nuclear installations going tits up due to failed maintenance, and the mass global radiation contamination that would develop over subsequent decades.As an experienced bushwalker, I could survive for exactly as long as the food I could carry would last, plus maybe a couple of weeks in one place. In the bush within walking distance of my home I can't imagine how anyone could survive off the land. It's all very poor land. Fleeing the major cities (along with millions of others) would not work either. Having a long established home in a remote rural area (where you knew all the neighbors) could work, but I don't have the resources.I think I'd prefer to just hang around at home. At least I'd get to watch a whole lot of people dealing with a situation they always denied could ever be possible.Incidentally, since the government here (NSW Australia) sold off the electricity distribution infrastructure to private companies, there are indications these companies employ almost no maintenance crews. Would not surprise me if they are letting the system run down badly. Also a lot of coal-fired power stations and the associated coal mines are being shut down and actively dismantled (not mothballed.) It will be interesting to see the end result, especially if we really are now entering into a new solar Maunder Minimum, with all that implies for more generally cloudy weather and much colder temperatures for the next 50 to 100 years.If things got really terminal, I suppose the most satisfying 'bug out bag' would contain a list of names and addresses, and little else.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2016, 05:50:58 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on July 25, 2016, 05:38:51 amYep. That's a real danger.QuoteYep - in the event of a major SHTF event, a bug-out bag will not do the city dwellers much good.QuoteYep - being part of a small rural close knit community is the only chance for any long term survival in a major global scale societal collapse scenario. The "lone-wolf" survivalist types will not last long.Orlov has written an interesting book that explores this concept:Communities that Abide

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2016, 11:23:52 am
content: Quote from: mtdoc on July 25, 2016, 05:50:58 amhttp://cluborlov.blogspot.com.au/for those not familiar with him.An interesting guy, and I like his writing, but he lost me when he wrote another book proposing to 'rationalize' English spelling. Meaning completely start from scratch and go entirely phonetic.. Phooey. Way to make all written history inaccessible. Besides, I like idiosyncratic. It adds flavor.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 25, 2016, 11:34:58 am
content: unfortunately America has already tried to mess with spelling words and have caused enough havoc. If they don't like the way english is spelt they can go and make up their own new language.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 25, 2016, 11:58:18 am
content: Quote from: apis on July 20, 2016, 04:32:49 pmSeveral miles isn't going to do you much good in a large scale city-wide crisis.If people had to get out of the Sydney basin for example, it's a 50km radius.Cars would be useless because the few roads out would get choked. A push bike or motor bike is probably the best solution.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 25, 2016, 12:12:05 pm
content: Quote from: Delta on July 21, 2016, 09:14:04 pmGold is the thing with as close tointrinsicvalue as possible.But yes, you can't exchange it easily for things in a crisis, in that respect it's borderline useless.QuoteYes, pretty dumb. A crucial thing a prepper should have is a wad of cash in all denominations. Survival may actually come down to those who have the cash. Only in the most extreme Mad Max style SHTF scenarios would paper currency become worthless. To do that requires the loss of faith in the current monetary system and a complete upheaval of society.Few people know what gold and silver is worth, so it's not going to be a medium of exchange in a crisis. It would require a lot of time for a post SHTF society to change.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2016, 01:26:27 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on July 25, 2016, 12:12:05 pmAll sad but true. It's astonishing to see videos of a guy trying to sell a genuine 1oz gold coin for $20 to passers-by in a US city, and have no takers. It's even sadder when you know the official spot price of gold is itself the result of decades of massive price suppression by selling huge quantities of paper 'gold certificates' that have no little or no actual gold backing. Without that price suppression, the true price of gold is hard to estimate but guesses range up to US$50,000 per ounce.I wonder which will arrive first: the final elimination of physical cash, or an actual SHTF situation? These two horses seem to be running neck and neck at the moment.Something relevant I saw today:http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-24/celebrating-45-years-phony-moneyQuoteThat's the only point I question. Social mood swings can be very rapid. It just takes the right disillusioning events.Btw, did you know that the Australian Banking Act contains wording that provides for gold confiscation any time the government chooses? All it takes is a signature of the Governor General.Australian Banking Act 1959 (as ammended)https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2004C00162BANKING ACT 1959 Part IV—GoldSo, ban cash (it's happening around the world, and the anti-cash propaganda is being poured on pretty thickly here too), then confiscate gold. Won't that be fun? The banks will enjoy charging negative interest rates on deposits, and what are the customers going to do about it?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 25, 2016, 01:57:36 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on July 25, 2016, 01:26:27 pmTrue. But the issue in this case I think is two fold:a) Gold and silver is now so far out of mainstream consciousness that no one knows anything about it.and perhaps more importantlyb) There is so little in the way of tradeable gold and silver coins in people's hands that there simply isn't enough to go around physically to make it a viable currency for the general population in a short time frame.And if SHTF did really happen, the price of gold would skyrocket so much that even a 1 gram coin or bar likely wouldn't be tradeable.QuoteActually AFAIK there is no "confiscation" provision as such. They can impose all sorts of limits on the sale and transfer of gold though.And even if it "confiscated", they have to give you the going currency rate for it.QuoteIt's never going to work completely. Cash will always remain, I'm sure of it.Yes the uptake rate of cashless is increasing, but it's not going to continue linear down to zero.

author: razberik
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2016, 02:44:36 pm
content: People will always have their needs which cannot be suppressed.-eating-sleeping-doing poo-exercising reproduction.Therefore a good commodity to trade would be tins of food, beds, toilet paper, condoms (and appropriate workers).

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2016, 07:49:29 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on July 25, 2016, 01:26:27 pmI don't know how it is in your country, but in the US every weekend the papers have various outfits selling "gold" coins which are actually copper or nickel with a gold wash. The advert has nearly a full page extolling the value of gold currency, the historical record on gold prices, the collector market for gold coins, the uncirculated nature of these gems and so on. The fact that there is under 100 micrograms of gold in these coins is in fine print obscurely inserted in the artwork. Or is even posted as a headline saying that each coin is certified to contain greater than 50 micrograms of genuine gold, counting on much of the population being unable to relate to a quantity like a microgram. The cable television channels are full of the same thing.So I would likely walk right by someone selling a gold coin for $20. At that price it is so likely to be a scam that there really isn't any point in stopping to check. Probably how most of the other folks who passed it up felt.

author: apis
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2016, 08:20:22 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on July 25, 2016, 11:58:18 amYou are right, I'm used to think in terms of Swedish miles which are 10 km, so I should have said several tens of miles. (The small town I live in doesn't have a 50km (!) radius though). Bikes sounds like a very good alternative. If you have a motor bike for each family member that would be ideal, otherwise push bikes. Assuming the roads are a viable alternative.What to bring and how to get out would depend a lot on where you live and what type of disaster has struck though. Evacuating a large city during a flood (like after Katrina) is a whole different set of problems compared to evacuating a town in Sweden after an earthquake in winter for example. But in most scenarios you can probably get around on a bike.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2016, 05:46:00 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on July 25, 2016, 01:57:36 pmYou really should read the actual legislation I linked. The relevant section is not very long, and clear enough.Yes they can confiscate, and no they wouldn't be paying you anything for it.Edit: Speaking of SHTF writers like Orlov, here's another I like:http://www.woodpilereport.com/html/index-436.htm

author: SkyMaster
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2016, 05:59:15 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on July 25, 2016, 11:58:18 amA gyrocopter would work well

author: VulcanBB18
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2016, 01:35:16 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on July 26, 2016, 05:46:00 amOkay this piqued my interest, so I read the relevant section.So you are right - they can take any gold you hold, *if* the governor-general makes a proclamation "...for the protection of the currency or of the public credit of the Commonwealth...". They would have to be some really serious sh!t going down for that to occur, I don't recall any governor-general making even any similar proclamations for anything.However, they *do* have to pay for you for it. It says in section 43 "...and the Reserve Bank shall pay for the gold, to the person delivering the gold,..." followed up by section 43 making sure they don't pay you 1c/gram :"The amount to be paid for any gold delivered in pursuance of section 42 shall be an amount determined in accordance with such price as is fixed and published by the Reserve Bank or, at the option of the person delivering the gold, such amount as is determined in an action for compensation against the Reserve Bank."So even if they do try the 1c thing, you can determine some sort of other compensation.Didn't know about any of this, quite interesting.cheers,

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 28, 2016, 02:05:20 am
content: Quote from: VulcanBB18 on July 28, 2016, 01:35:16 amThat was my reading of it as well when I read it many years ago. They can't just "confiscate" it without just payment.The idea behind the law as I understand it is that the government might one day have to take back gold in order to have a gold backed currency again for *insert reason here*.The odds of that happening are practically zero, and the only other time it's happened in modern history AFAIK is in 1933 in the US:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_6102And they paid you a going rate for your gold.

author: GEuser
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2016, 05:51:46 am
content: There was one time (and probably more) when they took/confiscated your radio's , aluminum , spare steel and other stuff so Gold would also be nothing unusual .

author: VulcanBB18
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2016, 07:38:33 am
content: Quote from: GEuser on July 28, 2016, 05:51:46 amCite? I don't recall any compulsory confiscation of any of those items in history except in extreme cases like Nazi Germany....cheers,

author: GEuser
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2016, 10:43:14 am
content: Quote from: VulcanBB18 on July 28, 2016, 07:38:33 amWell you have just mentioned one , that's in history , maybe you had better read a bit more , cite history you got a few years worth of typing , sounds like you want to argue over something .

author: David Spicer
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2016, 12:55:02 am
content: If SHTF and you live in a metropolis then:1) Your next door neighbours, (The nice couple whose kids you mind occasionally) will kill you and steal everything2) There will be no "Authorities" to steal any stash of something (Gold etc). Bands of armed vigilantes will roam the streets, killing without fear or favour for food, girls, barterables etc. The only safe course will be to join them and look the other way a lot.4) You won't be able to run from a metropolis or escape in a gyro copter. It will have been "liberated" or just stolen last night.Besides, you probably haven't refuelled it since last joyride.I could go on. The woodpile report website has various nuggets of genuinely useful advise:Stay away from crowdsA hungry man has only one problemDon't be there, you won't get away unless you, a) are lucky b) are young, fit and have SAS type training, c) have a Nine and ammo d) are Tom CruiseA long way from eevblog threads. So in keeping with the narrative maybe a very good knowledge of Radio, Solar power and Sattelite comms might be handy too. Not a bad idea to brush up on AM transponders.

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2016, 01:11:18 am
content: I'd get a plow.

author: kwass
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2016, 02:03:55 pm
content: Quote from: Alex Eisenhut on July 29, 2016, 01:11:18 amThanks for the memory of this great television series, it was a redo or sorts of the earlier and more upbeat series the Ascent of Man.Both good series to have memorized and taken to heart when the SHTF. But since we can't memorize all the content we'll need perhaps a good bug out bag item would be various survival guide books, that explain how to plow, make rope, identify clean water, etc., etc..

author: SkyMaster
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2016, 03:43:34 pm
content: A lot of people seem to associate the "bug out bag" trend with the prepper culture.While the preppers are getting ready to be able to survive on their own for an extended period of time.The "bug out bag" is intended to get you going for a short period of time when an emergency happens. The emergency would not be a war, and certainly not a nuclear war.The Canadian Red Cross has a "72 hours Preparedness Guide", which, except for the phone numbers, could be useful for anybody on the planet.www.redcross.ca/crc/documents/3-1-2-1_-72-hour-guide.pdfAnd to the naysayer, how do you handle simple problems like; electricity is out, no water is coming out of the faucet, car does not start, store only accept cash and ATM machine is not working, shoelace breaks as you tie your shoes, etc. Can you handle these very simple "emergencies"? Are you prepared?And, in the true spirit of EEVblog forum, everybody should throw a pocket multimeter in their bug out bag

author: m98
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2016, 04:52:47 pm
content: Quote from: SkyMaster on July 31, 2016, 03:43:34 pmLet's see:1. Hm, might go mountain biking today/romantic dinner ahead/ah, fuck it, just get the gas soldering iron out/go to sleep2. Let's buy some bottled water/get some from one of the local natural water springs, thanks god I haven't brought the empty bottles back yesterday/oh shit, I have, just use a bucket and some shrink-wrap/thick trash bags/water canister for water transport3. Hm, just use the bike/train/bus/taxi/walk/call a friend/stay home/call the roadside assistance/call the roadside assistance from one of the many emergency telephones along the highway/just get someone to stop and help4. Use another ATM/sorry, only bread and water today/that guy owns me 50€ since month/I always have some money in my pocket because here in Germany it's common that stores only accept cash5. Just replace the shoelaces/use one of the other pairs of shoes/use the crocs/some say it's healthy to walk barefoot, why not try it out?So, yeah, you don't really need to be "prepared". Just act reasonably and use common sense.And really, before some Canadian finds his "Preparedness Guide" in some drawer anywhere in the house, I would've already cleaned the fan of and sit in the garden drinking some cold beer.Wait, did you just call broken shoelaces a "emergency"? Geez...

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2016, 11:28:22 pm
content: Quote from: HackedFridgeMagnet on July 19, 2016, 07:58:43 amIn my day, we called them books and they worked without electricity. Amazing!

author: jh15
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2016, 02:28:26 am
content: I read this paperback in the 70's and to this day I think of it when away from my back yard.Also took a backwoods emergency medical course much later.I couldn't take a test on any of this stuff now, but I bet I could stop a sucking chest wound or add crushed ants to spice up some rabbit blood soup.I'm sure I have the book packed away, but at these prices, may as well put it in my Kindle. When the bombers come, I'll print it out and laminate in tiny type to use with the magnifier on my compass.https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Mx5m-p5Hr_kC&source=productsearch&utm_source=HA_Desktop_US&utm_medium=SEM&utm_campaign=PLA&pcampaignid=MKTAD0930BO1&gl=US&gclid=COnknNvcq84CFctONwodBXII0A&gclsrc=ds

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2016, 03:05:36 am
content: My Siglent scope, nobody messes with a ginger carrying around something that looks super advanced to the average person.If push comes to shove I can do an impromptu tear down and slice an attacker with the rusty edges of the inside chassis.

author: jh15
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2016, 03:08:56 am
content: Should be tough enough to do the equivalent of a keyboard face strike.

author: SkyMaster
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2016, 03:50:18 am
content: Quote from: Red Squirrel on August 06, 2016, 03:05:36 amAnd then Tetanus would slowly kill the attacker

author: jh15
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2016, 04:18:29 am
content: Didn't think of that... don't step on a rusty scope.

author: sidlas
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 06, 2016, 04:27:23 am
content: this must be in preper forum,but if something happens tommorow..ak47+9mm+ handgun+ammo from safebagged allready:water filtersknife,waterproof matches etcgas maskssome watersome clothessome mre mealsligthers,solar radio,solar flashlights,solar chargersome medicament'sthere is more i dont remember whats in it

author: bc888
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2020, 11:26:29 pm
content: Quote from: nbritton on July 19, 2016, 12:46:20 amI suppose it depends how one interprets "SHTF". Where I live on the west coast of the USA, the local governments are setting up teams of trained volunteers to spring into action in the event of a major earthquake. For that event, as we live in a large but weak old home: we built a 2nd home on the property and designed as if it was sitting on the worst fault in California ready to take the worse earthquake known to man. No earthquake will take it down, although we laughed when the architect, a survivor of the Vietnam war, correctly noted that maybe (house fall on top of it". He could have also said: "wood framed structures can still burn".The most likely scenario, much more likely than the earthquakes/tsunamis that the governments are preparing for here, is a CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) or an EMP (ElecroMagnetic Pulse). It surprises me to see how casual you engineers and scientist types seem to take this. Perhaps as it is relatively easy to prepare for, yet all of you seem to simply be sitting back and will be up shit creek without a paddle when it comes. And it will come, make no mistake about that.I read recently that a scientist studying actual Carrington type events (AKA CME or Coronal Mass Ejection - don't google "Charlemagne" style events or you'll be curled up in a ball in the closet) concluded that strictly based on the historical evidence, there is a 12% chance that in the next 10 years we have a CME. LINK TO GET YOU STARTEDhttps://www.exopolitics.org/impending-solar-flash-event-supported-by-scientific-studies-insider-testimony/That 12% number excludes a EMP where Kim Jong or Xi goes for a HEMP (High altitude Electro-magnetic Pulse) sneak attack. 12% that the sun/natural process's alone will do us in. That essential means that a child born today will likely (but not 100%) see his/her/its world get all of it's electronics fried in his/her's/it's lifetime.I'd urge you to google Carrington Event and start there. It's hard to imagine a world where most of the devices we depend on are fried in a fraction of a second and instantly inoperable. OK, in regards to the OP's question: I'm not bugging out. At least, not right away. We have rain barrels off of the roofs for hundreds of gallons of water stored and multiple water filters. We live in a wet environment where any water we take will be replaced in any month exceptAugust which might be dry, there is a river less than 1/2 a mile from me and it's full of fish, our basement has over a years worth of food stored in it and I have 10 down coats here. Should I grab a bag that would fit none of that and only perhaps a single down coat? Nope. I'm staying. My tools are here, my stuff is here.That said, we have bought another place where the food is abundant and there are friendly neighbors. It is a 5 day walk from our home in the city, less than that if you take a bicycle. It is thick with wildlife: clams, oysters, seaweeds and literally has deer that sleep in the backyard with massive elk herds nearby. I am terraforming with native foods like Camas which is not recognizable by most folks as food. I don't doubt that we will survive either a CME or a EMP, despite what the government notes about 70-90% of Americans dying if a single EMP hits us. I have Faraday cages in both locations. Watching Dave solder with a TS80 made me realize that I could use that to scrounge for electronic components if I could have one survive the 50,000 volts or whatever the Chinese LINK TO GET YOU STARTED (https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/china-develops-weapons-to-fry-us-electric-grid-eyes-high-tech-pearl-harbor-attack)are up to these days. Here is the list of crap at the remote location which is protected and expected to survive an EMP::Anker Solar PanelUnknown Solar Panel/charger 60wattsSolar chargerTS80 Soldering Pen with QC3.0 wall plug and 3 extra tips (this will run off of a QC3.0 powerbank)Radio - Tecsun PL 880Solar RadioBaofeng empty AA and aa battery holders 2 of each)Baogfeng antennas - 1 is toss into the tree and 1 standardFlashlight - shake it to light it upFlashlight -miniFlashlight -Thorfire VG104 (total) Olight USB battery chargersXtar PB2 Battery Charger2 flashlights (S2 Convoy?)Amprobe Line splitter Volt Checker2 ea Uni-t 210B Clamp MeterFluke 1012 Motorola Walkie TalkiesBaofeng 5Ra Portable Ham radioSamsung phone with chargerEBL 9V battery charger2ea Fluke 27/FM multimeters1 Fluke high voltage probeTS80 soldering pen setXtar VC2 Plus chargerXtar VC4 battery chargerThese items in Battery Bag on top of the garbage can ***cough***Faraday Cage*** cough** and should be checked annually or rechargedBlitzwolf QC3.0 Powerbank 10,000 MahXiaomi “ “ “ “Anker “ “ “ “Anker “ “ “3 ea Baofeng batteries for 5RA radioSoshine 9V charger USA plug, with 4 ea 9V batteriesAA Batteries (@ 19). 2 in charger, 2 in plastic wrap (were not charged)TS100 Soldering Pen plus 1 tipBaofeng 5Ra plus battery (fully charged these batteries are 8.33. After a year in storage they drop to 8.13V)1- EBL USB 9V charger and 2 batteries4 - Aneng cheapo battery powered soldering pens._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It seem to me that this group, more than any other, should be bracing and preparing for the coming storm. Even if you took a single multimeter and wrapped it up with multiple layers of tinfoil (with no batteries), you'd be so much more able to face the future. If we get lucky and it doesn't hit, we sit on a rocking chair on the front porch and drink beer while watching the deer. The foil wrapped multimeters go obsolete. Big deal.

author: cliffyk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 12:44:20 am
content: My Bushmaster:and as much ammo as i could carry--anything else I'l be able to "get" along the way...

author: ivaylo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 05:24:40 am
content: Is that to shoot yourself?

author: cliffyk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 05:39:48 am
content: Quote from: ivaylo on July 19, 2020, 05:24:40 amIf needed, but I am fortunate as they tell me I have at best 2-3 more years to deal with this current Bull Shit. But, I do feel very sad for my grand- and great-grandchildren, it looks more and more as though the greatest nation this world has ever known is going down. The personal responsibility required by true liberty and freedom are to much for average people to handle.Democracies an Democratic Republics fall apart when people find they can vote themselves boons from other people's wallets...

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 06:33:13 am
content: Quote from: cliffyk on July 19, 2020, 05:39:48 amAnd after saying that, you're going to take other peoples stuff at gunpoint?

author: daqq
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 06:40:50 am
content: QuoteI have an old soviet analog multimeter. Pretty sure it would survive being shot from a cannon, possibly damaging the cannon in the process.Bonus points: You can probably clobber someone with it.

author: cliffyk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 07:24:09 am
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on July 19, 2020, 06:33:13 amI thought the premise here was that the "ShIt Had Hit the Fan"? My Uncle Sam taught me to survive, two tours in 'Nam rubbed it in...

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 07:38:06 am
content: Quote from: cliffyk on July 19, 2020, 07:24:09 amFair enough, but you can hardly take the high ground about "boons from other people's wallets" if you are quite happy to become an armed robber.

author: cliffyk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 08:28:43 am
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on July 19, 2020, 07:38:06 amNever said I'd be "happy" about it, however I and my family will survive. 'Til you've been in a life or death situation you have no idea what you can do--they told us going in that it was "kill or be killed"... As General Patton said, "No one ever won a war by dying for their country, you need to make the other poor S.O.B. die for his."

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 08:32:28 am
content: Perhaps with could think of more electronics related items, this topic is taking rather a morbid turn.

author: cliffyk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 08:39:12 am
content: Quote from: Simon on July 19, 2020, 08:32:28 amHow about a digital rangefinder (sorry, couldn't help myself)...

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2020, 08:49:29 am
content: Night googles. Pref ones with heat detection.