ThatDamnedPanda
Posts: 6060
Joined: 1/26/2009 Status: offline
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Yes. I do a lot of camping, and solo back country winter hiking. For the winter hiking, I have a survival kit that fits in a backpack - pretty comprehensive first aid kit, duct tape, poly sheeting, mylar blankets, small saw, equipment to start and maintain a fire, non-perishable food, compass, spare pair of eyeglasses, 4 fully-loaded 8-round magazines for my Colt .45 (for firing signal shots if I break a leg miles from a road in the middle of January), and few other useful items. I divided my camping gear into two categories - stuff that's just generally useful for weekend camping, and stuff that would be essential for survival in an emergency, such as rope, a small axe, pots and pans, can opener, rain ponchos, more plastic sheeting, lights and batteries, tarps, water purification tablets, plastic bags, and a few other things. All of the latter items are stored in a large plastic bin. I've also got a large gym bag permanently packed with 200 rounds of .308 ammunition, plus several hundred rounds for my .45 and my .357, some basic fishing gear, spare knife, 2 pair of jeans, a flannel shirt, several pairs of hiking socks, a sweater, a jacket, and a pair of sweat pants, and this bag sits on top of that bin. It's amazing how much stuff you can fit into a gym bag. When I'm not winter hiking, the winter hiking survival kit is stored in that bin. In case of all out-disaster, that bin, the gym bag, my tent and sleeping bag, my AR-15, and the handgun case containing my .45 and my .357 can be loaded into the back of my car in 3 trips, taking a total of 7 or 8 minutes to load. If there's time for a 4th trip, one of my 12 gauge shotguns and few boxes of ammo for that can come along with the rest of the gear. I've already got a spare pair of hiking boots in the car and a winter survival kit in the car (shovel, heavy winter jacket, hat and gloves), so with less than ten minutes notice I can be out the door with everything i need to survive anywhere there's a forest. It'll never happen, but if it does, I'm as ready as you can be.
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Panda, panda, burning bright In the forest of the night What immortal hand or eye Made you all black and white and roly-poly like that?
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