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Maps

borderpatrol

borderpatrol

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Wife and I were watching news this morning and they had a segment on Go Bags. She paused it and had me come in, of course I had to go get our Go Bags to compare.

The one thing we didn't have that I can't believe I forgot was paper maps.

Any other basics like that that stand out to anyone here?

PS - Just found this forum the other day and very thankful to see a voice of reason among all the chaos in every other form of media.
 
Maps, plus protractors and compasses and the training to use it all competently.

Welcome to NES.
 
Yes, always have non-electrical, non-grid-connected back-ups of everything in your go-bag.

Store all maps and other paper documents in air-tight containers (zip-lock bags will do).

For anything that is electronic, make sure the batteries ARE NOT stored in it (to avoid battery leak damage).

As recommended, have a good compass. If you don't know how to properly map and use a compass, go to you tube and watch some good educational & instructional videos on it.
 
Varmint said:
make sure you have cash in it.
Click to expand...

Not sure paper cash would be the best. You might find yourself with something worth less than the paper you use to clean up after #2. Maybe silver would be better - not as much to lose as gold if your bag is stolen before SHTF but still worth something if inflation makes cash worthless. Downside is extra weight. Maybe junk silver coins.
 
NHCraigT said:
Store all maps and other paper documents in air-tight containers
Click to expand...
Some outdoor suppliers offer waterproof trail/road maps for popular recreational areas, you can also get a Boston map printed on a cloth-like tyvek material.

Or if you're going cross-country, MyTopo prints custom maps of any area (you choose the type, zoom, and overlays) onto UV-resistant waterproof paper, ships either rolled or folded.
 
JohnZ said:
Not sure paper cash would be the best. You might find yourself with something worth less than the paper you use to clean up after #2. Maybe silver would be better - not as much to lose as gold if your bag is stolen before SHTF but still worth something if inflation makes cash worthless. Downside is extra weight. Maybe junk silver coins.
Click to expand...

Absolutely paper cash. There are any number of likely scenarios where you'll need cash, think Puerto Rico. You could probably have used silver in Puerto Rico but cash worked fine.
 
Definitely include paper cash in small denominations. For bonus points seal it with Food Saver bags to prevent moisture damage and bring down the bulk. You can fit $10k in $500 stacks of 20s this way in a Pelican 1060, keeping them firmly together and allowing them to float independently of other items in the bag.

Metal is a good alternative and valuable in small weights, but who is going to give you change for a gold eagle if currency is still worth anything? Just carry both and you're prepared either way.
 
I tossed in a CC Skywave radio and used it in a powerless hotel for weather and music,news at nite. Traveling in the last weeks stormageddeden.

Hotel would only take cash so that worked out too.

It will run for weeks on 2aa batts, saving your phone power.
 
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This may not save your life, but I keep a pack of playing cards in my pack.
Unless it is the true Apocalypse, There will be boredom...
 
namedpipes said:
An old cell phone in a foil bag, loaded with useful files (blueprints for firearms or machinery, repair manuals, encyclopedias, etc) and a solar charger.

Plus some "entertainment" ;)
Click to expand...

I forget where I saw it but... old cellphone that isn't in use can still be used to dial 911. I grabbed a couple of old i-phones, charged them up threw them in a small bag with a spare charger and put one in my truck and my wife's car. Currently on my to do list is get my Ham license and learn how to use one that I recently acquired.
 
Junior314 said:
I forget where I saw it but... old cellphone that isn't in use can still be used to dial 911. I grabbed a couple of old i-phones, charged them up threw them in a small bag with a spare charger and put one in my truck and my wife's car. Currently on my to do list is get my Ham license and learn how to use one that I recently acquired.
Click to expand...

I’m interested in HAM as well. How did you go about aquiring one and are you licensed / need to be?
 
Cell phones no longer "active" CAN be used to dial 911 (and also I think Customer Service for the nominal carrier, I *think*).

My use though is as a info store of "how to" procedures. And entertainment. The rf bag is just in case it is "that" sort of event.

Border Patrol, you can freely purchase a ham radio, you just can't legally USE it until you get licensed. It isn't all that hard to get licensed. There are threads on this site walking you through it. A good, VERY inexpensive handheld is the Baofeng UV-5R (About $25 on Amazon - use the comm2a link!). It isn't the BEST radio out there but the price is right and it's great to learn with.
 
The only thing i have ever had to use is extra phone cables and chargers. I have both apple and micro usb ones. People are always losing their cords, and quite thankful for some juice.

Plus, with a car charger and a set of alligator clamps connected to a 12v socket you could charge all of your small electronic devices from any car.

Small radio, as mentioned, is also nice. Even when not in an emergency.
 
While the complicated transceivers are useful, you might want to have a simple receiver on hand, particularly one of the old-school multi-band receivers for Ham and broadcast and weather channels.
daveyburt said:
To keep any electronics working, I have one of those GoalZero batteries for charging things. However, the smaller/cheaper battery chargers have kept me going in the past./QUOTE]
I've had the best results with Anker branded power banks and cables.
Click to expand...
 
daveyburt said:
To keep any electronics working, I have one of those GoalZero batteries for charging things. However, the smaller/cheaper battery chargers have kept me going in the past.
Click to expand...

What model GoalZero do you have? Do you like it? Been considering one to scratch my prepping itch.
 
Brewer said:
What model GoalZero do you have? Do you like it? Been considering one to scratch my prepping itch.
Click to expand...

GoalZero's are pretty good. Can charge the internal battery from AC or solar panels (will charge and supply power at the same time). I've used ours extensively without trouble latest being the recent power outages (powering a blu-ray player and television). They are a bit pricey but I think they are worth it for the integration provided.

We ran a HAM field day exercise using one attached to solar panels as the sole power source 24/7 for two radios QRP (low-power 5W). Worked fine. We used the Yeti 400 lead cell version for that.
 
Mine is older, the Sherpa 100.
iu

Besides the wire/cable handle breaking, it's been fine. With the bifold solar panel, it takes at least a full day of sun to fully recharge. I always charge it at home/in car.
Not sure what features the new ones have but, this has been more than enough for my needs. I also have the inverter that bolts to the side. I've got a dumb phone that stays shut off while i'm in the woods but, with handheld GPS and radios, it's a handy to know you've got more juice.

ETA: just went and looked - the new ones look the same. I think this is the only piece of tech. i've bought in the past 15 years that hasn't been antiquated a year after I bought it. :)
 
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vicorjh said:
We ran a HAM field day exercise using one attached to solar panels as the sole power source 24/7 for two radios QRP (low-power 5W). Worked fine. We used the Yeti 400 lead cell version for that.
Click to expand...

Good info re: solar and HAM. Thz for sharing that.
 
daveyburt said:
Mine is older, the Sherpa 100.
iu

Besides the wire/cable handle breaking, it's been fine. With the bifold solar panel, it takes at least a full day of sun to fully recharge. I always charge it at home/in car.
Not sure what features the new ones have but, this has been more than enough for my needs. I also have the inverter that bolts to the side. I've got a dumb phone that stays shut off while i'm in the woods but, with handheld GPS and radios, it's a handy to know you've got more juice.

ETA: just went and looked - the new ones look the same. I think this is the only piece of tech. i've bought in the past 15 years that hasn't been antiquated a year after I bought it. :)
Click to expand...

Even that is pricey (to me) at $300.

Wouldn't a jack pack (jump starter battery) plus a Hazard Freight solar charger accomplish more or less the same?
 
Yea, coulda DIY'd something for less but, it's a tight little rig (came with the panel and all connectivity cables)
It's also fairly small (not sure how large of a Jack Pack you had in mind) and easy to toss in a pack. I found the small(er) form factor to be the most desirable of their product lineup.

I may overspend a bit here and there but, I've also gone DIY plenty of times and ended up spending almost as much as a commercial product...without the production tooled quality of assembly.
 
Picton said:
Maps, plus protractors and compasses and the training to use it all competently.

Welcome to NES.
Click to expand...
I have MGRS maps for most of New England. If you can get them......they are definitely the best.
 

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