OPSEC Alert - Firearms Owner Identification and Targeting

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SHTF Bug Out Bag, Latest and Greatest

A buddy of mine sent me a new rucksack to evaluate as a Bug Out Bag or general patrol rucksack. Thought I had seen them all and nothing would surprise me, but this did. For the individual that has to have the latest gear,…we call them “gear pigs”,……the new MARPACK from Force Protector Gear (FPG) is a must have. This is one of the best small rucks on the market. I think this ruck is being issued to MARSOC units, hence the name, MARPACK.

The shoulder straps are padded and ergo-metrically placed so they are not only comfortable, but push back and fold away so the zipper to the padded compartment can be easily open. The padded waist strap is well thought out as well and uses a larger fastex buckle for closure.

The padded compartment is not only the pad that provide wear comfort, but can be zipped open where the pad becomes a fold out thermal ground pad for very hot or very cold environments. This is great idea! This pad is connected to the ruck with three pull snaps and can be removed or detached from the ruck for any reason.

The bag has, of course, molle webbing on the outside for the attachment of additional bags or equipment. The ruck main flap opens up to a roomy compartment that can be closed with a cord lock. There are two mesh pockets on the inside that run the length of the inside compartment.

Two Fastex buckled straps on the outsides of the ruck allow to secure equip with two elastic pockets that would hold a one quart canteen on both sides, or a large water bottle, or Nalgene bottles.

A smaller zippered pouch is located on the back of the ruck with a separate inside pocket. The MARPACK does not come with a hydration bladder, but has the re-enforced hydration bladder straw hole in the top so it is compatible with common hydration bladder – a 100 oz Camel-Bak bladder fits well. Lastly there is a smaller zippered pouch on the very top of the ruck flap suitable for holding easy to get to food; a map and/or compass; fire starting gear; etc.

Vehicle Mods for SHTF

I received this from Anonymous: ”Hey don’t see much on vehicle modifications for survival in case you have to move and live with your vehicle. I added a cargo rack and trunk vault to my SUV. The rack gives me more room to store stuff and use bungees to hold down. The vault lets me store weapons and rounds safely.”

UrbanMan replies: I have used truck vaults for a few years now. They are great. You can get them with a key lock or a push button cipher lock. You can have them built with a hinged map board or dry erase-map board combination. This is a good idea to store and secure survival weapons, ammunition and other gear you don’t want visible exposed to people looking into the passenger compartment of your vehicle. However, won’t help much if your vehicle is stolen.



Here are some sources for Vehicle Vaults or Safes:

Truck Vault

Gun Safes


Pickup Specialties


The roof mounted cargo rack is a great idea for SUV’s and cars. I like them box shaped for additional security and makes it easier to tie things (or bungee) down.


www.thule.com


www.yakima.com


www.etrailer.com

You may want to rehearse loading your roof cargo rack so you have an idea on what you can carry if you have the time for a planned Bug Out as opposed to a hasty Bug Out. I would put boxes of containers that I would need to get into first on the outside of the rack so they were accessible. Once you do a rehearsal I think you would get more ideas on the best types of containers and securing systems, meaning ropes, bungees or a cargo net.

One of my friends has a roof mounted rack. He cut three quarter inch plywood (2 sheets) to fit inside the rack so in case he had to make a field expedient shelter he had two plywood sheets for a lean to. I guess you could use them for ground mats or even firewood for that matter.

Urban Bug Out after the Collapse

Received this message from an Urban Survivor: ”Dear Urban Man. I have recently came across this site and have found it very informative and eye-opening. It got me thinking a little bit about what will I be able to do. I live in the greater (city deleted) area, living paycheck to paycheck, in a small 2 bedroom apartment, with my wife and 7 month old baby. For supplies we only have a weeks worth of food tops, a Ruger GP100 and a Winchester M12 with about 50 rounds each. Also some camping gear I like to hold on to (sleeping bag, ponchos, old army ruck sack). Not much, but it's what I have to work with. What advice if any would you be able to provide myself and for people living in these apartment buildings, if any, should the need arise to bug-out? Thank you.”

UrbanMan’s response: I intentionally left this gent’s name and city off, but suffice to say it was a large city on the Northeastern coast.

Unless a substantial part of your apartment complex population are prepared, equipped and can act as a cohesive unit, your best bet is to develop a Bug Out plan. You are reduced simply by the nature of geography on what direction you can go. You are hampered by the fact that one of you, your wife or you, will have to be a full time caretaker of the baby for several more years. You have a good start on a survival firearms battery with the Ruger GP100 and the Winchester Model 12 shotgun.

You Bug Out plan should consider a safe place to go, outside of normal refugee routes, possibly is the mountainous areas to your West. If you do not know anybody in a remote or rural location, then you may want to consider some weekend trips to do so. A lot of small communities are slowly dying. Looking around and letting people know that you are thinking of re-locating is a good way to get the feel of the area and to meet some people. You don’t need to articulate that you would be re-locating there just ahead of a Zombie mob or Mushroom cloud. You may have some close friends who do have some other friends of relatives in rural – remote areas.

As far as how you are getting there the best option is to be able to get ahead of the crowd of refugees. That’s means being ready to execute your Bug Out plan before all hope is lost or even if the situation is still undetermined. You probably be using a vehicle. It’ll pay to always keep your vehicle in some stage of readiness such as with some gear loaded and a fuel tank probably never below ¾ full. If you plan requires travel at the very limit of your vehicle range, then to pre-stage fuel cans and to fill them when the small indicators of a collapse start tingling your spidey sense.

A well stocked Bug Out bag for you and your wife is a requirement. Sleeping bags, ponchos, survival gear like multiple lighters, knifes, Gerber or Leatherman pocket tools, flashlights are all necessary; canteens and hydration packs are very necessary as well. I would put long stay food like MRE’s and/or Main Stay Food bars in my Bug Out Bags. A bucket or two of Wise type Survival meals and larger water containers like five gallon water jugs would be in my vehicle.

I would choose my routes out of the city carefully, avoiding the more dangerous choke points like narrow bridges and two lane roads. Have multiple routes so that you can transition from your primary to alternate to contingency to emergency (PACE) as necessary. Have some linkup points that are easy to find and that provide some cover and/or concealment in case you and your wife get separated.

Consider a couple more firearms so that you and your wife each have a handgun and a long gun. I think you priority on weapons now would be a decent repeating rifle. An AR platform such as an civilian M-4 is great, but you would not be handicapped much a pump action or small magazine fed semi-auto rifle.

I would also think about adding some Silver coins, bullion or old U.S. silver coins for their melt value to my Bug Out bags. They may come in handy. Have adequate amount of ammunition for each firearm.

Read the Survival Chronicles of Jim, from Chapter 1 to present and you’ll get an idea on how Jim and his plan and preps have evolved. Good luck to you.