HEAD GEAR

It may seem odd to many to see a prepper post on head gear. Well, if you look back at history you will find that a piece of head gear was worn by just about every outdoorsman, every warrior, every adventurer, etc. In the “modern, civilized world” headgear is often unneeded in everyday life. Such is not the case when you venture outside - especially in inclement weather.

When the modern conveniences - such as central heat and air conditioning - go by the wayside you will soon find that having quality headgear - multi-purpose and several if possible - is a must for surthrival. A variety of special purpose head gear is fine if you bug in; but, if you bug out you will need to limit your choices according to usage, weight and space. As with all prepper gear the more uses an item can serve the better it is. We will address a few options here.

Bandanas: although a versatile device these are not much use as a stand-alone piece of headgear; however, they are a great (if not essential) addition to about every other piece of head gear there is. They have too many uses to be forgotten - head cover, scarf, dust mask, sling(s), bandage, tourniquet, sediment filter, garrote, blackjack, etc.

Baseball caps: the common baseball style cap worn by many is a bare minimum. It offers very little protection from heat, cold, or rain; and, offers little in the multi-use department - i.e. most can’t be used to carry or filter water very well. There are some exceptions of course. The “hunter style” baseball caps are different. Many come with ear flaps too; and, some higher dollar caps have polar fleece liners, Gore-Tex, etc. I even have two baseball style hunting caps that have built in LED lights (which were on sale and cheaper to buy than an LED headlamp).

Trooper’s Caps: these, like many hunter style baseball caps, have earflaps and offer better cold weather protection. Quality examples even do well for limited wet weather protection. On the downside most are too hot for warm weather. Most do not store well due to excessive bulk.

Boonie rat/safari style hats: these hats are good for warm or wet weather but most offer little if any help for cold weather. Depending on the material they are good for carrying or filtering water. They are also easy to store. Quality hats have a strong tie down strap that makes them useful for carrying miscellaneous items - i.e. when collecting wild edibles. My own “desert rat” hat has a section of material that can be used to cover the back of the neck.

Knit caps: these are good for cold weather. Quality wool caps even work when wet but none offer true wet weather protection. They do make for a makeshift pillow though which can make a big difference for quality sleep. They also store very well.

Balaclavas: these are great in cold weather and have multiple uses - depending on material and design. They store very well. Mine can be worn as a neck warmer, knit cap, facemask, used as a sack, etc.

Helmets: If you are bugging in or in an urban environment it might be advantageous. My experience is that helmets are seldom worth the weight in field operations.

Head gear is a very personal choice. I have many for everyday use. I spend a lot of time backpacking out in the boonies - desert and mountains - and always carry my balaclava. I wear a bandana either around my neck as a scarf or as a hatband on my desert rat hat. My desert rat hat has sides that can be snapped or tied in the up position. I keep the sides up and stuff a small pepper spray on one side and an emergency whistle w/ a mini survival kit on the other. It gets a lot of use as a potholder too! With these few pieces of head gear I have all weather conditions covered and a lot of uses for them all - combined they even make a great pillow. Each is also a different color scheme for a variety of camouflage situations.

Choose what you will but note that many headgear items are like a new pair of boots and you should break them in. Some folks not used to wearing head gear even get headaches when first wearing head gear for any length of time. Don’t delay - don’t just survive - surthrive!

Ruck & LBE

I mentioned in an earlier article on Bugout gear that there will be times when you will need to carry some vital gear (i.e. first aid kit) but a ruck is too cumbersome, too heavy or just plain unneeded. This is why having a good LBE (Load bearing Equipment) is essential. Whether you are away from base camp to hunt, scout, patrol, or etc. you still need to keep a certain amount of gear with you without taking the whole kitchen sink. An LBE to a prepper in action is what a tool box is to a tradesman, or a briefcase is to a businessman - it goes where he goes when he is at work.

I don’t dedicate my LBE to being a B.O.B. only. I only have one setup and I use it 3 - 4 times a month for hiking and camping. That said, my LBE is always loaded and ready to go. My LBE consists of a base of a military web belt. Attached are a canteen holder, two ammo pouches, two utility pouches, and a battle dressing pouch. This belt is attached to and suspended from a vest with four diagonal chest pouches and two front vertical “hip” pouches. The vest also has multiple “connection points” from which you can attach other gear. Suspended from the belt are two leg units. The left leg unit consists of three vertical large “magazine” slots. The right leg unit has two removable, adjustable, “open” pouches front and rear; and, a center pouch with multiple zippered, expanding compartments.

The web belt: the canteen holder holds a canteen cup, a 1 quart canteen, and a small outer pocket holds a vial of water purification tablets. My ammo pouches are the old style that can each hold three M16 magazines inside and have outer open pockets for two grenades. I keep my battle dressing pouch attached to one of the grenade pockets. One ammo pouch usually has rations (protein bars, cliff bars, slimjims, Gatorade packets, etc.); but, the items in the web belt pouches varies with my activities and time of year - i.e. during snake season I keep my Sawyer extractor handy in the ammo pouch on my left front hip.

The vest: I attach a first aid kit to my Ruck with carabineers and when using only the LBE I transfer it to the “connection points” on the back of the vest. On the front “connection points” are a knife on one side and a light on the other. The items I carry will vary but I always put the electronics (phone, radio, stun gun, etc) in the upper pockets to keep them dry for wading creeks. I also always carry rations in at least one pouch.

The right leg unit: This unit never changes. I put binoculars in the rear open pouch. I put a large pepper spray in the front open pouch. In the center pouch: it has an inner zippered pouch, an outer zipper pouch, and a zippered flap pouch. In the inner pouch I have a wire saw, chem light, Chapstick, finger LED light, and my survival kit*, etc. In the outer pouch I have a mini stove with fuel tabs, a LED flashlight, a water filter with a straw, a compass, etc. In the flap pouch I have a WAPI, auto relight candles, and a permanent match.

The left leg unit: I carry two wide mouth bottles that my water filter will fit into and in the third is usually a large bag of trail mix. Whether hiking or after the SHTF, this unit alone would sustain you for a few days. I often freeze juice or water in the bottles and have diced pears or raisins mixed in. When you’re out in the boonies in AZ this little bit of cool makes a nice treat on your first day out.

As you can see, my LBE is, in essence, a mini B.O.B. all by itself. You may wonder though about all the “hiking and camping” related info I throw into mix. I love the outdoors; and, remember - practice, practice, practice. Don’t just survive - thrive.

* Those who read my article on an Emergency First Aid Kit know that it doubles as a survival kit too. I still carry a separate waterproof survival kit that holds: a space blanket, a knife, a bic lighter, auto relight candles, chem light, pain meds, adrenaline pills, finger LED light, etc.

BUGOUT FOODS

 

BUGOUT FOODS - A Baker’s Dozen for Surthrival

1.   Powdered Milk - vitamins, protein, stand alone or mix in other foods.

2.   Powdered Whole Eggs - freeze dried is better than dehydrated to my taste. Protein and fat. A variety of ways to use- eggs, French toast, bannock, cakes, soup, etc.

3.   Peanut Butter - great for fat and protein - calories! Adds flavor to oatmeal to change things up. If weight is a major concern there is dehydrated available; but, the oil has been removed and you lose the fat and a lot of calories. Price is okay if you buy wisely.

4.   Quick Oatmeal - good carbs and bulk; a lot of ways to use - boil, grind for flour, etc.

5.   Quinoa - you get a complete protein from a grain - close to milk, a “super food” - also good carbs and bulk too. Price is fair if bought in bulk.

6.   Refried Beans (freeze dried or dehydrated) - fat, protein, carbs, and bulk! Much lighter than regular beans and quicker to cook. Can be eaten without cooking it - though I do recommend you at least rehydrate first.

7.   Flour - bread is the staff of life, multiple uses - biscuits, dumplings, flapjacks, cakes, etc.

8.   Instant Rice - carbs and bulk, many ways to use

9.   Breakfast Cereals - variety of taste and textures, no cooking, etc.

10.         Sunflower Seed Kernels - great source of fat and calories, many uses too.

11.         SPAM - versatile, great for fat and protein - calories!

12.         Honey - it’s great for energy, flavoring other foods, etc.

13.         Misc Pouch - Mega Vitamin/Mineral supplement, condiments, seeds

This is a down and dirty basic list. Obviously not every food I have for bugging out is on this list. It is my top priority list though and is what is in my B.O.B. I am working on another article called BUG IN FOODS. All the items in this list have a very long shelf life, are suitable for a B.O.B., are available in bulk, and are fairly inexpensive (much less than most dehydrated or freeze dried “survival” or “back packing” food). They will keep you healthy and alive while you look for other resources and they go well with most of what nature can provide.

Never forget that the food source you may be counting on could get compromised - if you are counting on a flock of chickens and the SHTF because of a bird flu pandemic, or you’re counting on your garden and every crop for a hundred miles gets nailed by locusts, or your whole AO has radiation falling on it, etc.

These “base” items also provide an adequate change of flavor profiles to mix and match to hold off “burnout” - which is important to surthrival. Examples are: oatmeal plain, oatmeal with honey, with milk, with milk and honey, with nuts (sunflower seeds), with peanut butter, oatmeal flour for bread, flapjacks, etc. Quinoa can be done as all the above.

          A lot of folks go for regular beans and rice. They are cheap. But they have drawbacks compared to what I have on the list. They do not provide the same nutritional value or weight to calorie ratio. I will address the beans first. Weight wise they are a bust for bugging out afoot - dehydrated refried beans are much lighter and more compact. Regular beans have no fat; refried beans (unless you get vegan) do have the fat you need. In addition, even if you bug in, regular beans take a lot of fuel to cook - even with extra time for soaking quite a bit. Dehydrated refried beans can be eaten as is, rehydrated and eaten, or eaten as soon as they boil. As for the rice (except maybe instant for the sake of time and fuel) it cannot compete with quinoa. Nutritionally, rice is way out of its league when compared to quinoa. Quinoa cooks and eats much like rice but it has all the goods of rice plus it is a complete protein. If you can afford the difference it is well worth the price - if not, then its beans & rice.

          Survival means calories. Surthrival means calories and nutrition. Protein and carbs have 4 calories per gram. Fat has 9 calories per gram. Fat is king for surthrival. You can forage all the veggies you want but you won’t get much fat. Sources of fruits and veggies that have good amounts of fat are things like bananas and coconuts. Most folks don’t have these nearby. The other primary source of fat from fruits and veggies are nuts. Stock them as you can afford them - they also store well. Never pass them up if you find them - even if you are allergic they can be bartered.

          Whole milk and eggs are the king and queen of fat if you can get them. Many folks don’t know about “protein starvation”. Think death by rabbit. Vitamins are not all the same - they are soluble in differing mediums. Some require water for the body to absorb them - others require fat. People that plan on surviving by eating only small game (such as mice and rabbits) and veggies will actually begin to starve to death due to the lack of fat. It is the same for living off a garden. That is why chickens are so popular worldwide as a poor man’s livestock - eggs = fat. In many parts of the world a poor man “moves up” when he can get pigs - pork = fat. Spam and peanut butter are great for fat.

Fat, in Nature, is usually harder to come by. Many insects (larvae) are good but most folks balk at them. Most fish and waterfowl are good, as are most mid-sized critters - opossum, armadillo, raccoons, etc., and large critters - i.e. bears. A wild animal that you have heard of as having greasy meat is a fair source of fat. Finally, cheese is a prince of a source. For prepping, canned cheese is expensive. Velveeta is inexpensive and stores without refrigeration. My personal favorites though are the hard cheeses that last even longer - i.e. parmesan, Romano, etc. Most “cheese powders” have had most if not all of the fat taken out first (as have many freeze dried milk powders and most dehydrated milk powders).

          Milk and eggs are the king and queen of protein too. Meat may be hard to come by; but, when it comes to non-game protein you don’t need to be a licensed nutritionist to what works - just look at native cultures. Most grains have proteins but not the “complete” protein chain we need. Corn has some, beans have some that are different; when corn and beans are combined you get “complete” protein. It is the same when you combine almost any bean (i.e. soy) with almost any grain (i.e. rice). Quinoa is complete. Here again, cheese is a prince. Again, Spam and peanut are great for fat and protein. Tuna is cheap, long lasting, and great for protein but lousy for fat and calories. If Spam is out for you then consider salmon - for a meat with fat and protein.

          There are other inexpensive long term storage staples that are good for bugging out or in - Malt-o-Meal, Cream of Wheat, etc. I do stock them since I like them; but, they don’t add a lot of flavor profile changes. That is why I favor other “breakfast cereals”. These don’t require cooking, they add many taste profile changes, and they add a textural change that is nice. Also, many make a good cooked meal too. The sugary ones are good for energy boosts and cereals like Total raisin bran give you vitamins, fiber, and a fruit. They can also be eaten dry as a snack. In a surthrival situation all these foods form a complete protein with just a little milk.

          One of the guideline criteria for this list is weight. Everything, even the meats (spam, tuna, and salmon), are available in pouches. I load one or two items in cans, just for the sake of having the cans also, then finish with pouches. Pouches save weight and are easier to pack - they can be stuffed in to fill dead space. That is why I have misc pouches. They are a good way to fill dead spaces. My misc pouches have vitamins for obvious reasons. I have condiment packages: olive oil (fat), tartar sauce (fat), soy sauce (salt), jellies (energy), and hot sauce (can cover up a lot of nasty flavors). Lastly I have seeds that can be spouted or planted - i.e. wheat, beans, broccoli, etc.

          No matter what you pick, make sure it is something you actually like to eat. Yes, people will eat most anything if starving; but, you don’t want to weaken yourself by not eating because you dread the same old thing again. Also, food is more than fuel - it has a big impact on morale. Don’t just survive - thrive.