A Gamer’s Guide To Surviving The Apocalypse Part 2
Today, we’re going to look at the most basic item all people should have in dealing with basic disaster prepping. What is it you ask? It’s your Bug Out Bag, or as we in community refer to it, your BOB. Now, everyone has an opinion about what should be in your BOB, and gamers have special needs that will have to be addressed. However, I will say right off that you are not allowed to stick your PS3, Xbox 360, or Wii into it.
Sorry, when facing imminent death or relocation into a FEMA Camp (See article here), it’s just not that important to have those along. Anything that will slow you down or allow a ravenous zombie to get within 5 feet of you needs to be left home; if you have to go. Caress the console as you leave and tell it you’ll be back… maybe.
The most important thing about the BOB is the weight. Sure it would be nice to have everything along that will make your life easier. Lord knows everyone wants that six pack of Mountain Dew along, but what happens if you run out of gas and there’s none available? That is something you are going to have to carry on your back. After a couple of hundred yards, that six pack is going to be drunk and you have nothing left to keep hydrated. I also might add that sugary carbonation is great until you realize that it makes you thirstier drinking it. To finish making my point here… You want things that will help you survive in your BOB. Nothing in there should be useless calories or excess weight. NO SODA, Beer, or other silliness.
Basic BOB
First, immediate survival items should be in it. These include, several bottles of water, and two canteens. You need 1 gallon of water a day minimum. That is by far the heaviest item in your bag. I recommend the canteens as they can be carried on a web belt or harness and are cheap to\ buy at your local camping store or surplus military equipment store. For those of you who don’t have one available in your area, go to ebay. You can easily pick a couple up for under 10 bucks.
Low weight food items. In my bag I have three days worth of survival rations. These are not MRE’s. These are Mayday bars and each one provides 3600 hundred calories of energy per day. They are an acquired taste, but they guarantee you will have food in your stomach and the ability to keep moving if you have to. Not everyone wants to eat something like this, so pick your food items accordingly. They must be high energy and low weight. They must also be something you can throw into the bag and forget about until you need them. My bars are good for 5 years. Many people pick MRE’s for their bags, personally, I think they take too much room. You also need to think about whether you have the ability to cook any item you put in there.
First aid kits are a must. Nothing slows a person down faster than blisters on your feet if you have to walk for an extended period of time. If you allergic to bee stings and you get one, well your just dead. A small kit with medications you must have, along with bandages, antibiotic ointment, and some type of painkiller like Motrin will assist you in most situations you run into. This type of kit won’t do you much good if your one of the idiots that head for the hills and are mauled by a bear though.
Here are a few other must haves in the bag.
1) Fire: Be it matches, a lighter, a magnesium striker, a fire can chase away the gloom at night as you realize that your on your own.
2) A pocket knife or multi-tool.
3) Mylar survival blanket. You are probably going to need to stay warm. Sleeping bags are great, but there’s the whole weight thing again.
4) Flashlight. LED flashlights are cheap and they are bright. Several varieties attach to hats and they last longer than other types of light.
5) A change of clothes. Clean socks can do wonders for your attitude. Just make sure that the clothes you pack are sturdy and in good repair.
6) Rain poncho.
7) Lightweight survival tent. You can get these for less than five bucks on e-bay.
This is a basic bag. Mine has more in it, but I’ve been doing this longer than you all have. This will keep you alive for a couple of days. Now there is one more item I recommend for gamers specifically. This will of course get me in trouble with the prepping community in general, but that’s ok. I recommend a small handheld gaming device like a PSP or Nintendo DS. Why, after all the talk of weight would I say put one of these in a BOB. It’s simple actually. I live with gamers. If they don’t get their fix of gaming, they are going to join the ranks of the zombies faster than heroin junkies without their daily fix. To fix this problem, a handheld will provide the entertainment that to a gamer that a book or a pack of cards would give a normal person. Keep a gamer entertained, and they remain in the ranks of humanity. God help us however when the batteries run out.
In part 3… Buggin in Place
clarick01
May 6, 2011 @ 5:52 pm
haha well I guess ill get started on my BOB right away. Hopefully the apocalypse doesn’t start before the NGP is released.