Sometimes, the tool is the tool and sometimes, the tool keeps the tool working. That is the case here. In our equation the tool is the AR-15, the most popular rifle in the United States. As with many vital tools, any rifle is a collection of parts working together and an MSR is no exception.

Aside from proper training and practice, the AR-15 needs regular cleaning and maintenance. Readers will have the cleaning tools in their home or shop to keep their guns clean and will most likely have the tools needed to make repairs, but what happens if the gun goes down in the field? Real Avid has a solution that will make cleaning, maintenance, and basic repairs more manageable at the range and in the field.

Real Avid is a tool company that specializes in firearms. Their cleaning gear is the best I have used, and their tools range from simple repair to complicated gunsmithing tasks. My bench cleaning and maintenance is handled by the Universal Master Cleaning kit, and I have two of their multi-tools, the AR-15 version of the Gun Core Tool and our subject here, the AR-15 Tool multi-tool.

Unlike your average Letherman or Gerber multi-tool are meant to be useful for many tasks. Maybe not the best tool for a task, but good at many tasks and easily available. In this case we have a tool dedicated to one task, keeping your AR-15 in good order. There is another version of this tool for shotgunners and other rifle shooters that provides tools specific to them, but this one is for AR owners.

It has a selection of 37 tools to cover cleaning and maintenance tasks that are faced in the field. You will also be able to make basic repairs such as stripping, fixing, replacing parts, and reassembling the parts that are field serviceable, such as the bolt carrier group.

The multi-tool comes with a coyote tan sheath to hold the tool, a set of extra bits, and a sight tool for four and five tine AR front sights. It can be attached to your gear with the MOLLE strap.

Check out the photos included with this article for a complete look at the tools included.  I am impressed with the quality of the AR-15 tool; it makes an excellent addition to a prepper’s tool kit. A tool like this can make life easier when you need it most.

I spent the morning of December 21^st watching the new movie from faith based Angel Studios, “Homestead.” Based on the book “Black Autum” by Jeff Kirkman and Jason Ross, it details the characters response to a combined nuclear and cyber-attack on America. The movie tells the story of Ian Ross and his Mutual Assistance Group and their retreat property, “Homestead.” Be forewarned, there will be spoilers.

In this article I want to dig into some of the questions that the story raises for survivalists/preppers, but a few words about the movie are in order. As a movie fan, I appreciate good writing, good direction, and good acting. For the most part I find that studios of this nature do not have any of these. That is not the case here.

All of the aspects of this movie are on par with the best prestige television productions. It is not quite up to the standards of a good theater movie, but it is far better than some of the movies that I have spent money to sit in a theater and be bored by. I generally find that the message of most Christion faith films to be heavy handed, but that is not the case here.

Homestead tells the story of the collapse of American society following a combined terror attack on the US consisting of a nuclear event just offshore from Los Angeles and a cyber-attack that renders the East Coast without power. These events cause a collapse of the US government and a nationwide panic.

The Homestead is the survival retreat built by Ian Ross (Neal McDonough) and several families designed to keep them safe should an event like this happen. The other lead is Jeff Erickson (Bailey Chase), retired Navy Seal who has been hired to put together a security team for the property. The Ross family has built a place, and a system meant to support the people who will be living there with power, water, and food supplies as well as a small arsenal of firearms for protection. It is basically the dream set-up for survivalists.

The meat of the story is the practical and moral questions that are raised by the movie. These questions are important ones that need to be answered when making survival plans, before the world as we know it ends. First, at what point are we justified in using deadly force to defend ourselves. Second, should we lock down and keep friends and family who did not prepare or should we risk running low to save them.

The question of when to use force in self- or group-defense is a complicated one. Despite what one might think, a post-collapse situation makes the use of force even more complicated. In today’s environment the courts will sort out a defense situation. The defensive shooter should be cleared of any charges if they are justified in using force. In a post-collapse situation, where there are no courts to sort it out. In the movie there is a situation where people from outside accidentally wonder into Homestead property while hunting. A lack of a proper means of communications end with one of the hunters being killed by one of the Homestead members.

In the story, the person in question has to live with the results of his actions. It is correctly called an accident, but in the end, children are left without a father, and a wife is without a husband when they most need him. This is a situation that can be avoided through proper communication with the community around the property. It could also be avoided by placing those with more experience in perimeter security and crisis management.

The further consequences would likely come from the friends and family. They would most likely view it as an unjust killing and seek redress. I a world without courts, that redress might come in the form of an assault the property and more needless deaths.

The solution? Clear lines of communications before and after the event and well defined rules of engagement. Building a relationship with the surrounding community will allow group to define what the community can and cannot expect. It will give you a chance to encourage them to prepare for themselves and their family so that they can survive without outside help.

How incursions into the property are handled require very well defined rules of engagement and are an absolute necessity. How you communicate with intruders will define how the encounter ends. What you are aiming for is a peaceful resolution in the worst situation and not a violent encounter. If the group is very lucky, it may lead to new allies.

This takes us to a second major situation. What do you do with the friends and family at the gate. In the movie, when the country starts to collapse, friends of the Homestead family and people from the surrounding community start to line up at the gate looking for help. This is a real world question that all survivalists will face in a collapse.

Most people today, especially in America, are under the impression that the worst will never happen. As long as they have their video games, junk food, and televised sports, they continue to live their lives like it will never end. When it does, they will look to the prepared for help. How do we respond to this?

It comes down to two choices. Do you run them off or do you bring them in to add their skills to the community. Wandering into spoiler territory here, the movie suggests the latter. The Christian thing to do, it suggests, is to be charitable and bring them in. It is a boon in the end because some of these folks have skills that are lacking in the community, and they solve some important problems.

The movie is fiction, but it is close to what can be expected in a real collapse. Taking people in will reduce your supplies and can be detrimental to the survival of the members of community. On the other hand, if the people that you bring in have skills that will be important to the community, then they might improve the groups chances. This becomes a question of practicality versus morality and where a group falls between the two will have a profound effect on a community.

These are the most important issues in the situation the movie presents, but they do touch on others. One character suffers from a mental illness, I suspect Bi-Polar Disorder, but it is never clearly defined,  that requires regular medication. How would this be handled? In the short term a stash of meds provided in a legal manner will keep the person in good health. After they run out a plan will be needed to properly handle the symptoms.

Then there is local government. A plot point is the local bureaucrat attempts who exerts his power to confiscate the supplies and weapons of the Homestead for “the good of the community.” As the story of Homestead is continuing with a series on the Angel Studios streaming service, I think that this will become a bigger plot point.

The questions that come to my mind is at what point has the Government truly collapsed? When does a local bureaucrat become a warlord bent on control? What will happen if the community comes into armed conflict with local government, win, and society makes a comeback? This last question is one brought to my mind for the first time by the movie. It seems that survivalists, me included, make their plans around a permanent collapse. In reality, a society will be rebuilt from the collapsed one, but it is just a likely that our society will rebuild itself. If it does, there may be legal issues to deal with if these kind of situations happen.

Unlike most post-apocalyptic movies, this is not only based on real world possibilities, but also on a series of books by Jeff Kirkham, a Green Beret who founded Readyman survival tool company with 29 years of experience, and Jason Ross, a serial entrepreneur who has spent his life learning survival skills. They took this experience, built a real world scenario, and applied their knowledge to the solutions used in the movie.

Every once in a while, I come across a bit of fiction that has a little bit of truth in it, but it is very seldom that it causes me to think this deeply into the questions that it raises. Dean Ing’s “Pulling Through” comes to mind because the second half of the book provides instructions on building the tools used in the fiction. “Homestead” does not delve into skills or techniques, but it raises some important questions that should cause viewers to think more deeply. It is also my hope that unprepared people who go to see an action movie will give what they see some thought and start to be a more ready.

The movie is a good piece of fiction that I enjoyed. The Christian part of the message is not heavy handed and takes a moral position that I think most people will understand. If you are putting together a preparedness plan, watching this movie should give you food for thought while enjoying a pretty good movie.

This article was originally published on Ready Magazine and is published here with permission. All images are courtesy of Angel Studios.

When considering a firearm as a prepping tool, we have some requirements that need to be fulfilled beyond how much you like the firearm you are selecting. As a prepper, this is just another tool in your toolbox, and for the weight and space it takes up in your gear load out it must provide usefulness in your mission to stay alive.

A lot of people will assume that your firearm is one of the most important tools in your kit, but this is far from true. A good knife is probably the most important tool you can carry, and then fire, water, and shelter will be much more important in this kit if you want to survive in a hostile SHTF environment.

This firearm must provide certain enhancements to your journey and be quickly put into action when needed, without being cumbersome to the rest of your kit. Again, each piece of your kit has a job and are only allowed to add weight and take up space in your kit because of what it provides.

I agree with another contributor to this newsletter, Mr. Travis Warlock, that the 22LR caliber does a particularly good job. The ammo is light, plentiful, low cost, and comes in many different designs or intended versions.

It is easy to carry and can be made Hollywood silent with the right selections of accessories. If you need to use this tool, the next consideration is whether it brings attention to you or where you are. Normally, this would be detrimental to your survival as a single person or in a small family unit unable to go wage war on those attempting to maraud you or your supplies.

Looking at the tool and its design helps us select certain firearms over others. This is a very individualized process. There may be considerations based on an individual’s body type, ailments, or other limitations. As you read other survival authors’ suggestions on this subject, the Henry survival rifle and the Ruger 10/22 typically make the top of their lists of recommendations. Both are great tools with many different upgrades available to them. The Ruger 10/22 platform has an en- tire industry built around it, with all kinds of upgraded parts available. The Henry survival rifle even floats when in storage mode. I would suggest you look past these models to a more compact tool that is easier to clean and carry with you everything else you need to survive during your journey. I feel a pistol is an easier tool—both to carry, and to access on the trail. You can overcome the limitations in its design by practicing and learning about its capabilities. The pistol can be carried in a holster or pouch on one’s belt, or somewhere in the front of their load-carrying gear. It could even be carried out in such a way that no one would know what it was, and it would still be available immediately if needed.

The pistol I would suggest is the Ruger 22/45 MKIV pistol, with some accessories to complete its mission in your kit. This model of firearm is very popular, with aftermarket parts and upgrades available: everything from trigger packs to magazine enhancements and assorted parts. The Ruger MKIV is noticeably light, handy, and can be carried with an extra 10-inch barreled receiver if you want to get the most out of the cartridge in your kit. I would select the much shorter 5-inch tactical barreled receiver, but there are plenty of different configurations on the market to choose. The short- er barrel lengths will provide a quieter firearm and employing the 10-inch barrel gives you the most velocity possible from the little 22LR cartridge, enhancing accuracy when needed. The 22LR cartridge builds velocity up to about 11 inches of barrel length; after that length, the little cartridge will actually slow down, because the powder has all been burnt up. The shorter tactical barrel is threaded for a suppressor and also has rails on top and bottom for both a red dot and a flashlight. Both items will enhance the usefulness of this tool in your toolbox.

In addition to the aforementioned accessories, I would also put a lanyard loop of some sort on it to keep the tool in your kit when climbing over tree trunks or through tunnels. You can enhance the internal parts with the addition of trigger packs, or an extractor from Tandemkross or Volquartsen. Getting a 22 LR suppressor for this tool makes it much more useful if needed. You can also disable the magazine cut-off with aftermarket parts, and putting magazine bumpers on your mags can make them survive the added abuse of a SHTF situation. This pistol can be broken down with the push of a button and would only require a basic cleaning kit to maintain it in the field. All-around, this pistol provides a great selection to your INCH or BOB or get home kit and is worth the space and weight it takes up.

A firearm is not a necessary part of your kit but can be a welcome addition to your toolbox. Using something that is dependable, plentiful, and customized makes it an enhancement and not a liability in the end.

In conclusion, each tool in your kit— including the firearm—is part of your last-ditch effort to survive whatever calamity you have been put through, and you should scrutinize the worthiness of each tool’s place in your kit.

This review comes to us from James C. Jones, the founder of Live Free USA, based on his more than 50 years of experience in preparedness and survival.

Long before there were any devices specifically made for survivalists, Live Free members recognized the need for some kind of digging tool in the survival pack. A shovel would be needed to dig fire pits, drainage trenches around our tents, and dispose of waste. We might even need to dig shelters from weapons fire, nuclear blasts, and fallout.

Back in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s surplus “Army Shovels” were plentiful, but too heavy for carrying any distance. They were excellent digging tools but intended to be carried and used by healthy young soldiers short distances to the front lines. After World War Two every child in my neighborhood had one, and we trenched and tunneled every vacant lot we could find.

We early survivalists started adopting garden trowels to put into our packs as a BTN (better than nothing) digging tools. The Vietnam era military folding shovels that came out in the 1980’s was lighter and more compact than the old army shovels and could be carried further but were not designed for civilian survival applications.

Recently, a wide variety of so-called “survival shovels” have come onto the market. These shovels range from basic folding shovels for about $15.00 to the complex GRAMFIRE for over $200.00. Survival shovels* are defined by being relatively compact while having multiple functions such as ax blades, saw blades, hooks, and wrenches. Like anything that is designed to do more than one thing, they are never as good as just a shovel, just a knife, just a saw, etc. but handy as being multi-functional. The 15-in-1 Multi-Function, Folding Shovel from Stealth Angel sells for a very reasonable $34.95.

The shovel blade is very heavy-duty and includes a saw blade, sharp ax-knife blade, hook, and two hexagonal wrench cut-outs. A small knife, fork, and saw blade are integral to one of the handle segments and a Philips and blade screwdriver are. Built into another segment. There is also a glass breaker point and a compass in the handle. A magnesium fire starter comes attached to the carrying strap and case.

The whole thing fits into a 9” x 6” x 2” cloth carrying case that weighs about two pounds. When all four segments are fully assembled you have a strong 30-inch-long shovel tool. The heavyweight handle and sharpened spade also make for a formidable weapon and effective rescue tool. There is a bit of room left in the handle for a few extra items. I do not advocate this for a primary survival pack item since you should already have a multi-tool, knife, fire starter and other tools with you, and there are lighter, smaller shovels available. It is ideal for carrying in a vehicle, keeping at your jobsite, or in a cache where you might need all of these functions.

* I covered a variety of survival shovels in chapter five of The Ultimate Book of Survival Gear. Published by Skyhorse Publishing.

The post Guest Review: Super Shovel first appeared on Ready Magazine.

There are a number of books on preparedness. The worst of them are a book sized list of stuff that you need to get to be ready. The best of them cover not only gear, but skills and mindset as well. “Prepared: A Manual for Surviving Worst-Case Scenarios” fits in the latter category.

In this book, Mike Glover teaches readers how to be ready for whatever comes their way. Drawing on his most dire experiences in combat and in the real world, this book shows you how almost no disaster is more powerful than someone who is truly prepared.

Mike Glover is the owner and founder of Fieldcraft Survival, a preparedness and training company in Utah. He is a retired Green Beret and CIA contractor and a proponent of preparedness for citizens. He offers training in a growing range of topics that are of value to students. He is also a prolific presence on YouTube, producing videos and podcasts with useful information.

I knew this book would be an important read when I found out it was on the way, but as with any writer who owns a business selling related products, I worry that it would be a sales driver for his products. I was wrong. He refrains from specific suggestions. The few times he does mention a product of his own it is more in the way of demonstrating a thought process than a sales pitch.

The real beauty of this book is it’s emphasis on critical thinking. Each chapter begins with a run down of his thought process concerning the issue at hand. While he never explicitly says it, seems clear to me he holds creative thinking in high regard as well. If you can think critically, you can solve most problems, if you can add a creative element to the process, you can innovate.

The first four chapters of the book are about thinking and planning. He has done his research too. The book starts with the biological and mental processes that people go through in a crisis. He goes on to share examples of how people reacted in crisis and what the results of their decisions were. By this point of the book he has shared some foundational events in his life, and he uses this self-knowledge to describe the events.

The following three chapters apply these ideas to planning, situational awareness and, possibly most importantly, decision points. One of the hardest parts of planning is knowing when to put your plans into motion. When you’re facing a hurricane, it’s an easy decision, but what about greater threats? I feel that the bigger the decision in a crisis and the more “out there” the issue, the harder it is to make the move. These three chapters are helping me to build a better plan.

The last three chapters are more inline with what one would expect from a preparedness book. He discusses a layered system of preparedness in the areas of Everyday Carry, Mobility, and preparing the Homestead, or as I like to call it, bugging in. While he does talk about a few brands that he likes, he approaches this section by applying the critical thinking skills from the first half of the book.

I believe this is an important book for preparedness. Mike Glover leans on real world experience and real research to teach the reader how to get ready. He is more interested in getting readers to think critically about equipment decisions than he is in selling products. If you need to know about his suggestions about gear, tune in to his social media presence. If you want to under the thought process and planning behind it all, read his book. You won’t be sorry.

The post “Prepared: A Manual for Surviving Worst-Case Scenarios” by Mike Glover first appeared on Ready Magazine.

Over the last few months, I have been building a new bug-out set-up. For the load bearing portion, I decided on military surplus equipment from the Netherlands, sourced from Varusteleka Oy in Helsinki, Finland. My reasoning for ordering from them has a lot to do with price, and wide availability of the equipment from one source, compared to US sources.

There are some things that one should know when buying any military surplus. One; the essential element of military surplus is the, generally, lower prices for quality gear. Second; unless you are lucky enough to find new, as issued surplus, you are getting used gear. This means that there is a chance there will be some defects. Generally, you will find a grading system to give you an idea of what to expect when you get the product. Varusteleka does not supply a grade, but they do inform you that quality may vary, so they’re honest about what to expect.

The first thing that caught my eye was the Lowe Alpine style “Sting” rucksack. It has a few qualities that made it an excellent choice for me. It is constructed of a strong Cordura-equivalent, Infrared Reflective nylon in a Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM) camouflage pattern—very much like the old British
DPM, and like the old American Woodland pattern.

The lid to the pack has a large pocket to store items you need to retrieve quickly. That was the one defect in my pack; the zipper was not closing properly. A quick search on YouTube, and a pair of pliers, and it was functional again. The front of the pack has rows of PALLS/MOLLE to add pouches for extra gear.

The main compartment has a sleeve for a hydration pouch, but it is otherwise just a 60-liter tub that you load from the top. There is an additional twenty liters in the “rocket” pouches on the sides of the pack, and they were the asset that most sold me on the pack. They are removeable by zipper, and once
removed, they zip together and become a day pack with the included backpack straps.

The pack itself has an adjustable suspension system, comfortable shoulder straps, and a good hip belt to help make the bag comfortable to carry. There are variations in the packs—mine has daisy chain straps under the rocket pouches and on the top of the flap pocket that allow for more attachment
options.

Being that I live in Texas, I feel like the 80-liter pack is big enough for my needs and helps me avoid overpacking. If you want to carry more there is also the “Saracen” rucksack, which is just a 120-liter
version of the Sting.

The rucksack is where I will be carrying most of my bug-out gear, but there are tools that I may need to access while on the move. Trauma kits, various tools, compasses, and the like should be kept easily reachable, and a Load Bearing Equipment (LBE) vest will make that easier. It made sense to me to stay with the Dutch family of equipment for a Bug-Out Vest.

This series of Dutch surplus includes a modular vest that I find superior to most surplus LBE on the market. Like most modern gear, it is a PALLS/MOLLE style vest that gives the user a lot of choice. It is highly adjustable to fit most people. On the left and right front of the vest there are zippered pockets for maps and other flat items. Inside the rightside pocket is a holster for a small pistol. The MOLLE webbing covers the entire vest, front and back, to which you can add pouches for gear. They can be found in green, black and DPM.

Varusteleka carries a wide selection of matching pouches in assorted sizes, and for different uses. I bought two three-magazine pouches, a small, general-purpose pouch, and a first aid/admin pouch from the gear selection. I also bought an admin pouch, a trauma kit pouch, and a tool pouch in OD green from Condor. All these pouches fit on the front of the vest. It leaves the possibility to add more pouches to the back of the vest, but in my case, I will be using the rocket pouches for short trips away from camp.

The Dutch gear is proving to be of excellent quality, and functions as expected. Despite their reputation, I have been using Condor gear for years, and I find the quality to fits my needs just fine. In the next issue, I will start discussing what is going into the system, as well as a first-line belt kit. Your mileage may vary, but I am happy with where this set up is headed. The Dutch equipment is popular in Great Britain, and you can find some excellent reviews if you look on YouTube, so doing a little further
research will be easy.

Sources:
Varusteleka Oy
https://www.varusteleka.com/en
Hankasuontie 11 A
00390 Helsinki

The Electric Bike has been around for a while now and is based on the bicycle. An e-bike can be propelled by pedal power and by a small electric motor. There are many different options of this E-Bike available today. These E-bikes can carry weight and people who are not in the best physical shape many
miles on one charge and the batteries are small enough to be able to be recharged in many ways.

The bicycle has been a very popular mode of transportation across the world for many years and the new advances in lithium battery technology is making the E-Bike a close second to traditional bikes in popularity.

The bicycle is used to both transport heavier loads than you would want to backpack from place to place and for years a fringe group of travelers have used them to bike pack across countries around the world. The Vietcong used bicycles to transport loads of supplies around the country of Vietnam during the Vietnam War and did it very proficiently. In recent years US Army Airborne units have dropped in behind enemy lines with large loads of gear and folding mountain bikes to transport them to their targeted locations. Some of the armored vehicles would have mounts on the outside of the vehicle to fold and mount the bicycles once the troops assembled with an armored unit. European units have used bicycles over the years to transport infantry units and gear around their AO’s. The bicycle has a very long and effective history of being used as a way to transport people and loads in a speedy and efficient manner over the years.

The E-Bike is just the next generation of this mode of transportation. With the smaller power requirements and ease of recharging it makes a more efficient way to accomplish what the pedal bicycle has done for many years. The E-bikes are designated in classes in the United States and have different capabilities that differentiate those classes of e-bike. Class1 E-Bikes are generally under 750-watt motors and pedal assist only. These E-bikes don’t have a throttle but use a speed sensor to engage the electric motor when the e-bike is under motion. The assist modes are normally set to various levels of power put to the tire which will decide how fast the e-bike will go. These assist settings can be set in 1 through 9 levels on most e-bike controllers. Most Class 1 e-bikes don’t go over 20 mph but this can change depending on the rider’s muscle abilities and health status.

Class 2 E-Bikes have both the pedal assist option and a throttle only mode. You can ride these like bicycles to conserve battery life and like an electric moped with the throttle only. They are still limited to top motor speeds of twenty-eight mph. They are still limited to a 750-watt motor, and this is probably the most popular type of E-bike on the market.

Class 3 E-Bikes take the motor wattage up to 1000 or even 1500-watt motors. Otherwise, they have the same functionality as the Class 2 E-bikes do but with more torque and power. The Class 3 E-Bikes have limitations as to where you can ride them throughout the US.

That is the end of the E-Bikes but there are more options out there which would be classified as Electric mopeds and all out Electric motorcycles but that is for a different discussion.

These E-Bikes are normally built on much larger frames than normal bicycles are. This is to take in consideration that they are heavier and also have a lot more torque put to the frame when under electric power. A lot of these E-Bikes also run 3 or 4-inch-wide tires which really perform well in off road conditions and snow and ice conditions for which they do get used.

The size of the normal E-Bike battery lends itself to many recharging methods. AC or DC can recharge these batteries, and this would include solar and wind and solar generators to restore the E-Bike battery to full charge in the field. They operate in two normal configurations. The more expensive ones will have mid drive motors which are located in the crankcase where your pedals are located. This type of drive system can use the bikes drivetrain and sprocket gears to propel the bike and therefore use those gears to get more speed or power to the wheels like your legs would do on a normal bike. The second type and normally lower priced E-bike configuration is the hub motor E-Bikes. These have their motor contained in the wheel hub and don’t use any of the gearing of the chain and sprocket system you use when you pedal to propel the E-Bike. They are more of a direct drive type of system. These are normally less expensive to buy, and there is actually less to fail in the drive system. There are some E-Bikes out there that have two hub motors and are sold as AWD type E-Bikes. They will burn more battery quicker, but they will also normally be able to pull or carry more weight.

Once you find an E-Bike you are comfortable purchasing then there is a small learning curve to using and maintaining the bike. As preppers we seem to be more inquisitive to how something works and what can go wrong and there is no difference with the E-Bike. The chain needs to be cleaned and oiled, the brake cables need to be adjusted as you put miles on them, and the brake pads should be replaced at least annually. You will need a tire patch kit along with an air pump and tire tools and extra tubes. The main things that will fail are tires and the chain. In most cases you will need to outfit your E-Bike with racks, paniers, bags, and maybe a trailer to use it for a prepper vehicle. You may want to armor up your tires to help keep them puncture free and waterproof your battery connections and controller box as many of the commercial E-Bikes will not come waterproof.

The E-Bike is a solid way to transport yourself and up to a couple hundred pounds of gear in a SHTF situation. It is nimbler than an automobile and one of the most proficient EV methods of transportation available to us today. They are being used in hot and cold alike conditions by normal people all over the country and the world. Snow, ice, hot desert, or monsoon humid environments have all been faced by the E-Bike and with proper knowledge and precautions it has worked for those who
have made the trip.

So, with all of this said which E-Bike should I get? Well, that is a very individual decision and has some scrutiny based on one’s income and planned uses for the E-Bike. The hub motor E-Bikes start around $1,200.00 and the Middrive E-bikes start about $3,000.00 and go up from there. I have started with hub motor E-Bike and am happy with my decision. It has some shortcomings, but it also has merit. You start with a lower investment and start to build your system as you have more money to work with. For most Preppers this makes more sense as one you don’t know how much you will use the E-Bike in your day-to-day use and what you will be happy with as you make the first investment. One other side note on the hub motor E-Bike is when more money becomes available you could add a front hub motor to the E-Bike and complement it with a completely secondary E-Bike drive system. This could be used as an AWB when pulling heavier loads up hills and give you a completely secondary drive-train system if the original hub motor fails when you really need the E-Bike to get out of a situation. Below I will list some of the many manufacturers and dealers you may want to contact to look for an E-Bike for your SHTF plan. Most of the E-Bikes are made outside of the USA or made from parts from outside the USA at this time so dealing with a dealer inside the country may be worth the slight added expense.

Take a look around and find an E-Bike that will work for you and your family and load it up and get out on and off the road to see if this is a game changer for your packing out in a SHTF situation.

Related Links

• Himiway.com
• RadPowerBike.com
• RamboBikes.com
• LectriceBikes.com
• TrekBikes.com
• Mod-Bikes.com
• MontagueBikes.com
• khsBicycles.com
• SunSeeker.bike
• SurlyBikes.com
• CoffmanOutdoors.com

What do you do If you have to make a run for it? For most preppers the plan is to grab the bug out bag and head for the door. There are almost as many ideas on a BOB as there are preppers and we all try to figure out how to best set one up. One idea on how to carry survival gear that has been around for almost as long as there has been an Air Force is the survival vest.

I have experimented with survival vests for a long time, but I never would have thought of a Bug Out Vest. One of Creek Stewart’s Pocket Field Guides has got me thinking on that track now. One of the big advantages of a survival vest is that the weight of the gear is spread out and easier to carry and it keeps gear handy while keeping your hands free.

Wrapping my head around a bug out vest took a little work, so I bought a copy of “Pocket Field Guide: the Bug Out Surivival Vest” from Amazon. In the past I viewed the survival vest in much the same way as a small survival kit, in fact I have had a Vietnam era Air Force Survival Vest hanging in my closet for about 25 years now that has served that purpose well. It has carried a basic survival kit with the tools to see to my survival needs and is for unexpected emergencies on day trips and the like, but it may not be the best tool for a bug out situation.

I am rebuilding my bug out equipment plan right now so I decided to explore new ideas. I reread a lot of the material that I have on hand and bought new books to gather new ideas. I found Stewart’s “Build the Perfect Bug Bag” to be a great resource so when I came across this Pocket Field Guide on the vest, it grabbed my attention.

The Pocket Field Guides are a series of short, concisely written guides to specific survival topics. In this volume you get a step-by-step tour through the process of building his bug out vest. The lion share of the 82 pages is devoted to choosing the base vest. I have vests that match some of the ones that he suggests already, including a Dutch molle-style vest that matches the Bergan-style backpack that I am using to build my BOB and a chest rig like the one he shows in the bonus section of the book.

Ideas on vest choices make up the largest part of the book because it is the most complex part of the process. The sections on what goes into the vest is less complex because this little book is about choosing the platform and suggestions on the supplies and equipment that should fill it. Think of the rest of the book as a starting off point.

Each subsequent section gives a brief run-down of items to cover the basic survival areas Shelter, Water, Food, Fire, Frist Aid, Rescue (Signaling) and Tools. When you are building any survival kit you should consider the items in a guide you are using as suggestions and adjust as needed. That being said, the lists in each section are quality products worth considering.

While I have a hard time seeing 3-days supplies on a vest set-up, Stewart makes a compelling argument in this guide. A vest like this would be far and away better than nothing. For me, this vest set-up makes a lot of sense as a second-line kit. In military terms, the Second Line are the basic survival and self-defense tools that are carried so that the soldier is always ready.

For our purposes as preppers, the second line is the first layer of a bug out plan. It is an important tool once you get to your bug out location and must venture away from base camp. A vest like this gives you enough survival gear to unexpectedly be away from base camp for a night or two. It should make it easier to do the work you need to do by keeping your hands free and distributing the weight more evenly about the body.

I am following the guide in building a second line vest kit that will sustain me at a basic level. I bought the Dutch tactical vest from Varusteleka in Finland for the purpose. As an aside, ordering for Varusteleka is an easy and quick process and the prices a fair. The Dutch vest is of MOLLE style and so far, I have had no problem attaching pouches from Condor to it, so I think that most MOLLE style pouches will fit.

One of the nice touches in the Field Guide is a chapter on how to properly use MOLLE. Doing it right will make your equipment more secure. With the variety of pouch styles that are available now, a MOLLE style vest makes a lot of sense. The book does not take defensive weapons into account, so you don’t get suggestions in that area, but you get examples of other pouches to use for various kits. I am thinking that a MOLLE vest is the way to go. This way, you can customize the vest in a way that works for you.

The kit suggested in this book fits my BOB plan very well. Creek Stewart’s “Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag” has been one of the guides that I am using for my new BOB, which represents the third line of my preparedness bug out plan. When I discovered this guide the description made it look like it was a good guide to building a general second line kit. I am pleased to say that I was right.

When I get the new kit finished, I will post a video to show you how it comes out. Until then, if a survival/bug out vest sounds like a good plan, the "Pocket Field Guide: The Bug Out Survival Vest” is a place to start.