If you had $100 to spend on something to help you survive outside of society the most. What would you buy or suggest to buy?
A small medical kit, tarp, paracord, a couple bic lighters, Cree mini flashlight with spare batteries, a water pouch, a good knife and some freeze dried meals. That should eat up most of the $100!
Go to your local flea market and see what you can save some money on? I have gotten backpacks for 3.00, tents for 10.00, and sleeping bags for 5.00. And these were, in very good shape.
This may sound odd, but with $100 I'd get a tablet computer for about $50 and a multi tool. With the tablet, a free internet connection and YouTube University you could cover all your needs quite quickly. From home constructed water filters, self defense implements, shelter making and foraging you could be self sustaining very quickly. I've actually got an old I-pad dedicated to the 100's of free Kindle books on every aspect of homesteading and self sufficiency.
Knife, spare knife, steel striker, waterproof container (for tinder kit), fishing line and hooks, good machete, tarps and long johns. Moss makes excellent toilet paper.
It depends on where you are located... Some places water is easy to obtain, some places not. I would say a good book to start. The book will teach you skills and if you find a waterproof one even better. But the basics. Knife, cordage (550), canteen kit (cooking kit/water container), a lighter (because I'm lazy/ but a striker ranger strapped to your knife for backup) a poncho/waterproof tarp. My 2cent...
Looking at the lists of everyone else, I realize I already have most of these things. Definitely would hit up an Army/Navy surplus store and pick up a good mess kit or three. 550 cordage would be on the list, for sure. Perhaps a solar charger, as I have a lot of good apps on my Blackberry (even though I hate that phone). Have collected knives/edged weapons since I was a kid, so we have knives (and more) covered. Got lighters/strikers covered. Tarps...? Ok, I should get one or two more, probably. Would love to pick up a good bow or crossbow, for hunting, but that would be a tad over $100...
http://www.amazon.com/Spectre-Compa...F8&qid=1454252251&sr=8-1&keywords=Specter+bow This is a good breakdown bow, if you mix this with some breakdown arrows you have a compact hunting kit that will fit in most map cases. I know this because I have one in a kit already, with some 3mm 55 gal drum liners, 550 cord, a multi tool and a fire kit, all in a case with a few other trinkets.
It depends on what you mean by "survive" and "out side of society" but one all around tool that can help you make many things such as fire tools, shelter, other tools, weapons and many other things is a good machete. It is the one and sometimes only tool taken into the jungle by indigenous peoples of Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Africa and many Islands of the Caribbean. It's my first choice, good footwear is next.
Very good point, Anaconda! And I like the emphasis on good. Nothing worse than being put in a situation where you need to rely on a tool, only to have it break or fail on you. Hmmm... Thinking about it, I need to replace mine...
Buy first a good quality kniffe much can be done with knifei i prefer a sheath knife even good lock blades break
Agreed. Had a good lock blade fail on me a couple of months ago, and it resulted in an impressive cut across my thumb. Was a great blade, until the lock failed on me. Best knives for SHTF scenarios (IMHO), camping, survival, and other situations is a good fixed blade. Folders can serve as a backup, or for light duty chores, but I will always use a fixed blade as my go to blade.
As i posted somewhere before i always here on me a old timer 3 blade pocket knife a 8in buck sheath knife and my leatherman multi tool. These are allways on my belt daily dont leave bedroom without them
Sounds like me. I carry an old 4 inch Buck, a good folder, and my Gerber multitool. In the car, I keep a tool bag with 2 fixed blades, as well as a small emergency tool (axe/hammer combo). And my BOB has 3 fixed blades, wire saw, folders, couple of axes, and more.
Watch at markets yard sales auctions for a brace and bits buy all bits you see that fit your brace i have gramps set and they are a handy tool to have
A small to medium grubby looking second hand pack cheap as! Soda bottles for water free Large stainless mug A heap of matches sealed in plastic A small multitool A cheap hand axe A few emergency blankets A large green fly sheet! A can opener A hand auger 1/2-3/4 inch With this you can build shelter, catch water, make fire, boil water, cook food, catch food, hide well and defend yourself! A shiney new pack says money something to be had! a grubby old pack says arse out of pants/broke nothing to steal!
Very good points, Arkane. I also stay away from camo packs/gear/clothing. With all the media hype lately, when the SHTF, people are going to see camo packs, and immediately assume "prepper" or "military", which (in both cases), means "they got stuff I don't, or want, or need..." No sense in making ourselves a target. I recently transferred the bulk of my medical supplies to an old Dora the Explorer backpack that one of my girls used to use. Most people won't immediately think of going for such a bag, thinking it would have anything of value. Prep smarter, not harder!
True, but even out in the country, some people (especially those leaving the cities), could see it as "military", in which case, the end result is the same. A lot of folks will be trying to leave the cities, and generally speaking, these are the types of people you probably would never want out in the country to begin with. LOL
I live on the outskirts of a (very) small rural town, camo is very much working gear here and nobody looks twice at anyone wearing it.
Lucky you. Hopefully you are rural enough that you won't have to worry too much about city folk pressing in on you when SHTF.
no, I am rural enough, a couple of hundred miles away from any big city and there are loads of other places that they would have to pass through before they got anywhere near here. this place isn't well known out of the local area and outside of farming folk.
Yard sales auctions are great dont buy cheap buy well made stuff thats going to work and last dont forget a file and stone to keep tool in workung order here dollar tree store has matches candles first aid supplies alot of useful stuff for a buck those prices you can have more than one kit and have a bulk supply at a low cost
There is some good second hand stuff out there, old butcher knives are the best in my opinion. Belt axe/hatchets are usually easy to find. Survival stick bows are pretty easy to make once you find the right timber. Second hand knapsack like the old "made in China" ones are usually inexpensive. Learn some skills, check out my video channel & other people's videos on youtube. Skills weigh nothing. Keith. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEOMSZJETfj3GnoyONuvCQ?view_as=public Gear on a budget on my blog: http://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/gear-on-budget-videos.html http://australiansurvivalandpreppers.blogspot.com.au/search?q=equipment+&+supplies
A water filter, I like the Sawyer mini at 20 bucks, A multi tool, small fishing kit, ferocerium rod, Cold steel bushman.
You can never beat a good sheath knife and hatchet combination. Mankind got along using those for centuries before the guns were ever invented. Once you have a sheath knife and hatchet you can make a spear and later on a bow and some arrows to go with it. So one thing leads to another.
Saw a video on utube he said for 6.99 the harbour freight machete he got was one of the sharpess nicer ones he found lol i got coupon to buy it for 4.76 im going to get one just to see
It would make sense to use your $100 with a survivalist mindset, make sure you get the most possible for your dollars. Shop at garage sales, car boot sales, closing down sales etc. Look online for outdoor items going for reduced prices. If you move around and stay friendly you'll be surprised what you'll be able to pick up cheaply or just have people give you. A well off family with no desire to holiday outdoors may basically give away top notch camping equipment they've only used once.
Plastic bags have many uses Mama. If they are large enough you can use them as; a ground solar still, covering green flora like tree & bush branches. Covering yourself to keep you dry. Covering a shelter. Smaller bags can be used to; carry water, contain foods, cover wound dressings, & used to wrap your feces in so it can be disposed of in deep water so as not to leave any scent for tracker dogs. Probably more uses too but I am crook at present & my brain is on go slow!!! Keith.
I'd like to better outfit my kayak, and maybe pick up another one. I live right on the water and there are quite a few little barrier islands that I can get to quickly and easily. I always have enough supplies to survive for at least 2-3 days anytime I go out on the water just in case something goes weird or wrong, but I'd really like to step that up to about a week at minimum. Worst case, those little islands are places I can get to but a lot of other people can't.
I love being on the water Tessa, A close friend & I used to go historical trekking on the Great Lakes in winter. Sadly there are no navigable water courses near us as we are in the mountains, though I still have my period style boat. Water is a great way of escape, especially if you only travel after dark. I really wish we had that option close-by, but on the other hand there are advantages to being in the mountains. There is a creek part way down the mountain that we could easily get to, & IF it were running at the time we could use it. I think it is a great opportunity for you to think more on this & kit your watercraft out really well for survival use. Keith.
$100 won't take you far these days, but if you purchased second hand, then you could get a great deal. Guns & bows are expensive unless you make your own, so I will leave those out. Good blades I think are essential, so I recommend a good butcher knife along with a couple of back-ups including a good clasp knife. A tomahawk in my opinion is equally as important & experience has taught me that a belt axe is better to carry than a machete. A fire steel & a tinderbox will give you fire for the rest of your life, & fire is important. Some form of water container is also a must, you can not always guarantee that you will find water. A good belt pouch which again you can make yourself from second hand leather purchased from an op-shop, the same goes for a knapsack. Those all cotton made in China knapsacks can often still be found. A basic fishing tackle kit is also a good idea. Brass picture hanging wire is not expensive & the 7 strand wire is good for small game. A good rope would also be a good purchase, or you cam make your own. Ideal for trail snares for larger game like goats & pigs. That should get you started, along with a decent medical kit & some trail foods you are on your way. Keith.
A good knife is the most obvious, plenty of dry non-perishable food, a canteen of some kind, a paracord, a tarp and maybe some reliable and long lasting way to make fire if you're not good at any of the natural and old fashion ways of doing it (this is the newbie section after all!).
First thing I would buy is some kind of cheap swiss army knife. Knives really come in hand with a multitude of things when trying to survive out in nature. You can use them to skin animals, cut and carve wood, defend yourself, etc. I would also probably by a lighter to easily make fire, a bottle to keep water in, and a little bit of food such as rice. I think I could survive outside of society off of those things as it would let me build a shelter, help me hunt for food, and keep me safe and warm at night.
