I have many layers of planning in place (as should you). Not one "kit" or "strategy" fits every situation or circumstance. I have developed an overlapping plan which includes various "kits".

I approached every kit the same way...

1) Evaluate my needs;
2) Evaluate my environment;
3) Develop a strategy;
4) Develop a kit to help implement the strategy.

Everyone wants to jump from "I need to plan" to "build a kit" which is actually fine, because unless you live or travel in an "extreme" environment all of our needs are basically the same...

1) Tools = gun, spare mag(s), knife(s), basic gun maintenance kit, knife sharpener
2) Fire = 2x lighter, ferro, tinder
3) Water = stainless bottle, purification tablets, filter
4) Shelter = poncho, trash/contractor bag, space blanket, wool (hat, socks and gloves)
5) Cordage = 325 and 550
6) First Aid = CAT, QuikClot, moleskin, antiseptic, duct tape, sterile dressings
7) Navigation = LED flashlight with extra battery(s), compass
8) Food = prepackaged emergency ration, 22 firearm and ammo, fishing kit, snare kit

If you still have room in your kit add...

8) Luxury = polypro under clothes, gore-tex rain gear, improved shelter (to possibly include a gore-tex bivy bag and insulated blanket), more wool socks, mess kit, titanium utensil, additional flashlight batteries, additional food rations, expanded fishing kit.

Restated my concerns in EVERY environment (city to country) from a small black out to a full scale break down or invasion is....

#1 = Personal Defense
#2 = Exposure
#3 = Dehydration
#4 = Injury
#5 = Escape & Evasion / Travel
#6 = Nutrition

Since we can't carry a GHB, BOB, INCH around every day you have to prioritize your needs and start with the largest kit you can COMFORTABLY CARRY EVERYWHERE and build increasingly larger kits. For me this means...

EDC = knife, gun, spare mag, lighter, flashlight

Briefcase Kit = bigger knife, knife sharpener, lighter, space blanket, compass, suck-thru survival straw, water purification tablets, 325 cordage, small stainless tin, etc.

GHB = knife(s), basic gun maintenance kit, knife sharpener, 2x lighter, ferro, tinder, stainless water bottle, purification tablets, water filter, poncho, trash/contractor bag, space blanket, wool (hat, socks and gloves), 325 and 550 cord, CAT, QuikClot, moleskin, antiseptic, duct tape, sterile dressings, LED flashlight with extra battery(s), compass, prepackaged emergency ration, 22 firearm and ammo, fishing kit, snare kit.

Here is something we may all one day be able to carry as another "Layer" to keep us or someone else alive. First time I have ever heard of these.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown...its-first-soldier/#.V09YH9FHVWw.facebook

Gary, what do you personally prefer for the prepackaged emergency ration?

I've checked out Datrix, Mainstay and Mayday. For me, it comes down to which ones come packaged in the smallest portions when opened.

Mainstay.

I hate coconut, and most ER have a coconut flavoring. Mainstay tastes like a cheap lemon cake...which is completely acceptable.

I buy the 3600 calorie Mainstay, because it's broken into 9 squares. Each square has 400 calories ... Meaning you can eat one square for breakfast, lunch and dinner and satisfy the minimum safe caloric intake for a day (1200). Obviously you'll like be burning through 3x this amount in a survival situation, but at least you'll prevent systemic problems by consuming a min.

Keep freezer quality ziplock bags with your ERs. This allows safe storage after the foil has been broken. Think about losing 3 days worth of food because you slipped into a contaminated stream!

My intention is to keep two cases (consisting of 12 Mainstay 3,600 calorie rations each) in our SUV. This provides over 30 days of minimal caloric intake for my wife and I.

Every five years I throw out the cases, and replace. I threw away my last two cases in August 2015, but have not replaced them.

Mainstay Emergency Rations are heat stable, meaning the heat of getting cooked in a car won't cause them to spoil. I've eaten one after storing it in a black SUV for 4.5 years. It tasted like oily cheap lemon cake, but no ill effects were had by me or Mrs. Architect.

ETA: If the packaged doesn't look "vacuum sealed" then throw out the bar - it has been compromised.

Many people will say or think "1200 calories is about 1/3 of what you need". They are correct, but they've also not offered a better solution for long term heat stable calorie storage.

1200 calories from an ER coupled with a 22 rifle for hunting, a fishing kit, and foraging = staying alive for a long time.

I keep a minimum of 3x 3600 calorie bars in our "BOB". This means we can each go 9 days without any sort of outside caloric supplements. Add fish, game, and forage and this would equal my current daily intake of about 1,500 calories.

The physical exertion required during an emergency would greatly exceed my current somewhat static office life, but we're talking about survival not weight gain programs.

Interesting product!

Thanks Gary. I have leaned toward the Mainstay myself for the taste. I can handle coconut but Patty doesn't really like it, but we both like lemon cake. I had didn't realize the freezer bag thing (that's all we use) would take care of the problem of opening up a pack. AND with 9 "Sections", sounds like a winner to me!

BUT I wonder if we would be better served with the 2400 packs.
That way one pack would last the two of us for a day. OR if the situation demanded one pack would suffice for one person for one day.

Sharing a 2400 ration makes sense, but be sure to alternate between using a ration from each other's pack...this way if one person or pack goes down the other isn't disadvantaged.

Here's a checklist titled "The Ultimate Survival Checklist" in PDF format. Just to give Y'all some additional thoughts.

https://survivalcache.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/SurvivalCache-Survival-Checklist.pdf

That's a good check-list Randy. Folks can adapt it to their personal living situation and modify it into a portable emergency kit.