Bug out bags

[Kevin L]

There are a million ways to get water in a crisis. A transpiration still works well. You place a plastic bag over a clump of clean, non-poisonous vegetation, and bunch it up at the stem and seal with duct tape. A pebble should also be placed in the bag to weigh it down.

Water will condense inside the bag as the tree transports the ground water into the leaves for you.

Several small bags work better than one or two big bags.

Make sure that there is no bird ka-ka on the vegetation before you do this.

The tree is, generally, unharmed by this process as long as you rotate the bags every now and then.

It won't work with succulents (like cactus or aloe vera), but it will work with plants like cottonwood trees, mequite, and scrub oak (which are all found in the desert).

 

[user 7704]

There are a million ways to get water in a crisis. A transpiration still works well. You place a plastic bag over a clump of clean, non-poisonous vegetation, and bunch it up at the stem and seal with duct tape. A pebble should also be placed in the bag to weigh it down.

Water will condense inside the bag as the tree transports the ground water into the leaves for you.

Several small bags work better than one or two big bags.

Make sure that there is no bird ka-ka on the vegetation before you do this.

The tree is, generally, unharmed by this process as long as you rotate the bags every now and then.

It won't work with succulents (like cactus or aloe vera), but it will work with plants like cottonwood trees, mequite, and scrub oak (which are all found in the desert).
View attachment 8469

I didn' know that

 

[Gazrok]

For battery weight reduction, get rechargeable ones and a solar charger.
For ammo weight reduction, consider a smaller caliber firearm.

Have you considered just establishing some caches of stuff, vs. trying to carry all with you in a bug out situation? Seems you are really heavy into the first aid supplies. This especially seems like stuff you'd want cached instead.

 

[Gazrok]

Boiling water is still one of the safest ways to purify it. I'd trust a metal water bottle and a made fire, over using chemical purification stuff. I mean, I have it too...but likely wouldn't be using it. (the simpler method, a survival straw...)

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Robinjopo, just how heavy is it?

First thing I would nix would be anything that is in a liquid form, if at all possible. I would go with alcohol wipes instead of bottles. Iodine tablets instead of liquids. Dried food instead of canned ham. Anything glass, even small bottles. I would look at the duffle, how heavy is the bag itself?

Anything helps. It can be really hard to sacrifice something we think we need, though. It's a constant battle for me to see things that I think would be great, or potentially life-saving, and still not throw it in the bag, because I have a weight limit "line in the sand".

 

[user 7704]

Little different subject here, but I live on a Corps of Engineers lake and was wondering if I took lake water and filtered it in a zero water pitcher then pressure canned in jars would that be safe?

 

[Kevin L]

Little different subject here, but I live on a Corps of Engineers lake and was wondering if I took lake water and filtered it in a zero water pitcher then pressure canned in jars would that be safe?

Microbially, it would be safe.

Chemical wise?

Different story. PCBs, lead, mercury, and pesticides (especially organophosphates) may not boil out.

An activated charcoal filter may remove some of these contaminants, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Water is only as good as your source.

If you feel a need to store large quantities, look into BPA free drums that are made for the purpose, and use water conditioner (according to instructions) to treat the tapwater before storing it.

I store water by purchasing 1 gallon plastic bottles from Wally World and racking them up in milk crates.

I have a Katadyn filter, many survival straws, the makings for solar stills, and so on.

Water is all over the place here in South Florida, but much of it is pretty nasty and disgusting.

I even cringe at the idea of eating fish from the canals down here, and a lot of the salt water fish carry ciguterria and/or tetrodotoxin.

 

[Brent S]

I just re read this whole thread and one thing came to mind as the most valuable. Knowledge. With the water filtering ideas there were many different methods mentioned. Knowing of several different ways to do something is far more valuable than having one really good option. Being flexible, resourceful and willing to work with ever changing circumstances will get you further than having a bag full of gear.