Are you prepared or are you rolling the dice? Be honest.

[Sgt12XU]

In light of recent events in the Bay Area (couple lost in snow), I decided to put this video out there for people to chew on. Talking points if you will. If you’re going off-grid to play, you need to take some precautions. Are you prepared?

This video is the intended for the lesser experienced and trained. It’s not a complete guide, but more of a conversation starter or a gut check...depending on your level. A lot of topics were left out intentionally. Perhaps follow up videos are justified later.

EDIT:
I think I’ll redo the video to be very clear who my target audience is for that vid (the lesser trained, lessor experienced, lessor equipped, etc.). I should expand more on some topics and reduce the discussion of others. It was a limited first effort that wasn’t completely organized at a level I’m satisfied with or presented as well as I’m capable of.

[/B]

 

[Correus]

Yes, yes I am.

 

[Sgt12XU]

Yes, yes I am.

If you answered that quickly you probably didn’t watch my video. Take the time to give the whole thing a watch. There are some questions in it only you can answer to youself.

 

[Correus]

If you answered that quickly you probably didn’t watch my video. Take the time to give the whole thing a watch. There are some questions in it only you can answer to youself.

It's the same basic info I've been taught through the military as well as through the various classes I've taken for emergency preparedness via CERT, DHS, FEMA and so on. Same basic info I was taught for long range, vehicle dependant, travel, recon and such.

 

[Wanderlost]

Nicely done, a great list of basic info that all newbies need to hear. The production quality is good, the narration is easy to listen too, it kept my interest.
One suggestion; I'd like to see you make a playlist on your channel with individual videos explaining in detail all the points you're making in this video. I think it would play well.

Great job!

 

[CSG]

I believe I am prepared for most but not all situations. Then again, I generally don't do things that would likely get me in trouble. I remember a story about a family from Oregon some years back who took a drive in the mountains during winter and got stuck in the snow. The husband decided to leave the vehicle to seek help and died from exposure. The family stayed in the rig and survived.

In the back country, I see two basic scenarios, one where you're with your rig and one when your on foot away from your rig. The latter presents different challenges than the former.

I should add, one is rolling the dice everyday, prepared or not. Even when you've prepared for everything you can think of, sometimes you roll snake eyes.

 

[TreXTerra]

I think so.

Tool Box:

• Basic hand tools
• Socket set
• Large socket for something major, like a CV joint
• Breaker Bar
• Bottle jack
• Tire plug kit
• Service manual
• Assorted wire, hose clamps, JB Weld, etc. to bodge a solution together
• Fuses
• Jump starter

Recovery box:

• Snatch strap
• Recovery strap
• Rated Shacles
• Folding snow shovel
• Shovel
• High lift jack
• Various high lift jack accessories.

Bug Out Bag:

• Life boat rations
• Packaged water
• Water Filter
• Knife
• Compass
• 5-50 cord
• Fire starter (three kinds)
• Basic survival tools

Coms:

• Cell phone with portable power pack
• 2M 75W ham radio
• CB Radio

Other:

• Paper maps
• Tarp for emergency shelter
• Wool blanket (x2)
• Light blanket (usually used for the dogs)
• Tent stakes
• Axe
• Emergency knife/window breaker/seatbelt cutter
• My GPS can be removed and will run on battery power

My Brain:

• I always let people know where I'm going and when to expect me back.

 

[Correus]

No matter how much training you have, no matter how much gear you have, no matter how "prepared" you are for everything - you are never completely 100% prepared. Sometimes having too much gear with you can even become a hindrance.

One of the primary pieces of kit a person needs is their own mindset. It doesn't hurt to learn how to become a "MacGyver" either. Learn how to think outside the box in an emergency situation. Don't completely rely on "stuff". Basic outdoor and survival knowledge like you learn in Boy Scouts is good.

There have been too many times entire vehicles, complete with gear, have been lost with no hope of accessing the gear inside. There have been many times when people have been well prepared and have found themselves stuck, with no hope of reaching it and end up cutting a body part off.

Don't get me wrong, everything in the vid is good, and you'd be insane to go on certain treks without at least the basics; yet too many people come to rely on gear and are clueless without it.

Fortunately most people will never be in such situations.

An example from the video - changing the tire. First off, if you don't know how to change a tire perhaps you shouldn't be doing this. Learning to change a tire when the weather is nice, it's daylight and so on is one thing; take it to the next level. Change your tire at night when it's freezing; do it during a torrential storm; and etc. Learn what to do if you can't change the tire - what are your options.

Most important of all - know your limits, mentally, physically and knowledge/skillset wise.

 

[Renegade]

More prepared than he (video) is.

For a guy who claims MIL/LE background, he completely forgot preparation to deal with predators.

 

[KonzaLander]

The fellow running the chainsaw in shorts made me queasy. I think that is a good example of thinking you are prepared, but in reality are not. A set of chaps will pack very small and should be in the same kit as the chain saw, just as a winch line dampener is in the recover kit.

Otherwise, the video was easy to watch and did provide a few points for me to chew on.

Personally, I always prepare myself to the best of my ability for the trip I will be going on. If I am not familiar with the use of a certain item, I leave it behind until I get the proper training/understanding of it's use. As mentioned above, I believe proper mental preparation is the most important piece of the puzzle.

 

[smritte]

Not bad. Some of the best points are practice things before you learn you don't know how to do something. Knowing how to change a tire is fine but, have you ever tried it with the tools in your vehicle. If you lifted your vehicle the stock jack may not be enough. The custom rim's could mean your lug wrench may be too thick and you cant fit it through the holes in the rims. Same with the high lift jack you added. Ever change a tire with it? Using the items in a safe location is a must.

Once in a while I take off for an over night trip without throwing any real gear in my vehicle other than a couple of sleeping bags. I use the equipment and food I store there. If I find myself wanting a different piece of kit, I write it down and add it in when I return. If I have something that end's up being not needed, that comes out.

Only one time in my life did I find myself in a bad situation. Cool head and patience is what got me home. I never went out again with out the basics.

Scott

 

[Sgt12XU]

More prepared than he (video) is.

For a guy who claims MIL/LE background, he completely forgot preparation to deal with predators.

It’s not a complete guide but more of a few talking points fot the unprepared person who thought they were prepared. I’m armed and can deal with wildlife and people with hostile intents but that’s beyond the scope of my short video. Make sense?

 

[Correus]

That's one of the good things about threads like this - they get people to talking and thinking. It helps to hone one's teaching skills. We get so use to things we forget about them because they become so basic, a no brainer for us, yet we often forget they might not be basic to others.

 

[Sgt12XU]

It's the same basic info I've been taught through the military as well as through the various classes I've taken for emergency preparedness via CERT, DHS, FEMA and so on. Same basic info I was taught for long range, vehicle dependant, travel, recon and such.

My point is you didn’t watch the video before quickly replying. It happens, I get it. It’s all good.

While I was in the service, I trained and deployed with a lot of special units (and I was in one). I kept an open mind and was always picking up new things from others. How to shoot better, how to move better, how to plan an op better, how to lead better, etc. I never thought I knew everything. Same thing on patrol in law enforcement. It’s impossible to learn everything, even in 30 years. There’s always a different way to do things and something more efficient given a unique situation. We all learn, even from those that we don’t expect to learn from. I don’t expect you to learn from my very short overview video, which was geared toward somebody who really wasn’t prepared (the novice) and has the wrong mindset. The video is a conversation starter for some a gut check for others.

 

[Sgt12XU]

The fellow running the chainsaw in shorts made me queasy. I think that is a good example of thinking you are prepared, but in reality are not. A set of chaps will pack very small and should be in the same kit as the chain saw, just as a winch line dampener is in the recover kit.

Otherwise, the video was easy to watch and did provide a few points for me to chew on.

He never ran the saw. He just helped by picking up the cut pieces and moving them out of the way.

 

[Sgt12XU]

Nicely done, a great list of basic info that all newbies need to hear. The production quality is good, the narration is easy to listen too, it kept my interest.
One suggestion; I'd like to see you make a playlist on your channel with individual videos explaining in detail all the points you're making in this video. I think it would play well.

Great job!

Perhaps a five part series is in order. Good suggestion. This newbie video was more of a gut check for those that really never thought of things in the right way.

 

[KonzaLander]

He never ran the saw. He just helped by picking up the cut pieces and moving them out of the way.

Ah, you are correct. The video clipping initially led me to believe that he walked in from the left side. Watching at a higher resolution also helped define the odd clip. Nonetheles, my comment about chaps remains a concern.

 

[Sgt12XU]

Fortunately most people will never be in such situations.

An example from the video - changing the tire. First off, if you don't know how to change a tire perhaps you shouldn't be doing this. Learning to change a tire when the weather is nice, it's daylight and so on is one thing; take it to the next level. Change your tire at night when it's freezing; do it during a torrential storm; and etc. Learn what to do if you can't change the tire - what are your options.

I saved a guy and his girfriend in Death Valley last year. They had a flat on a Tacoma and were stuck at the Racetrack. His jack was broken. He didn’t have the tool to lower the spare. No compressed air to pressurize his spare, which was flat. He was screwed, which meant so was his girl. I stopped and helped him. I used my tools, my jack, my air compressor, and my know how to get them on their way. That guy needs to watch my video. I lightly admonished him but I don’t think he got it. Without me to save him, who knows what would have happened. The other tourists that showed up were just as unprepared as he was.

I agree that extreme training yields better performance, but the video was more that Death Valley fool. You know the type.

 

[Correus]

My point is you didn’t watch the video before quickly replying. It happens, I get it. It’s all good.

While I was in the service, I trained and deployed with a lot of special units (and I was in one). I kept an open mind and was always picking up new things from others. How to shoot better, how to move better, how to plan an op better, how to lead better, etc. I never thought I knew everything. Same thing on patrol in law enforcement. It’s impossible to learn everything, even in 30 years. There’s always a different way to do things and something more efficient given a unique situation. We all learn, even from those that we don’t expect to learn from. I don’t expect you to learn from my very short overview video, which was geared toward somebody who really wasn’t prepared (the novice) and has the wrong mindset. The video is a conversation starter for some a gut check for others.

You can skim videos rather quickly you know.... no offense intended but most tend to be the same... there are dozens on here like it. Several of us on here have had military training as well as advanced military training, mine was SOF/PSYOP. Did a lot of work with operational/contingency planning and OPFOR.

 

[smritte]

I saved a guy and his girfriend in Death Valley last year. They had a flat on a Tacoma and were stuck at the Racetrack

Things like this are not uncommon. I cant even count the number people I have met who have never had a flat in their life and just assume the used vehicle they bought would have everything to change a tire. "why should I worry, I have AAA". I had a similar situation on the Dusey Trail. 3 people in the group and no one had a socket that fit his lug nut. His spare was not only flat but had a locking lug that he didn't have a key for. Sigh.

Props for you for making the video. I only wish I had the time to do something like that.