This article was originally published by Jeremiah Johnson at Tess Pennington’s ReadyNutrition.com
Tess is the author of The Prepper’s Blueprint: How To Survive ANY Disaster
There’s quite a bit of gear that I buy that is expensive. This is an abbreviated list of things that it is best to go with quality first: if you can find a deal, then do so, but not at the expense of the item’s quality being substituted. Some examples are firearms, optics (for daytime or for night-vision), cold weather gear, foot gear, snivel gear (sleeping bags, one to two-person tents), and blades/knives. These items you should always go with the best and with the type that is optimal for you to use effectively. In the interests of survival and adaptability, there are some instances where you can (and should) use something not so pricey if it will foot the bill.
One area you may wish to invest that is within your budget is gear that you can stow due to its collapsible nature that will help you out when you need it when the going gets tough. I’m talking about more than a “mess kit” for your food, or a sleeping pad for under your sleeping bag.
I’m referring to nylon bags that you can stow in your vehicle, in your backpack, or even keep on your person.
When it hits the fan, there’s going to be a tremendous amount of disorder. In this case, we’re putting English Property Laws and the innumerable, uncountable laws of the United States, its states, counties, towns, neighborhoods, etc., aside. This is information you will need for a disaster, for a collapse, or TEOTWAWKI (The End of the World as we Know it), i.e., “this is the end” pat phrase. There will be a tremendous amount of stuff laying around, or stuff that you are going to need. Scavenge when you are able, and use the nylon bags to do it.
You can fold these things up so that they will fit inside of your back pocket. There are a few different types to choose from. I’m going to put some photos up for you, so you’ll have an idea of what I’m talking about, right off of Amazon.com.
Here is one type, listed as Liberty Bags 8882 Large Nylon Drawstring Backpack (Amazon link). You can pick up a 6-Pack of these things for $14.
The reasons this one is perfect? It is portable and collapsible. It has those two backpack loops that can either be worn or tied off to the outside of a backpack. What is the use? Oh, I don’t know…like maybe as it was in Hurricane Katrina when the cops permitted anyone who needed food to go into Wal-Mart and load up on canned goods and packaged food. You get the idea: this is better than just trying to grab a whole bunch of grocery bags and “wing” it.
In addition, you can “tag” and categorize them…one bag for canned food, another for OTC meds, and so forth. No, really! When it hits, let them send you a bill! You can pay them in Federal Reserve Notes…or leave it out for them. Leave your card on the counter…you won’t be needing it later.
You can put one or two of them in your backpack, one or two in the car, and maybe even stick one in your briefcase or work bag. Hey, guess what? You may need to clean out your desk and office, and there you are…voila! A bag to load all of your stuff in. If you listened to me, I’ve been writing for years about how you need an emergency food supply at work for your office or locker. When it hits the fan, you aren’t going to abandon that food…and with this bag, you can cram all of it in there, tie it off, and hoof it.
They had a few more types listed there, but this one looks the best for the money, and for what we would intend to use it for. Then when you’re in a safe area, you can download your stuff into something a little more rugged. Depending on how many are in your family/tribal group, you may wish to order a couple of sets so that everyone can have two or three bags. They are not expensive, and you can also use them for a few other things. Suppose something carrying food either breaks or is crushed? You can transfer the stuff to one of the bags.
If equipment goes down (as it is prone to do) you can use these bags as backups for your main backpack or load carrying gear…until you can effect repairs and bring them back up to speed. Another thing is footgear. If you wet the footgear and have another pair, you can stow the wet pair in one of these bags…nylon will not be worse for wear…and then dry them out later. You’re only limited by your imagination. I have a couple already, but I’m going to pick up a half a dozen of these…as they’re not something you find out in the stores that often. Stay in that good fight, and fight it to win. JJ out!
About the Author
Jeremiah Johnson is the Nom de plume of a retired Green Beret of the United States Army Special Forces (Airborne). Mr. Johnson was a Special Forces Medic, EMT and ACLS-certified, with comprehensive training in wilderness survival, rescue, and patient-extraction. He is a Certified Master Herbalist and a graduate of the Global College of Natural Medicine of Santa Ana, CA. A graduate of the U.S. Army’s survival course of SERE school (Survival Evasion Resistance Escape), Mr. Johnson also successfully completed the Montana Master Food Preserver Course for home-canning, smoking, and dehydrating foods.
Mr. Johnson dries and tinctures a wide variety of medicinal herbs taken by wild crafting and cultivation, in addition to preserving and canning his own food. An expert in land navigation, survival, mountaineering, and parachuting as trained by the United States Army, Mr. Johnson is an ardent advocate for preparedness, self-sufficiency, and long-term disaster sustainability for families. He and his wife survived Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Cross-trained as a Special Forces Engineer, he is an expert in supply, logistics, transport, and long-term storage of perishable materials, having incorporated many of these techniques plus some unique innovations in his own homestead.
Mr. Johnson brings practical, tested experience firmly rooted in formal education to his writings and to our team. He and his wife live in a cabin in the mountains of Western Montana with their three cats.
Tess Pennington is the author of The Prepper’s Blueprint, a comprehensive guide that uses real-life scenarios to help you prepare for any disaster. Because a crisis rarely stops with a triggering event the aftermath can spiral, having the capacity to cripple our normal ways of life. The well-rounded, multi-layered approach outlined in the Blueprint helps you make sense of a wide array of preparedness concepts through easily digestible action items and supply lists.
Tess is also the author of the highly rated Prepper’s Cookbook, which helps you to create a plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply and includes over 300 recipes for nutritious, delicious, life-saving meals.
Visit her website at ReadyNutrition.com for an extensive compilation of free information on preparedness, homesteading, and healthy living.
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Here’s a thought, why not make them yourself?
“…in Hurricane Katrina when the cops permitted anyone who needed food to go into Wal-Mart and load up on canned goods and packaged food.”
Or, loot one. (sarc)
I WILL NOT ATTEND ANY FUCKING “HOLIDAY PARTY”
IT’S A FUCKING CHRISTMAS PARTY
I WILL NOT BUY FUCKING “HOLIDAY COOKIES”
THEY ARE FUCKING CHRISTMAS COOKIES
SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS MOTHERFUCKER
Eisenkreutz, I’ll wish you Merry Christmas anyway. At least I know where I stand with you.
https://www.amazon.com/MARATHON-WW194003BK-Mechanical-Military-Sapphire/dp/B01M1N82SS
FIELD WATCH
Because most people don’t know how and these are cheaper.
That was my first thought. Upon checking JoAnn Fabric online, one yard of ripstop nylon is $7.99 (many colors) and you could get several bags because it’s 60″ wide; a yard of cording is $2.49 (you’ll need around two if doing the backpack version) but get twice that to make better use of the yard of ripstop; grommets or even grommet kits are also available for around $8. A spool of plain white thread is $4.99.
Now for around $25, you have several bags in the size of your choice and made to be backpacks, totes or stuff-sacks depending on your desire.
I sew; I could make these in my sleep and they’d last near forever. Maybe it’s a business I could start. 😀
That’s the spirit! Maybe you could sew on patches for school groups or clubs so they are customized as well? Plus advertise they are American-made not by Chinese slave labor.
Still cheaper to buy these ready made. If you want to be little susy homemaker or miss Martha 2.0, by all means, go for it.
Cheaper to buy Chinese slave labor! Get with the program.
I refuse to be bullied by idiots like you. Good attempt. Move along.
Who knew that the mark of being a prepper was the ability to buy Chinese slave labor items? Hey don’t learn how to do anything, just let some Chinese peasant make it!
Wow who knew that prepping was so easy! It just takes loads of CASH and throw out morals and ability!
Yeehaw! Your kind of prepping is for rich people. Hey, I get it. Buy all the meat you need and never go hunting! Don’t waste time gardening, just buy food! Don’t build furniture, just buy it because your time is worth more!
Well, I’m better at making things than spending money. Plus the item can be made to my specifications instead of generic.
And, no, it’s not necessarily cheaper to purchase ready made. Careful shopping can land great deals. Also, it’s possible to go to a used item store or even yard sales to find the materials in another item that can be repurposed.
There are many ways to source the materials cheaply and save money for things I can’t produce on my own.
As a power plant guy who worked with former “snipes” I heard the term, “Carrying a light sea bag”, Navy jargon for someone who is nuts (crazy) or very dim witted. These look like sea bags.
Those bags look useful but I have something even better. I’ve got a few of those military-issue duffel bags. PLENTY of space for hauling whatever you can find to help you stay alive. Army-Navy stores have them or go online. Or if you prefer something smaller, the sporting goods stores carry similar bags to the one above, either smaller or larger depending on your needs. Any size duffel bag would work depending on what you’re going to be looking for. There’s plenty more choices out there than those nylon bags. Nylon will only hold so much weight. I prefer the military-issue duffel bags which are canvas but that’s just me.
Deplorable Renegade, great comment. I also have 2 of the military-style duffle bags. My bags have adjustable straps so they can easily be carried like a backpack. The bags are huge so I would have to carry them in a relay-style evacuation because I couldn’t carry my framed backpack at the same time.
CANVAS ISN’T WATERPROOF
Too heavy. They stand out as military. Hard to dig through to find stuff at the bottom.
Ask me how I know.
PD, there is a smaller and cheaper alternative known as the old military issue tool bags. They come in large and small. They’re made of the same canvas material. The smaller ones will work for medical supplies and other small items and also have a separate compartment on each side. The large tool bags will work for larger items. And both are cheaper than the duffel bags. While they might ‘stand out’ I don’t see that as an issue.
It used to be common practice for military veterans to get hired as craftsmen and they would routinely use military issue tool bags. They often had been techs and mechanics in the armed services. I reckon they still sell them at Army surplus stores.
i got one of them……and i just cant seem to fold it right so it fits in my pocket…….just sayin’.
BTW, i keep a bag full of plastic bags in the car, and i can testify, they come in mighty handy at times.
Maranatha, that’s correct. Those stores still carry them Wouldn’t hurt to pick up a few. In fact, I have a couple that are getting holes in them so I’m going to pick up a few new ones this weekend.
Yeah, I have an old German butt pack with a shoulder harness I have had from my college days. I dyed it black. It’s what I used while I was a student in Rome. I remember standing, overlooking the Coliseum, with a professor, and one of the women discovered she had been pickpocketed.
That old ugly bag I had wasn’t even worth anyone sticking their hands in because it made me look poor. It didn’t have any labels, either.
Many people don’t like the military or LE. FFS some of them are here on this board! Looking pro-military or pro-LE could be a problem, depending on where you are and who you run into. So, yes, running around with obvious military type gear could be an issue if you are trying to be a gray man and not stand out.
I’ve purchased a few of the mil-surp dry bags to keep clothes and other items dry.(Midway).
Me too. Water-proof for those times you want to feel dry and fresh!
I spect that you probably even use these nylon bags to stuff leaves and grass in to use as a pillow.
Buy some of these bags because “The Everything Bubble has officially burst” and it’s time to get the heck out of dodge!
I say this in part because of several things I’ve seen/read lately regarding the bond markets. Like this one “The Bond Market Has Frozen: For The First Month Since 2008, Not A Single Junk Bond Prices”. Banks cannot sell loans to secondary markets. Big news.
So, just click the Amazon link right? Yeah, ok…
paper or plastic?
In some places, stores charge $.10 for each shopping bag at checkout. I bought a little nylon bag that folds up into a strawberry. I used it once but it is really flimsy and small. I bought some insulated bags for $6.00 or $7.00 dollars and found them much better to use and they keep the cold stuff cold on hot days until getting home.
I think I would rather go with a stronger bag, like the kind you use to line a hamper and carry laundry.
_
Question for you, B.
Are little plastic bags blowing around on the side of the road near you?
I always see them stuck in trees and fences.
Or a pillow case
Great advice hurry and by some more Chinese garbage that will fail when you need it the most
I like it. Small, unmarked, can throw on as a backpack or over the shoulder. Cheap and light. Better than garbage bags.
I bought this claymore mine bag a while back. It has two compartments. I put shotgun slugs in one side and buckshot in the other. It’s always with the shotty. It has a little chart attached to the flap that show you how to set up claymores. Bought a usgi improved duffle bag. It has a zip along the side instead of the top load old style. Still has the backpack straps. The zipper is beefy nylon ykk and there is 4 compression straps that go ove the zipper evenly spaced. Got it for $40 like new shipped free. This bag can hold all your shit with easy access and you can fit a long gun in there too. Best cheap bag I’ve found yet that won’t fall apart.
I still have my jansport backpack from highschool black with the tan suade bottom. It says made in USA and not one thread is pulled. It’s probably rated to haul 15 or 20 lb but I’ve had about 30 in it most it’s life. They still make them but I don’t think they are as well made anymore. It is well used and don’t look like a military bag so it don’t raise suspicion. I’m surprised the zippers still work. Hard to believe a 24 year old backpack is still holding up. Even the nylon seems different than the stuff they use nowadays.
camo is everywhere now, and i just don’t see a reason to avoid it to “avoid suspicion”. military gear is so very useful, and usually holds up better that most other made-in-china crap.
BCOD, damn right about military gear. I’ve got an old ALICE pack with the frame I bought back in 1998. I just use it for storing some medical supplies. 20 years old and it’s still just as good as the day I bought it. I don’t give a rat’s ass about ‘suspicion’. Give me military gear any day and I’m just fine.
And make sure to be a good slave and buy if from Amazon for fucks sake.
@F_Amazon. I hear you but facebook, youtube, and the other sites were built by forward-thinking Commies. Conservatives could have built their own sites. Instead we were content to sit on our thumbs and enjoy using the work of Commies.
At least Matt Bracken and Z+ have got FreeZoxee.com up and running for patriots. It’s awesome! Get the word out. Dump facebook and youtube NOW!
These bags can be found for free or very cheap like a garage sale or goodwill.Just picked up a free one at a sporting event from the National Guard. Overall, these bags are flimsy and not comfortable to put on your back but they would serve a purpose when in a pinch and they don’t take up much room. Good idea to add a few to the car…just in case.
Back in the sixties, when some jeans were getting worn in the legs, then ladies made blue jean satchels out of them. It’s all hand stitching though as most sewing machines can’t handle denim. One can do the same as an insert in a bucket with a handle with many extra pockets to have a generalized tool kit. That’s way more handy than a regular tool belt as you can stow lots of little items like various fastners and wire lugs and wirenuts. Plus a drill and bits.
Nylon or some polyester can hold up well as exercise clothing as every guy who routinely exercises or runs knows. It can last years with minor mending especially if you hand wash it. But I sure wouldn’t put heavy items in nylon.
Buy various sewing needles especially in a semicircle as they can do rugged duty.
My sewing machine can sew denim just fine.
Jeans are more useful to wear, or for barter, rather than ripping them up for a stuff sack.
Apholstery needles are curved. FFS what part of people don’t know how to sew do you not understand?
Obviously you’ve never seen the old jungle fatigues that were made of ripstop nylon. Same for parachutes.
The article was about keeping small tote bags on hand for a grab-and-go situation, not about finding something that will last 50 years.
Oh I get it. You are too good to sew. Sounds great and manly until you need to sew in the field. Man, my mentors would have chewed me a new butthole if I had your kind of attitude. I gather that identifying wild edibles or cooking is women’s work too?
What a dolt.
Too good to sew? Whatever.
Times have changed. Yes, I can sew, but my time is valuable. It isn’t a matter of being “too good” to do anything.
You don’t know me. You don’t know my life history. So lay off the fricking guilt trip BS.
I plan on surviving and sewing a grab-n-go stuff-n-carry bag isn’t at the top of my priority list.
I like JJ. I have been a fan of his, for years. His ideas are practical and make sense.
If you want to recreate little house on the prairie, go for it. Like I said, I plan on surviving. Period.
I run from people like you. Know it alls. Little goodie-two-shoes that think you know the best way or the right way to do everything. FU. I’m an adult. I can handle my own business.
Foraging and cooking are women’s work? Says who? You? JFC lady, chill out.
I grew up knowing what was edible and what wasn’t. So what? That skill wasn’t limited to women, FYI. Nor was cooking. Or butchering.
Everyone worked, no matter their sex. Period. Chores were not gender specific. I grew up sewing, chopping wood, reloading, shooting, foraging, canning, crocheting.
Oh, let me guess, you thought I was a dude and you could slam me for dissing women? Hahaha. Ya. I do diss women like you. I was the oldest of four girls. I got to split and stack wood because there was no boy to do it. I got to shoot and reload because there was no boy in the family to learn. So I learned.
I hate know it alls like you. It’s the reason men have come to despise women. People like you that can’t get your nose out of other people’s business.
No dingbat, I’m a dude and you labeled me suzy homemaker. Grow up.
where i live all you got to do is just take a 5 minute walk, and you can pick up more clothes than you can carry home. i suppose there IS an upside to all these homeless people roaming around……no need to buy material, or rip up your wore-out jeans.
Q crowd is saying shortly after Christmas.
Don’t worry. Weed stocks are going to revive the economy. Uhuh.
Those bags are extremely versatile, I keep a pair of them in my truck at all times. Great for impromptu shopping trips, gun shows and other spots where you want your hands free but didn’t think to pack a bag beforehand. Also good for carrying a windbreaker when you are indoors and its getting too warm to wear.
The prepping community is in a tragic state if everyone just buys what they need instead of learnin’ how our ancestors made things. How frivolous can you get with your finances?
Hoss, if I lack something to carry stuff in, I will improvise with my shirt or make a basket.Can you ever imagine a Native American say, “Well, I lack a bag so I guess I’ll order one on Amazon…”?
Heck they used buffalo stomachs not canteens you know?
For 48 yrs thru 3 marriages I accumulated the best tools & honed my building & repair skills. Lost 3 workshops & almost everything recently. Still have my skills, & now instead of 500 tools I do everything with about 10 non specialized tools & crazy glue, gorilla glue, duct tape & baling wire, & a tube of silicone. Mink oil for my boots & my made in USA new balance black walking shoes. Buy sox & underwear new but everything else from SALVATION ARMY thrift stores.