Survival Notes

June 1996
Copyright 1995, 1996, George Riggs. All Rights Reserved.
This is an original work, not a reprint. All opinions are my own except where noted, and should be taken with a grain of salt regardless.
Currently maintained for public access as SURVL.ZIP in the library of Section 5 ("Earth Changes",) ENCOUNTERS forum, CompuServe Information Service (CIS).
First Upload - 9/95

Second Upload - 10/95. Added section "Gear to Carry Gear", corrected spelling and contents errors. Significant additions to 2.1.1, 3.2.
Third Upload - 11/95. Updates to sections 2.1.6.1, 3.2. 
Fourth Upload - 12/95. Updates to sections 2.1.9, 2.5, 3., 3.1, 3.2, 6. (Odds and Ends)

Fifth Upload - 12/95. Added sections 2.2.1 (Hunting,) 2.2.2 (Camouflage,) 2.2.3 (Fishing,) changed Contents, changed section 2.2, 3.
Sixth Upload - 1/96 Changes to sections 2., 2.1, 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.1.6.1, 2.1.6.2, 2.1.8, 2.1.9, 	2.1.10, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 3., 4. Section 3.2 became section 3.2.1, added sections 3.2.2, 3.2.3

Seventh Upload - 2/96. Added sections 2.1.11 (Packing,) 8.(Horses), 9. (Miscellaneous Notes,) changes to sections 2.1, 2.1.1, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.1.6.1, 2.1.10, 2.2, 2.5, 3.2, 3.2.3, 4., 5.
Eighth Upload - 2/96. Changes to sections 1., 2., 2.1, 2.1.1, 2.1.3, 2.1.5, 2.1.6.1 (sec 2), 2.1.6.2, 2.1.7, 2.1.9, 2.1.10 (sec 10,) 2.4, 3.1 (Notes,) 5., 9.

Ninth Upload - 3/96, Changes to sections 1., 2.1.5, 2.1.7, 2.1.10 (5), 2.1.10 (11), 4., 9.
Tenth Upload - 6/96, Changes to sections 2.1.1, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.1.5, 2.1.7, 2.1.8, 2.1.9, 2.2, 2.2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 	3.2.2,  3.2.3, 5., 6., Section 9 (Miscellaneous) became section 10, section 9 is now Making a 	Travois. Added section 3.4, Tools for the Long Term, section 2.1.6.3, Cold Weather Clothing, 	and section 2.1.6.4, Hot Weather Clothing. Added item 13 to section 10.
CONTENTS
1.	Situations
2.	Basics
2.1	Priorities
2.1.1		Water
2.1.2		Fire
2.1.3		Shelter
2.1.4		Medical
2.1.5		Food
2.1.6		Clothing
2.1.6.1		Basics
2.1.6.2		Rain Gear
2.1.6.3		Cold Weather Clothing
2.1.6.4		Hot Weather Clothing
2.1.7		Knives
2.1.8		Sleeping
2.1.9		Gear to Carry Gear
2.1.10		Miscellaneous
2.1.11		Packing
2.2	Weapons
2.2.1	Hunting
2.2.2  	Camouflage
2.2.3	Fishing
2.3	Hygiene
2.4	Training
2.5	Children

3.	Gear
3.1	- Small Kits
3.2	- Car Kits
3.2.1	- Daypack/Pistol Belt Car Kit, Single person
3.2.2	- Pistol Belt Car Kit, Married with Kid(s)
3.2.3 	- Backpack Kit
3.3	- Leaving In Style
3.4	Tools For The Long Term

4.	Non-physical Considerations
5.	Long Term Planning
6.	References
7.	Suppliers
8.	Horses
9. 	Miscellaneous Notes


1. 	SITUATIONS

I've followed survivalist stuff for a bit now, and one of the overriding beliefs I see is that everybody will find a safe haven, stock up, and ride it out in community and (relative) comfort, while the rest of the schmoes die in a variety of ways.
In my opinion, this is a foolhardy assumption. More on this in section 4., but the fact remains anything can happen at any time, from a terrorist nuke to an earthquake, tornado, or hurricane. You could be anywhere - your house, the store, visiting Aunt Jane 300 miles east, or a stuck car in the middle of nowhere. Making assumptions can get you killed. That isn't so good, but chances are you'll get others killed in the process, which is  kinda making a bad deal worse.
Since many of the people reading this are interested in "Earth Changes," I thought I'd contribute some ideas for those of us who may have to "bug out." This is a military term that is not usually mentioned, because it means (in effect) "to flee the assigned area, usually in a disorganized manner (see ROUT)" (my own definition.) I'm talking about people who, for various reasons (usually economic,) must live in a city to be able to make a living. If something happens to force you to leave, there will very probably be enough disorder to qualify for the term. Remember, you are trying to live long enough to learn to live.
This isn't that much of a hardware book. If you want gear lists, there are some below, but there are others in many of the books listed in section 6. There's almost no technique discussed. There are, again, many references written by experienced professionals. This book deals more in concept and in areas very few people admit as a possibility, such as having to care for children in a field environment. 
Don't treat what you see below as "instructions" or some low level of holy writ. It isn't. I'm not you - not your age, not your condition, not your experience level, and not at your house or job site. Our kids, if you have any, probably don't go to the same day care. I don't have your level of disposable income. When you look at the things we don't have in common, you can see the right way to use this - as a framework of ideas and knowledge for your own solutions. I like to think there are some hard-earned lessons here, that may save you from the same mistakes I've made, but remember - 
Do not ignore the wisdom of others, but also do not allow yourself to be enslaved by it.
2. 	BASICS

Keep in mind the stuff you are reading about below applies to a survival situation. It's you, maybe some friends and/or family, on the road or in the backwoods with no modern amenities to help, save what you bring with you. There is no house nearby to duck into if you get wet, no 911 if you get injured. That is why I say things that are otherwise absurd, like "Cotton kills in the cold." In a city or a backpacking trip on a summer weekend, cotton clothing is fine, I wear it myself, but that's not what we're talking about here. It is more like the dead of winter in the middle of nowhere - that cotton clothing gets wet, you're lucky or you're dead.
Another point is that gear replaces knowledge (to an extent,) and knowledge replaces gear. I have a friend I mention in 2.1.7 (Knives) whose major survival requirement is a good knife, although he wouldn't turn down a good flint stick. An old mountain man would die laughing at the greenhorn he'd see below, but I, and possibly you, don't know what they did, so I need gear. I expect a lot of it will hit the ground as I learn more - a lot already has  hit the ground, if you can believe that. The more you learn about what your needs are and how to address them (as opposed to wants,) I think you'll find you need less gear, or different gear, than you think.
Another basic concern is mobility, as in limits to same. Weather is a common limiting factor, so I'll handle it separately, but if you're in a car, the relevant limits are negotiable roads, load, and gasoline.  "Negotiable roads" can mean a lot of things, it depends on what you're driving, but think on this - unless you are leaving at just about the absolute first sign of trouble, there will be a lot of people with the same idea. Expect and plan for traffic jams, try to plan routes that will avoid them. People are creatures of habit - if they know one convenient way out of town, that's the one way they will most likely use, so forget interstates anywhere near a major urban area. If you can't  forget interstates or some other basic choke points (think about trying to leave Manhattan in a panic, for example,) take the car as far as you can and plan to abandon it.  That's right. When you haven't moved for 45 minutes and the road is a parking lot as far as the eye can see, dump it by the side of the road, get out, load up, and start walking. Plan for power outages, which will limit access to gasoline via pumps. And remember, the more you put into a vehicle the more gasoline you use and the more you strain the suspension and drive train - a 4WD vehicle loaded to the roof with people and gear will probably not handle steep roads or potholes well at all.
Foot mobility is a little simpler, because the limits are load and water, assuming you have some means of acquiring food as you go. Load is relative to your physical condition - an 80 pound pack on a 100 pound person who hasn't exercised in ten years will immobilize said person. Also factor in terrain. You can carry more, farther, faster, on flat terrain than on hilly terrain, and mountainous terrain is a bear unless you know what you're doing and are in decent shape.
The water limitation is more subtle. Population pressure, agriculture, and industrialization have pretty much obliterated the ability to safely walk up to a stream and drink from it without purification, so the need to be able to purify water adds weight and bulk to the load. Also, the amount of water you can carry and the speed you can carry it at defines how far you can get from a water source. If it takes 3 days to get from A to B, but you only have water for 1 day and no place to refill en route, you can't get to B, unless you can come up with an alternate route or a faster means of travel. If you load up with 3 days of water, how much has the load reduced your speed? Water is eight (8) pounds per gallon, plus the weight of the containers if you even have them - think about it. You may have to abandon nice, flat, hard roads and go stomping through the boonies just because there is no water near the road for 100 miles or so.
Then there's weather. Nobody minds a fair spring day, but rain, snow, and extremes of either hot or cold can really mess life up. Rain per se isn't that big a deal - you get wet, you keep walking. Makes it real easy to keep water in the canteen, too. Problem is, it also swells rivers, restricts vision, and softens soil. Make it cold, about 40 degrees F, and you have uniquely bad weather for a hike, capable of producing hypothermia with even a little bit of wind if you have no rain gear. We all know what happens with cars in rain regardless of temp.
Snow can be a real problem, because you can't, under a close to worst case scenario, bet the plows will be out, while places like TX will be a madhouse regardless. Crossing deep snow on foot is a heartbreaking experience. If you don't have and can't make adequate snowshoes (see "Made For the Outdoors", ref in sec 6,) if there are no cross-country skis, about all you can do once it gets waist deep or more (assuming it's unpacked) is to either crawl or, if it's a group, the trailbreaker has to flop (on their back, preferably) forward to pack the snow enough to walk on. Progress is measured by body length.  If it's less snow than that, it's still exhausting, because it's more like climbing than walking. Never try to travel in a blizzard - it's too easy to get disoriented, lost, or dead in a variety of ways.
Extreme hot weather follows the old advice about travel at night or the early morning. I don't care who you are or what you are, or what condition you're in, if you start walking in the heat of the day you are going to need lots  of water and electrolytes or you will get heat stroke/ heat exhaustion. It's a stupid waste of water and energy unless it is necessary, so hole up in the shade until the sun goes down. Needless to say, how well you can see at night plus the availability of water and shade all affect your ability to cover ground, almost always negatively.
Extreme cold is as serious a mobility limitation as heat, regardless of the presence or absence of snow. We aren't talking about 20 degrees F here, we're talking 0 or less, and don't forget wind chill.  First, the clothing required to survive it is not necessarily heavy, but it is bulky, so carrying it is a pain. Second, awareness is paramount. Hypothermia and frostbite are ever-present dangers, you can't just put your mind in neutral and walk. You lose some time just making sure your pace and level of insulation match - 'You sweat, you die" is the adage in Army Arctic survival training. Stops, especially in windy conditions, tend to become more elaborate - you may not set up the tent, but you'll want to get out a tarp. You'll also need  hot noon meals or at least hot drinks, so there's the time spent heating a cup of soup or whatever. This takes time, and time is distance.
A word about pace. A normal walking speed is about 3 mph. A person in good condition with a light load can beat this. A person who is facing a lot of "up hill/down dale", or is carrying a heavy load, or is out of shape, is not going to be able to keep this up for very long. You may not even get ½ mph, and there are some circumstances, such as heavy snow, where the pace is ½ mile per day. Unless you are literally on the run, it is more important to have a pace that is sustainable over a long period of time than to move fast. The faster pace will tire you faster, and you develop a sprint - stop - sprint style of movement that buys you nothing in terms of ground covered for a period of time. In fact, if you're dealing with layering, you will lose  the time spent adjusting your heat retention, while in hot weather you risk overheating. You will also become more tired, because the faster pace uses energy faster than your metabolism is used to providing it (I think I said this right.) Speed will come with conditioning - find your pace and keep to it.
Also about pace, plan for a day or two off once a week or so. You have to rest, hunt, mend things that need it, and take time to think about what to do next. At the beginning, as you try to put more distance between you and "the crowd," it may be a solid week or more on the trail. OK, but as time goes on, food runs low, weather changes, and the nice straight line to your objective may not be looking like such a good idea after all. Allow for this.
2.1	PRIORITIES

The topics are listed in rough order of priority of need. Now about setting  priorities...
The first priority is a goal. It may be as nebulous as "We'll leave in this direction, then settle down and figure our options," or as definite as a spot on a map. If you know where you're going to start with, that's a big plus. It gives you a route, defines resources and potential problems, and gives you a defined "we are almost there," which can be as important to reaching your goal as any piece of gear.
The second priority is a plan, which (if you are bugging out) must cover four very distinct phases. The first phase starts after you come out of shock and realize "It Is Time To LEAVE." This means you have to account for where you may be and what you will need to do to pull together last minute details before starting the journey to priority one, your goal. The second phase is short-term survival, what resources do you have, what obstacles do you face as you and yours try to leave the afflicted area. Next is medium term survival, which is you (+) on the open road to the goal. Again, try to account for possible obstacles and assets. Fourth, once you reach your goal - what next? What do you have to aid your efforts to reestablish yourself?
One thing people leaving a city on foot, bike, or by other non - automotive means tend to forget is, even you have to plan for traffic jams and avoid them. How do you think people are going to feel watching you and yours tromp along, fully outfitted, obviously  prepared, and equally obviously making progress, while they are sitting in a traffic jam, scared to death, with whatever they could scrape up at the last minute from their kid's cub scout days, plus a little more? People in our culture tend to think they need what's on your back, not what's in your head. Some will kill for that "pack of gold." Avoid crowds when you leave, I strongly suspect they will be highly dangerous.
Even if you are in a survival community, planning is still necessary.  How do you intend to treat stragglers and strangers? How likely is it you will need to defend the community, and what assets do you have to accomplish that? For that matter, what is the threat level (small groups of starving people, large groups, armed gangs, something else?) What items have you relied on that come from outside sources, and what substitutes are available? How well do you really know the surrounding countryside, and what it has to offer your community?
If the fit hits the shan and you are left with gear, a plan to leave, but no defined ultimate goal, life is more complicated. Where you are, time of year, current and expected weather, what kind of gear you have (especially how much water you can carry,) who's with you and their amount of gear, everybody's physical condition (what kind of shape are they in, what injuries, etc.,) the local condition (riots, road blocks, military involvement,) local knowledge (location of farms, parks, small towns, rivers, roads, railroads,) available transport (car, foot, horseback [don't laugh - there are stables not 2 miles from my suburban house], bike,) all these things count, and many of them count for the first option above. It's no fun to realize your destination is 300 miles away but you're on foot in the dead of winter (or for that matter, the heat of summer.) There are many factors to weigh and judgement calls to make here.
If you have no definite destination, pull out your map and look at it. You need water, food, fire, and shelter. It should be relatively remote from what's left of civilization (more than 150 miles from the nearest significant town or city, further (250 + miles) if near an interstate or main highway) and the route to it should avoid large metropolitan areas. If you have skills, like paramedic, woodworker, chemist, or whatever, you can try to approach a small  town - you have something to offer them, they definitely  have something to offer you. I would, however, advise prudence trying to make contact - scope them out and make sure they aren't shooting people out of hand, for example. If you decide the towns are too dangerous, pick a location and head for it. It gives you a purpose, and that's the biggest thing going.
DO NOT assume forests are "the place to be," especially at first. Everybody  thinks of them, and that's the problem - even if you only assume a 1% escape rate of unprepared, panicked people, that's 2.5 million  people running around the countryside. Put 10,000 of them in a nearby National Forest, and consider what's going to happen in terms of water quality (Sanitation? What sanitation?,) food supply (there just aren't that many squirrels, much less deer,) and local reaction (as a lady friend of mine once said, "Yeah, I was born in Paris, Texas. They shoot the umbilical cord off when a kid's born there.") Do you really  want to try to deal with ten thousand confused, manic, desperate people? Even one at a time? So be creative in deciding where to go. If the woods are your big thing, no problem. That ten thousand will probably be less than one hundred in one year. The statement is brutal, but it poses the opinion that leaving your home town behind is just the beginning, not the end. If you don't plan for both, you may make it to your destination, but you'll have difficulty surviving long once you get there.
Another basic aspect of setting priorities in a survival situation is "return on investment." If it costs you one ounce of sweat to get ½ ounce of water, or 1000 calories to get 800 calories of food, you're losing. You need to at least break even (OK, there are exceptions if you're trying to avoid a lynch mob,) and preferably improve things a bit. This means it makes no sense to load a pack with 100 pounds of gear, because unless most of it is food (which allows the pack weight to diminish as it's used) you are increasing your need for food and water (you need water to metabolize food.)
For survival on the road, less is more. More freedom of movement, more speed, more range. The more you carry in your head, the less paper and other "stuff" you carry in your pack or your pocket. You have to prune things down to what you need to survive in the conditions you expect to encounter, although one of the things you need is some stuff for morale. Yes, that's right, you need some stuff you don't need for physical survival. Part of the "fun," of course, is figuring out what you (and, if applicable, yours) need. Do not fall to the temptation to see "needs" as short term physical survival only. If things go badly, you will need to give thought to short term needs (a few weeks,) medium term needs (a few months,) and long term needs.  This means you need to plan for psychological, intellectual, emotional &etc. needs, as well as physical. There is no sin in carrying a good book, or planning a journal. Don't shun others simply because you meet them on the road. If you want to meet these needs, it might help to spend some time thinking about who you are, rather than what you are. The fact you may not be able to carry everything you need does not mean you can't plan other ways to meet those needs.  The body is not just a survival chamber for a brain. Remember that when you pick your gear.
Also remember, you aren't coming back, at least not for quite a while. If you can come up with a way to transport things more useful for the long term, like muscle power tools, do it. Even if you walk into a house that's in perfect condition, it's your home. You are going to be there a while, and that means you get to maintain it.  Look around, and think of what it will take to provide yourself with the basics for a week, a month, a year, longer....
The problems of longer term survival will be alluded to at various other places in this text. The equipment list later on will last you for about two weeks to two months or so for the consumable items.  That's food, medical items, and so on. Face it - you cannot carry five thousand rounds of ammo on your back, or one year of food, or an indefinite supply of water filter elements, or whatever. That just ain't gonna be. What you can carry is knowledge, so keep learning.
2.1.1	WATER

The ability to carry and purify water is vital. You can live for about three weeks (max) without food, but people have died in less than one day without water, and three days is considered tops. The US Park Service, for example, started demanding every backpacker going into the lower Grand Canyon in summer carry at least  one gallon of water per person in summer. They did this after several members of a church youth group died when their leader and several teenagers became deranged by thirst and walked off the side of a cliff. They had been walking in 100+ degree heat with no water for about half a day.
Don't think that heat is the only time you really need water. Cold climates can drain you of water almost as fast. Remember seeing your breath condense on a cold day? That's water from your body. Trust me on this one, dry cold can dry you out fast. Worse, people tend to not notice it's happening so they end up more prone to dehydration, hypothermia, frostbite, and other unhappy situations. On top of that, you get a massive  headache.
Another thing about cold climates, do not eat snow. It takes energy from the core of your body to warm it up, so at least melt it before you try to get it into your body. Melt it a little at a time, adding more snow as the last batch melts. If you pack a cup with snow, what tends to happen is the bottom inch or so melts, boils away without  melting any more down, and you scorch your melting pan while wasting fuel.
The recommended minimum consumption for cold/mild weather is 2 quarts per person per day. Hot weather can be brutal, requiring 1 gallon / person /day. If you don't have to piss but once a day, and/or your urine is dark yellow, you are getting dehydrated. Drink more water.  Also, keep your water intake constant. If you get real dry and "slam" a large amount of water all at once, you can literally knock yourself unconscious.
One thing, you don't know when or where things will start. One man told of needing his "bug-out bag" when his car gave out on a lonely road in upstate Michigan. He and his young daughter had to hike out, when he discovered an oversight - he had his bag, he had water purification, but he had no water and no source available for some time. Moral - the car gear gets 2 quarts of water, but remember to change the water periodically and DO NOT COMPLETELY FILL A CANTEEN IF YOU EXPECT FREEZING WEATHER DURING STORAGE. Remember, ice expands and a full canteen will be destroyed, so fill it about ¾ full. If the canteen water is frozen, take 1 canteen and put it under your shell so your body heat can thaw it as you walk. NOTE: I inadvertently discovered a bit of trivia about Army canteens - they do survive freezing when full. If you look at one, one side is convex, the other concave. When a full canteen freezes, the concave side expands outward, preventing destruction.
Purification is the other issue. Biologically contaminated water is bad news. Acute Giardiasis or dysentery can kill you by dehydration, typhoid and cholera are no fun, and so on. The choice is filter or tablet. For the personal kits, the real choice is which tablet.  Filters can go into car kits, but be aware that unless you are willing to carry some reasonably serious weight (7 pounds), none of the filters you find at the backpacking store will work on salt water, a consideration in coastal areas.
If you have to boil water for biological purification, the texts used to say ten minutes, then five minutes, now they just say get it to a rolling boil. Giardia cysts are destroyed long before that, but some viruses are more resistant. Also remember the boiling point of water drops as you gain altitude, so maybe 5 minutes at 5000 feet is not a bad idea.
Always get your water from the cleanest source possible.
One thing I've noticed about the purifiers, when they are in use there is no problem of keeping the inlet and outlet separated, but after you put them up, guess what - the inlet and at least some of its associated hose, which is still wet with contaminated water, can contaminate the outlet. Solution - carry a small ziploc bag. Before you consign the filter to its carry place, put the OUTLET into the bag and seal it as tight as you can.
Another thing about filters, pump them as dry as possible after you finish. Water left in there can start algae growing in some of them, and in all of them, if it's cold enough, the water can freeze and crack the filter element. That means you get unfiltered water the next time you use it.
Water from a purifier tastes "bleah." Real scientific description, I know, but it's the only way I can describe it. There's nothing wrong with it, it doesn't have a lot of the things in it normally associated with public water supplies, and it also has no air in it.  You can't get the public water, but if you stop when the container is about half full, cap it and shake it vigorously, you can at least get oxygen into it. Me, I just cope.
If you have food but no water, do not eat. Metabolizing food requires water. Yes, I did repeat this.
2.1.2	FIRE

Currently, in many "primitive" camping sites, it is illegal to start a fire unless you are clearly in a survival situation - you carry a stove or you eat Gorp. If you're running ahead of the crowd, the Park Service Ranger is your last  worry, so starting a fire is an option for:
•	boiling drinking water
•	warmth
•	cooking food
•	drying clothing (don't do this to polypro, it shrinks)
•	building your spirits.

Most of us start a fire (if we start one at all) the easy way - matches, fire starter or fire log, newspaper. In the wilderness, this can get a bit dodgy, due to the lack of things like newspaper, natural gas, pre-processed compressed wood logs, grates, chimneys, and such.
Still, it can be done. Gather your wood, then build the fire pit.  Remember to get ALL THE WAY TO DIRT if you are in a forest. If you just get down to packed wet leaves or pine needles, you may wake up a fricassee, as in a victim of a forest fire. For more specifics on pit construction, check the survival books in the references.
Technology can still help, there are a number of artificial flint/tinder sets on the market. There are small lenses available for daytime use, and for the truly trainable there are the old-fashioned methods of flint/steel (the commercial flints replace this) and fire bow. The main thing with the commercial flints is you now get to make your own tinder, which is easy if you remember a few basic rules:
•	NO green wood
•	Make small fuzzed pieces of dry wood that can catch and hold a spark
•	Even if the wood has been wet, down branches will be dry in the middle, so split them with 	your knife to get to the dry wood 
•	Keep the tinder out of the wind
•	Be patient
•	Practice.

Once the tinder is going, be careful not to add too much too fast.  You have to build up the base of the fire. As you add larger chunks of wood, remember a fire has to draw air from the bottom, so don't just pile wood onto the twigs and tinder you are hoping will start the whole thing. One way to do things is to lean 3-4 small logs together like an "Indian" tipi, with the tinder in the middle. You have to have an opening large enough to work the flint without knocking the whole thing over, or you have to know how you'll arrange things once the tinder is lit, but the method does work.
If you choose to take a stove of some description, it should be a multifuel backpacking variety. Face it, the supply of Coleman fuel will not be inexhaustible in the wild, but a stranded car may well be good for a pint or two of gasoline. Currently, Coleman (Peak 1 / Apex) and MSR about own the backpacking stove market, with MSR having (in my opinion) the best multifuel stoves on the market (Whisperlite International / XGK II,) although there is a multifuel Apex stove.  Triangia makes an alcohol stove, which has good long term possibilities ("white lightning," anyone?,) but alcohol is actually not a good fuel, it burns cold relative to just about everything else.  This also means Sterno is a waste of space and weight. Still, alcohol will be with us for a long time yet, and it's better than nothing.
Stay away from propane stoves. Easy to use and inexpensive, they have trouble in cold weather (pressure drop) and are going to be about impossible to refill.
2.1.3	SHELTER

This can be vital. You don't want to sit in the hot sun all day or sleep with the rain falling on you. The ability to hole up with some  cover can do wonders for morale at least, and it can save your life. Even the personal kits can carry one of those mylar plastic "survival blankets." They are not very durable, they make lots of noise, but they are much  better than nothing. If you are contemplating having to leave in winter circumstances, adding a tent to the car gear can make all the difference. Just be sure to get a good-quality backpacking tent - it can cost some bucks, but it's lighter and more durable than the $30 Sport City special. Be sure to seal all seams, and add a ground cloth. Usually a piece of thick plastic tarp, cut it to be slightly undersize. You want the tarp to prevent things like gravel from destroying the floor of your tent (which is one reason you never wear boots in a tent.) You want it slightly undersize because I don't care what waterproofing they put on the bottom, a tent is not a boat. Even two inches oversize will collect enough rain to pool water under the tent, which will seep through and get things on the floor (like sleeping bags) wet.
A further note about tents - There are "3-season" and "4-season" tents, which are the step up from "bivvy sacks" (more later.) Three season tents are lighter, have rain flies that are great for cold weather as well as rain, and are generally, in my opinion, far the best choice. Four season tents are bomb-shelters - designed to survive 100+ mph winds followed by burial in snow - literally. You see tents like this on K2, McKinley, and Everest. They also tend to be hotter - sometimes much  hotter - in summer and the strength adds weight. A good 3-season tent like a Sierra Designs Sphinx 2 was not cheap (~$230,) but, properly guyed and oriented, can withstand 40-50 mph winds. A good 4 season tent, if you insist, is the North Face VE 25 or the SD Tiros 1, and there are others just as good or better. Sierra Designs, North Face, REI, and even Eureka have good three season tents. The Absolute Top of the Line, No Holds Barred tents, which are both stronger and lighter than any "stock" tent, are either Bibler or Stevenson - and they cost like it, too ($500 +, for a two person tent.) I'll stick with SD, thanks.
One problem with cheap tents is ventilation - they don't have it. Not only do you cook in summer, it just so happens you give up about one pint of water every night from respiration. In cool weather, this will condense on the tent wall and rain on you, especially if it is humid outside. Makers like Sierra Designs, North Face, REI, and so on use what's called "double wall design." The bottom and the lowest 6 or so inches of the sides are waterproof fabric, but the rest of the tent is light weight mesh. When it gets cold or rainy you put on the rain fly, a cover of impermeable fabric. Condensation tends to form on the fly and drip outside the tent proper. Bibler and Stevenson tents are the "dreaded" single wall design because that's lighter, but they paid serious attention to adequate ventilation.
One more point about tents, you have the choice of "free-standing" or not same. Free standing tents, like most dome designs, don't have to be staked out to work. You can install the poles, then pick the tent up as a unit and move it about (so can the wind, so be careful,) shake out dirt and leaves, etc. Very handy. Not-free standing tents are lighter, but have to be staked out to work at all. In forest areas, no sweat, but unless you want to carry the 16 oz. hammer to drive the toughened stakes, avoid this at most tent pad sites, and good luck on solid rock. Also, pitching such a tent in the rain is no fun.
Yet another point about tents, unless it has a sizable vestibule (a covered area provided by the rain fly but outside the tent proper,) de-rate the accommodation rating by 1 to allow for reality. I'm sorry, but my Sphinx 2 is a 2-person tent in name only. The vestibule is vestigial, and I like my gear near me. I suppose if I was with someone I really liked I could take it for a while, but two people confined in such a tent for any period of time is torture - basically, you would have the space allocated by your sleeping bag, no more.
Vestibules can be nice in snow or rainy weather, if they're big enough to allow cooking, and some are that large. Mine on the Sphinx is useless for that with an MSR stove (I have no intention of torching the tent and its contents as a burnt offering to anybody,) but it could  work, WITH PROPER PRECAUTIONS, and only if necessary, with (drum roll please,) Hexamine tablets or the US Army surplus Trioxane fuel. The flame is not that large, the area affected actually quite small. If you're stuck in cold weather for days on end, this kind of compromise may be necessary, but DO NOT TRY THIS WITH ANY TENT UNLESS IT IS NECESSARY. And that's not just boilerplate for the lawyers, either. In areas where winter or malaria are significant survival considerations, jeopardizing your tent is jeopardizing your life, not to mention the fact plastic fires are nasty regardless of the season. A stove fired up in  a tent is a disaster waiting to happen, be it fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.
Now about bivvy sacks. This is, bar none, the lightest tent concept about. It holds you, your sleeping bag and pad, and a water bottle, but not much (if anything) else. It will have a hoop to keep the net away from your head, but it will have to be staked out to work.  Better than nothing, and probably a very good idea for soloists, but you have to be Houdini to dress yourself in one.
Try to pitch any tent or bivvy sack in the shade if you pitch during the day. The UV in direct sunlight will attack the nylon fabric and, over time, it will start to fray. This isn't a one month thing, more like six months to a year in desert conditions, but it's advisable to think long term.
The first place to set up either a tent or a bivvy is in the back yard or, if it's free standing, maybe in the living room. Yes, I have set up a tent in total darkness at five in the morning with hands half numb with cold, but I learned to do it on a pleasant afternoon. It's always nice to have a good idea of what goes where and how it works when you have the instructions and the phone for customer service in hand, before it becomes a problem at the camp site.
The first place to set up either a tent or a bivvy is in the back yard or, if it's free standing, maybe in the living room. Yes, I have set up a tent in total darkness at five in the morning with hands half numb with cold, but I learned to do it on a pleasant afternoon. It's always nice to have a good idea of what goes where and how it works when you have the instructions and the phone for customer service in hand, before it becomes a problem at the camp site. 
Tent stakes seem a kind of "why bother" subject, but the aluminum wire stakes normally supplied with new tents, even good ones, tend to be (a) weak, so they tend to bend easily in rocky ground, and (b) have indifferent holding ability in soft soils, which is important in high winds. The plastic stakes are reputed to self-destruct easily, but the ten inch nail stakes survive rocky ground (and park tent pads) well, while there is an aluminum stake shaped like a quarter moon, available from REI, that is stronger than the standard stake and holds well in soft soil. Be careful here, though, and be sure the stakes fit the stake loops on your tent loosely. If they fit tight, over time they will cut the stake loop, rendering it useless. About 2-4 nail stakes (they are heavy) plus some of the quarter moon stakes (for putting out guy lines for windy conditions) seems the best choice.
2.1.4	MEDICAL

You can now buy kits that will take you just shy of the ability to do minor surgery. For most people, this is a bad (and expensive) joke.  The people can't do CPR, they've never even read  a first-aid book, and their concept of the injuries they may encounter is limited to what's happened around the house. Sometimes, especially if they have kids, they've encountered things like broken arms and such, but (1) the ER was a short drive away, and (2) our society is so civilized you can't even guarantee people know basic things, like how to recognize a serious fracture. Fortunately, there are some good books for starters, then there are courses at community colleges for CPR and First Aid. Be advised you will not be allowed to enroll in the advanced courses beyond this unless you are sponsored by a hospital - it is assumed you will not get enough experience to remain current unless you are a paramedic.
If you have any special medical needs, plan for them. Carry extra medication. The pharmacies won't be open after the city closes down.
For longer term survival, a knowledge of herbal remedies can be invaluable. Supplies, no matter how carefully hoarded, will not last forever. Nature offers many alternatives to the drugstore.
Ideas for what to carry can be found in the references and in section 3.
If you build up a small kit, remember the basics you need to address - lacerations (cuts), sprains and fractures, burns and blisters, infection, analgesics (pain/fever relief,) wound cleaning, "bodily dysfunction" (severe diarrhea or vomiting can cause serious problems, even kill you, beyond the embarrassment,) vitamins, Lite salt or some other electrolyte replacement, and accommodation for any special personal needs. Don't forget - wounds need to be cleaned before bandaging, so set some things aside for the purpose.
I added vitamins to the list because you will need dietary supplements at first, if for no other reason than to support your immune system. Stress of any kind - temperature extremes, dietary, psychological, you name it - is notorious as an immune suppressor, and you will need all the help you can get to avoid sickness.
Electrolyte replacement for small kits is never Gatorade powder. Gatorade does taste lots better, but there just isn't enough "bang for the buck" that you can get out of a film canister of  Gatorade compared to the same amount of Thermotabs or Lite Salt, which has a good balance of sodium and potassium.
One thing about sun blocks - you can't carry all of it you need. Let's face it, the number of office jobs in a "brave new world" will be quite limited, which means working outdoors, either some of the time or all of it. If you do not have very fair skin, getting a "working" tan early on is not a bad idea, in spite of current medical opinion. Your skin manufactures vitamin D from sunlight (currently we get most of it added to our milk) and a tan does provide limited protection from sunburn.
2.1.5	FOOD

Always a subject near and dear to my heart. The standard advice is that survival food should be lightweight, low bulk, low fiber, and easily digestible. True, but even my car bag had a backpacker's curry soup in it before I changed concepts (it's now in the house kit.) Good food can brighten your outlook on even the most detestable situation. Just remember, any food you carry should take no more than 10 minutes to prepare. Longer than that and you risk using too much fuel in circumstances where it isn't readily available.
If you are "on the road," you are exerting yourself. The US Army has a base daily caloric intake of 2000 calories. Add 1000 calories if "engaged in heavy work" (such as wandering around for 8 or so hours with a pack on your back,) add 1000 calories for cold (not cool) weather, and yes, it's cumulative. That's 4000 calories for hiking in cold weather. That's a lot. Some people report losing weight while consuming over 5,000 calories per day (then there are those who do well at 1500 calories a day.) On top of that, you have to keep enough vitamins in your diet, especially C, to avoid dietary deficiency diseases.
The base criteria for the food you pack initially for the road are low weight, low bulk, little packaging, lots of calories, and nutritional balance. This lets out most canned food - it weighs a bit, the packaging is bulky and not really light, and the "lite" stuff is about useless - you want calories. Face it, this isn't an hour at the fitness center, it's six to eight hours (or more) a day of serious exertion. Ramen noodles can be put into a ziploc if necessary and used as the base for a meal. Lipton noodle and rice dishes (in the bags) are terrific starting points. Get rid of useless packaging before you hit the trail - it's weight and bulk you don't need. It isn't even good for starting fires in most cases. This is one case where the backpacking "Milkman"  powdered milk is worth it - tastes like (and keeps like, after rehydrating, so use it fast) real 2% milk. No kidding. Very handy with the Lipton noodle dishes.
Oddly one of the things most touted as a survival food source is one of the worst in some ways - Army MRE's. The entrees are nice, once you take them out of the cardboard box, but the full blown $6 (retail) package is bulky, heavy, and frankly mostly packaging. You get calories and nutrition, but the MRE was designed for long term storage, ease of manufacture, durability of packaging under field conditions, and resistance to contamination by CBR (Chemical, Biological, Radiological) agents. They aren't so bad once you remove the heavy plastic cover and get rid of some of the other extra packaging (note the foil bag labeled "accessory packet A" or whatever is not extra, as you'll discover when you open one,) but I'd rather have Mountain House than an MRE.
The food you start with won't last forever. Comprehensive herbals are invaluable for the vitamin side of the situation, as they can tell you about the nutritional value. Snares, fishing, and/or hunting for deer and other medium to large game where feasible will be the order of the day, because long chases for small game are out - too much energy expenditure. 
You do not need a lot of utensils and plates. I actually don't carry a fork - a knife and spoon worked for literally thousands of years, a fork is a luxury item. I carry a plastic plate for the kid when he's along, the wife eats out of the pot lid/frying pan, and I eat out of the pot. Saves a lot of cleanup. Freeze dried meals say you can reconstitute in the bag, saving even more cleanup, but the bags are prone to tip over, and it's hard to mix everything well. There is a cheap plastic mug for soup or coffee that I marked half cup levels with a file, plus a sierra cup for those occasions I need two cups, like after you make a drink and want to measure water for the meal.
Cleanup after a meal is utterly different than it is at home. I "dry camp" a lot - that is, I establish camps where any available water is too far away to be used for washing. I can clean up after three people (myself included) with less that ½ pint of water, including rinse, and that may get less. In places with clean sand (a beach or desert,) you can just use sand to scour out the pots. I'm rarely this lucky (dirt just doesn't seem to work, usually,) so I'll use a small spatula to remove as much as I can, then pour maybe one inch of water into the pot, along with a little soap. That is all the water I use, or need, to adequately clean everything including utensils. It takes about as much to rinse. Go easy on the soap, you don't need that much and soap is a laxative - bad news if you skip the rinse cycle. Don't clean up near too camp, because the food you toss with the water will attract critters.
Speaking of attracting critters, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, and assorted other sundry similar critters have been known to knaw through a pack shell to get to the food, so either bring the pack into a tent with you or make an anti-critter container using a section of PVC pipe or something similar, being sure to cap both ends. They also sell bear-proof food containers, but they are somewhat small (600 cubic inches small, 900 c.i. large) and weigh a bit (3 pounds small, 5 pounds large.) They do, however, reportedly work. Also make great camp stools.
Many people expect to resupply themselves by going back into cities or towns to loot the local gro and market. You can try, but it could well be a dicey proposition. When food delivery stops, the food riots will hit everything that even looks  like a store, with tremendous waste and destruction. Houses will be better, sorta, but be careful.  Not everyone or everything will leave. Packs of wild dogs could be a particular hazard.
2.1.6	CLOTHING

The first section deals with basics - boots, socks, underwear, and so on. The second section gets into the vagaries of bad weather gear, and oh, can it get vague.
2.1.6.1	BASICS

This can get interesting. Ideally, you should be dressed appropriate to the weather at all times, but what's appropriate for the weather and the situation is not often very useful if you have to leave. A professional is not really up to a five mile march, especially if you're a woman in heels. The problem is compounded if you are a train commuter in some place like the Northeast Corridor.
There are no easy answers here, but I can give you a few ideas.
1) Feet are your foundation. If you can't walk, you can't escape. This may mean that, as a train commuter, you carry some stuff in a sports bag "for the gym" or even just a pair of tennis shoes and socks in the briefcase. Car commuters have it easier, because you can put a daypack in the trunk with some selected items, including real hiking boots and socks. You want "real" hiking boots if possible because they have stiffer soles, which do a much better job of protecting your feet from rocks, roots, and uneven ground, and give better support when trying to ascend a steep face. Don't think mountains are the only time you'll have to climb a steep grade - think about trying to climb up the side of a dry riverbed. More on boot selection under training and in the reference section. One thing, and this will be repeated - allow for the fact your feet tend to swell slightly if you are on them a lot. Rough terrain also calls for good ankle support.
2) Next to shoes, socks are vital. They pad your feet, preventing blisters. They keep moisture away from your foot to some degree, which is an absolute requirement in cool/cold weather especially.  Remember to wear the socks you intend to use when you buy your boots - the sport socks tend to be thick, and can radically change the size of the boot/shoe you need. Avoid cotton socks - they make your feet cold in the winter, and tend to promote blisters in the summer, plus the difficulty mentioned in the next paragraph. You can also use very thin polypro liner socks with the normal sport socks - this is handy to help prevent blistering.
3) A hat is necessary. In cold weather, most of the heat loss comes from the head, neck, and the tops of your shoulders. In hot weather a hat is your portable shade. "The Complete Hiker III" has an excellent section on hats.
4) In cold weather you want more light layers, rather than two or three heavy ones. A shell (windbreaker,) sweater, shirt and polypro T-shirt is much better than a heavy jacket and a heavy shirt, because as you change activities your need for insulation changes. If you're bushwhacking (going cross country, not on a trail) you will be working hard. Too much insulation means you'll sweat, which gets your clothes wet, which can make you feel miserable and increases evaporative heat loss when you stop. Take off the sweater and put it in your pack while you walk, then put it on first thing when you stop. As one backpacker put it, "If you're comfortable at the trail head, you're way  overdressed." From experience, I'll agree - start to reduce your heat retention capability before you set out. In camp I wore a balaclava, shell, jac-shirt (a very heavy, lined shirt), heavy shirt, and undershirt - and needed all of it.  After less than one mile on the trail, the balaclava, shell, and jac-shirt were in the pack, the shirt and cuffs were unbuttoned, even the undershirt top buttons were open, and I still sweat some.  This in mid-thirties weather with high (50%+) humidity and a light breeze on a cloudy day, which makes for a "to the bone" cold.
Remember, the outer layer blocks the wind, the inner layer keeps any sweat you generate away from your body and begins the process of trapping air for your body to warm. Everything in between is just an air trapper.
5) Hot weather clothing needs to cover you to prevent sunburn, but also needs to allow ventilation. Thin polypro briefs work well here (if you wear that sort of thing) because they move sweat away from the skin so you don't feel like you're taking a bath. In general, loose fitting clothing works best. Cotton/poly blends work reasonably well in this environment.
6) Your experience in the wild will probably be neither sanitized nor short. That being so, you have to account for the ability to repair clothes, so get a small sewing kit together. Not necessarily one of those store bought "travel" sewing kits, which have a lot of brightly colored weak thread. If you get one, fine, but use it as a base to start from. Add a quantity of good thread so you can make lasting repairs to things like buttons.
7) Please be advised the wilderness is no place to make a fashion statement. Fit and function matter far more than color coordination.  That does not mean it (whatever "it" may be) has to look bad, but it does mean you need to set your fashion consciousness aside, which some people can find amazingly difficult.
2.1.6.2	RAIN GEAR

Gore Tex or impermeable fabric? Poncho or jacket? The decision may not be as easy as you think.
Jackets are nice. They are rain gear, windbreaker, and the outer shell of any cold weather layer system. What kind of fabric is another question.
Gore Tex is a permeable fabric - it "breathes," as long as it isn't blocked by mud or salt from your sweat. Each square inch has millions of tiny holes, each larger than a water molecule but much smaller than a rain drop. This is nice, because you don't have as much moisture build up in the shell when you're working - clothes tend to stay dry, rather than sweating them wet in the rain, although nothing really helps when it's 80 degrees F. Gore Tex comes in 2-layer and 3-layer. 2-layer bonds the Gore Tex to an outer shell material, such as rip-stop nylon, for mechanical strength. 3-layer bonds an inner lining, usually nylon taffeta, for better feel and better protection of the membrane. The 3-layer construction is worth it, being much more durable. When you buy a jacket, make sure it has zippers in the armpits ("pit zips") - the fabric can only  pass so much moisture.  Exceed that amount and you'll start to get damp, so the pit zips are crucial for ventilation.
Campmor's "Camp-Tech" is a recent competitor to Gore Tex. At least one user in the BACKPACK forum has used it under real conditions and says it's just as good as Gore Tex, and it tends to be less expensive. Beyond that one user report, I have no idea about durability, especially over time. Check it out.
The downside of Gore Tex is cost - My North Face "Climb Light" jacket, just a simple 3-layer shell, long, no liner, good pit zips, on sale for $169. This is a real  good price, since these jackets started (the model is discontinued) at $225. $350 is not uncommon for a quality Gore Tex jacket, and I've seen up to $500 (the US Army surplus ECWS stuff is reputedly quite sturdy and the prices on it are good.) Impermeable fabric rules the lower cost range, be it poncho or jacket. The Helly-Henson Squall Parka, actually a long shell with a hung taffeta liner, is about $80. A good jacket with few vices, the worst being the liner - it sticks out past the cuff with any provocation, and wicks rain inside the cuff.
But what about ponchos? They are light, inexpensive, highly compressible. Put a stick in the hood, guy it out, and you have a nice, small, well-ventilated shelter that was quickly set up. The downsides of ponchos, unfortunately, are several. First, nobody seems to make one from good fabric. Store it for a while and the plastic backing will stick to itself or crack, although some are worse than others. Second, ponchos are not that windproof. The fabric is, but they billow in the wind, plus the fact they are split down the sides, which makes for very poor insulation value.  Third, being so loose, they catch on things as you walk. If space is an overriding concern, get a decent poncho and tie it around you with string to keep it from flopping about too badly. Otherwise, invest in a good jacket.
2.1.6.3 COLD WEATHER CLOTHING
There is a lot of cold weather information scattered around this document, so I decided to pull some of it into one place. Not unsurprising - I've had hypothermia, and this tends to focus your attention on the difficulties associated with being cold.
Like anything else, you want gear that is as light and versatile as possible. As mentioned above, you want layers you can easily add or remove rather than a few very heavy items. Clothing items have to be able to dry fast, have good "warmth to weight" characteristics, be durable, and be as easily packed as possible. Let's start by looking at fabrics.
Cotton kills in the cold. Dry it's OK, but it retains moisture and loses 90% of its insulation value when wet, and it doesn't dry easily on its own in cold weather. Worse, evaporative cooling will hasten heat loss, leading to hypothermia and death. Cotton socks increase your chances of trench foot, a lovely cold-related problem that will literally rot your feet off, which is why you must keep your feet as dry as possible in cold weather. Soggy (not just slightly damp) feet plus cold weather plus time (one day, maybe less - check the medical refs) can get the problem started. Not finished, mind you, that takes time, but it is a bad idea to this thing started. 
Wool works when you can find it, but some people are allergic to it.  Polypropylene (Polypro, if you want to sound like you know something) wicks moisture away from the skin, dries fast, and has excellent insulation qualities. In general, you want synthetics or wool / synthetic blends for cold weather. Capilene and Thermax are two brand names for good cold-weather underwear. Down for vests and jackets have the highest warmth/weight, but they are useless when wet and take a long time to dry. If you may be thinking about very  cold weather in the future, a down vest might be a good investment for camp wear (pack it so it will stay dry,) but down jackets seem a bad investment to me.
To look at what the layers are or can be, let's start at the top and work down, from inside to out. The assumption is camp conditions (low activity,) 10 degrees F, some wind (5 mph,) exposed (not in tent - probably waiting for water to boil after setting up camp.)
Head:
Balaclava - It should cover the mouth and neck well, even moving around. You want to cover the mouth to allow some pre-heating of the air you breathe. Polypro is the best choice.
Hat - Should be possibly slightly oversize, to allow it to fit over the balaclava, but not so stiff or oversize it cannot fit under the shell cover.. Nylon is a good choice. Does not need ear cover, but it doesn't hurt.
Scarf - can be a backpacker's towel, a real scarf, whatever, very handy for adding insulation to your face, neck, tops of your shoulders, whatever.
Jacket - The hood. Windproof, be sure it can cinch down well to keep out wind from coming in around your face.
Eye Cover - The only non-fogging eye cover I have ever used (I've tried several that claimed they were) is some Army surplus  goggles. Great for lots of things like spray painting around the house, inexpensive ($12, 1996) effective, allows the use of glasses, light, handy in more severe wind than what we are talking about here, but will significantly cut heat loss in our hypothetical camp.
Body:
T-shirt. Long sleeve, medium weight polypro.
Shirt - Last time out it was cotton, against my own advice. It was also only a weekend trip, and I got lucky at that. I also have a wool pendleton shirt for the next winter run.
Jac-shirt - Cotton shell, polyester fill, quite windproof. I accept the shell material because the fill works and it's a good (Coleman) shirt. 
Jacket -  North Face Climb light shell. Three layer Gore-Tex, good pit zips, long enough to fit me to crotch level  (6'3") No longer in production, but a long jacket has its benefits, especially in the rain.
Legs:
Underwear - Cool-max briefs.
Long underwear - Medium weight polypro.
Pants - Campmor Rail Rider Weather Pants. Very light, quick drying, windproof. The windproof feature really works as long as it isn't too bad (over about 20 mph.) The cuffs have a velcro strap to allow them to be tightened up.
Overpants - For serious weather, consider getting a pair of nylon or Gore-Tex overpants. One more layer, more trapped air, very wind- and waterproof. They often have zip lower legs to allow you to put them on while wearing boots.
Hands:
Gloves - Double layer, shell over liner. Liner is reasonably thick polyester, shell is close-weave nylon with leather palm reinforcement. You can wear just the liners, just the shells, or both together.
Overmittens. - Available from people like Outdoor Research, frequently Gore-Tex, some are quite sturdy. Used a lot in more severe weather, because mittens retain heat much better than gloves - less surface area for heat loss.
Feet:
Liner socks - can be thin or thick polypro.
Socks - I just use Thorlo Hiker socks. Works for me, even in hot weather. You may want or need more.
Boots - Normal high ankle hiking boots. Be sure they don't fit too tight with your sock combination, or your feet (starting with the toes) will get frostbite from lack of adequate circulation.
Gaiters - If you expect to be doing a lot of walking in snow, nylon gaiters can keep the bottom of your pants legs from getting soaked. Also useful walking in tall wet grass in less cold circumstances.
As you can see, real cold-weather gear can be a lot. When it's winter and you are wearing it, you hardly notice it because the weight is evenly distributed around your body. When it's summer and it's on your back, it can be real hard to remember that in six months you'll need it very badly indeed. Choose wisely what you carry and what you don't at the start.
2.1.6.4 HOT WEATHER CLOTHING
It occurred to me after a while that I address cold weather quite a lot, but I live in Texas. Hot weather, sometimes very  hot weather, is a fact of life around here. Being a fact, you almost never think about it. Well, that isn't too bright. If things go up and it's summer, I may have no choice but to leave in the middle of a scorching day, and keep going for at least a while. Water and electrolytes are big enough problems, but I know people who have been sent to the hospital for sunburn - no kidding. One close call to this fate was a good buddy of mine, and I was there when it happened. We were on a river, he was wearing shorts, and he never bothered to reapply sun screen (this in the days when sun screens were mostly alcohol based.) Looked like cooked lobster some eight hours later. Not good - ended the trip for him.
If you have to leave, sun screen is a precious resource. There isn't enough in an eight ounce bottle for three to six months under normal circumstances, so you have to conserve by wearing the right clothing. That means hats, long sleeve shirts, and long pants. The pants and shirts should fit loose to allow for ventilation, while the hat has to both cover your ears and the back of your neck at least reasonably well, while allowing adequate ventilation. The fabric should be quick drying to allow you to stay cool while not getting so wet it sticks to you.
Hot weather gear is currently (1996) high fashion. Understandable, considering how doctors tell us the sun is so dangerous every day. Currently, a good hot weather shirt is about $60. They have mesh panels, close-weave cotton/synthetic blend fabric, are very light, long sleeved. Cotton painter shirts cost a lot less ($8) and work well until they get wet - then you get cooked through the fabric. Hot weather hats run from $5 boonie hats to $30 and up major creations. Pants are a real problem - durable cotton blend pants that are loose are hard to find, but you can't go too far wrong if you get a pair of the new NyCo cotton/nylon BDU pants from a surplus supplier like Brigade Quartermasters. More expensive than the old cotton twill version, they are that much more durable.
I like hats and tend to be a gear-head anyway, so I'm trying out a Sequel  "Desert Rhat" I just bought. Quite a fancy creation, it is basically a baseball cap with a bit of velcro to hold a nice sun cape for the neck, plus a reflecting "scalp protector." At $30 from REI, I debated a long time about buying it. What decided me was (a) it fit well - the adjustment is a lot better than the ordinary caps, (b) the cape is long, impervious to the sun, but seems to breathe well and is very adjustable in its own right (although a safety pin improves it even more,)  (c) The chin strap is an intelligent design, (d) it fit all the criteria - reasonably light, packable, covers what needs it but has good ventilation.
I also decided to try a Sportif "Trinity" shirt. Less expensive and more practically constructed than some other varieties, fewer useless doodads, light, mesh panels front and back, good pockets. I'll see how it works out.
Most people forget their hands. I did, but it is a whole lot of no fun to get the backs of your hands toasted. About the most sensible solution I've seen here is cotton gardening gloves. Cheap, light, available at any home or garden center, just make sure they fit well, and not too tight. Light cotton inspector's gloves from a place that sells industrial hygiene items may be a better bet.
Shorts work in more shaded areas (woods) or for brief exposure, but remember, they give zero protection against mosquitoes and ticks. I have never felt comfortable about the "2-in-1" pants with the zip-off legs. A nice idea, but the zippers are a failure point. Maybe they do work well, but I've seen enough stuck and mangled zippers to make me want to steer clear of them.
I have to say, the hot weather stuff I have is a triumph of function over form, and a study in total fashion dysfunction - a tan hat over a light green shirt over Woodland camo pants (that's all they have) over grey (or brown, depending on circumstances) boots. If it keeps me as cool as possible and doesn't let me get sunburned, who cares.
2.1.7	KNIVES

Yet another subject dear to me. The article in SRVKIT.ZIP is about the best I've seen on the subject, but I thought I'd add a few things.
Knives are basic because they allow you to do things like clean fish, make deadfalls for game, skin the game you get, make tinder, make tools (a stone-head axe may not be Estwing, but it's better than trying to butt a tree over with your head,) and so on. There are some folks of my acquaintance who are quite willing to go in the clothes they are standing in, just give them a good knife.
I will say I love good carbon steel knives, but unless you know how to care for them you would do well to get 440C stainless just to avoid the displeasure of seeing them rust. Another problem that will cause rust is a leather sheath. They hold moisture, and a lot of leather these days is "chrome tanned". Potassium Chromate is used in the tanning process, and it's corrosive stuff, so go with a Cordura nylon sheath.
The criteria for a good survival knife are:
 1) Good steel for the blade, that will keep and hold an edge.
 2) A grip that fits your hand.
 3) A good, versatile blade design.
4a) A folding blade knife should have a lock of some kind for the blade.
4b) A sheath knife should have a full tang (a tang is what is held when the blade is being forged or shaped.) "Full tang" means this metal goes all the way through the handle to the pommel.  For best strength, it should not be welded on.
 5) A sheath knife should have a solid metal pommel (a.k.a. butt.)
 6) A good guard or slip-resistant shape.

Good steel is a relative term. Something with the edge in the Rockwell 55 (+) range is a good compromise of hardness and flexibility. Too soft, it won't hold an edge, too hard (about Rockwell 60 and up,) the blade is too brittle and will snap. Good stainless steels are 440C, 154CM, and ATS-34. O-1, O-6, and 5140 (used for truck leaf springs) are good carbon steels.
When you grip a sheath knife, your middle finger should just touch the palm of your hand. Much larger, it's hard to hang on to, much smaller, it's hard to control. Make sure the grip is long enough.  With a folder, hold it in your hand and feel it. It won't be the best thing you could possibly have - a folder is inherently weaker than a full tang knife, but if it fits your hand well, meets your other criteria, and it's all you can have, buy it. Shaping and size count here - the closer you can get to the ideal, the better off you are.
Blade design is a bit of a touchy subject. SRVKIT.ZIP calls for a drop point design and nothing but. I'll say that is  a good design - the back of the knife curves down while the edge curves up, resulting in a very good knife for gutting game, plus it has a strong point, making it less prone to snap when you do some prying with it. In general, you want something with a strong point that can be easily controlled as to depth of cut - if the point goes too deep skinning game and you nick the bladder or bowels, you just ruined a lot of meat. 
A folding knife needs a locking blade, no two ways about it. It can be a back lock or a liner lock, but you do not want the blade folding over on your fingers.
A lot of cheap sheath knives do not have a full tang. This is real bad, because it makes the connection between the blade and the grip iffy at best - under hard use, the blade could just fall off. A full tang strengthens the grip, and is usually threaded so the pommel screws onto it, holding everything together. Much stronger construction.
A solid metal, preferably steel, pommel allows you use the butt of the knife for a field hammer for things like tent stakes, nuts (as in pecans and such,) and anything else that needs some light bashing.
A sheath knife needs at least a half-guard, preferable a full guard.  When you are exerting pressure trying to pry something open, or the handle is slippery, it is no fun to have your hand slip and run down the blade. I haven't seen a good folder with a guard, so look for a shape that resists slipping.
Daggers and fighting knives are about useless for survival use. The point is weak, and a back edge makes it useless for game. Also ignore the hollow plastic handled "survival knives," they are too weak to be of any real use. Tanto designs aren't too bad, they have a strong point, but they are difficult to use with game because the design of the point makes it tend to go deeper into the game than it should.  This tendency can be overcome with practice, but practice. Be advised the more "peculiar" the shape of the knife, the more you need to use the knife to learn to use it. A kukri, for example, is a good blade, but the best ways to use it are not obvious.
A serrated blade has its uses, such as cutting strapping, rope, seat belts, and such, but it is not a good choice for a primary blade.  Very difficult to whittle with, and few blades with serrated edges have enough weight for any use chopping.
Get a sheath knife that is at least 1/8 inch across the back, and preferably 3/16 to ¼ inch. This knife will be used in some pretty abusive situations, and I don't care how good the steel is, there needs to be enough of it there to survive things like prying joints on game apart, splitting wood, getting dropped on a rock, etc. Some people even expect a survival knife to be used as a digging tool. In a classic short term survival situation, this makes sense. For longer term use, this is silly. If it comes down to it, use the knife to make a digging stick.
Keep your knife sharp. Contrary to what some people say, a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one. You have to force a dull knife to do its work, which increases the chance of slipping and cutting yourself, and a dull knife produces ragged wounds that do not heal well. Learn to sharpen a knife with one of those 50 cent paring knives or some such - you will make mistakes, and there's no sense wasting money. You don't need a lot of pressure to sharpen the knife, just enough to keep the edge in firm contact with the stone while you keep the angle constant. You are going for a chisel edge, not a razor edge, because you need a strong edge more than an incredibly sharp one.  The difference is hard to explain without a picture, but I'll try.
Imagine the edge of the knife as a "v". For a razor edge, the v is tall and narrow, maybe 20-25 degrees between the legs. This is real  sharp, it can cut you and you won't feel it (I can testify to this.) Problem is, that's great for skin and flesh but the narrow edge doesn't have enough steel supporting it when you have to do things like whittle wood to make a trap. You can literally break small (very small) notches out of the edge, which is a bad way to dull a knife.
Now imagine that "v" as being shorter and wider, about 30-40 degrees from leg to leg. Not as sharp, but there is a lot more steel supporting the edge, so it won't dull so quickly working in hard materials. 
Some people will sharpen to a razor edge, then give it one quick pass on the stone or hone with light pressure at a different (higher) angle to give it a "micro-bevel" for a good working edge. Works for me.
Test an edge the safe way - rest the edge on your fingernail, then pull the knife down your fingernail away from the cuticle. The shallower the angle you can raise a sliver of nail, the sharper the blade. Rubbing your thumb across the edge tells you very little, and running your thumb along the edge, well, don't cut yourself too deep. Don't laugh - it's happened (but not  to me.) You can look for nicks by holding the knife edge up to a strong light source and looking down the edge - a sharp edge won't reflect light.
One thing I will say here, although it really applies more to training, is use your knife. Learn how to sharpen it, learn how to use it. A knife is not an anachronism, but the knowledge of how to handle one safely is not inherent. Remember to cut away from your body, and be aware of where every piece of you is in relation to the motion - real or potential - of the blade.
One thing all the survival books say is to drill a hole in the butt of the knife for a wrist loop, so you don't drop your knife places you shouldn't, like in the water if you are near a stream. They forget to tell you that unless the knife has a scale grip (basically two slabs of wood or plastic on either side of the tang,) drill the hole off center. failure to do so will have you cutting the tang in two pieces - it is like cutting the pommel off your knife. Bad idea.
One note about axes and hatchets. Unless you intend to learn use them, DON'T bring one along. There are too many true stories of inexperienced users putting the edge into a foot, a leg, or a hand to make me recommend them. No they aren't dangerous if you think about it when you use one. Yes, they can be useful. HOWEVER. You >>MUST<< "follow the arc" to see where it goes if you miss, avoid trying to chop wood that is resting at an angle (chance of glancing blow,) and do NOT try to steady the log by holding it with one hand or a foot.  Better to pound a couple of wood stakes in the ground and use those to steady the log if it's prone to rolling, or lash up a couple of X-braces to hold the log.
2.1.8	SLEEPING

You are going to have to sleep sometime. Good gear, if you have it, can make a difference, especially for us older folk.
Let's start at the top end, for the backpackers and the car gear.  First question is the sleeping bag - what's the fill (insulation), what's the shell (the outside cloth), what's the liner, what's the style, and what's the temperature rating.
The fill is either down or synthetic (Lite Loft being the newest and one of the best synthetics, by reputation.) Down gives the best insulation value per weight, is the most compressible, and is (as you can guess) the most expensive. Problem, once it's wet it's useless until dry, and that takes a long  time. Synthetics are less compressible, weigh more for a given temperature rating than down, are less expensive, dry quicker, and retain their insulation value when wet. Survival says take a synthetic bag, although you might get away with a bag that has a down filling and a Gore Tex shell.
Shells can be various weights of nylon taffeta, that have zero water resistance and ability to stop wind, or Gore Tex, which makes the bag wind proof, water resistant (they tend to leak at the baffle seams unless you seal them,) tends to give a slightly better temp rating, and raises the price. There are several other shell materials out now, but I don't know enough to comment.
The only liner material you want is nylon or other synthetic. Leave the cotton-lined K-mart specials to those who don't know better.
The style can be rectangular, tapered, or mummy. Rectangular is what you grew up with as a kid, most likely. They're roomy, bulky, and usually designed for higher temperature ranges. They are never used by backpackers for 2 reasons - first, the bulk, second it takes more body heat to warm one up and keep it that way.
Tapered ("Semi-rectangular") is a compromise. Still roomier than a mummy design, it tapers more to fit the body better. Not as efficient as a mummy design, but much better than a rectangular bag. 
Mummy designs are just about form-fitting. They are absolutely the lowest bulk and fastest to warm up. Some people find them claustrophobic to sleep in.
Temperature ranges are a fiction, based on an "average" human. They can be a useful guide, but be advised you may sleep hotter or colder (women tend to sleep somewhat colder, for example) than advertised.  "Know thyself" applies here.
Needless to say, try before you buy. Take off your shoes and any projecting oddments and get in the thing, right there on the showroom floor. If you intend to put down good money for one, you should know if it's long enough, roomy enough, and nice enough to justify the cost. Roll over in it if you sleep on your side - make sure your hips don't compress the insulation on top. If your presence in the bag significantly compresses any insulation other than what's under you, it's too small. You will have a ground pad of some kind under you, so don't worry about that, but if you compress the insulation anywhere else in your normal sleeping posture, that's a cold spot.
Be advised you can't store a sleeping bag packed and ready to go. The fill will compress and lose it's insulation value if stored packed for a long time (a problem blankets don't have.) Remember to shake a bag after you take it out of the stuff sack on the trail to restore loft.
One idea occurred to me recently. Over a period of time, the liner of a sleeping bag will get pretty filthy from dirt, body oils, and etc. You can either buy a sleeping bag liner (which all seem to be cotton,) or you can get some nylon taffeta from a fabric store and have it made into a liner (a "silk" sheet would probably work as well.) Just remember to leave one long side open so it doesn't interfere when you unzip the side of the bag. Then, when laundry day comes, you can wash the liner - much easier than washing a bag.
Survival sleeping bags are the same mylar as the blankets, formed as a bag. Compressed, they are the size of your fist and very light. The problem is durability and conductive heat loss on cold ground - that plastic is thin. There is a bulkier step up that is better insulated and much more durable, which I describe in section 3 as an experiment.
Pads are the next question. Sleeping on rocks is hard on the bag, sleeping on snow or cold ground, even with a tent, is hard on you.  Ground pads can be closed cell foam which are light, pretty hard, and incompressible. Thermarest pads are "self-inflating" air mattresses that are remarkably thin, tough, and (relatively) soft.  Not cheap, but I swear by them as a backpacker. The company that makes Thermarest pads now makes the Z-rest, a closed cell pad in an egg-crate pattern. It folds up into a sizable, and utterly incompressible, brick, but it's lighter than my ¾ length Thermarest and, while not as nice as a Thermarest, is more comfortable (in my opinion) than other closed cell pads. In cold weather, some form of padding is NOT optional. Cold ground is a very effective heat sink, and, being asleep, you aren't generating much heat. This is a lethal combination. You can sleep with your clothes on, or sleep on your clothes, but you will need some form of insulation between you and the ground in cold weather. No, the sleeping bag isn't enough, because you compress the insulation under you to near uselessness.
---------------------------

When you set up for the night, remember a few things. First, sleep on high ground if you can. High ground catches more wind, more wind means fewer mosquitoes, and if it rains you won't be flooded. Look at the ground and avoid areas that show erosion - if it rains, guess where the water will go. In winter, low ground will be filled by snow drifts (assuming snow is a problem,) but you obviously will want to be in the lee of some wind-break. To avoid lightening if you expect bad weather, avoid ridges and lone trees or small stands of trees - camp about 20 feet away from any tree.
Second, check the ground for the tent/sleeping area. Remove rocks (if you can,) and find and avoid roots. They aren't just hard on you, they're hard on your gear.
If it's dry when you wake up, turn a down or synthetic bag inside out and set in the sun to dry (if you can) while you make breakfast. You do perspire in your sleep, and the bag needs to be allowed to dry.
2.1.9 GEAR TO CARRY GEAR

The biggest consideration, of course, is how much do you have? If it's a personal "carry-always" kit, a small belt pouch will do it.  One of the books in the reference section puts the whole thing in a small cigarette tin (yes, that's a small tin box for cigarettes - Maybe Sucrets has something for us Yanks,) and the whole thing fits in a pocket.
When it comes to car gear or the house "bug-out" kit, the possibilities multiply. Fundamentally, it comes down to backpacks, day packs, and military gear.
Backpacks come in two flavors, external frame (e-frame) and internal frame (i-frame.) An external frame pack is what most non-backpackers think of when they think of a backpack - an anodized aluminum frame supporting a nylon bag. I-frame packs are a much newer concept, replacing the aluminum frame with aluminum or carbon-fiber stays (strips). All backpacks worth having have hip belts and sternum (chest) straps. To water down the differences between e-frame and i-frame, a subject of constant conjecture between backpackers, 
E-frames are:
1)  Lighter to start with
2)  Carry heavy loads better than most i-frame packs
3)  More versatile - you can remove the bag and, say, strap a deer to it to carry it back to camp
4)  Are cooler in hot weather
5)  Are less expensive initially.

I-frames are:
1)  Better for people with bad backs (loads ride much  closer to you)
2)  Are better for off-trail hiking (fewer projections to catch on foliage) 
3)  Tend to carry a load more stably
4)  Are less noisy
5)  Handle small loads better if they have compression straps.
6)  Made with heavier duty cloth.

To make the situation even more amusing, you have the choice in either style of top-loading vs. panel-loading. Top-loading is pretty much what the name implies - there's a hole in the top of the bag, and you load the bag through the hole, although i-frame packs tend to add a heavy-duty zipper at the bottom of the bag as well, for loading the sleeping bag. Panel-loading is a bit different, the top is sealed but the back of the pack unzips for loading. Top loaders tend to be sturdier bags, panel loaders are easier to load and easier to find things in.
Good, near top of the line I-frame packs are Dana Designs and Gregory. If you want the No Holds Barred Best, it's McHale, but it's a semi-custom pack and costs like it, plus the six month wait. Kelty is still, as far as I know, the king of the E-frame packs. If you have children, ask a local Scoutmaster what most of his kids have - likely it's a Coleman because it's so adjustable. Whatever you get, get it because it's comfortable, not because it's a name I mentioned. Shop around. If it's a Jansport or North Face or Camp Trails pack, who cares, as long as it's at least reasonably well made? Put some weight in it and walk around the store a while. Check seams for raveling and quality of stitching. Learn how to adjust it. Rent it for a day hike if you can, load it up and go for a walk. A pack is a bit like underwear - if it does its job right, you hardly notice it. If it doesn't, you can hardly notice anything else.
The step down is daypacks. About 2100 cubic inches or so of capacity, they lack amenities like hip belts, outside pockets, and anything approaching a frame. Only a masochist or the truly desperate would load one of these things with more than about thirty pounds, less if it lacks a sternum strap. Not designed to carry much, they still have their uses. Get one made with thick cloth from a sports or backpacking store - the cheapos made from thin fabric for students are about useless. 
The step from here is military surplus. Designed to be sturdy rather than weight-conscious, I guess it succeeds in its design goal. Treat the ALICE pack as a daypack unless you get the LC-2 frame (see either the US Cavalry or the Brigade Quartermaster catalog for what I'm talking about.) What I'm really discussing here is the lowly pistol belt. Add a belt pad and it becomes useable. The nicest thing here is, it's a "roll your own" solution, where you add the accessories (pouches, canteens, etc.) you want. Since it rides on your hips, it can carry a surprising amount of weight well. Some folks might want to add the shoulder straps to help it ride better. Stay away from the Taiwan clones of the "3-day" pack. Tried one, had the stitching on the handle rip under light use. Get the real thing.
The step down from here is military style LBE/LBV gear. That's Load Bearing Equipment / Load Bearing Vest for those not enamored of military acronyms. The prices on these things tend to range from reasonably priced junk to overpriced to GACK!, but gun shows and places like the EAA Fly-In at Oshkosh, Wisconsin (first week in August) tend to have pilot survival vests used for more reasonable prices. The idea is nice and worth considering. Highly compartmentalized, there's a place for everything. Accessibility is a given. On top of that, load distribution is quite good since the weight is distributed all around you, and it rides very close to your body so you can move better in tight places (like doors.) It also tends to make you get serious about prioritizing what you REALLY need as opposed to want.
The next step down is the commercial butt pack, like the Jansport Oasis (in the Daypack section of the Summer '96 Campmor catalog.) Actually a nifty idea, takes the military pistol belt idea and downsizes it a bit. 2 22 oz. water bottles are included in the $30 price tag. I haven't seen one of these up close, so I have zero idea about durability.
There is a step down from here, believe it or not. I mention it because it worked for countless thousands of Rebel soldiers and mountain men before them - the blanket roll. During the Civil War, it was (usually) a wool blanket, a rubber blanket or oilcloth, letters from home, and damn little else. Food was carried in a haversack (a small pouch) slung over one shoulder. Canteens were avoided as heavy and unreliable, so a strong tin cup (which was also used for cooking) was carried on the belt. I actually have a reproduction of such a cup, it's heavy as the dickens (for a cup) but I can well see how it would become a standard in that day and age. A more modern variant of the above get up might be a wool or polyester blanket, a heavy-duty tarp or space blanket, rolled around spare socks, maybe underwear, the water purification, a sewing kit, any other small odds and ends. Tie the ends of the blanket together with sash cord or some such, put it over one shoulder, then hook a canteen and a Sierra cup on your belt, add a small pouch of your preference for carrying food, put on your hat and hit the road. The best thing about this system is, all the major weight is dual-use - the blanket you carry stuff in is also the blanket that keeps you warm. Set it up properly, and it's even reasonably comfortable for temperate climes.
Thanks to Gordon DeSpain, there is another option available in the transport category, and it makes life with gear plus the very young potentially much easier. Don't know why I didn't think of it before - The Travois. You can buy it (or a sled, or a child's wagon) or build it. You can make it in the field by simply lashing poles together. If you are in rough terrain, it can be just a single pole trailing behind you with some of your gear tied to it. Want to reduce friction on the roads? Attach some castors to a piece (or two) of wood that can clamp onto poles you cut.
Several things, though. First, don't tie the carrying device to you by a long string/rope, it will bump you in the butt/legs as you walk - very uncomfortable. Second, it will be advisable to attach the thing with some kind of "quick release" knot, because if it gets stuck, you need to untie it to turn around and free it. Third, ALWAYS carry the "essentials" on your person at all times - you never know when things, or what things, will happen. Fourth, if you make the three pole travois, don't make it any wider than you are unless you are certain you will always be operating in open terrain. Fifth, again relating to the three-pole variety, make sure you put the cross piece high enough that it doesn't easily snag on roots and brush as you walk, about 6-8 inches vertical clearance.  Sixth, consider adding a length (10 feet or so) of ½ inch or thicker (for ease of grip) polypropylene or nylon rope - when you get to steep inclines, use the rope to help haul up/lower down the travois (or sled or whatever,) rather than try to negotiate steep terrain with it attached to you.
If you attach castors or wheels to a travois or buy a wagon, remember they can negotiate barriers up to 1/3 the height of the wheel, and that ground pressure is a function of how many square inches of the tire is in contact with the ground as well as how much weight is being carried. The lower the ground pressure, the better the performance on soft ground (the tires tend to float rather than sink in.) This means the best technical choice is something like magnesium wheels for an off-road bike, because they are relatively wide and pretty tall, but cost, weight, and technical complexity (how do you install an axle that will clamp to a block of wood?) will probably dictate castors, or wheels from a child's cart (assuming you don't just use the cart.)
Carry gear TO AVOID if you're on foot includes things like suitcases, ice chests (unless you're in a canoe, which might be a real trick,) duffel bags (better than a suitcase, though,) briefcases, lunch totes (they aren't very durable,) - in short almost anything commonly used for transport within the city limits. Perhaps I'm just a bigot, but it seems to me that planning for the long term means that you want carrying gear that is durable and designed to carry a load long distances well in rough terrain. Normal people do not try to carry their Samsonite any further than the distance between the terminal and the parking lot. Even somebody with rock forearms would be challenged by the prospect of, say, 100 miles carrying a suitcase. A decent e-frame pack is about $120, a good daypack is about $40, a low-end i-frame is about $200, a surplus pistol belt setup is about $50 by the time it's decked out, a blanket roll is about $30. It isn't that much money to give yourself the ability to carry a load in some comfort, so spend it. Spend according to your evaluation of your needs, get what you feel is appropriate, but unless you are already a backpacker, pack in to hunting sites, or are otherwise experienced and already equipped for outdoor trekking, do not assume you have what you need.
Why did I include this? There was a message thread in BACKPACK forum that mentioned some of the odd sights on one of the three long  US trails (in this case the AT - Appalachian Trail.) Apparently, somebody really did set out to walk the trail with two large, full suitcases.  Another fellow told of seeing somebody with one of those heavy 2 burner Coleman stoves strapped to their pack (way too heavy/bulky.) A couple of guys with an ice chest between them. Some poor Scout whose well-meaning (and utterly ignorant) mother packed his pack.  Just strange stuff. I don't want to insult anybody, but it truly brought home the potential level of ignorance of the reading public.  The assumption had been that everybody might not know what they did  need, but they knew what wouldn't work. Obviously, the man with the suitcases didn't. You're going to have enough trouble being comfortable without making things worse. Even if you leave by car and it looks like smooth sailing all the way, never assume. Besides, once you get there, you'll need it for foraging anyway.
Carry gear for long weapons is an odd subject, but it has come up. You bought or made the thing, either a bow or rifle, and your life may depend on keeping it working for a long time. That means you care for it - you don't drop it, throw it, let it knock around when you don't have to, let it get rained on (unless in use) or cook in the sun. You can buy commercial cases, which work but often use open-cell foam or blanket-type padding, or you can make your own from heavy nylon cloth and the cheapest backpacking closed cell foam sleeping pad you can find. Reason? Closed cell foam does not absorb water. dries fast if it gets wet, and does not hold water close to the weapon.
2.1.10	MISCELLANEOUS

This is the "stuff" category, random things that really don't fit any category too well.
1) Nylon string, about 250# test. Use it to make a carrying loop for something, tie something to you or your pack, whatever.
2) Compass. Always nice to know where you're going. Wet compasses are easier to use than dry ones (the needle stops swinging sooner,) and the new ones are just as reliable as the old dry compasses.
3) 550# parachute cord. If you're in bear country, you need this stuff. To try to keep bears from eating your food, you end up suspending your pack between 2 trees, at least 10 feet horizontal from each tree and 15 feet vertical from the ground. The rope has other uses as well, from mending clothes (unravel some the rope to get nylon thread) to a fishing lure.
4) Map. Could be something as simple as a road map of the US or, if you are working in a known area (backpacking, for example) you can get a topographic map from the USGS for the area. One of the great unrealized map resources is the aviation "sectional" chart, invariably referred to as a "sectional." Available wherever there is a flight school or via some mail order houses like Sporty's Pilot Shop (check "Flying" magazine for the address [available at almost any bookstore magazine rack,] ask for the catalog), these maps are a treasure. They are intended for VFR (Visual Flight Regulations) travel, which means they show all kinds of landmarks - like cities, towns, small towns, lakes, rivers, major roads, railroads, quarries - ANYTHING a pilot might want to use as a landmark (or want to avoid, such as radio towers.) They fold well, they're light (although a full set is not without bulk,) they have elevation and latitude/ longitude information, and they're about $6 each (a full set of maps for CONUS is 37 maps.) Scale is 1:500,000. They also show every military b