[jamesinator]

Hello all, new to the forum, as well as to prepping.

Wanted to get some advice. Starting small, I decided to make myself a get home bag, and then go from there. I wanted input to ensure I was doing enough to get to safety.

Food: Several mre's, protein bars and powder.

Water: a homemade sand charcoal unit and a clean water bottle.

First aid: needles and fishing line for sutures, wound wrappings, alcohol for sterilization, numbing agents in case of need for sutures.

Tools: leatherman multitool, matches, flashlights, handheld am/fm radio x2, screwdrivers, binoculars

Utility: moisture wicking clothing, enough to fully camoflauge my entire body. Camoflauge bag. 20x20 tarp.

Weapons: 2x 3" flip out tactical blades, half arrested, 1 8" hunting knife, 70lb compound bow, 9 arrows and assorted arrows and broadheads (in accurate to 60 yards)

I think I've done decently well, and the choices I've made should assist in quietly doing whatever I need to in order to get to home and safety, but critique is always welcome!

Thanks in advance!

 

[JPARIZ]

Might want to consider a handheld ham radio. Some multiband units also have the broadcast bands and other govt bands you can listen to. Licensing is extremely easy and ham radio will work when everything else fails.

 

[jamesinator]

How affordable are the handheld ham radios? And any comments about the rest of the contents, or does it seem sufficient?

 

[CourtSwagger]

A compound bow for a get home bag seems like an odd choice. When I envision a a situation that requires a get home bag, I envision a dangerous situation where you are surrounded by dangerous people. That could just be my vision, but I think that you should look into a handgun. Something easier to conceal, and with faster shooting capabilities. I think that bows are great for a shtf situation, and am currently looking at entering that world myself, but my choice would be a firearm. I do think that your archery skills will be extremely useful following you getting home!

Then again, as you can tell by my signature and avatar, I am most definitely a gun guy.

 

[jamesinator]

Right, I typically have my bow in my vehicle. The basics of a plan for shtf is to sneak out of my workplace and to my vehicle. I don't plan on being seen by too many leo's.

Realistically, I want to stay as under the radar as possible, hopefully never having to fire an arrow. I have a 30-30 at me home, but plan to leave that there for my wife until I get home. My vehicle is very 'woodsy', so noone would ever think twice about the redneck carrying his hunting bow.

So the plan would be notification of shtf, change into camoflauge, move along the ridge behind my workplace, and get to my vehicle, so the bow wouldnt be on my pack. Once in in my vehicle, backroads and offroads to my apartment, get wife and children, then off to our outpost.

I believe in the power of guns, but also see the versatility my bow would provide:
Near silence
Reusable ammo
Easily crafted ammo
Skill required weapon vs weapon that could be turned on you
Accurate to 60 yards, deadly to the same range.

Again, I do have a hunting rifle as well, but would reserve use for emergencies.