Minuteman Cache Example, Cache #2

We've talked a bit about Cache locations Here and Here on the Total Survivalist Blog, as well as at the Tblog Here. Now let's talk about a minimum baseline of equipment. One should have a minimum of each necessary item to successfully survive in a hostile location. Think of what would want in a certain situation and backtrack from there. I've built a cache for several of the most dire situations. Let's look at the choices I've made and use those situations to backtrack to the kit I would need.

Natural disaster:
Basic needs like clothing, important documents, shelter, money, some food, minimum weaponry, comfort items for sensitive persons, camera, limited comms, anything you might need to sort out the situation. In my area, there are 3 major issues I might have to contend with. Tornadoes, earthquakes and flooding. Flooding is the least of these worries for me. Every house I've ever purchased has been in the highest area of the surrounding few miles. At my current location, the water would have to be 60 feet over flood stage to bother my crawl space. That would be a biblical flood. Even the 100 year flood we had in my area didn't flood anything but the entrance to my neighborhood with a foot of water. Earthquakes happen in my area, but they are generally mild and without serious damage. I keep my stores in the corner of my home away from the second story as a precaution. Tornadoes are an entirely different animal. I live at the end of Tornado alley in the central midwest. The area around me has been peppered with F1-F3 twisters for years. Being that my home is elevated, it's a prime candidate for serious damage. The tornado threat generally moves southwest to northeast and rarely deviates from that pattern. This rule makes it best for my Cache to be within hiking distance to my northwest or southeast. My current disaster kit is 4.3 miles away, due north. That area isn't known to be hit with tornadoes due to it's lower level and protection to it's due west with hills and valleys. Picture below was taken near my place of business after an F3 hit, it took me 3 hours to get home.

Governmental Oppression/Revolution- Grey man kit- To be posted this week.

Total Bugout- My first tier equipment, bugout trailer and everyone's gear. Post Next week

Hide out-Civilian camping setup- Post next week

Hide out- Bubba gear! Post in the spring.

Insurrection/Riots/Social Upheaval: Cache #2 of this type.
This kit is going to be weapons and comms heavy. You will want to either fit in with the rioters, or be able to put them down if threatened. Luckily, one of my insurrection Caches happens to be home for an update and to keep it at home until the construction is done at it's usual resting place. I keep 2 cases (A/B Menu) of MRE's there as well, but I'm not worried about those getting pinched. I also have a set of camos hanging in his closet to go with this kit. The homeowner is a sportsman, but has no decent kit as a fighting loadout. This kit is set up for many uses as well. It has the basic requirements to go fight at a moments notice. All you would have to do is load some mags and get busy. I built this kit from the equipment I started with when I first got into the survivalist lifesytle.

Overview:
The container is a super heavy duty tote you can get at Lowes for 11-15 bucks. I have several and they are awesome. It's secured by wrapping a 6' cable lock through the holes in the lid and bin. These are pretty bomb proof and will take a decent hit even in cold weather without breaking. I tested them the best way possible. I bought one and donated it to the scouts I work with. They didn't break it on a -10 degree camping trip, so it's pretty darn solid.

 

 Everything out of the box:AR15 by bushmaster with a lightweight DPMS upper and a full mag of TAP ammo, vortex RDS, Cheapo BUIS with Trijicon front sight insert, Hogue grip with insert that has extra batteries for the RDS, Midway Sling, Quickie MH food, chest rig by condor, Beofeng radio-programmed for local tower and Em. services, Ammo boxes-federal and ZQI, Hornady critical duty 40 SW ammo.

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Chest rig partially unloaded- Glock 22 with TLR-1 with condor holster, 15rnd mag(loaded), 4- 17 round mags and 2-22 rnd mags(unloaded), 7 USGI ar mags(unloaded), Micro tool and mini flashlight, The mesh pocket in back has a topo map of my AO and the AO the kit is in. I purchased this chest rig just for this kit. It's not something I would want to use for more than a limited time.

The backpack: LA police gear 3 day pack, (In depth review Here) by compartment. Top is a TAG 6 mag carrier full of empty GI mags. Lower front compartment is a food prep compartment, fuel tabs, lightweight stove, cliff bars, more mountain house and backpackers pantry meals, salt and pepper, tobasco, TP that's been vacuum sealed flat, salt and pepper, water tabs and a couple lighters. Caffiene pills and coffee and tea are in there somewhere, never leave home without it. Will be adding some chocolate and sugar to it while it's here.

 

Upper compartment: Snivel kit, Deodorant, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, light stick, headlamp, fishing line for perimeter traps, head net for bugs, matches, large multitool, 100% DEET spray, Frog Lube, toothpicks, Adding a cover (hat) and some trash bags and gorilla tape to it while it's here.

 

Lower add on butt pack: Tarp, Tactical bandana in OD, Poncho, gloves, GI belt. This has extra room for stripped MREs.

Main Compartment:Light sticks, Paper and pencils, cash, cordage, Otis cleaning kit, Camo Backpacking tent, Jungle bag and liner, Stainless container, aluminum cup, socks, washcloth, solar charger for AA, AAA and CR123 batteries, Spare Batteries. Adding more batteries, ESS eye pro, ear pro and a cash bought disposable phone.

Side pouch 1: Ammo on stripper clips. Once loaded, this pouch will be for stripped MRE's

Side Pouch 2: EDC belt and IWB holster for the Glock in case I need to fit in for a bit. Pouch doubles as MRE holder as well.

What it's missing- A good first aid kit with trauma gear. My EDC bag has that and I should have it with me. Clothes aren't included. I should have some in the kit but it's not meant for me as a primary so I didn't include any.A water bladder needs to be installed in this system. It's the only unit I have without one.

Estimated worth of this kit is right at 3000 bucks, about 1k less than what the rifle in my first line kit costs. It's a (relatively) inexpensive option to kit out a friendly or as a last ditch kit up location in case of a serious breach in your preparedness design. It's NOT enough by itself to get me to my alternate location.

More to follow soon!

Cache Locations and Strategy Family Cache #1

Over the past year and a half, I have invested heavily in training and Cache locations. Why you ask? The answer is a complicated one, but the greatest reason is due to the tracking ability of our nefarious leadership. There is little to nothing you can hide from them unless you have a very serious plan in place to combat their plans. I'm not a criminal, I have no convictions of any kind above a couple traffic tickets in my youth, and shouldn't be on the radar for most authorities. That doesn't mean that bad things cannot happen to me and my family.

A few years ago, a local thug talked his girlfriend into blowing up her house for insurance money to sustain their obvious drug habit. They filled their house with natural gas and it exploded the next time the furnace turned on. It was a fairly warm day and far more gas than intended flowed into the house before it blew. 2 neighbors lost their lives and hundreds of houses were damaged. Several had to be bulldozed. No car traffic was allowed to leave the scene and victims were taken to a school for evacuation. The ATF, FBI and local authorities closed off the neighborhood for their investigation and hundreds were homeless for weeks until the investigation was complete, as well as the local inspectors deemed the houses to be salvageable and/or liveable. People were literally thrown out of their houses in their PJ's with the clothes on their backs. A Cache of some type would have been the only way to operate should the incident be a long running one. I did a story on it at http://survivalblog.com/, click if you would like to read it. It was my first submission of many posted on survival websites.

In recent news, swatting has become a fad for the insane and progressive left. A man  called in a bomb threat on a person he disliked. The police did a no knock raid (Don't get me started on this practice) on the home of a prepared person. The home owner defended his house and fired on officers without knowing who they were. The police chief was hit in the exchange of fire. Until the entire issue was sorted out, I'm sure the man lost his firearms and his house became a crime scene. Once again, he only source of protection could have been a cache. Swatting Raid

These are two very public instances where even innocent people can be displaced from their homes without means unless they have a backup plan. Your personal situation will dictate the size and type of cache you will need. You should first determine the scope of your needed items as well as the logistics of placement and retrieval. My personal Caches are fairly outlandish in scope, overlapping in items and range widely in location. That's not for everyone. A simple cache at a free location, such as a family member, would be a start.

What's a "Simple" Cache in my mind? Relatively innocuous everyday items you would need if you lost your house. This Cache would get you by for a day or two until you could get into a hotel or would keep you clean and clothed for a day or two at your relative's house. Every day items would be the key to keeping some normalcy during a time of stress or strife. Clothing, toiletries of the type you normally use (toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, soap) and that your family likes, some cash, candy, duplicate credit cards, car keys, house keys, insurance information, insurance cards, important files in a flash drive, and any medication that is crucial to your survival. This Cache would be prudent to keep your family from getting overwhelmed in an emergency.

A complex Cache can be as outlandish as a travel trailer or cargo trailer on rented space at a self storage location or friends property. It can be filled with everything you would need to survive the zombie apocalypse in style. I would propose something in between the outlandish and basic.  Consider your personal budget and needs to strategically choose what you need for what events are possible for you area.

The Cache can be whatever you want it to be and wherever you want it. It's up to you. In order for it to be successful, you should practice with all the items you have Cached. Access is a key feature you need to decide is important. If it's a deep cover Cache, you may want to place it underground or hidden in a secret area of your house or property. Here are some unique ideas I've heard of, used in the past, or talked about in a group.

One of my favorites uses big brother against himself. A gentleman mailed his Cache to himself at a rent a mailbox location. It's small and legal to mail, but has some good stuff in it to keep him fed and comfy for a while. Here are some other locations to consider.

A friends house, (tribe member's house)
At a family members house or property
Vacation property
Storage unit- Be careful, these are reported to a searchable database in my state.
Buried - Be sure of adequate water intrusion protection
Hidden compartment in your home- Watch for moisture
In a hollow fencepost
Abandoned car at a friends property
In your trunk
In your gym locker

Be resourceful. Starting a company that doesn't make any income is an easy way to mask your identity and be able to Cache in locations that would normally be searchable to authorities. Same goes for vehicles. A company beater truck with Farm plates is about the ultimate Camo for where I live. A beater Minivan chock full of supplies in a storage facility may be your best bet. It may cost you a nominal fee, but how much is a piece of mind worth? I know I pay far more for insurance than a storage bay, and the storage bay gives me far more piece of mind. Consider local laws before registering a company in your state. What's legal here may not be legal there.

Post up if you have questions or know of any unique storage solutions I haven't covered.

 

Long Time No Post

It's been a very busy holiday season for me, but it's also been a very profitable one. My consulting services have really taken off and getting results has been easier than I expected. I have, however, been remiss in my duties as a blog host to keep my readers updated on the comings and goings of my survivalist lifestyle. I've been selling some posts to other websites with an anonymity clause so I cannot divulge where. If you are a regular reader of survivalist websites, you should have read a few. It's not big money, but if I can sit and type out a story in a few hours and sell it for 50-100 bucks, that gets me closer to my goals than posting it here and getting 15-25 cents a day in advertising space. I'm sure you understand why, and selling it gets the info out to thousands of people a day instead of a hundred or less.

Ryan at http://www.totalsurvivalist.com/, my favorite survivalist and preparedness based one man blog has asked me to list the contents of my "Grey Man" Cache. I'll be posting it and my #2 cache in the next couple days. His blog was the inspiration for mine. Dissemination of quality information to those with the survival mindset is the goal.

Another of my favs, Alexander Wolf at http://www.teotwawki-blog.com/ is in on it as well and has some very useful insight into the idea of what a Cache should be.

These two great minds have been invaluable to the growth in my preparedness level. Everyone starts out pouring over every site they can find and trying to justify throwing money at the problem without really thinking through your options because the big name blogs/websites tell you what you HAVE to do. Once you start getting to the point that you've gotten enough gear to be marginally ready for a small emergency, you try testing it out and find some of the items lacking significantly. The reason is because you didn't get the insight into using the gear, nor did you look at the holistic value of each item in the kit. It's a rookie mistake I've made in the past.

I'm to the point now that I have been living the preparedness lifestyle for 5 years pretty heavily. My stores are significant enough to last us in a serious emergency such as a Katrina or Haiti length disaster. I've made a ton of mistakes, bought a bunch of gear that didn't work for me, and failed out in the field enough that I'm very confident in my abilities to survive in austere conditions.

I do have a few factors that increased my readiness level several factors over your average Joe. I became an assistant scoutmaster for my sons scout troop. This puts me out in the field camping and testing new gear every month. My sons likes hiking and camping enough that we go even more often than the scouts do. The additional wear and tear on camping gear that most people wouldn't get on gear 10 years old helps me to get a better gauge on what will last and what is junk.

This past fall I also became an instructor for a local firearms training and security consulting firm. The owner is a retired special forces team Sargent that worked in the field for 22 years training for counter terrorist operations, insurgency operations and indigenous personnel training. I get FREE training from the one of the guys who spent a couple decades at the sharp end of the spear. This leads to me shooting at least once a month in high level tactics, personal defense, personal security detail team classes, advanced carbine and pistol drills and a host of non lethal, combatives and mindset training. I even get paid to take those classes. Luckily I have 3 Dillon ammunition trees in my garage, Otherwise I would be broke due to ammo costs.

Lastly, I have the run of a local gun shop that specializes in tactical firearms and precision rifles. I get to play with new guns and gear as they hit the shelves, learn what issues certain guns have, and utilize the tools and facilities to modify my guns and gear without paying additional gunsmithing fees.I live close to a training facility for military and police sniper teams and the shop has a good working relationship with the sniper teams and local shooting clubs that has been an asset for learning the ins and outs of what's hot in the distance shooting scene.One of the largest military small arms testing facilities is less than an hour away as well, and some of them come in to the shop at times.

I offer my readers a chance to learn from my failures and triumphs, to get inside info on gear that works and some that doesn't. Gear reviews are the bread and butter of this blog and will continue to do so, I will be cross posting those reviews to my gear review blog as well. I have had the humbling opportunity to work with the professionals that live and breath the warrior mindset. They have insight into tactics that have been proven on the battlefield and in the back alleys of foreign nations that aren't friendly to the US. I'll pass along as much info as possible at Zero cost to you. Unfortunately, my schedule has kept me from being able to do so, but I will attempt to make a better effort.

2014 Goals revisited

My plans for 2014
-Get certified as an NRA Rifle, Shotgun and Pistol instructor- class in Feb-Done
-Get another business off the ground that will enable our self sustaining lifestyle-Done
-Start a solar/battery system to remove some loads from the grid-Not done
-Take enough classes to get up to speed in Carbine and Patrol techniques-Done
-Complete the remodel on the house-Not Done
-Have 100,000 rounds of ammo stored in components or rounds-Shot it all up
-Backpack a 100 mile trail-got up to 50
-Build up fuel storage-Slightly
-Build 2 more cache locations-1 Done
-Buy a grain mill-Not Done
-Outfit the B/O trailer with solar power-Not Done
-Get the HAM up and running-Not Done
-Buy a Jeep for a 3rd vehicle-Not Done
-Expand my food storage by 6 months with long term items-Close but not quite
-Get my oldest son up to speed with a rifle and pistol-Done
-Clear out the rest of the useless junk in my house-Done
-Install a hidden compartment in the house-Not Fone
-Install an alternate water supply in the house-Not done
-Build an observation post-Not Done
-Read more apocalyptic fiction (good ideas at times)-Done-48 books total
-Finish a second Blog for gear reviews-Started
-Build window and door covers-Not done
-Build a safe room inside the house-Not Done
-Upgrade the surveillance system-Not Done


Not great, but not bad either. Still a few months left to get it done.

My Year of Training

This winter, I was offered a chance to take an NRA instructors course through the BSA. I'm a decent shooter for being mostly self taught, so I figured, why not! It was a good class to take, very informative and useful for teaching scouts to shoot. All the age old basics are there, with the 1910 shooting positions and the like. It was dated, but had the basic knowledge and useful tips to refine the most basic of shooters.

After the class, I decided to up my game seriously. I read books, watched skills videos, talked to pros about it and decided that I'd like to forgo the competition circuit and just refine practical skills and combat techniques. I'm pretty lucky to run in a group of friends that has Avid shooters and professional soldiers and LEO SWAT shooters. I've had a great time learning how every shooter overcomes issues and trains to an optimum level. I've shot more this year than ever in my life. I'd venture to say I've shot as much ammo this year as I have the past 3 combined. It has really helped me become the shooter I always wanted to be.

Once I was feeling good about my shooting, what should I do to improve? Take some upper level training. I had an opportunity to preview a class with a new training co that is offering some next level classes like PSD and Vehicle ops as options past the basic Carbine and Pistol classes offered by most. The lead instructor has an impressive list of credentials, but Zero sell-ebrity appeal. I chose to take the vehicle class and see what it's all about.

Day 1

I got my rhythm immediately, but I wasn't prepared to go right into either Bounding in pairs or Bounding by pairs, I can't remember and there was a serious contention about the actual representation of this course of fire. This was my first sign that there was some tension between instructors. It was pretty light, and I wasn't worried about it. 2 of the three had their stuff wired tight and had everything pretty well squared away. It was the third guy that seemed to look for reasons to stir the pot and let everyone know what he thought, without regard for the course.

Day one was all basic work up. They made sure that I was squared away. Transitions, accuracy, muzzle discipline, volley fire and verbal commands. Everyone was 100% in the game, Even in 100 degree heat. We did some fun drills for time and it tested us very well. We wrapped up and cleaned up our mess.

My biggest issue was with my magazines. I was using Pmags for a class for the fist time in my life. I loaded them with stripper clips to top them off in a hurry between sets and every once in a while I'd load up 31 in a 30 round mag. It made mag changes interesting when the over filled mag would lock up my AR. Same goes for 40 rounders, they lock up at 41 just like the 30's do at 31. I was using my oldest ammo, some was a bit green and corroded, but I only had 3 misfires out of 1k rounds. My biggest failure was a split case on a 9mm round. It blew out the base and caused a squib round. 2 of the other shooters were using my ammo with zero failures so my QC process is working well. I was just shooting the stuff that was marginal, so I expected a failure or two, but not 4.

The next issue was that I worked on my gun the night before I left, installing a Geissele SSA trigger from my REPR into it for the class. The pins kept walking out on me and I had to engage them further to get them to hold. My fault, totally. I know better than to take an untested gun into a class, but hey, what an adventure.

I installed an AM TAC muzzle brake that fits my GemTech can, and it worked flawlessly. Zero muzzle rise but with a bunch more blast. When we were working in close quarters, my team mates didn't care for the blast. There was also a noted reduction in flash.

This was also my first class with an urban ERT Sling. I've been using them for a while now and love them after transitioning from a single point. The only issue I had was when clearing a jam, the placement I had for the sling put the buckle right where it would catch between the edge of the stock and the charging handle. I just need to move the attachment point from the back plate to the stock.

My leg platform for the magazines proved to be too loose and would drop a mag when I ran. I got it up higher the second day and it worked like a charm.

The new bladetech holster was a total failure. It jammed up on me several times. If the gun was moved out of it's lowest position even 1mm, it would jam up the mechanism and I'd have to push it back down to release the back strap. I was rather unimpressed with my 150 dollar purchase. I'm usually pretty quick with a transition, but this seriously hampered my draw and sapped my confidence. I muddled through, but it really wasn't pleasant.

Day 2

The real fun begins. We learn how to react to contact from a vehicle. Getting your butt over the hump and out the drivers door from the passenger seat caused some serious damage to me and my kit. It was tough, and I learned to do it as easily as possible. I'm glad I'd foregone the use of my plate carrier and went strictly belt and drop legs. Both the heat and conditions dictated it. A seat belt is the enemy when you are trying to get out of your metal coffin in a hurry.

We attempted bounding in a 4 man team, and I have to tell you, it was a total goat rope. No matter what we did, it was wrong. I screwed up a few times with lines of fire, and we ended up with 3 instructors telling us to do three different things, and when we got done Lovely #3 always wanted to interject or stop the exercise to tell us what to do. I kept over thinking everything and just couldn't get it all down. It was like I was back in the kitchen at home with both mom and dad telling me what to do and neither would let me do it. #3 never just let us make decisions. He wanted to constantly control our tempo and direction. When we did it the way he wanted, the other instructors jumped us. Finally we just stopped and went to something else. I totally lost my cool when I was told to bound back and got counseled by #3 for doing so when the rest of my team pushed  left. My angle of fire was close, but within tolerance for the exercise. Then he wanted to argue about that. The next go round, we all got together and decided on a plan for our extraction. We did it perfectly, and #3 wanted to tear it down and nit pick the fact that our cover was thin. Yes, it was thin. Yes, it wasn't perfect. Our execution was great and we were working towards a goal of a clean run, only to have everything we worked for thrown back into our faces. We were bleeding, sweaty and tired, but he just kept at it. Finally the lead instructor called it and we moved on before the 4 students decided to zip tie his ass to the rocking chair on the porch of the main building.

We took a break and hit the AC for some hydration and some time for the instructors to talk. After the talk, we went into another drill where we did dry run bump take downs and then drilled on block and stop take downs. After we put it all together, we did it in 2 man teams live fire with targets in the car. Everyone did this well and we did several runs in different configurations. It was a very dynamic environment with a lot of trust in your partner. We were shooting at targets in our zone with the other shooter on the opposite side of the car. It went well and we sped it up til it was fluid. #3 was pretty silent and didn't talk to me at all. I think the other instructors had a "Come To Jesus" meeting with him.

We started back in on the defense tactics on a downed vehicle.  We only operated in pairs, and this worked out very well. My teammate and I were doing our thing and getting solid hits on our "aggressors" out past 300 yards. The lead instructor drove and we used his vehicle as cover and bounded out past the vehicle to get angles on the the shooters. We did this several times with different positioning and cover. Really fun drills, but very tiring and high stress when you're shooting past your instructor.

The last thing we did was shoot from a vehicle, through the windshield and check the hits. We did the break and rake on the windows and shot from different angles into the car to see what stops bullets and what doesn't. We finished on that and decided to have a little contest. See who could hit a LaRue target at 125 with a pistol. My Teammate won the contest, and I was the only other person to get a hit. Good times and great experiences.

All in all, the class was great. I will not take another class if instructor #3 is there, but it seems that everyone felt the same way. The lead and second instructor are top notch. #2 was a bit of an acquired taste, but the man could do it. He was a shooter and without a doubt, had the ability to impart that knowledge in an appropriate manner. His mechanics were perfect. The lead instructor was a consummate professional. He knew the material and the best way to impart it. His issue was too many cooks in the kitchen. I believe the third instructor was pushed on him by the venue, but I'm not for certain.If #1 and #2 gave classes again, I'd be in line to hand them money. It's well worth the drive.

I don't regret driving 1100 miles each way to attend the class, it was well worth it. I was exposed to things I never planned to do or learn, it was more of a fun class for me. I did refine some skills and change some things in my standard kit and technique. I'm better for taking the class and anyone would be as well, with a caveat. If  #3 is there, turn off your ear muffs when he's speaking. Listening will do nothing but frustrate you and inflate his misplaced ego.

Still Covered Up

I took a new job that's been killing me on my free time. I've had to let a few things slide, the Blog being one of them. I still have 8 articles in the cue, most of which are gear reviews.  I'll get some time when I'm running the range at the scout camp. Summer break is coming quickly.

Been very busy recently.

With all the snow this year, the plow business has kept me hopping. I've also taken on NRA instructor training so I'm staying out of trouble for sure. I have 4 more days of classes until I'm all done. There are several articles and a few gear reviews in the pipeline, just need to get some time to finish them and get some pictures.

The last few weeks have only allowed me 1-2 days a week of free evenings, so it gets to be a daunting task just staying awake and typing. I did re-join the NRA after a 20 year hiatus. I dropped my membership once the 1994 ban happened. I felt they didn't fight very hard for our freedoms.

Be back in the saddle soon.