Max Velocity on Patrol Loads and Packs

Max dropped some truth bombs in a post today over at the MVT blog - check it out.

A few quotes, but the whole write up is worth a read:

You have to figure out what you think it is sensible to carry, and what you can carry, and how it applies to your task. I tell people to pack smart. You need what you need, but you should try and cut down. Prepper mindset can lead you to try and pack a whole bunch of stuff, ‘just in case.’ Well, unless it is absolutely essential, like your weapon, then don’t take it! Be smart about it. Concentrate on ammo, water and food, shelter (as applicable) with items to support that WITHIN REASON.

You have to get away from the idea that you can operate in some sort of self contained way indefinitely. So you pack a weeks’ worth of rations and all your camping gear. Now you can hardly move, and are no longer alert on patrolling. After a week you run out of rations. Perhaps pack 2 weeks? NO. You need a base and you need logistics. If you are operating out there for an extended period, you need a team and a logistics plan. You cannot operate on your own indefinitely. How about someone resupplies a cache by some means? ATV, vehicle, whatever? Use your brain to figure it out so you can move lighter and smarter. If you are planning on some sort of extended forward patrol base operation, see what means you can use to get supplies in there without having to hump them, or at least cache them close?

If you are conducting security patrolling, you may be patrolling light at relatively close range to your base, in your standard loadout, like my light battle belt/ CUTT chest rig configuration as an example. Ballistic plates or not, pick your poison. I recommend a light hydration pack so you have water and the ability to carry a small amount of other gear, such as night vision, some food , extra mags etc. Camelbak MULE type item. That loadout will probably have at least 8 or 9 x 5.56 magazines on it (including your rifle). If you are going on an extended patrol and need to take the patrol pack, then you need that ‘second line ammo scale’ on the patrol pack, which would be another 8 mags. See how this is never going to be light anyway, so you need to cut it down where you can.


I will carry the least amount of gear that I can get away with, but there are basics that will always be present. Here are some examples, not an ultimate list, just what pops to mind mentally going through gear:

First Line: Light Battle belt / CUTT Chest Rig / hydration pack:

• Rifle
• Rifle magazines (9)
• Handgun
• Handgun magazines (3)
• Small IFAK
• 2 x TQ
• Radio – if using.
• Leatherman Tool
• Knife
• FLIR Scout
• PVS-14 / Crye Nightcap
• Map/Compass
• Basic rations – energy bars
• Water bladder
• Water purification tablets / straw
• Lighters
• Smoke
• Batteries for all above.
• (Ballistic Plate carrier – if applicable)

Add Patrol Pack:

• Magazines (8)
• Water (either stow the hydration pack as a mini ‘grab bag’ or carry a separate bladder in the patrol pack)
• Rations (3 days stripped down)
• Light jungle sleeping bag / blanket (upgraded for winter)
• Goretex bivvy bag
• Thermal sleeping mat
• MVT SHIELD (use as tarp shelter)
• Spare socks
• Spare clothing / cold weather gear
• Foot care kit / first aid / medications
• Lightweight rocket /solid fuel stove with pot
• Helmet – if applicable / night vision
• Folding saw
• Paracord
• Add misc. items such as batteries and misc. gear.
• Add special to task gear as appropriate.

From Alex: Again, read the whole write up, it's good advice.

I've been writing about keeping bug out bag/patrol packs/go to hell bags (I prefer the latter term personally, but whatevs) as light as possible for a while. That doesn't mean ditching the essentials, it means packing what you need and trimming weight where you can. Your pack might not be an ultralight one, especially if you're conducting some variety of post apocalyptic patrol/operation, but it shouldn't be heavier than it needs to be.

Example - you don't need a stove, but you might want to have one for convenience/comfort. But if you are going to pack one around on foot, it'd better be pretty lightweight.

My personal pack lists is fairly similar to what Max details above -- certainly some nuances; I don't have a stove or a bivvy bag, have 5 mags versus 8, I do have a weapons cleaning kit, that kind of thing. Max didn't intend his lists to be exhaustive and all encompassing, just a starting point for a total collapse, armed citizen's patrol pack.

Ed: Disposable Kit

Via mi amigo Ed @ Ed's Manifesto:

"Friend of the page sent in this picture. He arrived in an unfamiliar place and went with the on site procurement method. Basically he built his cheap throwaway kit from just one trip to the Local Walmart. This method allows you to bypass a lot of problems as far as transportation of gear from one country to another for example." -  Ed

Commentary: Sometimes circumstances separate you from your tools. Air travel is a big 'un, especially if you're packing light and limiting yourself to carry ons. A little cash and improvisational ability can get you re-equipped in no time.
Or plan ahead and cache it.

I'm seeing maybe $40 worth of stuff here, but well rounded set for daily carry.

Meister on Caches

The $1K Cache post inspired some good discussion on the topic, here and elsewhere. Frequent commenter / T-Blog buddy Meister has been pumping out some thought-provoking posts on caches over at his place.

Meister's put some heavy investment into diversifying his preparations into well thought out and well placed caches. Recommended reading:

• Cache Strategy
• Minuteman Cache
• Grey Man Cache

Some specific comments:

• Meister-level caches are probably impractical / out of budget for most folks, but a cache doesn't need to have $3-$5k worth of stuff in it to be worthwhile
• Be smart, responsible and aware of local laws if you include firearms in a cache
• Meister's paid special attention to where he stores his caches...very secure, out of the way and private locations
• They're not buried in the ground. That's so 1990s, people!

$1k Cache - Follow Up

Had some interesting commentary here and over at Total Survivalist that I wanted to follow up on.

First - why $1k? Round, attainable number. Enough to do some, but not enough to do everything. Some compromises have to be made, and limitations often end up driving creativity. Things get start to get interesting.

I didn't prepare my list list with any specific circumstances / situation in mind, but instead went with gear that I use daily. It's already intended to get me through a pretty bad day. Short of open warfare, this is the stuff that I would want at hand.

Are these $1k cache lists a good 'starting point' for someone just getting into preparedness? I'd say yes and no. A good portion of my $1k budget was spent on clothing--hopefully noob preppers already have some clothing--and a Glock. For someone brand new to prepping, owned no guns, only had $1k to spend, I don't know if I'd have 'em blow half their budget on Austrian tupperware.

Outside of that, then sure, there are certainly some good ideas in my list and other lists shared in the contents. I typically steer folks to every day carry, then vehicle kit and then to start building food, water storage and other capabilities at home, so keep that in mind, too. If you are new and need some guidance, hit me up in the comments section with questions and I'll be glad to help steer you in the right direction.

Looks like Total Survivalist has posted up his own take on the $1k kit, too - in fact, he's doubled down with two separate lists. Check 'em out.

$1000 Cache - My Take

So $1000 - a pretty decent amount, but not enough to really go wild. A backup vehicle loaded down with gas, water, food and guns would be nice, but...

I'd focus on socking away backup / redundancies for EDC gear - down to decent clothing. An operational cache, but geared towards equipping me with daily carry tools instead of a full battle rattle.

Basically, I could show up in my flip flops and underoos and leave fairly well set up.

Lean would be towards those things that would be difficult or impossible to get in a crap-hit-the-fan scenario.

A Glock 9mm would form the core of the cache. 17, 19, 26 - doesn't matter much, a Gen 2 is fine. A couple mags - maybe 33rders, a decent holster, spare mag holder and quality ammo. $500-$600 if you shop around, buy used, etc.

Why a handgun and not a pump action shotgun, WASR AK or something like that? As a CCW-licensed average everyday dude, a concealable handgun is more useful to me in a broader array of circumstances than a long gun. If it looks like the USA is going to turn into Syria, then that might change.

After the handgun, I'd have a low profile, EDC-friendly backpack, set up similarly to the one I carry daily. Maybe with some EdWood-style tricks up my sleeve.

Leatherman, flashlight, metal water bottle, burner cell phone, batteries, chargers, some toiletries, basic snivel kit, USB with backup info, etc.

Added to the pack would be a spare set of clothes - jacket, fleece, button up, t-shirt, cargo pants, beanie and work gloves. Broken in hiking boots. Basic, sturdy, earth-toned. A good belt, too.

I'd throw down ~$250 for the bag, contents and clothes. So we're at $750-ish now.

Remaining funds would be spent on medical stuff (fish biotics, gauze, thing of bleach, wound cleaning), a decent sleeping bag, a couple flats of water, basic ready-to-eat foods, spare batteries and a 5 gallon can of gas w/ stabil added.

That should get close to $1k, with a cache equipped the deal with a fairly broad array of troubles. Up the budget, and I'd likely set the rest aside in cash. After a healthy pile o' cash, then I'd look to add a long gun and ancillaries.

But, if really compromised for space: I'd take the handgun stuff, a good knife, flashlight, burner cell phone, a lighter and a fat wad of cash.

Scenario: $1000 cache

Some recent talk of caching got me thinking along these lines, and I thought I'd throw a scenario out to the tribe for a fun thought exercise. Time to put your planning caps on. Here's the  scenario:

Whether through good fortune, a little bit of legwork or the help of a trusted friend, you have the opportunity to set up a small cache. For purposes of the scenario, assume that it is either stored with a trusted friend/family member or in a secure and relatively anonymous storage locker.

A few things to note about the cache site:

• It's indoors and relatively climate controlled
• You'll be able to lock up whatever you decide to cache; unauthorized access is a non-issue
• Privacy concerns have all been addressed, and the site can be accessed as needed
• The site is located a relatively convenient area for your and your plans

You have a total of $1000 in resources to devote to equipping the cache. Note that if you'll be caching old/used stuff, factor in the going the market rate for those items.

What do you include in your cache?

Updated to include: There's no specific disaster/crap hit the fan/zombies arising scenario in mind -- consider your current environment, concerns, and what would be of most use to you (or most interesting to plan out). Do you go full operational cache? A speedball/consumables cache to help you get where you need to go? Preposition some needed supplies or tools?

Operational Cache from the Hoss

Posted up 'bout operational caches back in '13. Here's the Hoss' take on one.



Caching is a reasonable strategy for diversifying critical gear...storing a backup set at the BOL, buddies place, storage locker, etc. Certainly can be a be bit tricky to pull off, and a substantial investment to boot, but you don't need to go full Hoss putting one together.

Cache Contents Discussion: Re-Equip/Operational Cache

For an overview on various types of caches, hit up my original post on cache contents.

To recap, the purpose of a Re-Equip cache is to do just that--equip you in case you are separated from your gear. Where the last cache discussed, the Speedball, is all about refueling your consumables and allowing you to go farther or operate for longer. The Re-Equip cache sets you up with the tools AND consumables you would need if forced to start with nothing but the clothes on your back.

Always, the exact contents of the cache will vary based on your planned mission--it could be something as simple as a redundant set of EDC items, or as complex as full fighting gear, loaded bug out bags and a vehicle. Both serve the same purpose--re-equipping you.

Decide how big you need to go and develop a list from there.

Cache Contents Lists: Speedball/Resupply Cache

The overview of various cache types that I posted last week generated some more questions, with many of you wanting to get more into the specifics of what would actually go into each kind of cache.

The first cache we're running through is the "Speedball" or resupply cache, which focuses on replenishing the consumable items in your kit, versus entirely outfitting you with new tools and gear. The point is to get you topped off, refreshed and back out into the field.

Cache contents?

Well, seems like more than a couple of you have intentionally cached some survival type supplies in case of emergency--some buried in the ground, more stashed at the home of a family member or friend.

I received a few questions about what exactly to put in a cache, so I wanted to cover off on a few basic strategies as I see 'em. Here, we're not going to delve into the dedicated weapon's cache, where weapons are stored and concealed for use at a future date. That one explains itself.

So, onto the other kinds of caches. Some of these labels are my invention, but they represent the various caching strategies that I've typically seen.

Question: Anyone actually have any caches?

Survivalist types like us often talk about caches (pronounced like cash, not cashay). There's plenty of information out there on how to build various kinds of caches. Some pretty good YouTube videos on various sizes of caches. And, I'm 100% support of them as a great survival tactic--we talk a lot about diversification as a guiding principle, and that's really what caching is all about. We're not the only ones who cache stuff, either--special ops guys cache stuff, intelligence agencies cache stuff--it works.

For the neophyte, a cache is a concealed supply of resources to help aid in survival. We often hear about caching guns and ammo, but that's limited scope in thinking--lots more could be totally reasonable. Typically, caches are concealed by burial, ala buried treasure, but that doesn't always have to be the case. Jason Bourne's anonymous safe deposit box, loaded with currency, fake IDs and a pistol was most certainly a cache.

Anyways, I was curious to get a pulse check and see, for all the talking in the community at large, how many in the T-Blog tribe have caches or have experimented with caching gear? Not even necessarily the bury it in the ground kind.


I get the general vibe that, while we talk about 'em a lot, few have actually put one together. Limited funds and resources probably to blame - putting a few hundred bucks worth of gear into the ground for a low probability event can be a tough pill to swallow.

So, keeping opsec in mind, anyone actually gone down this path? Have any good caches out there?