Let’s imagine that your group comprises, about eight people, and you have to live in the wild for an extended period of time.

1. You will need a tarpaulin. It will provide protection from the sun and rain, and give you somewhere to sit and set up your table and chairs. Your tarp should be coloured green or brown so that if it needs to be camouflaged you already have a sound base colour to work with. It probably isn’t wise to buy an already camouflaged tarp as these will attract undue attention in some areas and give the impression that you are survivalists. Never use the word survivalist when not on this forum.

2. Water containers. At least 2x20 litre plastic water containers per person. Plastic 2 litre milk or juice containers can be added to this.

3. Plastic buckets. These are indispensable and have many uses, eg., carrying water, washing, collecting wild food, scavenging on the sea shore, and even growing plants in etc. They sell for as little as 80 cents each, but it is probably wiser to spend a little more and invest in better quality plastic. This is the type of plastic that isn’t brittle.

4. A cooking plate and grill. These will get a lot of use over your camp fire.

5. Blankets. About 3 blankets per person is realistic. If you can afford it buy 2 sleeping bags per person instead of blankets. The cheap Big W type of sleeping blanket that, when unzipped, opens out to form a blanket is ideal as they are very warm. Again, if you can afford it make one of these sleeping bags a good quality sub-zero bag. It gets verry coldddd in the mountains.

6. Ground sheets. These are just plastic sheets that go on the ground that provide insulation from water and dirt. Get the ex-military ones if you can because they are very tough and will last for years.

The above represents the first stage. These items represent basic survival ie., shelter, warmth and water.

We now have to pay a visit to Uncle Sparhawk and buy a few necessities.

1. You will need a water filter. Unfortunately the days of being able to drink water straight from the bubbling brook are over. All water in rivers is polluted and will make you sick if you drink it. You’ve got to filter it, and preferably boil it as well.

2. Buy a compass. Too many survivalists buy cheap compasses that just won’t go the distance. Get a good sighting compass and learn to use it. You must also have maps of your intended bug out area. To this I would also add a GPS.

3. Buy a first aid kit and then enlarge it by adding lots more consumables, like bandages, cotton buds, disinfectant, splinter probes, Bandaids etc.

4. Get a folding knife. A top of the line knife isn’t necessary. These will set you back about $400 and we aren’t made of money. But get a good one just the same.

Now, let’s go to the supermarket.

1. We will need some disposable cigarette lighters.

2. We will need at least a couple of boxes of candles.

3. A couple of boxes of groceries.

4. A couple of saucepans and a fry pan.

5. A tin opener.

6. Knives and forks.

7. A plastic wash basin.

8. A few watertight containers for storing food in as well as other valuable items.

9. At the very least, an elementary tool kit. Eg., a pair of pliers, a spade, a crowbar, a hacksaw etc. Your tools are very important. Look after them.

10. You need entertainment. I can’t stress this enough.

Note: Something often not mentioned in survivalist literature is entertainment. If you have ever gone out into the bush by yourself you’ll know what I mean. We need entertainment - our minds need something to do. We need books, music, radio etc.

So to have music we must have electricity. To have electricity means we need a battery and solar charger, which are fortunately pretty cheap. A ten watt charger and a car battery is sufficient. We can run a CD player, radio, mp3 player etc now and then, or we can hook a couple together in parallel and there will be plenty of power. Start collecting this gear and get together your favourite music..

Assuming you’ve still got the clothes you stand up in the above represent the survival necessities required for short term survival, provided your bug out area does not have a severely cold climate, in which case you will need to invest in warm clothing and tents. But remember, your aim is to remain mobile. You can’t do this if you are carrying too much gear and supplies. Everything you have must have its job and carry nothing that you don’t need. I call these unnecessary extras ‘axle breakers’, because that is all the extra weight can do for you, break your axles and nothing else.

You don’t need 24 tin openers, 16 shifting spanners, enough pots and pans to cook for an army, you just need one of each item. Remember also, that ATSHTF these items will be everywhere - the streets will likely be covered in these items, but the streets will not be covered in GPS’s, quality compasses, water filters etc. So you can see where you should be investing your resources.

I regularly go through my equipment and supplies and ask of each item, do I really need this? What am I going to do with this? Is this item merely duplicating another? It is a good idea to do this on a regular basis and at least separate those non-essential items from the essential ones. If you’ve only got five minutes to run into your home and grab those essentials that will allow your family to survive, you don’t want to grab the wrong box with the 50 tin openers, and leave your GPS and revolver behind.

If your idea of survivalism is to turn your land into a homestead, there is nothing wrong with having five crates of tin openers, but just the same, your running away gear should always be stored separately.