The Gun Counter

I've been thinking that, while a full bug-out bag is a good idea, as running into a compact, and very temporary, form of craziness is a bit more likely, IMO, than an acute systematic failure*. (Protest turned riot, concert gotten out of hand, mass shooting, etc.)

*Even it there is one, it takes awhile for panic to set in, short of Godzilla coming out of the sea. People want things to be safe and normal - if you see that it won't, early, you've got a pretty good chance of getting out. Similarly, from... 3AM to 5AM is the deadest time in most cities.

Essentially, something where you are mostly concerned about having:

A good trauma kit - I've been in situations with a trauma, and an assortment of medical knowledge - from SF medics, to a surgeon and an RN - but the only guy w. any medical supplies was a military firearms instructor, who happened to have his bag in his truck. Essentially, carry what a doctor or nurse or EMT would need to deal w. an immediate trauma, even if you lack the knowledge.

A small amount of sharable, non-allergenic food - not looking for sustaining more than say 8 hours, but an active 8 hours.

Some water, and the means of carrying it - perhaps a sterilizer straw, but, provided you're in the US - a spontaneous failure of potable water would be odd.

Ideally, it would hold an carbine in the same caliber as your carry gun, w. an effective range of 100-150 yards, w. a silencer.

Personally, I'm intrigued by the idea of a 5.7x28 AR57 pistol upper, because it has an easy way to have a brass catcher, but I doubt the actual importance of that.

As I understand the concept, this is to be a murse or a day-bag that wouldn't look out of place while playing tourist.

For the sharable food, I'd go with some sort of life boat ration. For the water, almost all book bags nowadays have mesh pockets on the side for bottles. A couple of 1l nagalines with some iodine tablets and a silcock key should take care of that. Substitute bottles of water bought at the festival if you're someplace that frowns on outside food & drink.

I'd scale back the medical gear to an Altoid tin sized boo-boo kit and a couple of combat dressings. Dealing with mass casualties is a team sport.

Having the carbine with you will make finding a bag challenging. Even a Kel-Tec SUB-2000 is going to be around 16" long folded, and a Mech Tech with the collapsing stock is a hair over 25". An SBR AR taken down won't be much shorter than the Kel-Tec, and you'll have to worry about what might get into the action in the meantime. Also, most states CCW laws specify pistols only for concealed carry.

I like the idea, but it seems kind of close to something we've talked about before- the "get home" bag. Which I also like.

Cybrludite wrote:I'd scale back the medical gear to an Altoid tin sized boo-boo kit and a couple of combat dressings. Dealing with mass casualties is a team sport.

The idea isn't to deal with everyone's casualty, but rather your own or a loved ones. You're in a "mall/school/movie" shooting and someone near you(or even yourself) is hit, having not just gauze and band-aids but also an Israeli or H bandage comes in very handy. I think few of us, other than those with military training, are going to be very good at treating Tension Pneumothorax but having everything there when the paramedics arrive couldn't hurt. Remember, in that scenario, their resources will be running thin. Besides, any of us that do more than punch paper from a bench should have a good blow out kit anyway.

I have something similar at work, I put it together after the East Coast blackout a few years ago, also added some things that might have been helpful on 9/11.

It has:
A couple bottles of water.
A couple Cliff bars
A basic first-aid kit, the type useful for minor cuts and burns.
Saline solution (for rinsing eyes, if needed. I remember pictures of people covered with dust on 9/11).
A cheap claw hammer (added when I read about people escaping the WTC by breaking thru a wall with window-cleaning tools to get to an exit, when the way to the closest was blocked. Could also serve as a weapon if needed, but it's innocuous if not).
A whistle.
Road and subway maps.
Since I work in NYC, obviously no firearms.

All this is in a cheap canvas laptop bag. This is addition to what I have in my backpack and pockets every day, a flashlight, a muilti-tool, pocketknife, etc.

I didn't think about the hammer - good idea. Maybe one of those Ti pry bars? A hammer is easier to improvise, but a 1.5# hand sledge may make a better weapon...

Saline solution is definitely a good idea - as are contacts, for those of us who usually wear glasses... Maybe a set of shooting glasses, which just look like sun glasses?

Ear plugs?

Yeah - I agree a carbine might be a bit much - probably a spare pistol, and extra mags, compatible w. a carry gun, would be a better choice... Maybe one set up for a red dot? Don't know...

Dust mask?

May I suggest a warm and waterproof/windproof (or at least -resistant) long coat?

I have one that I keep in my car, and it's the one emergency thing I use on a regular basis. It will keep you warm if it's cold, keep you dry when it's raining, can be used to sit or lie on, and it will even work as a blanket or sleeping bag replacement.
I've used it when my car broke down in the middle of nowhere, when I went to an outdoor concert and it started to rain, as extra clothes when a fishing trip went longer than expected, and even on the range on a cold day.

If I was to try to get somewhere by foot or any other improvised way, that's the first thing I would grab. Being cold and wet is not something I want to be, especially in any crisis.

MarkD wrote:A basic first-aid kit, the type useful for minor cuts and burns.
Saline solution (for rinsing eyes, if needed. I remember pictures of people covered with dust on 9/11).

Put an extra bottle of Saline solution in the first aid kit. It's great for flushing out cuts and, if unopened, sterile.

TheIrishman wrote:

MarkD wrote:A basic first-aid kit, the type useful for minor cuts and burns.
Saline solution (for rinsing eyes, if needed. I remember pictures of people covered with dust on 9/11).

Put an extra bottle of Saline solution in the first aid kit. It's great for flushing out cuts and, if unopened, sterile.

If you care about maintaining sterility, the individual 3/5ml ampules of saline are very nice. Something like this. A bit much just to stock a kit, but if you know someone with sinus issues you could maybe work something out....

Greg wrote:

TheIrishman wrote:

MarkD wrote:A basic first-aid kit, the type useful for minor cuts and burns.
Saline solution (for rinsing eyes, if needed. I remember pictures of people covered with dust on 9/11).

Put an extra bottle of Saline solution in the first aid kit. It's great for flushing out cuts and, if unopened, sterile.

If you care about maintaining sterility, the individual 3/5ml ampules of saline are very nice. Something like this. A bit much just to stock a kit, but if you know someone with sinus issues you could maybe work something out....

I actually always have a can of H2Ocean around for it's intended purpose, but it works well for cleaning small scrapes and cuts as well.