# know your limitations



## md1911 (Feb 9, 2012)

(Know your limitations) this is advice I was given by my grandpa. I think preparing for the worst is a good idea. Having bob. Bol. Bov is all good ideas. But does any one actualy practice this. I called all the people in my group Friday evening and in 15 minutes we were at a predecided location we then went to a random spot taking only what's in our bob and survive for the weekend no permenant or modern conviences. Does anybody else do things like this and. Any thoughts on this subject?


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## jehowe (Aug 10, 2010)

md1911 said:


> ....Does anybody else do things like this and. Any thoughts on this subject?


No, but thats a excellent idea. It seems like an great way to get comfortable mentally & physically with 'bugging out', not to mention figuring out what you really need, what works well, and what you are missing.

How big was your group? I have a hard enough time coordinating plans with even one other family member, especially on weekends!


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## Zanazaz (Feb 14, 2012)

I believe this is an important exercise for anyone to do no matter what level of preps they have. It doesn't matter if you are just prepping for inclement weather or a full blown disaster, you won't know how well you are prepared until you test things out. It's kind of like a shakedown cruise. You won't know how well you are going perform until you actually do it. Plan, prepare, and PRACTICE.

You don't want to discover problems and then try to solve them when in the stressful situation of a disaster. Better to find out things before hand, when things aren't critical. Problem solving is easier when lives aren't at stake. Learn how to use your equipment. There's almost nothing worse than discovering that something doesn't work right when you need it most. Test it out as soon as you buy it! Learn what works for you, and what doesn't. Assess, and reassess, and rework your plans and preps accordingly.


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## md1911 (Feb 9, 2012)

jehowe said:


> No, but thats a excellent idea. It seems like an great way to get comfortable mentally & physically with 'bugging out', not to mention figuring out what you really need, what works well, and what you are missing.
> 
> How big was your group? I have a hard enough time coordinating plans with even one other family member, especially on weekends!


Well there's my halfbrother and his two half brothers my best friend and myself. My 18 year old son and 4 younger children the women did not come this time


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## md1911 (Feb 9, 2012)

True plus you think you really need something and u carry it then never use it. This type of exercise also hones your ability to find food and water. Make shelter and fire


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

md1911 said:


> True plus you think you really need something and u carry it then never use it. This type of exercise also hones your ability to find food and water. Make shelter and fire


Our scouts did all of this plus some at the klondike derby this last saturday. Us older scouters are teaching them this stuff. Get your kids & yourselves involved in scouting.


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## oldvet (Jun 29, 2010)

md1911 & Zan,

Excellent posts and points, I might also add that you can test your physical limitations (if any) while you practise your "Bug Out" and how it would affect you and or your group.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

md1911 said:


> True plus you think you really need something and u carry it then never use it. This type of exercise also hones your ability to find food and water. Make shelter and fire


This is a really good plan, a LOT of people just read about doing things and consider themselves proficient, practice in actual situations gives real skills :2thumb:


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## md1911 (Feb 9, 2012)

Oldvet


That's also a good point my youngest brother brought his 5 year old son. It defenantly changes things when one member of your group has physical limitations. If you practice those limitations are proven. In the military they always told us you only preform as well as you practice. We try to camp atleast one weekend every month no matter the weather


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## md1911 (Feb 9, 2012)

Tirediron said:


> This is a really good plan, a LOT of people just read about doing things and consider themselves proficient, practice in actual situations gives real skills :2thumb:


True for instance making fire with a bow and drill on paper is very easy. Doing it in real life is not easy and can be quit tiresome and frustrating.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

jehowe said:


> I have a hard enough time coordinating plans with even one other family member, especially on weekends!


Sounds like even MORE reason to do this, we more than likely will not get pencil in *END OF THE WORLD* on our calendars and be able to schedule for it! 

priorities?... :dunno:


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

md1911 said:


> I called all the people in my group Friday evening and in 15 minutes we were at a predecided location we then went to a random spot taking only what's in our bob and survive for the weekend no permenant or modern conviences.





jehowe said:


> How big was your group? I have a hard enough time coordinating plans with even one other family member, especially on weekends!





md1911 said:


> Well there's my halfbrother and his two half brothers my best friend and myself. My 18 year old son and 4 younger children *the women did not come this time*


You did it in 15 minutes. The women didn't come.

I'm half joking but also half serious. :surrender: Could you pull it off with the women-folk included?


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## McGyverish (Feb 7, 2010)

I do... My wife and I go on simulated bug outs a few times a year. We hike almost every week, not on trails either, right through the middle of the bush. We have learned an amazing amount about our equip and our areas resources. Our next experiment is to eval different firearms. Carrying a quantity of heavy ammo and a high power riffle such as my SKS is tough, I want to see if a good 22LR would be a better option. My first impression is the 22 may be short on self defense but Ok for small to medium game with a well placed shot.
I feel if you are not actively LIVING out of your b.o.b and other prepped items you are not truly prepared.


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## md1911 (Feb 9, 2012)

ZoomZoom said:


> You did it in 15 minutes. The women didn't come.
> 
> I'm half joking but also half serious. :surrender: Could you pull it off with the women-folk included?


In the middle of December we all went it took just over 30 min.


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## md1911 (Feb 9, 2012)

McGyverish said:


> I do... My wife and I go on simulated bug outs a few times a year. We hike almost every week, not on trails either, right through the middle of the bush. We have learned an amazing amount about our equip and our areas resources. Our next experiment is to eval different firearms. Carrying a quantity of heavy ammo and a high power riffle such as my SKS is tough, I want to see if a good 22LR would be a better option. My first impression is the 22 may be short on self defense but Ok for small to medium game with a well placed shot.
> I feel if you are not actively LIVING out of your b.o.b and other prepped items you are not truly prepared.


We all carry a sidearm 9mm and each carrys a different long gun. It takes some getting used to


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Those kind of exercises are great learning tools! We've been able to sort through and see what we should have brought and what we did bring that we realized we'd never need. We also found out it was a good idea for each person to carrry the most important things. Don't have one person carry the fire-starting stuff and a different person carry some other essential thing, because if you get separated then everyone still has life-sustaining gear with them.


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## oldvet (Jun 29, 2010)

md1911 said:


> True for instance making fire with a bow and drill on paper is very easy. Doing it in real life is not easy and can be quit tiresome and frustrating.


Speaking of making fire, I did a little experiment the other day with excellent results. I coated a cotton ball with vasiline and used the magnesium (sp) fire starter to light it and it worked like a champ. It burned almost twice as long as a regular cotton ball, which gives you more time to get your tinder/fire going. I now have a ziplock bag with a bunch of the coated cotton balls in my BOB.

Oh yeah I found that if you put a good amount of vasiline in the ziplock bag and dump the cotton balls in and "squish" it all around, it's a heck of a lot easier, faster, and a lot less messy than trying to coat them one at a time.

Yeah I know that part on coating the cotton balls all at once is a "duh factor", but I figured that there just might be someone else out there that has "dents" in their forehead like I do from smacking themselves when someone says "why don't ya just do this".


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## md1911 (Feb 9, 2012)

Oldvet. Thanks for the tip. I will try cotton balls and vasiline. I use a flint and steel mainly.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

md1911 said:


> Oldvet. Thanks for the tip. I will try cotton balls and vasiline. I use a flint and steel mainly.


I use dryer lint instead of cotton balls, the 4"x8" sheet of vasoline impreganted lint rolls into an 8" long lint 'pencil' that I can chop into 4 separate 2" sticks for firestarting :2thumb:


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

oldvet said:


> Oh yeah I found that if you put a good amount of vasiline in the ziplock bag and dump the cotton balls in and "squish" it all around, it's a heck of a lot easier, faster, and a lot less messy than trying to coat them one at a time.
> 
> Yeah I know that part on coating the cotton balls all at once is a "duh factor", but I figured that there just might be someone else out there that has "dents" in their forehead like I do from smacking themselves when someone says "why don't ya just do this".


My forehead is properly dented now! Great idea! I hadn't thought up anything like that!

We've made the sawdust-and-wax fire starters that you form in egg cartons, and taken them camping. But the cottonballs-and-vaseline would be easier to put in a BOB.


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## oldvet (Jun 29, 2010)

gypsysue said:


> My forehead is properly dented now! Great idea! I hadn't thought up anything like that!
> 
> We've made the sawdust-and-wax fire starters that you form in egg cartons, and taken them camping. But the cottonballs-and-vaseline would be easier to put in a BOB.


Hot Dang! I just knew I wasn't alone in the "dent" department. 

Speaking of dents, I got Ada a "mood ring" the other day and the datgum thing really works. When she is in a real good mood it's "blue", and when I do something to put her in a bad mood it leaves a neat little "red" knot on my forehead. 

All kidding aside Sue, It seems to me that not only does it burn longer it also seems to burn hotter, which could aid in trying to fire up damp tinder.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

sailaway said:


> Our scouts did all of this plus some at the klondike derby this last saturday. Us older scouters are teaching them this stuff. Get your kids & yourselves involved in scouting.


Our first year in scouts, mine are little, I have two tigers and a webelo.

The men are already mentioning to me about becoming a leader next year, guess I have that air about me...we will see...I may be going back to school in the fall to become a massage therapist. If I could get a dad to help. My husband works too much.


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## Zanazaz (Feb 14, 2012)

oldvet said:


> ... I now have a ziplock bag with a bunch of the coated cotton balls in my BOB.
> 
> Oh yeah I found that if you put a good amount of vasiline in the ziplock bag and dump the cotton balls in and "squish" it all around, it's a heck of a lot easier, faster, and a lot less messy than trying to coat them one at a time.
> 
> Yeah I know that part on coating the cotton balls all at once is a "duh factor", but I figured that there just might be someone else out there that has "dents" in their forehead like I do from smacking themselves when someone says "why don't ya just do this".


That's what I like about forums like this. Chances are you're going to learn something. I don't care how intelligent a person is, one person can't think of every little thing. Well, at least I haven't met that person.

My math teacher in High School had this motto: Practice doesn't make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect. He was also the Baseball coach. Camping is good practice, but camping out in "normal" times isn't the same as camping out in a survival/bugging out situation. There are somethings that you are going to do differently. Normally when camping you won't have someone awake and on watch. Also how many have practiced  noise, light, and litter discipline? In certain situations doing these things may save your life.

Of course it would be difficult to do these things when you are starting out, but at every "practice bugout" you should add another layer of difficulty.

Now that I think about it, NL&L discipline might apply to "bugging in" as well. At least in certain situations. If you have lights on in a power outage, you will attract situation. Also figure out what you're goign to do with your garbage. Even if the track is still coming by, if it's at the start of a bad economic meltdown, this to will attract attention. Garbage = stuff/food. The neighbors/passerbys will thing, "These people still have stuff! I want stuff to!"

Okay I've rambled on long enough. Work was rough, and I'm exhausted.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

Well, dang..cotton balls and vasoline...who would have thunk it!

Sounds like a good project for little boys.


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## urbanprepping (Feb 21, 2012)

Friday evening and in 15 minutes we were at a predecided location we then went to a random spot taking only what's in our bob and survive for the weekend no permenant or modern conviences. Does anybody else do things like this and. Any thoughts on this subject?[/QUOTE]

I
Haven't done that, I woken every one and told the power was out and we went a week without power. Recent I woke up my girl friend and told her tree was someone in the house handed her a unload weapon (she didnt know it was unloaded) we cleared the house and got the kids safe and in their safe spots.

Afterwards I told it was drill. Saw done for a week lol


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## md1911 (Feb 9, 2012)

Any practice is good imo. Does anybody else practice survival and bugging out.


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## gatorglockman (Sep 9, 2011)

Been there/ done this exercise and it is a smart way to practice and or modify and practice. We do a "bug out trip" at least once a year with the intent to get new folks involved. I usually start a month or two out by helping folks build their BOB and or show and tell what they have in their BOB's and why. You can always learn something new.

It is a great way to test our BOB's, practice field skills, chat prep and just enjoy some time in the field/nature.

One thing I always try and do is get my group moderately uncomfortable during the hike. It makes the discussion of living in a world without creature comforts and things often taken for granted more real.


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