# Best piece of equipment for a SHTF situation.



## DCcam87 (Mar 4, 2013)

Hey everyone, I want to see what everyone's favorite piece of equipment will be when the inevitable SHTF comes. This will also help me and everyone else see if they have what they need or if there is something they are missing. (Please no firearms or weapons)


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I have no favorite piece of equipment that is not a firearm or a weapon. So I guess that leaves wool socks, although I could use them as a weapon (aka Sock-nunchuks) which probably disqualifies them. Maybe my Camelbak hydration unit. No wait, I could use the tube to strangle my enemies, so that's out. I like my tomahawk, but that's a weapon too. I guess I've got nothing.


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## tugboats (Feb 15, 2009)

My most valuable item would have to be my library. The most important book (the smallest) would be the Constitution. Knowledge is the only commodity that can not be taken away, taxed or encumbered.

With what I have in my noggin and the books on the shelf I think I can build, repair or invent whatever we will need. Do I want to use a wooden mallet to drive a spike? No way. Will I drive the spike with a mallet and/or a rock? You bet your bippey(bippee? no Websters on this word).

Books are not a fancy item or a pretty item but it is what I would most like to have after water, food and shelter.

Tugs


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## redhorse (Dec 27, 2012)

I have to agree with Tug. They are cheap to come by, will store for at least our lifetime, and don't take up a lot of space. Of course I seem to have almost run out of shelves for them....  

The only problem with books would be they are heavy if you need to be mobile. But then again, important pages can be ripped out. 

I love my books. I try to by a book a pay that has to do with surviving or the old trades. I try to practice an new trade or skill every year until I have a decent grasp on the subject. Do I practice them all the time? No. But I try to learn them, practice them when I can, and if I can't, the knowledge is still sitting there. 

That being said, if someone decides they want what is mine in a SHTF situation, I'm going to need a weapon (weapons!) to defend my homestead and books. It sucks though, I unfortunately had a canoe accident and lost them all.


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## ZangLussuria (May 25, 2012)

My house. I need it to bug in and it has my supplies in it.
Next is my car because I need it to bug out, carries the family in it and fits some supplies.


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

Sentry18 said:


> I have no favorite piece of equipment that is not a firearm or a weapon. So I guess that leaves wool socks, although I could use them as a weapon (aka Sock-nunchuks) which probably disqualifies them. Maybe my Camelbak hydration unit. No wait, I could use the tube to strangle my enemies, so that's out. I like my tomahawk, but that's a weapon too. I guess I've got nothing.


You forgot your nice charming Rotties who sit by the door with a friendly "come and pet me" look.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

Is a good question, for me is my shelter my tent or Van, the rest is the pure logical stuff like weapons, cooking gear , extra heavy duty clothe with water proof bags , water filter , personal hygiene items, first aid kit , the items needed for making a bad situation survivable .


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

My bob filled with all my other favorite pieces of gear.


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## GrinnanBarrett (Aug 31, 2012)

If not my pistol then has to be my Leatherman. It goes with me all the time.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Country Living said:


> You forgot your nice charming Rotties who sit by the door with a friendly "come and pet me" look.


That was my first thought, but are they technically weapons? My second thought was biobacon, but since he is a killing machine he is technically a weapon too! Perhaps we need some clarification on the terms "weapon" and "equipment".


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

Best pieces of gear for me are a sound mind and body. So long as I am healthy I can solve problems, fix things, and reason thru situations. Once injured or panicked, a persons ability to make good descisions, or any descision at all, is seriously hampered. Whatever happens, even if you get hurt, keep a cool head.


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## 101airborne (Jan 29, 2010)

FatTire said:


> Best pieces of gear for me are a sound mind and body. So long as I am healthy I can solve problems, fix things, and reason thru situations. Once injured or panicked, a persons ability to make good descisions, or any descision at all, is seriously hampered. Whatever happens, even if you get hurt, keep a cool head.


 Have to agree with FatTire, to me my most important piece of "equipment" is my mind. Having tons of gear and equipment is great. BUT without the knowledge to use it, the sense to know how to remain calm in a stressful situation, and knowing my limitations so I don't try something stupid is priceless.


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

My shop

Period!!!!!


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## DCcam87 (Mar 4, 2013)

Lol ok, lets forget I said no weapons or firearms. They are allowed now.


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

In that case, id add a good knife, probably my kabar large heavy bowie. With a good knife I can make a lot of other stuff. Next, my Glock 22, I think for obviiud reasons.


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## AgentFlounder (Dec 12, 2008)

DCcam87 said:


> Hey everyone, I want to see what everyone's favorite piece of equipment will be when the inevitable SHTF comes.


Ultimately I think we'll have to rely on our minds' ability to be flexible, adaptable, and positive whatever the S is.

I hope we're not preparing for one SHTF situation but for several likely risks, disasters, etc.

Seems the S dictates what is the most valuable equipment. E.g., snow shovel or 4x4 in blizzard (or zombie apocalypse ). Boat or early warning system in flood. Generator in power outage. Shelter in tornado. Awareness and ability to avoid trouble in riots, protests. And so on. Note that these events are not equally likely.

I think my SAK would be handy in a number of situations.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Equipment can mean a lot of things, everyone's answers show that 

A good axe or chainsaw is very important to me for shelter, heat, energy, defenses so I guess those would be up there as my "favorites". A tractor would be up there too if that is allowed.

But for most important to me I would have to go with cows 
From them I can get food, draft power, transportation, heat if things got bad enough (a cow gives off around 4000btu or you can burn their manure if wood were not available), tallow for candles or soap, leather for clothing and many other uses like cord or machine belts.

Bees and chickens would be close behind.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

What you need depends on what the situation is, and you clearly don't know the answer to that until it happens. That said I am going to mention what I needed when evacuating the WTC on 9/11. First, water. I didn't have any but was able to acquire some at several points during my trek home that day so I got lucky. Since then I always have a bottle or two of water around or in my bag ready to go. Two, a pair of boots or shoes that you can walk a long way in. If you work in an office environment and wear dress shoes, you may need to have these in a bag ready to go. I saw ladies running around barefoot once the heels had to go. Not good. Three, a small AM/FM radio with batteries. Disasters are incredibly confusing and it is extremely difficult to get information in order to make such simple decisions as should I go left or right? Finally, a bag to carry stuff in. Add a decent map if you are in an unfamiliar place.

A couple years later we had a NY blackout and I had many of the same challenges, i.e. getting off Manhattan and getting home without information as to what is going on, etc. I was much better prepared for that event.


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## walter (Jun 5, 2013)

A Leatherman can sure come in handy. Good knife. Glock 33. A good sleeping bag can save your life.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Food, water, shelter, security....

What will you need to make sure you can have these things?

My short list of "can't live withouts"

On my person:
AAA LED flashlight from MXDL
Liner-lock knife
Gerber 600 Mutil-tool (not a fan of leathermans)
Glock 22 in a Fobus paddle
Danner boots. Rocky are OK too. Thick wool socks.
Leather gloves, and lots of them. Gloves of all kinds.

The food, water and shelter categories get really long, really fast. I do have things that I just can't see living without, like a come-a-long ... man, that's handy to have! Good rope and or steel cable/chains - - also very handy.

Buckets
Shovels
Various hammers, bars and mauls


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## fyrediver (Sep 16, 2013)

AgentFlounder said:


> I hope we're not preparing for one SHTF situation but for several likely risks, disasters, etc.
> 
> Seems the S dictates what is the most valuable equipment.


I agree wholeheartedly. I always try to determine what the mission is, in this case, the S in question. Snowstorm? Earthquake? Civil Unrest? Pandemic? Loss of one's job? Severe Injury?

In most cases the basics cover all of these scenarios. However, there are scenarios such as the snowstorm which a valuable item like a parka would be handy.

Back to the game: one item would be my Leatherman. With knowledge and some skills I can improvise many useful items with it.


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## Turtle (Dec 10, 2009)

I would say that my hatchet would probably be my "go to" piece of equipment if I could only have one item. With it, you can use the head for most tasks which a knife could handle, cut down trees for shelter, use the back of the head to hammer, self defense in a pinch... I feel like I have improvised more with my hatchet than with any other piece of equipment.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

For Zombie apocalypse I choose our Terex wheel loader, the smooth cutting edge can be re sharpened on a paved road, it is loud to attract zombies. :cheers:


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## prepare_survive_thrive (May 7, 2012)

FatTire said:


> In that case, id add a good knife, probably my kabar large heavy bowie. With a good knife I can make a lot of other stuff. Next, my Glock 22, I think for obviiud reasons.


I have the same knife. Love it! It's surprisingly agile on smaller jobs considering its size. My favorite tool it's a toss up between my klien bag of tools and my leather man. Hopefully I can afford the glock 34 I've been wanting soon.


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

I would have to say my lab, he provides security, companionship and is a good hunter.


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## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

I would have to say my leatherman. It can cut, pry, screw, saw and squeeze. Then my AR.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

For one piece of equipment, I would choose the largest fiskars (lightest axe for the head weight that I know of) axe that I could find, with this and my knowledge I could start to rebuild what other tools I needed, a leatherman would be nice, but it is hard to forge other tools with a leatherman.


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