Basic Minimum Essentials for a 24 Hour Scenario?

[huntingohio]

ok.. so not intending to ruffle feathers here.. but some of yall are really suggesting 20+ lbs of crap for a 24 hour scenario? Holy shit it hate to see what a bag would weigh if you had to leave home for good!

Its simple for 24 hours what you carry every day should suffice, for example

Your shelter is your clothing, dress appropriately and always bring a jacket if the nights get cold

Water- well if you cant go 24 hours without water than thats a prep fail right there. Keep your internal tanks topped up and it wont be a problem, maybe carry a small bottle of water at the most

Food- again if you cant go 24 hours without food your either failing or have a medical condition. keep a granola bar in your pocket, if your really worried.

the most important part is having a little bit of knowledge. It can save a lot of strain on your back

Most REAL emergencies youd be better served with an extra benjy in your wallet to pay for a moptel room then a giant rambo knife, if you want to talk real world not some 2012 paw scenario

[Boondock]

My urban GHB weighs roughly 7 lbs. However, my kit for a woodland day hike weighs 19-24 lbs. METT-T dictates everything.

[ninja-elbow]

Most REAL emergencies youd be better served with an extra benjy in your wallet to pay for a moptel room then a giant rambo knife, if you want to talk real world not some 2012 paw scenario

Even when I go in the woods, I carry some cash on me. That is one handy tool.

[Mad0Hatter]

I'm going to say that for any length scenario the basic minimum essentials are knowledge and knowledge. Anything beyond that is just a bonus.

[Boondock]

Even when I go in the woods, I carry some cash on me. That is one handy tool.

Agreed. Every one of my kits has a little scratch packed inside. Even my Altoids PSK has a $10 bill.

[TDW586]

ok.. so not intending to ruffle feathers here.. but some of yall are really suggesting 20+ lbs of crap for a 24 hour scenario? Holy shit it hate to see what a bag would weigh if you had to leave home for good!

Its simple for 24 hours what you carry every day should suffice, for example

Your shelter is your clothing, dress appropriately and always bring a jacket if the nights get cold

Water- well if you cant go 24 hours without water than thats a prep fail right there. Keep your internal tanks topped up and it wont be a problem, maybe carry a small bottle of water at the most

Food- again if you cant go 24 hours without food your either failing or have a medical condition. keep a granola bar in your pocket, if your really worried.

the most important part is having a little bit of knowledge. It can save a lot of strain on your back

Most REAL emergencies youd be better served with an extra benjy in your wallet to pay for a moptel room then a giant rambo knife, if you want to talk real world not some 2012 paw scenario

I'm not suggesting 20 pounds of gear, but yeah? No water, clothes on your back, you're good for 24 hours? How about in -20 temperatures? Or 115+? Gonna be fine without water for 24 hours? Even if you're injured? Like I said, how did you get stranded in the first place? Are we just going to ignore that?

You crash your car in the middle of nowhere, superficial cuts and scrapes on your arms and head, couple of broken fingers, you're bleeding. It's -15 degrees with blowing snow outside. Now, it's pretty unlikely you're going to be sitting on any state maintained road for more than 24 hours without someone finding you, but if we're following your advice, there's no gear you should carry that would up your chances of not freezing to death?

Same scenario, but middle of the Mojave, 115 degrees outside. You still happy with one small bottle of water, clothes on your back, and a granola bar?

[jamoni]

Bare minimum, in my AO, for 24 hours?
Nothing.
A lighter and a knife would be nice, and hopefully I'm dressed well for the weather.
I mean, seriously, Missouri is full of water, woods, and wildlife. My plan for a 24 hour jaunt would be
1. find a spot near water
2. Make a brush hut
3. drink water as needed
4. Light a fire as needed

[TDW586]

Jamoni, I see your point. But we're not talking about a jaunt, are we? We're talking about an emergency. Which by definition, means "shit has gone wrong". That's why I'd advocate a little more than a lighter and a knife.

If we're talking about an emergency kit, I'd actually suggest pretty much the same gear list for a 24 hour as a 48 or 72 hour kit.

Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk 2

[kaligaran]

Injury would be my main concern. Especially a mobility limiting injury. Say you slip and break an ankle, for example.
Most likely you can last the night. But what if no one finds you the next day or the following? So to have the basics to survive a bad situation is a plus.

I typed up a small list before I realized it was identical to TDW586's first post. I'd also add a whistle for signalling and a tiny mirror, or perhaps these exist already on your keychain along with an LED light (bonus).
If you go bare bones, you could replace the tarp with a space blanket. Yeah they suck for re-use but this is emergency only, it can be thrown away after.

So yeah, aside from that, I assume anything else is really comfort items. Pretty much it could all fit into a altoids tin or cargo pocket.

[ninja-elbow]

I'll go back to the 5Cs:

Cover
Cutting
Combustion
Candle
Container

You can go big and small with the concept. For me, I use the concept as a template for whatever kit I am putting together.

My EDC (in a commuter/messenger bag and on me):
Cover - as proper clothing as my morning weather forecast can get me plus a cheap reflective blanket and 30 feet of para cord braided in my bag.
Cutting - my multitool and my folding SD knife I carry.
Combustion - lighter in my pocket and usually another in my bag plus a small ferro and some wooden matches.
Candle - my EDC flashlight, my keychain light, a little flashing light for bikes.
Container - I always carry a 16oz Nalgene at the least. I also have a one pint water bladder in my bag.

Add to that my main SD piece Glock and extra mag, small FAK for boo boos, an Izzy, whistle, cell phone, wallet, keys, hanky, money, spare keys... stuff like that. With all that and my skills and knowledge I can handle most any minor emergency for the day.

Then I got my 2 BOBs (one at work, one at home). On top of that is what I have in the ruck and at home.

[Collie of Doom]

I've slept out of doors a few times down to 50 degrees, dry, with nothing but my normal street clothes. It wasn't comfortable, but it was not dangerous. Skill and experience are what count in this scenario, where the danger is not from starving to death, but in panicking and doing something stupid.

1 and 2 sounds about right. But your needs will vary based on your climate and the time of year. In my area I'd probably add a ball cap and water and a whistle (for signalling.) In colder or wetter climates you will want to include the emergency blanket and possibly the water boiling tools.

Already some good advice in this thread. Rule of 3s, exposure, clothing...

As opposed to one kit, go with a layered concept. When I go into the woods:
1) Proper clothing.
2) Pocket EDC - multitool, puukko, lighter, matches, wallet, hanky, keys, iPhone, gloves, buff, flashlight, smokes.
3) Woods bag with "5Cs" (container, cover, cutting, combustion, candle) - Guyot bottle and nesting cup, emergency blanket (orange), axe or extra knife, fire kit, head lamp.
...add to 3) some Pur tabs, tea, extra batteries, cordage, duct tape, boo boo kit, map and compass, and a Cliff bar.

ETA: I forgot to type that 1) and 2) will cover most "normal" emergency needs. If one had to stay out overnight in the dirt, you'll be fine with that and some knowledge/skill.