This week on the Squared Away blog, I’m going to be talking about what I’m doing to get fit, breaking down what’s in my go bag water kit, and why I set things up the way I have.
Getting Fit: Working Out
I’m in reasonably good health, but let’s be honest, most of us aren’t doing our best physically. Almost half the U.S. population is obese, and it’s not conducive to our preparedness, as individuals or as a group. This is why the military trains the way they do, and why all of us should be training our bodies from a young age. This world is astonishingly unhealthy, and it’s slowing us down and affecting our mental health.
So I train, almost every day now. Even if it’s only for a little bit, running the stairs at work or doing some quick push-ups. But I like to really focus my efforts when it’s possible. I like to use the Thenx body-weight calisthenics workouts for cardiovascular training, in combination with lifting weights and doing dead-lifts and weighted squats. At the end of my workouts, I’ll go for a run, and I always try to really push myself to excel here, because I find running to be challenging and very important.
Today, my workout consisted of doing burpees, lunges, and lots of push-ups, all wearing body armor and carrying my rifle. I did this routine for a total of three sets, which is a mild challenge for the day. My goal is to work up to a fitness standard that would be appropriate for moving at speed, with good fine motor control, and to be able to assist injured or sick people as part of an effective team.
Go-Bag Water Kit
It’s important in survival situations that we have ready access to clean water. We’ve been aware of this for a very long time as a civilization. So when you’re assembling a bag, it’s important to have considerations for water collection and purification, for both on the move and at camp. So with that in mind, I set up a good starting water kit, and I plan to add more to it down the road.
I started with water purification tabs, because these can be used to treat water while I move. You always need water, but you don’t want to be sitting around waiting on it to be cleaned, and sometimes it has to be stored for the trip. This is where The tablets come in. By following the instructions, you can purify water while still moving, rather then setting up a spot and letting it boil, or only having as much as you can get through a lifestraw.
Speaking of Lifestraws, I’ve also tossed in one of those. They’re easy, light, and with good care will last a reasonable amount of time. These are great for stop and drink moments when you don’t need storage. I plan to upgrade to a Sawyer Mini filter down the road, as you get more mileage out of them than the Lifestraw, in a smaller package.
I’ve put the first two parts of my water system into this stainless steel blue painted canister for storage. It will work well for boiling water for cooking, or to make flavored drinks like coffee. I sanded off all the blue paint after I took the picture.
I’ve added a large piece of fabric to my water kit as well, to pre filter some of the larger junk out of my water when necessary. I think it’s a pretty comprehensive setup, but I’d love to know what you think about it.
modernsurvivalarkansas.com 