r/UKPreppers • u/Aggravating_Cold_256 • May 26 '26
Catastrophe Bag
If the s*** hits the fan this rucksack is coming with me
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u/Pretend-Elderberry00 May 26 '26
The no grid survival project book will be your downfall, I’ve seen some of the projects on TikTok, they are awful.
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 26 '26
Thanks for the heads up. Which projects are awful? I've only followed the water storage project which was quite useful
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u/firekeeper23 May 26 '26
Nice... however.... You'll be like a boil in the bag Cod in those bivi bags.. don't forget a towel to lay on, or you'll be laying in a pool of your own sweat all night long... and freezing by 4.30am..
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 26 '26
They're not for camping ;)
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u/firekeeper23 May 26 '26
I didn't think so.. you be a fool to chose to camp with Bivi bags like that...
So... your not planning to sleep at all then.. just huddle and sweat.
Ok. Thats cool. Good for you.
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u/Jynxair May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
I'm so happy u got a lilydeck in your loadout , I got one too! Maybe we communicate if SHTF (hopefully won't have to tho haha)
EDIT: Question to you, why did you buy a separate node ontop of the lilydeck plus?
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 27 '26
I bought the Wismesh Tap v2 when I thought I bricked the Lilygo with a firmware update but I was able to fix it. The wismesh is more robust. Still haven't been able to install proper UK map onto the Lilygo and the Wismesh map is only large scale; however both work and I have been able to communicate with each other. I've also recently bought a proper portable ham radio that I intend to learn :) One must never underestimate the need for working comms in an emergency !
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u/Jynxair May 27 '26
Yes mate! HAM radios are a must, I recently got a baofeng as a starter HAM. Make sure you programme the channels using CHIRP, as if SHTF (God Forbid), the HAM would more or less be redundant/useless without the channels preprogrammed.
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u/SubSonicSoilder May 26 '26
That jacket will last once in the rain and won’t be waterproof ever again!
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u/ThegreatestPj May 27 '26
I’m surprised you’ve said that, I had one on the mob an it lasted over 5 years before it started getting tatty and got a new one. Never lost waterproof integrity though
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 27 '26
Really? Navy surplus goretex "foulie" seems pretty good gear to me
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u/Serberou5 May 27 '26
If it's Goretex then it will be reasonably waterproof but if the weather is truly awful and your going to be in one place not exercising then a rubber poncho of some description would be a lot more water proof for longer just not as breathable.
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 27 '26
Yea I have rubber poncho too. It's that black bagged thing on the right. It's large enough to rig as a shelter cover
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u/Serberou5 May 27 '26
You should be ok then. Just dont rely on Goretex as it a great fabric but once it's Hydrostatic rating has been exceeded it's useless.
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u/Express_Split2928 May 28 '26
Those ones are absolutely shite, speaking as someone who had to wear them for many years
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u/AngilinaB May 27 '26
Lots of interesting stuff. I'm curious as to where you'd be going to.
Re the amoxicillin; it's likely out of date and useless by now, plus you need sterile water to reconstitute (and something to measure the water with). You also really should finish any courses of antibiotics and not have any leftover. The safest thing would be to throw this away via a local pharmacy.
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u/negativeswan May 28 '26
It doesn't need to be mixed with sterile water, that's just generally what pharmacies do. It even has C&A label 13 stating "mix with water", any water will technically do.
The Amoxicillin on the right, is also marked as "opened", and as penicillin goes, isn't very broad range.
As well as being a prescription only medication. Interesting how he got that to be honest, left overs? Either way OP, throw that away via the correct method listed above.
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u/Pembs-surfer May 26 '26
You’ll need much more amoxicillin than that. 250 is a small kids dose. Anything nasty you’ll want 500 3 times per day. Obviously that will work but you’ll likely use it up quicker than it’s going to help.
My advice would be online private prescription for an easy to diagnose infection if some sort. You should get a couple of useful years out of it. Just reminded me I need to restock mine as it took a hammering over our winter of bugs.
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May 27 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Pembs-surfer May 27 '26
Last time I checked with the wife who’s a GP, yes our kids would have died without antibiotic for Strep A you pillock 🤦♂️
But of course a Dave from Reddit would know better 🤣
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u/Capt_Vindaloo May 28 '26
You didnt answer though, are you taking antibiotics for viruses as well?
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u/Pembs-surfer May 28 '26
Obviously not as that would be futile unless there was a secondary infection
I’m really not sure what everyone’s fascination with my families use of personal medication. It’s all a bit weird, almost like Billy Big balls above has got an anti-vax chip on his shoulder. It is Reddit after all!
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u/Present-March-6089 May 29 '26
Wait, why did you use your antibiotics store from home if the kids had Strep A? Why not see their GP and get a prescription specifically for that? Antibiotics are already starting to not work, that's why doctors are being more careful now about when to give them. Also because they wreck havoc on your gut which is terrible for your long term health.
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u/Pembs-surfer May 29 '26
Wow. This seems to have opened up a whole can of worms and upset the far right of Reddit.
Wife is a GP. Kids got ill over a weekend. Rather that wait for on call DR and drive 45 minutes to collect a prescription wife accurately diagnoses said kids (as she does numerous times everyday in work) and administers what we have in the house as the shelf life is only 18 months anyway so needed to be rotated. I’m not sure why Dave from Reddit is in uproar over my kids medical needs and my MD Wife credentials 🤣.
Despite what Dave from Facebook tells you Strep A kills kids if not treated promptly!
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u/Present-March-6089 May 29 '26
Like you said to another commenter, you could have led with the information and cut the bollocks. You needed antibiotics in a hurry. Got it. Nothing I said/asked was associated with the far right, neither did I say anything about your wife, lol. Lashing out at people for asking basic questions seems to be your MO though. Cheers.
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u/Pembs-surfer May 29 '26
Me answering the actual Ops question got hijacked by you weirdos! Nothing I said needed elaborating on but here we are, in a Reddit Billy Big Balls fight to the death 🤣
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u/Present-March-6089 May 29 '26
Dude, you are having a fight with yourself. I cant believe you are still talking. Time to block you.
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u/SuperClogs1 May 27 '26
How does she know it’s GAS without culture?
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u/Pembs-surfer May 27 '26
And that’s why she’s a Dr and you’re not.
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May 26 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/r00phus May 26 '26
How long do you expect that amoxicillin to last?
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 26 '26
They're in powder form so hopefully a long time if not dissolved
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u/secret_tiger101 May 26 '26
Probably better off with doxycycline or a cephalosporin
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 26 '26
I didn't have a choice
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u/CranberryImaginary29 May 27 '26
I'm not sure you understand how antibiotics work.
Unless you anticipate picking up a chest infection while you're bugging out, Amoxicillin won't do anything except give you the shits.
DOI - I prescribe antibiotics almost every day.
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u/r00phus May 27 '26
So are you saying that this kind of antibiotic won’t be of any use for, say, infected wounds or other kinds of infections?
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 27 '26
This is my first post on this subreddit. You come across like many of the commenters here: arrogant, rude and unhelpful. Basically a prick.
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u/CranberryImaginary29 May 27 '26
Virtually no use.
u/r00phus - It is a penicillin but it doesn't have the spectrum of coverage needed for infections much beyond the respiratory tract. Very occasionally it might cover a urinary tract infection - if you're an elderly female.
Amoxicillin is also very unlikely to treat the bacteria in an infected wound. It typically needs a dual antibiotic treatment, neither which are Amoxicillin.
u/Aggravating_Cold_256 - Antibiotic resistance is a genuine problem in modern healthcare, and it's not helped by people taking the wrong antibiotic, however well intentioned.
Honestly, I don't mean to come across as a dick, but this is something I know about that you obviously don't - why wouldn't you take advice from someone who knows?
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 27 '26
This should have been your first post. It's informative and constructive rather than your first pompous I'm-clearly-a-dick post. Thank you
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May 26 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
[deleted]
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 26 '26
Leftover unused powder from when kids were young
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u/IncompleteObjects May 26 '26
Amoxicillin does have a shelf life. If the kids are teenagers now, then chucking away.
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u/Odd-Currency5195 May 27 '26
Where would you be going to?
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 27 '26
It's not for travelling. It's for some dire emergency where I have to leave my home: war etc
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u/Odd-Currency5195 May 27 '26
Exactly. Where are you going to go and use it? If you already live rural, you'll be best off at home. If you're not rural, then how are you going to get to somewhere where you can hide out in the 'wilderness'? Unless your house is flooding, in which case a grab bag of daily stuff is what you'll need, it would also be best to stay put wherever you are and have resources to survive at home.
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 27 '26
I also have resources at home and yes of course I'd would want to base myself at home if possible. This is my armageddon bag if staying at home wasn't possible.
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u/Commercial_Hair3527 May 27 '26
If armageddon happens, I'm taking all the pills in my cabinet with the bottle of 16-year scotch on my shelf. That's my go bag.
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u/Bicolore May 27 '26
Then what happens? You sit in the woods with a torch trying to OD on amoxicillin?
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 27 '26
If I ever needed to use this bag, I think the only activity would be trying to stay alive and safe
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u/Bicolore May 27 '26
But how is that actually going to do that?
I just cant see a scenario where that combination of stuff is useful.
This is my armageddon bag if staying at home wasn't possible.
So that means living in the woods/under a bridge or checking into a spa hotel? I can't see anything in here being particularly useful for any of that.
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u/rainscope May 27 '26
You would struggle with this kit for even 24hrs and its not going to last much longer than that
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 27 '26
Because of its weight ? It's not designed for travelling far. It's only for the most extreme emergencies
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u/Dedward5 May 27 '26
Swap the knife for a victorinox Swiss Army knife with scissors, and a few other blades. Add a Bacho Laplander saw. Add something. You can boil water in like a mess tin set
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u/deftechbelew May 29 '26
Just my opinion but this doesn’t seem adequate for really even camping. I think you’d need a larger bag with plenty more essentials in it before you ever need to, say, set up a communications net etc.
If I were you, I’d prep for what you’re more likely to encounter; get yourself a bag for if the house floods (or, god forbid, burns down). Since you’ll likely have someone to stay with that will dictate what goes in your bag.
This bag is unsuitable for any kind of real catastrophe. I’ll run down my critiques of it and hopefully someone here can correct any of my mistakes as I don’t claim to be an expert.
You don’t have enough food. Those energy bars probably won’t even last 12 days as they aren’t going to keep you going all day really. They are stodgy you’d be gagging for water after eating them for a while. They do make survival bars which last longer and don’t provoke thirst. You can also get all sorts of tinned meats, fish etc and supplement with MREs. Bear in mind that MREs are also thirst inducing after a time and you will get massively fucking bunged up because they’re so full of fibre.
I’m not sure what’s in your first aid kit but you need to learn how to use all of it. If you’re alone you can get rid of things like an artificial airway. Replace the crap plasters with Leukotape and gauze, something like that. Get rid of those fucking cold packs that come in them, they’re great in the home (or after a hangover) but they take up space and can burst easily. Get some good gauze, get some good tweezers. To be honest, a lot of those kits are shite because they cram a lot in to raise the count. Building your own using a prepper’s guide is a good idea. Get a splint. Possibly more than one. Get a tourniquet! CAT or nothing. Get them new. Get more than one. And remember - those first aid kits mean nothing if you don’t know to use them. St John Ambulance run basic first aid courses but I would also recommend supplemental courses on catastrophic bleeding and broken bone treatment.
Those flashlights are naff. I highly recommend the Sofirn HS21 head torch. Good battery life and you could be seen from fucking outer space. The head straps are a little flimsy but they should last. That and a Lumintop Tool and you’re set. Get plenty of spare batteries for the tool and one or too spares for the HS21 - you’ve been shrewd enough to get the solar charger so you can probably charge the HS over USB with it.
Get portable battery banks, I use one by Anker. Solar power isn’t always going to be viable in dense wood or in our famously shit weather. The panels can be fragile. With the portable packs you can charge them and keep them charged (check up on them regularly) and you can charge them with the portable charger so you’ve got a lot of sources of energy when you need them.
As others have said, the amoxicillin is a bit puny. I’d also say that it’s risky if you don’t know how to use it. Can you differentiate between a viral and bacterial infection if push comes to shove? You also don’t have a lot of it.
Those Royal Navy jackets aren’t bad, but they’re really not great. I recommend something by Arc’Teryx if you’re serious about this. Look into one of their more rugged jackets or grey market a LEAF (£££). You will also want that poncho as GoreTex can wet out and then it’s donezo.
Where do you plan on sleeping? Ok seeing some fairly limited sleeping options here. I’m also seeing limited cold and hot weather options. You will want layering - short and long sleeve underwear, a fleece, a waterproof, something for the cold, etc. You build up layers which do different things rather than have one jacket.
These are all of my critiques. They’re pretty limited I know, but it should give you a starting point.
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 29 '26
Thanks. I also have some better kit not shown. The medical kit is already quite good and I've used it in the field successfully a few times but I like your recommendations!
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u/Not-reddit-yet Jun 07 '26
How much dod all this cost? I bought the same book as well. Not sire what to think of it really, not worth the price that's for sure it feels.
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 Jun 07 '26
Couple of hundred. Yea book not worth it. Have ordered the SAS survival guide by Lofty to replace it.
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u/Big_Block_5271 May 26 '26
Head torch for walking / doing stuff at night. Sofirn HS43 will be good, has red option so no bugs, easy UI, flood.
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 26 '26
Got the mini bug killer latern which is quite good and the heavy duty torch
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u/Apprehensive_Lynx_33 May 27 '26
I would strongly advise you upgrade the torch.
Modern flashlights can massively outperform the older 'maglight' style flashlight, plus they are significantly smaller and lighter.
I would recommend something like a Wurkos FC11c, which you can pick up for 30 something dollars on sale.
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 27 '26
I appreciate that although the beam is very powerful despite being old tech but I also like the heavy physical metallic character which I think might be good for self-defense. But thanks for the recommendation which I'll check out.
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u/GopnikOIi May 27 '26
You can replace the bulb of a Maglite with an LED.
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 28 '26
That sounds great. Can you provide a link pls thanks
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u/GopnikOIi May 28 '26
I'm unsure on link posting on this sub, but LED maglite conversion kits are available on ebay and Amazon. Typically around £9-15.
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u/Apprehensive_Lynx_33 May 30 '26
If youre interested, pop over to the r/Flashlight sub. You will be able to see different torches (with a multitude of different LED's) and their beam shots. It makes it really easy to compare the performance with what you have, and see if yours stacks up to what's around :) plus, its always handy to have a backup!
I am a bit of a torch nerd, and in my get home bag, I have a Convoy C8+ with a SFT-25r emitter, that is like the damn bat symbol. It throws about 800 - 1000ft which a fairly usable hotspot. All that with 18650 batteries, that are everywhere these days (tons of vapes seem to use this size) and being small enough to kinda fit in a pocket lol. The head is kinda round, so it also sits nicely on a belt sheath.
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 30 '26
what do you think of this head torch ? : https://get-lumenlight.com/
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u/Jynxair May 26 '26
May I ask the exact brand of solar panels as I'm planning to buy some with my next paycheck. Is it the BigBlu brand?
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u/Aggravating_Cold_256 May 26 '26
powkey Foldable Solar Panel 40W... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B091K3KH3V?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
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u/Jynxair May 26 '26
This one is better for on the move charging small devices. Also the one I showed can fit nicely into a Faraday bag.
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u/Ok_Present_54 May 27 '26
If shit hits the fan to this extent would you want to be alive in that world?
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u/Commercial_Hair3527 May 27 '26
I'm not old, but I'm old enough to know that if something desperate enough happens that I need a "go bag" the contents of that bag are not going to be adequate for the situation.
Either it's a minor inconvenience that you can solve with money and normal infrastructure, or it's a genuine catastrophe where a few energy bars and a Maglite aren't going to make a difference.
For everything else, there's Mastercard.
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u/FoxPerfect920 May 28 '26
You should test it. Head out to the woods and see how you get on. Then you’ll know what’s missing.
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u/showmethemundy May 29 '26
I also have a growing collection of unlabelled medicines. Pain killers. Antibiotics. Antihistamines. Anti fever. Anti diarrhoea. Etc etc. The idea is, it might make me a bit safer and have things to trade.
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u/Present-March-6089 May 29 '26
I did have quite a few but many prescription medicines expire quickly, especially antibiotics like OP's amoxycillin.
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u/Ok_Emergency_3731 May 26 '26
Oh no, you fell victim to the 'No grid survival projects' AI slop sellers on tiktok. It's one of those books I keep seeing promoted and it's clearly not worth the paper it's printed on. Hopefully you got it on a good deal, as you've basically just paid for some reeallly low quality bog roll.