ALT-MARKET.COM'S POOR MAN'S GUIDE TO SURVIVAL GEAR

http://www.alt-market.com/articles/414-the-poor-mans-guide-to-survival-gear

The Poor Man’s Guide To Survival Gear

Thursday, 15 December 2011 03:40 Brandon Smith

Special Note:  Obviously, an entire book could be written on this subject, which is a task beyond the scope of this article.  The purpose of the following piece is to give those with financial difficulty a foothold on prepping without added pain.  It is meant to be a starting point, not a compendium.
A friend of mine took note recently that a large portion of activists involved in the Liberty Movement had hit extremely hard times, or had been struggling financially even before the general economic collapse began to take hold.  He asked me my theory on why it was that so many of us are always so broke.  I could only relate that it is almost always the working class poor in any society that first sees the effects of a corrupt government and a faulty economic system.  Those who legitimately hold to the principles of self sustainment, and fair play, are usually the first to be stabbed in the back by the establishment, and so, they are the first to become politically active against it.  That is to say, sometimes we have to lose almost everything before we are able to see the bigger picture. 

While I consider this fact a source of solace in these extraordinarily hard times, it still does little to put food on the table, or survival gear in the bug-out-bag. 

The overall consensus within the prepper community is that survival planning is expensive, and yes, it certainly can be.  Another consensus is that you “get what you pay for”; also true...to a point.  My belief is that while no prepping model is free of expense or of quality concerns, perhaps there is a middle road that activists with thin wallets can take which will provide solid gear for less money, and that will serve most of the functions of high-end gear that is ten times as expensive.  Let’s examine a foundation list of those items that can help get you started now….
Backpack (Bug Out Bag)

You can literally spend hundreds of dollars on many top-of-the-line framed backpacks, and some may even be worth it, but it is not necessary to spend that kind of cash to purchase a decent bug-out-bag.  In fact, surplus ALICE packs with frames can be had online for as little as $30-$60, sometimes even less if they are a bit worn.  The ALICE system provides adequate back support for your needs, for a low price, and the quality of the design is military proven. 

SNIP

SAVAGE MODEL 10
This is a .308 sniper system commonly found with a precision stock and a heavy barrel.  Range of around 800 yards.  Can be found for $600 to $700.  Modified systems come more expensive, but the standard model is all you need.  

SAVAGE 111

A highly accurate rifle utilizing the effective 300 Win Mag cartridge.  Range exceeding 1000 yards.  Can usually be found for around $700.

SAVAGE 111 BA

The “long range hunter” model of the Savage 111 in .338 Lapua costing less than $1000.  The .338 is an incredible cartridge with an effective range of about 1 mile.  The Savage has been found comparable to sniper systems three times as expensive.  The only problem with the .338 is the price of the ammo, which usually runs around $60 to $70 for a box of 20 rounds, almost twice as expensive as 300 Win Mag.  Man, does that sting!  This rifle should be considered a poor man’s substitute for the .50 Cal, a rifle that will always be undeniably expensive, considering one round usually sets you back $4 to $5.  If you want the capability of a .50 Cal but not a quite so outrageous ammo price, the Savage is your best bet.

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