Post by Chaindriven on Jul 14, 2008 6:01:16 GMT -6
Do you have a "Grab-and-Run" kit? You should, because an act of terrorism or a natural disaster can happen at any time, anywhere, and you'll be on your own.
Despite its tragic consequences, Hurricane Katrina was a post-doctoral education in contemporary survival, or should I say, social and governmental anarchy. There were those who were self-reliant, and those who made the serious mistake of thinking the cavalry was just around the corner.
Just in case you haven't given much thought to preparing for your personal and family's survival since 9/11, Mossberg has put together a convenient kit to get you started and to get you thinking about the unthinkable. In fact, Mossberg has labeled it the "JIC" for "Just In Case." Here's how it's put together.
The basic housing of the JIC is a rigid, synthetic tube measuring 33-1/2" long and 6" in diameter. One end is sealed with a permanently cemented cap while the open "loading" end is closed with a heavy duty, compression gasket and end cap forming a waterproof seal, said to be air tight to a minimum of 17 psi or 40' of water. The tube is conveniently fitted with a shoulder strap so you can grab it and "bug out."
Inside the tube, Mossberg offers two options. The JIC 500 Cruiser Kit I tested contains a pistol gripped, blued, Model 500 Cruiser 12-gauge pump gun sealed in a heavy, plastic, re-sealable bag, a sardine-can-size survival kit, gun lock and owner's manual. The other JIC option is the 500 Mariner Kit. The differences are the Model 500 in the Mariner Kit is finished in Mossberg's corrosion resistant "Marinecote" and in place of a Survival-Kit-in-a-Can, there are a Leatherman-type multi-tool and a serrated blade, folding knife. Depending upon your needs, the remainder of the tube is yours to fill up.
Food and water for at least three days immediately come to mind, so I would add the contents of an Ark III box from Survivor Industries or a similar product with a 5-year shelf life from Survivor Mall. For $19.95, an Ark III box contains six 4.225-ounce (1/2 cup) packets of water, nine food bars composed of enriched flour, minerals and vitamins with a food value of 400 calories per bar, and a space blanket. The food bars taste like a vanilla cookie and are not thirst promoting. Once you open the food bar package though, you can't reseal it, so add a gallon size Ziploc bag to your kit. Or, buy the food bars separately in strips of three each. The one-day strips will fit the tube. The recommended regime is three food bars and two packets of water per person, per day. Living as I do in the Southwest, 1 would add more water.
Next on my list would be ammunition. Twelve-gauge ammo is bulky and heavy, but five 2-3/4" rounds can be safely carried in the magazine of the Cruiser or Mariner. I would make those 4-Buck, just in case. In the JIC tube, I would add 2 slug loads, 5 more 4-Buck and 15 No. 5s.
Why 4-Buck and No. 5s? The Model 500 is choked cylinder bore. The pattern gets pretty thin, pretty fast. A 2-3/4" load of 4-Buck consists of 27 pellets, 24-caliber in diameter and provide a lot more "hit-ability" than 9 pellets of 00 Buck.
I loaded the Cruiser with Federal Power-Shok 4-Buck and from a distance of 20 yards, let fly at a B-27 torso target. The cylinder bore slapped 25 pellets plus the wad into center of mass. You couldn't ask for a more lethal pattern. When shooting buckshot or slugs, remind yourself to hold onto that Cruiser tightly, though. To every action, there's a reaction and that little 12-gauge pistol really bucks back when fed those hefty diets.
The 4-Buck and the slugs would handle big game and defensive needs. I selected No. 5s over No. 6s and No. 7-1/2s for small game and waterfowl for the purposes of gaining greater pellet energy within a thin pattern. Number 5s can also double as defensive loads for ranges out to 10 or 15 yards.
The little, pistol-gripped Mossberg 500 is a handy survival tool with an 18-1/2" barrel, an overall length of 28-3/4" and a weight of 6-3/4 pounds. Being compact, it's ideal for vehicles, boats, tight quarters and general concealment. You shoot the Cruiser by holding the pump handle tightly and pulling the handle forward while putting downward pressure on the pistol grip with the other hand. In other words, keeping it in a state of tension helps control muzzle flip while taking up some of the recoil delivered to your hand through the pistol grip. You'll know you've shot it, but it's manageable with 2-3/4" loads. If you're really tough, you can shoot 3" loads, but I wouldn't recommend the practice for us average mortals unless you already wear dentures.
Mossberg's "Survival-Kit-In-A-Can" is a remarkable achievement. Coghlans Ltd. makes the sealed sardine-size can containing survival/first aid information, compass, fire starter, 9.8' of cord, 3' wire, 101' fishing/sewing line, four waterproof matches, two antiseptic swabs, razor blade, three twist ties, 1' of duct tape, signal mirror, Zip-Lock bag, two bandages, two nails, two safety pins, two fish hooks, signal whistle, sewing needle, note paper, pencil, soup packet, tea packet, sugar packet, energy candy, chewing gum and a book of matches. You'd be hard pressed to assemble a more compact and complete unit from scratch.
Now that we're thinking "survival," what else might you add to the JIC kit? Here are a few personal ideas: small LED flashlight and/or headlamp, a solar-hand-generator-battery-powered radio and light combination you can also use to operate a cell phone, small first aid kit, collapsible canteen and iodine water disinfectant tablets, windproof butane lighter, multi-tool, knife, batteries, insect repellent, toilet paper, soap, toothbrush and paste, eyeglass repair kit, aspirin, prescription antibiotic-pain killer-and-anti-diarrhea medications, candles, a 12-hour light stick.
Think in terms of what you might need for 2 or 3 days until your world gets sorted out.
Holding some gear, will the JIC container really float? Is it waterproof? Does that compression gasket seal work? Placing the Mossberg Cruiser, the Ark III box and the Survival Kit-In-A-Can inside the JIC tube, I smeared some silicon grease on the rubber compression gasket, screwed it down tight and tossed the whole JIC kit into the pool. It floated. In fact, it seemed so much at home in the water, I let it float around all afternoon.
Recovering the JIC at dusk, I unscrewed the compression gasket, removed the end cap and retrieved the contents. There was absolutely not a single drop of water inside that tube. You could grab the JIC, bug out and everything inside would still function and still be tasty. The compression gasket sealed tube is simply a great system.
Mossberg's JIC "bug out" kit is a pioneering product. Buying and owning one forces you to think seriously about survival and forces you to fill up the tube with essential items, plus there's no shotgun more reliable than a Mossberg 500. In fact, it's fun to assemble and complete a JIC.
Stashed at home or with you on a long car trip, Mossberg's augmented JIC will prove priceless when needed. Hopefully, it never will be.
Despite its tragic consequences, Hurricane Katrina was a post-doctoral education in contemporary survival, or should I say, social and governmental anarchy. There were those who were self-reliant, and those who made the serious mistake of thinking the cavalry was just around the corner.
Just in case you haven't given much thought to preparing for your personal and family's survival since 9/11, Mossberg has put together a convenient kit to get you started and to get you thinking about the unthinkable. In fact, Mossberg has labeled it the "JIC" for "Just In Case." Here's how it's put together.
The basic housing of the JIC is a rigid, synthetic tube measuring 33-1/2" long and 6" in diameter. One end is sealed with a permanently cemented cap while the open "loading" end is closed with a heavy duty, compression gasket and end cap forming a waterproof seal, said to be air tight to a minimum of 17 psi or 40' of water. The tube is conveniently fitted with a shoulder strap so you can grab it and "bug out."
Inside the tube, Mossberg offers two options. The JIC 500 Cruiser Kit I tested contains a pistol gripped, blued, Model 500 Cruiser 12-gauge pump gun sealed in a heavy, plastic, re-sealable bag, a sardine-can-size survival kit, gun lock and owner's manual. The other JIC option is the 500 Mariner Kit. The differences are the Model 500 in the Mariner Kit is finished in Mossberg's corrosion resistant "Marinecote" and in place of a Survival-Kit-in-a-Can, there are a Leatherman-type multi-tool and a serrated blade, folding knife. Depending upon your needs, the remainder of the tube is yours to fill up.
Food and water for at least three days immediately come to mind, so I would add the contents of an Ark III box from Survivor Industries or a similar product with a 5-year shelf life from Survivor Mall. For $19.95, an Ark III box contains six 4.225-ounce (1/2 cup) packets of water, nine food bars composed of enriched flour, minerals and vitamins with a food value of 400 calories per bar, and a space blanket. The food bars taste like a vanilla cookie and are not thirst promoting. Once you open the food bar package though, you can't reseal it, so add a gallon size Ziploc bag to your kit. Or, buy the food bars separately in strips of three each. The one-day strips will fit the tube. The recommended regime is three food bars and two packets of water per person, per day. Living as I do in the Southwest, 1 would add more water.
Next on my list would be ammunition. Twelve-gauge ammo is bulky and heavy, but five 2-3/4" rounds can be safely carried in the magazine of the Cruiser or Mariner. I would make those 4-Buck, just in case. In the JIC tube, I would add 2 slug loads, 5 more 4-Buck and 15 No. 5s.
Why 4-Buck and No. 5s? The Model 500 is choked cylinder bore. The pattern gets pretty thin, pretty fast. A 2-3/4" load of 4-Buck consists of 27 pellets, 24-caliber in diameter and provide a lot more "hit-ability" than 9 pellets of 00 Buck.
I loaded the Cruiser with Federal Power-Shok 4-Buck and from a distance of 20 yards, let fly at a B-27 torso target. The cylinder bore slapped 25 pellets plus the wad into center of mass. You couldn't ask for a more lethal pattern. When shooting buckshot or slugs, remind yourself to hold onto that Cruiser tightly, though. To every action, there's a reaction and that little 12-gauge pistol really bucks back when fed those hefty diets.
The 4-Buck and the slugs would handle big game and defensive needs. I selected No. 5s over No. 6s and No. 7-1/2s for small game and waterfowl for the purposes of gaining greater pellet energy within a thin pattern. Number 5s can also double as defensive loads for ranges out to 10 or 15 yards.
The little, pistol-gripped Mossberg 500 is a handy survival tool with an 18-1/2" barrel, an overall length of 28-3/4" and a weight of 6-3/4 pounds. Being compact, it's ideal for vehicles, boats, tight quarters and general concealment. You shoot the Cruiser by holding the pump handle tightly and pulling the handle forward while putting downward pressure on the pistol grip with the other hand. In other words, keeping it in a state of tension helps control muzzle flip while taking up some of the recoil delivered to your hand through the pistol grip. You'll know you've shot it, but it's manageable with 2-3/4" loads. If you're really tough, you can shoot 3" loads, but I wouldn't recommend the practice for us average mortals unless you already wear dentures.
Mossberg's "Survival-Kit-In-A-Can" is a remarkable achievement. Coghlans Ltd. makes the sealed sardine-size can containing survival/first aid information, compass, fire starter, 9.8' of cord, 3' wire, 101' fishing/sewing line, four waterproof matches, two antiseptic swabs, razor blade, three twist ties, 1' of duct tape, signal mirror, Zip-Lock bag, two bandages, two nails, two safety pins, two fish hooks, signal whistle, sewing needle, note paper, pencil, soup packet, tea packet, sugar packet, energy candy, chewing gum and a book of matches. You'd be hard pressed to assemble a more compact and complete unit from scratch.
Now that we're thinking "survival," what else might you add to the JIC kit? Here are a few personal ideas: small LED flashlight and/or headlamp, a solar-hand-generator-battery-powered radio and light combination you can also use to operate a cell phone, small first aid kit, collapsible canteen and iodine water disinfectant tablets, windproof butane lighter, multi-tool, knife, batteries, insect repellent, toilet paper, soap, toothbrush and paste, eyeglass repair kit, aspirin, prescription antibiotic-pain killer-and-anti-diarrhea medications, candles, a 12-hour light stick.
Think in terms of what you might need for 2 or 3 days until your world gets sorted out.
Holding some gear, will the JIC container really float? Is it waterproof? Does that compression gasket seal work? Placing the Mossberg Cruiser, the Ark III box and the Survival Kit-In-A-Can inside the JIC tube, I smeared some silicon grease on the rubber compression gasket, screwed it down tight and tossed the whole JIC kit into the pool. It floated. In fact, it seemed so much at home in the water, I let it float around all afternoon.
Recovering the JIC at dusk, I unscrewed the compression gasket, removed the end cap and retrieved the contents. There was absolutely not a single drop of water inside that tube. You could grab the JIC, bug out and everything inside would still function and still be tasty. The compression gasket sealed tube is simply a great system.
Mossberg's JIC "bug out" kit is a pioneering product. Buying and owning one forces you to think seriously about survival and forces you to fill up the tube with essential items, plus there's no shotgun more reliable than a Mossberg 500. In fact, it's fun to assemble and complete a JIC.
Stashed at home or with you on a long car trip, Mossberg's augmented JIC will prove priceless when needed. Hopefully, it never will be.