Cache Contents Lists: Speedball/Resupply Cache

The overview of various cache types that I posted last week generated some more questions, with many of you wanting to get more into the specifics of what would actually go into each kind of cache.

The first cache we're running through is the "Speedball" or resupply cache, which focuses on replenishing the consumable items in your kit, versus entirely outfitting you with new tools and gear. The point is to get you topped off, refreshed and back out into the field.

You Took Away Tomorrow: Chapter 4 - Search and Rescue

The next entry in the series! Read and then let us know what you would do if you found yourself in the character's shoes--the character's actions are guided by guided by your input.

For those new to You Took Away Tomorrow, you can find all of the entries, in chronological order, in the chapter index. 

Enjoy and share with your friends!

Chapter 4: Search and Rescue

Jack scanned the Blackwell’s home quickly, taking in any other details. The house sat in the middle of a flat, grassy lot, with a fenced in backyard. The home had a carport built onto the side of it closest to Rourke’s direction of approach, with an open front and closed in, wood-slatted sides. One of the Blackwell’s cars, Brooke’s old Subaru wagon, was still in the driveway, sitting low on flat tires. The home’s front windows did not seem to be broken. There were no lights on inside the home. The home had three entrances that he knew of—front door, side door on the car port, and a door to the back yard.

              Jack tried to gather his thoughts to come up with a coherent plan of action, but he was struggling to overcome the adrenaline dump that had just hit him. He could feel his muscles tensing up, his hands going jittery and his heart pounding frantically.

              Jack cursed at himself, realizing that he had limited his options by stomping on the accelerator and racing towards the home. He was rushing in, when he probably should have pulled back to come up with a better plan of action.

The group camped out down the street were almost certainly not friendlies, which meant he and Tex were outnumbered and almost definitely outgunned. He couldn’t, in good conscience, abandon the Blackwells. He had to at least check their home. If not, what kind of man would he be?

Update on You Took Away Tomorrow

New entry is incoming tomorrow morning.

For those who have asked about scheduling, I'm aiming for Monday mornings and midweek for new updates. If/when real life rears its ugly head, the midweek post is the one that will get pushed. They are fun to write, but also a fair amount of work, which real life may not always accommodate.

I've added a chapter index in order to keep everything organized and up to date.

Thanks for all the kinds words, support and enthusiasm. I've been meaning to write some survival fiction for a long while now, and this has helped get things rolling.

For those not "into" the series, don't worry, I will be keeping up with non-fictional posts as well. Gear reviews, survival kits, strategery, guns and so on aren't going anywhere.

You Took Away Tomorrow: Chapter Index

All of the chapters of You Took Away Tomorrow so far. For those new to the series, this is where to start. New chapters will be added as they hit the interwebs.

Forward this page and share with your friends!

Prologue: The Good Life
Chapter 1: Goliath Stumbles
Chapter 2: Shopping Spree
Chapter 3: Sucker Punch
Chapter 4: Search and Rescue

The Good Idea Fairy: Super-Sized Bug Out Bag Hygiene Kits

Here's a visit from the Good Idea Fairy, the pudgy gal who enjoys waving her wand and encouraging you to waste money and load your kits down with crap you don't need. If you missed the original post on her exploits, check it out here.

I'm going to try to turn this into a quasi-recurring series where we discuss ideas that sound good but really aren't.

First up are bursting-from-the-seams hygiene kits many carry in their bug out bags. The Good Idea Fairy comes along, waves her wand and the "hygiene is important" idea takes over and, before you know it, you've added a bunch of silly crap to your kit.

Now I'm all for having some very basic stuff - I carry a travel size pack of wipes in my kits and not much else. They're multipurpose and don't weigh much.

You could make an argument for hand sanitizer or soap, and maybe a toothbrush and a travel size of toothpaste as a comfort item. A small container of bug spray or sun screen, potentially, based on your environment. Maybe a tube of lip balm.

But beyond that, you move into the "I'm packing for a vacation" mode versus the "I am running for my life" mode that a bug out bag should be built for.

You Took Away Tomorrow: Chapter 3 - Sucker Punch

The next entry in the ongoing story, where reader comments guide the characters' actions as they struggle through an evolving society collapse. Read along and then share how you would react in the given scenario--I am looking forward to hearing from the tribe!

Chapter 3: Sucker Punch

              Jack and Tex talked over their various options for fifteen minutes, and then consulted with Fiona, Esmerelda and Amy. The decision was made to wait a while longer for the others to show up; if they did not arrive and communications were not restored, then a scout party would be sent out to go look for them in the early morning. On the same trip, the scout party, consisting of Tex, Amy and potentially Jack, would also make stops by the group members’ homes to gather additional supplies.

              In the meantime, the group would do what they could to prepare for and plan out their next moves.

The Rourke home had its own well for water, complete with a secondary, solar powered backup pump, solar panels and a small bank of deep-cycle batteries, so they were self-sufficient for their water needs. If the solar well pump failed, Jack had a small Yamaha generator, and Tex had a generator in his camper trailer. If those failed or ran out of gas, then there was a forest stream a short walk away and the group’s water filters for purification. And, of course, that was in addition to the considerable stores of water already in place—Jack had six blue, 55 gallon water barrels, stacks of bottled water and a half dozen 5 gallon military water cans. Tex had bottled water and military water cans in his camper, plus the camper’s drinking water tank.

Cache contents?

Well, seems like more than a couple of you have intentionally cached some survival type supplies in case of emergency--some buried in the ground, more stashed at the home of a family member or friend.

I received a few questions about what exactly to put in a cache, so I wanted to cover off on a few basic strategies as I see 'em. Here, we're not going to delve into the dedicated weapon's cache, where weapons are stored and concealed for use at a future date. That one explains itself.

So, onto the other kinds of caches. Some of these labels are my invention, but they represent the various caching strategies that I've typically seen.

You Took Away Tomorrow: Chapter 2 - Shopping Spree

The follow-up to our first scenario, more apocalyptic happenings and another decision making scenario for you to game plan. Thanks to all those who commented on the previous entry--I took the general consensus and used it to guide Jack's decisions.

If you're new to You Took Away Tomorrow, you can find the initial introduction here, and the first scenario here. Enjoy the new entry!

Chapter 2: Shopping Spree

Jack braked hard, swerving into the shopping center’s parking lot.

“Calm down, Rourke—Fiona does the school pickup thing every day. She can handle it today,” he told himself.

Jack went first for the gas station – there were no lines at the pump, and he would have a few moments to gather his thoughts. He unlocked the pistol safe he had installed inside the truck’s arm rest, removed the 9mm S&W Shield that he kept inside, sliding the inside the waistband holster into place, and untucking his dress shirt to cover it. A spare magazine went into his back left pocket. Like many times in the past, he was glad to have a pistol close by and the license to legally carry it concealed.

While he waited for the gas pump to accept his credit card, Jack fired off another text message to his wife: “Made it to the grocery store. Stopping for supplies. Be home soon.” The card went through, and Jack began pumping.

Hustling into the gas station, Jack bought four red, 2.5 gallon plastic cans, eight flats of the bottled water stacked high right next to the shop’s door and two 25 gallon propane tanks. One of the attendants helped him carry the water flats out, sliding them into place in the back of the Tacoma’s camper shell covered bed. After topping off his tank, Jack filled up each of the gas cans and collected the propane tanks from the attendant, slipping him a $10 bill for his help.

Question: Anyone actually have any caches?

Survivalist types like us often talk about caches (pronounced like cash, not cashay). There's plenty of information out there on how to build various kinds of caches. Some pretty good YouTube videos on various sizes of caches. And, I'm 100% support of them as a great survival tactic--we talk a lot about diversification as a guiding principle, and that's really what caching is all about. We're not the only ones who cache stuff, either--special ops guys cache stuff, intelligence agencies cache stuff--it works.

For the neophyte, a cache is a concealed supply of resources to help aid in survival. We often hear about caching guns and ammo, but that's limited scope in thinking--lots more could be totally reasonable. Typically, caches are concealed by burial, ala buried treasure, but that doesn't always have to be the case. Jason Bourne's anonymous safe deposit box, loaded with currency, fake IDs and a pistol was most certainly a cache.

Anyways, I was curious to get a pulse check and see, for all the talking in the community at large, how many in the T-Blog tribe have caches or have experimented with caching gear? Not even necessarily the bury it in the ground kind.


I get the general vibe that, while we talk about 'em a lot, few have actually put one together. Limited funds and resources probably to blame - putting a few hundred bucks worth of gear into the ground for a low probability event can be a tough pill to swallow.

So, keeping opsec in mind, anyone actually gone down this path? Have any good caches out there?

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You Took Away Tomorrow: Chapter 1 - Goliath Stumbles

Read along as our heroes struggle through an emerging apocalypse. As they are confronted by problems, recommend the course of action--we'll base the decision and next chapter of the story on decisions provided by you, the readers. Enjoy! If you missed the introduction, you can find it right here.

Chapter 1: Goliath Stumbles

The Near Future...

Jack Rourke’s desk phone rang, breaking through a zen-like level of concentration. He was in what he liked to call the productivity zone, trying to finish off a slide deck to shoot out to the project team before the end of the day. His calendar was blocked off, giving him some peace and quiet, and a half drained 16-oz energy drink was powering him through the afternoon. He was on a roll, with only two slides left to throw together. He didn’t need any distractions—he had to get the slides done today, and anything that got in his way would only keep him here later. He had martial arts class right after work, and he really didn’t want to miss it.

He debated letting the call go to voice mail, but checked the ID on the fourth ring. It was Tyler “Tex” Ryan. Tex never called his desk phone. Jack’s hand flew out, snatching the phone off the receiver.

“Hey Tex, it’s Rourke,” he answered.

“Buddy, have you seen the news?” Tex asked. His voice was hushed, and a bit stressed.

“No, should I have?”

“Dude, I think the crap just hit the fan. Pull it up and tell me I’m not crazy.”

Vigilant Gear Celebrates 1 Year Online

T-Blog friend and sponsor, Vigilant Gear, is celebrating their one-year anniversary online with a great promo - 15% off!

Vigilant has also recent added some new cool, exclusive gear to their store, including a stainless version of their lockpick card, new patches and more. Check them out!