[PPRAANet] KM4BA's Equipment list for Katrina

[W0rw at aol.com]

FYI..


I'm an extreme example, but here's how I entered the zone:


- 1 ton diesel 4x4 pickup, HF with autotuner equipped, dual band 

VHF/UHF, 20 Miles per gallon at 55mph

- Fuel for 3000+ mile range (extreme case, but I had 2 55 gallon barrels 

of bio diesel, plus 30 in jerry cans, plus 35 in the tank)

- small expedition grade 1st aid kit (5 day type)

- Food for a week (3 days of no cooking, longer with water boiling)

- Snacks & cold drinks while they lasted

- Water for a week plus purifying filter plus a jug of bleach plus 2 

bottle of purification tablets

- Tent, cot, sleeping bag, sheets, stove, lantern (plus 2g of fuel)

- A weeks worth of clothes (longer with wearing shorts 2 days if 

possible, longer yet with rinsing)

- 3 body safe baby wipe, 2 clorox wipe containers. (Used the baby wipes 

for personal cleaning, clorox for all else)

- 3 cans of mosquito repellent

- 3 large containers of Purell (and acquired more)

- Flashlights and batteries for a couple of weeks

- GPS with map upload capability, plus additional handheld GPS

- laptop with ac & dc chargers, cables for data to radios, GPS, etc

- Heavy duty raingear


Then I started thinking about radio gear, some of which I already 

identified.


- I maintained HF/VHF/UHF amateur capability in the truck the entire 

time, which was useful from beginning to end.

     40m/75m/2m for relief usage, all other bands for casual & ALE usage

- One of my stations was a primary shelter radio

- Did not use my HT except occasionally when in convoy

- Did not use my HF PM gear (PRC-104, JSB-20)

- Did not use my GMRS handhelds, though others did

- Did not use my solar panels, chargers, or dual 50AH SLA batteries

- Used every VHF antenna the group had

- Most setup HF stations at the shelters



While much of the gear I did not use, I'm glad I had it. Yes, I could 

have bought fuel at times, but you could never tell from city to city. 

Nor price, it varied wildly.


Every event is different. I'd add "deployable" VHF stations, but other 

than that I felt I had the right gear. I could have gone lighter on 

some, but had I been in a different location I would have needed it. 

Before it was over I was carrying an additional 4 cases of MRE's, which 

often got dropped off at shelters for operators, so I'd get more. 

"Clients" ate Salvation Army food, which was OK, but also brought the 

risk of disease despite excellent efforts to avoid it. (too many people 

crowded in tight conditions, warm moist air, etc. One sneeze and 

everyone has it)


I chose not to eat shelter food, which was wise because some did and 

became sick. I also chose not to shower at the shelters, again, a wise 

move as others got topical staph infections. It could have been worse! 

Baby wipe baths work OK, and I washed my hair occasionally by leaning 

over a sink. Brush your teeth with bottled water, and use purell like a 

maniac (My hands are ever so soft now!) The first couple of days I took 

1 tablet of Lomotin proactively just to keep things settled.


It was a challenge to stay hydrated, it was warm, and when you eat 

MRE's, heater meals, and other camp type food it does not contain as 

much water. It's hard to drink enough bottled water. Wal-mart carbonated 

flavored water was a live saver.


Meals were not on a schedule, and power/protein bars were essential to 

hold you over. I brought two boxes. Pop-tarts got the morning started, 

along with Granola bars. I did not have time for coffee. We were busy 

enough you almost had to make yourself eat. There were very few 

community meals except when convoying. Usually one ate while the other 

operated/ran messages.


Sorry to ramble, but the point of not adding to the load is critical. 

Not everyone could carry this much, but other than the fuel, I don't 

consider much of this optional. And the fuel allowed me to rest easy 

while others were sweating. I did end up carrying other's jerry jugs, as 

most vehicles had one or more.


Have fun!


Alan

km4ba