Health and plans changed. Need prepping advice.

[Vic_Mackey]

So, my time playing Billy Badass has caught up with me. My spine is not looking good. I can't deal with a lot of weight anymore, and long foot marches are out. My plans to relocate to my BOL are changing now due to this and the upcoming birth of my first child. I live inside the 465 loop, and my fears are a societal collapse/Ferguson type scenario. However, I have a very good bug in plan with my family that all live within four houses side by side. My parents are building a greenhouse and are excellent farmers and canners. My brother is an EMT and my wife has outstanding medical knowledge. That leaves me, my father, and my uncle with our military and security expertise to provide protection plans and security.

My significant problem lies in my self defense loadout and health. I currently have an Interceptor vest with plates and the add-on armor. Add on my radio(s) and AK magazines and shotgun shells, and it is quite heavier than I remember from my deployments (thanks, 7.62 lol)

I discovered that my spine is not looking good for the long run. I cannot carry any moderate weight, and it's not going to get better. I need some good advice.

Should I sell this setup and invest in other preps? What kind of options do I have for physical protection? I know I can still wear a lightweight police issue vest, but those offer minimal protection and I have no idea about carrying a basic combat load and IFAK outside of chest rigs. Even worse, my BOB will break my back if I had to bug out or do scavenging.

It irks me to no end that I spared no expense on getting this setup just to see it sitting in the war room collecting dust. Add to this an infant, and I'm feeling in over my head, but the prepping with a baby I'll save for another thread I suppose.

 

[WETSU]

Lean into it brother. I'm sorry to hear about your physical setbacks. You WILL find a work around. For now, run a lightweight concealable vest, and run your AK with one spare mag, your CCW and spare mag, OC, light and knife. Seriously. Its not Falluja. You will be able to solve most social problems with your brain, your OC, your pistol and then your rifle. After that, get back to your mount and grab more mags and get on the radio to call for more guys with guns.

Invest in team. Surround yourself people who will back you up, or help your family if you are down.

Stay as strong as possible. Seek out other, alternative medicine to help your back. Stay in the fight as long as possible. Study and learn about survival techniques. The more you know, the less you will need to carry.

Don't worry about the perfect set up. It doesn't exist. The ultimate weapon is your mind. Use that. One mind, many weapons.

 

[Vic_Mackey]

I have a pretty good team, but I'm thinking I will be the only point man for any seriously sketchy problems. Fallujah might not be a likely scenario, but it the east side of Indy. I've always figured if the police stock up, so should I. Now if I could just acquire an MRAP lol

In all honesty, I think I just have problems relegating my job to someone of lesser experience in bad spots, and that's why I acquired the rig. I'll assume more risk, so wouldn't I need more protection?

 

[tc556guy]

I'd keep the PC for use by someone within your group should the need arise
Look into getting soft body armor
It wont offer the same ballistic protection as plates, but it beats being gut shot with no medical care
I feel for your pain. The WW2 generation was ultimately called the hearing aid generation.
The OIF/ OEF guys will be the bad back generation. We've been expected to hump way more weight than any military member throughout recorded history and I suspect we haven't seen the end physical result for our vets. if you don't mind my asking, what years were you deployed and where? I was OEF VII, VIII and IX, split between Helmand Kandahar and Kabul.
Have you consulted with a doc and a physical therapist to see if there are any exercises you can do to strengthen your body at all?
You may have planned on being the point man, but time marches on. You're going to have a family. Let the young single guy take point.

 

[DurangoUSMC]

Id consult a doctor, physical therapist, and a chiropractor. See if anything can be done to alleviate some of the pain or correct the issues, at the very least hopefully stop further damage.

After that, start trying to shave weight wherever possible and try to distribute it a little more and spool someone else up to take point. Since youre bugging in preposition some of that heavy ammo at you LPOP or other planned points for engagement. May want to consider shifting the load a little farther south using the old war belt method, and a drop leg pouch. maybe some suspenders to take a little bit off the hips and run a plate carrier over a soft vest.

Ferguson style riots, Id be more concerned about having a gas mask and not living at 42nd and post or 30th and mitthoffer. Bugging out may be a PITA but hopefully youll get a little notice and can get the car loaded and go that route rather than on foot. On the plus side I'd expect any of that rioting and protesting to be more downtown, wherever the jesse jackson or al sharpton type is organizing a "peaceful protest".

Good Luck.


Good luck.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

Hopefully the VA has been taking care of you. I've had some good people there see me, but up 'till now it's been pills, and more pills. I have had some PT and saw the chiropractor too. Yoga is starting to help, and they are finally thinking about going in and fixing me. That said, I don't use any armor anymore. I kept my FLC Fighting Load Carrier in the stupid ACU cammo. I shortened it up and made it a chest rig. I only keep the basics on it, Mags, multi-tool, knife, first aid, cleaning kit, bionos. Very easy to move in, even for me, and driving with it is comfy too. I have been getting some of my strength back and have been thinking plate carrier, but not sure I want the extra weight yet. I will be switching to multi-cam as the ACU sucks in the Indiana woods.



You must also think of you new capabilities. I have experience too, but dismounted patrols are out for me. I drive, I secure an area, but I most likely won't be doing any scrounging or moving too far on foot. I will be getting my mountain bike fixed over the winter, you can go a lot of places on one of those.

 

[DanO]

Wetsu has it right. Go fast and light. Go gray. If you don't look too interesting to authorities or banditos, half your battles are solved. Remember - you are trying to safely get to your redoubt, not solve all of society's problems between these points.