Contact pack

[mikeo80]

A couple of ideas that I have used when I played "First Contact".

There was a series of courses at "Morrow U" to develop this skill set. It would have been run by someone like Les Stroud (Survivorman) or Bear Gryls. It also could be run by Wilderness S&R types.

I agree with KISS as far as contents of "contact pack" A couple of things I ALWAYS asked the TL for before heading into "Seeking new life and new civilizations." They were:
1) One or two pieces of Gold, 2 or 3 of silver
2) 1-3 bottles of booze. (I envision the Trade Pack Booze being in airplane bottles, not large liter bottles.
3) Simple Fishing Gear
4) Best Marksman is in overwatch
5) Personal radio is set for transmit only!

A side note here. Most of the pictures I have seen of TMP personnel have looked military. No Offence, just saying. SO my "Frist Contact Specialist" had long hair, beard, etc. IF you are planning The Day + 5 years, no shaving equipment is not far fetched.

My $0.02

Mike

[.45cultist]

Season is ramping up..... Come in the end of August or first part of September and clean up at yard sales.

I have kerosene railroad lantern that I bought for $3.00 and a coleman 4 burn for $10.00.

I got a nice large Coleman camp stove at a thrift store for $14! The large square 20F Coleman bag would be a good contact item, they also make nice cot mattresses in warmer climes.

[gbmaz]

Lots of good thinking about the contents and use of the Contact Pack. I am intrigued that some people find owning good camping equipment as being out of the ordinary. Living in the Rocky Mountain west it is almost assumed that you have some camping gear and probably a few guns.

I am planning to set my campaign in Rocky Mountains, starting in Colorado. Given the small number of nukes targeted for Colorado (with the exception of the Front Range) there would be lots of relatively untouched areas and the bulk of the state's population would be dead. This is a much better situation than either of the coasts or the industrial heartland.

I am planning on a 4th edition campaign, likely using the 2017 EOTWAWKI date. When I contemplate believable Contact Pack contents I picture:

Clothing is a mix of Carhartts, hunting clothes and a random mix of t-shirts. Perhaps an army jacket to mix it up.

Gear would be well used mid range backpacking gear mixed with army surplus.

Firearms would be a pistol along the lines of a Glock or some other commonly us handgun. The idea of a model 29 is a really strange and inappropriate choice. Long gun choices would be pump shotgun, .30-06 bolt action, or even a semi auto AR-15. There are huge numbers of AR-15s in private hands throughout much of the country. It would not stand out 3-5 years after the war and might help explain why the carrier had survived.

Food would be canned goods and perhaps some freeze dried meals or MREs. Lots of those around, even if they are a few years past date. They would be the items a survivor might hoard for travel or to flee from a bad situation.

Luxury items for trade or to break the ice would be chocolates, disposable razors, stale cigarettes or chewing tobacco, small bottles of hot sauce, prescription pain killers, condoms, AA batteries and duct tape.

One thing to keep in mind is that a co-ed team might do well to have a woman as the contact person, or perhaps a male female team posing as a couple. Either is likely to be perceived as less of a threat to a community than a single guy.

Perhaps a set of keys for the mythical truck that broke down 15 miles back. Maybe a broken part from said vehicle that you a hunt for a replacement for.

A saddle for the horse that you lost 3 days ago

A battered, non working MP3 player, with a concealed transmitter.

Probably a well worn hunting knife or even a machete.

Definitely a scruffier looking team member with shaggy hair and probably a beard for the contact person. But none of that hipster BS with mutton chops and ironic handlebar mustache. Other survivors would just see shooting him as a service to good taste and the future of humanity.

[.45cultist]

The other loadouts go through updates, the contact kit would as well. Unlike the players, Project planners would know trends and what wouldn't raise eyebrows at that time. Some silver dollars and pre '64 junk silver might be a good addition to the pack as well.

[ArmySGT.]

Items from contributors to this list; minus the insurance claims adjuster.

.30-06 bolt action
8'x6' tarp
can opener
civilian hiking pack
flask of whiskey
military poncho liner
military style 1qt canteen with cup
multitool
Savage Axis .223
100' of 550 cord
1-3 bottles of booze
2 cans of soup
2 carabiners
20F Coleman bag
3 ears of corn
3 or 4 16/20 oz soda bottles.
4 tent stakes
50 rounds of loose ammo
80 beef bullion cubes
A battered, non working MP3 player, with a concealed transmitter
A buckskin wrap containing 14 oz of smoked dried meat.
A film container containing 1/2 oz cannabis with small wood carved pipe.
A piece of metal wrapped in duct tape for an improvised knife.
a pretty well worn bike
A tupperware container filled with peanuts.
AA batteries
Bandana, Neckercheif, Red 1
Bath Tissue 2-Ply 550sheet, Roll
Belt, Leather 1
Boot Knife
Boots, Hiking, Leather, "Kastinger" 1 Pair
Bungee Cord x 2
Can Opener (P-38) x 2
Candles
Canteen 1 Liter Colapasable
Canteen 1 Liter Cover
Canteen 2 Liter
Canteen 2 Liter Cover
Canteen Cup & stand
Carbine, Marlin 1894, Cal. 44 Magnum 1
Cartridge, .44 Magnum 30
Cartridge, .44 Magnum 50
chewing tobacco
chocolates
Cigarette Lighter (Multifuel)
civvie backpack
coleman 4 burn
condoms
Deck of Cards (Paper Box)
Die x2
disposable razors
duct tape
Flask, Hip, containing Scotch 12 oz
Food, Canned 1 Days ration 3
freeze dried meals
Glock
Hat, Felt, floppy "crusher", white in color 1
Holster, Leather 1
Jacket, Denim, "Levis" 1
kerosene railroad lantern
Knfie fork spoon
large Coleman camp stove
Leather Man tool (Pliers)
Leatherman Micra (Scissors)
Lensatic Sighting Compass
Magnesium Fire Starter
Mess Kit (Stainless KFS,pan,tray)
Mess Kit Bag
Military canteen on a leather belt
Mini Binoculars
MREs
one liter Mt Dew bottle
One or two pieces of Gold, 2 or 3 of silver
Pacer Beads
Pack and personal items, assorted
Pack, Nylon (contents listed)
Pack, Nylon 1
Pencil x 3
Personal Defense Spray
Phone books (improvised TP)
pre '64 junk silver
prescription pain killers
pump shotgun
raw vodka or whiskey
Revolver, M-29, Cal. .44 magnum w/ 6 1/2 bbl 1
semi auto AR-15
Shell, 12 Guage 30
Shelter Half
Shirt, Work, Cotton Flannel, Plaid in color 2
Shotgun, Remington 870, 12 Guage 1
silver dollars
Simple Fishing Gear
Single Edged Razor Blade x 10
skinning and butchering tools
Small Arms Cleaning Kit
small bottles of hot sauce
Small Sewing Kit
Socks, Wool 4 Pair
Solo Stove
stale cigarettes
Super Glue, Tube 3g .10 oz
sweat shirt from the university that you attended possibly
Swiss Army Knife
Tactical Memo Book (3.5" x 6" / 60 pages)
the last 100 pages of a paper back book. (used as toilet paper)
Twine
Underwear
Wool Blanket

[ArmySGT.]

The above list formated into Food, Shelter, Clothing, Tool, Weapon, Trade.

Food
Food
1-3 bottles of booze
2 cans of soup
3 ears of corn
80 beef bullion cubes
A buckskin wrap containing 14 oz of smoked dried meat.
A tupperware container filled with peanuts.
flask of whiskey
Flask, Hip, containing Scotch 12 oz
Food, Canned 1 Days ration 3
freeze dried meals
MREs

Shelter
20F Coleman bag
4 tent stakes
8'x6' tarp
Shelter Half
Wool Blanket

Clothing
military poncho liner
Bandana, Neckercheif, Red 1
Belt, Leather 1
Boots, Hiking, Leather, "Kastinger" 1 Pair
Hat, Felt, floppy "crusher", white in color 1
Holster, Leather 1
Jacket, Denim, "Levis" 1
sweat shirt from the university that you attended possibly
Underwear
Socks, Wool 4 Pair
Shirt, Work, Cotton Flannel, Plaid in color 2

Tool
100' of 550 cord
2 carabiners
3 or 4 16/20 oz soda bottles.
A battered, non working MP3 player, with a concealed transmitter
A piece of metal wrapped in duct tape for an improvised knife.
a pretty well worn bike
AA batteries
Bath Tissue 2-Ply 550sheet, Roll
Boot Knife
Bungee Cord x 2
can opener
Can Opener (P-38) x 2
Candles
Canteen 1 Liter Colapasable
Canteen 1 Liter Cover
Canteen 2 Liter
Canteen 2 Liter Cover
Canteen Cup & stand
Cigarette Lighter (Multifuel)
civilian hiking pack
civvie backpack
coleman 4 burner stove
duct tape
kerosene railroad lantern
Knfie fork spoon
large Coleman camp stove
Leather Man tool (Pliers)
Leatherman Micra (Scissors)
Lensatic Sighting Compass
Magnesium Fire Starter
Mess Kit (Stainless KFS,pan,tray)
Mess Kit Bag
Military canteen on a leather belt
military style 1qt canteen with cup
Mini Binoculars
multitool
one liter Mt Dew bottle
Pacer Beads
Pack, Nylon 1
Pencil x 3
Phone books (improvised TP)
Simple Fishing Gear
Single Edged Razor Blade x 10
skinning and butchering tools
Small Arms Cleaning Kit
Small Sewing Kit
Solo Stove
Super Glue, Tube 3g .10 oz
Swiss Army Knife
Tactical Memo Book (3.5" x 6" / 60 pages)
the last 100 pages of a paper back book. (used as toilet paper)
Twine

Weapon
.30-06 bolt action
Savage Axis .223
50 rounds of loose ammo
Carbine, Marlin 1894, Cal. 44 Magnum
Cartridge, .44 Magnum 30
Cartridge, .44 Magnum 50
Glock
Personal Defense Spray
pump shotgun
Revolver, M-29, Cal. .44 magnum w/ 6 1/2 bbl 1
semi auto AR-15
Shell, 12 Gauge 30
Shotgun, Remington 870, 12 Gauge 1

Trade
A film container containing 1/2 oz cannabis with small wood carved pipe.
chewing tobacco
chocolates
condoms
Deck of Cards (Paper Box)
Die x2
disposable razors
One or two pieces of Gold, 2 or 3 of silver
pre '64 junk silver
prescription pain killers
raw vodka or whiskey
silver dollars
small bottles of hot sauce
stale cigarettes

[ArmySGT.]

Contact Pack.pdf

[cosmicfish]

How I would go, on the assumption that the disguise is a traveler in the middle of a long trek - origin and destination both picked to be "out of range" of the local community:

Food
Nothing perishable ("holy crap, how do you have peanuts"), nothing that would give anything away ("deer jerky haven't been deer around for 3 years!"). Story is that they make camp every week or so to hunt and gather, but just ran out and were looking to set up camp today anyway...

8 randomly selected cans of food, call it 4-8 days of back-up rations.
Small pot
Plate or bowl, metal or durable plastic
Cup, metal or durable plastic
Utensil set, metal or durable plastic
Can opener
Dish soap, small bottle
Bag and 50' of cord, for suspending food away from scavengers

Shelter
Sleeping bag or wool blanket, a little warmer than pre-war climate required.
Either a small tent, shelter half, or two small tarps.
Stakes and ~100ft of cord.

Clothing
Boots, combat or hiking, 1 pair
Socks, wool, 2 pair
Sock liners, poly, 4 pair
Pants, denim or canvas or BDU, 2 pair
Belt
Underpants, assorted, 4 pair
Undershirt, assorted, 4
Shirt, denim or BDU or similar, 2
Hat
Outerwear appropriate to the pre-war climate, to include at minimum a waterproof/resistant jacket, possibly sweaters or sweatshirts, and up to full cold weather gear.

Tool
Set of USGS or similar maps showing the surrounding area.
Compass
Pencils, 2-4
Book, survival, including info on edible plants
First aid kit with antiseptic and gauss bandages
Crank-powered flashlight (may include radio)
Flint and steel or other reusable firestarter
Tinder, small bag
Bic lighter or a few matches for emergency firestarter
Knife, folding or fixed, usable for butchering, camp work, and fighting
Sharpening stone
Duct tape, partial roll
Sewing kit
4 liters of durable water storage - canteens, camelbacks, Nalgene, whatever
Water purification tablets for when you can't boil
Backpack, military or civilian, external or internal
Waterproof bag for things that must stay dry
Toothbrush
Half-used bar of soap in a bag or case
Razor, whatever type the team member prefers - they need to explain being relatively well groomed!
Towel

Weapon
Pistol, semi-auto or revolver, in a standard TMP caliber
Pistol holster
Pistol ammunition (30 rounds) and magazines (2, if applicable)
Long arm, rifle or shotgun, in a standard TMP caliber
Sling
Long arm ammunition (50 rounds) and magazines (3, if applicable)

Trade - pick 3-5
Alcohol, medicinal or recreational, 12-25.6 oz
Batteries, unopened "small" pack, any size
Condoms, pack of 12
Toilet paper, 2 rolls
Hard candy, 4 oz
Hot sauce, 4 oz
Lighter fluid, 4 oz
Salt, 4 oz
Sugar, 8 oz
Thermometer and tweezers, 1 each
Underwear, 1 unopened pack of 3-4, inappropriate for bearer
Jewelry, 2-3 pieces "cheap" gold

NO:
Medicines
Drugs other than alcohol
Nothing that can easily be used as a weapon against the team


Everything in italics is picked by the Morrow crew responsible for placing the team, so whoever has the contact pack is expected to spend a little time familiarizing themselves with the contents before trying to use it. Everything else is put together by the person supposed to use it, and can be supplemented with a few items of their choice above and beyond their regular personal allotment.

[ArmySGT.]

My new candidate for a sidearm in the contact pack.

[mmartin798]

If we assume they expected radiation, part to construct or a constructed KFM might be part of the kit.

http://web.ornl.gov/~webworks/cppr/y2001/rpt/112538.pdf