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Rapid Deployment Box

aslrookie

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 19, 2017
1,423
965
With all of the craziness going on, I’ve decided that it would be a good idea to have a box with essentials to just grab and go. It would also serve as an organized way to have all of my stuff in one place as well.

Doing some brainstorming, I’m thinking a rectangular shaped large plano box. I could make some shelving for the inside to hold chargers for batteries and run the cords to the outside of the box. Then you can plug into the power source i.e. my truck, generator, home power if available.

I remember seeing a box made for this kind of thing on youtube, but it was somewhere around $450 if memory serves me right. Has anyone else made something like this? I know plastic wouldn’t provide EMP protection, but if an EMP hits, the problem will become bigger than what my box could solve lol
 
there are actually a few other threads about the same subjects as can be imagined

you really need to create a plan, the gear is the easy part
location
duration
amount of people
willingness to ask for help
type of disaster
 
Figured I’d post an update and show my progress so far. This box is husky brand from local HD just under $30. I’m going to put a small power strip in the bottom in between the wheels and run the cord outside the box. The opening will be sealed off to prevent leaking.

Then the box can be closed up and charge devices while hooked up to the truck, generator or other power source. The battery chargers are attached via heavy duty velcro so they can be easily removed if needed.

Once I figure out exactly everything going in there, I can keep it more organized.
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I like this idea. Please keep the updates coming.

The range bag takes up too much space, so I may resort to a smaller pack that would hold everything in a smaller package. The range bag is not efficient for space vs storage.

I’m also playing around with how I want to run the power source as well. I will keep it updated as things progress.
 
Read Here about EMP protection for small portable items. A trick most employ is to pack said gear in the bags then rap the bags in Tin Foil for extra protection. These bags can be had in many different sizes. Some multi layer the bags an forgo the foil. Tote's work great as you can spread stuff around so as not to have all your eggs in one basket.
One word of caution if an EMP ever gets popped over us, always be looking for more later, to catch protected first day stuff.
 
Update:

I drilled a hole slightly over 2” in diameter and used a PVC fitting found at home depot. I used a loctite adhesive to keep in place and keep moisture out. The end cap threads out, so I can run the extension cord outside of the box while keeping the lid closed to charge electronics/batteries.

It spent about 2 hours outside in the rain in the bed of the truck after a night shoot. Water pooled onto the top of the lid, but everything inside was completely dry. If this had to sit outside all day/night long, throwing a tarp over the top would fix that easily.

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I like the idea of using a hard box, definitely more protection even if it’s just sitting in a corner in the garage this is better then a soft duffle.

I’d be interested in seeing a list of what all you have in there. It’s alway interesting seeing what other people think of that I might have overlooked.
 
I like the idea of using a hard box, definitely more protection even if it’s just sitting in a corner in the garage this is better then a soft duffle.

I’d be interested in seeing a list of what all you have in there. It’s alway interesting seeing what other people think of that I might have overlooked.

I am still working on that part. As of right now, the gear is more oriented towards escape or bailing out a friend and or family member from a hostile area. If things change and require more of an offensive approach, then it will look differently. At this point, who knows what 2021 is going to bring. Either way the presidency goes, it won't be pretty.
 
Have you thought about making more of a sealed port for the box? Something like this

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Then it would be waterproof even when plugged in.
 
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Have you thought about making more of a sealed port for the box? Something like this

View attachment 7425464

Then it would be waterproof even when plugged in.

Dude...you just made my day...I was trying to think about how I could maintain power going to the box while still being waterproof. My thought was either the box will be in the rear seat of the truck and plugin to the outlet under my dash, or if I was running off of an electric generator, that would need to be covered anyway, so both would be covered from rain.
 
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I would even go as far as looking at what you plan to power with the box. If its all DC then I skip over using the inverter in the truck and build a DC junction box inside of your box. Use an XT60 (or bigger depending on potential current going through it) connector as my port. You could then use dedicated plugs from that box ( and usb plugs would be easy for other devices) to the radios. You could check out some "expo" truck builds and set up a dual battery to be able to safely charge devices when the truck isn't running.
This has the benefit of power going from the alternator > battery > box > devices. Instead of alternator > battery > DC/AC Inverter > power strip > AC/DC inverter > device in box.
 
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Right now it would just be radio batteries, weapon light batteries, cellphone and my dog's E-collar with remote. So none of that would draw a ton of power. For the sake of weight and ease of moving, I don't want to load the box down too much. It's kind of awkward to lift into the bed of the truck by myself, so I don't want to be reliant on needing someone else to help lift it in and out of the truck.

The only thing I may add that would draw a lot more juice would be a laptop charger.
 
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Box would just be something like this (cover not pictured)
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With this ( or other) style plugs for your devices coming out of it.

This is probably less practical than I'm thinking but it would be a cool project.