I don't know what sort of gear you would need to active combat or really if a lot of it would be necessary around here.  I do not have a combat background, as such I would be at a loss for what is necessary and how to use some of it.  I do bowse sights and saw this one from southern prepper.  I know there are alot of places to buy gear.
https://www.jrhenterprises.com/
Pretty broad range of items but i couldn't tell you if the prices are inline and what you would need is dependent on the individual.
Thought it might not be a bad idea f there is any sort of discussion on what would constitute basic gear and some sort of dollar value range on the gear itself.

I don't know what sort of gear you would need to active combat or really if a lot of it would be necessary around here.  I do not have a combat background, as such I would be at a loss for what is necessary and how to use some of it.  I do bowse sights and saw this one from southern prepper.  I know there are alot of places to buy gear.
https://www.jrhenterprises.com/
Pretty broad range of items but i couldn't tell you if the prices are inline and what you would need is dependent on the individual.
Thought it might not be a bad idea f there is any sort of discussion on what would constitute basic gear and some sort of dollar value range on the gear itself.

"I don't know what sort of gear you would need to active combat or really if a lot of it would be necessary around here. "
I think you pretty much said it right there.
Pick up a copy of the "Art of war" and get back to us.
 

For me personally if SHTF happens, my main mission is my wife and family.  Protect at all costs.  Which to me is avoiding conflict,  blend in the current social landscape, and be armed and ready at all times to protect which I hold dear.

I have no desire to be in combat.  Not for political reasons or otherwise.  I plan to not bother anyone as much as possible but will fight to the end if they come for what's mine.  I might not come out the victor but either way they will pay dearly.

Which is why for me I'm not that interested in combat gear.  In my opinion it will only delay the inevitable.  Instead of gear I will "fight" by being under the radar.  Running around with Rambo gear will only draw more animosity towards you.

Not sure if I plan to align myself with any militia once the SHTF.  I haven't decided the pros and cons of that.

Walk softly but carry a big stick.  Blend into the landscape.

Not sure how long I will last but in my opinion whether you line up with a militia, neighborhood defense group, or be a lone wolf, in a SHTF scenario, we are all doomed.

I plan to call 911 and ask for help.

"I don't know what sort of gear you would need to active combat or really if a lot of it would be necessary around here. "
I think you pretty much said it right there.
Pick up a copy of the "Art of war" and get back to us.
 

mmhhmm... so am i supposed to use the art of war as a ballistic shield?
I have a copy but that was not the question.
What i would like are opinions on what sort of equipment would be useful or needed if the occasion were to arise where it may be useful.  Obviously non combatance and evasion etc would be the safest and most prudent thing.  I was asking about if you were left with little to no options where you have to engage in some sort of conflict.  You may not want to, but if at some point you are left with no recourse what may help you?  I am asking for maybe a few pearls of wisdom not a philosophical joust.  Yes i understand that with out some training and experience certain support items can either be useless or a hindrance.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Iraqveteran8888/status/1542846827367698434

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mmhhmm... so am i supposed to use the art of war as a ballistic shield?
I have a copy but that was not the question.
What i would like are opinions on what sort of equipment would be useful or needed if the occasion were to arise where it may be useful.  Obviously non combatance and evasion etc would be the safest and most prudent thing.  I was asking about if you were left with little to no options where you have to engage in some sort of conflict.  You may not want to, but if at some point you are left with no recourse what may help you?  I am asking for maybe a few pearls of wisdom not a philosophical joust.  Yes i understand that with out some training and experience certain support items can either be useless or a hindrance.

Your mind is your greatest asset.  The ability to think when times are bad and to notice what others are doing.  I'm not worried about the food being gone, I'm worried what other people will do once food is gone.

 The only gear you will need for combat is weapons and ammo. The rest are luxuries, like body armor, shield, etc...

Clint smith had a vid about when asked how many mags he keeps loaded, the reply is all of them. Because when SHTF, you don't want to be loading mags. He also keeps mags in his car because in case he runs into any LEO who needs them, he can just give it to them.  But this would be illegal in HI due to our to and from law.

Your mind is your greatest asset.  The ability to think when times are bad and to notice what others are doing.  I'm not worried about the food being gone, I'm worried what other people will do once food is gone.

 The only gear you will need for combat is weapons and ammo. The rest are luxuries, like body armor, shield, etc...

Until bullets fly then you wish you had them!

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You never know, but it our current scenario it seems less likely there will be a 1776 type revolution and more of a WROL because Uncle Sam can't pay the bills and there's not enough important stuff like food and fuel to go around. In those scenarios it's the community that's most important. If you are not a trained fighter then investing a whole bunch of tools doesn't make sense beyond a cc setup and some low profile body armor so you can go shopping without drawing a lot of attention. I'd focus on investing in the sort of skills that will allow you to provide the sort of goods and services that make you too valuable to be sent to the front lines.

You're trying to plan for a scenario that involves what you call "active combat."  What does that look like?

Are you an insurgent planting IEDs along the routes your enemy routinely takes?

Are you hitting stores and warehouses to stockpile supplies for survival and trade?

Are you trying to keep people not in your circle of friends from taking what you have?

Are you intending to join a revolutionary militia to take power from a tyrannical, dictatorial government with a standing army?

"Active combat" is not something most of us will engage in.  If the opposing force is superior in size and weaponry, we'll be hiding, surviving and disrupting their operations as much as possible without getting caught and killed.  Tactics will be more valuable than direct combat.

As you said, you do not have a combat background.  If you're ever in that situation, the #1 thing that you'll have on your side is the ability to move fast and improvise.  You'll make use of whatever is available, so a little technical knowledge in how the other side's gear works and how to defeat it would be useful along with a better than basic knowledge of explosives and electronics. 

Unfortunately, most of those skills are taught and practiced in the military.  Maybe try to make friends with former military members with those skills?   

The fun thing would be trying to convince anyone he sought info from that he is not a fed.

We know there is at least one HPD infiltrator here, probably a fed or two as well.

Replace with "Damn, maybe I should plant a garden."

mmhhmm... so am i supposed to use the art of war as a ballistic shield?
I have a copy but that was not the question.
What i would like are opinions on what sort of equipment would be useful or needed if the occasion were to arise where it may be useful.  Obviously non combatance and evasion etc would be the safest and most prudent thing.  I was asking about if you were left with little to no options where you have to engage in some sort of conflict.  You may not want to, but if at some point you are left with no recourse what may help you?  I am asking for maybe a few pearls of wisdom not a philosophical joust.  Yes i understand that with out some training and experience certain support items can either be useless or a hindrance.

CMO pretty well summed it up
"Your mind is your greatest asset.  The ability to think when times are bad and to notice what others are doing.  I'm not worried about the food being gone, I'm worried what other people will do once food is gone."
I have a plan and it doesn't include all that fancy expensive stuff.
Mine is old fashion "KISS".
plus there is one thing else,
I am an old man and I don't give a shit anymore.
Remember the saying about "never pick a fight with an old man"?
 

CMO pretty well summed it up
"Your mind is your greatest asset.  The ability to think when times are bad and to notice what others are doing.  I'm not worried about the food being gone, I'm worried what other people will do once food is gone."
I have a plan and it doesn't include all that fancy expensive stuff.
Mine is old fashion "KISS".
plus there is one thing else,
I am an old man and I don't give a shit anymore.
Remember the saying about "never pick a fight with an old man"?
 

Anyway, the thing I always point to with such gear is, if you have all your preps laid out on the living room floor, which would be your highest priority to take if you have to leave on foot?  Anything you carry will add to the weight and bulk, so thousands of rounds of ammo, 15 guns and all that body armor isn't going to be at the top of my list.

When you're spending your money, it makes more sense to get the higher priced things if they save on weight and bulkiness.  Ever go hiking with a 50 lb backpack, up and down hills, in and out of heavily wooded areas with rocks, downed trees and holes that can twist an ankle every 20 feet or so?  Ever go hunting with a rifle that weighs over 5 lbs?

Remember the opening scenes from the movie Platoon where Elias (Willem Dafoe) went to each noob and told them what to leave behind before they went on patrol?  You'll die of heatstroke trying to pack everything you "might" need. 

Now, if you have a bug-out vehicle with room to carry stuff and are sure you'll never have to abandon it (no gas, flat tires, or mechanical failure), then load up!  Just be aware that may make you a bigger target for the "have nots."

Learning to travel by air with just one carry-on suitcase was difficult for me to learn.  Packing for a week meant at least one big checked bag.  Now I can go for 1-2 weeks with a single carry-on suitcase.  Of course, If I have a firearm, the bag can be larger since I have to check it anyway.

The thing is, I had to force myself to make do with what I'd brought.  I'd leave behind most toiletries except for bare essentials should I be stuck overnight somewhere and buy what I needed wherever I was.  The clothes I traveled in were chosen so I could wear them for casual outings.  I'd pick two sets of clothes for my meetings, and enough clean underwear/T-shirts for 4 days.  I could wash everything halfway into the trip and have clean clothes for a whole week.  Undershirts help keep your shirts clean longer, too.

I can't tell you how nice it was to bypass baggage claim and be able to manage all my luggage easily as I went to rental car counters and hotel check-ins.  Being able to carry everything in one trip rather than needing a car, cart or assistance makes traveling much nicer overall.

I try to apply that to my bug-out planning.  Minimize, reduce, and prioritize.  Think about water alone.  That stuff is HEAVY!  So, either you know where you can get more along the way, or you leave something else behind to carry water.  Simple example.

Anyway, the thing I always point to with such gear is, if you have all your preps laid out on the living room floor, which would be your highest priority to take if you have to leave on foot?  Anything you carry will add to the weight and bulk, so thousands of rounds of ammo, 15 guns and all that body armor isn't going to be at the top of my list.

When you're spending your money, it makes more sense to get the higher priced things if they save on weight and bulkiness.  Ever go hiking with a 50 lb backpack, up and down hills, in and out of heavily wooded areas with rocks, downed trees and holes that can twist an ankle every 20 feet or so?  Ever go hunting with a rifle that weighs over 5 lbs?

Remember the opening scenes from the movie Platoon where Elias (Willem Dafoe) went to each noob and told them what to leave behind before they went on patrol?  You'll die of heatstroke trying to pack everything you "might" need. 

Now, if you have a bug-out vehicle with room to carry stuff and are sure you'll never have to abandon it (no gas, flat tires, or mechanical failure), then load up!  Just be aware that may make you a bigger target for the "have nots."

Learning to travel by air with just one carry-on suitcase was difficult for me to learn.  Packing for a week meant at least one big checked bag.  Now I can go for 1-2 weeks with a single carry-on suitcase.  Of course, If I have a firearm, the bag can be larger since I have to check it anyway.

The thing is, I had to force myself to make do with what I'd brought.  I'd leave behind most toiletries except for bare essentials should I be stuck overnight somewhere and buy what I needed wherever I was.  The clothes I traveled in were chosen so I could wear them for casual outings.  I'd pick two sets of clothes for my meetings, and enough clean underwear/T-shirts for 4 days.  I could wash everything halfway into the trip and have clean clothes for a whole week.  Undershirts help keep your shirts clean longer, too.

I can't tell you how nice it was to bypass baggage claim and be able to manage all my luggage easily as I went to rental car counters and hotel check-ins.  Being able to carry everything in one trip rather than needing a car, cart or assistance makes traveling much nicer overall.

I try to apply that to my bug-out planning.  Minimize, reduce, and prioritize.  Think about water alone.  That stuff is HEAVY!  So, either you know where you can get more along the way, or you leave something else behind to carry water.  Simple example.

So Flapps travel plan is to turn BBD's inside out so he can wear them multiple times. 

But in all seriousness, like the Platoon reference, this is why I'm not bugging to the bush in HI.  Refer to my above post as to why. Then add in the water you would need to carry, 1 gallon is about 9lbs. I drink more than this amount in one; 5 hour range skill builder. And this is the min I need to fight off sun poisioning/dehyrdration (nausea, migranes).  I can imagine if humping a 50lbs ruck in the bush, where I'm sweating way more. Talked to a few military guys and they typically don't wear their heavy plates when in the bush rucking. Which is why I upgraded to light plates.

T-Rex Arms had a recent vid about what gear do civilians own and this really wouldn't apply to HI, especially if you're not going into the bush. I stopped watching after about 15 mins.

Another consideration, say a natural disaster tears up your home and you need to stay at a shelter. It may end up being a red cross shelter in a school gym/cafeteria. Now the federal gun free school zone law comes into play.  And I doubt you will have written approval from the principal or like authorized individual.

If we look at Hurricane Katrina as an example, the Saints stadium is not a gun free school zone.  The gangs took over that place and raised hell. So being armed would be a good and legal option.

I don't know your equipment or training background, but for basics I'd recommend getting a mid-priced  carbine and/or handgun, lots of ammo, and lots of training/practice.  Also good workouts are free.  Usually you'll pick up knowledge on equipment to get when your at training courses.
Skills and fitness > equipment.

First, make sure one's armchair is nice and comfy...

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