Survival Scenario

[pgvoutdoors]

Sam, Without knowing your plan it's hard to say. You have though picked some very good items and have used your points to cover many needs. Good job.

[Gray Wolf]

I'll give it a go..

(7) Hatchet - use for chopping fire wood, making shelter, traps, spear, fire with found flint rocks and napping (to make hooks, clean game or fish)
(8) Wool Blanket - sleep in (on a bed of pine branches, so off cold ground, and for comfort) - use during the day if needed.
(3) Coffee Can, metal 2 lb. size - boil water, cook.
(7) 25 ft. of 550 Cord - make snares, fishing line
(4) Trash Bag, Large - use as pancho if needed
Shelter next to stream - improve daily.
Use hatchet and can to dig fire pit.
Build a wall out of rocks to reflect the heat from the fire.
Use smoke and blanket (have green pine branches to make smoke ready, along with extra wood) for signaling.
Total = 29

pgv,
There is nothing I can get rid of, out of this list.

pgv, I would like you to give your feedback on mine, seriously! Thanks

[pgvoutdoors]

pgv, I would like you to give your feedback on mine, seriously! Thanks

At (29) points you have made a very good survival kit. You didn't include any fire starting gear, so you must be proficient in primitive fire starting skills. That's good!
The choice of a Hatchet is a great, my personal choice as well, with practice it can be used for most cutting jobs. The hatchet in this scenario is made of standard carbon steel, nothing special. As a side note I carry a Timberline Hatchet in my lumbar pack, but it's made of stainless steel. This makes it useless for fire starting. Otherwise its very nice.
The Wool Blanket used as a cape and protected with the trash bag might be sufficient protection from weather while on the move. Sitting still you may have to sit by a fire to stay warm. At night you may get cold if you don't utilize your fire to stay warm while sleeping. Everyone has a different level of tolerance to cold, but in the mountains and at that time of year it's cold for most people.
The Coffee Can is sufficient for a two week stay. For the low point value, it's a deal.
The 550 Cord is one of the most universal survival items you could have. It's a must in any survival kit.
A Trash Bag is another great kit item, if buying bags for a kit, get the heavy duty yard type or better yet, the type the road department uses.

Looking at your choices it's obvious that you were aiming for the minimalist type of kit. In that case you did great but, it was not required to go that way. A person choosing your method I would evaluate as a experience outdoorsman, with strong survival skills.

[Rick]

My son happened to break his belt while we were out this past week-end and ended up with a Jethro belt of para cord. Gotta love that 550 cord!

[pgvoutdoors]

Don't leave home without it!

[Beo]

PVG this is what I carry and wear give it a shot please. I know its not off your list but its what I carry when trekking. What do you think.
Hat: French Cap (TUQUE, blue) for winter, and a head scarf or felt blank for summer.
Shirt: Cotton Hunting Shirt 3each
Leggings: Wool (Dark blue trimmed in yellow), long Canvas gaiters (Brown)
Garters: Hand Woven & Leather Strap Type
Sash: Hand Woven
Breechclout: Wool, Dark blue trimmed in yellow & deer hide
Breeches: French Button Fly 2 pair
Moccasins: Dark Brown Ligonier Moc by Arrow Moccasin's
Haversack or Snapsack: Canvas with 36-inch tumpline with the following items inside:extra leather thongs (36in. long 10 each), Tin Cup (2) Castile Soap (2) Candle (3) Sewing & fishing kit, Whetstone, Bag of parched corn & jerky, Tea Block, Pouch of tobacco and pipe, Patch knife, Forged fork & Spoon, Tin Boiler, salt and herb horn.
Possibles Bag: Leather, holding the following items inside: Frizzen Stall,1-Bullet Bag holding 20 .62 cal. round ball, 1-Cow’s Knee, 1-Priming Horn, Leather Flint Packet (5 pieces of flint), 1-Tin of bees wax & tallow, 1-Hand Forged Screwdriver, Bag of tow, Loading block (tied to strap of possibles bag), Vent Pick & Brush, Pouch with different ramrod tips, tow strips, & paper cartridges (10 each), and extra springs.
Belt Pouch: Holding the following items: Flint striker & char cloth, cattail fluff, dried moss, and bark tinder in tin, Candle (2)
Powder Horn tied to hunting pouch strap
Long Knife (8 to 10 inch blade)
Hatchet/Tomahawk w/cover
Flintlock: French Fusil de Chasse (Tulle) with flashguard
Bedroll: Canvas diamond shelter (waterproofed 10x10)
Wool blanket (4x6) not used in summer months
Canvas ground cloth (waterproofed 4x5)
The diamond shelter is laid out flat with ends folded in, ground cloth is folded to fit next, then the wool blanket (if needed) and rolled tightly and tied with two leather straps, the leather shoulder strap is used as a tumpline (shoulder strap as we call it).
Canteen: Round Gourd Canteen w/ leather strap

I'm gonna do yours this weekend when I got more time. Thanks Beo.

[pgvoutdoors]

WOW!!!! You got it down. I'll stop by your next class. Love the frontier method.
Keep passing on information like that, that's what people come to this site for.
Great job BeoWulf65.

[Beo]

PGV, really I am not joking and I was serious, that is what I carry, I do histroical trekking so I carry this stuff.
And I honsetly wanted an opinion from you.

[pgvoutdoors]

PGV, really I am not joking and I was serious, that is what I carry, I do histroical trekking so I carry this stuff.
And I honsetly wanted an opinion from you.

I absolutely believe you and I like what I see. I could give an opinion on each item but I feel the list speaks for it's self. Plus I'm suppose to be making dinner for my girl friend. I would like to discuss your methods at a later time though. I think everyone can get something from you. sorry I don't have the time tonight.

[Beo]

That's okay, I thought your making fun of my kit, been kinda rough round here lately. Have a good one.

[pgvoutdoors]

All is Good, I'm not that way. Take care and I'll talk to you later!

[Rick]

Make dinner for my girlfriend. Critique Beo. Man, now that would be a hard choice to make. You know how I like to critique Beo.

[Gray Wolf]

pgv,

Thanks for your input. I am an experience outdoorsman, with strong survival skills. I'm an independent wilderness guide in Northern Vermont and Central Florida, also an agent for gator hunters (season starts today the 15th). I've had the pleasure of hunting, fishing and long treks in the Colorado Rockies many times. The reason I said I couldn't take anything off my list, is because I tried a few times to do with less (testing myself), a friend and mentor was always camped a couple miles away just in case. With the energy expended with making a "good" shelter, collecting those materials and "enough" firewood, making and setting traps and snares, fire starting, whether with my hatchet and flint rock (usually), or with a fire bow, or hand drill, digging the fire pit and making the reflective fire wall (collecting and setting the rocks or in some cases a wood wall). I find it a foolish waste of time and energy, to do without the paracord (making my own cordage) or the coffee can (making items out of wood). The hatchet, wool blanket and trash bag are plain bare necessities. With some napping (which I need to improve on a lot!) I can make a good enough blade to skin and ready my catches whether animal or fish, and a good enough spear point, and the same with making hooks. One thing I do at night to keep warm, besides for the fire pit and reflective wall, is to heat large enough rocks that I can either roll with wood or my hatchet into my shelter, around the interior walls (about a foot away so it doesn't catch fire) right before I go to sleep, it helps you to stay warm, when the fire starts to dye down. Besides for the obvious reasons, rain, snow and wind, making sure you insulate your shelter well, will help you in retaining heat. I have been in the Colorado Rockies, when it HAS snowed heavily in November.
Thanks again for your input. We always can learn more. Like your signature says: "Tell Me and I'll Listen, Show Me and I'll Learn".

[pgvoutdoors]

Your experience speaks for it's self, you explain yourself well and should teach others whenever possible. Stay safe out there.