Survival kits info.

[NCO]

Thanks for the clarification. I'm sure the kit would save a life. It's a well thought out kit. Something Cody advocated in one of his books and I've incorporated is to use a piece of aluminum foil to make a boot imprint and leave it on your dashboard. That way if a SAR effort is undertaken, they know what your boot print looks like. Sort of made sense to me. Again, nice write up!!

All fine and well then. I hope you understand that I had to make sure about the fallen tree. The kid that died was relative of mine..

[Swamprat1958]

I would have done the same thing if I was in your shoes. I am sorry to hear the kid who was killed was related to you.

[NCO]

Thats life. It always involves the end of it. Sometimes earlier than the average. Oh well, it has been years now, so it's ok..

[Rick]

I must confess I had never heard of that occurring. I can certainly understand how it could happen, however. We don't have that much snow here so that's probably why it's an uncommon occurrence.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

Sorry for your loss NCO and thanks for passing it on to us. Dad taught me in the woods to never even go under a root mass, he warned us it could stand back up and we were never in a snowy climate at the time. Not sure where he got the scenario from but we were taught.

[Swamprat1958]

Sorry for your loss NCO and thanks for passing it on to us. Dad taught me in the woods to never even go under a root mass, he warned us it could stand back up and we were never in a snowy climate at the time. Not sure where he got the scenario from but we were taught.

Dad warned us (and still does) about widow makers - trees which have fell but are hung up in other trees. The trail I was on yesterday passed passed under one. there was no other route to get where we were going and I was cringing when we went under it going in and coming back.

[Old GI]

Dad warned us (and still does) about widow makers - trees which have fell but are hung up in other trees. The trail I was on yesterday passed passed under one. there was no other route to get where we were going and I was cringing when we went under it going in and coming back.

Absolutely right, SR. They are called "widow-makers" for a very good reason. I've had three close calls and countless ones I avoided.

[Nath1985]

In my BOB's I have a small bottle of carex, The stuff that kills 99% of germs. It may come in very handy, yet i rarley see it included in peoples BOB's. Its stuffed into my first aid kit along with a 12 hr lightstick.

[crashdive123]

I'm not familiar with carex. What is it? Hand sanitizer?

[samfranklin]

I would like to apologise to everybodies comments on this forum that I should of listened to more clearly about my survival kit and I am going to re - post my new survival kit, so I would like to start a fresh.

regards

[lucznik]

2. Knife. Preferably a “Swiss Army” type knife, but any knife beats no knife.

...as a secondary knife, maybe yes, but proper fixed blade on your belt beats swiss knife any day. You can use real knife for so much more, like cutting those branches that would take ages to cut with wire saw.

Or just use the saw on your SAK.

Knives are funny things. Getting a consensus on what is "best" is a totally futile exercise as opinions are always strongly held and widely divergent.

Personally, my SAK (a Victorinox Fieldmaster) is my primary knife. Fixed blades (if I choose to carry any) are always secondary.

The one thing I think we can/will all agree on is that HAVING a knife is the most important (followed perhaps by the caveat that it be kept sharp.)

[samfranklin]

Or just use the saw on your SAK.

Knives are funny things. Getting a consensus on what is "best" is a totally futile exercise as opinions are always strongly held and widely divergent.

Personally, my SAK (a Victorinox Fieldmaster) is my primary knife. Fixed blades (if I choose to carry any) are always secondary.

The one thing I think we can/will all agree on is that HAVING a knife is the most important (followed perhaps by the caveat that it be kept sharp.)

I have to agree with lucznik - I have a SAK which is similar to a Victorinox Hunter and again this is always my primary kine and yet again if I do bother carrying a fixed blade it is always my secondary. ( Thanks for the advice lucznik )

[samfranklin]

Heyy Guys,

I've come back to the forum after one long break! I would like to apologise to any body I annoyed with my arrogance before and I would like to start a fresh. I will be posting about my new and updated survival kit.

Thanks guys.

[samfranklin]

The basic kit, here it goes.

Signalling Mirror.
Commando Wire Saw
Non fuming/toxic firelighters.
Snare Wire
Cotton Wool
Sugar and Salt
Oxo cubes x 4
Mini Sewing kit
Photon/LED mini light
Mini Multitool
Painkillers
Flint and steel
Fishing kit
Vaseline
Bags
Antiseptic Wipes
Plasters.

[Sarge47]

The basic kit, here it goes.

Signalling Mirror.
Commando Wire Saw
Non fuming/toxic firelighters.
Snare Wire
Cotton Wool
Sugar and Salt
Oxo cubes x 4
Mini Sewing kit
Photon/LED mini light
Mini Multitool
Painkillers
Flint and steel
Fishing kit
Vaseline
Bags
Antiseptic Wipes
Plasters.

Impressive list! Much better than "just my knife" that some people post. My PSK is always in a state of flux depending on where I'm going and for how long. There are some items, however, I always carry/take/wear when I'm in the woods no matter what:

Waterproof matches in a bright orange water-tight container.
2-6 Bandanas.
2-4 4 mil. 55 Gal. trash bags.
Victorinox "Rucksack" SAK.
Swiss Army card.
35mm film can of dryer lint.
Strike-Force for fire making.
Tilley T-3 hat.
Fox 40 whistle.
Coughlin's Trek 1 1st aid kit. (small)
Hat band made from braided parachute cord.
1 qt. size Nalgene wide-mouth water bottle with matching steel cup.
Sportsman's space blanket.(Grommets.)
1 pink lady candle.
Mini-mag flashlight.
Star-flash signal mirror.
Rite-in-the-Rain small notebook with Fischer Space pen.
Tea bags w/sugar packets.


(If going farther afield some or all of these items may be added or subbed

Mora fixed-blade knife.(attached to lanyard made from braided parachute cord around neck.

Atwater-Carey 1st-aid kit.
Military Poncho.
Esbit stove & heat tabs.
Snare wire.
Emergency fishing kit.
Several other types of fire-starters.
Military tempered glass signal mirror, 3"x5"
Water-filter straw.
Small bottle with 8 grams of iodine crystals.
2nd Nalgene bottle with duct tape wraps, Cody Lundin style.
Silva Ranger Compass.
Topo map of the area.
Small cook-kit.
Tube tent.
Small digital camera.
Small pair of Bushnell binoculars.
Rite-in-the-Rain Field notebook with Fisher Space-Pen.
MRE food packs.
Hard candy.
Paperback novel.
Pocket Survival guide.
Extra reading glasses.

There's more, but again, it all depends.

[Sarge47]

The one thing I think we can/will all agree on is that HAVING a knife is the most important....)

Actually, I disagree with that. I consider a good, sharp knife a luxury. A good 1st aid kit & training is the most important. A knife cannot reduce a high fever, treat concussion, mend a broken bone, stop arterial bleeding, or restore beating to a heart that has stopped. So, are you saying that if you lose your knife you are dead? You can make a knife out of a sharp-edged stone if you know what to look for; medical knowledge & items are a lot harder to come by in the bush!

[samfranklin]

Heyy Sarge,

I'm liking the additions
Just wanted to know what you would use some of them for!

2-6 Bandanas.
? Shelters, Wounds ?
2-4 4 mil. 55 Gal. trash bags.
Victorinox "Rucksack" SAK.
Swiss Army card.
Is that one of the credit cards with the knife and nail file type?
35mm film can of dryer lint.
Strike-Force for fire making.
Tilley T-3 hat.
Fox 40 whistle.
Coughlin's Trek 1 1st aid kit. (small)
Hat band made from braided parachute cord.
Hat band?
1 qt. size Nalgene wide-mouth water bottle with matching steel cup.
Sportsman's space blanket.(Grommets.)
1 pink lady candle.
Mini-mag flashlight.
Star-flash signal mirror.
Rite-in-the-Rain small notebook with Fischer Space pen.
Tea bags w/sugar packets.

Thanks

[Sarge47]

Heyy Sarge,

I'm liking the additions
Just wanted to know what you would use some of them for!

2-6 Bandanas.
? Shelters, Wounds ?
2-4 4 mil. 55 Gal. trash bags.
.
Swiss Army card.
Is that one of the credit cards with the knife and nail file type?

Hat band made from braided parachute cord.
Hat band?


Thanks

No problem. I wasn't sure if you were referring to the bandanas or the 55 gal. Trashbags in your post so I'll answer to both:

BANDANAS:
These are really great for many things like 1st aid, cooking(pot mitt), clean-up(wash cloth, dish towel), filtering debris out of water, making an ear cover during cold, windy weather(like the cowboys do when they wear their Stetsons. Learned that one in Colorado), sweat band, soak it in cool water and cool down your face & head, put it under your hat & let it hang down in the back & you'll protect your neck from the hot sun...etc..

55 GALLON, 4 MIL. TRASHBAGS:
Using duct tape you can make a nice sized, tough tube tent out of 2 of them, emergency tarp or ground cloth, stuff them with leaves & make blankets(aka Ron Hood) or a mattress. Raincoat of course, etc..

Swiss Army card.
Is that one of the credit cards with the knife and nail file type?
YEP! It also has a small pair of sissors, toothpick, tweezers, And a ball-point pen.

The hatband was an idea I took out of John D. McCann's book: "Build the Perfect Survival Kit." You can never have too much cordage!

Hope this helps, If I need to clarify anything else please let me know.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

For all the work people put in creating lists they are personalized to the individual and his skills and environment. The list a person should start with is basic back packing gear and then let experience determine what he carries from there. If you don't use it leave it behind on next trip and If you don't have what you need bring it next time. Let your own experience build your kit. I want to make a distinction between experience and practice. Practice is doing the same thing over and over again, experience is doing different things until you find one that works. I look at most kits and my experience tells me people are carting around a bunch of garbage but there is no need to get into specifics because experience will convince you better than me and more accurately to your specific need and environment. For all the time and effort I have put into my kit it would not impress many because it is geared to my needs not thiers but I have absolute confidence in it because I have used it and know its capabilities and limitations. A bag full of stuff you made up off a list on the internet will not give you confidence but on the other hand if you have done it before with the gear you have then it doesn't really matter what the experts say.

[samfranklin]

Cheers Sarge