Priorities and such.

[Sarge47]

I've made mention a number of times how I totally dislike threads that start out "if you could only take one thing out in the field, what would it be?" However, in his book: "Stay Alive..." written by forum member John D. McCann, he starts out his chapter on Survival knives stating that if he could only have one thing it would be his knife. I sent him a friendly e-mail stating that I disagreed. I would choose a 1st aid kit as it's a lot easier to fashion a cutting edge in the wilds than it is too make a medical kit. Of course I'd never be stupid enough to limit myself to just one item, I'd follow Dave Canterbury's "5...or even 10 C's" to be carried with me in the field. However this got me to thinking about priorities; how do you prioritize your gear? This should prove interesting....

[welderguy]

1. water purification
2. fire
3. knife
4. medical
5 shelter

[kyratshooter]

Been a long time since we did a top 1/2/3 or even a top 4/5

I have to disagree with you on this one Sarge.

I do not wake up every morning, put on my pants and drop a first aid kit in my pocket!

I want my knife.

My first priority is not going to be something I hope to NOT USE.

knife
water purification
fire gear
cook pot
poncho/tarp

[welderguy]

@ hunter I see our top three are the same items but different priority

[Rick]

Actually, I don't look at it that way. I figure it depends on what situation you find yourself in as to what you need and that will change from moment to moment so all of them are important. I set up my priorities by making certain I have the 10 essentials covered. Every item will be a priority at some point and under the right conditions. The last thing I do when I set up my pack is review the 10 Es and make certain my pack has them covered.

[RangerXanatos]

It actually depends on what I'm doing. My number one regardless of where I'm going, what I'm doing, or how long I'm going to be out is my clothing. Common sense should be able to dictate this, but we've all seen someone not dressed appropriately while out in the woods or even on the street for that matter. After this, let's say doing a short trail and don't expect to be out for long, my top three in priority would be knife, water, fire. If I was expecting to be out for an extended stay it would change order to water, fire, shelter. I've noticed that while camping, the main use of my knife has been to make tent stakes and feather sticks. How much do you really NEED to use the knife for when you're carrying water, food, shelter, cordage, etc on your back? Do you need a knife to strike a bic or firesteel? No. Do you need a knife to build a debris shelter? No. Do you need a knife to make cordage? No. But why is a knife first when out on a short trail? I may want to whittle. Do I NEED it to enjoy my time outdoors? No.

This shelter was made using not a single tool. A blade wasn't needed. Could it have helped? Yeah, to cut the support rods to a more even length but a tarp would have been a lot easier in making a shelter than any blade.
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But that is just in my area. Location is key. A person in arctic regions would probably want fire first in just about all scenarios, while a person in the desert wants water, and then another in the jungle wants their blade of choice.

[hunter63]

@ hunter I see our top three are the same items but different priority

Actually that's Kyrat's list.....But I can't find a better order than that.....so yeah....

knife
water purification
fire gear
cook pot
poncho/tarp

I might switch around water purification with fire gear.

Gotta say after watching some of the Naked and Afraid shows....seemed the more successful couples had knife/machete and fire making gear.
That was kinda of telling.

Clothing or as most would see it, "First layer of shelter".......and if done properly may reduce the shelter requirement.
So tarp/poncho is right in there.
As is pot or container.....

This also bring up the ability to "take the cold or heat".....or need for shelter.
Try to sleep all night....naked....I don't care where, or what temp.....but I have to tell you that is tough....Sorry that's another future thread maybe.

So Sarge, I do see your point.....packing something that can't be gathered or made.... I have to disagree....I'll cover "needs" first, then the "maybe needs"

[Sarge47]

Gotta say after watching some of the Naked and Afraid shows....seemed the more successful couples had knife/machete and fire making gear.
That was kinda of telling.
So Sarge, I do see your point.....packing something that can't be gathered or made.... I have to disagree....I'll cover "needs" first, then the "maybe needs"

On "Naked and afraid," every time there was a 1st aid need the production crew took care of it...and that did happen several times.

Maybe? Dysentery? Diarrhea? I remember an episode of "Survivorman" where Les imitated an arm injury. Anywho, I'm enjoying reading all the responses and I'm sure that there are many inexperienced outdoors folks learning from this.....

[JohnnyP]

In the area which i live, and am most likely to be out in, there are two things in abundance. Water in the form of flowing creeks is common and when i was a teenager we drank from them while out hunting. At the time i recall being able to smell the DDT used in the adjoining cotton fields. Maybe what killed the Boll-weevils took care of the bacteria in the water because we never got sick. The other common thing is trees. Hardwood and pine trees are everywhere. That would cover shelter and fuel for fires. Although upland game as well as whitetail deer are plentiful it is unlikely you would starve before being rescued. Wearing clothing to match the weather conditions is something that must be practiced religiously. So ruling out cell phone service, a SAT phone or a PLB the following is a five item kit list in order of importance.

Bic lighter
Sawyer Mini Water Filter
Poncho
Knife
Flashlight

[Sarge47]

Actually, I don't look at it that way. I figure it depends on what situation you find yourself in as to what you need and that will change from moment to moment so all of them are important. I set up my priorities by making certain I have the 10 essentials covered. Every item will be a priority at some point and under the right conditions. The last thing I do when I set up my pack is review the 10 Es and make certain my pack has them covered.

I totally agree...let's look at those right now:

Updated Ten Essential "Systems"

1. Navigation (map and compass)
2. Sun protection (sunglasses and sunscreen)
3. Insulation (extra clothing)
4. Illumination (headlamp/flashlight)
5. First-aid supplies
6. Fire (waterproof matches/lighter/candles)
7. Repair kit and tools
8. Nutrition (extra food)
9. Hydration (extra water)
10. Emergency shelter

Classic Ten Essentials

1. Map
2. Compass
3. Sunglasses and sunscreen
4. Extra clothing
5. Headlamp/flashlight
6. First-aid supplies
7. Firestarter
8. Matches
9. Knife

Extra food

Please note #5 in the 1st list and #6 in the 2nd!...

[Rick]

I'm a classic guy myself. I have some disagreements with the new and improved list.

[hunter63]

On "Naked and afraid," every time there was a 1st aid need the production crew took care of it...and that did happen several times.

Maybe? Dysentery? Diarrhea? I remember an episode of "Survivalman" where Les imitated an arm injury. Anywho, I'm enjoying reading all the responses and I'm sure that there are many inexperienced outdoors folks learning from this.....

True as that maybe.....The kind of aid required wasn't some thing that even a experienced outdoors person would have the know how to use, carry or even have access to....Unless they were a Doctor.

[Rick]

I don't know that I agree with that. I know in one show the guy drank raw water and got sick. If you carry a broad spectrum antibiotic, like we've talked about in other threads, that's a good place to start. Short of something really major like a gunshot, heart attack or out of bacon you should be able to handle it with what you carry or be able to improvise (splint for example). Of course you don't drink raw water unless it's a last resort either. Dead man walkin' kinda thing.

[hunter63]

There are members that carry an extensive FAK, I'm aware of ...but I'm guessing that most carry the basic, bandages/wraps, disinfectant, antibiotic, aspirin, antihistamine...type of thing.

[welderguy]

Actually that's Kyrat's list.....But I can't find a better order than that.....so yeah....

knife
water purification
fire gear
cook pot
poncho/tarp

I might switch around water purification with fire gear.

Gotta say after watching some of the Naked and Afraid shows....seemed the more successful couples had knife/machete and fire making gear.
That was kinda of telling.

Clothing or as most would see it, "First layer of shelter".......and if done properly may reduce the shelter requirement.
So tarp/poncho is right in there.
As is pot or container.....

This also bring up the ability to "take the cold or heat".....or need for shelter.
Try to sleep all night....naked....I don't care where, or what temp.....but I have to tell you that is tough....Sorry that's another future thread maybe.

So Sarge, I do see your point.....packing something that can't be gathered or made.... I have to disagree....I'll cover "needs" first, then the "maybe needs"

Oppps sorry LOL

[Sarge47]

I have many FAKs in many different sizes. My favorite is one packed in the Condor Rip-away medical pouch. I got the idea from Rick, but check this one out that FinallyMe made:

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...t=condor+pouch

Scroll down this page to see what both Crash and Rick use for IFAKs:

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...level-amp-next

[Wildthang]

1.Map
2.Compass
3.Sunglasses and sunscreen
4.Extra clothing
5.Headlamp/flashlight
6.First-aid supplies
7.Firestarter
8.Matches
9.Knife
10. Cook pot or canteen cup
11. Poncho liner or wool blanket

Now it is the perfect list!

[Phaedrus]

How much do you really NEED to use the knife for when you're carrying water, food, shelter, cordage, etc on your back? Do you need a knife to strike a bic or firesteel? No. Do you need a knife to build a debris shelter? No. Do you need a knife to make cordage? No. But why is a knife first when out on a short trail? I may want to whittle. Do I NEED it to enjoy my time outdoors? No.

This shelter was made using not a single tool. A blade wasn't needed. Could it have helped? Yeah, to cut the support rods to a more even length but a tarp would have been a lot easier in making a shelter than any blade.

I'm a knife nerd and all around sharpening junkie, but I think there's some wisdom in what RangerX says. There are lots of things that a knife is very useful for, maybe even necessary for. But short term wilderness survival probably isn't one of them. Like many of you I use my knife to baton wood for kindling but it's more for fun than out of necessity. You can generally break small wood to length quite easily, and most of the time it's possible to find dry tinder without batonning. Realistically a knife isn't very useful for big wood. If you had literally nothing on you in the wild you could still build a shelter as shown above. If a knife was the only possession you had it probably wouldn't be very helpful to start a fire. It's handy for processing game if you cant obtain it.

Now, for boating a knife might save your life, or if you're trapped in a car. A knife can get a rope or line, or cut a seatbelt, or maybe break a window out if your car is underwater. But that's not really something that comes up in just plain wilderness settings.

It's fun to make lists and it can be very thought provoking; it's a good way to help you think about survival. But I think a tarp would probably save more lives than a knife if you could only have one thing. Or a good lighter. Of course, a well prepared person will have all the thinks they might really need in an emergency. Be prepared!

[hunter63]

Yeah, you are mostly correct.....make a list, get gear, get pack, pack gear.....adding more and more even a "If you could only take one..." list turns into "only 3, then only 10....and even a list of 10 turns into 12.....Now it too big and heavy to carry so you don't carry it anymore.....

Then you start over.....
I don't find anything wrong with that.....Yes it's gets you thinking, learning ideas, trying new thing....and even adding new gear.

I guess we could play pool, bet horses....or go out into the yard, park, wilderness....and TRY IT......

Then when Murphy strikes as he always does....you whip out your "what ever".....and rejoice....I GOT THIS...(Priceless and alive)

[wilc53]

Hi folks, my first post here. I pack according to location but my basic list is :
Navigation
SOG Tomahawk
Fire kit (includes a firesteel, cotton balls in fat and ground fireateel rod and knife
All steel water bottle with 25 ft cord attached and purification tabs.
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