A quick introduction...

[chazlawyer]

To all of the board members...

I just wanted to post a quick intorduction. I've been lurking this board for about a week or so and I've read about 75% of the posts in that short amount of time. I've learned quite a bit from this forum already. So to Sarge, Beo, Nell, Trax and the others I thank you for your insight as my time reading these posts has already been enlightening.

With that said, I figured that I might as well register and introduce myself. My name is Chaz and I live in Massachusetts. I never was a scout and in fact I've never gone camping, but recently I've had this growing desire to address my utter lack of preparedness for any shtf situations (urban or wilderness).

I've got a pack that I keep in the Jeep with what I think is a more than adequate for supplies, so I won't list the contents and ask if you think I deserve a gold star for my efforts...and I've got a knife too but I won't ask for your reviews of it since I'm happy with it...Can you tell I read your blog Sarge?

I do have one comment/question...

Like I said I'm getting into the whole preparedness mode, but I feel like I'm going overboard with some things. For instance, I know that a person should have at least two ways to start a fire...a preferred way and a back up. But at what point does it get excessive? I've got matches in a waterproof container, a flint/magnesium combo, blastmatch, as well as the sweedish "metal match". For tinder/accelerants I've got cotton balls in vaseline in a small waterproof container, a ziploc bag full of dryer lint, some sparklite tinder and some wet-tinder.

Kinda seems like I'm overdooing it...but where do you draw the line? All in all, these items don't weigh much, nor do they take up much space in my pack....So, my question to the more expereinced is this...how do you know when you're "covered"? Is it knowing that you get piece of mind by having so many options, or it simply being confident that what ever firestarting options you pack will work because of your proficiency with that particular meathod?

I guess I'm torn between the "if one is good, then five is better" mentality and being more efficient/minimalist...

any thoughts?

[trax]

Hey Chaz,

Nice to meet you,someone of a moderator type mentality will probably move your post, but to try to answer your question. You know you've got enough when the fire starts. That's what matters. If you still have lots of extra stuff for firestarter then good, as long as you're comfortable packing those extras around

[Gray Wolf]

Welcome to the wolf pack Chaz, yes you read Sarge's stuff, good start.

I'd get rid of the a flint/magnesium combo if it's the heavy block type, since you have the wet-tinder. JMHO

[Rick]

I think it depends on where you are, how much experience you have and what your skills are. I'm pretty lousy at a fire bow so I keep some extra backup to make up for it. Someone else may be proficient at it and so they don't need the extra "stuff". If it's right for you then it's right.

You might want to try hossing that bag a couple of miles just to see how it feels. You never know when driving might not be an option and you have to hike. Flat tire? Busted tie rod end? Found an unexpected mud hole? Then weight might be a problem.

The important thing is to test the bag and make sure you have what you need. Just take an afternoon at the local park and give yourself a test run using what's in your bag.

[trax]

See Chaz? Told ya he'd move it. Little friggin' control freak. yeesh.

[Gray Wolf]

And he thought you gave him chocolate.

[nell67]

Welcome to the forum!

[chazlawyer]

...didn't take long at all...I was going to post in this section initially, but then i thought my question would get lost over here...then i thought about doing to posts and then i realised that some people might have wondered who the hell i was posting a question without introducing my self first...quite the quandry...lol...

but seriously, I tend to overthink things sometimes (hence my profession and the basis of my initial question)...

guess that overthinking is something i will have to work on in case a survival situation arrises...I could stop, relax and think the situation over, but then I may still be there the next dawn...lol....

Thanks!

[Gray Wolf]

Then I rest my case counselor...

[Riverrat]

Welcome, and stoping to think things over can be a good thing, better then just jumping in and ending up worse off.

[RangerXanatos]

Welcome to the forums, Chaz!

[Sarge47]

Welcome to the Wolf-Pack! You get a gold-star from me, that's for sure.

Now about all the "fire-starting" stuff; what seems to be the problem? I always say "over-prepared is better than under-prepared" any 'ole day of the week. Besides, as you, hopefully, gain experience you'll decide what you want to do &/or change, if anything. Sarge's Wisdom: "In the land of Murphy there is but one law!" Now the ironic part, you'll probably never have to use any of that stuff, but like we used to ask in the Insurance biz when selling accident policies: "It's better to have it & not need it than to need it & not have it. Isn't that true?" Now since you've become a friend & member to/of the Wolf-pack, what kind of knife do you have?

[nell67]

Not the knife Sarge,please,anything but the knife!!!!!

[trax]

Hon, it's ok when it's Sarge asking (only possible candidate for zambonie driver in Free Traxistan, I was saving it as a surprise for him)

[nell67]

Ok darling,I'll retract my question,carry on Sarge!

[Rick]

Oh, brother! Get a room already.

[crashdive123]

Hello and welcome.

[Beo]

Welcome,
Chaz in a survival situation and in being prepared you can never reaally have to much. Your doing great, I would say to practice your skills at home then hit the woods. Really, you have beautiful country up there so go camping, try your skills out but take other things so you have never fail back ups like a Bic lighter, nothing wrong with those.
Good luck bro, an if you need any info this is the place to get it and if there's anything I can do to help you let me know.
Beo,

[Beo]

Oh yeah, remember CHANCE FAVORS THE PREPARED MIND.

[chazlawyer]

I've got an S.O.G. SealPup Elite TiNi with a nice fitting nylon sheath. It's a full tang knife with a comfortable and secure handle. In some field tests around my home, it cuts and slices beautifully and I've hacked off some tree branches (between 1 and 2 inches thick) with only one or two swings. Most importantly (to me anyways) it keeps it's edge and sharpness like no other knife i've used...