Show us what's in your survival kit.

[longbow50]

Hi all,

For someone that doesn't have any of these items, is there a good online store or local store where I could purchase everything I'd need to make a Survival Kit? Thanks!

For starters, I'd suggest that you pick up one of Doug Ritter's pocket survival kits. They run a bit over $20.00 and are excellent kits on their own, but make a great start to a Personal Survival Kit (PSK)

[Don Rearic]

Here is a breakdown of Doug Ritter's Kit, I also have the small, yellow Benchmade and the fixed blade BM as well...and the Photon...and more! I have to finish up on that stuff though.

http://www.donrearic.com/ritter1.html

This second one is just to show you what you can do with a couple things you might have to buy and a couple other things you might find in yardsales, flea markets and whatnot.

http://www.donrearic.com/riskwallet.html

[JoHnYKwSt]

Don,
Nice review of Doug Ritters Survival Pak. I completely agree with your review.

[Serrinon]

Thanks guys, this looks like a great place for me to start! I'm also looking forward to checking out some of the online stores to see where I can start purchasing these items on my own for my first kit.

[Serrinon]

Bump.....I thought this thread was awesome, and don't want it lost

[mtnfolk mike]

Don,
Nice review of Doug Ritters Survival Pak. I completely agree with your review.

i agree... i also use an AMK ritter psk.... plus a few added goods...

[nick-nack]

This is my kit that I put together one night-





It has -
- several feet of type I paracord
- several feet of duct tape
- several feet of electrical tape
- the rubber bands have now been replaced with ranger bands
- suunto clipper compass (holds everything shut)
- photon freedom
- 2 feet of wire (under bands)
- first aid supplies - bandaids, dressings, alcohol wipes
- lifeboat matches (waterproofed)
- small piece of ferro rod (broken off mag block)
- charcloth
- pj cotton balls
- mini bic
- stayglow classic SAK
- 2 safety pins, 2 needles + thread
- 2 fishing hooks with sinkers +thread
- squidgie (bait)
- paper
- pencil
- match striker pad
- small dog whistle
- zip ties and twist ties

[mneedham]

Here is one of mine. It is the one that spends the most time with me - a Maxpedition based around a Doug Ritter PSK.

Attachment 78475

Attachment 78476

[AlexSchira]

Hot tip on the Doug Ritter gear. EDCDepot is doing a ten percent off deal for the month, coupon code 'SEPT', the already 24.99 kit goes down 2.50 with the code. Free spy capsule with every order, really love dealing with the site.

Can't agree enough on the philosophy about pre-made kits, Ritter's gear is a cost-saving and education exception. Picking gear by hand, testing it, modifying it and budgeting it is where a good deal of survival education comes from. I insist on mastering the use of something and judging it to an extreme before considering it for long-term EDC, let alone a survival kit. I have some dated manuals lying around with pictures of these SAS-style survival tins. Tiny wire saws, condoms, industrial razor blades, mag-bars and saw piece, fish hooks, tampons, tea bags...Is this a survival kit or some kind of gift set for the kinkier types? Some of these kits are either so dated that flint strikers were top of the line for making this new thing called 'fire', others are budget sets based on some list the company found.

The effort and resources one person can put into a kit puts them leagues ahead of the assembly line method, even if they're on a flea market budget. A couple extra bucks for a Spark-Lite over the mag bar, a knife instead of a rusty razor, odds and ends they can find around the house, in the end they're better off and have a personalized, functional kit they can be proud to have around. Building a kit forces you to think ahead, and that mindset will get the person much farther than just being a consumer with disposable income.

You know what I think of seriously but hope I never have to read about? Some one with that ten dollar 'Survival kit in a can' they sell at ritzier novelty stores, lost out in the woods. Doug Ritter reviewed one...The tab tore off the can when they tried to open it. As worthless as a birthday candle and tootsie roll would be in the wilderness, the idea of some one stuck there with the tab in one hand and the sealed kit in the other...That's one way of figuring out you took a wrong turn somewhere in life. Likewise, put that canned survivalist without a can opener, pair them up with some one with a knife, some garbage bags, duct tape, zip ties, and a Bic lighter. They could have raided those things from a junk drawer, yet it still beats the kit-in-a-can.

[Evolute]

http://www.mikespinak.com/articles/E...e995mypsk.html

[mneedham]

evolute, I think your kit is one of the best thought-out small kits I've seen. Your philosophy about carrying high quality equipment versus having a band-aid and 3 feet of string is right on!

[nick-nack]

Mike- In your kit it says that the prototype Busse sharpener was never eventually made but I was wondering if this sharpener is similar. http://www.discountcutlery.net/en-us/dept_21236.html

you have to scroll down to Eze-Lap Keychain Hook Sharpener.

[Evolute]

mneedham,

Thank you.

nick-nack,

It's not the same, but it should be similar enough to suffice.

[Evolute]

By the way, Like Don, I reviewed Doug Ritter's/Adventure Medical Kits's Pocket Survival Pak a few years ago. You can read my review, here:

http://www.swampratknifeworks.com/cg...=000693#000002

[f22raptor92]

you have to remember that whatever is in your survival kit, you better better be able to bet your life with, always have the best quality gear in your survival kit, your life, and the life of others may depend on it.

[Buffalohump]

I have two ways of keeping gear with me. One BOB in the car, and the rest in my daypack, a Maxped Condor II.

BOB in my car is an old range bag, inside that I have two nylon draw-string bags to store the gear./

Inside one of these is an Otter Box 2000 (crushproof, waterproof) which contains the key 'survive at all costs' items which are, at this time:

Insect bite ointment/anti-septic
NATO waterproof matches
Spark-lite kit w/tinder
8 Asprin
6 water purification sachets (one sachet purifies 20L of H20)
Fenix E1 w/lithium cell +spare AAA
Fox 40 whistle
Pro-Force survival saw
A carabiner (rated to 400kgs)
2 Durex condoms (extra thick) ...ummm... these need to be replaced ; )

OK, I think I have the pic thing sorted:

In the other drawstring bag, I have:

Nalgene (missing from pic)
Boonie hat
Fleece cover
Spare glasses
Two garbage bags
Mini SAS Survival Guide (John Wiseman)
A space blanket (want to get more)
50 feet of paracord
Atwood Bug-out Bar
Leatherman Wave
Inova X5
Chris Reeve Project I (7,5 inch spear point FB) and/or
Cold Steel mini-kukri
Esbit stove and extra fuel tabs.



My day-pack (always with me). In this bag I have:

Pat Crawford Legionnaire neck knife (not in pic)
Duct tape, roll
Boonie hat
A Jones Brothers Entry Tool (7 inch spearpoint FB)
Toothpicks and dental floss (gotta keep the teeth clean)
Another Fox 40 (got whistles?)
Small Prybar with paracord wrap
Peak LED brass Carribbean with momentary switch
Peak LED Matterhorn 3 LED
Surefire SC1 with six spare lithiums
HighGear digital compass/watch/stopwatch (haven't figured out how to use the compass yet),
Silva butane storm lighter
An Otter Box 1,000 in case I need to keep my cellphone dry. Now carrying more Asprin, a glasses cleaning cloth, a tape measure, small Bic lighter and a spare AAA cell.
Bandanna
Jewellers screwdriver kit (high quality item - 8 bits)
Multi-bit screwdriver (high quality item with 6 bits - 3 flat, 3 phillips)
Ti Spork
Piece of shoe leather (impromptu sharpening kit)
Stainless steel mug
Wallet w/ID



On my person I always have a folder (sometimes a FB), cellphone, SOG Powerplier, house keys on kubaton, and car keys on stretchy paracord leash, accompanied by a fauxton and a mini County Comm prybar (got prybars?) In winter, I carry a Fenix P1D/Leef combo in my left front pocket.

My gear is designed for an urban flood/fire/alien attack bug-out scenario./ ALL of this stuff would accompany me and my family, along with several other items, like a Colt Series 70 and about 150 rounds of ammo, and obviously blankets, clothes, food items, etc, in the back of my truck./

If going on a hike with potential 'lost in the woods' situations, I would have on me the Otterbox 2000 PSK, a big FB, SOG Powerplier, my Surefire L2, and several portable food items. I think the urban clusterf*ck scenerio is more likely to occur, as I don't do 3 day hikes much anymore, but you never know.

I really need to master the compass and add a good one to my kit, but the northern/southern hemisphere thing really confuses me

[ishiyumisan]

My gear is designed for an urban flood/fire/alien attack bug-out scenario

New to mebut Good one

[Buffalohump]

Mike:

Thanks for this link - your set-up is very comprehensive and has given me lots of food for thought. Plus, you obviously have a real need for one, given your line of work. I've bookmarked your site for further reading.

Mark

http://www.mikespinak.com/articles/E...e995mypsk.html

[mtngoat]

Every Day Carry Survival Kit
• Maxpedition Jumbo (Right Side Carry)*
• Waterproof box *
• Nalgene Bottle
• Serria Alpine cup*
• Multi-tool
• Compass*
• Map*
• Fire Starting Kit
• Fishing Kit*
• 100ft Para cord*
• Water purification tabs*
• 100ft Snare wire
• Sewing kit (Needle that will fit dental floss)
• Signal mirror*
• Whistle (Pealess)*
• Fixed blade knife
• Waterproof notepad*
• Space pen
• Pencil
• Dental floss
• Folding knife
• Magnifying lens*
• First-aid kit
• Water collection bags or collapsible jug*
• Deck of cards
• High energy food*
• Wool/Synthetic socks (2 pair)*
• Hand crank radio/flashlight*
• AAA Mini maglite
• AAA Headlamp*
• Folding saw*
• Space blanket
• 5’ X9’ Tarp (plastic sheet, tyvec)

Fire Kit
• Waterproof box *
• Fire steel w/ striker
• Bic lighter
• PJ Cotton balls
• Char cloth
• Matches *
• Phat wood
• Small candle*
• Birch bark
• Tinder fungus
• Mag bar w/striker*

Fishing Kit*
• Waterproof box
• 100ft Braded fishing line
• 5 Small hooks
• 5 Lead shot weights
• 2 Large hooks
• 5 Fly lures
• 3 Insect lures
• 3 Trebel hooks
• 1 yoyo reel
• 10 Small screw eyes
• 100ft 120lb test line

Knife Maintenance Kit*
• Waterproof box
• Sharpener
• Ceramic rod
• Bottle of oil
• Cleaning fluid

Sewing kit
• Needles (various sizes, at least 1 that fits dental floss)*
• Sewing thread
• Dental floss
• Safety pins – 5 small, 5 large*


This is a work in progress, let me know what should be added or removed.

Thanks

goat

[nemoaz]

This is your every day carry kit, a maxpedition jumbo? It's on you all the time at work and the mall? Or every day you are in the woods? I can't imagine carrying a bag that large everywhere.