10 items for 1 year in the bush.

This thread helped me realize how important finding food is, I think most of us can build a decent shelter and make a fire, but staying fed is a whole other ballgame.
Some good deadfall plans studied in earnest now will go a long way to helping you out in a survival situation, and we are virtually unlimited in the number of items we can carry in our heads.

Again, I am not interested in the numbers, just priorites and what gear you would stake your life on.
 
* Means to make fire is number one.
Learn any of the traditional ways and use a Swedish fire steel as backup. Matches and zippo wear out and can be wet.

* Means to heat food, carry water etc. is two.
Any military mess kit will do. A spruce and pine forest in the arctic has less oppurtunities for DIY cooking utensils than a jungle. You can boil water in birch bark.

* Means to make cutting EASIER is three.
A good quality knife about the size of a Mora (around 4"). Cutting tools have been made from flint pieces forver.

* Means to get better living conditions is four.
A cave, a fallen tree, a deserted hunting cabin etc.

* Means to improve the earlier things.
You can sleep on a hard floor but a softer bed is better etc.
 
I am surprised that more folks did not choose a large axe in addition to a firearm. Saws and hatchets will build an overnight bivvy but real shelter requires an axe and the means to keep it sharp.
A good supply of antibiotics is another must have in the bush.
 
Liam Ryan said:
This thread helped me realize how important finding food is, I think most of us can build a decent shelter and make a fire,
Click to expand...

Don't forget that the kid in Alaska survived for months. And he wasn't exactly in survival mode. He could have walked out if he wanted to... at least if had before he starved himself to death.
 
I am surprised that more folks did not choose a large axe
Click to expand...
To those of us that grew up in the south or southwest, the need for an axe in areas of large hardwood forests isn't necessarily apparent. Now that I live in Michigan, I've changed my view completely. Sometimes I have difficulty cutting wood even with a sharp axe here.
 
Nemoaz, Chris Mccandless survived mostly foraging for wild edibles, he had a book with him, but unfortunatley he poisoned himself by eating a plant that looked like one in the book. He also had a big bag of rice.
He had been planning the trip for a long time, I would not say he was not in survival mode, but he did make a lot of mistakes.
 
OK, I admit that I am a babe in the woods when it comes to survival so please don't think this question is too stupid but why has only one person mentioned salt? It is necessary for survival during hot weather, is not readily available, unless you find a salt lick, can be used to preserve food for the winter and lastly it makes almost anything you cook taste better.

The other thing that I was wondering is about vitamins. Wouldn't they be useful, especially during the winter when fresh fruits and vegetables aren't available. Scurvy is a serious thing.

Thanks
 
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Salt, I thought about it too. But isn't blood the substitute for salt in the woods? I could be wrong?

I interpretted this thread as 10 items. SO my list is still a little different from others but that's ok to me. I assumed you couldn't take food with you, just 10 items that would help you improvise or get the substances needed to support life. I also assumed you couldn't walk out.

If this counts as 1 item, and I could get a higher quality version with many big ferro rods all the way around the tinder carrier/ tube thing, I would use this in place of my #9.

If I could take my doug ritter survival pack as one item, I would take that instead of #9.

Here's my first list

"For in Northern Michigan. I assume good clothes was understood. And a good backpack to carry your stuff.


1. Axe-For making a great shelter and for firewood, it gets cold.
2. Laplander Saw- I like to have a good saw on me when I am away from the shelter.
3. Sharpening system- for knife and axe.
4. Wool Blanket- good item, IMHO more versitle than a sleeping bag. I am thinking that a great shelter made with an axe will make it cosy enough that I don't need a sleeping bag. Could go with you when away from shelter
5. Tarp-temporary shelter and goes with me when I am away from shelter.
6. Parachute cord As much as I am allowed. So versitle, fish line and lashings...
7. Pot- a good one and big enough for some serious cooking.
8. Knife- up to a 4 inch blade fixed. I don't know on the model, maybe a scandi or a fallkniven. OR actually I could do with Vict. Trekker but would prefer a fixed blade for various reasons.
9. Flint- Lots of ferro rods wrapped around a dowel- counts as one item that way, and lots of possilbe fires. Replaced with above suggestions if allowed.
10. Wind up flashlight/ radio."- I assumed you couldn't take batteries- so a good windup flashlight radio thing might come in handy in the long run. Maybe I might even be able to recieve some radio stations to keep me entertained.:)

I would get a good shelter, make water storage containers out of birch bark, get a good supple of firewood, use "unsportingly" fishing methods, make some traps, fashion primitive weapons, and make a smokehouse and storehouse to store some food. If I ran across a stream with spawning salmon in the fall, I am sure I could get a good supple of food, and salmon are more nourishing than trout.

Take care, I enjoyed reading other people's ideas.
Some things I would like to have but I would consider luxury
1. Food
2. Salt
3. Vitamins
4. The bible
5. Another good book
6. Fishing hooks
7. Snare wire
8. A gun and ammo
9. A good recurve bow
10. A good medical kit

See ya later:)
 
A canoe and or quad or snowmobile to hump the crap into the bush.

10-20 gallons of gas and chain saw.

Full sized, back-up axe.

Basic tool kit.

cooking pot.

.223 rifle.

100-200 foot weighted net with floats.

Blankets/clothing/food/incidentals as needed.

The Indians in the northern bush don't play around in the outdoors. The climate is often harsh and food is gathered in large quantities, seasonaly when available. Gathering and preserving larger quantities of food is more efficient than gathering (or trying to) every day. What do you eat during that 3 day snow storm or intense cold snap, when you can't get out? I'd build good living quarters with the chain saw (with a tiny smoke hose close by) then set the net with a canoe or available boat. The Pike move away from shore/the shallows in the late fall for warmer/deeper water and are much harder to catch/find then, so good luck with a fishing rod...... I don't know much, but I did learn this: Living off the land is not a game and takes a serious effort, not just a can of beans, a blanket and a SAK.
 
Ok lets see here...

1) Ruger 10/22 rifle with 1000 rounds of ammow
2) HI 12" Kukri with the smaller accessory knife (unless counted as more than one item)
3) Leatherman Charge
4) 50lb. bag of sticky rice
5) Big Gerber ferro rod
6) 10 quart Dutch Oven
7) Big Nalgene bottle
8) Largest roll of 550 cord I can find
9) Largest nylon tarp I can find
10) Old school heavy winter military sleeping bag

I think I could live quite comfortably with this set up for a long time.
 
Estwing Camp Axe
Vic Farmer SAK
Fallkniven F1 with custom olive green micarta handle scales
Marlin Model 39 lever action .22 with 1050 rounds of .22 ammo
small tent or tarp
Bible
Wild Edible Plants book
Magensium firestarter/bar w flint
small cooking pot
water purification system of some type
 
9 kegs of beer and a lifetime supply of ice.
 
Liam Ryan said:
I was thinking about how minimal I could pack to survive for a good while, What 10 items could you not do without to survive 1 year in the wild? Max 3 edged tools.
1-A good axe, GB sfa I guess
2-Fallkniven F1
3-SAK outrider
4-1 quart cooking pot
5-first aid kit
5-bic lighter/firesteel
6-fishing tackle
7-book of wild edibles
8-warm wool blanket
9-10'x10' tarp
10-war and peace, always wanted to read it.

For me my biggest concern would certainly be getting enough food, and considered a big bag of rice, but thought the book of wild edibles would be more rewarding and worthwhile.
I may get hungry, but I think I could do it with that. I would probably bring a bigger axe actually, but I just ordered that GB.
Click to expand...


1-A good axe, GB sfa I guess
2-bark river fox river
3-SAK outrider/leatherman crunch (tie, can't decide)
4-1 quart cooking pot
5-first aid kit
5-bic lighter/firesteel
6-fishing tackle
7-book of wild edibles (relative to region)
8-warm wool blanket
9-10'x10' tarp
10-100' of orange paracord

Just thought I'd bump it with a few changes to my list, the wool blanket could get bumped for a good quality sleeping bag, but I don't know a lot about them.
And of course all the stuff in my head, absorbed through osmosis after several years here on W&SS.
 
What about:
1 Playboy
2 Hustler
3 OUI
4 Cheri
5 Swank
6 Blade
7 Soldier of Fortune
8 Bow Hunter
9 Guns and Ammo
10 Shotgun News

a year is long time...without these
 
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A murder's three years survival kit in Taiwan :

1.homemade muzzleloading shotgun ( use to hunt small game daytime)
2.gun powder and leadsinker (shot)
3.machete
4.homemade slingshot (use to hunt birds at night with AA headlamp)
5.cheapo AA headlamp
6. holy bible ( cop found this in his kit sack)

Due to ran out of AA battery, he could not do night hunt for meal and into town for AA battery and he got caught.
He also offer labor to farm for exchange battery, leadsinker ,and rice.
and he steals fruits from farm too
 
FOOD is a high priority in primitive living. Outside the tropics, one cannot survive as a vegetarian. Edible plant knowledge is great (and I know my share), but it is unrealistic to base your susistence. Knowing what plant, where it grows, what part you can eat, when you can eat it, and how to prepare it is very difficult. Not to mention, plants do NOT provide all the nutrition you need. That being said, my choice of items has several revolving around collection of animal flesh.

A great book that covers this rationale is:
"Naked into the Wilderness - 2; Primitive Wilderness Skills, Applied & Advanced" by John & Geri McPherson. "All nutrients required to keep the human body alive can be found in the animal kingdom."

Collecting or "Making Meat" is covered in their first book, "Naked into the Wilderness; Primitive Wilderness Living Survival Skills."

Here is my list:
1. .22LR Rifle
2. Box of 1,000+ ammo
3. 550 cord (all I can take)
4. Snare wire (all I can take)
5. Assortment of fish hooks
6. Large tarp
7. Sleeping bag
8. Large pot
9. multi-tool
10. Axe

My lack of a fire tool is based on my knowledge of friction fire and having a multi-tool, high-carbon steel axe, and gunpowder.

BTW, I am not putting down plant knowledge or its importance as I believe it is the foundation of primitive living. One must know plants as it is what the "real food" eats!!! Cordage, shelter, medicine, firewood, traps, containers, etc. all come from plants too. Not to mention some plants are a no brainer for food and if you can remember the big four (pine, oak, grass, cattail) you got it made.
 
My barkie and its firesteel
Lots of paracord
Tarp
Sleeping bag
klean kanteen
multi tool
bow
field guide
axe
my horse
cigarettes would be #11
 
I probably should have added my parlin papoose .22lr and lots of ammo, and drop
the wild edibles book. I can try to study the book and retain the info.
 
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