Absolute minimalist?

Here is my kit, Its not the bare minimal I need, but its the bare minimal I like to take.

kit2.jpg


At the top is the pouch I carry it in, HD tin foil, water purifying tablets, and a HD plastic bag cut down and marked at 1 liter.

The next row has 12 ft. para cord over top of a AMK heatsheet space blanket, a small first aid kit, and a surefire E2O.

Next row a small plastic pouch which contains a small magnesium fire starter, 25 waterproof matches and 2 strikers, a plastic case (which contains 4 safety pins, 3 HD sewing needles, and two scalpel blades), 4 tinder quick tabs, and a small bobbin of HD nylon thread. Next is a pill container with 10 petroleum soaked cotton balls, a Fox micro 40 whistle, and a small signal mirror on top of its homemade felt pouch.

Oh yeah, I also added a small Silva compass.

The whole kit is on top of a camo bandanna that gets folded up and goes in the kit as well. Since the pic has been taken, I replaced the Surefire with a Gerber ultra infinity, and the small mag. bar with a full sized Doan.
 
rickppoole said:
Hey Longbow,

Great kit! I use a BK7 as well. What do you keep inside the pouch on your sheath???

+ 1 on the Katadyn micropur tablets.
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rickppoole, here's a photo of the altoids tin kit. It's old and I've done a little upgrading, but essentially it's the same kit, minus the iodine pills.

beckerkit003.jpg
 
6 feet of paracord
Kabar Dozier hunter point knife
Mini bic lighter
mini led light
SAK classic knife
Ear plugs
Wallet
Sometimes a space blanket.

that's what I usually have everday in summer. If in the woods I add more. The things listed above are what I consider handy things to have around in my day to day life. Ear plugs are handy if you have to handle loud things- machines and such. The paracord is very versatile, if you have to tie things to haul them and save you trips, holding things open like doors, etc. The bics work fine for me, if I ever had to make fire in the summer.

Usually, the knife, paracord, and light are the most used things in my daily life, and at work.

With all the great pockets on clothes, it's easy to spread the things you need all around your body without feeling bulky. That's what I do with my hunting gear. :)

I have heard of people putting some kit in there shoes. :) Like a thin razor blade or fish hooks, small stuff like that. Just an idea.

Take care,
Scottman
 
Yeah, the little things are the most handy. Like the windshield wiper broke, and thankfully I had some wire on me, rigged it up and haven't had problems sense. (the little pin fell out)

How many of you have kids, or younger siblings even, you know that clam shell packaging? Well it can give a nasty cut to youngerlings opening it. While on the way home think how happy you would be just having a small FAK incase they cut them selves on that toy they just had to have.
 
KNIFE QUESTION

Assuming that you have something small on hand like a SAK or a Leatherman micra (I keep one in my altoids tin), what do you look for in your main survival knife?

I have had a much easier time putting together survival kits (of all sizes) than I have had making up my mind about which knife to carry!

I have narrowed down my choices to four of the fixed blades I own, but I admit I haven't had time to use them except in camping settings (most of which were pretty cozy and not what I imagine a survival setting would be like.) I would welcome experienced input:

1. A Becker Bk-7 (Great all around but a bit big for my taste as a survival knife)

2. A Howling Rat custom (Great knife with a semi serrated spine that seems to be more about looks to me- (I could be wrong!) I love the size and feel, but I don't know if I could chop with it.)

3. A Dumpster Mutt (Indestructable prybar of a knife but it is heavy and doesn't slice like the Howling Rat or the Becker...)

4. An SOG Revolver (The dual saw and knife blades were what attracted me. Love the size, love the flexibility, but I'm not sure it would be durable enough in a life or death situation)

What are the most obvious chores that knife would need to fullfill? As a purely Survival type of Knife to go with my smallest kit, can anyone see any obvious advantages of one of these over the others?

Much thanks for your input!

-Rick
 
rick in respons to your question I'd personally go wotha fallkniven f1 I don;t own any of those other knives so I can't comment, but I'd definitely trust the f1. In response to the minimalist segment It would depend on my clothes if my clothes were warm enough I'd feel good with a firesteel my f1, s leatherman wave ( I found really handy for trap making) 50 feet of paracord and a couple of bandanas....if I had a choice I'd take my canteen, my psk, fak, my bow and a sleeping bag, And I feel like I'd be asitting pretty the psk fits in a cargo pocket. the canten hangs on some braided paracord across my chest with the f1 my fak rides on my belt if I brought my bow (or a fire arm) and a sleeping bag, I'd also bring a small pack to lug them in.
 
Yep, I agree with RescueRiley about which knife to look at. I will be getting the Fallkniven F1 between now and december.
 
This is what I keep on me at all times in the bush.(I even tie it to my wrist when I sleep!)

1. Leather pouch. (3.5"wide x 4"long. To carry everything.)
2. Piece of flint. (approx. 1"wide x 2"long)
3. Mini steel striker. (Hand forged. .75"wide x 2"long.)
4. Char cloth.
5. (3)10"square pieces of aluminum foil. (One, used to hold charcloth, others can be used boil water, make char, fishing lure or for signaling.)

The only other thing that I usually have in my pocket is a lenth of paracord. (It is very useful stuff. It can be separated into 7to9 tough strands plus the outer sheath.)

That covers anything I would need. The rest I can pull from the bush... shelter, water, fire, food.... if the need arises you should be able to do all of these things without a knife or any extras... just the bush... thats all you'll ever need. Once you learn these skills, your World will open up. But it's not good enough just to read about them... you have to live it, taste it, touch it, succeed and fail at it, under all conditions, then it is yours and will never leave you. You may think that is way beyond your skill level and that I'm talking out of my backside... but it is easier than you think to reach that level... find a good teacher... overthinking will cloud your natural instincts... How many stories are there about the hardcore hunters and outdoorsmen who are found dead, lying next to their fully stocked packs... while the little, lost, seven yr old girl survives for weeks, drinking from puddles, sleeping in leaves and living one moment to the next. It's not what you know or what you have... it's WHO you are, that gets you out alive. Sorry for the speech.:jerkit:

Having that said, it would be foolish not to give yourself an advantage. Pushing your boundries to get out of your comfort zone is a good idea, but always have a backup plan. Or you'll wake up one morning and there you'll be... dead:eek:... lol.:D

Rick
 
Fonly said:
I was thinking about it today, what is the most minimal kit, that would still prove usful if it were all you had, in addition to your belt knife?

I want to know what you guys think. In a pouch 5"-6" tall, 3"wide and 2"-3" deep what would fit that would still cover the basis, but be a small enough belt kit to be able to put on and forget about?

Fishing kit (few hooks, 20-30yrds of 15 lbs line)
Brass wire
Whistle
mirror
ferro rod
insulating blanket ( whatever their called, the metal ones)
Freezer ziplock bag (perferably 3. For water storage)


Im going to pick up a small belt pouch tomorow fiting these demension to see what I can come up with.

So what do you think, whats the smallest kit you can think of to cover most of the needs,

1. Water gathering
2. Fire
3. Shelter/covering
4. signaling
Click to expand...

As many water purification tablets as will fit in a cigar tube
As many pain meds (the stronger the better) as will fit in a cigar tube
2 bic lighters
1 magnesium firestarter
1 small button compass
1 small head-cover/insect net
2 mouse traps
1 whistle
2 large aluminum cigar tubes
1 medium sized sponge
1 small tube of superglue
100 ft of 50 lb. Spyderwire fishing line.
 
allenC, are you using iodine water treatment tablets? If so, placing them into an aluminum tube will result in a nasty reaction between the aluminum and iodine.
 
longbow50 said:
allenC, are you using iodine water treatment tablets? If so, placing them into an aluminum tube will result in a nasty reaction between the aluminum and iodine.
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Actually, the aluminum tubes are to heat water for drinking.
The tablets are for larger water containers, either found or fabricated.

And if you file the aluminum tubes to get aluminum powder, and crush the iodine tablets, and then add water, you might just create another firestarter.
 
This was the question asked:
I was thinking about it today, what is the most minimal kit, that would still prove usful if it were all you had, in addition to your belt knife?
Click to expand...

Amidst all the other good information/ideas posted, isn't this the best answer when you don't know in advance what the situation will be?
I dont think any kit is useless, A knife and your clothes is better than just your clothes, and I am sure some could work with less.
Click to expand...

Some tools/gear is better than none -- assuming, of course, you know what to do with it.

(Now what is the VERY BEST whistle to carry? :D)
 
Fonly,

I was on that "minimalist" kick last winter. Trying to stuff a few of the important essentials into the smallest space, it's always a balancing act. I always find I want to add that one last item, the one that won't fit. :)
Typical of most of us, a blade, then fire, and so on.

Longbow's kits are always well thought out, and among the ones I often look at as what appears like it would be useful for a wide variety of situations without needing 2 horses and a small boy to carry it around. His kits are typically no nonsense and cover the basics very well.

Thomas Linton makes the point we should always keep in mind, that "we don't know what the sitaution will be". It's the crux of a survival situation, as they are unplanned events and typically happen when we least expect it. This is the one idea that I constantly have to remind myself of. I use the canoe tipping over and dumping all or most of my gear, what do I do then?

Which leads to Codger's point, you do what you know how to do. You use anything around to make your sitaution better, to improve your position. if you have your favorite knife, and don't lose it downstream to the rapids, it's a great thing, however, the knife alone is no gaurantee of survival.

So, in the end, if we have the gear, any gear, we will use it as needed. But, if not, we will still pursue improving our condition, if it means chipping stones together to make a sharp edge, or eating bugs for protein.

I do like the idea of a minimalist kit, because it is more likely to be carried, than left back at camp, or in the vehicle. A daypack full of gear helps no one when it's left behind due to buk or weight.
 
since most of my camping is done in the woods behind my back yards (and dont laugh, its pretty big once you step in, and usually i go pretty deep into it), i could go pretty minimal and not worry about my ass going cold. i'd say, aside from a knife, all i need is

some nylon strings or ropes
fishing kit
fire starter
rain coat
and as much aluminum foil as i could bring.
i'd also bring my trenching tool, which has a sheath that fits on my belt. everything else i need could be made with whats out there or what i have. i guess i could say im lucky cause i can camp right behind my back yard, which allows me practice these stuff. i would not suggest going out into the deep wilderness with such simple equipments tho...

[coming back to edit]
you might frown at the aluminum foil part but they are really nice to have, tho they might be hard to fit into a small kit and still come out usable. you could make frying pans, cooking ovens, "water sinks" (basically a small pond of water on the ground too wash your hands and cool your treats etc), signaling reflectors, insulation for trenches, water purifiers, and a bunch of other stuff. and of course you can wrap your food in it. lol
 
Wow, certainly stuff I was looking for guys thankyou.

Well, the way I see it is like Skunk said. I love to know that, that small pouch on my left hip would make any bad situation alot better. Weighs next to nothing, has all the essentials, I just throw it on and forget about it.

As to Rickpp's question. I think anything in the 5" range, give or take an inch. Full tang, carbon steel and a good grippy handle are what sells a knife to me. Its alos what I look for in a knife. Out of the knives you ask, I would saw a Revolver ( the hunter model in my case) Its a sturdy, handy well built knife. Saw was amazingly sharp, as was the blade, that full flat grind just adds to the great things it already brings. I have both the BK7 and Revolver. If weight wasn't an issue, it would be BK7 all the way, anything else and I want my Master Hunter for sure.
 
Sorry for going off of the original topic, but I had a small aluminum whistle from REI get confiscated by an NSA agent last month. I put my little SAK in my checked bagage but left a whistle on my key chain.

They took my whistle. The guy confered with his supervisor and then told me I couldn't have it.

Maybe they were afraid I might get bored during the flight and start to blow it?


Thanks for the feedback on the Revolver Fonly! I'm glad to know it will perform as it was designed to.
 
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