advise needed on a survival kit

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fausto nasafiaschi

Joined
Aug 6, 2000
Messages
506
Hi everybody,

I would like your valued opinions on the following:
I have assembled a S.K. for two persons for hiking purposes (from day roundtrip to max three days range, normally under cell phone coverage to call fire dept/rescue). I like to take short hikes in the area where I live (north Italy, wooded hills to mountain, from 600 mtrs to max 1500 mtrs on sea level, temperate climate) together with my wife, the kit aims at providing safety / comfort should we get stranded overnight on a day trip or separated from our main supplies from any reason. It fits in a belt pouch of about H 18 cm, W 12 cm, D 10 cm content as follows:
Inside Main compartment:
- esbit mini cooker with fuel wrapped inside a plastic bag
- large firesteel on a string together with a 3” piece of hacksaw blade as striker and a piece of mayawood
- victorinox tinker (not sure about name?) (large locking blade, locking flat screwdr. / bottle opener, small screwdr / can opener, Philips screwdr, reamer, wood saw)
- 2 space blankets
- 2 industrial bin liners
- campers pocket handbook (by John Goll)
- 400 CC capacity round stainless pot with gasketed lid and folding handle (nearly water tight when closed containing:
button compass, 10 micropur pills, 1 bic lighter, sewing kit with safety pin, large needle with spool of dental floss, strike anywhere matches inside film container as match safe, generous length of duct tape wrapped around same film container, snare wire, 1 condom, spare AA battery for CMG task light, 4 tea bags, 1 film container full of sugar sealed with duct tape, 3 OX cubes, cotton wool impregnated with Vaseline in a plastic bag
Inside front pocket:
- plastic whistle (solas approved usually fitted on lifejackets)
- pencil
- 10 mtrs of 1 mm of very strong braided line (same kind of stuff used for spearfishing to retrieve the spear)
- CMG task light
I also carry another pouch with first aid kit in it, among al the various bits and pieces I have a bottle of betadine for disinfection and water purification as well
There are no fishing supplies as we do not have any fishing available in the areas where we go hiking.
I would like you opinions as to what you would add or subtract form the kit in order to streamline the whole package. It is very dificult for me to review the package after having worked on it. The pouches I’m using are crap, and I was thinking about splashing 30 bucks and get one of the large Maxpedition (M4 I think?) waist packs in order to pack the whole load more neatly.
Let me know what you think.

Fausto
 
Up to three days you said ? You only listed one condom there ... sorry, couldn't resist it :cool: Something to keep you warm for those three days ...
 
Dump the book (after reading and learning) unless it is useful tinder.
Choose between the Bic lighter and the firekit. (I would choose the Bic as will make sparks enough to start tinder even in the unlikely case that the fuel is expended.)
I would dump the mini cooker. We are talking SK here not luxury.
Cotton wool & vaseline? now I see at least 4 fire sources listed. Redundecy is good to a point. A small magnifying lens could add another source if you can get solar power for it.
Pick up a water purifying straw (despite that there is no water for fishing?). Water is your first survival concern. Carry and consume water. It is your friend in hot weather or cold.
My Bic is accompanied by a magnesium firekit. Shave off a tiny pile of metal with a knife or SAK file, apply sparks and presto! You are a firemonkey.
My choice of SK backwoods knife has less 'mechanic' tools (cute screwdrivers) and more woodcraft options (saws, awls, scissors). I have them anyway as my EDC is a Swiss Champ.
I've never used duct tape in the woods but string in various styles and strengths is good.
I also have a small roll of surveyors tape which I use to mark odd turns in trails and acending/decending places on banks or cliffs where the trail may not be apparent from above. Another tool I recently started using is the reflective trail tacks. They make finding the trail easier at night evn with a minimum of light.
More condoms.
 
Fausto,

If you are hikng in alpine areas you really need to include at least a small signal mirror. I hike often in high mountains in Brazil and a mirror is an awesome signal device.

Personally I would not rely on a condom as a water carrier. I carry a two liter Platypus bag as a spare water carrier. It holds enough to be worth while and they are easy to use and durable.

I agree with Merek in that you should read the book and dump it. The stove is a luxury as well. You do need to be able to boil water but you already have several ways to make a fire so that souldn't be a problem.

Keep the duct tape. If you are planning to use either plastic bags or mylar space blankets then tape is essential for repairs and closing gaps and seams. Cord is always a good idea as well.

If the kit is for two people then you need two lights that will enable you to negotiate rough trails at night.

It looks like your kit is very realistic for your area. Mac
 
My basic hikes are one day or overnights. I am not far from help most of the time (a few miles). Obviously I would expand/subtract on this depending on the country traversed, trip function ('funsies' or 'business' archaeological site survey), length of time, remoteness and company.
My kit is an old US army belt pack about 14cm tall by 10 wide by 8 deep.
In it is:
A Bic lighter.
A mini maglite (2 AA batery, no spares).
About 5 meters braided line (trotline).
A filter straw. (I usually hike along rivers and carry a canteen)
A red bandana. Doubles a signalling device or filthy bandage/tourniquet.
Small bottle of iodine.
A film container with 5-6 glucose tablets.
A film container with several bullion cubes.
My lensmatic compass.
Drivers license and a bankcard.
Whistle.

I also carry an old backpack wherein may be some trail food, a rain poncho,
folding shovel (sometimes), ziplocked area topo map and 2 pencils, bug spray (seasonal), a cellphone and a khukurri strapped on the outside for trailclearing.

In addition to my belt stuff: (the SK as noted), large-ish fixed blade (7.5 inches), my SAK Champ AND a beater Buck 110....
and ALWAYS a walking stick. My stick(s) are like my knives. I have many. Not because I am infirm or need one, but because a good stick is very useful to have on a walk. Though some people like manufactured store bought sticks, I don't. I made most of the ones I carry from deadfall or bulldozed cedar with the exception of a wonderful hand carved ziricote wood stick I bought from the artisan in Belize.
 
Thanks everybody,

RE: Condom, it has been a major laugh since the very moment my wife has seen it in the kit ;)
Yes I’m a firemonkey! I agree with Merek and will review this section
Purifier straw is a very good point and so is the signal mirror, also the fact the condom is a fairly poor water container. A bladder type container as suggested by Pict would be much more efficient
Booklet: I work on ships and we are used to have a survival manual with every survival craft kit, this is where the book idea comes from. Considered the relatively short time frames we are considering I could probably consider it an excess.
The SAK I’ve chosen (I’ve checked the name is Trailmaster) is the most basic one, the reasons behind my choice are the locking 80 mm main blade and the large wood saw . The screwdrivers are coming anyway with the package (not my fault). I stick with my choice of knife.
Duct tape stays for the reasons listed by Pict.
I agree the mini cooker is purely an indulgence.
On longer hikes I would have a large knife (14” khukri or a large puukko) or a folding pruning saw and a small mora knife (red handle or mora2000) in my backpack.

Thanks again for the good advice.
Fausto
 
Cody Lundin wrote a book called 98.6 degrees the art of keeping your ass alive! This is a great and practical book with good advise. Cody wrote a few chapters on how to build a survival kit and what to put in one. I recomend buying the book and reading it. Cody has a nice practical and compete survival kit.
 
Thanks Myakka, I'll get the Lundin's book I read a lot of appreciative reviews.
I also enjoyed your survival course posts in the past.
Fausto
 
pict said:
...include at least a small signal mirror...you need two lights that will enable you to negotiate rough trails at night.
Click to expand...
For a signal mirror, check out the Starflash mirror. Being made of a polymer instead of glass, it is pretty lightweight to pack and will actually float. It costs about $9 USD from Brigade Quartermaster:
http://www.actiongear.com/cgi-bin/tame.exe/military/level4.tam?M5COPY.ctx=7789&M5.ctx=7789

For lightweight, long-running single-LED mini-lights, the Inova Mini-LED is my personal carry 24x7 on a neck chain with spare keys and one I recommend strongly. Since these lights are so small & lightweight, it's easy for you and your wife to stash a few in your pockets, packs, etc. The Inova Mini-LED light is pretty much waterproof, small (7/8" wide x 1 3/4" long x 5/16" thick, about the size of a Photon II), super light weight, and has both constant-on slide switch & momentary-on press pad switch. It comes in several colors LED. Brigade Quartermaster has them for $6.99 apiece with white, green, blue, or red LED. It will run for about 72 hours on a pair of 2016 lithium coin-batteries.
 
Your kit will do until you are able to read Cody's book for an excellent recommended kit. However, I wouldn't keep any food stuffs in a film canister, as they are contaminated with chemicals used in the manufacture of the film.
 
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