Blades for Survival II: A Realistic View

[Roj Avon]

After just reading a thread similar to this that is a couple of months old I had to wonder how realistic the choices the original poster listed were.

So in a hypothetical survival situation what would you actually have with you as opposed to what you would like to have with you? And if are claiming some huge fixed blade or other tool I would be interested in knowing how and where you carry it and under what circumstances. (Running down to the store for toothpaste, grapefruit juice and Hostess Ding Dongs...do you have the same equipment?)

Here is what I realisticly would have were I snatched from my daily routine and thrown into a survival situation.

On my actual person:

1. Large Sebenza. (I do not leave the house without it and am rarely more than arms lenght away from it even at home.)

2. Leatherman Wave or Gerber Multi-Plier. (If I've got a belt loop then I'm carrying one of these if I leave the house.)

3. Victorinox Swiss Card. In wallet...mostly for the tweesers and a tiny "don't scare the sheeple knife".

If I'm heading to or from work:

In my briefcase:

Ultimate Survival deluxe kit: One handed firestarter, signal mirror, whistle, fire tender and an old Hibben throwing knife in the case as a back up emergency knife.

Cold Steel SRK (Bought used as a nice balance between cost and toughness for a knife to use and abuse)

Finally If I'm travelling any distance I'll move the survival kit and CS-SRK to a fanny pack, toss in a backpacking sized first aid kit and put it all in the car. However, realisticly I don't carry this for short jaunts around town.

What about you?

 

[sgtmike88]

If truly stuck with no time or ability to grab anything else, here's what I always have immediately available:

SAK Soldier & Classic,
Camillus EDC in 154CM,
Either a Fallkniven WM or a Camillus Arclite,
Small personalized survival kit packed in a US GI sliptop survival kit case circa 1986,
Small First Aid Kit,
Photons in white and green,
MiniMag Solitaire with 2 extra batteries and bulbs,
Insect repellent,
Sunscreen,
Bic Lighter,
Compass,
Whistle,
Tissue,
Bandana,
Corkscrew (ok so I like wine and hey, ya never know),
4oz stainless flask of snakebite medicine,
Notebook and Fisher space pen,
Motorola StarTac cellphone,
Traser glowring & keys,
Gargoyles glasses,
Disposable poncho,
Space blanket,
Citizen 200m dive watch, and,
Sierra Cup.

Everything but the watch, knives, bic, photons, traser & keys, and the space pen are carried in either a small black multi-pocketed toiletry bag by LL Bean or an Eagle Creek fanny pack.


------------------
It's not the pace of life that concerns me, It's the sudden stop at the end.

 

[Josh Wilson]

Holy Cow, you carry all of that to the grocery store SgtMike?

I'm probably not as well prepared as the rest of you but here goes.

On me: SAK supertinker, ATM card (very useful in Boston

), Timex Ironman

In the car: big flashlight, car tools, 1st air kit, sleeping bag, water, Charlie Daniels CD, cell phone.

In my briefcase: Leatherman (the original), 2AA mag light.

I have more stuff at home, at the ofice and for camping but they don't come with me in my normal day-to-day routine so I won't list them.

 

[OwenM]

"So in a hypothetical survival situation what would you actually have with you as opposed to what you would like to have with you?"

On my person:
1. a Victorinox Recruit
2. a small Sebenza
3. a DDR Apogee or CF EDC
4. keyring w/white Photon II, and P-38 can opener
5. kubotan w/white Photn II
6. cell phone
7. wallet (not a whole lot in there

)
at work, or on the way, add a BM 710HS or 140S, and a Leatherman PST

In the truck-man I hope the truck's nearby if anything happens

between the seats:
3 D cell mag lite
26" ASP baton
laminated state map (map pocket on back of drivers seat)

glove compartment:
vehicle registration
tissue
2 AA cell flashlight
an old BM lockback
an old Gerber multitool
couple of Bic lighters
a few trioxane tablets
a bottle of Thermadrene (thermogenic activator-"pep pills")
extra batteries for flashlights
spare fuses
adaptor for cell phone

Toolbox:
3 gallons of water
ECWS Gore-Tex parka and pants
couple of towels
bag of chamois cloths
first aid kit
hydraulic jack
jumper cables
small toolbox (lots of stuff)
case of oil w/funnel
100ft. of 550 cord
brake fluid
transmission fluid

Got my stuff sack out (stays in the box):
a Primus ultralight stove w/3 cans of fuel
a bottle of Maxwell House instant coffee
a box of oatmeal (French Vanilla

)
a few packs of hot chocolate (French Vanilla)
4 cans of Campbell's beef stew
2 cans of Campbell's chicken & rice
2 cans of Hormel chili
a lexan bowl and coffee cup
thick plastic fork and spoon
a toothbrush

Probably left some stuff out.

I guess a backpack to carry some of that gear in would be a help, and I don't have any type of shelter in there right now.
Sounds like alot, but it fits in the toolbox with room to spare, and I'm always adding stuff (probably because of posts like this).

 

[tknife]

When you talk "survival", I think of wilderness survival. When in the woods, I ALWAYS have a large fixed blade, like my Anaconda9, and SAK Hunter, and Mini Kit as described by Ron Hood. This is in addition to the gear in my pack. In my Jeep, I keep a kit which has a CS shovel, S tomahawk, a ouple knives, food, water, firestarting, shelter, etc. Which, being in SoCal, is a combo earthquake/survival kit.