Estela's New "Not So" PSK

Pict,

The 12 needles are for spear making. The type of spear we teach students to construct at the Wilderness Learning Center is a split branch type with hawthorn barbs inside the fork. If sharp thorns aren't available, needles can make do and they are incredibly light and easy to add to a split forked spear. The idea is to pin the fish to the bottom of the stream/pond and have the inner barbs help retain the fish.

Either I'm making spears or repairing a lot of holes in my clothes!

Rockywolf,

In my opinion, there is no comparison between the breast milk bags and the oven bags. I like the size the Reynolds bags fold to and the uncomparable size when opened.


Bladenut,

Thanks for the suggestions. I can always add the ranger bands but the way the cord is wrapped, it doesn't need to be held in place with bands. They are useful and can be great as a flame extender. I'll add some soon. As for the tinfoil, hopefully I'll never need to make a tinfoil cup as I always have a cup on my person in the woods. If done carefully, you could boil water in the Reynold's bags with hot rocks. We did this with a canvas bag this past summer and found it only took a few sizeable rocks to boil a bucket sized bag of water. It is better than nothing.



Glad you like the pics guys! Thanks for all the compliments and hopefully you guys will take from this thread something useful to help you plan your own. Maybe it will help save your tail someday and that is all that matters!
 
Scott,

Those are Katadyn MP1 tabs. Amazon.com has them right now for under $10 with free shipping. They take longer to purify water than iodine based tablets but they are almost tasteless once treated.

Kev
 
nice looking kit!

is the intent of the hot glue stick to melt it with fire and then apply the melted plastic? if so, good idea. i hadn't thought of that. i know that at home hot glue fixes many a broken thing...
 
Great kit. Kev - maybe you can help me out with the "wire" for my kit. What is the best wire to use? I have some regular steel 20 gage (?) and like paperclips - if it is bent too many times, it snaps. I heard brass may be better. Is braided steel the way to go? Also, how does one connect/tie wire to a branch or to make a noose? Do you simply use the same knots you would for rope?

Thanks.

G
 
Telocky,

The best wire you'll find is the braided wire. It is far more resilient than solid copper or stainless steel wire. It can be found in your local hardware store. Another great option is braided wire leader for fishing. Very lightweight and already rigged up. The only problem is the fact it doesn't self lock. As for how to attach it, I can only say your best bet is to visit a book store or look for an online trapping/snaring site. You want to find a secure way of fastening the snare to an anchor while using as little wire as possible.

You don't want to use the same knots for regular cordage . Ron Hood put out a great video with how to make a good snare loop. We teach a variation of it. You definitely do not make a noose with multiple wraps of the wire. If I can find a link, I'll post it or maybe someone will beat me to it.

Kev
 
OVEN BAG BOILING TESTS

Trial #1
Result: Failure :thumbdn:
Cause: Pin hole sized leak on bottom of bag
Source: Unknown, (I was making a sammich on the other side of the kitchen)
Outcome: No sammiches or knife enthusiasts were harmed at any time during this experiment. :thumbup:
 
k_estela said:
You don't want to use the same knots for regular cordage . Ron Hood put out a great video with how to make a good snare loop. We teach a variation of it. You definitely do not make a noose with multiple wraps of the wire. If I can find a link, I'll post it or maybe someone will beat me to it.

Kev
Click to expand...

Anyone that wants to do it, it's really simple. Take the snare wire and make two tight wraps around a twig about the diameter of a fat, round toothpick or perhaps a regular sized pencil lead. Two wraps and leave almost a three-quarters of an inch or so and then start winding the twig like a propeller and the "three-quarters of an inch or so" of wire will wind tightly around and then you break the twig and you have a perfect loop - then you run the other end through it and, VOILA! Snare.
 
Thanks Don Rearic. That is what i was looking for. I thought a good old fisherman knot would work. The reason I questioned is that i notice nobody seems to carry ferrules (sp?) in thier kits... even when they carry wire. I wonder what knots are being used especially in some of the thicker wire/cable.
 
Great job. I currently use BCB Mini-mess tins for my PSKs (I have three, 2 kits & one "training tin" in a slightly larger tin for practice).
I also use gluesticks, a large hook as gaff/fishing spear & tend to wrap paracord round the kits.
I tend to concentrate my kits more onto SHELTER & LOCATION (i.e. get/stay warm & dry, get a fire going & get found/rescued) as those are the most likely situations that Id face.
I have lots of firstarting kit, lots of cordage (thin nylon cord AND dental floss in addition to the paracord), wire, stanley knife blades & a space blanket & bin liner (trash bag) to aid in shelter construction.
I also chuck in a tube of Vulcanizing Fluid (Bike tyre repair glue - idea pinched from Mike Spinnak/Evolute - Thanks Mike!), some mini-chemlights & Im going to add some tiny hand-crank LED flashlights that Ive found at my local Outdoor store (although Deal Extreme in Hong Kong sell 'em for £1.50 each!)
 
Kevin & Don -

I respect you both, and recognize that you both have substantially more experience in this area than I do. That being said, I'm curious why you are using the Pellican case. It seems to me the only purposes are to protect from crushing and from water. Those don't seem very high priorities for the gear in your kits. It seems to me it would be easier to protect your tinder and anything else that you want from water and put the case in a small nylon zipper pouch. It would be smaller and would be more comfortable to carry. A small camera case woould have the additional benefit of a belt carry option.

I like Pellican cases, and bought that same one with the intent to make a PSK, but in the end I couldn't justify the extra size and rigidity. There are many applications where these cases are called for, but for this purpose I don't get it. Is there some use for the case that I'm overlooking?

-- FLIX
 
I've been through so many different containers, it's insane. What you point out is correct really. I cannot speak for Kevin but I have been looking for the perfect case and I have not found it yet. The two different sizes of "pocket organizers" from SpecOps Gear, and I wish they didn't have that name because it makes one look like a poseur, are really good too.

I was reading the Mini-Kit thread posted by Riley as well and the urge, the desire to cram everything you can possibly need into any sort of diminutive hard case is a study in geometry, to say the least. :D

I've even looked at zip-up leather tobacco pouches. I found one lying on the street a couple years ago, smells of pipe tobacco so I guess it don't matter what tinder I place in it! So, I'm always looking for the best and I have not found the best yet. Perhaps I never will.

Added to that is the fact that if one is serious about this type of stuff, and many here are, this is the absolute basic, bare bones minimum. Months ago, Kevin and I were having exchanges on here about something else he had put together which I called "The Estela Rig." :D

That "Rig" was ganging stuff together on strong cord, like ParaCord, not for neck carry but just to keep some important items together, etc. Same-same with a great pocketknife like the VIC-SAK Hunter...some redundancy as well...

Then you have something like the excellent K&M Matchsafe, extra length with REI Matches in it...

Now Jeff Randall is coming out with that small Izula and a cool little Fire Kit with storage in the grip of the thing and my carry items will once again evolve when both of those products are released...

It's a neverending process.
 
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Neato! Why no fishing line?? It doesn't take up much space, especially spider wire, and it would make using those hooks so much easier.
 
Hi FLIX, in regards to using the smal Pelican cases.

for ME, its the fact that anything i put in there is protected from water, dirt, crushing, shearing etc. I can fall into a river, sputter and flail my way out, dump the pack, and open up a DRY PSK kit. Or maybe i take a header down a steep mountain,c rashing and flailing and smashing into things. The kit wont pop open or get crushed or broken.

I can also, if need be, CACHE the kit in the woods, bury it in mud/dirt etc, and return to it months or years later and know that i will have a dry kit ready to go.

Also, the small pelican cases fit VERY nicely in some hunting/tactical/military vests, bags, pouches belt pouches etc,

plus the cases come in BRIGHT yellow, making them easy to find.
my 2 cents

EDIT: i cannot find my GI belt , the one with the 3 or 4 small pouches attached to it...anyone got a pic of one? anyways, thats what i put the cases into sometimes...they fit perfectly.
 
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Bushman5 said:
I can also, if need be, CACHE the kit in the woods, bury it in mud/dirt etc, and return to it months or years later and know that i will have a dry kit ready to go.
Click to expand...

If you intend on doing that, try to get the contents into an ALOKSAK (however it is spelled) bag and then put a thin film of Vaseline on the gasket of the box you are using. You also want to test it out in the kitchen sink overnight with something heavy on it to make sure it is a good gasket and seal from the factory.

Also, the small pelican cases fit VERY nicely in some hunting/tactical/military vests, bags, pouches belt pouches etc,
Click to expand...

Yes, they do.

plus the cases come in BRIGHT yellow, making them easy to find.
my 2 cents
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have a yellow one that is the next size up from the one Kevin has in this thread as well.
 
To start off with, I prioritize fire making, water collection/purification and signaling as my top 3 needs for a PSK.
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I disagree to an extent. I would prioritize fire, shelter, and water as the top three. Fire is also your best signalling device. Still don't think I've ever heard of anyone saved by a signal mirror or a whistle. That being said, the whistle and mirror are very small and easy to keep on you at all times. I like having them around my neck on paracord.
 
Nemoaz,

Actually, there has been at least one person saved by using a CD as a signal mirror and one by a Capri Sun drink bag or Kool-Aid Jammer drink bag (that one was in Colorado a couple/few years ago), can't remember which. So, had they possessed a signal mirror, it would have saved them! :D

It's good to know expedients for survival but to have purpose-driven gear, especially when it takes up no space or weight, is the thing to do.

I think a lot of people have probably been saved by whistles. Sometimes you don't hear about all of the "saves" that go on around this country unless they become media-driven high drama events to get ratings.
 
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