Gear Lessons: Bug Out Bags, Survival Kits, etc.

[mtwarden]

a survival mindset is nothing that you can cram into a kit, but is often the difference in making it and not

I do think whenever you put together kit, from tiny to large- you must have the priorities for your environ (these can certainly change around the globe) deeply entrenched in your mind (rules of 3 come to mind)- where I roam preventing exposure is the number one priority- even in the middle of summer, so shelter raises to the top- this includes suitable clothing (worn and packed) and also includes fire- the ability to start a fire may be the difference of making home or not, so it's a no holds barred endeavor- lighter, storm matches, manmade tinder, acetylene torch!- whatever it takes

small saw is one of those items (unless you have room for a big saw ) that should be in all but the very smallest kits; paracord (or for small kits- smaller cord)- a little is good, more is better

water is a secondary concern, but still plenty important- regardless of season- if I can purify water all the better (micropur tabs are effective, small and light should be in every kit regardless), but if push comes to shove (hope it never does!)- I'll worry about the effects of bad water at a later time
-a small section of aquarium tubing can get you into little crack/crevices that you might not normally can get to

signaling is often overlooked, but seeking actively help is probably the most likely scenario we'll find ourselves (dodging zombies probably less so )- a whistle and signal mirror take up very little space (and weight)- of course fire, emergency blanket, flashlight, etc can

not downgrading first aid by any means, but with a wilderness first aid class under your belt you find that many good "fixes" are ones that you can improvise from carried and found items, still carry a well thought out kit

navigation- you may be forced to get on your volition, a small compass can go a long way in that regard (as can a analog watch in a pinch), a proper map and compass being ideal; a good working light if space permits gives you precious hours into the dark

food while certainly a lower priority, it can certainly positively impact getting out of a bad situation- low bulk, high calorie if there is room

a good sturdy knife is a given on this forum isn't it

 

[Don Rearic]

Yup but lots of people didn't so they don't have that skill.

It's dirt simple really.

Flys work great even without a fly rod.

Yeah, the only thing that doesn't work too well are the types of lures that have an action based on rod-twitching and variable speed retrieval. Things like jointed lures and rattletrap types.

Flies and small bug lures all work very, very well.

With flies...as a matter of fact, if the fish are not biting and it's summertime, you can get a short piece of line on a stick and float the fly over frogs on the shoreline and take frogs all day long with that rig. Found that out by accident fishing with a stick and line one day.

The OP is right about the amount of gear needed, just incorrect about the type. Most survival kits' fishing components can be expanded on greatly for just a few dollars more, but you don't need the rod and reel and fully stocked tackle box.

All of that having been said, if a person's only experience is being near the Great Lakes or something and not smaller bodies of water, it would be easy to get frustrated and come to the wrong conclusions about some things.

The snare statements are right on, however. A lot of people are hopeless optimists when it comes to eating versus the amount of snares needed to accomplish that goal.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Really excellent thread for all levels of expertise.

SALT As most know, salt is especially important in hot weather or whenever heavy sweating is unavoidable . The nearest source in nature for me is 190 miles away. Yet I have seen it mentioned twice. Thank you McDonalds.

FIRE Regulars here all know that multiple methods are smart given the multiple uses of fire in survival situations. But all sorts of folks may find this thread via Google. So matches; fire steel; lighter (inside pocket in cold) + (as noted) the "fixins," such as petroleum jelly slathered cotton.

INSULATING PADS etc. It's the trapped air that insulates. Closed cell foam or self-inflating foam-filled, thicker is better.

WOOL (AS COMPARED TO POLYESTER FLEECE). Heavier. Much weaker fiber strength. Dramatically less abrasion resistance. Harder to maintain. Generates warmth to a point as absorbs moisture and after that deals less well with moisture than polyester, whose fibers absorb no moisture at all. Much slower to dry out. Resists sparks and flames much better than polyester. All together now, "Traditionnnnnnnnnnnn, tradition, tradition, tradi-tion!"

I love my MORA's. Slicing lasers. I do not think they have the margin for error of many thicker knives that I own. I also think the thicker knives let me work faster for certain wood-prep tasks simply because I don's have to be so careful.

 

[Cpl Punishment]

Also keep in mind that climate plays a role.

In anything but the dead of winter here, you have to MAXIMIZE heat loss. Primary shelter concern is keeping bug off, secondarily keeping rain off. Depending on your heat status, you may actually want to get soaked in the rain to cool off. We'll often have very heavy rain that only lasts 10-20 minutes. It's nice to get that cold rain on you, and let the evaporation effect after the rain passes keep you cool for awhile.

In summer, water is really the first priority, and you'd better be able to strain out the major stuff, and at least treat the minor stuff, as swamp water is the rule, not the exception. It's actually nice to have a platy as an intermediate container if you use a filter. Strain the water through a bandanna into the platy, then filter from the platy into your drinking containers, otherwise your filter will clog in record time.

 

[NothingCoherent]

Great responses guys! I think those of you posting about hand casting are bang on. I've personally only ever fished with a rod, so if I plan on catching anything in an emergency I'd better have one with me... because when you're already starving -- that's no time to teach yourself a new skill. That said, I think it's time to go out and practice hand casting with one of those little PVC pipe fishing kit rig ups you see on youtube...

What works:

"Tactical" Keychain flashlights - I have a simple, inexpensive Fenix E01 on my keychain at all times. It's great for digging around in the pack at night, or hiking out of camp to take a piss, but it's also saved my ass when a dayhike extends a bit longer than expected. It was bright enough for me to navigate a good hours walk back to the car when another group member "forgot" their headlamp and had to borrow mine (always carry a light, even on dayhikes!). Which leads me to...

Headlamps - Obviously better than the keychain flashlights; those are just backups. But a headlamp is WAY better than a standard hand held light, as well. They enable you to use both hands in the dark. Building a fire in the pitch black suddenly becomes a non-issue when you're wearing a headlamp. Navigating terrain while carrying or holding something (hiking poles?) is no problem with a headlamp.

What doesn't work:

Pocket Wire Saws: Forgot my axe today while 4x4ing, wanted to build a fire, decided to try out the pocket saw for the first time. Yeah, doesn't work. It just got stuck and kept binding. Useless. I instead busted out the Bahco Laplander I keep under the back seat and had a fire going in no time. Maybe the larger ones with chainsaw blades are more effective?

 

[Les Snyder]

mtwarden....in the last few years, when I did mini labs on building a Sun compass, I had to have students draw an analog watch dial and estimate the hour hand location... typically only 5 of 35 students would have a wrist watch (they rely on their cell phones) and those would be digital

 

[mtwarden]

mtwarden....in the last few years, when I did mini labs on building a Sun compass, I had to have students draw an analog watch dial and estimate the hour hand location... typically only 5 of 35 students would have a wrist watch (they rely on their cell phones) and those would be digital

Les- somehow that doesn't surprise me of course their phones probably have usgs quads stashed on them along w/ UTM ready gps coordinates, knot tying apps, first aid, etc

Mike

 

[sodak]

As others have pointed out, first aid, signalling, and water purification are tops for me. Most of my kit is built around that. I generally don't carry much food, and I'm not a fisherman, so don't carry fishing supplies. I can stand to lose a few pounds, so for short term survival, water is more important for me. I generally carry at least a back up for these categories. In addition to a filter, I carry lighters so that I can boil water as well, and they do double duty for making fire for warmth. I think it's nice (but not absolutely essential) to carry items that do double duty, but some are so important that they need to be carried regardless.

I'm amused at the Mora comments, I have them for back up, but also don't like them for a primary knife (except in my garden). The combination of a thin blade with a thick primary grind tends to make them inefficient cutters compared to some of my better knives, but to each their own. Since I am not likely to baton a mora (yes, I know others do that), my SAK Huntsman or Farmer is a far superior knife all the way around, IMO. I use other fixed blades for primary carry, they are a little heavier, but can handle tougher duty while the SAK will easily handle all the light stuff. That combination works best for me, YMMV.

 

[Ballenxj]

This is a GREAT thread! I'll just try and learn from you guys here.
-Bruce

 

[Thomas Linton]

Les- somehow that doesn't surprise me of course their phones probably have usgs quads stashed on them along w/ UTM ready gps coordinates, knot tying apps, first aid, etc

Mike

Electronic gear can be great. If they didn't drop it. If it didn't get drenched. If the batteries work. If they are not in a notch of a canyon or are otherwise out of service.

Hey! An AM radio may tell you who is looking for you and where they think you are located.

 

[Don Rearic]

...and I'm not a fisherman, so don't carry fishing supplies...

You don't have to be a fisherman to do this stuff. Ted Nugent refers to fishing as "hunting with a hook," but it is nowhere near the skills required for deer hunting (which are really overblown to a degree as well). You literally just have to learn how to tie a couple of knots and have the minimalist gear I wrote in an earlier post and throw the line in the water and just pay attention. Friend, four year old little kids do this stuff, it's not rocket science.

 

[Gadgetaholic]

I'm amused at the Mora comments, I have them for back up, but also don't like them for a primary knife (except in my garden).

I like Mora knives for wood carving and am happy to use one for that purpose, but I'd prefer to use a different knife for chopping or batoning and I always have a SAK with me as well. For my primary 'hard use' knife I'd prefer to rely on one of my Beckers (BK-2, BK-7 or BK-9) and just keep my Mora knife for detail work & wood carving.

For those that want to insist that a Mora can baton just fine - I just prefer to trust my BK-7 more for such a task, no offence to you and no insult intended towards your preferences.

 

[Woods Walker]

I disagree a bit with the OP's statement that Mylar blankets are not worth packing. I have used them over and over again in the field and these can hold up to some degree. They have failed me in the past for extra warmth as was still cold and felt funky near my skin. Worked ok for a makeshift ground cloth, heat reflector and most of all as way to cover up gaps in floorless shelters during very cold weather. There are other applications as well.

Mylar protecting the foot section of my custom MLD bivy/Equinox bug net combo.

Duct tape grommets put in the same Mylar blanket. I may have 20 uses on it. Not my first pick for a ground cloth though.

Given the weight and pack size I don’t see any reason not to take one. Naturally everything has its limitations/uses and wouldn't want to depend on just a Mylar blanket as there is no question it will fail sooner or later. Here are a few UL goodies.

Water wicking UL base layer could be a life saver and doesn't take up all that much room.

 

[prepper10]

I know I'm sloooow to reply to this thread, but HYGIENE anyone?

Fungi, bacteria and rashes will put you down and take you out. No showers, no washing machines. Much dirt, much sweat. High stress and poor diet. You get the idea.

How about easy wash and quick dry travel socks and underwear? How about a travel washcloth for exfoliation and getting off sunscreen, bug juice, etc.? How about a microfiber towel? How about soap/detergent? How about antifungal powder/ointment?

That's my (belated) lesson/advice.

 

[Don Rearic]

I always try to keep "Wet Ones" brand antibacterial wipes around in all of my kits. Single packets for the smaller kits and larger packs for the larger kits, makes sense!

Also, the little compressed towels that are coin size and about one-quarter inch thick? They are GREAT for little kits as well.

 

[M0NK]

Lot of great stuff here, but i kind of sense a bit of snark on the electronics side. if you keep a lightweight solar charge pad handy you can recharge the device. Now if you put that device in a platypus case or pelican case, the device is now shock/waterproof. Given that most smartphones can hold libraries of information locally (i.e. doesn't need "service") it can also be a reference manual for just about anything you might want/need to know.

if you're gonna run around the woods with a flashlight in favor of using fire torch, a properly equipped smart-device is not a huge leap. you could even use the mini solar charger to recharge your flashlight batteries when they eventually die out

 

[Ballenxj]

I know I'm sloooow to reply to this thread, but HYGIENE anyone?

Fungi, bacteria and rashes will put you down and take you out. No showers, no washing machines. Much dirt, much sweat. High stress and poor diet. You get the idea.

How about easy wash and quick dry travel socks and underwear? How about a travel washcloth for exfoliation and getting off sunscreen, bug juice, etc.? How about a microfiber towel? How about soap/detergent? How about antifungal powder/ointment?

That's my (belated) lesson/advice.

Very good point. I usually try to keep some wet wipes handy. Also, The spare sock/underwear are a good recommendation.
-Bruce

 

[Don Rearic]

Lot of great stuff here, but i kind of sense a bit of snark on the electronics side. if you keep a lightweight solar charge pad handy you can recharge the device. Now if you put that device in a platypus case or pelican case, the device is now shock/waterproof. Given that most smartphones can hold libraries of information locally (i.e. doesn't need "service") it can also be a reference manual for just about anything you might want/need to know.

And the reason for the snarky comments were because most people, when confronted with the ideas you just put forth, won't learn a damned thing and they'll just rely on their smart phone. You know it's true.

 

[ROCK6]

And the reason for the snarky comments were because most people, when confronted with the ideas you just put forth, won't learn a damned thing and they'll just rely on their smart phone. You know it's true.

I must admit that I've seen ruggedized electronics significantly improved over the past 10+years in the military, even "commercial-off-the-shelf" (COTS) equipment like GPS's, squad radios and solar panels. I wouldn't discount them and they can be a valuable asset to any kit, but I would never make them the primary tool source. I've seen plenty of tactical radios broken from falls, damage from kinetic impacts (i.e. bullets and shrapnel) and of course the ultimate destructive device...the American Soldier (I would include Marines as they have excelled at destroying things as well). The good news is that outdoors-made electronics are becoming more and more robust, waterproof and impact resistant; just don't put all your eggs in a battery operated basket...

ROCK6

 

[M0NK]

And the reason for the snarky comments were because most people, when confronted with the ideas you just put forth, won't learn a damned thing and they'll just rely on their smart phone. You know it's true.

Since most people learn by doing and a field manual tells you how to do things, having something that you can learn from is always helpful. I mean, we're talking about a "manual" that tells you how to do things.

If we were talking about using the device as a calculator or spell-checker then sure, there's no experiential lesson to be learned, the device is doing all the work for you and therefore you learn nothing, because you've done none of the work.

That's not to say you shouldn't have good knowledge and practice before a survival situation or not have a good teacher. It merely augments your knowledge-base in a way the human mind cannot.