How to carry fishing line in small survival kit?

Dannyboy Leather said:
This may not be anything like you have in mind, or need. However, this is what I carry in many of my kits. I made several of these primitive fishing reels in the woodshop, kept several for my own use, gave several away to friends and they are still using them.

Not only can you handle fish easily with these (within reason), they provide a great way to store your braided fishing line.

The little primitive fishing reel measures 3-3/4" long, 3/8" thick, made of maple or oak. These little things weigh nothing and do a fine job of keeping your line or cordage rolled tightly and easy to get at. I have big hands, so wrapping cordage or line on anything small doesn't work for my needs. I'm happy with these.
primitivefishingreel1dw9.jpg
Click to expand...

Looks like an awesome project, thanks for the inspiration!
 
Bumppo said:
When you you wrap line around anything by hand, you automatically put a twist on the line. That is why it snarls when it comes off. Use the reel or spool it originally came on, and rotate the object you are wrapping it around. Same as putting line onto your fishing reel.
Click to expand...


Yes, it does twist, and badly.

What I do is I have a machine screw, number 10 I believe, that fits the hole in the bobbin as a quarter inch bolt is to big. I put a nut on just finger tight and chuck it up in a cordless drill.

Then I take a coat hanger and cut it at the bottom in the center, and bend the two ends up just a little. I slide an end in each side of the spool of fishing line so the spool can pay out the line without twisting or falling off the coat hanger.

I hang the coat hanger on a floor fan that I have and I can now fill a large spool fast without any twists at all.
 
Great stuff, guys!

Mike/Evolute, your pocket survival kit webpage is excellent. If you haven't created a special thread for it, just to draw the attention it deserves, you should. I'd love to see how you bend the paper clips to make the spool you show there. I could probably figure something out with trial and error, but it looks like you've got a good thing going.

1BigBunker's supplier for bobbins turns out to carry metal bobbins that are 1 7/8 inches across and 7/8 inches deep. They're more expensive than some, but you could put a huge amount of line on those.

Thanks for the ideas, guys!
 
What test line do people use? Is it better to have a high test line? Is 100 lb test too high?
 
Sharp Eye said:
What test line do people use? Is it better to have a high test line? Is 100 lb test too high?
Click to expand...

There are some incredible fishing lines (the non monofilament type), 60-100 lb test of that type would still be very thin.
 
This is probably bigger than what you're after, but here's what I've done in the past...

I take the lid from a film canister - if you can recall what those are these days - and glue a stub of a pencil to the inside of the lid. Then I cut another lid down to fit into the canister (I have lots of these around!) and cut an X in the center. I push the pencil through the lid about 3/8", and glue that in place.

Then I grip the end in a drill and wind on the line. When I'm done, I stick the lid back on the canister, and it seals right up.

I use a pencil because I figure there's always the possibility I'll need to record information in a survival setting, and this way I have an emergency backup writing tool.
 
CanDo said:
There are some incredible fishing lines (the non monofilament type), 60-100 lb test of that type would still be very thin.
Click to expand...

I've used everything from 50 to maybe 80 or so. Haven't seen any 100 yet, but I haven't been looking too hard. Glad to know such stuff is out there.
 
I have a prepaid phone card that has hooks laid on top of it and then it's wrapped in fishing line. It fits nicely in my Altoids PSK.

Chad
 
This is how I do mine - I used an old credit card and cut into into small strips sized to whatever I want then cut the notches in so it acts as a very thin spool.
(this is what I use in my psk - top left)

IMG_3359.jpg


*Forgot to add - I also cut two thin slits into the top of the spool so it locks the thread in without needing to tie it off - you can see it more clearly with the thread spool (right side)
 
I've taken to using Dacron. (Yes I know.)

Older than dirt and almost indestructible and dosen't stretch much. Try clamping a split shot on braided nylon. It will go...somewhere...
 
I don't know...what is the deal with Dacron? I mean I know what it is, but what does everyone else know about it?
 
Dacron and the new super braids don't stretch like nylon. Monofilament, for all it's benefits gets brittle and looses tensile strength over time. Sunlight really does a number on it.

I have a cane pole (!) with 30 lb braided dacron line that's almost as good now as it was 25 years ago when I put it on. Bow strings are made from it.

It's also getting hard to find, at least in my area.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top