- Joined
- Sep 7, 2006
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hey guys,
Some time back, while spending time on a forum like this one, I came across an article on Survival and one's State of Mind that I made a copy of and saved. I was re-reading it recently and thought people here might like to get the benefit of it.
I am only posting a portion of it, as it exceeds the length restriction. If you would like the whole piece, let me know and I will mail it to you.
Unfortunately I do not know who the author of this piece is, or I would credit the gent.
In any event, here it is, for your enjoyment:
SMALL BELT SURVIVAL PACK
Like my always having a special handgun of some sort on my belt... in the outdoors, I always have a small survival pack on my belt also. It doesnt have three course meals, but will and has helped keep me alive when lost. I bought the canvas belt pouch in a surplus store... its only 4 inches wide/7 inches long/3 inches deep. I could probably use one a little larger. But I do consider this one essential when lost... (as has happened to me twice now, in the U.S.). Some basic changes were made in content of this pack, because of those two field experiences.
Water is the most basic need along with air that we have. Cant do much about air... you either have it or you dont ... if not ... oh well, well miss you. But water we can do something about .. and water purification tablets are important. And there are all kinds out there.... in a plastic 35 mm film canister I keep a dozen of them at least, wrapped in tissue paper and foil...why wrapped? Because they will absorb moisture right out of the air that gets into the canister every time you open it.....with those, I also keep at least a dozen prescription T-3s... they are codeine and aspirin, for heavy pain, like a broken bone, bad tooth, and such. And a dozen regular aspirin (or non-aspirin) for minor pain.
I also keep a list of all prescriptions and their script-numbers, of the pills I am carrying without the bottles. If emergency people need to know what I have taken... and I cant tell them, it will. I keep another canister filled with vitamin B12 tablets (all pills are dry if possible, no jell caps) at 500 or 1000 strength levels per pill. Four or five of these at a time will give you energy for many hours...and you can take a lot of them in an emergency over a short time span without damage.
In another I keep some of my prescription pills. Also high dosage Vit C, also potassium tablets, iron tablets (time release tablets when possible for all pills, so the dosage will spread out over long periods but especially for iron and caffeine) 200mg caffeine tabs are essential in these kinds of emergences...I like the No-Doz Maximum brand ...they are small and fifty fit into a very small canister, one tablet gives energy for about two to three hours... yes you can get wired with them. But thats better than emotional fatigue, taking caffeine fights both physical and emotional tiredness under emergency conditions. If it looks like you are going to be out overnight stop taking them around 4 P.M. or you wont get the sleep your going to need for the next day. And yes I also carry over the counter sleeping pills of maximum dosage.
And I have learned that St. John Wart is important to carry... it will help anyone that begins to get depressed or hysterical, and it is over the counter also. Just be sure if you do give it to someone with you, they are not taking Amitripline type meds.
Dont go with the One-A-Day type vitamins or anything that has 100% of the daily dose recommended by FDA on the label....thats about 10% of what you need daily...and certainly a lot more on a lost trail. You just cant put everything you need, and at the doses needed, into one pill. Fatigue and depression are the two killers on the trail. Vit B12... caffeine... potassium and iron tablets... and if really needed, St. Johns Wart, will fight it. Careful with the iron tablets....they have two side effects if taken in too high doses, the need for toilet paper often, and sickness...especially if the person has never taken them before. Again time release tablets take care of that... and only take the St. Johns Wart if the fear or depression begins... but if it does, take it sooner than later. Its easier to prevent it, then suddenly have to overcome it, when its ripping thru you...or a friend with you.
I carry a number of antibiotic tablets.... they say they go bad after a year. Dont believe it... some that I have had after a number of years in dark dry storage, worked fine. Again be sure who ever is taking them isnt allergic to them, or anything else you have... going into shock from allergic reaction to a chemical is the last thing you need. I carry a few high dose Benadryl tablets... it will stop allergic reactions to chemicals and poison stings and such. Four photo canisters carry a lot of pills. But they only fill a small part of the belt pack.
I have a small sewing kit with curved needles... small ones... and coarse thread. I have stitched up a number of deep cuts on animals and people over the years. Betadine will kill anything in a cut before stitching, and it comes in really small plastic tube bottles. Its good with blisters after breaking....band-aids and gauze.
You wont like this... but the best way to heal blisters fast, just before sleep.... is to break them, Betadine them, and then rub salt into them... yes, ouch! But the salt heals the skin fast and also toughens it. A small sterile scalpel, a very thin but long one bladed folding knife... I dropped the snake kit from my pack, you can do it all better with the other things without taking up the room. A pair of tiny fold up scissors/knife/file (by Leatherman Micra) .. and a small sharpening stone... very fine.
There are all kinds of wild and exotic things out there to start fires with... the best is cigarette lighters...the throw away kind. Two of those will last a long time lighting fires every day for years. Careful though some of them tend to dry out when stored... get half-decent ones.
I take cloth that will fold up and I can seal in a waterproof tobacco pouch. I soak it in brake fluid let it dry a little and drop it into melted wax... dont do it near the heat used to melt wax. Coiled up and lit under correctly stacked wood and fire material... even wet wood, the wood will start to burn and dry itself out. Also short emergency flares will start a fire, even in a snow bank with frozen wood, they burn so hot.... but dont put food on a fire that is starting with a flare, until the flare has completely burned out and the smoke cleared... the smoke is toxic.
A good compass... and practice with it and map reading. A copy of a topo-map of the area you are in can be a life saver, if you know how to read it and use the compass... its not hard. If some of the truly mentally challenged military Viet Cong I came into contact with could do it... anyone can.
If you think you can live on roast rabbit... forget it. There is practically nil BTUs in rabbit meat that will give you energy, and not much more in squirrel. (Its not BTUs but that gives you the idea of what I mean).... I like the taste of squirrel meat very much, but about all it does is take away the hunger, which is essential. The vitamins and such will give you what you need...while the rabbit and squirrel satisfies the gut.
Important odds and ends
Small mirror... excellent for signaling during the day.... Gerber Knives makes a very good one with instructions how to use it. Obviously a good compass... I like the military type, my surplus military was brand new and cost 8 bucks... it is not subject to metal interference and has easy to read face, instructions, and inline grids... plus sights for shooting an azimuth (instructions explains all that stuff...so does a good survival book)....
There are several places on the net that will make up topo maps of anywhere on earth... just to test this I ran one of a square mile around my home, I even asked for the depth of the aquifer/ got it all.... you can always make one up for the area you are going into before you go..... believe me this is very important if you get lost..... a topo of the area and a compass and you are not lost anymore, just out of place....
I took a small round piece of plastic 3/8ths by 2 inches and wrapped five feet of masking tape around it... so I would have tape.... and did the same with mild steel wire, only I took ten feet of that.
Fishing hooks and 18lb test line.
Folded tightly, a green garbage bag, great for sudden rain as protection like a poncho .. a good large folding knife...I like Cold Steel, they are tough!
Everyone will have different needs... so different items, so these are just a guide.... when I find the right new belt bag that is a little larger, I will add a few other items... I guess the right fanny pack would work...but Im always where I have those things on when I do. And with my little kit... its like my handgun, I forget its there unless I need it.... that way I wont lay it down in camp and walk away without it, and suddenly need it.... I hope you will never need a survival kit like this... but more I hope you will have one with you if you ever do.....
Like I said in the beginning... survival is a state of mind... being prepared is necessary... but being ready is essential... the only way to be truly ready is to test yourself. One of the great things the military did for me when I was young and brash, was to drop me in the middle of a wilderness with only a few small items and tell me to walk out. It changes the base attitude from "Oh God what will I do now......Im lost!" to a healthy... "Oh Damn it...here we go again..."
Put your pack together.... have someone drop you off somewhere wild, and walk out.... great for confidence.... I wish you well....Paco
Some time back, while spending time on a forum like this one, I came across an article on Survival and one's State of Mind that I made a copy of and saved. I was re-reading it recently and thought people here might like to get the benefit of it.
I am only posting a portion of it, as it exceeds the length restriction. If you would like the whole piece, let me know and I will mail it to you.
Unfortunately I do not know who the author of this piece is, or I would credit the gent.
In any event, here it is, for your enjoyment:
SMALL BELT SURVIVAL PACK
Like my always having a special handgun of some sort on my belt... in the outdoors, I always have a small survival pack on my belt also. It doesnt have three course meals, but will and has helped keep me alive when lost. I bought the canvas belt pouch in a surplus store... its only 4 inches wide/7 inches long/3 inches deep. I could probably use one a little larger. But I do consider this one essential when lost... (as has happened to me twice now, in the U.S.). Some basic changes were made in content of this pack, because of those two field experiences.
Water is the most basic need along with air that we have. Cant do much about air... you either have it or you dont ... if not ... oh well, well miss you. But water we can do something about .. and water purification tablets are important. And there are all kinds out there.... in a plastic 35 mm film canister I keep a dozen of them at least, wrapped in tissue paper and foil...why wrapped? Because they will absorb moisture right out of the air that gets into the canister every time you open it.....with those, I also keep at least a dozen prescription T-3s... they are codeine and aspirin, for heavy pain, like a broken bone, bad tooth, and such. And a dozen regular aspirin (or non-aspirin) for minor pain.
I also keep a list of all prescriptions and their script-numbers, of the pills I am carrying without the bottles. If emergency people need to know what I have taken... and I cant tell them, it will. I keep another canister filled with vitamin B12 tablets (all pills are dry if possible, no jell caps) at 500 or 1000 strength levels per pill. Four or five of these at a time will give you energy for many hours...and you can take a lot of them in an emergency over a short time span without damage.
In another I keep some of my prescription pills. Also high dosage Vit C, also potassium tablets, iron tablets (time release tablets when possible for all pills, so the dosage will spread out over long periods but especially for iron and caffeine) 200mg caffeine tabs are essential in these kinds of emergences...I like the No-Doz Maximum brand ...they are small and fifty fit into a very small canister, one tablet gives energy for about two to three hours... yes you can get wired with them. But thats better than emotional fatigue, taking caffeine fights both physical and emotional tiredness under emergency conditions. If it looks like you are going to be out overnight stop taking them around 4 P.M. or you wont get the sleep your going to need for the next day. And yes I also carry over the counter sleeping pills of maximum dosage.
And I have learned that St. John Wart is important to carry... it will help anyone that begins to get depressed or hysterical, and it is over the counter also. Just be sure if you do give it to someone with you, they are not taking Amitripline type meds.
Dont go with the One-A-Day type vitamins or anything that has 100% of the daily dose recommended by FDA on the label....thats about 10% of what you need daily...and certainly a lot more on a lost trail. You just cant put everything you need, and at the doses needed, into one pill. Fatigue and depression are the two killers on the trail. Vit B12... caffeine... potassium and iron tablets... and if really needed, St. Johns Wart, will fight it. Careful with the iron tablets....they have two side effects if taken in too high doses, the need for toilet paper often, and sickness...especially if the person has never taken them before. Again time release tablets take care of that... and only take the St. Johns Wart if the fear or depression begins... but if it does, take it sooner than later. Its easier to prevent it, then suddenly have to overcome it, when its ripping thru you...or a friend with you.
I carry a number of antibiotic tablets.... they say they go bad after a year. Dont believe it... some that I have had after a number of years in dark dry storage, worked fine. Again be sure who ever is taking them isnt allergic to them, or anything else you have... going into shock from allergic reaction to a chemical is the last thing you need. I carry a few high dose Benadryl tablets... it will stop allergic reactions to chemicals and poison stings and such. Four photo canisters carry a lot of pills. But they only fill a small part of the belt pack.
I have a small sewing kit with curved needles... small ones... and coarse thread. I have stitched up a number of deep cuts on animals and people over the years. Betadine will kill anything in a cut before stitching, and it comes in really small plastic tube bottles. Its good with blisters after breaking....band-aids and gauze.
You wont like this... but the best way to heal blisters fast, just before sleep.... is to break them, Betadine them, and then rub salt into them... yes, ouch! But the salt heals the skin fast and also toughens it. A small sterile scalpel, a very thin but long one bladed folding knife... I dropped the snake kit from my pack, you can do it all better with the other things without taking up the room. A pair of tiny fold up scissors/knife/file (by Leatherman Micra) .. and a small sharpening stone... very fine.
There are all kinds of wild and exotic things out there to start fires with... the best is cigarette lighters...the throw away kind. Two of those will last a long time lighting fires every day for years. Careful though some of them tend to dry out when stored... get half-decent ones.
I take cloth that will fold up and I can seal in a waterproof tobacco pouch. I soak it in brake fluid let it dry a little and drop it into melted wax... dont do it near the heat used to melt wax. Coiled up and lit under correctly stacked wood and fire material... even wet wood, the wood will start to burn and dry itself out. Also short emergency flares will start a fire, even in a snow bank with frozen wood, they burn so hot.... but dont put food on a fire that is starting with a flare, until the flare has completely burned out and the smoke cleared... the smoke is toxic.
A good compass... and practice with it and map reading. A copy of a topo-map of the area you are in can be a life saver, if you know how to read it and use the compass... its not hard. If some of the truly mentally challenged military Viet Cong I came into contact with could do it... anyone can.
If you think you can live on roast rabbit... forget it. There is practically nil BTUs in rabbit meat that will give you energy, and not much more in squirrel. (Its not BTUs but that gives you the idea of what I mean).... I like the taste of squirrel meat very much, but about all it does is take away the hunger, which is essential. The vitamins and such will give you what you need...while the rabbit and squirrel satisfies the gut.
Important odds and ends
Small mirror... excellent for signaling during the day.... Gerber Knives makes a very good one with instructions how to use it. Obviously a good compass... I like the military type, my surplus military was brand new and cost 8 bucks... it is not subject to metal interference and has easy to read face, instructions, and inline grids... plus sights for shooting an azimuth (instructions explains all that stuff...so does a good survival book)....
There are several places on the net that will make up topo maps of anywhere on earth... just to test this I ran one of a square mile around my home, I even asked for the depth of the aquifer/ got it all.... you can always make one up for the area you are going into before you go..... believe me this is very important if you get lost..... a topo of the area and a compass and you are not lost anymore, just out of place....
I took a small round piece of plastic 3/8ths by 2 inches and wrapped five feet of masking tape around it... so I would have tape.... and did the same with mild steel wire, only I took ten feet of that.
Fishing hooks and 18lb test line.
Folded tightly, a green garbage bag, great for sudden rain as protection like a poncho .. a good large folding knife...I like Cold Steel, they are tough!
Everyone will have different needs... so different items, so these are just a guide.... when I find the right new belt bag that is a little larger, I will add a few other items... I guess the right fanny pack would work...but Im always where I have those things on when I do. And with my little kit... its like my handgun, I forget its there unless I need it.... that way I wont lay it down in camp and walk away without it, and suddenly need it.... I hope you will never need a survival kit like this... but more I hope you will have one with you if you ever do.....
Like I said in the beginning... survival is a state of mind... being prepared is necessary... but being ready is essential... the only way to be truly ready is to test yourself. One of the great things the military did for me when I was young and brash, was to drop me in the middle of a wilderness with only a few small items and tell me to walk out. It changes the base attitude from "Oh God what will I do now......Im lost!" to a healthy... "Oh Damn it...here we go again..."
Put your pack together.... have someone drop you off somewhere wild, and walk out.... great for confidence.... I wish you well....Paco
