Let's see your Becker survival sheaths!

[DerekH]

So we all make modifications and changes to our Becker knives, it is part of what makes them so appealing. Something quite a few of us do is to attach some gear to them and make them an all inclusive type of survival setup. Sometimes we go overboard, sometimes we go minimalistic, but be it a firesteel or a space blanket, we try to squeeze every last bit of function from every square inch of our sheaths. So let's see what you got!

My BK16 has pretty much replaced my trusty BK2, so it is my main user. Here is how I tricked it out.

Homemade kydex sheath, with nylon webbing firesteel loop, Tek Lok, and a Maxpedition Volta battery pouch attached to the front. Inside, we have the following items:

Approximately 35' of 155 lbs test decoy line
1 quart water bag
6 square feet heavy duty aluminum foil
1 space blanket
1 6mL bottle bleach (for water purification)
2 coffee filters

1 altoids sized tin, contents:

1 Victorinox Farmer pocket knife
1 whistle
1 mini bic lighter
8 firestraws
1 small bag fish hooks and split shot weights
1 brunton button compass
1 fresnel lens
1 dmt diamond sharpening card
1 card with morse code and semaphore info printed on it

And attached to the outside is my firesteel.com Bunker model firesteel, .5" x 5".

When I put it together (after finding the perfect pouch for what I was looking for) I wanted to cover the three basics as best as I could without going too bulky and weighing myself down even more. At the same time, I wanted it all to be pretty easy to access. I think it came together very well and covers the things I am after. The space blanket sat under a pile of books for a month to get all the air out, although a vacuum sealer probably would have done the job in a couple of seconds. Anyways, that covers fire, water, shelter, and to some extent signalling (whistle and space blanket and/or aluminum foil). I have a few redundancies for fire making, a couple of options for water purification, and some other essentials all crammed in there.

So, all that being said, let's see what you got! Post pics or else I'll have Moose come spoon ya!

 

[SaturatedShadow]

I'm intrigued by the bleach. That's bound to be more cost effective than tablets and compact and simple.

What ratio do you use? How's it taste? Have you tried it, and if so, are you still alive?

 

[SaturatedShadow]

I keep mine pretty slim.



Mini Bic and Widgy Bar

However, I've also been tinkering with my sheath set up recently. So recently that I don't have pictures yet, but soon.

 

[Tankerwolf]

I like to keep my kits dynamic so after the "dusting off the skills" challenge I pretty much came to grips with the fact that I would die in the woods if I had to survive for a long period of time. So I adjusted my kit accordingly.

My new kit consists of a BFB of hard liquor, bungie strapped to a BK-7.

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It's a great setup and on day hikes with the retention of the BK-7 sheath and bungie cord you hardly even know it's there.

 

[DerekH]

I'm intrigued by the bleach. That's bound to be more cost effective than tablets and compact and simple.

What ratio do you use? How's it taste? Have you tried it, and if so, are you still alive?

Too many people go overboard with it. Two drops per quart is the lower end if dealing with fairly clean water. Up to four drops for dirty stuff. Two drops is pretty decent taste-wise but anything more than that it starts to taste like pool water. Not horrid, but tolerable.

 

[RWT]

just enough to get home. Always in my hunting pack and then in my back pocket if I go chasing a wounded critter. The handle is my portable fire starter.

 

[bigghoss]

This is where I'm at with my BK2. Used some ESEE stuff and made a drop-leg rig. Fire kit in the pouch and the leatherman is an old wave. I'm going to be working on a 2.0 version of this. The factory sheath will get replaced with kydex but I'll re-use the ESEE parts and make a kydex holder for the leatherman and add a loop for a firesteel.

I'm also kicking around some ideas for my BK14's, piggybacking moras on larger blades, lighter and firesteel loops, and just getting carried away with the kydex.

 

[rg02]

More of an urban set up for light woods but here is mine:

 

[bsmith_shoot]

 

[Skystorm]

All I need usually. If I need more then I take a Machax. If I need more then I club someone with Machax and take theirs, Works great, less to carry.

 

[knifehunt]

If I need more then I take a Machax. If I need more then I club someone with Machax and take theirs, Works great, less to carry.

Great idea!

 

[Hunter Sharp]

Hmm, survival items not in sheath, where can they be?

 

[Carlos Oak]

who needs more than this

 

[LuckyLad]

Hey, folks - long time lurker; first time poster!

I was sorely unimpressed with the kydex sheath that came stock with my BK2 and the cost of custom sheaths seemed a little high, so I took up leatherworking (and promptly spent as much as the custom sheath would have cost me!) and made the black seen above. Second edition was recently finished and turned out....

...pretty well! Without a drill press, my stitches will always be a little off here and there, but at least they hold tight.

The sheath was designed as an ambidextrous, dual-carry style. It can be worn scout-style on the belt or - with the attachment strap shown - vertically on the belt. Eyelets at the bottom allow room for paracord to strap to the leg. The Altoids pouch can be attached to the sheath belt straps or to the belt itself. Obligatory firesteel loop was extended from the welt of the sheath instead of the outer layer of the sheath after a measurement gone awry, but like the stitches, it holds tight.

The first sheath I made had the retention strap to keep it snug, but I learned enough about wet-forming leather that the second sheath is all friction. Vigorous shaking upside down won't cause the knife to pull. All in all, a groovy experience, though I'm always looking for ways to improve on the design.

 

[DerekH]

To everyone that has posted, thanks. Let's see what you got in your kits.

To everyone that hasn't, I know we got a ton of people that have some worth showing, let's see 'em!

 

[BenchmadeBoy]

I keep things pretty light. Firesteel, snare wire, safety pins, allen key (with needle attached), pencil

 

[SpikeHawk]

Here's mine- a Skystorm sheath, bungeed an Altoid case to the front.
Got a Primus firesteel with a jute cord lanyard, extra Firesteel.com steel and scraper, hacksaw blade scraper, fatwood, mag bar, extra jute, some tinder from a palm tree (looks like the hair on a coconut, goes up with a nice flame at the first spark), and some firestraws with PJCB.

survival sheath by OptimanBene, on Flickr


sheath side by OptimanBene, on Flickr

 

[Skystorm]

I need to save those pics. People always ask why the EDC pouch won't work with the BK2 Dual Carry sheath, it's big that's why.

Here's mine- a Skystorm sheath, bungeed an Altoid case to the front.
Got a Primus firesteel with a jute cord lanyard, extra Firesteel.com steel and scraper, hacksaw blade scraper, fatwood, mag bar, extra jute, some tinder from a palm tree (looks like the hair on a coconut, goes up with a nice flame at the first spark), and some firestraws with PJCB.

survival sheath by OptimanBene, on Flickr


sheath side by OptimanBene, on Flickr

 

[Saymon]

1) Overview kit with compass

2) few meters of paracord for knots

4) Overview open kit

5) fishing kit (20 meters line, and more than 20 hooks)

6) Fire kit

7) items for multiple use (Classic Victorinox, Maglite solitaire, plastic bags...

8)Mini medical kit

 

[jonc123]

Luckylad....

I think your sheaths look great. I took up leatherworking as you did. I needed custom sheaths for axes, Pulaskis and McLeods (fire fighting tools also used for trail building) instead of knives. I designed everything without using rivets and snaps (I used buckles). The most fun I had was making templates, as I had to make two of everything. My wife had a set of trail tools also. I spent a boatload of cash on the leather which cost a little extra as it was thick (from Tandy) then you got the needles, etc...Wallet much lighter!!

I didn't have a drillpress, I used a corded Black & Decker that my Dad gave me 40 years ago. My wife sat and would tell me, "right.....left....forward....backward....she was my level!

The first thing I noticed that everything you did is square. I really like it. Gives it a unique look that stands out. You might have done it for simplicity, but it looks good. Jack Daniels had the same ideas with the square bottles of Tennessee Whiskey.

I've seen some real old pieces of leather here in the Ozarks. Lots of times it looks like the leather is rotted away, but the stitching still holds. I have never had any of my stitching come apart...all my stuff is just a single row like yours. I have used this trail building equipment for years. Pass yours on to your kids. They will last a long time!!