Most useless survival tool

I've never had to use my firearm for self def. while camping (but have had to use it numerous other times in the city) I will still always carry it though while camping.
 
Evolute said:
As for stuff I've seen in other people's survival kits, I think the least useful item I regularly see is a very tiny quantity of food. Some people carry a few hard candies, a cube or two of beef boullion, a tea bag, or an energy bar.

Just to be clear, I don't at all think these are useless, but I would guess that a couple butterscotch candies, or such, will make the least difference between life and death, in a true survival situation.
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For a diabetic, they can truly be lifesavers. Hypoglycemia is the flip side of that disease and can knock you flat.
 
DOC-CANADA said:
Hey LittleHairyApe,
How's it going bro? Consider this, it's winter, you're an old geezer and you're out for a hike. You have a propensity for going off trail, maybe following some tracks, saw something curious, or whatever. You slip and you break something. That whistle is going to come in damn handy to get people's attention, long after you're hoarse from yelling for help. :D

The whistle isn't going to be drowned out by search vehicles, because nobody is searching for you!

Doc
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Hey Doc. Good to see you back up and on your mouse. How's Pierre?

Given your scenario, it's a tough one. Sometimes you just die. There isn't always a way out if you (you - the general random guy, not you Doc specifically) don't respect your limitations and if you don't keep your brain engaged as much as possible. Other times you improvise, adapt, and overcome. You grab a rock and go tap-tap-tap on another rock. You grab the candle that you had instead of the whistle and you make a fire with as much fuel as you can reach. You say, "The Lord is my shepherd. He leadeth me..." You write on a piece of paper, "Tell my family I love them." Then you take the rock and go tap-tap-tap again. If it's your time to go, then you'll go no matter how much gear you have. If not then something good will happen, no matter how little you brought. The important thing is, IMHO, that you make the best of the situation you find yourself in.
 
mogwai said:
For a diabetic, they can truly be lifesavers. Hypoglycemia is the flip side of that disease and can knock you flat.
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mogwai,

That's a good point, though – having just spoken to my ex/best friend (who is a physician) – she said that (1) she was taught to never give anything to a type 1 diabetic with low blood sugar that they might potentially choke on; and (2) she questions whether two pieces of hard candy would be enough sugar.

Also, that only would make it worth carrying a couple pieces of hard candy if either you or the people you hike with are diabetics.

Further, for those who carry a boullion cube, or carry a tea bag, that wouldn't apply. (Yes, the tea bag and the boullion cube also can be useful, I am just saying that, for most people, they will likely be the least useful ting they carry in their survival kit.)
 
Evolute said:
mogwai,

That's a good point, though – having just spoken to my ex/best friend (who is a physician) – she said that (1) she was taught to never give anything to a type 1 diabetic with low blood sugar that they might potentially choke on; and (2) she questions whether two pieces of hard candy would be enough sugar.

Also, that only would make it worth carrying a couple pieces of hard candy if either you or the people you hike with are diabetics.

Further, for those who carry a boullion cube, or carry a tea bag, that wouldn't apply. (Yes, the tea bag and the boullion cube also can be useful, I am just saying that, for most people, they will likely be the least useful ting they carry in their survival kit.)
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Mike, Many years ago I had a GF who was a very brittle diabetic. While she was sleeping her pump had delivered too much insulin. So for starters, I put two M+M's under her tongue and waited a few minutes. After 8 M+M's she came around sufficiently that I could explain to her what had happened and, so that she could take over from there. Moral of the story is that if I hadn't had the M+M's she might have died, which might've put a slight damper on our relationship. Beyond that I can't remember what I was going to write. Sorry...:)
 
LHA,

I'm glad your girlfriend survived. I don't think your story negates the physician's advice I mentioned, earlier, or the rest of my reply.

By the way, she said that the recommended way to deliver sugar to a diabetic with low blood sugar was by giving juice, which would be less likely to cause choking, and would have a faster delivery. Since juice is not really feasible for many outdoors trips, it would perhaps seem sound for a diabetic to stash a sugary drink mix.
 
Evolute said:
LHA,

I'm glad your girlfriend survived. I don't think your story negates the physician's advice I mentioned, earlier, or the rest of my reply.

By the way, she said that the recommended way to deliver sugar to a diabetic with low blood sugar was by giving juice, which would be less likely to cause choking, and would have a faster delivery. Since juice is not really feasible for many outdoors trips, it would perhaps seem sound for a diabetic to stash a sugary drink mix.
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I wasn't thinking it negated anything you said either. I thought it confirmed that two pieces of hard candy could be useful in a diabetic emergency like hers. It's just a story. Sorry if I gave offense in any way. None was intended.
 
The reason I started this thread is that I have gone as minimal as possible over the last few years. I try to carry only those things that have multiple useses where posible.

After carrying a full blown BOB, I went down to a small kit in a heavy ziplock with about 15 items and finally, I now only carry my knife, compass, firestarter and a stainless steel cup. If I plan on staying overnight, I carry a blanket or bag, but if I get caught without one, I'll live.

I decided to try a test this year and went out on a cool (high of 50F, Low of 40F) overnighter.

Now don't get me wrong, this was not a survival sitch and I didn't have a broken leg, get attacked by a grizz or need to stay for 30 days, but it did give some indication of what actually was needed.

I think I will add 1 or 2 items back to my kit, but I'm pretty comfortable without most of the other stuff at this point.

My views IN NO WAY negate anything others carry in their kit, nor does it mean I am intelligent in my choice to carry less. I merely wanted feedback from other experts (Lets face it, we are the experts) to make some choices.

Thanks for the feedback.

MBTull, I am in South Jersey. About 20 miles South of Cinnaminson. My Sister in Law lives there.
 
DOC-CANADA said:
.....

Another thing, there was a post about the uselessness of fishing kits, well, who said hooks can only be for fish? and that braided line or mono can only be used for fishing line? One of the most important concepts of survival is adaptability and improvisation. We have to think past the 'branded' use of any item. Kind of like Kevin or Rotte was saying.

Doc
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Ditto on "branded use." If there is a time to use your wits, a survival situation is it.

As to fishing kits, the weight and space is tiny. I carry Spectra line on a bobbin for general use and make up a fishing kit of pre-tied leaders, a foam earplug for a bobber some split shot and a little more line. It gets packed in a small ziplock parts bag or a freebie pill container from my pharmacy. The largest kit I've made is smaller than a pack of paper matches.

Do I have a huge confidence in catching a fish? Not really, but I would feel damn silly sitting next to a lake known to have fish and going hungry for lack of trying. Most of my hiking is in areas peppered with small lakes. I don't need to know which lake I am lost at to catch fish in it :) Not to mention that signaling from the edge of a lake is easier than in heavy woods. Might as well hang out where the wood, water, wild edible plants, fish and frogs are!
 
LittleHairyApe said:
You know I tried that once. I tested out all my matches, and they all worked just fine at home. Then when I tried them in the field none of them worked, and I got black stuff all over me!:)
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One winter, it was so cold the matches wouldn't light and when they thawed out, they all lit and burned the cabin down :rolleyes:
 
To me the most useless survival tool in my kit, is my SAK.
Only because I never use it.. It's been at least a good 3 years I've been keeping it in my first aid kit, but have really never used it.
 
PrimitiveMan ... just curious as to what the 1 or 2 items are that you're adding back to your kit and why .... also is your minimalist kit designed more for a day hike ?

Thanks
 
DaleW said:
One winter, it was so cold the matches wouldn't light and when they thawed out, they all lit and burned the cabin down :rolleyes:
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That is just too wierd, but thanks for the warning/story. That's definitely one of the top ten wierdest things anyone's ever told me. Thumbs up for having the guts to put that out in public. :thumbup: You guys have some cold, dad-gummed weather.
 
alco141 said:
that would be my brother in law melvin, total waste of skin, he is quite a tool, hope i woud never be in survival situation with him as we woudl both be goners.

alex
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Put salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce in his kit to season him with when you get hungry :eek:

When I order at Starbucks, I ask for a "brother in law" coffee--- that's a short drip to go.
 
Evolute said:
By the way, she said that the recommended way to deliver sugar to a diabetic with low blood sugar was by giving juice, which would be less likely to cause choking, and would have a faster delivery. Since juice is not really feasible for many outdoors trips, it would perhaps seem sound for a diabetic to stash a sugary drink mix.
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You can get orange flavored glucose tablets designed for the task, all you would have to do is smash them a little bit and put them in water, stir them up and deliver them.

I keep a couple of tubes in the First Aid Kit in case I run into someone having those difficulties and keep a couple other tubes in various packs and kits, etc. If for no other reason, it's possible for them to give regular folks a spurt of energy as well.

The military has spent a lot of money figuring out a lot of problems when it comes to survival, escape and evasion. While many of us might not ever have to E&E as it were, the survival information and gear they come up with is priceless. Much like a lot of NASA's research. Tang drink mix was a solution to an Astronaut problem. Ovaltine malt tablets were carried by good old WW2 Commandos and were in some Army Air Corps skits. Hard coated chocolate, M&M...developed as a quick energy ration that wouldn't melt all over the place. TROPICAL Hershey Bars that were, at one time, fortified with vitamins and minerals, IIRC. Going back to WW2 and throughout at least the 1980s, they had a hard candy called "CHARMS". Along with speed (methamphetamine hydrochloride) and painkillers (APC - Aspirin Plus Codeine and even more powerful painkillers for special operations personnel), as well as caffeine-laden gum and even NO-DOZE, all of these things have been used in military kits.

There is a lesson to be learned there. The Randall Model 18 hollow handle knife, the idea of carrying speed and painkillers, came from a U.S. Special Forces Medic in Vietnam.

I have sources for all of this as well. 8-)

I think there is something to be said for "the more you know, the less you need." I also think that you can push that to the limits of nuttery when you are talking about life-threatening situations. And that is not to say that anyone in this thread is doing that, I'm just saying... :D
 
My minimal kit is designed for overnight and I figure I can hang for a week or so anywhere east of the Missisippi without too much pain. Take me to the Rockies or the desert and I am probably a dead man, but if I went there, I would prepare differently. I have recently added neosporin which can be used for small cuts/burns and is an excellent firestarter when you soak a bit of shirt in it.

At this point, a SMALL folding saw, and maybe a few sutures are the only thing I might add.
 
I'm not shooting down your point of view my friend. There are dozens of people who read threads like this and they might not have your knowledge or skill level. A lot of people think things are inconvenient but those things can save their life in a pinch.

By the way, check out something called DermaBond. Don't use tape or Crazy Glue, get your hands on some of the real surgical adhesive. Get yourself a few batadine swabs, a couple little crush-ampules of DermaBond, a couple very small foil-type packets of Vaseline* and perhaps a couple/three 3M Steri-Strips and you have a very viable pocket first aid kit that will actually close some fairly bad lacerations quickly and with minimal pain.

*After you clean the wound, you take the Vaseline/PJ packet and lightly cover the skin surrounding the laceration without getting the PJ in the laceration, then apply the adhesive, this keeps the adhesive from spreading all over the place on skin that you don't want to treat.
 
I don't think there are many folks here too terribly stuck on 'branded use', we use all sorts of crap off label. I certainly wouldn't say that I've got a useless piece of material if I had a fishing kit with me in a real survival situation, but I do consider them useless (in PSK size) when I'm building my kit. There are other more useful things I'd rather put the weight towards.

Or put another way, we may have a difference in the original question. Are we talking about things that would be useless if we had them in a survival situation, or about things that are comparably useless in a planned kit.
 
I'm with ya on the surgical side of things. While I HAVE put sutures in my own torn skin, my main reason for carrying them is that they can be pressed into service as a fishing kit, sewing kit or used as a suture. A Rambo type use, while very theatric, is not very realistic in my mind.

Yes, I am confident in my skills to the point that I can make do with less than most. I am also humble and by no means know it all, nor do I profess to and I certainly do not suggest most go out without a substantial kit.

That being said, I'm not carrying a signal mirror.
 
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