Hi, Stu,
the whole kit is based on a pic I saw in one of Mike Spinaks articles.
I hope my article has been helpful.
By the way, my own kit has gone through many revisions and updates since that article. I will likely post a newer version of it on my website (which is still under construction).
IF youre reading this, Mike, I hope youll approve?
That's a nice kit you've put together. You shouldn't make too much of whether I approve or disapprove; the right kit for you has a lot to do with your skills, your location, your condition, etc.
As for my opinions about the gear listed:
Becker BK9 (Well, duh!)
Sounds good.
BK9 Sheath with "wheelie-bin" liner, wrapped with 10' Paracord
I don't know what a "wheelie-bin" liner is. Combined with the 20' of cord listed further below, this 10 feet of cord sounds good. The more, the better.
Nylon Zip-pouch, originally for Garmin GPS unit.
Sounds good.
Small green groundsheet
A groundsheet sounds useful, though I'd prefer a bivy sack, if possible. I don't know how small "small" is.
Contents (from top left):-
Hacksaw blade (wrapped in green "groundsheet" & secured to rear of sheath)
Good.
2 Zip-lock water bags
That's better than nothing, but I personally would prefer something better than Ziploc bags for water.
18"x24" Aluminium foil
Sounds good.
Burn blot Burn dressing
Sounds good.
Alcowipe
I don't know what an alcowipe is.
2 Large plasters
Sounds good.
10" Plastic tube
As you are probably aware, I have a few feet of surgical tube in my kit. I'm not sure I understand the purpose of the 10 inches of plastic tube in your kit. It doesn't seem like it would be stretchy enough or flexible enough to serve for a slingshot or for binding things together, and I don't know whether water access will be a big survival concern for you in Britain.
8 Paracetamol
sounds good.
Starflash mirror
Sounds excellent.
Fresnel lens
Good.
Metal thimble
Good.
2 Scalpel blades
Good.
Steel dogtag (now with photo of girlfriend on one side / ID info on other)
Good.
P-38 can opener
They don't take up much room, and can double as a striker, so it couldn't hurt.
2 Ranger bands (on sheath to hold hacksaw blade on reverse of sheath)
Yep, those are good for binding things together, or starting fires.
US Army sharpening stone
Good.
Sewing kit (plastic vial inside bobbin holds needles & pins)
Good. Make sure that the thread is decent.
Whistle
Good.
Mag Solitaire & lanyard
In my experience, the Solitaire seemed like a nearly worthless flashlight. It's better than nothing, but there are many flashlights of similar size and price which I'd prefer.
LED flashlight
Good.
Sparklite & 6 tabs in bag
Excellent.
Plastic container of vaseline/cotton balls & maya dust
Yes, those are good for starting fires, though I've moved away from carrying them, myself. I've replaced vaseline with antibiotic gel (which has a petroleum jelly base, anyway, but serves another helpful purpose, too), and I keep my cotton separate from my antibiotic gel, so that I can use it for fire-starting or other purposes.
Vulcanizing fluid
Also a good way to start fires, though, again, I've stopped carrying it. Once I really mastered lighting fatwood from a firesteel, there was no need for also carrying vulcanizing fluid. Fatwood is just as easy for me to light, now, but it can't puncture, leak, dry out, etc. I'd replace the vulcanizing fluid with an equal sized piece of fatwood.
2 Magic birthday candles
Good.
Mini-bic lighter
Good, though I would prefer a "metal match".
Plastic vial of Strike anywhere & lifeboat matches packed with cotton ball
Good.
Aitor JK1 Skinner/Harpoon head (stored between kydex & fabric of sheath)
Good.
SAS wire saw in plasic bag
Saws are good to have. I don't recall which the SAS is by name; be careful, the cheap ones break easily and aren't worth much.
24" Duct tape on plastic reel
Good. You can never have too much duct tape.
Super glue
Good.
Water purifying tablets
Good.
Pottasium Permanganate
Good. I prefer povidone iodine, but that preference might not be suited to your needs as well as mine.
Spy capsule containing Anti-Histamines
Good.
Green Glowring (Usually secured to zipper of pouch)
Excellent.
SAK tweezers
Good. I found it helpful to grind a pointier end onto mine.
Compass
Excellent.
Fishing kit (line, hooks, hooks-line, swivels,lead shot, lge hook, float, lure)
If you've got the room, it couldn't hurt. If you don't have a lot of extra space, this would probably be one of the first things I'd toss.
Brass snare wire
Good.
Steel snare wire
Good.
Needles (including large eye & curved)
Good.
30metres dental floss
Good.
20' Nylon cord
As previously discussed, the more, the better.
Yellow Snaplight
These don't seem to me like the best use of the space, weight, and cost.
Cheers,
Mike
