Nalgene-based PSK

[DaleW]

I rounded up the components for a Nalgene-based PSK.

First of all, a good ol' one liter/32oz Lexan Nalgene bottle:

Add:

Nagene cap with compass:

Flat roll duct tape
50' braided seine twine
Swedish Firesteel
NATO matches
Cricket butane lighter
Bucklite Mini-Tool
2 Single edge razor blades
2 Exacto blades
ACR whistle
County Comm LED micro-light
BCB Wire saw
Katadyn Micropure tablets
Fishing leader with sliding sinker
Small roll snare wire
Space Blanket and/or 45 gallon low density poly garbage bag (space allowing)
10 pieces hard candy
2 bullion cubes
2 packs Ibuprofen
2 packs Imodium AD
2 packs Benedryl caps
Small vial DEET
Small vial sunscreen
Signal mirror


Place in MSR Cup from Practical Tactical:

Hang from pack or belt in LowePro Bottle Bag (the Nalgene and cup fit):

Options: toss the Nalgene and the MSR cup; add a small pot metal cup or bowl, add a small compass, add a one liter or larger bladder (like a Platypus) and put it all in a small stuff sack. This is a little lighter and maybe a little less expensive.

Pray you never need it-- and pray that you will always have it with you!

Caveats: this is an absolute minimum. A map and good quality compass (and GPS), a good first aid kit, extra clothing, sunglasses, a poncho or tarp, extra food and water, and a good knife should be along on any trip-- day hike or overnight. Someone should know where you are going and when you should be back. A bivy bag like the Adventure Medical Emergency Bivy (or better) should be carried when you don't take a shelter and sleeping bag.

With these tools you can make a fire, treat minor wounds, purify and carry water, make a shelter, move in the dark, heat something warm to drink and provide energy, catch and clean small game, find your way, and signal for help.


My $0.02

 

[Normark]

Hey Dale..

Nice job..
Gave me some ideas for mine..

A few items I think you should add...

Fatwood and PJ/Cotton balls

A couple of craft hot melt glue sticks.
Lighter
A small spool of Spyderwire spectra fishing line, sewing needles,,couple of extra buttons.

ttyle

Eric
O/ST

 

[Any Cal.]

What are the glue sticks and buttons for???

 

[james_bond]

thanks for sharing your kit. I like the platpus idea better because if the bottle is full of stuff you can't have water in it, and it dosen't make a very good watter bottle with out the "water" part.

 

[EmsRescueGuy]

What are the glue sticks and buttons for???

HELLOOO !!!!

lost in the woods is a perfect time for handycrafts. With a couple of pinecones and some of the buttons you can make as many friends as you want.

 

[2dogs]

Add a 1 gallon ziplock bag so you have some place to put your gear when you use the bottle.

 

[Liam Ryan]

Dale, tell us some more about that thermo lite bivy sack.
Would it make a good dedicated sac or is it for emergency use?

 

[DaleW]

Hey Dale..

Nice job..
Gave me some ideas for mine..

A few items I think you should add...

Fatwood and PJ/Cotton balls

A couple of craft hot melt glue sticks.
Lighter
A small spool of Spyderwire spectra fishing line, sewing needles,,couple of extra buttons.

ttyle

Eric
O/ST

I let the seine twine work for fishing line along with the prepared leader. I need to hunt down some Spiderwire-- sounds like good stuff. I did list a butane lighter, but I left off my spy capsule full of Tinder Quik tabs. I normally carry one of those freebie hotel sewing kits in my main first aid kit. A couple of those foil envelopes of antibiotic ointment could fit in as well. I should include an Esbit fuel tab too.

Something I forgot to mention: one reason to have a kit like this is to use it when crossing streams. After scouting the river and getting ready to cross, you want to release the waist belt on your pack so your can dump it if you fall in. That leaves you with the prospect of watching your pack and all your gear goes down the stream, over the wallfall, etc, etc, leaving you cold, wet, and far from home. So as you are preparing to cross, you put this rig on your belt so you have some basic gear if the aformentioned FUBAR strikes. Likewise, you keep the kit close at hand in your shelter so you can grab it while Yogi shreads your tent and pack looking for Mr. Goodbar or whatever else your gear smells like. If you need to bug out from your main pack to go get help for somebody else, you take the kit with you so YOU don't end up being a casualty too-- you head for the ranger station with a good selection of clothes, extra food, water, map, and PSK. This is where I like one of those cheapie drawstring packs for a day-hike and bug-out bag. The drawstring pack doubles as my food/bear-hang stuff sack in normal service. I usally find them in a thrift store for a dollar or two and plastered with somebody's logo. I have a Nike one at the moment:

 

[DaleW]

Add a 1 gallon ziplock bag so you have some place to put your gear when you use the bottle.

Not a bad idea. Extra points for cheap and easy I've always firgued the rest of that stuff can go in my pockets too. The zip lock can double as a water sack if you have a long ways between water sources. Not the best, but if the SHTHF, who wants to be a whiner?

 

[DaleW]

HELLOOO !!!!

lost in the woods is a perfect time for handycrafts. With a couple of pinecones and some of the buttons you can make as many friends as you want.

Okay, now you can send me some $$$ on my PayPal to get my laptop cleaned-- you made me spray lemonaide all over! ROTFLMAO!

[One SAR to the other] "Geez, he hasn't been out here more than 48 hours-- he really went over the edge! Do you think we should take the pinecones along with him?"

 

[DaleW]

Dale, tell us some more about that thermo lite bivy sack.
Would it make a good dedicated sac or is it for emergency use?

It's a good step up from a Space Blanket, but it isn't intended for regular use. They do have a foot vent, but condensation is still a problem. Too bad, as a good bivy sack is as much or more than a tent. I think they are a perfect item for a day hike. I would include one with a group multi-day hike for first aid. They have no insulating value-- just keeps the wind and rain off. You would want to have a fleece or polyfil jacket/vest, etc. I'd put my pack and evergreen boughs under to insulate from the ground in summer. For a winter day hike, spare layers are mandatory and a sleeping pad wouldn't be a bad idea. A sleeping pad is really nice if you want to sit down on a break. Consider taking an old closed cell foam pad and cutting it down to a "miserable minimum" for day hike and emergency use. 17" wide tapering to 12" and 32" long will do for someone around 5'10". Not cozy, but it will keep you away from the cold ground; more than big enough to sit on for a break-- you can double it for sitting too. If you want a really light pad for such stuff, the Gossamer Gear Thinlight pads will insulate well, but aren't much for soft sleeping comfort.

The emergency bivy is fairly big compared to a Space Blanket-- about Nalgene diameter and 2/3 the height. I'm always on the edge for space on multi-day trips and I don't see the need if I'm already carrying a sleeping bag and shelter. For a day hike it is good CYA for the cost and weight.

 

[DaleW]

thanks for sharing your kit. I like the platpus idea better because if the bottle is full of stuff you can't have water in it, and it dosen't make a very good watter bottle with out the "water" part.

You could use a Sea to Summit Ultrasil waterproof stuff sack (2 liter?) with the Platypus and a titanium or aluminum pot and cut 6-8 ounces off the Nalgene and the stainless steel pot combo. It will cost another $30 though.

The benefit of the Nalgene is you have everything contained in a pretty bomb-proof bottle. I see no problem emptying the bottle contents into my pockets when in a tough spot. You could put all the items in the bottle holster and just carry the bottle. I have the mini-tool, whistle, lighter, compass, and firesteel on a lanyard I could wear. The compass is in the bottle top, so having it out to check bearings isn't a bad thing anyway.

 

[EmsRescueGuy]

Thermarest makes a very Compact folding "Pillow" which is esentially a one foot by one foot pad. Nice for sitting or emergency insulation.

Instead of a BOB for camping I have a butpack that contains survival and firstaid supplies, its good for a day hike away from camp or a trip to gather water. I clip a water bottle to the belt and keep it within arms reach in camp, and its a next to me when i sleep.

 

[EmsRescueGuy]

Okay, now you can send me some $$$ on my PayPal to get my laptop cleaned-- you made me spray lemonaide all over! ROTFLMAO!

[One SAR to the other] "Geez, he hasn't been out here more than 48 hours-- he really went over the edge! Do you think we should take the pinecones along with him?"

Its even funnier in the over the top "Drama Queen interior decorator" voice in my head.

 

[DaleW]

Thermarest makes a very Compact folding "Pillow" which is esentially a one foot by one foot pad. Nice for sitting or emergency insulation.

Instead of a BOB for camping I have a butpack that contains survival and firstaid supplies, its good for a day hike away from camp or a trip to gather water. I clip a water bottle to the belt and keep it within arms reach in camp, and its a next to me when i sleep.

We have a couple of those smaller pads for sitting. The idea is to maximize use for every ounce you pack. If you can sit on it and sleep on it too, you score double points

Fanny packs are great for emergency gear. The drawstring pack is there for my food stuff sack anyway, so it gets double duty for a day hike and BOB. If you ever need another fanny pack, lets go to the trade forums and TALK

'Sides, being shaped more like a bowling pin than a Greek God, I don't have any fanny to hang the fanny pack on, but the other side of the teeter totter (that being my belly) is fully prepared to push it down to wrap around my knees and send me a** over tea-kettle down the trail. I'll stick to my pack, thanks

 

[EmsRescueGuy]

We have a couple of those smaller pads for sitting. The idea is to maximize use for every ounce you pack. If you can sit on it and sleep on it too, you score double points

Fanny packs are great for emergency gear. The drawstring pack is there for my food stuff sack anyway, so it gets double duty for a day hike and BOB. If you ever need another fanny pack, lets go to the trade forums and TALK

'Sides, being shaped more like a bowling pin than a Greek God, I don't have any fanny to hang the fanny pack on, but the other side of the teeter totter (that being my belly) is fully prepared to push it down to wrap around my knees and send me a** over tea-kettle down the trail. I'll stick to my pack, thanks

First of all Baccus Was a greek god too (God of food and wine)

And I am in the same catagory, but i do use but packs especially lumbar packs with attached straps.

But I have all I need right mow i think.

 

[FoxholeAtheist]

How toxic is DEET if you drink any? How hard is it to rinse out of a Nalgene? My concern would be that your DEET container would leak into your water container.

 

[DaleW]

How toxic is DEET if you drink any? How hard is it to rinse out of a Nalgene? My concern would be that your DEET container would leak into your water container.

Good point. DEET is Hell on some pastics and fabrics too. Makes a good fire starter. You could substitute with the "OFF" towelettes or the like. DEET just packs so much bang for the buck/weight/space.

 

[sodak]

I use a Nalgene kit at my work, kind of a "grab and go" scenario. Instead of ziplocks, I double bag a pair of gallon plastic bags (the kind you close with a twist tie), stuff those in first, keeping the open end sticking out of the Nalgene bottle. Put all your stuff inside the baggies that are already inside the Nalgene, when you're done, you can fold the open end over all your stuff and still get the lid on. The ziplocks are too bulky and stiff for this kind of a manuever. Also, I keep bottled water, so when it's time to boogie, grab the Nalgene and bottled water. Once you are at a place to pause, pull the baggies out, all your stuff is inside them, already bagged, put the bottled water in your Nalgene bottle, you're ready to rock and roll. You could probably add a grocery store bag in there, and *really* look inconspicuous, but this isn't about urban survival, so I'll shut up now....

 

[Jamesh Bond]

Why not put the survival items in something else, then use the bottle for water. I don't see much sense in carrying an empty water bottle when packing. Extra weight and such.
Good kit setup tho.