Please review my list of survival supplies

T

thirdeye

Joined
May 31, 2008
Messages
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Hi folks, I am sort of officially taking up the hobby of survival/bushcraft. I am no stranger to the outdoors but have never gotten together a designated survival/bob together before. I wanted to have my list reviewed by you fine ladies and gentleman. Am I missing anything?

BOB
Maxpedition Vulture-II

Gear that Will Go In It
1. Knife! Becker BKII and an Izulla II
2. 550 Cord (How much?)
3. Fire Kit (See below)
4. First Aid (See below)
5. Compass with sighting mirror (Not sure which one. Suggestions?)
6. Signal Mirror
7. Whistle
8. Cup with lid for boiling
9. Blaze Orange Vest (For when I want to be easily seen)
10. Ghillie Suit (For when I don't want to be easily seen. Maybe too bulky though. Might replace with basic camo clothing.)
11. Leather Gloves
12. Snare Wire (What guage/type?)
13. Stone
14. Hot Hands/Feet
15. Surefire Light
16. Spare 123A Batteries
17. 2-Way Radios with spare batteries
18. Good Watch
19. Fishing Kit
20. H20 Tablets
21. Large Ziplock Bag for Keeping Clothes Dry
22. Raingear
23. Tarp
24. Interceptor Body Armor (Obviously won't fit in the bag but should be close by)
25. GPS (Suggestions?)
26. Multitool (Victorinox)
27. Saw of some sort (Suggestions?)
28. Hatchet of some sort (Suggestions?)
29. Condoms
30. H20 Bladder
31. Gorilla Tape on Credit Card.

Fire Kit
1. Lexan Gear Box
2. Ferro
3. Magnesium
4. Cotton/Vaseline
5. All Weather Matches
6. Lighters...many
7. Lense

First Aid Kit
Will most likely buy a complete kit from a reputable dealer. Suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your help!
 
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bro you got the basics. here are a few suggestions, 550 cord i usually take a undred feet coil and cut it into 4 individual 25' lengths i do this because it is a lot eaiser to handle and u never want to cut your cord unless you have to, this way you can use it for many things instead of just one. as far as a compass keep it simple i prefer the brunton racing compass or the cominga linsatic compass ( us army issue). also i would not worry about a ghillie suit, instead get you a space saver bag from the walmart i think there around 10 bucks put some camo clothes and a spare set of regular clothes ie. socks underwear etc, then use your vacum at the house and suck all the air out now u have a completely water proof, bug proof container to keep your stuff in, when your out in the field you can always use natural vegitation to camo your self even more if need be. as far as your snare wire go to walmart in the craft section with all the platic flowers, look for some stuff called floral wire it will be covered in a plastic green coating. there might be 2-3 sizes to choose from get one of each and play with them till you find the one that works the best for you. first aid kit. i would suggest building your own it is cheaper than buying one already put together. get a quart sized ziplock bag, put some bandaids, alcohol swabs, and 4x4 bandages a large bandana is also an inexpensive addon that has many uses including first aid. and some basic meds ibuprofin,asprin,antidiahrials,ant acids and any meds that you are taking on a daily basis. just a suggestion dont worry about your body armour it will just had weight. hope this helps
 
I keep a lot of different bags around - GHB in the car, BOB at the house, bushcraft / daypack for hiking, hunting bag, etc.

Your bag looks pretty good, but heavy. It is also lacking food.

I am working on a bushcraft / hiking kit for woods bumming, based on a UTG versipack knock off. Contractor bag, steel water bottle, Leatherman Wave, flashlight, first aid kit, fire kit, handgun, poncho, paracord, emergency blanket, fish hooks, wire snares, candle, whistle.

For day hikes, I hate a large / heavy bag and want the minimum kit that covers DC's 5 C's - cut, cover, cord, combustion, container.
 
paperairplane said:
I keep a lot of different bags around - GHB in the car, BOB at the house, bushcraft / daypack for hiking, hunting bag, etc.

Your bag looks pretty good, but heavy. It is also lacking food.

I am working on a bushcraft / hiking kit for woods bumming, based on a UTG versipack knock off. Contractor bag, steel water bottle, Leatherman Wave, flashlight, first aid kit, fire kit, handgun, poncho, paracord, emergency blanket, fish hooks, wire snares, candle, whistle.

For day hikes, I hate a large / heavy bag and want the minimum kit that covers DC's 5 C's - cut, cover, cord, combustion, container.
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Word. I'm starting at SHTF. For sure I would trim the load for day hikes, etc. This bag will most likely sit at home just looking awesome. I dunno, I would think the Vulture II would be ok for day hikes if it's packed light??
 
First aid kits are like survival kits. There is no ONE that will do the job completely. It all comes down to what you know. If you don't know how to use something then having it sure won't help much. :)

My advice is to buy a first aid kit, and add your own goodies in on top of whatever is supplied. Adventure Medical Kits are pretty decent in my opinion.




It would also benefit you greatly to take a local First Aid (and CPR) class. Most communities have places that will teach them every so often.
 
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paperairplane said:
Your bag looks pretty good, but heavy
Click to expand...

My wilderness pack is the Maxpedition Vulture II and it weight 1588 gram.. for hiking 20km I would carry my ULA Circuit but since im always off track.. I benefit a lot from the TANK aspect and robustness of the vulture.

Nothing more to add than just a big :thumbup: to the fact that your pack can go through hell and come back unscratched
 
That pack is going to be heavy!

Ditch the body armor, ghilly suit and hatchet. A good knife and folding saw will get the job done unless you plan on building a cabbin. Switch out the stone with a diamond rod.

What about something to hold a couple of litres of water?

You can save weight further by ditching the rain gear and tarp in favour of a poncho ( I personally prefer to keep the tarp and coat myself though). A couple of space blankets also come in handy.
 
HandofCod said:
That pack is going to be heavy!

Ditch the body armor, ghilly suit and hatchet. A good knife and folding saw will get the job done unless you plan on building a cabbin. Switch out the stone with a diamond rod.

What about something to hold a couple of litres of water?

You can save weight further by ditching the rain gear and tarp in favour of a poncho ( I personally prefer to keep the tarp and coat myself though). A couple of space blankets also come in handy.
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Good points. The water is implied by the pack itself. It has a compartment for a bladder. I should add condoms to the list though.
 
Thourough list.

#2 50 feet
#5 Brunton or Suunto w/sighting mirror
#6 see #5 above
#8 get a lid for it too
#'s 15, 16, 17 Maybe switch to light that uses AA's ? easy to find / what batts to radio's use ??

#10 IMO questionable usefullness- camo clothing probably better. Camo in urban setting may make you a target or kooks or LE

Have a good time with it. Test it a little
 
USMCSNIPER34 said:
bro you got the basics. here are a few suggestions, 550 cord i usually take a undred feet coil and cut it into 4 individual 25' lengths i do this because it is a lot eaiser to handle and u never want to cut your cord unless you have to, this way you can use it for many things instead of just one.
Click to expand...

Good advice. I always toss a bag of 50 feet in the bottom of every pack, but I keep three or four 20-25 foot hanks easily accessible and they are what I use the most (suspension lines, clothes lines, guy lines, food lines, etc.).

Also, don't forget duct tape. You can get quite a bit rolled flat onto an old credit card; always handy.

Body armor is fine for the home and vehicle or group patrols on established roads. I've done my share of humping gear with a vest/IOTV and plates...you won't be going fast, far or for long and you sure won't be quiet. Keep it nearby and keep it situational (same thing with the ghilli suit).

Looks good...the other comments and suggestions are worth considering.

Welcome aboard to the WSS crew:thumbup:

ROCK6
 
ROCK6 said:
Also, don't forget duct tape. You can get quite a bit rolled flat onto an old credit card; always handy.
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EXCELLENT!

This is what I'm looking for. This kinda tribal knowledge. I would've never thought of doing something like that. Good stuff.

MOAR!
 
Here are my suggestions.
Saw - Silky Saw (Super Accel 210) with large teeth. Also carry a replacement short teeth blade.

Flashlight - CR123 flashlights work great, but I would recommend also looking at Fenix or a similar manufacturer for efficient AA flashlights. The Fenix L2D-CE (2 AA - 12 lumens nim/180 lumens max output and 55 hours on low/1.2 hours on turbo) and the LD40 (4 AA - 4 lumens nim/248 lumens max output and 245 hours on low/2.1 hours on turbo) take alkaline, rechargeable, and lithium AA batteries, which makes replacement batteries cheaper and easier to find in an emergency. Also consider getting a Nite Ize Headband. It allows to turn most CR123, AA or AAA flashlight into a hand-free flashlight.

First Aid kit - Make your own or complement a bought one. This alows it to be tailored to your needs. Go to a crafts store and find different sizes crafts/jewelry resealable plastic bags (2" x 1.5" / 3.5" x 2.25" / 4.75" x 3") and use them for pills (ibuprofen/acetaminophen/imodium/benadryl and whatever prescription pills you need) band aids, butterfly closures, different size band-aids and gauze pads, alcohol wipes, iodine wipes, triple antibiotic foils, hydrocortisone foils, and temporary tooth filling according to the space you need for each item. Put everything in a quart size plastic bag and add hand sanitizer, elastic bandages, universal finger splints, sawyer extractor, cold compresses, gloves, 2 bandannas, and scissors. If you travel with children, remember to carry some character or cartoon band-aids as incentives/rewards.
 
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Preacher Man said:
Here are my suggestions.
Saw - Silky Saw (Super Accel 210) with large teeth. Also carry a replacement short teeth blade.

Flashlight - CR123 flashlights work great, but I would recommend also looking at Fenix or a similar manufacturer for efficient AA flashlights. The Fenix L2D-CE (2 AA - 12 lumens nim/180 lumens max output and 55 hours on low/1.2 hours on turbo) and the LD40 (4 AA - 4 lumens nim/248 lumens max output and 245 hours on low/2.1 hours on turbo) take alkaline, rechargeable, and lithium AA batteries, which makes replacement batteries cheaper and easier to find in an emergency.

First Aid kit - Make your own or complement a bought one. This alows it to be tailored to your needs. Go to a crafts store and find different sizes crafts/jewelry resealable plastic bags (2" x 1.5" / 3.5" x 2.25" / 4.75" x 3") and use them for pills (ibuprofen/acetaminophen/imodium/benadryl and whatever prescription pills you need) band aids, butterfly closures, different size band-aids and gauze pads, alcohol wipes, iodine wipes, triple antibiotic foils, hydrocortisone foils, and temporary tooth filling according to the space you need for each item. Put everything in a quart size plastic bag and add hand sanitizer, elastic bandages, universal finger splints, sawyer extractor, cold compresses, gloves, 2 bandannas, and scissors. If you travel with children, remember to carry some character or cartoon band-aids as incentives/rewards.
Click to expand...

Thank you sir!
 
Kit looks pretty good, I'll piss off alot of people with this I'm sure but I really don't like the bk-2 for a woods knife, it's too thick and short for me. I use an esee junglas and a either a fallkniven f1 or a spyderco bushcraft. It's just a combo that works well for me though.
But as far as a saw goes I have and really like the bucksaw from northwest woodsman it's not too expensive and really well built. If you are looking for a smaller saw I carry a gerber/fiscars slide out saw. It cuts pretty well but nowhere near as well as the bucksaw. I also carry a spare blade for the bucksaw.
 
Condoms - If you have room, take good-quality zip locks - or better. Work much better for gathering water (sopped up dew for example) and less likely to spring a leak.

H2O pills - Chlorine dioxide. Regular chlorine and iodine are ineffective against parasites like giardia and cryptosporidium.

Salt - essential to sweating (You knew those extras from McD had some use.)

Paper coffee filters - tinder, expedient dressing, and reduces risks from wild water

Trick birthday candles - once lit, VERY hard to extinguish so good in wet/wind.

Nylon dental floss and needle to fit - expedient repairs of clothing, gear, and you. Surprisingly good for light lashing for shelter. Tick removal.

If I had a hand axe, I would not carry something as heavy as the Campanion. I'd go for lighter and handier.
 
Buy something for diarrhea. Whatever works best for you. It will save you but.
 
thirdeye said:
First Aid Kit
Will most likely buy a complete kit from a reputable dealer. Suggestions?
Click to expand...

off-the-shelf kits tend to be 'one-size-fits-all' type things. perhaps something a little more custom tailored to your needs would be appropriate.

for example, i decided i was prepared to dedicate an old army slr pouch purely for a FAK on my bowhunting rig.

so, i took said pouch to my local ambulance station then discussed my needs with a paramedic and asked them to turn it into "the most comprehensive FAK you can get into this pouch, please".

details here
 
List seems a bit long.... but good

Knife
Lighter
Wet/dry clothing, sandles and boots
para cord
Beef Jerky
Flash lighter
My Bobble ( filtered water bottle)

Ready to Rock and Roll
 
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