- Joined
- Nov 27, 2004
- Messages
- 3,124
Mike, don't you know you're not supposed to confuse us old people????So you do have an inviolate PSK, and as far as it being pretty minimalist, that's what it's supposed to be, at least in Doc-World.
Your intention to remind people to check their kits is both a good one and a timely one, with the cold weather approaching. :thumbup:
In truth, unless I was heading to the bush for an overnighter or more, I wouldn't carry a PSK, since I EDC a Manix, Buck Alpha Dorado, Vic Spirit, Fenix L2D, 4Sevens Mini, 40 to 50 feet of 550 in about 5 foot lengths, a Doan block, Fox 40 and a Mini Bic. The only things the kit would have that I don't EDC are fish hooks, safety pins and snare wire.
Yes, I am strange!Although, in my defence, a lot of it is used for work.
Doc
Not strange at all, Doc. That makes good sense.
Years ago, I started off carrying a PSK attached to my belt knife's sheath. It was, out of necessity, minimalist. It was also a bit cumbersome, and I felt that I was compromising on too much. In time, I upgraded to a more robust kit, still carried as an additional peripheral pouch that was on my person. It was bulky, not particularly easy to unpack and re-pack (which I think is a limitation that a lot of kits have), and it started to look like a duplication of the same gear that I was already carrying. After a few years of experimentation, I started to move towards a high-quality survival / utility kit that had redundancies but would see regular use. This is pretty much where I am now. The 'kit' rides in my day pack, or, if I'm on a multi-day backpacking outing, in a MEC sling / belt pouch that can attach to my pack. I still have a little Altoids survival kit that I keep stuffed in my kit pouch or a cargo pocket, but it is so small that it would be out-performed by even a severely depleted WUK.
It's entirely possible that I am not geared for maximum EDC survival, and I accept that. This seems to work pretty well for me, though. I will look into upgrading my Altoids kit, just in case.
All the best,
- Mike