some psk pondering

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
5,944
over the past year or so I've been putting together alot of psks many for myself, alot for friends I've attended workshops in how to make them and contents etc etc...and I've had all the james bond gadgets and stuff, but recently across the board I've been simplifying my life..and this philosphy has spilled over into my wilderness related interests as well. I really think that a psk doesn't need to be anywhere near as elaborate or contrived as most people believe...granted constucting elaborate gear and searching for items is plain fun..I'm wondering how nec it all is...I'm sure there are plenty of seasoned guys reading this with alot more woods time than me who will disagree, and please do so as I am always trying to learn...but it seems to me you could get by in a psk with a couple of heavy duty contractor bags...(shelter/raingear/watercollection/and warmth if stuffed with leaf litter) some parachute cord, a knife, 3 fire starting methods 3 pre made tinder sources and at least 2 signaling devices...and 2-3 methods of purifying water (tablets, a filter, a metal cup) I know fishing gear is often included in kits but I think the space would better be served with some sort of energy bars or dehydrated food source, I don't know I'm just thinking out loud.
 
K,
Thanks for the links, I've spent alot of time on doug ritters site, and I've watched most of the ron hood videos, all good stuff from very knowledgeable guys...I've definitel learned alot from both, as I have from everyone here... I'm just saying I don't think the contents of a c.a.b. (cover all bases) need to be as elaborate as I had previously thought... Im assembling a basic kit I'll post the contents when done.
 
RescueRiley, you are probably on to something. There are innumerable stories of people surviving emergencies with the clothes on their backs. That being said, being prepared for the unexpected in the out of doors is definitely a good idea. Do you need snares and fishing gear and the means to make an improvised shelter, signaling gear, etc., if you are only going out for an afternoon in a well visited park or in a part of the backcountry you have been too countless times? Probably not. You'll want a basic first aid kit, a bit of extra clothes/rain gear and a bit of extra food, compass and map, pocket knife, and that's about it. That's my two cents, gleaned from years of bringing too much stuff I never use into the outdoors. And the people I know who truly spend a lot of times in the woods, taken next to no extra gear (they are probably too confident things won't go wrong).
 
THings can go wrong and they do....and I believe in being prepared..but I think being prepared doesn't mean having everything under the kitchen sink as much as having a supply of multiuse materials that can be used to improvise solutions to unforseen problems
 
It has been said before, the more you know the less you have to carry. Far too many guys are gadget gurus. Batteries will run out, supplies will wear thin but you can always make your mind sharper with practice.
 
Sound wisdom from all. Still, I have to point out that the contents of the kit has more to do with the planned use by the it builder. I have a small psk that is strictly for unanticipated emergencies that is only a smidge of what is packed in the BOB and that is only a part of what is in the family BOB. But.. the purpose of each is slightly different and so changes the contents. Maybe we need more descriptive names for these kits than PSK or BOB.
 
elmojo...good call I'm refering to a wilderness psk that is carried on the person....a family emergency preparedness kit such as to deal with some sort of urban crisis is something I have thought of but havn't constructed yet.
 
I've been lurking awhile on this forum but now seems to be as good a time as any to put in my two cents' worth. A PSK is a great tool, and can be absorbing and fun to construct, but after many years out and about in many different places, I still think that knowledge--that PSK in your head--is the most important tool you have. Couple that with the confidence to use that knowledge and you become a survivor, no matter what scenario you find yourself in!
 
Lawlor69 said:
RescueRiley, you are probably on to something. There are innumerable stories of people surviving emergencies with the clothes on their backs. That being said, being prepared for the unexpected in the out of doors is definitely a good idea. Do you need snares and fishing gear and the means to make an improvised shelter, signaling gear, etc., if you are only going out for an afternoon in a well visited park or in a part of the backcountry you have been too countless times? Probably not. You'll want a basic first aid kit, a bit of extra clothes/rain gear and a bit of extra food, compass and map, pocket knife, and that's about it. That's my two cents, gleaned from years of bringing too much stuff I never use into the outdoors. And the people I know who truly spend a lot of times in the woods, taken next to no extra gear (they are probably too confident things won't go wrong).
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If the place you are going needs a map and compass you need some basic survival gear.

Signalling is the first thing you should put in your pocket.

For basic EDC outside a whistle a pocket knife and a means to make fire are the minimums a human should have on them at all times.

My mileage does not vary.

Skam
 
k_estela said:
It has been said before, the more you know the less you have to carry. Far too many guys are gadget gurus. Batteries will run out, supplies will wear thin but you can always make your mind sharper with practice.
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I can swim 3 miles but I wear a life jacket. I can make a fire with firebow but I carry a lighter. Learning a skill is wise, physically not being able to action that skill due to circumstances and not having a backup is dumb.

Your logic is sound if not taken word for word.

I agree on the go go gadget whackers, a very valid point.

Skam
 
sounds good all but the trash bags wear i live . i know pack to envierment you'll be in . but there's a ton of briars that would shred a lite duty pack. most inportant is pratice practice practice. the guys at work laugh at me cause in down time i practice fig 4 triggers. snares and other types of things. just to pass time but should i need to use them i've found the ups and downs before hand so when needed it's more likely to work. I.E. the snare i made today was my first wire snare for the free slide part i just made a open hoop but after further thought you could use a small limb and get more uniform performance. just my @cent.
 
sounds good all but the trash bags wear i live . i know pack to envierment you'll be in . but there's a ton of briars that would shred a lite duty pack. most inportant is pratice practice practice. the guys at work laugh at me cause in down time i practice fig 4 triggers. snares and other types of things. just to pass time but should i need to use them i've found the ups and downs before hand so when needed it's more likely to work. I.E. the snare i made today was my first wire snare for the free slide part i just made a open hoop but after further thought you could use a small limb to make the hoop and get more uniform performance. just my @cent.
ah i hate double post
 
azshaman said:
I still think that knowledge--that PSK in your head--is the most important tool you have. Couple that with the confidence to use that knowledge and you become a survivor, no matter what scenario you find yourself in!
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Knowledge is the most important by far but does not guarantee a thing. History is littered with examples of fatalities made by so called experts in their fields.

Murphy is a bastard and doesnt care how confident you are, how much you know or the scenario you are in.

There are only 3 things that determine outcome:

Luck (the unknown Delta)
Actions (based on experience, physicality, knowledge base, fear or nothing)
Tool Use(based on experience, physicality, knowledge base, fear or nothing)

Dismissing tools for knowledge has cost people their lives. All the tools in the world in the hands of an idiot is useless. Luck is luck you have it or you dont.

Its a balance that must be struck, learn what you can and make smart choices , prepare and bring tools to make a difference or compliment your knowledge and lastly, hope your number is not up.

Skam
 
A fishing kit is the smallest part of my PSK. I use a little freebie pill box given out at my local pharmacy. All you need is some pre-tied leaders, a few split shot and a small bundle of Spiderwire. Add a small roll of small gauge wire for snares (which can be used for three dozen other things).

All the outdoor organizations push for taking the 10 (more like 14) essentials. It doesn't take much money or space to do that. Even the smallest day pack or hydration pack will carry them. If you make up a kit and put it all in a little stuff sack or zippered bag, you can switch it from one pack to another and always know that you have those items available.

I always say to play the movie (of your survival story) backwards and think how DUMB you are going to look if you go and get lost because you didn't have a compass and map, and you can't signal, or start a fire, or keep your butt dry for a night while half the countryside is out looking for you :D

This is NOT rocket science! Every story you read goes like "well, we weren't planning on going very far, but then Bob fell down, and we got turned around, and nobody back at the lodge knew we were going for a walk and, gee, by the third day, we were in pretty bad shape...." KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK-- get a CLUE people!

The items usually listed:
1. Map
2. Compass
3. Flashlight / Headlamp
4. Extra Food
5. Extra Clothes
6. Sunglasses
7. First-Aid Kit
8. Pocket Knife
9. Waterproof Matches
10. Firestarter
11. Water / Filter / Bottles
12. Whistle
13. Insect Repellents or Clothing
14. Sunburn Preventatives

And you ALWAYS tell somebody where you are going and when you plan to be back. And if you change your mind and go someplace different, you tell somebody so they can find your body and at least put your family at ease. Sheesh....
 
skammer said:
Knowledge is the most important by far but does not guarantee a thing. History is littered with examples of fatalities made by so called experts in their fields.

Murphy is a bastard and doesnt care how confident you are, how much you know or the scenario you are in.

There are only 3 things that determine outcome:

Luck (the unknown Delta)
Actions (based on experience, physicality, knowledge base, fear or nothing)
Tool Use(based on experience, physicality, knowledge base, fear or nothing)

Dismissing tools for knowledge has cost people their lives. All the tools in the world in the hands of an idiot is useless. Luck is luck you have it or you dont.

Its a balance that must be struck, learn what you can and make smart choices , prepare and bring tools to make a difference or compliment your knowledge and lastly, hope your number is not up.

Skam
Click to expand...

boy aint that a fact. luck will often save a man if his courage holds.:D
 
skammer said:
Knowledge is the most important by far but does not guarantee a thing. History is littered with examples of fatalities made by so called experts in their fields.

Murphy is a bastard and doesnt care how confident you are, how much you know or the scenario you are in.

There are only 3 things that determine outcome:

Luck (the unknown Delta)
Actions (based on experience, physicality, knowledge base, fear or nothing)
Tool Use(based on experience, physicality, knowledge base, fear or nothing)

Dismissing tools for knowledge has cost people their lives. All the tools in the world in the hands of an idiot is useless. Luck is luck you have it or you dont.

Its a balance that must be struck, learn what you can and make smart choices , prepare and bring tools to make a difference or compliment your knowledge and lastly, hope your number is not up.

Skam
Click to expand...

Respectfully, I was not “dismissing tools for knowledge” at all. A quick walk out in my backyard will show you what some very survival-minded people were able to accomplish with very few tools, however.

I love PSKs. Made my first one in the nuclear-war-paranoid 60’s as a Girl Scout from a Prince Albert tin and common household items. To this day I have little ones stashed everywhere for different needs, at home, in my vehicle, and in my pack, knife sheaths, etc. “Don’t leave home without it,” isn’t just a motto for me.

Mindset—attitude, knowledge, and experience—make a huge difference in any survival situation, as I’m sure you will agree. I can appreciate “been there, done that” first hand. I did SAR, have been a field paramedic, an ER RN, and endured some pretty exacting USAF survival instructors. I’m still learning new tricks every day from forums like this…because you just never know. And no, there are no guarantees. Ever.

The worst situation I ever had to survive required me to do so with very little in the way of tools. In the end, it was the confidence of knowing I could do it that kept panic at bay and allowed me to think clearly enough and employ what I knew to make it out.

Luck? Sometimes you get to make your own. And I wholeheartedly agree about Mr. Murphy; for awhile there I think I dated him!
 
Even if they eventually get dismantled or changed, I think that the very activity of making PSKs is valuable as a mental exercise. It gets you thinking creatively and resourcefully, which can improve your improvisational skills. I often make them up in my head to pass the time even if I don't end up making the same one in reality.
 
I agree about the general lack of utility of fishing-kit stuff per se in a survival kit. I might throw in a couple of fishhooks, because they take up almost no space and weigh next to nothing. I also often add a few yards of braided 65-80 pound fishing line (braided, not monofilament, since the braided acts like real cordage), not so much for fishing use as just because it's incredibly-strong cordage that you can wrap around something else and take up almost no space. My thought about fishing is that if you can tie a few hooks to a few lines, bait them with something, tie them to trees near a body of water, and then check on them the next morning, that level of fishing might be helpful. But I have to shake my head at people who take up pocket-survival-kit space with lures and flies and sinkers and things that require active fishing to use, and/or could be duplicated with field expedient items like, say, rocks.
 
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