- Joined
- Jun 5, 2007
- Messages
- 145
A great topic in light of the catastrophy in Japan and great information above.
In fact, the Japan disaster has forced me to rethink and re-prepare my emergency kits which are somewhat of a light BOB-kit. I'm looking for a way to keep myself fed and hydrated for a few days while making it to a family meeting spot with more food and shelter. So, my needs are probably a bit different than most (and are a bit lighter).
Still, the core focus is the same -- make surviving not only possible but resonable and expected. The mental lift of knowing you're prepared goes a LONG way in these sorts of situations. So, I've been researching and building my ideal kits and the knife/blade topic has kept me focused.
I think too much focus is put on one knife doing it all. There is no such thing as the "perfect" knife that does everything - just good knives for each situation. So, I rather than get a larger knife for everything, I wound up with a Fiskars X7 Hatchet (highly recommended and light weight for a hatchet) and an ESEE 4 for most knife duties. Even then, the ESEE 4 is a bit thick for find bushcraft work but it'll do (makes a decent feather stick but a thinner knive would have been a bit better). Still, it'll take a beating (see the always controversial knife tests review) and the 1095 steel is well heat treated by Rowen. It's easier to field sharpen than the "fancier" steels (S30V) and is cheaper to boot. So I bought two! One for my car kit and one for my home kit.
I'll stay away from the firearm aspect and the other BOB kit elements as that's a WHOLE other topic!
My only recommendation is to go out and use the gear that is in your BOB kit so you are familiar with it, know its limitations, and are confident in using it.
In fact, the Japan disaster has forced me to rethink and re-prepare my emergency kits which are somewhat of a light BOB-kit. I'm looking for a way to keep myself fed and hydrated for a few days while making it to a family meeting spot with more food and shelter. So, my needs are probably a bit different than most (and are a bit lighter).
Still, the core focus is the same -- make surviving not only possible but resonable and expected. The mental lift of knowing you're prepared goes a LONG way in these sorts of situations. So, I've been researching and building my ideal kits and the knife/blade topic has kept me focused.
I think too much focus is put on one knife doing it all. There is no such thing as the "perfect" knife that does everything - just good knives for each situation. So, I rather than get a larger knife for everything, I wound up with a Fiskars X7 Hatchet (highly recommended and light weight for a hatchet) and an ESEE 4 for most knife duties. Even then, the ESEE 4 is a bit thick for find bushcraft work but it'll do (makes a decent feather stick but a thinner knive would have been a bit better). Still, it'll take a beating (see the always controversial knife tests review) and the 1095 steel is well heat treated by Rowen. It's easier to field sharpen than the "fancier" steels (S30V) and is cheaper to boot. So I bought two! One for my car kit and one for my home kit.
I'll stay away from the firearm aspect and the other BOB kit elements as that's a WHOLE other topic!
My only recommendation is to go out and use the gear that is in your BOB kit so you are familiar with it, know its limitations, and are confident in using it.