Survival Gear

"petroleum jelly and 100% cotton balls" "Duct Tape"

Great classics, you guys are really giving this youngin some good advice.

@JoepReinen

If you don't mind me asking, what are your school grades like? If you can have you Mom or Dad send me an email with proof you have good grades I'll send you a gift from the United States Air Force.

I just have to figure out how to turn my email on LOL
 
goodeyesniper said:
Knives are way down on the list.

KNOWLEDGE is first and foremost, shoes and pack are second as their comfort or lack thereof can make or break you.

After that, survival pyramid goes Shelter, water, food. So you want to be most prepared in that order. a lightweight tarp can be used for anything from a shelter, sleeping pad, water securing device, etc... Pair the tarp with some paracord and you can make a variety of easy shelters with little to no wood chopping necessary. some type of stainless steel canteen/cup/pot for gathering and boiling water, also water purifying tablets/iodine. A knife can definitely come in handy for making shelter, I'd recommend a SAK Hiker or some type of leatherman. Food: can you snare or fish? If not, taking fishing line might be worthless. Take some high calorie bars, trail mix, etc...

There are a lot of little things that come in handy but aren't necessarily necessary. handkerchief can be a bandage, water filter, hot/cold compress, etc... whistle

Learning the area is key. Know the temperature range for when you are there, pack accordingly. Know what is available as fish, game, or wild edible plants and such. Know the terrain and where near roads/rivers/lakes/towns are. stuff like that.
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Signaling gear is before the others in your list of priorities IMO. You want to survive a couple days before they find you or signal for help and get rescued in an hour? ;)
 
Squirrel442 said:
@JoepReinen

If you don't mind me asking, what are your school grades like? If you can have you Mom or Dad send me an email with proof you have good grades I'll send you a gift from the United States Air Force.

I just have to figure out how to turn my email on LOL
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Very nice gesture Squirrel :thumbup:

I believe you can turn on your e-mail by going into settings (top right of screen)
 
Lots of excellent suggestions and observations.

Try it this way. What do you need to survive?

You need to stay at or near 98.6
You need to stay hydrated.
You need to be able to move about the area safely
You need to get rest/sleep.
You need to avoid the hazards of nature, such as critters who want your blood or food, or dangerous weather.
Food would be nice - or essential
You may need to signal for help.
You may need to give first aid - to yourself or others.

So what do you think you need in terms of knowledge, skills, experience, and gear to meet these needs?

You will probably believe more strongly in what you decide than in what others tell you.

(So here's one idea: 1-a-day vitamin/mineral pill + a McD's pack of salt + 1 qt water = functional equivalent of 1 qt of Gatorade = ability to sweat)
 
toilet paper

You can use other stuff, but that just sucks.

Thomas Linton said it very well. Listen to him.
 
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What about a spare pair of eyeglasses in case you wear them? All the gear in the world isn't going to help you out of a near/far sighted situation.
 
Your best survival item will be your brother and your clothes. Do not wander off and stay dry/warm. Realistically you can not reliably survive in the woods unsupported for a prolonged period of time. Very few people can. In an emergency it is best to be able to call the cavalry and to then wait for the cavalry.

For calling the cavalry:
- Fully charged cellphone, and camp within reception range.
- Follow a pre-planned route, let others know what the route is, and have designated check in times which if exceeded by 3 hours will result in search and rescue being sent out. Stay on the pre-planned route. If you get lost or separated from others do not wander off aimlessly. If you can reliably backtrack your step do so, otherwise wait for rescue.
- Some high visibility cloth that can be seen from the air and a signal mirror could also be useful.

Gear for waiting for the cavalry:
-Temperature appropriate clothing, with an extra safety insulating layer (long underwear, warm socks, fleece, watch cap) in case things turn cold.
-Extra food and water.
-Waterproof poncho/tarp to string up overhead.
-Fire is a nice bonus, but if you have done your part to stay dry and have warm clothes it should not be necessary. A folding saw, lighter and long burning candle should do the trick.
 
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If you can reliably backtrack your step do so
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Buddy of mine always said, look behind you as you go forward. When you turn around everything looks different.
 
ESEE 3 is kind of thin for my taste. I prefer the esee 4. Some people may say that the extra 1/16 of an inch dosnt matter but id rather be safe than sorry.
 
I might have missed it, but I think a GOOD compass is important. And read a book on how to use it, before going out.

Allot of good info and most of the items mentioned will not take up allot of space.
 
First, your own education. Start with something basic, like reading up from the classics, like the Book of Camping and Woodcraft by Kephardt. People from 100 years ago had knowledge and insight, without the luxuries of cellphones or exotic technology. It's available as a free PDF if you surf enough libraries.

Clothing is next, the basic premise is what to avoid. First, nothing tight fitting, loose is better. Natural fabrics are preferred, don't depend on old Goretex or hand me downs, they were discarded because they were failing. Cotton is not necessarily all that good, a good wetting in early Spring in cotton and you discover hypothermia. Nylon hiking pants with mesh lining aren't much better.

Wool is the better fabric in many situations, even in summer. Layering is important, too. Footgear should match the durability needed for the terrain, it can be overdone, as the SAS found in Iraq - again, Goretex got them into more trouble than it helped.

This goes to the question, what is the "best," and frankly, there is no best. There is what you need, and works better, which is something else. "Best" is a sociological hierarchy set up in a competitive atmosphere, not a weighed choice among alternate options.

If you can't make it overnight in the clothes you wear on you during the day, they aren't adequate. Dress for the 24 hour cycle, not the high temp or low. That means some moderation, not necessarily total comfort at all times.

After that, water. Some means of holding sufficient quantities of it is the problem, we consume more daily than we can comfortably carry. If there is one thing to note from early American exploration, it's that we used the natural rivers to transverse the country. Not only for an easy method of transportation, but as a constant source of water. Humans need a constant supply, it's use and disposition as a waste are the primary requirements in daily life. Hence the admonition in a Civil War manual that water obtained upstream from the campsite makes better coffee.

Then food. Camping outdoors brings on stress the first three days. Change of diet, schedule, sleeping conditions, and high activity levels hit a lot of soldiers by the third day of deployment, bananas, yogurt, and multivitamins start coming out from the depths of the older duffel bags.

In a real world survivlal situation, three days is a long time, and the primary task is to stay warm enough and then hydrated enough. Avoid the things that make it "cool" enough tho, especially if it's that "best" stuff that cannot be absolutely guaranteed to hang your life on.

'Cause, there is no best. Just sort out what is better.
 
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