survival kit

ajcz said:
i was thinking a 3 day training pack and what would be a good relativatly cheap fixed blade knife?
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For years I have been using a Swiss Army gas mask bag as my "kit". I added a couple of inside pockets, and a water flask. It has an adjustable shoulder strap and a loop on the back to attach it to your belt for security when walking. The U.S. Army butt pack works well too if you pick up some acessory straps to add to it.

As for the cheap, good fixed knife? Imperial Schrade is no longer in business, but their knives are still plentiful on eBay. The Safe-T-Grip series of fixed blades have thermoplastic rubber handles (a Kraton material), 400 series stainless blades, and a tough ballistic nylon sheath. Best of all, you can nab one for under $20 on eBay. The 140OT Trail Boss is a larger 10 3/4" "bowie" style, the 141OT Outfitter is a 9 1/2" drop point, the 142OT Guidemaster is a 9 1/8" clip blade, and the 143OT Blade Runner is a 9 1/2" guthook knife. Any of these would make a good field knife. If you prefer something even smaller, check out the Schrade 152OT Sharpfinger. It is a 7 1/4" skinner pattern and rides on a belt like a feather! I've used these on everything from squirrels to large deer. And best of all, a good used one still costs less than $20! Or a new one for less than $40.

Codger
 
Check out the Mora knives if you're on a budget. There are other knives out there that are better suited under certain conditions, but the little mora's are a great little knife for the little bit of money you'll spend to get it.

Being a scout, you're probably up to date on the BSA Hotspark. It'd be difficult to find a better sparking tool for the few dollars you'd spend for one. A disposable lighter with an adjustable flame is always a good companion. The spark-lite firestarting kit gives you a sparking tool and tinder in one compact package and they are relatively inexpensive as well.

A way to carry water, like a canteen of some kind, or a water bottle. Add to that a bandana and coffee filters to prefilter water prior to chemical treatment. Some water filtration systems clog over time, so I've found that prefiltering will save a lot of headaches down the road with your main filter system. Besides your canteen, keep a couple of gallon sized freezer grade ziploc bags for carrying larger quatities of water. They fold up small and don't take up much room in a kit. Carry some kind of chemical treatment, even if you have a filtration system.

Signal equipment like a LOUD whistle, signal mirror and bright flashlight like an LED with strobe will cover both day and night. Smoke is a good signal, but if you burn down the forest, they'll charge ya for it.

Some type of shelter. Cordage like 550# rated parachute shroud line and untreated jute twine work great. They can also be used as firestarter in a pinch. The USGI poncho, a small tarp, sportsmans blanket and even a HD contractors bag will provide shelter from sun, wind and rain. I prefer the USGI poncho, as it's durable and reusable. Add the sportsmans blanket and you have an insulated sleep system.

Being able to read a map and use a compass will prove itself to be invaluable in the wilderness and even in urban situations.

Did I mention a knife?:D Keep at least two edged tools in your kit. I just recently picked up a Victorinox German Army (Bundeswehr) issue utility knife that's based on the Victorinox one hand open trekker SAK. It's an excellent survival knife in my opinion. Another knife I own that I can highly recommend in place of the Mora I mentioned earlier is the Becker BK-7. You can assymble an excellent sheath based survival kit with this knife and either incorporate it into your master survival kit or use it as a stand alone emergency kit.
 
For the knife, the mora is a good option. Another good option is the Buck 473, Diamondback Guide, that I described in another thread. They sell for $15 to $20 and have a thermosplastic rubber grip, nylon sheath, and 3 1/8 inch blade. My first fixed blade was a Mora- and I still have/ use it. However, the wood handle is a definite downside.

Shelter- something that really has not been discussed. Obviously, oyu don't want to list a large tent in a kit- you wasnt something that you can carry around with you. In fact, even a pup tent with stakes and poles will be bulky.
The British Basha Shelters aere somewhat more compact. Even moreso, is the Stormsurge S3 Tarp, http://www.stormsurgestore.com/inde...facturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=36
They are costly, but I have heard some descent things about them. They are also very compact.

I would recommend having a 'space blanket' in the kit as well. They can be an aid in preserving warmth, which is necesary in sustaining life. They are compact and you can get one at Wal-Mart for $2.

Also, make sure to have some basic first aid items handy. Know how to use them. Injuries or ailments that are left untreated can be your downfall.
 
mp510 said:
For the knife, the mora is a good option. . . . My first fixed blade was a Mora- and I still have/ use it. However, the wood handle is a definite downside.
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MORA's include several with plastic handles, including the model issued to the military "over there." (www.ragweedforge.com) Hockey tape over the MORA red wood handle gives a better grip. Good values.

Shelter- something that really has not been discussed. Obviously, oyu don't want to list a large tent in a kit- you wasnt something that you can carry around with you.
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"98.6," inclusive of shelter:

fires for warmth

clothing

survival blankets - $2.00 and better. The better ones take more space but are MUCH tougher

brush shelters

tarps - bought, made at home, improvised -- of all sorts. (One candidate last week had cut open a antifreeze green plastic air mattress. It wad not been much as an air mattress, but it was a stout tarp that made his shelter quite rain-tight AND had real potential for signaling.)

ponchoes (a tarp with a hole in it)

plastic bags (a poncho in need of a hole)

> but also trenches, trees, banks, caves. (Just being next to the trunk of a thick spruce keeps lots of precip - or sun - off..)


As for first aid, meeting the first requirement for the WSMB (included in so many MB's these days) will go a long way toards your requirements in the real world, as well as the requirements for the MB.
 
ok so far i have:

2 Large sewing needles
15 feet of heavy duty thread
4 gallon size ziploc bags
4 quart size ziploc bags
50 foot of 550# paracord
my zippo (always EDC except school)
my leatherman kick (also EDC)
a marine whistle
a bic lighter for in the kit it self
1 space blanket
1 water proof container containing several tylenol and ibprofen
a flint magbar thingy
my map compass
a 20$ bill
10 assorted fishing hooks
5 rubber worm lures (assorted)
school id (to identify my corpse if it comes to that)
my unknown swiss army knife (in the kit)
PA plus water pureifaction tabs and flavor removor tabs
stack of coffe filters and cheesecloth
2 chem lights


oh and my father has a old schrade sharpfinger and the tip is broken off about a half inch from where the point should be is there any way to get a point back on it by grinding but still keep the same curve to it?
 
Unknown swiss army knife? Don't risk your life on a piece of junk. Get the real deal if you can. Meaning, Victorinox or Wenger made.
 
The curve will change, but it will still be a very useful knife. I've reprofiled quite a few. Just go slowly so as to not change the temper by overheating the knife. Mark the blade with a magic marker and reshape to your marks.

Consider adding a couple of old copper pennies to your kit. They come in real handy. You can beat them into dart points, fish hooks, and quite a few other useful items. Newer pennies are copper plated zinc, and brittle, so they won't work. Old worn "wheat" cents are easy to find and cheap.

Codger
 
my swiss army knife is victorinox but no one can help with the sheild on it and why it is different than the newer ones
 
Ajcz,

Divide your kit list up by function. Fire, Water, Shelter, Navigation, Signals, Food gathering/food prep, Minor Meds, Light. That helps you make sure you cover your basic needs.

I think you are short on shelter. I would include two extra heavy duty contractor sized garbage bags. They can be opened up to make two plastic sheets that you can use for a shelter. That way you can wrap up in your space blanket under a waterproof roof.

If you are going to depend on plastic sheeting or space blankets you need to include about a meter or so of duct tape for repairs. I have my space blanket in it's original plastic bag wrapped with about 2 meters of duct tape.

I would also include an LED type light (Photon microlight, Inova, etc) You can find them at Wal-mart for under $10. They take up little space but provide a good volume of light for their size. They can be seen for about a mile. All of my kits have one.

A candle stub will help you with lighting fires or lighting your camp. It can also be used under a poncho or inside a shelter for heat. If you include birthday candles in a mini-kit get the trick kind that relight when blown out. Candles need to be wrapped in plastic wrap to keep wax off the rest of your stuff. In a kit of your size I would recommend about three inches of normal candle.

The Mora knives are one of the best buys out there. When I run my course down here I issue each student a MORA Swedish Army Knife (SWAK). I have them set up with a BSA Hotspark on a paracord wrist lanyard.

You should include a small signal mirror. Any small mirror will do in a pinch until you can upgrade. You can make a day/night mirror by adding a reflector sticker to the back of your mirror. That way you will show up in a searchlight. You can find such stickers in bike or auto parts stores. Remember, people get resuced when they get SEEN. Signals are a top priority, you have to have the ability to signal day and night.

One of the best all-around firemaking tinders is also the simplest and cheapest to make. Saturate cotton balls with vaseline, wrap the saturated cotton balls in a paper towel and squeeze out the extra. The cotton, onced fluffed up, will light on fire with a spark from the mag bar or Zippo once it runs out of fuel. A 35 mm film can of this will go a long way for starting fires.

You need to come up with some way to boil water. There are all sorts of tricks out there from using paper cups to oven bags. Get yourself an aluminum cup or a small pot and pack other small items inside it. You can use heavy duty foil in a pinch but you won't get long term use out of it over the course of a few days.

I have long had the practice of dividing my survival kit into two containers. I have a belt pack kit that normally stays in a pouch on my pack and my BK-7/Altoids tin kit that stays on my belt. I also keep a US Army canteen, cup, and stove sleeve with PA Plus and a mini-bic in the pocket.

Once you have your kit set up then practice with it or at least duplicates of the stuff you included in the kit. There is no substitute for hands-on experience with such things. Mac (edited for spelling)
 
pict said:
A candle stub will help you with lighting fires or lighting your camp. It can also be used under a poncho or inside a shelter for heat.
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Pict, my mind is officially boggled. You can't possibly mean what I think you mean here -- a lit candle under your poncho? Freezing to death is a Bad Thing, I admit, but so is burning to death. Could this really be done safely? What am I missing here?
 
Joel,

This is not a walking around thing to do.

Here's the scene. Its a cold, damp, drizzly day and you are wet on arms and legs, damp under your poncho. You find a place out of the wind and rain where you can sit elevated above the ground, a rock, log, like sitting in a chair. Blouse the poncho around you so that the edges are on the ground and your entire body is under the poncho, head in the hood. Light the candle and put it on a rock on the ground between your feet holding your hands in front of you so they can be warmed by the heat coming up from the candle. The heat will fill the space under the poncho and drift up through the neck hole, warming and drying you as it does.

You do have to keep the poncho away from the flame, but as it is low and you are sitting above it this is easier than it sounds. Mac (edited for clarity)
 
Nylon dental floss is strong enough to lash light poles for shelter-building. If it fits your needles, so much the better.

Sound analysis by the pict man BUT. The candle/poncho thing sounds dicey. I doubt that the Scout MB Counselor would go for it. It HAS been kicking around for decades. Some have tried it, and I admit that I have no personal knowledge of misadventures. My probelm is that you'd only use it when cold and clumsy, and clumsy (or sleepy :eek: ) might end up causing holes in your "force field" -- or worse. One wilderness survival concept is that, because your margin for error is greatly reduced by your limited resources and situation, additional risks need to be limited to the absolute minimum.
 
What are you using to carry your kit in?


…Assuming that there’s room, here’s what I would add:


- Aluminum pot with lid (for cooking and collecting/purifying water).

- Water bottle and/or canteen.

- AA Mini Mag Light (preferably with a Nite-Ize LED conversion) w/ spare batteries.

- Photon I LED (back up light).

- Flagging tape.

- Signal Mirror.

- Spare compass.

- First Aid kit.

- “trick” birthday candles (the kind that won’t blow out).

- Petroleum jelly cotton balls sealed in a drinking straw.

- BSA Hot Spark.

- Spare Bic or Mini-Bic lighter.

- Pencil/ waterproof writing paper.

- Snare wire (Stainless steel or brass).

- Duct Tape (small flat roll or wrap around something like a flashlight or a match safe).

- Safety pins.

- Bandana (bright colored).

- Sunglasses.

- Sunscreen.

- DEET insect repellant.

- Lip balm.

- Poncho.

- Large heavy duty garbage bags (preferably clear or bright colored).

- Plastic garden trowel.

- Folding pruning saw.

- Full tang fixed blade knife with a 3 – 6” blade (reground Sharpfinger would be OK). Check with your Scout Master first – Fixed blade knives may not by permitted!

- Survival info cheat sheet (air to ground signals, navigation, first aid, knots etc.).


Personally I wouldn’t include the Zippo (fuel evaporates out of ‘em after a couple days) nor the mag bar thingy (it’s a pain to scrape off the magnesium shavings). For me, a couple of Bics, a BSA Hotspark, some “trick” candles and petroleum jelly cotton balls would be a better way to go.



Take care,



- Frank
 
my zippo is [/U]ALWAYS[/U] with me and full and when i go camping i bring a little fluid to top it off before bed if i use it or every 2 days because its habbit and i was thinking still about what to put in i was lookig at this

and adding a little more like a few feet of aluminium foil folded up and bandaids i am looking at getting a mora and a fiskars or gerber hatchet and attaching it to a US military wide belt along with two canteens and a cup and little stove that goes over the canteen
 
ajcz said:
i was thinking a 3 day training pack and what would be a good relativatly cheap fixed blade knife?
Click to expand...

USAF Pilot survival knife. Good knife, Not a lot of bucks.
 
i found a Becker BK7 or a BK10 for around 39.50 each i was thinking of getting one wich one would you all advise?
 
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