Survival must haves advice.

andrew, when I said car camping, I meant we drove in the car to the camp site and unloaded the mass ammount of crap that we brought. I am looking to cut that down to the needed, and cut out the extra stuff. I would like the ability to drive to a location, grab my pack, and walk in a few miles to camp somewhere off the path.

Besides, going this route will help me lose the love handles I seem to have found a few years ago, and in a way that is fun.
 
Don Rearic said:
David,

Are you talking about the USMC Combat Tent made by Eureka? If so, can you explain how to use just that fly as a shelter? A picture would be great. 8-)

TIA

Don
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Email sent, didn't want to highjack the thread too much.

David
 
Go out with some friends one weekend, they stay at a camp with food and have fun. you go a half mile or further in alone, with a blade, minimal food and some water, and stay there for the couple days, (no cheating)..you'll find out, just what you think you need personally, and how hard it might be to carry in the future, stay safe..
 
dbltap45acp said:
Echo4v, dont worry brotha, I would like to learn as well, isnt that why we are all here.
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Well, since another has asked...Here is what we did.

Start with the tent fly ( or slick) layed out then put the poles on with the velcro tabs. The fly I had ( some were a little different because more than one company actually makes the ones that are issued ) had these little sardine can keys attached to it by black bungie cords, and those sardine keys went in the ends of the poles. Then two people ( one on each end of the pole) bent the poles and jabbed them into the ground. Then we just staked it out with the stakes and lines. It's about the same amount of trouble as putting up the tent but definately more comfy in hot weather and weighs a lot less.

As I told Don, no pics as camera flashes were frowned upon on patrols. Plus we only put these up at or after dark and they were down before sun up.

David
 
dbltap45acp said:
andrew, when I said car camping, I meant we drove in the car to the camp site and unloaded the mass ammount of crap that we brought. I am looking to cut that down to the needed, and cut out the extra stuff. I would like the ability to drive to a location, grab my pack, and walk in a few miles to camp somewhere off the path.

Besides, going this route will help me lose the love handles I seem to have found a few years ago, and in a way that is fun.
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Ohh ok, I guess our definitions of car camping are a little different. I suppose I can add a little info as to what I usually bring for that sort of trip:


Food: snacks and meal (usually some nuts and hot dogs or something to cook on a fire)

Water: the climate will dictate how much, its nice to bring a steel bottle to boil with.

Shelter: Tent/tarp, sleeping bag/blanket

Knife: fixed, folder, and multi-tool

PSK: various survival gear, each person has their own preferences for this and there are dozens of threads on this already so I won't go into details.

Clothes: rain gear if they are predicting rain, change of socks.

Other than that I find I really don't need any other gear, but that is pretty minimalist.
 
David,

Thanks! I don't know if you and I are talking about the same rain fly but I will dig it out this weekend and take a picture of it and start another thread. I never thought of actually using it as a stand-alone shelter, perhaps it will work pretty good for that.

I purchased by USMC tent second hand, they screwed me out of the second set of poles for the rain fly so unless I go out and buy other poles that will work, it might be better served as some type of really light improvised shelter!
 
Not to hijack this any more, but there are a lot of tents that are designed to be set up in a 'fast pack' mode with just the fly and the footprint. Using the footprint as well allows them to be free-standing. There are some pics of a Sierra Designs set up that way here.
 
More of a must-do than a must-have: when you are going to leave the car behind and trek alone, let a friend know whereabouts you'll be, a description of your vehicle and where it'll be parked, and approximately when you expect to return, then call them when you do return.

I used to not do this at all, thinking it was for wimps. Then I heard about the guy who got his hand trapped by a shifting boulder - he amputated his hand. http://www.adventureinsider.com/Gear-Reviews/ , Aron Ralston.

That changed my mind pretty quickly. I think someone here recently posted about falling down a steep slope unexpectedly, having some gear break, and how it changed his mind about how easy it is to get into a serious situation. It's in the gear redundancy / paranoia thread, I believe.

Or, don't tell anyone where you're going, and when you get into a crazy situation, you can survive, write a book about it, and profit! :eek: ;)
 
General hiking gear list:

Pack
Stuff sacks
Trekking poles or staff
Shelter
Ground cloth
Sleeping bag
Sleeping pad

Water container
Water filter or chemicals

Cooking stove and fuel
Cook pot
Cup and bowl
Spoon or spork
Food
Spare food

Map and compass
Personal survival kit (PSK)
First aid kit
Flashlight and/or headlamp & spare batteries
Whistle
Knife
Sunscreen
Insect repellent
Sunglasses
Line/rope
Duct tape
Hotel "freebie" sewing kit
Several kinds of fire starters

Toilet paper
Potty trowel
Personal hygiene -- tooth care, soap, hand sanitizer, etc.

Clothing:
Polyester base layer
Spare socks
Insulation layer
Windproof layer
Outer shell
Rain shell
Gloves
Hat
Boots
Bandana

That's what I consider the basics and I was deliberately generic and vague. The Devil is in the details. Cost is between $250 and $1000, weight from 12 to 40 pounds. There are good hiking forums at Backpackinglight.com and Whiteblaze.net. Backpackgeartest.org is another excellent resource.

I recommend simple and light. Take only what you will use, with a little CYA for survival essentials and first aid. With a little research and shopping the sales you can put together a kit that will take you anywhere in the world except the extreme altitudes and polar regions. My basic kit is 12 pounds less fuel, food and water and fits in what most would consider a day pack.

Good luck and enjoy the journey :)
 
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