I am going elk hunting next month and I have a small butt pack. Does anyone have a small list of survival gear I should carry in it. It has been a long time since I'v been out and I am sure I have over looked some important gear. Any help would be much appreciative. ;-)
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Survival pack list
- Thread starter Mike6273
- Start date
Be sure to check out www.equipped.org. Tons of good info there, including lists.
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- Mar 23, 2006
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I've seen a SAS Survival kit and am surprised that much of the things in it are all things that can be bought off the street! One thing I don't understand is why do they case it in a tin box which is not waterproofed?
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2005
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- 361
Headlamp with extra batteries
Map and compass
fire starter kit
ribbon to mark meat packing trail
knife
saw
heavy duty garbage bag
small first aid kit
lunch
water
TP
tag and license
camera
para cord
Map and compass
fire starter kit
ribbon to mark meat packing trail
knife
saw
heavy duty garbage bag
small first aid kit
lunch
water
TP
tag and license
camera
para cord
I believe that they expect you to be able to use the tin to boil water and maybe cook over a fire with it. It is not just a container.
If you have concerns about that, use some zip locks. I use plenty of them.
KR
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- May 19, 2005
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Since the question is what should be included in a survival kit, I'd leave the camera off the list. I'd also add something that I can boil water in. I'd also throw in a some high-energy snacks such as backpackers chocolate or powerbars. And there's no signaling devices here (mirror, whistle).
It won't fit into a fanny pack, but if you're carrying rain gear you might think about including a poncho. In addition to rain gear, it can be used to rig a shelter or even act as a ground cloth when you stop for lunch.
1 AA cell maglite
1 fox 40 whistle (orange color)
1 BIC dispossable lighter
1 waterproof plastic tube with strike anywhere matches
30 ft of paracord
1 pen flare launcher with 3 flares (remember to match your flares to your launcher, rim fire or center fire, you cannot mix the 2)
1 sharp stainless steel mora knife
1 compass with attached mirror
1 US army issue canteen cup ( most if not all items will fit inside the cup for storage)
1 small fishing kit containing 25ft for fishing line, assorted lures jigs and plain hooks in a small tin.
1 roll of orange survey tape
1 small pad of paper and a pencil
1 small jar of iodine tablets
1 large garbage bag
1 disposable plastic poncho
3 sugar packets
1 small ziploc bag filled with flattened TP
1 small first aid kit with a needle thread and a few buttons added
1 powerbar
1 metal tube wrapped with 10 ft of duct tape
Ill try to take a picture of the kit tonight to show you how small it is and incase I missed something.
1 fox 40 whistle (orange color)
1 BIC dispossable lighter
1 waterproof plastic tube with strike anywhere matches
30 ft of paracord
1 pen flare launcher with 3 flares (remember to match your flares to your launcher, rim fire or center fire, you cannot mix the 2)
1 sharp stainless steel mora knife
1 compass with attached mirror
1 US army issue canteen cup ( most if not all items will fit inside the cup for storage)
1 small fishing kit containing 25ft for fishing line, assorted lures jigs and plain hooks in a small tin.
1 roll of orange survey tape
1 small pad of paper and a pencil
1 small jar of iodine tablets
1 large garbage bag
1 disposable plastic poncho
3 sugar packets
1 small ziploc bag filled with flattened TP
1 small first aid kit with a needle thread and a few buttons added
1 powerbar
1 metal tube wrapped with 10 ft of duct tape
Ill try to take a picture of the kit tonight to show you how small it is and incase I missed something.
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- May 27, 2006
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- 2,325
This is a hunting essentials list, I, like Jason, like to have a camera with me when hunting, I agree with you about the whistle. Chris
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- May 19, 2005
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- 12,709
For a hunting essentials list I agree that the camera is probably a good addition. I don't hunt but I do hike and I like to carry a camera when I do that. So it makes perfect sense.
However, the title of the thread is "Survival pack" so I guess I somehow got sidetracked onto that subject.
I do not carry a "One size fits all" survival pack. I tailor my pack to the area I will be travelling in. Yes many of the core items will remain the same, but not all.
An example where I was deer hunting last week, the few very small creeks around do not have fish in them, and where the lake and river was located there were also houses. No need for fishing equipment.
One thing not mentioned but which I always do, is leave a dated note in my vehicle detailing what area I plan to be in and how long I expect to be gone.
Also know how to use the equipment you have, while being lost is not the time to open up the package and start reading the directions of what ever you have just grabbed.
If you haven't been using your compass all along then it is of limited use to start using once lost, unless you have a topographical map with you and you know how to use both.
An example where I was deer hunting last week, the few very small creeks around do not have fish in them, and where the lake and river was located there were also houses. No need for fishing equipment.
One thing not mentioned but which I always do, is leave a dated note in my vehicle detailing what area I plan to be in and how long I expect to be gone.
Also know how to use the equipment you have, while being lost is not the time to open up the package and start reading the directions of what ever you have just grabbed.
If you haven't been using your compass all along then it is of limited use to start using once lost, unless you have a topographical map with you and you know how to use both.
One thing you should have with you is the knowlage of how to use your gear, you can not simply add that to your pack, you must practice at least once. Go out and start a fire in your back yard with a fire bow or flint. Build a shelter using only natural materials ect. Reading a book can be of great help but practical knowlage and understanding is always better. Your ultimate goal of any survival kit is to make your ordeal more of an inconvenace than survival. You should always have a "plan B", so your delayed a day or 2 but you should always have a way out should something happen.
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- Jun 17, 2005
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- 361
Bulgron,
Your right about the camera, it doesn't belong in a survival kit. I just thru my fanny pack on the floor and just listed some of the stuff that always stays in mine. My compass has a mirror and I have a small altoid can kit in my pocket from the Doug Ritter school of thought and should have included that in my post.
My hunting almost always includes a backpack that I keep rain gear, game bags, my fanny pack and extra cloathes and some other things depending on season and location. I like a full size pack to be able to carry out meat if I get lucky.
ghostguy6 and coyotebc have added very important things that we all should do before heading out for the hunt.
Your right about the camera, it doesn't belong in a survival kit. I just thru my fanny pack on the floor and just listed some of the stuff that always stays in mine. My compass has a mirror and I have a small altoid can kit in my pocket from the Doug Ritter school of thought and should have included that in my post.
My hunting almost always includes a backpack that I keep rain gear, game bags, my fanny pack and extra cloathes and some other things depending on season and location. I like a full size pack to be able to carry out meat if I get lucky.
ghostguy6 and coyotebc have added very important things that we all should do before heading out for the hunt.
Though it can be lots of fun to put together a kit item by item, a fast, easy, and pretty cost effective way to put together a kit is to buy a Doug Ritter Pocket Survival Pak and then suppliment it with additional items as recommended by Doug in the material that comes with it:
>Pocket Survival Pak
>Folding knife w/ locking blade; >=2.5 in blade; one-handed opening
>Pocket-sized personal shelter: space blanket, bivvy sack, large bags, poncho
>Pocket-sized or key-chain flashlight: LED w/ constant-on switch
>First aid kit: such as the AMK Pocket Medic or Ultralight .5
>Personal supply of Water: container plus purification means such as the Katadyn Micropur MP1 purification tablets
>Personal medications if needed (rotate regularly)
>Waterproof matches: such as the REI Waterproof matches, though lots of folks add a Mini Bic lighter
>Personal Locator Beacon: if you've got the cash
In addition Doug recommends:
>Leave trip plan with a responsible person
>Travel with a companion
>Dress or take clothing for the weather
Doug's PSP contains:
>SparkLite Fire Starter
>4 SparkLite Tinder-Quik tabs
>Fox40 Howler Whistle
>Rescue Flash Signal Mirror
>20mm Survival Compass
>Duct Tape
>Stainless Steel Wire
>Braided Nylon Cord
>Black Nylon Thread
>Fishing Kit - 4 hooks, 2 split shots, 1 snap swivel
>HD Aluminum Foil
>Pencil & Waterproof Paper
>Scalpel Blade
>Survival Instructions
>Contents List
>Fresnel Lens Magnifier
>Vinyl Pouch
The items in the kit are first rate gear. I really think buying the kit and then supplimenting is cheaper unless you already have most of this stuff.
>Pocket Survival Pak
>Folding knife w/ locking blade; >=2.5 in blade; one-handed opening
>Pocket-sized personal shelter: space blanket, bivvy sack, large bags, poncho
>Pocket-sized or key-chain flashlight: LED w/ constant-on switch
>First aid kit: such as the AMK Pocket Medic or Ultralight .5
>Personal supply of Water: container plus purification means such as the Katadyn Micropur MP1 purification tablets
>Personal medications if needed (rotate regularly)
>Waterproof matches: such as the REI Waterproof matches, though lots of folks add a Mini Bic lighter
>Personal Locator Beacon: if you've got the cash
In addition Doug recommends:
>Leave trip plan with a responsible person
>Travel with a companion
>Dress or take clothing for the weather
Doug's PSP contains:
>SparkLite Fire Starter
>4 SparkLite Tinder-Quik tabs
>Fox40 Howler Whistle
>Rescue Flash Signal Mirror
>20mm Survival Compass
>Duct Tape
>Stainless Steel Wire
>Braided Nylon Cord
>Black Nylon Thread
>Fishing Kit - 4 hooks, 2 split shots, 1 snap swivel
>HD Aluminum Foil
>Pencil & Waterproof Paper
>Scalpel Blade
>Survival Instructions
>Contents List
>Fresnel Lens Magnifier
>Vinyl Pouch
The items in the kit are first rate gear. I really think buying the kit and then supplimenting is cheaper unless you already have most of this stuff.
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- May 19, 2005
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- 12,709
Something that I haven't seen here, but that I saw in Lundin's 98.6 Degrees, is to take a piece of aluminum foil with you to the trail head. Before heading out, lay the aluminum foil out on soft ground and step on it wearing the boots/shoes that you're hiking in. Leave this imprint of your feet in the vehicle (along with the note that others recommend) in case you don't get back as planned. If there's multiple people traveling with you, don't forget to write each person's name on their sheet of aluminum foil.
This gives trackers something to follow if they have to come looking for you.
Anyway, it seems like a decent idea to me. Anyone here ever do something like that?
This gives trackers something to follow if they have to come looking for you.
Anyway, it seems like a decent idea to me. Anyone here ever do something like that?
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- May 3, 2002
- Messages
- 6,192
First Aid Kit.
Don't buy one.
Go to a drug store/grocery store and buy a bunch of the BRAND NAME GOOD STUFF and make your own because if you ever NEED a First Aid Kit, you'll want/need the GOOD stuff and not the little cheap crap they give you in the read-made ones.
One of the smartest things I've ever done was to spend about $150 on REAL first aid supplies and made 3 nice kits in large ziplock bags - one for each of two vehicles and one for travel.
.
Don't buy one.
Go to a drug store/grocery store and buy a bunch of the BRAND NAME GOOD STUFF and make your own because if you ever NEED a First Aid Kit, you'll want/need the GOOD stuff and not the little cheap crap they give you in the read-made ones.
One of the smartest things I've ever done was to spend about $150 on REAL first aid supplies and made 3 nice kits in large ziplock bags - one for each of two vehicles and one for travel.
.
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2001
- Messages
- 376
No matter if your hiking or hunting, these are the 10 essentials that everyone should have when they venture into the wilderness.
Map. A map not only tells you where you are and how far you have to go, it can help you find campsites, water, and an emergency exit route in case of an accident.
Compass. A compass can help you find your way through unfamiliar terrain—especially in bad weather where you can't see the landmarks.
Water and a way to purify it. Without enough water, your body's muscles and organs simply can't perform as well: You'll be susceptible to hypothermia and altitude sickness. not to mention the abject misery of raging thirst.
Extra Food. Any number of things could keep you out longer than expected: a lengthy detour, getting lost, an injury, difficult terrain. A few ounces of extra food will help keep up energy and more.
Rain Gear and extra clothing. Because the weatherman is not always right. Especially above treeline, bring along extra layers. Two rules: Avoid cotton (it keeps moisture close to your skin), and always carry a hat.
Firestarter and matches. The warmth of a fire and a hot drink can help prevent an encounter with hypothermia. And fires are a great way to signal for help if you get lost.
First aid kit. Prepackaged first aid kits for hikers are available at outfitters. Double your effectiveness with knowledge: Take a basic first aid class with the American Red Cross or a Wilderness First Aid class, offered by many hiking organizations. Or build your own.
Army knife or multi-purpose tool. These enable you to cut strips of cloth into bandages, remove splinters, fix broken eyeglasses, and perform a whole host of repairs on malfunctioning gear—not to mention cut cheese and open cans.
Flashlight and extra bulbs. For finding your way in the dark and signaling for help.
Sun screen and sun glasses. Especially above treeline when there is a skin-scorching combination of sun and snow, you'll need sunglasses to prevent snowblindness, and sunscreen to prevent sunburn.
I got this list off a hiking website and many SAR experts recommend it.
Map. A map not only tells you where you are and how far you have to go, it can help you find campsites, water, and an emergency exit route in case of an accident.
Compass. A compass can help you find your way through unfamiliar terrain—especially in bad weather where you can't see the landmarks.
Water and a way to purify it. Without enough water, your body's muscles and organs simply can't perform as well: You'll be susceptible to hypothermia and altitude sickness. not to mention the abject misery of raging thirst.
Extra Food. Any number of things could keep you out longer than expected: a lengthy detour, getting lost, an injury, difficult terrain. A few ounces of extra food will help keep up energy and more.
Rain Gear and extra clothing. Because the weatherman is not always right. Especially above treeline, bring along extra layers. Two rules: Avoid cotton (it keeps moisture close to your skin), and always carry a hat.
Firestarter and matches. The warmth of a fire and a hot drink can help prevent an encounter with hypothermia. And fires are a great way to signal for help if you get lost.
First aid kit. Prepackaged first aid kits for hikers are available at outfitters. Double your effectiveness with knowledge: Take a basic first aid class with the American Red Cross or a Wilderness First Aid class, offered by many hiking organizations. Or build your own.
Army knife or multi-purpose tool. These enable you to cut strips of cloth into bandages, remove splinters, fix broken eyeglasses, and perform a whole host of repairs on malfunctioning gear—not to mention cut cheese and open cans.
Flashlight and extra bulbs. For finding your way in the dark and signaling for help.
Sun screen and sun glasses. Especially above treeline when there is a skin-scorching combination of sun and snow, you'll need sunglasses to prevent snowblindness, and sunscreen to prevent sunburn.
I got this list off a hiking website and many SAR experts recommend it.