This looks interesting

A

Amos Iron Wolf

Joined
Mar 7, 2006
Messages
2,171
Checking the link in another post here for Major Surplus and Survival I came across this.
http://www.majorsurplusnsurvival.co...een=PROD&Product_Code=115940&Category_Code=33

My first reaction was yeah, probably cheesy stuff. Then I read the description and was thinking this might be a quick way to add an emergency kit to a vehicle or two for a reasonable price (and I consider $100 to be a bit of money). It actually seems well kitted. I like that they thought of things liike a knit cap and moleskin. Even the knife is 440 instead of 420.

I would like to hear other's thoughts on this and especially if someone actually has or has seen this setup. It probably won't measure up to what a person could put together for their particular situation, but it does seem well rounded and at a price that even buying cheap (shudder) stuff would cost as much or more.

Of course, you could also use the list as a good guideline for putting together your own kit. <g>

I have a tendency to keep planning and replanning (overthinking) kits and never seem to get around to putting one together to stuff in the car and just leave.

Figured it might make a good discussion starter.
 
Thing about those kits are, you can make one up yourself for half the price with componants that are twice the quality. Tailor it more to you and your type of vehicle and climate.
 
I agree, the knife pictured is a Frost POS. Total if you bought everything separately might cost you 50.00. For what they are asking, you can get a very nice, high quality kit put together. Something else to think about is that high price doesn't always mean high quality and the reverse is also true. The POS knife they show would cost you 10.00 on ebay and I'd much rather have a Mora for the same price.
 
Yeah, I went back and looked closer. Good packing list, bad gear. In my haste I read the "Savings" to be the price. $77 IF the bag and pack were good, but $136, no way. :o I already have two or three smaller packs and a large Lowe Vector from my Army days. I'll may actually get around to packing them if I get a chance to start travelling again. I already have most of what would be needed on hand. I need a few new/used military type ponchos and liners or similar for hooch and other use. Now if I could bear to dedicate a few of my fixed blades to kits. I like having them around to fiddle with <g>.

I was surprised as I haven't seen a full kit set up listed before anywhere.

Half the fun of asking the question to see what discussion it might bring up. Such as, do any of you feel the packing list is a good one, what is left out, and/or what do you consider overkill?

For car use would't it make more sense to keep a well organized kit in some plastic storage tubs and perhaps a small knapsack in there in the event you did have to walk out. Generally it would make more sense in most situations to stay with the car unless certain conditions warranted getting away from the area in a hurry?

Do any of you subscribe to the idea of the more you know the less you need in minimalizing an emergency kit?

I've heard good things about the Mora and am thinking of getting a handful to just stash around for availability. And one or two to keep at hand.

Thanks for the replies.
 
The emergency G.O.O.D. pack is a long winded subject worthy of hours of reading and so forth.
If you really like that pack/setup then by all means buy it , you can always toss out the cheap junk and implement with quality , such as a Mora/etc.
Overkill ? One of my favorite old sayings is 'its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it' , however can you really carry every possible thing you could need at any given time ? Not really....
So it's best to sit down and figure out what suits you best , using the ideas and suggestions of others.
As for that pack , if I liked the contents and though about getting it , I would first look at the ingredients , and think , how many of those do I have sitting around in a drawer or box somewhere , how could I improve (cost effective of course) on the quality of the items, i.e. flashlight , knife , compass.

It is pretty fun making your own bug out/emergency kit , at the end you have the satisfaction of saving a few bucks and knowing exactly what is inside.
You have to think about who will use this kit , is it just you , or do you have a mate and kids , what about Grandma , etc... All of that can heavily modify any such kit.
Is it summer or winter where you are ? You dont have much use for a wool cap , sweater and mittens if it's summer , although..... things do happen. hehe , tricky isnt it.
Wiegh all of that and decide what is best for you and yours , you could even make different packs , label so you know what pack is what (green pack is summer pack with extra stuff for family, black is winter pack for myself) etc.
Just ideas...
Really one just needs the basics and the skills to use those basics , its pointless putting a steel and flint in if you dont know how to use it , etc.

Good luck and have fun.
 
Amos Iron Wolf said:
Do any of you subscribe to the idea of the more you know the less you need in minimalizing an emergency kit?
Click to expand...

Ideally, that is how it is supposed to work and it's a good goal to work towards. However, my thinking is that, even if you have the skills and knowledge, keep the dependable gear with you and your chances of survival will be that much better.
 
I actually want to break this down..
Bag- "in the car" Alice pack- $15 on ebay with frame
Knife- for a "in the car" kit, I keep a tramontina machete, and a mora. both bought for under $10 (total)
Canteen-$1 at every gun/knife show I've ever been at. $2-$3 from most army/navy stores with covers.
Sewing Kit-$1 Dollar Store.
Tube Tent-grab another tarp $8 wal mart
Knit Cap-I bought a sweet Goretex lined knit cap for $5 over christmas
Wipes- Travel aisle at target.. $1 for 10 charmin wet wipes.
Moleskin I buy the 100 pack for $10.. but thats a lot more then is included in the kit.. so we'll say $5 for what you need.
Tarp- $8 at walmart
Compass- cheap $5 wal mart compass is better then that POS they included in the kit.
Stove with Fuel Tabs-Pepsi stove w/ denatured alchohol $5
Nylon line- this is "fake" paracord.you can buy a 50 ft length at wal-mart for under $2. I've hung over 300lbs from it without breaking.
sleeping bagIf your just gonna stash this in a car.. I suggest a US surplus wool blanket.$5
Flashlight-not gonna make this suggestion.. it's your preference.
Poncho-$2 anywhere
Water Proof matches- $1 for strike anywhere matches, $1 for cheap clear nail polish.
Utensils- Did somebody say, Mcdonalds?
Bug spray- $5 Maxi Deet-- Walmart
AA bats- $1 dollar store
First Aid kit- Same kit they include can be bought for $1 at target, in the travel supplies area.

For the kit you linked.. it's 136.95+ 15.95 S&H

What I've listed- $82 without flashlight, if my math is correct.

That extra $70 can do a lot with the kit.. Nato matches.. decent knife.. better first aid kit etc.
 
Here is a MUCH better one for a little more(about $2000.00 more!!!)
http://www.aeromedix.com/aeromedix/cat/survival/contents.html
dr_ultimate_pak_laidout.jpg


Only $250.00 deposit and if you order now, they have a discount, so you can get the whole thing for less than $2000.00

This kit does NOT use cheap equipment... This is for two people ONLY.
 
Wow, that is a nice kit... $2k is a bit much.. but still, it makes for a nice list of stuff to have.

While someone could buy that, and be done, I prefer a bit more choice in what goes in my bag.. like "Silicone-Nylon Tarp - 8 x 10 ft. - bright color
" and "Mil-spec Parachute Cord, 550 test - Orange (100 feet)"

nothing bright for me.. most of the signaling stuff could go too.. If the SHTF i only want to be seen when I want to be seen. I think in a time of crisis, those with the best gear and knowledge will become more of a target then anyone else.
 
You have to remember that these kits are for people that normally would not camp or hike. They are for the city folk to have around "just in case". While they seem expenivse to some of us folks, they would work for someone that does not want to or know how to put together a kit. They would be better then nothing in my point of view.
 
Yep, like I said, I have most of it around anyway. I think clt46910 hit the nail on the head about the target market.

I think $136 is way too much. Around $70 bucks for the average person fitting clt's type of folk would be reasonable. Though to someone who just wants a buy it, toss it in the car/corner type instant set up or otherwise they won't have it, when the need arises it may be priceless top them.

Depending on the area a sleeping bag may or may not be important. I've lived from the Sinai desert to the interior of Alaska and points in between. Sometimes a poncho liner or a decent blanket is fine, other times I've been miserable trying to sleep because the blankets weren't enough and kept coming off.

I often carry an old Army 1 qt canteen and some Lexan utinsels ($.39 each bought seperately) along with a cup and some tea/sugar and some kind of simple food in a small pack to work. It keeps everything together for lunch, snacks, notebooks, etc.. I always have a knife and on my keyring is a small Boy Scout firesteel that works quite nicely. Toss in first aid kit and some 550 cord (the inner strands can be used for sewing) and I'm there.

One of the most useful, but often not thought of items for cold weather is a wide, muffler-type scarf. You can wrap your head, face, and neck and save a lot of heat. Add a $1 watch cap from Wally world and your doing fine. Or just tuck the edges of the scarf under whatever hat you have.

Unless you have a reason to want to immediately leave a vehicle I think having your main kit in plastic bins in the trunk and maybe a mini-kit in the interior of the car for those sitiuations where you might not be able to get to the trunk for various reasons, i.e. go off the road and the trunk is jammed into a ditch or similar, is better. The bins protect the gear in the trunk and offer a chance to load a bit more stuff and to break the loads down into function - kitchen/first aid/ sanitation, field gear (camp knife, axe, cordage) and sleeping/clothing requirements, or something along those lines. Within one box or strapped on it you can have a compressed pack just in case you need to load up and leave.

I've appreciated the comments. Just for the record, I'm not necessarily advocating the linked kit. I just found it interesting to find it in a kit. As clt pointed out, there are a lot of people who don't have the gear and would usually never put a kit together. If they did, unless they put a lot of study into it, which they probably wouldn't, they would probably not even realize they needed some of the gear until they were in a situation where they found it useful.

Scenarios and recreational mental survival exercising aside, if the needs for water, shelter, food, and basic first aid are there, a thinking mind can get by in most cases as the more common survival situations are going to be stranded motorists, power outages, or being blocked from getting to your destination by floods, storms, or quake damage. Few of us are really going to be dealing with long term survival under the harshest conditions over the long term. Sure, there are exceptions to this, but those people are usually going to be pretty well prepared and of a wilderness mindset if they are going into those areas/situations.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top