Three Most Important Survival Items

[dextersp1]

Knowledge
Physical ability
Tools

 

[jackknife]

Ditch the compass and give me a pot or coffee can any day.

I can figure out how to go in one direction and a compass has limited use without a map.

Knife

Firetool

Pot

I'll go along with that, but make mine tea. My old Irish grandmother always told me if you could make a pot of tea, everything will be alright.:thumbup:

 

[kgd]

Man this is so easy:

PSK,
FAK,
and last but not least
BOB

 

[sicily02]

Knife.
Firesteel.
metal cup or canteen.

But I like what kgd had to say he would take lol


Bryan

 

[Pahtoocara]

From the article:

However, assuming you are simply in a dense forest, or in a jungle, or on a tropical island, then the following three items would significantly improve your chances of survival:

1. a knife,
2. a new butane lighter, and
3. a compass.

Given the premise, I think he's on the right track. Given my survival priorities, first of which would be to create shelter, the knife is useful. Next might be to create fire, the butane lighter would work great. Within a day or two you will want clean water, within a few days you will want food.

By day 4 your going to want to trade the compass for a Snickers bar.

 

[g123]

Easy for me.

Steel water bottle that can double as a pot
Fire steel
Poncho

4th - Knife
5th - fishing kit

A lot of you will not agree with the knife 4th, but if I can have a shelter and stay dry, have a fire to keep warm, cook and carry water, the bases are covered. Most survival situations walking out in the US will not take more than 3 days if not less than 2. There are roads everywhere.

 

[KuRUpTD]

A lot of you will not agree with the knife 4th, but if I can have a shelter and stay dry, have a fire to keep warm, cook and carry water, the bases are covered. Most survival situations walking out in the US will not take more than 3 days if not less than 2. There are roads everywhere.

The assumption , according to the article, is that you're "unexpectedly" stranded in a dense forest, jungle, or on a tropical island so walking out may not be an option. If that is the case having a good knife takes precedence over a poncho IMO. I agree with most that a knife,
firesteel and metal container for cooking and purifying water are the 3 items I would want.

 

[dawsonbob]

1.) While it's entirely possible to knap stone to make a serviceable knife, there's really no substitute for a good steel one. A good knife is definitely my number one item.

2.) I can make a fire as long as I have a good knife (see item 1), so I would pass on the fire steel (although it would be convenient). For number two, I'll take a .22 rifle and a fair amount of ammo.

3.) While there are other ways to purify water or cook, a decent billy can just has so many uses that I couldn't leave it behind. A billy can is number three, for me.


• 4.) If there were a number four, I'd take a beautiful woman who just happens to be carrying a pack full of all the other things I'd want, including a sat phone to call for an airdrop of more stuff. If I've got the beautiful woman, I'm probably not going to be in any rush to go anywhere.

 

[scrumpy jack]

Firesteel with original striker
steel pot/canteen
tarp/basha

no knife

 

[warrigal]

No I don't agree.
My choice
Knife
ferro rod
pot ( The Stainless water bottle will do nicely)
Remember your rule of three's
Three hours to protect from extremes of temperature ( Fire and shelter, Rod and Knife)
Three days to secure water. ( knife rod and pot)
No where in there does it mention walking out. ( no compass)
As for his knife selection If I was taking a Gerber A big Rock?
A Buck my Nighthawk
I wouldn't take a Winchester.
I wouldn't choose a Gut hooked knife for a primary survival blade one miss-placed batton hit and there goes the tip of your knife.
Don't underestimate the ability of SAK's My cadets ( 15-17yrs old) do their survival/bushcraft course with nothing else. But yes If I couldn't have a fixed blade I would prefer a multitool, as a matter of interest my choice is the SAK Swiss tool.
There is more to keeping a fire going than getting a flame. If you can't get a fire going by a spark, You need more practise
I carry a zip tied Bic in all but my smallest kits. Primarily I light my fires with a Ferro rod (LMF Army model) and a pencil sharpener to make tinder (Fat wood isn't a common resource here in OZ or my part of it at least) I believe if I make fire the hard way every time, when times are bad It will be that little bit easier with the BIC
Don't forget the more desperate your need for fire and warmth the harder it will be to achieve.
Although most contributors here either are or consider themselves bush savvy. If truly in a survival situation and you have done the right thing ( left notification with a responsible person in case you are overdue) isn't someone going to be looking for you shortly? aren't you better staying with you vehicle, aircraft, etc? If your wandering though the bush ( hunting bushwalking whatever) why didn't you have a compass anyway? If you entered the wilderness without a compass, map and plan you deserve to become one with the landscape ( worm food)
Carl

 

[HikingMano]

Knife
Firesteel
Guyot/pot
:thumbup:

 

[mtwarden]

1. K&M match safe- "cheating"? maybe, but that's why I carry it
2. small to medium fixed blade
3. poncho/tarp- if it was winter I'd substitute this choice for a metal mug (snow might be the only source of water)

 

[g123]

I can appreciate that most people want a knife. But how many people can actually start a fire with only a knife as some have posted. Some people can who are very experienced but even these guys can not do it on a consistent basis in actual field conditions when it matters. If you are taking a knife you better take a fire steel also.

 

[PrimitiveMan]

It's not cheating in real life, just thought it went beyond the rules for this virtual scenario.

 

[dawsonbob]

I can appreciate that most people want a knife. But how many people can actually start a fire with only a knife as some have posted. Some people can who are very experienced but even these guys can not do it on a consistent basis in actual field conditions when it matters. If you are taking a knife you better take a fire steel also.

I disagree emphatically. I know I can do it, because I have many, many times. The knife can be used not only to make a kit for a friction fire, but the spine of the knife struck against many rocks/stones will produce sparks (a la a fire steel). No, it's not quite as convenient as a fire steel, which isn't as convenient as a Bic lighter, which isn't as convenient as a flame-thrower, but it certainly can be done if you've practiced ahead of time. I can do it, and I suspect that there are others on this board who are a lot better at it than I am.

 

[Rotte]

I can appreciate that most people want a knife. But how many people can actually start a fire with only a knife as some have posted. Some people can who are very experienced but even these guys can not do it on a consistent basis in actual field conditions when it matters. If you are taking a knife you better take a fire steel also.

How many people can make a fire with a fire steel in field conditions? I love messing around with my firesteels and flint and steels, but when I'm in the bush I make sure I have a lighter with me. A ferro rod is only as useful as the tinder you have available in my experience.

The three essentials may depend on circumstances, i.e. jungle or desert, but I like Scrumpy's line of thinking:

Lighter
Metal pot/cup
Tarp

I usually have a knife, compass, and ferro rod with me at all times, but Scrumpy's list makes more sense in many ways.

 

[desmobob]

* Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins turbo-diesel
* Airstream Flying Cloud trailer
* MasterCard with lots of headroom




Or....

*knife
*firesteel
*stainless 1-liter bottle


Stay sharp,
desmobob

 

[udtjim]

Three ways to start a fire would be first, second and third.

 

[Wandering_About]

Whoops, guess the knowledge part is assumed. In that case:

Knife
Firestarter
stainless steel bottle

 

[JCavSD]

1. Coffee
2. Beer
3. Wine

In that order