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Three Most Important Survival Items

Macclint said:
Sturdy Sheath knife. Can make many of the tools I need with this, including the base material for cordage.

Light My Fire Firestriker (because lighters can fail....)

1 lb coffee can with bail. Cooking and purifying water.
Click to expand...

Goes for me too. Knife makes shelter and things. Water (safe) is a PRIORITY.
And Fire provides heat ,gives security ,cooks food, and provides light.

I'm not allowed a fourth choice,but if I was, it wood be cordage. Too much trouble to make, IMO.
 
FLIX said:
This comes up every few months. I'll play along. I would want a knife, a guyot water bottle, and a firesteel.

That being said, three is an arbitrary number. Number 4 on my list would be a Sil Nylon poncho. Yes, you can often fabricate a shelter from natural materials, but that expends a huge amount of calories and takes significant time. Even then, in some environments it will still be less than waterproof. Having one of these ultralight goodies in your pocket will provide rain gear as well as a very quick, waterproof shelter (or waterproof roof to a shelter).

-- FLIX
Click to expand...

FLIX, you have to quit reading my mind.

A tarp is invaluable.

And why settle for a knife? Make mine a machete or Khukuri.

And the third - this is really difficult - a Guyot bottle (because you can both sterilize water in it and also carry water without having it spill out) or a firesteel (I have made many fires by friction over the years, but.......) - I guess I'll go with the Guyot.

Doc
 
Knife
Pot (the kind you boil in)
Ferro

I saw a ray mears vid a while back where he explained a technique for walking in a straight line while in the bush and it was the so simple I hadn't thought of it, anyway it consists of 1 long straight stick and u just pass it between the trees making ur line as straight as possible sending it in the direction you want to travel.
 
Knife, firesteel and metal pot/cup. Mainly just the knife, the firesteel and cup would be a great help though.
 
My field knife
Fire Steel
And my Kleen Kanteen 40oz steel bottle.

If I could have just one more it'd be my GB Scandi Forest Axe.
 
To walk straight even in semi-dense bush with no sun out isn't that hard. Stand next to a tree, pick out another tree as far as you can see and walk to it. When you get to the next tree, look back to where you came from, get your straight line, pick out the next tree and walk to it. Repeat.
As for my three:
Khukri or heavy machete
2+ litre cook pot
A tarp if its a rainy area, or a blanket/sleeping bag if its too cold for rain.

Fire would most likely be hand drill if favourable, with boot laces for back up bow drill.
 
Large knife
Tarp
Magnesium firestarter

Used to go camping with this all the time.Of course I also carried a 1lb coffe can but i'm comfortable with just the three.
 
JCavSD said:
1. Coffee
2. Beer
3. Wine

In that order
Click to expand...

You can't have wine without a little cheese :D

I would take:

1. Knife
2. Huge 4" x 1/2" misch metal rod with capsule from storl :thumbup:
3. A pot that can be used repeatedly for boiling

The knife in a jungle/woodsy/tropical environment would allow me to make weapons of mass destruction (bow, spear, traps, arrows, slingshots with the band from my undies :p etc...). This would be to provide food as well as protection from any critters wanting to scare me shitless at night. Also needed to strike the misch metal rod.

Huge 4" x 1/2" misch metal rod with capsule from storl would allow me to make fire in a hurry. Have you guys seen those things :eek: It's like the frikk'n Fourth of July sparking those things :D Plus, the capsule would have a little fishing kit and a PJ cotton ball tucked inside ;)

The pot that can be used repeatedly for boiling will provide my water and dinner. You won't last very long without water, and getting the shits from the "watering hole" isn't what you want to "survive" with for an unspecified amount of time.
 
Survive, not escape.

tarp, lighter, knife.

my fourth would be a tin of Ettan lös. (Swedish snus)
 
I don't think anyone in their right mind would argue about the knife.

I don't think anyone in their right mind would argue about having the ability to make a fire.

As PrimitiveMan said, knowing your direction of travel is only useful if you know which direction would be productive. If you know which way to go, then you aren't really all that lost and a compass would be the most useful third item (assuming you don't have to travel hundreds of miles). If you're really lost, and did the smart thing by telling someone reliable about your travel plans, the best thing to do would be to STAY PUT and signal, using smoke or light from your fire, use the reflection from your knife during the day, wave your red and yellow polka dot underwear from the top of a hill, and let the SAR team(s) find you.

So, to sum it up, my choices are:

Knife (Mora!).
Some sort of metal container with which to cook and boil water.
Ferro rod that can be operated with one hand.

If I know what direction to travel in, and I know I can reach safety on my own two feet in less than two days, then I'd pick the compass over the metal container.

Yes, butane lighters are very reliable, but if I have to choose something mechanical that my life depended on, I'll take the ferro rod, and I just happen to have the BlastMatch model that can be operated with one hand, in case I'm injured.
 
Shangchi,

You can also use a regular firesteel one handed :thumbup:

[youtube]V0bU0F0hKdI[/youtube]
 
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