Travel/Emergency Bag (and knives) for a different venue

daizee

daizee

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
Messages
11,139
Hi All,

I'm contemplating putting together a grab-bag to stash in my cabin for several weeks at sea (and ashore). I'd like to take a sensible, but modest kit, leaving room to stuff other things if possible. This would complement other equipment like a bag for civilized environments. Say I end up going ashore somewhere remote - grab the bag. Abandon ship - grab the bag. That sort of thing.


In my fantasy, I get to buy a new bag. In reality, I will re-use a small backpack that was deco'd from another role.

Of course.. I need a 'big' knife! oh yes.
I'd like a production fixed blade, and my top choice is a new Ka-bar BK-10.
But.... I have a BK-2 that's not doing anything. It's heavier...
I also have a BK-17 that could get more love.
The BK-10 as the pilot egress knife seems perfect as a mariner's egress knife...
Oooh, how about a Ka-bar Mk-1 Navy?? I like that one... but more than a BK-10?
Yes, I'd leave the coatings on. What of those choices?

What about a non-Ka-bar? Why not a daizee-blade, don't you trust your own?? Yeah, but I'm reluctant to mail an irreplaceable blade through international customs or risk confiscation if things go weird.

I'll also be carrying a small fixed or folder daily - not sure where to go with that. I have a couple candidates, but might consider something 'disposable' like a Phat Bob (brand loyalty) instead of my pointier USA-made blades. Kershaw's line doesn't have anything remotely shippy. Benchmade has one or two credible rigging knives, but spendy. I'm a fan of 154CM, but maybe I don't get what I want here. My mini-grip could go with me.

I'll also have a multi-tool handy, probably on my belt most of the time.

Other contents on the list so far:

Pack (wanted something orange-trimmed, but that old Blue pack will prolly get re-used)
Big Knife (see above)
Inova light, 2AA with octagonal bezel, spare batteries
GPS? Hm. I have a spare, but without maps
bandaids
neosporin
50ft paracord
2 bandanas, one soft, one bright frickin' orange
water bottle
snack bars that keep
hat
contractor trash bag (2?)
half-roll of TP
Ibuprofen
bug repellent
compass
ferro rod
IDs
walking staff
some camo fabric??
wax/lip balm (maybe a small Bore Butter for this, good for rust prevention too)
sharpening tool, small
pad & pencil?
zip-ties
paper towels?? - I keep a small roll in my hunting kit, for instance
soap (Dr. B's Peppermint) and/or hand sanitizer gel?

help me out!

-Daizee
 
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You might want to check out the Esee comprehensive kit. Brand loyalty is a bit off, kind of the redheaded step cousin of the Beckers, however it actually IS a pretty comprehensive kit.
 
Chameleonbear said:
You might want to check out the Esee comprehensive kit. Brand loyalty is a bit off, kind of the redheaded step cousin of the Beckers, however it actually IS a pretty comprehensive kit.
Click to expand...

Oooh, that's not bad at all, and including the full-size ESEE knife I like best.
I wonder how cheaply I can do this too - funds are modest at the moment, but if I buy a new knife the cost goes up.
(dang, that E6 is intriguing....)
 
Throw in a 20 minute road flare in a waterproof container of some sort. If you have to bail out of a boat, you'll more than likely want to get dry pretty darn quick during whether that isn't all that helpful for such an activity. A ferro rod works great when you're dry and you have time to make a good tinder pile, but the road flare will burn just about anything you feed to it with a whole lot less work than the ferro rod.
 
Grease said:
Throw in a 20 minute road flare in a waterproof container of some sort. If you have to bail out of a boat, you'll more than likely want to get dry pretty darn quick during whether that isn't all that helpful for such an activity. A ferro rod works great when you're dry and you have time to make a good tinder pile, but the road flare will burn just about anything you feed to it with a whole lot less work than the ferro rod.
Click to expand...

Not a bad suggestion, but I don't think I can ship flammables around the world.
Also, it may be assumed that there will be lifeboats stocked with the usual gear (flares, drammamine, etc.) in the event of a true abandon-ship event.
I wouldn't mind some fancy ideas for turning the bag into a flotation device, however!
 
Knives proposed so far ('cause we all like pictures...), from their respective sites or vendors:

ESEE-6:
esee-6.jpg


Ka-bar BK-2 (I have a gen-1 Ka-bar):
BK2_h_lg.png


Ka-bar BK-17 (mine is straight-clipped, which as you know EATS YOUR LUNCH):
BK17Detail.png


Ka-bar MK-1 (like it, don't have one - prefer not to use for batonning):
2221_h_lg.png


Ka-bar BK-10 (img courtesy of Tomars. want one bad, but again: can I justify a new blade?):
BK10_INFO.jpg




Comments like: "dumbass, you want stainless at sea" are perfectly valid and will probably be ignored. :D
 
Laminated copies of your passport. Invaluable should you not have or lose your original. With proof of your passport, you can usually get a limited use replacement from a local embassy or consulate within a day. We had some idiots in Dubai who had been there a couple of weeks trying to get replacements. Of course it might have been their attitudes. ;)
 
Make sure the whole package floats and stays waterproof for a few hours in the bathtub before taking it out.

Hardshell or softshell to keep the rain and wind off. Jacket, Pants, Boots, Hood, Gloves (you might not be wearing sensible clothing at the time)
Season appropriate thermals to go under the shell
Spare socks
Spare socks
Spare underpants
Fully waterproof tarp, tent or other shelter. Whatever else you need to spend a night comfortably outside, try in your backyard before you try it in the sticks. Have someone hose you down at 3 am to test your shelter.
More food and More water if you have to gather it yourself you failed to plan
Campstove + Stainless steel mug + spoon
Fully charged spare cellphone individually packaged in a waterproof bag
More TP (forget the other towels), diarrhea medicine
butane lighter
waterproof matches
candles or commercial firestarter cubes http://www.amazon.com/Weber-3975-Firestarter-Lighter-Cubes/dp/B00004RAM6/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1361958967&sr=8-13&keywords=fire+starter+cube
Personal hygiene: toothbrush, toothpaste, multipurpose liquid soap (body, hair, hands, clothes), hand sanitizer, nailclippers, tweezers.
Water storage and water purification
Medical supplies that match your medical training. More is better.

For modern survival you should think "comfortable 3 day camping trip", not "what do I need to survive off the land for a year" or "hiking the Appalachian trail and every ounce counts"
 
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I'd be wanting to put my gear in some sort of canister. That could be some sort of dedicated marine thing, or perhaps a bear proof thing. I'd be inclined to recycle a big whey powder container. Some have a good sized aperture and aren't overly built, so they wont be fighting you so much on the floating thing or as luggage. Not only is that going to help with the flotation issue but also ants and rodents that'll be delighted to find a food stash.
 
I do not have a fancy idea to turn pack into a flotation device- just a simple one. Get a dry bag that just fits inside main compartment- store your gear in it. If you have air inside it as packed- may be enough to float as is. If emergency, dump gear and fill with air and place back in pack. Serves to transport water in an emergency as well.

Sea to Summit bags are good for keeping gear dry but maybe not for submersion- they are tin and light and fit in small poackets for pack. A strong rubberized bag is better for submersion. I have a few clear/smoke ones but forget the maker at the moment.

I would also add a USCG approved strobe to the outside of the pack. To help you get found or help you find pack if tossed overboard.

Bill
 
Look up inflatable PFDs. They infllate on demand with a CO2 cartridge. You might fit it inside a pack pocket or just under a top flap.
 
An inflatable pfd might not do it for you. The idea is to have the pack float if it falls into the water. An old lifejacket strapped to the pack might work, and it has the added benefit of being a spare lifejacket.
 
Not trying to be tactical, but a Shemagh (or however you spell it) head scarf things are huge and would be great lightweight protection from the sun.

My water bottle would be stainless steel, so I could boil water in it. I'd also have a Platypus 1L collapsable canteen rolled up as a backup.

bandaids
neosporin
Click to expand...

I'd add a small trauma kit, at least a bunch of gauze and Celox, so you don't bleed to death.

daizee said:
Comments like: "dumbass, you want stainless at sea" are perfectly valid and will probably be ignored. :D
Click to expand...

How about this:

Sir, have you considered a VG10 Fallkniven F1, or anything else in that line?

Seriously, those carbon knives will rust the first time you remove them from the sheath while on the ocean, or the shore near it. I love my high carbon knives, but they rust in the midwest from normal use and we don't even have salt in our water.
 
If you're visiting several countries, it's worth trying to find out the different knife carry laws. I'd always recommend a Swiss Army Knife, as they're usually ok; non-locking etc, the farmer or the pioneer are more robust than the red handled versions.

Again, if you're visiting different places, water quality might be variable, sterilisation tablets are good, but I'd also recommend some sort of glucose tablet, not only give you sugar/salt, but can make the water more palatable.

Clothing; variety of hats for cold/sun protection and several bandanas; see you got 2, I'd take more.

Not sure if it's in your list; but a headtorch can make life a lot easier than a hand-held torch.

Good luck on your adventure!
 
make up some wax-soaked-sawdust-filled-eggcrate for cheap fuel -- waterproof, will take a spark from a ferro rod, and not illegal to ship. toss one of the SOL survival medic pouches in the kit bag -- $15 gets you a heat sheet, couple of bandaids, sparker, some tinder, a button compass, some duct tape, etc... all stored in a 12 oz waterproof bag. best components on the market? no. cheap enough to be worth tossing in a kit bag that you will hopefully never need? yes.
also - spare wool socks in a zip-lok bag.

oh, yeah - if you want to try out a Navy Mk1 before buying, drop me a PM.
 
Some great ideas here.
I like the Whey jug - clever.
Laminated passport copies: thanks for reminding me. The new passport just showed up. I'll need copies at home AND with me.
CO2 inflatable PFD's are probably out of the picture, but often available aboard a ship. I'll more likely be issued a survival suit.
A massive extra wardrobe is overkill for this exercise, but an extra compact layer is always a good idea.
Pilgrimuk wants me to set my head on fire to keep warm and see in the dark, but I'll stash one of those elastic head straps for my flashlight instead. ;)
Fallkniven F1: FINE looking blade, but I don't want one badly now, so I'm trying to keep from expanding my knifey desires...
I probably won't carry the big knife in town - that's mainly for emergencies. I can leave gear in my cabin when going ashore for mundane trips. A SAK is probably a good call for an inoffensive EDC.
 
Ka-bar BK-10 (img courtesy of Tomars. want one bad, but again: can I justify a new blade?):

This is the knife I'm waiting for, I do not plan to justify it as buying yet another knife has long since stopped being sensible.

In the late 70s, I spent some time as a merchant swabbie in the North Atlantic.
Today I'd invest heavily in Smart Wool products.
In the old days I spent alot on Norwegian wool sweaters, and Helly Hanson rain gear.

The Strobe mentioned above is a good idea, add some silicone grease to the O-Rings.
I'd bring some paracord to keep your knife attached to your belt...it's impossible to find a hull scraper or other items once they go over the side...
 
Grab a copy of Cliff Jacobsens canoe camping books. He describes double bagging clothing in contractor bags twisted tight. Claims it stays dry and water tight enough to provide some buoyancy. Gives you a two-fer if you want to plastic sheeting with you anyway.

Regarding a people friendly pocket folder, you might look at the Opinel Outdoor. Designed with boating in mind and has a built in whistle. I carry a trad carbon Opinel and it's by far the most people friendly knife in the world.
opinel-No8-outdoor-2.jpg



Another would be one of the Boye folding knives which is made with a cobalt matrix blade. Designed for ship use with an emphasis on repeated line cutting.
knife-with-pointers.png


Regarding contents of your bag, it's a fascinating discussion. Here are my thought, much more oriented towards backcountry travel so probably not as helpful for urban/sea life. But maybe something there to spur your thinking.
http://home.comcast.net/~pinnah/DirtbagPinner/essentials-list.txt

With respect to a fixed blade, carry what makes you happy. The only thing I can add is that I hate hollow ground blades for a general purpose utility knife. They just stink when working with wood. I carry an old Schrade H-15 but you would probably hate the leather handle.
 
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