What 5 things would you pick ?

Assuming I am dressed appropriately for the area, I would want 1 a tarp for quick wind and rain shelter, 2 metal match/ferro rod for fire, 3 a stainless steel pot for boiling water, 4 a fixed blade knife, and 5 a wool blanket. From my own experience, these things would provide the necessities for survival without having to improvise them. This save time and energy/calories when sh*t happens. If you can get a tarp set in 10 minutes in the rain, you don't have to be wet for an hour or more building a debris shelter. For me, a metal match is sure fire. Especially if I have a shelter to start working on tinder prep :). The stainless pot is very important as it can be used to dig and boil/cook. It's also one of the more difficult items to improvise in the field. The knife is pretty obvious in its importance to this crowd. I prefer a fixed blade myself just in case chopping or batoning is needed to accomplish a goal. The wool blanket is a piece of gear that works wet or dry. I have actually used mine a couple times when I was dressed for the day but temps changed fast. Instead of quitting the day for lack of better clothing, I wrapped in the truck blanket and carried on :)
 
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treeshaker said:
this surprises me a lot
as i did not read it listed .# 3 on my list
1. fire strike stick
2. 3 lb metal can of rice (use can to biol water, cook, gather etc)
3. anti-biotic ointment ( in a month, you will need it )
4 fishing line and supplies, hooks
5. blackie collins dh2 knuckle Guard manchete
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Learn plants and you won't need it. ;)
 
1. Tarp
2. Gransfors Bruks mini hatchet
3. .22 rifle/200 rounds
4. Large Bic lighter
5. Wool blanket
 
1. Champagne
2. Leatherman w/corkscrew
3. Double sleeping bag
4. Kate Upton
5. Cigs (I don't smoke but I might start)(better to be safe than sorry?)
 
1. Military Sleep System (if that could count as 1 item, not sure)
2. Nalgene 38 oz. Stainless Steel container
3. FireSteel.com Gobspark
4. SurviveKnives GSO 4.1 (in my avatar)
5. Spool of 360# bank line

I'm really missing a poncho/tarp in the list. If I had a choice of one for this situation it would be the wildernessinnovation.com Personal Survival Shelter (PSS) tarp/poncho combo.
 
mewolf1 said:
A good knife, a roll of snare wire, two BIC lighters, 10X12 Silnylon tarp, and Salt.
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This is about were I am, but I didn't consider salt, interesting..........Fish hooks and line never really seemed realistic for most of the places I've been. Forest, prairie etc.
 
Interesting thread, but there's one major point that would make a big difference to me on what I bring...am I sheltering in place, or am I trying to get from A to B. If you're hanging out in one area, things like a map and compass are less critical. You're simply surviving where you are, or migrating as the terrain dictates for your survival. On the other hand, if you're trying to land nav...map/compass/gps move WAY up the list.

I'm going to answer more with the surviving than travelling slant, and I'm going to cheat a bit.

1. I'd take my 'go' knife kit (see photo)...my reason is simple--this is my all included kit that I have developed to be my 'go anywhere/anytime' rig...I strap it on, and thus go. There is no reason to remove anything before leaving, thus I would have to specifically hinder by deliberately removing useful items. That makes no sense. Since my kit includes most of the good stuff...blades, firesteel, lighter, compass, etc. it covers a lot of bases. Again, I know, I'm kinda 'cheating.' But it is ONE kit. Caveat: If I knew I was headed for a month in the woods (this wasn't a surprise emergency) I'd swap out the Bic lighter for some fishing gear wrapped in heavy duty tin foil.
2. A steel (not aluminum) cooking canteen/pot...makes life a lot easier. You can boil water, prep food, etc.
3. A HIGH quality, two person waterproof tent (one person is really more for half a person or kids)...trying to survive in miserable weather (rain, etc) is just hard if you're exposed to the elements. Also, having a good tent, really can keep bugs (another potential significant problem) to a minimum. It can allow you to maximize your rest/down time.
4. Good sleeping bag...if you don't have to spend as much energy trying to keep warm at night, and will allow you to get some rest, so you can be more productive when you're engaged in your daily activities.
5. Probably 250 ft. or so of 550 paracord....you can do ALOT with that stuff, everything from shelter building, to bows, to fishing, snares, etc...

BOSS
 
may I ask, why are so many people suggesting water purification or filters?
is wilderness water polluted to drink?
 
really a knife in this case should be a gimme.... I doubt seriously that any of us here are leaving home without at least one.
 
stvpourciau said:
Nope, then I'd need a fire starter too

I'll make due. Id break the zipper of my pants and use it. Maybe get to sharpen it down. Over the course of a month I'll find something
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Not so fast. A mora LMF knife has a built in firesteel. Now yea get a knife plus firesteel for the price of one stove.

edit.

Mike does a knife with a built in firesteel count as one item? Without it the LMF wouldn't have butt end of the handle.
 
Well no , a knife with a fire starter counts as 2 things . otherwise you could just say a fifth wheel trailer , a months worth of food , two full tanks of propane for the trailer and a stripper for company LOL

The point of this exercise was to see what 5 "minimalist" items you think are most important to have in a wilderness survival situation , no matter how unlikely it is to ever happen to you or anyone else .


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HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS !
 
Mike-The-Knife said:
Well no , a knife with a fire starter counts as 2 things . otherwise you could just say a fifth wheel trailer , a months worth of food , two full tanks of propane for the trailer and a stripper for company LOL

The point of this exercise was to see what 5 "minimalist" items you think are most important to have in a wilderness survival situation , no matter how unlikely it is to ever happen to you or anyone else .


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HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS !
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No. :eek: Mike I gotta disagree. The firesteel is part of the handle connected to the butt. So now I gotta toss the butt of my dayhiking UL knife away. :confused: Harsh crowed. LOL!
 
If I could only bring 5 items strait up then I would bring:
A siltarp
A 6-7" knife
Paracord
A metal cup
A mag bar

If I could bring 5 items from my gear, I would bring:
1. A siltarp
2. My GB sfa (which is wrapped with snare wire and paracord)
3. My Barkriver Bravo 1.5 (sheath has a Ferro rod and is wrapped with fishing line with hooks and sinkers underneath then wrapped with paracord)
4. A metal cup
5. A wool blanket

Realistically though I don't go in the Bush without my pack so that's 1 item that would include all the above plus a stove, kettle, canteen, sharpener, lighters, FA kit with sutures, folding saw and a few extras.
 
Hey Jordan , where do you do your trekking in the woods ? I live an hour East of Ottawa . You should check out the Canadian section here in the Community forums .


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HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS !
 
Hmmm. If we're not counting clothing. And it's summer time.
Stainless steel cook set
.22 rifle
A brick of hollow points
A good multi tool with saw and two blades
A bic lighter
 
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OK, given that clothing for late Summer/Fall is included it's fair to think a jacket is a part of the clothing list.

From there,
1) my Breeden knife (6" fixed blade, full-tang)
2) 3/8" firesteel
3) steel pot
4) .22lr rifle (preferably a Marlin "Papoose" or Ruger 10/22 takedown)
5) 500ct (brick?) box of .22lr ammo
 
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