What's in your pack?

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Aug 6, 2007
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In keeping with all the survival shows now days I checked my pack the other day to see what was in it. It seems they never know what they are going to find when they struggle ashore in whatever location they find themselves. I'm not sure who does the packing for them. Anyway, in my pack I was surprised to find a smoke detector, powered by a nine volt battery, a five pound bag of steel wool and a 12 pack of Angel Soft double roll toilet tissue.What surprises might you find?
 
:D

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Heh. My sarcasm detector just went off.

In all honesty, my worst/silliest discovery was a box of 50 9mm rounds. Too bad I didnt have a 9mm firearm at the time...

I have several packs; my 3 season 3-5 day hiking pack has: hammock/tarp/bugnet, seasonally appropriate sleeping bag, spare socks, tshirt, and undies, wood gasification stove, bag o food, lots of Starbucks VIA coffee packs, green tea bags, firekit with firesteel and vasoline-soaked cotton balls and/or charcloth, rainsuit or poncho, aquapur tablets for when I dont have time or feel like boiling water, platypus water bag, 1qt canteen, 2-1L water bottles, cell phone and spare battery, Eton weather radio, fishing kit, svensaw, Cegga Axe, fixed blade knife (or two), Leatherman skeletool, 1 flashlight, 1 headlamp, 60' rope, some paracord, iFAK, my ccw pistol and spare mags, small bottle of Crown Royal Special Reserve.
 
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I've got enough caffine to keep me going without sleep for a week or so, two nylon shopping bags and a towel. (among other things but those are the odd ones)
 
Three dive masks, two five pound lead weights, two eight pound rubber coated barbells, a spare regulator, a towel and two pair of swimtrunks. Oh, and a syringe with purple dye and a wallpaper edge roller.
 
Wool blanket, compass, matches, mag block, spare clothes, poncho, hammock, BIG can of beef stew, unused canteen cup, TP, frontier filter, USGI canteen (plastic), fire tabs. It stays that way, and I got 3 more just like it,1 in my wife's closet and 1 each in my daughters.:D I'm paranoid, but I know it, so it works in my favor, :thumbup:. Moose
 
It seems they never know what they are going to find when they struggle ashore in whatever location they find themselves. I'm not sure who does the packing for them.

Hehe that's one of the central irony's of the survival shows...For example: We're supposed to believe that someone who goes to the trouble of learning 15 different ways to make a fire does not go to the trouble of carrying a small fire kit when in the wilderness.
 
Hehe that's one of the central irony's of the survival shows...For example: We're supposed to believe that someone who goes to the trouble of learning 15 different ways to make a fire does not go to the trouble of carrying a small fire kit when in the wilderness.

People that learn primitive and improvised methods of firestarting usually carry a means to start a fire BECAUSE they've done it all the other ways, and realize it's a chore. Seems the general premise of these shows though, are not to demonstrate what they, as "experts", would have on them should they become stranded/lost/injured, but what the average Joe would typically have on them, and how they can make it work for them.

If you look at the average eco-tourist, dayhiker, etc. they are generally unprepared in the equipment they carry, let alone the skills they possess. I think showing these techniques is a way to broaden their horizons, get them thinking outside of the box, and the failures(seen a few of the "experts" fail at fire) just reinforce the idea of carrying nearly fool-proof gear.

As for the OP, that depends on the "pack". I have a layer system to my packs, with overlapping redundancy in some items.

Maxpedition 10X4 bottle holder contains a Guyot standard, GSI cup, purification tabs, Emergen-C/tea bags, 6 feet of plastic tubing, space blanket, lighter, signal mirror, compass, first aid kit/meds/ointments, sewing kit, a couple #11 Xacto blades, and a few other goodies. This is my first layer, and kind of an overbuilt PSK, always with me, since I always carry at least a liter of water on my person here in the desert.

From there, it's just a matter of adding task specific equipment or redundancy if I choose to go with my Camelbak or go to a full blown 100 liter bergen. Both of which usually have some sort of shelter system, water, a change of clothes, navigation, etc. I find doing it this way keeps it all organized, I grab certain packs for certain things, and they're always ready to go.


Gautier
 
I noticed too the just how set up these situations are becoming. First it was the pristine white sheet that Cody finds after a supposed tornado wreck and then came the battery and steel wool thing.

In my pack? Hammock, tarp, cordage and down sleeping bag in a water proof bag. Give me two trees together and I'll be comfortable in most weather situations, fire or no fire.

Even without trees I can rig the hammock as a bivvy.
 
People that learn primitive and improvised methods of firestarting usually carry a means to start a fire BECAUSE they've done it all the other ways, and realize it's a chore.

Right, that's my point. :)

Seems the general premise of these shows though, are not to demonstrate what they, as "experts", would have on them should they become stranded/lost/injured, but what the average Joe would typically have on them, and how they can make it work for them.

Oh yes indeed. I agree with your assessment of the whys and wherefores.
And further I have no objection whatsoever to them demonstrating primitive or improvised techniques.
I just think there's a certain level of humor and irony because the scenarios often present them as having the gear and mindset of a naive average joe, who then someone morphs into Daniel Boone as soon as the situation goes south.

If you look at the average eco-tourist, dayhiker, etc. they are generally unprepared in the equipment they carry, let alone the skills they possess. I think showing these techniques is a way to broaden their horizons, get them thinking outside of the box, and the failures(seen a few of the "experts" fail at fire) just reinforce the idea of carrying nearly fool-proof gear.

I rather liked the last Survivorman I saw, he played the role of a man who had come out to camp for one night. He had gear, but only what was strictly necessary for that, bordering on ultralight. He had a sleeping bag, one man tent, water and prepared food, a knife and flashlight. But nothing else, not even a lighter since he hadn't 'planned' to make a fire.

I think that one made the point rather well; he made a fire but at the cost of his flashlight (shorted out the batteries). That segment's lesson: A lighter weighs nothing, just carry one!
 
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