- Joined
- Sep 2, 2008
- Messages
- 7,702
First of all, let me apologize, this is going to be a long post!
Ever since I first got started here with W&SS my PSK has constantly been evolving, with the goal of it being to have a kit that was comprehensive yet easily carried securely on my person and not in my pack.
I started out with it all in an otterbox. It just became too bulky/heavy for me, and there was no way for me to carry it comfortably on my person. I love waterproof and crushproof boxes, but they just didnt work for me in this application.
So I then I tried basing my PSK on a Maxped Proteus buttpack. That didnt work out for me either; I couldnt really wear backpacks with it comfortably. And I discovered I dont really like buttpacks.
Then I went through several variations of the Batman belt, with my PSK being spread throughout various maxped pouches.
Yes, I know. Wow. That is a pic of the belt at its extreme. You can read the thread for my thought process behind that here. After feeling pretty ridiculous with all the crap on my belt, I decided to work on shaving it down to something more practical and manageable.
I then came up with an idea that was sound in theory, but turned out to be less than ideal in reality: putting my entire PSK in a Guyot nalgene and carrying it on my belt. I really wanted that to work, but it just proved to be too cumbersome and bulky on my hip. And it interfered with wearing a pack with a proper waistbelt.
You can check out the contents of that set-up here.
So after all that, I ended up with my current set-up: a PSK that is broken down into several tins/aloksaks and spread throughout my pockets. For now, this seems to be the best system for me. I can carry the items I want, in a reasonably secure fashion, without it being obtrusive. The only issue Ive discovered so far, is that after an all day hike, the tins in the cargo pockets start abrading my leg (around outside of knee area) from all the walking and rubbing. I dont notice the tins after 3-5 hours, but once 6-8 hours start rolling around, it became noticeable. I dont want to give up the tins though, because I like the extra bit of protection they provide for the kit contents. So I need to figure out a way to fix that.
I always carry a medium size FB with Army sized LMF firesteel and a Vic SwissTool Spirit on the belt, in addition to these PSK items.
Here are the PSK contents as promised.
Left and Right pocket respectively:
First mechanic keyring:
Screwgate biner secures stuff on that mechanic keyring to a belt loop
Spy capsule with PJCBs
Going Gear Firesteel
Koster W&SS Necker
Second mechanic keyring:
Josh K fob
Vic Classic
Peanut Lighter
Fox 40 micro whistle
Photon Microlight
These items are geared towards quick access, so there is some redundancy with the stuff in the tins. Also, Ill never be without a sharp edge, firesteel, and tinder unless I lose my pants.
Either left or right cargo pocket:
-Aloksak
-5.5x3.7 tin , dont mind the napkin, thats just a combustible space filler to keep things from rattling when I walk. I would prefer one without the window, but havent found one yet. Cant say Ive been looking very hard yet though. But I put these in my pockets such that the window faces my leg.
-A little Orange paracord
-Fox 40 micro whistle
-Fenix E01 w/ battery left out, and two extra batteries
-Starflash Signal Mirror
-Double sided sharpening diamond plate from Ragnar
-Baggie with 600mg Ibuprofen and Loperamide, also have photocopied directions for loperamide
-10 Katadyn Micropur MP1 tablets
- At least 100ft of 80lb test Spiderwire wrapped around a nail
- A little spool of thread
-Baggie with small compass, Heavy Duty safety pins, extra batteries for Photon Microlight, needles and thread, hooks already tied on line
-$20 in a baggie
Either left or right cargo pocket:
-Aloksak
-Tin (again, dont mind napkin space filler)
-K&M matchcase with REI stormproof matches inside
-Strikers kept separate in a baggie because Im paranoid
-Clear cased Lighter (so I can see fluid level)
-LMF Scout firesteel
-Mini Mag bar / Doan tool
-Hacksaw striker, and new LMF striker cant decide with I like better.
-Fatwood
-Charcloth, premade from Goinggear, IIRC
-Tea candle wrapped in saran wrap to prevent it from melting all over everything in high temps
-Goinggear Fresnel Lens
A back pocket (5.11 Taclite pants are great for this, their back pockets are deeeep):
-Larger Aloksak
-1L Aqua Pouch from Survival Resources, grommets for rigging a sling
-1 or 2 person AMK Heatsheet, cant remember. I think its 1, but my GF always has her own heatsheet as well, not to mention redundant stuff in my pack.
-Katadyn Frontier filter straw
Im hesitant to fold the pouch against the zipper in order to fit it into the smaller aloksaks. Not sure if that will srew up the seal, and havent tried it yet. The Frontier filter straw is a last resort thing. Ideally, I would use my guyot to boil water whenever I could, Micropur tablets and pouch if thats not possible, and when I cant boil water and have run out of tabs I'd use the straw. If I dropped the filter straw and wanted to fold the aqua-pouch, I could get everything into the smaller aloksaks used above.
Some additional thoughts on my PSK:
Im more in the emergency-use-only crowd. Since Ive put the kit together, I have used duplicates of everything and replaced things over time, so I know everything in there is good and works. I dont really make fires or anything during my typical outdoor hiking activities, and I dont really need to use any of the other items in the PSK. The only things I would use on a normal dayhike, if at all, are duplicated in my hiking pack (cordage, tarp for shade or windblock, I carry a water bladder, firelighting for practice, etc). But since Ive been constantly adjusting and playing with my kit, I feel confident in the contents and my ability to use them effectively.
I dont carry any dedicated first aid items in this PSK (aside from Loperamide and Ibuprofen). I have a full FAK in my hiking pack, but I dont think I can carry anything that would make a difference in serious injuries in this PSK. If I had a serious injury and only had my PSK, I would still be able to improvise dressings.
Stuff I might want to drop:
-Frontier filter straw
-redundant small compass and the coin batteries in the small baggie
-one of those strikers
-little spool of thread
Things I will add:
-Bandana (dont know why ones not in there, but I have one or two in my pack. I just put one in the aloksak with the aqua-pouch right now)
-Duct tape, way too useful to be without (wrapped around a card?, I have the mini-rolls, but they are too bulky for the tins)
These items would be useful for improvised first aid too, combined with the clothes I'm wearing.
And lastly, I havent yet tested this entire put-together kit yet. Thats something I need to do one of these days, but time is always the issue. Im pretty confident everything would work out well enough because Ive played with all the contents, but I still need to actually test it. I think Ive also set it up such that I can get to the contents even if cold or if one hand is injured, but I won't really know until I try it under simulated conditions.
Whew. Sorry it was so long, just been a while since I've taken a look at my PSK evolution
.
Ever since I first got started here with W&SS my PSK has constantly been evolving, with the goal of it being to have a kit that was comprehensive yet easily carried securely on my person and not in my pack.
I started out with it all in an otterbox. It just became too bulky/heavy for me, and there was no way for me to carry it comfortably on my person. I love waterproof and crushproof boxes, but they just didnt work for me in this application.
So I then I tried basing my PSK on a Maxped Proteus buttpack. That didnt work out for me either; I couldnt really wear backpacks with it comfortably. And I discovered I dont really like buttpacks.
Then I went through several variations of the Batman belt, with my PSK being spread throughout various maxped pouches.
Yes, I know. Wow. That is a pic of the belt at its extreme. You can read the thread for my thought process behind that here. After feeling pretty ridiculous with all the crap on my belt, I decided to work on shaving it down to something more practical and manageable.
I then came up with an idea that was sound in theory, but turned out to be less than ideal in reality: putting my entire PSK in a Guyot nalgene and carrying it on my belt. I really wanted that to work, but it just proved to be too cumbersome and bulky on my hip. And it interfered with wearing a pack with a proper waistbelt.
You can check out the contents of that set-up here.
So after all that, I ended up with my current set-up: a PSK that is broken down into several tins/aloksaks and spread throughout my pockets. For now, this seems to be the best system for me. I can carry the items I want, in a reasonably secure fashion, without it being obtrusive. The only issue Ive discovered so far, is that after an all day hike, the tins in the cargo pockets start abrading my leg (around outside of knee area) from all the walking and rubbing. I dont notice the tins after 3-5 hours, but once 6-8 hours start rolling around, it became noticeable. I dont want to give up the tins though, because I like the extra bit of protection they provide for the kit contents. So I need to figure out a way to fix that.
I always carry a medium size FB with Army sized LMF firesteel and a Vic SwissTool Spirit on the belt, in addition to these PSK items.
Here are the PSK contents as promised.
Left and Right pocket respectively:
First mechanic keyring:
Screwgate biner secures stuff on that mechanic keyring to a belt loop
Spy capsule with PJCBs
Going Gear Firesteel
Koster W&SS Necker
Second mechanic keyring:
Josh K fob
Vic Classic
Peanut Lighter
Fox 40 micro whistle
Photon Microlight
These items are geared towards quick access, so there is some redundancy with the stuff in the tins. Also, Ill never be without a sharp edge, firesteel, and tinder unless I lose my pants.
Either left or right cargo pocket:
-Aloksak
-5.5x3.7 tin , dont mind the napkin, thats just a combustible space filler to keep things from rattling when I walk. I would prefer one without the window, but havent found one yet. Cant say Ive been looking very hard yet though. But I put these in my pockets such that the window faces my leg.
-A little Orange paracord
-Fox 40 micro whistle
-Fenix E01 w/ battery left out, and two extra batteries
-Starflash Signal Mirror
-Double sided sharpening diamond plate from Ragnar
-Baggie with 600mg Ibuprofen and Loperamide, also have photocopied directions for loperamide
-10 Katadyn Micropur MP1 tablets
- At least 100ft of 80lb test Spiderwire wrapped around a nail
- A little spool of thread
-Baggie with small compass, Heavy Duty safety pins, extra batteries for Photon Microlight, needles and thread, hooks already tied on line
-$20 in a baggie
Either left or right cargo pocket:
-Aloksak
-Tin (again, dont mind napkin space filler)
-K&M matchcase with REI stormproof matches inside
-Strikers kept separate in a baggie because Im paranoid
-Clear cased Lighter (so I can see fluid level)
-LMF Scout firesteel
-Mini Mag bar / Doan tool
-Hacksaw striker, and new LMF striker cant decide with I like better.
-Fatwood
-Charcloth, premade from Goinggear, IIRC
-Tea candle wrapped in saran wrap to prevent it from melting all over everything in high temps
-Goinggear Fresnel Lens
A back pocket (5.11 Taclite pants are great for this, their back pockets are deeeep):
-Larger Aloksak
-1L Aqua Pouch from Survival Resources, grommets for rigging a sling
-1 or 2 person AMK Heatsheet, cant remember. I think its 1, but my GF always has her own heatsheet as well, not to mention redundant stuff in my pack.
-Katadyn Frontier filter straw
Im hesitant to fold the pouch against the zipper in order to fit it into the smaller aloksaks. Not sure if that will srew up the seal, and havent tried it yet. The Frontier filter straw is a last resort thing. Ideally, I would use my guyot to boil water whenever I could, Micropur tablets and pouch if thats not possible, and when I cant boil water and have run out of tabs I'd use the straw. If I dropped the filter straw and wanted to fold the aqua-pouch, I could get everything into the smaller aloksaks used above.
Some additional thoughts on my PSK:
Im more in the emergency-use-only crowd. Since Ive put the kit together, I have used duplicates of everything and replaced things over time, so I know everything in there is good and works. I dont really make fires or anything during my typical outdoor hiking activities, and I dont really need to use any of the other items in the PSK. The only things I would use on a normal dayhike, if at all, are duplicated in my hiking pack (cordage, tarp for shade or windblock, I carry a water bladder, firelighting for practice, etc). But since Ive been constantly adjusting and playing with my kit, I feel confident in the contents and my ability to use them effectively.
I dont carry any dedicated first aid items in this PSK (aside from Loperamide and Ibuprofen). I have a full FAK in my hiking pack, but I dont think I can carry anything that would make a difference in serious injuries in this PSK. If I had a serious injury and only had my PSK, I would still be able to improvise dressings.
Stuff I might want to drop:
-Frontier filter straw
-redundant small compass and the coin batteries in the small baggie
-one of those strikers
-little spool of thread
Things I will add:
-Bandana (dont know why ones not in there, but I have one or two in my pack. I just put one in the aloksak with the aqua-pouch right now)
-Duct tape, way too useful to be without (wrapped around a card?, I have the mini-rolls, but they are too bulky for the tins)
These items would be useful for improvised first aid too, combined with the clothes I'm wearing.
And lastly, I havent yet tested this entire put-together kit yet. Thats something I need to do one of these days, but time is always the issue. Im pretty confident everything would work out well enough because Ive played with all the contents, but I still need to actually test it. I think Ive also set it up such that I can get to the contents even if cold or if one hand is injured, but I won't really know until I try it under simulated conditions.
Whew. Sorry it was so long, just been a while since I've taken a look at my PSK evolution
.
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