With apologies - another thread RE: please check out my PSK

runningboar said:
Walkabout,
Try this, instead of heating the pliers hold the filled straw with needle nose pliers so that just the end of the straw is protruding, then use a bic lighter to melt the exposed portion of the straw together. That is the way I do it and it works for me and is relatively easy, I can see how getting the pliers to the right temperature would be a pain. Chris
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Thump! (the sound of me slapping self on forehead). That sounds much easier... thanks! :)
 
"Scottman, ironraven, and others... thanks for your excellent suggestions

Funny how easy it is to forget to include important items. This is such a helpful forum... much appreciated "

Glad I could help. I can't believe I forgot to mention freezer bags/ziplock bags. Good job ironraven. :) You need SOMETHING to store water. Platypus bag work good, from what I hear.

Also, I thought I would mention something on flashlights, I have one of those princeton tec lights, and I don't like how you have to push down for light. Something with a constant on feature suits me better. I like the Gerber Infinity Task light, it takes a common battery (1 AA) and runs forever on it. Not that expensive, like 17 bucks, and the simple twist to turn on feature is nice. You could wrap ductape around where it twists to turn on, to keep it from turning on, until you need it. Nothing like a dead flashlight when you need it. This happened to me with a maglight AA with LED upgrade, I had in my backpack.

glow sticks well beyond there expiration date.

Take care,
Scottman
 
Wrap the tape around the pencil, keeps it neat and the pencil can still be used, willow bark has the same chemical aspirin does, I have been in the bush with a headach a few times and use it, chew some twigs and swallow the juice, kinda tastes like aspirin.
A small tube of supreglue, can temp fix gear, or use to close a wound, torn nail, etc.
 
I to love these threads...I would add a little more fishing gear, and small bic lighter, trick b-day candles,bullion cubes,and a few benadryl(?) tablets.
 
I think you've got a great PSK and everyone's suggestions will help to make it just a little better. It's well thought out and you've got the bases covered. :thumbup:

However, I'll make a suggestion for an upgrade - simply because it's one I've made in terms of my own PSK.

I've thought a lot about why I carry a PSK and how it's most likely to be needed. And the two most likely reasons are because of a medical emergency/serious injury and/or because I'm stuck out on the trail overnight when I didn't expect to be.

For these two reason I've expanded my PSK to include two separate modules beyond the basic module of flashlight/whistle/knife/fire/compass/water/etc. The two extra modules are a complete but small AMK medical kit and also a complete shelter kit that includes a real grometted tarp (8X12) and a 2-person AMK Heat Sheat Survival Blanket.

Maybe you already carry a medical kit and some additional shelter - but if you don't you gotta ask yourself if some ibuprofen and a few bandages are really adequate for the injuries you may encounter. And do you really want to spend a rainy windy night in the woods with nothing more than a 5 by 8 sheet of plastic?

Your PSK is exactly what it needs to be - the minimum needed to get yourself through some bad scrapes. But you may also consider what else is really needed for your outdoor ventures and include that in your pack as well.
 
I gear most of my survival kit to the same scenario.
A twisted ankle or broken limb & an unexpected night in the hills is my most likely situation. So, my gear is predominantly shelter, fire & signalling & Im starting to add food & drink, too. Stuck on the hills or moors in Britain, a cup of soup/chicken stock/coffee & some chocolate could quite literally be a life-saver.
 
I learned about another way to close a straw end. Fold the end down and slip a short section of straw over the folded end. I hope that makes sense.

Paul
 
Another straw closing method I saw in the military and on the Ranger Rick site: fill the ends with silicone. You could melt it and seal the ends in order to ensure the melted section doesn't later reopen.

PS: I love these threads too, no matter how many I see.
 
This is a great thread, an important subject, and one we should all spend a bit of time on. I have a little different view of this subject than many folks, but one thing I think many of you might appreciate is one of these. They work, and can be very effective. May be in violation of fishing regs in some areas but in a survival situation I'd be willing to let them find me to recieve the ticket! :) http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&partNumber=15967&hvarTarget=search&hvarAID=&cmCat=2222206

Many of the PSK's I've seen have become so big that they are no longer handy to keep on your person. I see them being left behind by people who are "only going to fill my canteen" or "take a dump" or some such excuse. When do they think they're going to need it?

I like to split things up a bit by need over nice to have. Ideally IMHO a PSK should fit in a shirt pocket or pouch on the knife sheath. The rest should be considered gear and take up space in ones day/fanny pack. A PSK left behind is of no point. Unless of course you are disciplined enough to always wear your pack.........I'm not.
 
Nice work. 2 questions, if they wouldn't be impertinent....

How bulky is it?

How much does it weigh?

OK, three questions... would bulk and weight make you inclined to leave it in camp?

Just askin...

Clint Hollingworth
The Wandering Ones webcomic
http://www.wanderingones.com
 
Macclint said:
Nice work. 2 questions, if they wouldn't be impertinent....

How bulky is it? dia. of a snuff can, but thinner

How much does it weigh?the reel weighs about as much as a candy bar

OK, three questions... would bulk and weight make you inclined to leave it in camp? Not when hiking away from base camp

Just askin...

Clint Hollingworth
The Wandering Ones webcomic
http://www.wanderingones.com
Click to expand...


I maybe should clarify myself as it does sound contradicting. I drop my pack when stalking sometimes, or when making the walk to answer the call of nature or fill my canteen. The reason I have no issue with this is I carry stuff with me that would get me by. Not saying comfortable, but get me by. When I have a pack, or fanny pack even, it has enough stuff in it to be fairly comfortable. To some it may be my "pack gear" is the equivalent of their PSK, while my "pack gear" would be camping to someone with more of a survivalist or minimalist attitude. If I am away from base camp in a wilderness area, I carry things that can make me comfortable for days at a time if need be. I usually set up so there's enough equipment at the vehicle to stay there if need be, carry a full-on backpack with equipment for the real trip, but hunt carrying only a day pack or fanny pack. So in essence my equipment is broken down into four classes; base camp, spike, day hike, PSK. I don't carry more than I have to, and probably not enough in some peoples eyes. To some I bring to much. I would imagine if everyone were honest they'd find they fall into the same descriptions, sometimes over-equipped, sometimes not really carrying things they could to cut weight. It comes back to your comfort level.

What blows me away is when I'm out I see people who are carrying nothing extra, not even water! While at the same time I've run into guys that are with eyesight of the rig, carrying everything, and it's as far as they are willing to go into the wilderness! Talk about polar opposites!

Point is each persons experience, knowledge, and comfort level will change their perspective of "necessity" vs. "nice to have" and what they have with them at the time they need it will be their survival kit. I don't carry what everyone else does, and I probably carry more than people as skilled as well as Ritter.

OK I'm done blabbing!:D
P.S. I missed one thing, stuff in my day hike equipment is generally made up of or is the same as my spike camp stuff. I may leave some stuff at the spike camp for the day if I think it's not worth it.
 
Macclint said:
Nice work. 2 questions, if they wouldn't be impertinent....

How bulky is it?

How much does it weigh?

OK, three questions... would bulk and weight make you inclined to leave it in camp?

Just askin...

Clint Hollingworth
The Wandering Ones webcomic
http://www.wanderingones.com
Click to expand...
Hi,

Thanks for the ongoing help and suggestions everyone.

The kit is a bit smaller than a 1 litre Nalgene, and (although I don't have a small scale) feels much lighter than a full water bottle, as a comparison.

The concerns about the temptation to leave it behind are very valid... I keep trimming down the kit and then the "kit creep" gradually occurs as little things gradually creep back into the essentials category.

With this one I tried to combine some minimal shelter, first aid, as well as the signalling/fire starting etc. I would also have in my pack a bigger first aid kit, a Sil Poncho, paracord.

I'm always torn between the pocket-sized kit vs. something bigger like this one. I like the idea of being able to boil water in the kit container, which would be less practical in an Altoids tin.

I always have a firesteel on me and a belt knife... that should be able to get me fire, shelter (ie. a small A-frame or the like), and then I'd need to figure out something to do about water :)
 
BigNate said:
I have a little different view of this subject than many folks, but one thing I think many of you might appreciate is one of these. They work, and can be very effective. May be in violation of fishing regs in some areas but in a survival situation I'd be willing to let them find me to recieve the ticket! :) http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&partNumber=15967&hvarTarget=search&hvarAID=&cmCat=2222206
Click to expand...

Hey BigNate,

Might not be a bad idea, but you could duplicate the idea with a springy sapling, sensitive trigger and a fishing line. The advantage to this is you could set as many as the amount of line you have, would allow. Also, no cost.

Doc
 
Walkabout said:
Hi,


I'm always torn between the pocket-sized kit vs. something bigger like this one. I like the idea of being able to boil water in the kit container, which would be less practical in an Altoids tin.
Click to expand...

Dont be torn build both. Its about layering and hedging bets. You wont always have the larger kit with you but a very small pocket kit will be giving you essentials and you can carry it EVERY day in you pocket if its small enough. Most situations happen during peoples every day lives and not when they are lugging around a large kit expecting it.

I bought 2 of ritters kits as a base for a small pocket kit and a larger one.

Small kit is very basic. Signalling, fire, water.

Skam
 
skammer said:
Dont be torn build both. Its about layering and hedging bets. You wont always have the larger kit with you but a very small pocket kit will be giving you essentials and you can carry it EVERY day in you pocket if its small enough...Small kit is very basic. Signalling, fire, water. Skam
Click to expand...

++++++ Right on, brother Skam.

I like the idea of being able to boil water in the kit container, which would be less practical in an Altoids tin.
Click to expand...

No reason you can't use your altoids kit or kits PLUS a nalgene or metal canteen. Or carry a larger kit in a fanny pack or stuck in your knapsack. Each kit should be independent and complete. In other words there would be some redundancy. And you may throw in a nalgene or different belt or pocket knife from time to time but the small and large kits should have the ability to stand alone. And they should NOT be the items you are using routinely while hiking or camping, IMO.
 
DOC-CANADA said:
Hey BigNate,

Might not be a bad idea, but you could duplicate the idea with a springy sapling, sensitive trigger and a fishing line. The advantage to this is you could set as many as the amount of line you have, would allow. Also, no cost.

Doc
Click to expand...

I completely agree. And by suggesting this auto reel I am basically admitting my ineptitude with the springy sapling and sensitive trigger. My abilities, or more correctly, inabilities, have me considering additional equipment to carry, at a cost of both weight and initially money.
I like this one because it can be set in a few seconds ( fish or snare) and left to work while building a shelter, starting a fire, ect. The time it takes me to make a figure four or other traditional trap is far more significant. This obviously isn't in a PSK, but would be found in my pack. It falls into the "nice to have" category. I don't take it with me when hunting in some areas as there is very limited water, no fish.
 
BigNate said:
I completely agree. And by suggesting this auto reel I am basically admitting my ineptitude with the springy sapling and sensitive trigger. My abilities, or more correctly, inabilities, have me considering additional equipment to carry, at a cost of both weight and initially money.
I like this one because it can be set in a few seconds ( fish or snare) and left to work while building a shelter, starting a fire, ect. The time it takes me to make a figure four or other traditional trap is far more significant. This obviously isn't in a PSK, but would be found in my pack. It falls into the "nice to have" category. I don't take it with me when hunting in some areas as there is very limited water, no fish.
Click to expand...

You can carve a few triggers out of scrap wood while you are watching tv at home for free, carry them instead of the yoyo, and they would set up dang near as quick, and be lighter to carry. You can also pre spool them with a line and hook and make it quicker still. With this set up you can put 3 or 4 twitch ups in the water pretty quick as apposed to just one yoyo. Chris
 
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