Working on a survival necklace

raindog101

raindog101

Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
3,131
Hey gents,
Got a new project I've been playing around with: a survival necklace. Anyone into this kind of thing? I have a few pieces hanging off it already, am looking to put a few more on it soon. It goes something like this:

CountyComm peanut lighter
spy capsule crammed full of PJCB's (about 3)
plastic whistle
SAK Midnite Minichamp (a bit big, I have the Midnite Manager on it's way)

How much more would be advisable to hang on this thing? I don't want it crazy heavy, but I also don't want to forget anything. Suggestions are certainly welcome. As is telling me what a stupid idea this whole thing is:D.
 
That last Neck set-up I had was light, but cared for basics.
Firestarter
SAK classic
Solitare(ARC lite, or one of the mini pinch lights would work)
3' of brass wire

Plus it was made with a cobra tied cord, which held about 20' of rope I think.

Mine was about 20" long, then had a 5" piece that hung from the loop, that had all of the tools at the end of it.
 
I have a Photon Freedom that came with a necklace attachment. I added a very small mag bar/ferro rod and a metal REI whistle and that is about all I want around my neck.

You could also include a zipper pull type compass and a pair of tick tweezers.

-- FLIX
 
I have a Gossman PSK and a BRKT PSK with neck sheaths. Along with each knife is a mini-compass, whistle, Photon, and ferro rod. The weight is not noticeable and it gives me a redundant minimum kit to the one in my pack.
 
The small light (photon, arc, etc...) in case you need to start your fire or do some searching on the floor or in a bag in a dark place and it never bothers to have a light. Maybe a P38 can opener if you carry canned food.
 
I still don't understand the appeal of a necklace as opposed to simply having this stuff in your pockets or fanny pack/PSK of some sort.

I know guys like Lundin and Kochanski seem to carry stuff around their necks (though I saw a YT vid where the knife comes out of the sheath dangling from Kochanski's neck and tumbles to the ground. These guys know more than I ever will but I still don't like the idea of necklace kits.
 
I wolud like to have a SAK with a saw,medium sized firesteel,fatwood and a mini flashlight :)
 
I agree with CGS. In the neck, a piece or cordage could be entangled and hurt you if you trip, fall or brush against a hard branch. Make sure the actual necklace has a safety snap that can break away.
 
CSG said:
I still don't understand the appeal of a necklace as opposed to simply having this stuff in your pockets or fanny pack/PSK of some sort.

I know guys like Lundin and Kochanski seem to carry stuff around their necks (though I saw a YT vid where the knife comes out of the sheath dangling from Kochanski's neck and tumbles to the ground. These guys know more than I ever will but I still don't like the idea of necklace kits.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I can help you with the appeal of neck carried gear. I think it makes sense, but usually find it uncomfortable. I cannot fathom carrying something as heavy as a knife around my neck but attribute that to my own preference, not to some deficiency in the method.

I tried the neck carry of a few items this summer while backpacking and was pleased that I quickly forgot they were even there.

-- FLIX
 
If having things around your neck makes you nervous you could always carry it baldric-style. I don't like it with a pack on but it works well packless.

Field & Stream or Outdoor Life had an article a year or 2 ago with a Leuko based survival necklace that used fishing swivels to attach items to the 550 cord necklace. It used shrink tubing as the breakaway and had a Photon Light, a ferro rod/ mag stick, mini compass, Tinder-Kwik in a small baggie, and maybe 1 or 2 other things on it. Anyone have a link? I have the article cut out and stored away somewhere, but not sure exactly where.
 
Maybe one or two items on a bath tub chain around my neck, but not a whole kit. A knife, a whistle, a compass, a flashlight... things get too heavy and rattley.
 
Along with the other issues some of you share with me, access and usage of some items is sort of a pain, isn't it? If the necklace was short you'd have to take it off to use any of the items. If it was long you still probably would have to take it off to use anything but a compass.

No, it makes more sense to carry maybe a compass around your neck if you're afraid of losing it, a knife on your belt, and the other items in your pocket/s or a small kit. Seeing Kochanski lose his knife in that video was the final straw on necklaces for me.
 
I think I'd go with a whistle, button compass and mini-LED flashlight. Just enough to be worth it, but not enough to be annoying.
 
Here is the little necklace I was talking about. Note the breakaway at the top. The whistle and mag/ferro rod are each about 2" long and the entire rig weighs in at .7 oz.

486228362_ZhdBv-M.jpg
486228366_tRNVa-M.jpg


I have similar items on my keychain but I don't always have my keys with me in the backcountry. To me the point isn't how convenient it is or isn't to use these items, but to have redundancy redundancy. :D My pockets are home to my EDC folder and flashlight and the cargo pockets have my PSK and poncho.

-- FLIX
 
FLIX said:
I have a Photon Freedom that came with a necklace attachment. I added a very small mag bar/ferro rod and a metal REI whistle and that is about all I want around my neck.

You could also include a zipper pull type compass and a pair of tick tweezers.

-- FLIX
Click to expand...

Small here :D
 
Thanks for all the responses, guys. The debate I stirred up in the above posts is the very one I've been having in my head as this idea has started to become reality. I don't want to go heavy, hence no mention of neck knife on my rig. At most I have a small (84mm) SAK. And I do carry a belt kit for my bigger psk items. The purpose of the necklace is to provide some lightweight redundancy especially in the area of fire-starting. Things like a micro-light and whistle would be nice, as they're lightweight, but I'm not wanting to go whole-hog like some of the survival necklaces referenced in the above posts. So, I have a pretty good idea how this is gonna end up, and I'll be sure to post pics once my SAK gets here, and I can put it all together.
 
You should put on the necklace things that you don't need to take off it. Whistle (can use it and drop it from the mouth), Light (can turn it on and leave it it on the neck, Compass (can look at it and drop it) even a can opener if the cord length allow it etc... But the knife and firesteel have to be removed or you have to take off the cord.
 
If I were to wear a necklace, I would have one of those little photon LED lights, a can opener of some sort, a compass, a whistle, and MAYBE a extremely lightweight knife. As a backup of a backups backup blade. That way, you have it if you need it, but you likely shouldn't need it.
 
I wear a paracord necklace with ball chain melted into both ends.. Cant get choked to death with it that way..;) On a clip attached to it I always have a Fenix LD01 (about the size of an ARC but about 100 times brighter) a little Fisher bullet space pen, and a couple of safe keys.. Not really a survival necklace, but it helps me survive the day and night;)
 
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