Often the age old and seemingly never overdone topic of survival kits comes up in hunting forums. I entered a contest for a kit that can only consist of 20 items. To my surprise I am a finalist with the pries being a new knife. I lost my old Buck skinner so this could be good news. Anyways log on and check it out:
http://www.woodsmonkey.com/index.php?opt...neral&Itemid=93Here is my full list and the reasons for the gear.
I am no expert at anything but have picked up a few tricks over the years of hunting, fishing, camping and though my time on the trail. My main considerations when spending time in the back country is dehydration and mitigation of exposure risks. The following are 20 items that I consider important. When setting up this kit I collected gear from my daypacks, longer range packs used on the Appalachian Trail and my BOB. I believe that any survival setup must be lightweight within reason. The larger the system the less chance it will actually be on hand. The total weight for the gear including the host pack is 6 lbs 7 oz minus water. The pack used for this kit is an Osprey Daylite that is around 750 ci but often day hike and hunt with larger sub 2000 ci packs.
http://www.ospreypacks.com/Packs/OspreyAddOns/Daylite/I have attached photos of the pack, gear and my best attempt at self photography. The reason for this pack is to conform with my gear weight and bulk requirements. Also it has an integral survival
whistle buckle on the sternum strap. So I get a free item.
1. 50 feet of paracord.
2. AMK Thermolite bivy.
3. Suunto M-2 compass.
4. Kaytadyn Exstream (true spelling) XR filter/purification canteen.
5. Lexan signaling mirror.
6. USGI wool gloves.
7. Medium weight hiker’s wool socks.
8. D2 Ka-bar fixed blade knife.
9. Golite Poncho with Sil nylon stuff sack (container does not count as a separate gear per rules).
10. Hunter orange synthetic balaclava.
11. Leatherman Super tool 200.
12. PT Rebel EOS headlamp.
13. 1 roll of gauze.
14. Blast Match fire steel.
15. Mantas bug net.
16. 1 pack of 25 NATO windproof/waterproof matches.
17. 1 oz tube of Antibiotic Ointment.
18. Duct tape wrapped round a playing card.
19. Snow peak trek 900 cook pot. Lid becomes a fry pan/separate cup. 30 oz capacity.
20. 70 oz Platy water bag.
Reasons for the gear.
1. 50 Feet of black 550 paracord. I could have included more but in reality 50-feet is all I pack on a typical outing. I would only need about 20 feet to setup the Golite poncho as a flying A-frame shelter. The extra could be used for snares however never actually snared anything to eat. Being a hunter I have always had a firearm. But I do know how to set a snare and understand how many animals traverse though their environment. I have used paracord to lash items to my pack and for replacement shoe laces etc in the field. Hypothetically the paracord could be used in the construction of a splint or snowshoes. But the main purpose is for shelter construction.
2. AMK Thermolite bivy. Far better than a cheap Mylar blanket. Even better than an AMK heat sheet bivy or blanket. It can be used if injured and provides a waterproof/windproof shelter. Has foot vents to regulate temperature. Overheating in all seasons tends to be a bad thing.
3. Suunto M-2 compass. A good compass at a reasonable price. I would have liked to include a map but there are times when despite my best attempts I can’t get a local map. So didn’t include that with the kit.
4. Kaytadyn Exstream XR filter canteen. This is a two for one deal. Works as both canteen and complete filter/purification system. Not the fastest but more than sufficient. Also good to drink on the fly as there is no down time that often comes with most purification tabs. Water is one of the most important considerations. You can live a long time without food but could go belly up fast without water.
5. Lexan signaling mirror. I really want to be found and a signal mirror could be seen a long way off if someone can find open country. Plus nice to see areas of your body outside of view when looking for ticks that carry Lyme in my area.
6. USGI wool gloves. Thin and flame resistant. Important for drying clothing near a fire. Also good for handling hot cook wear within reason. When camping/hiking in fall or winter I am wearing gloves but a backup set is key and these take up very little pack room.
7. Medium weight hiker’s wool socks. Your feet must be kept in good working order. Frost bite or a nasty blister can put the hurt on big time. Even if the boots are waterproof often condensation will dampen socks. Sleeping with dry socks and hanging the damp pair under a tarp or near a fire goes a long way towards a more comfortable sleep and setting off on the right footing the next day. These socks are wool and like the gloves can be dried next to a fire with reduced risk of going poof. The medium weight will function in all seasons.
8. D2 Ka-bar fixed blade knife. A big knife can do jobs that are harder or even more dangerous with a smaller blade. Also nice to have a backup if the multi tool is lost. The blade is a bit larger than needed but still I like the knife.
9. Golite Poncho with Sil nylon stuff sack. One of my most used gear items. Works well for raingear and windbreak. There are tie-offs to setup as a tarp. I have slept under the Golite with a bivy sack and found the combo to be a workable fast shelter system that can be setup for various weather conditions. A more grounded A-frame for harsh conditions, higher flying A-frame or a lean-to for more moderate weather. The poncho can be used for a rain catch. I have done this by placing a cook pot under the edge with the greatest runoff when the setup as a tarp. Another method is by placing it on the ground and collecting the water from the lowest spot. I have never filtered or boiled fresh rainwater but everything has a risk. The poncho could be used as a ground cover or rain/windproof blanket if too injured to setup as a tarp. Maybe could be tied up and stuffed with leaf litter for a ground pad but have never tried that.
10. Hunter orange synthetic balaclava. Worn when hunting to avoid being shot. More often worn at night when winter camping to keep my head and face warm. If rolled up makes for a nice hat or used over the face if conditions are very cold. I would have picked wool over synthetic but direct contact with my face or head over a longer time frame results in an allergic reaction. Guessing it could replace many of the banahnna uses. Maybe wetted and draped around the neck for hot conditions or used as a pre filter to prolong the life of my Kaytadyn. Never done those as always pack a bandanna however would be willing to try new things if needed.
11. Leatherman Super tool 200. I could spend all 2000 words on this alone but picked the Super tool due to its larger size. Smaller multi tools can be harder to use when the hands are cold therefore increasing the risk of injury.
12. PT Rebel EOS headlamp. One of the best LED headlamps made. Has a 50 lumen high/flashing mode that could be seen from a great distance at night. A 24ish lumen medium mode that is bright enough to hike with and a true low around 5-6 lumens that burns regulated for 50 hours with an additional 50 hours of direct drive. A headlamp is always packed as it gives more work time in camp and often used for night hiking on known areas. But I would not recommend using a headlamp for wandering around all night looking for a way out. The risk of injury if lost is just too great. Being regulated I can use lithium batteries in winter for better cold weather runtimes.
13. 1 roll of gauze. The gauze + duct tape + anti bacterial cream = bandage. The gauze can be used as tinder.
14. Blast Match fire steel. The fire steel will work when other fire starters may fail. The Blast match can be used one handed. I often use this with white birch bark, inner bark of cedar trees, dry grass, and pine tar. Will work with premade tinder such as cotton balls mixed with Vaseline. For this exercise I didn’t pack them however have an alternative that will be discussed later.
15. Equinox Mantis sleep screen/bug net. Can be used with the Thermolite bivy for a bug free night. I have slept under the stars before and the bugs tend to come out just before dusk and dawn. This can reduce your total sleep and that increases the risks for everything. Exposure is a death of a thousand cuts. The net can be worn over the head too if the bugs are very bad during the day. Just looking at it makes me think that there are the makings of a fish trap or large hand net. Never done this but necessity is the mother of invention. It has multiple shock cords plus tie-offs for easy adjustment and a small YKK zipper. Not perfect but at 4.5 oz much better than nothing.
16. 1 pack of 25 NATO windproof/waterproof matches. Burns very hot and will not go out. I have the blast match but wanted a second way to start a fire. I have experimented with natural fire starting methods but this for me is a work in progress.
17. 1 oz tube of triple antibiotic ointment. Great for cuts and scrapes which are the most common injuries in the back country. These ointments are nearly 97% petroleum jelly. For tinder a dab mixed with a small cut section of torn up gauze will work in much the same way as cotton ball/Vaseline tinder. Toss a spark on it and the combo will burn very well. It is just a little bit harder to ignite however very workable. I have done this to fire up my packable wood stove. Being mostly petroleum jelly it can make for a replacement Chap Stick however I am no doctor so can’t comment on medical safety with this application. Chapped lips are another thing that can keep me up at night in the backcountry.
18. Duct tape wrapped round a playing card. The mini roll is about an inch thick and maybe 2 inches in length. This has always been more than enough. Like the multi tool there are too many uses to list them all. I tend to use it for a makeshift bandage and field repairs.
19. Snow peak trek 900 cook pot. This is a two for one deal as the lid becomes a small fry pan/cup. I use cook pots for boiling water, melting snow, cooking food, water collection and sometimes for a warm water sponge type bath. Guessing the mesh container could make for a small scoop net.
20. 70 oz Platy water bag. Very UL and allows for greater water storage. The Platy has less possible failure points than most full hydration systems. Also could be used for a hot water bottle inside the bivy. Best to get all the water possible. If you don’t drink enough it is much harder to regulate body temperature. This can make for a world of hurt in all seasons.
All items that can be affected by water are packed in zip locked bags. These containers could also be used for forage storage or extra camp water storage/rain traps. The Sil stuff sack used keep the Poncho partially compressed could also serve these purposes. For the shelter system I would also take steps to insulate myself from the ground though the use of natural materials like pine boughs, leaves etc. Clearly a fire would also be employed for the obvious advantages both physical and psychological.
Thank you for reviewing my kit.
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