Category Archive: EDC

How to Use a Pair of Glasses to Survive in the Wilderness

Anyone who has ever been called four eyes may have felt a little down in life because of their specs, but childhood teasing does not last forever. Those four-eyed individuals will one day be able to rub those bullies noses into the fact that those glasses could be the difference between life and death.

There are several everyday items that can be used to survive in the wilderness, shoelaces to make rope, socks to filter water or a volleyball named Wilson to have conversations with.But one of the most useful at-home items someone can use in the wilderness are eyeglasses.

Notice how the people from Walking Dead, never use glasses to survive. And they keep dropping like flies.

Vision Assistance

Obviously glasses help people see, but out in the wilderness it can be more than that. Sunglasses or transition lenses can protect from blindness against the elements. If someone is climbing a mountain completely covered in snow, there is one basic color, and that is white. The problem with this is when the sun comes out, that white snow becomes blinding. Another area in which sunglasses can protect eyesight is out in the ocean. Just like snow, when the sun shines onto the water it can become extremely bright. A pair of sunglasses protects the eyes from the overwhelming brightness of the snow or water and lets an adventurer see clearly without damaging their eyesight.

Protection from the Elements

Not only do glasses guard against the sun, they also guard against injury. If someone is in a desert area, glasses can be essential to protecting the eyes from the sand. If winds come up, sand can be a vicious thing and having it slice into the eyes can be extremely serious. Even is someone is not in a desert area, a forest or jungle with high winds can carry a lot of small harmful objects that can wedge themselves into an eye.

Starting a Fire

One of the most well-known uses for glasses in the wilderness is starting a fire. The lens inside a pair of glasses works the same way as a magnifying glass. When the sun hits a lens it creates a beam of light that converges all the energy of the sun into one small area, which creates heat. The thicker the lens the better because it results in a stronger conversion. Fire means life when trying to survive. It is what makes food, filters water and provides warmth. A pair of glasses starting a fire can truly save someone’s life.

Create a Useful Tool

The lenses inside a pair of glasses can be used for more than making fire. With the assistance of a sharp rock, a lens can be filed down to create a small sharp knife. This can be helpful to use as a weapon but also a tool. A knife can help cut roots or plants to eat. It can also be useful for cutting meat. If someone has caught an animal, the knife can be used for skinning and cutting out the meat. It is helpful for gutting and fileting fish as well.

Signal for Help

Similar to the process of making fire, eyeglasses can partner with the sun to create a help signal to oncoming travelers. When the light bounces off or transmits through a lens, it results in a small flash or glare. Travelers can often be too far off to hear someone shouting and may not be paying close enough attention to see a someone who is stranded. A glint of sunlight or a glare can be seen farther off, and if someone can manage to shine it into someone’s eyes, they will be more likely to turn around and notice that someone needs help.

Catching Dinner

If someone has wire frame glasses, the temples of the glasses can be used to create a fish hook. The temple tips can be bent into a hook shape and sharpened with a rock. If someone can find some strong roots or vines along with a small bug, they have just created their own fishing pole and dinner is a catch away.

Survival of the fittest may have just turned into survival of the nerdiest, so before someone starts a new adventure, grabbing some Ray Bans glasses could very well save their life.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via: americanpreppersnetwork


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Is Buying a Pre-Made Survival Kit a Good Idea?

Given the popularity of prepping today, it stands to reason that many companies would jump on the bandwagon and try to cater to that market.  You can now find pre-made survival kits at places like outdoor stores like REI and even at discount retailers like Walmart.  But is buying a pre-made kit a good idea?

Problems with Pre-Made Kits

Well, like anything else in life, it depends.  The first problem I’ve seen with many commercial kits is that some or all of the components are of poor quality.  If you are staking your life on an item, you want it to be up to the task.  Some kits are nothing more than cheap, dollar store quality items tossed into a sub-average knapsack.  You really aren’t saving much money with those kits.  Sure, the package says the kit contains 200+ survival items.  But, they also count each adhesive bandage as a single item.

The second problem I’ve seen is the kits are often incomplete.  They are almost always lacking gear for at least one major category.  Maybe it has food, water, and shelter covered but it has nothing for first aid.  Or, it is missing any sort of fire making equipment.  Few kits on the market today truly cover all of the major categories of survival needs:

  • Food
  • Water
  • Shelter
  • First aid
  • Signaling
  • Navigation
  • Communication
  • Tools

A third issue with many pre-made kits is the container they use, such as the backpack or duffel bag.  Typically, these are cheaply made and aren’t going to hold up in any sort of realistic survival scenario.  If you’re hoofing it to your bug out location, you don’t want to discover a hole in the backpack halfway through your journey, a hole through which much of your gear has managed to leak out from over the last several miles.

Why Bother Buying One?

In most cases, you are far better off assembling your own kit from the bottom up, taking into account your own skill sets, your needs, and your overall situation. What works for one person might not be the best idea for another. However, commercial kits can serve as a starting point.  If you purchase a kit with that in mind and take the time to become familiar with each provided item, you’ll be in a far better position to decide what else needs added to the kit.

Personally, I like the products sold by Echo Sigma as well as those made by Survival Resources.
Both companies take great care in selecting gear that actually works under real life conditions.  Of course, the kits they assemble and sell aren’t cheap, but neither is your life.

Of course you can go back through this blog to older articles and find many ideas for making your own kit.

The best thing to remember is either buy or make your own, but “HAVE ONE“.

Check out what the local Walmart had:

The black bags on top are kits for around $35.00



On bottom where emergency food storage and 72 hour kits.


Not too bad for Walmart.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via :   thesurvivalmom



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Bennett’s Expedient Survival Tin

The Bennett’s Expedient Survival Tin (BEST)

This kit is designed to be a 72-hour kit. It is designed to be small and portable, but also to be effective in providing for the Survival “Rule of Threes.”


The basic kit is enclosed in an Altoids tin, wrapped with 10 feet of 550 parachute cord. Note the 3/32″ diameter hole drilled in the upper right hand corner of the tin. This kit provides for shelter preparation, fire making, water storage and treatment, signaling capability, basic medical needs and food procurement.



Contents:

1 Survival Cheat Sheet – the Universal Edibility Test, Body Signals and Ground-to-Air Signals
Shelter
1 large trash bag
1″ piece of drinking straw, sealed and filled with 5.25% sodium hypochlorite bleach.
1 rubber glove (it’s purple in photo)
1 BSA Hot Spark
10 matches with striker & cover
2 cotton balls
1 birthday candle
2 bandaids
1 small bolt w/ nut
1 safety pin
1 small SAK
2 jig saw blades
4 fish hooks
2 fishing flies – one wet, one dry
5 split-shot sinkers
15′ 15 lb. test line
1 rubber band

Remember the 3/32″ hole? The tin is modified to be a handle for the saw. The kit contains coarse and fine saw blades.



A slit is milled in the top lid of the tin and has a corresponding bottom of the tin has a channel cut from the wall of the side to allow the tin to close and to add support for the blade. A 3/32″ hole drilled in the tin near the same location. A jigsaw blade, similar to that used in the Gerber multitool fits through the slit and the hole in the blade is lined up with the hole in the tin. A screw and nut turn the kit into a handle for the saw blade to make a mini-saw.

The 3/32 hole is also used as a sighting system for signaling. The inside of the tin is shiny. Use the hole to point toward the plane to flash signals to them.
Notes

Water purification – water is stored in the glove. To disinfect, use the bleach. The 1″ tube provides about 8 drops of bleach. Puncture it and add 2 drops per quart to sanitize water as per FEMA instruction. Curious note: the Altoids tin filled 8 2/3 times (to the bottom of the hinges) makes about a quart of water.
Distance & Height Measurement – The cord can have a loop in one end and a knot at 36″ from the loop. This 3 foot measurement works with the 3/32″ hole to form a basic (READ: Good ‘nuf) distance/height measurement system. at 100 yards, an image fitting in the hole is 9 foot 4 1/2″ tall. 2/3 of the height of the hole – 1/16″, is about 6 feet.

Here are the Altoids Survival Saw mods: I used a bracket to shore up the saw. Works much better!




 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: survival


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What Happens When You’re 1000 Miles Away And TSHTF?

Hello Everybody.  A reader just sent me this question:

Question: I am an over-the-road trucker, the wife is a housewife. My SHTF concerns should be obvious, what if I am 1,000 + miles from home when IT hit the fan. I have my ruck and 1st aid bag on the truck always, my big concern is how to cover a lot of distance quickly, safely in a worst case scenario. At 57, I don’t have the stamina of yesteryear and I fear getting home to Mrs. Army may not be possible and that is where you and your blog followers come in: While I am certain I could get home in most cases, extreme cases might make it impossible to simply drop the trailer and truck. Perhaps your followers might have some thoughts/angles that I haven’t considered to this point. I am considering the purchase of a bicycle, though finding the funds might be a trick by itself. I am willing to listen to any reasonable idea.

—–

This is one of those questions that I’ve heard repeated in one form or another over the years.  Most of us only have to worry about getting home somewhere between 10 and 50 miles on a normal day’s commute.  I personally have between 20 and 30 miles to get home if the balloon goes up and I think about it fairly often.  But at one point I was a consultant travelling all around the country and was actually stranded in Louisiana during the 911 crisis.  All flights were cancelled and I was stuck in the south.  Luckily I was able to rent a car and drive to my next assignment, which was about 400 miles north, but the point was that there was alternate transportation.

First of all – Don’t Panic!  It’s liable to be scary and confusing, but if you keep calm and think you’re fives steps ahead of the pack.

One of the most important things you can have on you when TSHTF – in my opinion – is money.  There’s that brief golden period of time where people probably won’t realize what’s going on.  If the power is out chances are good your credit or debit card won’t be accepted, but if you have a thousand dollars (or more) in cash on you that means you have some bargaining power.  You’ll likely have a small period of time where you can buy some items you need in order to help you get home.  Maybe you can rent a car or buy an old junker and enough gas to get you on the right path.  Maybe you can pick up a long gun if you’re in a state where you can just walk in and buy something at Walmart.  Never underestimate the power of greed under emergency conditions.

If you’re already got a BOB or GHB with you a good deal of your initial security is taken care of.  The only thing you might have to worry about is physical security.  If desperate people see a well equipped guy or gal walking down the road they might decide to help themselves to your goods.  This means you’ll have to know how to move through an urban or suburban area quietly, but that’s a different post.  As a matter of fact Road Warrior (and maybe me) is going to be attending a class soon on how to do just that.

Now, carrying $1000 in cash around on you all the time could make you a target if you get careless, so don’t flash the cash!  Don’t even talk about it.  If you’re a trucker hide the money somewhere and forget it’s there until you actually need it.  Like Dave Ramsey says, an emergency doesn’t mean that you’re out of pizza money.  This is to get your ass home in an emergency.

How to amass such a fortune if you’re living pay check to pay check?  The easiest way is to put a little aside every pay day until you have the money saved up.  Years back I used Dave Ramsey’s debt program to get rid of my credit card debt.  It requires a lot of discipline, but it can be done.

Scenarios Will Differ

How you react will depend on many different factors.  What’s the nature of the disaster/event?  Currency crash?  Solar flare?  War?  Nuclear blast?  Terrorist attack?  And where you are will also make a difference.  If I’m in California and there’s a solar flare and I need to get home to my family in Maine, I’m in a for a long haul if there are no working vehicles.   Then again if I’m in Ohio and there’s an economic crash maybe I can get to a Hertz and rent a car with the money I have on me.  What if they’re charging $20 a gallon for gas?  Bargain!  Fill ‘er up, baby.  I’m going home.  That’s where the money might come in handy.  At that point I’m 20 hours of driving away from home.  Every minute I spend behind the wheel is less miles I have to put on my shoes if I run out of gas or can’t keep driving for any reason.  If my GHB has three days of food and some water and a filter that’s less money I have to spend on those essential items and more resources I can put into transportation.

Another scenario will deal with getting home during an emergency if you’re out of country.  Imagine a huge hurricane coming and you’re trapped at the airport.  Or a tsunami.  Not a fun way to spend your time if TS is about to HTF eh?

Alternative
Modes
of Transportation

If you’re stranded 1000 miles from home the first thing you’ll want to do is look for transportation home.  If you’re an over the road trucker maybe your rig is your best friend at that point.  Turn those big wheels towards home and don’t stop until you roll into the driveway.  You might also want to stop and see if anybody needs a ride at a truck stop or restaurant.  It sure couldn’t hurt to have an extra set of eyes to help you during any kind of emergency that’s going on.   You’ll have to do the best you can to make sure the person won’t be more dangerous than the situation you’re in though.

Alternative modes of transportation could include:  hitching a ride, plane, train, helicopter (think big here!) boat, jet ski… you get the idea.  Some forms of transportation will be more viable than others of course, but don’t be afraid to ask around.  Then of course there’s the manual forms of transportation such as walking, or riding a bike.  Hell, if you’re comfortable with animals maybe you could get a horse and get home that way.

A bike is probably the best method of non-motorized transportation, but you do need to be in shape to use it.  Don’t expect to roll the bike out and pedal you and your GHB 1000 miles in record time if you haven’t been on a bike in years.

If your vision of getting home includes something like they portrayed in “The Road”, then you’ll also have to think about security as well.  If you’re out there by yourself the best form of security is simply not to be seen. This means staying off the roads as much as possible and making your way over land.  Very difficult to do under normal circumstances much less during a crisis of some kind.

This is a tough question no matter how you look at it.  It’s tough to carry any kind of weapon over state lines, so be careful how you go about it.  Society as of this moment is still civilized (arguably) and it’s a good idea to conform to state and federal laws.  It won’t do you much good if you’re in jail when the fur flies because you were caught carrying your side arm illegally.

Some responses:

————————

There are a lot of different variables here, time of year (freezing cold – blazing desert heat ?) Giant urban centers (suburbs – barrios – industrial ?) Rivers / streams / swamps / canyons or other natural ‘choke points’ causing extra dangers to avoid them. Not to mention a population of desperate people who are going bat crap crazy that American Idol will no longer be available to watch and keep them entertained.

To me, the vehicle for this one way ticket would be a motorcycle, capable of on-off road travel. More agile then any car and very gas economic, in desperate times likely the quickest way to get from point A to B.

Weather permitting

—————–

Beg, barrow , buy or steal a horse & saddle (or carry your tack with you) Cars, pickups, bikes and anything else that uses petroleum fuel will be worthless in a “grid down” after four days or less. And west of the Mississippi a man afoot is probably dead, within days. Most humans just cannot walk the 40 miles(or more) it takes to reach the next water in a lot of the rural western US.

——————–

Dirt bikes make there electricity with a magneto. They can still run after an EMP. The big problem is finding fuel. On any given day there is a maximum of three days fuel on the north American continent. –IF your child’s car was made before 1990 and she carries spare fuzes and its stick shift, she has a 50-50 chance of getting it to start. The chances of it running are much greater if she dives a pre 1980 stick shift and knows how to “bump start” it. If, like most, she has a “modern” computer car SHES WALKIN’ after the grid go’s down.

———————-

This is one of my favorite scenarios and surprising shows up in the all the books i’ve been reading. I’m going to field this summer and will be around 100-200 miles from home each day. In my preparation i have found a suitable mountain bike[$99 at walmart] that i like and will be making cheap some tire mods as well as adding some racks and saddle backs to load gear on. I will keep the bike in the truck bed and secured to the frame of the truck. I’d recommend getting yourself 2 pair of good quality boots and break ’em in brother!

I have bought some 110 conibears and in the process of ordering 1-2 dozen high quality snares in various sizes. You will not be able to carry enough food to sustain yourself for the journey so you will have to get more as you go. Learn how to make a survival meat smoker [tepee or buried pit smoker] and travel at night. Pack plenty of high calorie survival bars, rice, bouillon cubes, oatmeal, and coffee/tea/hot cocoa, maps, handheld ham radio with repeaters programmed in, etc etc.

I got my SBR just for this reason so that i can have a lightweight weapon that can get me thru any situations that i can’t hide or escape from. I will have it hidden VERY WELL in my company truck.

Jarhead said it perfectly when he talked about having some serious cash on your person. That will get you what you need quickly and to the front of the line if their is one. Make sure to use it wisely and get the best deals you can but in the end get whats needed.

Lastly I plan on burying supply caches on my planned routes home[nearby at least]. Gonna put food, ammo, clothes and other misc gear that would help me along the way. Either i can use the goods or be able to barter with them. For a 1000 miles i’d have one every 100 miles. Gonna go over the plan with the wife and even put it on paper with an ‘In Emergency Break Glass’ love letter & picture to give her some comfort that papa bear is coming home.

——————-

A little history may help, When the LDS church left Illinois, walking and pushing hand carts it took an average of 5 months to reach Utah. It took 6 1/2 to seven months to reach Oregon from St. Louis in 1848-Walking. Because of modern technology , cities, bridges , highways that don’t follow rivers, and bypass the old “water holes”, have fifty mile long grades built for trucks-it would take MUCH longer to walk 1000+ miles, and winter is a killer north of the Ohio and west of the Mississippi rivers from mid November to mid April. Crossing ANY of the western mountains and all of the northern prairie is only safe for a man/woman afoot in June -July and August. Don’t think so? look up “The Donner Party” . If that don’t make you pause and rethink your plan nothing will.

—————–

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.


Via: shtfblog


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Should you include fishing gear in a pocket survival kit?

 

Check out commercial personal survival kits and you’ll notice many of them include hooks, sinkers and fishing line. I don’t include sport fishing gear in pocket survival kits, and don’t see much value in fishing equipment as an emergency survival tool. Here’s why.

Guess post by Leon Pantenburg


This pocket-sized box holds all the lures I need for a day of smallmouth bass fishing on Oregon’s John Day River.

This collection would be carried in addition to my pocket kit. (Pantenburg photos)

 

My friend, Phil Brummett, was showing off. That’s what I told him.

Phil, several other adults and I were accompanying a group of Boy Scouts on a “Ten Essentials” campout. The idea was to survive the night with only the gear you’d carry on a day hike. Along with the rest of his Ten Essentials, Phil took a reel with flyline, several flies and some paperclips.

Phil whittled a rod from a six-foot willow switch. He made line eyelets out of the paperclips, and duct taped the eyelets and reel to the rod. He could easily cast 40 feet with it. His son, Jesse, used the setup to catch a nice rainbow trout of a small creek.

But Phil is not your average outdoorsman.  A professional fly fishing guide in Central Oregon, and the merit badge counselor for the scout fly fishing merit badge, Phil is on the water well over 200 days a year, under all sorts of weather conditions. IMO, Phil can catch fish anywhere, under any conditions with sport fishing gear.

But that doesn’t mean you or I could have the same kind of “luck.” I’d guess the average, untrained person would not be able to catch a fish with Phil’s makeshift gear.

But hooks, a piece of line and some sinkers seem to be standard in many pocket survival kits. I’m not sure why that is, other than customers seem to expect them to be included. From the manufacturer’s viewpoint, a hook line and sinker are three pieces of cheap gear they can include in the kit to boost the item count with little expense. They take up space, and pad the contents list.

 Here are some thoughts about pocket survival kits, and why you don’t need fishing stuff in yours.


This survival kit weighs about as much as your IPod.

Carry it in a waterproof container for added security. Don’t waste space!

A pocket kit should be kept with you at all times as an addendum to a full-blown Ten Essentials pack. Statistics show that most lost people are found within 24 hours of being reported missing, provided they stay put. If you play your cards right, and carry food along as part of your essentials, foraging won’t be necessary. Your pocket kit must be, above all, light and convenient to carry. Don’t carry gear that isn’t important.

Survival fishing isn’t fair play sport fishing.  If you desperately need to catch fish to survive during a long term survival situation, sportsmanship goes out the window. There are many effective, though highly illegal, ways to catch mass quantities of fish. I don’t encourage doing anything illegal, and won’t explain unethical ways to gather fish. But check out your state’s fishing regulations. Any illegal activity or technique is probably barred because it works too well!

Return on time investment: In a survival situation, your time and energy are finite resources that must be hoarded and used wisely. Before you spend time fishing, you need to have a shelter finished, firewood gathered, signaling devices set up and a survival plan established. Don’t fritter your time and energy away fishing until all these necessities are in place.

Food value: This is another ROI that needs to be considered. Check out diet plans, and you’ll probably find fish listed as a low calorie food recommendation. Your calories intake will determine your energy level. Your energy will determine if you stay warm and active enough to assist in your rescue. So do the math: If there is the potential to catch a trout that supplies 100 calories, and you use more than that to stay warm, and burn up 200 calories in the exertion, you’ll soon have an energy deficit.

 Priorities: Immediately upon realizing you are in a survival situation, sit down and come up with a plan for surviving and what your next action will be. Use the STOP exercise. Don’t be distracted by an activity of lesser importance such as fishing.

Chances are, if I’m backpacking in an area with the potential for catching fish, I’ll have along a lightweight rod, reel and the appropriate lures. But when it comes to your pocket gear, take only what you need. Otherwise, the kit may get heavy and bulky, and left in the vehicle.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: survivalcommonsense


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Make a Common Sense Urban/Wilderness Survival Kit

Guest post by Leon Pantenburg, Survival Common Sense

One aspect of the “prepper” philosophy is “Common Sense.”  After all, it is just common sense to plan for the future, regardless of what may or may not happen. That’s why we have retirement funds, car, home and health insurance and regular well-checks with the doctor. Planning ahead is also why you may stick an umbrella in your brief case or carry a light jacket on a sunny day. And it would be stupid to not carry a spare tire and tools to change a flat!

So when it comes to wilderness or urban survival, being prepared is just common sense, and you should insert a healthy dose of that commodity into any disaster or emergency planning.


Carry survival gear in your wallet. I always have (from left) firestarter, charcloth (in a waterproof, plastic bag) and a signal mirror with me.

So, I propose that you, a prepper, should also make a compact, easy-to-carry wilderness and/or urban survival kit to include with all your other survival gear.

Ask yourself these questions to get started:

  • Can I dunk a basketball? I can’t. Never could. But watch any NBA game and you’ll see the guys slam the ball home at every opportunity. If you watch the survival “reality” shows, you may also see incredible techniques done routinely, under the worst circumstances. So what? Use the common sense filter. Just because somebody can dunk a basketball or perform wondrous survival techniques on TV doesn’t mean you can, or might be able to learn. Don’t rely on gee-whiz technology or esoteric aboriginal survival techniques. The idea is to survive, and during a disaster: You won’t have time for on-the-job training!
  • Do I know anything? Be honest! It doesn’t matter how much survival stuff you have.  It’s worthless if you can’t, or don’t know how, to use it. Take a good look at your skills and abilities, and face your inadequacies. (See on-the-job training, above.)
  • Will I make a commitment to learn? Again, be honest, and don’t put this off. If you don’t know how to perform first aid or make an emergency shelter, learn now. Sign up for a community college course, read good survival books, and talk to folks like the Search and Rescue people who are actually using these skills. If a disaster happens this afternoon, maybe all
    you will have to work with is what you’ve got.
  • What gear is practical? I am honored to
    serve as an assistant scoutmaster of a Boy Scout Troop in Bend, Oregon. Over the past 10 years, I’ve noticed a lot of “survival gear” that is nothing more than expensive junk. Talk to someone in the know, and find out what urban or wilderness survival gear they use. Assess those items with your skill level and then decide what you need.
  • Will I make a commitment to carry this survival kit with me? The best gear in the world does you no good if you don’t have it with you! Your survival kit must be compact and convenient to carry or it will get left behind.


Here’s one way to keep some of the basic survival tools with you at all times. On the keyring: LED flashlight, fingernail clippers, whistle, Boy Scout Hot Spark firemaker and Classic Swiss Army knife. The other knife rides in a pouch on my belt, wherever it is legal.

Here are a few suggestions, once you’ve made a survival kit commitment:

  • Make your own: Commercial kits may include cheap and worthless things in them to keep the cost down. The components in my pocket-sized Altoids tin kit would cost about $50 to $60 to replace. My life is worth that to me!
  • Can you use everything in the kit? Using some suggested items (remember that dunk shot?)  may be beyond your skill levels. Your choice is to learn how to use everything, or replace that particular component.

  • Don’t let your survival kit give you a false sense of confidence. Gear doesn’t replace knowledge.
  • A survival kit is not a substitute for your Ten Essentials: Every survival book or website has some variation of this basic list of essential outdoor tools. Some of the items are common sense, such as a survival knife, fire-making gear, extra clothing, and a map and compass. Always make sure you have all the recommended items with you!

Finally, apply the common sense filter to anything associated with your survival. Beware of “survival experts” websites, TV shows and articles. Just because someone has a website, logo, book or magazine column doesn’t mean they know anything!

View any information with your eyes open and apply the common sense filter. If your BS alarm starts to go off, there is probably a good reason for it! And how about that dunk shot!

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: thesurvivalmom


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The 10 C’s of An Emergency Kit – Do They Work?

Guess post by -Jarhead Survivor

Awhile back I decided the pack I carried around was getting too heavy.  I kept adding gear to the pack because there was space in it and pretty soon I was packing stuff in sideways and stuffing it in as tight as I could get it.  The thing is when I went out in the woods with what I had I wasn’t using half of it.  I wrote a post about using a smaller kit here.

So the question is:  does it work?

I’ve had a chance to evaluate it for a month or more now and I’m pleased to report that I like the new configuration much better.  First of all it’s light.  On Christmas day I strapped myself to a sled with my boy riding on it and then put my pack on over the straps.  Then I hauled the whole mess out into the woods to make some noodle soup for me and my son.  Even carrying the pack and pulling the sled it was much easier than carrying my old pack.

 


(In the picture I’m pulling my daughter on a snowmobile trail and carrying the pack.  We get the kids out in the woods at every opportunity.  This was right after the ice storm.  A little later I put the pack in the sled behind her and that worked well too.)

There’s also much more room in the pack for extra gear *if* I need to throw something in.  This also makes it much easier to find gear in the dark if needed.

I’ve added a few extra things that aren’t in the original 10 C’s, but I’ve done it with the idea that it has to be extremely important to me in order to earn a spot in the bag.

Here’s a list of what I’ve got in the bag:

  • Poncho
  • Wool blanket for winter
  • Steel water bottle
  • Plastic cup
  • Water bottle cup
  • Stove ring
  • Canteen cover
  • SOG Seal Pup Knife (Lightweight and *very* sharp)
  • Small plastic cup
  • Titanium spork (great for eating noodles)
  • Alcohol
  • Alochol stove
  • Headlamp
  • Flashlight
  • Candle
  • Lighter
  • Fire steel
  • Toilet Paper
  • First aid kit
  • Duct tape
  • Noodles/freeze dried food/coffee
  • Paracord
  • Multi-tool (I usually have one in my pocket as well)
  • Compass
  • Sawvivor

In short, this is a much better kit for me in the woods than what I was carrying.  That’s not to say if I was going on a longer camping trip I wouldn’t pack a heavier bag, but for tooling around in the woods for a day I can’t beat it.  It’s got everything I need to survive if I get stuck out there over night and it’s light enough to carry around, even in the deep snow, without killing myself.

Keep in mind this list might look different for you.  The most important tool in your wilderness arsenal is your knowledge and experience in the great out doors.  You might be more comfortable with different items than what I have here, so when choosing gear for your list make sure you take that into account.

Like I said earlier, I added a few items to this list that probably aren’t covered in the 10 C’s like a first aid kit and a plastic cup in addition to my steel cup.  The reason for that is that I like to have a hot drink while I’m eating out of the canteen cup.  This is purely a personal decision based on how I like to do things when I’m out there.  Could I live without the extra cup?  Certainly, but it’s worth it to me to carry that extra item.

The first aid kit was added because I cut myself a couple of times with that new sharp knife.  Totally my fault, but when I say that baby is sharp you can believe me.  After the second time I cut myself and used toilet paper and duct tape to bandage it up I figured I’d add a simple first aid kit to the pack.  It weighs next to nothing yet has enough bandages to stop the bleeding if I ever give myself a serious cut.

In short, the 10 C’s have everything you need to survive and if you add just a few small extras you can be comfortable as well.  When you’re out in the woods even the smallest item can be considered a luxury.

Be sure not to start adding stuff back in thought or pretty soon you’ll be right back where you started.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: shtfblog


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Pocket Survival Kit Contest – Entry #18



This PSK really is an “emergency only” kit.  It contains what I consider to be the essentials that I probably won’t be able to find in suburban trash cans, but need to survive the alien/zombie apocalypse long enough to get home.  If I were to try and create a kit for all of the everyday “emergencies” we encounter, I would be carrying something like this.

Contents (in no particular order)

Morris code mini chart, and our family’s secret communication code on the back.
Illustrated knots because I need visual reference.
8 yards of monofilament to be used as a trip wire, or for catching fish.
A twist tie to hold small things together.
Assorted safety pins to make into fish hooks, or pin scrap fabric together to make shelter, or fix any unsightly holes you may acquire from running away.
Matches and a strike pad to start fires.
2 band aids
2 alcohol wipes
Needle and thread
Mini Swiss army knife with blade, scissors, tweezers, toothpick, nail file, and flat head screwdriver.  I have had this since high school.  I added the eyeglass screwdriver a while back.  This is the only thing I have ever needed to pull out and use so far.
Water purifying tables – just enough to get you home or anouther verified clean water source.
A plastic bag.  
Mini led flashlight to “be a light in dark places when all other light goes out”.  (I’m also a bit of a nerd)
A tampon.  Gentlemen, you have no idea what it’s like to need one of these and not have one.  However, they also make fantastic, super-absorbent, ultra compact, economical wound dressings.  Or fire starting tinder.
Small metallic signaling disks.
A piece of gum.  It calms me to chew on something.
2 razor blades.  I find myself constantly looking for and using single sided razor blades around the house, so I know they’re useful here.

3 heavy rubber bands are wrapped around the outside. These help it from popping open if it’s dropped, and they’re also incredibly useful.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: teotwawkiblog


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Pocket Survival Kit contest – Entry #6

This one fits into the inside pocket of the  pouch I always  have on my belt, along with  an LED flashlight, A Gerber multitool, a stainless Kobalt-brand ‘snap-off’ utility knife, a plastic spork, a disposable butane lighter, some bank-line and a non-climbing-rated snap-link.  This goes with me everywhere –   to work-meetings in a suit, to the grocery store, camping/fishing/hunting.
I never leave home with it (and the stuff in my wallet,  and on my keychain, my folding knife (a Spyderco Resilience ) and my phone).

This isn’t intended as a Bug-Out  or TEOTWAKI kit, but rather, for having the  supplies at hand for dealing with everyday annoyances and emergencies.

 An Altoids tin, with 2 layers of duck tape on top, bottom and side, both as extra tape,  and to prevent accidental top-disconnection. Held shut with a covered hair rubber band (yes, I’m an old computer-guy with long hair) and 2 wide ‘broccoli-bunch’ rubber bands.

Contents:

2 8″ cable ties
approx. 10′ braided mason twine, in a ‘survival bracelet’ braid to save space
1 small graphite pencil, wrapped with about 2 feet of duck tape and 2-3 feet of PVC tape
approx. 18″ annealed copper wire, coiled  (instant hose clamp, if nothing else)
1 P-38 can opener, with another 8′ or so of braided mason twine braid attached
1 #11 X-Acto knife blade, sheathed with PVC tape
1 #10 sterile scalpel blade (sealed in package)
2 adhesive first aid strip bandages
2 adhesive butterly bandages
1 packet “Celox” blood coagulant (supposedly safer than QuikClot)
1 unlubed condom  (water container or pressure wrapper or first aid safety barrier)
small zip-bag with 2 aspirin, 2 ibuprofen, 1 “pink stomach distress” tablet
3 sealed allergy decongestant tablets (I have respiratory allergies)
1 fairly-large sewing needle, wrapped with approx 12″ waxed dental floss
assorted large and small steel paperclips (thin stiff wire has a lot of uses)
5 safety pins  (ever rip your pants?)
1 fine “eyeglasses” screwdriver (from a Dollar Store eyeglass repair kit)
small zip bag of eyeglass screws (from a Dollar Store eyeglass repair kit)
1 small plastic magnifying lens, cut down (from a Dollar Store eyeglass repair kit)
1 1″ stainless ‘chain-repair-connector’ link (threaded type)
1 alcohol prep-swab
1 packet “WetFire” brand dry tinder
1 packet “Pork Flavor” instant broth (from a Maruchan brand Ramen package – my fave)

 belt pouch.

 Never had to use the Celox coagulant yet (and hope I never will). The tinder has so far only been used to help inexperienced campers, or bad backyard cooks. Everything else has been used (and replaced, if needed) over the past few years, at least once.  I have had laughter about “Is that a man-purse on your belt?”, which tended to stop when something in it saved THEIR bacon.

Things I am still trying to cram in successfully:

1) monofilament or braided ‘spiderwire’ fishing line, sinkers, hooks, at least 1 prepared lure
2) at least 1 wood spring clothespin (dry a sock, hang a note, split for dry kindling, a steel spring)
3) a larger sterile gauze dressing
4) an ‘extra’ firesteel (1 on keychain)
5) “extra-extra”  house and car keys (1 set in wallet)
6) COFFEE!!
7) a waterproof sealing method
8) I have some thin ‘bungee’ shock cord from a broken tent-pole. I may replace
one of the rubber bands.

Not my only kit, but it gets a lot of use, at least once a week, because it is always ‘right there’.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: teotwawkiblog


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Pocket Survival Kit contest – Entry #11

For those that live in or near a big city, it is much more likely to get lost in town than lost in the woods.

My EDC pocket carry reflects this. It’s more about keeping me and mine in functional repair than spending the night in the woods.

I’ve recently ‘retired’ an Altoids tin in favor of an eclipse mints tin. It’s 2/3rds the size of the Altoids tin, harder to pack stuff into, but seems more durable. I’ve only had to re-attach the lid once. The eclipse tin seems to be holding up much better after 6 months in my pocket. The Altoids tin has been in my pocket for close to a year – they can get pretty banged up!

 



I will list the items in their packing order starting without outside the tin.

1) The tin can be emptied and used to make charcloth or to cook a morsel in. This is a 3 piece tin, so it wouldn’t hold water for purification.
2) Some 14 gauge wire is wrapped around the tin. It’s too heavy for things like snaring, but it’s great for holding things together. Having grown up in farm country, bailing wire is the go-to repair item before duct tape!

3) A nitrile glove is folded up with the fingers wrapped inside and then wrapped up with the tin. This is for medical needs or water carrying.

4) Bicycle Tube. A large section of tube is wrapping all the above up to protect and to keep the tin quiet against my keys. A small section is used to keep the lid closed if it pops open so I don’t tear it off again. These can be cut as needed, when needed.

 


 

Now what goes into the tin.

5) Gauze pad for medical needs or fire starting.

6) Alcohol wipe to sterilize a wound that would need the gauze pad. FYI If you light one on fire and place it flat on a surface, it will promptly go out.

7) Band Aids. I’ve a 2 year old – what can I say?  All these wrappers burn pretty well – even the foil lined one for the alcohol pads.

8) About 3 feet of wide heavy duty foil. Cooking, water purification, lousy signalling, big enough to even be used as a kitchen sink!

9) I don’t know how many times I’ve wished I’ve had earplugs. I keep forgetting that I do!

10) Puddle of hot glue cut into a square. Shave of a bit and melt it with a lighter. No leaks or drying out like other types of glue. I’ve used this one a good amount!

11) Sewing kit with a curved upholstery needle added and a couple of small fishing eyelets. I figure that the curved needle will allow me to sew stuff while still wearing it. As you can see, the kit’s been well used.

12) 4GB & 512GB micro-SD cards with large adapter and USB adapter. The 4GB has a bunch of books and such for reference on my Android Phone and can be wiped if I need to move files around. The smaller card has encrypted personal files and documentation on it.

13) A water activated Rayon Towel tab. Ford Prefect’s advice is to always know where your towel is. It’s also handy to clean up 2 year old kids & wounds.

14) Square Credit Card Reader – the original reason I started to carry a tin, to protect this! It’s a reader that plugs into your phone and allows you to accept credit card payments.

 

If taken by itself, the ‘kit’ seems a bit lacking in utility. But when combined with the rest of my pants pocket EDC, it’s a good catch-all for bits that would otherwise get lost or damaged in my pockets or poke me in the leg!

 


 

I carry a 6 foot length of 550 cord in my back left pocket with a bandanna and a micro-cloth that has a map of Chicago printed on it. These have their obvious multitude of uses, and I find that I sit better in my trucklet with both back pockets having stuff in them.

 

My tin kit goes into my front left pocket along with a USB charging cable for my phone, a Swiss Army Cybertool, assorted keys, key-chain pill box with Advil and Tylenol, whistle and a plastic adjustable wrench. I have a 3d printer, and being able to show people what it can make distracts them from what else I have in my pockets. Also, my 2 year old thinks it’s a fun toy and is good for 15 minutes of quiet distraction.

 

Back right pocket has my wallet with a few ‘extra’ items in it. Fishing hooks and a card wrapped with heavy braided fishing line with some monofilament tucked inside. A Fresnel lens. A couple of bobby pins tucked into the folds of the wallet and 1 Red Paperclip. For those unfamiliar – A guy traded 1 Red Paperclip up to a house over the course of a couple of dozen trades in a year – I carry one as tangible reminder that just about anything is possible if you try.

 

Front right pocket holds change, such as a Susan B and Eisenhower dollar and a half dollar. I have a heavy, metal, ball point pen which can be used like a kubotan. A sharpie with Gorilla brand duct tape around the handle which distinguishes it by touch from the pen. I have a diamond sharpening stick with floral wire wrapped around it – again for the tactile distinction from the pen, to keep my blades keen, and so I have a good amount of fine wire with me for repairs or snares or whatnot. My lighter has more duct tape on it (never seem to have enough!). I also have a SPF 15 lip balm with athletic tape around it which can be used for fires, sun protection on ears, nose, etc.

 

I carry an original Leatherman Wave which I love for it’s one handed operable knife blades that can be identified by touch.

I also carry an Android smartphone with a lot of assorted software on it, but a very handy one is the ability to turn on the flash as a light from the lock-screen without looking at the phone.

Both the above have hair-bands that I ‘borrowed’ from my wife wrapped around the belt loops. Handy things, rubber bands.

 

I usually carry a single battery LED flash light, but I can’t seem to get one that lasts for more than 6 months for me. Flashlights in dark buildings are very handy!

 

All of this stuff gives me the ability to fix what I have with me and modify the plentiful scrounged materials (trash) my environment provides to suit my needs.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: teotwawkiblog


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