View Full Version : The Survival Kit
You know the one I'm talking about here ... the combat survival kit made popular during the 1980s by Lofty Wiseman in the "SAS Survival Handbook".
Do you carry a survival kit with you? If so, what do you have in it? Have you ever used it?
It would take days to re-type, see my article at Outdoors Magazine.
Neil1
Have you got a link?
Thanks!
It would take days to re-type, see my article at Outdoors Magazine.
Neil1
tenbears10
18-02-2004, 23:56
I have one made from a metal tobacco tin and filled with stuff like a wire saw, sugar, salt, mini compass. credit card kinfe tool thing, fishing line, hooks , fishing weights,cotton wool, razor blade, can't remember the rest. I put it together when I was about 15 from reading books just like Lofty's and Ray Mears first book. We can all learn something by deciding what to put in a small tin if it is all you might have when it matters.
I've never had to use it but often put it in my pack for a trip.
bill
ChrisKavanaugh
19-02-2004, 00:12
PSKs approach Masonic handshakes in the outdoor/ survival fraternity. If you possess one, Visions of McGuyver heroics go hand in hand with frantic comparisons to others, neurotically sure something is lacking or overlooked. A PSK is the near minimum to assist in survival, no more nor less. It is assumed the regular kit is missing and we are standing in the middle of the Alaska tundra, Scottish Highlands or Serengeti with the clothes on our back. I think many of us have plenty of gear in pockets and belt even with the loss of a pack. That said, My PSK is a BCB container holding: Fallkniven U2 folder, whistle, SAS wire saw, Sparklite tool + 12 tinders, button compass, vial with water purification tablets, photon 11 microlight, snare wire, heavy gauge aluminum foil, Rite in the Rain paper and small pencil, sheet of woodchisel sharpening paper, sewing kit of needles,large auger and HD thread, safety pins,vial of fishing hooks,sinkers, Gaff hook, a few pain meds and antibiotics,bandages (Plasters), cheat sheet with knots and other information. It's all sealed with quality tape and wrapped with a soft plastic water bottle and paracord. I used an earlier version on a silly marooning. We have lots of reviews on PSKs and my stupid adventure @ www.equipped.org
FJS90-91
19-02-2004, 14:44
1. Water purifying tablets
2. Parachute line
3. Compass
4. Fire steel
5. Small plastic bag
6. Knife of cause
7. Small signal mirror
8. Vistle pipe(or what its called)
9. Fishhooks and fish line
Never used for a real survival situation.. Used it in survival practice, yes of cause!
stuart f
19-02-2004, 16:02
I too have a survival tin, an old tobbaco one with all the general peices in side then packed with cotton wool to reduce noise and to be used for tinder if the need arrives. To make it water tight i use bycle innertube cut as elastic bands,one to seal it all the way round the other to go cross ways,which i then store my butane lighter underneath thus keeping safe & secure.
Never been in a real survival situation though, but i always have it on me whenever i go scouting about away from my base camp, cos you just never know when the proverbial s***e could hit the fan!!! :lol:
I have one in a little belt pouch (US Compass pouch)
Consists of:
Waterproof matches
Stormproof matches
Schwedish firesteel
Mini compass
Fishing line and hooks
Paracord
needles
waterpurification tabs
plastic bags
Knife (Gerber Boltaction with changeable sawblade and utility blade)
Band aids
Aspirin
wire
Arc light mini LED AAA
Never had to use it in an emergency, just played around and tested the items in the field.
Cheers
Allmi
Have you ever used it?No, I've had it for many, many years, personalized it, added to it, cleaned the rust off periodically, and carried it up hill and down dale for many, many miles, but I have never ever actually used it! :wink: :-( This is mostly coz I have never needed to, and mostly because it is packed so tightly that it would need to be a BIG emergency before I would ever considering opening it in the field! :yikes:
(But I did recently replace the insulating tape around the rim! Good to go for another year! :lol:)
count me in too!! Inspired by Lofty I have an old (two actually) tin filled to the brim with assorted stuff, much like the lists before. Began to reconsider what I carry now as I've never needed to use it seriously. Just fine tuning I suppose, but like someone else said, if I ever need to open it, it'll fly everywhere! :lol:
usually have one in my walking rucsack and another in my overnight bag.
Paul
I think I'm going to tape a foil survival blanket to the outside of mine ... just in case!
I was reading the survival kit page on this site and came across the Air Crew Survival Pack MK4 and i came across this:
A rather surprising, though very good, addition to this kit was a set of four clips the same as those found on a suspender belt, these are intended for use with the space blanket and allow it to be used as a bivvy as well as a blanket without the risk of tearing the foil sheet.
I've been racking my brain for a solution to that foil blanket problem for years and that's the best I've ever come across!
stuart f
19-02-2004, 21:16
ADI.
it,s with a sad heart i have to say that in all my times in the great outdoors i have never been so lucky to have come across a lovely blonde wearing suspenders, and then to ask if i could borrow her sussy clips to erect[no pun intended] 8-) my foil sheet as a shelter.
CHEERS
STUART F.
:rolmao:
ADI.
it,s with a sad heart i have to say that in all my times in the great outdoors i have never been so lucky to have come across a lovely blonde wearing suspenders, and then to ask if i could borrow her sussy clips to erect[no pun intended] 8-) my foil sheet as a shelter.
CHEERS
STUART F.
woodsitter
20-02-2004, 08:34
I also read the books when I was about 15 and so the thought came to mind that is was imperative to carry one of those things around all the time or die in nasty ways. Well, I live in a big city, Amsterdam to be exact. The use of the fish hooks may provide you with fish (lots of canals), but eating them would not be a good idea if you want to survive. :rolleyes: To go home was always the more sensible idea. So I modified my kit, as you all did. I replaced things like the wire saw and fish hooks by bus tickets and phone cards etc.
Now, 15 years later, my everyday survival kit just consists of my wallet and a large Victorinox pocket-knife with a mini LED light attached. These are the things I use every day and I don’t need much more.
Whenever I go out of town of course, I bring more, lots more. My backpack gets stuffed with all kinds of essentials and the very essential essentials are in my pockets. Modern outdoor clothing has lots of pockets and every pocket has a function so I always know what’s where. No more tin can, no use for it.
I did a lot of hiking and I never lost a pack or even came close to losing one. I usually also travel in small groups, and losing all packs is very unlikely (Of course you split everything thats double and divide it over several people.No pack contains all the fuel of all the tents).
You really have to put in a lot of effort if you want to be a way from civilisation for more than a days walk (at least in Europe). If you are, you are (I hope) prepared and have all the food and shelter and other kit you need on your back. If you are in an emergency, you lost everything and you are hungry, it’s still more sensible to take a hike to the next supermarket, than to set up snares and wait ‘till next morning to see if there are rabbits around willing to provide breakfast.
Sure, it’s not very bushcraft to say this (or do this), so I hope I don’t get banned for this :-? .Bushcraft is to me a past-time while being out doors. Carving spoons while sitting next to the campfire, limiting your kit to the essentials to safe weight and then improving you camping comfort by making the things you left behind. It’s the reassuring knowledge that you can (if you have to) make everything you need by yourself and that you don’t really need the things you can’t make yourself.
O.k. this tread is about tin cans so I’ll quit on the philosophy thing,…
In short: No, I don’t carry a PSK as such.
As to Adi and Stuart: with blonds (or red, brown, whatever) Bring your own!
Dutchman
20-02-2004, 13:23
http://www.yoxio.com/images.php?id=14574
de mazzel
I believe all these lists of kit serve the most useful purpose of forcing us to think about what might happen and what needs might arise -- in the bush, on the highways (maps, flares, first aid kit, etc.), on the city steets (coins for telephone; extra meds, etc.) . The topic, of course, provides endless discussion. (Was it "Ten Essentials" or "Twelve Essentials"?) :-)
What I like better is seeing what can be stored in a certain space or for a certain weight.
I think I'd use my survival kit a lot more if it packed away easier! :-D
(Was it "Ten Essentials" or "Twelve Essentials"?) :-)
I've always been very good at packing a lot into a small space yet been able to get at it. but then six years of st johns makes this happen. you have to think about what first aid kit to carry. i was trained by people that were at the hillsborough disater wher 96 peopel died so know how you may need to sort out a lot of peopel with little kit. i only carry a lighter, now a strike alight with a alcho wipe and my keys which have a mag solitaire sak classic and a whistle. i try and carry a lock knife if i think i have a good reason as well. thats enough to keep me over night if need be
I think I'm going to tape a foil survival blanket to the outside of mine ... just in case!
I was reading the survival kit page on this site and came across the Air Crew Survival Pack MK4 and i came across this:
A rather surprising, though very good, addition to this kit was a set of four clips the same as those found on a suspender belt, these are intended for use with the space blanket and allow it to be used as a bivvy as well as a blanket without the risk of tearing the foil sheet.
I've been racking my brain for a solution to that foil blanket problem for years and that's the best I've ever come across!
mm i normally use a rock (well pebble grommet )
My old one was in a tin bout half the size of a tabbacco tin ( I think it was originally a BCB fire kit) with a hinged lid had one of those BCB fire flints soldered on the outside (also have one replacing the Toothpick in my Swiss army Knife Rucksack model Remove the Metal holder and open out the toothpick hole)
the Tin is covered in fluresant Orange Fablon so you can find it again if you put it down :lol: plus you can stick other bits under it to the outside of the tin ie needles and scalple blades
have i used it Well no not really
Then again im still alive :biggthump so maybe it works
Duncan
I think I'm going to tape a foil survival blanket to the outside of mine ... just in case!
I was reading the survival kit page on this site and came across the Air Crew Survival Pack MK4 and i came across this:
A rather surprising, though very good, addition to this kit was a set of four clips the same as those found on a suspender belt, these are intended for use with the space blanket and allow it to be used as a bivvy as well as a blanket without the risk of tearing the foil sheet.
I've been racking my brain for a solution to that foil blanket problem for years and that's the best I've ever come across!
mm i normally use a rock (well pebble grommet )
Or if you want to be fancy you could buy yourself some Grip clips (http://www.shelter-systems.com/grip-clips.html)...
This is the article, I wrote it a while back now, its a little more versatile the a pocket tin.
Hope the link works:
http://outdoors-magazine.com/s_article.php?id_article=103
hope its usefull
Neil1
Many thanks for the link! :biggthump
This is the article, I wrote it a while back now, its a little more versatile the a pocket tin.
Hope the link works:
http://outdoors-magazine.com/s_article.php?id_article=103
hope its usefull
Neil1
i have a number of mini kits, of various levels. i have never lost a ruck sack either. but i have gotten to a campsite and realised that my lighter doesn't work the matches are wet, but ok, i have a spare spare here!
i prefer to bomproof my mini kits in a small otterbox rather than a tobacco tin or altoids tin.
the miniest of mini kits i carry in my jeans every day at work, on the hill or where-ever. it's based round a match safe. based on the few components from the mini kit that have been the most needed at the oddest time.
plasters, sewing kit, scalpel blade and small safety pins. on a couple of occassions one of the nice girls in the office has popped a button on her skirt, and it's suprising what she'll do for acouple of safety pins :shock: :-D
didn't have to buy a coffee all week.
cheers, and.
ChrisKavanaugh
22-02-2004, 08:12
I'm always amused when new people come to our site and feel they have to acquire all this stuff RIGHT NOW. My collection of gear is by no means complete, state of the art in all categories or even near what some of the folks have asssembled. I believe the person who pockets a box of quality matches, a $9 Mora and a decent survival guide is light years ahead of 99% of the people walking the trails. They now have a mindset that will probably insure most of this stuff will never be used. A popular game that has appeared on a few sites is The $50 refitt ( substitute appropriate currencies or amount to reflect local realities.) In this game you just lost everything. Your at a country store with reasonable, inexpensive substitutes. Now buy a basic kit to see you through a weekend in the bush/woods.
I was only reading my giant LW SAS survival book last night
I have a baccy tin kit and a larger S10 respirator ditch kit grab bag
The baccy tin needs revising as at the last look it had
Tidgy knife
Puritabs
Sugar
Beef stock drink
tin foil
Lifeboat matches
Like I said it needs revising
Grab bag usually contains
Boil in the bag meals
Puritabs
First aid kit
Field towel
Foil dish
Spoon
Paracord
additions needed are a plastic sheet , knife etc
I have had this kit for a number of years and it goes nearly everywere with me it consists of:
Puritabs, cotton wool, hair net, 3 petrol bulbs, potasium permanginate, life boat matches x5, scalpel blades x5, safety pins, strong sewing thread and needles, razor blades x2, cabel ties x2, hexi blocks x2, wet fire tinder x2, oxo cubes x2, pain killers x2, rennie x3, dextrosol x4, stanley knife blades x2, fishing hooks x16, fishing line, split shot, plasters x5, magnesium block with flint and of course a condom.
And it all fits in a 50g tobacco tin.
http://www.yoxio.com/images.php?id=15643
I also carry another similar tin with some more fire starting bits in:
Maya sticks, wet fire tinder, cotton wool and a fire steel.
http://www.yoxio.com/images.php?id=15644
I haven't seen pertol bulbs in years ... where did you get them from?
Great looking kit!
Great Pebble
23-02-2004, 22:59
I have to ask.......hairnet?
Nick in Belfast
Handy net for small fish.
I have to ask.......hairnet?
Nick in Belfast
I have never tried it but, it is supposed to be very good for catching birds in trees.
I would have rather packed my shotgun, but wouldnt go in the tin. :AR15firin
As far as the petrol bulbs go, Ive had them for years :-)
The hair net would make a great little bag for collecting fungi in ;-)
Ed
i was just going to start a new thread for this but..
Survival Tins: WHATS IN YOURS??
ANDYLASER
08-11-2004, 00:07
Not sure, too scared to open it. Last time I opened my tin, it took half the day trying to coax everythink back inside.
So Adi's not only gonna be in the doghoue for making charcloth from Kaths best linnen tablecloth... He's gonna be stealing bits of her lingerie too !! :rolmao: What a guy !! :super:
RovingArcher
08-11-2004, 01:46
:nono: Adi, never mess with nothin they can miss. :-)