View Full Version : Kit you carry that "no one else" carries
forestwalker
19-03-2009, 12:23
What items are in your kit that "no one else" has with them? For me it is tools (axe and saw mostly), repair stuff and sharpening "stone" (DC4). And cordage. Normal people never carry cordage, no idea why.
Now that's a very good thread. I don't remember this question coming up before.
A lot of my kit is pretty similar to other folks here, but I have some idiosyncracies.
-I still favour the Grohmann Boat knife for actual trips as opposed to static meets. It is definitely a minority choice. I have 2 Woodlores, a Mora, and Enzo and a Brusletto, but in wild county it is the Grohmann that I always take.
-I often take a morse code shortwave transceiver for the long winter nights. There is a undescribable satisfaction in conversing with someone in say, New York using as much power as a torch bulb, from a homemade radio in a tent somewhere in wild country.
-I always take a headover - used variously as scarf, balaclava and oven glove
-On canoe trips - or even on foot trips by the coast - I take a vhf transceiver that covers Marine band. Weather from the coastguard is always bang up to date and local.
traderran
19-03-2009, 12:46
I also carry a VHF Transceiver. And the Grohmann is hard to beat
I keep one of the original belt knives in my saddle bags
Cordage. Yes few peopl do carry it or enough
and a haemostat.
gregorach
19-03-2009, 13:04
A signal mirror (more used for tick inspections than signalling, really) and a selection of repair patches for various kinds of tent fabric...
He' s left the building
19-03-2009, 18:16
Nail clippers
MartinK9
19-03-2009, 18:22
Pencil Sharpener
Tor helge
19-03-2009, 21:51
Well, after years of reading post on this site the only thing I normally carry (longer trips) that no one else carry must be a gill net. An ordinary small mesh gill net cut in half (12,5m long).
I always carry cordage though, even in day trips. I even have a flemish bow string in my jacket pocket. I`m not sure why, but it is there.
Tor
i always have with me regardless of what im doing this lot in a small tin....
nail clippers ,small diamond sharpener, small keyring sized SWA penknife (with twizzers and toothpick), leatherman micra and fire starter/flint
in my main kit a have a few 'extra' items added....
hot glue gun stick and tent repair stuff
a deck of cards (i hate just sitting doing nowt lol)
military emergancy morphene injector thingies in my firstaid kit
a peice of tyre inner tube and a lighter
a miniture hip flask full of paraffin
chocolate
hiviz vest
lee
tenderfoot
19-03-2009, 22:04
spencer wells arterial forceps. Useful for all kinds of stuff. clamp /pliers/needle holder/dilator/ thread puller/ fish hook remover.....get some from a fishing shop or hospital supplier.
Scots_Charles_River
19-03-2009, 22:05
Dextrose tablets, snowshovel and bothy bag. If in winter up a hill.
Nick
Blue tac, tick keys, storm kettle, show lace, glucose tablets, coffee filter.
80+ year old brass paraffin stoves
Titanium spork
Everyone else takes the p155 so I must be the only to actually have one :D :o
British Red
19-03-2009, 23:06
I doubt I have nothing that others don't use, but one I haven't seen on this list is a quality compact monocular. Even small bins are pretty bulky but my opticorn monocular is smaller than a marker pen and is great for spotting game, birds, finsing routes etc.
Red
stephendedwards
19-03-2009, 23:38
Small muslin bag with a drawstring as per Nesmuk into which I stuff my sleeka or something for use as a pillow.
Steve
CPAP machine to keep my airways open when I sleep - weighty b****r an' all! Been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnoea.
There goes my lightweight bushcrafting!!! Ho hum. It does give me much better sleep though! haha
Titanium spork
Everyone else takes the p155 so I must be the only to actually have one :D :o
Don't worry Rich, there may be a lot of 'closet sporkers' out there who just won't own up but got it because its Titanium;)
Bit of historical reference here for you, I first came across sporks back in the late 60's, they were used at cocktail/buffet parties, mom and dad had a set and used them when we had people over for drinks and snacks.
Graham_S
20-03-2009, 00:02
I doubt I have nothing that others don't use, but one I haven't seen on this list is a quality compact monocular. Even small bins are pretty bulky but my opticorn monocular is smaller than a marker pen and is great for spotting game, birds, finsing routes etc.
Red
I pack one of those, it's amazing how often it comes in useful.
I have a couple of bits and bobs I usually carry.
A mirror and headtorch in my first aid kit,
I carry an eraser (or rubber) because my pack has an external frame, and the caps have popped off in the past and i can shove that in their place if need be.
I also carry a spoon which has a fork on the other end and can swivel, it used to be my grandfathers army issue one, so its sturdy and the spoon nice and deep; ive never seen anyone else with it...
HillBill
20-03-2009, 01:05
A 35mm film case with gunpowder in. Useful for starting fires in the wet if needs be and also for cauterizing bad cuts in an emergency. ( had to do it before, not recommended but stops bleeding well enough,) ;)
I also carry a couple of bbq matches in my fire kit.
A 35mm film case with gunpowder in.
Smokeless rather than BP I assume?
Nah. BP - so much more impressive when you flame the wound
Bit of historical reference here for you, I first came across sporks back in the late 60's, they were used at cocktail/buffet parties, mom and dad had a set and used them when we had people over for drinks and snacks.
You sure they weren't splayds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splayd)? My parents had them for camping, too fat to be a decent fork and useless as a spoon due to the tines. Plus they probably weighed as much as a separate knife, fork & spoon.
A wool longhunter shirt -- part of my basic go anywhere kit.
Nails
Never seen anyone else with them AND been laughed at for having them.
I picked them from a dead fire and had them in my pocket ever since, only half a dozen about 3" long.
Probably stems from my child hood when I used to lash nails into bamboo canes and make spears:D.
Only ever used them for nailing a shelter ridge pole to a wide tree so far, glad I had them on me, it would have taken yards of rope:).
Loads of uses though in an emergency situation never seen a survival tin that could not fit a couple in either.
HillBill
20-03-2009, 10:09
Nails
Never seen anyone else with them AND been laughed at for having them.
I picked them from a dead fire and had them in my pocket ever since, only half a dozen about 3" long.
Probably stems from my child hood when I used to lash nails into bamboo canes and make spears:D.
Only ever used them for nailing a shelter ridge pole to a wide tree so far, glad I had them on me, it would have taken yards of rope:).
Loads of uses though in an emergency situation never seen a survival tin that could not fit a couple in either.
I carry 4 in my dc3 pouch,
HillBill
20-03-2009, 10:11
Smokeless rather than BP I assume?
It is what i took out of some .243 win rifle cartridges.
i always have with me regardless of what im doing this lot in a small tin....
nail clippers ,small diamond sharpener, small keyring sized SWA penknife (with twizzers and toothpick), leatherman micra and fire starter/flint
in my main kit a have a few 'extra' items added....
hot glue gun stick and tent repair stuff
a deck of cards (i hate just sitting doing nowt lol)
military emergancy morphene injector thingies in my firstaid kit
a peice of tyre inner tube and a lighter
a miniture hip flask full of paraffin
chocolate
hiviz vest
lee
as a kid i learnt to be wary of hiking with people that take mcguyver style gunshot wound medic supplies :) .. esp if their leading !
as a kid i learnt to be wary of hiking with people that take mcguyver style gunshot wound medic supplies :) .. esp if their leading !
believe me itd have to be a major injury before id use them, but having seen them used to good effect many years back ive always kept a couple. i also have a stethascope which is there for checking heartbeats when my wee lttle fingers are so cold i cant feel to check a pulse. some may think it/me abit mad but i like to be VERY well prepared
lee
i started packing a small cotton bag to filter water through. so simple and light, shouldve thought of it sooner.
i started packing a small cotton bag to filter water through. so simple and light, shouldve thought of it sooner.
now theres an idea...apparently a shammie can be used to good effect as a water filter although ive yet to test it out.
lee
A lot of the time I'm the only one with the most basic, useful stuff: a billy pot, axe, saw, cordage, tarp, etc... It's funny to see what type of useless, weird junk I see some people haul into the woods sometimes. :rolleyes:
When it comes to something totally unique, well, I thought I was the only one to carry an old-school "spyglass" (monocular) until I seen one in someone's kit on this forum. Here's the one I carry.
http://www.zhumell.com/siteImages/specialty/160.jpg
Edit: I actually just read British Red's post, funny to see someone thought of something similar.
He' s left the building
20-03-2009, 21:37
military emergancy morphene injector thingies in my firstaid kit
Hmmmm... I hope you're qualified to administer that prescription only medication and you've checked the use-by date... ????
After the debate on whether it would be wise to give paracetamol/aspirin to anyone you don't know very well, I'd be very very wary about sticking someone with (possibly out of date) opiates???!!
Unless you're qualified to use it or have been prescribed it, I'd be even more wary about walking the streets with a Class A drug in my bag?
A selection of needles & threads
Don't know if nobody else carries one, cos I think Doc carries one too, but my extra bit o kit found in the rucky is my night vision scope. It's a great device and apart from the fun and enjoyment it gives me when out in the dark watching the things you can't see with the naked eye at night. It also helps me to identify those strange noises heard when the light goes, and allows me to watch the nocturnal wildlife going about it's business in the dark, it shows me things that I would never see any other way.
bushwacker bob
21-03-2009, 01:01
i always have with me regardless of what im doing this lot in a small tin....
a miniture hip flask full of paraffin
lee
whiskey or brandy or in desparation, meths.......not paraffin.
you'd be better off useing the contents of your medical kit.
to answer the question, a hank of cotton brickline and a pair of thin leather working gloves.
and a spare packet of liqorice fag papers and a box of cafe creme snuff
whiskey or brandy or in desparation, meths.......not paraffin.
you'd be better off useing the contents of your medical kit.
to answer the question, a hank of cotton brickline and a pair of thin leather working gloves.
and a spare packet of liqorice fag papers and a box of cafe creme snuff
liqorice fag papers ?
paraffin for fire lighting not drinking ...got ya lol
lee
what about safety glasses....anyone else keep a pair handy. i do simply because ive managed on more that one occassion to lean down only to have a branch etc poke me a goodun in the eye :(
lee
w00dsmoke
21-03-2009, 10:52
I don't know about unique as I have carried quite a few of the things on the lists so far:) Very good quality 10 x 40 monocular, telescope and Gen 3 nightvision!
But the little things I find are the most usueful. I carry a very good teeth first aid kit, one that you don't need boiling water to soften things up to use, one that I have used in the past and it works well.
I do take rehydration sachets and diacalm-just in case
I do take various camouflage items with me to improvise a bag hide of some description for my wildlife watching.
I have a natural patterned heavy weight silk square that packs tiny and doubles as either an inprovised buff or triangular bandage.
Pilow case for packing clothes in and to use as a pillow.
If off the beaten track I usually carry a blizzard bag and sometimes a pack of flares.
I do have a very small grapling hook that a buddy made up for me to use when surveying v steep gorges and the like for wildlife or for when I'm in the canoe then I can use it as an anchor or for climbing up v steep banks with gear.
WS
A small bag of polymorph thermoplastic balls.
Mouldable at over 60 centigrade but nice and hard at lower temperatures.
http://www.technologystudent.com/equip1/poly1.htm
Been thinking about using a Enzo skeleton fulltang balde, stuffing the spaces with useful kit then making a polymorph handle for it.
I rarely go afield without binos, a field guide and a nifty little bird call.
http://www4.gvsu.edu/triert/images19/swarovski1c.jpg
traderran
22-03-2009, 00:02
fine looking binos you have there Swarovski are the best I use the
commander model a love them
A small bag of polymorph thermoplastic balls.
Mouldable at over 60 centigrade but nice and hard at lower temperatures.
What an excellent idea! The best I've heard for while. The possiblities are huge. You should start a thread on waht you have used them for ideas
What items are in your kit that "no one else" has with them? For me it is tools (axe and saw mostly), repair stuff and sharpening "stone" (DC4). And cordage. Normal people never carry cordage, no idea why.
Anyone who has spent hours making long lengths of cordage from fibre carries a little cordage with them. Anyone who has figured out that jungle vines can be used as binding with minimal preparation only carries a little cordage with them.