my kit, any opinions? anything i should change or keep?

[RAPPLEBY2000]

this is my kit that i have been colecting for around 7 years!
this isn't all of it but i've shown the fundamental parts:

Gerber Lock knife,
Dimond dust knife sharpener,
Firesteel flint,
LED Lenser torch,
Suunto mini compass,
Heliograph,
whistle,
compass use tip card,
silk escape map of UK/france
Turbo flame,
Matchless fire kit,
w/p matches,
sponopener(tin opener with a spoon shaped end
lexan desert spoon,
Wire saw,
brass wire,
purse net,
fishing kit,
2x 58 NATO water bottle,
Crusader metal mug
Milbank bag,
mess tin,
home made aide memoir,
waterproof notebook,
household matches,
First aid box
M.O.D. survival knife

US army poncho
US army poncho liner
British army basha
SAS hammock/stretcher

British army rucksack
Hydroram bivi bag
inner and outer buffalo sleeping bag system
thermarest


i have various ways of carrying it.

[RAPPLEBY2000]

the kit itself is a combination of:

raymears suggested items

survival kit army parts which are strong and trustworthy

i am slowly learning bushcraft,
and whilst i am the other kit keeps me safe and warm :-D

i can confidently light a fire from my flint each time! :roll:

[Mikey P]

Wow! That's a lot of stuff - I assume you pick and choose what you need depending on where you are going? A good selection of strong and robust equipment, at first glance, that should last you for ages.

Buffalo sleeping systems are ace - even when wet -but can be a bit bulky. You might want to look at a lighter/smaller bag for use with a bivi bag in summer.

Tick VG for water bottles and mess tins but you can - in theory - bin the mess tin for shorter excursions and use the metal mug for cooking too. I guess it all depends how lightweight you want to go.

My only other comment is on the MOD survival knife - if it's the one I'm thinking of, it's a beast! They weigh a ton, and are too big and unwieldy for any delicate work. I have no idea who designed them but I think it was a committee - it can't decide whether it's a machete, an axe or a knife. What do others think? I'd suggest a smaller, more convenient fixed blade.

Hope that helps - it's all personal opinion, anyway.

Cheers,

Mike

[Viking]

Small, simple, cheap but still a good knife is a Mora 2000.

http://www.canit.se/~griffon/knives/..._mora2000.html

[RAPPLEBY2000]

i am gradually going lighter weight,

the mess tin doesn't get used i only really kept it as its easier to use on open fires.

i do have a microfiber 2 season sleeping bag for summer use, i could also use the poncho liner, depends where i am.

i'm keeping the MOD knife :twisted:, i see it as a small hand axe and use it as such.

i would like to shave the kit down to about ten items for some really serious bushcraft! :wink:

[MartiniDave]

This could be the beginning of a very interesting (& maybe controversial?) thread!

What 10 items would you choose as you basic kit set :?: :?:

Dave

[RAPPLEBY2000]

ok here goes :wink:

assuming you already have rucksack, clothing, sleeping gear, and a first aid kit.

MoD survival knife
Gerber Lock knife,
Dimond dust knife sharpener,
2x 58 NATO water bottle,
Crusader metal mug
Firesteel flint,
lifeboat matches
fishing kit
Milbank bag,
brass wire,


ok may be i would like a couple more things:

home made aide memoir, (moral and information)
whistle (rescue) :-?

[Viking]

Assuming you have clothes on you this is what I would carry:

Something to cook in
Something to carry water in
A good knife
Rucksack
Compass
Rainclothes
First aid kit
Sleeping bag
Firesteel
fishing kit

[Fallow Way]

My standard kit is as follow


Snugpack 60L Rocket pack :

Food and Water
2x Nato Water flask
1x 6L Dromedary
1x Billy Can
1x Millibank Bag /or Pre-Mac Purifier

Shelter
1x Golden Eagle Sleeping Bag
1x Aussie Hootchie
1x Pyramid Hammock/or Bivvy Bag

Tools
1x Gransfors Small Forest Axe
1x Small First Aid Kit
1x Collapsable Saw

[u]Fire Lighting[/u]
Tin of Char cloth (sweet tin, perfect for making/storing the stuff)
Flint and Steel
Fire Flash


On my person I carry;
Woodlore Knife
Fire Flash
Small Bag of birch bark
Box of matches
Compass

Then I throw in whatever clothes and food I need with me.

[Trekker]

This is my first post, This looks like a great board.

My Basic Essential Bushcraft Gear

Pack
Poncho
Sleeping bag or Blanket
Compass and Map
Metal Cup and Pot
Water Bottles
HeadLamp
Med Kit
Fixed Blade and small Ax

I would love to have a NATO Flask. Where can I buy one in the USA.

[Neil1]

Ten items????
OK here goes
1)good knife (F1, Mora,Lapp Puuko)
2) Firesteel
3) Homemade ventile smock (just started making)
4) Goods boots (Miendl, lundhags,Chuckles,etc)
5) Decent Cooking pot
6) Gransfors SFA
7) Water bottle
8) Mug
9) Good fleece or Jumper
10) Bergen to carry it all in
Mother Nature should be able to provide the rest.
Neil1

[Matt Langley]

10 items, assuming I'm fully clothed for the outdoors.

Knife
Firesteel
Axe
Poncho
Poncho Liner
Pack
Large Water Bottle
Snares or Fish Kit (depending on where I am)
Paracord (100' would be more than enough for short periods)
Billy Can

I think I'd be fine with that.


As for the kit I have, I'm always trying to avoid taking a pack. I have a very strong belt with 4 medium and 2 large pouches. Into those I can fit:

2 Nato Water Bottles
Poncho
Metal Mug
Medikit
Poncho Liner
Hoochie
Silva Compass
DMTs
Leatherman Wave (or something else)
Shoe Polish Tin containing Fishing Gear and Snares
Beta Light
Spair Socks
Paracord
and quite a bit of chocolate, fat and salt, should I want to take it. Oh, and maybe some bog roll. :wink:


On my belt I'd also have my Swamprat INFIcoot and GB Hunter's Axe. In my smock's pockets I have a woolen hat and fingerless woolen gloves, a bandana to strain water, wipe my hands on when bloody, and anything else I need it for. On my trouser belt I have a spair sheath for my knife, so I can always have it handy, and my firesteel and SAK are in my pocket with 20' of paracord.

The advantage with this is that I can drop off some of my stuff at a campsite (such as the bigger 2 pouches) but still keep a number of bit and pieces on me should I need them when foraging or just wandering around. The drawback is that it's tempting to leave the whole belt and think "well I'm just going over that hill there, I'll be back in no time." and then need something that I don't have.

Still, if you limit what you can carry, you only carry what you need. What's more important is that the more you KNOW, the less you NEED. 45lbs of weight in a huge pack is not worth the trouble.

Matt

[Mikey P]

Wow - this is actually pretty hard to do. I tried a few times and kept remembering things at the last minute. I suppose there's a thin line between 'necessity' and 'comfort'. I sort of came up with the following (assuming I'm correctly clothed for the environment and it's a temperate area):

fixed-blade knife
cut-down sharpening stone
firestick
windproof lighter
paracord
metal mug
quart canteen
Katadyn water filter
First Aid Kit
Bivi bag

I know I've probably missed something fundamental (hair brush, stovetop espresso maker, etc) but I guess everything above would fit into pockets apart from the canteen - but that comes with a shoulder strap.

Is anyone keeping score of most popular items?

[RAPPLEBY2000]

so what would ray mears take?

himself? :shock:

though i think even he would not leave town without a decent knife and a cooking pot!


today i have spent the day on my inlaws farm, i started by building a emergency smoke fire (the sort on a tripod) and then thought what the heck and built a shelter with fire and reflector to match!

my point being is that i only used:

my MOD survival knife
and a fire flint!
the only other thing i needed was a cooking vessel!

for comfort all i would have needed was a poncho and liner or sleeping bag! (watch out my heads getting too big!). :shock: ops:

[bothyman]

so what would ray mears take?

himself?

TV crew and all the trimmings!!

I wonder how much time he really does stay in the outdoors when he is Filming?? ?? "OK, Lads thats it, back to the hotel" comes to mind.

[Tony]

I don't know about when he's filming but he's out under the stars for at least 2/3 of the year when he's not.

As for kit he will take the stuff that makes life easier for him, it that is a good sack full of kit so be it. But what sets him apart is that he would do ok if he lost the lot. He knows how to use the natural resources around to make tools, fire, shelter etc. A knife is nice, but he could do without most of the time.

A couple of broken flints give him an edge, and edge gives him a fire making set, a fire making set gives him warmth and a way of dividing logs etc for building with. A flint set into a stick is an axe, spear etc, withies and roots make traps and snares, he's got the fire to cook on............................ .............. His skill base is huge. But tools are there to be used and to make learning easier, giving you more time to practice individual skills.

Boy I can go on!! Point is - nothing wrong with kit, but don't jeopardise your skill by always relying on it.

[Gary]

Tony is right - the old Mors Kochanski saying of carry less by knowing more is right.

As seen above many people become so preoccupied with kit they end up carrying two or three times what they need to.

[RAPPLEBY2000]

which is clearly the case with my firtst list

[sargey]

i could look up a kephart or nessmuk quote about how half the fun is in the planning and checkingout new kit. the hard part is sorting out which toys have to be left behind, :-( i call them toys because in many instances they are just that, not necessities, but toys. i can't be the only 'round here who likes toys, "kit chatter" is the second busiest forum here! 8-)

cheers, and.

[Fallow Way]

I would agree with several sentiments already mention eabove. You can walk out with very little in terms of kit, a knife and maybe pot is what i would be happy with, but there are differnet reasons for going out.

The majority of the time I go out to learn a skill (flintknapping/tracking/stalking/cordage/plant use), now if i am trying to cope with shelter/food/water etc etc I am not giving that particular skill the attention it requires.

On the other hand, there are times when you want to gain some expereicne and test your skills which is when it is important to limit yourself as much as possible.

My personal approach is to try and balance things. If I am going to learn, be comforatable to have all your energies on the subject, but at the same time, dont go over board, my list further up the list is absoluty everything i would take, the maximam. It is as detrimental to carry too much equipment as it is to carry too little equipment at varying times.

Please forgive my typing/spelling, we do need a spell checker on here, i just dont have the patience to re-read :-)

[Jack]

Very interesting kit content everyone has.

What would you wear on your feet thou?

Best wishes.

Jack.

[Fallow Way]

I wear leather boots from South Africa called Rougue, water resistant very good.

Its it really heavy going i`ll put on sealskins and maybe gators

[Matt Langley]

On my feet, woolen Barbour gun socks and my pair of British Army Issue boots, because they're nice and comfy now.

If I could choose something else, probably some Russell's Stalker mocassins and a pair of Merino wool socks.

All this kit talk is making me wonder if I should try to get by with less. My first solo hiking/camping trip, I took a 45lb pack and some very strong Scarpa Delta boots. Ofcourse the boot's were more nearly for mountaineering so my feet hurt like hell, and the pack although good (Karrimor) didn't fit right because I'm so tall. That 45lbs really took it's toll on my body, and I didn't see any of the sites I set out to see, I also didn't get as close to nature as I thought I would. More kit means less fun as far as I can see.

Matt

[Jack]

I wear a pair of Le Chameaus.

I have worn all sorts of boots from Para Boots through to Dry Boots.

I wear them all the time and in the woodlands during the winter months I wear canvas gaiters. Naturally, the job of Hurdle Making is very demanding on your kit and your boots are usually the first to fall to bits.

I have been charcoal burning, hurdle making, coppicing, logging and I have even climb trees in them ( and in due course, fallen out of them!). They seem to be pretty much bomb proof. I have worked in sub zero temperature and they have been through the hottest summer in years. They have also been plastered in calf sh*t twice a day everyday since June( and I mean twice a day as we haven't had a day of since June!) and they are still going stong!.........and they give great support around the ankles.

Jack.

[Doc]

I like Army issue socks - comfy warm and hardwearing.

I rate Scarpa boots highly. Few years ago I bought a pair of their Manta M4 mountain boots - these are quite rigid in order to take a crampon. All the books say you should break in boots before wearimg them for a longer trip, but they were so comfortable straight out of the box I wore them the next day for a trip up Ben More Assynt and Conival. No blisters, no problems, worked fine with the crampons.

I've never had boots as good as these, and when they wear out I'll just buy another pair (so long as they're still being made).

[Roving Rich]

I tend to prefer high leg boots for the ankle support having sprained both ankles badly.
I wear Salomen gore tex, not as nice as my previos leather salomen "clima tex" that i got in Canada, they were like comfy slippers, but didn't last long and couldn't be repared. The new ones also creak, so are hopeless for stalking.
My other pair is the German army paraboots, resoled after the Glastonbury flipper incident they are still going strong.
My boots are certainly broken in, the salomens are on the virge of breaking out! But i still get sore feet if i am carrying a heavy pack. That 45lbs all gets transfered to your feet so they are under alot more pressure than usual.
Insoles and good socks seem to help alot, but getting that pack size down is the key me thinks.
Rich

[Gary]

Rich have you tried sorabathane insoles - they may ease your achy feet - work for me now and when I was a foot slogger.

[larry the spark]

Wore same German Army Para Boots for about 7 years and then got a Grade1 pair of Gore tex and Thinsulate lined Brit Army Pro Boots from Ebay for £35 +pp. Excellent for support and comfort and already broken in on a tour of the Balkans!

Keep an eye on Ebay for 2-3 weeks and you can get a great deal. They retail anywhere between £110-150 and will last for years

[gurushaun]

I can second the recommendation of Sorbothane insoles I've used 'em for years, both the footbed, double strike type and the thinner all sorbothane type (which I'm using in a pair of Danners at the moment). Realy comfy kit.

Cheers

Shaun

[Stew]

I've not really found Sorbothane to be very suitable for me. It's ok for a short while but seems to lose performance quite quickly.