|
-Reader Submitted Article
The best survival kit is a usable survival kit
First off let me say that before you try any of the
things in this article, that I am in no way responsible for your
own actions, use this info at your own risk. Survival is nothing
to take lightly.
This is common sense you may say to yourself. But
how many people go into the woods and don't come back to tell what
they wish they had and what they did wrong. WITH THAT IN MIND I
COME TO MY FIRST RULE IN SURVIVAL: NEVER GO ANYWHERE UNLESS SOMEONE
KNOWS WHERE YOU ARE GOING AND WHEN YOU SHOULD BE BACK!!!
I have been a survivalist for many years now and have found that
all the knowledge in the world is no good to you in a survival situation
if you don't have the equipment or more importantly if you don't
know how to use the equipment you have. Now I am sure there are
types of people out there that can live in the woods forever without
all the new "stuff" survival companies have come up with,
but why spend a few nights out in the cold when all it takes is
a little preparation and a lot of practice. Yes I said a lot.
Contrary to popular belief, survival knowledge does
not come over night or just because you have read a few books and
got a shiny new survival tin full of goodies. The information that
follows will help you buy or make a kit that you can use and also
give you the necessary knowledge of how to use that kit in a manner
that promotes self reliance, I NOR ANYONE ELSE CAN LEARN FOR YOU!
That being said here is how I did it for myself.
Step 1. CAMPING. That's right camping. The more you camp
the more you find out what you can or cannot do without in the woods.
Try leaving 1 or 2 pieces of gear at home that you did not use on
the last trip. This may be as big as a tent or as small as a can
opener. The less equipment you find that you need to camp in comfort,
the more knowledge you will gain about yourself in the wild. Now
I am not saying to go out in the wild in 10 feet of snow without
proper cold weather gear, just make yourself uncomfortable enough
to say to yourself "Hey I could do this if I had to".
Once you have obtained self awareness you are ready to move on.
You will know when the time is right, you will find confidence you
never had before. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT MY WAY TAKES TIME,
BUT IN A REAL SURVIVAL SITUATION, THE MORE PRACTICE YOU HAVE THE
MORE OF A CHANCE YOU WILL HAVE OF MAKING IT OUT ALIVE!
Step 2. The list. All survival kits should have these major
groups of equipment scaled to the size you feel comfortable using.
Start out big, maybe a backpack. Then go smaller as you gain confidence
in your ability. More on size later. The major groups are KNIFE,SHELTER,
WATER, SIGNALING, FOOD, FIRE , AND FIRST AID. I wont go into
every little piece of equipment that you could possibly use for
each of these, but I will however go over a few of the best of each.
Since a survival kit is designed to be something you can carry on
your person and we are going from big (beginner) to small (skilled)
we will discuss the 2 extremes of each piece of equipment and you
can find a middle ground if needed for the journey from beginner
to skilled.
FIRST OFF GET A GOOD KNIFE, AND LEARN TO USE AND SHARPEN
IT WITH COMMERCIAL SHARPENERS AND ON SMOOTH ROCKS (yes it can be
done) YOUR KNIFE IS THE BASIS OF EVERY OTHER ITEM IN A KIT, NEVER
BE WITHOUT A KNIFE. Go with fixed blade single edge full tang and
don't skimp on the money, you won’t regret it. Research this
VERY thoroughly. Now on to the other items.
SHELTER: Shelter is your first priority in the wilds. It
not only protects you from the elements, it also gives you a place
to call home in a time you need it most. Since you can get quite
a bit in or on a backpack, your first survival shelter should be
a small tent that is easily transported and set up. Quality of gear
is the key. As for our smallest kit (that's going to be a survival
tin of one form or another) you may only be able to fit a sheet
of plastic or survival blanket or poncho to work with. In both cases
you will need insulation for cold weather, and even in a backpack
you will find little room for a heater.
Hopefully you will have learned in your camping exercises that
proper dress and use of natural insulation from plants and the like
is all you need to make it through the night. Extreme situations,
for example frozen wilderness or desert conditions will call on
the knowledge of that environment. I can’t tell you where you
will be going to spend your survival life, but reading up and experiencing
it is the major key to that sort of thing. I myself have never had
the opportunity to be in those extremes but practice in the weather
I do get in my home state and follow up reading and the like will
account for more than you know. EXAMPLE: Once I built an
Igloo just to see if I could and let me tell you no matter what
the natives say it is a cold night. But it showed me I could do
it. Read and practice.
WATER: Don't take a chance on your first trips and bring
more water than you think you need. The body only lives for a few
days in nice weather without it. In harsh weather you may be DEAD
in minutes. In a backpack you can use bottles or hydration systems
with tubes for efficiency. BUT you should always have a way to boil
or chemically purify water that you WILL need to replace in your
containers. With a big kit pump purifiers are the best. They are
easy to use and reliable. In your pocket/tin kit you may have to
use the tin itself to boil your water in and use purifying tabs
in a pre-measured measured bag for the amount of water a tab will
handle. Never take a chance with water, filter it through a cloth
if you have to, then boil it or use tabs to purify it before you
drink. The only time you should even take a chance is if there is
no other way to go on. And even that is a risky idea. Once again
READ AND USE your equipment to get to know it.
SIGNALING: This one is simple, both large and small kits
have basically the same devices in them, a signal mirror, a flashlight,
and a whistle are the items I have come to never be without in the
wild. All of them are best to have and in a small kit they won’t
take up much room. Once again quality. LEDs are best for flashlight
because of range of light and use of little battery power, also
no bulb to change. They come in very large to the size of a quarter.
If you can’t fit all 3 in a kit at least have the mirror in
and the other 2 on a necklace or key chain. Also learn distress
signals and maybe some Morris code.
FOOD: You would be amazed at how long you can go without
food. You shouldn't even eat if you don't have a good supply of
water for that matter. At first carry your food in. Not every state
allows practice survival food gathering (if any state for that matter).
For practice purposes bring food you can cook over a fire, so you
can get the feel of it even though you did not kill it. When it
comes to gathering food in the real deal, pack fishing, and trapping
items for example a small rod and reel and prefixed fixed snares
in your big pack or even a small gun if legal (but hey in a real
survival situation who cares). This is where I again stress that
your actions are your own and I am not responsible for your actions.
As for the tin kit you can get away with a few hooks, several
feet of good fishing line, and thin military style trip wire. There
are more items you can use like 550 para cord that has 7 inner strands
that make great thread, fish line and the like. Learn to make spears.
And other ways of getting live game. When it comes to plant life
that is your call. I find it troubling at best, now don't get me
wrong you may have to use them if there is no way to get game, but
that require a lot of reading and bring that info to the field to
practice. I have done it but try not to use it if I don't have to.
There are more poison plants than animals in my book. Everything
that flies crawls swims and slithers can be eaten with a few exceptions.
LEARN THEM.
On to FIRE: always carry a Bic lighter. They are better
than matches and will not take up much more room. You can carry
matches (I do) but a lighter is fool proof. Next to that a magnesium
fire starter with a flint built in is the way to go. I have never
needed to use any thing else but these 2 items. BUT in both kits
bring as many cotton balls and fire starting sticks that you can
find. I don't like to rely on a fire spindle and dry grasses if
I don't have to. READ READ READ then DO DO DO on this just like
everything else. It is easier than you think to use these items.
When it comes to FIRST AID: In a big kit bring the best
and most comprehensive first aid kit you can get. Then before you
try to use it take a class or read SEVERAL books on first aid. When
you rely on a tin, you have to do with duck tape, band aids, stitching
items (needle and thread or sutures) and maybe some pain killers
and stomach pills, also a scalpel or razor blade and some tweezers
come in handy. Of course if you need special health items take as
much of these items as you can. I need glasses or contacts just
to make it through the day. I keep both in a large kit and just
contacts in my small tin. As with any trip anywhere you need to
be as careful as you can and don't take unnecessary risks. That
way you won’t need to do field surgery. Learn Learn Learn.
I can’t stress that enough.
Now that we have discussed some, (but by no means all), of the
items that should be in a kit. I suggest you look at other people’s
books and articles on kits and build for every piece of info you
can. I am not the authority on survival, I have just had experience.
Just Google and you will get as much info as you can handle. Beware
of tips and information that you don't see a lot of, this may or
may not be entirely true to life. And when you feel you can make
it on a trip with a small tin, buy or make 2 so you are practicing
with same thing you keep whole in your pocket. Never stop experimenting
with new ideas and ways to make it better. Get as much good gear
in the space as you can and then carry other items in your pockets.
Always double or triple up on items if you can. Never stop practicing
and trying new things.
I am sure I have left out something so don't stop with this info,
go on and be like a sponge. Soak up every bit you can before you
need to use it. Even if you never have to use it, you will have
the time of your life in the woods ether by yourself or with family
or friends. Once again I stress the importance of letting someone
know where and when you are going and coming back. Please be safe
when you practice and when you go out in the wild. Don't take it
for granted. It is a wonderful thing.
-Written by Jimmie Foster
|
Customer
Service - All orders are shipped within 2-3 business days. Your
UPS tracking number will be emailed to you once your order ships so
you can track your order on its way to you. Shipping is calculated
based on shipping location and weight. Please provide a physical address
and not a PO Box since UPS can not deliver to a PO Box.