Belt System - Utility Kit & First Aid Kit
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Very thorough post and nice pictures.
At first glance, the gas jet lighter probably won't be of much use to you. Additionally will you tell us where else in Europe you plan to travel? When I first set out to travel around Europe I took far too much gear, much of what I see here is all useful stuff but if you plan to travel any kind of distance you might want to think about cutting down on the weight you will carry.
If you think you will be allowed to fish where you are going then think about investing in a small collapsible rod.
Good luck.
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The heliograph (signal mirror) will be very useful, I have used one to help me extract insects from my eyes and to make sure I look presentable before returning to the civilized world.
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Wow, what a lot of stuff into a few small pouches, seems you are pretty well equipped with several back up items! Nice pouches too.
I tend to carry a bit more medical stuff in my personal first aid kit (ibuprofen, antihistamine, imodium, antisceptic cream) which is ok as it is a personal kit. And in my opinion you can never have enough fire lighting stuff, why make life hard. I'd probably carry more Vaseline too, lots of uses.
I tend to base my first aid kit on this: http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/First_Aid_Kit (warning language a bit strong on this link)
and sometimes carry a Doug Ritter pocket survival pak and a letherman, but my main possibles pouch is a little drawstring leather thing with matches, lighters, cotton wool, vaseline, pins and a few other bits. The main thing is whatever you carry, use it, that's what its there for!
I'm also not a fan of those turboflame lighters, I prefer lots of cheap disposables.
You could probably have a bit less, but if you have the space then why not.
I tend to carry a bit more medical stuff in my personal first aid kit (ibuprofen, antihistamine, imodium, antisceptic cream) which is ok as it is a personal kit. And in my opinion you can never have enough fire lighting stuff, why make life hard. I'd probably carry more Vaseline too, lots of uses.
I tend to base my first aid kit on this: http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/First_Aid_Kit (warning language a bit strong on this link)
and sometimes carry a Doug Ritter pocket survival pak and a letherman, but my main possibles pouch is a little drawstring leather thing with matches, lighters, cotton wool, vaseline, pins and a few other bits. The main thing is whatever you carry, use it, that's what its there for!
I'm also not a fan of those turboflame lighters, I prefer lots of cheap disposables.
You could probably have a bit less, but if you have the space then why not.
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Thanks a lot for the replies guys. Seems to be a disliking to the turbo flame lighter. I initially got one for the stormy days when you just want a good constant flame to start a fire with no messing around. Also, the butane doesn't dry out like conventional lighter fluid - although that does take a long time to dry out anyway. But I take your point! And it is quite bulky so I'll think about replacing it.
Also, good point about the pills, I will definitely add some pain killers, anti histamine and imodium in there, I have the space after all.
Also, good point about the pills, I will definitely add some pain killers, anti histamine and imodium in there, I have the space after all.
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Ibuprofen is anti-inflamatory as well as a pain killer, so probably better than paracetemol or asprin. Got me down off a mountain in Wales after a nasty sprain.
if you want to save weight get a plastic fresnel magnifier. ebay!
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Webtex I think do a polished steel mirror which fits perfectly in the bottom of that tin, so I would swap out the heliograph for that, for the simple thought, that the polished steel is a far better mirror than the plastic heliograph. A little more weight though. But then I would dump the tin as you have a folded foil tray and bag everything.
2 firesteels?
You could probably cut down on quantities in your FAK as it is, and add Ibuprofen, Asprin, Resolve etc. Iodine / water steri tabs could be usefull. Some sort of chordage. Dump the pen knife for a mini multitool, Clas Olsen do an excellent one for a tenner with a built in torch, pliers, screw driver/s saw etc.
Ah yes, torch.
2 firesteels?
You could probably cut down on quantities in your FAK as it is, and add Ibuprofen, Asprin, Resolve etc. Iodine / water steri tabs could be usefull. Some sort of chordage. Dump the pen knife for a mini multitool, Clas Olsen do an excellent one for a tenner with a built in torch, pliers, screw driver/s saw etc.
Ah yes, torch.
Lol, 2 a bit much? I do have a nasty habit of losing my firesteel for some reason. I'm fine with everything else, I just have a nack of leaving my firesteel in weird places. I'm thinking about changing to a scout model for my backup though so that would cut down on about half the weight of it. Cheers for all the advice though, duly noted!
Thanks chap. Aye, I thought of that but if I leave it intact I still have the option of making ranger bands to bind things together.
I'm heading to the Pyrenees mountains with my father. Going to be eeeexcellent!
Whereabouts in the Pyrenees are you heading and what will you be doing when you are there? Hiking??
Would definately add a small torch and a couple of snaplights (snaplights can be used for firelighting when they are 'spent')
Also a waterbottle and steel mug could be useful.
Looks a good kit though!
Also a waterbottle and steel mug could be useful.
Looks a good kit though!
Nice collection of kit but seems an awful lot of kit to carry hiking? What's it all weigh and will you be carrying camping equipment and all that as well? In 20 years of backpacking can't say I've ever lost my pack. Have fun
Nigel
Nigel
Awesome & well assorted. Ideas: small silva ranger 27 compass with mirror, small led lamp & a candle.
Paper clips are a nice touch. Very usefull in first aid!
Paper clips are a nice touch. Very usefull in first aid!
Good idea about the snap lights thanks!. One things dudes, remember this is my belt kit, my main pack will have everything else I need in such as cook kit, bottles, torches, clothes, tent, etc etc. I forgot to mention the compass, I guess that will always be in my shirt pocket. That Silva Ranger 27 does look very tempting over my old nameless one..
Yup, hiking. Although we are going to be taking it easy. Doing it more to just get out into the wilderness and see the scenery than hump miles every day. Going to play it by ear, maybe bivouac a bit. Not sure exactly where yet, in my opinion the less populated the area is the better!
Edit: By the way, the two pouches weigh in at 1.2 kilos altogether. Hadn't realised how weighty they were since the waist is such a strong pivot point you can't really feel it. Although I do see this as stuff I'd be carrying somewhere anyway, just relocated to pouches on my hips instead of in my backpack.
Yup, hiking. Although we are going to be taking it easy. Doing it more to just get out into the wilderness and see the scenery than hump miles every day. Going to play it by ear, maybe bivouac a bit. Not sure exactly where yet, in my opinion the less populated the area is the better!
Edit: By the way, the two pouches weigh in at 1.2 kilos altogether. Hadn't realised how weighty they were since the waist is such a strong pivot point you can't really feel it. Although I do see this as stuff I'd be carrying somewhere anyway, just relocated to pouches on my hips instead of in my backpack.
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I'd have a look at the terrain type that you're going to be traveling in and tailor your 'survival' kit for that terrain.
I think your kit is well thought though for a lowland temperate environment. However the Pyrenees is not a lowland Temperate environment. Some parts are high alpine glaciated areas. Some parts are Alpine rock, Some are alpine medow, some are Montane forest...
Without sounding unduely critical. For example having a heap of firelighting kit is great but if there is nothing to burn in the environment you're in... Then it's redundant... My experience of Alpine above the 'tree line' environments is that wood is at a premium. Similarly 3 or 4 cutting tools are probably over kill.
I've spent quite a bit of time in the Pyrenees and it's a great environment sort of 1/2 way house between the UK hills and the Alps at full scale. There is some superb hiking. The mountains have some excellent scale generally it's a superb environment. On my forays and climbing I personally didn't feel the need for a kit as comprehensive as they one you have. But each to their own.
I think your FAK is good I'd add in some High factor sunscreen, some Immodium, and some hand clensing gel.
I'd personally ditch the majority of the fire lighting kit I'd add in some ESBIT tablets as they are sealed in a foil sachet unlike hexy these will do as fire lighters and also fuel away from a fuel supply. Add in an emergency high energy food source perhaps a couple of Leppin gel sachets or good old KMC.
I'd take a portable shelter that was small such as a bothy bag.
If you're used to UK mapping with the excellent OS mapping then French IGN maps are a bit of a shock. Based on this a small GPS like a cheap Etrex with the refugios and CAF huts pre programmed in in the area you're going to be might be well worth it.
HTH
John
Hey John,
Thank you for your tips! Don't worry about sounding overly critical, you don't, and regardless I posted this here to improve on my kit any way I could from people with greater wisdom than myself!
I should have said, we're not planning to go to anywhere near "serious" elevations, so I had thought that there would be woodland areas around much of the time. Put simply, I don't think there's much chance of us going above the tree line at all! Cutting tool wise I will take your advise and stick with the Mora as my main use blade and then the Buck as back up since it's so small and weighs nothing. Will avoid the temptation to take any more blades than that, however I've carried a multi tool for so long I don't think I could leave it behind.. but I may remove the scissors from the fak since the Juice has surprisingly large, useful ones.
Definitely going to add the Ibuprofen, Immodium and Antihistamine pills in there but I think I'll have the sun screen and hand gel in my pack. Only bought a bottle of Cuticura hand gel at the chemists today!
Funny you mentioned maps, I have been wondering for a while about good maps for the trip. Sorry to hear that French ones aren't up to our OS standards.
Again, thank you for all the advice, so helpful!
Thank you for your tips! Don't worry about sounding overly critical, you don't, and regardless I posted this here to improve on my kit any way I could from people with greater wisdom than myself!
I should have said, we're not planning to go to anywhere near "serious" elevations, so I had thought that there would be woodland areas around much of the time. Put simply, I don't think there's much chance of us going above the tree line at all! Cutting tool wise I will take your advise and stick with the Mora as my main use blade and then the Buck as back up since it's so small and weighs nothing. Will avoid the temptation to take any more blades than that, however I've carried a multi tool for so long I don't think I could leave it behind.. but I may remove the scissors from the fak since the Juice has surprisingly large, useful ones.
Definitely going to add the Ibuprofen, Immodium and Antihistamine pills in there but I think I'll have the sun screen and hand gel in my pack. Only bought a bottle of Cuticura hand gel at the chemists today!
Funny you mentioned maps, I have been wondering for a while about good maps for the trip. Sorry to hear that French ones aren't up to our OS standards.
Again, thank you for all the advice, so helpful!
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Hi,
That's a shame. There is some excellent terrain to be found out of the valleys.
If you have time head to Cauterets and then up to Pont D Espange some nice terrain there above the bush line but well within most folk.
If you fancied a Peak then Grand Fache or Petit Vingmale are very good achieveable summits. Pic Du Midi d'Ossau is well worth a visit also...
My experience with the mapping is that it's ok but not as good as OS but few international mapping systems are IME. That may have changed. If you're on one of the GR routes then there are track markers and Cairns all over the place
Finally if you are hiking any distance with a rucksack consider how your belt of pouches may interfere with the rucksack waist belt...
Have fun..
John
If you are traveling via Paris then all of your map needs will be met by visiting 'Au View Campeur', 2 Rue de Latran in the 'latin quarter'.
This is a camping store spread over some twenty or so shops all within a few blocks of each other, each shop specializes in a specific area, the map shop can be found near the bottom of this page.
The other shops are well worth a browse, just leave your credit card at the hotel.
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Personally I don't believe in the validity of the small PSK's (Personal Survival Kits)..
I'd rather go a tad larger (say mess tin). This gives you a true vessel for boiling water (BCB do a stainless one with a good lid!).
You state you have the other stuff in your backpack. Once the brown stuff hits the fan you might ditch your backpack, and then when Mr Murphy comes along (it get's worse..) you might have to dump your beltkit too....
Whistle, knife and fire kit is on my person, same as two or three plastic trashbags (rainjacket, tarp etc.) and compass (including mirror)
IF looking at it from a survival point of view, preparation and communication is often forgotten. E.g. leave a plan back with a third party where you are going, with whom, when you are expected to be back etc.
Just looking at your kit there is a lot of redundancy in fire lighting, something already mentioned iirc. Personally I would bin the wire saw.
The space you have left over in e.g. a (set of) messtin(s) you can fill with food (emergency bars...)
Remind your self about the rule of three's (averages)
3 minutes without O2
3 hours without shelter in extreme weather
3 days without water
3 weeks without food
So shelter (bothy bag, improvised tarps) and fire/warmth are important and never truly covered in the small psk's.
Have fun in the Pyrenees and experiment with your psk to find the good, the bad and the ugly parts in there ;-)
Having said this much/little, in all travels I never had to really use a psk. I did use them to train myself or try them. Living out of one for 4 days... just a belt kit ....
Grtz Johan
I'd rather go a tad larger (say mess tin). This gives you a true vessel for boiling water (BCB do a stainless one with a good lid!).
You state you have the other stuff in your backpack. Once the brown stuff hits the fan you might ditch your backpack, and then when Mr Murphy comes along (it get's worse..) you might have to dump your beltkit too....
Whistle, knife and fire kit is on my person, same as two or three plastic trashbags (rainjacket, tarp etc.) and compass (including mirror)
IF looking at it from a survival point of view, preparation and communication is often forgotten. E.g. leave a plan back with a third party where you are going, with whom, when you are expected to be back etc.
Just looking at your kit there is a lot of redundancy in fire lighting, something already mentioned iirc. Personally I would bin the wire saw.
The space you have left over in e.g. a (set of) messtin(s) you can fill with food (emergency bars...)
Remind your self about the rule of three's (averages)
3 minutes without O2
3 hours without shelter in extreme weather
3 days without water
3 weeks without food
So shelter (bothy bag, improvised tarps) and fire/warmth are important and never truly covered in the small psk's.
Have fun in the Pyrenees and experiment with your psk to find the good, the bad and the ugly parts in there ;-)
Having said this much/little, in all travels I never had to really use a psk. I did use them to train myself or try them. Living out of one for 4 days... just a belt kit ....
Grtz Johan
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