Bare minimum - Pocket survival kit

[British Red]

Beta lights work on tritium. The original lights were about ping pong ball sized and enough to read a map by - they are still about but cost about thirty quid or more. Small tritium key rings and markers (and fishing lights) are now about for a few quid but are bright enough to, say, find your torch in the dark, but not enough to read by.

Soldier of Fortune sells a good variety

Red

 

[Hoodoo]

wasnt he a silly man not going prepared for his adventure Im not back tracking on what I originally said I just couldnt see the point of taking a full blown survival tin Fish hooks and snare and wire saw ect into a office envirment The man in the above artical was very foolhardy to set out ill prepared ie lack of cloathing and what else he ort to have taken and i think every one with any experience would agree

I think you have a good point. My "office survival kit" is quite a bit different from my outdoor kits. Got a big sewing kit, antacids, chapstick, aspirin, ibuprofen, stuff like that.

But again, ya never know. I was riding a charter bus to chicago. It was pouring down raining and the windshield wiper on the bus popped off. We didn't lose it though because it had a tether on it. The metal cap bolting it to the splline had broken and it would not stay on the spline. A little snare wire from my minikit fixed it right up.

No fishhooks in my office kit.

 

[British Red]

Mines a bit like that Hoodoo - I have the key chain I showed before, a few pocket items (lighter, pen knife etc.) and a small FAK that lives in my laptop bag. I have my possibles pouch I wear whenever I go out into the woods and an old game bag (with brew kit, bigger FAK etc.) when I go out for the day. Its more a question of "adding to" than "instead of" with me. I have some pictures somewhere of whats in them if anyone is interested

Red

 

[Karl5]

Mines a bit like that Hoodoo - I have the key chain I showed before, a few pocket items (lighter, pen knife etc.) and a small FAK that lives in my laptop bag. I have my possibles pouch I wear whenever I go out into the woods and an old game bag (with brew kit, bigger FAK etc.) when I go out for the day. Its more a question of "adding to" than "instead of" with me. I have some pictures somewhere of whats in them if anyone is interested

Red

I certainly am, yes.
Pictures, please?

/ Karl

 

[British Red]

I certainly am, yes.
Pictures, please?

/ Karl

I use a possible pouch and or "man bag" extensively and got to thinking about the "why" part. Well my possibles pouch is my "real" survival kit. Its all the stuff I don't want to be without. Its stuff I use regularly, above and beyond my pocket contents. My possibles pouch stays complete and goes on my belt whenever I'm out and about. It has all those "need" things that you actually need and use on a regular basis. If separated from my main pack or just out for a stroll it would make a pretty fair survival kit (although thats not its main purpose). It really is a "most likely to have with me" item though. So whats my "man bag"? Just a battered old game bag I use for walks and stuff. Handier than a day sack but enough for a day walk.

My "always on me" consists of four things

Wallet
Keys
Penknife
Lighter

The lighter is the same old cheap turbo flame rip off I have had since my smoking days. Never let me down and despite the fact it cost a couple of quid I trust it so it stays.

My EDC pocket knife is a twin bladed Trevor Ablett. Holds a lovely edge and is a sub 3" slippy so its legal everywhere but excluded places

In my wallet? A 1 litre Ziplock containing a strip of puritabs, roll of dental floss and an SD card with document copies (I travel a LOT and a lost passport is a pain). A bunch of cash and a couple of hundred Euros plus all the normal cards etc.(same reason - ever tried getting a French taxi driver to take a card?)

My Key ring

It has a paracord key fob
Fauxton LED torch
Whistle
Mini Silva compass
Leatherman Micra
Silver Gripper tweezers
4mm ferro rod

My possibles pouches (I have an old and a new) have a couple of things in common

Long belt loops (so they hang below a Bergan hip belt if I'm wearing one), one handed opening - one has a toggle, one a locking leather strap - both work. I got the new one because the old one is well worn and I wanted a reserve

Here's the old

And the new

Heres the contents

The contents are roughly

Monocular (used for spotting game and birds but also good for spying out terrain etc.)
LED torch (Fenix AA)
Ferro Rod
Windmill Lighter
Whistle
Cotton Wool & Vas
Mini FAK (blisters, antihistamines, pain killers, cuts kit etc.)
SAK with saw etc.
Sewing kit
UV Lip salve (does for sun cream too)
Wetfire
Puritabs
Zip Locks
Breast milk bags

My big bag

Well, here is the contents of the game bag. I've kept this bag optimised for "grab and go" so nothing in there that will "go off" - I can't be bothered planning to go for a walk - I just swing this on my shoulder on the way out of the door

I'll show most of the conents but I forgot to photograph the pouch on the bottom left - its an LED converted mini maglite. Shares batteries with my camera and Fenix (AA size) and runs almost forever on Lithiums. Not the best torch in the world but I had it and it gets me home after enjoying the walk a bit late! Theres a bit of overlap here with my possibles pouch as sometimes I just grab the game bag,

Heres my stove rig. Just a basic British Army hexy cooker with crusader top. I find that when you rip the hexy cardboard open it stinks and gets everywhere. My stove and hexy lives in an old plastic takeaway container as a result.

Here are the mugs. Mine is a crusader with a lid and a clip on bail arm for when fires are safe. The other is a double wall steel mug because BB hates the burned lip thing. The device on top of BBs mug is a "SwissGold" filter for real coffee - weighs nothing and makes a great brew!

The suede pouch holds brew kit and snacks. The brew kit holds a variety of "sachet" drinks for guests and BB, sugar etc. The snacks are raisins and commercial fruit bars and home made jerky and dried fruit. All are fine to be left in the bag for months. My coffee has its own jar of course

This is just sundries. My coffee (white plastic screw top jar). Space blanket for sitting on and as a windshield. Puritabs, whistle, , zip locks (for foraging and water gathering), puritabs, kite string, whistle, spare batteries, spare lighter. All the little bits live in the plastic flip top box.

Lightweight tools

A 10" Wetterling belt axe, Silky Pocket Boy and Singeblister "Hornet" knife. These are left out if not needed or on public land.

A small FAK with antihistamine, insect repellant, plasters and blister kit, tick hook, micropore and mellolin, antiseptic wipes, safety pins, conforming bandage, painkillers, vaseline, cotton wools.

A small flask of "warmth" and some tissue for noses and other purposes completes the outfit.

Nothing scary or "tacticool" but I can fit in a fleece bag and a tarp and have a pleasant night out in the Summer with a few more "eats".

Basically my "real" survival kit goes like - pocket stuff always, possibles pouch anytime I'm out and about , game bag when I'm out for a longer wander.

Red

 

[Karl5]

Thanks for that, Red.

Looks like a well thought through way of doing the kit "layer by layer" as the need and want shifts with where you are and want to do. What you've put into each layer seems completely sensible to me too.
Interesting that you've chosen breast milk bags instead of condoms. Have you ever had them burst in the seams on you, or is that no problems?
Say, how do you feel about the hand-held torches. I started out that way, but have converted to head-torches. True, they're not as robust as an aluminium hand torch, but I always found having two hands free to be the better option.

/ Karl

Ps. Yes, I have tried the credit card on french taxi drivers, and yes, cash euros do come in handy...

 

[British Red]

I like both Karl tbh. My ultimate favourite torch is a Petzl Myo XP head torch. However I like to keep my bags "packed". Its too big to go in my possibles pouch although I have dumped it in my game bag when I know I'm going to be out late. My old AA mag is a "knock about" I don't mind losing tbh. Where we live there are no street lights (or roads) but I'm often out late - having a torch just means I don't get my face whipped with branches at night in the woods. On a good moon night I use nothing to be honest - just let my eyes adjust.

Red

 

[hiho]

very informative as usual

 

[Grumpy Monkey]

I have two pocket-kits, although haven't got a photo of them.
One that I carry around town is in an Altiods (mints) tin and contains:
Headache tabs, diacalm, matches, compass, very small SAK, cotton wool, plasters, whistle, pencil, paper, candle, 2' of paracord & a housewife.

The other is in one, for non-town walks, of my late grandfather's baccy tins which has all of the above (more plasters, matches, tabs & paracord) and:
Wire saw, water purifying tabs, Vasoline/cotton wool mix, condom (for water and not 'striking lucky'!!), fishing line, hooks, safety pins, LED torch, firesteel and a couple of other bits n pieces.

I always have a knife on me. If I'm in jeans then I have a Victorinox Climber and a Ka-Bar stock penknife; if I'm in a suit then I have a 1927 Southern & Richardson penknife. I always have a Zippo on me, sometimes 2!

 

[bingobadgo]

Hey there.
Mame from a fishing tackle shop a few years ago. I can't remember how much it cost but it wasn't that much. However my beta light is only about 3/4 of an inch long so fairly small.

I guessed it might have been one of those. Initially i thought you meant one of the big ones you can read by. I love those little ones, most of my belongings end up with one glued on somewhere sooner or later!

 

[Warrigal]

Ok I have a number of kits. My concept is that each one steps up a level of risk so from the crud in my pockets. Up to a full on I'm gone for a week Grab bag.
Key fob.
I use the Colman Mini-biners, So I can easily add or remove keys, ie: I'm a home dad so I don't need to carry my work keys or memory stick every day.
One car might need a service or something so we can swap keys easily.It also so means I can hook the keys to a key ring sewn inside my sling bag so I can find them one handed.
I always have a knife of some description at the moment it is a BRKT PSK I have to make a fob for it. My old EDC was a VIC OHO Trailmaster with a hootchie cord tail ( about 5ft of cord Green 2mm)
On the keys we have
A photon micro led
A Swiss tech swisstool
Sliver grippers
A fox 40 whistle
A three faced netsuki of the three wise monkeys my baby sister got from Japan.
I have added a glow in the dark zipper pull.

Wallet has the normals cards cash ( but never enough) and a Frenzle lens
A Victorinox Swisslite card
a copy of Kiplings "If"
A laminated card with our post box address on it and on the otherside emergency ph. numbers.
And normally some rite-in-the-rain paper for notes that doesn't disintergrate from being so close to my A#$% for extended periods
And half book of paper matches wrapped in cellophane.
The contents of my Doug Ritter PSK
with some slight mods.
Another Photon lite led I dumped the mirror and replaced the standed compass with a Silva button luminous
I dumped the pre packed tinder for a tampon and lipbalm ( a bit more versitility and still does the same job)
I have also added a Gerber micro LST
And pencil sharpener ( the best tinder maker ever)
And small inch by 3/4's diamond sharpening plate.
I have pics of the sling contents if anyone is interested.
One a note most the time my PSK get used is the needle from the fishing kit. But on one memorable night on 75th Anniversary of a Scout group I was involved with the renevations had been running right up to the guest arriving.
Any way blew the circuit breakers Had to wait for the State energy suppliers to get a work truck over, 6pm on a Saturday ( It took 40min amazing what can happen when you get a couple of local councilers on their phones) in between we had gas lanterns but no matches.As Scouters we weren't about to go and ask for a light I got a old candle from the bottom of a patrol box wrapped it with lipbalm soaked tampon cotton sparks from the wheelie thing and we had light.
Carl