Ahjno said:
I completely agree with you Stuart, and I don't plan to use it for carving etc. Just for what Addyb mentioned: slicing open a fish, cutting paracord, etc. if I have to and haven't got a proper knife (no longer) with me.
Got inspired by your 'Survival is all about a cup of tea' thread' and a thread by survival kits (and their contents) by Basemetal, back over on BB.
http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13189
This blade just gives some more grip, as opposed to a simple razorblade - it doesn't take up a massive amount of space in the BCB tin (which has no: fishing kit, button compass, wire saw, sewing kit in it, but tea & sugar sachets, esbit, matches, lighter, fire flash, signal mirror, whistle and some other bits 'n bobs); and it's not very expensive (though for the use I have it intended, effective enough).
Of course, if you have an alternative / better idea, I'm more than willing to listen and learn
if the intention is to use it in a survival tin context, then it can only be an improvement over the simple razor or scalpel blade that’s for sure.
I am not a fan of survival tins though, I used to have access to every mini survival kit gadget there is and endless time to see how many of them could be stuffed into a tin and how effective they really where.
As you can imagine I used to have a truly fabulous survival tin, but even with the finest mini components in the world I slowly discovered that many weren’t really effective enough to be depended upon in real world conditions.
I also found that even though the tobacco tin size kit was pocket sized is still often ended up getting left behind, but it did help me 'survive'...... just not the way it was intended, i came off a motor bike on a gravel road, after i had stopped sliding and wriggled out from under the bike i found a huge hole in the thigh of my trousers but I discovered much to my relief i had been sliding on the tin (which left a lovely rectangular bruise) and it had protected my leg, this pretty much destroyed the tin and prompted me come up with a better setup.
so I went though what I was carrying to decide carefully what was gimmicky and what was really useful (for example take a wiresaw and a surgical prep razor into the woods on a freezing wet day and see what you can achieve)
The final result was a set up I have taken to referring to as the "PLAN A, Plan B" setup.
Plan A
you carry your normal kit for the environment, which at the absolute minimum (and with you at all times) is proper clothing, a good fixed blade and water + a small belt pouch containing a 800ml metal mug with lid and bail arm, packed with a good brew kit, hexamine blocks and a bic lighter in a zip seal bag.
this is used in the manner described in "Survival is all about a good cup of tea"
Universal plan B
The Universal Plan B if for when things have all gone to hell in a hand basket, it’s usually the result of you doing something really stupid.
an example would be hopping out of your hammock in the dead of the night for a wee. trudging off into the darkness to find a good spot and forgetting that you (stupidly) camped next to a gully, which you suddenly remember as you slide 200m though the mud arms flailing and end up bewildered scratched and bruised in a river with no way of getting back up the gully and nothing but a t-shirt, a pair of trousers and one flip flop
The universal plan B must be small enough to be worn around the neck and stay with you even when you sleep or are for what ever reason, naked.
my universal plan B looks like this:
A leatherman charge and a waterproof K&M matchcase containing the following:
1. 3 compressed silicone/petroleum impregnated cotton tinder bundles each burns for about a minute and light from a spark even when wet (they come from the US airforce firelighting kit, manufactured under the name tinderquick by fourseasons survival)
2. 12 varnished strike anywhere matches
3. 7+ meters of bright yellow 30lb breaking strain Kevlar line, for sewing and tying stuff
4. glow in the dark whistle, acme tornado model
5. yellow Ritter photon LED torch, waterproof, very bright, you dont have to hold the button down to keep it on, has a strobe setting
6. Sunnto button compass
7. leather needle
8. candle (light 1 match, then light the candle, use the candle to light the fire)
9. fire steel
10. jigsaw blade for striking the fire steel, (I use the flat edge, the other edge being a saw is incidental but possible useful)
11. potassium permanganate which can be used for antiseptic, water purification, anti fungal, fire etc. But I carry it here purely for water purification, it takes 3 crystals to purify 1lt of water, I calculate that this tube contains enough to easily purify 200lt+
12. Rubber cap, protects the compass and makes a good fire lighter when lit
13. Two ceramic sharpening rods 1 medium, 1 fine. These seem gimmicky at first but you can sharpen a blade to a razor edge in minutes with these, this combined with the fact that after a days hard use your knife will have lost its edge and thus its effectiveness, earn these a place in my kit.
14. A pencil lead, large size from a technical drawing pencil. (it fits in the space between the matches so why not?)
15. Some paper money, some people just wont help unless you have cash, £ and $ are accepted by people the world over, but $ are smaller and easier to pack. I only have a $1 note available for the picture, but it would usually be a $10 note.
If you have any questions about why certain things are included or excluded please ask.
