Aye Up Each,
Ive tried to resist jumping into this thread but failed so here goes.
Its nice to see others views and solutions on this subject.
As an ex military (combat) survival instructor (1970s/80s) (etc) and from a time when you couldnt buy the kits commercially but had to make your own, I think that it is worth mentioning that there is quite some difference in the overall concept of the military survival kit and survival kits intended for use in non-combat situations even though the choice of contents in both are based on fundamental requirements i.e. Shelter; Water; Fire/Food; Navigation; Communication.
The military survival/E&E concept, is primarily intended as an aid in a situation where there is (hopefully) a relatively short duration of having to live-off/in-the-land/remain at large before getting back to your own side.
Note the term E&E Escape from what, whom, where? Evade whom?
The answers to a degree are what inform the choice of items in a military kit but fundamentally - the size of it.
Without going too deep into it, the military E&E kit concept (ground forces not air) was originally about having appropriate items to hand in the event of troops being over-run and left (a relatively short distance) behind enemy lines and/or following immediate capture.
The process of prisoner handling by an enemy would potentially involve removal of weapons and ammunition by the assault troops (helmets allowed to be kept until out of the immediate combat zone, webbing if you are lucky!) and then as the prisoner is moved further rearward more kit is removed and more intimate searches take place by rear echelon troops. By necessity the military survival/E&E kit it has to be (very) compact (and carried in the clothing NOT the webbing!) limiting what it might contain, but was/is recommended to be supplemented by additional items secreted about the clothing. (But care has to be taken a mate once nearly garrotted himself with a wire saw sewn into his collar!). (The further to the rear the more likely you would be to end up not in your own clothing so early escape important!)
I had the good fortune to take part in a number of exercises (never the real thing) where I was able to try out the E&E kit and my supplements. As aids to helping me escape, evade and get back to the home force they were reasonably useful, plus possession of the kit and the miniature dry rats within were a boost to morale and minor, (psychological!) sustenance during the process. But! As anything other than a short duration crutch they were pretty limited and prompted a serious re-appraisal of what my take on a personal compact survival kit would constitute for my own non-combat role activities (I refer to it as an ESR kit Emergency Self Reliance). The informed way of putting a kit together is to recognise the situation(s) that you might need one in, sub-divide it into the relevant aspects (i.e. SWFFNC) (I would now preface that with Protection) and as others have commented in the thread - acquire your own specific-to-requirements and quality items to put into it. Then, with the volume of items laid out in front of you, finally select a (useful) container. After that get out on the ground with only your kit and test it (yourself!) out, note omissions/deficiencies etc and address as appropriate. Beware you could end up full circle back to a baccy/survival chocolate ration tin!
Ive tried to resist jumping into this thread but failed so here goes.
Its nice to see others views and solutions on this subject.
As an ex military (combat) survival instructor (1970s/80s) (etc) and from a time when you couldnt buy the kits commercially but had to make your own, I think that it is worth mentioning that there is quite some difference in the overall concept of the military survival kit and survival kits intended for use in non-combat situations even though the choice of contents in both are based on fundamental requirements i.e. Shelter; Water; Fire/Food; Navigation; Communication.
The military survival/E&E concept, is primarily intended as an aid in a situation where there is (hopefully) a relatively short duration of having to live-off/in-the-land/remain at large before getting back to your own side.
Note the term E&E Escape from what, whom, where? Evade whom?
The answers to a degree are what inform the choice of items in a military kit but fundamentally - the size of it.
Without going too deep into it, the military E&E kit concept (ground forces not air) was originally about having appropriate items to hand in the event of troops being over-run and left (a relatively short distance) behind enemy lines and/or following immediate capture.
The process of prisoner handling by an enemy would potentially involve removal of weapons and ammunition by the assault troops (helmets allowed to be kept until out of the immediate combat zone, webbing if you are lucky!) and then as the prisoner is moved further rearward more kit is removed and more intimate searches take place by rear echelon troops. By necessity the military survival/E&E kit it has to be (very) compact (and carried in the clothing NOT the webbing!) limiting what it might contain, but was/is recommended to be supplemented by additional items secreted about the clothing. (But care has to be taken a mate once nearly garrotted himself with a wire saw sewn into his collar!). (The further to the rear the more likely you would be to end up not in your own clothing so early escape important!)
I had the good fortune to take part in a number of exercises (never the real thing) where I was able to try out the E&E kit and my supplements. As aids to helping me escape, evade and get back to the home force they were reasonably useful, plus possession of the kit and the miniature dry rats within were a boost to morale and minor, (psychological!) sustenance during the process. But! As anything other than a short duration crutch they were pretty limited and prompted a serious re-appraisal of what my take on a personal compact survival kit would constitute for my own non-combat role activities (I refer to it as an ESR kit Emergency Self Reliance). The informed way of putting a kit together is to recognise the situation(s) that you might need one in, sub-divide it into the relevant aspects (i.e. SWFFNC) (I would now preface that with Protection) and as others have commented in the thread - acquire your own specific-to-requirements and quality items to put into it. Then, with the volume of items laid out in front of you, finally select a (useful) container. After that get out on the ground with only your kit and test it (yourself!) out, note omissions/deficiencies etc and address as appropriate. Beware you could end up full circle back to a baccy/survival chocolate ration tin!
cool Bro, me anything! spuds or fava beans, no mater, as long as I'm drunk on Barolo first.
