exactly 0.0478% for housefire, but people still have household insurance..
The people that say "why do you carry all that", will be first in the queue should it be needed as they will be the ones without anything....
Is a psk really needed in the UK?
- Thread starter Ascobis
- Start date
The people that say "why do you carry all that", will be first in the queue should it be needed as they will be the ones without anything....
So much nowadays can be charged by 5v USB, used to be people take loads of spare batteries of different types for everything
nowadays Cameras, phones, tablets, radios, flashlight, plasma arc lighters, fans, GPS, watches to name just a few USB chargeable....
on belt kit i use flashight as a 5aH battery bank, a tiny poundshop one in knapsack. and in car I have a DIY kit from Aliexpress for about £8 that has 21x 3000maH batteries scavenged from laptops.....
Aiui our mortgage small print requires insurance. Not something we had to choose just comply with. Never claimed yet.
@MikeLA
At the risk of stating the obvious, whilst we are all seemingly far too reliant on modern tech, I can't help but imagine how many folks lost back in the day armed with a knife and a mirror to signal would have loved the opportunity to just phone someone for help...
At the risk of stating the obvious, whilst we are all seemingly far too reliant on modern tech, I can't help but imagine how many folks lost back in the day armed with a knife and a mirror to signal would have loved the opportunity to just phone someone for help...
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easy user replaceable, like they used to be before everything went thin and waterprooof
This is quite topical - I'm off on a seaside holiday to sunnier climes, and I've just packed a PSK. It's in a clear ziplock bag and contains plasters, compedes, burn gels, sterile dressings, tick remover, some cordage, a compass, a Swiss army knife for the inevitable slicing of apples and a tiny magnifying glass. And some scissors. That's it for me. I'll add some paracetamol. I can chuck it in any rucksack or suitcase. Of equal importance will be knowing the lay of the land and roads, the weather and fire risk.
To add to my post above, for my foray into the hills of the UK, I don't take a whole lot more: back up firelighting options for the stove (ferorod and matches), but then it goes beyond the realms of a PSK i.e. I'll add a bivi bag, water filter and the necessary clothing depending on the time of year.
In the car in winter I carry spare clothing, and once broke down in a blizzard and was glad of it. I also keep an old curtain in the car which has got me out of snow on a couple of occasions.
In the car in winter I carry spare clothing, and once broke down in a blizzard and was glad of it. I also keep an old curtain in the car which has got me out of snow on a couple of occasions.
Agreed but I don’t. My phone lasts a full week on one or two charges. Most of the time it’s switched off. Like the peace especially outdoors and I rarely use a torch so batteries are fine.
Great charging stuff and all the new torches and other tech to go with it, which is a good thing but I am more easy going, the torch is for emergencies only and to honest so is the mobile.
I spent many years scuba diving and I think there are parallels to survival and the concept of PSKs. In diving, having the right kit that is well maintained is obviously critical. But what really stops you dying on each dive is knowing your limits (mental and physical), having a good buddy, not wearing yourself out and keeping a clear head. I think that can apply to many situations.
if im using GPS i could get most of a day, which is twice as long as my motorola...
i use my torch almost daily, but then phone and torch have a lot of urban use...
so if you had a stricly wilderness loadout, things change
i dont have good night vision, and think its stupid to risk injury just to be cool and emo and experience teh dark when walking around ( pet peeve from people at college)
main thing is there is often venn diagram of edc and survival gear and emergency gear
6 pages I still don't think we've come to an agreement about what constitutes a PSK and whether it is indeed, just a useless tin of trinkets...?
The end goal off bushcraft is not needing a psk and having the knowledge or psk in the mind itself to adapt to natural environment but it’s all bushcraft it’s blend off old n new I guess
To me a PSK in a tin seems to be a good thing to have for when you don’t think you’ll need that sort of stuff.
What I mean is that when I go hiking, backpacking etc I bring what I think I’ll need to stay safe and reasonably comfortable in the situations I might end up in and I take the full-size versions of those things (folding knife, compass, first aid kit, bivy bag, lighter, jet boil, notepad+pen, perhaps a water filter and repair kit and so on).
A PSK tin would be great for those times when you don’t expect to need all those things, so you haven’t brought them. It doesn’t take up much space, it’s well protected and as long as you remember what you have in it, you have many of those tools available to you in a smaller format.
And considering the hassle I go through making sure I haven’t accidentally forgotten to remove something prohibited from my handbag and work back pack before getting on a plane - much easier to take it out when you can’t bring it with you!
What I mean is that when I go hiking, backpacking etc I bring what I think I’ll need to stay safe and reasonably comfortable in the situations I might end up in and I take the full-size versions of those things (folding knife, compass, first aid kit, bivy bag, lighter, jet boil, notepad+pen, perhaps a water filter and repair kit and so on).
A PSK tin would be great for those times when you don’t expect to need all those things, so you haven’t brought them. It doesn’t take up much space, it’s well protected and as long as you remember what you have in it, you have many of those tools available to you in a smaller format.
And considering the hassle I go through making sure I haven’t accidentally forgotten to remove something prohibited from my handbag and work back pack before getting on a plane - much easier to take it out when you can’t bring it with you!
I used to have one of those tobacco survival tins, but I've never used it, or anything in it.
I've been stranded a few times, but usually had my camping kit on me anyway.
The only time I needed something, when I broke my foot, and got turfed out of the hospital at midnight, in the middle of a thunderstorm , 25 miles from home, was the only time I had nothing, as I'd been promised by the ambulance crew that I'd be brought home.
It was a very uncomfortable few hours as I didn't have my bag or purse with me, and no money for a taxi.
Tired, in pain, unable to walk properly, I had the worse night of my life. Sheltering in the bike shed till dawn and a bus home. (The hospital said they'd pay my bus fare home, but I'd have to claim it back, untill I told them I had no bus fare on me at all) Nobody cared a dot about my situation, so my hospital bag now also has a bivvi bag, emergency blanket, small sim, chocolate, water, a dragon stove, fuel, lighter, mug, brew kit, and a small cheap tarp plus cordage and 4 lightweight pegs. I'll never go there again without it.even if it's an in and out scenario like that was supposed to be.! A survival tin would have been useless.
I've been stranded a few times, but usually had my camping kit on me anyway.
The only time I needed something, when I broke my foot, and got turfed out of the hospital at midnight, in the middle of a thunderstorm , 25 miles from home, was the only time I had nothing, as I'd been promised by the ambulance crew that I'd be brought home.
It was a very uncomfortable few hours as I didn't have my bag or purse with me, and no money for a taxi.
Tired, in pain, unable to walk properly, I had the worse night of my life. Sheltering in the bike shed till dawn and a bus home. (The hospital said they'd pay my bus fare home, but I'd have to claim it back, untill I told them I had no bus fare on me at all) Nobody cared a dot about my situation, so my hospital bag now also has a bivvi bag, emergency blanket, small sim, chocolate, water, a dragon stove, fuel, lighter, mug, brew kit, and a small cheap tarp plus cordage and 4 lightweight pegs. I'll never go there again without it.even if it's an in and out scenario like that was supposed to be.! A survival tin would have been useless.
I'm sure we would all agree that any PSK should be tailored to your environment and any likely scenario you will be in.
With that in mind, my PSK consists of my mobile phone and a wallet with bank and credit cards in it. On a day-to-day basis that will see me through any situation I am likely to find myself in.
With that in mind, my PSK consists of my mobile phone and a wallet with bank and credit cards in it. On a day-to-day basis that will see me through any situation I am likely to find myself in.
Well, all in my humble opinion anyway:
Boom. All problems solved with either a bit of dosh or a phone call. That is all that is needed to "survive" in modern life in a standard environment*. You cannot expect the unexpected to the point whereby you walk your high ground midlands route to work wearing a lifejacket on the offchance that you might suddenly end up in the ocean... So survival in day to day life is that.
Survival in out and about woodlandy/campingy/hikingy life is effectively spares or alternatives to what you already have... plus the additions of a few things should plans deviate.
E.g. I'm going on a half day hike across parts of Dartmoor, I know the route like the back of my hand and I'm not overnighting and should be back before dark - with me I will take:
Water - likely more than required + filter.
Rocket burner - Additional lighter + Matches in burner case.
Appropriate clothing for the day - In summer, I might pack additional lightweight waterproof or down jacket for warmth if it gets chilly, inc shemagh/buff and possibly beanie hat.
I know the route however - I will take compass and map of Dartmoor, typically because it's fun to see what surrounds.
Planned Food - Additional snacks, because I don't like going hungry.
Brew kit - Always have more than I need because I'm not rationing coffee sticks for each walk, if I want it then I want it.
Typically unnecessary items that I will always carry:
FAK
Folding knife
Headtorch
Bit of paracord
Charged phone
Wallet with some small cash
If I can't survive a day hike + unplanned problems with all that then I shouldn't be allowed outside.
* That's not to say that it's the cheapest or best way out of a jam, but it's likely a quicker alternative to fashioning some cordage from some nettles to use in conjunction with some branches in order to make a leg brace, then using the left over to make a harnees with which to capture a pony to ride back should you fall and break a leg...
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