My Survival Kit - What Else Do I Need ?

[Templar]

Hi all...

Jeff,
read Mors's book and you will have a better understanding of how a lot of people think here, your kit list is huge... but if your "need" all the items listed then I guess it your bag... you carry it...

I can understand your thoughs on the items, they are well thought out and even practicle & I will agree that by seperating your kit that if you loose one pack you will have the same items in another loc, but to be honest it dose seem like over kill to me. The more skills you can develope out in the woods the less kit you need to carry because you will become more confident in your own ability to provide for your self and rely less on technolgy to save your a@@ if things turn to custard around you...

Also check this one out to get a good happy medium between survivalist kit and bushcraft kit : http://outdoors-magazine.com/spip.php?article103

Remember Bushcraft and survival is not about how hard you can do some thing.. it is about how easy you can make things for your self... kit is great but as the saying goes, "All the gear and no idea" can get you into more trouble that it will get you out of, and knowledge weighs a lot less than 200lbs of kit will & will cause a lot less wear & tear on your bike too...

just my two cents...

Karl

 

[rik_uk3]

I would dump most of that gear and pack a lot more food

 

[Templar]

Hi All,

Just a thought after I posted my original answer I was thinking about my own kit, so I dug up my checklist to see what I have and its pretty simple, with this lot I can live comfortably for weeks or even months with very little discomfort.

the items listed are my total items, not every thing is carried each time I go out, but it gives me some options as I walk out the door, add to this list rations and you will have a rough idea what I carry:

MODERN BUSHCRAFT KIT LIST:


TOOLS:
• FIXED BLADE KNIFE
• FOLDING KNIFE
• AXE
• PARANG
• FOLDING SAW
• TRI-FOLD E-TOOL
• WORK GLOVES

NAVIGATION:
• MAP CASE (With maps)
• SILVA COMPASS 54/6400 & E&E Aircrew SILVA Sighting
• PROTRACTOR, RAA
• PACE COUNTERS
• MAP MEASURE

SLEEP / SHELTER:
• HOOTCHIE
• HAMMOCK
• MOZZIE NET
• BIVI BAG
• SLEEPING MAT
• SLEEPING BAG

WATER:
• 2X NATO BOTTLES
• 1X 2lt BLADDER
• 1X 3lt CAMELBAK
• MILBANK FILTER
• PUMP FILTER
• PURITABS

FOOD:
• SWEDISH ARMY TRIANGIA STOVE
• KETTLE
• CRUSADER CUP
• SPOON
• FOLDING CUP

CARRY:
• SABRE PACK W/- SIDE POCKETS 60-100lt
• SNIPER PACK 35lt
• BUTT PACK
• HAVERSACK

FIRE:
• 2X SWEDISH FIRE STEEL
• 1X PIZO-ELECTRIC BUTANE LIGHTER
• BURNING LENS
• BBQ STARTERS
• WIND / WATERPROOF MATCHES
• RUBBER STRIPS
• MAYA DUST
• OIL SKIN
• TINDER POUCH


PROTECTION:
• BUSH HAT
• BANDANA
• SHEMAGH
• T-SHIRT
• L/S SHIRT
• TROUSERS
• 3X SOCKS
• BOOTS
• FLEECE JACKET
• WINDPROOF JACKET
• WATCH CAP
• GLOVES, FLEECE
• GLOVES, NOMEX
• SUNGLASSES
• WATERPROOFS

The items in red are my always carry items, the rest are my choices that I make during planning my trips, add to this my First Aid kits (large main kit and smaller pocket size one), rations and a hikers gas stove some times. Some choices are dictated by what I am carrying my kit in others by the time of year and weather conditions expected... no one kit is suitable for all occasions.

This is just some basics, others have some different ideas but I though I would show you what I use as a comparison to your own kit list.

If the item is vital, keep it on your person. i.e. a knife, fire starter, water carrier & Navigation, all the rest can go in your pack if you loose your pack you can still keep yourself alive with just these basics and get your self home too...

Hope this is useful,

Karl

 

[Greg]

It still amazes me when I read these threads about survival equipment that people forget about using PLBs or EPIRBs.
In this day and age the use of saterlite enabled locator beacons can cut emergency response search team times to a minimum meaning you spending alot less time in a survival situation! And to top it all they aren't that expensive anymore.

So they you have it, you could add a PLB(Personal Locator Beacon) to your kit.

 

[John Fenna]

Good point Greg - when I am on month long expeds an EPIRB is a standard bit of kit - big heavy and a pain to carry but part of the kit that goes everywhere with me! Smaller ones are available these days, but the bigger ones are still what we get given!

 

[Greg]

Good point Greg - when I am on month long expeds an EPIRB is a standard bit of kit - big heavy and a pain to carry but part of the kit that goes everywhere with me! Smaller ones are available these days, but the bigger ones are still what we get given!

Yes you can definately get small ones, I use them at work.
They are approx 2"x2"square x1" thick, they have an antenna built into a neck loop so you just hang them around your neck. you don't even know you are wearing it they are that light. But I have to say the ones we use are designed to be used at sea but could still be used in land based expeds because they have a manual overide activation button to press when you find yourself in need of their use. They also self activate when emersed in water for approx 5-10 seconds.
Here are the ones I use at work:

http://www.seamarshall.com/downloads/SeaMarshall%20Price lists Winter2007-08.pdf

 

[Fin]

Jeff,

First of all welcome to the forum!

Secondly IMO, Red and Toddy have it about right in that you have too much redundancy in some areas (knives and shelter for example) and that the essence of bushcraft is to, not only survive, but be comfortable in your environment utilising what that environment provides.

As a fellow biker I would say that you're carrying way too much anyway - especially if your trips take you off road and especially for a day trip. I would, first of all, decrease your chances of getting into a survival situation in the first place by lightening what is possibly an overloaded and therefore less reliable or controllable motorcycle!

Without knowing your environment it's difficult to suggest what you might need as far as kit goes and kit is generally personal anyway so I'll just make a couple of suggestions: Education and experience.

Education: Read the books (Mors' is a great place to start and there are lots more), watch the DVD's and attend some courses if they are available in your area.

Experience: Get out and practice what you've learnt. You say you don't stay out overnight apart from the occasional unplanned overnighter - plan trips where you're going to be staying out for at least two nights (preferably with a friend - and not too far from civilisation to begin with - oh and take only what you can carry on your person). I guarantee that this alone will modify your kit list entirely (at a guess you'll be purchasing one or two more items like a sleeping bag and an axe maybe - and ditching a huge amount like all of those shelters and most of your small knives!).

Good luck Jeff, you've made a good start in joining this site - hopefully, in the not to distant future you'll at least halve your kit list and still, not only survive any situation, but live in it.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Welcome aboard Jeff,
As a biker myself, your kit list sounds massive, but I don't want this to sound like a personal dig.
Consider some scenarios as to what might happen;-
1, You crash and have to summon help - you'd have to make yourself as comfortable as possible until your rescue, possibly have to self administer first aid. Once you do get rescued, the crew are unlikely to want to haul your gear out for you.
2, You crash and are immediately seperated from all you supplies - do you have enough on your person to bring about your own recovery/rescue.
3, Your bike breaks down and you have to walk home - what kit do you take from your bike to make the journey easy/comfortable. This further imlies "what are you going to leave behindW, and hence what can you afford to be stolen/lost.
There are many others involving injury and all sorts of things....

I'd be tempted to rethink your kit and carry it in layers - the most precious items actually on your person (pockets or a bumbag/fannypack). Other less valuable item in the panniers, but maintaining the ability to remove them from the bike to carry on your back if the need arises. I think the previous comments about lightening the load to increase reliability and handling of your machine are important considerations.

Let us know what modifications you make and how things work out if you do a practice run.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[8thsinner]

I couldn't add much to this list myself and there are people here with much more experience but I do recommend toning it down a bit and carrying more on person, I am an over kill person too but you go way beyond me even.

 

[philaw]

One thing to remember is that most of us are in Britain, where we don't really have wilderness, so we have a different perspective on these things. Does a hundred mile ride mean you can be 50m miles from the nearest town/ person, or are you on fairly well-used roads? Where abouts do you go?

If you're considering adding a stove, and are only going to use it if you get stuck, then you could easily justify using wood instead. Your folding saw would see to that.

Some people mentioned cooking pots. A big stainless steel mug like the ones that fit over 1 quart military water bottles would be useful for cooking or drinking. A lot of the guys on here use them.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

If the bike breaks down then you have 50 miles at worst to walk out ?

Hazards - rain, wind, animals and dirty drinking water ?
So a small handgun and a tarp with a bivy bag and sleeping bag/roll and water bottle.

I think you could walk out with a map, compass, GPS if injured flick on the personal EPIRB.

Enjoy your riding.

Nick

 

[dp0001]

Just out of interest, what sort of bike and why?

 

[unamodo]

Hi Jeff and welcome.

I understand you are on a bike so weight is not too much of an issue but I honestly think you can minimise this kit quite a lot without compromising too much.
Been a biker myself my major concern with having all this strapped to the bike is what happens if you break down or hit somthing in the road rendering the bike immobile, you have to walk for help leaving the bike (and whatever can't be carried unattended).

Here is a list of gear I carry with me, whenever I go out. I am confident that with this I could survive for weeks in most enviroments. It all fits in a 45 litre pack and weighs around 10kg.

Sleeping/Shelter/Element Protection
1. Sleeping Bag (Down for weight and compression)
2. Bivi Bag
3. Thermarest (Or Similar) Rollmat
4. Lightweight Tarp
5. Paracord

With the above you could quite easily rig up a basic shelter and be comfortable for weeks, most down bags go down well below freezing. By adding a Bivi bag you are keeping the down dry and working, the mat keeps you off the cold ground and you could rig the tarp in many variations to protect from wind or rain. I have even pitched my tarp upside dowv to improvise a hammock over rocky terrain.

For firestarting I use a small waterproof container with a firesteel and tinder in it and as a second means you can carry an old shredded innertube and a lighter. In a serious emergency you will have oil and petrol at hand combined with the bike battery to assist in fire lighting should you struggle.

Water Treatment/Collection
1. Millbank Bag (Pratically bomb proof)
2. Water Purifying Tabs (Or just boil it)
3. Stainless Steel Crusader Mug (cook, boil, collect & drink)
4. MSR Dromedy Bag

Navigation
1. Compass
2. Map
3. Analogue watch to use as compass (Also with practice you can use stars, moss growth, sunrise & sunset to navigate)

Other Items
1. Small Headtorch (Petzl or similar)
2. Batteries
3. First aid kit
4. Snack Bars, Peanuts, Energy powder
5, Copper Wire (Snares)
6. Small fishing kit

In my first aid kit I have added a second Petzl torch, a silver space blanket, iodine, a small knife, a whistle, a mirror and a firesteel. The kit is carried at the top of my bag and doubles as a survival kit.

With all of the above I am confident I have enough for quite a comfortable time out. As a test I even spent a weekend out with only the first aid kit and although not quite the Hilton I managed to keep safe. The foil blanket is excellent at retaining heat and shoelaces are a great replacement for paracord.