Survival Kit?
For us it is our rifle, big hunting knife and Axe. Our forest provides the rest.
But many people can manage with just the axe and forest. The forest is not our enemy or somewhere we survive. It is our home and store.
That's lovely, but doesn't really help us much in the UK. Much of the woodland in Kent is a mono culture of either chestnut or hornbeam. and at this time of your, if you tried to rely on them for food you'd starve. Hence needing a survival kit.
You're "pfft, I don't need that cos where I live is so amazing" isn't entirely helpful on this one...
Hi guys.
I don't believe in survival kits, in the woods or mountains your pack is your survival kit. And in urban enviroment you will find around yourself much more than you can squeeze in to altoids tin.
Instead I carry few EDC items that are usefull in every day life and would be very helpfull in survival situation. I have just upgraded my EDC bag to something bigger with more pockets (maxpedition typhoon) so can add more items and I'm curious about your suggestions. So far I have:
<snip>
I'm really not a big fan of all those BOB bags and get home bags and 72h bags stufft to the brim with crow bars and flairs. So what are your most usefull edc items?
My personal approach is to work on the 6th C, the one everyone overlooks - Communication. I carry a
Delorme inReach Explorer. I can send messages to friends asking for a lift if I'm stranded, or if things go really bad, press the magic button and await help. Do not rely on having cell phone connectivity.
I do carry a few bits in my pockets, Namely
Polymath EDC Fire kit, and a Svord Peasant Mini knife. This allows me to make a fire quickly and cut things. I often also have a little pocket saw.
In winter I do tend to carry my
staying alive cold kit with me, I've used this in anger once, and I came close to needing to use it this evening. I had a puncture on the ride back from college. Discovered that what I thought was my bike tool kit, wasn't (picked up the wrong box in a hurry). I was at this point 3km from the station and not sure that even if I walked there I would be able to get a train all the way home. For your safety and security train stations no longer have warm safe places to wait, meaning that had I got there after the last train, I'd have until about half 5 to wait. Temperature was hovering around zero (a gritting truck over took me), so the idea was not idea.
As it turns out I got to the station with 2 minutes until the next train, which got me most of the way home, and my housemate came to collect me. Saving me from a 5 hour wait outside the station, or a 16 mile walk home with a broken bike...
Hth
J