Sierra Leone kitlist

[c2518]

I'm currently working away in Sierra Leone, on a very remote mine in the middle of fairly dense jungle. We are now pulling together a number of contingency measures for our guys. The reason is we have elections scheduled at the end of the year so it's common sense to prepare for the unexpected. Nearly all of us are ex-military (British and South African) and there are varying levels of preparedness. My team are now trying to pull together a recommendation list for each of the guys to build up a grab bag in case needed. I would welcome any advice/feedback from members of the forum. Bear in mind, weapons (firearms) are banned LOL, so more looking at what keeps you going for the period until extraction/evacuation. I have listed my personal kit below and would be interested in hearing other's opinions

Carrying system - old military bergen 120l (with waterproof liners) + National Geographic belt with pouches + Windproof Ripstop Smock
Shelter - basha + hammock + mossie net + 50m Paracord + 50m 12mm Nylon Rope
Navigation - Garmin Etrex + Garmin Rino + Silva Compass + Suunto Yachtsman watch + Olympus 7x21 Binos + local maps
Tools - Martindale #2 Golok Machete + Leatherman wave (including bits)+ Fire lighting kit + Power Monkey & Power gorilla Solar Chargers + Fishing net + Personal survival kit
Health - Steripen Classic + Nalgene Filter Bottle + Purification Tabs + Coffee Filters + comprehensive medical kit (including antibiotics and basic field surgery kit)
Clothing - Quick drying spares trousers & shirts + Jungle Boots + Teva Sandals + hat

 

[Mesquite]

In your tool section maybe you ought to consider a a fixed bladed knife like a mora plus sharpening stone

Also what about food for 24-48 hours?

 

[Peteo]

Same as second comment, Full tang knife and sharpening stone

Would also add something to cook in, stainless water bottle/mug or a cookpot

 

[shaggystu]

erm.....he's got a full tang knife on his list, martindale#2 golok

 

[Peteo]

erm.....he's got a full tang knife on his list, martindale#2 golok

Something a little smaller to stay sharper (not cutting through wood) for food prep and anything else.

 

[Mesquite]

erm.....he's got a full tang knife on his list, martindale#2 golok

That's more a machete than a knife Stu. I was thinking something a bit smaller

 

[shaggystu]

Something a little smaller to stay sharper (not cutting through wood) for food prep and anything else.

he's got a leatherman wave on his list, that ticks all those boxes

 

[c2518]

Forgot to list my old Swedish army trangia and a couple of waterbottles. I take your point about a fixed tang blade but nearly all of us carry Leathermans here at all times and a machete is an absolute requirement here. We are arranging centralised caches for fuel, water and food which we will be able to access if it all goes pear shaped. One of our problems is that we don't have stores around us so if you want to stock up on lightweight emergency rations you have to bring them in when you fly in. There is an abundance of fruit, fish and bush meat. The locals tend to hunt with catapults (ground squirrels, monkeys, birds, etc) and a couple of us have brought hunting slingshots back from trips to South Africa. All of us have fishing gear available too

 

[shaggystu]

That's more a machete than a knife Stu. I was thinking something a bit smaller ......

oh i know it is steve, good jungle tool i would've thought. it's just that with that monster of a knife and the two good quality stainless blades + saw on the leatherman, i don't really see any need for another knife.

p.s. i'd like to add that i know nothing whatsoever about jungle survival, i've never visited the jungle and have no intention of ever doing so, (it sounds like a horrible place to me), so any responses that i give in this thread are just guesses really

 

[Peteo]

A folding blade that i would not trust.

If it was me i would add a knife like a mora.

I have listed my personal kit below and would be interested in hearing other's opinions

 

[c2518]

Peteo, I have to agree to disagree with regards to the folding blade. I've carried my Leatherman all over the world in all kinds of terrain including jungles, deserts, mountains and at sea and to date it has never let me down. My personal choice of a Leatherman and machete for this type of environment and requirement is what I think is workable. Everyone is entitled to their own opinon and I'm always glad to hear it. Some of the other guys here will no doubt use a fixed blade but they will still have a need for a good machete and also carry their standard folder.

 

[Peteo]

Peteo, I have to agree to disagree with regards to the folding blade. I've carried my Leatherman all over the world in all kinds of terrain including jungles, deserts, mountains and at sea and to date it has never let me down. My personal choice of a Leatherman and machete for this type of environment and requirement is what I think is workable. Everyone is entitled to their own opinon and I'm always glad to hear it. Some of the other guys here will no doubt use a fixed blade but they will still have a need for a good machete and also carry their standard folder.

I carry a folder most of the time and have had very little damaged, your kit list it great, but i myself would carry a fixed blade- its just my opinion
My uncle and brother in law's father are working in Sierra Leone as drivers

 

[c2518]

No worries, the whole point of the post was to hear other member's opinions and ideas.

 

[ged]

I'm assuming you'll have all your important documents (passport etc.) plus a bit of cash and credit cards handy for after you've been extracted.

As far as I'm concerned a head torch and spare batteries is an absolute must. Something like the Zebralight H51, one AA cell, runs for ever on that at low output.

A folding bowl is very handy but you could do with a poly bag. I'd always carry a few freezer bags and a couple of carrier bags/bin liners, they get used for all sorts of things.

Also I always carry a couple of face flannels or something similar, and a few of those disposable plastic gloves they give away at petrol stations which you might already have in your FAK.

Duct tape, some rubber bands/tie wraps/bits of string/wire (I know you have some good cordage)?

Writing instrument and paper?

Magnifying glass/loup?

I agree with the OP that together with the Martindale, a Leatherman is perfectly adequate. Actually I prefer the Charge TTi, but the pliers on the Victorinox SwissTool are tougher than either Leatherman. I wouldn't bother with a sharpener unless it's very tiny and light.

What's this lot going to weigh?

 

[c2518]

Pretty much all of us carry a slush/emergency fund of at least a couple hundred dollars in low denomination bills, plus our passports etc are with us all the time. What has been highlighted is a need to carry colour photocopies of all documents and spare passport photos (all fitting in a small plastic bag). I carry a small diamond hone in the Leatherman sheath, a small hook/knife hone and the Golok sharpening file. plus I have quite abit of green duct tape rapped aroung the file handle and the Golok sheath. I have to carry my glasses (two pairs) so don't need an extra magnifying glass. Surgical gloves and plastic bags are in my FAK. Thanks for reminding me of my headtorch (although I have a Firefly permanently stored in the top of the Bergen. I don't carry flannels but do have two sweat rags, a shemagh and two Paramo Directional absorbent quick dry towels. Not including water and food my current Bergen load is 45lbs.

 

[TeeDee]

What exactly is the nearest realistic exit strategy and route if you do need to get gone in a hurry? What immediate options are available in the vicinity ( airfield? )

 

[c2518]

We have a dirt airstrip about 40 minutes drive away, a river port (Nitti) with our own boats about 20 mins away, nearest large town (Bo) is two and half hours away (all on dirt roads of varying standards). The problem is that when the rebels hit the area before no flights could get in, the rebels patrolled the estuary and targetted the prot for fuel and there were numerous road blocks set up without warning. The locals headed into the bush so worst case we would have to do the same. hence the reason for establishing caches for fuel, water and food. Bear in mind the minute things go wrong vehicles become a premium target so unless you can bug out very quickly the vehicles become highly desired status symbols for whoever has the ability/strength to take them.

 

[TeeDee]

Decent little dhobi admin kit with plenty of foo-foo powder.

Massive sense of humour.

 

[c2518]

Wetwipes and comfy bum (in my vehicle glove box at all times ) hopefully won't be anywhere long enough to need to launder but you never know.

 

[Rumcelt]

Hi m8

Not to be negative but in first aid kit have you got pressure dressings, Qucik clot and tournacay, as i take it the locals have not herd about the fire arms ban.
x 2 meetup points and exit rout.
Also all dock scaned USB drive and use cyclical inner tube and seal both ends then hide in kit, hard to prove who you are when you have no passport unless they have bio metric data on you.
Water tablets or filter system
You have probably thought of most of this already but just in case.

Reg
Rum