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Talking of signal mirrors, Doug Ritter recently posted that no one makes a good plastic signal mirrors anymore, and has gone to glass ones in his pilot survival kits.
in post #456 i made a mentioning of the fact that Mors Kochanski stated in a video on youtube that plastic mirrors have a poor resolution compared to glass mirrors (a fact i wasn't aware of when assembling the kit i was referring to....) which means the latter are ways more efficient, especially at longer range....
 
wouldnt buy anything american made myself, always seems so expensive for marked up goods, might as well buy straight from china ( and bad experience of maglite!)

German metal work, like esbit stoves!!! and the jerry cans.
and of coarse we all love scandinavian bushcraft gear, always been happy with mora and lightmyfire , cheap and good quality and customer service.
sorry for going slightly off topic....
i stopped counting how many times someone tried to use "ammerrricca" as a selling argument for their junk -especially in the US' puppet state south korea... - or someone over here asks me if i'm from "ammerricca" even though this part of the world was known as (central)America for 250 years before some folks chucked a bunch of boxes of tea into boston harbor while framing the natives...:banghead::banghead::banghead:

the term "jerrycan" goes back to the desert campaign of world war two: the British kept captured german fuel containers whenever they could lay their hands on them as they were superior to their own -- their nickname for the germans was "Jerry"....
 

Jared

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2005
3,400
642
50
Wales
in post #456 i made a mentioning of the fact that Mors Kochanski stated in a video on youtube that plastic mirrors have a poor resolution compared to glass mirrors (a fact i wasn't aware of when assembling the kit i was referring to....) which means the latter are ways more efficient, especially at longer range....
Yeah, reflectivity is 20-30% higher.
 

neoaliphant

Settler
Aug 24, 2009
735
225
Somerset
Yeah, reflectivity is 20-30% higher.
On similar note, everyone be carefull of chinese optics, a lot use plastic, I got a 10x zoom lens adapter for phone, it was only £5, but awfull, ive got a 10x42 Hawke Naturetrek monocular, brilliant, really crisp, so much better light transmission, probably similar reason, better glass.
 

neoaliphant

Settler
Aug 24, 2009
735
225
Somerset
sorry for going slightly off topic....

the term "jerrycan" goes back to the desert campaign of world war two: the British kept captured german fuel containers whenever they could lay their hands on them as they were superior to their own -- their nickname for the germans was "Jerry"....

Exactly, brilliant engineering, some of the WW2 german POWs here in somerset were used on the farms as labourers and formed up friendships with local villagers, they were very adpt at fixing up farm vehicles but were scathing of our metalwork, some of them were just poor city lads who got conscripted and who enjoyed the rural country farm life here and a lot stayed here after the war , even married locals, I think somerset rural farm machinery benifitted from it.

Also random off topic, apparently in UK in WW2, americans staying here complained that the british pubs were allowing black GIs in to the same pubs as white american soldiers, and that they wanted them segragated, and so they made the pubs Blacks only , and the british happily drank with black GIs, leaving white GIs no where to go, or something like that, history is odd like that
 
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swyn

Life Member
Nov 24, 2004
1,159
227
Eastwards!
Exactly, brilliant engineering, some of the WW2 german POWs here in somerset were used on the farms as labourers and formed up friendships with local villagers, they were very adpt at fixing up farm vehicles but were scathing of our metalwork, some of them were just poor city lads who got conscripted and who enjoyed the rural country farm life here and a lot stayed here after the war , even married locals, I think somerset rural farm machinery benifitted from it.

Also random off topic, apparently in UK in WW2, americans staying here complained that the british pubs were allowing black GIs in to the same pubs as white american soldiers, and that they wanted them segragated, and so they made the pubs Blacks only , and the british happily drank with black GIs, leaving white GIs no where to go, or something like that, history is odd like that
Re the German POW’s yes a number did stay on in the UK. There were two German owned businesses where I used to live. The original proviso being they were only allowed in Horticultural or Agricultural activities. Our local main John Deere tractor agent was an ex POW having been captured in 1945. The other was an ex German paratrooper and he set up a successful Horticultural business which his Grandson now runs.

The Chequer Board, which if you care to read and in particular if you are a Nevil Shute fan, tells a story within this book about an American Negro soldier shipped to England in 1944 and the pub segregation saga.
Me, I’m a huge Nevil Shute fan and for those who haven’t read or come across his books the two most famous stories which were turned into films are; A Town Like Alice and No Highway.
S
 
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swyn

Life Member
Nov 24, 2004
1,159
227
Eastwards!
Come on, where is your love for Trustee from the Toolroom?

Or, In the Wet
Or Beyond the Black Stump
Or Whatever Happened to The Corbett’s.
All great ‘stories’ and even today some have a little bit of foretelling eh?
Trustee from the Toolroom is on my list to re-read quite probably for the third or fourth time. I have two copies, I know I do but as usual I can’t find either so I may have to Abe book or ebay for a third helping!
S
 

neoaliphant

Settler
Aug 24, 2009
735
225
Somerset
My father used to watch A Town Like Alice all the time on TV, parents were both huge chute fans, could be where I got the anecdotes from, but there were definitely POWs in agriculture near Bridgwater during WW2. I find the above, like the Xmas day football match during the trenches, fasicinating parts of history.
 
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cbrdave

Full Member
Dec 2, 2011
579
196
South East Kent.
After an extensive search on Netflix i gave up and the wife found it on prime free to watch,
We both watched it and found it to be a really good watch, i spent half of it shouting, Follow the river!.
Wife paused it and wouldn't turn it back on till i was quiet.

Regarding the tin, i think i'd put a magnesium block or slivers in there with ferro rod and the other usual suspects.
 
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Danceswithhelicopters

Full Member
Sep 7, 2004
936
328
Scotland
A bit of a trip down memory lane as I has one of the Survival Aids tins from the shop in Euston when getting something meant paper catalogues or travel. Lord knows what happened to it but lived next to the orange bivi bag in a rucksack for years and years. I remember using the matches and Puritabs and maybe the small hacksaw blades.

In the spirit of the mighty tin I read the threads and watched the YouTube vids and thought I'd throw my hat into the ring with my current take.

20220124_141318.JPG

I found a tin from my kids Scout days and gathered what I thought useful. I added things that over the years I've ran out of ( firelighters), needed (painkillers) loaned (Whistle, knife) or used to fix things (superglue, duct tape).

The tin is hinged so it has a handle for dipping or using on a fire. The plastic box is an old battery case and keeps the bits from pinging over the heather. Cutting tools are a CRKT FB, a folding saw/scalpel with black plastic handle.

The folding Swiss Tech pliers has wire cutters, 4 screwdrivers. Lighter is wrapped in waxed jute which can be peeled off and fed into the flame. The clever SOG tool has Ferro rod, scraper, whistle, glass punch and wire wool fire starter.

Cordage is white nylon string, black thread, 10M floss and spool of wire.

2 cocadamol, 2 elastoplast for blisters and pain.

Last bits are fresnel lens, Cyflect panel, wires aw, tweezers, puritabs, Photon light, safety pins, tinfoil, paper, pencil wrapped in duct tape, superglue ( does it burn well as a firestarter?) Tinderquik tab, can opener, rubber bands, NATO compass (I reckon all that's left of my teenage tin!), zip tie and a small silica packet for moisture.

Planning to seal it all with electrical tape and maybe vacuum seal it.

Might add some needles, some survival instructions and on the inside lid some luminous tape for nighttime.

Didn't bother with a fishing kit as I don't fish and would just starve trying.
 

Van-Wild

Full Member
Feb 17, 2018
1,413
1,234
44
UK
I have a seperate fishing kit, but not in survival kit as not enough skill, and UK means protection more important than food.

I carry a hand line with a selection of small hooks, lures and split weights. I'll chuck it out if I see a patch of water while I'm out and about. I've had catches in fresh and salt water with the kit.

While I doubt I'll ever need it for a survival situation, fishing is a hobby of mine and I'll always have a go!

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 
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neoaliphant

Settler
Aug 24, 2009
735
225
Somerset
I carry a hand line with a selection of small hooks, lures and split weights. I'll chuck it out if I see a patch of water while I'm out and about. I've had catches in fresh and salt water with the kit.

While I doubt I'll ever need it for a survival situation, fishing is a hobby of mine and I'll always have a go!

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk


same reason i have survival laying cards, you need entertainment too
 

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