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  • WETSU

    Expert
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    3   0   0
    Jan 21, 2009
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    Fort Wayne
    I'm not a fan of the .22LR for serious defensive use, but its often the "gun you have on you when you don't have a gun." I hear that a lot, and I get it.

    Well, along those lines, what do you consider the barebones, "hey, its better than having nothing on me at all" survival kit or items? The survival kit you have on you when you're not carrying a survival kit? Below is a pic I took this morning of some ideas. Concepts I've played with over the years and by no means complete. Just a snapshot. None of these micro set ups are perfect. They could all be better in many ways. But, its SOMETHING. Fire, light, sharp steel, cordage etc. As a survival instructor I'm a BIG fan of "The more you know, the less you carry". A well-trained or experienced person could vastly improve their situation with just one of these little combos.

    Thoughts? What do you guys carry as a minimum?

    qOTpwIR.jpg


     
    Last edited:

    fullmetaljesus

    Probably smoking a cigar.
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    Jan 12, 2012
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    Indy
    Personally, I always have a knife, fire source and a first aid kit handy. Never thought to add cordage bit I could with little effort.
     

    obijohn

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    Mar 24, 2008
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    Terre Haute
    Always cutting tools, fire making materials, med kit, cordage, light and a firearm (or two). More extensive in my vehicle which is never far away.
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
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    Dec 7, 2011
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    Speedway area
    Cordage is all too often over looked. We have spools of paracord in the get the heck out totes. It can offer you shelter. It can do so many things.

    Have been thinking along these lines lately. Nice kit. Basic lite but possibly spare batts.
     

    WETSU

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    Jan 21, 2009
    990
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    Fort Wayne
    I wouldn't carry all three of these set ups. Too much redundancy. If I was going to carry that much "stuff", I'd carry it all differently. I can live in the woods, in the winter with a 3" pocket knife, and a bic mini and have done so many, many times. Everything else nature provides for me.

    Now with that said I will start another thread on solid, basic dedicated survival kits soon. Much to expand on there.
     

    JeepHammer

    SHOOTER
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    Aug 2, 2018
    1,904
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    SW Indiana
    I can't tell you how many times my little belt pouch helped with miserable situations...
    Everything from outdoor events to hunting.

    A 99¢ rain poncho will make you MUCH more comfortable when those unexpected rain showers pop up, even a big garbage bag works.
    The $5 rain poncho lasts MUCH longer...
    A small knife or multi tool, some matches & lighter, a flashlight no matter how small, some bug repellant, some sun screen, small & light.

    Tape wrapped around the flashlight, cordage wrapped around everything...
    Even dental floss comes in handy.

    String & small round rock or acorn, lets you string up your overhead protection.
    Wrap the plastic poncho around the acorn, choke it with a string and stretch the plastic.
    This same method allows you to attach plastic, space blankets, tarps without cutting holes and helps keep them from tearing out.

    Zip Lock bags work equally as well for water bladders as they do for water resistance, keeping your stuff dry.
    Got a hole? Tape on flashlight.
    Need to carry water bladders? Poncho or garbage bag, no sharp edges.
    A zip lock bag and a sock makes a water pouch...

    Need to start a fire in a cold rain/snow when you can't move your hands and everything is wet? Highway/road flair.
    Next best thing to a flame thrower!

    Got split lips, split/busted knuckles, scratches, bug bites? Chap stick, the medicated kind.
    Chap Stick used to burn well when applied to cotton, lint, etc, but I haven't tried it in years...

    Redundancy? YOU BET!
    My knife sheath is wrapped in cordage, the chopper knife handle is wrapped in cordage, the web belt is made of cordage, from fishing line to dental floss to para-cord, lots of cordage.
    The more gear I strap on the more redundancy in 'Consumables'.
    From boot laces to rifle sling to pack straps...

    From pockets to my big backpack, everything has fire starting.
    The more geared up I am, the bigger the chance I will be 'Out There' longer than intended.
    I take a canteen (not water bottle) on hikes, water bottles are for the fair or mall.

    Canteen cover, water purification tabs, metal canteen (boils water without being watched), canteen cup = more water, canteen cup stove boils water without a big fire, some fuel tabs in the bottom, and I usually have a cup lid in the cover, since covered water boils faster.
    I can boil water & cook including fuel in the one package, extra canteens can be plastic...

    I usually have strike anywhere matches & common lighter in the smallest to largest gear packs, anything with a shoulder or back pack straps have highway flairs & fire starting tender.
    I simply don't know how many fires, or wet fires I'm going to need to start.

    The larger the pack, the more first aid supplies there are, the further out you are, the more bandages you will need...

    Larger packs have extra water bladders, shelf stable high calorie food, sugar, salt, caffeine, the stuff I will 'Jones' for if I were cut off and had to walk in from somewhere, or wait for weather/injury to stabilize...
    I can't eat dirt & rocks, and if a threat (weather, injury, people) makes me dig in, I'm screwed without them.
    A package of 'Beer Nuts' is a feast about day 3...

    One thing about every 'Hiker Death' you hear about have the same thing in common,
    NOT GEARED PROPERLY,
    They die of dehydration, exposure, no communications gear, weren't geared for a storm that rolled in...

    Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.
    If you expect someone else to come rescue your idiot butt, better take along an E-becon or sat phone.

    -----------

    Years ago, there used to be a lot of 'Hunter' deaths.
    Same thing every time,
    Lost.
    Tracked to high ground, which does nothing if you don't have a compass & map or radio.
    Then down the hill shedding gear all along the way, changing direction randomly.

    Don't dig in, build a fire and find water until searchers can find you, make it a scavenger hunt for a moving target!

    Don't follow water down stream until you find bridge & road, while you have as much water as you can hold, wonder around aimlessly...

    Don't take along extra insulation & basic survival gear, take along cell phones, iPads, sodas, dope & booze, big foam blocks & chairs so you exhaust yourself & get lost, but are comfortable while you die of exposure...


    ----------

    I'm a field Marine, and field Marines know something civilians don't.
    When your feet go, you are dead weight, and it's 100% preventable.

    People see vacuum packed socks in my gear & make fun of it.
    Vacuum freezer bags keep them dry and make them small.

    Besides keeping your feet from turning to hamburger,
    Socks are mittens & ear wraps, they are gear bags, they are water filters, they are padding, they are bandages...
    Washcloths! If you don't wash you will bleed.
    Light weight, no sharp edges, no rattle.

    Unless you have 'Hiked' 20-30 miles a day in boots & gear, for a week or two at a time, without showers, you won't get this.
    Your feet & groin will be hamburger.
    Soap in one sock, a second sock for rinse/dry, its a one cup of water operation if water is that tight...
    You can do it with simply boots off and pants down, you don't have to disrobe, we've done it may times with LBE/web gear still on.
    You are still geared up & combat effective...
    (That's how gun monkeys live... Emphasis on LIVE, If you weren't there, you'll never understand...)
     
    Last edited:

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
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    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
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    Speedway area
    My EDC on a standard day is a Gerber multi-tool. A decent light and a ZT-301 all on my belt. There is usually a Protech auto in my pocket. They are standard for me as they come in so handy in my daily work routines so in that I have half the kit needed on my belt.
     

    10-32

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Nov 28, 2011
    631
    18
    B-Burg
    On my person everyday I have a handgun with a spare mag, knife, Gerber multi, flashlight, Gerber tactical pen, Rite in the Rain notepad, lighter, and a water proof pill bottle with mostly Zantac and a mixture of other OTC meds. If I'm wearing one of my 5.11 jackets (similar to the Columbia/North Face that everyone wears) throughout the pockets I have a emergency poncho, Mylar blanket, fero rod, 3 wet fire cubes, small roll of duct tape, about 12' of para cord, and a compass. If I'm wearing my boots, I have a Ferro Knife in the left one and a Punch Dagger in the right one.
     

    BigBoxaJunk

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Feb 9, 2013
    7,314
    113
    East-ish
    I'm a field Marine, and field Marines know something civilians don't.
    When your feet go, you are dead weight, and it's 100% preventable.

    People see vacuum packed socks in my gear & make fun of it.
    Vacuum freezer bags keep them dry and make them small.

    Besides keeping your feet from turning to hamburger,
    Socks are mittens & ear wraps, they are gear bags, they are water filters, they are padding, they are bandages...
    Washcloths! If you don't wash you will bleed.
    Light weight, no sharp edges, no rattle.

    Unless you have 'Hiked' 20-30 miles a day in boots & gear, for a week or two at a time, without showers, you won't get this.

    Long-distance, multi-night backpacking trips will also teach you those things.

    One thing I've learned is that it's not enough to have dry socks if they're not good socks. I grew up wearing white cotton athletic socks, but if you try to hike a long distance in those, especially in weather, you'll have problems. On any long walk or hike I'm wearing good wool socks. In fact, the only time I wear cotton socks is around the house. Really good wool socks can cost upwards of $20 a pair, but really good ones, like "Darn Tough" wool socks come with a lifetime warranty. I'm in the process of transitioning completely away from cotton socks to all wool socks.

    The way I figure, if I ever get stuck after SHTF and I have to hump 50 miles to get home, I'd trade a kit for some good socks.
     

    indiucky

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    12   0   0
    I'm a field Marine, and field Marines know something civilians don't.
    When your feet go, you are dead weight, and it's 100% preventable.

    People see vacuum packed socks in my gear & make fun of it.
    Vacuum freezer bags keep them dry and make them small.

    Besides keeping your feet from turning to hamburger,
    Socks are mittens & ear wraps, they are gear bags, they are water filters, they are padding, they are bandages...
    Washcloths! If you don't wash you will bleed.
    Light weight, no sharp edges, no rattle.

    Unless you have 'Hiked' 20-30 miles a day in boots & gear, for a week or two at a time, without showers, you won't get this.
    Your feet & groin will be hamburger.
    Soap in one sock, a second sock for rinse/dry, its a one cup of water operation if water is that tight...
    You can do it with simply boots off and pants down, you don't have to disrobe, we've done it may times with LBE/web gear still on.
    You are still geared up & combat effective...
    (That's how gun monkeys live... Emphasis on LIVE, If you weren't there, you'll never understand...)

    a2f23a076be65191dc0a75427acffbd4.jpg
     

    jpr

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Mar 18, 2012
    111
    18
    Fort Wayne
    Long-distance, multi-night backpacking trips will also teach you those things.

    One thing I've learned is that it's not enough to have dry socks if they're not good socks. I grew up wearing white cotton athletic socks, but if you try to hike a long distance in those, especially in weather, you'll have problems. On any long walk or hike I'm wearing good wool socks. In fact, the only time I wear cotton socks is around the house. Really good wool socks can cost upwards of $20 a pair, but really good ones, like "Darn Tough" wool socks come with a lifetime warranty. I'm in the process of transitioning completely away from cotton socks to all wool socks.

    The way I figure, if I ever get stuck after SHTF and I have to hump 50 miles to get home, I'd trade a kit for some good socks.

    I have gotten to the point that I only wear wool socks. And like you said "Darn Tough" socks are hard to beat.
     

    GIJEW

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Mar 14, 2009
    2,716
    47
    Long-distance, multi-night backpacking trips will also teach you those things.

    One thing I've learned is that it's not enough to have dry socks if they're not good socks. I grew up wearing white cotton athletic socks, but if you try to hike a long distance in those, especially in weather, you'll have problems. On any long walk or hike I'm wearing good wool socks. In fact, the only time I wear cotton socks is around the house. Really good wool socks can cost upwards of $20 a pair, but really good ones, like "Darn Tough" wool socks come with a lifetime warranty. I'm in the process of transitioning completely away from cotton socks to all wool socks.

    The way I figure, if I ever get stuck after SHTF and I have to hump 50 miles to get home, I'd trade a kit for some good socks.
    I haven't had cotton socks since being an infantryman. I like "smart wool" since they also act as compression socks and just can't bunch up in your boots. I'll take a look at "darn tough" socks. Thanks
     
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