I was browsing a very informative website lately and something really struck me. It read this :

Do not buy or assemble an "Emergency Kit" - carry the personal "Ten Essential Systems" in a day pack!"

Reading this was very liberating for me in a way that I always seem to struggle to "containerize" my stuff, and this advice really made sense to me. Everytime I go camping, fishing or on SAR assignments, I always carry some kind of backpack. So instead of focusing on micromanaging my gear ("Okay, this Photon goes in the FAK.. no, wait, i'll put it in my survival kit... or maybe tied to my OHT's keyring?"), i've tried seeing it in a more global way and it appears to be working well. Everytime I use one of my packs, I grab what I consider my essentials and throw everything in the pack.

A bonus is that I don't have excessive redundancy in gear. As an example, I used to have a small knife in my survival kit, and a small Victorinox Classic in my FAK. Now I basically ask myself "I need a tool to perform various cutting tasks" and I select my tool accordingly. If i'm going deep in the backcountry, i'll bring my Bahco saw along ("various cutting tasks").

I don't know if what i'm saying make sense to anybody, but if you're in my situation, you might enjoy this advice and want to give it a try!

1. Map
2. Compass (optionally supplemented with a GPS receiver)
3. Sunglasses and sunscreen
4. Extra food
5. And water
6. Extra clothes
7. Headlamp/flashlight
8. First aid kit
9. Fire starter
10. Knife

The ten essentials is a good list of basic equipment everyone should have. I agree that one shouldn't go into woods without at least this much. However, to say this is all you should take seems to be a mistake to me. Some people prefer to supplement this list with other items.

Such as bug repellent, a repair kit (there's nothing like getting your pants torn in the woods with no sewing kit), and signal devices like a whistle and mirror. Other people may have other items they prefer to label as survival gear, that don't fall onto this list.

Thanks for your post, hamilton. I don't really bring a sewing kit for small hikes but for longer periods, I believe it's a good item to have.

Originally, my post meant to start a discussion on the fact that for some people it might be better to not containerize too much and just bring items along in a backpack by refering to a simple checklist. What are your thoughts, people?

I keep a basic-loadout in my day-pack (PSK, FAK, etc.), and then select other stuff that I think I'm going to need specifically like raingear, extra food, etc. So I think that is somewhat in the middle. A basic load wich I add stuff to if I have to.

I like the idea of a pack system. Plus there's no good reason not to use a checklist. Makes sure you have everything. Everything is in the pack, I can grab it and go. Except...

For my primary survival gear, my ten essentials+ list, I prefer to have my gear strapped, tied, or bolted to me. If I take off my pack, set it down, or become separated from it somehow, I still have my most important kit on me.

I'm not likely to lose this kit unless it's torn violently from me. Whereas with bags I have a tendency to set the bag down, and move away from it.

Of course some gear doesn't lend itself to being bolted to me. Extra clothes (socks, gloves, hat), water, and food don't tend to lend themselves to this system. These items I place in a pack. Other items I usually throw in a pack or bag, instead of tying to myself, are the repair kit, first aid kit, map, and compass. These items could be attached to me depending on the situation though.

My knife, flashlight, and fire starter I prefer to always have on me. Of course, this is as much for convenience as safety. I like just being able to reach for these items and have them. I don't want to have to search for these items when I need them.

it seems to me that the "10" and a survival kit are two
different beasts..the Ten was devised so that hikers who
went a ridge too far had something to keep them warm and
safe untill they made their way back to the trail head.
the Ten never had any long term survival items,just tea
bags..candles..tube tent--so on..
on the other hand "real" survival kits were made for
those who's work --mostly flyers in the far north and
deep water sailors..took them to places where help was
not just in the next town and maybe on the way..
the kit we think of most is dervived from the gear a
B 52 pilot may of had in the 1950's-60..ration bars..
water bottles..saw--knife--flashers--first aid--fishing
gear..in short the stuff it took to get along for the
time it took..weeks??..untill help came..some of the
items that snuk into our kits are spin-offs from escape
and evasion kits that seem to have some "romance" to them.
"Rambo knives" and break-down guns to name a few..and then
the Hydra head of Survivalism rears its many heads and
we add enought gear to fill a car..a real "survival kit"
should not be a load but a box that gets pulled
out of the sinking boat or crushed aircraft --or jacket
pocket--that gives you the edge you need to survive--not
camp out in style..---anyway thats my take on what a "kit"
is V.S. a knapsack full of camping gear..

I also think "containerizing" is an important thing to do. A spot for everything and everything in it's spot. Having specific pouches, pockets, or ties for your items means you know where everything is when you need to use it. Grabbing an item is a 3 or 4 second action rather than the ordeal of rifling through your pack, clothes, and other items to find your flashlight or fire starter.

Now, this doesn't mean I advocate the altoids tin approach of cramming your entire survival kit into the tiniest space possible. This ruins the idea of convenience of use. Plus, since it is a hassle to repack your kit you are less likely to check or update the contents.

Also if you lose your altoids tin, you've lost you entire e-kit. There should be some redundancy in your items. But I feel these redundant items shouldn't be packed together. Firesteel on a carabiner attached to my belt, bic lighter in my pocket, matches in my pack. If I lose one, or even two, I have replacement items, in a different location. This is also the reason I carry two knives. I don't even even trust the stuff bolted to my clothes. I like knowing I have a backup.

Hamilton points out the flaws for people who have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or who are in a hurry.

I am in the first, and often the second, category. If it isn't chained to my person, I will forget it.

As I mentioned before, when my car caught fire, I left my purse and my paycheck lying on the front seat in my haste to put distance between me and the potential bomb. If I had had a loose PSK or EDC there, I would have left it, too.

But it's a nice idea if you can deal with it mentally, and make the effort to decide prior to each outing what to take, what to take it in, and have the time to do so.

I've driven to the vet for an appointment and had forgotten the dog. sigh

Sue

As long as you don't pull a "pantless Yo-duh" you are doing okay.

-Blast

My BoB goes everywhere with me. I load it IRT to the planned task or outing. My EDC and my PSK are with me at all times.

When I go camping, I load my ruck/backpack to go camping & to be my BoB. My EDC & PSK is on me.

On the boat, my ruck is loaded as a BoB for landing on a strange beach and finding my way home. My EDC is on me and a PSK is in my lifejacket.

I don't believe that 1 size fits all situations.