I'm curious to know...

Do any of you pack your BOBs or kits or whatever with anything that isn't needed for physical survival? Something which comforts you or helps keep your mind and/or morale good? A book, a picture, a game, etc?

From a purely academic point of view it seems silly...but I do it. I don't go anywhere without a cigar, a punch cutter, and a proper lighter. If I'm going to be in a rough survival situation, I want to have something to enjoy while the chips are down.

Now that I'm thinking about it however even these things can be used in survival. The punch cutter could be used to put small holes in things, the lighter is obviously useful, and tobacco is a drawing agent which works great for pulling the toxin out of a bee or wasp sting. You could also use the cigar to transport fire if you had no good way of re-lighting a fire. It burns slow and won't go out easily if you take a puff occasionally.

I guess anything can be a survival item in a pinch.

A deck of cards. It's a great survival tool. If you ever get lost in the wilderness, sit down and start playing a game of solitaire. Very quickly someone will come along and tell you to play the black Jack on the red Queen.

Kevin B.

Dry socks - probably 101 uses, but dry, warm, unsweaty feet are an example of civilisation

A pack of Marvel superhero playing cards - cards for me, superhero pictures for my boy, a genuine twofer

Bottle opener - not exactly survival, but being able to open a proper beer (like a good IPA or a bottle of dog) seems pretty close to a lifesaver at times

Remember - any idiot can be uncomfortable

I always pack such items in my MASTER bug out kit. These items are mostly for the kid.(games,etc) If I had to bail from my home fast these items would keep the kid calmer and less in panic(in theory at least) I have not ever had to leave in that kind of hurry and hope to God that I never will. As silly as this may sound, I also plan with a few items for the pets(food etc) I would never be able to bug out from my home and leave my pets in a house fire to die. In effect the pets themselves would act as a way to keep everyone calm. That is why most of us have them I guess. I cannot usually find very much room In my backpack BOB for such items. You are raising a Darn good point to me in regards to your cigar however. I wonder if I can fit a bottle of 18 year old scotch in my bag!

In your bag?!! That kinda scotch deserves its own padded Pelican case.

Maybe not a bottle but...

When I got married I bought myself and each of my groomsmen a hip flask/cigar holder combo. 2 tubes for cigars, the third is a flask. The Bourbon was a godsend that day!

I hope you are happy Hacksaw; you made me find room to fit a small 4oz flask of scotch in my dammed BOB. I guess if push comes to shove I could use it to start a fire, sterilize wounds or as emergency insect repellant. At least that is how I justified it in my mind. But who am I kidding??? I would attempt to use my own blood to light a fire before I would waste good scotch.

One of my favorite books and a hip flask of Gentleman Jack

I always carry my mall survival kit - cellphone, money for coffee and pretzels, and a good book. It has saved me a few times from saying something I might regret later, because I was ready to go home - but she wasn't.

Hi Canadian_Soldier,

Ah an 18 year old scotch, old enough to be out on its own.



If your limited in what you can carry, then carrying the best makes complete sense.

Snowpeak makes a nice 6 oz titanium flask.




Looks like thats my Christmas present now sorted.

I have two things that I keep in my bug-out rucksack at all times - a small stack of those miniature puzzle books that you get at the supermarket checkout, rubber banded together and with a lottery pencil stuck inside. I've got crossword puzzles, word finds, cryptograms, general trivia, all kinds of stuff.

The second thing that I've got is a Game Boy Advance Micro I purchased at a garage sale. It's tiny (about as big as a credit card, maybe 3/4 thick as a pack of cigarettes), and it's got one of my favorite games (River City Ransom) in there. I figure that if a crisis lasted longer than a single set of batteries, it's a really big deal.

EDIT: Though it seems nice, I wouldn't have liquor in my BOB, as I abstain from alcohol...

I have 2 books in my big bag, one's practical, an old Scout Field Book. It's a good read, plus lots of great info that would be handy out there. I feel like I've read it cover to cover multiple times, and yet I always learn something. The second one, well, it's a very small Bible. I figure if TSHTF, there's going to be some comfort there. (Or at least some dry fire starting material?)

I will say waiting around (you do a lot of that in the miltary) by yourself is bad, but it's worse with others. You don't only have to deal with your own boredom, but everybody else around you too. A deck of cards has always made the time pass by a lot better...even better than a good book and I love to read.

When I graduated from the academy, I put in my "riot" helmet bag a deck of cards, a book, a pack of cigarettes, a book of MRE matches, and a jock with cup. Twenty or so years later I had quit smoking, but the cigs still remained. Everything else had been used to good effect over the years. So I took the cigs out, tossed them onto the briefing room table, and a friend took and smoked them. I can only imagine what 20 year old smokes must taste like...

Hacksaw (and anyone else who smokes cigars): be sure to leave the info that you have cigars with you on the front seat of your car at the trailhead, or in the info you leave for a friend regarding when to call out the search parties. All they will have to do is surround the possible area, and whichever group is downwind can just track you upwind.

Big Grey Man: If it's 18 years old it should be able to walk on its own. Or at least, follow you.

A really good book that you can reread, and the deck of cards. Make sure there's 52 there, as fewer is a real pain.

Sue

Good idea Susan. Follow your nose! I carry the mini version of the SAS Survival Guide more as a reference than as reading material...but if needed I'm sure it would kill time just fine. A deck of cards is definitely going to find it's home in my pack soon. The anti-boredom cures that can come from that are too numerous to mention.

Here's a picture of me 'surviving' in the grand canyon with a good cigar:

Hey,

I was surfing the survival equipment sites a couple days ago and found playing cards that have survival/first aid instruction printed on them, I think it is a good idea for a BOB.

Have a look at this link about 2/3's of the way down the page, http://www.bepreparedtosurvive.com/Misc.ItemsProducts.htm

I keep another very small game in my traveling kit, it is called "Tequila Pigs", they are 4 small plastic pigs that you roll like dice; it is really a drinking game. My traveling partners and I use them to determine who gets the hotel shower first or who has to sleep on the pull-out couch.

I have kept my kids entertained with a common toy made with a large button and a 2 foot piece of string. You make a loop with the string passing through 2 of the button holes (then tie the ends of the string together). Hold the 2 loops of the string in your index fingers with the button in the middle, twist the string by spinning the button then pull with your fingers repeatly and the button will spin very quickly over and over again. It takes a bit of a knack to do it correctly and the button makes a loud "buzzing" sound, which is why we called them "Buzzers" as kids. They were fun to play with for a while until we found that you could wind-up your sisters hair in them, then they were even fabulous!

I always have some type of book in my bag, right now I am 1/2 way through Cody Lundin's 98.6 (very good read).

Mike

I'm rather fond of sleep, myself. Or I study the map.

And once I've done those things, there is a small fishing kit, a gutted version of the SAS guide I found in Wallyworld (I don't need the jungle stuff, I don't need the lost at sea), and a second hand novel, usually classic science fiction.

In my EDC, three dice. If I'm stuck with my gamer buddies, we're good for a few hours.

*laughs* I'm a GURPS man, I only need 3D6 and a 3x5 of tables.

Some simple math problems and game trivia cards could come in handy. Also, a rope knot diagram (like from motherearthnews.com) might be interesting. Amazing how long a small piece of rope can keep me occupied.

Something we did in the Boy Scouts: bring game boards (what?) No, listen. If you carry a sleeping pad, you can use a Sharpie and ruler, make a checker/chess board, backgammon, Chutes & Ladders, etc. Then you just carry what you think you need, like the chess pieces or dice. You can use rocks vs. sticks if you're a checkers player. I've never played backgammon...

Even if you don't carry a sleeping pad, you could use pretty much anything flat, eg your space blanket. Or just get a piece of paper, use both sides for different games, and get it laminated. Fold it up and forget it.

Any source for that?

Howdy everyone... first post here...learnin' a bunch.

Piggybacking on Ironravens dice comment, I have a Crossword Dice game that is great (small, light... http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/9481). Always in my pack on the trail... Levenger has changed it a little over the years. I also have the Pigs game and cards too.

For those of a religious inclination, check this out ( http://www.theoutdoorbible.com/pc-13-2-the-outdoor-bible-nas-updated-nt-with-free-burlap-bag.aspx ) Waterproof, tear-resistant, light...

Amazing what's out there, ain't it?

Hi Matt,

Nice to hear from you; you will enjoy this site, lots of knowledgeable, polite people to learn from.

Welcome,

Mike

A deck of cards is nice (water-proof or in a zip-lock.)
Those magnetic travel games (checkers, chess, backgammon, go, etc.) are pretty compact. With the random aspect of dice in backgammon I used to like to play against myself if no one was available.
Many of these games can be made with a little imagination & some basic materials. Perhaps a book of games/rules could be brought along instead & you just make the board/pieces.
If you are outside & have a knife, whittling would be a good distraction & even useful if you can make simple tools out of carved wood.

Tim

Sorry. Source for what?

In my winter car kit I keep a book I've read a couple of times. I figure if I'm stuck where I need that kit, boredom will be a big problem. I think I might add cards and a pad and pencil now, sketching and doodling can really while away the hours.

Hacksaw, I think he was asking about your mini version of the SAS Survival Guide.

Sue

I own both of the following:
http://www.collins.co.uk/books.aspx?book=27216 (full size)
http://www.collins.co.uk/books.aspx?book=30696 (pocket size)

There is also a 'flash card' version with the book condensed to waterproof cards bound by a rivet. I don't think it's in production any longer.

Both are available via Amazon. I found both in a local book store in the sports section.

So far most of my BOB is theoretical...I know...get it put together!

One thing I carry in my wallet, and will go in every BOB/ditch bag is a couple of family pictures. As has been said before, there's nothing like a good reminder of what you may be surviving for. That is a morale booster for me.

And items like folks have mentioned are all part of the MENTAL part of survival, which has a profound impact on the PHYSICAL part.

With small, relatively lightweight mental distractions...well it just makes sense to pack these things. Now if you're really into bowling...

But the body follows where the mind leads, so never underestimate the importance of mental survival/comfort.

BTW...LOVED the comment about carrying a deck of cards, so someone will happen along to tell you where to play your next Solitaire card!

My personal comfort items consist of A) deck of playing cards (from 1979) and B) my Native American Medicine Pouch.

I never though of my medicine pouch as a home comfort, but it is a great comfort no matter where I am.

I am reminded of the fact that W.C. Fields used to carry a bottle of "snake medicine, just in case." He also carried a snake, just in case.....

Probably not all that different than brand new....

I thought he was asking for the source of a "good cigar!"

I must be a truly odd bird, for I've never been bored out in the wilderness, and I can't imagine having to tote anything more than a knife with me to pass the time, even in a survival situation. If nothing else, I can keep myself busy whittling a myriad of useful little items, or if there's no wood around to work on, then braiding line, or just watching nature do it's thing. I guess the countless hours spent in duck blinds, along the shoreline watching the bobber, or sitting under a tree with the rifle across my lap has conditioned me to find interest in the mundane or some such.

I suppose I could make use of a deck of cards or a pile of dice or some such if it were available. Maybe if I were trapped in some sterile urban environment I might have to find a better way to beat boredom than just sitting and staring at a wall. Fortunately (or maybe not so) the only time I've been stuck like that I was distracted by the sound of automatic fire and the occasional mortar impact.

I only buy Cuban cigars these days so those of you south of the border might be out of luck there.

When I used to smoke cigarettes I thought that pipes and cigars smelled good, and I always wanted to try a Cuban. But now that I've quit for a few years I find the smell of pretty much all tobacco nauseating. Considering how hard it was to quit that's probably a good thing!

To me cigars, pipes and cigarettes all smell different. I can't stand cigarettes but cigars smell just wonderful. I love the smell of pipes but don't smoke them myself.

I'm partial to a dice game called Cosmic Wimpout . Packs well, easy to learn, possibly addictive.

But yes...I do pack some nonessentials...especially in car trunks, and long-term bags. ...as long as they don't weigh a lot, can be lost, don't take up much space, etc.