this is a follow-up on a post i just did about the wire
saw. in short it was a British POW escape item that made
it's way into the survival market in a cheap version that
of course is useless.it's a "negative" item..it takes up
space in your kit and gives you a false feeling of security.
" i have a saw--i can cut things--i'll survive"..when in the
end you will end up like our Grouse hunter..bleeding with
a busted hunk of junk and the time and energy could have gone
into making the shelter another way..
so--- the point of all this is...can you think of any other
items that are "negative" ??..big fishing kits..Rambo knives.
fire lighting gizmos--plastic ponchos--matches that don't
light---you get the idea...

I have had a cheap space blanket come apart just unfolding it
before. It was to be a ground cloth, but if I was trying to use
it as some sort of primary shelter in a storm I would have been
in trouble.

To me there are only 2 categories of items that can be considered 'negative'

1) Items which are cheap and break...not doing what they were intended to do.

2) Carrying items you don't need. Having to carry and deal with an excess of gear can hinder your survival. If you have it and never use it...it's negative.

I saw Les Stroud try one of those on an episode of Survivorman. Looked to me like it was nothing more than aluminum foil. Thanks, but no thanks.

There are varying qualities in space blanket. Comparing a Coghlins to an AMK blanket you'll notice quite the difference.

I think you're on to something there.

When I read Doug's survival kit reviews the one thing that struck me was that an inexperienced person finding himself in trouble and opening his survival kit for the first time would receive a terrible blow to his moral upon finding out:

The "energy nugget" was really the world's smallest Tootsieroll.
The whistle was a gumball machine toy that didn't even work.
The match case is empty.
The iodine tabs were repackaged in plastic wrap.
The candle has melted.
The signal mirror is the just inside of the tin's lid.

And those are just examples I remember from the pocket kits. If you really want to cry, read the aviation kits or worse the life raft kit reviews. I'm convinced its a strategy of the raft industry for their victims not to live long enough to sue over how badly they were ripped off.

Cheap knives, i've damaged myself before on a cheap SAK knockoff. Never again.

After looking at my kit and BOB components I realize the weakest part of them is me. I think this may be a common theme with many of us...prepare with great gear only to fail with our experience and skill using it.

The quality of the components is essential of course, but having more training is what I need to invest in next. What good is a FAK without proper training. Also as Chris K mentioned in another post how dangerous an ax is to the unskilled.

practice practice practice.

Much of my survival gear is also my hiking gear...it's what I'm familiar with and that counts for a lot.

I don't like matches in general in a survival situation. Paper matches are completely worthless.

Kevin B.