Hey all,

This is my first post here. I've long been interested in the subject of survival and this weekend I will be venturing on a hike into our local mountain range.

I naturally reached for my PSK which I have been building for some time... but then I paused to think about it.

We will be hiking (around 24kms round trip) so naturally I want to be as light as possible. My kit (which fits into a Otterbox 2000) will add weight to my already heavy pack.

Reason I hesitated is I will already have a lot of the items in my PSK on me, such as fire-making equipment, flashlight, knife, whistle, etc.

So its a quandary. I want to be prepared but for practical purposes need to keep it ultra light.

I therefore wanted to ask members here what they thought a 'bare bones' PSK should consist of.

Out of interest, these are the items I WILL have with me:

Silva storm lighter (similar to Brunton Helios)
Mini-Bic (as back-up)
SAK One hand Trekker
Gossman PSK fixed blade (back-up)
Novatac 85P CR123a LED flashlight
HDS 42XR CR123a LED flashlight (back-up)
Fox 40 whistle
Boonie hat
Waterproof storm jacket w/hood
Ezbit stove and several fuel tabs
Plenty of food which can last 4 days if necessary (trip is 2 days)
Water is plentiful in the area, with several rivers. Water quality is very good

I will be accompanied by two experienced hikers who are familiar with the area. We will have a map with us.

Anything else I should consider?

Thanks!

Mark

I would suggest the contents of Doug's PSK. Most of us would agree that it contains the minimum equipment. I would suggest throwing in some water treatment tabs, just in case. The weight addition is negligible.

Not familiar with the Gossman PSK. What does it contain?

Definitely a good knife. Worth it's weight in gold, no doubt.

depends on the situation and location. I usually don't even carry a PSK when in stay in the outdoors in the Netherlands. But thats because, the Netherlands in so densely packed, that you can't really get lost or get far from any roads.

So what are you preparing for?

I don't see any first aid supplies. You can either add that stuff to your PSK or carry an extra, ultralight kit. An Advenure Medical Ultralight .3 kit weighs next to nothing, is waterproof, has the basics, and has enough room in the bag to add a few things if you're not happy with what it has.

Personally I carry my PSK in a GSI 420 waterproof case and then carry a supplimental first aid kit (sometimes) in a GSI 840 waterproof case which is just an overgrown AMK UL .3 kit.

Mike H,
The Gossman PSK is a small fixed blade knife.

Buffalohump,
You are missing your own compass and map of the area. Don't assume that you will always be together, a compass is a pretty basic nav tool and many survival situations get a kick start from people (experienced or not) getting lost. I take a small Garmin (Geko 301) GPS too, but that's just me. I don't see a signal mirror either.

DR's PSP is a good thing to have and it contains the mirror, but the button compass in it should be a back-up. A good sighting compass like a Silva Ranger or Suunto MC-2G would be on my list.

I'll +1 on Mike_H's recommendation of a Doug Ritter's PSK as just about the best (IMHO) featherweight survival kit. If you have the extra cash, about 30 to 35 bucks and the time to get one before you go on your hike I'd say get one of those and stash it in your pocket. Its about 4oz. And the size of a slice of bread. Bonus point for if, God forbid, there is a accident and you are seperated from your pack, it will still be with you.
If you are adverse to this I'd say at a minimum to add to what you do have is a compass, some water treatment tabs (just in case) and a "space blanket" for emergency shelter. American Medical makes a great one, I'd suggest with going for the two person one. Not much bigger profile in pocket/pack, can bail out someone else by sharing, can wrap yourself up without stressing the material by making it too taught etc....
Good luck and have fun!
Welcome to the forums new guy!

-Bill Liptak

Thanks for the advice and welcome guys...

Unfortunately the exchange rate and shipping costs has made ordering stuff from the USA very expensive. I have had to cure my very costly knife and flashlight addictions as a result.

So I will be looking to source stuff locally wherever possible. Fortunately we have a very large outdoor industry here in SA.

A signal mirror and compass are definitely two items I will acquire. The compass is easy, the mirror less so, but I'm sure I can rig something similar. I do have water purification tabs so I will add those to my kit. I also have a space blanket so I can add that as well. I do have a small fannypack I can use to put a featherweight PSK together.

The area is remote but cellphone reception can be had in places. We also have a very good mountain rescue operation that covers the area.

What do guys think about rope? Worth the extra weight?

Mark

Depends on the terrain, your skills and what you are planning to do. Also if you take rope, you will need carabiners and other equipment to take maxium advantage of a rope. Or do you mean cord or string? String and cord are always usefull and not that spacy.

I was thinking rope in case someone takes a tumble over the side.

But I guess in that situation you would need something pretty substantial which would definitely push the weight factor up.

I have a 30-40 foot section of paracord I'll shove in to my pack, but it won't be long enough for any serious work.

If by rope you mean para-cord then I'd say yes, 20 to 30 feet or so shouldn't take up too much weight/space. In a pinch you can cut a section off and remove the 7 inner strands for sewing, fishing, lashing etc...
Very versatile for what it is. If by rope you mean actual climbing/rapelling that's a whole other ball of wax, one I am not qualified to give advice on.
One the signal mirror front you can probably find a travelers mirror in a camping section or grooming section that might be small/handy enough to use.

-Bill Liptak