OK, he is wearing some clothes, but no PSK !!

I have a friend who is going in a business trip to a company camp in the middle of nowhere.
It is surrounded by hundreds of miles of nothing. It is part of a project and he is a consultant/engineer to do part of the job. The company takes care of everything from food to accommodation and safety. You only bring your brain and a few WORK instruments.

We had a discussion about what he should be taking with him for safety and survival. Afterall, between the safety of our office building and the safety of that camp , there are hundered of unsafe miles. Four by four or not, a breakdown is going to leave them in the middle of nowhere for hours. They have the latest tech and gadgets (including satellite phones) but help MAY have a few obstacles before arriving.

He thinks he doesn’t have to take anything but clothes and personal stuff. NO tools or anything that might help in case. His logic is that the company is providing everything. Besides, he has already made such trips dozens of times almost without any incidence.

I still felt that he should take with him a few items like a small tool kit, a small FAK, and a few other items just in case. He told me (a small tool kit ? the company’s team has a big support truck that has everything needed to disassemble a factory and assemble it again, so why do I need to carry a multitool or a screwdriver? )

So, if you were this engineer, and you were going with this company, what would you take with you other than clothing and toothbrush?

I don't care where you go or what someone else might have, I try to always have at least a few essentials.

A knife or multitool
A firemaker
Spare water
food
a tongue depressor loaded with 120 lb test string, some electrical tape and some duct tape
a flashlight

That is the core of edc for me. I don't go anywhere without at least those items handy.

there are lots of people who don't dwell on the tiny chance that something might go wrong and do just fine..if a support truck is along and he has made the trip dozens of times i'm sure he knows what he doing..

Different strokes for different folks.

I would carry at least what I normally keep in my pockets; Leatherman, mini-Bic, compact flashlight, and a few other odds and ends. I would make sure I had clothing to cover contingencies. A light windproof water-resistant jacket with a warm weatherproof hat and light gloves in the pocket, LS shirt, sturdy pants and boots. They can be selected to blend with your normal business outfit.

Given just that much and a few skills a person could do quite well for themselves.

I don't see any need to stick out by packing a separate PSK. Blending in and accepting the situation handed to you is often better policy. Depends on what sort of business trip it is. A working trip hammering out details of a project is not about roughing it. On the other side 'teamwork and motivation' camps are. Either way if you show up like Joe survivalist and whip out a bunch of supplies and screw on your best rugged individualist pose your going to lose points.

Most of those mountain retreats are not really so much in real wilderness. For logistical reasons most are near a major road and some sort on habitation. Trick is to get a map and get the lay of the land before hand so your not guessing. Google maps is usually a good start.

I do similar trips as well getting to the boat and on the return trip home.

I carry my EDC on me (except when flying when it's in my checked luggage). I also pack my BoB (100% equipped) and PSK in a duffle bag or parachute bag along with the clothes that I will need. This way, I don't stick out and nobody knows what I have other than what is laid out in my room, at my destination.

My BoB, when going to northern latitudes @ this time of year also includes my Artic Gear. Being paranoid, as I am, I am prepared to walk home from wherever I am if TSHTF.

The good news is that being permanently assigned to a vessel, I can leave a Bob here onboard the boat and travel back and forth with my EDC and PSK.

I hava another BoB at home.

EDC of
Vic Swiss Tool plus
Fenix L2D
Fox 40 Whistle
BSA Hot Spark
P51
CRKT M16 Plain edge
PDA
Cell
mini BIC lighter
Meds (BP, ibuprophen, Tylenol)
copies of personal my documents and any documents needed for the meeting

Supplemented with
PFAK based on AMK .5 kit
Water bottle & steel cup
Doug's PSK uprated with
Gerber Sonic
some Strike anywhere matches
firestarter squares
Gerber saw blade similar to bike chain
Vic combo ruler, compass, thermometer, magnifying glass
CountyComm Coin cell light
Second mini BIC
AMK Heatsheet
Several Micro-PUR tabs

The PFAK & PSK would only be carried complete outside of camp. How complete it would be inside camp would be decided based on atmosphere (whose at the camp), etc.

That's the nice thing about a briefcase/laptop bag/backpack depending on where you are. Most people won't think twice about what's in it until it's needed.

+1 Wildman, all except being a boat part. But I do the exact same with my gear on trips.

I think a lot of people think being prepared is also being a minimalist. Sometimes this is synergistic, often times it is not. for comparison you ever see the gear that a Special Ops warrior takes with them, everywhere he goes? It is a lot of gear, most that may never be used. But, if you not being charged for extra weight or extra bags, take what you can. The inconvenience of lugging a couple extra heavy bags from and to a flight check in, is small compared to sitting next to a bust up 4x4 knowing that what you need is in the bag sitting next to whatever, that normally is no more than five feet from you in normal situations.

I bought the Ritter PSK and then using Cody Lundin's book 98.6 degree....I made a great personal PSK that is super light and packable.

+1 on the PSK and add a SAK or good multi-tool. Both can be kept out of sight so no one thinks of him as some sort of nut or "not a team player" (a bad thing to be labeled in today's corporate world).

My problem with the idea that the "truck" is loaded with everything is what happens if someone does something really stupid and the truck and "everything" goes off a cliff or burns up etc. etc. etc. All the eggs were in one basket.

I can't see any good reason not to take a pocket survival kit (Doug's or a field expedient one) and a SAK/multi-tool.

I would no more depend on the company I worked for to keep me alive than I would go into the desert stark naked in 120-degree heat. Depend on someone else's (lack of) common sense? Not me. How many times have you been in a campground near a group who brought canned goods but no can opener?

And if you can't take some of your own stuff to depend on without standing out, your survival instincts are probably sub-par, anyway.

The bottom line: if he's too dumb to take some gear that he keeps on/near him, and he dies, well..... he dies. Send flowers to the widow. Too bad, so sad.

Sue

I suppose a lot of folks go hiking with less than my EDC. DR's PSK is a good start for this trip. The Mission Wallet I EDC has both a Vic Spartan, a Peak 1xAAA, a Leatherman Squirt E4, an old drivers license for ID and cash.

Your friend may not want to be seen as overly concerned that he's not in civilization any longer, so small pocket carry only would be a much easier sell. Anything that needs to go on a belt or in a pack of any size would be a non-starter.

Your friend should have a knife and a flashlight. The Vic Spartan would be nice because it's so useful for so many things during the day and is very common. I've started using a 1xAA Fenix L1D and first impression is that it's a great light for such a small size. If they lose power, he can use the light to look thru the vast assortment of stuff the company supposedly has on hand.

( I would no more depend on the company I worked for to keep me alive than I would go into the desert stark naked in 120-degree heat. Depend on someone else's (lack of) common sense? Not me. )


I agree with you Susan

( Your friend may not want to be seen as overly concerned that he's not in civilization any longer, so small pocket carry only would be a much easier sell. Anything that needs to go on a belt or in a pack of any size would be a non-starter. )

Well, Russ, from what I heard from another engineer who went there, no one there cares if you wet your pants and go around with them wet. It's WORK-WORK-WORK type environment.

My friend is just like most people in the society, who don't think anything serious will happen. I have already givenm him a small LED flashlight and he didnt even take it with him. He could have put it in his bag with his clothes and toothpaste, but he didn't.

Oh, well.

That's why I have not told anyone what I am hiding in my office. The minute we lose power or something, everyone will be asking for the flashlight or light stick.

I can tell by the number of people using my cell phone charger.

There are some folks who understand that things don't always go as planned and some folks who would prefer to trust in providence (or the planning of their company which has taken care of everything). The company may have done a great job in taking care of everything, until something goes wrong or somebody screws up -- it's good to have a Plan B.

If your friend doesn't have or want a Plan B, don't even mention it again. Let him continue to trust in providence; it may serve him well -- it may also serve him up rare. He's not your problem.

I just returned from a religious service 30 minutes away via freeway.In that combined hour I had to take evasive action 3 times because of inattentive, aggressive or plain incompetent drivers. I almost tagged a street vendor racing his icecream pushcart against a red light.He swore at me in Mixtec. I swore back in Mixtec and he freaked out and tried to shake my hand and give me a coconut icecreme bar. I took the icecreme, didn't shake hands and he looked mad in my mirror. I had to explain to THREE competing relgious cults I had a ferocious animal behind my front door and was going to open it NOW.Said ferocious animal made a copious territorial scent marking on my BOB.

I turned on my Computer to check the site and read 'hundreds of unsafe miles.'

Please, give me some map coordinates.

What will be interesting if he survives is how his attitude changes once he gets back.

We may be seeing a new member around the campfire.

Odds are nothing will happen, not this time, not the next five or ten times. As much as I hate to say it, even the most routine preps we do are for very isolated incidents. You know how many times I've used my first aid gear in the last five years, once. I had a friend accidentally stab herself in the leg. Even that only required gauze and tape and a trip to the ER. Let alone more exotic preparations like CBRN events, which you would have to be extraordinarily unlucky to face in your entire life. Part of the reason that survival prep isn't very common, is that survival situations that break down the normal order of our lives aren't very common.

If I was this businessman, I'd have my normal pocket debris and appropriate clothing on me, and I'd have my waist pack kit, contingency clothing in my luggage, and all my clothes in my bag would be in large ziplock bags to make them, water, bug and dirt resistant. Odds are no-one would notice, but if it was a serious issue of embarrassment, the contents of my waist pack kit can easily be transferred to an extra shaving kit.

Side note, for business travel, shaving kits are the equivalent of camping stuff sacks. Put your survival kit in one, your laptop cables and bits in another. Anything small that needs to be organized can go in a different kit. A little colored cord can identify which is which.

My first priority would be clothing. Thermal regulation is job one. If I have to step out of that vehicle en route, how will I fare? At the very least, I'd want a jacket with something like GoreTex shell on the outside and fleece lining. In the side pockets, I'd have a wind-blocking fleece hat and gloves. I might roll up some light weight rain/wind proof pants and put 'em in my brief case. This time of year, most of this should be pretty unobtrusive unless it's 84F and sunny out.

My second would be map(s). Merely knowing where you are can get you out of a jam. Not knowing can get you into one. Trust me on that last one.

Of course I'd want my normal EDC stuff:
knife
multi-tool
whistle (on lanyard)
compass (also on lanyard)
mini-squeeze light (also on lanyard)
ignition source (lighter, sparker, or whatever)
cordage (braided into a key fob)
P-38 can opener (on key chain)
bandana
cell phone
pen
paper
wallet
chapstick
sunglasses

I carry things like the above everyday, and no one comments except perhaps if I actually use my knife or multi-tool.

In my bags, a fanny pack or extra shaving kit as mentioned above (excellent suggestion by the way) with some gear would be good. I think that's been covered well by posts of others.

If Chisel's friend can't be convinced to carry a small flashlight, what's the point of lists of stuff that we carry. He's convinced his company has all bases covered, life is good.

He is not us. . .

Exactly. And I'm not going to rag on him about it too much. I had a physics professor in college who talked about species survival (he had trouble staying on topic). He said species, especially a species like humans that communicates, needs individuals that explore over mountains, try the latest gadget, take risks; and a species needs individuals who stay in the cave, keep using what works, and generally are more risk adverse. Variations like that are important even when they result in the individual being less likely to survive.

Lol, yes, good point. Good luck to him.

HJ

cuz we luvs us sum gear lists. the only thing more fun than hunting down the next most awesome piece of gear is showing off about it to other gearheads.

I think he's got us pegged. lol

My min EDC is my Mission Wallet which carries minimalist gear that I use during the day. It isn't about carrying emergency or survival gear; this is stuff that's nice to have for normal everyday events.

Why carry a knife? Because sometimes things need to be cut, packages opened. Why carry a flashlight? Because a natural event each day is called "night" -- it's dark. This is not rocket science.

Carrying a big survival kit to guys who aren't us is a hard sell. Carrying a small EDC kit of things that can be used everyday is a lot easier. Then again, some guys prefer empty pockets.

Why carry a flashlight? Because a natural event each day is called "night" -- it's dark.


Exactly, and even if it was day time, there are places that are dark even during the day.

Also, the unexpected can happen.
Lights are not guranteed to be there at all times.

Last week I was working late in office when power went out. Thanks I had my little trusty LED flashlight to find my way around and shut things down before leaving the building.

I wonder why many ppl find this as hard to understand as rocket science. Unexpected things (or emergencies) can and do happen.

I don't usually fly at night. But I have a rule of thumb- if I have enough fuel to last until dark, I need to have my flashlights easily accessible from the pilot's seat. Maybe not as many as if I were actually planning to fly at night, but I should at least have a headlight and a hand flashlight in my pockets, with tested batteries.

I'd do the same as him.
There's a point where you have to trust your team. I don't bring my own fire hoses or extrication tools to the call. I expect - no I require - those things, and in my experience, we're covered for the task. If he's done the trip before, and they have Sat Phones and some provisions, why haul more crap?

You gotta have a team, a trust network and be a part of it.