Hi all

I’ve spent a long time looking on this forum (4 years, give or take) and have come to trust and respect all of your views and options, so this is probably a long over due first post, but here we go

I first got this idea from reading Wildman’s post “I spy from my perch” and Benjamin’s “EDC as 72 hour kit”.

As it’s almost impossible to carry equipment to handle every situation and considering that most people here carry as a minimum in their EDC a multi-tool/SAK, flashlight, BIC lighter/fire steel, AMK heat sheets ect.

What would you might consider useful to carry in addition to “MacGyver” up a solution or something to make live easier in a "survival" situation from things or junk you find laying around ? Or what ideas have you had to make things ?

For example getting a soda can and cutting a few holes, turning it into a small wood stove, or using some wire to turn another can into a pot.

Any ideas welcome.

Some folks seem to carry more than others.

My carry is situational due to the nature of my work areas, and modes of transportation.

Remember: Shoot, Communicate, Move from the Army?

Make it: Defend, Communicate, Aid, Shelter, Move and I think you should do well.

Defend: will depend on the person and the area. (MACE/OC, Handgun, etc)
Communicate: could be anything from a whistle to an iphone to a PLB
Aid: AMK Ultra-Light FAK's are a good starting point. WATER WATER WATER!
Shelter: Contractor bags and AMK Heatsheets are great
Move: Compass and good footwear.

First off, welcome to the fire newguy.

Second, I would follow Alton Brown's (Food Network) advice...stay away from uni-taskers. Try to carry things that are truly multi-taskers. Wire, duct tape, paper clips, feminine hygiene products and so forth. Don't go to far overboard or you will end up like the French dude someone posted about earlier.

2 cents

thanks for the welcome. It's nice to be by the campfire at last, just hope that I can add some wood to it from time to time.




yeah, I remember seeing that, Don't think that my EDC will ever get that big

thanks for the info desparado, but as I live in the UK firearms are a BIG no no as far as defence goes.

I always have a FAK in bag along with a water bottle and water proof jacket(also rain pants when needed).

But what I was looking for was one or two key items that you could use make or modify fairly common things (like my soda can example)thar would be easy to carry in a pocket or belt pouch and perhaps some ideas that you've had in the past.

thanks in advance

Welcome to the neighborhood.I would recomend a flat pack of duct tape,a hank of parachute cord and a small coil of brass or stainless steel wire.If you can't find duct tape flat packs just pull the core and a layer or two of tape from the inside and squeeze together.Good para-cord has 7 inner strands that can be used for sewing.It would be a good idea to have a couple of large eye needles for this.You could tuck them in the fold of a wallet.The wire is good for snares as well as quick binding or seizing.I would get aircraft wire that is stainless steel and .025 of an inch thick.i have seen people wire on fenders and mufflers on cars with this.You may even find some in an auto parts store.Round this off with a few paper clips and a half dozen assorted safty pins and call it good....

BOATMAN
John

Thanks boatman.

Always a good idea to have duct tape and para cord ect.

After reading posts on this forum for so long i've got most off the basics covered (flat duct tape and needles with thread in wallet)but I haven't thought to add paper clips or safty pins.

I have about <8'> of para-cord in a brided keyring fob along with a Vic classic, Mag Lite, Whisle and a flint rod. So it sounds like I'm starting from a better base than I thought.

EDIT

just to make life easier heres a list of what I usually carry.

On person:

emergency poncho

AMK heatsheets 2 person blanket

SAK huntsman

2oz bottle hand sanitiser jel
On key ring:

Vic classic (will properly change to a mini champ)

mini Mag lite (considering a few LED lights instead)

Para-cord fob 8' give or take

Whisle (Acme Thunderer)

Flint rod (yes I do mean a FLINT rod I would really like any help in selecting a ferno replacment, but that I think that is for an other thread)

In Wallet:

zip lock bag, can't remember the size

water puri tabs (8)

about 10' of duct tape

needles & thread

some 50lb braided fishing line

Rucksack:

small FAK (alway up grading)

waterproof jacket (and when needed rain pants)

1L water bottle, but I have several for so I can increase the amount of water I can carry if I need to

also living in the UK enviromentle considerations usually revolve around wet and windy condions

And again, many thanks

In a small pill container I've got a Sparklite, cotton balls, sewing thread and needles, safety pins, a small coil of wire and some other stuff. The container is wrapped in bright orange duct-tape. Used carefully and resourcefully it can take care of most small situations without any trouble. I've got this on me right now, in what I call a "casual" EDC.

If something like this is out of the question I second the paracord and/or wire (I take home spare wire bag ties from work myself) jammed into a back pocket.

And BTW, welcome!

Frensel lense, for many reasons. find small splinters, read fine print, or just read if glasses are lost for some, fire starting.

signal mirror, if away from city.

small disposable baking tin (actually aluminum) they fold flat and can be uesd to boil water. the mini loaf is the smallest. Or you canuse heavy duty aluminum foil for makning a water boiling container.

If laws permit something in the way of a fixed blade, refered to as a bushcraft knife or Mora type pukko.

I just finished readding Build the Perfect Survival Kit by John McCann and found lots of sound advice, and sparked even more ideas for my own stuff.

By the way Welcome!

-Joe

If I understand you correctly you are wanting advise on
A. what you need to improvise things and
B. what can be improvised.

The answer to A depends more on where you are, the UK being rather densely populated I would consider you being in a more urban environment, that being the case I would be sure to have a good multi tool and something to cut metal like a small hack saw and scissors that can handle light sheet metal. I have some fiskers game shears which are small light and will cut most things with in reason.

The answer to B would be a never ending list, for example you can boil water in a milk carton and apply and enormous amount of pulling or lifting force with a loop of rope and a stick. you are only limited by what you can think of when the need presents itself. It's just a matter of knowing what has to be done and seeing how you can use what you have to do so. The better you mind works at that sort of thing the less stuff you need in your pockets and bags because if you think about it the people who thought of those had neither.

The bottom line is the best tool you carry is the one between your ears. The people who use it survive, evolve, create... those who don't, don't

Jim

MultiTool!
Hacksaw blade, Sawzall metal cutting Blade better sharpen the back but not all the way=Knife spear point.
Cordage- 550 Para-cord
Wire
DUCT Tape

I think having tools allows one to create many other things. Also, having the knowledge of how tools were used and created 100+ years ago can really broaden your knowledge. The more tools and knowledge you have, the more you will see chances to create arising from your own mind.

To suggest a specific thing to improvise, how does one know where to start? What are you trying to do, what materials do you have? ETC.!!!!!

Knowledge is the thing to collect. Imagination allows it to be applied in new ways.

Haywire!
It is amazing what can be done with a roll of haywire.

Edit:
Add a few nails and a hammer.

Welcome to the fire, Caldronborn!

Like you and many others, I find it easiest to carry a few basics that can be used to improvise solutions. Improvising generally requires deconstructing one thing and reassembling the parts into something new. My urban pocket gear is based on this concept, mainly a multitool to deconstruct items and an Altoids tin filled with wire, zip ties, duct tape, dental floss, safety pins and assorted other stuff (obligatory whistle, lighter, and compass) to fasten things back together.

-Blast

Caldronborn
I amongst others would recommend and DO carry a DR PSK found at www.redflare.com, and www.aeromedix.com among others my DW, DS, and DD carry one my DS is the envy of his scout troop when he whips it out (to show off of course)

Mike D
kd7fqd

Caldronborn,

Lots of good ideas so far. I usually have layers of stuff and it varies by what I am up to. My pocket carry is pretty limited at work/around town so it is heavily focused on just enough to get by with and relies on being able to make due or jury rig a temporary solution. Keys, CellPhone, PDA, small SAK or multi-tool, light, a couple of bandaids. This works because my office or car are usually pretty close by with a much larger and much more diverse selection of toys, ... er make that tools to work with.

Better tools generally make the job easier but you can get by with a lot less if you go slow and respect your (and your tools) limitations.

- Eric

I guess I'm a lot like Blast. I don't EDC a survival kit per se, at least not in the Altoid tin kit sense. It's usually just a good folder, multitool, small flashlight, gas lighter and paracord. Plus a few band-aids and basic meds in my wallet.

You can't foresee or prepare for every possible eventuality. In truth, you can improvise almost anything if you have to. My real survival kit are my skills and experience. I'm pretty good with most things mechanical, I have a working understanding of most things electronic and I'm handy with tools so I can "MacGyver" a lot of stuff if needed (and have done so on a number of occasions). The important thing is, anyone can MacGyver their way through anything, providing you have at least a modicum of skill and some ingenuity.

There's a fun game you can do any time and might pay dividends in an unexpected situation - look around yourself and try to find as many uses for the objects around you as you can imagine. Pretty much anything can be cannibalized, modified or used for some other purpose. At least as long as you carry a Leatherman (got that one from Les Stroud lol).

I'm in the process now of trying to shrink my EDC down some. I'm finding there are times I can't stuff my pockets, such as wearing bike or swim shorts. on the bike its not too bad since I can stuff everything in an underseat pack but swimming I have to leave a bit behind.

No-one else has mentioned a bandanna yet. These are famously multi-purpose.

Money can solve a lot of problems.

What about adding dry wall screws? With the bits from my multitool and a bunch of them, I think I could create some make shift repairs in a hurry, that could hold for a while.

On the point of multi-tools, does anyone know if the larger leatherman's lock the same way as the kick and the length of the knife blades?

The Kick does not have locking tools. The fuse, which is about the same size as the kick, does have locking tools, and it also has a scissor, which the kick lacks.

The knife on both the kick and fuse is a little smaller then on bigger leatherman tools.

It's tools to make the tools time.

What you have is unfortunatly governed by:

A)how much you can afford.
B) what's obtainable.

Having said that, a decent multi-tool is very much your first priority.

In order of quality (and price!):

Victorinox.
Leatherman.
Gerber.
CRKT.
Anyone else. That means Far-East and Made in China knockoffs. Some are better than others. They are better than nothing.

I use a full sized Victorinox multi-tool for work. I used to use a Leatherman. I like the leatherman's but the Victorinox is categorically the better tool.

A decent robust pocket knife or small fixed blade knife is next.
A lighter.

Decent pocket torch.

I EDC a smokers oilskin that has in it.

Needles. Sailmakers and ordinary needles.
Good quality thread.
12' duct tape.
A Bic lighter.
2 Wet-fire cubes.
10 Tinder-Quick.
5 lifeboat matches.
40' 30lb test Spyderwire.
Hooks.
A gaff hook. Useful for hooking things out of awkward spots.
A ziplock bag.
5m braided brass wire. The stuff you use to hang pictures with.
A spark-lite.
5 MP-1 tablets.
6 Aquatabs.
4 band aids.

I also carry one or more 20' lenths of 550 cord in my back pocket(s.

I can repair, creat or bodge up a lot of things with the above.

Not trying to pick an argument, but you make a strong statement like that based on what exactly?

IME, the actual build quality is very much comparable. Pretty much the same materials, similar hardness and toughness. Leatherman offers some higher grade steel for primary blade though, not a bad option.

Swisstool vs. LM Wave (I guess that's about the most objective possible comparison), the Victorinox may LOOK more robust but is bigger, too big to fit in a pocket. The Wave will handle any sensible task reliably. I've abused mine for a good number of years now. Can't say I wouldn't prefer better steel/harder edge on some of the tools but it's every bit as good as anything made by Victorinox and it gets the job done consistently.

Ergonomically, the Wave is better designed and more practical IMO. Everything is exactly where it needs to be and works just the way it should. Looking at the Swisstool, it's evident Victorinox is basically a pocket knife manufacturer. When the multitool concept became popular they jumped on the bandwagon and pretty successfully so, but their multitools still lack the "mojo". On the other hand, LM specializes in multitools and it shows.

Either way, both brands are excellent. But while I like the SAK in all its forms for what it is, LM just makes better multitools all around. I suppose that's open to various opinions but two friends of mine have swapped their Swisstool for a LM so I'm not alone. Everyone's mileage may vary.

I have an older model of the victorinox swisstool and it's a good tool. But unless the most recent models have improved a great deal, the leatherman wave, core and surge are all better.

The swisstool has a different selection of tools, including a small prybar kind of thing which is neat. And they all open from the outside. BUT using the pliers is not as comfortable in the hand as the LM's, there's no hard wire cutter, and both knives on the VS are quite mediocre. Really not good for heavy cutting.

Sizewise the closest LM comparison to the swisstool is the core, and even though all the core tools require opening the tool - none open on the outside - I would take the core any day. By the way, the core has a really nice awl, but no scissor.