I wold like to make a good survival kit to take with me on day
hikes. I do not like pree made kits so if you cold tell me
whats in yours I think that will help thanks.

litlefoot01
See you out on the trail.

Here is a link to ETS with a list of several of Doug's kits

Here is another link explaining why some of those items are important.

It's really to each their own but if you look at those then you should be able to (based on your needs) figure out what you want to add or not include.

Hi, good to hear you want to add a survival kit!

There is a "search" button above (in the right part of the screen). Hit it, and enter survival kit in the box that appears. You will find about 200 hits, starting with the most recent discussions...

Or use google, adding site:equipped.org to the search string:
http://www.google.no/search?q=%22wilderness+survival+kit%22+site%3Aequipped.org

You may also replace "wilderness" with "outdoors"... Feel free to ask for clarification


In general, I struggle with how I can adapt the "survival kit" idea because when I venture outdoors I have always brought what I consider appropriate equipment for the season and climate.

Bare minimum: Good clothing for the season, bivy bag, knife, fire starters. Usually also a tiny flashlight on my keys and a cell phone. A whistle, some strings and stuff is usually to be found at my jacket, in my pack and in various pockets.

To this I add navigation (map+compass+GPS), extra clothing and more equipment as I deem necessary and appropriate.


There is always room for improvement! While I feel I usually m adequately equipped outdoors, I am in the process of composing a small kit. It will be a backup for my regular equipment and also serve as a quality assurance that I don't forget the most vital parts. It will also cover the basis for field expedients repair, fixing and modification (needles, thin thread, para chord, few zip ties, duct tape). And last but not least - I will be able to bring it with me if I leave my pack behind.

Carry a poncho or a space blanket to use in case of bad weather, injuries or as shelter. Maintaining the body's temperature is your first priority (after treating casualties of course).

another good place to start is the "ten essentials." A search will give several lists, many of them different.

welcome,

Teacher

some kit suggestions...
ten essentials #1
ten essentials #2

lol. I was just holding my EDC container this morning and thinking I need to catalog everything and readdress the season. Of course it was 95* today so FWIW.

I am always surprised at what goes missing from my kit b/c I use it so often. Where is my whistle?

I just noticed your location as NY - hello fellow NY resident!

NY DEC, which includes the NY forest rangers, has suggestions on what to take on a hike suitable for this area.

It's the "hiking safety" page, with a link to a PDF document called "lost in the woods", which is about how to prepare yourself not to be lost, what to take with you, and what to do if you are lost. Link:

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28708.html

I like what Tony Nester said. "I am a real fan of making your own survival kit. This is the essence of self-reliance and with this approach, you know what's going into your kit, how it works, and that it is tailored to fit you."

As I have said many times, Doug's Pocket Survival Pack is a work of genius. That said, I believe you, the owner of your own Pocket Survival Pack, need to modify the kit to fit your needs.

Jeanette Isabelle

This is my take on "survival kits"

80% of it depends on your geography.
20% of it depends on your ability and your comfort level.

What I carry is probably not what you would carry, or should. Just my 2 cents on this subject......

first question is what do you expect to survive?.just somewhat lost and a nite in the woods or a fall and a busted leg?
next a survival kit is not a kit bag that you would dip into for matches or cord but something that would remained sealed and put away until really needed.i assume your in Up State NY which i know well so i would say think,fire-food-shelter.
the photo is a copy of the kit i made in Scouts when i lived in NY in the 50's,some of the stuff is from that kit.i show it just as a starting point.the matches and fire lighters are the main items,everything else is gravy,

Go to this sites home page and on the left hand side you'll see advice written by an expert.
The Sock

I'm going to REI today to buy another of Doug's AMK kits. It will be part of a birthday gift -- in addition to his MK5 knife and e-Pico light -- that's going to a hiker friend who treks every year in the Himalayas.

Buy Doug's MK5 knife and his AMK personal survival kit and read the literature that's included with it.

That'll get you 90% of the way to having, and augmenting as needed, an appropriate PSK.

Good luck.

Your lucky. I have a Cabelas and Bass Pro about 10 miles out and they still don't seem to have that large a variety for camping/survival. Wish they'd throw a REI up somewhere out here.

When it comes to survival kits, I always think about the basic essentials first - your immediate priorities in a survival situation: First Aid, Shelter, Fire, Water, Signalling, and Food. To address these needs I carry a good first aid kit; a heatsheets emergency bivvy, heatsheets blanket, and some 550 parachute cord; spark-lite, strike anywhere matches in a bright orange waterproof case, bic lighter, magnesium and flint bar, candle (keep it in a baggie to avoid melting messes), tinder quik, fire starter sticks, some paper, and an ultra-thin piece of corrugated cardboard (check out your empty big mac box next time to see what I mean); a canteen or Nalgene water bottle with a stainless steel cup, water purification tablets, some coffee filters, and as a backup some heavy duty ziploc bags or baking bags; a good quality signal mirror, whistle, and some brightly colored bandannas (the bandannas are very useful for other things too); food bars of your choice (cereal bars and chewy granola bars are tops with us). Along with a knife and a sharpener, this is the stuff that should be kept on your person as Doug suggests, either in your pockets or on your belt (such as the knife and canteen). I also have a small led flashlight that I keep on my person (of course I hope to replace this with the doug ritter designed eq headlamp soon). Most of these items are in the Pocket Survival Pak I carry (check the contents list for the other items in it I have left out here like fishing kit, wire and duct tape), the other items ride in my other pockets (love those cargo pants and shorts). In addition, I have a small maxpedition pouch on my belt that carries some long term essentials and comfort items: a sewing kit with extra safety pins, some rubber bands and twisty ties, extra aluminum foil, wire saw, glasses repair kit, sunscreen, insect repellant, extra batteries, some tubing, and some carabiners and split rings. Yes it is tight but you can squeeze it all in there. If you can manage, you should also carry some rain gear (a good nylon raincoat and rain pants), some extra warm clothing (an extra sweater or jacket, gloves and a hat), larger compass (note the psp has a mini-compass), map of the area you are in, mess kit, some toilet paper and maybe some toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, cleansing towlette) as well. I usually put this and a folding saw in a daypack. As you might be able to tell, my kit is used in wooded areas with the potential for cold weather. Your kit should reflect the types of terrain you will be traveling in, the extremes of weather you will encounter and the amount and type of gear you want to carry. Make it as comprehensive as you can carry or as minimalist as you dare. As a final note, since you will be putting your own kit together, make sure you use QUALITY gear.

You want to see whats in my homemade kit, here it is.

For winter survival for 4th graders out skiing, boarding or
snow shoeing, we recommend at least-

Synthetic and wool clothes on, no cotton and include a warm hat.
Large heavy duty trash bag in pocket.
Plastic whistle around neck.

Since they are not allowed knives at school and the heavy snows
here preclude making a proper fire for most mortals, knife and matches are not included in school oriented survival trainings.

Other things we recommend-
mini flashlight
water and snack


You have to keep it simple for them, so they will remember
without a big list to refer to.

When it comes to a kit that I carry on me I don´t have a "sealed kit". I rather carry belt retention system with carabiner which holds almost every item I carry on me. It´s my EDC at the same time. I add to it or subtract from it as needed. The essential items always have their place secured on the carabiner though.

This photo is not up to date, some items are missing - e.g. knife and tinder. I will have to take another photo.


I like this setup, it´s secured, I can quickly get to the items, I can see the items all the time and check their condition, ...
Items that are too big to be clipped into carabiner are carried in various pockets. This way I don´t end up with one bulky kit in one pocket.
I also have second kit which resides in the backpack. It´s for some additional or redundant items etc. It´s waterproof and "sealed".

Mark F..major pile of gear,but more of a BOB than a survival kit.but thats fine,whatever you think you need,take.but what would you widdle that down to so it would fit into something the size of a Mac and Cheese box and carry tucked away unnoticed untill needed.

Good question canoedogs. I always find myself adding to rather than taking away from my kit. It is admittedly a lot of gear but as bad as it looks on paper (so to speak) it packs surprisingly light and well. With the noted exceptions most of it rides in my pockets (did I mention I love those cargo pants and shorts :-)).
I have always struggled to get a kit down to an EDC size. Currently I am experimenting with packing an Altoids tin with a small kit and just can't seem to fit it all in. I think maybe the tin will be just too small. I always go back to the six essentials - first aid, shelter, fire, water, signalling, and food - and I try to include something to cover each of these. I also continually hear Doug Ritter quotes ringing in my head: "Keep the most essential survival gear on your person" and "Your primary survival kit should be able to provide you with medical care, shelter, the means to summon help and sustenance. Most importantly, IT SHOULD DO THIS WITHOUT A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT OR IMPROVISATION ON YOUR PART" and so on.
I haven't forgot your question. I am still pondering on it. Let me get back to you and welcome any suggestions.

Here's what is currently in my Wilderness PSK.

Personal Survival Kit

PSK Container.

1 BCB mini-mess tin (Aluminium Roll Closure Lid) 300ml volume.
1 Lifeventure Passport Document Case with 3 foot Paracord strap 9-10 feet total length + 2 small Stainless Steel Lifeventure Carabiners (Caselogic HDD case works as well but no attachment points for the paracord strap etc)

Tools Kit.

1 Fallkniven U2 Folder.
1 Hacksaw Blade cut to fit Box.
2 Finger Razor Blades.
1 BCB finger wire saw.

Fire lighting Section.

1 Small Candle (UHO Citronella cut to size).
1 Firesteel Rod (Mini Model with Striker removed).
1 Ultimate Survival Wet Fire Tinder.
5 Cotton/Wax Balls Tinder.
8 NATO Lifeboat Matches in Waxed Cardboard.
1 Striker pad (for NATO Lifeboat matches).
1 small piece of fine gauge wire wool.
1 Tampon.

Water Section.

2 Alcosak Resealable 400ml Polythene Bags.
1 Unlubricated Condom
10 Lifeventure Water Puritabs.
10 Lifeventure Water Aftertaste tablets.

Signalling and Lighting Section.

1 Ultimate Survival Polycarbonate Signal Mirror.
1 Fenix LOP-SE AAA powered Torch (with SOS function) with spare AAA lithium Cell.
1 Paklite Super with Ultralife Lithium PP3.
1 Liveventure Aluminium Mountain Whistle.

Cooking Kit.

1 Esbit Wing Titanium folding Stove.
3 Esbit Hexamine Fuel Tablets Sealed
2 Stock Drink Sachets. (from British Army 24hr Operational Ration Pack)
2 Instant Tea Sachets. ((from British Army 24hr Operational Ration Pack
1 Sachet of Sugar

Medical Kit.

1 Miniture Lip Salve.
2 Antiseptic Alcohol Wipe (can also be used as improvised firelighter)
4 Ibuprofen Tablets.
2 Aspirin Tablets.
4 Antihistamine Tablets.
2 Waterproof Plasters.
2 Gel Foot Plaster. (Compeed)
1 small vial of Potassium Permanganate.
1 small vial of Bog Myrtle oil.


Navigation Kit.

1 Miniature Luminous Silva SERE compass.
1 Space Pen Refill Fine Black with 30cm of Duct Tape Wrapped.
1 Navigation Aid card.
4 Sheets of A6 Waterproof Paper.

Fishing and Snare Kit.

2 metres of 20 gauge Stainless Steel Wire.
4 small fish hooks.
2 Medium hooks
2 Snap Swivels.
6 Split Lead Weights.
15 Metres Monofilament Fishing Line. 5Kg Breaking Strain.

Miscellaneous.

1 A4 sheet of Aluminium Foil Folded.
1 Set of Survival Instructions. (Doug Ritter Survival Instructions)
3 Assorted Needles and 5 metres of wrapped high Kevar thread.

Now that's a kit [eyes bugging out of head, jaw dropped and tongue laying on the ground, drool mess everywhere]. Great detail too. And looks like all quality gear so no let downs at the worst possible moment.

WOW thanks guys love all your kits I just got mine toghter
and I'm very happy with it. the survival kit is going to
be in my day pack on all my hikes.


thanks litlefoot01.
tell me you cant look up at the sky and say WOW.

"1 small vial of Bog Myrtle oil."

This caught my eye. What do you use Bog Myrtle oil for?

Do you know of a USA source for the aluminium containers like the BCB mini-mess tin. I would like to try one as a container for my PSK.

Littlefoot

Just a suggestion. Go over to the forum on Urban Survival at this Web site. Find the recent thread about "urban survival kit". Go to page 10. Scroll down, and you'll find a long comment from me which starts with the line "Let me add something here".

You might want to give those comments some thought. There's nothing wrong at all with buying a survival kit. But many new people become frustrated when they find they can't use it as they had hoped. The alternate approach I laid out on the other thread might help you to focus your thoughts a bit more.

Pete

Mainly as an insect repellent, but it can also be used as a anti bacterial, anti fungal treatment and insect bite and skin rash relief.



You should be able to get one here at a reasonable price.

http://www.bestglide.com/mini_mess_box_info.html

"Mainly as an insect repellent, but it can also be used as a anti bacterial, anti fungal treatment and insect bite and skin rash relief."

Thanks, that's good to know.

Bare minimum IMO:


AMK Heatsheet
AMK Heatsheet bivy bag (in colder climates or time of year)
1liter platypus bag
Katadyn Micropur tablets
Doan's magnesium firestarter
Victorinox Swiss Army knife, Camper model
10 meters of real paracord
small compass
duct tape, about 10-15 feet
signal mirror
whistle

TomSwango

Best glide is an official US BCB distributor, you should see it on the main page. I've seen a few on ebay as well, so you might want to take a look there.

Also, Survival Resorces sells some similar mini mess tins

My kit from my first few days on this site. Basically that same kit is tucked into my car kit now. But a virtually identical kit, minus the carbiner, was squeezed into an altoids tin.

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=90027&page=1

My pseudo-EDC kit (not always carried due to uniform restrictions). Still useful start for an outdoor kit though.

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=10793&Number=126505#Post126505

Here is the first site I found when I first started looking at building a serious survival kit.

www.m4040.com/Survival/Survival%20Kit.htm

Eventually I found Equipped to Survive and the Pocket Survival Pak but the basic contents are actually very similar. The more kits you look at the more similarities you will see, but you will also see there are some differences when you look outside the ETS community. That is not a bad thing. In my college days (I'm not telling how long ago that has been) my professors used to say that the college preferred to hire teachers with degrees from other colleges. Not that they didn't think teachers from their own college were not well trained, but they didn't want to perpetuate the same lines of thinking. Outside the box thinking can only come when you look outside your own box.

For some reason the link above does not appear as a link. Just copy and paste into your browser though and you go right to it.