Hello,-I'll have to Figure Out some more what you Mean by that,-and how to Properly Respond to that! (Quite Likely a Smile)

It Can't be only about my Space Post and Thread, -since you used "Posts"

Seriously, though, -I Do have a Few Remaining Bugs to work out in my Writing, -and I've been Busily and Gladly Doing That. I say that in Two or Three Places in my Posts, -and I've mentioned it in about as Many PMs as Well. I Think my Posts Have Markedly and Visibly Improved, -and For the Better. -Where you Have any Real Constructive Criticism, -I'll Gladly Enuf Consider It.

Any Further Communication between us on This, -Will be Done by me by PM,-It's Proper Place. As Always,-we Must Stay Sufficiently "On Thread and Topic". Feel Free to PM me! I'll Likewise PM you. -I'm All Ears!,-to Genuine Constructive Criticism.

-A FELLOW SURVIVOR,- -"Scott" [color:"black"] [/color] [email]ki4buc[/email]

I wondered about saying something about your writing style <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
I wasn't sure if you were from a country where writing with -'s is normal, with the internet being global I can never be sure anymore.

So to keep on topic with being equipped and prepared: If NASA called you up and said "you get to be the be the first person to go to Mars" what gear would you take with you?

All Due and Neccessary Survival Gear for the Journey / Mars,-of course. Obviously much of that would be Different than we Typically Use back here, -but It would be Neccessary Survival and Preparedness Gear and Practices All the Same.

Air Supplys, -Both Normal Use and Emergency Use,-Would be one of the Very Most Important!,-but It would of course Range the Entire Gamut. ( I've mentioned in my Post,-of This particular Importance of Oxygen / Air,-something that Aside from various Specialist Applications,-Caving, Firefighting, High Altitude Mountaineering and Trekking,-Among Others,-We Often Don't Have to Worry All that Much on!, -Here in Earth Survival Situations. You could be in the Antarctic, the Sahara, the Amazon, the High Himalaya, or on a Raft somewhere between Greenland and Spitsbergen,-and Be in a Real Bind!,-regarding Everything Else!, -But at least Here,-You'd Still Have Air! -Not So Out There! )

And space, -as I also Mentioned in my Post, -Has Many Survival Imperatives of It's Own! Just as you Can't Use a Lot of your Desert Gear in the Jungle,-or Vice Versa,- ( Same with Arctic, Ocean, Mountain, and So On ), -Neither Does a Lot of Space and Earth Survival Gear Comport with One Another! But It's All Vital, Crucial, Survival Gear and Techniques,-All the Same!

Besides,-More than a Little of It IS the Same! Just Go Back and Recall, -the Survival Kits and Training of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo Astronauts!,-Nothing to Sneeze At! Plus the Fact,-that They were Already Military Officers and Test Pilots,-with Plenty of Survival Training and Experience under their Belts. Like with They, -Even a Mars Mission has to Come Back to Earth sometime. As with Apollo,-That could be an Unplanned Landing in the Sahara, the Andes, the Congo Jungle, the Mid Indian Ocean, or the Greenland Icecap! Here the Full Range of Earth Survival Gear and Techniques,-Will Also Come into Play.

But as to What I would Take to Survive Out There,-Besides just So Vital Air?,

-Well Lets First Establish the Conditions!, -That One would Have to Deal With!, -You're in a Desert!,-an Arctic Desert!,-There on Mars. And a Near Vacuumed One,-for All Practical Purposes. Air is Only 1% that of our Sea Level. This is Far Far Less!,-than our Mountaineers Experience on even our Highest Heights!, -Back Here on Earth. And That Air that there Is,-is Mostly Carbon Dioxide. For These Two Reasons,-a Spacesuit and an Air Supply is a Must! You Have a Similar Day and Night Length there,-as we Do here on Earth, -Both are at About 24 Hours. But you've Got a Substantially Weaker Sun Too! This is a Major Factor in it's Coldness!,-Much of the Planet Being Plenty Colder than even an Antarctic Winter! Yet there's Still Enuf Air to Blow Up a Sandstorm!,-and Create a Whiteout!,-er,-Rather a "Redout"! Water is so Microlittle on the Planet!,-Perhaps as Gold is on Our's. -No Food to Grow, Gather, or otherwise Get!, -That's Another Absolute to be Bringing from Earth with me. Many Locales have Rocks,-one can Build a Shelter Against,-though the Materials would Often have to be,-various Space Paraphanalia. Though a Sort of "Mars Igloo",-Could be Built out of the Ever Abundant Mars Rocks. The Spacecraft Itself,-as well as whatever Earth Manufactured Shelter as may be Built on Mars,-would Have to by Far,-Be the Prime (or Only ) Shelter. Oxygen, Water, and Other Vital Materials could Perhaps be Extracted from Mars Materials,-And I would Make Sure I Had the Neccessary Emergency and Technical Gear,-for That! I Beleive that Mars has a Very Weak to Non-Existant Magnetic Field, -So a Compass would be of Absolutely No Use There! So I Won't be Taking any sort of a Mars Compass. Nav Gear such as a Sextant,-Yes.A Fire also is Entirely Impossible!,-for Earlier Given Reasons. One would also Have to Concern Themself with the Typical, "Ordinary" Spaceflight Hazards, -Meteoroid Impacts, Radiation, Unfiltered Sun Glare, -and Sudden Capsule or Suit Depressurization!,-Among Others. And One can Always Fall Over a Mars Cliff!,-and the Like.

So What would Follow?,-as Some of What I'd Vitally Need?, -That I Shud Certainly Take with me?

A Saw for One!,-Especially One Able to Cut Metal,-would Be in Order. Even a Knife,-Though not for any "Mars Rocks" Purposes. I'd Need a Full Assortment of Tools,-Not Totally Different from the Home Workshop here on Earth. ( I'm Not Talking about Drill Presses and the Like,-Though,-Much Too Bulky for the Mission!) I'd Need Emergency Antennas and System,-To Communicate with an Orbiting Mars Satellite or Craft,-or my Own Landing Craft,-Off in the Distance, -in Answer to your Question,-of What I would Do, -What I would Take! If I Had to Survive on Mars. I'd Also Take Signaling Mirrors, and a PLB, -These can be Much Like Those we Use back here on Earth! You Have our Space Effort to Thank,-For the Latter! As we Also Have with This Very Net,-We're Now Communicating on! If I Have the Benefit of a Mother Craft, or Mars Satellite, -Orbiting Above,-I'd Want and Would Take,-the Mars Equivalent of the GPS. Other Unmentioned Due Survival Gear, -I would also Take. As with Earth Flight and Survival,-Weight and Bulk are Also Crucial Factors,-and I would Have To Carefully Pick and Choose!,-as I Enter These Factors into Consideration.

Mars Doesn't Have a Jungle's Wood / Fuel Supply! -Or Water! -Nor Other Typical Earth Advantages. There is No Game,-but at Least There's No "Mars Grizzlys" either! ( Light Comic Relief Smile! ) As with Spaceflight we're Already Well Familiar with,-There's Little!,-Aside from Rocks and Soil, -That one can Make Use of,-From Mars Materials Itself. The Vast Majority of one's Survival Needs,-Would Have to be Met from one's Spacecraft and Gear, Suit, and What you Materially Bring With you,-from Earth. Materials can Later be Extracted and Fabricated,-But that Won't be occurring on the First Missions.

So It comes Down to such Survival Gear as I've Mentioned. Much will be Quite Different than What we Typically Use on Earth,-Some Surprisingly Won't Be!

But Like you Don't Gear Up for the Jungle!,-If You're Heading for the Arctic!, -I Can't here Give you a "Spitting Image List",-That Compares so with what we typically Use here on Earth! -Different Gear for Different Conditions!

The Needs, however, are the Same!, -Food, Water, Warmth, Light, Air, Shelter, Health, Rest, Signaling, Communication, Navigation!, -But the Materials, Means and Methods, Gear, Resources, and Conditions, -So Often are Not! I Can't List Evry Last Item,-or This Post would Go on Longer than I'd Like.

But you Did Ask for an Answer,-so I've been Giving It.

These are the Sorts of Conditions One would be Facing Out in Space and on Mars, -and Such Things as I've Mentioned and More,-Would Be What I'd Take!, -Were I to be One Going There,-as your Question Stipulated.

I've Also Addressed the Relevance and Topicality of my Salute,-There in my Post. I Think I've Addressed It rather Adequately Well. It Revolves Around that Same Great Spirit of Adventure, Exploration, and Discovery!,-as Does So Much Else in our Outdoors World!, -of Which Survival and Preparedness is So Much a Part! Plus we are Here Around the Campfire,-to Boot. As Exploration and the of the Great Outdoors in the Sense I've Mentioned,-I Think It is,-Due and Relevant Campfire Talk. Plus, -Space Has and Will Only Continue to Have, -Many Great Survival Imperatives of It's Own! Man is Not somehow Freed Up or Excused from the Need of Survival Out There! As such Too!, -It Qualifies as Survival Talk.

I Certainly would Not Place It on the Survival Forum though,-Even though It Does Deal with Space Survival. -Now some Distant Day, -When we've Got ETS Members Posting from the Moon, -That Will be Another Story! But Not Now on the Survival Forum, -We Here Deal with What Parts of our Planet or World,-That we CAN Reach,-or May Find Ourselves At. The Moon Ain't There Yet. But Space Itself Now Is!, -The Outdoors, Adventure, Exploration, and Discovery!,-and Our Campfire, -Is!

So in my Considered Judgement,-I Therefore Thought,-and Continue to So Feel, -That It Qualifies. -That It Is Pertinent, Germane, Relevant, and Topical. -To the Campfire, -but Not the Survival Forum.

I Thot I Made This Relevance and Topicality, -Adequately Clear!,-there in my Post. By your Post though,-Looks Like I Had to Make It Basically Clear Again! It's Not Rocket Science!,-Pardon the Pun! ( Smile )

To Any Contention or Feeling that I may be Off Topic, -I would Beg to Differ! For the Reasons Said, -I Think I Am, -Within Campfire Topicality here!

As to my use of the Apostrofe as you Mention, -That is Normal here in my Country, -it's There on my Keyboard!,-Which in Turn Does Come with the Computer, -So Why on Earth Not?

I'll Admit I'm in the Process of Finishing Up, -my Efforts to Make my Writing Style Clearer!, -I Think that will Soon Come About, -A Lot of It Already Has!

Your Good Question has somewhat Neccessitated What Length there is in this Post. An Answer is What you Desire, -I've so Given It! ( Though I've Far from Covered All Mars Mission Survival / Prep Gear.) I'm Happy to Have Answered your Question.

Survival Gear and Techniques Will Come to Have Their Great Place in All our Upcoming Space Efforts!, -as They Long Have Already! Wherever Man Goes, -He's Going to Have to Be Prepared!,-and Able to Survive! Space is and Will Be No Exception!

Finally, -Another Peice of Vital Gear has since Occurred to me!, -Namely,-The Mars Equivalent of our Rope, Tether, and Cord! That can Come In Very Handy, -and Be Vitally Neccessary!, -There on Mars or Anyplace Else! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]Eugene[/email]

Thanks paramedic., for That. Best Wishes on your Girl Scout Troop Activities as Well! Enjoyed Reading of That! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]paramedicpete[/email]

Eugene, I now Understand that you were speaking of my once Quite Numerous Dashes, rather than my Apostrophes.

I've Received some Good, Constructive Advice from Some on that, as well as on some Other Aspects of my General Writing Style, as I've had. Much to Most Improvements there have Gladly been Made, and Continue to be Made.

Thanks for All Helpful, Genuine, Constructive Criticism as has Occurred, including your's.

Some Stretches and Portions of some of my Writing had been quite "Difficult Doozies"!

All of my Manifold Due Apologies, once Again.

I Think it's becoming Evident, that those are now in the Past, and Behind us.

As to your Space Resolve Query, You Presented me with a Good Question. Thanks for It, and (Aside from Places where my Writing Style there could have been Better!), I Hope that I have Done a Pretty Good and Satisfactory Job in Answering It. I'm Duly Sorry if it either Seemed that I was, or if I actually was, -Mildly Cool toward you in such Answer.

I have mentioned there, however, as well as in my Original Post, -Ways in which Many Aspects of Space Exploration and Development *Are* Very Relevant, to Survival and Preparedness Matters.

You, however, had a Very Fair and Good Question. And a Good "Little" Challenge for me to Meet!

It also Raised Additional Areas of Common Space Expl. and Devl./ Survival and Preparedness, -Areas of Relevance. (Not that you Necc. had Total Doubts of such Areas to Begin With,-You might Not have) (And you also may somewhat or Entirely Differ and Disagree with me on That as Well, -I Acknowledge that Possibility, Too.)

You once again Posed a Very Good and Fair, Point and Question.

Finally, This is a Good Oppurtunity to Add another Important Mars Survival Item, that has since Occurred to me. And that is that I certainly would Want to be Regularly Carrying a kind of small Portable Solar Electric Power Generator (PSEPG, perhaps) around with me, so as to Have Electricity, for Life Support, Communications, and Other Crucial Functions, in the Event I become Lost, Stranded, or Otherwise Cut Off! I'd want such a Solar Panel that I could Set Out,-Store Up a Charge, and then be Able to Hook them to Connections on my Suit, Backpack, or Other Equipment.

Along the Same Lines, It's just occurred to me, that Other, Non-Solar, Electric Generating and Storage Devices, can Fill the Bill here as well. Like Batteries, Small Nuclear Power Generation Devices, Etc.

By whatever Means, I'd Want to have Ready Access,-to such a Power Up Source! So That's Another Item I'd Want to Have Handy, for Mars Survival and Preparedness of Purposes.

Again, If I perhaps Havn't Already said It Quite Enough, You've Raised a Good to Great Question, Challenge, and Point, *and* I Regret and Apologize for Any Areas where I may have Actually or Seemingly, Come Across a Little Unduly Cool toward you!

This is All from my End, at least for now.

-a FRIEND IN PREP. And SURVIVAL, -Scott. [color:"black"] [/color] [email]ScottRezaLogan[/email]

I wasn't sure if I should ask about the writing style or not, never know when something might offend <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
I wonder how solar would work in space/on another planet. On one hand your further from the sun so the suns rays would be less but on the other hand the sun isn't filtered by the atmosphere.
I wonder if NASA would let me take my EDC gear, my little keychain case with ARC AAA and my Leatherman Wave on my belt.

Have you ever seen a book called "MIG Pilot Survival - Russian Aircrew Survival Equipment and Instructions" by Alan R. Wise? Fascinating book, and beyond the obvious connection to MIG fighter pilots, also details the survival equipment in use by the Russian Cosmonauts. The book is chocked full of excellent photographs, as well as an English translation of a Russian survival manual.

Sadly, I've yet to find a source for most of this equipment, though I have obtained a Russian lensatic wrist compass and a survival multi-tool (sort of a small machete on steroids). Both are fine pieces of gear, though the compass appears quite a bit more fragile than our issue version. I've also had the opportunity to fire a 9x18mm Makarov pistol (commonly found in many of their survival kits), and would not feel at all hesitant to carry one if need be.

No, I Don't Have this Book, but I'd Sure Like and Love To! It's Title Alone is Very Enticing! The Title Does however sound Vaguely, yet somewhat Distinctly, Familiar.

But on the Subject of Soviet MIGs, I've Long Had the Book "MIG Pilot", which is the Story of Lt. Viktor Belenko's Truly Dareing Escape and Defection in a MIG-29 Foxbat, from Soviet Siberia to Northern Japan, in 1976. ( A Book Condensation of Such, also Appears in a particular Back Issue of the Reader's Digest, -I know Not of which particular One that might be, right now. But It Has to be from 76, 77, or just maybe 78.) More than just a Story of his Aerial Breakaway and Escape Itself, -Gripping and All as That Too is!, It also Relates Well, his Factors Leading Up to This, -His "What and Why", of Life at a Far Eastern Siberian MIG Base, and of his Aftermath in Japan and then in our United States. Where Among Other Things, President Ford granted him Complete and Immeadiate Political Asylum, partly in Answer to Clumbsy Soviet Attempts to Get Him Back. Being Into Aviation, National Security and Defense, Adventure, the Outdoors, Survival, and Escape as I Am!, -This is Only Naturally, One of my Most Fondly Favorite of Books!

But I myself Do Not have, the Other One of which you are Speaking Of. Unfortunately. But I May Someday! Keep Looking, ( Unless you've Already Got It! ), Others will Read this post, and Perhaps some One or Ones of They can be Helpful.

Now as to the Catalog and Such that you're Seeking, of Soviet and Russian Survival Gear, Etc, -I've Seen One, and Not All that Long Ago. And it's in the English Language. Right Up there with any other typical Catalog we're Familiar with. There is, or at least has been, such a Catalog, of Soviet Military and Other such Gear. I Forget the Name, but "Soviet" or "Sovietskaya" or something like that, is in it's Title. I Came Across 2 Secondhand Back Issues, a few years ago, which Alas!, I Unfortunately Threw Out, in a Cleanup / Reorganization around here, some months ago. But Not without my First Giveing Them a Good Lookover Browse! Chances are Darned Good, that They're Still in Publication. Try Net Searches under various Good, Appropriate Key Words, and Let's Ask if Anyone Else on our Forums has a Better Idea of This than I Do! Anyone?!

I 've also recently Read a Post somewhere, -Comparing American and Soviet / Russian Compasses. I Do Not Remember which particular Forum that was on, but by it's Subject Matter, I Think it might More Reasonably be on our Survival Forum.

One Thing about Soviet and Warsaw Pact / PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. Survival Training and Techniques that I Do know something About, is Their Great "Cold World","Sink or Swim!", kind of Realistic Lengths they Go To!, Often with No Moral Compunctions Whatsoever,-the Latter Something I Can't and Won't Suscribe to! Various Survival Training Values notwithstanding.

Havn't Got the Excellent Book you Mention, but Think I've Heard of It! Good Luck in Getting It!, -Unless of course you May Have Alreddi Got It! And All Good Luck in Coming Across that Catalog!, or Other Such Information Source!

CORRECTION- Writing this Post has prompted me to Go Up and Take Another look at my "MIG Pilot" Book again. It's Author is John Barron, something I hadn't mentioned till now. Also, the Reader's Digest Book Condensation has come out in a January Issue of Their's, I Don't know what specific year. But I've Found that it could be as Late as 1980 onward, as Oppossed to my earlier mentioned 76-78. Also, Viktor Flew a MIG 25 Foxbat, Not a MIG 29, as I've Mistakenly Indicated earlier. [color:"black"] [/color] [email]indoorsman[/email]

On Writing Styles, I See What you Mean. But I Think you were within your Rights, to Make Constructive Mention of it so. I Shud Not Subject you my Fellow Readers / Survival Mates, to Unduly Difficult Reading, However Unintended. You and some Others were So Within your Rights, as I See It!

Now on your Space Survival Thots. I Thot About the Implications of Solar Energy on Mars or Deeper Space, too. In the Interests of Simplicity / Clarity / and Brevity, though, I Left it Out. But you would Need More Square Area of Panel, andor More Sensitive Detector Materials, for an Equal Amount of Electrical Power Generation. Regarding Earth-Moon Distances from the Sun on the One Hand, and the Further Mars Distances on the Other. The Sun is Coorespondingly Dimmer and Weaker, at Mars Distances.

Now concerning the Other, Atmospheric Absorption Factor, This shud be Pretty Negligible, in the case of Mars, Given it's Much Thinner, Quite Negligible Atmosphere. In the case of our Own here around Earth, The Effect is Substantial. Just Picture the Brightest Summer Afternoon you ever Saw!, perhaps on Desert Sands and Such, Then Increase That by at Least a Third or More! That's us here. But on Mars Itself, It's Quite Thin Air, Has Little such Effect. It's "Air" Itself, that is. Mars's Commonplace Dust Storms (Another Survival Matter!), and Lingering Dust Left Hanging in it's Atmosphere, Can be Quite Another Matter! Already, the Spirit Rover on Mars, has Access to about a Quarter Less Sunlight than Normal, Due to some Recent Mars Dust Storm. So True!, Except for it's Dust Levels, Mars's Atmosphere Has Little to No Further Filtering Effect.

In short, Mars's Greater Distance, Coupled with it's Lingering Dust Levels, would Have It that you'd Need Greater "Collector Power",for the Same Amount of Electricity.

Now on NASA Letting you Take Along your EDC and Other Gear, I Honestly Don't Know! <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> You might Have to Ask Them! Better yet, Smuggle It in!, -just in Case! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]Eugene[/email]

I wonder if the Shuttle Astronauts are subject to metal detectors before boarding <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />