Please guys no flame.

Ouch you hit my soft spot. All along it was my biggest problem. We all learn how to use our tools so well and in the end we have different stuff for everything. I got a cutting knife, rescue knife, food knife, 3 different flashlights (each for different task), multitools, rescue hooks etc etc... Most likely when stuff happens and I don't have it on me I'm screwed. Well maybe. Chances are that I would have something on me. But still I see your point.

I wrote a post few weeks ago about being mentally prepared and few guys also wrote about physical condition. I think that those two factors are first in terms of chain of survival. Also beside your brain you need you hands… These is a tool that has no substitute.

My philosophy lately has been that I need to know a lot about my environment, skills, tasks and many little different things that would make my life easier. Being ex Army, avid outdoorsman, EMT going into Paramedic field and reading a lot about survival techniques makes me believe that I may have above average knowledge about survival. Now I also make a point in carrying consistent number of equipment on me distributed comfortably so I have no problem while moving fast. I would be very surprised if I got caught of guard with absolutely nothing. Unfortunately equipment that is the most important and kind of hard to do without (knife, mutlitool) most likely would get left behind in potentially dangerous situation such as going on the plane or cruise ship. But come to think of it during Blackout knives and multitools would do you no good and all you needed was a flashlight. Same went for 911. A good piece of cloth or a face mask would be more important than any blade. Now when I’m hunting, kayaking, hiking or camping than everything is a totally different story.

But than again what sort of survival situation we are talking about here? Is it domestic preparedness where all you have to do is reunite with your family, restock and leave? Or is it all around preparedness MacGyver type of deal where you are kind of prepared for everything? Another survival situation would be being lost. Still we have to tailor our knowledge to stuff we most likely will encounter. My PSK will not have fishhooks in NYC but maybe few spare batteries. City folks would have little bit different needs than folk who live in the country side or have long commute. But when the push comes to shove and you have to do without we will manage. Lately my biggest concern is being able to see and be seen, health and help for others, staying in touch and being heard and doing it all in the safe manner without danger to me or others.


I think that we know all the book stuff since people mentioned it here many times but we don’t get enough practice. I know how to start a fire with a lens yet when I’m kayaking, cold and hungry I’m not going to be screwing around with it. Most likely I will take out my Windmill and torch the hell out of wood. Same goes for snares when as much as I love fresh meat super chunky beef stew sounds little better Or special rescue knots which are great to know but $5 carbineer can take care of it. As long as we spend time enriching our knowledge and give stuff a try every now and than I think we will be all right. I have faith that all guys from this forum will do aite in the survival situation. Question that still stands is if the survival ordeal would be a horrible event or let’s do it again and again type of adventure.

Matt