A SEAL survival kit ( may or may not be)

Let's see....

"13: Kevlar Line....The cord can be used for...tourniquet,.."
"14: Stainless Steel Wire....To be used for...tourniquet,..."

Does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture?

I call BS. I think this is just dishonest marketing. In fact, given the secrecy usually associated with the "teams" I'm usually skeptical of any equipment advertised by being attributed to them.

good equipment does not need to be associated with certain groups/teams.

Doubt that there will be a 'standard' kit carried by everyone. Doubt that soldiers will choose a bright orange emergency blanket. etc

By the time a SEAL is accepted into ST6 they probably have the capacity to make their own choices re survival kits. I too call BS.

Shennanigans. Cord is used for garrotes, not TQ's. I call silliness too, especially when ST6 isn't typically used in austere environments on long term missions.

No,no...you don't understand....first you weave the cord into a strap, then apply as a T. Just another example of beating swords into plowshares.

Takes too long you say? Goodness, you just don't appreciate human ingenuity....

I enjoyed the container "machined from a billet of 6061 Al" and "half the weight of titanium" I don't think so...

It is easy.

Develop something.

Send a dozen or two to a military unit asking that they 'evaluate' the product.

You get a letter back saying thank you but they have no interest in your product (but probably have handed them out in the mess for a laugh).

Advertise that the product has been supplied to and used by your selected group (and you have a letter to prove it).

P.S. We always recommended a tourniquet around the neck to stop a nose bleed (it is very effective).

If I understand correctly each team will standardize their survival/first aid kits so one team member knows where to find things on another team member should it be necessary.

Basically everyone gets the standard issue stuff then as you go up into more specialized teams you start to get budgets and ability to request more than standard issue things but its still done for the team as a whole and not individuals. Now individuals may buy extra individual items from their own personal $ but part of being a tight team is standardizing your gear so you probably won't see many individualized kits at that level. Team members are taught to use the injured person's gear on the injured person rather than dip into your own supplies so you need things standardized to quickly locate them.

No fishing hooks! Makes sense since SEAL DEVGRU Team 6 members can catch a Mackerel with their bare teeth.


Actually I think these are copies of the same shiny PSKs which were ordered for the Navy SEALs. Even the SUMA metal container supposedly has a velcro patch for a moral patch These PSKs seem to be genuine copies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dbo3BXyYos

Things such as matches, candles, fish hooks, condoms, tampons, potassium permanganate, hacksaw blade etc are probably considered a little too low tech for the SEALS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU1VDzqo8T0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPSRST22Gfc

This fellow also has a Stolen Valor issue going against him currently, so no, not the real deal...

Apparently so! Although a well made rectangular ti box will be somewhat slightly lighter (20% lighter @ around 20 grams) than an Aluminium box made from 6061 billet. Should be tough enough.

SUMA container

Gucci PSK gear!

I don't understand what Spec Ops PSK gear are we expecting to see in a Super Secret SEAL DEVGRU Team 6 PSK?

Are we looking for something like an Breitling Emergency II watch. Now where's my helicopter ride home.

LOL!

The link didn't work for me, but i googled 'suma container'. Are you kidding me? How much does that little tin costs? Doesn't seem like a very good price to survival ratio.

Not so fast. A garotte is sort of a tourniquet. Kinda. Maybe.

If applied to the cervical region, it CAN stop blood flow. To the brain. Of a baddie.

Pity he is plugging the Seal bit because as kits go that is a pretty good one.

I don't know about SEAL Team 6 or what they would carry in a BOB, but this is what one US Army Special Forces guy carries in his:

http://training.goruck.com/cadre-tips-cadre-devin-on-the-bug-out-bag-the-go-bag/

I agree. The small multitool in thekit is theone I EDC on my keychain. It works very well

I can find less expensive containers, however.

To be fair its made to serve the specs of the military and their ideas of survival not our flavor of the month ideas. I may get one because I like the gimmick and the price seems to be going down. That said I'm up late trying to find a more rational alternative. The Vargo Bot container is cheaper, holds more and has a more useful shape for digging and cooking. But it probably wont fit in a pocket or on web gear comfortably. And so the never ending survival kit container debate goes on. Lucky for us.

The crux of the problem is a container that is large enough for treating significant quantities of water and other similar uses and that is still small enough to be carried always. The container in this kit is still pretty bulky.

Since I almost always carry a canteen, I usually go with a cup, 12 oz or so, nested around the water bottle. Everything else fits nicely in an altoids tin.

The search continues....

Hikermor,If someone would make a two piece pressed stainless steel soap dish.You know the kinds in travel toiletry kits.Coghlin's used to make one in aluminum.It was rather thin though.I know what I want,just don't have the monet or means to produce it....

BOATMAN
John

"stainless steel soap dish"

Do you mean something like this?

http://www.soapware.org/956/

that looked interesting until I followed the link to buy it at amazon and found this:


Pre de Provence 250g Soap Metal Travel Box
by Pre de Provence
9 customer reviews
Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.

Holds up to 250g soap bar.
Made of Metal.
Color: Silver

A Trekmates flameless cooker would make for a good Survival Kit Container, if a little over sized. It fits snuggly into a Flyee Medical Pouch.

http://www.trekmates.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=137/

The addition space also allows the inclusion of 2 600kcal Expedition Foods main meals.

I think one of the Trangia mess tins would be a good containier for a survival kit (I had something very similar as a Scout). I think they are a bit big for pocket carry though; more of a backpack sized kit.

Cauldronborn2,That soap box is hinged.

Denis,I had that Trangia mess tin.It is too big for pocket carry.it is the right concept though....

BOATMAN
John

Sorry, I didn't notice that.

The Trekmates and the Trangia would indeed make good SK containers, but, as pointed out, they are just a tad too bulky for carry on the body. I suppose one could try stone boiling in a flexible container. Does anyone have experience with this?

i saw some stone boiling photos,they were making some sort of soup in a hacked out log.the soup was thick with wood ash.i would think you need very smooth rocks that don't collect ash and really brush them off before tossing them into you food.

I did an experiment to see if I could boil water in a standard Nalgene bottle with rocks heated in coals. I posted about it here several years ago. Short answer is that it works fine, but the water will get ash in it if you put the rocks in the coals. So while having a metal container is nice it isn't essential for boiling water.

I suppose you could put the rocks above the fire to heat them up (like on a grill) and that would keep them much cleaner. I'll have to give that a whirl.

Of course, ingesting ash is not harmful, and possibly even good for you if you need some carbon to absorb other bad things you might ingest. You could always filter through a clean hanky if you were worried about it.

Here is a link to the government specifications. Its not hard to assemble a kit meeting those specs and sell it.

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&...re&_cview=0

Yeah here in SoCal there's not much surface water compared to back east. Its very hard to conceive of surviving with just pocket items in the wild without already having water with you.

Some thoughts..

1. Having survival tools on your person at all times during adventure since backpacks can be lost, abandoned, destroyed or stolen or otherwise inaccessible.

2. Having the survival tools stored in a container that's comfortable to wear/carry and durable enough for the level of activity.

3. The container must be easy to open and close with weak, injured or hypothermic hands. When I once suffered from hypothermia my hands lacked the strength to open the fastex buckles on my pack.

Soft containers are comfy to carry in pockets but the items can be damaged in a fall or while sitting.

Hard case containers may not be comfy in pockets and hurt during a fall or while sitting.

I found survival stuff in hard or soft containers in pockets or on belt uncomfortable while sleeping.

BCB Mini Mess Tin dimensions 5" x 3.5" x 1"

Though I think if serious about using the container as a boiling vessel, one of them vargo bots (stainless or ti) seems a better proposition.