Let's say you're in a Tom Hanks situation like in his movie, Cast Away. What would you pick for a survival kit where you are stranded on a deserted island for an extended period of time? You have the following limitations:

1. The survival kit must be in a container (backpack, fanny pack, etc).

2. The whole survival kit (container, food, water, etc) has a maximum weight of 25 pounds.

3. Your maximum budget for the survival kit is 300 dollars.

Hmmm...maybe an Acr Resqlink PLB!

If I had a few bucks left over I'd add a small tarp and a bottle of water, but absolutely the first item on my list would be a PLB.

I agree that a PLB would be a good idea, but that wouldn't be my sole choice. Remember things, especially electronics, have a habit of failing. A mistake in construction, a weak or dead battery, etc, when you need them most. I would definently take basic pocket gear and a small PSK and work my way up from there. You may lose your main pack so have a few items in your pockets. In that vien I was in Dollar Tree the other day and saw a small plastic box about the size of an Altoids tin. t has dual locks, a rubber gasket and seems to be pretty rugged for a buck. I think I'll get one and test it, since this subject came up.

You mean you didn't but it when you saw it for $1.?? LOL

PLB is number one unless you really want to all on your own with your emergency. My PLB (ACR ResQLink) has its very own pocket on my vest. http://www.plbreview.com/

Alright, so it turns out that the ACR ResQlink is a bit less expensive than I thought at $260 shipped.

Here's my list:

• ACR ResQLink $260
• Pocket Survival Pak $22
• Heatsheets Emergency Blanket $7
• Mora Campanion $14
• Bic lighter ~$1
• A couple bottles of water $free from my kitchen
• Appropriate clothes and footwear for the outdoors, with spare socks in the bag $free from my closet

That puts me over by $4.

If I can go over the $300:

• Demote Mora to backup knife and bring Ritter Rsk3 $165
• 100' of paracord ~$5
• UST Tarp $18
• LM ST300 $70

Not getting stranded in the first place: $priceless

Hum! If I were stranded in the South Seas, and assuming a PLB wouldn't be available, I think I'd like to have the following:



*2 poly tarps (mostly for water collection, but also shelter if trees/brush are scarce) $9.98

*wool blanket $28.99

*5 gallon plastic jerry can with a bit of fresh water already in it for starters $16.99

*Datrex survival food bars (3) $15.00

*portable fish net trap $24.75

*knife $29.99

*camp hatchet $15.41 (or alternatively a machete -- depends on terrain)

*first aid kit $42.75

*small signal gun + flares $60.99

*flint steel $7.63

*pack of Bic lighters (20) $19.99

*100 ft paracord $11.99

*pack shovel 2.49

*mosquito net $12.99



Total: $299.94 (before tax)





--M

1. good-quality pot for cooking.
2. two large fire steels.
3. two high-quality king-sized bed sheets (source of fabric)
3. two high-quality knives.
4. sharpening stone.
5. 100' of paracord.
6. two large frog gigs.

Let the vacation begin.
-Blast

I was being facetious and didn't have time to respond more fully. I do want to clarify that while a PLB would be awesome to have, even if it works you're not instantly out of the woods. There are many situations where you might have to hunker down and wait for rescue for hours or even days. Say you're lost in the Alaska wilderness and a storm is rolling in; help might not reach you for some time even if they know where you are.

I always have survival gear. I should think anyone that's a fixture of a sight like this would! My kit varies a lot depending on where I'm going, the season, how remote, etc. But I always have some kind of shelter (eg HeatSheets bivy, plastic tarp, sleeping bag, space blanket etc etc), a knife, a light and a heavy dose of fire gear.

On an island in the middle of the ocean I would want to have some kind of gear to distill water. A solar still might work and of course a regular still if there's a good wood source to make fire. A reverse osmosis desalination device like boats have would be awesome but over my $300 limit.

Blast: Oops I forgot a cooking pot! Good one. (Although I suppose one could always smoke one's food, or use a pit like the Maori or Hawaiian peoples. Still, a useful item for boiling water, etc.)