1. I spent my first 20 years hunting deer, and later elk, with my survival kit consisting of a space blanket, a candle stub, some strike-anywhere matches in a waterproof metal case, a wire saw, and a bottle of Potable Aqua. Total cost: about $10.00. Was I improperly equipped? Probably. But I carried more dedicated survival gear than most of the guys I was hunting with.

2. Now I carry considerably more dedicated gear. All told, I'm probably into it about $65-$75. I don't include my knives in this total because I consider them more hunting than survival gear. The knives I carry are a 1970's era Old Timer Woodsman 5" fixed blade of 1095 carbon steel (available for about $35.00 on Ebay) and a brand new Buck Crosslock Alpha Hunter in S30V steel. ($89.00 at Cabelas.) Hardly what you would consider premium survival knives, and certaintly far less expensive than some of the custom jobs.

Would I stake my life on my cheap knives? Well, I guess I do just that every time I go up the mountain, and I've been doing that for 30 years. The fact is, I have confidence that my cheap Old Timer can do whatever job is at hand. If I didn't, I would carry something else. The same goes for the rest of my gear.


Regards, Vince