Odd additions to the survival kit!

We all have kits and have a good idea what belongs in it. Being individuals we all have some unique additions to our own kits. What kind of things do you have in your. What is that one thing you carry that others will go "Gee I wish that I had thought of the that. I'm going out tomorrow and get one." The addition of it may mean the difference of coming back or not.

1. 2 to 3 feet of surgical rubber tubing. Maybe up to 6 feet.
a. Power band for slingshot, trap, etc.
b. Straw to draw water from solar still or seeps.
c. Used to blow air into a fire when starting. Gives a more concentrated stream of air there for
less blowing and you don't have to have your head on the ground or face in the fire.

2. A sling with practice a good game getter.

3. A Bolo again practice makes perfect.
To make it ultralight instead of using weights make draw string bags. Size the bags to hold the
desired amount of weight of dirt, stones, or even snow.
For carrying the bags and strings can all be placed in one pouch.

4. A pencil sharpener.
To make shaving for starting a fire. With a pencil sized stick a few twists you have an amazing pile of tinder faster than you can do it with a knife.
To put points on darts and arrows.

5. A headband is made to hold a maglite. I have found that it also fits a Photon Microlite.
Hands free use and LED longevity.

6. I have one of those collapsible magnetic pens. 7” that expands to 27” with a magnet that lifts
8 to 10 lbs. I replaced the clip with a small eye hook using J B Weld. This allows tying a cord to it
allowing it to be lowered to a metal object then to retrieve it.

7. I made lanyards for my belt tools. Using nylon cord and fishing snaps to make small lightweight
quick disconnects. The lanyards can be linked to use with # 6 above.

Someone else carries a magnetic pickup tool, the one that is not a Ferrari. I use mine often enough that it is carried between the leatherman and arcLS.

Hmmmmm nothing really amazing in my PSK. I guess the most "unusual" items are a mini Space Pen and my favorite type of compact cordage which is 100# test FireLine of which I have crammed 65' in to a very small little bundle.

I've added many things to Doug's kit I carry. Most odd I guess is one of the Sears 4 way flat screwdriver. Thin and light, figured "why not?".

There was a thread about those screwdrivers a couple months ago. I have one of those screwdrivers on my keychain. If you're curious the thread is here.


Robert

Contact lens holders (especially those with screw on caps) are pretty useful, albiet sometimes bulky.

You can put just about anything in there you need. For instance...
-Vasoline
For cotton to make tinder, for chapped lips, whatever

-Magnesium shavings
Why shave in the field and dull your knife? Especially when it's freakin cold and you can't feel your fingers. Go ahead and shave a bunch of magnesium before you need it, stick the shavings in the contact lens case to keep the shavings together, and use as needed when you get to the field.

-Ferrocium rod shavings
Yep, you can shave this too (carefully!), and put some powder in with the magnesium or keep it seperate.

Can't think of anything else to put in there off hand, but I'm sure there are other possibilities.

Burncycle:

UH?I think I'll put contacts in my lens cases. I have quite a few extras, but I wouldn't want to put anything different in them because without contacts, I am almost blind and I would definitely screw something up somewhere! I carry an extra set of lenses in my EDC ?briefcase? for this very reason.

I suppose I could get the LASIK surgery, but at my age and vision why tempt mother nature and go to bifocals before I need them! <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Take care,

Stargazer

Yeah, contacts work too <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I include a 18 gauge needle. Great for drilling and first aid. Small and light.

What type of First Aid would that be? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Well, I guess the first three that come to mind are. Making a small hole in a finger nail to let blood out after being squashed, removing slivers and draining blisters. I've seen Doc's use an 18 gauge to remove foreign objects from the eye and really stubborn grit from road rash. Of course the usual disclaimers apply to the last two.

A harmonica. It's nice to be able to play a song when you're feeling stressed.

OOOOOOOUUUUUUCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

It's only OOOOOUUUCCCHHH if there's a OOPS first!. Actually the eye gets numbed with drops and the Doc uses the side of the beveled end to remove something that's imbedded on the surface. quick, easy and little pain. You can also use it to check if a person is really paralized, by sticking it in the sole of the foot....but that's another story. I should also point out that sometimes a magnet can be used to get metalic foreign bodies out of the eye. Watching the 18 gauge trick can be a little creepy.

Ooooooo, I like the surgical tubing suggestion. I also have a magnetic thing. A tiny strip of thing elastic will transform a photon micorlight into a headlamp. The pencil sharpener is a good idea also!

"Yeah, contacts work too"

Yes, but that's so unoriginal <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />


Chris.

Have you found fishing snaps that can be opened by hand, all the ones I found are too strong.

Along with a finger cot or the finger of a
"rubber" glove, a flutter valve to relieve a pneumothorax.

In each of the kits that I've prepared for my family / friends / self, is a piece of retroreflective material that is cut to the outline of the box and trimmed down slightly to fit inside. At the moment, some kits have the red and some have the white, while a few also contain a similar sized piece of glow in the dark material.

The reflective material is non adhesive backed (I had the choice of getting it or not and decided not to, due to heat possibly causing the sticky side to not stick, or worse stick to everything inside). The material is placed in the kit with the reflective side towards the metal container and the thicker backing towards the contents as I figured that it was less likely to damage the reflective materials that way. Also, I punched hole with a regular paper punch so that the reflective material could be tied onto something, be it a stick, lanyard, collar or sleeve laces etc.

The glow in the dark material is not anything spectacular, but I figured that since I was gifted with it and had enough to put into a couple of kits in the same manner as the retroreflective material, why not? Uses? Hmmm...light it up with a flashlight and it glows for quite a while, good comfort glow for youngsters to hold onto, mark location of back packs, kits tent poles etc. Don't know what brand or type it is as it was a gift, and I've been looking around Candlepowerforums.com at the threads that they have there regarding group buys etc. Quite a bit of material to digest once you get the searches tuned in.

Also included in each kit is at least two smaller snapswivels used for fishing and other odd uses.

Several of the kits also contain a P-38 can opener.

All kits contain phone card call information & pin #. This is also repeated on the lanyard worn Arc AA or AAA led lights and is inserted on a strip of label tape wrapped around the battery.


In my larger office kit, there is an EVAC-U8, slimjim, flexible Lenox brand Hackmaster hacksaw blade among other more regular neat kit contents.

Regards,
Comanche7