Brian,

You are brave to let this bunch look at your PSK. You have some good stuff! I too like to go to REI for my PSK collection. Let me get my Kevlar on and then I’ll add my $0.02 worth.

The rule of 3s: 3 minutes – die of lack of oxygen to the brain, 3 hours - die of hypothermia, 3 days – die of dehydration, 3 weeks - die of starvation. The idea is to meet your needs to stay alive and then do everything you can to signal so you will be rescued. Unless this is an EOWAWKI bug out kit?

My categories are: fire, first aid, food, navigation, shelter, signal, water, and weapons/tools.

Fire: dump the matches. A small lighter, ferro rod, and cotton balls are all you need.

First aid:
The most common injuries are cuts, scrapes, burns, and slivers.
REI burn gel (great stuff! I’ve used it on my boys), Band-Aids and triple antibiotic (good stuff!). Check out REIs small tweezers. The Imodium could save your life from becoming dehydrated. I would pick Benadril for the anti-histamine effect. I like Motrin for its anti-inflammatory effect. A packet of Purell can be a good thing.

Food:
Even a small fishing kit is overkill. A snack bar might be better.

Navigation:
Nice compass!

Shelter:
I see some cord. A Space Blanket or a folded up 55-gallon trash bag would be good. You can use the cord to tie some branches together to start some kind of shelter.

Signal:
You need a whistle, signal mirror, and a blinking light. I have a cut down REI Featherweight Mirror that I keep in my wallet. You need the Ritter PSP signal mirror or a real glass signal mirror. You might consider a Photon Freedom that will blink SOS. Also the Pretzl Zipka is a great LED light that blinks. A little roll of orange flagging tape would be good.

Water:
The Katadyn MP-1 tablets are perfect. The quart Ziploc bags are also perfect for collecting and treating the water. I hope you have a water bottle or something.

Weapons/Tools:
Great Benchmade knife! Why not throw a SAK Farmer in your pocket. It has a great saw and awl. REI duct tape – great stuff! Needle and dental floss – good. Safety pins – quick and easy repairs! A knife sharpener is a must!

I suspect your main concerns are going to be: treat any injuries, get warm and dry, and stay hydrated. Then you are going to want to create some kind of signals to get rescued.

Brian,

Ditch the bandaids and the antibiotic ointment. Replace them with antibiotic treated bandaids. IMHO, there's no replacement for proper wound care.

You list three types of pain meds. Are all three really necessary? I generally carry Tylenol as its easier on the stomach and theres no worry of problems with giving it to children or someone who's asprin allergic.

I'd also increase the amount of Immodium carried. Add another packet in case you need a full course of treatment.

Many will downplay the need for fishing gear. I encourage carrying line and small hooks - anything else you need can be easily improvised. Take a peek here ... http://www.knifeforums.com/ubbthreads/sh...amp;amp;fpart=1

M

You and Randjack have both mentioned upgrading the signal mirror. I think someone else mentioned it too... I'll have to go back through all the replies to check. I do own one of these mirrors and I keep it in a larger kit. I have considered it for this kit but it actually takes up even more room than the current mirror. Of course if it is truely justified then I can certainly remove other less neccessary stuff to make room for it. I guess this is somthing I need to consider carefully. Maybe I will get some more opinions on this. I also have what might be a different opinion than most people regarding the usefullness of mirrors for signalling, but that is a topic for another thread. Thanks for your input. You (and everyone that has replied) has given me a lot to think about.

Thanks for taking a look at the thread Mike. I was really hoping to get some input from you on this. Here's my thinking on the Tylenol, Motrin and Aspirin. I don't consider any of them primarily for their pain numbing qualities. The primary reason I carry the Tylenol and Motrin is to be able to reduce a fever. The primary reason I carry the Aspirin is in case someone is having a heart attack. Of course that's not to say that I haven't also considered the anti inflamitory abilities of the Motrin and the pain killing abilities of all three. You're probably right about the Imodium too. Of course now I have to remove even more stuff to make room for that. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[body armor and flame suit]
Ever think of getting a larger pouch, 2nd belt pouch or even adding a nite-ize pockets to carry a few things? Small is great, but going too small may hurt you in the long run.

My kits are a bit larger than most might like, but it did not take me long to get used to them. I use both front pockets and both back pockets to carry parts of my kit. Splitting the kit into several parts makes it easier to carry.

Modified AMK kit left rear (looks like a large wallet in the pocket). Large first aid items (4x4's, telfa pads, tape strips, vacuum sealed), water carry bags, hair comb and bandannas in right rear. Lighter (yea, it?s a BIC), pouch of meds, a few bans-aids, etc. (modified pocket pack), right front. Left front is Vic OH trekker (wish it had a pocket clip ? may move to small belt sheath), led light on keys, personal items and swiss card money clip with 1 credit card, and folding money. A Leatherman belt holster with Mini-mag, Leatherman Wave, small vaughan flat pry bar (modified), 4" flat and phillips blade from small multi screwdriver, F. rod (all fits tight but fits) on my belt. Credit cards and divers license in a witz neck wallet, asprin vial on the cord. I don?t carry a regular wallet..

When wearing a suit or sport coat, I dump the items from the belt holster into deep inside pockets. Same for rear pockets if needed. Dress shoes are lace up leather walkers (feet don?t fail me now).

Far more than a Altoids tin, but I'm comfortable with what I carry, and that is the most important part. It seemed a bit bulky at first, but I adjusted a few things and got used to it.

Other items go in a Dillon soft briefcase or fanny pack as the situation warrents. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
[/body armor and flame suit]

Brian,

That is what I was calling a Ritter PSP signal mirror. I have two. They are every bit as good as the glass ones. The only weakness is that they scratch easier than the glass ones. My understanding is the signal mirror is the best piece of equipment you can have to increase your chances of being found. The Ritter mirror is the thinnest and lightest one I have seen that works. I have tried several of the other plastic mirrors and they do not work nearly as well. Remember that you will only have about 30 seconds to deploy your signal mirror when you spot an aircraft. Have it on a thin cord around your neck tucked under your shirt. Practice using the mirror. It is possible to make it shine 360 degrees even with a low sun, but you have to practice. Hold it with one hand that is on the side away from the sun.


You can take what SgtMike88Ret says to the bank. In the fishing link you will see a picture of the SAK Farmer. It is small, handy, and very useful! I prefer to carry a LeatherMan Charge Ti. I use the pocket clip. I also have a Buck Alpha CrossLock that I am fond of. It too has a good saw.



I keep a Suunto Comet on me all the time. I have a thin black cord that is attached to a belt loop using a Cow Hitch. The compass is then tucked in the watch pocket of my jeans. I can’t loose it and it is always handy.

When I go out in the woods I do carry more than just this PSK. I have a pretty regimented set of EDC for trips that take my beyond the paved concrete world (even if just for day hikes) and this kit is actually just one part of that "wilderness EDC" however, I am reluctant to mention what else I carry because when people critique my kit (for the purpose of helping me make it the highest quality and as small as possible) I want them to look at it as if it's all I have since I want it to be an competant collection of gear all by itself.

Brian,

How about replacing the knife sharpener with the DMT credit card size. I have the red one in my PSK and it works good.

Brian: epcamps bags, I am glad to say, are stouter than either one. They also carry the dental FAK somebody asked about a while back, good brass wire, and SpeedHook snare/fishing devices, not to mention the the teflon sealed vials for those who still use Portable Aqua.

Brian, will your body handle bleach purification? I think I'm going to look into one of those MSR electric gadgets -- has anybody tried one?

See also: www.survivalandoutdoorsafety.com for 52" x 80" and 60 gallon plastice bags, flat packs of orange gaffer's tape, and a really good firesteel.

Hell, Brian, I use duct tape and superglue, sometimes, instead of bandaids. I think what they are good for is to keep from bleeding all over the rest of your gear. Steri Strips take up no room at all, and if you lay a piece of telfa or other nonstick pad over the wound and seal it up with duct tape, you've done about as well as you can do. The new membrane/barrier stuff is great too.