Okay, i've finally ditched the camera bag and went back to a sturdy Zip-Loc, medium-size freezer bag to carry my wilderness survival kit. This kit was made for the fall/winter season, more precisely for my snowshoeing trips.

It looks like this, fully packaged with air sucked out of the bag :



Here is the kit unpacked (the only item not pictured is the flashlight).



Nice and simple! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

(Note : I also carry a seperate first-aid kit.)

Okay, I'll bite. Quarters?

i'm unformiliar with the candaian terrain and i don't even know what part of what kind of terrain you will be using this kit on. But a few suggestions.

I haven't seen a knife or (snow)saw. 2 very valuable tools to make shelter and fire to keep you warm. Properbly one of the most importent thing in cold conditions.

some tinder for you ferrosium rod, you only carry those tinder sticks. I'm not formiliar with them, but most tinder sticks are harder to light than normal spark grade tinder.

maybe matches, because it's harder and more importent to beable to make fire in cold temperature.

a thing to melt snow in, dehydration alone is dangarous and dehydration will creat a higher chance to get cold injuries. Think of a alluminium tray to melt snow in. But having a container to collect water with either a snow " marchmellow" or from a cloth sack filled with snow suspended close to a fire will be nice too.

first aid selection is a bit small, do you carry a additional FAK?

I like the zip ties. I have some in mine, but I've never seen them mentionmed here before. They're light and take up no roon, but are very strong.

Yup, in case I find my way out of trouble and end up needing to call someone from a phone booth. Actually, there's 3 $ in the kit so it might also be used to purchase a bottle of Gatorade after a very long and tiring walk out of the woods (I still hope that the convenience store clerk would give me one for free in a real survival situation).

Would you simply take the quarters out of the kit, because of their weight?

No compass?

MP1 tablets would be an improvement over the iodine.

I would also throw in a condom as an emergency water container. The only thing there that looks like it could hold water is the main baggie that holds the kit. Any bag used like that would quickly develop leaks and be useless for holding water.

Also, how much heat do those warming pads give off? In an emergency situation, would they be warm enough to make a difference?

Just some thoughts. I am not an expert.

Hi there PC2K,


Mostly on showshoeing trips that might last anywhere between 2 and 10 hours, or for hiking in the wilderness.


I forgot to add that I am EDCing Victorinox a One-handed Trekker that has a nice, half-straight half-serrated blade. It also has a surprisingly good saw, which I used two or three times since the beginning of winter here. Should've added that.


Argggg, I forgot the dryer lint! It's being ressuplied as we speak (little bag is on the drying machine).


I never really thought of taking matches anymore since I have the Bic and it case of failure, I can get a fire going with the dryer lint and tinder sticks, but I presume you are saying this because you didn't know I had dryer lint in the kit beforewards.


You're absolutely right! I need something to melt snow in and to carry the resulting water. I was thinking of emptying the Zip-Loc and holding it next to a fire? I don't like the idea of carrying a folded piece of extra-strength aluminium foil, i'm sure that I would spill my water at the first distraction or bad step!


What kind of tray could that be?


Yep, I carry a medium-size FAK with meds, gauze pads, gauze rolls, triangular bandage, tape, sanitizing gel, tweezers, ointment, Hypafix... I'm pretty satisfied about it.


Thanks for your very interesting reply, PC2K... got me thinking of a few things! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

actually i did read about snowshoe trips, but does the terrain has tree's, is the ground frozen or does a early snow drop covers a still warm ground surface, etc? Adapt your tool selection accordingly. If you have lots of wood to work with, than you might consider taking a bigger saw with you than the on on your SAK to make shelter and produce firewood more efficiently. It's will most more weight and bulk, but survivalkit are always a compromise of weight/bulb and capability.



if you use dryer lint as tinder, make sure it will burn. Synthetic fibers don't burn well. I personnaly prefer vaseline soaked cotonballs.



try to look for those throw away kind of alluminium trays people use to bake thing in the oven with or look for the those alluminium containers your take-away food comes in. Not a full replacement for an actually pan, but much beter than alluminium foil.

also you might consider some high calorie food, you need additional energy to keep your self warm.

Hand warmers are awesome kit for cold climates... Unless I've fallen for some sales hype. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Someone who's more medically inclined might be able to put this better than I, but from my understanding:

When your body temperature drops, the blood vessels in the outer regions of your body constrict both to reduce heat loss, and to keep the circulation inward where vital organs are. Err... Perhaps that is the same thing explained differently. LOL In any case, the effect on your extremities from this is a loss of sensation, reduced functionality, and possibly frostbite depending on the temperature.

Hand warmers will help maintain finger functionality and help prevent frostbite. Dexterity might be what it takes to get a fire started in an extreme survival siutation especially when you find you have to take off your gloves for a period of time.

You have to be careful though, some hand warmers run in excess if 130?F.

I still carry 2 quarters in my WSK. I don't know if all the pay phones I might encounter have been switched over to the new style or not, so I include them just in case.

Regards, Vince