I know many people here have read “98.6” and built their survival kits off of its suggested list. I’m no expert but I have played with these things for several years now. I thought it would be fun to look at the items and see if we agree with them after having done our own testing with these items. Let me start by saying that Cody’s list is great and each item will serve you well. The question is what have you decided you did not really like or need to carry and what have you found that works even better?

Mora neck knife:
I’m not about to have anything around my neck if I don’t have to. My son was taking ASU REC340 Wilderness Survival and was trying to pry out some fat wood from a stump and broke the tip off his Mora. I have always felt unconfident on the thin tang and hollow wood or solid plastic handle. It cuts great, easy to sharpen and you can make sparks from a carbon steel version. I dumped it for an indestructible Cold Steel True Flight Thrower.

Freezer bags:
Good stuff

Tincture of iodine 2%:
Not happening! I have the MP1 tablets in my PSK and Polar Pur in my car PSK

Condom:
Not happening! They can not be filled by mortal man.

Regular Space blanket:
OK, but replaced by AMK heat sheet.

One roll dental floss:
Great stuff, but there is no reason to take the roll out of the container.

Colored surveyor’s tape:
Great Stuff!

Pea-less brightly colored plastic whistle:
Fox 40 is great!

Paraffin-coated, strike anywhere kitchen matches in brightly colored match safe:
I don’t need no stinking matches! If I have a mini Bic, a big ferro rod and treated cotton tinder why would I want to mess with frail matches?

Disposable butane lighter:
Mini Bic is great! Also have a flame modified lighter in my PSK and an extra mini Bic.

Magnesium-block fire starter with hacksaw blade scraper:
Hate it! The magnesium flakes are hard to scrape off, they go all over the place, the wind blows them around, it dulls your knife, and you just get a 2 second flash! I have a County Comm Metal Match, MagFire Pro, and pulled Strike Force ferro rod. Keep the “Pink Floyd majesty!”

6 to 8 cotton balls saturated with PJ:
Keep the slime balls! I’ll take my (15 each) two baggies of Coghlan’s emergency Tinder.

Credit card size magnifying lens:
Good stuff! Just don’t try to actually start a fire with one.

AA Flashlight:
The AA Maglight was the standard utility light for a long time. Photon covert, CMG Infinity Ultra, SureFire C2, and Petzl Tikka XP

Extra batteries:
Roger!

Extra carbon-steel knife with sheath:
Maybe, but if you have extra ferro rods why worry about carbon steel for sparks? I do have a Carbon V steel knife but I don’t plan to try to get sparks off of it. You can’t beat the utility of a Leatherman Wave or Charge Ti and a good fixed blade knife. A separate folding saw is light and a great tool!

Clear plastic drinking tube:
OK

Collapsible, 1-2 gallon water container:
Good stuff!

Two 55 gallon barrel liners:
Why not use clear bags that can be used for transpiration?

Heavy-duty space blanket:
I’ve tried the HD Space Blanket and the one with a hood. They are good for reflecting heat but not mush protection if you get stuck out in a cold rain. The Coghlan’s Survival Bag can be modified to be a water and wind proof mini-tent that can be set up in a few minutes. It can also provide immediate shelter if you step into it, sit down, and pull the top abound your head.

Wool or synthetic stocking cap:
Roger!

Cotton bandana:
Roger!

100 feet of 550 parachute cord:
Yes it is wonderful stuff and I have taken it apart and played with it. I don’t like it! I would rather have normal braided nylon cord in the size of parachute cord. I also have thin cord that is also braided nylon. For small stuff I have dental floss. Why would I want to “stress” over cutting my parachute cord and wondering if I am going to need an inner strand longer than I just cut the cord. Just carry the three different sizes. Also the cord needs to be wrapped around something or you will have a big tangled mess when you try to use it.

3” x 5” glass, sightable signal mirror with duct taped foam pouch:
I have one and it works better than anything else out there. But, if you plan to signal aircraft you will have about 30 second to deploy your signal mirror and flash the plane. That means you need to keep the mirror on you at all times. The 3”x5” is too heavy to wear around your neck! The 2”x3” glass signal mirror is a comfortable size to wear for extended periods. The plastic mirrors do NOT reflect anywhere near as much light as glass. The duct taped pouch does a wonderful job of protecting the glass. It is very thick tough glass. It is not some frail thing that can break easily! The Ritter PSP mirror works as good as the glass mirror of the same size. The StarFlash plastic mirror dose not work very well! It does not reflect nearly as much light as a glass mirror and the fireball aimer is too bright and make it very hard to see past to see the target and aim. But hey; it floats and it is unbreakable!

Homemade first aid kit:
Maybe! Yes you can see in, but a Ziploc bag is a wimpy container for frequent use. I prefer a store bought first-aid kit that I can add to.

Uncle Peppy’s patented power pack stack:
Ingredients taken off the market.

7.5 topo map and compass:
Roger!

Two candy or snack bars:
Roger!

Duct Tape:
Don’t leave home without it!

Sawer Extractor Kit:
I have one but no longer keep it in my PSK. All the survival and outdoor classes I have taken suggest NOT using any extraction device if bitten or stung

Nalgine bottle wrapped in duct tape:
OK, but a Camelbak is better for staying hydrated and everyone I know that has one tends to just keep it on when they are outdoors. They are very comfortable and you tend to forget you have it on. A heavy fanny pack is uncomfortable to wear for extended periods. A Camelbak is a much better way to carry your PSK.

What is missing?
An extra knife!
Large clear plastic bags for transpiration, to get water.
A knife sharpener, a credit size diamond plate or X style ceramic sharpener
A $.99 poncho (you can use the trash bag but then you can‘t use it for other things)
36” x 36” sheet of aluminum foil or some container to boil water
A small saw can be a wonderful thing
Leather work gloves (keep your hands warm and protected)
Some fatwood could really help
A small pair of binoculars could also really help

Very nice few things thou:

Nalgine botthe can be used as a heater by pouring boiling water, wrapping it in a sock and stuffing it either in your clothes/bag. Works like a charm and used many times in the mountains. Also they do work great as a storage bins.

55 gallon drum liners. Usually black in color. Black "attracts" sun, hotter inside if you ever need to make shelter. Don't want to carry two? Carry a black one and clear one. Also isn't black one stronger in terms of ply count?

Yes you can start the fire with mag lens but problem is that in survival situation you never have sun <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Every kit is a suggestion. He sets minium standards and wants you to build up from there. Mora knife, Maglight, home made FAK are all economical choices. Probably if he had his way everyone would carry a Leatherman TI, with SF light and Wildernes Med Kit but than the kit would be $300. I think that you did exactly what Lundin wanted you to do. You took his kit and analyzed it. You applied his principles and adapted your own to fit his kit. You also expended on his ideas.

Good job <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

First off: Give your son a world class bollicking. You NEVER EVER use your knife as a prybar. Give his instructor one as well. Mora knives are sharp not tough. And you carry it on a cord around your body not around your neck. The idea is to ensure that irrespective of what happens you stay attached to your knife. Clip your firestick to the cord as well. Best way yo get a pine resin knot out of a lump of wood is to tap it with the back end of an axe. If that ain't an option hammer it against a tree. What you use as tinder is a matter of personal choice. I happen to prefer the Survival inc Wet-Fire cubes in their individual foil packages. Open the package, shave or crush as you see fit, ignite it. Add tinder and vóla! One free tip for you: when using a firestick use the back of the saw on the Leatherman Wave and draw the firestick back against the saw not, as some people do, the saw down the stick. If you want a good demo of these things take a look at Ray Mears DVD's or read his book "Bushcraft" ISBN 0 340 79258 2 . Recommended. Shelter wise, use a decent quality poncho, a cheap one will shred in any sort of wind. Only thing they are really good for is collecting rainwater. Erect a 4 pole "X" frame, small stone tied in to each corner in the classic fashion, lash to frame , small stone in the back of the hood. Pray for rain. Best use for a garbage bag is to stuff it with leaves etc in order to insulate yourself from the ground or as a rain trap or to keep your firewood dry or.....

I can't seem to get that line out of my head - "By nature the black bags and liners are thicker" - it's made me chuckle since I read it. I'm picturing the black bags in their natural habitats, suddenly trapped by man, and put into service as trash bags.

At least where I come from, you can buy varying thicknesses of black or clear bags - with the thickest being labelled something like contractor bags these days.

A knife is a tool... sometime you have to pry with it! Doug and I have had a few conversations on this... and don't see eye to eye. But, in an emergency you use the tools you have at hand. One of the factors I use when choosing a knife for work is how well will it hold up if I need to pry or "pop" a door with it. One of the reasons I went to carrying a Leatheman Knife at work is the flat screwdriver to pry with.

I dislike using the words never and always for emergencies. There is typically an exception to every rule. A knife shouldn't be used to pry, if you have a more appropriate tool.

Hear, hear!

I hate prying with a knife. That being said, I've done it a number of times. I hate batoning, but I'll do it.

My gear is important, but my backside is critical to my survival.

which brings to mind some hunters sitting in a bar after a successful hunting braging about their quarry over a beer... "I bagged meself a black one yesterday"

"Give your son a world class bollicking"

No can do! He is 21 and can kick my butt! <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I need to test the $.99 poncho. I used a $3 poncho during a rainstorm during a campout near the Grand Canyon and it worked great!

Let me comment on the clear trash bags: I got mine from the Survival and Outdoor Safety web site. Here is a picture of one being used:



From here: clear plastic bags

is that outdoor safety site still operational since Gene Ward passed away?

it's operational but more of a memorial to Gene.

Survival and Outdoor Safety