raydarkhorse, I’m kind of a gear nut to, I came to this site to help me learn as much as possible for worst case scenarios as well as other sites I visit. I agree with the others as to the best thing you can ever have with you at all times is your knowledge. I work all the time and try to get out and camp when I can get time and try to learn as much as I can from everybody. I had went to a Jest (Jungle Environment training School) school in the Philipines while I was in the Marine Corp back in ‘84 many years ago. Although I wish I could have stayed in that school a month, unfortunately it was only for a day due to our mission parameters. But in that day they gave us a Bolo knife and we stayed out in the jungle and was shown food, water, shelter fire, etc..
In the jungle over there was like a supermarket compared to here, over here I’d be in trouble. They showed us how to make fire by bamboo, and they could start a fire faster than I could flick a bic, but I tried an hour that night while sleeping by the fire they built and could not get a fire started by rubbing the two bamboo pieces together with the fibers for tinder . But I did learn that with the knowledge, you can survive in any terrain with just your knowledge. All we had was a bolo (Made out of a leaf spring) at the time and that made things a lot easier. One day, I would like to go to a bush craft school and learn a lot about bow drills, fire plows, fire pistons, trapping, food finding etc.. but in the mean time, I’m trying to build a better BOB for emergencies. We’ve been through several hurricanes a year in Fla. As well as tornados, etc.. But I always like being near a source of water, even salt and the heat hear buys me more time than if I was up north in 0 degree weather. I have desalinizers (Katadyn Survivor 35 off of $250 Ebay new military) and portable distillers for the salt water as well as Steripen adventure for viruses and Katadyn Combi Plus for chemicals. After the hurricane hit us the one year, we were without anything for weeks and we were getting low on water so I told my wife never again, so we are backed up to the extreme. I searched the internet for a long time to buy these things real cheep and was fortunate not to invest a lot for this equipment. We have 55 gallon plastic barrels as back ups, the ocean and lakes. I keep everything in a pack that stays with me. I am a little paranoid on the water I guess, anyway I’m sorry for the book I just wrote but every once in awhile I like to vent. Knowledge is the best tool you could ever had and there are members here who have a very valuable tool, and I’m tryibg to learn as well. You can never learn enough!