has anyone ever used their psk? the only time i've used it is when I ran out of water on a hike and used the puri tabs to purify water from a stream

I have used various parts of my PSK on several occasions. The band-aids, sewing needle and Photon come to mind as all being used in the recent past.

With two exceptions I used every single item at least once.<br>The exceptions are the artificial flint and the button compass (I carry a full size one, when there is a posibility that I might need it).

I have used the various items in my urban carry kit on numerous occassions, too many to be exact....<br>Bandaids<br>Oven bag<br>medications<br>fresnel lens<br>princeton tec pulsar<br>duct tape<br>needle & thread<br>dental floss<br>pen & paper <br>safety pins<br>paper clips<br><br>And thats why I carry a urban kit! I keep my PSK is reserved for emergencies only........<br><br><br>

I take the same approach as trusbx. I carry a kit specifically for everyday use, but have an almost obsessive reluctance not to touch the real psk unless and until I am really up against it. Otherwise I will use something and forget to replace it. I do check once a month to see that everything is ok and in working order. Otherwise it stays sealed. <br><br>Dan

I am quite the other way around. I use the materials in my "PSK" routinely. For example, a Tikka headlamp is the unit in my PSK and in noraml outdoor activities, it is the first light I grab for. It is my backup light for caving and for planned night hiking/activity when a Petzl Duo moves up to #1.<br><br>Actually, it is confession time, I don't even have a PSK in terms of the well nigh manditory Altoids tin. Here's why.<br><br>As I understand it, Doug developed the minimalist PSK for a specific application - flying in aircraft over a variety of environments when an unscheduled landing could immediatly plunge one into a rather stark survival situation. The Altoids container is the ticket for this application, when you cannot count on getting out with anything other than what is immediately on your person. I recall a safety class, specifically on aircraft safety, where the survivor of a helicopter crash in Yosemite could have specifically used a minimal PSK of this type.<br><br>However, I don't fly in small aircraft much anymore. If I did, I would probably fill up my now empty Altoids can with the right stuff. I hike and bike now, and I can anticipate the environments through which I will travel. I pack for each trip with the appropriate material, using a modular approach. At the heart is my version of a PSK containing what are basically the traditional "Ten Essentials," actually about fourteen or so items. These are items I have learned to carry in just about every environment - compass and map, firestarter items, first aid kit, whistle, knife (usually on my belt), signal mirror, water and food(with huge variation in the amount depending upon the situation), shelter, etc. The items I use weigh about three pounds when the water/food load is minimal, and fit into a small fanny pack, which is worn around the waist on short excursions and thrown into a larger pack on longer trips. But no Altoids tin...<br><br>I regularly employ the compass, headlamp, knife, etc. in routine situations because when I am in a tight situation I want to use items with which I am thoroughly familiar. About the only exception is the firestarting material. I keep a separate lighter with my stove, reserving the items in the kit for "emergencies." My experience is that in most hiking and climbing situations, the emergency comes on gradually, the product of a whole series of poor decisions on the part of the victim. One should get in the habit of using a compass and map before becoming confused, rather than saying, "Oh goodness! I am lost. Better get out the map and compass." Thus I carry a bigger PSK, blended with everyday items, which works for me in the situations in which I operate. But no Altoids tin (aside from the one in my desk drawer at work, which contains....breath mints!).<br><br>Mea culpa, mea culpa....Perhaps I should sign on as "hereticdon" in the future.

Hi Pete,<br><br>Have I used my PSK? Yeah. Not for anything life threatening, but yeah. Mostly, I've used the cordage in which I wrap my EDC Supplement Kit and the tape strips I apply to its exerior lid before wrapping it in the cordage. Cordage and tape are useful things. When walking in the great outdoors, the most common FAK item I've used is molefoam.<br><br>However, if I were to change your question from "PSK" to "EDC", it would be more appropriate for my lifestyle, since I don't spend all that much time in the wilderness. I've called for an ambulance from my cell phone, and then flagged down said ambulance with bright ribbons and a whistle when it turned the wrong way and drove away from me. I've thrown loose change in the face of a man attacking me to distract him, and then jabbed him in the solar plexus with a key. I've used my Photon II countless times. I've tracked my girlfriend down in a huge airport multi-story parking garage when I lost her in the middle of the night once by blowing my whistle and listening for her reply on her own. Paper clips and safety pins are simply awesome! I've used daily carry first aid items countless times. I've been very glad to have a disposable poncho in my windbreaker pocket a couple of times. I've used the duct tape I always carry for various uses. I can't begin to count how often I've used my pocket knife and Leatherman Micra, or my mini disposable lighter. And then, there are the many FAK items I've used or given to others over the years.<br><br>There are a lot more incidents and items I could add, especially if you expanded the concept of "gear" to include any that I keep in my office desk drawers or my Jeep, but that isn't what you asked, so I guess I'll stop. <br><br>I've never had to start a fire in a downpour, carry a casualty on an improvised stretcher or anything else nearly so dramatic. However, having the right stuff around has often made me more comfortable. For instance, a compact umbrella is excellent for keeping off either rain OR sun!<br><br>For me, the most pleasant aspect of carrying EDC gear, or a PSK where appropriate, is simply the sense of well being I feel knowing I have a basic assortment of useful items, just in case, whether I ever actually do need them or not.

The answer is no to the PSK. I check it regularly and that's about it. My EDC on the other hand, I use virtually daily. I carry a mini PSK because I love gear. It may come in handy one day as my wife says..LOL..who knows? I also carry my larger survival bag with a more comprehensive list when we go away into the African bush (game reserves and game farms). The item I have used the most is my large Maglite torch for viewing game at night. Second is my first aid kit especially with kids around.