I recently saw this question on another forum, thought i'd get the opinion of you all. I think this will be a great way for us to determine what we need in our BOB's. So...what are your 10 most important tools? Of course, personal knowledge is assumed, so don't include that. Make up your own "scenario," I want to leave this as open as possible.<br><br>My choices would be (in no order):<br><br>Livesay RTAK Bushblade<br>Gerber Legend 800<br>Military Tri-Fold Shovel<br>15" Sven Saw<br>12'x12' Tarp<br>5qt. Clear Plastic Bag<br>100ft. 550 Para-Cord<br>25ft. brass snare wire<br>CC Crane Tektite Expedition 7 LED Light<br>Spark-Lite Firestarter Kit (Includes 10pcs. Tinder)<br><br>Although I change my mind every five minutes about what to carry, I feel quite confident that with these, I can make it almost anywhere.<br><br>John McIntire

My 10+++++. My primary concern in BOB is shelter from elements. Of course, I cannot actually limit myself to 10 but sneek a few items in at the end.<br><br>Reeve Shadow III<br>Granfors Bruks Scandinavian Forest Ax<br>Felco Pruning Saw<br>12 x 12 tarp<br>Paracord, 100'<br>Hotspark<br>Tinder kit, Cotton Vaseline<br>Water Filter, Katadyne<br>Water Bottles<br>Sleeping Bag<br><br>plus <br>Repair kit, sewing and Wave<br>Decent Clothing set (coat, hat, sweater, gloves, boots, sox)<br>Cook pot, 4L<br>Bivi Sack<br>Additional Plastic Sheet, groundcloth

1. A decent sheath knife. I would name my current favorite, but envision the scene in Carrie when Mom got hers. You people get to passionate on this one ;O) 2. ferrocerium rod 3. SAS GEM survival manual 4.bladder canteen full of favorite electrolyte drink ( beer) 5. Wiggy sleeping bag 6. tarp. 7. whistle 8. mirror 9. paracord 10. teddy bear ( in lieu of religous tracts for spiritual comfort)

10 fingers<br>

Hi John. I'd like to question you on your choice of brass snare wire. Brass is awful soft. Wouldn't stainless steel be a better choice? I'd be afraid of the critter I'm trying to catch breaking the brass and getting away.

Yeah, I plan on "upgrading" soon, but for now it's all I have. However, i'm not very good at trapping...and prefer deadfalls & balance traps to snares, which is another reason I choose to bring so much paracord. Thanks for the info.<br><br>John McIntire

My 10 Most Important Tools Are; in no particular order.<br>1 KA-BAR<br>2 Gerber Scout<br>3 Heat and Light Kit<br>4 Tarp<br>5 Sewing Kit<br>6 First Aid Kit<br>7 Fishing Kit<br>8 Duct Tape<br>9 A.L.I.C.E Harness Set<br>10. Mustang Floater Suit.<br><br>The next item on the list would be an AR-7, 10/22, or an over and under single shot. Want some real agonizing? Cut your lists down to 5.

Here's my stuff (not in prioprity order):<br><br>1)firestarter kit (ignition devices + tinder)<br>2)Tikka headlamp<br>3)FAK<br>4)8x10siltarp w/cordage ties & alu stakes (sometimes this is a somewhat smaller sil poncho)<br>5)water container(s) w/ 1/2-1 liter of H2O<br>6)L tool (either PST or Wave)<br>7)best map of area (usually topographic at scale of 1:24,000 up to 1:50,000)<br>8)signal mirror<br>9)whistle<br>10)sleeping bag, appropriately warm, and as light as possible<br><br>In the real world the map mentioned above is always accompanied by a compass, a nice Silva K-20 I have carried for years, but I mention the map because in 98 of 100 situations the map alone is far more valuable than the compass. I am a little surprised we have not had a discussion about maps on this forum. <br><br> The wording of the question seems to exclude clothing, food, and the like, but again in most situations, I usually carry at least a coated nylon parka( very lightweight), some kind of synthetic sweater, a full brim hat, comfortable hiking boots, and at least some food (usually Clif bars at a minimum). I am also fond of a 1/2 liter aluminum pot w/lid and a lightweight cartridge stove - it really simplifies life.<br><br>Spiritual support is certainly very important, but that is carried in my head, along with a certain amount of knowledge and skill, all very light weight and generally adequate to the situation (so far at least!).<br><br>Looking over the responses so far, we are clearly preparing for different environments. The above has worked for me in southwestern deserts and mountains in generally dry situations (hence the inclusion of a water supply). Priorities would vary for different environments.<br><br>Another way to prioritize, and probably the way most of us approach the problem, is - What would include if you could only carry five pounds, ten pounds, etc.

Scenario not given - Taking the focus of this web-site; unexpected short-term survival until rescue which is expected in short order (72 hrs to three weeks) - I am not setting up a colony or hiding out from the bad people.<br><br>knife (minimum for survival)<br>fire <br>water (now I can eat and drink<br>cord<br>tarp (now I can find shelter)<br>whistle<br>mirror (now I can signal for help)<br>compass (now I can find help)<br>DuctTape (FAK, and Sewing Kit and cordage and ... all rolled up ;>).<br><br><br>I carry these tools everywhere and always. The particular brand and model changes and I often carry redundancy in the important first three (knife, fire, water). For example, right now (urban env at a desk) I am carrying:<br>knives: leatherman wave<br> Mini multi tool with built-in flashlight<br> 4 safety razors<br> 2 Xacto blades<br><br>Fire: mini Bic lighter<br> Spark light fire starter and 5 tinder tabs<br><br>Water:<br> 20 Potable Aqua tabs<br><br>Cord: 10 ft of paracord<br> 100 ft of strong nylong line<br> 30 ft of nylong string<br><br>Tarp: large garbage bag<br><br>Whistle: aluminum key-chain whistle<br><br>Mirror: Inner surface of the Altoids tin<br><br>Compass: Button compass liberated from REI key fob<br><br>DuctTape: 10 ft folded flat rolled on itself.<br><br>In my car in my belly pack I have<br>knife: Cold Steel Bushman with cord wrapped handle<br><br>fire: More mini-Bic's <br> Mil Surplus Magnesium bar with flint and striker<br> <br>Water: 1 Gallon water bottle<br> 1 liter water bottle with cordage for slinging over sholder<br> 1 bottle of Potable Aqua tabs<br> Katadyn filter<br><br>Much of the above listed items are part of the Altoids tin PSK that I carry which includes more than the first 10 essentials including a wire saw a couple of snares, photon II, .... (See earlier post here)<br><br>I also carry a mini FAK containing bandaids, moleskin, scissors, tweezers, CPR mask, gloves, super glue, antiseptic, aspirin, ibuprofin, benedryl, magnifying glass, Xacto blades, safty razors, Potable Aqua tabs.

I've been thinking about this "10 most important tool" one for a while now. (I'm taking for granted that, by your being in this forum, you mean tools for 'survival'). The 'best tools', I think, depend on your location and scenario. Surviving a car breakdown in New York City will have different 'survival' needs than a breakdown a few miles from of Fairbanks, Alaska. In the city, 'survival' might just be as simple as another battery for your cell phone (although I'd still keep some blankets in the trunk!). <br>I think shelter would be first. What kind of tools would help me build and maintain a shelter? I'd have some type of knife/saw. (Due to size limitations, I carry a folder with a locking knife blade and a saw. The RTAK would be much better than the knife I carry in some cases, but walking down some city streets with an RTAK on your belt will get you some interesting 'looks', especially by the cops. I'm aiming for something I can carry all the time, regardless of where I am). Some type of cord. Fire-starting supplies (matches, lighters, small candles, SparkLite & tinder) and fuel gathering tools. A tarp and some type of rope would be great to have, as would a sleeping bag or some blankets. A signal mirror and whistle are absolutes. <br>Second would be water. That means a way to store it (Keep a few bottles in the trunk), get and transport it (Nalgene bottles) and purify it (PUR filter/ Potable-Aqua), etc. <br>Third, food - Most people put food too high on their list. If you're like me, you've got enough food around your middle to last you for a few days, or in my case, a few weeks! :-) <br> I remember someone saying "You can't make an appointment to have an emergency." I figure if you don't have this stuff on you right now, you probably aren't going to have it on you when you need it most. I carry a pouch on my belt that is both small enough to carry every day, and yet big enough to actually be some help if I need it. In it are a Victorinox Rucksack knife, a Leatherman Supertool, a roll of thin nylon cord, a Sterling sharpener, a Spark-lite firestarter & a few pieces of tinder, 2 birthday candles, an extra flint rod, a Starflash 2x3 plastic mirror, an ACR whistle and an 3AA LED-type flashlight. I guess you could call them some of my 'most important tools' simply because I have them on me if I need them.