Let me start by making it clear this is a fun thought exersize, not a serious survival concern. I'm not worried about having to escape from a POW camp or hostage situation.

That said, I recently read a book where a group of passengers were held hostage on a train by the Soviets as part of a bout of political trouble over a seized Russian submarine. The passengers seemed completely unequipped for the situation, even though this was the fifties or sixties when most men still carried a pocket knife and society was more rural and thus outdoor skills more common. Additionally, what supplies they might have had, maps, tools, compass, etc. would have almost certainly been confiscated during searches of their luggage.

So I begain thinking, what items would I put into an escape kit (for getting out of confinement, not a supermax prison, and for surviving and navigating a short distance of say 10-20 km afterwards) and how would I conceal the items so they wouldn't be found and confiscated?

Requirements for the kit would be that it should be easily conceallable or completely innocuous in appearance, relatively cheap, and useful (although almost certainly not sufficient) in any environment.

Items I so far would include on the list would be a compass, a knife, writing supplies, trade/bribe items, a watch, matches, a wire saw, a small flashlight, wire cutters, water purification tablets and compact rations.

As for concealment, false bottoms on luggage, and hidden compartments in other items come obviously to mind. What other ways can people think of to conceal helpful items?

So any suggestions or additions to this list (I know I don't have everything a person would want or need)? Or suggestions of products that fill these roles? Please note that things like watches, multi-tools, and writing materials would or might be confiscated. Only the absolute, most basic innocuous items are likely to escape scrutiny or confiscation.

Somethings I've found so far: A replacement blade for a Stanley pocket knife, its slightly larger then an exacto blade, and more robust, but still very slim and completely flat. An improvised handle would be very easy to make or include somewhere else in the kit. Water purification tablets could be stored in a first aid kit, possibly in an emtied asprin vial. Compact rations in the form of candy bars might be innocuous enough to avoid confiscation and could also serve as a low level trade/bribe item ditto single serving powdered gatorade packets. If carried with cigerettes (also a trade/bribe item, useful even if you don't smoke), matches maybe innocuous enough to be over looked. A wire saw can be concealled relatively easily in the seam of a piece of luggage, especially if you carry battered luggage and are handy with a needle and thread.

Here in Texas a prison inmate (low security prison) cut his way through the bars of his cell using dental floss coated with sand. It took a while but the cuts were so thin as to be unnoticable.

The jade carvers in China use a similar technique. They coat a fine, strong thread in sand and slowly wear there way through the jade.

Something to consider.

-Blast

link to prison break story (towards end of article)

Another option for a compass is a removable metal clip for a pen or mechanical pencil. You could magnetize it and then balance it on the pencil tip or hang it from a thread. The pencil I'm using now has a removable clip with holes in it you can tie a thread around. I have to point out this isn't an original idea, its borrowed from WWII escape equipment.

Also the Stanley pocket knife blade I mentioned is sturdy enough to use the back end as a flat head screw driver. Not super tough, but enough for unscrewing outlet plates or similar tasks. Drop it under the paper in an Altoids tin full of mints and even an x-ray shouldn't pick it up.

For a flashlight, ultra concealable, just a red led and a button battery will work. Not very robust, not very bright (that maybe a plus) but very conceallable. Sealing the two parts between pieces of tape will prevent water damage before you need them.

A map of the area would be very helpful, but might be hard to conceal, and you don't know at what point in the trip you might need it. Simple large scale maps silk screened on to regular handkercheifs might work. Roads, railroads, towns and other big features. Then fold up and put in your pocket. On the other hand, if they go through the clothes in your luggage and find one it would be almost impossible to explain way. I can already hear them shouting, "SPY!!".

Just as an FYI, last week my family & I traveled out to Glacier National Park on the Amtrak Empire Builder, traveling from Milwaukee to West Glacier, Montana (and then back again in the return trip).

Since West Glacier is so small, we weren't able to check luggage, so carried it on by hand. In addition to our regular luggage (rolling duffles), each of my kids had a daypack with a knife (son had a Kabar Dozier Spear and daughter had a SAK Climber) and their survival gear, and I had my daypack with my survival gear, including both a folding RSK Mk1 and fixed Mk3. I left the Mk1 in my daypack rather than carry it in my pocket, just so as to not invite questions. I'll admit I was nervous about the possible questioning of the fixed blade, but I'd done my homework and read that knives weren't an issue as long as you're not carrying around a large saw or ax.

Nobody came even close to checking baggage or asking about the contents of our luggage.

I should also note that the same daypacks went through a full vehicle inspection at the border while crossing from the the U.S. to Canada on our way to Waterton. I KNOW they pulled stuff out of my pack since the location of gear had changed and some had been left behind on the floor of the rear area. No questions asked. The border guards were very cordial and respectful. There was not an inspection when returning from Candada to the U.S. side.

Funny you mention this. I heard about this somewhere years ago, probably in grade school. Run the string through a tube of chap-stick, so the sand sticks to it better. Didn't think it'd actually work!

Reminds me a little of the movie Shanghai Noon: "You said wet shirt don't break, not [censored] shirt bend bar!" (You have to see it to get it)

Escape from controlled custody is the basically the same no matter where you are, the only question is how much depth the defenses have, the likelyhood of being busted by the gaurds, and how agressive the perimeter is (2KV on a fence, land mines, five mile swim, dogs, yeah, that kind of thing will make think twice). You need both patience and speed, guile, stealth, misdirection, razzle dazzle, ruthlessness and intelligence. Otherwise you get holed by who ever is on duty.

As layer one, how about something like the gadget pen Duluth Trading had here . Several varieties of concealable lock picks.

Add to it a length of tech cord, say 4mm, stitched in along them hem of your traveling jacket- 300kg test isn't steel, but it isn't fishline either. Similiarly, you can stash a few ounces of weight in each end of a silk scarf (embroidered at the ends to hide the weight visually)- use it like a manriki gusari.

Have a cobbler resole your shoes/boots, and see if he can give you some space inside the heel to carry a two or three gold soverigns or something similar, then attach the insole so it has to be cut away to get to the compartment- don't waste time with hollywood-esque sliding heels. You can also put other items in such a compartment. Always, always, always, composite toe shoes or boots.

If you have patches on your jacket or pack, you can put small items under them. With the 'cro patches that are so in vogue now, it's even easier becuase the loop side is stiff.

A can of spray deoderant, travel size. It's almost as effective as pepper spray.

Learn to limp. If I have to, I can make it look like my knee is permanently screwed up rather than being all better by a lot of years. That gives me a cane- not a cane gun or a sword stick, just a cane with a hook top on it. In the hands of someone with a bad limp and a face that looks like they are in pain- not a problem, you turn your back on them. Oops.

If you smoke, carry a spare pack. Learn how to seal the pack in a way that makes it look like wasn't cut open. Even if they do open it, have your toys under cut off filters.

A needle file is thin enough it can concealed in the seam of something like a cowboy boot- the triangluar ones can be used to cut and shank as well as file.

And if you want to get really funky, look up the CIA escape and evasion kit. The container was very smooth and about the size of a cigar tube- one guess as to the last ditch concealment method. A couple of knife blades, a couple of files, a drill, an awl, and handle that did double duty as a pair of wire snips and a light duty prybar. I'd pull a blade and a file, and throw in a ferrorod, some waxed braided cord, a tension bar and a rake pick.

False bottoms in luggage are of questionable value. They deter pick pockets and naughty baggage mishandlers, but someone making a determined search, forget it. It's too well known, you segregate your barter items from their luggage.

Ironraven,

If we ever end up in prison I want to be your cellmate.

Uh, wait a minute, that doesn't sound quit right...

-Blast

Don't worry Kuovonne, I'll take good care of him. *strokes Blast's hair*

You lost me on this. what in this list needs concealing? "I carry walking gear because I'm a walker" is a hard argument to beat. BUT carry that small knife in a hollow shoe and whoah! they discover that and you'd be seeing daylight a week later if you were lucky when stopped at any airport. The reason real spies hate gadgets.

You can talk yourself out of anything if you act dumb enough. "I was just looking for my flight and carry a store bought camera because I'm a tourist. Oh really? they are migs?" Goes down a lot better than "well err... about that camera concealed in my cigarette lighter"
simon

what's the advantage of composite boots?
simon