Minimalist kit?

A bit cliché, but I tried to come up with a list of items I could stuff in a bottle that I would really like to have with me in a wilderness survival setting.

1. wide mouth Nalgene bottle
2. sawyer portable water filter
3. turbo type bic lighter wrapped in 3 feet of duct tape
4. tongue depressor wrapped with 5 feet of electrical tape, 4 feet of duct tape, and 30 feet of 100+ lb test Dacron fishing line.
5. 4 10p nails
6. Micron flashlight
7. 4 packets instant coffee
8. Leatherman Wave
9. Contractor grade garbage bag
10. Cup that fits on the end of the bottle
11. 4 zip fizz plastic vials, one full of ibuprofen, one full of multivitamins, one full of Benadryl caplets, and one full of paraffin/Vaseline cotton balls
12. 6 ounces of pemmican triple wrapped in heavy duty aluminum foil.
13. Fox Micro whistle

All of this will fit in the Nalgene bottle, except the cup that goes on the outside (maintains volume and form factor). Basically it was everything I could think to stuff in the bottle. This list completely discounts any other edc, so it is likely that many of these things would already be on my person anyways. But my intent is to list items I would really want to have with me (besides clothing) to get by for a reasonable amount of time. One item not on the list of course is a gun, which is a high priority for me. But mine would not fit in the bottle anyways.

Ben,
Consider replacing the 10p nails with double-headed framing nails. Perhaps they offer a little more capability. Maybe.

My $.02

Just at the first glance, what I would do with that list:
1. I'd replace with exact same shape (or close) stainless steel wide mouth bottle. More versatile (e.g. boiling) and sturdy.
2. Ok +wrapped in its stock collapsible bottle (almost same space as without it).
3. Skip "Turbo" and "Piezo", higher gas consumption, prone to leaking, bad at high altitude, not a flashlight replacement, piezo - useless when empty.
4. Replace electrical tape with gorilla tape (don't see any special benefit of ET over it). Tongue depressor? Replace with the piece of hack saw blade wrapped in a layer of cardboard (like in a sheath).
5. Replace nails with long screw anchors (you can hammer them in or over if necessary). You have Wave to work with them naturally.
6. Which Micron is that? For a bottle, I'd opt for a Petzl like headlamp. Easily removable battery - mandatory for EMDI (see below).
7. Addiction? Maybe some caffeine pills? Or just comforting?
8. Yeah! That's on my belt right now.
9. Two, so yo could hide inside, double it for insulation, or sacrifice one for cuts.
10. Maybe. Maybe the steel bottle is enough?
11. +Individual needs. Also, I had an idea to keep tabs in the nitrile gloves' fingers instead of zip locks, as later are useless. Fire tabs? Magnesium block with flint - much more effective, versatile, and compact (but prob. heavier).
12. Personal choice of supperfood. Foil minimum - a piece large enough to wrap entire head down to the neck (no joking, like for a foil hat - enough space for improvisations).
13. Ok. Add neck size lanyard?
14. +Scalpel blade for fine/sterile work.
15. +4' of SS wire #16-12, best if in a plastic tubing insulation (just a hunk, hard to wrap). From lock pics to electromagnetic devices improvisation (EMDI)).
16. +Coin type neodymium magnet, preferably with the center hole (small parts picker, compass improvisation, EMDI).
17. +Pencil (better - large constructor's type, for regular use, wood, and EMDI).
18. +Fresnel lens.
19. +Sewing needles.
20. +Kevlar sewing thread.
21. +For a 4-eyed. Spare glasses or just a lens from an old prescribed pair.
22. Alaska? May be +some insect wipes.

What gun do you carry? I've got Rugger .357 4" (not EDC, unfortunately).

That's a heavy bottle and won't fit in a pocket. Just an observation ...

Coin-cell flashlights are in my mind only for the shortest duration emergencies. For a bit more weight and volume you could carry a 1xAAA flashlight and have significantly better performance.

I would sneak in a small signal mirror and some small cordage. I have obtained a replacement cap for a Nalgene that incorporates a compass - cheap, but mine still works.Fold and wrap a map around the exterior in between the cup and the Nalgene -perhaps you could wiggle it into the interior as an alternative...I would put in a Tanka bar, not just jerky...

Bread crumbs for marking the trail?

First thoughts,

I question the inclusion of a Leatherman in this kit. I love the LM but if you are in the wilderness and this is your only kit, most of the tools are not very useful since you don't have anything to fix. For wilderness use a fixed blade knife will allow you to do more than the folding blade.

I also think you need to include something to carry all the stuff in when you fill the bottle with water.

Since fire is one of the highest priorities, a second device is a good idea, particularly if you choose a Bic for the primary. The Bic is very reliable, but they do fail.

I would use a bivi bag or blanket (AMK or similar) instead of a garbage bag. The reflective capability is great if you have a fire.

I too would recommend a flashlight with larger batteries. A light with AA or AAA would provide much better capabilities at little increase in volume or weight. I also would go for a headlamp.

Where you might be out, I highly agree with Alex that bug wipes or a headnet would be critical.

Respectfully,

Jerry

Good adds/changes. I usually carry a Glock 22, occasionally a Taurus 445. If I am on expedition, it is a Ruger Super Redhawk.

I love threads like this. It is a great refresher for my thinking.

With the tongue depressor, the idea was to have duct tape (or gorilla tape) on one end, the Dacron line in the middle, and the electrical tape on the other end. Sometimes Gorilla tape is too much of a good thing. Having both gives me more options. Using a regular bic lighter with cold hands in windy environment proved more difficult than the turbo ones. I upgraded my edc this winter due to that problem up on slope. The regular bic just wasn't working for me. YMMV.

Many of the things I use my Leatherman Wave for work in any scenario. A larger, stouter fixed blade will work for some of the harder cutting chores of a wilderness environment. Ultimately, I would like to have both. If I had to pick one over the other, I would still take the Leatherman. Just my experience.

I have been looking for a robust heavy duty folding knife in the last few weeks. Ended up getting a Boker Vox F3.. (5mm thick S30V blade should be pretty robust)

http://www.gpknives.com/bokerplus01bo333voxf3tiframelock.html

I love Leatherman multis and find myself using them in the wilderness regularly, but I agree with JerryFountain here. A fixed blade if possible, a strong locking folder otherwise, and a Leatherman as a third option.



Strongly agreed.

I like the idea, but would rather have the water bottle full of water...and carry the rest elsewhere. Vitamins are really only useful in the long term. ( over 30 days) rollup sunglasses? spare contacts?

Good point, especially in arid areas - which brings up the issue of just which environment is this assortment developed for. Given the OP, one would assume Alaska/far northern situations. I would tweak the contents a bit for the arid Southwest, especially for different seasons and elevations.

My minimal FAK would be an elastic bandage,so I would get one in the bottle somehow, perhaps even ditching the vitamins and ibuprofen

I have built some survival kits based on a water bottle before. I agree that the best thing to put in a water bottle is water, but it is a good container. I would include something like this:
Sea to Summit Day pack

the older model packs even smaller

Or:

Kiva Key Chain Backpack

If you can find it anymore.

Just to have somewhere to transfer everything when you do put water in the bottle.

I do prefer the stainless steel single wall water bottles as well. They do fit in the same pockets as the plastic Nalgene bottles, and inside the space saver cups. Just more capable and allow use in a fire. I have several.

Great arsenal!



I have the exact same "wrapped on a stick" tape/fishing line holder setup. The point is that the wooden tongue depressor (TD) is almost useless bulk and weight. The hack saw blade, on the other hand, is a very versatile piece to work with, or to work upon with the multitool (shape it to whatever you need to improvise, like a spring, plastic cutter, key, lock pick...), and it is in the same shape as TD - still suitable for nice tape wrapping, if you just hide its teeth. It is also easily removable from that sleeve, no need to unwrap the tape, and you can use the taped sleeve as a handle for the saw for a closeup work.



Surely, windproof lighter is much easier to operate when it works. But it has way more points of breakage and malfunction than a regular Bic. So, I would definitely consider a secondary fire making tool. The simple open flame sources (think matches) use is indeed not an easy skill to master. But I'm a former avid smoker, "trained" for 20 years in most harsh Siberian and Mongolian environments to succeed with just that on a hourly basis

By the way, my ultimate survival torch lighter is the pen sized soldering iron with the spark wheel ignition on a separating cap (the soldering tip is removable). But probably that's an overkill for a bottle kit.

The point of a bottle is to have everything you might depend on in a compact slick protective container, which you can effortlessly toss into whatever bag you are taking with you on a potentially dangerous trip. Many bags even have a dedicated mesh pocket for such a bottle. If you need the bottle for water - just empty the survival content into that bag or into your pockets (hence the volume of the bottle limit) and fill with water. Water sources is not an issue in Alaska.

I should, probably, decipher my EMDI - "electromagnetic devices improvisation" concept a bit more for clarity. That's a simple applied physics knowledge implementation for a survival situation with very simple tools and materials. Essentially, all you need is a long enough conductor, a powerful magnet, and an electric power source. Also the "right" flashlight, besides the battery (the power source), provides an electrical switch and a "visual indicator" (lamp of sorts) as well. You will be amazed of how many survival essentials you could improvise or enhance with that stuff, complementing a typical personal survival kit (aluminum foil is very important in it). From an electric conductivity, voltage, or current detector (to check and fix other electrical things) - to simple automation (like a security fence), or even a radio... In addition to that, I'm also carrying in my BOB and GHB several tiny 0.5Amp solid state DC voltage regulators (for different voltages conversion), tiny AC-DC rectifier (4 diodes in one casing), 4 solar film sheets the size of two playing cards stacked on the long side each (as light detectors and power generators), and a hunk of thin nichrome wire - for even more advanced EMDI projects.

... and a bag (gallon ziplock?) to put all your stuff in when you want to use the water bottle!!?? I picture someone in trouble dumping their critical gear in the dirt - at night - when they need to collect water. Oh, which reminds me - some kind of tubing or a bandanna to suck up water from tiny cracks or puddles or morning dew - depending on where you are. Maybe you could tear off some clothing instead.

On a slightly different focus ... since they are so stinkin' cheap today ... and tough ... and relatively small ... I just don't understand the concept of a kit without a PLB.

Of course that doesn't mean you won't have to "survive" until help arrives ... and it increases the need to be "findable".

That said, I like the original kit and the ideas posted. I would tend to carry two large plastic bags - just for flexibility, and I would work hard to make them bright orange (maybe get some through the local highway cleanup folks). Its about being "findable".

To me the light you carry is as much about being findable at night (not leaving it on all the time, but being able to point and wave it when you hear rescuers.

I focus on shelter (usually under-equipped for), warmth, water, basic first aid ... the stuff it takes to hunker down for several days waiting for rescue. A lot depends on the local current weather (night & day), the vegetation (I'd be a mess in a desert - no personal experience there), and the land (water sources).

1. Medical- wound cover, tape
2. Shelter- heatsheet bivy
3. Fire- two to three ways to make fire
4. Hydration- chlorine dioxide tablets, water container
5. Communication- whistle, cell phone
6. Navigation- button compass, light
7. Nutrition- something dense with calories
8. Insulation- fire and shelter might keep warm enough, closed cell foam
9. Sun Protection- could use shelter as drape
10. Tools- knife

In Alaska...

Snow peak 700 cup
Izula
Pocket Sierra Saw
Bic Mini
Tinder Quik
Orion rescue flare
Some sort of kindling (fuel tab or finger length sticks of fatwood)
Chlorine Dioxide Tablets
Mossie Headnet
Bug Dope

You can just distribute the contents in your pockets when you need to use the bottle, no biggie.

Please define "stinkin'cheap" and tell me where you are buying them. The cheapest ACR unit at REI lists for $280, and of course my tender little body is worth far more(and yours, as well!), but the price isn't anywhere what I would call cheap.,

Spot units are off the table. I simply have no confidence in their reliability.

I bought my PLB from Landfall Navigation. Still not cheap and not something I'd put in a minimalist kit. Minimal is something less than robust.

Thank you for the reference. If I figure in my REI member dividend, the final price is about the same. I like ACR products - I used their rescue beacon for years very successfully.

Good point about the REI dividend, I never remember that until I get the dividend credit the following year.

Taking my vest apart today. Replacing the overly large pocket for the radio with a smaller one that will work better in a land/shoreline environment. Keeping the ACR PLB in its own pocket as it is now -- tied in and velcro'd closed.

OK, well I guess "cheap" is a relative thing.

Still the cost of today's PLB has halved in the last few year!!

Its about the cost of a half-decent backpacking tent.

Its about the cost of a good backpacking sleeping bag and self-inflating pad.

Its about the cost of a low-end Garmin mapping GPS (not the NUVI, but the outdoor type).

Its about half the cost of the cheapest canoe REI sells.

Its about the cost of two Rittergrip knives. I don't want to say how many I have (my wife knows about most of them).

Its about the cost to replace the smartphone your teenager sat on - likely a less. Wow those things are expensive!!

... and if needed it can bring help to you ... regardless of where you might find yourself ... with the push of a button. Amazing technology!

All those items are good basic outdoor gear items, not at all that specialized(unlike the BD portaledge which is over $1100 fully equipped), but I wouldn't describe any of them as "stinkin' cheap." WhenI spend $200 or more, I generally shop around rather thoughtfully. I am not sure how much I have sunk into my climbing gear, but it is probably north of $3000, more or less. And to think that climbing appealed to me because it was so cheap! Maybe it was,years ago


Really? I have done a fair amount of caving - do they work in that environment? What about the climber stuck in a precarious avalanche zone? These are just a couple of situations where a PLB will not really be all that useful.

Don't get me wrong. PLBs do save lives, essentially taking the "search" out of searchandrescue, and shortening the recovery cycle tremendously. But they can't do everything. Your judgment is the first, and most important line of defense against disaster. If you mess up, and fall 300 feet, use of the PLB will only provide a quick body recovery before your remains become too rank (and the rescuers will appreciate that!) The minimalist kit that is the subject of this thread is a very real component that keeps the situation stable until you, with or without the help of others, can work out a solution.

It looks like those zip fizz vials are kinda bulky, how many pills can you fit?

I happened upon aluminum pill fobs at the dollar store ... for a dollar ... real aluminum , like ezy dose (used to be?) ... fits a whole glass bottle of nitroglycerin

I think this kit might be able to fit inside a Nalgene bottle
M40's "ATV" Wilderness Survival Kit .... amazing amount of stuff stuffed in there

The Zipfizz containers will hold a couple dozen ibuprofen pills. I have a couple of satchels that fit in pockets that I load with a dozen or so of the vials containing various meds, like Benadryl, Immodium, Sudafed, Zantac, Aspirin, etc. The vials are fairly watertight when the lid is snapped shut, and virtually waterproof with a couple wraps of electrical tape. They also work well for containing wads of cottonballs saturated with Vaseline. They are also great for storing matches. They are also great for storing drink mixes

They don't take up too much space for what I need. I really like re-using these things. Makes me feel like I am getting my money's worth for what the Zipfizz cost me to begin with.

Just ordered this wide mouth SS bottle to see if it's good (I'm using a different one now, but it has a rather narrow mouth). http://www.ebay.com/itm/321061665427 It turned out to be not that easy to find a proper one cheap enough. Will update you on delivery.

Alex, if you pop off the plastic screw top and retainer ring, can you use it to boil water? That's such a great price, that it almost has to have some hidden flaw e.g. Cap not water tight,....

The Nalgene stainless steel bottles are still available, and I have used them in a fire before. The cap is held on by a cord that slips right off. I used to be able to find them at Dick's Sporting Goods, but I know they are still on Amazon. Is it the price that is inhibiting the purchase?

Yep, I have some doubts as well, but on the other end. It looks like the bottom of the bottle is a separate piece welded/glued to the walls. That might render it useless as a boiling vessel, but maybe not. I will definitely check for that first on delivery (March 18th). The price is actually right. There are plenty of other SS bottles, but with a rather narrow neck, in the same ballpark off eBay. Nalgene is a typical trademark ripoff.

I have one filled with water in my GHB, but it's too wide to nest into my Snowpeak mug and more than twice as expensive before shipping and tax. The one from eBay looks much narrower and there is a chance the neck's thread is compatible with nalgene's.

Cool topic.

This is what I carry when Traveling light in the woods.. Usually hunting.

*fixed blade high carbon steel knife
*Bacho Laplander folding saw
*18oz kleen Canteen
*Petzel headlamp
*Contractor Bags (2ea)
*25ft of #36 bank line
*25ft of Jute twine
*fire steel
*bic lighter
*fire starter packets (2)
*cotton Bandana
*Silva Polaris compass
*Plasic match case containing: drugs (immodium AD, Vicoden, Benedryl), dry cotton ball, fishing line wrapped around #9 hooks, button compass
*Garmin GPS

Thats about it.

In Canada Stainless Steel Water Bottles are readily available at Canadian Tire for around $12. They are a fantastic improvement over trying to improvise a plastic bottle and are more robust to damage as well. If you carry a Water Bottle, it Should be Stainless Steel!

I buy a bottles with the biggest mouth and then cut off the plastic attachment for the lid. I then re-configure the mouth of the bottle with wire and two o-rings to allow easy use above a fire. The lid is then attached with cord so it can be easily detached.

That is nice, Bruce!

SS definitely has its place,but other types of water bottles have their place as well. For cheap and light, recycle a beverage bottle, preferably one with a wide mouth.For compact and lightweight, use a flexible Platypus or Nalgene. For large loads of two gallons or more, plastic rules. I can't recall ever damaging any bottle to the point where it couldn't be used. Down here in the arid southwest, two or more,perhaps of different types,make a lot of sense.

Weather applies as well. Last year in Death Valley, I found that the SS bottles did not heat up like the plastic ones. The water was much cooler to drink in the stainless steel.

I like plastic because when you drop them, they bounce back and rarely break or dent permenantly. You can use them as hot water bottle in your sleeping bag, it won't burn you when you pour hot water in, you can see what and how much is in there and in the rare situation you need to check if something is straight, you can use it as a level.

A seperate cooking vessel is a far better option for cooking. Having something with a handle and doesn't require extra long utensils to scoop things out of is way more practical.

Hard sided water bottles slosh when partially full and make noise. For hunting I like a platy along with a hard side. I drink from the platy and then refill it from the hard side.

Clear bottles can be used at lower latitudes to purify water by the SODIS method.

Dark bottles with wide mouths, like the brown prune juice bottles, can be filled with snow and set in the sun to melt.

Some metal bottles have a taste. Makes me wonder what stuff is leaching out of them. Specially the China made ones.

BruceZed, yours looks like the exact bottle I've got off eBay. The first impressions (sorry for hijacking the thread a bit):
1. It's definitely a welded construction. I can clearly see on the inside the side seam and the seam at the bottom part. So the fire pit test is mandatory (pending).
2. I've got the bottle covered in blue paint or plastic on the outside, so again it needs to be burned out and the surface cleaned for safe use in the fire (pending).
3. The cap is surely watertight due to the simple gasket seal against the neck's edge - no problems there, I think.
4. The cap is of a Nalgene's size, the thread's pitch is compatible as well, BUT is too shallow to accept Nalgene's cap naturally. The Nalgene bottle, on the other hand, accepts this bottle's cap without a problem an seals well too. So, if I decide to use some Nalgene's cap or an attachment with this bottle, I will have to alter it by shaving off the cap's thread a bit (will experiment with a leftover old Nalgene cap laying around first).

A 32oz Gatorade bottle weighs less than 2 ounces, has a relatively wide opening, is extremely durable, and it nests like a glove in the Toaks 800ml titanium pot. It's a great combo. This combo also fits perfectly in a USGI MOLLE canteen pouch.

The Toaks 750ml pot with bail is listed as having the same internal diameter as the 800ml, but I haven't had one of those in my hands to verify its fit with the Gatorade bottle.

+1. The Gatorade bottle, and at least a few other brands, will nest in anything that will fit a Nalbene.

That's not quite accurate. The 32oz Gatorade bottle's max diameter is a bit larger than that of the 1L Nalgene. So cups like the popular GSI Outdoors Glacier Cup fit very closely to the Nalgene but won't accept the Gatorade bottle.

That's one of the reasons I like the 750-800ml Toaks pots so much, they offer a very close no-rattle fit to the Gatorade bottle. The Snow Peak Trek 700 accepts both the Gatorade and the Nalgene but it is a sloppy fit with wasted space.

Anyone tried to reshape plastic bottles (warm up cup and bottle, add oil, force one into another, let cool down)? Not Nalgene, surely, but Gatorade seems to be of a soft plastic.

The wide mouth Gatorade bottles make great pee bottles too.

It there a cheaper cup that fits the 32 oz gatorade bottle?

Cheaper? Look for a SS cooking pot with the correct diameter. What is the Gatorade bottle's diameter?
That gives me the idea of finding a small jug with the right diameter to fit one of my Ti cooking pots. I've always carried a Nalgene inside a Snow Peak 700, but for my larger kit, a water jug inside my Snow Peak 1400, diameter </=5.75".

Interesting..I checked and my Gatorade bottle slipped readily, but snugly into my GSI stainless cup. The crux of the matter is the diameter of the very bottom of the bottle. I wonder if there have been changes through time to the G bottle? The one I used is at least a couple of years old. Changes in the cup as well?

Just don't drink from them afterwards!

I pack a Primus LiTech Trek Pot. A 32 oz Gatorade bottle or a 1L Nalgene bottle fits in with plenty of room to spare.

Yeah, a liter bottle is perfect for a Snow Peak 700, but I was looking for bigger. A fairly standard half gallon (1.9 liter) jug has a diameter right at 5" which is a good size. The 1/2 gal nested in the Snow Peak 1400 pot will join my truck kit. It won't replace the Nalgene bottle though, that bottle fits my water filter.

My mini-kit is in a backpack - same idea only water bottle has room for water.

...I have several; one at home, one for travel one at work...based in smallish daypacks ( because I tend to carry a jacket)