"survival kit" is a misnomer...

Posted by: TeacherRO

"survival kit" is a misnomer... - 11/30/20 08:02 PM

A survival kit heavily depends on what is is to be used for - and who is using it.
A bag packed for a day trip to your local county fair is vastly different from one packed for a week in the Canadian wilderness.
And the weather.
And your level of fitness and skill
And your age ad heath conditions
And your budget...

So there is no one good survival kit. And many options.
Posted by: Phaedrus

Re: "survival kit" is a misnomer... - 11/30/20 11:00 PM

I think there's still some overlap in kit for almost all circumstances. Many things are useful while at the fair or in the woods: Sunglasses, gloves, a pocketknife, flashlight, a water bottle, trail mix or power bars, etc.

But then most folks don't really think of the fair as a place you need a 'survival kit'. Cash is what you normally need to buy the true necessities for the fair...namely cotton candy and corn dogs! grin
Posted by: hikermor

Re: "survival kit" is a misnomer... - 11/30/20 11:40 PM

While it is true that a survival kit designed for a lifeboat adrift in mid ocean is not exactly the same that you would prefer for the Arizona desert, there are several basic commonalities, because you never know when you will be faced with a problem.

I think of a good friend and colleague with whom I worked for four seasons in the canyons of Arizona on an archaeological project. We did a fair amount of hiking, rock climbing, and four wheeling. No real problems although h successfully belayed one of the longest leader falls I ever experienced.

I returned the favor when we were presenting the results of our endeavors in a decidedly urban setting, a national archaeo conference held at the Mayflower Hotel in downtown Washington, DC. In mid session, he suffered a grand mal seizure. I was able to render first aid (along with an RN who happened to be there) and rode with him to the ER where I was able to provide background, history, contact his wife, etc.

Survival is fundamentally an attitude and state of mind, helped along with useful preps and worthwhile gadgets.
Posted by: Johno

Re: "survival kit" is a misnomer... - 12/01/20 01:42 PM


Originally Posted By: hikermor
Survival is fundamentally an attitude and state of mind, helped along with useful preps and worthwhile gadgets.


This is the most important mindset and lesson to take from here today. Also training helps too smile