Got some survival related Christmas gifts:

1. An Inova X5. Wow, I love this light! Bright, waterproof, a good size, never needs bulb replacement......this thing is great. I think I will buy a few more to put in our vehicles. Other then needing those 123 batteries which are kinda expensive it is perfect.

2. Two survival books:
"The Encyclopedia of Survival Techniques" (Alexander Stilwell) and "Camping and Wilderness Survival" (Paul Tawrell)
Both are pretty good reads, not perfect information wise (one says you can use the spine of a hunting knife with a flint rock to get a good enough spark to light cotten tinger, it may be possible but I wouldn't rely on it), but has a lot of stuff left out in most survival guide books. The first book is laid out basically by geographical region the survival will take place, and has more then just wilderness survival. The second is laid out similar to the way this site is laid out. It has kit recomendations and techniques and even a few reviews.

3. A Benchmade 921-BLK switchback. What a nice knife, good steel, thin, sharp, the axis is a great lock, ect. Overall very nice, it has become my EDC.

4. A benchmade Benchmite. I am going to use it as my dress carry knife, but this thing is the perfect size for a pocket kit. It is thin, small but usable, has a simple solid lock, has a lanyard hole....I don't think you can find a more perfect knife. It doesn't have a pocketclip, but with the lanyard hole it can be worn around the neck without fear of it opening since it locks in the closed position too. If you are looking for a knife for your pocket or altoids sized kit this is it. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Buy batteries directly from Surefire or Arc and they are a $1 a piece. It just takes planning to order them in advance and replenish your stock when low. Don't pull my boss who walked into Radio Shack and purchased two CR123s for $20 (but I guess he can afford it).

I didn't get any gifts this year but one: my old man gave me a Swiss Army neck/belt pouch for traveling which is kind of neat.

I gave away survival stuff this season. All my friends got a thermo Cabellas steel cups, Inova X1 lights, and some got SOG knives other Leatherman Squirts. My kayaking buddy got Inova 24/7 light. I went all out this Xmas but I guess I worry about my friends out there since most of spend a lot of times outside (plus I'm sick of lending them my stuff).

Matt

I got a tiny AM radio that goes in your ear, a 'glotorch' which is a standard 2 AA krypton bulb torch that glows in the dark - just a token gift, a Mountain equipment Sleepwalker I bag and some Brasher Hillmaster Classic hiking boots. Nice.

Nice boots, Pete. I also got a pair of boots, Timberlands, and some snow pants. Not exactly survival-stuff, but better than slippers or a necktie.

I got some Hillmasters in Ireland about 16 months ago; I wear them almost daily. The soles have stood up very well and they are so comfortable. I wish they had a US distributor.

I got a GoLite Cave 2,lightweight backpacking tarp, very cool!
Also a North Face Squall synthetic fill sleeping bag.
Also i got a air filled sleeping mat that fills itself.
+Arc "AA" and "AAA" Led Flashlights

I pretty much requested items for Christmas. I got leather gloves, wool blend socks, pocketknife, LED flashlight, Backpack, Buttpack for large PSK?FAK, plus I got each of immediate family including myself 2 way radios. All the items were dual purpose for "survival/camping" because my boy is in Boy Scouts and I help out with them most of the time.

I got a couple of these items - somewhat to my surprise, I might add, I didn't know my relatives realised I was into "survival". One was a gold-plated whistle with hand-carved wooden handle, and the other was Chris McNab's "SAS Handbook of Living Off the Land" (whichI wasn't overly impressed with, I'm afraid - see my review in the "Lending Library" forum).

But one gift I got that wasn't (intentionally) survival related was a collection of stories and photographs put out by the Halifax (Canada) Chronicle-Herald in the aftermath of Hurricane Juan, which killed two people (one of them a paramedic responding to a call) and knocked out electrical power to one-third of the province.

Two stories of interest caught my eye:

1. At least two people who owned gas-driven generators spent days (at their own expense) hauling the generator from door to door in their neighbourhood to run the neighbours freezers (4 hours a day, 2 hours at a time) to prevent the food from spoiling before it could be used. One of them scrounged two long extension cords and was able to run 3 freezers simultaneously. How they figured out that running the freezer for 2 hours every 12 hours was sufficient to keep meat and other perishables from spoiling, I don't know - I suppose they just crossed their fingers and hoped. But it was kind of inspiring to me that people in those circumstances would react this way, when they could have just used the generator to run their own home.

2. Many people stocked up on food supplies before Juan hit, but unfortunately for them, they stocked up on perishables like meat. Most of these "emergency rations" had to be thrown out within days. Why people assumed that the electrical power wouldn't go out in a hurricane (or at best, that it would come back on line before the grocery stores re-opened) is beyond me, but it's a good lesson - that most people need to think their survival strategies through a little more thoroughly. <img src="images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

You don't need to run generator 24x7 to keep a refrigerator or freezer cold. An hour or so, a couple of times a day, should do a pretty good job, especially if you discipline yourself not to open the door more frequently than needed. The compressor on either does not run constantly, even if power is available.

Last May, in the aftermath of the tornadoes in my area, we were without power for over 36 hours. The food in my freezer was still cold, when power was restored, but we had already hauled the most important items to my in-laws, a few miles away.

My next door neighbor, though, was brought a generator by his son-in-law. They set it up in the driveway, ran extension cords into the house for the freezer & 'fridge, started the generator, then left it running all night while they left home to stay with daughter & son-in-law for the duration. We, the neighbors who remained in our homes (by choice), had to listen to the damned thing running all night. It would have been better received had it been run intermittently, or best, shared. However, it wasn't my generator (though it nearly was at around 4:00AM!!!) ;-)

I, & several other neighbors, have since made it a point to get to know each other a little better--which was the best aftermath of the storm (besides my new roof). :-)

David

I got a Benchmade 806-D2 AFCK. I really have been enjoying it and will carry it along with my Leatherman Wave.

I finaly recieved a knife I had designed by Jensen elite blades, in NSW Australia.
Its my personal survival knife that someone has now managed to bring to fruition for me.
A large knife (9" Blade) it combines both choping, cutting and digging capabilities.
It has some pedigree in the Brit D knife and Ghurka kukri as well as the QLD cane cutting knife.
Sounds a bit bizzare but it works for me.
Has a Micarta handle and a Kydex sheath which is held together with chigago screws allowing it to be stripped for ease of cleaning!
Will post a picture once I get hold of a digital camera.
I believe he is now selling the knife as the EVO Survival Tool?
I guess I shoulda patented my design?????????
Anyway that was the only survival gift I got for xmas.
Cheers all.

Pete, what is the sleeping bag like, I was thinking of getting one in the same range? Are they worth their money do you think, I know that they are good quality since they are used by Mountain Rescue teams?

Sorry, I haven't used it yet. I will PM you or post here when I get a chance to try it out. It packs small and is lightweight.

I got a Grundig FR 200 radio.It has a built in hand crank dynamo generator.Crank it around sixty times and it plays for an hour or so.It is AM,FM,SW1and SW2 bands.There is even a built in emergency light to boot.

i got a mora training knife, one of the british issue water bottles and a swedish fire steel. sound little tool but I'm not too chuffed with the striker.

chuffed?? Is that British english for impressed?<img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I believe you are correct about the word "chuffed"

http://english2american.com/dictionary/c.html

Chuffed can indeed mean impressd but also to produce or move with noisy puffing or explosive sounds: “Switch engines chuffed impatiently in busy rail yards”. I think the first defintion is the right one here though:)

With the swedish fire steel I use the back of my knife to produce sparks.

Now my xmass presents were
3 pair socks <img src="images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
a shirt
a colourful boxershort

and also something which falls into the survival category <img src="images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> some chocolate.
I was impressed with these presents as we normally dont have presents with xmass. Must have something to do with living on my own now.

Reinhardt

* A colourful beach towel (for signalling)
* 2 prs "secret "socks (great for fire-starting)
* biltong (survival rations)
* money (so i can buy everything else <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />!)