“98.6” Blasphemy

I know many people here have read “98.6” and built their survival kits off of its suggested list. I’m no expert but I have played with these things for several years now. I thought it would be fun to look at the items and see if we agree with them after having done our own testing with these items. Let me start by saying that Cody’s list is great and each item will serve you well. The question is what have you decided you did not really like or need to carry and what have you found that works even better?

Mora neck knife:
I’m not about to have anything around my neck if I don’t have to. My son was taking ASU REC340 Wilderness Survival and was trying to pry out some fat wood from a stump and broke the tip off his Mora. I have always felt unconfident on the thin tang and hollow wood or solid plastic handle. It cuts great, easy to sharpen and you can make sparks from a carbon steel version. I dumped it for an indestructible Cold Steel True Flight Thrower.

Freezer bags:
Good stuff

Tincture of iodine 2%:
Not happening! I have the MP1 tablets in my PSK and Polar Pur in my car PSK

Condom:
Not happening! They can not be filled by mortal man.

Regular Space blanket:
OK, but replaced by AMK heat sheet.

One roll dental floss:
Great stuff, but there is no reason to take the roll out of the container.

Colored surveyor’s tape:
Great Stuff!

Pea-less brightly colored plastic whistle:
Fox 40 is great!

Paraffin-coated, strike anywhere kitchen matches in brightly colored match safe:
I don’t need no stinking matches! If I have a mini Bic, a big ferro rod and treated cotton tinder why would I want to mess with frail matches?

Disposable butane lighter:
Mini Bic is great! Also have a flame modified lighter in my PSK and an extra mini Bic.

Magnesium-block fire starter with hacksaw blade scraper:
Hate it! The magnesium flakes are hard to scrape off, they go all over the place, the wind blows them around, it dulls your knife, and you just get a 2 second flash! I have a County Comm Metal Match, MagFire Pro, and pulled Strike Force ferro rod. Keep the “Pink Floyd majesty!”

6 to 8 cotton balls saturated with PJ:
Keep the slime balls! I’ll take my (15 each) two baggies of Coghlan’s emergency Tinder.

Credit card size magnifying lens:
Good stuff! Just don’t try to actually start a fire with one.

AA Flashlight:
The AA Maglight was the standard utility light for a long time. Photon covert, CMG Infinity Ultra, SureFire C2, and Petzl Tikka XP

Extra batteries:
Roger!

Extra carbon-steel knife with sheath:
Maybe, but if you have extra ferro rods why worry about carbon steel for sparks? I do have a Carbon V steel knife but I don’t plan to try to get sparks off of it. You can’t beat the utility of a Leatherman Wave or Charge Ti and a good fixed blade knife. A separate folding saw is light and a great tool!

Clear plastic drinking tube:
OK

Collapsible, 1-2 gallon water container:
Good stuff!

Two 55 gallon barrel liners:
Why not use clear bags that can be used for transpiration?

Heavy-duty space blanket:
I’ve tried the HD Space Blanket and the one with a hood. They are good for reflecting heat but not mush protection if you get stuck out in a cold rain. The Coghlan’s Survival Bag can be modified to be a water and wind proof mini-tent that can be set up in a few minutes. It can also provide immediate shelter if you step into it, sit down, and pull the top abound your head.

Wool or synthetic stocking cap:
Roger!

Cotton bandana:
Roger!

100 feet of 550 parachute cord:
Yes it is wonderful stuff and I have taken it apart and played with it. I don’t like it! I would rather have normal braided nylon cord in the size of parachute cord. I also have thin cord that is also braided nylon. For small stuff I have dental floss. Why would I want to “stress” over cutting my parachute cord and wondering if I am going to need an inner strand longer than I just cut the cord. Just carry the three different sizes. Also the cord needs to be wrapped around something or you will have a big tangled mess when you try to use it.

3” x 5” glass, sightable signal mirror with duct taped foam pouch:
I have one and it works better than anything else out there. But, if you plan to signal aircraft you will have about 30 second to deploy your signal mirror and flash the plane. That means you need to keep the mirror on you at all times. The 3”x5” is too heavy to wear around your neck! The 2”x3” glass signal mirror is a comfortable size to wear for extended periods. The plastic mirrors do NOT reflect anywhere near as much light as glass. The duct taped pouch does a wonderful job of protecting the glass. It is very thick tough glass. It is not some frail thing that can break easily! The Ritter PSP mirror works as good as the glass mirror of the same size. The StarFlash plastic mirror dose not work very well! It does not reflect nearly as much light as a glass mirror and the fireball aimer is too bright and make it very hard to see past to see the target and aim. But hey; it floats and it is unbreakable!

Homemade first aid kit:
Maybe! Yes you can see in, but a Ziploc bag is a wimpy container for frequent use. I prefer a store bought first-aid kit that I can add to.

Uncle Peppy’s patented power pack stack:
Ingredients taken off the market.

7.5 topo map and compass:
Roger!

Two candy or snack bars:
Roger!

Duct Tape:
Don’t leave home without it!

Sawer Extractor Kit:
I have one but no longer keep it in my PSK. All the survival and outdoor classes I have taken suggest NOT using any extraction device if bitten or stung

Nalgine bottle wrapped in duct tape:
OK, but a Camelbak is better for staying hydrated and everyone I know that has one tends to just keep it on when they are outdoors. They are very comfortable and you tend to forget you have it on. A heavy fanny pack is uncomfortable to wear for extended periods. A Camelbak is a much better way to carry your PSK.

What is missing?
An extra knife!
Large clear plastic bags for transpiration, to get water.
A knife sharpener, a credit size diamond plate or X style ceramic sharpener
A $.99 poncho (you can use the trash bag but then you can‘t use it for other things)
36” x 36” sheet of aluminum foil or some container to boil water
A small saw can be a wonderful thing
Leather work gloves (keep your hands warm and protected)
Some fatwood could really help
A small pair of binoculars could also really help

Very nice few things thou:

Nalgine botthe can be used as a heater by pouring boiling water, wrapping it in a sock and stuffing it either in your clothes/bag. Works like a charm and used many times in the mountains. Also they do work great as a storage bins.

55 gallon drum liners. Usually black in color. Black "attracts" sun, hotter inside if you ever need to make shelter. Don't want to carry two? Carry a black one and clear one. Also isn't black one stronger in terms of ply count?

Yes you can start the fire with mag lens but problem is that in survival situation you never have sun <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Every kit is a suggestion. He sets minium standards and wants you to build up from there. Mora knife, Maglight, home made FAK are all economical choices. Probably if he had his way everyone would carry a Leatherman TI, with SF light and Wildernes Med Kit but than the kit would be $300. I think that you did exactly what Lundin wanted you to do. You took his kit and analyzed it. You applied his principles and adapted your own to fit his kit. You also expended on his ideas.

Good job <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

First off: Give your son a world class bollicking. You NEVER EVER use your knife as a prybar. Give his instructor one as well. Mora knives are sharp not tough. And you carry it on a cord around your body not around your neck. The idea is to ensure that irrespective of what happens you stay attached to your knife. Clip your firestick to the cord as well. Best way yo get a pine resin knot out of a lump of wood is to tap it with the back end of an axe. If that ain't an option hammer it against a tree. What you use as tinder is a matter of personal choice. I happen to prefer the Survival inc Wet-Fire cubes in their individual foil packages. Open the package, shave or crush as you see fit, ignite it. Add tinder and vóla! One free tip for you: when using a firestick use the back of the saw on the Leatherman Wave and draw the firestick back against the saw not, as some people do, the saw down the stick. If you want a good demo of these things take a look at Ray Mears DVD's or read his book "Bushcraft" ISBN 0 340 79258 2 . Recommended. Shelter wise, use a decent quality poncho, a cheap one will shred in any sort of wind. Only thing they are really good for is collecting rainwater. Erect a 4 pole "X" frame, small stone tied in to each corner in the classic fashion, lash to frame , small stone in the back of the hood. Pray for rain. Best use for a garbage bag is to stuff it with leaves etc in order to insulate yourself from the ground or as a rain trap or to keep your firewood dry or.....

I can't seem to get that line out of my head - "By nature the black bags and liners are thicker" - it's made me chuckle since I read it. I'm picturing the black bags in their natural habitats, suddenly trapped by man, and put into service as trash bags.

At least where I come from, you can buy varying thicknesses of black or clear bags - with the thickest being labelled something like contractor bags these days.

A knife is a tool... sometime you have to pry with it! Doug and I have had a few conversations on this... and don't see eye to eye. But, in an emergency you use the tools you have at hand. One of the factors I use when choosing a knife for work is how well will it hold up if I need to pry or "pop" a door with it. One of the reasons I went to carrying a Leatheman Knife at work is the flat screwdriver to pry with.

I dislike using the words never and always for emergencies. There is typically an exception to every rule. A knife shouldn't be used to pry, if you have a more appropriate tool.

Hear, hear!

I hate prying with a knife. That being said, I've done it a number of times. I hate batoning, but I'll do it.

My gear is important, but my backside is critical to my survival.

which brings to mind some hunters sitting in a bar after a successful hunting braging about their quarry over a beer... "I bagged meself a black one yesterday"

"Give your son a world class bollicking"

No can do! He is 21 and can kick my butt! <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I need to test the $.99 poncho. I used a $3 poncho during a rainstorm during a campout near the Grand Canyon and it worked great!

Let me comment on the clear trash bags: I got mine from the Survival and Outdoor Safety web site. Here is a picture of one being used:



From here: clear plastic bags

is that outdoor safety site still operational since Gene Ward passed away?

it's operational but more of a memorial to Gene.

Survival and Outdoor Safety

Great subject Craig!
I guess I think somewhat differently, we all do here and there. I prefer to carry less but take only tested, reliable items that I know I can count on.
I shall share what works for me, not to say your list won't, you take what you are comfortable with.
Knife, usually two, a solid fixed blade with full tang and a locking blade SAK. No multitool, too heavy for wilderness carry.
Water purification, a MSR mini-waterworks and back up with some Potable Aqua tablets.
Water carry, a Camelbak 100oz and a Nalgene 1L bottle. Never put all my water in one basket!
Condom, NO, they are for entertainment, not survival:)
Space Blanket, nope. The only use I ever found for one was to defeat heat seeking sensors on an AC-130. I had the military one which is green on one side. It was effective in that roll. Although the crew later pointed out if they had lit me up with a few miniguns I would have likely bolted!
Dental Floss, yeah, handy stuff.
Surveyers tape, no. I can always strip up a piece of bright clothing.
Whistle, mandatory. I use an ACR I like the sound and size.
Firestarting, a FireSteel a BIC and some tender quick tabs. I also carry SA matches in an old BSA matchsafe. Goes back to my youth. I do not treat the matches, makes them go bad sooner in my experience.
Magnifiying lens, a credit card size fresnel. Handy for reading in bad light with my old eyes. Can start a fire with patience, sunlight. A last ditch method to me.
Light source, a Black Diamond Xenix IQ. Good battery life, light can be used hands free since it is a headlight. adjustable lighting.
Spare batteries, yes sir.
Drinking tube, well the Camelbak has one built in. I also carry 3ft of silicone tubing, flexible and does not dry out as easily as some plastics.
Water bladder, sometimes take a MSR Dromedary.
Poncho, a nylon decent quality one with the extended pack back, ties for guylines and staking.
2 or 3 30 gallon trash bags. Black because they are heat attracting. Also a TMRU tube shelter. light bright and will cover well.
Wool hat, always.
Cotton bandana, almost never.
50ft 550 cord and 50ft of lighter mil-spec nylon cord. Does loads of things on one light package.
Signal mirror, yes indeed. I use a military plastic one with built in removeable protector. Peels off and sticks back on when not in use.
FAK, Adventure Medical .7 model with a few extra items.
Map and Silva Ranger compass. I prefer 15 minute maps, 4 times the area for one map. Getting harder to find these days!
Snack food, gotta have it.
Snake bite kit, yep it's a military web belt also used to hold up pants.
I have a few other items but this list is long enough already!
Cheers!

Like he would do that to his dear old Dad. Seriously though, you have to be very respectful of your kit's physical limitations. He could have just as easily have broken it off near the hilt. What you really need is a good, small lightweight prybar of some type. Anyone got any suggestions ?

I've just become familiar with Peter Atwood's products. This page has his products. I was thinking the Bug Out Bar might fit what you are looking for. You may find his other tools of interest as well. I don't own any yet, but plan to as budget permits.

A cheaper alternative to a prybaby would be a pocketwrench II.
I carry it in the same pouch as my swisstool spirit.
You can find it here

Keep in mind one thing about 98.6 -- It is an introductory book that also tries to be fugal. It is far easier to convince somebody to spend $20 on survival gear than it is get them to spend $100.

The knife upgrade might be a good idea, but the magnesium firestarter, matches, and iodine are available in every town. You might even be able to pick this stuff up while you get your groceries. Only a few people are lucky enough to live near County Com.

Your recommendations do make some sense, but only to people who know something about the subject. For the masses of people who would just scratch their heads and say "huh?", they are still better off with a Lundun kit than nothing.

Nice review Craig and I agree with many of your assessments. Here are some of my preferences to add.

Prying: For a full and medium size PSK or BOB, I prefer a Leatherman Wave for small prying duties (which can be handled with one of the screwdriver blades). For working with wood, preping for fire and making quarters, I have a small hatchet; perfect for prying wood, splitting, using as a hammer to drive in stakes, and of course cutting and chopping.


Always carry a sharpening device.... I'm old school, still prefer an aluminum oxide disc stone for knives and hatchet. It's very quick to get a sharp blade. If you want a honed blade, let one side of the stone get clogged up with shavings by not wetting the stone, or add a diamond sharpener card.

Agree, who needs matches when you have flint and steel. Yes, those magnesium blocks are a pain, a lot pf prep for a little flash. I would prepare a few added Coghlan’s emergency Tinder by rolling them in magnesium chips (yes, you've converted me) for harsh weather fire starter.

Add Kevlar thread....you can get it on ebay in various sizes and lengths. It's much stronger and tougher than dental floss and you won't have to mess with pulling apart your para cord.

An additional knife? I you are going to carry a sheath knife, try a Glock field knife... OK, I hear many of you moan, "it won't keep an edge". Well they're made to be tough, and not brittle. Chop, split wood, pry, it's a durable blade (that will probably bend before it breaks). Plus you can order a Glock field knife with "root saw " spine. They are a tough, proven military field knife and inexpensive. less tahn $40. My Dad's WWII USM8 field knife is the same design and similar steel.... I abused it as a kid for years and somehow it held up fine.

I keep one in the pouch with my leatherman, on in my bag of tricks, and few spares around. Love it.

If someone needs a right angle, most TrueValues have a couple models of little crowbars. Abechauns (sp) and HomeDespot usually doesn't have them, oddly.

Atwood makes great gear, but for the price... I can get a lot of good gear for the same price.

I invested in Peter's bug out bar [and it is an investment], but it is built like a tank and if I need one, I don't want a flimsy piece of steel that won't do the job. I have confidence in the Atwood bar, even if it is expensive [and it is the right size for my kit].

I built my second, more hardy PSK based off of Cody's list. I have made some changes too, and I uses Craig's list to list those changes. I agree with alot of what Craig says, but here are my changes.

Mora neck knife: I agree with this. I think the Mora is a great knife, but I don’t like anything around my neck.
Freezer bags: Agreed, I have a few of these in my kits and cars.

Tincture of iodine 2%: Yeah this is a pain. I traded mine out for standard iodine pills. I have had two bottle break on me when I dropped them just getting them out of the shopping bag. I am going to stick with the pills.

Condom: No way. The amount of work it takes to fill them and then try to drink out of them is too much effort. Although, if its all you have...

Regular Space blanket: I don’t have one of these in my PSK, but I do in my camelbak.

One roll dental floss: this stuff is great, but I did take it out of the case. There are times when I wish I hadn't. Anyway, Its still great stuff.

Colored surveyor’s tape: Good stuff, I have used this for years when I have been hunting, camping or fishing.

Pea-less brightly colored plastic whistle: Fox 40 is great! Agreed.

Paraffin-coated, strike anywhere kitchen matches in brightly colored match safe: I have a lighter and a mag block, but paraffin coated matches degrade over time, so I stopped using them. I keep regular matches in the match safe, instead of paraffin coated matches.

Disposable butane lighter: Mini bics are good, but they are so small in my large mitts, so I have a large one that I de child proofed and adjusted the flame.

Magnesium-block fire starter with hacksaw blade scraper: Not impressed overall with this, but it is a source of dry tender no matter where you are. It is time consuming, and can be a pain, but it does work. The hacksaw blade makes its easier to get a large pile of shavings or dust and will make a large spark to light the pile.

6 to 8 cotton balls saturated with PJ: These are great. I use them to start fires all the time.

Credit card size magnifying lens: I have started fires with this, but it is very fragile. At my one year kit check, I found that it was cracked down the middle. After that, I keep it only to see small things like splinters in my hand.

AA Flashlight:
I have a photon as my primary but I carry this as a back up. The ability to get batteries and parts for the light at almost any gas stations makes it a clear choice. Extra batteries are key to any flashlight

Extra carbon-steel knife with sheath: I have so many knives on me and in my PSK, that I feel pretty confident that I may not need an extra knife.

Clear plastic drinking tube: This is great to have. I have been in situations, where if I was in survival mode, it would have been great.

Collapsible, 1-2 gallon water container: Great stuff as well. But I will admit, that I don’t carry it.

Two 55 gallon barrel liners: Any kind of plastic liner will allow for transpiration, you just wont be able to see it. I have a couple of them in my truck and one in my camelbak.

Heavy-duty space blanket: Don’t carry this. I have a couple of extra blankets in my trucks.

Wool or synthetic stocking cap: yep, I have a polar fleece cap in my truck or on my person. I do however prefer to have a boonie style hat when it is hot.

Cotton bandana: I love these. I also have a shmegah. I love that thing as well. I would like to get a shmegah that is fluorescent yellow or orange, but in the mean time, I would like to have a larger bandana on blaze orange.

100 feet of 550 parachute cord: Invaluable all the time. I have a huge roll of it in my garage for kits and general tie down. The only problem is that some knots will not stay tied in parachute cord.

3” x 5” glass, sightable signal mirror with duct taped foam pouch: Great piece of gear. I have had one of these for years.

Homemade first aid kit: I have a one that I have built, but most store bought kits are pretty bad. They are more akin to kits for scrapes and cuts, and less applicable to wilderness injuries. I have built my own, but admittedly, since I am a Marine, I have access to some things that other people don't to augment my kit. But, more the point, I dont like store bought kits.

Uncle Peppy’s patented power pack stack: I don’t get this. Cody says that you should not consume caffeine during a survival situation due to its affect on water consumption. So why does he recommend taking things that require more water to metabolize (sp?)?

7.5 topo map and compass: I would add a GPS as well, as a back up.

Two candy or snack bars: I carry more than this

Duct Tape: I have so much of this, I could build a shelter out of the stuff.

Sawer Extractor Kit: I have no opinion on this, but from what I have read, they work pretty well. But then again, I have read an equal number of posts that say the opposite.

Nalgine bottle wrapped in duct tape: I am huge Nalgene fan. I agree with the camelbak, as I have three of these, but filling them in the field is difficult unless you have some falling or moving water. I like the Nalgene, or Nalgene knock offs, because of the wide mouth, Making them easy to fill. The fact that they have the industry standard for water purification systems is another plus as well. I have modified mine as Cody says, making a loop in some 550 cord and taping them with duct tape. I do carry a camelback whenever I am out on the field, but I have some sort of wide mouth bottle close by at all times as well. That ensures I have at least a gallon of water with me at all times. It is awkward at times, but when I am thirsty or hot, I am glad I have so much water.

What have I added?
More pencils and paper for notes or tender.

I also have a couple of small screwdrivers in my camelback to fix photons, gps, etc. These are in addition to those on my Swisstool. And you never know what you ar going to find in the wild.

I have a sharpening kits in my bag as well.

I always carry a few chemlites as well. They do help save on batteries and can be used to signal helicopters or, if you have to, mark a landing zone.

Sunglasses are key for me. I have had eye surgery and my eyes are very light sensitive, so I need sunglasses. I have a few paris stashed all over the place so I am rarely without them.

Wire is a good thing to have as well, it can be used to make repairs on items like boots or gear where a stronger seam is required.

Curved needles, like those in suture kits, are good to have as well for making repairs, or to stitch up deep cuts. I dont know if I could do this to myself or not, but having the ability to do it makes me feel better at least.

Well that’s about it for now. I have to get some yard work done today. This is a great thread!

Garrett

I bought a couple rolls/flats of Gaffer's tape and some clear 60 gallon trash bags. They are fully operational and will send your order quickly! They have some items you can't find anywhere else. Good stuff! Other than the shelters the video is good to. I have watched mine several times. He has some good survival ideas you may not see elsewhere.

Never read his book, and (until now) never saw what he suggested putting in the kit...

I think I did pretty well anyway though <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Am I the only who carries spf 30 chapstick?
tiny and can be used on lips, nose face --essential, esp in winter

Teacher

Ditto.

What I'm going to say about it is that everything but the Mora and paracord can be had at any Walmart or Target I've ever been in. That means a lot for a first survival kit. It isn't great, but it is good enough.

Is there anything special that is needed in terms of cutting or tieing kevlar thread? I found both kev and specta, and... WOW! If it doesn't need anything special, it could replace everything smaller than paracord in my PSK, maybe even the snare wire!

It looks feels and acts just like regular string or heavy sewing cord. I did just that, I replaced the snare material, sewing thread and floss with Kevlar. I still keep the para cord but no longer have a need to take it apart for separate strands.

You don't have to go through ebay for the Spectra thread. Spider Wire (a brand name, there are others) fishing line can be found in any fishing department. 30lb test is same size as dental floss (and works as dental floss too).

I cut a piece of orange Kydex plastic, about 1" x 1 1/2" into the shape of a 2 diminsional thread spool (that's probably confusing, should post pictures) and wrapped 65 feet of line around it. I used it to replace the roll of nylon thread in the Ritter PSP. It's so flat it takes up less room than the nylon roll and there's 15 feet more of it. A real win-win situation, and it's got a million uses.

His book is a good read and does make you think, worth the money and time right there. And his constant hammering on the subject of hydration will make you truly understand the importance of proper hydration in any situation. I drink a lot more water daily than I ever used too since I read his book.

I've got Spiderwire, but it seems to want to unbraid and bunch when I've tried sewing with it.

Or should I try waxing it?

Get the teflon coated (stealth) style.

Of course to wax it you could pull it across a candle, or even your chapstick.

I hope your don't mind Craig. I'm going to plunk this link down in the middle of some questions about Kevlar and Spectra thread and line.

The link below is a BYU paper on the use of these materials, mostly related to reinforcement fibers, but at the end of the paper there are tables of properties. Properties or Kevlar and Spectra

I'm still not sure of the UV sensitivity of Kevlar. I know sailmakers noted a problem but then Kevlar is used for lines in both parachute and paragliding wings. For now I'll stick with Kevlar as it is fire resistent, where Spectra "burns readily".

I have a Gerber folding saw that works well. It is a little bulky but I would be glad to have it in a situation.
What about the small saw in the Leatherman Wave (or other multi-tool) ? What does everyone think about the utility of these small folding saws? ( in real life "situations")

The leatherman's saw blade rules!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

The saw is quite nice. Reminds me of a mini version of my Stanley "Shark" toolbox saw. Pretty nice for cutting down saplings for shelter or even bigger jobs with some judicious cutting around the outside of a larger branch. I once had to cut a 2x4 and didn't feel like going back for my hand saw... the LM did the job admirably (my arm was sore, but then I was trying to make a nice cut <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> )

We had some tree branches we had to cut in our back yard. These would be the same size as needed for shelter construction. My Leatherman Charge saw would have been slow and painful. The handle on the Leatherman is not designed for prolonged hard use. It has lots of sharp edges on the handle. I used my Gerber Sportsman's Saw and it was amazing how easy it is to cut. It seems green wood is much easier to cut than dry wood. The handle on the Sportsman's saw is comfortable for long, heavy use. I keep one in my Camelbak. It is light and flat. I think it is worth its weight.

With a PSK sometimes I feel like Felix the Cat with his bag of tricks. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

The saw on a Vic 111mm SAK or a Weneger (sp?) 120mm SAK is hard to beat.

The Victorinox and Leathman saws are made by the same company... I don't know who, but this is what I have been told. Compare them side by side...

I use the saw on the Wave quite often. Within it's limit's- fantastic !!!! Pity it ain't twice the size. Like all small saws ( 2.5") it's lenth places sharp limits on what you can or cannot do with it. Anything up to thumbs width, no problem. 3-5" or there abouts, saw around the edges to around 1-1.5" deep then snap the limb. Beyond that, you will need a sports saw. I have found that the Fiskar's "sports " saw, 6"ish folded, is a good compromise between size (almost the same dimensions & weight as the Frost survival knife) and weight. Not as robust as the Gerber due to it being a twist lock design but adequate to short term usage. If it's going to get serious then we are into Granfóre's ( I think I spelt that right) territory. The lads over at U.S. Rescue have a high opinion of the leatherman. They expect things to survive a years use & abuse. Emphasis on the abuse. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking ( see the links page on the E.T.S. main page, worth a read) unlike wire saws.

That's a nice size. Have you tried prying anything that might bend that 1/8"? Doesn't look to have much leverage, but I could be wrong. Nice price, plus it has other features. I'm also wondering if you've used it as the wrench as it looks like it might round off the corners.

I've EDCed one for a year now. I've wedged it in between two frozen together items and put the boot to it. It isn't bent yet. :P I would say that it is as strong as a good knife blade, maybe more.

The wrench is a little funny at first, becuase it only grips in one direction. One side is smooth, the other has teeth, which you could (I suppose) catch on the corners of the bolt, or on the flat. If you catch on the corners, you could round the item, but on the flat, no chance.

I've used it as a wrench to tighten the nuts on my kid's bikes. It works quite nicely and doesn't really round off the edges.
I haven't tried prying anything with it but it figure if i ever needed extra leverage, I could open up my swisstool, stick one handle into the wrench slot and have a kind of extra leverage from the swisstool. The swisstool spirit is tough as nails and i wouldn't hesitate to use it as a leveraging bar.

Well, it's certainly cheap enough for me to buy one for a test. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Wow!! De Ja Vu! I just saw this same thread from the same person over at BF. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Keep in mind that Cody's list isn't designed to be the "ultimate" in gear but rather an effective and *inexpensive* solution.

Also... filling a condom is easy. It just takes a tiny amount of creativity. If I was carrying Cody's kit I would plug the hole in the bottom of the mora sheath with my thumb and use the sheath as a "cup" to scoop water into the condom. If my condom is in an Altoids tin then the tin is my "scoop". It's amazingly easy to fill a condom. How about a shoe or a hat? Even a properly folded piece of paper, bark, a leaf, a piece of cloth, or any other number of things can be used. You just have to use your #1 survival tool. The one attached to the end of your neck.

Guilty as charged! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

What do you think of the different responses?

I must be immortal! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />