A Belt-Pack PSK.

I've been working on a belt-pack/vest/cargo-pockets size emergency preparedness PSK for a while and would like some critical input on these item; stuff you like, stuff your don't like, what I may still need to add or what to remove. All the categories are packaged flat in 6 mil zip locks (so nothing will blow-away when the bag is opened). All the meds are the small 2 tablet pre-packaged type that you see in quickstops.

Individual Emergency Preparedness, Belt-Pack Size Kit.
Working Draft May 4rd, 2006

First Aid Group: within 1 plastic Case
Small First Aid Kit 33 piece
2 ex strength non aspirin tablets
2 ibuprofen tablets
2 Aspirin tablets
3 Antiseptic cleaning wipes
3 Alcohol cleansing pads
6 ¾” x 3” adhesive bandages
10 3/8 x 1~1/2 junior bandages
1 1~1/2” square patch bandage
Butterfly wound closure
1 First Aid Guide

Added to First Aid group
14 Iosat Tablets
4 Hand Cleaners
2 N95 Particulate Respirators
4 Antimicrobial Wipes
2 Blistex .5 gr
2 PDI Sting Relief
4 25 mg Antihistamine
4 anti acid tablets
4 electrolyte tablets
4 anti diarrheal tablets
Small bottle, Purell hand sanitizer.

Sleep/Warmth Weather Group:
Heat Sheet
Poncho

Fire Starter & Light Group:
Simple 1/8" Flint Rod
(Steel blade on Leatherman P4)
6 Wax/Cotton w/Magnesium fire starters
2 Tea Candle
2 Light Sticks
Micro Light, Extra Lithium batteries

Water/Purification/Food Group:
Potable Aqua Tablets for 6 Quarts
2, 4.2oz Bags of Water
Two 16oz containers
1 Tin Foil mini loaf pan
12 x 12” tin foil
1 large clear oven bag
5’ Aquarium hose
1 High Protein Cracker & Spread, (or 3600 cal food bar)
Hard Candy,
Cocoa, Coffee

Communication/ Direction Finding:
Small Whistle w/lanyard
Surveyors Flagging
Silva Trekker Compass w/ mirror in lid
AM/FM SW Radio w/extra lithium batteries


Tool/Hardware/Group:
Leatherman P4
10' Coated Stainless Wire
30' Nylon String
50' Kevlar string
50’ paracord
Bottle contents:
Exterior, Duct Tape 36”
Interior:
4 Fishing hooks
2 Snap swivels
5 split shot
2 Sewing needles
4 Safety Pins

Personal Group:
TP, Hand Sanitizer
Bandana
Bug Repellent
Lip Balm

=============================================
*Users personalize kit with:

Personal medications
Water,
Seasonal clothing
Cell Phone,
Maps, GPS Unit, w/
Dynamo or Solar Charger/
Rechargeable Batteries,
Regional map
Personal ID Drivers License,
Passport, Birth Certificate,
Cash small valuables
Self Defense Tools


This kit weighs less than 5 pounds and easily fits in a medium sized fanny pack or a vest. It cost under $100 to put together, including the fanny pack. Sixty dollars of that $100 was the expense for the Mini Grundig Radio, Leatherman P4 and the Silva compass. The following image shows how I have the groups packaged flat.

I think you should add:

A head-net, sunscreen, wind/waterproof matches, sewing kit, gloves, sharpening stone and medical dressings (triangulair/ trauma).
Replace the tea candles with a pink-lady or other emergency candle.
More water-purifying tabs (MP-1 / mircopur)

In reply to:
4 Fishing hooks
2 Snap swivels
5 split shot
2 Sewing needles
4 Safety Pins

Is there also fishing line? I didn't saw it in the list.



Can you get a LED-headlight in there?

Where did you get the peanut butter packs?

The Peanut butter is from MREs. When I was attempting to teach my wife how good MREs were, I had a candlelight dinner with steaming MREs on the table when she got home form work. She just shook her head.... we dined and there were some leftovers. She liked it.

Yes, there's room for a headnet but why if you have bug repellent? I forgot to add sunscreen, thanks. I have sewing thread (Kevlar) and needles and monofilament (forgot to list the latter). I don't need matches; if I wanted redundancy to the firestarting group, I would add another flint.

Sharpening stone...check. More Iodine, Check!
Tea candles are a much better choice IMHO. They burn three and a half hourseach, they sit anywhere and with a metal cup.

A headnet could be used for all sorts of things, like a fishing net, water -filter, snow melting, equipment-bag, etc.

An added benefit of the bug net is sleeping at night. Even with bug spray, those little terrors execute pyschological warfare on you by flying close to your ears and keeping you awake. With a head net and ear plugs, you can get a good night's sleep (relatively speaking) in an buggy area.

Garrett

A good kit. Some thoughts:

1. more water purification pills
2. drop the chem lights in favor of other light source
3. add a fleece hat and fleece jacket ( tied on top) --even in the Summer nights get cold
4. sunglasses/ ball cap for sun protection
5. Drop the paracord in favor of 50# fishing line
6. can you fins a metal cup which fits on the bottom of one of your water bottles?

TRO

( Yep. I said it. Don't carry paracord.)

How are you storing the Potable-Aqua?

I agree more tablets are necessary (or switching to another type). Glass vials with teflon seals are required to keep these tablets from decomposing.

I also think you should add matches in a waterproof case...or a disposable lighter. As Chris has pointed out many times having a familiar firestarting method for others to use to assist you can be a very good idea. Not everyone is familiar with a firesteel.

Otherwise this looks like a nice kit.

What are Iosat tablets?

OK...You two have talked me into it.
Bug net, Check!

TEACHER says:

1. "more water purification pills"....Check

2. "drop the chem lights in favor of other light source"... I don't think so. These are light weight and convenient. Spun on a short cord at night these can be seen for miles.

3. "add a fleece hat and fleece jacket ( tied on top) --even in the Summer nights get cold". Got it. That's at the end of the list. "User's add"

4. "sunglasses/ ball cap for sun protection", Again, bottom of list "User's Add"

5. Drop the paracord in favor of 50# fishing line... OK but how can you grasp and reef on #50 mono? I've been looking for flat nylon lace to no avail (thus far) anyone have leads?

6. "can you find a metal cup which fits on the bottom of one of your water bottles?" I have a foil bread pan but I like the cup idea too, as long as I don't have to pay a ridiculous price for it...(like titanium) Any leads to aluminum cups that fit a standard 16oz water bottle?

THANK YOU!

Schwert says:
"How are you storing the Potable-Aqua?" In tiny zip locs, two of them.

"I agree more tablets are necessary (or switching to another type). Glass vials with teflon seals are required to keep these tablets from decomposing." I may have to repackage these then right?

"I also think you should add matches in a waterproof case...or a disposable lighter. As Chris has pointed out many times having a familiar firestarting method for others to use to assist you can be a very good idea. Not everyone is familiar with a firesteel." That's a good idea.... I hate matches but I'll add them in a waterproof container.

What are Iosat tablets? Iosat is Potassium Iodide used to block the effects of radiation on the thyroid.. Learn more about radiation blocking.

Isn't it better to pack bug lotion containing DEET such as Ultrathon® by the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (I thought 3M was Canadian before...) because you're sure to not put it on your synthetic clothes and you shouldn't put it under your clothes anyway. Another benefit of this kind of lotion is that you can see where you put it unlike the Muskol® clear liquid lotion. And this kind of lotion slows the absorbtion of DEET in the skin. That's also probably another reason why you should apply suncreen 30 min before DEET lotion if you have to protect against both sun and bugs.

Unfortunately for me Ultrathon® isn't allowed in Canada because since 2004 the maximum DEET % allowed here is 30. But the closest product I found is Watkins 28.5 DEET lotion and apparently many foresters in Québec swear by it but to be really sure I would have to try it myself and expose myself in a mosquito and black flies infested area because as Doug points out we don't all have the same body chemistry.

François

In my opinion, the knife sharpener is not required.

I would not bring tealight candles. I suggest UCO 9-hour burning candles... Non-dripping, long lasting, better burning.

I'm currently wondering what the so called pink lady candles have that other white emergency candles don't have. Why are they called pink lady?

Thanks

Yup....Potable-Aqua in a poly zip bag will degrade into an inactive tablet quite quickly and potentially damage adjacent items in the kit with iodine vapors.

In a kit this size I would simply carry the Potable-Aqua bottle they are supplied in....gives you 25 doses and shelf-life at the same time.

Switching to micropur is another alternative, but I just carry a full bottle of Potable-Aqua in my shoulder bag kit.

Bee, those are pretty cool. Is the wind guard on the lantern big enough to support a metal cup? More importantly can you put one on top without the candle going out.

I'm also wondering if they are dripless when not under compression in the lantern. Ever try cutting them down into smaller "tealight" size ones?

<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> nice!

I wasn't necessarily talking about the UCO lantern as a whole, but only the non-drip candles that designed to be used in them (for the original poster's PSK project.

I would add a blastmatch and as many of the individual wetfire cubes as can be conveniently be carried. And you cannot have too many butane lighters. I would also suggest that you go to the links page and have a look at the U.S. Rescue site. Not sure I agree with them about wire saws or knives but it's still a damned interesting site. Also look at Doug's comments about survival kits on the main site.

Right .... but only if they still "work" when you need them !! <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />
I was a fan of chem lights, before really needing them. Most were not functioning when I tried to use them (limit date not expired ; package not punctured)
now, I use electronic devices, at least you can periodically test if they works and replace batteries when needed.

IMHO, a blastmatch is simply a gadget manner of selling flint and steel to those who don't know how to use a flint and steel. I already know how to use a plain flint which takes-up a fraction of the space of a blastmatch. I prefer not to depend upon any form of lighters either. I will certainly check out the web sites you mentioned. Thank you!

Gotchya...tear the kit apart, loose the tablets and replace with bottle full of PA... Check!

I can see you have not used one... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Just for kicks, I tried it on a piece of paper that had been siting on the damp ground for a few hours, just to see if it would burn through it... It did more than that... It set it ablaze!!!...
This was NOT a cut up piece of paper either... Just a flat piece of very damp notebook paper...

Also, it can be used one handed...
I have also been practising using it with just one hand and and NOTHING to push against... That took a bit of practise, but I got that quickly enough, by using one to get make sparks as a signal(only problem being when you get one down your shirt <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> or you get one of the 'persistent' sparks that keeps burning for 3 or 4 seconds, and burns the carpet!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />).
BTW I have never seen anything like the Blastmatch for producing 'persistent' sparks... I tried it on a cement driveway at night once, and it looked like a little fireworks display, with a bunch of sparks jumping and bouncing over the cement for almost THREE seconds!

So what is a good option that could also be used for signaling?

I'm applying my foot towards my mouth..... I should try one.

Do you have a link to buy these Bee?

I added some to my post also, you may want to reread it.

If you want one... About the cheapest way to get them is through the NRA, as part of the NRA Survival Tool Kit...
It is cheaper than most places sell the Blastmatch by itself!
"The kit includes the Jet Scream Whistle, Star Flash Mirror, Blast Match Fire Starter and Wet Fire Tinder cubes."
All for $15.95!!!!
And sometimes they are on sell for less than $10.00!!!
The case it comes in is worth that!

Ok, I've been beaten to the punch in defense of the blast match. I suggested it because I've been playing with the sparklight from my Doug Ritter PSK. Good idea, but it's a little fiddly to use under stress. And yes, I know its practice makes perfect territory. Also with regards to the chemical sticks, have you considered the Extreme Krill stick? I've just brought one, and thus far I am favorably impressed.

Tea candles can melt on a hot day, and out in the wild you have to be careful - not only can the wind blow them out, but they can spill (since they go all liquidy), which leaves you without your candle at best, and with burns at worst.

I would really recommend including at least one pair of good wool socks. I know space is a concern, vacuum pack them if you have to.

I would ditch the emergency packets of water. You have two bottles for that - and it frees up room inside the kit.

As mentioned in one of the earlier replies, keep an eye out for a metal cup that will fit under your bottles. Assuming you can find a source of water in your environment, you'll have drinkable water indefinitely. This isn't a replacement for water purification tablets (as mentioned, more is better), but a supplement.

If you must keep the chem lights, that's fine. I would recommend a decent headlamp in addition though.

If I recall correctly, as soon as you expose the potable aqua to air (ie opening the bottle or transfering the tablets to another container) they start to decompose. I don't remember where I read that, someone else can probably clarify (I might be wrong about it). Micropur Mp-1 is more expensive, but is preferable because it kills things iodine does not.

Radiation pills? Alright... do you have one of those keychain detectors as well?

Might consider a tourniquet, small rolled gauze or field dressings, and some irrigation solution. Your first aid kit is centered more towards little scrapes and bumps.

Are you not permitted a larger knife in your area? A pocket chainsaw might help too, if you're around trees.

Yes, the Uco lantern is surprisingly sturdy... plenty enough for a canteen cup, though its a balancing act. They also offer a three candle version called the candelier thats big enough for a (small) fry pan. I've got one of the candeliers, and three of the candle lanterns, and as far as I'm concerned, it's money well spent... they make a great heat/light source for the cabin on my boat <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Troy

After visiting UCO's site, I saw that there are UCO tealight candles that go with the mini lantern and burn for 3-4 hours available.

UCO's site

You can get them here

Yes, I have one of these mini candle lanterns....very nice....and a bag of 100 tea lamps I bought for 6 bucks... I think I'll stick with the tea lamps... It's an economics decision.

Burncycle says:

"Tea candles can melt on a hot day, and out in the wild you have to be careful - not only can the wind blow them out, but they can spill (since they go all liquidy), which leaves you without your candle at best, and with burns at worst". Any wax candle will melt in hot weather, and easily be blown out in windy weather.

"I would really recommend including at least one pair of good wool socks. I know space is a concern, vacuum pack them if you have to" This is a good idea except I may go for poly liners instead of wool...I'm still wanting to keep the PSK about the same size .

"I would ditch the emergency packets of water. You have two bottles for that - and it frees up room inside the kit." I like the fact that they are sealed and ready at all times, but you may be right, it may be better to depend on the two bottles.

"As mentioned in one of the earlier replies, keep an eye out for a metal cup that will fit under your bottles. Assuming you can find a source of water in your environment, you'll have drinkable water indefinitely. This isn't a replacement for water purification tablets (as mentioned, more is better), but a supplement". Got it...Bottles of pills, tin cup that will fit a 16 oz container ...Check

"If you must keep the chem lights, that's fine. I would recommend a decent headlamp in addition though". It's pretty easy to adapt a mini torch to a headband. I'll improvise

"If I recall correctly, as soon as you expose the potable aqua to air (ie opening the bottle or transfering the tablets to another container) they start to decompose. I don't remember where I read that, someone else can probably clarify (I might be wrong about it). Micropur Mp-1 is more expensive, but is preferable because it kills things iodine does not." Yes, this will all change to sealed bottles.

"Radiation pills? Alright... do you have one of those keychain detectors as well?" Yes, radiation blockers. And yes, i'm working on indicators. These items represent unfortunate possible needs (since 9-11) for someone living in a city or close to a nuclear power plant or other vulnerable target.

"Might consider a tourniquet, small rolled gauze or field dressings, and some irrigation solution. Your first aid kit is centered more towards little scrapes and bumps. I have a bandana, plastic hose and duct tape. Once again, I'll improvise.

"Are you not permitted a larger knife in your area? A pocket chainsaw might help too, if you're around trees." Yes, I'm keeping the kit trim and those end users can add their favorite knife and possibly a chainsaw. If the kit were just a bit bigger, it could handle a hatchet, a much more useable tool than a saw, IMHO.

Thank you for this useful information and ideas.

for a cup that fits the bottm of the bottels go to .www.campmor.com Item no.25001-k The cost is $5.99 I have one and it realy works good. it's also graduated and holds 16oz.

Here's a commercial alternate. Wally World has them locally here.

This won't fit on a water battle, but it doesn't take up much space.
Flatworld Orikaso Cup

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductD...vcat=REI_SEARCH

This will fit on the bottom of a 1 liter Nalgene (or similar) bottle
Olicamp Space Saver Cup
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores...p;amp;langId=-1

Whoops!
Here's the links:

http://www.peanutbutter.com/squeezeProducts.asp

A folding saw might be a better choice. Go look at the tread labled "saws & things." The one big worry with a hatchet is that it is a tool for the skillled user. If your dragging other, less skilled people with you then any tools need to be usable with little or no instruction.

Wow, for $15 bucks, a mirror, whistle and blastmatch.... Check, I'll give it a try.

Yearts ago we used to use a fat nylon lacing, (like boot lace material) for our tarps, we would leave about 6 feet on each grommet to make set-up quick. But I have been unable to find this stuff in quantity. Anyone have a source for a flat braid lace?

300 foot spools:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C8ESG2/102-4592554-8397700?v=glance&n=3375251

Krill lights, glo-toob


I did like the fact that Chem Lights were expandable... but they lack reliability, as far as I am concerned.

Do a google on Orange County, CA Boy Scouts. They have an on-line store that sells aluminum cups that fit Nalgene bottles for around $6 IIRC.

Olicamp cups sold by campmor.com GSI outdoors sold by beprepared.com both cups fit the nalgene bottles.

Lee

Iosat? Uhmm... OK.

I would add a length of hacksaw blade to your kit. It weighs nothing, takes up almost no space, and is a better striker for the flint that a stainless steel knife blade is. It also protects your knife blade. And a hacksaw can be awfully nice at the oddest times. Wrap it in electricans tape to keep it from wearing holes in your pack, and to make a handle with later. Alternatively, you can get reciprocating saw blades for metal/pvc which work pretty good, and ones for wood. You'd want to improvise a handle, but one of each wrapped in electicians tape would take up almost no room.

Something a little faster than flint and steel. I can use them, but I've been too cold to get my hands to work that well. As an ex-smoker, my hands will never forget how to use a lighter or matches, no matter how cold I am. This is also a really good place to have redundancy in general.

If you can, upgrade the walmart nalgene knock offs with nalgenes. The nalgenes are heavier, and cost more, but I kinda killed one of the wallyworld specials by sitting on it. Also, fill them with boiling water, cap them, and let them cool- that will give you two liters of water, rather than 8.4 ounces. That's a juice glass and a good sneeze worth of water.

The nalgene cups are usually on eBay, new, for like 3-5 dollars plus about the same for shipping. LL Bean has them for a little more IIRC.

Add some 4x4" gauze pads. Useful.

A flashlight that uses the same batteries as the radio. Even if you EDC one, this a good thing to have a spare of, and not just a little microlight. Have you changed the battery in that before? Do you need a tiny screw driver? Do you have said screw driver? Could you do it in the dark?

Swap the snowflauge bandana for a red one. That can be seen a lot better than a strip of flagging tape.

More duct tape.

This is an oddy that I've started to play with- 5 feet of 1" wide webbing, and a double adjust side release buckle. Awfully nifty, you can make a lot of things out of it. It rolls up about 2" across, and inch high (obviously), and the buckle is about 2.5" long. It might be a little big for this bag, but as I inspect my kits, those that can fit it will get one of these rolls, the buckle and maybe an annex clip or two.

As others said, bug repellent. I know people love deet, but the only thing I've found that works worth beans on black flies is something called Green Ban 2000. It's from Australia. I've not seen it online, but that's becuase I've never looked, I get it locally. It also has the advantages of being kid/pet safe and it won't eat your nylon gear. I don't know if they have it thier web site, but the guys I buy it from have a webstore at vtarmynavy.com. And you smell good, not like a chem lab oops.

On your oven bag, have you marked the levels for one, two and three quarts? Useful to have.


Long bit on iodine tablets.... (can't tell I've been messing with them or anything)

PotableAqua goes flat in about six months if you repackage it. Once the seal on the factory body is broken, that clock is running. In the factory bottle, good for a year. Others have mentioned what iodine will eat through- everything but teflon and glass and some really spiffy plastics. The guys you put in the ziplocks are probably dead already. Check EVERYTHING that they were in with, they might have eaten something else along the way.

When you repackage them, you need to find PTFE septas. They are 1mm thick little disks that go in the caps. Don't try to make your own with teflon sheeting, trust me, it doesn't work very well. And put a turn of teflon tape around the neck of the bottle, it's worth it. For all the trouble, if you can find and stomach the clorine pills, either PA or MicroPur, it's easier to just use those, but as big as this bag is, why bother? Just toss in a full size bottle.

If you do repack iodine, like I do for my PSK, check it weekly, and wrap something just below the cap that will stain easy. That way you can tell if you've got a problem before it does something like dissolve your flint.

Sorry for the rambling. Didn't realise this was quite that long.

If you want to keep the water packets and assuming the water bottles are empty, place the water packets inside the empty water bottles. You might be able to squeeze 2 packets into one bottle plus they are more protected from an accidental puncture.

Regards,
Steve