Survival Kit

I thought ya'all might like this video, she certainly has all the bases covered.

Survival Kit: The perfect lightweight survival kit

Outstanding, easy on the eyes too.

She seems like she has a decent head on her shoulders.

Sorry, not impressed - but I must say the video was direct and to the point. Cute, too...

Here's what I did not like:
====

No shelter???? Not even the infamous space blanket? (I'm no big fan of them, but they are positively much better than nothing and they pack very small). Or some plastic leaf bags.

No knife??? I guess the wire saw will do its cutting so you can build shelter, get fire wood and so on, presuming you don't break it in the process. But I would sure miss a knife

She's got water tablets, but what does she keep the water in? You need some container while the water tablets do their stuff. A plastic bag (or if you can do the woodo-trick of filling water in it you could pack a XXL non-lubricated condom).

We don't know if she carries a pack or something. Usually most people will have some bag or pack for a water bottle, their lunch and some extra clothing. We don't know what's in her bag of if she actually has one. For all we know she carries a bag with for example, say an emergency bivy bag, a knife and a stainless steel water bottle. Carrying those doesn't exactly break your back.

Oh, and some cordage, duct tape and a LED light would be great.


Why does everyone include fishing and snaring gear in their kit? Food is not that high on your priorites. I see the point that both the snare and fishing kit essentially are small collection of multi-use items (cordage and sharp metal objects), which is good. But why the perpetual fuss about fishing and snaring? Shelter, water and fire are usually much more important. Stick some snickers bars in your pack so you'll have an energy boost. If you can obtain food without much effort then eat it, but don't waste energy trying to feed yourself.


EDIT: I see she has a lot of videos that covers the other bases. The video you linked to - the survival tin - does not cover all bases, not as a stand-alone kit. Viewed alone, this particular video is misleading, IMO.

Agreed.

I watched some more of her videos.

Observations
IMO
She's nervous and self-conscious while filming.
She quotes Ray Mears as a source more than once.
She does not appear to be reading a script, but she is recalling info from I would assume a checklist.
Pretty face, but not inspired. Enjoys the subject, but is not avid or really well researched, surface understanding only.

I carry fishing line and a few lures in my PSK. In my AO, we have some of the best lake and river fishing in the world. Many times, a quick poor man's fishing pole (cleaned up tree branch) and a lure or dug up worm on the end of line will yield a trout or 2 for dinner. In a survival situation, I would rather eat fish over a sugar laden snickers bar that only jacks up your insulin levels for a few minutes...

As for the snare wire, I carry it for many other uses other then snare material.

I personally carry fishing and snaring equipment in my PSK (scroll down to see mine!) I would rather eat a trout than a tooth rotting sugar filled snickers for the possible aftermath of not being able to eat again! I would still carry a fishing kit because you never know how long you will have to go without food, plants or vitamins! I am currently working on my BOB so keep a lookout for a post for my BOB because i need some real weight reductions!

You are right, but the preference may be a regional thing I suppose. I carry fish hooks, line, a weighted foam bobber, a frog spear head and light snare wire. The uses for light wire are endless, so no explanation needed I'm sure. As to fishing gear, fish abound and are free for the taking where I go, and the equipment to get them is small and light, and it does not displace anything important in my kit. One of the best survival strategies in most situations is to sit tight, signal, and wait. So.....why not go fishing and eat like Robin Hood's Merry Men while you wait?

Not a bad start.

Seeing as that she seems to have another video about knives one has to assume she has one and it just didn't get it into the first video.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (broken CD?) I would save $13 of the $15 and toss in a mini-Bic. You can get a decent pen knife for the $10 and spend the other $3 on a space blanket. No, they aren't great insulation applied directly to skin but they cut the wind well and can make a big difference if you fall in and suddenly need extra protection. Cheap, light, compact. Moderately effective.

I think the main thing, and value of this video, is that she is thinking about what she can carry to help her in a pinch. The actual contents are far more illustrative than an actual recommendation.

I personally think that fishing and snare kits are a waste of time and space. Certainly if you hike near a place where a simple fishing kit will get you fish in a few minutes, or where snares are a sure thing then, it would be silly not to carry the necessary equipment. But, unfortunately, most of us don't live, stay, or travel through such areas. It is also interesting to note the numbers of people who have no experience with snares or fishing who carry them expecting to learn on the fly.

One of the best books I have seen on snares was written in 1910. Setting snares in a survival situation would be very, very low on my list of priorities as effective snare setting requires a lot of practice which is not practical as it is against the law in most places. The book can be downloaded as a PDF file here . Note that is a 20 MB download and maybe not suitable for dialup connections.

On the other hand, anyone can fish with very little equipment and experience. When I go out hiking and know that I will be passing by a lake or stream (and time permitting), this similar 6' Shimano collapsible rod is in the backpack along with a small assortment of lures, hooks, weights etc.

Actually getting fish is hard enough for most people even with a dedicated tackle box, with just a hook and line that's typical in survival kits it's approaching impossible.

It's just one of those staple things in survival kit that nobody uses, but still want it to be there.

I read you, but there is more to it than just that....

1) When in trouble, you typically want that boost of energy. When you realize I'm lost, I'm totally exhausted and won't make it home tonight then sit down, relax, eat some of that snickers bar, have some water and THINK. It makes your head come together. Whatever course of action you decide you will be in a much better fashion to implement them.

2) Snickers contain nuts and stuff that will last longer than just the initial sugar rush.

3) You need some minimum carbohydrate intake to function. If the body reserves are depleted and you can't eat it, you really will feel miserable. More important, your ability to cope with the situation will be severely affected.

=========

The rant below not really apply to a short time survival episode, but not totally irrelevant.


I've never done this special force wilderness week thing and have never practiced going hungry for a week, so I try to find credible sources to back up my lack of experience. The Swedes has written an army manual for winter survival. In their survival courses they have tested different scenarios, and found that 500 kcal of carbohydrates each day was a minimum baseline for functioning for healthy young males. With no food what so ever, the dissyness, fatigue, reduced cognitive functions and vulnerability to freezing is so severe that it is very hard to function, particular in a cold environment. The body needs these 500 kcal to burn off the fat reserves. Without these 500 kcal, it starts to consume muscles to make carbs, which is a terrible and inefficient process that leaves you in a vulnerable state. Apparently, stay above the 500 kcal and you'll burn body fat much more efficient and the other symptoms are much reduced, particular from day 2 and onwards.

Cody Lundin writes something similar in his "98.6" book. I need to read that again, but gave it to my nephew...

And no, the issue of how to get those 500 kcal of carbs in a prolonged survival episode is not solved by a snickers bar.

[quote=jzmtl Actually getting fish is hard enough for most people even with a dedicated tackle box, with just a hook and line that's typical in survival kits it's approaching impossible.

[quote=jzmtl It's just one of those staple things in survival kit that nobody uses, but still want it to be there. [/quote]

With proper rigging for the type of water and the expected type of fish, it's not that hard. You can run a trot line across a backwaters lagoon with a couple of treble hooks and a dug up crayfish (actually, I would eat the crayfish...they are excellent boiled or steamed in wet ferns) or some dead fish parts from the shoreline, you can fish in the little streams for the ever-present creek chub with a long stick, a 10 foot line (even one made from paracord strands), and a snelled hook baited with a bug, or you can spear a slightly larger fish with a frog spearhead lashed to an 8 foot pole. In this area, there's guys who backpack into the boundary waters just to fish. Why not keep the option open in a survival kit?

When you say "It's just one of those staple things in survival kit that nobody uses" Couldn't you say that about almost everything in the kit? You don't need it until you need it.

I have not been fishing since high school, but I often fished with nothing more than a cane pole, some line, hook, sinker, bobber, and a worm. I don't think you need anything elaborate to catch fish. But maybe the fish have gotten smarter in the intervening 30+ years.

Ironically, last night a shooting buddy and I were talking about fishing. Neither of us has done much in the way of fishing in a long while and we both were remembering the fun it was to fish with a cane pole and very limited tackle.

I do tend to think that a fishing kit is extraneous to a limited survival kit, although the line could be quite handy for many things, as might the other items in the "fishing" kit.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need to start fishing, you may be in for a longer stay than anticipated. That being said....fishing gives you something to do. You may, or may NOT, catch anything-but, you are DOING something-it focuses your mind on the task at hand. In a survival situation, waiting to be rescued, you are, literally, waiting. Largely doing nothing. So, fishing can take you away from that. It isnt always the physical value of an item in there-sometimes, the benefit comes from the activity-not the end results.

Agreed. Obviously, my sarcasm didn't show through. I think she places far too much faith in this "survival" kit. I fear some will carry a kit as basic as this and think they're prepared for the worst.

I watched some of the video by peak survival, very shallow content, as if she's just reading what the label says, including the hypes (reflect 90% body heat!!!). They claim to run the ultimate survival course, but if their videos are any indication, spending a day reading the Internet would beats their course.



I said most people, your type doesn't count lol. How many people in the general population know how to do any of the things you said with just a bit of line and a few hooks?

As far as kit content is concerned, it's probably the least likely content to be used, too much limitation by location, time of year etc., and even then not everybody knows how to use one. But I suppose the same thing can be said for snares.

Isn't Montreal surrounded by water?I would like to think that you stand a Very Good chance,of becoming a Fisherman of sorts,If only you gave it a try!Hook,line & sinker works very well Wayyy down here in, The land of No water!I've also Snared mourning doves with fishing line,without Too much of a hassle,& Yes,I did eat those delicious doves!Yes,All right here in The City of Los Angeles!

Anyone else also notice no whistle? Dump the saw-they are largely useless. Add a whistle. As for the knife-I used to put on in my PSK, but, as I almost always have 2 on me, I really didnt see the need. Between a pocketknife & a Leatherman, I dont see the need for a 3rd one in a kit. But, thats me. If you dont normally carry a knife outdoors, then, yes, throw one in your kit. IMHO, your kit should hold stuff for shelter, fire, signaling, and water. Everything else to me is a bonus.

Actually not many place to fish despite that. Many waterfront are blocked for various reasons, i.e. private property, or generally inaccessible.

I'm sorry to hear that.I thought I had it rough,but I did have to Trespass a wee little bit,to access a Freshwater fishing hole/pond/small lake.We have Unlimited Salt-water access though!You are welcome to come fishing here,Anytime!

Corrupted .mp3 perhaps ??

I really think that one should actually read the infomation on a Mars Bar.

I've spent the last year or so comparing Mars Bar's, Snickers et al to power bars etc. With a view of putting together an emergency ration from off the shelf, easily obtained components, that is light and takes little to zero preparation.

The one of the more interesting thing's that came out of my research is that as an emergency ration a Mars Bar is an excellent choice. Its 240 Kcal and very high in carbohydrate and protein.

Interestingly most so called "power bars" that I have examined fall short of that. In fact, thus far I have not found one that one would consider acceptable. I am, as they say, distinctly less than impressed.

An Adult Male Human (AMH) needs around 2500- 3200 Kcalories per day. AHM can survive and continue to function well for several days on less provided you have a source of carbohydrate and, preferably, protein.

I personally think that dropping $2-3 of Mars Bars, GORP trail mix, Jelly beans and the like in your pockets before you set out is pure common sense.

And a life saver.

Maybe the Snickers Bars on your side of the ocean are produced differently then the NA Snickers Bars.

I don't mind Cliff Bars which is what I used for comparison purposes. Many of the people I venture out with prefer Cliff's. At MEC, it is one of their best selling bars. I also cannot recall the last time I bought a chocolate bar.

Snickers Bar , (57.0 gr)

Calories 271
Calories from Fat 122

% Daily Value
Total Fat 13.6g 21%
Saturated Fat 5.2g 26%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.7g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.5g
Cholesterol 7mg 2%
Sodium 140mg 6%
Total Carbohydrates 34.5g 12%
Dietary Fiber 1.3g 5%
Sugars 28.8g
Protein 4.3g

Vitamin A 2% • Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 5% • Iron 2%


Typical Cliff Bar , (68 gr)

Calories 240
Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value
Total Fat 4.0g 6%
Saturated Fat 1.5g 8%
Sodium 150mg 6%
Total Carbohydrates 46.0g 15%
Dietary Fiber 5.0g 20%
Sugars 21.0g
Protein 10.0g

Vitamin A 30% • Vitamin C 100%
Calcium 25% • Iron 25%

Even with the slight package weight difference and the calculations of calories etc, I'll take a Cliff in my kit over a chocolate bar...just personal preference.

A Payday bar is roughly the same as the Snickers, about 50% fat. They actually might be more effective in cold temperatures, but I agree with you, I prefer Clif bars. Tanka bars are pretty good, as well - basically pemmican.

When we go out into the woods in the fall bird hunting, the wife and I always each have;
1. two Clif bars,
2. one cup of some variant of home made GORP(peanut/raisin/MM/nuts/sesame sticks/Chex/seeds/parched&salted corn...),
3. six Ricola herbal coughdrops. The Ricola drops have 15 cal each, individually wrapped, moisten and sooth the throat, and don't taste as sweet as regular candy drops.

I'm partial to Cliff bars.

A variety of flavors so everyone can get something they like. But even my favorites are not so delicious that I'm tempted to gorge on them if I'm not really hungry. They also don't seem to increase thirst like some bars. They are heavy enough to satisfy hunger for a good time without being too heavy.

A Cliff bar and a half liter or more of water makes a minimalist meal. Two will get me through a day. One in the mid-AM for energy and another shortly before tucking in at night so I can sleep well has got me through a few tight times. Can't say I felt full but it definitely took the edge off and kept my feet moving.

At $1 each, pretty much anywhere, you could do worse. A few retailers give you a discount if you buy a box of six.

The Ricola herbal coughdrops are also a good call IMO. When food and water are scarce soothing the dryness can be very comforting. Lots of relief in a small package.

Having a nut allergy takes a lot of things out of play in regards to the emer-rations; which stinks because I really like all but about two or three kinds of nuts.

Any suggestions?

I thank you in advance for recommendations.

Try making GORP by mixing roasted/salted soybeans with MMs and raisins and whatever crunchy morsels you like. Many big grocery and health food stores sell them in bulk.

Exactly right. If I had a Snickers with me, I would eat it before I was out of sight of my truck. Clif bars have survived for many days in my kit uneaten, even though I like them.

Based on your input I am now looking for a snickers substitute with less fat and more energy from nuts, dried fruits, sugar and the like... both quick and slow carbs. Although the snickers aren't bad for this purpose I don't need to carry fat in my PSK, I've got more than enough around my stomach....


Your wilderness / survival diet according to one of our local outdoors legends:
Fat - on your body
Protein - from nature (fishing, hunting, insects)
Carbohydrates - with you.

As posted in this thread, a minimum intake of carbs will make you function reasonably well for quite some time. (According to Swedish army manual, the limit for functioning at an all-carb 500 kcal diet is when fat reserves are totally depleted, which should take about 3-4 weeks for their typical healthy male soldier). I have no illusions that this is a miserable (and hungry!) diet, but at least you should be able to function at a level sufficient for self preservation.

I am a bit puzzled that so many here talk about protein. My understanding is that muscle-building protein isn't important in a survival scenario. A minimum intake of carbs is important for body functions to remain normal, including fat burning. And ANYTHING you can eat beyond that will make you feel better: Carbs, protein, fat, fibers, ... gulp down as much as you can get hold of easily.

2000+ calories is what you will need for even a moderately active day in the woods. 3000 when it is cold.

How you get the total number of calories does not matter as much as getting them, although its probably better to have some of each.

In cold weather, you probably should get more of your calories from fat, and less from carbs.

Protein is probably the least critical part of your meal in a bad situation, at least for a few days.

The reality is that the meals many hikers claim to be living on when on the trail are well below starvation levels for the amount of energy expended. They do OK and so will you for a short period of time taking in fewer calories than you are expending.

IMO, food during a short term survival situation approaches being more a comfort item than a necessity. However, I see nothing wrong with being comfortable.

Whether or not a Snickers or a Mars bar is an ideal survival food is a totally academic point for me. Where I live, The heat would just turn them into a chocolate goo 6 months out of the year. Do Cliff bars hold up in high temperatures?

I've been trying Kashi TLC ("Tender LIttle Chewy") granola bars that I have scored at Costco. 140 calories each but 45 of those are from fat (5 grams including 0.5 saturated). 19 grams of carbohydrates and 7 grams of protein. They taste good but don't seem to stay fresh and chewy as long as I'd like -- only about a month. Also kinda bulky for a survival food.

One of the virtues of Cliff Bars, most varieties, is that they only get mildly sticky in the highest of temps. That combined with very tough, tear resistant packaging, makes them very good inhabitants of the bottom of your pack until they are needed. No goo

Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter: 16g fat, 7g carbohydrate, 7g protein.

Cheap, simple, convenient. I try not to over-think such things. As has been pointed out, for a couple of day's emergency rations, pretty much any calories you like and will eat when under stress will do.

PB has long been my back-up fuel of choice for backpacking, so I have confidence borne of experience that it will sustain my under heavy exertion if I "misunderestimate" my rations or ETA, and that it is palatable to me. I hoard the PB packets from MREs, or load my own.