instead of looking at the problem as "How can I become fully "geared up" for $x.xx." We might look at this as "Given financial and availability problems what are the priorities and what can be adequately improvised?"<br><br>I would suggest that in a situation where cash, time or availability are a problem that tools are most important. <br><br>Tools First<br>SAK or Multi-tool $5 to $100<br>supplying blade, saw, awl, can opener at minimum<br>With this one tool you can improvise shelter from any wooded environment. <br> <br>Sharpener $1 to $100<br>A dull knife will hurt more than help.<br><br>Shovel $5 - $15 doesn't fit in a PSK but might be essential<br>If you are in an arctic or desert situation then a shovel might be more necessary.<br><br>Snare wire $2 - $50<br>picture hanging wire will substitute, strong fishing wire will substitute, electrical extension wire may substitute if you watch your traps.<br><br>Fishing kit $0 - $50<br>You may be able to improvise fishing gear from cordage and owl droppings or you might want some purpose made hooks at least. This category may be considered redundant with the snare wire. With skill cordage == netting if you have enough cordage. Nets may catch more and more easily than hooks depending upon location. Fish traps are also free and effective in some locations but will take training and experience and are only useful if you are staying put for a day or two.<br><br>Saws & axes $7 - $40<br>wire saws; BCB survival saw; Chainsaw in a can; pack saw; camp ax<br><br>Cordage $0 - $400<br>The first item that could be improvised in the field. The stronger the better, The greater variety the better. Nylon twine is fine to tie down the tarp / garbage bag over the debris hut it would be a shame to cut up the paracord for that purpose. The nylon twine is not something I would want to attempt to climb with. Good nylon twine in large lengths is cheap, climbing rope is expensive.<br><br>Medical next $10 - $1000<br>The most necessary part of this category is training and understanding of your limitations in the field. Hygiene is the most important part of medical treatment in the field. <br><br>Fire next $0 - $20<br>Redundancy is necessary as is tinder. Book matches can be had for free from convenience stores and restaurants in the US, don't know about custom elsewhere; Bic lighter; Pop Bottle top (for the fire drill bearing); flint; sparklite; matches; etc. At least two sources of fire start.<br>tinder. lint is free; toothpicks can be had for free from restaurants; found tinder such as birch bark and punk are free; made tinder such as char is free; empty film canisters are a good free waterproof carry as are cast-off soda bottles; cotton balls with or without petro; candles; cotton twine; at least two sources of tinder and a waterproof means of carry.<br><br>Water next $0 - $1000<br>Bandanas and boiling is a free option; iodine tabs; potassium permanganate; tincture of Iodine; Clor-floc tabs; Chlorine bleach; pool Chlorine; carbon filters; ceramic filters; filter bottles; de-salinators; stills<br><br>Shelter next $0 - $400<br>If you have done well in the tools area this can be wholey improvised in the field. Garbage bags, Tarps, tents<br><br>Food next $0<br>see tools<br><br>Defense is hard to prioritize. May be first priority or last depending upon the threats. If you must prioritize defense effective defense must be specific to the anticipated threat. Perimiter defense is easily setup with some cordage and an alarm which can be improvised in the field. This sort of defense of a camp can be useful against most threats because it sets you on alert to the threat.<br><br>Spend whatever cash you have for this at whatever retailer you can find that respects your cash the best in the order of priorities above, stuff the items in your pocket and you will be better off for having done something. <br> With a SAK in your pocket and a little know-how you can improvise shelter(debris hut), fire(using a fire-drill), clean water(boiling), cordage(plaited thistle, bark or other found fiber), food(snares and traps set using the cordage). This is certainly going to be much less appealing than having a bic lighter for the fire and a trash-bag to waterproof the debris hut but it is a start and if that is what your budget can handle then get started. Before you move into an expensive mode in any of these categories make sure that you have covered all of them in some way. Since most of these may be handled for free except the tools I suggest that you use your money on the tools first. If you are counting on a free method that requires skill then get that skill. Don't count on being able to make a debris hut with a SAK unless you have done so. Don't count on being able to make and effectively use a fire-drill unless you have done so.

I gathered a lot of information from the both threads. Thanks everyone for help. I reply to everyone in one post for (my) convenience:<br>- I bought a medium sized folding knife that I carry in my pocket - you're right, I shouldn't put anything in my backpack, not to mention that my fixed-blade knife is much to big for my urban needs and it would be hard to explain why do I carry one. I also consider repartitioning my gear so I can carry more stuff on me - but it must wait for my return from the sea (I'm going sailing in two days) - while on the boat, I always carried things like cordage, duct tape, etc. in the pocket of my jacket and I won't change this habit.<br>- I decided to buy a Leatherman Wave. It is quite heavy, but well, it's only twice heavier than my shock/water resistant heavy-armored cellphone It will also be useful in everyday life - being a computer geek, I'm often asked to help somebody with a hardware problemy so I carry some basic tools anyway. As I said, it's expensive for me, but I didn't found a cheaper alternative (other than carrying regular tools - but I'd rather leave them in my car...). Fortunately, I have a relative in US who can buy one and send me.<br>- BTW, why do you put both multi-tool and a folding knife to your basic equipment? I understand that it's generally better to use a knife - it can be more robust, easilly replacable - and spare a blade of expensive multi-tools, but do you find knives so useful in everyday life to put them along with multi-tools to the small "don't leave the home without it" kit?<br>- I won't add a compass to my kit yet. I won't need one at sea - there'll be enough navigation devices on the yacht (well, there will also be knives, flashlights and duct tape - but these are the things that might be useful even on my way to the sea). As a sailor, I don't trust these small button compasses to much - everything that's smaller than 2" and doesn't have sightings seems a toy for me <br>- I didn't do this yet, but I'll add a whistle to my sailing jacket - I will definitely try do avoid being overboard at night in the Baltic Sea, but just in case...<br>- I consider buying a white LED flashlight - it's quite expensive, but I use a flashlight almost everyday - my small red LED flashlight is to weak, while my 2-AA regular bulb flashlight is a little too big and consumes battery to fast. Anyway, I'll need a lot of reasearch to buy it cheap, so it'll have to wait<br>- someone asked if a military surplus is a good source of supply in Poland - well, it depends. While we have an agency that sells surplus/obsolete stuff from Polish army (everything from shoe laces to fully-operational but weapon-castrated diesel-powered submarine) and a lot of stuff left away by a soviet army is sold on marketplaces (rumors are that to buy an AK-47 you just need two keep asking about one), it's generally very low quality. Most soldiers in central/eastern Europe are conscripts, that stay in the army for a year or two - and so, their stuff don't need to be functional longer... But sometimes you can buy some preaty neat and very,very cheap gear - I've seen pocket Geiger counters for about 2$. I have a man-powered flashlight that I bought for about the same price and keep for really-emergency situation (unlike newer desings, it stops lighting when you stop pumping, so it's not very practical).<br>- about a self-defense stuff... The law about self-defense in my country is so bad that it's usualy a better idea not to disturb a criminal. Without a permin one can only buy a CN/CS/pepper spray or low-powered electric weapons. To buy a shotgun or rifle, you need to be a member of hunting club, hunt regularly, pass an exam, etc. Of course, you can't carry it with you. It's almost impossible to by a short firearm if you're not a bodyguard or a very endangered person (unpopular politician, rich businessman living out of the city). And it's very easy to abuse a right to self-defense in Poland - you can't use much more powerfull weapon than attacker has (I wonder what should a person with a knife do against 5 unarmed people - I guess that to be lawfull you should give them knives, no smaller than yours...). I'll stay with a CS spray and running shoes for now

Brad,<br><br>I wholeheartedly agree on your refinement of the approach to this problem. Artificially limiting ourselves monetarily severely compromises the ability to perform satisfactorily. Maybe the compromises are necessary in an emergency like Chris's scenario. But, they are not a good a way to choose good equipment for general & future survival/outdoor needs & planning. Besides, it always feels better to get the kind of good equipment you want to start. :-) Otherwise, you end up getting shoddy equipment that performs poorly, disappoints you (at the very least), & must be replaced eventually by what you wanted in the first place. In short, it's poor budgeting & financially wasteful. A long term approach of planning, budgeting, saving, & deferred purchase may yield more gratifying performance.<br><br>Zoltan,<br><br>I like your decisions. I think you'll be happy with the results. However, you may want to reconsider the compass. You may not have a ship's compass in an emergency in a life raft. Your own could be a lifesaver. You definitely will need your own on land.<br><br>You may want to look at Doug's articles on knives as to why & how to select them. We've actually had quite a debate in this forum on knives recently. Doug addressed the needs for the different kinds of knives very well in his discussion.<br><br>John

I wholly agree. My scenario was just tossed out as a what if? not a definitive guide or course of action. We all want the best and should strive to get same. But if someone is on a severe budget or time constraint it helps to know whats out there. It's like having your vacume cleaner break 10 minutes before mom drops by and not knowing what a broom is or how to get the spider webs off the ceiling.

Chris,<br><br>I'm not criticizing you or the scenario. I think it was a good start. I had fun doing it (just look at how long my original response was). :-) I enjoyed & profited from reading the different responses to the parameters. I think we all did. But just as with all other threads, this one has evolved, & hopefully matured. I think all of our original responses were pretty good. But I thnk most of us were also somewhat dissatisfied with the way we felt we needed to respond. When Bill validly criticisized my choice of knives, I first disagreed with him. Then later I had even deeper second thoughts. Finally Brad's post crystalized what I have now concluded to be the better approach: prioritize the needs & get the best things you can within a realistic budget of all resources (money, time, whatever).<br><br>So, thanks for making us think. I got to imagine redoing my whole kit. It was a blast. :-))<br><br>John<br><br>P.S. My Mom already knew about my housekeeping. But at least my wife didn't find out until it was too late. ;-}}}