Your SURVIVAL KIT theory ?? NOT a list of contents, Just theory

[AGL4now]

I doubt we need anymore lists of contents for survival gear.....But if you want to list a few things others may not have, OK.

Mostly what I am asking for, is your Survival Kit theory. For example:

Do you have one or nine...???

Is it with you 24/7/365 or is it stashed in your back pack.....???

What do you consider the single most important thing in your Survival Kit....???

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For me and how I live, I have concluded that the only time I would NOT likely need basic survival gear, is if I am asleep inside my cabin. My single most important piece of survival gear is my Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). I have survival gear in my trucks, in my dozer, in my chainsaw maintenance bucket, in my cached survival backpacks, etc. etc. etc..

But my two most complete kits are in KIFARU E&E packs. One of which lives under the bed, but in easy reach should there be a cabin fire. It is of some note that I have a very small (6'X9') emergency cabin should the primary cabin burn to the ground at 19 degrees below zero.

My daily KIFARU E&E Survival Pack goes everywhere my body goes, when my body is not asleep in my bed, in the cabin. These KIFARU E&E packs will Piggy'Back on to my walkabout or my hiking packs. If I decide to drop the main pack for a final stalk, or final assault on a ridge, The KIFARU E&E pack just un-clips and it has straps so it continues on with me.

So that is my theory, what is yours...??? I hope it is not on your list of things you plan to build someday......:topjob:

[sayak]

Theory? Keep it simple, small and light or you'll leave it behind. Most important things to have are ways to build a fire, cut stuff and stay dry. The first two are addressed by what I carry in my pocket 16/7/365. I always carry garbage bags in any pack I carry with me, from fishing to big game hunting. Usually a handful of chemical warmers and a bundle of line with me too.

[FL2AK-Old Town]

I'm with AGL on the importance of a PLB. That's the difference between a hollywood movie script and a 4 hr wait for your plane ride home. I even carry my PLB when I'm just up at the cabin working on stuff. Fall, break a leg, any stupid accident like that...hit the PLB. fits right in my Carhartt front pocket.

Beyond that, I actually carry a lot of stuff, enough to be out 2-3 days. (Weather might keep that plane ride on the ground over night.) But my "theory" of my survival gear is getting found. When you look at the Air Force air crew survival vest, most of the items are signaling devices or other aids to being located. So my gear is set up with several different ways to signal/be located and enough stuff to be out 2-3 days.

This is all part of my normal "day pack" that I carry on all my outdoors trips. I could, if required to, grab it and run out the door, but, even though it essentially is a Bug Out Bag, that is not its primary purpose.

The PLB is probably the only thing I keep on me-in my pocket or in my life jacket when boating. The only exception is when I'm in unfamiliar surroundings and I know there are greater risks. For example, when I did that canoe trip on the Tanana, I knew I had no knowledge of the river and there a probabilty of capsize...AND my survival kit/pack was tied into the canoe...on THAT trip, I split it out and carried stuff on me. (PLB in the life jacket along with the flares and flare gun that are always in it, fire starter, knife, other signalling devices in pockets.) But normally, it's all in the pack.

[Brian M]

Step one is to tell someone where you're going and to check in (if feasible) when deviating from that plan. I go out alone quite a bit, and someone almost always knows the general vicinity of where I'll be. I usually carry my SPOT, shelter, and means to close a serious wound. Beyond that, the basics as weight allow.

There are times when I carry nothing on me besides the clothes on my back when out for a short hike or run, but at the very least I go prepared for changes in weather and let someone know where I'll be and when I'll be back. Of course there is always risk when one steps off the trail (or gets out of bed, for that matter), but beyond the basics my survival kit is dictated by the anticipated risk of the activity and the anticipated time away/distance away from help.

[GrassLakeRon]

I doubt we need anymore lists of contents for survival gear.....But if you want to list a few things others may not have, OK.

Mostly what I am asking for, is your Survival Kit theory. For example:

Do you have one or nine...???

Is it with you 24/7/365 or is it stashed in your back pack.....???

What do you consider the single most important thing in your Survival Kit....???

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For me and how I live, I have concluded that the only time I would NOT likely need basic survival gear, is if I am asleep inside my cabin. My single most important piece of survival gear is my Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). I have survival gear in my trucks, in my dozer, in my chainsaw maintenance bucket, in my cached survival backpacks, etc. etc. etc..

But my two most complete kits are in KIFARU E&E packs. One of which lives under the bed, but in easy reach should there be a cabin fire. It is of some note that I have a very small (6'X9') emergency cabin should the primary cabin burn to the ground at 19 degrees below zero.

My daily KIFARU E&E Survival Pack goes everywhere my body goes, when my body is not asleep in my bed, in the cabin. These KIFARU E&E packs will Piggy'Back on to my walkabout or my hiking packs. If I decide to drop the main pack for a final stalk, or final assault on a ridge, The KIFARU E&E pack just un-clips and it has straps so it continues on with me.

So that is my theory, what is yours...??? I hope it is not on your list of things you plan to build someday......:topjob:

Great topic btw. I have several. The problem is where to put them out of prying eyes. I have a jeep. The bigger my kit gets, the easier it is to spot and take. My med kit by itself is in a cabelas 360 bag. Most people asked why my fishing gear is always in the jeep. I now have a pelican box. I think I need to downsize. My personal one fits on my Remington belt.

[AGL4now]

Try putting the vehicle kit inside an empty dog food bag. Makes it look like a nearly empty bag of dog chow, that is NOT worth stealing. Or take some of the cedar chips out of a dog bed and put the survival stuff in there, maybe put a doggie toy on top.

Great topic btw. I have several. The problem is where to put them out of prying eyes. I have a jeep. The bigger my kit gets, the easier it is to spot and take. My med kit by itself is in a cabelas 360 bag. Most people asked why my fishing gear is always in the jeep. I now have a pelican box. I think I need to downsize. My personal one fits on my Remington belt.

[GrassLakeRon]

Try putting the vehicle kit inside an empty dog food bag. Makes it look like a nearly empty bag of dog chow, that is NOT worth stealing. Or take some of the cedar chips out of a dog bed and put the survival stuff in there, maybe put a doggie toy on top.

Good idea. Thanks.

[CG Boating Safety]

Interesting thread! I think my personal "survival kit theory" is totally dependent on what I'm doing; I keep a row of those big wire baskets on an old bookshelf and each basket has numerous items that I can pick from so before I head out, I put together a 'kit' of what I think is appropriate for my intended activity. I haven't carried a car kit for years now, I used to carry a big box with everything I thought I'd ever need in a highway emergency but with the reliability of vehicles and modern communications, I simply carry a few items that stay in the car...same with the boat. I thought about a bug out kit but just keep my wire baskets ready to pick what I need when I need it....works for me!

[Lowrider]

Good theory everyone!

Just wanted to throw out that I TRY to match kit with activity and season...in the summer skeeters are an issue and need to be addressed...keeping warm and dry is always worthy of attention and not easy to address on every occasion.

Sadly, the older I get the less I find myself carrying especially when hunting and I'm walking a long ways off the road. A couple years ago, I shot a deer maybe 1.5 miles from my truck and wore myself out trying to haul it back to the truck. I wasn't about to leave it out there for a wolf or something to get so I spent the night with it and it got **** cold and wet but the fire and GI ponch kept me pretty comfy. Next morning my wife had #2 son and half my neighbors looking for me which was nice but they wouldn't help haul the deer out. Could have used better comms for sure.

[sweepint]

I believe we are all guilty of this at one time or another at least I am. As we start building that bailout bag or med bag with what we think it should have and before we know it there is way too much gear to carry. I carry a pretty good med bag in the boat but I would hate to carry it along with other gear in a survival mode. There are a lot of good ideas on here on what to carry.... I did like the plastic garbage bag idea there are a lot of possibilities for that. Another mistake that is made when grabbing gear or gadgets in a last ditch effort to survive... knowing how to use them. Its easy to figure it out while at home in the comfort of the house where your warm and dry but when the temp is way below freezing and your wet. Your mental status and awareness is going astray. I have seen this before when I taught SERE in the Corps. Your greatest asset is your ability to think and problem solve.

In the planning stage of a bailout bag would be WHAT DO I HAVE TO HAVE and WHAT CAN I GIVE UP to keep it simple. (If I can stay dry and somewhat warm I can survive.)
In a med bag its great to have plenty of everything from fluids(IV) type, blood stopper, Splints, suture material, ETC but if you don't know how to use it or what to look for than it does not do you much good. It's pretty easy to stop the bleeding with nothing more than a tampon (with in reasonable circumstances) We have to have water everyday, I carry a very small bottle of chlorine bleach in a dropper bottle. That kills everything. Simple.


Now that this has given me more to think about I guess when I back to the states I will be going through my gear again to re-define what I need in those bags.

[Muskeg_Stomper]

The theory that I subscribe to is to have several survival kits to choose from. Kits must build upon each other to address medical issues, water, fire, preventing hypothermia, shelter, signaling, navigation, food considerations and protection. First kit contains items which are always carried on my person at all times. Items may be worn on my wrist, around my neck or stuffed in pockets but they are always on me. That first kit provides the base line that I never will be separated from. All other kits which I carry on my Rokons, in my vehicles, in my hunting pack, etc., simply build upon and round out the items that I can't always have on me.

I also believe in redundancy because items get lost, , used up, worn out, become unservicable, or whatever. For instance, I always carry a lighter, waterproof match box w/matches, and a fero rod on my person. I carry more firestarting devices in the rest of my kits including additional matches, lighters, blast match etc. as well as a few different types of tinder, candle stubs, fire paste or even road flares which are good to get fires started in the absolute worst of conditions. The kits all build upon each other to provide more.

[FL2AK-Old Town]

I also believe in redundancy because items get lost, , used up, worn out, become unservicable, or whatever. For instance, I always carry a lighter, waterproof match box w/matches, and a fero rod on my person.

Completely agree. I carry mulyiple versions/modes of most everything: multiple ways of firestarting, multiple ways of signaling, multiple ways of obtaining drinking water, multiple ways of eating (food that can be ripped open and consumed e.g. Cliff Bars, food that requires preparation e.g. Mtn House)

[Erik in AK]

My theory is that my survival gear must be comprehensive and portable as appropriate for the conditions. At any point your survival kit has grown to where it's a nuisance to carry, it's defeating it's purpose.

[Daveinthebush]

I only have one. It is designed for bow hunting as that is what I usually do. It is in a waterproof Chinese metal case that I have had for 20 years. Has all the first aid stuff, survival stuff and "Exacting Stuff' for broad head wounds on myself. Tampons, gauze and Quick Clot.

If I feel that I am going to be in a situation that I might need it, I throw it in the pack.

[Wet eNuf]

In context of everyday living ... For everyday carry, a small amount of cash is handy. A credit card works great also.