Survival Gear

[308 at my gate]

My question for all you hunters and outdoors men is what do you carry with you in case of being stuck in the mountains due to circumstances you may not have anticipated. I was out a couple of years ago with my brother in-law in Wyoming in one of the wilderness areas on foot. He had a GPS and after stomping around in the woods for about 8 hours we got separated and I did not see him again. If it were not for the fact I took a compass and took some readings as we went in I would have been completely lost. I also did not have any survival equipment with me at the time. So I am now putting a kit together and was wondering what you guys take to the woods?

[21bravo]

it depends on if im hunting or not... if im hunting i usually take my rifle or shotgun with enough ammo for a skirmish. water, phone, some type of food..trailmix, energy bar..something. a first aid kit with all the tools ive aquired from my trips to the ER some water purification tablets some chem-lights, a flashlight, at least 2 knives, and a compass.

not hunting...sidearm with at least 3 mags, water, food, compass, first aid kit and phone. usually im on familiar ground and am not too far away from a vehicle or atv....

[308 at my gate]

Thanks for the reply 21bravo but how about any fire starters.

[21bravo]

sorry...im an eagle scout...thats a given to me....its in the first aid kit as well. water proof matches (regular matches dipped in candle wax), a bic lighter, a candle and a ziploc sandwich bag of dryer lent. (you may be thinkin the kit is huge..its a walmart ozark trail first aid kit with add in's). and i also carry a zippo lighter in my right front pocket everywhere i go...gos in right before the gerber knife gets cliped on the pocket...dont smoke but it goes back to the eagle scout thing.. BSA Motto is "Be Prepaired"

[21bravo]

the ad in's also include a heat blanket, E.R. surgical tools (clamp, sissors, tweezers, etc...from my tim "the tool man" taylor moments) another gerber knife...a pen and pad and small signal mirror. with the obvious bandages in there too

[TranterUK]

Although many years since I needed to think about it, I always used to include a sealed 24hr ration pack. In addition to food, about 1000cals from memory, it included useful extras such as matches, tea, coffee etc. Water, but also some purification tablets.

Apart from that a quality compass was an absolute must. Though never really lost, I have had to use them a few times to orientate. I owned two, a flat Silva, and a mil sighting compass. You can also get a very compact and light survival bag, not a tent, but something to crawl into for the night if required and factory folded no bigger than a book.

Last on the essential list has to be a good fixed blade knife, 4" always seemed enough. Latterly a leatherman multitool might be thrown in.

I think what I would carry when in the backwoods depends on at least three things. Weight. The terrain and weather conditions, The time I expected to be out.

This is by no means a complete or ideal list, I have very limited experience, and never got stuck in the wilds. Well, once, but I walked out in less than a day in baking heat and realised two things, humans can die real easy from heat and I was really out of shape, again.

[Dakota Red 1]

I always taylor my load-out to the situation. There can be different requirements for food/water, shelter/clothing, medical and specialty equipment. In some places water is the big item. In rough terrain I put in more ace bandages and a SAM splint. Around here (Great Plains) I like a small weather radio. The best thing to take with a GPS is a compass. For fires I like milsurp trioxane fuel tablets. The stuff is known as esbit in Germany and I believe hexy in the UK.

And speaking of the UK, always throw in some tea bags in case you run into one of those folks that is worse off than you. Have used it more than once. Saved the life of a colour sergeant with the Royal Irish Rangers by brewing tea. But to show how perverse life can be, I tried the same medicine with some Scots borderers and all they wanted was whiskey. I think they about died from the lack to hear them go on about it.

[TranterUK]

Originally Posted by Dakota Red 1

And speaking of the UK, always throw in some tea bags in case you run into one of those folks that is worse off than you.

Quite right, hot tea with sugar if poss, post stress, before the shakes set in if you can. Works wonders.

I doubt coffee would have the same effect?

[carver]

Originally Posted by 308 at my gate

My question for all you hunters and outdoors men is what do you carry with you in case of being stuck in the mountains due to circumstances you may not have anticipated. I was out a couple of years ago with my brother in-law in Wyoming in one of the wilderness areas on foot. He had a GPS and after stomping around in the woods for about 8 hours we got separated and I did not see him again. If it were not for the fact I took a compass and took some readings as we went in I would have been completely lost. I also did not have any survival equipment with me at the time. So I am now putting a kit together and was wondering what you guys take to the woods?

The first thing you should have is a good understanding of what you will need, for the conditions you will be encountering. Knowledge is quite light, doesn't take up much space, and is always useful! A GPS system will work just fine, as long as the batteries hold out! Same for a Cell phone, if you can get a signal! A good compass is always a must! A knife that is very versatile (I carry a Bowie). Some knowledge of primitive fire starting, backed up by a Bic, or two! A water container that will stand up to enough heat to boil water. Knowledge of building the proper shelter for existing conditions. One tool I always take with me is a Schrade "Tough" (no longer made). It clips to your belt, and contains most everything you will need, including a wood saw, compass, signaling mirror, Bic lighter, whistle, red LED signaling light, and a couple of knife blades, plus other items. Some emergency food for a day or two.

[308 at my gate]

Some great info so far thanks for the replys. I did not consider the tea or even taking any food at all.

[Oldeyes]

One of the absolute new to me 'stay alive better' tips that I picked up from my wilderness survival training was to always carry a few of the gallon sized ultra thin plastic storage bags in your pack. Do not attempt to use the thicker zip loc variety, but rather use the much less robust ultra thin type that you have to close with a twist tie or string. You can easily carry a bunch of the gallon sized ultra thin ones in your pack for little weight. If during the day you seal up the necks of several bags placed over the ends of tree branches with leaves or needles on them, by the next morning you will find a small quantity of pure directly drinkable water in the bottom as a result of the tree's transpiration. It's really quite tasty pure water. In our chilly fall weather training environment we probably got 1 1/2-2 ounces per gallon bag sealed over the end of a branch overnight. And aside from a ever so slight trace of pine needle flavor to the water, I was amazed that the technique seemed to work equally with evergreens.

[308 at my gate]

Originally Posted by Oldeyes

One of the absolute new to me 'stay alive better' tips that I picked up from my wilderness survival training was to always carry a few of the gallon sized ultra thin plastic storage bags in your pack. Do not attempt to use the thicker zip loc variety, but rather use the much less robust ultra thin type that you have to close with a twist tie or string. You can easily carry a bunch of the gallon sized ultra thin ones in your pack for little weight. If during the day you seal up the necks of several bags placed over the ends of tree branches with leaves or needles on them, by the next morning you will find a small quantity of pure directly drinkable water in the bottom as a result of the tree's transpiration. It's really quite tasty pure water. In our chilly fall weather training environment we probably got 1 1/2-2 ounces per gallon bag sealed over the end of a branch overnight. And aside from a ever so slight trace of pine needle flavor to the water, I was amazed that the technique seemed to work equally with evergreens.

I like that, good idea. I could search this in the internet but I like this better because it comes from people who have actually used a particular method or have had training where they actually used a particular method

[tim peterson]

Real good info on here, would like to add a couple. A good map well help alot when your GPS is dead. A reffarees whistle can be heard for miles with little effort. I purchased some Hot hands and Hot feet body warmers the kind you open and they react with air and stay warm for 10-12 hours. Warmers along with a space blanket take up very little room and make a over night stay Survivalable. If hunting make sure your first aid kit has supplys for rapid blood loss.

[questor]

Originally Posted by 308 at my gate

Thanks for the reply 21bravo but how about any fire starters.

11B here. If center/rim fire, cut off lead as close to cartridge as possible. Have tinder ready, load into weapon, point into tinder and pull the trigger. Presto fire is blazing!

I always carry a 2 3/4" 12ga shell loaded with just power, great fire starter.

[USMC-03]

I always keep a dozen chicken bouillon cubes tucked away in my pack. Put together with a little water in a canteen cup and heat tab you may not have much in calories but it's a huge lift in morale and will keep you going for quite a while.

[308 at my gate]

Originally Posted by questor

11B here. If center/rim fire, cut off lead as close to cartridge as possible. Have tinder ready, load into weapon, point into tinder and pull the trigger. Presto fire is blazing!

I always carry a 2 3/4" 12ga shell loaded with just power, great fire starter.

I like the 12ga shell idea that has good possibilities with a flint starter. Do you think the powder would ignite easily with a flint starter?

[21bravo]

Originally Posted by questor

11B here. If center/rim fire, cut off lead as close to cartridge as possible. Have tinder ready, load into weapon, point into tinder and pull the trigger. Presto fire is blazing!

I always carry a 2 3/4" 12ga shell loaded with just power, great fire starter.

questor....do they teach that in infantry school?? or is that a survival training trick??

[delta13soultaker]

Always plan for the 4 things that can easily and quickly kill you anywhere and any day of the year regardless of the season or how far you are from help:

Hypothermia

Dehydration

Blood Loss

Shock

What makes these so deadly is 1. They happen most frequently when you think they can't 2. They all impair your judgment early once begun 3. Once you realize they are happening it is too late to get prepared 4. Any one of those can initiate one or two of the others and kill you quicker.

The best survival gear is planning.

PACE

Primary
Alternate
Contingency
Escape/Emergency

[carver]

After reading all the suggestion so far, it appears that everything mentioned up to this point, could be put in a small back pack, and I do mean small! Or maybe even a spacious fanny pack!

[308 at my gate]

Originally Posted by carver

After reading all the suggestion so far, it appears that everything mentioned up to this point, could be put in a small back pack, and I do mean small! Or maybe even a spacious fanny pack!

Yes that is exactly what I am looking for in size. I want to be able to take this fishing and hunting where the areas are restricted to going in by horse or by foot. The suggestions so far have been good and some of them I am going to incorporate into my survival bag, and by all means if anyone else has any more ideas please post them. Last year I went out with my brother in-law except this time it was on horses on an elk hunt. The second day out he shot an elk real late in the evening and by the time we were done gutting the animal it was already turning dark. When we started out we rode by the trail 3 times that was to take us down the mountain because we could not reconize it in the dark. It was 10:00 at night by the time we were coming down the side of that mountain on horse back. So I have become extremely motivated to come up with a good survival pack. My next trip with him could be fishing up in the yellowstone area, and there again no motorized transportation is allowed. I was warned it is bear country so I will carry my 45-70 with me on that trip.

[delta13soultaker]

Something you can do that takes up no room in a pack is avoid any cotton clothing, or at least cotton socks/undergarments. Stick to synthetics and/or wool. When cotton gets damp or wet it can put you in a hurt even on a summer night. I can honestly say one of the coldest nights of my life wasn't winter training in the Ukraine or Alaska or Canada...it was a July or August night in Georgia stuck in the woods wearing a cotton t-shirt under a cotton summer weight uniform after a day of heavy rain with no kit except what was in my pockets. Cotton sucks. It takes four hours to dry out from your body heat what synthetic clothes will do in 30 minutes.

You probably carry a canteen I'm guessing. In a pinch you can get more distance from your water by adding a bit of oral rehydration salts. Even if you are already suffering heat injury symptoms those salts will bring you back on track. Think of Gatorade but on steroids. Doesn't taste great but will keep you alive. A pack weights about 2oz, costs about $1, and will treat at least 1 liter of water. The Army uses the rehydration salts made by Jianas Brothers and it works. The only thing better is an IV.

My rule for water is figure how much I'll need then double that. I don't care what season it is. If it gets too heavy...drink it. Sweat is free. The second person I saw in my career become a permanent heat stroke casualty it was at about 10pm at night at a temperature of about 20ish degrees fahrenheit...that person had a total 2 gallons of water on kit and hadn't drank a drop.

I learned in Iraq that being able to make a tourniquet is fine but when you need one it is too late to make sh*t you should already have. In my motorcycle saddlebag, in my truck, in my Camelback etc I keep a C-A-T...it's a one handed tourniquet and with practice you can apply it in 20 seconds. It works and works good. They weight about 2oz.

Fire. In my hunting kit I've always carried a magnesium fire starter. I have a few, most are small and light. I carry one in an big old Tylenol bottle in a pocket. But honestly every time I started a fire in the cold wet woods...it was the other stuff in the bottle I used. Big strike-anywhere matches that I coat in candle wax, a ball of steel wool, a big chunk of pine resin, a cheap nail file, and a tiny Bic lighter. A wax coated kitchen match will light damp pine needles and squaw wood fairly easy if you block the wind. Pine resin catches easy and burns hot. Steel wool catches even easier and will ignite the chunk of resin. I've never had to use the magnesium after all that...even one time when our hunt got adruptly ended by an ice storm and the only shelter we had was a hillside, I got frozen wood to burn with what I just said. We went from hunting to drinking instant coffee and lying about colder hunts.

I knew a dude who used to carry a pack of cigarettes for backup fire starting too. I didn't feel the idea much until he explained it. It's a lightweight watertight pack of dry flammable sticks that fits in your pocket. Crush up the smokes under some tender/kindling, drop a match in, and it burns. If you get your fire going you can always just smoke a butt too to relax and wait.

[308 at my gate]

Very interesting delta13soultaker. I will take to heart and consider what you have shared.

[delta13soultaker]

No prob. Have fun and good shooting.

[45nut]

Another similar thread here.

My knapsack contents (hunting only items in italics) All of this fits into a normal school sized backpack:

1. Extra ammo for rifle and pistol (2 or 3 re-loads each min)
2. 2 knives - 1 with gut hook
3. Compact binoculars
4. Scent wafers
5. Pancho
6. 20' nylon rope
7. Small Hatchet
8. Water
9. TP
10. Ziploc bags - for heart, liver, backstrap, water container
11. 50' Nylon Cord
12. Cleaning gloves - 2 pr 3 pr cheap exam gloves
13. Bandana
14. Waterproof matches + Zippo
15. Peanut butter cheese crackers
16. Jerky
17. Space Blanket - for two
18. Compass, GPS & USGS maps in unfamiliar territory
19. Diet coke
20. Bologna sandwich
21. Cigarrettes
22. Water Purification tablets
23. $25 Pocket Survival Kit which contains the following;

Signal Mirror, Rescue Flash
Spark-Lite™ Fire Starter
Tinder Quick™ Firestarter
Whistle, Rescue Howler™
Waterproof Survival Instructions
Duct Tape, 2" x 26"
Scalpel with Handle, Sterile, Disposable, #22 Blade
Compass, Button, Liquid Filled
Aluminum Foil, Heavy Duty, 3 Sq. Ft.
Waterproof Paper
Fresnel Magnifier
Safety Wire, Stainless Steel, (6 ft of 0.020")
Sewing Thread, Bobbin #69, Nylon
Nylon Cord, #18, Braided, (10 ft. 100lb test)
Sewing Needle, #18, Chenille
Fish Hook, #10
Split Shot, Lead B
Snap Swivel, Size 12
Pencil
Safety Pins

Pocket Survival Kit here

Plus I carry the Bass Pro Expedition First Aid Kit in the truck at all times and if I go into the mountains, it goes along too.
BP first aid kit here

The pocket survival kit is really handy and the first aid kit weighs about 2 lbs. My whole knapsack weighs about 15 or 20 pounds including the liquids.

I have another kit which is a web belt w/ harness and 12"x 12" military issue pack. This has a magnesium fire starter, mess kit, compact shovel, fire starter tablets, lighter pine, candles, lightsticks, finger saw, fishing gear, space blanket, pancho, waterproof matches, tinder material, magnifying glass, water purification tablets & Katadyn water filter, and I don't know what all else, but you get the idea.

I need to get some of those energy bars for emergency situations, but I will be able to make a damn fire!!

[Powderhorn]

Among other things, I always carry an MRE and a bladder full of water into the woods, even if I am only sitting on my butt calling turkeys.