Whats your strangest survival item?

[Optical Serenity]

What is the weirdest survival type item that you have? I'm looking for more items for my manpurse.

[Cosmoline]

Calcium carbide lamp. They're currently only being made by an old Victorian era factory in India, and calcium carbide is notoriously difficult to find. But I managed to get them all together and the results are extremely cool. Quality light that never runs out of batteries and runs off water and rocks!

[Optical Serenity]

Sounds neat, do you have a link to one? And a picture?

[stealthmode]

that sounds like it would be neat i would like more information also

[stevelyn]

You can find carbide lamps in shops that cater to spelunkers. I used to use them all the time exploring limestone caves in WV.

Calcium carbide + water = acetylene gas.

My weirdest are a couple of Krill lights. They're basically battery powered chem lights and have a 120 hr run time off a AA battery.
I also keep a magnesium stick with flint striker and an ACR Firefly strobe.


For carbide lamps.http://www.caves.org/imo/frames1.htm Click online catalogue "headlamps". Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you'll find a picture and diagram.

Optical Serinity,

The company is located in your backyard.

[Ovid]

http://www.quikclot.com/

[brerrabbit]

A one pound ingot of misch metal. Great fire starter and generates its own spark.

[Third_Rail]

Cosmoline - you forgot to mention the most important reason you have one... the dang thing works in the cold Alaskan climate!

[ctdonath]

<scratches head> Dunno. Much as I'd like to offer up a strange item, can't think of one - and I've got 4 BOBs packed. ...maybe those bags themselves are odd.

BoB #...
1. Normal. Occupying a Camelbak HAWG, this is the normal BOB for 1 person on foot 3 days. Closer to a normal light backpacking setup than anything.

2. The cammo BOB. Where possible, everything therin is cammo/conceal oriented with more of a E&E, combat feel. All stuffed into a cheap large cammo waist-pack.

3. Manpurse. A blue & black satchel from Eddie Bauer just big enough to hold my ultraportable computer. Carry it everywhere, including work - ergo, low-profile is key. Contains minimal survival gear: bandages, compass, flashlight, lightstick, ranging monocular, knife, etc. Side pocket has ASP baton; being black & non-descript, none notice. Of note (maybe the strange bit), other pocket has matching blue-black water filtration bottle - never used; nobody questions a sports-type water bottle nor suspects its filtration ability & survival intent.

4. Dollar Store Special. As detailed on another thread, I went to the local "everything's a dollar" store with $15 and walked out with a well-supplied survival bag, including backpack, water, rice, cooking pot, matches, knife, two ponchos, radio, and assorted other gizmos.

I guess the strangest survival item is #3. Most people I'm around would think I'm strange for having that much survival stuff with me all the time and "concealed in plain sight".

[Oldtimer]

I don't think that this is "wierd", for it might come in quite handy. It's a home-made animal snare stick. I made it out of PVC pipe that I re-enforced with a discarded aluminum pipe (from an old push broom).

It's about 5' in length, and the "snare" end is capped with the correct size of PVC cap. A steel cable runs through the PVC pipe and exits through a drilled hole in the PVC cap, then the cable is looped at the "snare" end and fed through a second drilled hole in the PVC cap. Both loose ends of the cable come out through the handle end, with one end being stabilized (fastened securely to the handle end) and the other end of the cable is used to adjust the size of the snare loop.

So far, I've only used it on rattlesnakes, but it could be used on just about any small-to-medium sized animals.

For "survival" purposes? Well, you'd be able to snare animals for food, instead of shooting them.
It would probably work for catching fish, rabbits, and just about anything that you might be able to corner. I also use it as a walking stick when I hike....and it's great for checking shrubbery or underneath rocks that you might have in your path.
So far, I've only snared 4 rattlesnakes (and, yes they DO sort of taste like chicken!)

[armoredman]

I gotta try the dollar store BOB...
I guess the strangest things in my BOB are the two kids toys and the Bible. Something to try to keep all of us occupied when there is no power/TV/Internet/etc.

[ctdonath]

Actually have been looking for a Bible small, light & durable enough for a BOB. A little suitable reading for downtime while civilization collapses.

[wheelgunslinger]

A tomahawk.
Good for lots of things. Not so conventional.

[griz]

Some things that would be useful in a community shelter situation but are not traditionally considered survival items:

Deck of cards
change for vending machines and pay phones
phone numbers-address book
a good book

[Grape Ape]

A dear friend just suprised my wife with a BOB (guess I can pound sand). It included:

a dozen candles for heat/light and a plastic tub containing several pounds of rocks to hold the candles.
about two pounds of condiments, paper napkins and plastic utensils

[hobbeeman]

Try one of those small Gideon Bibles for the BOB. I carried the same one in my back pocket for about 2-3 years with only minimal loss of pages. Besides the durability, they can be found in several translations and they are free.

[Optical Serenity]

Very good ideas here. I especially like the dollar store idea.

Also, thanks for the link to the IMO site, will have to check them out.

I also picked up some lithium AA and AAA batteries for my manpurse. They have a 10 year shelf life, so they'll get stashed away with the lithium 123s.

[RyanM]

Calcium carbide lamp. They're currently only being made by an old Victorian era factory in India, and calcium carbide is notoriously difficult to find. But I managed to get them all together and the results are extremely cool. Quality light that never runs out of batteries and runs off water and rocks!

Calcium carbide is the same stuff used in those toy cannons, right? Might be possible to get some from places that sell that kind of thing. Though it would probably be at a ridiculously inflated price.

[NMshooter]

I would think candles were pretty common, but who knows?

Pretty good source of light and heat, compact, easy to store.

A tarp with an aluminized lining (like a space blanket, only stronger).

Thermometer. (not medical)

Benadryl.

[Brandon]

One of those little things with a square socket that fits "security" hydrants at schools, churches and most shopping malls etc. Costs less than 2.00 at the hardware store.

I carry a smaller tomahawk so I can carry a smaller knife.

[sm]

Water Key - Agree!

Also with Tea light Candles, and B-day candles.

I made another "Pilot Lighter" for someone. You know the pilot light goes out and one needs to re-light stoves, hot water heaters, the furnance...maybe the gas line is cut off and after fixed getting everything up and running.

You can get these from the Gas Company , Hardware Stores and such, fancy, looks like a pen with pocket clip...or make one.

To Make:

1 Alligator clip ,
small like used for electrical stuff. Radio Shack sells these in a package.

1 old busted antenna off a portable radio, rabbit ear for TV etc. Telescopes down, telscopes out longer.

Crimp the Alligator Clip to the small end of telescoping antenna. Crimp it good and hard.

To use:

Simply extend antenna, insert Kitchen Match into Alligator Clip , strike match and now you can reach up into where you need to light gas appliance.

Give folks more than one, have them keep near gas appliances. Not a bad idea to have spares in vehicles, or BoB.

Works well for lighting Coleman Stoves, Lanterns, Oil Lamps, Kero Lamps...and of course gas appliances.

Kids need a project for school? Have them make these for Elderly Folks. Radio Shack and other places have inexpensive antenna to buy to make these with.

Now you know why that busted radio and antenna is out in the garage - huh?
:)

Steve

[Bob F.]

brerabbit: wth's misch metal?? Magnesium?

[allmons]

The work great to plug bullet holes and make light battle dressings. The tampons even have strings for easy removal. Five bucks will buy you a lot of both at dollar / discount stores. Small, lightweight and very portable wound care.

:D

[Sistema1927]

ctdonath:Actually have been looking for a Bible small, light & durable enough for a BOB. A little suitable reading for downtime while civilization collapses.

Take a look at this one, the Battle Zone ESV Bible (http://www.gnpcb.org/catalog/bibles#compact-battlezone)

[Capital Punishment]

Now that people mention it, I could use a good tactical Bible. My old leather one just aint cuttin it :D

[Kevlarman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misch_metal

Of course, it's from Wikipedia, so take it for what it's worth.
:D

[WayneConrad]

In my PSK (Personal Survival Kit), a couple of Gerber Seal 'n Go Breast Milk Storage Bags (http://www.gerber.com/bf/products/storage/index.html). These fit easily in a small kit and seal very well. Fill with water, drop in purification tablet, mix, wait, drink.

Yeah, I know, a lot of colorful jokes go with carrying these around. What can I say?

[loadedround]

Maybe I'm getting a little slow these days, but what does BOB stand for?:confused:

[Cosmoline]

I found my lamp at Lehman's

http://www.lehmans.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=1659&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=669&iSubCat=917&iProductID=1659

http://www.lehmans.com/images/us//local/products/detail/1004865.f.jpg

It's solid brass, very well built and nearly impossible to damage or destroy. I got the calcium carbide through http://www.calcium-carbide.com/ which is sort of a spelunker's cooperative set up to provide a source for the increasingly hard-to-find miner's grade calcium carbide.

The light it casts is more diffuse than a flashlight, and casts a broad pale light that illuminates about ten yards in a cone shape. It's most useful for lighting the area near you, rather than serving as a spotlight for more distant objects.

I would NOT suggest using powdered chemist grade calcium carbide, which I believe is what the cannons use. You'll likely be constructing a bomb if you try to do that with a lamp! The proper stuff looks like little chunks of rock, NOT a powder. It's called miner's grade calcium carbide.

[WayneConrad]

Maybe I'm getting a little slow these days, but what does BOB stand for?

Bug-Out-Bag: What you grab and take with you on the way out the door when you have to escape your abode in a big hurry.

[Manedwolf]

A beautifully-made little German dosimeter kit with a locking, hermetically sealed metal case, twelve slender pen-sized stainless steel look-through dosimeters meant to clip on clothing and a D-cell-using charging and zeroing unit.

Figure if someone does manage to set off a nuke somewhere, it'd be good to find out if the place you're staying isn't the best place to be for cumulative radiation.

That, and it'll likely last centuries, the way it's made.

[warriorsociologist]

How do you folks store Calcium Carbide?

[Cosmoline]

VERY CAREFULLY :D

I keep it in its original container, sealed in plastic and then placed in an ammo box with nothing else in it.

[Stevie-Ray]

Vienna Sausages. Quick and easy survival food (sorta) and lasts for hundreds of years.:D

[fletcher]

An 8.5x11" magnifying sheet. The thing can literally start a fire in a second.

[Steve499]

Almost all our water systems are dependant upon electric pumps. If the electricity's off for any great amount of time, no water. While it's too bulky to fit in a pack, I bought an old pressure canner for $2.00 at an estate auction, replaced the pressure valve in the lid with a brass compression fitting and have a coil of about 8 feet of copper tubing coiled up inside for storage. If you can build a fire, you can distill pure water with that from any standing water source no matter how polluted the water might be.

[TrapperReady]

Strangest Survival Item(s)?

A couple packs of cigarettes, some nylon pantyhose and chocolate bars.

Those helped dad out in the waning days of WWII and its aftermath. :D

[pcf]

Not strange, but suprisingly uncommon, a 30" halligan tool. Too useful to ever be without.

A small coffee kit, no matter how terrible my day is, it's much worse if I don't have my morning coffee.

[armymp119]

I carry a film can with steel wool in it taped to it is a 9v batt. great for starting fires.

[Bob F.]

Kevlarman: thanks for the answer. Now where do I get it??

[Matthew748]

Darn you fletcher, you stole my ace in the hole! A magnifying glass is one of my favorite items to have on hand. You are going to run out matches eventually, but the good old sun is going to be around for millions of years.

[exoduster18]

Someone want to explain hoe you start a fire with steel wool and a 9v battery? i'm confused.....:confused: :confused:

Also the wierdest item I keep is a picture of my family.....they are the reason that will carry me through anything.....

[brerrabbit]

Bob F. I got my misch metal on E-bay. Fire steel would probably work better, or at least be lighter, but this stuff works awsome as a firestarter. Shave off a little bit from the ingot with a knife, then ignite it with a long stroke off the ingot. It makes a fairly long burning very hot burning pile of metal shavings. The shavings ignite a heck of a lot easier than magnesium shavings from other fire starters.

[armymp119]

ok here is what you do. You pull the steel wool apart so that it is almodt see threw then you put it on the batt. it will get red hot and burn the best way to do it is have it right next to some dry paper or grass.

[walking arsenal]

Better yet.

A great formula for fire starter is 000 or finer steel wool mixed with a cotton ball dipped in vasoline.

Hit that with a spark and you got insta tinder.

I use the striker on my magnezium block since those @#@#$ little shavings never stay put.

You can just use the wool too but the vasaline and cotton ball give it a longer burn time.

[exoduster18]

Thanks for the explanation. I kind of thought that was how you did it, but I was unsure.

[MedGrl]

The wridest thing I have in my survival kit (meaning my emergency kit when I do deep woods backpacking is about 4 or 5 5 mil garbage bags. If it gets so bad that I need to break into my emergency kit I am thinking about staying warm and dry and protecting myself from the elements as much as possible. These are heavy duty guarbage bags that can cover an entire ful sized hicking pack (cpmpleet with sleeping roll lashed to the top) with some room left over. I can cover myself and my gear to protect against rain, or use them to provide shade. and at night if i need something between my sleeping pad and the ground for insulation one fo the bads is enough. I can sleep without a sleeping bag in (yes in, I've tried it and I can fit my 5'10" into one bag if i curl up into the fetal position) of one of these guarbage bags and not risk hypothermia because of the ground stealing all my body heat. they are versitiale and have proved very useful.

[Lee Lapin]

http://www.nukalert.com/

The NukAlert is a state-of-the-art personal radiation detector and alarm. Small enough to attach to a key chain, the device operates non-stop, 24/7 and will promptly warn you of the presence of unseen, but acutely dangerous levels of radiation.

Used nationwide by federal, state and local first responders, law enforcement and the Dept. of Defense, the device is the ideal solution for increasing individual security and awareness of radiological threats. It will be very reassuring to know, with confidence, when you and your family are out of the worst danger.

lpl/nc

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

I usually keep a small bottle of Dawn dishwashing soap in my urban kit. It's a great general purpose soap and disinfectant. I've had good results using Dawn on clothes, hands, face, hair, wounds, greasy engine/bike parts, lenses, a sleeping bag, etc. I hear it also works well for eating utensils.

I keep 3 or 4 feet of surgical tubing in my backwoods/mountain survival kit. Water likes to collect in the smallest, least accesible little nooks and crannies. Getting that water into your mouth may be a life or death affair. A length of thin tubing can make it much easier.

[Dionysusigma]

Blank book and few pencils. :) Also a copy of G. K. Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare and The Count of Monte Cristo. All are sealed in individual ZipLock bags, and are pretty light since they're all in paperback.

[tellner]

A bag of kitty litter and a bag of potato chips.

The kitty litter is very useful when your car gets stuck. The potato chips, like the cotton balls in the first aid kit, make excellent tinder.

[walking arsenal]

If you go to eat the one make sure you dont mix it up with the other in the dark. :D

[JGReed]

Cosmoline, that lamp is COOL. How quickly does it use the calcium carbide? IE how many hours would you get out of a pound?

[IllHunter]

I received the flashlight for Christmas (Oh how they know me) and when I saw the radio I forked over the $50. The flashlight when wound for 60 secs stays lit for 60mins. IT has 2 modes, (1 led or three) The internal batteries allegedly last @ 500 cycles.
The radio has dual power modes (3 AA) and internal. The radio has a loud alarm, AM/FM and weather bands with 7 SW bands. It also has cell phone plug to charge other battery powered items and a flash (white) or locate light (red). It just had too many bells and whistles to pass up and it came with a nylon case.I think I found the next Christmas gift for my like minded friends and brothers!!! Found it at www.restorationhardware.com but it might be seasonal as it's not listed now. The store near me still had stock.
As for firestarting, dryer lint kept in a 35mm film can will catch a spark every time. The supply is free and endless (in our house) check and clean your vent tube. When you see how it flares, you'll make cleaning that hose a reg PMS event.

[Rockrivr1]

I can't believe nobody carries something more juicier in thier BOBs. You know, like Porn or Condoms. You figure, if your using your BOB, your most likely in the woods when you camp at night with the Mrs. Um, well, it's not like there are any TVs with cable hanging around. :rolleyes:

Hummm, I remember reading about the huge baby boom that happened 9 months after the Blizzard of 78. You can't tell me some of those people had wished they had some condoms in the house when that happened. :scrutiny:

[scout26]

As for firestarting, dryer lint kept in a 35mm film can will catch a spark every time. The supply is free and endless (in our house) check and clean your vent tube. When you see how it flares, you'll make cleaning that hose a reg PMS event.

Heck, We've got an old paint can that we use to store the dryer lint. It's used to start fries in the fireplace at home and when we're camping/hunting. Just remember that the majority of house fires are started because/by dryers setting the lint on fire.

Weirdest thing I have in my BOB/survival kit is a copy of the Army FM "Survival", (can't remember the number.)

P.S. Illhunter, I fully agree/abide with your sig line.

[walking arsenal]

I can't believe nobody carries something more juicier in thier BOBs. You know, like Porn or Condoms.

I'll Bite.

No porn here, married, dont need it, BUT the profalactics I have.

Reason? One unlubricated condom will carry a gallon of water. Unlubricated because, well, the lubricant would just taste funny.

[Sawdust]

I can't believe nobody carries something more juicier in thier BOBs. You know, like Porn or Condoms.

Condoms are for rookies.

I'm a hardcore prepper myself...I got snipped. :p

Sawdust

[walking arsenal]

(Crosses legs and cringes) :what:

[Woodsmoke]

Pardon my ignorance Trapper, but ahh... what are the pantyhose for?

[Inner Monkey]

Eagle Talon Tomahawk.

http://grey-matter.smugmug.com/photos/52823108-M.jpg

http://grey-matter.smugmug.com/photos/52823100-M.jpg

http://grey-matter.smugmug.com/photos/52823155-M.jpg

[tellner]

Reason? One unlubricated condom will carry a gallon of water. Unlubricated because, well, the lubricant would just taste funny.

walking_arsenal, I bow to your superior knowledge and experience of the taste of condoms.

[perpster]

Sawdust,

If you're really hardcore then you must have gotten snipped by Inner Monkey's Tomahawk, right? :neener:

[bubbygator]

Bought one of these at a gunshow
http://shakelight.notanumberinc.com/flashlight/

and I liked it so much I found a guy on ebay selling a bulk & bought 10 more to give to my family.

[albanian]

I keep a Bible in my bag also but not for the normal reasons. They make great toilet paper if you get the kind with very fine paper. They also make good tinder. If you get cold, you can line your cloths with the paper and it makes great insulation. Bibles are free and they seem to be everywhere. I have never had to pay for a Bible because they just seem to appear. Every hotel has one if you need one for a bug out bag. No reason to spend money on one. Just snag one next time you are in a hotel.

[walking arsenal]

walking_arsenal, I bow to your superior knowledge and experience of the taste of condoms.

LOL

They also work great for keeping........Stuff off of or out of the end of your er....rifle barrel.

[Trisha]

A fifth of scotch and a pack of favorite cigars.

Trisha

[RyanM]

A gallon? I actually tried carrying water in a condom, once. It burst at about 3 cups. Well, not "burst," exactly. Split in half, more like. I wouldn't want to try putting more than about a pint in one.

[walking arsenal]

sorry, forgot to add that you have to wrap it in cloth or somthing similar to support it.

My bad.

[Balog]

A bottle of 190 proof Everclear (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everclear_(alcohol)). Disinfect wounds, sterilize equipment, burn it, can soak up water that's infiltrated a fuel can, reuse the sturdy plastic bottle etc. I suppose you could even drink it; hell, if you needed to commit suicide just try shotgunning it.:uhoh: :eek:

[NukemJim]

Caffeine pills. Yes I have Tea/coffee/hot chocolate (GF :) ) but may not have time ablity to stop and make hot liquids. Caffeine will not onlyl help to keep you awake more importantly it will stop people from going into caffeine withdrawa. If I'm using BOB I have enough to worry about.

NukemJim

[LAK]

What Trisha said.

Remy in place of Scotch. But that is subject to change ;)

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

http://ussliberty.org
http://ssuntedstates.org

[walking arsenal]

Caffeine is a bad idea in a survival situation. Caffeine is a diaretic. So taking caffiene will up your water intake.

Not a bad thing if you have the ability to compensate for it. But if the time comes to have to use your bob, water may be scarce.

[DRZinn]

The thing is, the mild diuretic effect of a small amount of caffeine is definitely a better bet than the severe headache that some incur with caffeine withdrawal.

[gremlin_bros]

a small bottle of unpasturized honey. honey is great for quick energy and if your cold it will help stoke your internal fire to maintain body temp. and it is a natural bacterial static this means it kills bacteria so its good for use as one might use neosporin oh and neosporian is in the first aid kit as well but the honey makes a wondefull backup and it is a personel observation but i think it helps reduce scaring as well because the sugars and other natural things in it help the body heal faster.but im not a medical profesionel this is personel observation.

[NineseveN]

Um, I feel kinda left out, I need to go add something funny to mine now... :confused:

[Sam]

A very sharp E Tool.

Sam

[Optical Serenity]

So, how long will honey last without needing replacing?

And pantyhose makes a great rolly polly. I can fill up a typical .25 pantyhose with a bunch of little items and it helps not lose things.

Also, as far as caffeine, I agree its important. Does the army really issue these out?

http://www.actiongear.com/cgi-bin/tame.exe/agcatalog/level4s.tam?xax=7358&M5COPY%2Ectx=29061&M5%2Ectx=29061&M2%5FDESC%2Ectx=Emergency%20Preparedness%2C%20Survival%20%26%20Lifesaving%20Supplies&level3%2Ectx=results%2Etam&query%2Ectx=caffeine&backto=%2Fagcatalog%2Fresults%2Etam

http://www.actiongear.com/agcatalog/pics/sag04.jpg

[Freedomv]

I always carry one or two needles in my wallet at all times. Some times even have a bit of thread with them, although hardly ever use the thread.

The needles work well for removing slivers-splinters etc. also for cleaning small holes such as the orifice in a carbide lamp.

I push the needles through a section of leather on the inside of the wallet and you have them when ever you may need them

At times I have carried a single edge razor blade with tape over the sharp edge in my wallet. These provide a really sharp edge for delicate work.

Vern

[ctdonath]

the severe headache that some incur with caffeine withdrawal.Then break the caffeine habit BEFORE SHTF. If you're hooked on it to the point that you get severe headaches without it, you've gotten into a voluntary medical ailment that needs treatment pronto.

[ctdonath]

how long will honey last without needing replacing?Forever. Honey is the ONLY infinite-shelf-life food.

[walking arsenal]

What about twinkies?

[eab]

A P-38 gi style can opener. So small they fit on your keychain and have you ever tried opening a can of food with out a can opener. Impossible, take it from one who has tried. Even a hatchet will not open it easlily.....

I don't really have a bag packed per say but I have all my stuff laying around the room and can be thrown in my rucksack in about 10 minutes, bungie cords are another diffent must. Much easier to make a poncho hooch with bungie cords then with para cord.....

[Optical Serenity]

Cool, I'm going to have to find a small case to put some honey in.

And in my Fatboy I carry a super small sewing kit, it has several needles and like 3 colors of thread.

[The Freeholder]

A beautifully-made little German dosimeter kit with a locking, hermetically sealed metal case, twelve slender pen-sized stainless steel look-through dosimeters meant to clip on clothing and a D-cell-using charging and zeroing unit.

Manedwolf, do you have a name/source for this?

[trickyasafox]

what is a dosimeter?

[AndyC]

Measures exposure to radiation

[Stevie-Ray]

What about twinkies?Not even close.
Honey - forever

Twinkies - 100,000 years

[tellner]

Twinkies don't exactly have a shelf life. More like half-life. And their half life is pretty close to the time it takes protons to decay, so they'll be here long after the sun burns out.

[Optical Serenity]

What does a dosimeter cost?

[Manedwolf]

On that dosimeter, this place has one for $100, but that's a lot more than I paid for mine!
Mine was also in new condition, untouched. The case is tightly sealed with a latch, so it even smells new. It was a "special" item that I think Cheaper than Dirt had a few years ago.

http://www.buymilitaria.com/e_german_html/east_german_misc__web_gear_&_more.htm
http://www.buymilitaria.com/e_german_images/RADKIT2.jpg
Each of those steel tubes is about the size of a thick ballpoint pen. There's two sets in mine, purple-ringed 0-500 roentgen and yellow-ringed 0-50 roentgen. You point them at any bright light and look through it, you'll see a black field with a rangefinger-like view, numerical scale and a vertical needle that indicates cumulative dosage. The green box takes two D cells and lets you zero the dosimeters. There's a socket on top, you stick it end-down into the socket, look through it (the box illuminates it), and turn the dial to zero the display. Very well-designed.

http://www.buymilitaria.com/e_german_images/RADKIT3PC.jpg

Oh, yeah, and as a 21st century retrofit, since it uses a lantern/flashlight bulb for the illuminator, I replaced that with a white-LED refit. Those don't ever burn out.

[Optical Serenity]

Thanks, thats pretty neat.

Regarding the lint, I got an old pill bottle / medicine bottle and filled it with lint. And let me tell you, you can pack a LOT of lint into one of these bottles. :)

[NukemJim]

Dosimeteres

Just as an FYI there are some disadvantages to this style of pocket dosimeters.

1. They are fragile. If you drop them even if they do not break they will normally "lose" the reading.

2 They can lose their charge over time ( varies with types ) so you must write the reading down to keep a "permanet" record.

3 They will only show Gammas and X-rays. No Alpha and IIRC no Beta. Since both Alpha and Beta can be more damaging than Gamma the dose shown by these types of devices can be inaccurate.

4 Dosimeters come in differnt ranges and as any measuring tool are not as accurate/usuable at the extreme ends of the measuring range. (For example, measuring the thickness of a piece of paper with a yardstick or the distance between two cities with a micrometer ) I would consider getting a lower range for SHTF bag.

I am still trying to find a light weight radiation detection system/rate meter that would be suitable for a BOB. I was interested int the Nukalart as mentioned in post#58 several years ago but after discussing it with our physicist at work I did not purchase, due to concerns about accuracy problems, after revisting their site I am going to revist the issue with our physcist.

Please not that none of the systems suitable for detecting Alpha, and some Beta are small and lightweight suitable for BOB or cheap. My belief is that any "dirty bomb" would use a nuclide with a strong Gamma componet and not a nuclide that was Alpha or Beta only. I have been told I am wrong but still am not sure either way.

Instead of a dosimeter I would prefer a ratemeter so I can "get outta therer" or go where the least amount is. I really want something for the BOB.

NukemJim

[Manedwolf]

1. They are fragile. If you drop them even if they do not break they will normally "lose" the reading.

Agreed, why I was pleased with these. They're MUCH more sturdily made than the crappy, cheaply-made cardboard-tube old yellow Civil Defense dosimeters of similar vintage you can find. They also have a soft plastic cap for the end and the pocket clip is very strong. As to Alphas, yes, they can be quite damaging, but tend to need to be inhaled to get in. And I can't think of anything cheap that can detect Alphas, other than a homemade cloud chamber...and that's a little hard to carry around in an emergency. :D

I was interested int the Nukalart as mentioned in post#58 several years ago

I tend to be a little leery of stuff made for civilians with circuit boards made by the lowest bidder in China. :) When it comes to the hardcore need-it-sturdy need-it-reliable stuff, I try to get things that various governments paid thousands of dollars for new. :D

With the radiological dangers, everyone should also have a bottle of Potassium Iodate, enough for at least a month for everyone in your family..even pets, you can crush some and put it in their food or pill a large dog. It's cheap, harmless, and if there's airborne radioactive iodine, keeps it out of your thyroid.

[Optical Serenity]

What is a good source for potassium iodate?

[Hemicuda]

I'd have to say my fully equipped machine-shop/garage... replete with 22,000 KW stationary generator... (natural gas powered from a pressure-head well on my property...) since I live in the middle-of-nowhere Michigan, I plan to bug-in...

Edited 'cause I can't type...

[Optical Serenity]

That is a good idea, unfortunately I live pretty close (20 miles) to City of Atlanta. I need to upgrade to an SUV and start decking it out.

[AndyC]

Strangest item? Hmmm...prolly a small infrared beacon we were given in Iraq for SAR purposes. Here's a pic with a quarter for scale:

http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/7730/beacon5mp.jpg

[tellner]

Heh. One of the few good things about my condition is that I can give my potassium iodate to someone who needs it. Heck, maybe the added dose will kill off the last of my thyroid cancer :o

[tegemu]

I looked through the replies for one of my favorite survival and field tools. A supply of unlubricated condoms. Where condoms were mentioned, it was somewhat in jest. In a small altercation in South East Asia they were invaluable as water proof containers for storing a multitude of stuff. They also worked ideally over a gun muzzle, kept the rain and other contaminants out and when you needed to fire your weapon, just shoot right thru it.

[walking arsenal]

It wasn't a jest! I was darn serious about that.

[popswon]

Protein Powder, along with amino acids and vitamins. And quick oats.

[Ares45]

This would probably be the wierdest thing - gammawatch (http://www.gammawatch.com/)

It's not actually in the bag. It's on my wrist, but it does tell me when to go get the bag.

[Optical Serenity]

Ares45, very neat...I really like that...

[Trebor]

My Boy Scout handbook from the early '80s. Lot's of good stuff in there and it's not nearly as watered down with PC stuff as the current ones. I'm still looking for a good deal on an older BSH from the '50s. It has to be cheap enough that I can actually use it and not just stick it in plastic and look at it.

[Cosmoline]

I just had a PM suggesting the use of bangsite for a carbide lamp. I don't know where the devil this idea is coming from. Maybe people have just been out of touch with carbide lamps for enough generations now that they don't understand the principles involved.

I can't emphasize this strongly enough--

DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT!

Bangsite says right on the side "only for use with big bang gas cannons" which, amazingly enough, MEANS YOU ONLY USE IT WITH BIG BANG GAS CANNONS, NOT repeat NOT repeat NEVER EVER EVER EVER with a carbide lamp. If you were to actually empty a whole tube of cannon carbide into a lamp reservoir, you'd probably blow the top of your head clean off.

For the sake of safety, let's review. THIS IS CANNON CARBIDE:

http://www.cannon-mania.com/images/bangsite.gif

And THIS is miner's grade carbide for miner's lamps:

http://www.bloomington.in.us/~carbide/images/carbide.jpg

As I already said, the safe source for miner's carbide is the speluker's coop here:

http://www.calcium-carbide.com/

I've ordered from them and they do a good, safe job with the stuff. DO NOT try to cut corners with this stuff or get creative.

[trickyasafox]

so your saying big bang stuff is safe for the lamps?


(sarcasm)

[Otony]

where do you order bangsite for your lamps?:confused:


:evil:

[Clean97GTI]

oddly enough, a small 200ml Skyy vodka bottle.
Not so much for what was once contained in it, but because it can carry a number of things in a durable, water and air tight manner. Its small enough to fit in the back pocket of my jeans and the glass is heavy enough not to shatter should I stumble and fall on it. I can fill it with water, fuel, items that need to be dry (matches, small foodstuffs like trailmix, anything small enough to go in the opening)
Pretty much anything I want that will fit.

[Any Cal.]

My bag is not a full on BOB, just stuff in case of an emergency. In it I keep a few Mountain House, couple heavy turtlenecks, an acrylic knit balaclava, and an old army ranger stove for triox. Strangest thing in it is a black plastic gold pan. weighs almost nothing, holds food/water, can be used to move snow or gather it to melt, use to gather leaves or berries, and if your hiking out next to a little stream, try a couple pans. It also keeps irregular shaped objects from sticking into your back in a daypack. Makes a good frisbee if the kids are with you.

[goon]

Honest to god flint and steel kit. I have two that I got from track of the wolf. After my flint chips down to nothing I can still find a quartz type rock or a sharp peice of sandstone and strike sparks with it. No special tinder needed. As long as I can spare an inch of cotton from around the bottom of my T-shirt I can make some more (charcloth). If I can't do that all I need is some almost rotten punky wood. Harder to catch a spark with and kind of flimsy and it also burns out faster than charcloth but it will still work.
I have found that a mixture of dry grass and loose bark from a grape vine work the best with this. Make a little birds nest looking mess of the two, strike a spark on to your charcloth, drop the burning cloth into the nest and blow a couple times, then stick it under your pre-built fire.
The only thing I have found that matches it is a burning cotton ball. In a long term SHTF, greasy cotton balls would probably be harder to find than semi-rotten wood.
It is also a lot harder to put charcloth out thant it is a match. You can step on the stuff while it is burning and when you pick your foot up it will still be burning.
A bit archaic by some standards and definitely to be used in conjunction with a match safe full of strike anywhere matches and a sparklite, but still a very comforting thing to have around.
Plus. for some odd reason, it is easier for me to light a fire with flint and steel than it is with a match.
I always thought I was born a couple hundred years too late...

[Wastemore]

My brain.

[entropy]

I looked through the replies for one of my favorite survival and field tools. A supply of unlubricated condoms. Where condoms were mentioned, it was somewhat in jest. In a small altercation in South East Asia they were invaluable as water proof containers for storing a multitude of stuff. They also worked ideally over a gun muzzle, kept the rain and other contaminants out and when you needed to fire your weapon, just shoot right thru it.



Yeah, I shot right through an Army issue condom once. Luckily, no issue arose.:evil: They were great for keeping rain out of the barrel of your M16, though.;)

[gc67]

Not sure if anyone mentioned it, but you probably want to get a siphon of some sort. If SHTF, you may need to "borrow" some gas and you really don't want to end up with a stomache full of it

[therealsteamer]

As I have a young child, I keep a small stuffed giraffe in a side pocket. If she is with me my thinking is it will go along way to comforting her. I have rotated it a few times with other stuffed animals she is attached to. I also have a few crayon stubs in a ziploc bag w/ a small notebook.

[Optical Serenity]

That is a good idea, a small toy of some sort.

[mrmeval]

I have some information on good and cheap wound care. A modified Daikins solution for wound abridement, that's 0.025 - 0.5 percent with clean water. It does well. It's 0.025 percent that kills bacteria but not human cells. Bleach is 5 percent or more, not good. You'll need to read up on it to know how to use it.


http://www.medicaledu.com/emails/email_2003_1215.htm
http://www.edu.rcsed.ac.uk/lectures/lt33.htm
http://yarchive.net/med/wounds.html
http://dermatology.cdlib.org/rxderm-archives/dakins-solution

[KriegHund]

Instant oatmeal and green tea. A small comfort if i need it.

And they have big tins of calcium carbide at my army surplus depot :/ at least they did a while ago. Probably still do.

[pete f]

crayons.



figured entertainment for the kids but now, write on anything for wound notes, water treatments etc.


two bottles of heinz 57 sauce, the plastic squeeze bottles, i figure with that i can eat road kill raw.


some clarified butter soaked into maple sugar. read somewhere this was just short of plutonium for the most amount of energy per oz. Navy SEALs use a paste of butter and brown sugar as e-rations to hypothermic swimmers. The stuff I have last from one sugaring season to the next, then gets eaten. melts on tongue fuels you up like nothing else. way better than chocolate for killing the shivers on a deer stand. so sweet you gotta blink. http://www.christiesmaplefarm.com/Catalog/Product_Detail/56/?categoryId=8&productId=47&mid=153

[kevin7]

Soldiers in WWII actually used condoms to keep water out of their gun barrels. As for my BOB, I always carry around duck tape. It can be used for anything: fixing tents, taping plastic sheets over a broken window, reparing boots... I can go on and on with the list.

[22-rimfire]

Pipe Cleaners... can be used for a lot of things from cleaning a pipe or small hole or poking or for quick ties on plastic bags.

These are commonly sold in (tobacco) pipe shops. There are some long ones available that are like 12" long which have many uses other than cleaning a tobacco pipe.

[Optical Serenity]

I was thinking of pipe cleaner tonight at walmart, but...some good news: Walmart now sells a Faraday Flashlight pack. Its $17 for a two pack, one big faraday flashlight and one small one.

[tanksoldier]

Might want to check that. Gammas are all the military worries about. Alphas will be stopped by paper, clothing or the outer layer of skin. Betas by not much more, and neither Alphas or Betas are very energetic... they don't do much damage to what they do hit.

Xrays are the worst, but aren't generated by the residual radioation, just the initial blast.



Nukem wrote:

3 They will only show Gammas and X-rays. No Alpha and IIRC no Beta. Since both Alpha and Beta can be more damaging than Gamma the dose shown by these types of devices can be inaccurate.

[NukemJim]

" they don't do much damage to what they do hit."
"Might want to check that."

OK, I've checked.
My check source is "Principles and practice of Nuclear Medicine" by Early and Sodee. (This happened to be the closest one to my desk. )

"REM is a unit of human biologic dose as a result of exposure to one or many types of ionizing radiation. It is equal to the absorbed dose in rads times the RBE (Relative Biological Effectiveness) of the particular type of radiation being absorbed. Another way to expressing it is as follows:

Radiobiologic dose in REM = dose in rads X RBE

RBE's for varios types of radiation
Alpha = 20
Beta (< 30 keV) = 1.7
Beta (>30keV) = 1
Gamma = 1
X-Rays = 1"

This is a entry level reference and RBE actually varies with the energy of all the types of Ionizing Radiation.

"Gammas are all the military worries about"

Uhmm,,, without meaning to be disrespectfull ( IIRC you served in US Military in AFVs, therefore thank you for your service ) didn't the military come up with the Neutron Bomb to specificly knock out Warsaw Pact armoured formations ?

Also the military sometimes has a "different" point of view about certain subjects. (Ask me about chemical radiation dectectors sometime :what: )

Alphas are essentially harmless outside of the body. If you are buttoned up in a tank driving through an area where you use US food and water and don gas masks/vehicle air filtration systems when required then neither Alphas nor Betas are a problem.

On the other hand if you are walking, driving in a car which does not have a positive pressure/filtration system and drinking unfilterered water (yes radiactive contamination can be filtered from water, remove the dirt/chemicals in the water and you have removed the radiation ) eating food that has not been sealed then things may be a bit different.

I am NOT an expert on dirty bombs. All the radionuclides that I am aware of that are readily obtainable in reasonable quanities and relatively low security have a strong Gamma and/or X-Ray component in their emmission spectrum. But I have discussed this issue with several people and recieved conflicting reports with some people maintaining that there are several radionuclides suitable for a "radiologic strike" that are do not have a Gamma/X-Ray emmission. Given current sensitivities I really do not want to ask too many questions. The Trilinear Chart is indeed public knowledge but other factors are not as readily obtainable.

BTW I prefer the term "radiologic strike" instead of dirty bomb since no explosion is actually required and there are other alternative ways to use Radionuclides as a weapon. A hard to find story from the '40s by Robert A Heinlein covers this IIRC the title was "Dust"

Best Wishes

NukemJim

[texascarl]

A deck of cards. If I get lost in the wilderness I'll sit down and play a game of solitaire. Within 2 minutes someone will lean over my shoulder and say 'You should play the 10 of Spades on that red Jack'. Et voila, I'm found!

[Dr.Rob]

Carbide draws moisture over time and if you carry the miners grade stuff... say in a film can for use as a firestarter... after a year or so you'll open up you bag abd find that film can with the top popped off from gas being built up by moisture wicked from the air.

Be SURE to seal your carbide with an airtight/watrerproof seal. Over time it WILL get beaten into a powder flopping around in the can.

Wierdest thing in my pack? Aside from a film cannister of carbide, sewing kit, 5 kinds of firestarters, meat saw, rope, tape, tampax, candles, sierra cup and camleback, water filtration system, pre-packaged energy foods, and honey (which can indeed be used as a wound dressing--worked in ancient eypt)... a baygen radio and a few gold coins. I blame Art Bell.

[Optical Serenity]

Regarding Honey, what do you put it in to keep it? I want something the size of a film canister perhaps..

[Igloodude]

Strangest? Probably the handcuff key. :cool:

[Cosmoline]

)... a baygen radio and a few gold coins. I blame Art Bell.

:D I had one of those windup radios as well, but it broke after a few days of use. I also blamed Art Bell for that.

Re. the calcium carbide, I keep mine in their original containers and put them inside a dedicated ammo can along with some moisture-absorbing packets.

[Boom-stick]

A Travel Spear:)
Designed for spearfishing but I've nearly managed to bag a squirrel with it & when mounted with a trident tip, looks pretty scary, it also looks cool when you un-holster it as it all, kinda, snaps into place almost like it's assembling itself:cool:
http://www.foldspear.com/faqs.html

[2intheBag]

A previous poster mentioned the Nukalert. After some extensive online research I finally just replaced it with the RadDetect Personal Radiation Detector (http://www.nukepills.com/radiation-detector.htm)

The comparison chart sold me (as well as the test videos)
http://www.nukepills.com/RadDetect-vs-NukAlert.htm

I'm going to test it with a I-131 source (work at radiology dept) and I'll post result if anyone interested.

[half elf]

I keep a 1/2 hatchet, and a leatherman on hand. I like the AA powered LED flashlights and have several. Pantyhose are very usefull depending on where you are. The will let you gather nettles, keep your legs warm, or make a impromptu stuff sack. My weirdest item is a tea lantern, and a can stove carried in my mess kit because it fits right inside the small pot, and takes up no extra space.