Emergency kit (wilderness survival)

[MachIVshooter]

You seem overly concerned with an injury that goes septic.

It kinda happens when you've been the victim of it. I had a staph infection develop out of nowhere and take over my whole leg (Cellulitis) within a day and a half of first pain symptom. My wife got necrotizing fasciitis in her hand and wrist with only one small scratch evident from 3 days earlier. Her infection was mild pain in the morning to excruciating by 5 PM with a popeye hand going on. Both of us could have died within a couple of days if we'd not received antibiotics (in her case, surgical debridement). So yeah, you become a bit more conscious of it once it's had a hold on you.

I wonder why the small firearm and 100 rounds of ammo in a hunting survival kit

Like I said, it just felt kinda wrong to not have it in there. And most of us have by now seen some photos of guns that were wrecked in a bad fall or ATV/motorcycle crash. A border agent's HK comes to mind.

The one thing missing appears to be your axe.

In my day pack is a Gerber backsaw. It's primary purpose is cutting leg bones and spines, but it works quite well for wood, too. And much lighter than any hatchet. I'd recommend these for any hunter/hiker/backpacker.

Add some Analgesic burn ointment

Thank you for the reminder. That occurred to me, but then I forgot about it.

 

[murf]

a piece of mole skin for blisters. a safety pin for picking out slivers.

murf

 

[MachIVshooter]

a piece of mole skin for blisters.

Good idea.

a safety pin for picking out slivers.

I think the #11 Exacto blades, the needle-point forceps and the tweezers on the T10 tool have sliver extraction covered

 

[murf]

still need it to pin the note to your shirt, like hatchet jack in jeremiah johnson!

murf

 

[mdauben]

I am thinking...snake bite kit....but maybe that's just because I had a rattlesnake sneak into the office yesterday.

I think the old suction cup snakebite kits have pretty much been dismissed by serious wilderness medical experts as causing more harm than help. Antivenom is the best treatment option and I've never seen a kit with that and the necessary syringe on any commercial kit.

 

[Magoo]

You mentioned liking superglue but having issues with the containers/dispensers it comes in. I saw at Lowe's/HD last time I was in there that they now sell it in little single use packets (salt packet sized-ish). They were sold in a package of several packets. Those would seem like a great way to carry superglue in this type of kit.

 

[brainwake]

I think the old suction cup snakebite kits have pretty much been dismissed by serious wilderness medical experts as causing more harm than help. Antivenom is the best treatment option and I've never seen a kit with that and the necessary syringe on any commercial kit.

I am glad you mentioned that. After that snake incedent, I started doing some research and was finding contradicting info on those kits. I have one in my backpack, but have never used it. I like to go on backpacking trips and sometimes I am several miles into the wilderness. Maybe it's time to toss it and save a little space. I do carry an iphone with a solar charger these days. So that provides a little assurance assuming I can get a signal.

 

[oneounceload]

I do carry an iphone with a solar charger these days. So that provides a little assurance assuming I can get a signal.

They have those SAT phones designed for folks who go way out of service areas

Another item that may be useful is some form of smoke signal or flare - When I lived in CO and NV, you were, at times, down in deep ravines and canyons where even aircraft might have a hard time finding you

 

[Centurian22]

Ok it appears my question got missed so I'll re-ask. Do you have a specific purpose in mInd for the sand paper, or just another 'ya never know' items?

 

[David E]

I caught some kind of bug in the mountains back about 20 years ago, may have been giardia, who knows. I was very fortunate that one of the guys had some Immodium. It was ugly.

The problem with that is it's more difficult to get the "bug" out of your body when you essentially plug it up.

Flip side being you may well dehydrate if you don't....

 

[rcmodel]

Do you have a specific purpose in mInd for the sand paper,

If I was guessing, I'd say it is probably to sharpen the knives & needles with??

rc

 

[IlikeSA]

I would add some safety pins to the mix. Someone mentioned it about the slivers but also good for an improvised fishing hook, to bind rips and tears together, and other assorted creative uses. Good list overall though!

 

[der Teufel]

water? purification tabs or filter? No water and all that treatment is well, just nice

I carry a small bottle (~2 oz.) of chlorine bleach. I put it in a 'dropper' bottle. 4-6 drops should purify a quart of water. It's cheap and easy to carry. Just to make certain it doesn't cause a mess, I put the dropper bottle inside an old prescription pill container.

On my SHTF, gotta evacuate (fire, severe weather, ???) list is a gallon of bleach. The environmentalists hate bleach, but I reckon it's probably saved more lives than penicillin.

 

[oneounceload]

I put it in a 'dropper' bottle. 4-6 drops should purify a quart of water

My understanding was two drops per quart.....http://www.csgnetwork.com/h2oemergencypurifycalc.html

any more and the water may be undrinkable

 

[ZeroJunk]

The problem with that is it's more difficult to get the "bug" out of your body when you essentially plug it up.

Flip side being you may well dehydrate if you don't....

I'm pretty sure one of the guys I go with now takes some pills in for it. Furoxone I would imagine. One of the perks of hunting with a vascular, neuro, and two orthopedic surgeons. Downside is that I am pretty much of a moron, but they let me hang around to haul water, build fires and such.

 

[Pit4Brains]

Seems like there's a lack of signaling devices.
Get a good signal mirror.
Three road flares will not only start multiple fires if need be, they can also be; extinguished and re-lit, seen for miles at night, have a reliability of lighting and staying lit when wet, even in driving rain. I say three for making the triangle.
Reflective materials like a safety vest or belt to don if someone is spotlighting or you can get into a headlight beam.
A couple of IR glowsticks. Rescue aircraft will most certainly be using IR at night and maybe during the day.
Getting noticed is getting seen, getting seen is getting out. You don't want to necessarily be able to survive as much as get found. This is why it is imperative to have someone know your whereabouts and your timeline for returning to a camp or back where you can make a phone call, etc..

 

[MachIVshooter]

Do you have a specific purpose in mInd for the sand paper,

If I was guessing, I'd say it is probably to sharpen the knives & needles with??

That was my primary notion. Much thinner and lighter than a stone.

 

[Robbins290]

nice kit Mach IV. it's basically the same kit I put together. but differnt handgun. thanks for sharing.

 

[der Teufel]

My understanding was two drops per quart.....http://www.csgnetwork.com/h2oemergencypurifycalc.html

any more and the water may be undrinkable

Hmm, you got me checking. It appears that there's some variance in the recommendations. The Washington State Dept. of Health says 3 - 5 drops per quart depending upon how clear or cloudy the water is.
http://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/EmergencyPreparednessandResponse/Factsheets/WaterPurification.aspx

So six drops is probably the maximum one would want to use for really contaminated water, and two is perhaps sufficient for water from a clear mountain stream. The main thing is that it's cheap and easy to carry, and with a dropper bottle it's also pretty easy to measure.

When I was younger and did a fair amount of backpacking I generally used four drops per quart and it didn't really seem to affect the water's taste significantly.

 

[mbt2001]

You seem overly concerned with an injury that goes septic.

I do not see how one can be too concerned about injuries and properly treating them. Most folks focus way way way too much on guns in their kits and not enough on medical, food, shelter strategies.

My take on the kit is that it is a great kit for hiking and such. Ostensibly you will have other equipment that you have on hand in that situation and this emergency kit will supplement those.

 

[splattergun]

When I was about 18 (several decades ago) a friend of mine went for a solo hike down in southern Utah in the early spring. It was a beautiful but windy day, so he dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, and he just had a canteen with him. It was a short loop hike of 4 miles.

2 days later they found his body 100 yards, just over a small hill, from his car. They figured the late snowstorm hit at about the halfway point. He was probably disoriented in the heavy snowfall, then extreme exposure took over. They say he wandered in circles for hours before stopping and going to sleep.

I learned my lesson and have taught my kids. I never step onto a trail, not even for a short walk, unless I carry more water than I need, 3 ways to start a fire, emergency rations, and an emergency blanket, minimum. Usually I have a more complete kit. My friends joke about it. I don't care.

I'll be reviewing MachIV's kit closely. Good job.

 

[MCgunner]

Everything fits in this belt. I don't do much hiking in remote country anymore, though. Age is taking over and I've gotten quite lazy.

 

[mbt2001]

Any of you read the Hunger Games? If not, I suggest that you do. Despite what you might have heard, the first 2 books are really great and all about wilderness survival. Like a cross between Hatchet and The Most Dangerous Game.

Splattergun:

That is a tragic story and I can tell you that when I was a teen on two occasions I was lucky in the woods. Now, I carry a kit when I am out and in the car when I am on road trips. Army surplus stuff is relatively cheap and functional. I am with you, if people laugh, just bring up the story of James Kim (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Kim). That happened in 2006, not 1896.

Below is a link that is a fantastic watch on the psychology of being lost and ill prepared. There is a great moment where Lundin says "Even if you knew where you where you would be screwed or don't you get that yet?" Out of the Wild, the Alaska experiment (in Alaska and season 2 in Venezuala) are also fantastic. In my opinion it conclusively shows that most of the things we learn as Americans (tough it out / mind over matter / will power) will get you killed out there. Not to mention the idea of bugging out and living in the woods. You might be able to form a hippy commune or a collective farm, but there is no way to go out and the woods in most areas and meet your caloric intake levels. If you do, then you are lucky. The Indians had an entire community and culture helping them live the way they did.

Cody Lundin's book 98.6 degrees sketches a profile of the kind of guy that is usually lost and found dead in the woods. Frankly, that profile would fit all of us. Urbanites, who have experience in the outdoors and overestimate their skills while simultaneously underestimating nature. Anyway, watch the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALUTDJlhKb8

 

[MCgunner]

Oh, I also like to take along a kitchen sink. You never know when you might need one.

 

[rcmodel]

I still say you can't take enough clean water, or toilet paper!!

Them weed stems, sticks, & leaves are rough on ya after a while if you get the running trots.

I don't care who ya are!!

Even Chuck Norris would be whimpering after a couple of days.

rc