How many of you carry a pocket in "survival kit"?

[Doug S]

There is a small thread over on Glock Talk discussing this, but it doesn't seem to be getting much attention. I know it's been discussed here before, but this may be one of those topics worth thinking about periodically. I have two jobs which take me between an hour to an hour and a half away from home. One of these settings is urban. The other urban, but surrounded by rural farmland. I could easily conceive of reasons (and have actually spent the night) of why I might need to spend a night in my office. Just in case, I carry an Altoid tin as a minimum precaution. It serves both as an outdoor emergency kit, and also contains some everyday emergency items that I might need in my work settings. For instance meds, flash drive, pen, bandaid, scissors, etc. Other contents include a bottle bag, 4 Micro Pur water tabs, 1 Spark lite Sparker w/ 4 tinder cubes, 1 Doug Ritter Pocket Kit Survival Instructions, purifying tablets, a fresnal lens, a AMK signal mirror, 6 BCB storm matches w/ striker, a little fishing line w/hook, some tinder cubes, and a sparker, a flash drive, Victorinox Classic SD, AMK Rescue Howler Whistle, tube of meds, Photon II light, button compass, small folding Swiss saw (for metal or wood), P32 can opener,a few bandaids, an alcohol wipe, needle and thread, small SAK pen. Probably an item or two I'm forgetting. Also in my pocket is a Victorinox Explorer, or Swiss Champ, a Fisher Space Pen, another photon. Cell phone on belt, and other items in car. I'd like to have my gun, but law abiding citizens have been disarmed in such places as I work, so only criminals can carry guns there.

Anyway, just wondering how many people carry these, and what you might consider the most important edc items for such a kit.

 

[Pax Jordana]

Not really a survival kit, IMHO. more like an EDC kit. You may find more of what you're looking for at edcforums dot com.

Lesseeeeee... I usually walk out the door with a knife, light, cell phone and multitool. I ought to add a cigarette lighter to that, but frankly I haven't yet (not a cigarette smoker.) Anyway, that's usually about enough to cover my butt as the day goes by.

I just got my PA EMT(b) cert in august, and i was so darn proud of myself I went and bought a crash bag. That stays in the car for those really times in travel. I have a CPR mask and some ibuprofen in my school bag, and frankly that's about it if I'm not near the car.

I think what you'd be more interested in is an overnight kinda bag - toiletries and whatnot. Sleeping in the office is one thing, sleeping in the woods another, and I think you'd have an easier time with both if perhaps you split the kit in two. I don't have a survival kit per se, but I do have a bag that generally stays in my locker at the firehouse fulfilling the overnighter role. It comes back with me for the occasional restock, but that's about it. One thing I'd suggest is paracord makes great clothesline for drying your towels and such. Clever idea that seems obvious as soon as it's suggested.

For spending the night at the office I would also recommend a toothbrush. So would your students, I bet

 

[Treo]

I don't carry a pocket kit but I have a fanny pack kit in my car. Fire startes, meal bars MREs ( two lies for the price of one) first aid kit. compass, flash light, space blanket, emergency tent ( yes it fits in a fanny pack), Bible, multitool, iodine tabs,matches. since I'm in Colorado my sleeping bag lives in my car along w/ some old OD green army blankets.

My BOB is a Camelback rally pack that weighs 20 pounds full that I used to carry up the manitou incline twice a week for practice. it holds basically the same as the fanny pack plus a trail firstaid kit, a folding saw, survival knife( AF issue) topo maps of the mountains west of Co Springs extra socks, water filter, three liter water bag poly pro underwear gloves and a beanie ( whitch again should be carried at all times in Colorado anyway) rain gear, ice cleats, Bible, 50 ft. of 550 cord and a copy of " How To Stay Alive In The Woods " by Bradford Aniger.

 

[Doug S]

Not really a survival kit, IMHO. more like an EDC kit. You may find more of what you're looking for at edcforums dot com.

Pax J, I do like the idea of an EDC kit, and guess that's why I've tried to pack my pocket kit to meet some of my EDC needs also. In truth it gets used as an EDC kit fairly often. I often use the flash drive to back up work, I've used the med more times than I would have thought, also use the whistles when I'm in the mountains with the kids, bandaids,etc. I would use the SAK and photon daily, but I have another Classic SD & Freedom Photon on my keys, and a larger SAK in my pocket.

Also, thanks for the link. I've not seen the website before, so I'm looking forward to checking it out.

Treo,

Sounds like you're pretty well stocked.

 

[Treo]

Treo,

Sounds like you're pretty well stocked

I live in Colorado getting stuck in a Blizzard is a legitimate possibility all year long.

In 2001 the last snow off the 00/01 season was in June and the first snow of 01/02 was in August.

 

[Doug S]

the last snow off the 00/01 season was in June and the first snow of 01/02 was in August.

Wow, that doesn't leave much time for being warm. I know a couple who vacation/hunt frequently in Colorado. Beautiful place.

 

[Glamdring]

The priorities are air, shelter, water, long ways after that food.
Also ABC airway, breathing, circulation, & bleeding.

I carry two flashlights a 6P LED on my belt and a E1 B in my pocket. A Spyderco knife, a mini lighter, two Cell phones. Will be adding pair of garbage bags now that winter is here for additional shelter. And a keychain pill fob that holds steelwool for tinder, should also be able to start fire with it and the batteries from the surefires if lighter is gone.

Might add pair of maxipads and duct tape for cargo pocket or vest pocket trauma kit. First Aid kits are no good for serious problems.

In winter always have hat and gloves in pocket of my shell (ie windbreaker/raincoat), in summer it sits in the car.

The flashlights are probably more important than anything else than the knife and CCWs, then I would say the cell phones. If your in a big building and power goes out and you need to evacuate because of a fire for instance light makes a big difference. It also helps if your stranded outside in the cold and dark stormy night.

Have lot more gear in my car, which is usually within 25 yards of me except when grocery shopping. I figure I can make do with supplies in grocery store if I have to.

In the car I have Heavy Duty military Poncho, hatchet, trauma kit, spare knife, water purification tablets, cooler with water (also usually pop and snack in cooler) spare coats, Gear Aid Kit, Trauma kit with Asherman seal, snacks (sunflower seeds, peanuts,fruit/cereal bars), cordless spotlight (uses highbeam headlight bulb VERY bright), first aid kit (bandaids basically, only good for little owies ), spare 6P with high output bulb, surefire spares carrier with batteries and standard bulb, a cordless charger for my primary cell phone (uses lithium AA batteries so even if car batter is toast and both cell phone batteries are dead I can call for help).



I am NOT a medical expert but have quizzed doctors and nurses more than a little. Even in ER they don't care much about cleaning wounds if bleeding isn't under control. You need to be able to stop bleeding anything for pad (maxipad, gauze, shirt, etc) and apply pressure tape, cordage, shoe, laces, belt, wire, etc.

 

[langenc]

I think it is a P38-NOT P32.

 

[Highland Ranger]

don't forget an end of the world cigar, lighter and small flask of scotch!

 

[Doug S]

The flashlights are probably more important than anything else than the knife and CCWs, then I would say the cell phones. If your in a big building and power goes out and you need to evacuate because of a fire for instance light makes a big difference. It also helps if your stranded outside in the cold and dark stormy night.

I like this...good point because it points because it demonstrates that their are plenty of everyday type scenarios where a pocket kit could come in handy besides typical SHTF scenarios.

I think it is a P38-NOT P32.

Oops.

don't forget an end of the world cigar, lighter and small flask of scotch!

Sounds like a plan.

 

[mljdeckard]

I carry many of those things when I hunt, more in the car, but actually on me, I have a flash drive on my keyring, a small blade, a full-size CRKT folder on my pocket, a Leatherman on my belt.

I'm about to get a combat lifesaver medic bag, which I will also keep in my vehicle.

 

[icebones]

a knife, a rock and duct tape.

all u ever need



searously, pretty good idea though, like the altoids tin.
i used to keep those waterproof matches, hooks, a razor blade and 20lb test line in an empty copenhagen can in the glove box of my truck.

 

[conw]

I had a really excellent functional pocket survival kit devised, anyone who wants to can do a post search on my name and look back about a year/year and a half ago for ideas. I had a lot of help from people here which is why it turned out so well.

However, I no longer carry the altoids tin around because I hate having bulky pockets. I carry a subcompact pistol, a very small slipjoint knife, and a one-cell flashlight...spare mini flashlight on the keychain, spare cell for the bigger light on the keychain, and another light and a multitool in the bag I take with me to school.

I just don't see needing to fish, or needing superglue, or a signal mirror, or painkillers (OTC), or copper 18 gauge wire, or any one of the extremely useful multi-tasking items I had in the kit in an acute emergency scenario.

Even if I imagine myself in a country where catastrophes are the norm due to natural disaster or man, I don't see the pocket kit getting a lead role. A car-based kit or home-based kit with smaller kits within kits (e.g. 50lb duffel containing 20lb backpack containing the pocket tin), to deploy as needed - car breaks down, take the backpack; have to run and evade, ditch the pack and keep the tin - seems like the smartest option.

For me, the benefits of avoiding the "bulky pockets" look outweigh the small chances I would immediately need "survival items" in an emergency situation. And no, I haven't been taking CCW advice from GQ

 

[Treo]

First Aid Kits

Trail makes a good first aid kit that is hunting/ GSW/ trauma specific.

Basically at the non professional level first aid is fairly straight forward , you prioritize in order of what's going to kill them first ABCS

You manage the airway make sure they're breathing , do not pass go until those two are secure you check circulation ( if they don't have a pulse they're not circulatin' if they're bleeding out (All bleeding will stop eventually) they won't be circulating long. Fix the problem. When the above are taken care of treat / prevent shock. then we worry about broken bones, flail chests and all that happy crappy. ( Speaking of which if you do CPR properly you WILL break ribs.)

If you're in a situation where you have to do any type of triage, and one of your patients (or more) need CPR they're dead and you move on to sombody you can help.

 

[expvideo]

I don't carry a survival kit on my person. Just a cell phone for emergency calls, a pocket knife because I use it all the time, but mostly because I'm more likely to have to cut someone out of a seatbelt than I am to have to shoot them, and a handgun for self defense.

However, I do keep a very capable survival/emergency duffle bag in my car. It has everything I would need for just about anything I can see myself getting into. In fact the only things missing are a parachute and a scuba tank, lol.

 

[Sinixstar]

I have to travel through mountains that are known to get 5+ft of snow at a time to get to work and back.
I tend to think about it a lot less in the summer, but once it starts cooling off - there is absolutely some supplies in the back of my car.
Not sure what's in there now - thanks for the reminder!

 

[Sinixstar]

I ought to add a cigarette lighter to that, but frankly I haven't yet (not a cigarette smoker.)

Use waterproof matches, or some other sort of weatherproof device. Any lighter that uses a flint, and many that use electronic ignition do not work if they get at all wet.
Jet-styled cigar lighters work very very poorly at higher elevations (not sure if that's an issue for you, but thought i'd throw it out there), and zippos - aside from the wet issue - need to be charged with some fresh fluid to work. They will dry out over time.

As a smoker, I can tell you from experience - the only thing worse than having no easy way to start fire, is having one that doesn't work.

 

[expvideo]

Road flares also work well for lighting fires. Not so well for lighting cigarettes.

 

[Doug S]

Thanks for the comments. There's some good info in this thread. I need to redo my car kits also.

 

[Tyrannosaurus]

Bug-out Altoids Tin

Funny how I stumbled on this thread today, I've been putting some of these together as gifts.

There's a great thread on putting together Altoids tins here.

http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=6863

Conwict, I totally agree about some of the non-necessary items. I can't conceive any situation where I would need a signaling mirror.

Also, the tins I'm putting together as gifts will probably contain,when completed, some everyday use items (safety pins, moist towelette, for example). Things that never seem to be around when you need them.

That way, I can call it an 'urban survival kit', and it won't be so much of an odd gift.

 

[conw]

Tyr,

They are still cool items, especially if you can make them cheaply and reproduce them easily. It certainly wouldn't hurt to have at your disposal disinfectants, minor first aid items (mainly medications), and a highly redundant system of creating fire in a lot of different places: car, backpacks, travel bags, etc. In fact, you can include a LOT of different fire starting methods inside a small tin.

I'm envisioning a simplified kit that doesn't try to do everything:
Mini bic
waterproof matches
magnesium+flint
tinder (vaseline+steel wool)
microlight
water purification tabs
superglue
safety pins
some compact, effective disinfectant (maybe towelettes)
duct tape


That covers shelter needs (well, fire at any rate) and at least takes a stab at water needs. Covers light until you get the fire started, and the superglue and safety pins multitask more than anything else I can think of (minor first aid with the superglue, clothing/gadget repair with both superglue and safety pins).

I've heard of nasty knife wounds being temporarily held together with superglue and duct tape. Better than nothing.

That kit would be effective and simple to use - nothing to think about.

 

[woodfiend]

DO NOT rely on a lighter to start a fire. AREI matches AND a ferro rod are what you need in a wilderness survival kit. I carry a Firesteel everywhere along with a lockblade knife. Those are the most important things you can carry in the wilderness.

 

[Tyrannosaurus]

I couldn't think of any reason for superglue in the kit until I read the last post. Years ago, I had a nasty laceration above my eye that was quickly 'sutured' with a dab of superglue on a q-tip. A lot of folks might balk at this, but it was much quicker and easier than stitches, and there was no stitch removal required.

If I had a bad cut in any situation, I'd look for a few droplets of superglue, and stay really far away from the amateur doc with the survival sewing kit with extra fish hooks.

 

[7.62X25mm]

ATM Card, cell phone, BlackBerry with phone numbers for AAA.

If I'm just headed into town for a quart of milk I don't need one. If I'm headed out somewhere I might need one, it's not going to fit in my pocket.

 

[HIcarry]

I've heard of nasty knife wounds being temporarily held together with superglue and duct tape. Better than nothing.

We have been using "superglue" in the ED for many years now. It's especially effective for facial wounds, but can be used on just about any laceration that you can approximate the edges long enough to apply the glue. If you use it, be careful not to glue your fingers to the laceration as you try to hold the edges together....It will not do well for those lacerations that have a lot of tension on the edges.

http://www.dermabond.com/

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000301/1383.html