Becker+survival kit setup......
- Thread starter keroscene
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Some quickclot may be a good idea.
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Bic mini, light source and two twenty dollar bills. :thumbup:
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X2 on all the above. Plus assuming that's a tube of Superglue, add a tube of Anbesol for a local anesthetic for body parts that need something removed or cleaning before supergluing back together.
And maybe a way to carry some water (collapsible hydration pouch) unless you'll already have that on you.
And maybe a way to carry some water (collapsible hydration pouch) unless you'll already have that on you.
Looks good. Like others have said, add a plastic baggie (with a mark for the 1 liter measurement) and 6-12 water purification tabs. Firesteels are fun to use, and I use mine all the time, but throw in a bic for a backup or for when you're cold/hypothermic and need fire NOW. Not fun trying to get your fine motor skills to work when your hands are numb and shivering.
First aid/cuts kit looks ok; my old-man eyes can't read the pkgs on the bottom but I'm assuming you have some sort of painkillers in them. Quickclot sounds like a good idea if you have the room; I might have to pick some up for mine. If I can cram it in; probably not. I've started carrying some Imodium-type meds in case I ingest something that doesn't agree with me. Getting the trots out in the field doesn't sound like fun at all.
You seem to have enough cordage in your kit for the basics. Maybe think about adding a dozen feet (can never have enough cordage) or so of jute twine to your kit - ties up very small, and has an added bonus of being able to catch a spark. Read up on LostVikings most excellent post on his dogs head knife review over in the KaBar forum; he really espouses the virtue of carrying the stuff (and made me a believer of it).
Bandana? Easy enough to fold up an extra in there. 101 uses - it says so on the Internet...
And if you're content with carrying full sized rolls of tape (I have just a few feet of duct tape wrapped around a paracord loop in mine to make it smaller) maybe consider ditching the button compass for a smaller full size one? I dunno know if you always carry a primary one, so it might be ok. I just know the one I have in my kit only seems to point at the right direction like 4 outta 5 times; the other time it seems to point to the direction of the nearest gas station. Not looking forward to when I have to actually rely on it, yet I'm strangely apathetic about replacing it.
A few bucks for when you stumble out of the forest into the parking lot of a White Castle after being lost for a week sounds like a good idea...
A mirror for signaling is good. I also have a small whistle and a button-type light to aid in that as well.
Lots of stuff for repairs. If you haven't; maybe think about pre-threading a needle with a few feet of thread. Much easier to thread it on your couch than in the middle of nowhere in the dark.
Looks good though! I'll try to get some pics of my kit tomorrow if I remember. Hopefully others will post too; love seeing other peoples setups.
First aid/cuts kit looks ok; my old-man eyes can't read the pkgs on the bottom but I'm assuming you have some sort of painkillers in them. Quickclot sounds like a good idea if you have the room; I might have to pick some up for mine. If I can cram it in; probably not. I've started carrying some Imodium-type meds in case I ingest something that doesn't agree with me. Getting the trots out in the field doesn't sound like fun at all.
You seem to have enough cordage in your kit for the basics. Maybe think about adding a dozen feet (can never have enough cordage) or so of jute twine to your kit - ties up very small, and has an added bonus of being able to catch a spark. Read up on LostVikings most excellent post on his dogs head knife review over in the KaBar forum; he really espouses the virtue of carrying the stuff (and made me a believer of it).
Bandana? Easy enough to fold up an extra in there. 101 uses - it says so on the Internet...
And if you're content with carrying full sized rolls of tape (I have just a few feet of duct tape wrapped around a paracord loop in mine to make it smaller) maybe consider ditching the button compass for a smaller full size one? I dunno know if you always carry a primary one, so it might be ok. I just know the one I have in my kit only seems to point at the right direction like 4 outta 5 times; the other time it seems to point to the direction of the nearest gas station. Not looking forward to when I have to actually rely on it, yet I'm strangely apathetic about replacing it.
A few bucks for when you stumble out of the forest into the parking lot of a White Castle after being lost for a week sounds like a good idea...
A mirror for signaling is good. I also have a small whistle and a button-type light to aid in that as well.
Lots of stuff for repairs. If you haven't; maybe think about pre-threading a needle with a few feet of thread. Much easier to thread it on your couch than in the middle of nowhere in the dark.
Looks good though! I'll try to get some pics of my kit tomorrow if I remember. Hopefully others will post too; love seeing other peoples setups.
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Wow, I'm gonna have to get a bigger kit! And, a couple 21's apparently. I should've unpacked the bag below the electrical tape. It has thread, needle, razor blade, twine, fishing line, hooks and a couple other items. I definitely need to add a few of the items you guys mentioned, especially the water purification and container. Thanks guys. Looking forward to seeing pics of your setups!
SAK Guy, it's a Fox brand pouch. Don't recall the series.
SAK Guy, it's a Fox brand pouch. Don't recall the series.
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Cool setup, here are my thoughts.
What do you EDC? Do you carry a good flashlight in your EDC? If you don't, add a light to your system. You can count on it getting dark everyday. Do you carry a lighter in your EDC? If not add one to your kit. Replace those paper matches with at least wooden strike anywhere matches. UCO stormproof matches are great and add more insurance than those paper matches.
Add some tinder that can be lit via a spark. PJ cotton balls in either a tin or old pill bottle, or in fire straws are my favorite. I can't imagine those fire sticks would be very good in wet, humid conditions. That being said, I have never used them but that is my first impression when I look at them in person.
Add a heavy duty 3 mil contractor bag to your kit, Orange if possible. Coghlans makes a large orange bag that I like a lot. You can make shelter, clothing, a sleeping bag, sleeping mat, signaling device, water collection, and a million other things with it. In my opinion they are really valuable.
More cordage... Just because.
I see visual signaling, but no audio signaling. Adding a marine whistle for $2 saves a lot of yelling when you are tired and your vocal chords are taxed. Get one without a pea if you can.
I agree with the water procurement methods above, a Sawyer mini squeeze filter is awesome for the cost and weight. Very versatile.
Upgrade your Space blanket to a SOL brand one. They can be found in a larger size and they are more durable than regular space blankets. Plus they have an orange side that can also be used for another visual stimulant for signaling.
These are just random thoughts when I saw this post. I am not exactly sure the dimensions of the pack you showed.
Jeremy
What do you EDC? Do you carry a good flashlight in your EDC? If you don't, add a light to your system. You can count on it getting dark everyday. Do you carry a lighter in your EDC? If not add one to your kit. Replace those paper matches with at least wooden strike anywhere matches. UCO stormproof matches are great and add more insurance than those paper matches.
Add some tinder that can be lit via a spark. PJ cotton balls in either a tin or old pill bottle, or in fire straws are my favorite. I can't imagine those fire sticks would be very good in wet, humid conditions. That being said, I have never used them but that is my first impression when I look at them in person.
Add a heavy duty 3 mil contractor bag to your kit, Orange if possible. Coghlans makes a large orange bag that I like a lot. You can make shelter, clothing, a sleeping bag, sleeping mat, signaling device, water collection, and a million other things with it. In my opinion they are really valuable.
More cordage... Just because.
I see visual signaling, but no audio signaling. Adding a marine whistle for $2 saves a lot of yelling when you are tired and your vocal chords are taxed. Get one without a pea if you can.
I agree with the water procurement methods above, a Sawyer mini squeeze filter is awesome for the cost and weight. Very versatile.
Upgrade your Space blanket to a SOL brand one. They can be found in a larger size and they are more durable than regular space blankets. Plus they have an orange side that can also be used for another visual stimulant for signaling.
These are just random thoughts when I saw this post. I am not exactly sure the dimensions of the pack you showed.
Jeremy
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I'd swap out those "carabiners" on the side of your pack for actual climbing carabiners. I'm not sure how much heavier they are, but having something that you could actually trust w/some weight is a good idea. Toss a "P-38" in there too, takes up almost no room.
Adding onto what another poster said, the PJ cottonballs in a prescription bottle... you could wrap your tape around the prescription bottle in whatever length you'd want to save space/weight over two full rolls.
I'm having an internal debate (in my head) over the nail clippers. Seems like you could swap them out w/a SAK Classic which would give you the toothpick, tweezers, and a file in addition to a cutting tool (scissors opposed to the clippers). similar size wise... I'm a nail biter unfortunately, so I almost never cut my nails. Toe nails are another story, so maybe you'd need them for your toes... like I said, it is a debate. If the clippers have a file built in already, keep it as is.
Instead of $20s that were mentioned, I'd go w/smaller denominations. If you are desperate and someone knows it, they'll be less likely to make change for a $20 if you need something they have. $5s would be my suggestion.
Adding onto what another poster said, the PJ cottonballs in a prescription bottle... you could wrap your tape around the prescription bottle in whatever length you'd want to save space/weight over two full rolls.
I'm having an internal debate (in my head) over the nail clippers. Seems like you could swap them out w/a SAK Classic which would give you the toothpick, tweezers, and a file in addition to a cutting tool (scissors opposed to the clippers). similar size wise... I'm a nail biter unfortunately, so I almost never cut my nails. Toe nails are another story, so maybe you'd need them for your toes... like I said, it is a debate. If the clippers have a file built in already, keep it as is.
Instead of $20s that were mentioned, I'd go w/smaller denominations. If you are desperate and someone knows it, they'll be less likely to make change for a $20 if you need something they have. $5s would be my suggestion.
Liking the responses here, giving me some good ideas 
. I need to revisit my kit again.
For the extra cordage, I like Bank line, since it is more than strong enough for most things I can think of, yet takes up less space than parachute cord (20ft folds down to about the size of my first two fingers). I keep maybe 4-8 feet of twine wrapped around my sheaths (again, thanks to lost viking). I have so far mostly used it for fire starting, but it can be used for "weak cordage" as well. For your setup I'd wrap it around the belt loop area (the bottom part, under the snap and down to where it attaches to the plastic bit).
I love superglue... I re-attached part of a knuckle with it once, and the ER fixed a ~4in gash on the top of my head with it. Glad to see it included.
Personally I'd likely ditch the rolls of tape, unless I knew there was something specific that needed it (like tent repairs or something). For most other outside type things, cordage is way better IMO. If you still want it, perhaps just take portions, like perhaps 20ft or some number of each? Fold it around itself so it compresses better/flatter.
Also, with the BK2, the leatherman... do you really need the other knife? Its not "bad" that its in there, just might be able to cut some weight out by removing it, since you already have two blades. Just a thought.
And yeah, some sort of container, if even a small one. I know altoids tins aren't exactly the best thing ever, but they are water tight (not that it would help for water purification, as its tiny), and you can make charcloth in it, from the bandana you're going to add to the kit.
Looks good.
. I need to revisit my kit again.For the extra cordage, I like Bank line, since it is more than strong enough for most things I can think of, yet takes up less space than parachute cord (20ft folds down to about the size of my first two fingers). I keep maybe 4-8 feet of twine wrapped around my sheaths (again, thanks to lost viking
). I have so far mostly used it for fire starting, but it can be used for "weak cordage" as well. For your setup I'd wrap it around the belt loop area (the bottom part, under the snap and down to where it attaches to the plastic bit).I love superglue... I re-attached part of a knuckle with it once, and the ER fixed a ~4in gash on the top of my head with it. Glad to see it included
.Personally I'd likely ditch the rolls of tape, unless I knew there was something specific that needed it (like tent repairs or something). For most other outside type things, cordage is way better IMO. If you still want it, perhaps just take portions, like perhaps 20ft or some number of each? Fold it around itself so it compresses better/flatter.
Also, with the BK2, the leatherman... do you really need the other knife? Its not "bad" that its in there, just might be able to cut some weight out by removing it, since you already have two blades. Just a thought.
And yeah, some sort of container, if even a small one. I know altoids tins aren't exactly the best thing ever, but they are water tight (not that it would help for water purification, as its tiny), and you can make charcloth in it, from the bandana you're going to add to the kit
.Looks good
.
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Already added a water straw, found my whistle, added a collapsible cup and removed the extra knife.
The nail clippers do have a file, but so does my leatherman. May add a small sak for the tweezers, toothpick and scissors.
Love the responses so far, but would like some pics of a setup or two.
Also. I was just looking at a couple larger bags. Not a whole lot larger, but definitely capable of holding a bunch more. Any suggestions in this area?
The nail clippers do have a file, but so does my leatherman. May add a small sak for the tweezers, toothpick and scissors.
Love the responses so far, but would like some pics of a setup or two.
Also. I was just looking at a couple larger bags. Not a whole lot larger, but definitely capable of holding a bunch more. Any suggestions in this area?
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Mine has evolved since this pic. Added some zipper lights, and got a better mylar blanket.
Peel as much weight off as you can. If its a knife kit, as long as you have the 3 basics covered, take the excess to another bag.
Moose
Peel as much weight off as you can. If its a knife kit, as long as you have the 3 basics covered, take the excess to another bag.
Moose