More Good Training

 

The whole idea of a survival kit is that you always have it with you.  If it’s too big, you’ll leave it behind when you need it.  So, this is a survival kit that will fit in a shirt pocket (or a pants pocket)

 

I learned the basic concept for this survival kit at US Marine Corps Mountain Warfare School at Pickle Meadows, California (near Bridgport CA).  Anyway,  you spend a lot of time up in the mountains, away from logistics support, and frequently, out of radio contact.  So every one of us was expected to carry a survival kit on us at all times.  So here we go:

 

In a survival situation, you need some basic items:

1        Signalling

2        Water gathering

3        Fire Starting

4        Shelter

5        Food gathering

 

This survival kit is small and easy to carry, but covers all 5 of the above listed categories.

 

30 Gallon plastic trash bag (Black)

Matches

Magnesium/Flint and steel

Cotton Balls

Single Edged Razor blade

Monofilament fish line

Fish hooks and sinkers

Roll of waxed dental floss

Plastic Soap Case

 

 

First, you need to get a case.  The easiest to find and the least expensive is a soap travel case.  I picked this one up at Wal-Mart for 97 cents.

 

The case can be used to drink from, or to scoop water and it can be used for light digging in soft soil or sand (very handy in preventing broken nails)

 

30 gallon Plastic Trash Bag can be used for hauling/storing water,  It can also be used for signaling, and can be used for shelter

 

Hauling / Storing water:  don’t fill it too full.  Water weighs 8 lbs per gallon, so if you fill it up, in addition to spilling out the top, you’ll have a problem carrying 240 lbs of water.  You can use it to melt snow in the sun (that’s why I prefer a dark color).  You might be able to use it as a solar still.

 

Signalling:  Can be laid out on a light surface to signal.  Or, put it at the top of a tree that you’ve stripped the top branches from so it will wave as a flag.

 

Shelter:  You can wear the trash bag to protect you from rain/snow/wind.  You don’t need to cut a hole in the top or anything.  Just put it over your head and leave the bottom open to allow air in..In a hot/sunny environment, it can be slit open and used to provide shade.  A 30 gallon trash bag is 36” x 30”, so if you slit it open, it would be 2 ½ feet wide by 6 feet long.  You cold even rig it as a very small A line tent.

 

100 yd roll of waxed dental floss.  Just buy a package of dental floss, open it, remove the floss, and throw away the case.  You can use it to tie things off – like the trash bag “flag”, or to rig a shelter from the trash bag.  Finally, it can be used to rig lean-to’s from branches, or to tie things to trees, rocks, etc.

 

It can also be used to make snares, gill nets, fish lines, and etc..

 

 

Firestarting:

The matches should be “Strike Anywhere” type.  Wrap them in a plastic “sandwich baggie” to keep them dry.

The Magnesium Fire Starter is a great piece of gear.  It always works, rain or shine, and it can light thousands of fires.  You can buy one from Amazon here:  Emergency Fire Starter.

Cotton Balls:  are used for firestarting.  Rub some chapstick on them and they will catch fire quickly and burn for a long time.  Much better than searching for dry tinder.

 

Food Gathering:

Monofilament line:  I carry about 20 yards of 8 lb test.

Fish Hooks:  can catch fish, or in a pinch, birds.

Sinkers – I carry the small round ones.

Single Edged Razor Blade can be used to clean fish, squirrels, chipmunks, (remember, we’re in a survival situation here) and can glit the plastic trash bag, trim a branch into a fishing pole,  or a shelter support, and if you have to, shave. (grin)

 

This Survival Kit will easily fit into a shirt pocket:

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