Emaergency Survival Kit; Hoping For Your Comments

[pr39]

Hello,
Please give me a call or check out my website site on the latest gear we use on mission. From forward osmosis products for water anytime anywhere to fire starting products that are made for special operations and first responders around the United States. I will be glad to help anyone on the site if you have any questions on the best outdoor gear made..

 

[postalWagon]

my plb experience comes from working as a park ranger for two years. I have nothing against having one, I pack an Iridium. things have way of breaking when you need it, bloody Murphy...... Five gallons of water is good, but hard to carry if you had to. that's the idea of a nalgene bottle or camelback.
9 mm, 38 special and 45 acp make good people stoppers but destroy small game, that's why I go for 22lr (but that's me and I am cheap).
I would not poo-poo looking at a ifak or like, I have seen and cleaned up some huge offroad injuries. there somethings that you may not need, but that depends on your training.
not trying to down your kit, just looking to expand your ideas.
thanks for asking!

 

[Karma]

HI postal,
Don't try to expand my ideas. This post is for 1 idea and 1 only. I have neither the training or opportunity to go into expanded vistas. I have had many years of CPR training. I have asked all my instructors and class mates if they have ever used their knowledge. With one exception the answer was no. I answer no. I feel that for this survival kit, I have no choice but to take the highest probability case and work around it. That's what I'm trying to do.

Why are you forcing me to hunt for food? It's not needed so why plan for it?

Have you ever seen a PLB actually fail the owner? Have you actually seen one break? Be honest now and ignore you predispositions. Some people don't like technology no matter what. Are you one of those?

Please, you seem uneasy with my path but are afraid to really be honest. Please be honest. Without that this will never work.

Sparky

 

[1leglance]

I love my Spot Sat Messenger and didn't mention your PLB because there was nothing negative to say about it

I know you mentioned the 5gal of water but there are many reasons to carry at least a few liters (in seperate 1 L bottles) in your ditch bag:
vehicle roll over destroys your 5gal
vehicle fire means grabs your bag and get out
vehicle on an off camber side slop and tipping over the edge...again grab your bag and go
tainted or suspect primary water

you live in NM and travel the desert southwest, as another person mentioned you can go 3 weeks without food but only 3 days without water (less in summer)

I know you are basing this on a 3 day senario, however it is important to look over real world events and how long the average "lost" person is out there. If you have a beacon/signal device and can let help know to come you are looking at under 24hrs, if something happens to your beacon you are looking at 3 days just to get started looking for you....I plan my stuff around the 3-5 day mark. And since I usually have my son with me then factor x2

As Flounder mentioned, it is important to look over your gear.Even more important is to test it. I have done winter testing in the high desert
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...rgency-gear-testing-Winter-Edition?highlight=
I will try to get the pics fixed
and I have done summer testing in the desert (really need to post that) and I can tell you there is no better way to enjoy a solo trip than to make it a training adventure.

www.equippedtosurvive.org is a forum with real world, high quality people who actually use/test gear and aren't a bunch of end of the world nuts

 

[ssssnake529]

For everyone with space blankets on their lists. I can say from personal experience that they are pretty much useless. Get a space bag instead. The blankets don't have enough weight to stay in place, have too many gaps, blow away in the wind, and don't keep rain off of you. A bag is much better.

 

[Capt Eddie]

I have to agree with LandcruiserPhil. For a short time like you refer to. Practiced survival knowledge will make any trip a walk to church on a Sunday morning. After all of your skills practicing. You will be looking for reasons to be broke down in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a good head on your shoulders. I am often amazed at all of the usefull things that can be found in remote, isolated parts of this country. Everything from, lighters, clothes, toothbrush and kitchen sinks. Why bring your own. Nature and man, can provide all that you will ever need, if you have the knowledge.

 

[Karma]

I have to agree with LandcruiserPhil. For a short time like you refer to. Practiced survival knowledge will make any trip a walk to church on a Sunday morning. After all of your skills practicing. You will be looking for reasons to be broke down in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a good head on your shoulders. I am often amazed at all of the usefull things that can be found in remote, isolated parts of this country. Everything from, lighters, clothes, toothbrush and kitchen sinks. Why bring your own. Nature and man, can provide all that you will ever need, if you have the knowledge.

HI Capt Eddie,
You don't seem to understand. I am just a humble Jeeper. I have no special skills for survival. I'm a good mechanic and I have a good brain. This brain tells me that your advice is useless to me. For survival on a practical scale, one must play the odds. The odds tell me that my survival strategy must be self contained and well thought out. Depending on finding a BIC or whatever laying in the desert sands sounds like a strategy for failure. If this is your advice, tell it to someone else. It's useless to me.

Your advice reminds me of what some of my Jeep Club members follow. They are always the ones whose CB isn't working, or forgot a tool at home, or have a Jeep with rats nest wiring that is always shorting out, or with a Jeep that is always breaking and causing untold inconvenience, and sometimes danger, for the others in the group. If this is you, please stay home.

Sorry for the harsh words but I really have no patience. Experience has taught me this. You are a danger especially your advice. But thanks for the thought.

Now I'll probably get in trouble with the mods for being honest.

Sparky

 

[Karma]

HI All,
I thought I should post a picture of my Jeep so you can get a context for our discussion. Here is is:

 

[Karma]

 

[Andy@AAV]

Sir, I respect your want to be prepared, but I am really not understanding your needs. You disregard what everyone here says and go back to how prepared your vehicle already is. Sounds like an expedition to the south pole a hundred or so years ago, I suggest you read the book "Endurance" to see what a survival situation is and why being prepared for the WORST CASE SCENARIO is so important.

Thus far I have learned from this post that your plan is to press the button on your EPIRB (I assume that is what you are talking about based on the price you mentioned) and sit back and wait for the helicopter since you already have everything you may need on your vehicle. In this case here is my final advice for your "Survival" kit:

-an old but unread issue of Overland Journal
-a good cigar
-a quality bottle of scotch

now hit the button on your EPIRB and sit back and relax.

Of course, you have no indicator that anyone received your signal. Good luck...

But on a serious note:

"I have no special skills for survival."

My real recommendation is to fix this problem.

 

[postalWagon]

X2 rocket-scientist,
the most basic of survival kit goals is to beat Murphy's law.
you know your jeep and your limits, all we can do is put forth options.
If you tool kit is well thought out, I have little doubt that your survival kit will not be any different.
best of luck
beat Murphy.

 

[Andy@AAV]

Sorry, I violated my own rule of never criticize others unless you offer to help.

Here are a few links for information and training:

a link to the US Army Survival Manual http://www.equipped.com/fm3-0570.htm

The good old Boy Scout Handbook http://www.bsahandbook.org/

Cody Lundin's book on survival http://www.amazon.com/98-6-Degrees-Keeping-Your-Alive/dp/1586852345

National Outdoor Leadership School http://www.nols.edu/courses/

I hope this helps, google is your friend as well. In the end, knowledge will get you through no matter how much or little equipment you have.

PS: Nice looking YJ.

 

[Karma]

HI rocket,
I know the PLB system works and works well. I'm betting my life on it. As for gaining survival skills, I agree. But, in truth, I do plan on sitting back and waiting. I hope there is beer in the fridge. That's my plan until someone can prove it wrong. I think it is the only plan that has a good chance of working in remote places. All advice I have ever heard from the pro's is to stay with your vehicle. I repeat. I have no plans to walk out.

Do you have a PLB? Why not? I have no idea what a EPIRB is.

I'm not ignoring at all. I have given this issue a lot of thought and I basically think I have it close to right. If the suggestions make no sense to me, I will, and should, question it. However, there have been some good ideas that I will use. I have acknowledged these. Just because I ask for ideas is not a reason that I must accept them. If they are different than mine, I should ask about the reasons they are brought up. For the most part, I feel that most folks do not have any more real life experience than I do in survival situations. Thus, very often my guess is as good as theirs.

Sparky

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

If your PLB does not work vehicle fires work well in attracting attention.

 

[Karma]

HI Land,
There is no if. It will work. Your doubt is more common than I thought. But, IN THE HIGHLY UNLIKELY EVENT THAT IT DOES NOT WORK, I MIGHT AS WELL BURN THE JEEP BECAUSE I'LL BE DEAD. IT WILL BE A SMOLDERING MEMORIAL.

Sparky