One pocket survival kit

[Smithsonia]

You've got to make it through the night. Bad weather may mean 2 days in the wild. This is my bail out kit. What's yours?
1. Air Force Reflective mirror
2. Orange bandanna (for signaling, compress, or soak in av-gas to start fire or tie-off an injured limb)
3. whistle
4. firekit (magnesium and flint or 1 dozen kitchen matches in water proof tube plus 1-2 inch square pieces of cosmo fire-starter)
5. pocket knife
6. Army Compass
7. 6 ft of lanyard string and 7 ft. of duct tape. (medical and sealing cover)
8. thermal blanket.
9. 3-4 pieces of hard candy.

This all fits in both my BDU blouse pocket or Flight suit map pocket. Besides a good set of boots and a cool head, can you think of anything else?
Once again - its all got to fit in one pocket.

[Thom]

I've been meaning to write this up, so here's my excuse opportunity:

I carry two things in my Right Leg BDU Cargo Pocket, and together they make up 95% of my survival gear.  FYI, the Left Cargo Pocket carries a pressure dressing (Izzy D) and, soon, a McMurdo FastFind 406 PLB.  Add my normal pocket knife, flashlight, and hopefully some water and I'm good to go.  BUT, I can make a go of it out of just that Right Cargo Pocket.

So, that Right Cargo Pocket?  Two things:  An Adventure Medical Kits 1-2 Person Orange/Silver Space Blanket (Untearable, NOT one of those flimsy mylar things...) and a highly modified Doug Ritter/AMK Pocket Survival Pak, commonly known as a PSP.

Here's what's in the PSP, both stock and after my modifications:
Standard Contents -
Spark-Lite Firestarter
Tinder-Quik Tinders for firestarting (Standard is 4, I pack 6 into mine, they are compressible)
Fox-40 Rescue Howler Survival Whistle
Rescue Flash Signal Mirror - 2x3 inches
20mm Survival Compass
Duck Tape - 26 inches x 2 inches, wrapped around a clear hollow plastic mandrel
Heavy Duty Sewing Needle (I moved mine inside the Duck Tape mandrel, held in place with some foam padding)
.020 stainless safety wire, 6 feet
150lb. test braided nylon cord - non-raveling - 10 feet
#69 Black Nylon Thread - 50 feet
Fishing Kit - 4 hooks, 2 weights, one snap swivel
Medium Safety Pins - 4
Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil 3 sq. feet (I replaced this with slightly less area of Reynolds Super-Strength Alum. Foil, much less likely to leak when making a water container)
#2 Golf Pencil and 2 small sheets Water-Proof Paper
#22 Scalpel Blade
Kit Instructions
Kit Contents List
Fresnel Lens Magnifier
Plastic Pouch - Roughly the size of a George Costanza Wallet, but not quite that thick

To these items, I have added the following, all in the original plastic pouch:
Fishing Line - 12 feet of 20 lb. test Monofilament
MRE Matches - Water-Proof - One Book
2 extra Tinder-Quik firestarting Tinders (see above)
P38 Can Opener
MRE Hot Beverage Bag - used as a water container
Band-Aids 3/4" x 2" - 2 of them
Knuckle Band-Aid - just one
As noted above, I replaced the Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil with Reynolds Super-Strength Aluminum Foil - It is the thickest available outside of specialty supply stores and it is MUCH heavier than traditional aluminum foil
Micro-Pur MP1 Water Purification Tablets - 4
Victorinox SwissLite Knife with built-in Red LED
Fenix E01 - single AAA LED light - 10 Lumens with 11 hour normal runtime PLUS 10 hours of reduced 'Moon' mode once the battery gets low

I figure I'm pretty good to go with that stuff.  I'd normally have a bandanna or handkerchief in a pocket, so I'd usually have access to that, but if I don't I won't cry.  So, just one pocket, 2 items: Orange Space Blanket and Modified PSP Kit.  Works for me.

Links:
http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/product.php?product=148&catname=Essentials&prodname=Pocket%20Survival%20Pak%E2%84%A2 - AMK Pocket Survival Pak (available at numerous online stores)
http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/product.php?product=147&catname=Essentials&prodname=Heatsheets%C2%AE%20Survival%20Blanket - AMK Orange Space Blanket (also available at lots of online stores)


Thom Hamilton

[Spike]

prophylactic too!

Carry water, keep something waterproof etc. 

[RRLE]

Victorinox Swiss Army Knife s.o.s. set

or going more upscale SwissChamp XAVT

beyond upscale Wenger Giant Swiss Army Knikfe

Seriously, I never go outdoors - hunting, fishing, hiking etc - without the first one listed.

[Airrace]

You've got to make it through the night. Bad weather may mean 2 days in the wild. This is my bail out kit. What's yours?
1. Air Force Reflective mirror
2. Orange bandanna (for signaling, compress, or soak in av-gas to start fire or tie-off an injured limb)
3. whistle
4. firekit (magnesium and flint or 1 dozen kitchen matches in water proof tube plus 1-2 inch square pieces of cosmo fire-starter)
5. pocket knife
6. Army Compass
7. 6 ft of lanyard string and 7 ft. of duct tape. (medical and sealing cover)
8. thermal blanket.
9. 3-4 pieces of hard candy.

This all fits in both my BDU blouse pocket or Flight suit map pocket. Besides a good set of boots and a cool head, can you think of anything else?
Once again - its all got to fit in one pocket.

I like your thoughts and would only add a letterman survial tool and some bandages.

[Stonewall]

I've carried some variation of one of these for about 15 years.  Even as a lowly grunt in the Army, even on training exercises, one of these was always in a pocket, not in my gear...you may get separated from your gear...

[Smithsonia]

Stripping cloth from your own T-shirts, aircraft seats, etc, make compresses. The duct tape can be used to fix it to the wound... plus, overlay the duct tape to make 1 foot square 3 layers deep... you can staunch a sucking chest wound. Try it and you'll breath easier. Shiny knife blades works as a back up reflector. Although I'd hate to rely on it. You can also use shiny duct tape too and the thermal blanket as a reflector.

Interesting thing about the reflector is the incidence between the sunbeam and the mirror is best at 90 degrees or less, but I am still working out how many degrees of a 360 degree arc, it works. Abstract thinking on the subject suggests it is less than 180 degrees... I am testing it next weekend. So you are best to hold the mirror at your eye... extend your other hand and make a V, sight the plane crook of the V and follow the plane as long as you can. If you don't see the light reflection on your extended hand, likely the plane will see nothing.

If you need to make a signal fire. 125 cubic feet is visible at night in dead dark from at least 20 miles. 125 cubic ft fire... is 5x5x 5 feet high. Save your most flammable tender for a plane within 20 miles. Dead pine branches with a ton of needles works good. At that distance you'll hear a plane... but won't see it (except maybe the beacon -- so get to know what a Cessna 182 sounds like. If it's a jet don't bother. Jets aren't looking for you unless you're an Air Force General. A 125 cubic ft fire will burn 20-30 lbs of wood, kindling, leaves, brush per hour minimum... once you start your fire, gather dry wood. To make it through a 12 hour winter night count on 300-400 lbs of burnable material. Double that if you want it to burn full all night. Remember it is easier to gather fuel in the daytime. Plan on 1 hour to start your fire... even using a kit, and 2-3 man-hours to gather your fuel. Don't forget to use your av gas... but carefully. A pint of Av-gas will easily give you that 5ft high flame and quickly.

During the day a smokey signal fire is better so wait for the sound of the engine and pile on your wetter material. Fire good. Although if you ignite the forest... running much faster than the wind is imperative.

Make your signal fire in the open and out of the wind. Big Signal Fire Very Good.

If you crash after noon in the winter, plan on not being found before sunup.
Unless of course you are walking distance back to the airport. If you need a fire for warmth make it big. Even in rough terrain and without visual contact with the fire... there's a chance the night ground teams will follow the smell of your smoke. These insights are for the mountainous and uninhabited west. I'm not sure about New Jersey. Tend the fire, you won't need the sleep.

I've even heard of a rescue in Alaska that was helped by burning poop. Sorry to be distasteful here, but... Yes, the smell of burning human poop is an unmistakable scent trail. Bears and other campers don't burn their scat.
It is this kind of thinking that you must employ to stay alive and offer hope to your crew and rescuers alike.

We've had at least 3 finds... no one lived so no "saves"... in which the snowmoblie teams working at night followed the scent of leaking av-gas.
So think scent trails on top of the regular signals.

[Lead/Lag Hinge]

Why does it all have to fit in one pocket?

How about doing what aircrew have done for decades and wear a survival vest which will depart the aircraft if you have to egress?

For ground crew, survival gear in a fanny pack will stay with you even if you have to drop your larger rucksack.

In the survival vest, instead of carrying a PRC radio in the radio pocket, consider something like the Garmin Rhino 530HCx combination GPS and two-way radio.

[Smithsonia]

Lead/Lag hinge;

Three reasons and you can take your pick.

1. Survival starts with thinking. This is mostly a mental exercise. What is the minimum gear-list? Cars and planes burn, leaving behind ashes instead of kits. Radios and batteries die, leaving you actually lost.

People still need to think. You too.

2. AND - Like all other topics in any section but particularly this one... it is the premise.

3. That said, it has occurred to me that most people practice their gear... not their worst case scenario in which they will actually perhaps, find themselves. Survival is a mind set and a set of skills. Not a bunch of equipment... that's called inconvenient camping.

[ol'fido]

I will assume(yeah, yeah, I know what they say about assuming) that by "Army Compass" that you mean an issue lensatic compass?

Is there a reason you are going with that instead of a smaller, lighter orienteering type compass?

When I was a grunt, we were issued the old GI compasses, but most people used the Silva-type commpasses.

Not criticizing here. Just curious.

[Smithsonia]

Olefido;
For me the old Army Lensatic is fine (which I think is also called a surveyors compass too) For me it has proven reliable and I don't have to remember much to get the hang of it, after not working with it for a few months. It's a keep it simple stupid that makes it work for me.

http://monsterguide.net/how-to-use-a-lensatic-compass

[Stonewall]

When I was a grunt, we were issued the old GI compasses, but most people used the Silva-type commpasses.

+1

As a grunt myself, I always carried my Silva Ranger.  Many people laughed or rolled their eyes, but I could land nav like a mo-fo, better than most.

[Lead/Lag Hinge]

"Cars and planes burn, leaving behind ashes instead of kits."

In my post I wrote to consider WEARING a survival vest. If one is WEARING a survival kit, the kit departs the aircraft with you. If you are in the aircraft WEARING your survival vest and the aircraft burns to ashes then I think the survival kit is no longer needed as you are now a dead pile of ashes.

"It is the premise"

Yes, I got that. And I offer that it is a spurious and erroneous premise. Thinking means going beyond limiting paradigms like "I must put everything in one pocket". So according to that way of thinking, I am only allowed to use 22 hp of my 200 hp engine because... I don't know why. Supposedly we are only allowed to use one pocket of BDUs or a flight suit or not carry a survival vest because we are somehow limited by on high to only carry one pocketful of survival gear. Who dreamt that up? Part of thinking is also questioning.

[Smithsonia]

Lead Lag Hinge:
There are various discussions regarding vests and 24 hour packs. Let me help you with just a few of those during the last month or so:
http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=7988.0
http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=8738.0
http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=8424.0
http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=8539.0
http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=8183.0

If that doesn't help - I think you'll find at least another 5 or 6 with a minimum of research.

My question was for a purpose that's other than those discussions listed above. If I'd wanted to talk about survival vests or 24 hour packs then I would have posted at one of the above topics OR I would have been quite specific in my questions.

You will not always be near your vest when you need it most. It will be an emergency. It will be survival and you will not be on duty. There will be no warning. There will be no briefing. There will be no announcement.

This emergency will happen on the way to work, at work, at the mall, in church, at a cocktail party, in bed at night, at a movie, while you are alone, while you're with your family. I had one last week when a building I was in went totally and completely dark with no ambient window light to help. No back up lighting either, which surprised and dismayed the building supervisor. Granted this was a small emergency but not a survival situation because I had a penlight... so, ONE POCKET SURVIVAL KIT, is the topic.

I imagine both you and your vest will be helpful on mission. I am not speaking of a Mission specifically. This is different, this is an emergency. This is survival. SO - What is "the minimum list", not how much your vest can carry. I've got my vest figured out already. That information and those discussions would be found at various other topic locations.

[Lead/Lag Hinge]

Now you are changing the parameters. Now you are talking about going to work and home and... In the original post you wrote: "Bad weather may mean 2 days in the wild." "In the wild..." does not imply at home at work and all the other things you now included.

I wear a business suit on the ground and a black flight suit when flying around the DC area. A "survival kit" for DC consists of a Metro card and a cell phone. (fits nicely in a pocket).

But home, work, etc, was not how you framed the original post. You specified "in the wild".

[Stonewall]

Why does it all have to fit in one pocket?

I look at it this way.  There are activities that put you at a higher risk at needing a survival kit.  Flying comes to mind (ding, ding, ding).  Chances are you'll have a decent size survival kit that you can store in your plane and have all the survival essentials.

I take it to the extreme potential circumstance...being separated from your plane, car and of course, your high speed survival kit.  When I traveled through Africa, Asia and South America, I had a gun, lots of ammo and a plenty of niceties to keep me comfortable should our vehicle break down.  But if I were separated for whatever reason; kidnap, evacuation, hurricane or civil war, I want something I don't have to grab.  Sound paranoid?  Maybe, and I'm glad I'm not speaking from experience (having to survive on my own with my survival kit).

Matches, signal mirror, button compass, fishing line/hooks, pencil, wire saw...all things that can fit into a small soap dish and help you survive.

The most important thing, however, is your mind.  Putting into your little head that you WILL survive.

Remember....

S - SIZE UP THE SITUATION
U - USE YOUR SENSES
R - REMEMBER WHERE YOU ARE
V - VANQUISH FEAR AND PANIC
I - IMPROVISE AND IMPROVE
V - VALUE LIVING
A - ACT LIKE THE NATIVES
L - LEARN BASIC SKILLS

[Smithsonia]

Driving from point A to B can leave you in the middle of nowhere with a breakdown. Bad weather can be a component. Big snows, tornadoes, flooding, washouts, earthquakes, Al Qeda's dirty bomb, and plane crashes are just a few surprising moments. Yesterday's news contained 3 or 4 such items, including the unfortunate swept away girl on the NE coast.

My point is not to argue about the argument but collect information. Lead Lag Hinge you appear to want to argue. I can help you here - I don't. If you think you can't have an emergency/distress/survival moment occur at home... then you will be less lucky than me.

I've had to take a very pregnant wife via snowmobile to a major road from our home which had no power during a raging blizzard to have my first born at a hospital less than 10 miles from where I lived. AND I lived in a very nice suburb of a major metropolitan area. I've tried to be less surprised since that Feb day in 1975. When I lived in New York City and downtown... there was a black out. The flashlight I had on me that day helped. I also used my knife to free the frozen magnetic locks in a building so to escape a highrise at 40th and BROADWAY during this blackout. If I remember right I had to break through 4 or 5 doors and lead a dozen people to the street. Read more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_blackout_of_1977

I've never had to make an emergency fire but every year I practice with a flint started fire just to keep it in my memory. If you don't break out your gear and practice all of it it, you'll find it useless, one day.

Urban environs can be as awful as the ends of the earth. I've got part of my kit (knife, lighter, small compass on my key chain.) Live long enough and these things will occur. These were not dramatic moments because I took care of it and had some tools on me. Distress/Emergency/Survival events... I can't tell you when, which makes my point.

Stonewall has it right. The most important thing is "your mind." It is the one implement of survival that should always be packed and ready. 

I think it is also worth noting that if you have both equipment and well-founded survival knowledge that searches will go for another day or two. So instead of a normal 3 day search, which then goes into a much less rigorous recovery... you will get a 5-7 days search for lost "you." I am teaching a survival course this weekend. That is just one of the points that I will make.

[Stonewall]

Now you are changing the  You specified "in the wild".

You don't think of DC as "the wild".   

People take their own stance and sometimes get scope locked into their own view of a topic.  Regardless of what the enviornment, I took "one pocket survival kit" to mean a worst case scenario type enviornment.  Flying, yeah, I wore a survival vest.  On the ground, I had my 24-hour gear; what better survival kit than your 24-hour gear?

To me, a worst case scenario is what I often feared I'd find myself in using something like my pocket-sized survival kit.  Even at SERE school they gave us limited tools to survive.  Bolt knife, water resevoir, 550 cord and some purification tablets.

In DC, the survival kit I kept in my locker was a good pair of walking/hiking shoes and some comfortable clothes to walk myself out of DC to my house 22 miles away.  Although I had the type of job that would have me stay in DC to cover and evacuate my principal.  We did have an E&E plan to our BCC (Business Continuity Center) out west past IAD, so I guess I'd have to survive that trek. 

Survival can mean many things.  Depending on your activity, job, environment or even the time of year, you're behind the 8 ball if you don't have a plan and physical means to survive, even if it fits in your pocket.

[Eclipse]

When I was a grunt, we were issued the old GI compasses, but most people used the Silva-type commpasses.

+1

As a grunt myself, I always carried my Silva Ranger.  Many people laughed or rolled their eyes, but I could land nav like a mo-fo, better than most.

I've had the Silva in my gear for a while and didn't realize what a gem it was (it came with a tac vest I bought).  With everything from a Wal*Mart cheapie to a Vietnam-era military tritium in my gear, the Silva just never rose to the top of the pockets (I've also got an Army artillery compass that displays in mils-radian, but that doesn't see much action either because, you know, the math and all).

I used it last night while proctoring a compass course on the lake shore and its hands-down the best compass I've ever used - easy to use and accurate.

I'm never going to use anything else again by choice.


(It wasn't as dark as this pic makes it seem. This was taken near the end of the evening just before taps.  It was a beautiful night to be tromping through the sand.  The kind of night that reminds me why I joined CAP.)

[Strick]

Do you use have a particular Compass course book, guide ectc.......... ?I want put someting on for the cadets at the squadron.

[heliodoc]

Strick

Be Expert with Map and Compass  Bjorn Kjellstrom

US Army Manual  FM 3-25.26

Map and Compass Training for Firefighters  NFES 2354

Map and Compass Training    Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team

[Eclipse]

Do you use have a particular Compass course book, guide ectc.......... ?I want put someting on for the cadets at the squadron.

Just the general guidelines from the task guide.  The extra wrinkle I threw in last night was that I provided instructions via radio so they were forced to take notes.  Pace counts were a fun issue because the sand really messed with them.

We also worked on triangulation and reciprocals to report your position, etc.

Given the time and interest I prefer to use a formal orienteering course we have South of us, but that's a nice-to-have when we can plan it.

[IceNine]

When I get this little gem in you may change your mind

http://www.brunton.com/product.php?id=195

When used properly you can sight within .5 degrees.  I've never used anything as accurate or easy.

But you get what you pay for as per usual

[jimmydeanno]

My old squadron commander had one of those.  Best compass I've ever used.  You'll enjoy it!

[Eclipse]

If you spend $160 on a compass I am going to personally give you an atomic wedgie...   

[IceNine]

I would deserve a wedgie, but the logic could  be argued by adding the price of all the other paperweight compasses I have. 

Plus I would never pay retail for something like this, are you serious.

They are running about 100 on ebay if you find the right people.   And there is a local vendor in town that I may be able to smooze for wholesale prices.

[Eclipse]

Speaking of spending money for no reason, I picked up one of these from our favorite DC and its way worth the $25.

[IceNine]

That guy, always with the cool toys.

[Eclipse]

That guy, always with the cool toys.

Yep, thankfully he shares...

[coolkites]

so get on your good side right?