Survival Common Sense - Wilderness or Urban Emergency Preparedness and Safety Guide » Survival Equipment

Mark Your Gear For Safety Sake

Leon — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:52:44 +0000

Mark all your gear so it can be easily found before you head for the backcountry. Here’s why.

In low light, my fanny pack with all my survival gear would be hard to find.

At the first portage, I realized my fanny pack with all my survival gear was missing. The scout troop was about four days into a nine-day canoe trip into Northern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. While everyone else relaxed, the guide and I paddled to the last campsite to retrieve my stuff. I was lucky to have noticed the missing pack when I did, and really lucky to have found it!

It was a potentially dangerous screw-up. The gear had been dropped on shore during a canoe launch. Distracted during the activity, I forgot to pick up my fanny pack (can you say: “Survival Common Sense?) I wore the pack at all times and in it were my Ten Essentials, water bottle, survival gear and all the tools I’d need for the next five days. Several adults and scouts walked down the trail by the black fanny pack and never saw it.

On one Idaho elk hunt, I leaned my black 7 mm Remington rifle against a tree while I walked a few yards away to answer nature’s call. On the way back, it started to rain and I stopped to glass a promising clump of trees, then walked a little distance further to see better. (Yes, I had all my survival gear on me!) That caused a distraction, and in the gathering gloom, my black rifle blended in perfectly with the trees. It took about 10 anxious “Oh Crap!” minutes to locate the rifle.

“Yeah, Leon quit elk hunting,” I could imagine my hunting partners saying while I searched. “He lost his rifle. Yeah, really, he lost his rifle. He leaned it

When the same pack is turned over, the bright tape on it makes it easily visible. The knife and saw are also marked with tape.

up against a tree and couldn’t find it again.” And I could just imagine the ribbing I would get around the campfire that, and many other nights!

Nowadays, I frequently stick blaze orange duct tape on my hunting rifle to help it stay found and as an added safety feature. I usually wear blaze orange in the field, even when the law doesn’t require it. Well over half my outdoor gear has some sort of camouflage pattern.Premium Duct Tape 2″ x 60 yards each color

To a duck and turkey hunter, the appropriate camouflage pattern is important to success. But don’t inadvertently forget the recreational clothing patterns and colors that are also camouflage. Black, white and earth-tone colors are popular and can easily blend into the surroundings. A brown-and black or green-and-white plaid pattern is one of the most effective camo patterns available.

If your knife, canteen, glove or other item is too well camouflaged, it may be lost or misplaced. Here’s a simple solution: Take along bright, fluorescent duct tape, flagging or parachute cord and mark everything before using it. 2″ X 150′ CONSPICUITY,REFLECTIVE,TRAILER TAPE RED/WHITE
The bright material will help you see your gear in low light.

Bob Patterson, a skilled outdoorsman and veteran hunter from Mankato, Mn., recommends using highway department reflectional tape to mark gear. The tape is typically available at automotive stores. Trimbrite – Glow in the Dark Tape, 2″ x 24″ (T1805) Bob is color blind, so camouflaged gear is virtually invisible to him. If Bob misplaced something, he could wait until darkness and see the tape markings by flashlight.

Bob runs a few pieces of the reflector tape through a paper shredder to make ribbons, then takes along thumbtacks to attach it to trees. The shredded reflector tape works well to mark the path to and from a deer stand.

If, for some reason, you feel the need to hide out, either from mauraders or mallards, just strip the bright material off.

The best survival gear in the world does no good if you forget or lose it somewhere!

For related SurvivalCommonSense.com tips and stories, click on the highlighted words:

STOP: Use this exercise to reduce stress and focus your thoughts.
Take your Ten Essentials on every outing.
Have a plan to make a tarp shelter.
Find the most effective fire ignition system
.

Effective Methods of Carrying Water In Your Survival Kit

Leon — Thu, 06 May 2010 19:27:45 +0000

by Leon Pantenburg

The rattle of musketry came from over the hill, and in a few minutes, our pickets were driven back. The order came to form ranks, so I drained my canteen and wished for more water.

The Nalgene bottle, center, with duct tape is flanked by two soft, roll-up water containers. This system is my favorite for over-all use.

It was late in the afternoon of the Civil War re-enactment battle of Champion Hill, near Vicksburg, MS. I was an “embedded” journalist in the Confederate Army, covering the event for the Vicksburg Evening Post. All my clothing and gear was authentic, right down to the small, standard issue, flannel-covered canteen. It held less than a quart, and even though we replenished our canteens whenever possible, the hot Mississippi sun and wool uniforms sucked the moisture right out of us.

We had skirmished all afternoon, and my lips and mouth were dry from biting off the ends of the blackpowder cartridges to load my Springfield. We raised the Rebel yell and waited to fire a volley when the Yankees got closer.

Being able to carry sufficient water is a survival must. Dehydration can cause you to collapse in the heat or in the cold, and it can kill you. Every survival kit should have some way to carry and purify water.

In the early 1970s, I never filtered drinking water in the mountains. I’d carry a filled quart military canteen as

This quart military surplus canteen is cheap and rugged.

insurance, but I never passed a clear-running stream without taking out my Sierra cup and sampling.

I hiked the John Muir Trail; through Yellowstone, and various other western mountain ranges without ever purifying water and I never got sick. But, I’d never do that today because of the potential for getting really sick. I always carry water on outings, and some way of purifying it.

As you put together a survival kit or update your equipment, here are some effective ways to carry water worth considering.

Collapsible water containers: I use these a lot, particularly in the quart size. On a 1977 desert backpack in Death Valley, my hiking partner John Nerness and I each carried five-gallon collapsibles inside our backpacks. Each of us carried three gallons of water in them, which technically, would last us three days of hiking.

On most outings, I usually carry quart collapsibles in my pack, even if they aren’t filled. Platypus Sport Bottle
They weigh next to nothing and eliminate the need to improvise. If you have to purify water, fill one of these quart containers, add the water purification chemicals and wait for them to work. In the meantime, you can continue drinking out of another water bottle.

A quality collapsible is also fairly rugged. Survival expert Peter Kummerfeldt has a collapsible he’s been using for about 20 years. It shows some wear, but is still dependable.

Military canteens: I’ve used these since I was a kid. In the 1960s, the aluminum surplus canteens were cheap and

widely available. My buddies and I would go to “Ames Surplus” an outdoors store outside Ames, Iowa and load up with all sorts of cool stuff for camping.

The aluminum, and later, the plastic Vietnam-era canteens were rugged, reliable and easy to carry. This type of canteen is still cheap, and readily available.

The military two-quart, left and the Forest Service surplus canteens work well for carrying larger quanties of water.

Blanket covered canteen: I also had a blanket-covered canteen when I was a kid. My water-carrying choices depended on what game we were playing at the time. The blanket canteen that appeared in every western was for cowboy themes and the GI canteens were for playing war.

During my Civil War re-enactor days, (When I was much older, but still playing war games!) I used a wool-covered, replica canteen. They are small, but reasonably adequate , and the water in them heats up quickly. During a battle, march or maneuver, your canteen water ends up tasting tinny and is bathwater warm.

Here in Oregon, Fire Service surplus blaze orange canteens are frequently available. I carry one in my car whenever it isn’t freezing, as a backup supply. When I hike or hunt with my Lab, Belle, I water her with the orange canteen. With a two-quart or gallon capacity, and a wide shoulder strap, these canteens are easy to grab and go.

Bladder Systems: These systems have a lot of advantages. If you’re climbing, biking or doing some activity where your hands are busy, a bladder will work well for you. They come in a variety of sizes, and are particularly good to use with youngsters. The drinking tubes from the reservoir are handy and if drinking is convenient and easy, you probably will.

If you store your bladder hydration system in a freezer you can forget about mold!

But the bladder systems require regular cleaning, particularly in hot, humid environments. Other wise, some sort of mold may develop, and water may end up tasting musty. But there is a way to eliminate this problem.

I got this idea from a fellow shopper at REI. I was looking at the complex assortment of brushes and tools for cleaning bladder hydration systems, and complaining about how hard it was to keep my kids’ hydration systems fresh. CamelBak Skeeter Kid’s Hydration Pack
The shopper claimed to have used the same bladder hydration system for 10 years, and said because it is always stored in the freezer, he doesn’t need to clean anything.

I’ve been storing my Camelback CamelBak M.U.L.E. 100-Ounce Hydration Pack
and other types of hydration systems in my freezer for the past two years, and this tip works!

Nalgene Water Bottles: My current water carrying bottle is a wide-mouth quart Nalgene. Stealing an idea from survival instructor Cody Lundin, 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive
I wrap duct tape around my Nalgene, and have a loop of parachute cord attached on the side. I can clip the cord onto my belt clip.

This setup is rugged and easy to fill and drink out of. I replenish the Nalgene out of the filled collapsibles in my pack as needed.

Quart Gatorade Bottles: These are included because they are essentially free and reasonably durable. You can find

It took some duct tape and parachute cord to make these quart Gatorade containers in serviceable canteens.

other plastic sport drink bottles and adapt them too. The idea is to have a lot of water in any survival kit or bug-out bag, and these work well.

They should be used only as backup supplies, but their availability and price allows you to have many.

Quart or Gallon Ziploc Bags: As an emergency backup container, these will work. Carry the filled bags in a bandana, and they will be less likely to burst. But if you anticipate needing additional water containers, take something more durable!

Another good hydration tip is to carry a V-8 vegetable or fruit juice in a can. Drink it at lunch. DON’T take soda, because most are diuretic, and may hasten dehydration.

Another necessity for staying hydrated is a Sierra cup or metal cup or pot to boil water. You may find a spring, or crack in a rock with water, and you’ll have to dip it out. Try that with your bladder system!

STOP: Use this exercise to reduce stress and focus your thoughts.
Write a note to let people know where you went, before you left.
Take your Ten Essentials on every outing.
Dress with the right fabrics.
Have a plan to make a tarp shelter.
Carry lightweight, compact firestarter.
Find the most effective fire ignition system.
How to make charcloth, a material that can catch a spark from any source.
Use charcloth as an effective method of catching a spark to make a fire.
It can kill you: Hypothermia
Hardtack: A great emergency food
About Leon Pantenburg

survival books

Use Trash as Part of Your Survival Kit?

Leon — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:34:34 +0000

by Leon Pantenburg

Aboriginal people looked to the wilderness for food, tools and materials for shelter. Today, modern urban and possibly wilderness survivalists should be looking in the dumpsters, trash cans and roadside litter.

All these materials were found in a vacant lot. I can't believe we found a hoodie, knife and hammer, either! All this trash could become a survival treasure!

There’s no need to launch into my usual tantrum/tirade about trashing the outdoors. It’s an unfortunate fact: trash is everywhere.

Trash in the ocean kills more than one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles each year through ingestion and entanglement, according to the Ocean Conservancy. Some of the debris they were entangled in, or had ingested, came from shore and includes plastic bags, fishing line, six-pack holders, string from a balloon or kite, glass bottles and cans.

An enormous stew of trash – which consists of 80 percent plastics and weighs some 3.5 million tons, say oceanographers – floats where few people ever travel, in a no-man’s land between San Francisco and Hawaii.

And that’s just the ocean. I’ve found beer cans, trash bags full of trash, junked washers, dryers, refrigerators and cars – you name it – in the desert, woodlands and otherwise pristine wilderness areas. But knowing how to use this trash may help keep you alive in an emergency situation. One person’s trash may truly become another’s survival treasure.

In any wilderness or urban emergency, everything should be considered as a potential tool, says survival expert Peter Kumerfeldt, even if you already have a survival kit and a good survival knife. Leatherman 831087 Wave Multitool and Monarch 300 Multitool/Flashlight Combo Set While natural items might be used to make survival items, such as cord, containers and shelter, these resources are finate and limited to particular environments.

Think of trash as a survival resource. One of the first actions during a survival situation should be to inventory all the potential survival items you have. Don’t overlook the garbage cans.

“Something you might have thrown away before, such as a paper cup or plastic bag, might later end up being your most valuable item,” Peter said. “In the desert, if you have to carry water, that discarded paper cup or plastic bag might be the only container you have.”

The same thing goes for shelter. Getting out of the wind and rain, in the aftermath of a tornado, earthquake or hurricane, could be critical to your survival. If you find a bunch of plastic bags, a piece of discarded plastic from a construction site and a pile of newspapers, that might be all you have to work with.

Here are some suggstions on how to make emergency survival gear out of stuff you might find. Start by looking at the dumpster – can it be a shelter? Then, use your survival mindset, look around inside the dumpster or trash barrel and think: “What’s in here? What can I use?”

Plastic Bags:

Start with the liner. It may be a 55-gallon heavy duty bag, that you can make a shelter or rain gear out of. There may be several large bags of trash inside. Pull them out and see what they are. The big 45 or 55-gallon bags have all sorts of uses.
This trash can in a park could end up being a veritable survival gear cache. The 55-gallon, heavy-duty trash bag is particularly valuable.

Split the big bag at the seam and it can make a small tarp or rain poncho. Cut it into ribbons, and it can be braided into a rope.
Small grocery store bags: Any small plastic bag can be braided into a rope. Or, put one on each foot, between your socks and shoes, to serve as a moisture barrier and keep your feet dry.
Bread and produce sacks: There are typically stronger than the grocery sacks, and will last longer. Combine several to make a water container, or use with newspapers to make a rain hat. Several double-bagged plastic potato bags could make a strong container for carrying stuff.
You might really luck out and find a burlap potato or feed sack. This strong, woven material could be used for any number of things, such as making clothing. (Cut a hole at the bottom for your head, and arm holes, and you have a vest that could provide warmth and sun protection.) Or use it as a bag to carry all your other treasures in.

Bottles and Plastic jugs:

A milk jug, liter glass bottle, plastic quart Gatorade container, gallon juice jug etc. would all make superb water containers. But know what was in the bottle before using it for a water bottle. Some liquids, such as antifreeze, gasoline or oil could be poison if ingested!
Cut the top off a gallon milk jug (You do have your survival knife, right?) Frosts Master Craftsmen Triflex Knife
and use it for a cup or bowl. This can help you eat your oatmeal, if you find some, and also be a critical tool you need to dip water out of a spring, stock tank or broken water pipe.

Paper Products:

Newspapers, magazines and cardboard can all be invaluable. Use your wilderness survival mindset to think of ways to adapt these items to the situation. One their most important uses might be for insulation. Any of these paper items provides much-needed insulation and padding when you have to sit or stand on damp or cold ground.
Shred the newspapers or stuff them whole inside your clothing for additional warmth. Use paper as tinder to start your fire and save your firestarter for an emergency.Strike It, Matchless Firestarter. Use sheets of newspaper to cover up with for warmth, or integrate them into a shelter.
Paper cups can be re-used until they fall apart. Take all you find and store them one inside the other. Other survivors will thank you!

Wood Pallets:

Many wood pallets are made of hardwood, and make great firewood. If you have your hatchet Gerber Blades Backpack Axe; The Back Paxe; with Ballistic Cloth Belt Sheath or saw, Kershaw 7″ Folding Blade Saw w/Black Santoprene Handle Md: 2550 . you’ll have no trouble breaking them up into useable sizes. Avoid using the pressure-treated woods if possible - some of them produce nasty toxic smoke when burned.
Wood Scraps: Any construction site dumpster may have wood scraps, already cut to convenient sizes and all sorts of other goodies. These might include pieces of fiberboard, plastic sheeting, insulating materials, nails, screws cord or rope – you name it. A construction site is definately a target-rich environment.

Trash is everywhere, even in the most remote locations.

Tin Cans

Finding a group of tins cans can fill a lot of your survival needs. Use the cleaned and sanitized containers to boil and purify water, over the scrap-wood fire you ignited with newspaper. Cook or heat up food in a can. Take them along to use as various containers.
Cut up the tin or metal can with your multiool Leatherman Super Tool 300 Multi-Tool to make a pan for frying something. Use the bright metal to make signaling tools.

Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the trash ice berg. There’s all sorts of other stuff out there that can be used, and that use will depend on the situation and your imagination. (If somebody can come up with a survival use for the plastic, six-pack rings, please let me know!)

Also, please don’t read this post, and think that any of these trash survival skills can replace the equipment you should have. Rather, think of trash gear as another survival skill to add your wilderness and/or urban survial kit.

Walk on any mountain or desert trail, along any stream or beach and you’ll find plastic bags, styrofoam bait containers, coolers, beer cans, fishing line, fishing nets, six-pack holders, string from a balloon or kite, glass bottles and cans and other stuff. The trash may have survival value, someday, but for now, please pick it up.

The animals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians will all thank you. So will I!

Include a garbage bag shelter in your survival gear
STOP: Use this exercise to reduce stress and focus your thoughts.
Write a note to let people know where you went, before you left.
Take your Ten Essentials on every outing.
Dress with the right fabrics.
Have a plan to make a tarp shelter.
Carry lightweight, compact firestarter.
Find the most effective fire ignition system.
How to make charcloth, a material that can catch a spark from any source.
Use charcloth as an effective method of catching a spark to make a fire.
It can kill you: Hypothermia
Hardtack: A great emergency food
About Leon Pantenburg

Recommended Compasses:

Brunton Classic Compass
Suunto A-10 Compass
Suunto MC-2G Global Compass
Silva Starter Compass

Hatchet or Saw: Choose the Best Portable Survival Kit Tool

Leon — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 23:53:05 +0000

by Leon Pantenburg

We’ll assume you already have the survival knife and basic Ten Essentials, and are assembling the rest of the tools needed for a portable survival kit. Do you need to add a hatchet or a small saw?

This custom pipe tomahawk is a useful survival tool and weapon, but it may not be a good choice to include in a survival kit.

It depends. Some might call this collection a “Bug Out Bag,” or something along those lines. Or you may be a backpacker, hunter or fisherman who needs a light, easy-to-carry wood cutting device. A hunter may be looking for a tool that can cut wood and that will also be useful in quartering and field dressing a big game animal. Choice of tools is important, because there isn’t much space, and you need to keep the weight down.

Is your best choice a hatchet or a saw?

Either choice has advantages and disadvantages. When choosing any tool for wilderness or urban survival, start by anticipating where you might be when you may need the tool, and what tasks it will need to perform.

Will you be in a cold wilderness environment, where gathering firewood to keep a campfire going will be critical for survival? Will the tool be mostly carried, or do you anticipate remaining somewhat sedentary and that the tool may be used a great deal? Will you need to saw or hack bones to butcher large animals?ALL RANGER FOLDING SAW 2-BLAAE

Or will the tool be used in an urban setting, where the primary uses might include breaking up pallets and splitting wood scraps from a dumpster for firewood? In an extreme situation, might you need this tool to break down a door, gain forced entry into or egress from, a locked vehicle? In a really extreme situation could this tool be an effective weapon?

Hatchet

A hatchet is a small axe that can be wielded with one hand, and the flat part may be used as a hammer. A hatchet is a great tool for splitting wood, limbing trees and hammering in tent stakes. Gerber Blades Backpack Axe; The Back Paxe; with Ballistic Cloth Belt Sheath

Many settlers on the American frontier had an axe as their primary tool. The axe may have been the only tool available

The pipe tomahawk on top could be useful, but the Plumb hatchet below it is the better tool.

for making a log cabin, splitting rails for a fence and cutting firewood. Essentially, the axe only had two parts: the head and the haft, or handle. If the handle broke, it was possible to whittle another out of a piece of hickory or some other hardwood. Buck 757 Camp Axe

A hatchet can also be sharpened easily with a flat rock. This meant, that for long-term survival, the hatchet could be a tool with incredible durability.

And there’s no question that an axe or hatchet makes a formitable weapon! From the stone age flint war axe, to Viking battle axes, to the tomahawks used on the North American frontier, these edged tools have been the weapon of choice in many eras.

My buddy, the late Jim Grenfell, was fascinated with ancient weapons. When he heard I hunt with a flintlock .40 caliber Pennsylvania rifle, he claimed I only had part of the kit. The tradition, Jim said, was that after finishing making a rifle, the gunsmith would take the leftover chunk of wood from the rifle stock blank, and a piece of gun barrel, and fashion a matching tomahawk. No long hunter, he pointed out, would be caught dead without his tomahawk, because if the rifle didn’t fire, the hawk was his backup!

So Jim made me a pipe tomahawk that matched my rifle. I still carry the tomahawk, along with the powder horn, shot bag and other accouterments when I blackpowder hunt. The tomahawk could be used to help quarter a deer, or field dress small game.

But I take it along because the hawk looks so cool tucked in the back of my sash next to the powder horn! When I take a break in the field, it’s fun to stick the tomahawk in a tree, lean the long rifle up against it, and hang the powder horn and shot bag off the rifle barrel. Then, I sit and and admire the workmanship of my tools while chewing on jerky and hardtack.

These saws are lightweight, easy to carry and efficient. From left, is my old reliable Gerber folder; a Fiskar sliding blade, and a double-edged Pac-Saw Wyo.

Saw

Despite my enjoyment of tomahawks and history-related weapons, I usually carry a saw in my daypack. As a big game hunter, I need a tool that can saw through the pelvis of a deer, hog, antelope or elk. Sometimes you need a saw to cut through the ribcage of a big elk. And while I can disjoint the lower legs of an elk or deer with my SRK hunting knife, the saw is quicker. SRK, Black Kraton Handle, Plain

If you’re saving horns, a saw is almost mandatory. I haven’t seen anyone chop the antlers off anything, but I did loan my Pac-Saw to a guide once so he could take the antlers off a moose skull.

Many field dressing chores could probably be done with a hatchet. I used a full-sized axe once to help dress out a whitetail buck once, and it worked fine.

But there are a few safety issues associated with axes. The Boy Scouts have banned hatchets at campouts because of the potential danger. A special axe yard is cordoned off at scout camps, so nobody inadvertantly walks behind an axe user. And consider that the cutting power of a hatchet or axe depends on velocity generated by swinging the tool. Axes and hatchets can bounce, slide or ricochet off wood at odd angles and then an accident is possible.

Wildernessw survival expert Peter Kummerfeldt is a proponant of carrying a saw instead of an axe. He carries an 17-inch, double edged saw made by Dandy, and calls hatchets “weapons.”

“You can give your saw to someone to gather wood, and they probably won’t hurt themselves,” he said in an interview. “But with a hatchet, an inexperienced user could severely injure himself.”

I have several folding saws I regularly use, and generally I have a couple with me. My Swiss Army knife has a very

The Leatherman Wave, below, and the Swiss Army knife both have useable, quality saw blades.

useable, small saw blade, Victorinox Swiss Army Soldier Knife Standard Issue and so does my Leatherman Wave. Leatherman 830039 New Wave Multitool with Leather Sheath
Both saw blades work well for sawing through a deer pelvis bone, removing lower legs for quartering and either blade will easily saw through a stick the size of my wrist.

I’ve also carried a Gerber folding saw for about 25 years. Gerber Exchange A Blade Utility Serrated Hand Saw
Designed as a wood saw, it cuts as you pull. It’s weighs next to nothing, and is a superb limbing tool. For hunting, I carry a double-edged, single piece Pac-Saw with both wood and bone teeth. I also used a Sawsall, a fold-up woodsaw, in the Boundary Waters, and it is an effective tool.

As I see it, the primary reason for including a hatchet and/or saw in your survival kit is to gather firewood. It takes an incredible amount of firewood to keep a campfire burning throughout the night, and the person with a survival mindset will start gathering wood as soon as possible. In a pinch, it is safe and effective to pass out your saws and have everyone start gathering wood.

So which tool do you want to include in your gear? As usual, it will depend on your skill level, potential needs, and willingness to practice. You’ve already shown your survival mindset by reading this far, and now you can make an intelligent choice!

Recommended Reading:
Surviving a Wilderness Emergency

STOP: Use this exercise to reduce stress and focus your thoughts.
Write a note to let people know where you went, before you left.
Take your Ten Essentials on every outing.
Dress with the right fabrics.
Have a plan to make a tarp shelter.
Carry lightweight, compact firestarter.
Find the most effective fire ignition system.
How to make charcloth, a material that can catch a spark from any source.
Use charcloth as an effective method of catching a spark to make a fire.
It can kill you: Hypothermia
Hardtack: A great emergency food
About Leon Pantenburg

Recommended Compasses:

Brunton Classic Compass
Suunto A-10 Compass
Suunto MC-2G Global Compass
Silva Starter Compass

Make a Personal Earthquake Survival Kit

Leon — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:04:39 +0000

by Leon Pantenburg

The Easter earthquake in southern California and the recent catastrophic quake in Chile should have been a wakeup call to anyone who lives in an earthquake zone. You need to make a personal earthquake survival kit that you can carry with you at all time.

Keep basic survival tools with you at all times. On the keyring: LED flashlight, fingernail clippers, whistle, Boy Scout Hot Spark and Classic Swiss Army knife. The other knife rides in a pouch on my belt, wherever it is legal..

An earthquake, tsunami or other natural disaster is unlikely to happen? And, of course, not to you? You don’t need to read further!

….Still here?

Then here’s a fact: In ANY emergency, 80 percent of the people involved will be in denial of the situation and have to be told what to do, according to John Leach, author of Survival Psychology. Of that crowd in the emergency, 10 percent will do the wrong thing, and the other 10 percent will act rationally, based on the training they have aquired. If you want to be a survivor, of any emergency situation, you have to start with knowledge and training. The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life And you need the correct survival tools or survival kit and know what to do with it.

HERE’S THE SCENERIO: The earthquake hits while you’re at work. The office walls start to shake and the pictures start to fall. Alarms go off. Head pop up above the cubicles, as people, with no idea of what to do, look around. Some will sit back down and get back to work.

Now what? Stay? Go? Logout, then go? Ignore the situation?

Knowledge is key to survival, and you are prepared. You never thought: “This can’t happen to me.” You paid attention at the mandatory safety meeting about building evacuation. You read earthquake survival information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Because you prepared before hand, you already have a survival mindset, a survival kit and a plan. You know where the stairs are, and the quickest way to get out of the building.

So get out immediately. Ignore any jokes or jibes from the 80 percenters. Don’t pay attention to the members of the 10 percent who want to do something stupid. You are intent on survival, and that means getting out of the danger zone.

As I type this, I have a butane lighter in my pocket, Windmill Classic Stormproof Lighter
a whistle,Ultimate Survival Technologies JetScream Whistle
knife, Victorinox Swiss Army Tinker with Free Classic Knife
fingernail clippers, LED flashlight, LRI Photon II LED Keychain Micro-Light
small knife and magnesium stick on my belt clip, and a Swiss Army knife in my belt pouch. My wallet has firestarter, charcloth and a signal mirror in it. Ultimate Survival Technologies 2×3 StarFlash Emergency Signal Mirror
This gear goes with me everywhere it’s legal, even though the 80 percenters tend to roll their eyes if they notice my stuff. I have carried this collection in the pocket of a suitcoat, or in my briefcase, but it’s always on me.

The ladies can carry complete urban survival kits in their purses, and no one will ever be the wiser. After all, the earthquake could happen when you’re in a meeting or away from your desk.

If the earthquake happens right now, and I have to sprint for the door and can’t grab anything else, I have the

Carry survival gear in your wallet. I always have (from left) firestarter, charcloth (in a waterproof, plastic bag) and a signal mirror with me.

minimum tools on my person to make a fire and stay warm and signal for help.

In our office earthquake scenerio, you may have to start using your survival tools immediately. Here’s how the evacuation situation may play out: You use your survival mindset and leave your desk as soon as you sense danger and head for the nearest exit. If necessary, push through the people milling aimlessly around.

If the lights go out, then you and your flashlight become the leader. In the darkness, people will look toward the light and wonder what to do next. Blow your whistle loudly, (this immediately makes you the perceived authority figure), and in a loud, matter-of-fact voice order everyone to remain calm, and follow you quietly. (The 80 percenters won’t have a clue. They’ll do whatever the authority figure tells them to.)

Your actions to organize an orderly evacuation may later win you an award and plaque. BUT the immediate purpose of this organization is to make sure YOU make it to the exit. If people panic, crowd around or pile up around the door, nobody gets out.

Lead everyone quietly down the staris and out of the building. Don’t let anyone distract you: Your immediate goal is to get out of the building before it collapses.

A map, compass and possibly a GPS should be part of any survival kit, and may be very useful once you get out of the collapsing building. The whistle may be what gets you out!

Gather everyone at the safe place mentioned in the safety briefing, and then assess the situation. Order everyone to stay out of the building, and if someone insists on going back, order them to stay put. But they are now responsible for their own safety, and you have accomplished your first goal: that of getting out of the danger zone.

If it is safe to do so, and there is no smell of gas or chemicals, building a campfire in a safe open area might be the next order of business. The fire will serve as a rally point, and a gathering place, as you wait for emergency personnel to arrive. Also, gathering firewood from pallets, dumpsters etc. will give people a focus while they wait for rescue.

Depending on the severity of the earthquake, what happens next is hard to determine.

Now, you’ll use the rest of your survival kit and training to make it through the emergency. This might mean you start walking home, or you make a shelter. If someone needs medical attention, let’s hope somebody has taken a first aid course. You have accomplished your first survival goal and got out of the building. Now, you will need to rely on the rest of your survival training and follow the plan you made.

Survival Kits or Gear

The safest bet is to make your own survival kit. Start with a realistic assessment of your skills and needs, then start researching. One size doesn’t fit all – a survival kit that works in the cold northwest, will be different than one designed for Florida, and vice versa.

While commercial survival kits are available, the quality of some items is sometimes reduced to cut costs. Some things, such as fishing hooks, sinkers and line are included because people think they need them. And some items are included in commercial kits because they’re cheap and take up space.

If you have certain medical needs or conditions, make sure the kit includes the appropriate medications.

Let’s start here: Many experts agree that a minimum kit should contain the following materials:

survival knife Victorinox Swiss Army Tinker with Free Classic Knife
firemaking tool(s) and firestarterStrike It, Matchless Firestarter
compass, map and GPS Suunto M-3DL Compass
mirror (for signaling
signal whistleUltimate Survival Technologies 2×3 StarFlash Emergency Signal Mirror
flashlight LRI Photon II LED Keychain Micro-Light
Some form of shelter

Survival Knowledge

Every town has a survival guru with a website, but that doesn’t mean they know anything. In fact, be leery of any survival website – here are a lot of people out to make a fast buck. Start your survival training by contacting the people who work with emergencies every day: police, sheriff’s departments, search and rescue, the Red Cross and see if they have recommendations for necessary gear. They will also have a pretty good idea of who is good teacher and who is a fraud.

Then, educate yourself. Practice with your survival tools. Don’t take any recommendations at face value, unless the source has been proven to be reliable. Then, make your survival kit, and take it along.

Everywhere.

STOP: Use this exercise to reduce stress and focus your thoughts.
Take your Ten Essentials on every outing.
Have a plan to make a tarp shelter.
Find the most effective fire ignition system.
Use charcloth as an effective method of catching a spark to make a fire.
It can kill you:
Hypothermia

Start Out with the Right Equipment for Your Survival Kit

Leon — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:10:08 +0000

by Leon Pantenburg

You don’t have any wilderness experience, but you want some. The plan is to get out there in the seldom-traveled areas,

These are basic navigation tools: compass, emergency whistle, map and GPS. They are a very important part of your Ten Essentials.

and explore some of those wild, open spaces that appeal to your sense of adventure. So what do you take along to make sure you get back? Where in that urban wilderness maze of outdoor stores, catalogs, websites and eBay will you find the gear you need?

First – welcome! More people need to use our national forests, parks and campgrounds. Let’s give kids the chance to take a hike, or go out and enjoy the beauty of nature, instead of playing a video game! If we all practice leave-no-trace camping, hiking and wilderness use, there will always be is plenty of space out there for all of us. Hopefully, you will join us to pick up the trash left by thoughtless jerks! (End of lecture!)

One of the most common questions from wilderness newcomers is: “What gear will I need?”

And that’s a really good question! Walk through any sporting goods store and you’ll notice a bewildering array of gear, stuff, doo-dads, knick-nacks and junk. The buyer must decide which is which.

Depending on what store it is, and the salesperson, you could end up buying some very expensive – and unnecessary – items. In some stores, the salespeople work on commission and push high-priced gear. Or you might end up with a clerk who is covering the counter for somebody at lunch and doesn’t know anything about the outdoors or what you should buy. And if you don’t know either, then your budget might be shot before you get to those items you really do need.

So, here’s where to start. The Boy Scouts of America have been preaching the gospel of survival common sense for 100 years. Who actually coined the term “Ten Essentials” is probably unknown. But there is no question that a facsimile of this basic list is the basis of all emergency preparedness kits. Get your Ten Essentials first.

Here is a list of the Boy Scout Outdoor Essentials, and product suggestions. I already own all this gear, or have used it. Many of the suggestions below have been arrived upon after several years of different uses. Look at these ideas, and then decide what will work best for you.

Knife: Frosts Carbon Clipper Utility Knife (The best knife is up to your personal preference, but you must have some sort of cutting edge along. The only survival knife you have is the one you have along!)

First Aid kit: Coleman Base Camp First Aid Kit (A first aid kit should go along on every outing, even if you never use it.)
Extra clothing: (This will depend, of course, on the climate, time of year and where you are. Clothing needs for my high desert area are much different than for those people in the tropics.)
Rain gear: ( You have two choices for protection from the rain: rainsuit or poncho. I use both, depending on the circumstances. I hiked the John Muir Trail with a poncho for rain protection. It rained nine days straight! The poncho kept me dry, even though I was expending a lot of energy to hike. I prefer a rainsuit while hunting or fishing, because it won’t flap in the wind, and a rainsuit offers better protection while sitting or standing for long periods of time. Decide what’s best for your needs. FROGG TOGGS PRO ACTION RAINSUIT KHA 3XL Raingear PRO ACTION RAINSUIT BRN3XL- PA102-04-3XL Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Tarp-Poncho
Water bottle: Platy Soft Bottle with HyperFlow Cap (Water is an absolute necessity. I generally carry a Nalgene or other rigid water bottle to drink out of. 32oz Nalgene BPA Free Water Bottle
In my pack, I’ll carry several soft bottles to replenish my Nalgene. The soft bottle are protected in the pack, and

This combinations of water bottles works well, The rigid Nalgene in the middle is used for drinking and the Paltypus soft bottles are used to store extra water in the pack.

when empty, can be rolled up. The softies weight virtually nothing, and take up hardly any space. And if you find a water source, and need to re-supply, you’ll have ample containers along. Make sure to include some system of chemical purification Polar Pure Water Disinfectant
or a water filter. MSR SweetWater Microfilter (Gray/Red)
I’m not a big fan of the water bladder systems, for no really good reason, but they are great for kids because the drinking tube encourages drinking. And the novelty of using a bladder water system will keep them well-hydrated until the newness wears off!) CamelBak Skeeter Kid’s Hydration Pack
Flashlight or headlamp: (I field-dressed a deer shortly after darkness fell one evening, holding my mini-maglite in my teeth. It was pretty gross – talk about drooling on your gear… Anyway, ever since that experience I carry a good headlamp. A headlamp leaves your hands free if you are spelunking, end up walking out to the car in the dark, scrambling over rocks etc. Besides, if the lamp is on your head, chances are less that it might be dropped and broken.) Black Diamond Spot Headlamp
Trail food: (This is another personal preference. I like to make most of my own, because of my inherent cheapness and a Depression-era mentality inherited from my Dad. But in all my packs, I have several Clif bars, Clifbar Builders Protein Bar – 12 Pack, some jerky, sardines, and hardtack. The gourmet food comes from the Dutch oven. Lodge Logic 8-qt. Camp Dutch Oven with Lid – Black The emergency food is fuel.)
Matches and firestarter (or other methods of ignition – you should have several different types) Firesteel Army Black Color, Genuine Issue Magnesium Survival Fire Starter
Sun protection (Sunscreen is an item that needs to be in every survival kit, regardless if you’re in the arctic or the tropics. I carry the tube type, because it is less messy to apply). Bullfrog Quik Stick SPF 36 Sunblock – 0.46 oz.
Map and compass (A GPS is also useful, but not without a map and compass! Always include spare batteries for your GPS!) Suunto M-3DL Compass

This is the bare bones list, and you should expand and add categories to fit your individual needs. For example, my Ten Essentials includes some method of shelter, such as a tarp, garbage bag, bivey sack etc., and I always carry at least 50 feet of parachute cord or light rope, 50-Ft 550 Parachute Cord Military 7-Strand Camping Survival – COLOR MAY VARY, and four aluminum tent stakes. Coghlan’s 8046 Aluminum Tent Peg
Neither the scouts, nor I, recommend including fishing gear as a survival tool! Many of the items, such as the Frost knife, first aid kit and Clif bars, have multiple memberships in my different specialized survival kits. Another necessisty is the proper size spare batteries for any device that is battery-powered. Energizer Batteries. It’s a good idea to get battery-operated items that all use the same size.

This sheath knife with a 3-1/2 inch blade is a good choice for your Ten Essentials. Several feet of duct tape wrapped around the sheath is an added tool.

Your outdoor essentials list can also vary seasonally. I always include a snow shovel Black Diamond Deploy 7 Shovel
and insulite pad on my winter showshoe treks.Coleman Rest Easy Camp Pad
My summer and winter extra clothing choices would also be different. An extra stocking cap is always a good thing to have along, but in the summer, a broad-brimmed hat for sun protection is a necessity.

Some items you shouldn’t cut costs on are boots or hiking shoes; a sleeping bag, and a reliable shelter.

Use this Outdoor Essentials list to form the basis for your own survival kit, then read and research to get new ideas. Your survival kit, if it’s anything like mine, will probably end up being an evolving project. After every outing, think about what you used, what you didn’t need, and what you wished you had. Then adjust accordingly.

The best survival kit or gear in the world is worthless if you don’t know how to use it, and just having a survival kit won’t save you. In fact, it might give you a false sense of confidence that could be deadly!

Start your wilderness preparation by reading a credible survival book, or taking a class from a competant instructor. Be very wary of any survival-related internet blog or website. Just because someone has a website, doesn’t mean they know anything! Don’t get your survival training off a prime-time survival “reality” show.

The book I recommend to everyone who ever ventures off the pavement is my hands-down favorite, go-to survival manual: Peter Kummerfeldt’s “Surviving A Wilderness Emergency.” To develop the absolutely critical survival mindset, read Ben Sherwood’s “The Survivors Club.”

Then practice with your equipment. Learn how to make a fire, or pitch your shelter in your backyard. Try out your sleeping bag on a chilly night on the deck to make sure it’s going to be warm enough. Make your mistakes at home, so you won’t in the backcountry, where a screw-up can kill you.

And let this be your mantra: “My survival kit won’t save me. My equipment or gear can’t save me. I will save me.“ And include common sense with every outing!

The best survival knife?

Leon — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 18:22:37 +0000

by Leon Pantenburg

Bring up a subject around the campfire, like the best caliber for a deer rifle, most reliable four-wheel drive pickup or the best all-around survival knife and you will get opinions!

The Cold Steel SRK (top) and the J. Martinni Mora-style knives are good choices for all around use.

But the survival knife topic begs to be explored. Of all the tools needed to ensure your survival in an emergency wilderness situation, a good knife would have to be ranked number one. Then the debate begins!

First, you have to know what you need. Your survival knife must be lightweight, convenient and easy to carry, do the job for which it is intended and be adaptable to the situation. Probably most importantly, it needs to be tough, durable and easy to sharpen.

Over the years, my preference in such knives has changed.

On my 1980 Mississippi River canoe trip, a Buck folder rode on my hip from the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, to Venice, Louisiana. The folder, with two, 3-1/2 inch blades, worked well for cleaning fish, sharpening wiener sticks, whittling kindling for the fire and spreading peanut butter. The knife went on backpacking trips on the John Muir Trail, through Yellowstone National Park, and on many canoe trips.

Folding hunting knives were the rage at the deer camp I belonged to in Mississippi in the early 1980s, and a Buck or Schrade was standard. We killed a lot of deer and the folders worked well for gutting, skinning and cutting meat. But we were hardly in a wilderness situation, and seldom far from a vehicle. In retrospect, our folders were great, effective hunting knives, but as survival choices, they had a built-in design problem. Buck 110 Folding Hunter, Lockback Folding Knife

Any folding knife’s weak spot is the hinge. When that breaks, you end up with two pieces. So, as well as my Buck had performed, it was retired two decades ago when I moved to Idaho. I was hunting elk and deer in the mountains, deep in the wilderness, and needed a sturdy hunting knife, in addition to a survival tool. That was when I chose my current hunting/survival knife: a Cold Steel SRK.

Now, after several decades of on-the-job testing, I have narrowed my survival knife choices down to three:
Swiss Army Knife Classic. I was given a Classic in 1994. Immediately, I went from wondering what good the dinky little knife could be, to wondering how I ever got along without it!

Measuring 2-1/4 inches long, and weighing one ounce, the Classic contains all the classic Swiss Army tools, including a

My wife's Victorinox Classic model Swiss Army knife is a good choice to accompany any large sheath knife as a survival combo.

small blade for cutting, a pair of mini scissors, a nail file with a screwdriver tip, a toothpick, tweezers, and a key ring. I ran into a through hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail last summer, near Elk Lake, Oregon, and the only knife she’d carried since Mexico was a Classic.

The Classic goes everywhere with me, including hunting camps, but it is definately not the only knife I carry. Along with a bigger sheath knife, the two knives can handle everything. Of the tools in the Classic, you’ll find yourself using the tweezers and scissors the most. Victorinox Swiss Army Tinker with Free Classic Knife

Fixed blade Mora: The current favorite among survival schools seems to be the four-inch, fixed-blade Scandinavian Mora style knives. I love the design. It looks like a paring knife with a sheath, and works well for peeling potatoes, cutting rope, and other camp chores. The Mora style is a superb choice for cleaning fish, upland and small game, and it rides in my hunting vest when I’m after birds. Frosts Master Craftsmen Triflex Knife

I ordered six different models several years ago to test the steel for fire-making potential and their use with the Boy Scouts.
My favorite Mora ended up being a knife recommended by wilderness expert Peter Kummerfeldt: a Kellam model M571 fixed blade. The knife weighs 2.5 ounces, and the sheath, wrapped with about six feet of bright duct tape, adds another 2.5 ounces. The forged blade holds an edge and is easily sharpened. It’s another of those knives I wouldn’t want to get along without.

Cold Steel SRK: I bought my SRK in 1991 to use as an all-around general hunting/survival knife. The blade is 3/16″ thick and 6″ long; the Kraton handle is 4-3/4 inches long; overall length is 10-3/4 inches. My SRK, without sheath, weighs eight ounces, and 10.5 with sheath wrapped in duct tape. Cold Steel 38CK SRK Survival Knife

For what I need, the SRK is perfect. The knife has field dressed about 50 deer and been used on several elk. In one instance, I field dressed and quartered three deer without it needing sharpening. The handle never gets too slick to hold safely, no matter how messy the field dressing job gets. The knife’s performance is so impressive that two of my elk-hunter friends also bought SRKs.

Another good choice is the Cold Steel Master Hunter. For folks who want a little less blade, but the same none-slip handle and good design, the Master Hunter might be the best choice. The blade design works particularly well for skinning.Master Hunter, Kraton Hndl, Stainless, Plain, Concealex

My SRK still gets a lot of hard use, since most of camping I do these days is with scout troops. The SRK is pounded with a wooden baton to split kindling, and that allows us to leave the hatchets and axes at home.

A multi-tool frequently goes along on my outings, because a set of tools can prove to be invaluable. I hike and hunt the desert frequently, and find my multi-tool works well to pull rusty barbed wire off abandoned fences.

My favorite multi-tool is the Leatherman Wave. I got the Wave for Christmas several years ago, and so far, it has done everything I ever needed it for. In addition to pulling barbed wire, the Leatherman has also been used to remove hooks from a toothy fish, repair a radiator hose, saw wood etc.Leatherman 830040 New Wave Multi-Tool with Nylon Sheath

The most appreciated use occurred one morning on the Umpqua River in western Oregon. A buddy and I were fly fishing for steelhead trout when his glasses came apart in his hand. Luckily, the Leatherman has a screwdriver that fit the hinge, and we were able to keep fishing.

Like survival knives, your multi-tool should be chosen carefully, based on your individual needs. They come in all shapes and sizes, with a variety of blades and tools. Most knife manufacturers also make multi-tools, so find a reputable company you like and start looking there.

I am a knife accumulator. In my cutlery accumulation, I have the Hitler Youth knife, and Nazi SS dagger my dad brought home from Europe in World War II, and two Samuri swords he got in the Pacific. I designed and had made a custom, hollow handle survival knife that was given to my brother Mike. I still look for knife deals at gun shows.

Maybe I have way too many knives… 20 years ago I never needed to buy another. So based on experience, and enthusiasm for the topic, here’s my take: the best survival knife is the one you have when it’s needed.

Don’t be concerned about the current fad, or how pretty or cool a knife may look. The knife you have along is the only survival knife you have!

For more info: Cold Steel Knives
Moro style knives
Leatherman multitools
Swiss Army Knives J. Martinni knife

STOP: Use this exercise to reduce stress and focus your thoughts.
Take your Ten Essentials on every outing.
Carry lightweight, compact firestarter

.

Are you prepared?

Pop a Top for Safety

Leon — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 01:19:00 +0000

by Leon Pantenburg

Hanging onto your tools may be critical for your survival. But some small items, such as butane lighters, Chapstick or

All these items could be easily lost if not secured to a belt clip or lanyard. A poptop and tape can solve the problem.

some knives, don’t have any way to attach a lanyard or safety snap. Here’s an easy way to fix that.

Take the poptop tab off any aluminum can and tape it to the item. If you use bright-colored or reflector tape it will help you find the item if dropped. With the poptop attached, the item can be snapped or clipped to you.
Where I live in Central Oregon, this ability to hang onto your tools is critical. We have a several-foot base of snow during the winter, and dropping that butane lighter into several feet of snow almost guarantees a loss. If you don’t lose the lighter, the cold will disable it for several minutes.

Neither of these situations is good if you desperately need to build a warming fire and your hands are numb! Avoid this by thinking ahead!

Take your Ten Essentials on every outing.
Have a plan to make a tarp shelter.
Find the most effective fire ignition system

Keep your Hydration System Smelling and Tasting Great

Leon — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:18:19 +0000

By Leon Pantenburg

Here’s a great way to keep your bladder style water hydration system from attracting mold and mildew: store it in your freezer.

Find a system for carrying lots of water and use it. If you store your hydration system in a freezer you can forget about mold!

I heard about this idea from a fellow shopper at REI. I was looking at the complex assortment of brushes and tools for cleaning bladder hydration systems, and complaining about how hard it was to keep my kids’ hydration systems fresh. CamelBak Skeeter Kid’s Hydration Pack
The shopper claimed to have used the same hydration system for 10 years, and said because it is always stored in the freezer, he doesn’t need to clean anything.

Freezing has no effect on the plastic, as long as the bladder and connecting hoses and valves are emptied.

I’ve been storing my Camelback CamelBak M.U.L.E. 100-Ounce Hydration Pack
and other types of hydration systems in my freezer for the past two years, and this tip works!

STOP: Use this exercise to reduce stress and focus your thoughts.
Write a note to let people know where you went, before you left.
Take your Ten Essentials on every outing.
Dress with the right fabrics.
Have a plan to make a tarp shelter.
Carry lightweight, compact firestarter.
Find the most effective fire ignition system.
How to make charcloth, a material that can catch a spark from any source.
Use charcloth as an effective method of catching a spark to make a fire.
It can kill you: Hypothermia
Hardtack: A great emergency food
About Leon Pantenburg