by Leon Pantenburg

      One aspect of  the “prepper” philosophy is  “Common Sense.”

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

     After all, it is just common sense to plan for the future, regardless of what may or may not happen. That’s why we have retirement funds; car, home and health insurance and regular well-checks with the doctor. Planning ahead is also why you may stick an umbrella in your brief case, or carry a light jacket on a sunny day. And it would be stupid to not carry a spare tire and tools to change a flat!

     So when it comes to wilderness or urban survival, being prepared is just common sense, and you should insert a healthy dose of that commodity into any disaster or emergency planning.

    So, I propose that you, a prepper, should also make a compact, easy-to-carry wilderness and/or urban survival kit to include with all your other survival gear.  

    Ask yourself these questions to get started:

• Can I dunk a basketball? I can’t. Never could. But watch any NBA game to see the guys slam the ball home at every opportunity. If you watch the survival “reality” shows you may also see incredible techniques done routinely, under the worst circumstances. So what? Use the common sense filter. Just because somebody can dunk a basketball or perform wondrous survival techniques on TV doesn’t mean you can, or might be able to learn. Don’t rely on gee-whiz technology or esoteric aboriginal survival techniques. The idea is to survive and during a disaster: You won’t have time for on-the-job training!
• Do I know anything? Be honest! It doesn’t matter how much survival stuff you have, it’s worthless if you can’t, or don’t know how, to use it. Take a good look at your skills and abilities, and face your inadequacies. (See on-the-job training, above.)
• Will I make a commitment to learn? Again, be honest, and don’t put this off. If you don’t know how to use a
  

  Here's one way to keep some of the basic survival tools with you at all times. On the keyring: LED flashlight, fingernail clippers, whistle, Boy Scout Hot Spark firemaker and Classic Swiss Army knife. The other knife rides in a pouch on my belt, wherever it is legal.

  map and compass, perform first aid, or make an emergency shelter, learn now. Sign up for a community college course, read good survival books, and talk to the folks, like the Search and Rescue people, who are actually using these skills. If a disaster happens this afternoon, maybe all you will have to work with is what you’ve got.

• What gear is practical? I am honored to serve as an assistant scoutmaster of a Boy Scout Troop in Bend, Oregon. Over the past 10 years, I’ve noticed a lot of “survival gear” that is nothing more than expensive junk. Talk to someone in the know, and find out what urban or wilderness survival gear they use. Assess those items with your skill level and then decide what you need.
• Will I make a commitment to carry this survival kit with me? The best gear in the world does you no good if you don’t have it with you! Your survival kit must be compact and convenient to carry or it will get left behind.

Here are a few suggestions, once you’ve made a survival kit commitment:

• Make your own: Commercial kits may include cheap and worthless things in them to keep the cost down. The components in my pocket-sized Altoids tin kit would cost about $50 to $60 to replace. My life is worth that to me!
• Can you use everything in the kit?  Using some suggested items (Remember that dunk shot?)  may be beyond your skill levels. Your choice is to learn how to use everything, or replace that particular component.
• Don’t let your survival kit give you a false sense of confidence.  Gear doesn’t replace knowledge.
• A survival kit is not a substitute for your Ten Essentials: Every survival book or website has some variation of this basic list of essential outdoor tools. Some of the items are common sense, such as a survival knife, firemaking gear, extra clothing, and a map and compass. Always make sure you have all the recommended items with you!

Finally, apply the common sense filter to anything associated with your survival. Beware of “survival experts” websites, TV shows and articles. Just because someone has a website, logo, book or magazine column doesn’t mean they know anything!

    View any information with your eyes open, and the common sense filter. If your BS alarm starts to go off, there is probably a good reason for it! And how about that dunk shot!

Recommended Reading:
Surviving a Wilderness Emergency
Build the Perfect Survival Kit

GPS Made Easy (GPS Made Easy: Using Global Positioning Systems in the Outdoors)

Staying Found: The Complete Map and Compass Handbook

wilderness and urban survival books

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

• 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
  
  .

by Leon Pantenburg

I hadn’t dumped a canoe in years, so unexpectedly entering the water just above the John Day River’s Clarno rapids was quite a shock. I righted myself, pointed my feet downstream and tried to follow the course originally set for the canoe.

Integrate these items into your wardrobe and "wear" them every day. You may be grateful you did!

The Central Oregon rapids last about three-quarters of a mile, and we’d managed to hit a rock cross ways right at the head. My wife, Debbie, paddling in front, was also thrown out of the canoe. Her head bobbed above the rapids as she navigated the whitewater.

Several minutes later, I pulled myself out in the slack waters of an eddy. From downriver, Debbie waved to show she was OK. Picking my way over the rocks toward her, I did a mental inventory of my survival tools.

Everything we had, all of our fishing, camping and survival gear, was headed downstream toward the Columbia River. It was a hot day, with no danger of hypothermia, and the other members of our float party were at the scene. Neither of us was injured, and  it was not a survival situation.

But if we had been alone, here’s the survival tools we had left:  I didn’t lose my hat, glasses or the GPS in my pocket. But the Moro knife was gone from its sheath on my belt, and the butane lighter in my left front pants pocket had disappeared.  A whistle was attached to my life jacket. I had charcloth in a plastic bag, firestarter and my key ring survival gear, except for the flashlight, still worked. Debbie had a whistle, too, but her survival gear was somewhere downstream. But even soaking wet, we could have started a fire to warm up and signal for help.

You could get dumped out of a canoe, thrown off a horse that runs away or be in a shopping mall or hotel when there is a power failure. In these cases, all you’ll have is a survival mindset and the tools in your pockets or on your person.

But a little planning can help a lot if you make some basic survival tools part of your wardrobe. This is what I carry on a daily basis:

These items are on a separate key ring that clips to my car keys or belt loop.

On the keyring: LED flashlight, fingernail clippers, whistle, Boy Scout Hot Spark and Classic Swiss Army knife. The other, large Swiss Army knife rides in a pouch on my belt.

• LED flashlight: This is one of the most-used items. Princeton Tec Pulsar White LED Key Chain Light
  A flashlight could be what gets you out of a dark, fourth floor hotel room that is filling with smoke! It may also require leadership training before using. In any dark emergency situation, the person with the flashlight automatically becomes the leader!  Make sure you get an LED light with an on-off switch. Otherwise, you’ll get really tired of pinching the light to make it work.
• Nail clipper: Until you have torn a finger or toenail on a camping trip, with no way to trim it, you can’t imagine how important a clipper is. In a pinch, it works as a tweezers to pull out splinters. New Swiss+Tech Smart Clip 9in1 Key Chain Tool Nail File
  .
• Whistle: A necessary signaling device, since you can only yell until your voice gives out. A whistle can be heard at a great distance, with less energy expended than shouting for help. The universal signal for distress is a series of three, equally-spaced blasts Harmony Signal Whistle
• Magnesium or flint stick: In this case, a Boy Scout Hot-Spark firestarter is the chosen tool. It can be used with cotton balls and petroleum jelly, or Chapstick, or Purell hand cleaner,  to start a fire.
• Swiss Army Classic model knife: This knife’s capabilities are much bigger than its size! A classic has a knife blade, scissors, screwdriver blade, tweezers and toothpick. Most important, it can be carried with you at all times.Victorinox Swiss Army Tinker with Free Classic Knife

In my left hip pocket:

• Bandanna or 100% cotton handkerchief: This item can do a hundred different tasks, including wiping your nose! Other common sense uses include shredding as tinder for the magnesium stick; signaling, and improvising a head covering or sun shade. I always carry at least one, and prefer to have several along.

In my right hip pocket is my wallet with the usual driver’s license, credit cards etc. These survival items are designed to fit in the credit card holders:

Firestarter, charcloth and a signal mirror can all be carried in a wallet

• Charcloth: If you can catch a spark, from any source, on a piece of charcloth, then you should know how to blow that spark into an ember, and then a fire. Charcloth should be carried in a waterproof plastic bag.
• Waxed firestarter: A credit card sized piece of this material, also carried in a waterproof plastic bag, will supply several minutes of flame when lighted with a match or some flame. The firestarter supplies that link between ignition and getting tinder and small sticks to burn.
• Signal mirror: I made this mirror out of a piece of flexible mirror material (available at most auto repair stores), and purposefully sized it to fit a credit card holder. In addition to signaling, the mirror can be invaluable for locating something in your eye or directing light into a hard-to-see area. The plastic covering on the mirror face is left on for protection. Directions for use are on the back.Coghlan’s Sight-Grid Signal Mirror

In my left front pocket:

• Butane lighter: I don’t smoke but always carry a small lighter. It’s easy to “Flick your Bic” to light a fire, or make a signal at night, especially if you’re injured. (You can also use it to show your age at a concert!)
• Chapstick: Get the kind with sun protection, and you can use it for lip, face, ear and skin protection. Chapstick works as a firestarter when combined correctly with a shredded cotton bandanna.

In the right front pocket:

• Hand cleaner: Keeping your hands clean may keep you from getting sick later. Purell liquid handcleaner also works well as a firestarter with the shredded bandanna.

In my shirt or jacket pocket:

• Notebook and pen or pencil: You may need to write down map or GPS coordinates, phone numbers or leave directions and you’ll need something to write on. Don’t forget to leave a note telling someone where you went.

These items may help you get by in an emergency situation, but don’t rely entirely on them if possible. Always take your Ten Essentials on any outing, and know how to use them

!

by Leon Pantenburg

At one point last winter, there was snow in 49 states  (Hawaii was the exception). Millions were left without power, and some areas suffered greatly.

A survival situation can develop in your home when the power goes out. The backup plan must include emergency lighting.

If you lived in those affected areas, let’s hope you were prepared for power outages. And it brings an important topic to the forefront – what happens when high winds, heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures combine to knock out the electricity in your home?

Emergency preparedness means you should have backup systems or plans for heat, lighting and water. If you’re lucky, the power won’t be off long, but batteries are gone after a few days, unless you have a way to recharge them. A generator will only work until it runs out of fuel.

One of the more important aspects of urban survival during winter storms is lighting. Without a lighting plan, you could end up in the dark from when the sun sets at around 5:30 p.m. until dawn. The right lighting supplies can make this situation more bearable.

This scenario is familiar to Tom Dumalt, manager of Globe Lighting in Bend, OR.

Dumalt lived in the Milwaukee, OR., area from 1978 through 1981, he said, when days-long power outages were common. While various battery-operated light sources work well, Dumalt also recommends stocking up with plenty of candles and matches because emergency power only lasts so long.

For the long term, candles may be one of the best choices, he said, because they’re cheap, easily available and easy to use safely.

And if you’re a scrounger/recycler/prepper, candles are something that is always on the “To-Buy” list. And they have a place in any urban survival kit.

When buying candles for a potential power outage, all you’re really

A single candle may provide enough lighting in some power outage situations.

concerned about is quantity.  The aesthetics and mood of a romantic candle-lit dinner will soon wear off, and everyone will soon be more concerned about seeing what is for dinner.

Great places to find really cheap candles are garage and rummage sales and thrift stores. It doesn’t matter if the candles are outdated Christmas or novelty candles, odds-and-ends from a dinner party, or clunky art projects – all they have to do is provide light. Buy all you can find and stockpile them.

Another good lighting choice is the old-fashioned kerosene lamps our grandparents used. My urban survival kit includes several such lanterns and lamps, plus a supply of kerosene to fuel them. A standard Deitz lantern, according to the manufacturer, will burn up to eight hours on one tankfull of fuel. 21st Century Inc 210-32060 Hurricane Lantern No. 30
.

Other garage sale treasures can include old Coleman gas lanterns. These run on Coleman camp fuel or (in some cases) unleaded gasoline, and they can be dirt cheap. I was given several once after an estate sale, when nobody would buy them. Repairing them was not difficult, and if I can fix one, so can you.

Generally, the reason gas lanterns don’t work is because of a worn-out pump or from being clogged from dirty fuel. Sometimes a good cleaning is all they need. Repair parts are dirt cheap too, so there is no reason you can’t have several. Coleman Two-Mantle Dual Fuel Lantern with Hard Case

For more information, log on to : http://www.oldtownyucca.com/coleman/. The site has tutorials for fixing all the old lanterns, as well as parts.

Before you lay in a stock of lighting sources that require combustion, consider how safe they are, and if they will work for your intended purpose.

Probably the first consideration is if your lighting source emits carbon monoxide. This odorless gas is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Carbon monoxide results from the incomplete combustion of fuels such as wood, kerosene, gasoline, charcoal, propane, natural gas and oil.

This means a gas, kerosene or propane-powered lantern has the potential to be life-threatening in a closed, well-sealed space, says Gary Marshall, deputy chief with the Bend Fire Department.

The red kerosene and Coleman gasoline lanterns can provide a source of efficient lighting, but be aware of potential carbon monoxide problems.

All of these light sources must be used in a well-ventilated area only, Marshall said. Remember, if the electricity is off, so is the fan motor in your furnace, and there may not be a way to circulate air.

Both the American Red Cross and the Bend Fire Department recommend an emergency illumination source that is battery-powered.

In any emergency lighting situation, you should be prepared with battery-operated lamps or flashlights, Marshall said. Be very careful with candles or any open flame.

An important part of any emergency preparations is The Plan. Come up with a plausible lighting scenario for your area, then decide how you will handle it.

Think about your lighting needs when there is no electricity, Dumalt advises. When the sun comes up, will you need a light source to work? If so, can you move the work area to take advantage of sunlight?

Look at window placement as it relates to lighting, he added. Would the best idea be to shut down other areas of the house, and move into a central area that is more easily lighted and heated?

Another consideration is what the lighting needs are when the sun goes down. Decide what area you’ll be in when it becomes dark, Dumalt said, then think about the most effective way to light it for different activities. A single candle might be enough to light one area for certain activities, while more light might be needed later for cooking, bathing or washing clothes.

In some cases, such as two people reading together, a single candle will be enough, Dumalt said. In situations where it can be done safely, you can use a candle or lamp to save batteries.

While you’re picking up candles, stock up on extra batteries, too, and be sure to check your flashlights or electric lanterns to determine which batteries they require.

Here are some emergency power outage tips from the American Red Cross:

• Avoid opening the refrigerator and freezer.
• Do not run a generator inside a home or garage.
• If you use a generator, connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator. Do not connect a generator to a home’s electrical system.
• Listen to local radio and television for updated information.
• Turn off or disconnect any appliances, equipment (like air conditioners) or electronics you were using when the power went out. When power comes back on, it may come back with momentary surges or spikes that can damage equipment such as computers and motors in appliances like the air conditioner, refrigerator, washer or furnace.
• Leave one light turned on so you’ll know when your power returns.
  

Sources for emergency lighting items include:

Deitz kerosene lanterns: http://lanternnet.com/

 Repair parts and information for Coleman lanterns: http://www.oldtownyucca.com/coleman/

by Leon Pantenburg

Survival situations can happen when you least expect it, or in places where such a thing doesn’t make sense.

These items are lightweight, easily-carried and could save your life if you're injured while running. From left: handwarmers, cell phone, flashlight, knife, Boy Scout flint stick, whistle, and firestarter.

Maybe you’ve gotten into the habit  of taking a run in the same urban area every evening. Then, one evening, the endorphins kick in, and you decide to double the usual mileage. As darkness approaches, you realize you have to get back to the car before it gets really dark. You slip, twist your ankle and can’t move.

Or you might decide to go for a walk and just take off without thinking to tell someone where you went. You’re strolling along, relaxing and enjoying the iPod, and letting the stress from the office dissipate. Then, as it starts to get dark, you realize you’ve taken a wrong turn and are lost. And pretty soon, it will be pitch dark, and you can’t see the path.

Maybe you have your routine down, and are so set in the pattern that you don’t consider the potential danger. After all, you don’t  go that far from your home, and this isn’t some wilderness area…

A similar situation happened to Bend, Oregon resident Karen Johnson. (Click on highlighted word to read Johnson’s complete story.)  She nearly died of hypothermia after slipping on the ice and  breaking her leg. The area she was running in was a popular, well-used trail. But when Johnson was injured, there was no one around. Only prior preparations, her survival equipment, and being very, very lucky saved her.

Here’s a few tips on what survival equipment to take on a run or an evening walk. These items are lightweight, take up little space and can easily be fitted into a fanny pack or jacket pocket.

• Leave a note or verbal message about where you’re going and when you’ll be back: Even if you’re only expecting to be gone for a little while, nobody will know where to look for you. They might think you went to a movie, the library or some place where you had to shut off your cell phone.
• STOP: Stop, Think, Observe, Plan. This survival mindset exercise applies to every survival situation. Know how to use it.
• Cell phone: You can call for help if you need to. Even if you can’t get coverage, leave your phone on. The pings to your phone from the nearest cell tower can be traced.
• Small flashlight: If you end up out after dark, the flashlight can help you get safety out of the dark places. Not to mention, the psychological boost it can provide if you have to stay in one place and wait for help. Princeton Tec Pulsar White LED Key Chain Light
• Whistle: A whistle carries further than your voice, and won’t give out. You can signal for help more effectively, and sometimes a whistle works to scare off potential bad guys. Fox 40 Micro 2 pack
• Flint stick or lighter and firestarter: If you’re injured, you may be able to build a fire for warmth, signaling and as a morale boost. It will help you stay in one place so you can be rescued. Strike It, Matchless Firestarter
• Small knife: I carry a Swiss Army knife Classic everywhere. The blade can be used to strike sparks of a flint stick, whittle kindling,  or cut string. The tweezers, scissors, toothpick and file also have multiple uses. Victorinox Swiss Army Classic Pocket Knife
• Lanyard: Combine everything together on a lanyard so you can wear it around your neck or tie it to your clothing. If the gear is tied to you, it won’t be lost.
• Handwarmers: Even if the weather is warm, a runner will cool rapidly if he can’t move. The handwarmers can be placed on the chest or torso to keep the vital areas warm. HeatMax Hot Hands 2 Handwarmer (40 pairs)
• Water: Hydration is always a good idea. If the water gets too heavy, you can always drink it, or pour it out. Platypus Sport Bottle

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

• STOP: Use this exercise to reduce stress and focus your thoughts.
• Write a note to let people know where you went, before you left.
• Dress with the right fabrics.
• Carry lightweight, compact firestarter.
• It can kill you: Hypothermia
  
• About Leon Pantenburg

By Leon Pantenburg

In February, 2007. a routine run near Bend turned into a desperate fight for survival.

Karen Johnson, 50, of Bend, runs in the Phil’s Trail area about four miles west of the city’s western boundary, several times a week. Early on the

The popular Phil's Trail trailhead is about one-half mile from where Karen Johnson nearly lost her life while running.

morning of Feb. 1, Johnson took off on a routine training session.

It was cold and windy, and Johnson wore winter running clothes that included synthetic tights and top, gloves and a sweatshirt. A windbreaker went over everything, and for gear, she carried a water bottle, a whistle, a charged cell phone, a pair of spiked ice grip devices that fit over running shoes and three chemical handwarmers in her fanny pack.

As the sun was coming up, Johnson was gingerly picking her way along a trail, not even running, when she hit a patch of black ice, slipped and fell.

“It felt like someone pulled the rug out from underneath me,” she recalled. “I heard and felt both bones in my leg break as I hit the ground. The pain was excruciating.”

Johnson couldn’t move, sprawled on the ice. She got her cell phone out of her fanny pack and dialed for help.

No coverage.

After the initial failed connection, Johnson dialed the number of her fiancé, Ken Rose, and waved her cell phone above her head. This time, Johnson got through.

Rose knew Johnson’s winter routine and route, and approximately where she would be. He had also just joined Deschutes County Search and Rescue and had his gear ready. Luckily, a friend, Randy Clumbel, had stopped by on his way to work, so the two headed out together.

“I dialed Ken rather than 911 because he would know what to do,” Johnson said. “I might only have time for a few words. I told him I fell, thought I had broken my leg, and where I was.”

While Rose and Clumbel hurried to Phil’s Trail, Rose contacted Deschutes County Search and Rescue directly and requested help.

In the meantime, Johnson’s situation had gotten increasingly worse. She

These items are lightweight, easily carried and could save your life it you're injured while running. From left: handwarmers, cell phone, flashlight, knife, Boy Scout flint stick, whistle, and firestarter.

had used up two of the handwarmers while running, so Johnson took the last one, activated it and put it inside her top, next to the skin on her chest.

“It was 21 degrees, I was shaking uncontrollably, couldn’t move and was lying on ice,” she said. “I screamed out in pain a couple of times, blew on the whistle and called for help. Apparently, I was the only one out there.”

Rose and Clumbel arrived at the accident scene about 30 minutes after Johnson’s call. Johnson’s lips were blue, and she appeared to be past the first stages of hypothermia, Rose said. She was suffering intensely from the broken leg. Clumbel immediately started gathering wood and quickly built a roaring bonfire next to Johnson, while Rose covered her with a sleeping bag and administered first aid.

“It was a tossup which was more serious, the hypothermia or the leg,” Rose said. “She was on ice, but one of the broken bones was pushing against the skin, and if we moved her, it might have bled and been worse.”

“I was completely lucid, but I just wanted to get out of the cold,” Johnson said. “If Ken and Randy hadn’t gotten there when they did, I don’t know if I would have lasted until help arrived.”

About an hour after Rose and Clumbel arrived, a search and rescue team with a gurney arrived. They carried her out a half-mile to a waiting ambulance, which transported Johnson to St. Charles Medical Center-Bend.

Johnson’s ordeal ended relatively quickly because she did virtually everything right. She was also really, really lucky.

“Even if you’re just out for the day, or a quick outing, you can step in a hole or twist your ankle or something, and you’ll be stuck for a long time,” Sgt. Marvin Combs of Deschutes County Search and Rescue said. “Don’t go out by yourself, tell someone where you’re going, when you’ll be back, and then contact them when you return.”

Emergency gear is another necessity, he said, and Johnson’s survival resulted from having what she needed.

“Because someone knew where she would be,” Combs said, “locating Johnson didn’t waste any precious time. The other contributing factor to her survival was that she remained calm and didn’t panic.”

“She was prepared and went out with the right equipment,” Combs said, “and that was a blessing for her and for us.”

Johnson made a full recovery from her injury. A subsequent bone density test rated Johnson’s bones equivalent to those of a 20-year-old woman.

On May 1, 2007, she returned to Phil’s Trail and walked 100 yards on crutches. Today, fully prepared with her usual survival gear, Johnson regularly runs in that area.

She has also become somewhat of a preparedness evangelist. Johnson tells her story whenever possible in the hope people will learn from her experience.

“It’s pretty scary to get in as much trouble as I did only a few miles from town,” she says. “I easily could have died.”

The complete story appeared in the Oct. 14, 2007 edition of “The Bulletin,” in Bend, Oregon.

by Leon Pantenburg

In an emergency, many media “experts” promote different ways to make sparks as a way to ignite a fire. But the advice sometimes fizzles out there. There may be a vague reference to catching the spark with some material called “tinder.”

Finished charcloth should be completely black and flexible. It will catch a spark from any source and is windproof.

Sometimes tree fungus, or dry, rotted wood called “punk” is mentioned as a spark catcher.  The media personality makes a spark somehow, there is a camera angle change, and presto! We have ignition!

But in the real world, during an emergency, there isn’t time to search for such specialized items, even if they are available, and even if they do work.

Of all the firemaking tools at your disposal, charcloth is one that should be included in every survival kit. It works with every method of firemaking.

Charcloth is a material, usually 100 percent cotton, that has been “cooked” like charcoal at high temperatures until it becomes black and flexible. Properly-made charcloth will easily catch a spark from any source and will spread into an ember.

A spark can come from a flint and steel, flint stick, broken lighter, Primus Power Ignitor Lighter
jumper cables and battery etc.  You could even light charcloth with a damp match that flares but won’t ignite. In fact, if you only have a few matches, (and matches are always a finite resource) your best move might be to light some charcloth. MATCHCAP Waterproof Aluminum Match Case with Striker

Once caught, a spark on charcloth is virtually impossible to blow out.  If the tinder bundle and small kindling are ready, it should only take about a one-inch square of glowing charcloth to get a fire going.

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

Lighted charcloth extinguishes easily with water. But all you have to do is dry the soaked material out and it will work again.

Maybe the best thing about charcloth is that you make it yourself, and the materials are free.

You could even make charcloth while you’re lost if you took along a bandanna and an Altoids or similar tin. (It will give you something to do while sitting by your signal fire, waiting to be rescued!) You can also try charring some organic materials, such as tree bark (cedar and juniper) and others. There might be a great natural charring material in your area, just waiting to be discovered.

It goes without saying that any experimenting should first be done in your backyard! Strike It, Matchless Firestarter

For related Survival Common Sense tips, click on the highlighted words:

• Find the most effective fire ignition system.
• Carry lightweight, compact firestarter.
• Take your Ten Essentials on every outing.
• Dress with the right fabrics.
• Have a plan to make a tarp shelter
  

  .

by Leon Pantenburg

It doesn’t matter if you’re planning a quick snowshoe trek or an hour-long stroll along a wooded path. Common sense dictates that basic survival tools be taken along. Above all, this gear, or kit, must be lightweight and convenient to carry, or it gets left behind.

That said:  BEWARE! If you don’t know how to use the materials in the kit, and don’t practice with them, you may develop a false sense of confidence. This attitude could get you in a lot more trouble!

Keep basic 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.

Mention survival kits among recreationists and an argument/discussion will follow.

At one end of the spectrum is the guy who takes the heavily-loaded backpack full of gadgets, doo-dads, knick-knacks and neat stuff. He may not go far, because of the pack’s weight, but he’ll be safe. Unless, one time, he decides to leave all that stuff at the car, since he’s never used anything and it’s damned heavy. And he’s just going a little way…

Then he becomes the optimist, the guy at the other extreme.  Since he’s never been in an emergency situation, then it stands to reason that nothing will ever happen. He denies the need for survival gear, because he’s never been in an emergency.

Somewhere between these extremes is the common sense approach.

Here’s my take (and of course, this opinion may place me squarely in the survivalist wacko camp!): Everyone should have a collection of survival tools with them at all times.

As I type this, I have a butane lighter in my pocket, a whistle, knife, fingernail clippers, LED flashlight, 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. This gear goes with me everywhere it’s legal.

Suppose I have to run out of my house, right now. Let’s say an earthquake just hit and all the pictures are falling off the walls and it looks like the fertilizer just hit the fan. If I have to sprint for the door and can’t grab anything else, I have the minimum tools on me to make a fire and stay warm and signal for help.

If I can grab my jacket on the way out the door, there is an Altoids tin mini-survival kit in the pocket. And if I can get to my car there is a full component of survival gear in there, including food, water, a sleeping bag, and several tarps. I won’t waste any time looking for equipment, when the walls may literally be falling down around me.

Any personal survival kit will ultimately boil down to opinion, knowledge, skill levels and the season.

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

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

• survival knife Cold Steel SRK San Mai III® Knife 38CSM
• firemaking tool(s) Swedish Firesteel- Scout Model
  and firestarter
• compass, Suunto M-3DL Compass
  map and GPS
• mirror (for signaling)Ultimate Survival Technologies 2×3 StarFlash Emergency Signal Mirror
• signal whistleUltimate Survival Technologies 2×3 StarFlash Emergency Signal Mirror
• flashlight Ultimate Survival Technologies 2×3 StarFlash Emergency Signal Mirror
• Some form of shelter

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.

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 winter of Oregon, will be different than one designed for Florida, and vice versa.

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 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.

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

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.

Every time.

For more 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.
• Use charcloth as an effective method of catching a spark to make a fire.
• It can kill you: Hypothermia