I will be making first survival/outdoor challenge kit

I am actually making my first survival kit in the next few days. I just made an order tonight at goinggear.com and the guy was awesome. This is what the guy said to me in one of our conversations and it made so much sense.
He wrote 
 
"I consider very few things as survival situations
(I basically need to be critically ill or injured), so what many people
would consider survival, I just enjoy as a challenge in the woods"  
 
I believe this is where KNOWING YOUR EQUIPMENT YEAR ROUND comes into play. You don't want to learn to use your equipment IN the time of need.
 
My first survival/outdoor challenge kit will include
 
This is what I would want in my pack 
 
$20 cash
 
100-200' ft paracord
 
2 fire steels w/ extra strikers
 
wetfire tinder AND regular tinder (laundry lint is FREE folks)
compass
 
fishing gear 3 & 12-15lb test line asst size hooks (12 lb test can grab some small warm blooded animals) MMMMMMMMM DINNER
 
as crazy as this may sound 2 empty cans (soup, corn, beans NOT BEER OR SODA , for boiling and collecting water) soda and beer cans are to thin
 
bottle each Aspirin and Ibuprofen
 
Crazy glue (3 for $1 at ANY dollar store, OBVIOUSLY HAHAHA)
 
A 6 pack of arrow broadheads for trap making
 
Good outdoor knife and IF possible a machete
 
Couple of empty perscription pill containers with holes
 
enough rain cover ( 8x8' tarp, paint drop mat) to cover at LEAST 2 people even if you are just 1
 
rain poncho
 
All weather padded neoprene gloves to keep your hands warm and prevent blisters when chopping wood
 
asst bandages
 
neosporin
 
I know there is more, anyone care to chime in

A 6 pack of arrow broadheads for trap making

 
what kind of traps will you be making with these?
also, youll want something to keep you out of the sun. a shemagh is always a good choice imo. mine sees lots and lots of use

Katana

A 6 pack of arrow broadheads for trap making

 
what kind of traps will you be making with these?
also, youll want something to keep you out of the sun. a shemagh is always a good choice imo. mine sees lots and lots of use

The way I look at it is if there is a larger slab of log maybe 8" by 12" with holes be it natural or man made I could put the broadheads in the holes and basically rest the log slab on a small y shaped branched attached to some paracord when an animal sneaks under it for the bait I would just pull the string and HOPE at least 1 of the broadheads catches the animal. or hang the log about a foot off the ground under some tasty food items and just drop it on them. I have lots of ideas in my head.

Survival is the most interesting subject. Survive what? and where and how long? Here are some of the items in my bug out bag:A cold steel desperado ( sorry discontinued) a Boker neck flash,a SOG tactical Tomahawk ,a SOG jungle primative and a Cold Steel Kubon ( also discontinued).I also have food,first aid and other things but no asprin. Dont need that crap now why would I then? Again survive what?

Ah that is the question.  We had a thread going discussing that.  Seems to depend on what your personal belief is about what mght realistically go wrong.  sounds like an interesting kit.  A bit surprised as I cannot recall anyone anti asperin before.   but there is that personal thing.   Myself I consider Ora-gel and a dental kit needful as I have bad teeth.
 
As for the arrowheads, there are a number of proven trap designs that could use those without you having to invest many hours of precious time waiting for the animal to come.  This would also allow you to be away so as not to alarm the animal, AND to have a number of traps set in various locations.  Even a pro trapper can rarely be sure an animal will visit this particular trap on this particular night.

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

so basically youre talking a deadfall trap right?

not to try and smash down your ideas(pun intended) but any sort of deadfall trap should be made heavy enough that sheer bludgeoning from the deadfall should maim/kill the animal to such an extent, that the need for broadheads (or sharpened sticks) seems not needed imo

I have all kinds of crazy ideas runnin around my head

Don't we all . Do feel free to share them though.

I would definetly recommend thinking about what you are wanting to survive. Oce you have done that I think it could help to look at the region you are in. What type of weather and wildlife you typically have could have an influence on what items you would find more or less useful in a survival situation.

How about a bandana?  Very lightweight, cheap, many uses.

         Simple things are best.

         Current CS gear:
         True Flight Thrower, 18" Barong Machete, Special Forces Shovel

2nd that.  I tell my kids that is an essentual.   When I was on the survey crew I would carry my lunch in it up the Mtn and wear it back down.  bandage, hot pad. washrag.  I keep one in my hunting vest even when I take no other survival gear.

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

bandanas are must haves.  i would also get some katadyne pills to purify water, and some thermal (mylar) blankets/sleeping bags (they take up very little space and are handy to have).  check out http:// countycomm.com to (copy/paste link, delete space, and go!)  they have wonderful products for great prices.  invaluable for stocking up your survival/BOB. 

yeah those mylar blankets are great.  Make a water still or use for shelter.  2 of my kids went on a short hike in the Rockies on a fishing trip.  coming back they followed the wrong ridgeline.  Wound up stuck overnight in cold drizzle on a ridge.  They were cold wet miserable and embarrassed.  But they made it.  They found the mylar sheets too small and hard to get full coverage----but very glad they had em.  Just wanted BIGGER ones. :)

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

It's always the question WHAT are you expecting to survive and in what conditions. For me, uless I go somewhere far abroad, the worst thing that can happen to me in the local woods is that I have to spend one night there, there's probably no place here so far from some kind of village or simply any hepl I could need. All I need is some sort of first aid kit, matches or lighter and some basic gear to build a shelter and spend a night.
That doesn't mean I don't enjoy building these kits, I love that!
Right now, I'm making my own designed survival bracelet.

Rather judged by six than carried by four - Czech rule of self-defense
Wanna live? Get a shiv! - Chronicles of Riddic.k

A survival bracelet !  Interesting ! Please do tell us more as you get this done.

Frankly I think most 'survival' situations here are not far from what you describe.
I was once stranded in a blizzard.  My survival technique consisted of holding up a piece of paper money beside the highway as soon as there was light for it to be seen.  Hey--It WORKED. 

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

the basic requirements of a survival kit should reflect those things that will kill you fastest.
Being cold and wet will get you first, then thirst.
So the most important things you need are the means of making shelter, fire and collecting purifying water.

Leaving aside the issue of knives, as everyone will have their particular favourite, I have a few thoughts on kits.

Shelter.
Depending on the size of the kit, I'd pack a poncho or a survival blanket (preferably both).
AMS make a good one, Doug Ritter supplies them I believe. They've been torture tested and are way better than those crappy mylar sheets which are quite fragile.
Paracord is a must, I've made cordage in the wild before, it is very time consuming, Pack as much as you have room for.
A bowsaw blade and a couple of 2" split rings wrapped in non-stretching tape is handy and takes up little room. you can make a frame from wood. A saw is far superior for processing wood for building/burning, using less energy than chopping.

Fire.
Matches are obvious. Get some of the "strike anywhere" type.
Either get a waterproof matchcase or simply fill the box with candle wax and break them off as required.
A disposable butane lighter takes up little room, as do strip of cut up cycle inner tube.
Also, a Ferrococium rod (or flint striker as it's known) with tinder.
You can buy commercial tinder, but my favorite is cotton wool with vasaline rubbed into it.
fill a 35mm film capsule with the stuff, it'll be surprising how much one will hold, and it burns hot and long.
For compact kits, it can be stuffed into fast food drinking straws, which can be cut down and the ends melted shut for putting into survival tins

Water.
Purification tablets are good to have, but best of all is a billy can for boiling it in.
Your kit can be packed into the tin too.
A bandana or shemagh is handy for straining particularly fouled water through to reduce the amount of particulate matter.
Plus they have innumerable other uses.

Sundries.
There are other things it's worth having.
A good whistle, and a mirror for attracting attention are handy, as is a basic first aid kit.
A small repair kit with superglue, cable ties. glue sticks, duct tape, sewing kit is also useful.
Tea bags/Coffee sachets. these are a terrific morale booster, and are worth squeezing in.

I've not included fishing and trapping kits, because realistically you're not going to need them.
Physiologically, as long as you have a supply of water, you can survive (and be reasonably active) for around 40 days without food.
I would, at a push add some snare wire and some fishing kit anyway, but it's low on the priority list.

Don't hunt.
Trap.
Trapping is far better as you can do it while you're asleep. Energy conservation is the order of the day.
Never burn a calorie you don't have to.

Anyway, I've rambled on enough.

If the thought of doing something makes me giggle for more than 20 seconds, I should assume I'm not allowed to do it.
Skippy's List, Item 87

Guys great ideas so far. graham_s, very concise list you have.
 
I would add a 3 foot section of 1/4" diamiter plastic tubing. In theory  it could sit in the catch container of a solar still so you do not need to dismantle it to get the water out (think long flexable straw). Or, what I actually use mine for is to get to water trapped in crevices whear I can not reach with a container or bandana to sop up the water.
 
Tubing is avalible at most hardware stores in 1/4" diameter in 10 to 20 foot lengths, that can be cut to size for a few kits. I tried to use some 3/8" tubing and found the force required to lift the water over about 1&1/2 feet to be not worth the effort.
 
Keep some black tubing of the same size in your car about 6 feet long to use as a siphon. I keep some on my motorcycle as some of the guys I come across tend to be stranded 20 miles from a gas station.
 
As far as bandanas go the uses are endless. I have used one to carry a full pot of water a 1/4 mile back to camp over a few rock climbing sections of trail. I spilled much less water than carrying it by hand and freed up the carry hand  to grab the rocks while climbing.
 
-Joe

To many hobbies, not enough time.

Solar stills are not really a good idea.
Basicly they are a lab mistake made by the US airforce and published in an old survival manual.
The idea has propogated through other manuals over time and been accepted as canon without anyone actually checking to see if it was effective.
It's one of those old survival myths.

The flexible tube, however, is a good idea.
Put a short length of metal tubing on the end and use it as a "blow poker" for directing airflow into the base of your fire.
Much more efficient than fanning with your hat or just blowing.

If the thought of doing something makes me giggle for more than 20 seconds, I should assume I'm not allowed to do it.
Skippy's List, Item 87

graham_s,
 
I whole heartedly agree about the solar still. If it is (the ground) damp enough to work there are better methods to produce water.
 
-Joe

To many hobbies, not enough time.

Excellent points Graham.   Though I am a hunter and have trapped for money, I agree completely on the hunting and trapping. and have said the like on another thread.  Hunting is a time and energy expensive activity, and takes some skill and experience.  Even then and with good firearms it will result in many fruitless days.   Trapping as you said has the great advantage of being productive while you sleep and do other things.  However it also takes some skill and knowledge and luck.  There is another game getting proceedure ---not actively hunting, but just --being ready.   Sometimes in the wilderness you will find animals just by accident.  My personal experience ranges from squab fallen from a nest to a fawn that lept up and bolted and ran into an obsticle and knocked itself silly, to porcupine and turtles ambling along . And rabbits just sitting quietly.  as I was not hungry I normally just enjoyed the outdoor experience, but could have killed and eaten any.  Such encounters cannot be relied on, but you should be prepared to take advantage of them.  I advise fashioning either a staff or a throwing stick as soon as you can.  These need not be fancy.  The Apache are quite fond of throwing sticks that amount to no more than finding a good stick.  And a staff need not have a spear point to be effective on such things as a rabbit. though you might as well whittle one end sharp.   If you are near water a frog gig is a useful item to have in your kit  or a treble hook and some fishing line.   When you find frogs you take a long stick---as long as possible.  Tie the fishing line to the stick and the treble hook on the end.  You dangle this in front of the frogs and they wil snatch it thinking its a bug.   If they refuse to take it I have simply slid it under their chin and yanked upward.   A big frog on the line is about as exciting as any game fish and I have enjoyed fine meals with this technique.  BTW--don't just eat the legs. 

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

Another tip, and one that seems a bit basic, but it's something that is often overlooked;
Learn how to use everything in your kit.
If you're not competent using a piece of equipment, the point where you need to use it to survive is too late to learn!

Also, I recommend the book "how to build the perfect survival kit" by John McCann

If the thought of doing something makes me giggle for more than 20 seconds, I should assume I'm not allowed to do it.
Skippy's List, Item 87

Trapping does take skill, it's true, but it's an art worth acquiring if you're learning survival.

A throwing stick is a very useful method of gathering food and one that takes little effort to learn.
Spears and bows and blowpipes all take up time and resources, but sticks are everywhere!
The squirrel in one of my photos was taken with a throwing stick on a survival course.

Nessmuk made a point of how much he enjoyed "frogging", and used a lure of red cloth in his bactrian quest.
Also, I just found out the writer of the book I mentioned has a website. the stuff in the shop looks quite interesting, worth a root through.

If the thought of doing something makes me giggle for more than 20 seconds, I should assume I'm not allowed to do it.
Skippy's List, Item 87

Good basic kit.  I have some others in my kit like sharpeners for the knife and mole skin for my feet, a compass, etc.  I would like to add two items that many people may not think of.  Chapstick / lip balm & nail clippers.  I know they sound ridiculous but after living in Alaska and seeing how painful and bloody your lips can get in a short time the lip balm is a good idea.  Also I know nail clippers seems like a silly comfort thing but after a camping trip with a horrible hang nail they earned a place in my kit.

fox


Good basic kit.  I have some others in my kit like sharpeners for the knife and mole skin for my feet, a compass, etc.  I would like to add two items that many people may not think of.  Chapstick / lip balm & nail clippers.  I know they sound ridiculous but after living in Alaska and seeing how painful and bloody your lips can get in a short time the lip balm is a good idea.  Also I know nail clippers seems like a silly comfort thing but after a camping trip with a horrible hang nail they earned a place in my kit.

fox,
 
I have cotton balls with petrolium jelly  (vasoline) in my kit that can  work as tinder or lip balm. Also, I tend to use a knife blade to trim my nails. Though serrated scallops like the big scallop in the CS serration pattern seem to work better a plain edge works also.
 
You made two very good points and I was just trying to offer another point of view.
-Joe

To many hobbies, not enough time.

BigJoe, 
     I like your point.  The vasaline and cotton balls for lip/other balm is a good idea.  Always good to have items with multiple uses.  As for the knife and nails, I always did the same thing till that one camping trip.  Nail ripped down too deep to cut with a knife.  I spent days in annoying pain.

fox


BigJoe,  
    .....  As for the knife and nails, I always did the same thing till that one camping trip.  Nail ripped down too deep to cut with a knife.  I spent days in annoying pain.

fox,
carry a bigger knife, cut off the finger tip and cauterize in coals from a fire!
 
Good point fox.

To many hobbies, not enough time.

It could be also useful to have pepper spray, a multitool like a Leatherman and a emergency blanket with you. What about at least one good compact flash light?
Don't forget your Bushman (if you have one). You can use it like a machete and maybe you'll need a spear...

The sharpness of their toys separate men from boys!

Should've used my rifleman's hawk and taken off the entire hand.  Knifezilla, I keep a multitool and emergency blanket in my kit as well.  No bushman but I do like to have my spike on me.

Peter Hathaway Capstick used to say he would rather go on safari without his rifle than without his SAK.  Of course these days there are a lot of other options.  I Keep several SAKs and a Leatherman wave.  And a couple vise grips---one big, one small needle nose.  Lots of times you need a clamp.

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

in my kit i have..

a fleese blanket
a thermal blanket
whistle
small torch
wind up charger for mobile phones that i also have an adaptor for my sat nav
sat nav
bushman
k4
a large water proof poncho that also has eyelets around the edge so it can used as a basha
binoculars
gerber multi tool
small first aid kit
duck tape
super glue
lighters (2 and i check them often to make sure they work)
british army issue folding shovel
paracord
thick jumper
and one of those neck warmer things
on my person everyday i have 50 quid, my phone and SAK
 
but this is more of an emergency kit then a survival kit. to get me through a night perhaps at most as in england your never too far from someplace warm and with food. i have a more serious kit that stays at home in the garage.

"Next to a battle lost, the greatest misery is a battle won."  Sir Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington.

One of the most useful ways that I have found to carry paracord is by weaving it into a bracelet or bag strap. There are several "pretty ways to braid the cord, but #1 they take a lot of time and #2 it will break your heart to unravel one, even if you really need it.

I found this one on instructables which is simply a series of interwoven half-hitches. It doesn't take but a few minutes for bracelet sized and making one for a rifle sling/shoulderstrap/belt doesn't take too much time either.
http://www.instructable...-great-looking-bracelet/



I am ordering some of these buckles for my next effort

Just because I think the whistle is a cool idea.

The other "must have" in my kit is a length of "Spider Wire" 80 lb braided fishing line. I can carry quite a bit wrapped around a bobbin spool from my wife's sewing machine. It is useful for sewing, fishing, tying tent flaps and all kinds of lashing chores. This line is fairly stiff for thin braided cord , but when I used it to make a squirrel stick snare, I found that a green twig was helpful in holding the loops in position.  NOTE: although this looks like it would be strong enough snare a squirrel using the stick method. It has not been proven after 3 sets. Not because anything failed to work, but because training squirrels to run into your snare just when you need them to, isn't that easy. 

Where are those trappers that always seem to snare exactly what they want exactly when they need it?

I find a can or two of Dinty Moore stew or a (shudder) MRE to be a more reliable way to feed myself in an emergency.

Then said He unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. [Luke 22:36]