Rethinking a Personal Survival Kit

pfunk (72) · 7 years ago (edited)

A couple days ago you received a transfer of SBD from @minnowpond, which seems to have taken funds from users without providing their promised service or a refund. Given that it looks like @investegg accidentally transferred 500 SP to a scam @minnnowbooster account (three n's), could you sympathize and please make sure that people's funds are returned?

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intelliguy (68) · 7 years ago

Wow.

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eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago (edited)

I'll contact the owner and see what they say. I'd be interested in getting the users refunded and my rent arrears paid. FWIW, at the end of the month, my SP rental with them ends and will not be renewed.
UPDATE: I'm told that minnowpond will be making an announcement post soon. Their dev has been working to improve the stability of the service. I'm also told that they are working on refunds to users but this will take some time as they manually audit the voting logs.
I have also offered to return the last rental payment I received if it will hasten refunds to the users, but I have not yet received a response.
UPDATE: minnowpond has said they can cover the refunds. I leave my offer open.

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nomadics (63) · 7 years ago

I have post with more VIC videos, but I want to ask youabout something else. Do you lease SP? I scanned through the comments in your posts..

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eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

I'll check out the SAK post.
I used to lease SP via private arrangements but now I'm exiting that market by running out the leases I currently have. I hit some issues with some leasees and I'd rather have MinnowBooster and their #abuse reporting channels deal with that.
I do still lease via the MinnowBooster DLM; but I have a policy of no-side-arrangements. Basically, when I have spare SP, I go to the DLM and take the leases from the top of the market by APR.

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nomadics (63) · 7 years ago

MinnowBooster is too expensive for me. Thanks for the info.

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nathen007 (68) · 7 years ago (edited)

Just to emphasise one of your excellent points which so many people dont understand or believe.
Always carry a tube of superglue. Its not medical grade but in an emergency
it could seal an otherwise unsealable wound and save your life.
Thanks for a great article. What makes it great is that so many articles of this ilk are just silly lists. You give reasoning and indepth explanation.
Best wishes and i hope you never have to use it!

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6 votes

bobinson (63) · 7 years ago

superglue - thats a good suggestion. Something that can save life!

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eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

You're right about the superglue. I really thought hard before I relegated it to the car first aid kit. The reason is that the 2ml tube isn't really enough for anything that a pressure bandage can't handle and Celox (if you can afford it) deals with more types of wounds and I have other ways to bind and stabilise wounds. I would definitely be adding superglue to a group first aid kit, or to an extended kit for a longer trip where my base camp car isn't so close.

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bernardchapin (56) · 7 years ago

man that is some serious thought you put into that. I never even heard of The Personal Locator Beacon before reading this.

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2 votes

eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

PLBs apparently come from life-boats and small marine vessels that might not have long-range radios. Recently advances in miniaturisation mean they're now man-portable in a not too inconvenient package. The real pros carry the PLB on their person just in case they get separated from their kit. I opted for carrying mine like this because I'm less likely to forget it this way.

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nomadics (63) · 7 years ago (edited)

Good post, after 4 months in steemit I found post dedicated to EDC and survival ... hah :)

I am fen of victorinox and have some modded knifes.

Regards

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eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

Thanks for the link - I will check it out. I'm a big fan of Victorinox knives too. I have at least four, but I don't yet have the perfect one. As you can see, my PSK went with Victorinox because, although tiny, I know it won't let me down when I really need it.

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nomadics (63) · 7 years ago

Haha thank you. To keep yor post, my links are gone now...

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lowf1ux (47) · 7 years ago

What a sensational list of items. I do a fair buy t of hunting, and while it’s a relatively controlled environment for me, a kit like this would still be invaluable. Awesome.

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eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

I glad you found the list interesting. Though, please do adapt it for your own risks, climate, skills and activity. Happy hunting.

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aaawee (49) · 7 years ago

steady..
very complete equipment for survival.
do you often pass through survival?

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3 votes

eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

Actually, I try to see potential survival situations coming and avoid them instead. So, I can talk about several dicey situations but none of them were a survival situation - thankfully. But, you never know; a slip or a fall or getting lost and suddenly you're in a survival situation.

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mdjoni (40) · 7 years ago

I always include a Bic lighter or three in any kit. I wrap the lighter with Duck tape, maybe 6 feet, any mpore and the lighter gets too thick.

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eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

I'm with you on the duct tape! So many uses. I'll have at least 1 mini bic and a ferro rod in the PSK. That's minimum: i'll normally have a couple more lighter in my regular kit too. Duct tape makes decent tinder if shredded.

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aggroed (78) · 7 years ago

Everyone needs a good bugout bag, safety kit, and plan. Not just as a crazy prepper, but for all the weird shit life my throw at us.

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3 votes

sircork (64) · 7 years ago

Re shelter options. If you include a wad of twine, heavy nylon or hemp stuff is better than cotton that falls apart when wet, high tensile strength fishing line could serve here, you wont need stakes, you can corner tie your shelter material (poncho, tarp, trash bag, etc) to trees or even some rocks to make "stake" points. I've done it.

Tell us about the Cantonese lady, that sounds like a good story, and I have a sneaky suspicion I know where it goes, maybe?

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2 votes

biblenerd (39) · 7 years ago

Speaking of the fishing line, anyone heard of those survival bracelets made of that military grade line, which unravels a few meters? Some come with extra features like a whistle, flint lighter, mini knife etc.

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eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

The paracord bracelets are available for sale almost everywhere. It's not really enough stuff for my risks/needs. But, better than nothing provided the wearer isn't overconfident about what those kits will provide.

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2 votes

eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

You're correct. I did wonder if there was enough cord in the kit. I have the monofilament thread and can gut the type 4 paracord (275lb) if I need to. My shelter kit includes long guy lines for exactly this use. In this particular case the shelter was situated for the views and so there were no tie points around - not even clumps of grass.
The Cantonese speaking lady in Vietnam is one of those human connections you have if you travel and don't rush about. What made this one remarkable is that I had some followup five years later to see how things had gone for her.

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biblenerd (39) · 7 years ago

Paracord in the form of a survival bracelet, that's what I meant.

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sircork (64) · 7 years ago

Ah I thought it might be someone closer to you. ;) Good call on the lines...

errigankerrigan (45) · 7 years ago

I'm going to go Google the Personal Locator Beacon. I'm curious about how much it costs initially, whether or not there is ongoing fees, and generally how it works, as in, whether someone always listening for a distress signal or is it only helpful after someone is missing you.
I always enjoyed short walks in the woods, stuff almost any age and fitness level can handle. I became terribly frightened after getting lost for several hours with my sister and young daughter. I still don't understand how we managed to get lost and cannot explain it. That itself is frightening. It was a rough experience because we had no intention to "hike" and had nothing at all with us. The worst part was the fear though and that has lasted over a decade now. I've hiked with a group a few times, which is a pretty good solution for me, considering my fitness level and lack of expertise. However, the fear of going into the woods by myself, anywhere past visual contact with the road seems more like a phobia than something to truly be afraid of. This was reinforced last year when a co-worker got lost and died of exposure last year. She wasn't far from the path when she was finally found but had somehow died in some shallow water, likely in the dark after being lost just the first day.

eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

A PLB is worth it if you can afford it. AFAIK there are no ongoing fees, but your particular location might have rescue fees if you use the beacon. The beacon communicates with satellites to a global centre that then sends your details off to both the national centre where you registered the beacon and to the national centre where the beacon went off. When I registered the beacon I supplied the contact details of a few people. These are the same people I tell my plans to when I go somewhere. The signal includes your GPS coords down to a hundred metres if the GPS can get a good fix. This particular model also has a radio pinger to allow rescuers to zero in on you once they get close. That's super awesome if you go non-responsive after activating the beacon.
It is frightening being lost and much easier to do than people realise. I sorry to hear about your colleague. Exposure is a massive killer in the outdoors here too. I've been changing my outdoors clothes to wool baselayers and including some warming solutions. In this particular kit there is a tea-light candle. Light that sucker, place it in the canteen cup and then put that canteen cup between your legs and sit under the poncho. It's surprisingly warm!
My own lost story is on steemit: Lost in the dark, mistakes were made.

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errigankerrigan (45) · 7 years ago

Good read!

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eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

One more thing about beacons. Apparently there's a new kind of Beacon called a SPOT that allows you to send short text messages with a location ping. That message goes to a website and I think emailed to people you nominate. It also has a distress mode. I think you have to pay a subscription fee.
Our rescue services don't yet recommend these devices over a SPOT. Though any beacon is better than no beacon.

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errigankerrigan (45) · 7 years ago

I think the solution for me is to stick with group hikes in well marked areas. It would be unwise to rely on a beacon at this point, it would be a false sense of security and a disservice to whoever has to come rescue my dumbass, lol. It would be better for me to build skill and confidence in a safe/controlled way. I would be irresponsible to get myself into trouble on a whim to face my fear. Better to prove to myself that I'm committed by learning how not to get lost, then decide to look into beacons before testing myself. I'd feel ridiculous setting the thing off 100 yards from the road.

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eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

My approach too. I don't want to burden anybody either.

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world-travel-pro (76) · 7 years ago

Just love the way you think. Reminds me of my life in general. Since all I own can fit into one bag! lol. Actually just stated doing a series on what's in my bag and what you need to "travel pro!". I used to carry many things you have here like para cord, fire starter, tabs to make water drinkable. Still have the tylenol and bandaids. I'm certainly impressed with the tinder, magnify lens, and LED torch. You've got ALL the bases covered.

When I was mountain biking for 6 months through the andes in Ecuador then the coast. I even carried a machete and light weight hammock with mosquito net attached. Now I've gone very minimalist backpacker and carry so little I often just rely on the hotels for soap. So I don't carry much at all now.

Like you I love hiking and camping. So glad we've connected on here and have so much in common. Your support to my blog is always so appreciated. Glad to see you doing a post from time to time. keep up the great work on steemit! -Dan

eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

I relegated the specialist tinder to the car. I'm carrying duct tape, a candle, paracord, chapstick, paper around the band-aids if I need tinder.
The little LED torch lives elsewhere in my kit. I use it all the time - but it's not a survival kit item because the batteries don't last long enough.
But yeah. The more you know the less you carry. I might do an article on what I carry "survival/utility" wise when I fly places. The needs are quite different since the risks are different. And, sometimes travelling with only carry on luggage really restricts what you can carry.
Keep up the blogging!

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world-travel-pro (76) · 7 years ago

Good to hear from buddy. Totally see what you mean. Well thought out, and that's what I like most. I'm blogging away from Guayaquil Ecuador! I'll be in touch. -Dan

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evyxxx (61) · 7 years ago

Great idea...

Couple of days ago I came back home and discovered that we didn't have electricity at home as there was a storm and no way to know when the electricity will come back... As my home is fully electricity dependent I saw that I could even boil water... I have a fireplace but it is not adapted for cooking but still I found to way to prepare some tea there... That's fine... and I found that I don't have light and candles.

So I told to myself that I need to be prepared in case of electricity doesn't come back (in my case it was like for 6 hours without it... it's fine...) but for 2 or 3 days it could be less fun...

Went to buy led lights, more matches and candles and now thinking to get a generator and some gas in stock)))

Who knows when shit is gonna happen!!!

errigankerrigan (45) · 7 years ago

We went for 5 days without electricity. Thankfully, the weather after the storm was incredibly pleasant, no heat or AC needed. I do worry about losing power in very cold weather.
One item that I was happy to have was Sterno. We had a gas grill available, but the Sterno was really convenient for heating up coffee, soup, and grilled cheese sandwiches. (Sterno is
flammable hydrocarbon jelly supplied in cans for use as fuel for cooking stoves or chafing dishes.) It is available for $1 a can at the party store. Each can is good for about 2 hours. I put the can of Sterno inside a small Pyrex mixing bowl and then set my old cooling rack above the flame. This wasn't a survival item, though I suppose under different circumstances it could be, but it did make life easier for those few days.

eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

Fire gels are great. There's a great number of other flamable items you can cook with too. I once, for a challenge, made lamps of bacon grease and used that to cook bacon and eggs. The same tricks work with almost any kind of fat or oil. I'd do that in a power out situation - but if it was SHTF then I'd be saving the fats/oils to eat.
You can also cook on candles - but you either need a bunch of them to get it hot enough or you need to turbo charge the wicks (try corrugated card with the corrugations running upwards).

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evyxxx (61) · 7 years ago

Maybe this would fit in your survival kit ;)

eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

That looks like a fun piece of kit.

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biblenerd (39) · 7 years ago

I've seen that before, might be useful if you can't find anything combustible for cooking by fire, or if you don't want the attention of crooks caused by the smoke.

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yulem (48) · 7 years ago

You made one VERY important comment in your post, "Don't copy, think"!
I normally consider writings like this as downright dangerous because too few people actually THINK, they just blindly go out and buy stuff, stuff it in a kit, and believe they can survive. Survival isn't about your stuff it's about the person. If the person isn't prepared then no amount of gear will change that.
So the question is:

How do you know if your person is prepared ?

A simple test is to have a friend drop you off for a 24 hour hike from point A to Point B in terrain you've never hiked before. Take only a hunting knife and maybe something that will let you drink. When you get to point B you will know two things: 1) If your person is prepared and 2) Exactly what you'll take with you next time. Twenty-four hours shouldn’t kill you unless you really haven't thought about it. Good luck!
PS - Think of this as a thought experiment as I'm not encouraging anyone to do something; but then again if you think your a survivor then ... ;-)

eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

If the person isn't prepared then no amount of gear will change that.

Amen. Gear you don't know how to use is dead weight.
I like your test, but only for those with some basic skills and clothing suited to the environment. There's a lot of wind and rain here and temperatures, even in summer, can get into the hypothermia zone. I prefer to build up skills by trying things out in less risky situations: I didn't actually need a shelter in that storm - my clothing was sufficient for me to remain warm even though I allowed myself to become wet through (yay for merino wool). It was more of a "can you do it - what challenges will you face?".

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yulem (48) · 7 years ago

I just wanted to get the point across ;-)
Besides, here in Florida we have alligators, not weather, unless you try it during a hurricane.
Point is, following good advice will get you killed if you don't know why it's good advice.

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drwillwho (50) · 7 years ago

Excellent post with thorough and detailed discussion of all the items. I love that it's a work of art and changing based on need, and experience. Like you, I never allow myself to fall so in love with gear that I'm not open minded enough to make a change when it shows itself to be valuable. Great stuff!

eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago (edited)

I'm forming a theory that some regular change in the PSK is probably more beneficial for the mental refresher than the exact items that are carried. The brain is the best tool and all that.

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drwillwho (50) · 7 years ago

I agree wholeheartedly. The thought exercise of evaluating, rethinking, and prioritizing gear keeps the mind keen. I always teach that the most important piece of gear is the mind and the training within.

klasanaj (51) · 7 years ago

Thank you for this wonderful publication
Truly the life of the outdoors requires special equipment and equipment
The days I used to be more active in scouting.
We have a group of 5 people each taking his equipment with him to spend time in the forest
We bring with us a knife, a stick, cooking utensils.

eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

I too fondly remember my days in the Boys Brigade (similar to scouts). I'm getting back into the outdoors lately. Though, if you're going out in a group, then most of this gear can be divided amongst the group.

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diabolika (66) · 7 years ago (edited)

What a complete survival kit! I just always have a headlamp, poncho, swiss army knife, whistle, water bottle, and lighters...I learned my lesson.

eturnerx (64) · 7 years ago

That's a really solid list! No need to over complicate things! If I could only carry 6 items, it'd be those six. I do have the poncho and water bottle elsewhere in my even my lightest kit. And, you've been in more life-threatening situations than I.

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lantracy (64) · 7 years ago

I really want my kid take part in one of the survival course. I think it's neccessary

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darvancast (56) · 7 years ago

wow is a impresionant advise

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yankee-statman (61) · 7 years ago

good stuff! happy to upvote and follow...se me a Yankee-statman

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enriqueig (59) · 7 years ago

wow amazing kit

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abdulmanan (67) · 7 years ago

Thanks for your wonderful post and things you told about in this article.
All these things are necessary if you are going somewhere like climbing, hiking or some other places like these where you could found a problem in finding these things.
thanks for alerting.
I like your post.
God bless you and have a safe journey.

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mully (54) · 7 years ago

Good post

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sunnia (46) · 7 years ago

Very Nice

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el-richie (25) · 7 years ago

Your article is rich and very helpful. It really open my eyes on a lot that has to do with the content.

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taylorleigh1111 (45) · 7 years ago

Excellent information and some great tips on ideas I wouldn't have thought of. Glad I found you on here and I surely continue to follow you. Thanks for sharing!

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hope777 (63) · 7 years ago

I thoroughly enjoyed this post. Thank you for sharing this in-depth information.
I never knew this:

Super glue: I have enough repair options and there's not really enough glue to consider this a first aid item. Yes, you heard correctly: super glue was developed as a method to gluing together wounds.
For the first time it makes perfect sense why my fingers got glued together when using super-glue.

Your post about the witnesses was also very insightful and helpful.

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