Plastic Bags: And Other Oddities

After a couple weeks of trekking through Pennsylvania woods I remembered something I had experienced when I was in New Zealand a few months earlier ; not having my "go bag".... sucked. I had decided against dragging it all the way back home but I realized quickly that I had made a mistake. 

Without that carefully planned assortment of gear I wasn't getting very far.  Here are a few odds and ends that have really helped me out through my treks. If your considering spending some time in the forest and your a survival enthusiast this is the blog for you.

The Basics

These are the basics because wherever you are in the world, from arid desert to Amazon rainforest you will depend on these items for survival. Sure, we've all seen Bear Grills, or Survivor Man, where they make fire out of sticks and create a knife by edging a stone, however the bottom line is- the average person does not have the survival skill necessary to do these things. Even with the ability, it is still dangerous since you are expending precious energy and becoming dehydrated in the process. These are suggestions of what the average person with moderate woodland skill should have.

They are in no specific order, a fire mechanism, knife, poncho, and bungie chords. These are the tools to provide someone with the foundations of survival which are water, food,  and shelter. 

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Fire Mechanism

Title

Personally, I believe the best source of fire production you can have with you when going into the woods is a flint. Lighters only last so long and matches can be easily weathered and damaged. Furthermore matches and lighters are a bit smaller and lighter, which means they can fall out of your pack without noticing. Once you have a fire mechanism you can work on making some char cloth (pictured left).

My preferred choice

Char cloth can be created with anything that is relatively thin and 100% plant fabric. Char cloth (also called charpaper) is a swatch of fabric made from vegetable fiber (such as linen, cotton or jute) that has been converted via pyrolysis into a slow-burning fuel of very low ignition temperature. Using a small tin container you can ignite small patches of fabric and smother them before complete ignition. This will leave the fabric extremely dry and blackened. When ignited, this cloth will smolder for a period of time. Mixed with tinder (thin twigs/ branches) and provided oxygen from someone blowing on it

The Importance of a Good Knife...

I cannot emphasize or enumerate all of its vital uses, but having a sturdy reliable fix blade will take you very far. From a building tool, to a makeshift hatchet, to a defensive weapon and food gathering, the knife is the building block of survival. Pictured right is my setup. Normally I'm not a big fan of Gerber products however the LMF ASEC Knife is one of the most indestructible items I've ever purchased. As you can see I've put some wear on it but its purely aesthetic.

There are 3 versions of this knife (Infantry/ Survival/ and ASEC) In reality, its all the same knife. The description boasts the ability to shatter a inch or more of high strength plexiglass in a cock pit, allowing the pilot to escape. Even more ridiculous was the claim it could saw through metal. Well, long story short; I got caught up in an old train yard recently. It easily shattered thick glass as well as gnawed through a bit of sheet metal. A bit of sharpening afterwards and it was good as new.

With the weight of this knife 11.7 ounces, its base will do serious damage to nearly anything it comes into contact with.

My personal favorite- the Gerber LMF ASEC Pilot Survival Knife

The weight is skillfully distributed throughout the knife and the blade is anything but frail sporting a 3/16 inch width. The point carries an edge and yet remains highly rugged.

Furthermore, the Gerber LMF has an industrial grade rubber grip that is firm even under wet and freezing conditions. It also features para cord size holes to be used to latch onto a branch as a spear; though I have not tested that myself. Regardless, the more versatility, the better. The sheath has a built in sharpener for edging in the field when you need it most. I couldn't have asked for any more from this product and its given me 5yrs of performance with no signs of letting up. Remember, if you have one knife in the woods you need something, sturdy, multifunctional, and heavy (so it can be used as a hatchet when needed. As far as I'm concerned, there is no better fixed blade out there for $65.00.

Last but not Least,

one will get nowhere without a shelter. If your lucky you can find shelter in the wild, such as a small cavern or a very large overturned tree. Of course you can make shelter out of branches and brush relatively easily, (given a temperate environment).

However, for the incredible versatility and ease I strongly recommend at a minimum (1 poncho and 5 good bungie cords). The most immediate key to survival is regulating body temperature. Having a quick and easy makeshift shelter will

#1. keep you out of the elements and     #2. takes minimal physical effort,

This prevents excessive sweating and dehydration.

Ensure your bungies are decent quality. It will make a big difference after they've been sitting in the elements for a while.

A

A good poncho with strong seals can both repel or retain water as needed. Bungies allow for your shelter to be quickly emplaced and also do well in harsh wind conditions. It does take a bit of skill to properly direct any possible drain off but it is much easier than assembling a shelter from scratch.

She's standing up....................... jk. Look at all the room in there though! It's like a mobile home.

When worst comes to worst you can just throw the whole thing over you, which is why their so darn useful in the first place. I caught my wife in a good mood and convinced her this was a good idea, lol.

and just for kicks    : )

Here are some additional "fun" items. I have way too many crazy things but I won't list all of them. It would take forever so here are a few of my favorites. Next to my particulate (gas) mask, this is probably one of the most useless items I own, NVGs (generation 1). The great thing about them is you can see perfectly clear in near pitch black conditions. The bad news is that if you move around with them everything will get blurry. They can only be focused to one range at a time. Nevertheless these are perfect for observing your surroundings at night. If you ever wondered what that sound was you can sit there and see exactly whats moving around without it knowing you are watching. These are old, and price for around $200.

As you can see, these have been in the field quite a bit. They aren't waterproof but I've had mine in some pretty rough conditions and its still going strong 8yrs later.

This next item is basic but exponentially more useful, the HUMVEE flashlight. Its a self powered flashlight, strobe, and electronics charger. Its the same as the normal wind up flashlights you see at Wal-Mart except with a few perks. The first one is that its composed of high strength plastics and metal. I've backed over the thing with my car and it works like it never happened. It also featured 3 light functions (high beam)(LED)(and Strobe). If that wasn't enough it has a small adapter on the side to attach nearly any electronic device (cell phone) and charge it by winding the handle. Admittedly this will take a ton of energy in order to charge even the smallest phone but its your best option when your deep in the woods and need help with a dying cell.

Finally we have the very effective Colorado series Garmin handheld GPS device. Nowadays everyone can simply use their I-Phone for navigation however your I-Phone won't withstand the elements like this device. It can be submerged (8ft) underwater for up to 30min without being compromised. It has an excellent display with full color topographic maps. It can focus from within a few feet to over 5,000 miles with a turn of the dial. I must say that this model is old (2008) but it gets the job done. Beware your battery life with the back light on however.

The Word

If you don't recognize this movie I'm disappointed in you, and Chris Farley was probably dead before you knew who he was. A damn shame, anyway with some good knowledge and a few of the basic items, you stand a good chance of surviving in nearly all conditions. Just remember don't try and steal falcon eggs.

Almost Heros (1998) a classic comedy...