No collection of tools can help if you don't know how to use them! Here are some suggestions for making survival kits that might give you a fighting chance to survive during a wilderness and/or urban emergency! And here's a thought from C.S. Lewis about survival gear: "The things that make survival worth having are not to be rated below the things that enable us to survive."
Carrying enough water to prevent dehydration should be a no-brainer. But suppose you don't want the bulk and weight of extra containers? One option might be the Platypus collapsible water bottle. by Leon Pantenburg
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Many survival manuals devote space to improvising water containers. And if you haven't planned ahead, or get into an unexpected situation, that may be necessary.
This combination of water bottles works well. The rigid Nalgene in the
middle is used for drinking and the Paltypus soft bottle are used to
carry extra water. (Pantenburg photo
But one of the easiest way to carry extra water storage bottles is to get a collapsible Platypus. These range in size from a few ounces to multi-gallon sizes.
I've been carrying some variation of the Platypus bottle for several years. Here are some aspects I like about the collapsible containers: Price: A Platypus will set you back about $12 for a 1.2 liter bottle. That's cheap for a water bottle that can last years with reasonable care. Durability: I've been using a couple of Platypus bottles for several years, and they are holding up fine. In my case, a Platypus is generally carried rolled up as a backup in desert hiking. If there is a need to gather extra water, it will work well. You can break anything, of couse, but as long as you take reasonable care not to puncture it, the bottle should have an infinite lifespan.
Portability: With a collapsible, you can push the air out, and the bottle takes up only the space that the water needs. This
Add captionThe Frontier Pro water filter gravity system worked really well to
filter some strong coffee! The filter fits on the Platypus collapsible
and allows gravity water filtering. (Pantenburg photo)
means you can pack it in oddly-shaped empty places in your pack. A Platypus also has a flat bottom, so it will stand by itself. Convenience: You can carry a rolled-up Platypus in a brief case or purse, and breeze right through an airport security station. Once past the Homeland Security people, you can fill the Platypus from a water fountain and carry water with you. I can carry a couple rolled-up Platypus bottles (weight: about an ounce or so) in my daypack or briefcase and never know they're there.
A Platypus is one of those unique survival items you'll never know you needed until you get one. A Platypus is a sound investment for your urban and wilderness survival kits.
Is there a do-it-all lure for survival fishing? My money is on the plain lead head jig. Here's why. by Leon Pantenburg
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After my first week on the Mississippi River, I sent three fishing rods and a large tackle box home. After seven days of fishing and catching many walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappie and bluegills, I didn't anticipate needing anything but a medium-action, fast-tip, seven-foot spinning rod, a Mitchell 300 reel
The basis of a very effective group of survival fishing lures is the
simple, leadhead jig. From top is a quarter, eighth and sixteenth ounce
jig (Pantenburg photos)
with six-pound line and a box of spinners and leadhead jigs.
This selection served me well the rest of the way down the 2,500 miles of the river. I never went hungry because I couldn't catch a fish and my go-to lure was a 1/8-ounce jig, tipped with a three-inch yellow Mr. Twister. (To read the story, click on my end-to-end Mississippi River canoe voyage.)
When putting together a survival kit, you must to carefully weigh the value of the components. A common question is about fishing lures: Is there one lure that can catch everything?
First, though, remember that survival fishing is not sport fishing. If you must catch fish to survive, use the most effective method available, legal or not.
Hook and line sport fishing techniques may not be particularly effective in a survival situation. In fact, it may be a waste of really valuable time if you're fishing when a better choice might be to gather firewood, improve a shelter, or set up signals.
You also need to figure out the return on your calorie investment. If you must expend 300 calories to catch a fish that can only supply 100 calories, you're going to end up with an energy deficit.
So the choice of the best survival lure depends on the situation, location and water conditions. Talk to several fisherpeople and you'll probably get that many opinions. My best all-around nomination is for the leadhead jig, and here's why: Inexpensive: The jig is nothing more than a hook with a gob of lead near the eyelet. I pour my own, ranging in weight
These 1/8-ounce jig lures were improvised from available materials. The
bodies in both are composed of wool yarn. The top lure tail is a marabou
feather, and the bottom tail a pheasant feather. Both these patterns
are proven and effective.
from 1/32-ounce to 1/4-ounce, in several styles. Several years ago, the guys in the print shop at the newspaper gave me about 20 pounds of old linetype lead. My jigs cost the price of the hooks, and whatever electricity it takes to run my melting pot.
You can buy bulk leadheads at any sporting goods store, and the bodies are so inexpensive, you can stock up on different colors, styles and sizes. Versatile: I tip jigs with virtually anything, from plastic twister tail grub bodies, to hair and feathers. Since I hunt, I have a lifetime supply of deer, elk and squirrel tails, and the feathers from a variety of game birds. Depending on the species of fish and circumstances, I can make just about any type of jig necessary. Part of the fun of fishing is catching something on a homemade lure! Effectiveness: The jig is designed to mimic a minnow, or represent some other food source. Sometimes, a properly-fished jig will cause a reflexive strike for a game fish. While I have a tackle box full of various lures, I generally start out with a jig, and seldom have reason to switch. Color: Start out with a basic selection of black, white and chartreuse, and those colors will probably do the job. My favorite color on the Mississippi River was yellow. My top producer color on Oregon's John Day River is motor oil or brown. Black is always a contender. Experiment in your area, and you'll be able to dial in your color preferences.
This pocket-sized box holds all the lures I need for a day of smallmouth bass fishing on Oregon's John Day River.
Fishing technique for a jig can depend on the circumstances. The most effective method, IMHO, is to cast the lure out, and bounce it off the bottom. You will lose a lot of jigs like this, but if you aren't hitting snags or rocks, you aren't prospecting where the fish are.
Another method is a steady retrieve, with periodic twitches. A favorite panfishing method that also works well for steelhead trout is to attach a jig a few feet under a bobber or float.
Like any survival technique, the more you practice, the more effective you will be. And to be required to practice fishing...well, worse things can happen!
The best survival gear doesn't have to be expensive. But it must be reliable and able to work under extreme conditions. One of the best ferrocerium rods for firemaking is the Boy Scout Hot Spark.
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by Leon Pantenburg
I like stuff that works. Some of these items include my Cold Steel SRK survival knife, Ruger 10/22, a Swiss Army Classic keychain knife, my Gerber folding saw and a 42-ounce enamelware cup. Included in this list is a Boy Scout Hot Spark ferrocerium rod.
Because of its reliability, a Hot Spark is included in my keyring and Altoid tin survival kits. Backup ferro rods are also scattered throughout my gear. They don't weigh anything, or take up any space, and the ferro rod firemaking technique, properly done is utterly reliable. (Check out the ferro rod firemaking video!)
The Boy Scout Hot Spark on my keyring survival kit costs about three dollars at any scout store. It has a good handle and the ferro rod is very effective. Because it is easily included and convenient, it will be taken along.
Here's why I carry a ferro rod:
Extreme reliability: A ferrocerium rod, when scraped with a hardened steel striker, will produce sparks with temperatures of up to 5,500 degrees. These sparks will readily ignite many forms of tinder. (Check out the video on finding tinder under survival conditions) A ferro rod is also good for hundreds, if not thousands of fires. Matches, lighters and many other methods are finite.
Compact and easy to carry: That means you can carry several as backups.
Work under conditions that would disable other firemaking methods: This is one of the most important reasons to carry a ferro rod. Butane lighters are easily disabled by cold and moisture or a grain of sand. Matches are unreliable and degenerate over time. Every firemaking method has some disadvantage, but I believe a ferro rod has the fewest.
Your only survival tools are those you have along! Check out the Hot Spark video review!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Gear Review: The Solo Stove biomass backpacking stove
The quest for a reliable, easy-to-use backpacking stove never ends, and I have the collection to prove it! But the Solo Stove is really impressive, and worth taking a look at.
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(Disclaimer: This review is my opinion. I was not reimbursed for doing this review, nor does Solo Stove at the time of this review, advertise on SurvivalCommonSense.com or any of its affiliates.)
by Leon Pantenburg
I'm caught in the baby-boomer backpacker quandary. On one hand, I like gear that works, and proven items are hard to leave behind. But my aging, abused knees make going light mandatory. I've had to replace effective, proven gear strictly on the basis of weight.
The Solo Stove biomass backpacker
But some things you can't lighten up and one of those is stove fuel. It is heavy and if you run out in the wilderness, your stove becomes dead weight.
Here's my stove philosophy: You don't need much. Probably 90 percent of the time, all a backpacker requires is boiling water to brew tea or coffee or rehydrate food.
So the idea of a lightweight backpacking stove, with no moving parts, that burns twigs, pine cones, sticks etc is very attractive. So, I contacted Solo Stove to do a test and review.
(Click to check out my Solo Stove review and video!)
The ability to make a fire during an emergency situation can save your life. But what is the best survival firestarting method? My money is on the ferrocerium (also commonly referred to as a flint or magnesium stick) rod. Here are five reasons you need one.
Check out these custom ferro rods!
by Leon Pantenburg
Several years, the late Dr. Jim Grenfell and I set out to research the most effective practical firemaking method. After extensive research, the ferro rod, combined with cotton balls and petroleum jelly, came out the winner. (To read the rest of the story, click on the top survival firemaking methods.)
Ferro rods are easy to come by and cheap. The Boy Scout Hot Spark on my keyring survival kit costs about three dollars at any scout store. It has a good handle and the ferro rod is very effective.
Ferro rods are also available at most sporting goods stores. But I'm surprised more outdoorspeople don't include them as part of their survival gear. Here are some things to consider:
Extreme reliability: A ferrocerium rod, when scraped with a hardened steel striker, will produce sparks with temperatures of up to 5,500 degrees. These sparks will readily ignite many forms of tinder. (Check out the video on finding tinder under survival conditions) A ferro rod is also good for hundreds, if not thousands of fires. Matches, lighters and many other methods are finite.
Compact and easy to carry: I carry a tiny ferro rod in my wallet, another on my keychain, and a third in my survival gear. (Some people might say I obsess about firemaking tools, since I also carry a BIC mini lighter in my pants pocket, my jacket pocket and my pack!) If a survival tool is not compact and easy to carry, it may get left behind. Your only survival tools are those you have along!
Work under conditions that would disable other firemaking methods:This is one of the
most important reasons to carry a ferro rod. Butane lighters are easily disabled by cold and moisture or a grain of sand. Matches are unreliable and degenerate over time. Every firemaking method has some disadvantage, but I believe a ferro rod has the fewest.
Easy to learn: Every survival technique should be practiced before you rely on it. Making sparks with a ferro stick is easy, but you have to use the correct technique to get a fire started. Check out the video on starting a fire with a ferro stick.
Wide range of uses: I use my ferro rod as a survival tool, of course, but also use one to light my propane Camp Chef double burner stove, my barbeque grill, backpacking stoves and wood stoves.
