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Survival kits

Snowcat Operations

Snowcat Operations

Active member
Anyone have a small survival kit. Does not matter what the application it is kept in. Like Snowcat, aircraft, home, car, hiking, ect ect Lets see what you have and what the purpose its designed for (or situation). Like a winter vehicle survival kit wouyld have wool blankets, MREs ect ect. In case you broke down in the winter or were starnded due to a storm.
 
I keep a fanny pack with compass; small stainless steel cup; signal mirror; emergency space blanket; moleskin; large piece of aluminum foil (could cook in it if necessary); wire saw; 35mm film containers with steel wool (good for starting fires), candle, and bandaids and gauze; adhesive tape; small container of iodine (for water purification); a few feet of parachute cord and an elastic ace bandage. I carry this while hiking. I keep it in a backpack which I throw into the car whenever I head into the sticks. In the backpack are generally a .22 pistol (or something larger, depending on where I am going), a sweatshirt, snacks, poncho, and maybe a bit of nylon rope. I always have a knife and Bic lighter in my pocket and a leatherman on my belt.

I keep a first aid kit, flashlight, small shovel, tow strap, tool box, an old sleeping bag and hand ax in the car. We live in a relatively remote area and occasionally travel some primitive roads on trips to the city. I figure this stuff could be useful in case of an emergency.
 
It is easily ignited with a match or other flame, making it easy to start heavier material to burn. I wonder if it might be possible to ignite fine steel wool with a flint spark--think I will take my torch lighter and try it.

:idea: Maybe I should include a car battery in the survival kit...
 
This thread made me go look at the ranch first aid kit. It consists of a recent inexpensive pre-packaged kit alongside the specialty kit I maintained up at the mining claim where industrial injuries were possible and the nearest clinic was hours away. I also had weather stuff, compass, wire saw, ace bandage etc in that larger mining kit, but that's buried somewhere in my backpacking gear.

Here's the part I thought was important to keep at the ranch (and also take on road trips):
  • Real simple first-responder instructions - in case I am the man down and some kid has to learn first aid on the spot. (I also have a 50? page mountain-medicine book in that larger camp kit in case I need to learn how to stabilize a shoulder etc.)
  • Splinter tweezers and magnifier.
  • Imitation Leatherman and mini-leatherman. For digging fishhooks or larger impaled objects out of my camp guests.
  • Mouth to mouth breathing isolator tube. In case the man down is some stranger who looks like he might be infectious.
  • Sting-ease. We used that a lot.
  • My wife's 1950's Girl Scout first aid kit refilled with fresh tape, moleskin etc, plus bandaids.
  • Soap.
  • Rope.
  • An outer case that screams 'first aid kit'. (although it was originally a padded case for 10 or so cassette tapes.)
  • And of course a Bic mini lighter. I think this one is from my pre-1989 smoking days. I just tried it. It fired up like brand new.
 

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Great little kit!

The reason I brought this thread up is because its time to drag out all the survival kits and dust them off. I need to go through them and make mental note what is inside again and resupply anything thats getting old or can be improved. My seaon is just about here and I will be needing these to be in tip top shape. I will post pics.
 
Camp/survival gear that stays in the Subaru:
  • Whistle (.38 spl) and multi-tip screwdriver.
  • Diamaloy Handyboy. The 'crescent wrench' opens large enough for a propane tank coupling (the reason I carry it) or a Briggs spark plug. When I don't expect to need tools and I'm only going to take one - this is my choice.
 

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Fire starting stuff, water filter, parachute cord, Leatherman tool, food, compass, signal mirror and always a gun or two.
 
Was on snowwest tonight and here are some IDEAS FROM SOME SLEDDERS

Spare Socks
Spare Gloves
First Aid Kit
Shovel
Probe
Folding Saw
50' Rope
Space Blanket
Bright Orange Poncho
Two way radio
Extra Batteries
Flash light
Water Matches
Flares
Metal pan (Melting Snow)
Noodle soup packets
Hot Cocoa
Beanie
Bailing Tyine
Tampoons
Water
Lunch

I carry most of the basics that everyone else has mentioned, but I also have a couple of light sticks - the kind that you crack to light. You can use your muff pot/hotdogger as your metal container for melting snow.

In addition to my Rhino 120, which is mounted to my sled, I also carry a spare radio in my backpack....just in case
I'm all about dual use, multi purpose items. These items are in my pack:

1) Aluminum shovel (serves as a pot to melt snow, etc)
2) Probe (also serves as tent poles, splints, many many survival uses)
3) non-folding saw (more durable, same weight)
4) 10-15 foot extreme duct tape (taped around my shovel handle, prevents it from slipping out the pack, can be easly unwound off the handle for other uses)
5) flint/magnesium combo bar (start fire no matter temp)
6) butane lighter (easier than flint, won't work in extreme cold but if you wear it inside your jacket it'll warm enough to use)
7) 2 nine hour survival candles
8) flare gun with high altitude flares (weight is very little)
9) space blanket (two small foil ones, would like to upgrade to real ones)
10) hand warmers, big 18 hour ones
11) gloves in ziplock baggie w air sucked out
12) 100 feet of 550 paracord (better than regular rope for survival applications)
13) plastic survival whistle
14) gerber multi tool
15) small bottle of anti fog wrapped in shop towels (towels great for crappin in the woods, bleeding wounds etc and soft enuff to wipe goggles)
16) L.E.D headlamp with long life digitial batteries
Don't see any reason to carry a tampon, I can use other things to dip in my tank. A maxi pad would work better for first aid applications.

you could also carry cotton balls soaked in antiseptic vasoline (bag balm). Good for chapped lips, first aid, and you could pull a peice of the cotton ball out like a candle wick and light it, burns like a candle for a long time.

there is other stuff too I forget about right now, this stuff doesn't weigh much though. Small lightweight stuff that compacts and serves dual functions is key to my setup. I stay away from heavy items that serve a single function.

In my jacket I carry some power bars, butane lighter, extra batteries.

On my person I carry beacon.

In my seat I carry a nice tow strap that BRP put out, says XP all over it but it looks like a nice one. Also carry tools, lunch, non essential gear that isn't important should it become lost
http://www.m4040.com/Survival/Survival.htm


http://www.m4040.com/Survival/Survival Kit.htm


Two large nitrogen activated red balloons, T-handle, and a Shovel!!
I have......
extra gloves
extra googles
flint/matches
space blanket
couple zip-locks
garbage bag
first aid kit
granola bars, nutri-grain bars, etc...
flashlight/headlamp
tools in sled
leatherman
2 knives
and of course, trusty old Para-ordinance P16 40 S&W with 2 clips, heavy, but worth it!
I don't believe anyone mentioned a TARP.

AB_Summit spent the night out on the side of a steep slope with a broken leg. He said that if he didn't have his small tarp to protect himself from the elements, he would have been a goner.

I got mine from a camping store, it is the size of a magazine folded up. it has eylets, and foil on one side, red on the other. 5' x 7'
in The Pack

2 Liters Water
3 Road Flares
Shovel
Probe
Food For The Day Plus A Few Extra Energy Bars For ER.
Hand Warmers
Beinie
Socks
Space Blanket
Head Lamp
Small First Aid Kit

in/on The Sled

2 Road Flares
Dry Gloves
Extra Googles
Wire
Rope
Chute Chord
Sno Bungee
Plugs
Tools
sled jack "got jack?"

in My Coat/under My Coat
Gps Rino/530
Beacon
Xd 40sw, much louder Than A Stinking Whistle, And Can Be Used To Fend Off Wildlife And Is Just A Bit More Effective Than tossing Your Brain Bucket @ Them
Insur Card
Sled Registration
Ccw Permit
Light weight, but thorough, right?

exactly what you carry, plus:
Whistle
signal mirror
spare goggles

Most importantly:
beacon
Garmin Rino 530 (gps/radio)
i carry a few road flares along with the other stuff listed. they make starting a fire easy, and can be used as s distress signal in low visibility conditions.
One addition to your pack should be a tampon.. now hear me out.. they are great for dipping into the gastank and starting a fire with... also a great gag to hand to a buddy that is whining about stupid chit..
in addition to a majority of these items, i bring:

purel: keeps hands clean, and starts fire easily
small torch: you can start just about anything with purel and a torch..


oh tampons as well
 
VERY COOL! I will post in detail everything I have. I just added some stuff and threw away some old stuff. I also just picked up a set of MSR Snow shoes! VERY NICE!!!!!!! I got the MSR Snow Shoes, extensions (I,m a little portly these days) MSR carry bag and Black Diamond Trecking Poles. Just in case I ever ride with Bob in his Kristi. You just know its gonna break down.:rolleyes: :rolf2:
 
If you do ever get a ride in my Kristi, it'll be because you begged and pleaded as your sat phone batteries slowly dwindled while you were huddled next to you broke-down scrap-metal Snow Disaster. And when I do finally agree to come get you, that won't be the warmth of human kindness you feel...it'll be your bladder finally giving way.

SnoOps--> :bitterCol :pee_smilie:

In the 'Report Your Snow Depth' thread I mentioned snowshoeing in to a site earlier this week. It was with a pair of MSR Denalis w/o extensions. Pretty good float on fresh powder and I was carrying 50lb bags of sand and 100AH batteries (80lb I think). Say, how much do you weigh that you need extensions? :yum:
 
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239.4 lbs. Not sure if I needed them but figured what the hell. Better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them! I will be going for a hike today to test them out. I will let you know.
 
bobpierce said:
If you do ever get a ride in my Kristi, it'll be because you begged and pleaded as your sat phone batteries slowly dwindled while you were huddled next to you broke-down scrap-metal Snow Disaster. And when I do finally agree to come get you, that won't be the warmth of human kindness you feel...it'll be your bladder finally giving way.
Click to expand...






SUCH hostillity Bob! Begged and pleaded? tisk tisk tisk. IF I ever ride in your stuckcat it will be out of the kindness of my heart. Who else but your best bud would accompany you on a life and death mission to look after you? :moon:
 
My younger brother, who was scoutmaster of the year a few years back, used steel wool and a 9 volt battery to start fires! Of course, being a scoutmaster, he knows a lot of survival tricks.
 
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