Survival Gear and Information

By: N.K. Lewis
Date Posted: Thursday, 19 March 2005

1. Think about starting from nothing, and adding things, rather than starting from modern life and removing things. The Tom Brown books are very good: he shows how, with a set of clothes and a knife, you can enter the woods and live indefinitely. So, start with a knife--something a little burly, like the "air force survival knives" that can be had for about $20. I have a Ka-Bar "utility" knife plus a survival machete, just the thing for hacking branches. Plus, some good clothes. I would concentrate on a good set of raingear. A PVC vinyl set, of the sort made by Helly Hansen, would probably do the trick (about $40). Or, a military poncho (about $20). Polypropylene long underwear is great, and I'm a big fan of synthetic hiking socks (thor-lo brand for example). Good shoes are a must. Just think, if you had to spend a week in the cold rain, what would you need to wear? No cotton!
   
2. from there, add cordage, firestarters, etc.
   
3. As for water distillation, I found a stainless steel distiller coil on the net for about $40. Combine this with a 5-gallon pot and some hardware and hose from Home Depot, and you have a nice distiller.
   
4. For food, the suggestion of indoor hydroponic gardening just seemed too complex. Looking into survival literature, I ended up at Buckshot's Camp (internet) and got a bunch of traps, snares, gill nets etc. Plus PLENTY of hooks and fishing line. Look into means of fishing/trapping that are often illegal (snares or gillnets), as these are often quite productive! This stuff is pretty cheap.
   
5. Nothing beats a good backpack.
   
6. For shelter, I have a selection of backpacker tents, but I was looking for something a bit bigger and burlier, which could be used with a wood stove. Cabela's had a good 10'x14' outfitter tent, with a portable cylinder woodstove. Both of them together weigh about 100 lbs, so they could be carried by a small group. Tom Brown also has methods to build a variety of wilderness shelters out of saplings and forest debris. The important thing here seems to be cordage, and lots of it, so stock up on military 550 cord or similar.
   
7. I eventually concluded that there was no real need for electricity. I have some small LED headlamps and a shortwave radio, all running from AA batteries. Lithium batteries last for twenty years, so I got a bunch, plus some rechargeables and a recharger, plus a 12VDC-120VAC inverter. Remaining electrical supplies will likely be 12VDC, as every automobile has a nice big battery and a generator (alternator).
   
8. For first aid etc., I concluded that most first-aid kits consisted mostly of bandages, which are just sterile cloth. If you have some cloth, you can boil it and you have a bandage. Cleanliness would be big, so I have large bottles of hydrogen peroxide, iodine solution, etc. I wish I had some prescription antibiotics.
   
9. I have a small selection of tools, including a full-size axe, hatchet, bow saw and shovel. A hacksaw may be very nice, since it can cut all sorts of stuff like copper pipe, PVC pipe, steel cable, chain-link fencing etc.
   
10. Alumized "space blankets" can be handy for all kinds of stuff, as a blanket or heat reflector for a fire, or crude raingear. There is also 1/4" alumized foam insulation, which is a rather amazing new construction material. It has the insulation of six inches of fiberglass, plus reflects radiant heat.
11. "Good shoes" are anything you'd be comfortable wearing day in and day out in the woods. Running shoes are good, but not too durable. A pair of light hiking boots or work boots are good. Heavy full-leather hiking boots are overkill for most situations, and not too pleasant when wet, but they last a long time. I also have a pair of Sorel "pac boots" and snowshoes for winter. For one pair of do-it-all footwear, military boots are good. Can you imagine the amount of effort that has been put into those to make them durable and good for walking?
    
12. "A good pack" is anything of volume of at least sixty liters, designed for backpacking. Lowe Alpine makes a good, inexpensive line. See campmor.com for example.
    
13. This rig is designed to fit in the car. (I am among those living near the coast who had decided not to move yet.) You might fill the backpack with must-have essentials like raingear and polyester fleece/long underwear, a small tent or tarp, a sleeping bag or, at minimum, space blanket, foam sleeping pad, some snares, nets, fishing gear and other food gathering stuff, a good pot, cordage, firestarters, and a week or so's worth of food. Then, if for some reason you need to move and the car won't get you there, you can walk. It is not hard at all to walk 20 miles a day on the road, even for out-of-shape people, which would get you 120 miles in six days. I also have a small entrenching tool (mini folding shovel) with which to dig a survival trench.
    
14. Don't forget a selection of books. I have the Tom Brown guides, double-packed in ziploc bags, plus guides on edible plants, edible mushrooms, log cabin building, cooking with insects, bowhunting, canning and preserving, tanning buckskins, root cellaring, trapping, fishing, and DeLorme guides to the surrounding area.
    
15. Add-ons include basic woodworking tools, like a drawknife (good for debarking), chisels and hand drill, crescent and socket wrenches, screwdriver and hammer, plenty of duct tape and plastic sheeting, 5-gallon plastic buckets (food grade), some folding camp furniture, heirloom seeds packed with silica gel, good cookware including pots, pans, cooking knives and cutting board, more hunting/fishing stuff including two rod/reel sets, hunting bow and a dozen extra arrows, some camo wear, basic electrical material like a roll of solder and wire nuts, wire stripper and cutters, etc. etc.