We got the tools; we got the talent

You can spend thousands of dollars in acquiring hundreds of pounds of gear for every conceivable situation. Good luck carrying it all. As I’ve stated before, the trick is to make your gear as multi-functional as possible. It’s not just a hammock; it’s also a fishing net and a source for lengths of rope. It’s not just a garbage bag; it’s a tarp, ground cloth, rain slicker, wound sealer and water heater.

The way to build a good kit is to take it in stages, from bare minimum survival to all the comforts of home. You’re shooting for something in between, but closer to the “bare minimum” end of the spectrum.

The Rule of Threes
A handy rule of thumb is the rule of threes. You can survive:

· three minutes without air
· three hours (in severe weather) without shelter
· three days without water
· three weeks without food

This list should guide you in building your kit. A ballpoint pen case, for example, could serve as an emergency tracheotomy tube (you probably ought to read up on it first, though).

So, shelter, water and food. Off the top of my head, you should have, at minimum:

· a sturdy tarp and/or a few large trash bags
· a couple of those metallic “heat blankets” (not the cheap ones; they disintegrate too easily)
· 550 cord (parachute cord). Many suppliers weave them into bracelets or belts for easy carrying.
· compass
· fire-making supplies
· a Sierra cup
· whistle and unbreakable mirror (for signaling)
· fishing line and hooks
· duct tape (flatten it)
· Swiss Army knife or Leatherman tool
· small first-aid kit (including a suture kit)

All of that will fit into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Once you’ve got those, you can start adding to it as you like. I’d throw in a few carabiners, a fixed-blade knife, maps, a hand-towel, a sturdy liter-size water bottle, small-gauge wire, surgical-grade rubber tubing, a pencil, a hand-cranked LED flashlight, a small tin pot, a small wire rack, a plastic trowel, a tube tent, and a survival handbook. All of that will still fit into a daypack. Adding too much more starts trading off between creature comforts and maneuverability.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Don’t wait until the bombs drop or the plague sweeps the country before you use any of this stuff. Camp with it. Pack everything you think you might want to have along “In Case Of” and hit the trails. A couple of season’s worth of campouts, and you’ll narrow your selection down automatically. You’ll find what’s worthwhile and what’s useless extra weight. If camping isn’t feasible for you, play in your back yard. A bow drill is simple, but it still takes practice to get it to work.

Well, I can’t think of anything else at the moment, so maybe that has cleared out enough space in my head for some other topics. Hope you found it useful, or at least entertaining. Have fun building your kit.

I’ll see you in the aftermath.