Survival Kits - Everything You Need to Know

!±8± Survival Kits - Everything You Need to Know

A survival kit or bug out bag is arguably the most important piece of your emergency preparation. If an emergency or disaster strikes, you may be forced to stop and leave your present location at a moments notice. With that in mind, I recommend that you keep a survival kit in your vehicle so you will be prepared in the event that you need to "bug out" in a hurry.

Here's a breakdown of what I keep in my survival kit or bug out bag. This bag is kept in my car and will help sustain me for more than 72 hours if need be. Certain items are more important that others, and I've tried to point out the items that are essential and those that are beneficial to have but not as necessary.

The Pack

The first step is to pick out your main pack. It's important to have a durable backpack to fit all your gear and supplies in. I suggest (and personally use) a backpack known as the MOLLE Assault Pack by made by Specialty Defense Systems or SDS for short. The quality of this pack is incredible. It is super durable and also somewhat waterproof. This is the same equipment that is provided to the soldiers presently serving in the United States military. So I say, if it's good enough for combat, it's good enough for me.

You can get this backpack on ebay (they run between an d depending on whether the pack is new or used). If you go with this pack, you won't be disappointed

A nice aspect of this pack is that it is part of the larger MOLLE system which means that there are a number of different packs, pouches and other items that coordinate with this pack. In addition to the asault pack that is shown in the picture, I also have the larger main pack which I use to pack extra clothes and footwear.

Knives and Sharpeners

It is important to have a quality knife or two in your survival kit. I recommend that you have at least one fixed blade knife as well as a folding knife. There is an incredible amount of information on the internet about knives. I could not possible tell you what the best knife is since that answer depends on several factors, such as local environment, budget, etc. What I can tell you is what characteristics should be found in a quality knife.

First off, you want a knife that is made with quality construction. If we're talking a fixed blade knife, you want a knife that has a full tang. You also want a knife that has a sharp edge, and can keep that edge. This is important because the longer the knife can hold that sharp edge, the less frequently you need to sharpen the knife.

In my opinion, some quality brand name knife manufacturers are: Ka-Bar, S.O.G. Benchmade and Spyderco. Regardless of the knifes you keep in your pack, you should also keep at least one or two mechanisms to sharpen the blades. There are a number of alternatives for sharpening your blades.

Navigation

Make sure you have a few maps packed into your pack. I recommend packing maps of the local area, the
state, as well as the region (New England, Mid-Atlantic, etc.). In the event you need to get far away, these maps will become extremely valuable, especially if time is of the essence.

Having a compass and a back up is essential.

GPS units are nice and handy, in fact they're great for finding that alternative route out of dodge when the highways are a parking lot of panicked drivers. Howver, I personally prefer to use GPS units solely in my car when I know I've got a constant power source. I'd hate to be off in the woods relying on a GPS unit to find my way to safety and have the unit fail because the batteries died.

Signaling and Communication

A StarFlash signal mirror will attract attention to your spot. They're rather cheap and that makes it a nice addition to your pack.

A whistle is an essential item. Your voice will give out from yelling long before you can stop blowing on a whistle. Plus a quality whistle will be extremely loud and can be heard a great distance away. Essential if you're trying to get rescued in a secluded area.

I keep some high visibility surveyors ribbon wrapped around a bit of yardstick. This surveyor's "tape" is great for tracking your steps in the wilderness or leaving a trail for rescuers. It is very lightweight and can be indispensible if you need to leave a trail.

Light Sources

A flashlight is an essential item in any survival kit. Currently I have two flashlights: I carry a Surefire 6P LED light that is probably one of the most durable flashlights available. It provides a super bright 80 lumens and will run for 11 hours on one set of batteries. As a back up, I also have a Duracell crank led flashlight with radio. because it's a crank flashlight, I never have to worry about batteries going dead. Plus, the Duracell light also can charge my cellphone. I also keep a few glow sticks and a colapsible candle in its holder in my pack as well.

First Aid Kit

You can buy a commercial first aid kit to keep in your pack, but I'd suggest that you either make your own or supplement you kit to include some additional items. Regardless, you should keep the following items in your first aid kit: lip balm, hydrogen peroxide, benadryl, pain/fever relievers, hand sanitizer, afterbite, tweezers, band-aids, gauze pads, medical tape, antiseptic wipes, triple antibiotic wipes, burn jel, scissors and eye wash.

I also keep some additional items in my pack that you wouldn't ordinarily find in a commercial first aid kit. The additional items I include are: bug spray, sun tan lotion, any personal medications you may need, etc.

It would also be a good idea to keep a surgical and suture kit in your pack as well.

Fire Starting

Fire starting is an essential skill in any emergency situation. Simply carrying some matches won't cut it. I recommend having gear to provide for at least three ways to start a fire. My favorites items are the Blastmatch firestarter, Light My Fire Swedish Firesteel firestarter, and a magnesium and flint bar. All three of these methods will produce a shower of sparks hot enough to ignite your tinder and get a fire going. The first two items will work under any kind of weather conditions, even extreme wind.

In addition to generating a spark, you need tinder to get a fire going. The cheapest and most readily available tinder are items like dryer lint, and Vasaline coated cotton balls. I simply keep the dryer lint in a ziplock baggie and the cotton balls in a waterproof canister. There are commercial tinder products such as TinderQuick tabs, esbit fuel tablets, fire paste, etc that can also assist in starting a fire. I also keep a Bic ligther around as well. Regardless of what options you chose, you should make sure you have at lease two or three types of ignition as well as two or three types of tinder.

Shelter and Warmth

While your vehicle can act as your main mode of shelter, I suggest keeping at least a large tarp and two wool blankets in your vehicle.

Food and Sustanance

It's important to keep some sources of food in your vehicle. Of course, you need to be aware of shelf life issues, especially if its during the hotter months. I recommend some of the emergency food ration bars or MRE's. Dehydrated foods or jerky is also a great option. I also keep a couple of military issue mess kits with utensils and a small cutting board in my pack.

Water Purification

Access to water is essential to life. While a person can go for several days without food, a person cannot go for any extended period without water. It is important to have some water stored in your vehicle for this purpose. However, it is also important to have some options should you need to purify water from a suspect source. The best option is to keep some purification tablets in your kit. They are small and lightweight. In addition to purification tablets, I also have two Frontier emergency drinking straws in my kit. These straws allow you to place the filter end into water source and drink directly from source. I also keep a colapsible nalgene bottle in my pack. this is great to use as a purifying container. You can continue to drink from your main water bottle while this is purifying additional water. Plus it folds up when not in use.

Miscellaneous Items

Here are a few items that don't really fit into any other of the above categories. These items are not necessarily as important as those listed above, and some are just more for comfort than necessarily survival. In any event, if you've got the space in your pack, these items will make your life easier in the event of an emergency.

A small fishing kit can be handy if you're on your own for an extended period of time. Not only can it provide a means of catching fish from a water source, but it can help you make snare traps, etc. The contents of a fishing kit have many uses besides just fishing.

A small notepad and writing instrument. They do make notepads that can be used in inclement weather.

I've found a great product called Hand-E towels. These little tablets take up practically no space and are extremely light. They expand into a decent sized hand towel when placed in water.

A small roll of duct tape and a tube of super glue. Great for fixing things in more ways than you know.

A deck of waterproof playing cards to pass the time, entertain yourself or kids.

I have a U-Digg It folding shovel in my pack. I also have a larger folding snow shovel in my car during the winter months.

A pair of work gloves

Small roll of toilet paper. Again in an emergency situation you could go without it, but if you have it you'll be a little less miserable.

I recommend that you carry 50ft of 550 paracord rope in your pack. Don't skimp - get the real 550 cord. It makes all the difference in the world. This stuff has thousands of uses.

A wire hand saw is great for trimming down small branches to use for firewood.

I also carry a product called Knot-A-Bag. This is a continuous roll of plastic bag. It is housed in a plastic container and you can make any size bag that you need by simply pulling it out and knotting it.

I suggest you carry some additional reusable camp towels or other towels. If you need to do any work on your car you'll be happy to have these around afterwards.

A pair of binoculars.

I've also got a Bible in my pack to help keep the faith and hope.

Finally, it is important to remember that a well stocked survival kit can be virtually useless if you don't have the knowledge or skills to use the items packed in side. Be sure to become familiar with the tools and make sure you've got a good grasp on how to use them. Being well prepared can bring you a sense of calmness in an emergency.

Survival Kits - Everything You Need to Know

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Knife Sharpening Experts - Sharpening Stones

!±8± Knife Sharpening Experts - Sharpening Stones

There are so many kinds of knife sharpeners out there. It could be exciting just to select one. You could use an electric grinder but that's pretty major. Only professional sharpeners should go there. Maybe you'd like an electric sharpener, the ones where all you've got to do is just swipe the blade through. Perhaps you'd like a sharpening guide system where you've got a sharpening stone and an angle guide combined. Ever thought of a sharpener on a key chain? Imagine that.

Most sharpeners are designed with speed and ease in mind. Most things are. A basic sharpening stone is not. Using a sharpening stone isn't fast. But it isn't very slow, either. Would you believe that it could be the fastest, the cheapest and the most dependable way to sharpen a knife's edge?

So what are the "many" advantages of using sharpening stones over everything else? Let us count the ways:

* It could be the fastest way to sharpen because you'll do it right there where you are. You needn't go anywhere or wait to have it done for you.

* It could be the cheapest because you won't have to pay for services rendered. No gas money spent dropping it off or picking it up.

* They're more reliable than electric sharpeners. You can take them practically anywhere and not be dependent on electric outlets. You needn't worry about weakening your edges by accidentally overheating them. Best of all, you needn't depend upon a machine to do it for you because you'll be able to do it yourself.

Special note: There are high priced electric knife sharpeners out there that claim "never" to detemper you knife edges. I can't speak on the reliability of such claims. Just be very cautious if you decide to use one.

* Sharpening stones are more dependable than automatic sharpeners. You'll be one skilled individual if you're able to maintain the same sharpening angle for both sides of the edge each time you swipe the knife. Maintaining the right position from tip to heel isn't so easy. If you haven't mastered it, the edge may seem sharp initially, but you'll need to swipe it again before you know it.

* Many sharpening stones come in compact sizes. They could fit right in your hand. An axe stone, for example, looks like a really fat cookie. A very safe cookie. Some rectangular stones are like a little thin bar of chocolate that comes in a box (anybody hungry?). And most of us have seen tiny sharpening stones in a special pocket on a knife belt holster. Don't forget the ones on a key chain. Talk about handy. Sure isn't so easy with most other types of knife sharpeners.

* And best of all, you can take sharpening stones practically anywhere you need to go, except maybe underwater or flying through the air. Really almost anywhere. (Outer space isn't recommended.)

If you do decide to pick up a sharpening stone, you'll have some choices. There are water stones, oil stones and diamond stones (don't get any ideas). Each kind having its own varieties available and each with its own set of advantages. Whichever type you choose, sharpening stones usually come in two halves. One half has a coarse grade that'll get your blade's edge good and sharp. The other half has a much finer grade for refining that edge to razor-sharpness. This is real good for kitchen knives. Just one stone can easily take care of many, if not most, of your every day sharpening needs.

The most recent addition to sharpening stones is the ceramic sharpening stone. Many people aren't even aware that they're out there. They are only meant to sharpen steel knives. They are not meant to sharpen ceramic knives. Because they are much harder than steel, be sure to sharpen your steel knives carefully. Metal comes off the edge much faster than all other sharpening stones and so sharpening happens much faster.

Using a sharpening stone to sharpen a knife is still the most dependable and reliable way to sharpen your blade edge. It's very simple. Very effective. It could be the fastest, the most inexpensive way to sharpen knives. When you know what you're doing, you'll save your knives, too. Be very careful.

Knife Sharpening Experts - Sharpening Stones

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Spyderco Sage Folding Knife Review

!±8± Spyderco Sage Folding Knife Review

Spyderco is well known for making knives that combine great looks and superb ergonomics at a reasonable price. Their Sage folding knife designed is no exception. I recently got a good deal on the Sage and here are my honest opinions:

What I like about the knife:

1. Your fingers are protected against lock failure thanks to the super-tough liner lock. My knife has no movement when in the locked position, either side to side or up and down. Opening and closing the knife is very smooth and one handed opening is no problem.

2. The 3 inch drop point blade is crafted from high quality S30V stainless steel. Your knife will be comfortable enough and legal to carry with you almost anywhere, but large enough to perform most utility tasks easily.

3. Spyderco uses an impressive handle that features deeply checkered carbon fiber. The handle not only looks nice, but feels very comfortable in your hand. Perfect for an everyday work knife.

4. Jimping or thumb grooves on the back of the blade allows you to apply direct pressure when making precise cuts or when you need to rip through something in a hurry.

5. Instead of using a thumb stud, Spyderco decided to use a thumb hole. This feature not only allows for easy one handed opening, but you won't need to worry about getting replacement thumb studs.

6. Ambidextrous pocket clip makes right or left handed carry a breeze.

What I didn't like:

I wish that the same design was offered with half or full serrations. This knife is only available with a plain edge at the moment.

Overall:

Spyderco's Sage folding knife continues their tradition of high quality cutting tools at a reasonable price. I highly recommend the Sage as either an everyday utility knife or tactical knife for military, police or emergency personnel.

Spyderco Sage Folding Knife Review

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Spyderco Dragonfly, VG10 Plain Blade, Foliage Green G10 Handle Desktop Review

!±8± Spyderco Dragonfly, VG10 Plain Blade, Foliage Green G10 Handle Desktop Review

Spyderco Dragonfly, VG10 Plain Blade, Foliage Green G10 Handle Desktop Review www.bladeops.com

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Spyderco Bill Moran Drop Point Black Blade Knife

!±8± Spyderco Bill Moran Drop Point Black Blade Knife

Rate : | Price : $77.29 | Post Date : Nov 17, 2011 17:15:09
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The FB02 Bill Moran features a black-coated, drop-point shape flat-ground VG-10 blade, tapered from the handle to the tip. The FRN handle three-dimensionally fills out the palm and is inlayed with a panel of non-sliding Kraton. Perfect for hunting and camping. Includes a molded Boltaron sheath with multi-position G-Clip.

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!±8± Spyderco Delica 4 Lightweight Blade Combination Edge Knife, Black

Brand : Spyderco | Rate : | Price : $63.34
Post Date : Nov 15, 2011 08:42:12 | Usually ships in 24 hours

Spyderco Delica 4 Lightweight Blade Combination Edge Knife, Black

• Black, titanium carbonitride-coated blade for low profile and extreme corrosion resistance
• Flat-ground VG-10 high-carbon stainless steel blade with a partially serrated
• Mid-positioned back lock with David Boye Dent locks blade securely open and prevents accidental closure
• Skeletonized stainless steel liners support injection-molded fiberglass-reinforced nylon handle scales
• Four-position pocket clip supports tip-up/tip-down, left or right-side carry

More Specification..!!

Spyderco Delica 4 Lightweight Blade Combination Edge Knife, Black

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Spyderco Bill Moran Drop Point Plain Edge Knife, Black

!±8±Spyderco Bill Moran Drop Point Plain Edge Knife, Black

Brand : Spyderco
Rate :
Price : $63.18
Post Date : Nov 13, 2011 01:45:23
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Bill Moran was the grandfather of American custom knifemaking and the founding father of the American Bladesmith Society. Spyderco is privileged to offer a production fixed-blade knife patterned on one of Bill Moran's ageless designs. The Moran FB02 features an drop-point blade flat ground from VG-10 stainless steel and proudly bearing Bill's laser-engraved signature. The blade tapers in thickness toward the point, giving it exceptional balance and enhanced edge geometry. Its hand-filling handle is injection molded fiberglass-reinforced nylon and features a Kraton rubber inlay for a positive grip in even the most demanding circumstances. An ideal choice for hunting, camping and survival use, it comes complete with a molded Boltaron (Kydex) sheath and multi-position G-Clip fastening system.

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