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Diablo Blanco · 07-05-2008, 02:06

Great thing about this thread is learning from others something we might not know and are better off because of.

What I like about Bear Grylls and Survivor Man is playing survival critic while watching the show. However if you do watch you are bound to learn something now and then (1 out of 3 shows) that you could use.

For example, before Bear Grylls you would easily find me in the woods hacking wildly at a branch with my knife. I had never thought to use a rock to beat the back of the knife through the wood instead of hacking at it. Great time/strength saver.

From Survivor Man I learned how to make a needle and thread for many uses from an Agave plant which someday might come in handy as I live in the same area.

mugwump - I've had that pocket chainsaw for years now and agree, it is the best. I tried other smaller ones a long time ago and broke them with in 2 minutes. Anyone looking to add to their kit or BOB should add one of those. Great investment overall.

TR originally asked what we would bring and what our priorities are. I'm going on the assumption that I KNOW no one is coming for me for 2 months so certain other requirements fall away.

If I could only carry my items in my pockets/belt this is what I would carry:

Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pack (AKA Doug Ritter's PSP)

Space Bag

Pocket Chainsaw

Bic lighter

Leatherman Ukiah

canteen with cup and tabs

petzl e+LITE (thing is small!)

AMK Pocket Medic Kit with additional betadine

Sponge sheet

Maxpedition RollyPoly (if you don't have one and want to know how big they can get, you can stuff a poncho liner into it completely or 7 M16 mags)

If I could take a small assault pack and be SUPER comfortable (Wants):

6qt MSR Dromedary bladder

Woobie

Complete IMPS net w/ 2 D-rings

100ft 550 cord

Poncho

1 container Emergency Survival Food Tabs

Morton's Salt

Large can of baked beans

Aquapak http://www.solarsolutions.info/aquapak/aquapak.html

Cold Steel Kukri

Bottle of soap

medium sized sheet of aluminum

If I could bring a firearm I would bring a .22 survival rifle with a box or two of rounds

My Priorities on the first day are (and since this IS A NON HOSTILE situation):
Shelter, Water then fire

Long Term Priorites are:
Sustainable water supply
Sustainable food sources
Comfortable shelter with a view

Tasks are:
Shelter Area selection
Food Prep area selection
Hygiene and Waste area selection

Sire24657 asked what 2 books we would bring if we could:

*Army Survival Guide - (newest edition available)
*Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival

Now to explain some of my extra items so I can hear about potential replacements and downsides as well as add to the discussion.

Space bag - besides obvious uses (sleeping, signaling...) it can also be used to collect water or when it finally falls to shreds can be used to increase the insulation on the shelter. Can also be used to wrap food with for storage.
Leatherman Ukiah - great game knife, has all the tools you need to deal with processing game.
petzl e+lite - I've had one of these for a while. While it isn't a combat tough light it still fits the bill for when you need light at night. It also runs for quite a long time without a battery change.
Sponge Sheet - can be used for many purposes. tear it in half and use one half for filtering, water collection, bathing and the other half (when damp) for TP
Maxpedition RollyPoly - drop pouch basically, plug the drain hole on the bottom and you have a small water blivet for moving water (obviously it'll leak out over time) You can also use to hold captured game, fish, foraged foods or gear when moving.
6qt Bladder - has two parts, the bladder and the cap. Much less items to fail you than a standard camelback. Holds a ton of water
IMPS net w/ D-rings - hammock, fish net, hold your shelter together, fold in half and stuff it for a mattress, use it to help gather wood, leaves, etc.
550 cord - mostly for snares, traps and shelter lashing. It has a million uses
Morton's Salt - TR goes on about salt so much I have finally given in and added more salt to my what-if-lists. for salting meats for storage and daily intake
Large can of baked beans - food for the first and second day, after that the can will be turned into a wood gasification stove so I can conserve my wood fuel sources and cook more efficiently.
Food tabs - to make the first week a bit more comfortable, doesn't have to be in there if it would violate the terms of the 2 month vacation package.
Aquapak -boiling water uses fuel, fuel you have to find daily. This will allow me to spend less time boiling/filtering water and more time on bringing home the bacon.
Bottle of soap - Dr Bronner's to be exact, it's good for everything literally.
Kukri - machete, axe, weapon. Cold Steel makes one that is styled a bit more like a machete for all the machete enthusiasts.

Two Months is a lot of time, and a lot of time to craft additional need/want items. TR mentioned this scenario is a forest. So I'm running with that.Besides obvious need to do tasks here are some extras for consideration. With all the time on our hands we might as well do some large scale crafting.

A site next to the river is not a good idea, however within 200 - 300 meters is. Reason being, your natural waste area needs to be a good distance from the water source down stream from your living area. Your food prep area should be between you and the water source and more than 100 m from either. Just a rule of thumb. Your food prep area/kitchen is going to attract wild life of all kinds as does the water source. Use this to an advantage and set an extra amount of snares and traps inbetween. Additionally you don't want these critters stumbling into your shelter, the extra distances between help eliminate a lot of problems. With your waste area aways off (latrine trench dug of course)

Medium sized project. Using the pocket saw I would fell some decent sized trees with a base trunk size of 1.5 to 2 ft in diameter. I could cut it in 2 ft lengths and using hot rocks from a fire, burn down the center to make them into large buckets for storing water. This is one way woodland Indians would make canoes. It keeps it in one piece and hardens the inside. Of course the water would taste like the tree. This can be scaled down to make bowls, etc.

Large project: Again using the pocket saw, one could cut a 2 ft diameter tree down and cut the trunk into 4 inch lengths that are large discs. Wrap the perimeter of these discs with tightly wound 550 cord. Punch out the center rings and drive two of these onto the ends of a 3-4 ft straight sturdy pole from a sapling and you have 2 wheels and an axle. Keep building up from there and you have a cart. Realistically, with other tasks in mind, the wheels and axle shouldn't take more than 2 days to complete.

Why would you need a cart? To be more comfortable and efficient. You could move large game with it, firewood, rocks and stones. A word of note: This cart will break down from time to time. A wheel might break, the axle, or some other piece. Be sure to save the large tree trunk for the wheels to make replacements.

For my Shelter
I would start the first night with a lean-to. The next day I would begin making a bow structure (dome). I would use saplings/branches implanted a foot or more into the ground at about 12 ft apart in a circle, bow them over and tie them together in the middle. The walls would be interwoven like a mat with smaller branches for the basic structure and build up the outer walls with a mix of river clay/mud and straw/grass/pine needles. I suppose I could make sun baked bricks out of this mix as well to fashion an inside stove/oven. As time permitted I would dig the floor out to make more standing room in the middle along with 'shelves' and an elevated sleeping platform along the walls. Ideally it would be big enough to have a fire inside. So the roof would need a vent that could be covered during inclimate weather. Drainage might be an issue as would a dirty floor. Floor and bedding mats could be made with thin branches, reeds, plants from near the water...

Food
Fish traps and net would be a great provider. Pine needle tea (yes I've had it). Wait by the water at dawn/dusk with the .22 and bag some game. Set snares and traps along the animal paths. Find some abundant edible plants to compliment my meals and I might actually come back from this trip healthier than when I left!

Water
Purification...you either get it right or you don't.

This is a very alternative method, not the most efficient, if you have other ways use them. You can boil water in a hollowed out tree stump using hot rocks from a fire. Get a good hot fire going and put some rocks in the middle. Try not to use porous rocks. When the rocks start getting hot or glowing carefully place them into the hollowed out tree stump. Wait a minute for the thermodynamics to do its work then get them out and replace them with more hot rocks. If you do it right you can boil water this way. You could even make a stew...mmm rabbits...

Build a filter, mint leaves on rocks, on smaller rocks, on large grain sand, on smaller grain sand, on activated charcoal, on cloth. You don't need mint, that's only a forest mojito.

Ceramic filter from river clay. You will need to force the water through it. This is a bit advanced though and depends on too many details for this post.

Or dig a well...no not a deep one! about 4 - 5 feet from a water source, keep it covered. Rotate weekly

Fire away!

07-05-2008, 02:06	#190
Diablo Blanco Asset Join Date: May 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 44	Great thing about this thread is learning from others something we might not know and are better off because of. What I like about Bear Grylls and Survivor Man is playing survival critic while watching the show. However if you do watch you are bound to learn something now and then (1 out of 3 shows) that you could use. For example, before Bear Grylls you would easily find me in the woods hacking wildly at a branch with my knife. I had never thought to use a rock to beat the back of the knife through the wood instead of hacking at it. Great time/strength saver. From Survivor Man I learned how to make a needle and thread for many uses from an Agave plant which someday might come in handy as I live in the same area. mugwump - I've had that pocket chainsaw for years now and agree, it is the best. I tried other smaller ones a long time ago and broke them with in 2 minutes. Anyone looking to add to their kit or BOB should add one of those. Great investment overall. TR originally asked what we would bring and what our priorities are. I'm going on the assumption that I KNOW no one is coming for me for 2 months so certain other requirements fall away. If I could only carry my items in my pockets/belt this is what I would carry: Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pack (AKA Doug Ritter's PSP) Space Bag Pocket Chainsaw Bic lighter Leatherman Ukiah canteen with cup and tabs petzl e+LITE (thing is small!) AMK Pocket Medic Kit with additional betadine Sponge sheet Maxpedition RollyPoly (if you don't have one and want to know how big they can get, you can stuff a poncho liner into it completely or 7 M16 mags) If I could take a small assault pack and be SUPER comfortable (Wants): 6qt MSR Dromedary bladder Woobie Complete IMPS net w/ 2 D-rings 100ft 550 cord Poncho 1 container Emergency Survival Food Tabs Morton's Salt Large can of baked beans Aquapak http://www.solarsolutions.info/aquapak/aquapak.html Cold Steel Kukri Bottle of soap medium sized sheet of aluminum If I could bring a firearm I would bring a .22 survival rifle with a box or two of rounds My Priorities on the first day are (and since this IS A NON HOSTILE situation): Shelter, Water then fire Long Term Priorites are: Sustainable water supply Sustainable food sources Comfortable shelter with a view Tasks are: Shelter Area selection Food Prep area selection Hygiene and Waste area selection Sire24657 asked what 2 books we would bring if we could: Army Survival Guide - (newest edition available) Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival Now to explain some of my extra items so I can hear about potential replacements and downsides as well as add to the discussion. Space bag - besides obvious uses (sleeping, signaling...) it can also be used to collect water or when it finally falls to shreds can be used to increase the insulation on the shelter. Can also be used to wrap food with for storage. Leatherman Ukiah - great game knife, has all the tools you need to deal with processing game. petzl e+lite - I've had one of these for a while. While it isn't a combat tough light it still fits the bill for when you need light at night. It also runs for quite a long time without a battery change. Sponge Sheet - can be used for many purposes. tear it in half and use one half for filtering, water collection, bathing and the other half (when damp) for TP Maxpedition RollyPoly - drop pouch basically, plug the drain hole on the bottom and you have a small water blivet for moving water (obviously it'll leak out over time) You can also use to hold captured game, fish, foraged foods or gear when moving. 6qt Bladder - has two parts, the bladder and the cap. Much less items to fail you than a standard camelback. Holds a ton of water IMPS net w/ D-rings - hammock, fish net, hold your shelter together, fold in half and stuff it for a mattress, use it to help gather wood, leaves, etc. 550 cord - mostly for snares, traps and shelter lashing. It has a million uses Morton's Salt - TR goes on about salt so much I have finally given in and added more salt to my what-if-lists. for salting meats for storage and daily intake Large can of baked beans - food for the first and second day, after that the can will be turned into a wood gasification stove so I can conserve my wood fuel sources and cook more efficiently. Food tabs - to make the first week a bit more comfortable, doesn't have to be in there if it would violate the terms of the 2 month vacation package. Aquapak -boiling water uses fuel, fuel you have to find daily. This will allow me to spend less time boiling/filtering water and more time on bringing home the bacon. Bottle of soap - Dr Bronner's to be exact, it's good for everything literally. Kukri - machete, axe, weapon. Cold Steel makes one that is styled a bit more like a machete for all the machete enthusiasts. Two Months is a lot of time, and a lot of time to craft additional need/want items. TR mentioned this scenario is a forest. So I'm running with that.Besides obvious need to do tasks here are some extras for consideration. With all the time on our hands we might as well do some large scale crafting. A site next to the river is not a good idea, however within 200 - 300 meters is. Reason being, your natural waste area needs to be a good distance from the water source down stream from your living area. Your food prep area should be between you and the water source and more than 100 m from either. Just a rule of thumb. Your food prep area/kitchen is going to attract wild life of all kinds as does the water source. Use this to an advantage and set an extra amount of snares and traps inbetween. Additionally you don't want these critters stumbling into your shelter, the extra distances between help eliminate a lot of problems. With your waste area aways off (latrine trench dug of course) Medium sized project. Using the pocket saw I would fell some decent sized trees with a base trunk size of 1.5 to 2 ft in diameter. I could cut it in 2 ft lengths and using hot rocks from a fire, burn down the center to make them into large buckets for storing water. This is one way woodland Indians would make canoes. It keeps it in one piece and hardens the inside. Of course the water would taste like the tree. This can be scaled down to make bowls, etc. Large project: Again using the pocket saw, one could cut a 2 ft diameter tree down and cut the trunk into 4 inch lengths that are large discs. Wrap the perimeter of these discs with tightly wound 550 cord. Punch out the center rings and drive two of these onto the ends of a 3-4 ft straight sturdy pole from a sapling and you have 2 wheels and an axle. Keep building up from there and you have a cart. Realistically, with other tasks in mind, the wheels and axle shouldn't take more than 2 days to complete. Why would you need a cart? To be more comfortable and efficient. You could move large game with it, firewood, rocks and stones. A word of note: This cart will break down from time to time. A wheel might break, the axle, or some other piece. Be sure to save the large tree trunk for the wheels to make replacements. For my Shelter I would start the first night with a lean-to. The next day I would begin making a bow structure (dome). I would use saplings/branches implanted a foot or more into the ground at about 12 ft apart in a circle, bow them over and tie them together in the middle. The walls would be interwoven like a mat with smaller branches for the basic structure and build up the outer walls with a mix of river clay/mud and straw/grass/pine needles. I suppose I could make sun baked bricks out of this mix as well to fashion an inside stove/oven. As time permitted I would dig the floor out to make more standing room in the middle along with 'shelves' and an elevated sleeping platform along the walls. Ideally it would be big enough to have a fire inside. So the roof would need a vent that could be covered during inclimate weather. Drainage might be an issue as would a dirty floor. Floor and bedding mats could be made with thin branches, reeds, plants from near the water... Food Fish traps and net would be a great provider. Pine needle tea (yes I've had it). Wait by the water at dawn/dusk with the .22 and bag some game. Set snares and traps along the animal paths. Find some abundant edible plants to compliment my meals and I might actually come back from this trip healthier than when I left! Water Purification...you either get it right or you don't. This is a very alternative method, not the most efficient, if you have other ways use them. You can boil water in a hollowed out tree stump using hot rocks from a fire. Get a good hot fire going and put some rocks in the middle. Try not to use porous rocks. When the rocks start getting hot or glowing carefully place them into the hollowed out tree stump. Wait a minute for the thermodynamics to do its work then get them out and replace them with more hot rocks. If you do it right you can boil water this way. You could even make a stew...mmm rabbits... Build a filter, mint leaves on rocks, on smaller rocks, on large grain sand, on smaller grain sand, on activated charcoal, on cloth. You don't need mint, that's only a forest mojito. Ceramic filter from river clay. You will need to force the water through it. This is a bit advanced though and depends on too many details for this post. Or dig a well...no not a deep one! about 4 - 5 feet from a water source, keep it covered. Rotate weekly Fire away!
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