A SURVIVAL KIT YOU CAN LIVE WITH: THE EXPERTS' CHOICES
(Page 3 of 5)
July/August 1985
By the Mother Earth News editors
1 copy of Emergency Survival: How to Handle Emergencies That Can Threaten Your Life, by Charles A. Lehman (Technical Book Co., 2056 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025)—for information to help a person make sensible decisions in a survival situation
1 large, black-plastic garbage bag (in addition to the one the kit is wrapped in)—for shelter from wind and rain
2 boxes of wind- and waterproof matches
1 flexible steel (wire) pocket saw—for cutting firewood and con structing shelter
1 large candle
1 folding knife
1 Silva compass (with instructions for use)
1 metal whistle
3 small, red aerial signal flares (with launchers)
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"The trouble with survival kits," cautions Tom Brown Jr. (The Tracker, P.O. Box 173, Asbury, NJ 08802), "is that people too often rely on them to replace essential survival skills, rather than merely to augment them. Before carrying my-or any-survival kit into the woods, first be sure you know how to use the items it contains."
The Tracker's low-priced ($10) kit is stored in a waterproof 4" X 5" X 6" belt bag, teases the scales at a mere 1 pound 2 ounces, and includes
1 large plastic garbage bag—for rain protection and to serve as a ground cloth. Tom says that while a Space Blanket would do both jobs better, the plastic bag is sufficient if the survivor knows how to build a debris hut. (For information on debris huts and other survival essentials, see "At Home in the Wilderness" in MOTHER N0. 93.)
1 solar still (consisting of 6 feet of plastic tubing, a 3' X 3' sheet of heavy plastic, and a metal cup for collecting the condensed water)
1 Bic disposable lighter
1 small candle
1 50-foot length of nylon cord—for making a bow-drill firestarting apparatus, attaching spearheads to saplings, and repairing equipment
1 multibladed folding knife
1 60-foot length of 80-pound-test nylon fishing line—for fishing
and for making snares
12 fishhooks in assorted sizes
1 compass
1 plastic whistle
1 bottle of chlorine water-purification tablets
Web Webster, of the National Outdoor Leadership School (P.O. Box AA, Lander, WY 82520), says of his entry, "My intent was to build a kit using, as much as possible, common items that can be found around the house." Consequently, he was able to assemble his kit for only $24. Web believes in the usefulness of the items in his package, but cautions that "remaining calm and rational are the main ingredients for staying alive and healthy in a wilderness survival situation."
The National Outdoor Leadership School kit is housed in a threepound coffee can (total weight, including the can, is 3 pounds 11 ounces) and contains (in order of importance as ranked by Webster)
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