It's not what's in your kit that counts

It's not what's in your kit that counts, it's what's in your head.
Knowledge weighs nothing and takes up no room in your kit.
Knowledge without practcle application is useless.
If you go thru the trouble to research a topic, one would presume you have a given mindset which should/could translate into application, but have you taken the research as an academic excersize and forgotten the field tests ?
I would maintain there is a vast difference between an Interest in survival, and the gut churning need to survive.
Every persons needs and abilities are different.
While these threads have valuable information and insights ,they are a collection of pieces and parts. What you construct from them is up to you.
For my part, I recommend " improvisation" as the most valuable skill.
Practice a mindset of looking at what you already have at hand and what you can improvise from it.
As 1 example :
Panty hose
Can be used to collect and store fruits and roots as well as greens.
Great as an improvised fishing kreel
Good for straining large particulants from a water source
Good for improvised emergency fan belt
Good for tourniquets and other bandaging applications
Good for cordage to construct shelter or travois or raft
Good as another close to the skin thermal barrier
Good to use inside of socks when hiking to help prevent chafing
Good as an inporvised net for fishing in shallow water both as a dip net and a staked net.
There is more, but I think thats enough to convey my example.
What I try to teach is how to consider your situation, inventory your resources, and how best to use those resources to achieve the goals one has need of.
Any others with suggestions for improvisation of everyday items, I would welcome your thoughts.
For those who are attempting to put together a kit on a budget, this could be a great resource to get you to re thinking what you need, what you have, and what you can do with what you already have.

Though I don't have anything to add myself, I am interested to see what information can be offered here. I have been surprised on many occasions on the implementation of some items in a survival kit, I hope that can be true once again.

S & F.

Knowledge without practcle application is useless.

All knowledge has practical application. It informs your opinions, and at times can change pre-existing opinions and assumptions... or create new opinions which open up new ways of looking at the world. Small seemingly useless data points and nuggets of information lay the research foundation for tomorrows technology. It also allows you to better identify when someone is lying or misleading you.

Your helping to build the very essence of who you are, who you will be.

Don't seek knowledge for the sake of application. Seek knowledge for the sake of being knowledgeable. Tis better to light a candle, than to curse the dark.


But this isn't really what your post is about. Yours is about experience vs. second hand knowledge. It's best summarized by Mike Tyson when he said; "Everybodys got a plan, until they get hit". Practical first hand experience in simulation or drills or adopted as hobby is valuable. However, the actual event or purpose one's been preparing for often varies significantly from what was practiced for. You have to stay adaptive to the situation, and learn to improvise with the situation. Even practical application of knowledge and experience is no guarantee against failure.

Tampons.
-Used to treat bullet/stab wounds in Iraq.

I myself have saved the life of a fellow soldier using one of these.
The blood soaks in, swelling the tampon, and sealing the entry/exit wounds.

Burlap sacks *anyone who lives on/around a farm will have EASY access to these. Or if you purchase potatoes in anything other than plastic bags.*

Cut them open and lay them flat, then paint them dayglo orange on one side, and black/green/brown on the other side. Use the dayglo colored side for signaling from distances, and use the other side for shelter... the darker colors will absorb sunlight better and if you have multiple you can string them together to make a sealed shelter to help block wind/sun but retain heat in colder environments.


I'll try and remember to post more as I think of them.

Great uses for pantyhose - I hadn't thought about that in my bob, thats for sure! lol.

Not sure I understand your question though I agree with your statement wholeheartedly.

Improvisation is key to survival but I would argue there is an even more fundamental skill that is overlooked ; Awareness. Without it you wont last very long. Even shorter than you might last due to a lack of improvisational skills, depending on conditions.

Per the panythose, in a similar vein, I have found some great ways to use those emergency space blankets, those aluminized ones that cost 3 - 4 $

Keep you warm in an emerency
Keep you dry
Reflect heat and light from campfires.
use as windbreaks
Dry fruit and meat with solar energy
Can be used for concealment from IR detection
use as dew and rainwarer collectors

There's probably manymore uses than that.

While what you are saying is somewhat true, you also need to consider that such commonplace items as pantyhose might not be available. Certainly your survival might depend on your ability to improvise, but you'll need to work with material that is available where you are. Pantyhose may be found in a city or suburb, but are unlikely to be found farther away, for example.

My best guess about what would be useful would be your basic set of tools to make things. A large, solid knife for cutting, along with a whetstone. A hammer, saw, pliers, etc., for forming metal into various useful shapes. Shovel, crowbar, hatchet or axe, for building shelters, cutting wood for either a shelter or fire, or for breaking up items for their parts. Rope, wire, canvas (e.g. a tarpaulin), all probably helpful. A fire steel for starting fires. Wind-up flashlight, wind-up radio (you activate them by turning a crank, which generates the electricity you need to run the devices). Stored food and water, in a place you can defend from others.

A piece of shiny metal or a mirror, for signaling for help. Some old tire, cut into small pieces, to make a smoky signal fire. Needles and thread, fishhooks and line. Plastic sheeting for a moisture barrier if you're sleeping on the ground.

You're right. There's not a whole lot you need in life, but clean air (unless you live in the city), clean water. (F!@# flouride) and space to live without going ape #.

Super glue for wounds that require stitches.
Duct tape for everything you can think of and saran wrap can be used for lots of things such as over a wound bound with duct tape to stop the bleeding.

Cheap and easy is the way to go.

A hand drill and a few bits would be useful, as well as a few fasteners . I was aslo thinking that I spend alot of time on the road 100-150 miles from home I think keeping my gas tank full would be an excellent idea during the power failure in the east 6 years ago, just as I finished filling up the grid went down can't count on being that lucky again.

You can have a semi load of gear and an armory full of weapons, but if you do not know how to adapt, improvise and overcome your done once your supplies run out or get taken away from you by a angry mob.
You need to practice your skills to ensure that you can do almost anything with next to nothing. Read some books on the early trappers in america and a good trapper was able to live off the land with very few items in his lauder.

reply to post by Gebraheel


Some of them make decent deluxe-size sandbags, too.

Originally posted by Gebraheel
Tampons.
-Used to treat bullet/stab wounds in Iraq.

I myself have saved the life of a fellow soldier using one of these.
The blood soaks in, swelling the tampon, and sealing the entry/exit wounds.

Burlap sacks *anyone who lives on/around a farm will have EASY access to these. Or if you purchase potatoes in anything other than plastic bags.*

Cut them open and lay them flat, then paint them dayglo orange on one side, and black/green/brown on the other side. Use the dayglo colored side for signaling from distances, and use the other side for shelter... the darker colors will absorb sunlight better and if you have multiple you can string them together to make a sealed shelter to help block wind/sun but retain heat in colder environments.


I'll try and remember to post more as I think of them.

Tampons are also good as fire starters. Becaue they are wrapped in plastic they will keep dry(er) and can be pulled apart for the cotton wadding.