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Best top ten Survival gear in your opinion and what you are willing to carry.

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    • jimmyjam wrote:

      anyone tried the gorilla tape?
      Significantly stronger than duct tape. Got me an extra hundred miles out my trail runners (from Sunrise AT Deli in NJ to Bear Mountain, NY). Just a few miles between Brinks Shelter and the AT Deli, but the rock tour thru the duct tape I originally tried to use. Many thanks again to the guy at the AT Deli who first gave me some, and then Coach Lou who resupplied me. :thumbup:

      Fortunately didn't rain during that time. Got my replacement shoes at Fort Montgomery and of course it poured heavily the next day. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Astro wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      anyone tried the gorilla tape?
      Significantly stronger than duct tape. Got me an extra hundred miles out my trail runners (from Sunrise AT Deli in NJ to Bear Mountain, NY). Just a few miles between Brinks Shelter and the AT Deli, but the rock tour thru the duct tape I originally tried to use. Many thanks again to the guy at the AT Deli who first gave me some, and then Coach Lou who resupplied me. :thumbup:
      ... Got my replacement shoes at Fort Montgomery ...
      Is there now some place that sells shoes in Fort Montgomery or was it a mail drop?

    • Astro wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      I've found Gorilla tape to be stronger and sticker than duct tape.
      have you tried it on your feet for hot spots?
      For hot spots I would recommend Leukotape.
      yeah that's what I use on my toes. I'm wondering how it work on heels or if it would be too sticky to pull off at the end of the day without taking skin with it.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • LIhikers wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      anyone tried the gorilla tape?
      Significantly stronger than duct tape. Got me an extra hundred miles out my trail runners (from Sunrise AT Deli in NJ to Bear Mountain, NY). Just a few miles between Brinks Shelter and the AT Deli, but the rock tour thru the duct tape I originally tried to use. Many thanks again to the guy at the AT Deli who first gave me some, and then Coach Lou who resupplied me. :thumbup: ... Got my replacement shoes at Fort Montgomery ...
      Is there now some place that sells shoes in Fort Montgomery or was it a mail drop?
      Mail drop. When I was getting into my tent at Brinks shelter I first noticed the soles were breaking apart, so I called my wife, who unfortunately said she was on the road to Indiana. The only person home was my son who didn't drive at the time. So I tried to improvise with the duct/gorilla tape. After a few days I called my son and told him he would just have to walk a couple miles (and back) to mail them to me. I sure was happy to get them. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • meat wrote:

      SandyofPA wrote:

      meat wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      below is the official swiss army knife of whiteblaze.

      but all i need is:

      a blade for cutting cheese, slicing a bagel, and opening a resuppy box.
      scissors for the few times that you'll need to cut paper, moleskin, etc.
      while there are stand alone units that are easier to use, the tweezers have always been sufficient to remove ticks, and
      since its already there and doesn't weigh much, i've actually used the toothpick a time or two. might as well keep it.


      [IMG:http://partsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Worlds_largest_Swiss_Army_knife_wenger_giant_knife.jpg]
      lower level, twelfth from the left ...circumscissors???
      Hose cutters.
      aaaaah, thanks.
      Not a cigar cutter?

    • EdDzierzak wrote:

      meat wrote:

      SandyofPA wrote:

      meat wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      below is the official swiss army knife of whiteblaze.

      but all i need is:

      a blade for cutting cheese, slicing a bagel, and opening a resuppy box.
      scissors for the few times that you'll need to cut paper, moleskin, etc.
      while there are stand alone units that are easier to use, the tweezers have always been sufficient to remove ticks, and
      since its already there and doesn't weigh much, i've actually used the toothpick a time or two. might as well keep it.


      [IMG:http://partsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Worlds_largest_Swiss_Army_knife_wenger_giant_knife.jpg]
      lower level, twelfth from the left ...circumscissors???
      Hose cutters.
      aaaaah, thanks.
      Not a cigar cutter?
      naw I see a Monica a little further down the line on that same side. ;)

    • meat wrote:

      EdDzierzak wrote:

      meat wrote:

      SandyofPA wrote:

      meat wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      below is the official swiss army knife of whiteblaze.

      but all i need is:

      a blade for cutting cheese, slicing a bagel, and opening a resuppy box.
      scissors for the few times that you'll need to cut paper, moleskin, etc.
      while there are stand alone units that are easier to use, the tweezers have always been sufficient to remove ticks, and
      since its already there and doesn't weigh much, i've actually used the toothpick a time or two. might as well keep it.


      [IMG:http://partsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Worlds_largest_Swiss_Army_knife_wenger_giant_knife.jpg]
      lower level, twelfth from the left ...circumscissors???
      Hose cutters.
      aaaaah, thanks.
      Not a cigar cutter?
      naw I see a Monica a little further down the line on that same side. ;)
      Did you mean Lorena?

    • WanderingStovie wrote:

      meat wrote:

      EdDzierzak wrote:

      meat wrote:

      SandyofPA wrote:

      meat wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      below is the official swiss army knife of whiteblaze.

      but all i need is:

      a blade for cutting cheese, slicing a bagel, and opening a resuppy box.
      scissors for the few times that you'll need to cut paper, moleskin, etc.
      while there are stand alone units that are easier to use, the tweezers have always been sufficient to remove ticks, and
      since its already there and doesn't weigh much, i've actually used the toothpick a time or two. might as well keep it.
      lower level, twelfth from the left ...circumscissors???
      Hose cutters.
      aaaaah, thanks.
      Not a cigar cutter?
      naw I see a Monica a little further down the line on that same side. ;)
      Did you mean Lorena?
      Oops Monocal.

    • VASELINE AND/OR PURELL
      Robert Chesebrough was behind the miracle cure of Vaseline, a purified byproduct of oil/kerosene production. cuts and burns heal faster when applied to the skin. Chapped lips? Vaseline with a little wax is Chapstick. Fire starter? well you already know. Take a small amount with you.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • WanderingStovie wrote:

      I prefer to let my cuts dry out, for the same reason meat is preserved by drying. Bacteria need moisture to thrive.

      But maybe I'm doing it wrong.
      The inventor had a hard time selling the product until he would deliberately cut & burn himself and apply the salve. Then pointed to the previous cuts that had healed on his arms, it appears to be the "original antibiotic"
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • Wise Old Owl wrote:

      WanderingStovie wrote:

      I prefer to let my cuts dry out, for the same reason meat is preserved by drying. Bacteria need moisture to thrive.

      But maybe I'm doing it wrong.
      The inventor had a hard time selling the product until he would deliberately cut & burn himself and apply the salve. Then pointed to the previous cuts that had healed on his arms, it appears to be the "original antibiotic"
      According to Wikipedia, there was a version with phenol, which acted as an antibiotic.

    • Out with the old and in with the new REI Wind Matches & UCO improved matches.

      For years after watching a John Wayne movie - I remember he spoke about finding a wind match in one scene out west. I found a box and its has been a small part of my kit. There are few interesting add on's in the bottle.

      Inside each bottle is a small amount of Cotton and fire starting patch (charcoal cotton) This keeps the matches from rattling. Under the Soto is the new orange ones. The red matches which are guaranteed finger burners are being tossed out. Inside each container is also a hat pin for popping blisters and a strike card. My new Soto is a refillable butane wind lighter. I prefer the lighter Coglans size holder, for weight. The UCO on the right addresses a new ability to put the Micro Bic in with the matches and keep it dry with the matches.The white clear Bic also holds a few inches of electrical tape.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • JimBlue wrote:

      added some band aids to it. The pocket juice is 4000 mah. Supposed to be good for 2 charges of my phone. I have 3 of 1200 mah. ones to. I'll have to weigh them and try them out more to see what their weight is and see how well they are at charging.

      Also have 2 waterproof match cases. And have some windproof matches. I have had the later before the match head covers most of the match stick. Hold them the wrong way in the wind and get a skin scorched spot.

      Oops. I have 3 iHome. chargers each is 2200 mah. Got by them at Big Lots last year on sale. Buy 2 get 1 free store offer. So I did. They aren't 1200s as I misremembered.
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.

    • There was some earlier posts for a "kit" for fishing. I am on the fence on the suggestions as I just built two fresh water systems that are uber light, and will be legal, based on the suggestions. I will make this a separate thread as I do like to fish, but it would not be part of my "survival" ideas. The old Idea of staying put under a canopy of woods is over. Fishing for dinner in the woods would delay your possible rescue. The most important thing to do is make yourself visible and leave a trace. Unfortunately, information in the past has not worked out for some AT through hikers in the past, in hind site everyone makes mistakes, I hope it doesn't cost you your life.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • Wise Old Owl wrote:

      VASELINE AND/OR PURELL
      Robert Chesebrough was behind the miracle cure of Vaseline, a purified byproduct of oil/kerosene production. cuts and burns heal faster when applied to the skin. Chapped lips? Vaseline with a little wax is Chapstick. Fire starter? well you already know. Take a small amount with you.
      If you want to go ultralight I found they sell very very tiny packages of Vaseline in the lip balm section. It's about the size of an acorn. It's the all purpose ointment and fire starter that I carry.

    • WanderingStovie wrote:

      Wise Old Owl wrote:

      WanderingStovie wrote:

      I prefer to let my cuts dry out, for the same reason meat is preserved by drying. Bacteria need moisture to thrive.

      But maybe I'm doing it wrong.
      The inventor had a hard time selling the product until he would deliberately cut & burn himself and apply the salve. Then pointed to the previous cuts that had healed on his arms, it appears to be the "original antibiotic"
      According to Wikipedia, there was a version with phenol, which acted as an antibiotic.
      Phenol also deadens pain (as in Chloroseptic soar throat spray). When working with phenol in the lab you have to be careful. If you spill it on you, it causes chemical burns (in its concentrated form), but you can't feel it so you don't know it until it's too late. It's not very soluble in water so you cant wash it off easily. Alcohol works well to dilute it to safe levels. Concentrated phenol can be used this way for Chemical Peels. The germ killing property was used to create a sterile environment for surgery. Imagine being a doctor working in a cloud of phenol. Eventually they figured out you just needed to keep germs out rather than continuously spray antiseptic.

    • meat wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      meat wrote:

      Cork screw for bears and wine, bears hate the sight of a cork screw.
      i think i used my cork screw a couple times on my thru and none since. there are plenty of "good enough for the woods" wine that comes with a screw top these days. at least good enough for my palate.
      yeah mostly it's a curtsey thing, kinda "is there a doctor in the house" cause when a cork needs pulling there is no substitute to the screw.
      It turns out there is a relatively easy way to remove a cork without a cork screw. This is shown with a stone wall. I've seen it done without the shoe on a tree trunk. Of course, who wants to carry around a tree.

      youtube.com/watch?v=u1wROm-OF9w

    • odd man out wrote:

      Wise Old Owl wrote:

      VASELINE AND/OR PURELL
      Robert Chesebrough was behind the miracle cure of Vaseline, a purified byproduct of oil/kerosene production. cuts and burns heal faster when applied to the skin. Chapped lips? Vaseline with a little wax is Chapstick. Fire starter? well you already know. Take a small amount with you.
      If you want to go ultralight I found they sell very very tiny packages of Vaseline in the lip balm section. It's about the size of an acorn. It's the all purpose ointment and fire starter that I carry.
      I've not much success with hand sanitizer, could be the brand I tried. As far as using Vaseline for firestarter, my thinking is if I'm in a scenario whereby a fire is quickly required, I'm using a generously V. impregnated cotton ball.

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

    • odd man out wrote:

      meat wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      meat wrote:

      Cork screw for bears and wine, bears hate the sight of a cork screw.
      i think i used my cork screw a couple times on my thru and none since. there are plenty of "good enough for the woods" wine that comes with a screw top these days. at least good enough for my palate.
      yeah mostly it's a curtsey thing, kinda "is there a doctor in the house" cause when a cork needs pulling there is no substitute to the screw.
      It turns out there is a relatively easy way to remove a cork without a cork screw. This is shown with a stone wall. I've seen it done without the shoe on a tree trunk. Of course, who wants to carry around a tree.
      youtube.com/watch?v=u1wROm-OF9w
      that's pretty slick, I'm thinking of the forces applied, can you explain?

    • Ha ha...

      It is multipurpose. I suspect it'll help with fire starting, and it has anti-bacterial properties.

      If melted, might pack a wound along with my hemostat (I need to research that), and it's edible and made with oils so could provide a little energy... grasping at straws here. :)
      Lost in the right direction.

    • meat wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      My top ten, not including shelter, bag, clothing

      Compass
      lighter
      Vaseline cotton balls
      Rope
      Absorbable hemostat
      Duct tape
      Knife
      Aspirin
      Benadryl
      Beeswax bar
      what do you recommend for the absorbable hemostat?
      I'm not sure what works best. Mine isn't available over the counter but pharmacies carry them in gauze and powder form.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • meat wrote:

      odd man out wrote:

      meat wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      meat wrote:

      Cork screw for bears and wine, bears hate the sight of a cork screw.
      i think i used my cork screw a couple times on my thru and none since. there are plenty of "good enough for the woods" wine that comes with a screw top these days. at least good enough for my palate.
      yeah mostly it's a curtsey thing, kinda "is there a doctor in the house" cause when a cork needs pulling there is no substitute to the screw.
      It turns out there is a relatively easy way to remove a cork without a cork screw. This is shown with a stone wall. I've seen it done without the shoe on a tree trunk. Of course, who wants to carry around a tree.youtube.com/watch?v=u1wROm-OF9w
      that's pretty slick, I'm thinking of the forces applied, can you explain?
      As the video illustrates, the mass of wine reacts to the wall rap by reversing towards the cork with a force equal to the sudden stop.

      Newton's third law is...for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      meat wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      My top ten, not including shelter, bag, clothing

      Compass
      lighter
      Vaseline cotton balls
      Rope
      Absorbable hemostat
      Duct tape
      Knife
      Aspirin
      Benadryl
      Beeswax bar
      what do you recommend for the absorbable hemostat?
      I'm not sure what works best. Mine isn't available over the counter but pharmacies carry them in gauze and powder form.
      Of the following products (other then the styptic powder/sticks), any recommendations?


      amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords…06&ref=pd_sl_3yfncna2w9_e

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC