Bug out bag

[technovapir]

There are a couple of sellers on ebay who sell ornate handmade flint kits, that come with their own home made char cloth. I have purchased from this guy below - a marvelous viking ship shaped flint as a gift for a viking friend... There are some others also on ebay with complete kits. Here is a link to this guys website - he takes a couple weeks to deliver because it's all hand forged, and recycled from car spring parts. I think he also forges swords.
White Hart Forge » White Hart Shop

**This thread is brilliant Mutt!! Thank you so much for all the effort you've put into this for us. It's very useful to those of us just starting out on our plans***

 

[CES]

Fantastic thread Mutt!!!

(i didn't notice the black cowboy hat on the list- did i miss it?)

 

[muttSRT]

Fantastic thread Mutt!!!

(i didn't notice the black cowboy hat on the list- did i miss it?)

It will be on my head, not in the BOB...but it was mentioned in post#6

 

[CES]

that's what i get for trying to read and post before I've had caffeine...i didn't think you could have forgotten it

 

[FreakyStylie]

OK, I am having a really hard time getting over Bear Grylls here, but I really like this set-up.



EDIT: I just want to point out though, that I wouldn't buy this. I just like the set-up and would like to find a better quality one that is similar. This particular knife has had serious fails.

 

[muttSRT]

OK, I am having a really hard time getting over Bear Grylls here, but I really like this set-up.



EDIT: I just want to point out though, that I wouldn't buy this. I just like the set-up and would like to find a better quality one that is similar. This particular knife has had serious fails.

I was checking that knife out a couple weeks ago. I really thought being a Gerber it would be decent quality, but then I did a little research. EPIC FAIL. I like all of the gear that they are trying to incorporate, but was really disappointed with the quality. I did link his fire starter tool in the fire category though.

 

[FreakyStylie]

Yeah, I like the fire starter . . . I might actually pick that one up. Right now I have a zippo-style match with a side flint and a wick on the striker that works well. I would just like to find a convenient sheath that combines multiple items like that one. If it weren't $50, I'd get it just for the sheath, and toss the knife in the drawer at home.

 

[muttSRT]

Freaky, if you're looking for a knife (I am just assuming here) and you like Gerber's, you might want to check out the Gerber LMF II ASEK. Same basic design, but built a lot better. It doesnt have the fire starter or the whistle, but as far a a good survival knife, it should do the trick. And it's only about $20 more than the Bear Grylls knife.

Gerber 1400 LMF II ASEK Coyote Brown Survival Knife G22-1400 - Fox Quality Knives

Heres one in black: http://cgi.ebay.com/GERBER-LMF-II-K...471?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588d434e57

And one in green: http://cgi.ebay.com/GERBER-MILITARY...698?pt=Collectible_Knives&hash=item43a61dffba

 

[whynotvap]

Great break down Mutt! Also, thanks for the heads up on the Gerber Freaky. I would have gone in on Gerber's reputation and been mad as hell afterward! For anyone wanting to make their own dedicated fire starter like the one technovaper linked to, the steel component is pretty simple in itself. It's one of the first things a blacksmith apprentice makes! You'll need a hot fire, appropriate size piece of iron/steel, a way to hold the metal (long nosed locking pliers WILL work), a anvil or other large flat chunk of metal to beat on, hammer to shape, and a bucket of water. Heat the metal to cherry red, pull from fire and shape into a rectangle cross section then fold the ends up into a C so you can fit your fingers inside it comfortably (3 fingers works best). Heat it back up, make sure the 'outside edge' is relatively flat and then 'skim' that edge in the bucket of water. You only want to get the very outer edge at this time. This tempers the iron/steel and makes it hard so it will react with the flint without scarring up too badly. After it's cooled back to black you can dump the whole thing in the bucket but do NOT do that if it's still red or you'll have one heck of a time tweaking it later. Pull it out and hold the 'steel' in your dominant hand and the flint/chert in the other. Bring your steel down against the flint at an angle to check for spark production. If you're not getting a good spark, you'll have to re-temper the steel again until you do.

Other natural materials you can find for tinder (depending on your geographic location) are 'cattails'. Cattails provide food, down, oil, reeds and so much more! - from ecomii blogs Multi-use and 100% renewable resource too!

 

[muttSRT]

Other natural materials you can find for tinder (depending on your geographic location) are 'cattails'. Cattails provide food, down, oil, reeds and so much more! - from ecomii blogs Multi-use and 100% renewable resource too!

Nice find on the cattails...I had no idea they were used for so much.

 

[whynotvap]

Native Americans knew/know how to survive off the land and utilize every last part of something, be it animal/vegetable/mineral! 3 sister farming, bone and sinew tools, hide clothing and shelter, they'd even use flint chips in wooden handles to maximize their use! Oh, another tip for anyone who wants to knap their own flint tools, if you heat the flint in a fire, you can get a finer edge and a stronger weapon. It's not exactly like forging steel from iron but it does strengthen the molecular structure.

Sometimes you have to look to the past to see all the knowledge that has been lost at the alter of technology!

 

[FreakyStylie]

I stopped by Bi-Mart today, but the clerk was really busy, so I'll try again tomorrow. If there is some decent weight to this knife, I might just pick it up. Amazon.com: Remington Sportsman Series F.A.S.T. Fixed Blade Knife (Advantage Max 4 Handle with Black Blade): Sports & Outdoors I was originally thinking a Buck or Ka-Bar, but If I'm going with the Kukri, I really only need a camp/utility knife, and $20 is good on the wallet.

This knife would also provide a little entertainment, as I could carve out a new handle for it if I got bored, since the handle is bolted on with a couple hex screws.

Entertainment is actually a category in my BOB. I've got two boys, 11 and 13, and a 17 year old girl. They will get bored. If they get bored, they will get noisy. Noisy will draw attention. The girl is easy . . . keep the mp3 player charged. The boys . . . they will need more physically satisfying entertainment. I bought a wire saw for them today for a couple bucks. Amazon.com: Coleman Pocket Hand Saw: Sports & Outdoors This will help keep them physically busy with minimal sound.

 

[muttSRT]

On those saws, they always show people with their fingers in the metal rings. If you are going to use them, find 2 pieces of wood and stick those thru the rings and save your fingers.

 

[muttSRT]

Thought of a couple more mics items:

zip ties
small assortments of nails
extra pair of boots tied to the sack
mosquito net for your head

 

[FreakyStylie]

I could have sworn that I saw a mention of zip ties up there. I agree though. I have them everywhere. Duct tape and zip ties belong in every corner of your life.

 

[muttSRT]

I may have mentioned the zip ties earlier, but didnt re-read what i wrote. I added them because I was cleaning out the BOB last night and came across them.

 

[technovapir]

Mutt, or anyone else...I found some of those old metal military canteens at the surplus store, as well as some of the kidney shaped mess kits - and I wondered if there is a good way to clean them so you can feel safe eating out of them. Many of the ones I found have a white residue, no rust because they're aluminum, but they look kind of dented & nasty. I like the idea of metal for water instead of plastic, and these are really sturdy, but I'm not certain I could make them "look" food safe.
Do you know if they're worth the effort ?

 

[muttSRT]

I was going to get one of the old metal GI canteens...then I found this: YouTube - what i found in my WWII canteen!

I decided, that I was going to go with one of the clear plastic ones so I could see inside it.

The mess kits should be fine though

 

[whynotvap]

Mutt, or anyone else...I found some of those old metal military canteens at the surplus store, as well as some of the kidney shaped mess kits - and I wondered if there is a good way to clean them so you can feel safe eating out of them. Many of the ones I found have a white residue, no rust because they're aluminum, but they look kind of dented & nasty. I like the idea of metal for water instead of plastic, and these are really sturdy, but I'm not certain I could make them "look" food safe.
Do you know if they're worth the effort ?

Well the white residue is more than likely water deposits BUT, just with anything you buy second hand, you should scrub with hot soap and water before use. You can pour boiling water in (with a funnel!), or boil water inside of it for that extra peace of mind as well. The biggest advantage of a metal canteen over a plastic one is the ability to boil your water to kill any bacteria. If you think there may have been some chemicals in it, fill with warm soapy water and rinse. Repeat at least 3-4 times before 'final' rinse. FWIW, to neutralize industrial chemical or acid bottles for disposal/recycling, we only had to rinse 3 times per OSHA/EPA standards.

I'd pass on anything that has visible rust inside (steel), but anything else can be scrubbed and polished with steel wool to make it look like new. As always, use your judgement. If it still looks nasty after repeated scrubbing, it probably is a lost cause. Try to find the best/cleanest examples you can to start with and you should be fine.

 

[technovapir]

That mouse thing in the can was nasty!! Thanks Mutt for a picture I won't be able to get out of my head...

Whynot, you're correct, I could probably wash & then boil water in the canteen to clean it. I wanted metal for that reason anyway - I may buy one just to try and see how it goes. Plus, I know this is probably weird, but I like the metallic taste of a metal canteen. It reminds me of hiking at Mt Rainier back in the days when you could fill your canteen from the waterfalls & rivers. Now they're all polluted.