We’re going to have some fun designing and building a survival kit together. Here is Part 7 in the series where each week we will vote on a new item(s) to add to the kit and see the results from the previous week.
Back when I first got involved in preparedness there were lots of discussions about “survival kits.” Nowadays, there are INCH bags, Bug Out bags, Get Home bags, and many more. I may be a bit old school but I’m going back to my roots and survival kit it is.
Here’s the bag we started with: The Paratus 3-Day Operator’s Pack. The Paratus is a popular pack and often considered the “Prepper’s Backpack” as it is high quality, rugged, extremely versatile, and budget-friendly. Cost is phenomenal at well under $100.
Here’s what we’re going to do. Every week(or so) I’ll post a category of products along with several choices to choose from. Everyone will vote on which items to put in the bag. When the voting is over I’ll buy the selected item and add it to the bag. With each new week, I’ll update what we’ve put in the bag until the kit is completed.
LAST WEEK: Last week we looked at adding a cooking method. The options were as follows:
Esbit Ultralight Portable Stove with Fuel
Camping Portable Backpacking Gas Cook Stove
The CANAWAY led the pack and has been ordered. I’m really looking forward to getting it.
THIS WEEK: We’ve got the bag, a water filter, a knife, a bit of food, some first aid supplies, a flashlight, a cookstove – – so now let’s take a look at a few misc categories of survival gear: Food Prep, Shelter, and Tools.
Vote below(links underneath the polls):
Which Food Prep item should go in the pack?
- Stanley Adventure Camp Cook Set (52%, 14 Votes)
- RedCamp 12-pc Camp Cookware (26%, 7 Votes)
- MalloMe Camp Cookware & Mess Gear Set (22%, 6 Votes)
Total Voters: 27
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Which sleep/shelter system should be added to the survival kit?
- YODO Lightweight Two Person Tent (41%, 11 Votes)
- SOL UltraLight Outdoor Survival Bivvy (26%, 7 Votes)
- Stansport 2-Person A-Frame Lightweight Tent (15%, 4 Votes)
- ENO SingleNest hammock (11%, 3 Votes)
- Wise Owl Outfitters SingeNest Hammock Set (7%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 27
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Which tool should be included in the survival kit?
- Cold Steel Trail Boss Axe (39%, 12 Votes)
- Gerber Suspension Multipliers (32%, 10 Votes)
- REXBETI 11" Folding Saw (29%, 9 Votes)
Total Voters: 31
Loading ...****NOTE: If a hammock is selected a tarp will be added later for rain protection
Here are the links if interested:
Stanley Adventure Camp Cook Set
MallowMe Camping Cookware & Mess Gear Set
Wise Owl Outfitters SingleNest Hammock
SOL UltraLight Outdoor Survival Bivvy
YODO Lightweight Two Person Tent
Stansport 2-Person A-Frame Lightweight Tent
Putting this kit together weekly(or so) like this is going to take a while. I may throw up a few different items within the same article.
Also – we may explore why a kit such as this may be needed, or come in handy at some point. Time will tell.
Take care all –
Rourke
Here’s the survival kit so far:
Mountain House Chili Mac and a pack of Emergency 3600-Calorie Ration Bars
 – Food Prep, Shelter, and Tools){kind=link}
I see many are voting for a hammock sleep system, I love hammock camping I’ve done it a lot, I’d like to share my experience here. Have you ever walked through the woods looking for a two trees that are just right to set up a hammock? Have you ever slept in a hammock? Did you know in a 100 degree weather it’s pretty comfortable sleeping in a hammock, convection is the word of the day here, for hot summer nights with plenty of RXTRA time to find the perfect spot to set up you can not beat a hammock. Many people think that the hammock is not only faster to set up but lighter to carry….. and the short answer is yes I agree, but after years of experience camping I can tell you it absolutely is NOT! Let’s start with bugs, if you live in a part of the country that doesn’t have biting insects, (other than at 4,000 ft altitude and above where there aren’t any mosquitoes then please give me your zip code because I want to retire there! 🦟 chances are better than not you will need a mosquito net to go with your hammock, here where I’m from you will want to first soak your entire hammock system in 100% before you even look out your window or you will get bit even thinking about going outside. So… now you have a hammock and a net system, your all set right??? Wrong! Your going to need a rain fly, I’m going out on a limb here but I’m pretty sure you didn’t want to sleep in a pool you wanted to go hammock camping right? Well I’m pretty sure you understand how a hammock could be confused as a rain catch system in certain conditions…. Ok so now I think we all agree that with a hammock we need a bug net, and we also need a rain fly, we won’t talk about those two 40’ straps you have to have to be certain your able to find a two tree system that will work well with your strategic defender on three sides by natural materials right, yup I bet after a long day walking carrying a pack that weighs I don’t know how much you stumbled right on the perfectly guarded camp spot that has two trees the perfect distance from each other, because time is of the essence and all, but like I said I’m not going to mention those minor challenges, because we are avid hammock campers and already know about these challenges…. So I’ll continue with our great lightweight easy to set up hammock system…. Now at the beginning of this I mentioned how wonderful hammock camping was on those super hot summer nights right? Ok well let’s consider the other side of that coin shall we???? Convection… if cold is death then convection will be what death wields to take your life from you, very quickly in my years of hammock camping I realized anything below 90 degrees was uncomfortably, in the 80’s at night I’m freezing inside a summer sleeping bag, why is that might you ask because convection… even in the sleeping bag your body compresses the insulation between you and your hammock materials and that virtual eliminates the R value of your sleeping bag, with moving air in the low 80’s with a summer lightweight bag it’s a long cold shivering sleepless night… my eagle nest eno with screen and rain fly weighs about twice of a two man lightweight tent at about six pounds and that’s without the extra weight of the cold weather sleeping bag or hammock quilt that will be required to make this system work… so let’s review, a hammock “system” is by far NOT faster to set up! A hammock system by far is NOT the lightest shelter option, oh and how fast can your grab and shoulder your riffle in that hammock???? I could go on and on and on! A hammock is a bad ideal for a bug out bag… but hey that’s just my opinion…. Maybe you know something I don’t.
I was torn between the saw and the multi-tool, but ended up voting multi-tool.
I’d want both (both pretty small and I’d stick them in my puppy’s saddlebag), but that’s not part of this project.
I voted for the Stanley cook set, as… well, I already have one. It is the ‘in style’ cook set, so I purchased one awhile back to experiment with. Plus, it is very compact.
Went with the Yodo tent because I want to say Yodo as often as possible.
Also, I have never found a way to get 3 shelties to sleep in a hammock. They claim it’s unnatural.