Too bulky, IMHO.

Photon is about it for a 1st line PSK, I would go to a Surefire on a 2nd line light.

TR

I couple years ago all students in our armed forces sere instructor school was asked what they was missing most during their field training(all they had was a knife). About half wanted a waterbottle and the other half wanted a container to boil in. As for me:
1. Knife, Fallkniven F1 or AI
2. Issue fire steel
3. Something to boil in
4. Nalgene Waterbottle
5. Fisching gear
6. Silva 15T Ranger Compass

Allways when i am in uniform i carry the following:
Fallkniven F1, issue firesteel, matches, Silva 15T Ranger Compass, Garmin GPS, Nalgene bottle, small survival kit, A Blow out kit and a small personal medical kit(Blister, cuts and feel happy meds), primus stove, Petzl Tactica, surfire 6V and ASP Led light, cord and spare batteries.

When i attend staff meetings and things like that i keep it in a small daypack. My daypack have a camelback Storm in it.

Found it....

Found what?

Admin stuff, I had to "tag" this thread so I could find it again.... don't make me 'splain it, again... :cool:

When I attend staff meetings I bring a pillow, or no-doze if I am expected to participate.

Roger, Team Daddy. 1, 2, 3 - 1; 1, 2, 3 - 2; 1, 2, 3... :)

I would like to add that branches, from e.g. spruce or pine trees, is good to use as padding of floor/bed. The insulation stops heat from dissipating.

To keep warmth while sleeping, it is a good idea to not have much too tight on you, as in actually wearing the coat. Instead curl up and cover yourself with as many layers as you can.

Source is FBU-Ungdom (Volunteer Leadership Education Youth, military affiliated).

Interesting...

My 11 year-old daughter just showed me a project she is working on for school: she has to live in the wilderness for one month. "List the things you would take with you and what you have to do to survive. You have a cabin with a fireplace but no electricity, no running water, but a stream is nearby."

What does she bring with her and what does she have to do to live for the month?

I am giving her a bit of time to work on this herself before I interject....

I think it will be interesting to see what she puts down before I give her some thinking tidbits....

Sire24657

I'd bring my fishing gear and a cooler full of beer. Everything else is optional.

All you really need are food, water, shelter, and fire.

The tools to provide those are up to her, if she is not permitted to bring food herself.

With what she is given, knowledge, appropriate clothing, a knife, a fire starter, and something to boil water/cook in is all she really needs to survive. Some cordage would be a nice addition, but is not absolutely necessary.

Some kids would probably require a CONEX to hold all of the junk they think they need.

TR

I agree that that is all she needs. The assignment says that she can bring whatever she wants, as long as it fits in a helicopter. I give her advice as she tells me what she thinks.

I am trying to forcefeed her that the most important things are food, shelter (which is given in the form of the cabin), water (the stream), and clothing (she brings that in).

She says she needs a pot to boil water (she learned that from me watching "Survivor), a knife (aaahh, my daughter), a gun to hunt with, she brought the fishing pole, but says she needs to find bait.... All in all a good start for her, I think.

I just need to keep her in the mindset of what she would have to do to live out there.

Do you have any recommendations on how to do that?

Out here (in Oregon) we have a civilian helicopter called the S-64 Skycrane for ariel logging and firefighting. It has a 25,000 lb rated lift capacity.

Your daughter should do just fine.

We talking a MD-500 or an MI-26 for a helicopter? :)

The most important thing she will have is good common sense, and knowledge. If I knew in advance I was entering this situation, I would study survival, field medicine, do an area study of the general location, and plan off of a map of the actual area. I would also get a medical and dental check-up, and take a double basic load of any needed meds, and multivitamins.

The helicopter weight allowance changes the equation completely. With that weight allowance, I would relook the load to multiple rucks and bags, and plan on humping them from the LZ to the cabin.

For fire, I would take several butane lighters, and some tinder. Is firewood readily available?

A compass and map is a must. Also a good watch.

For a month, you can carry enough food to survive in a very large ruck, providing she likes rice, beans, cornmeal, oatmeal, powdered milk, oil, salt, sugar, packaged meat, etc. An all game and fish diet will get pretty boring, pretty quickly, even if you are successful. I would bring a ruck and several kit bags of food and gear.

If she is set on catching food, a firearm is pretty inefficient, unless the area has a lot of large game, which equals large predators. Stick with fishing (nets and traps work well) and snaring or trapping game for food. Plenty of Cordage and wire for traps and snares. Firearm is only going to be helpful for self defense, or large game, though a good .22LR pistol is handy for running a trap line. If she is in an area with dangerous game, she needs the most powerful weapon she can use well. For game, she will need a knife that works well for skinning. Does she know how to catch and prepare game? More things to study in advance. I would also take a Leatherman tool, if at all possible, and a camp axe for wood collecting and large game prep. A stone for sharpening (and some good instruction so no injuries occur). A hacksaw blade and maybe a file.

She does not need bait if she takes lures. Sounds as if they will let her bring well over 100 lbs. of gear, so whatever fishing she knows, be it fly, pole, or net will work.

I would bring an MSR stove and fuel, a camping pot and frying pan, ZIPLOCs, aluminum foil, and a mess kit with cup. Also a water purifier and an assortment of water bladders.

A sleeping bag appropriate for the climate.

She will need a first aid kit with instructions, and a small wilderness med book.

Don't forget a small notebook and pencil.

A roll of toilet paper, a small plastic trowel (or an e-tool), toothpaste and toothbrush, and personal hygiene items could be useful, along with a small mirror.

Consider a number of light sources, from a Photon, to a head lamp, to a high intensity LED light like the Surefire, and possibly a lantern.

Maybe a multiband shortwave radio with rechargeable batteries and a solar panel. Perhaps a very small instrument, like a harmonica.

A roll of duct tape for repairs, maybe a tarp, ground cloth, or some Visqueen. I like to carry a film cannister with small nails, eye hooks, wire, tacks, screws, needles and thread, etc. I usually wrap it with fishing line or fine snare wire, covered by several feet of electrical tape.

She would need to set up a daily routine, and stick with it. Is she expecting to be rescued at some point, or is it a scheduled pick-up? If no rescue or signalling gear required, that is more space for everything else.

Most tasks would involve food gathering and prep, water gathering and processing, maintaining/improving the cabin and taking care of herself. Keeping a journal is helpful for a number of reasons.

Hope that helps.

TR