[Daveinthebush]

Sunday morning, full cup of coffee, rain on the tin roof, classical music on the speakers, might as well start a new topic.

Many of us up here carry a survival kit not only while hunting but boating and even in our vehicles. For hunting I carry the following:

1. Metal container, 2" x 4" x 6" with a rubber seal around the top.
2. Inside the lid I have scribed the emergency signals for aircraft.
3. About 50' of fishline with 2-3 small lures.
4. A stick of bug dope.
5. Bandaides & asprin.
6. Flagging tape.
7. Permanent marker.
8. A large sheet of tin foil folded up.
9. Two large plastic heavy duty trash bags.
10. An old Scout Masters pocket knife.
11. A candle.
12. Two fire starters. (newspaper wrapped up, tied w/string and dipped in wax).
13. A lighter and waterproof matches.
14. As much old 80 lb. fishing line that I can fit.
15. Small penlight flashlight.
16. Two packages of instant soup.

16. Contents wary with the seasons. I remove the bug dope in the winter and replace it with a spark plug gap tool, heat packs, ect.

Hope this helps. This is the small kit!

 

[savageT]

Daveinthebush,
That's a great idea! Can you expand a bit more on the firestarter? How do you make them...in more detail.

I am looking for a good list of items to carry in my "Possibles" shoulderbag that I carry w/me when hunting during early muzzle loader season and also rifle/shotgun season here in NY. Every year I seem to need a few more items and I think someone elses opinion would be appreciated. THANKS
savageT

 

[Daveinthebush]

Fire starters or my life depends on them!

First off savaget I am origanally from Jamesville, lived in Seneca Knolls, Syracuse, and taught in Watertown for nine years. Good to hear from someone back in the stomping grounds.

There is nothing dry to start a fire with in Prince Willaim Sound. We had 15+ inches of rain in Oct. alone!

I have used:

Newspapers cut into strips, rolled and tired together with string. Then dipped into hot wax until it is good and soaked.

Cardboard strips dipped into hot wax until it is good and soaked.

Table saw, sawdust,mixed in wax and formed in tinfoil packages.

On the boat I carry a quart of #2 fuel oil.

Duct tape works even if wet.

Fire starter paste.

If you carry a shotgun: Use an old shell casing and fill that with either the cardboard strips or paper strips and then pour hot way into them and seal. Film containers work also, you can leave a wick.

I am sure that there are more.

Warning: Do not carry fireproof matches made by Coleman or Coghlans. I had them on a recent trip out on the Sound and both of the products failed. Strike-any-where matches dipped in wax or nail polish are more reliable. When it is raining down ( up and sideways) and you are up all night bringing the boat back on anchor, the wind is holling and you need to light a fire it had better start.

 

[savageT]

Damn! Small World ain't it? I come from Fairmount, next to the old Split-Rock Quarry, not very far down the Seneca Turnpike from Jamesville (they just had a bad accident in their quarry with explosives going off in a drilled hole. The victim is alive but...)

I appreciate the hints on firestarters. I'll try out your recipies and recommendations. Gracious! Keep in touch.
savageT/JimT

 

[dand]

survival kit

Looks good Dave. A lot of those butane pocket lighters don't work when wet or when real cold. I like to carry as many Power Bars as possible. Also a space blanket and small blue tarp, plenty of nylon cord. Seems like the few times I thought I'd be stranded, wild food was mighty sparse. I see some folks spend a lot of time and space on carrying a gun. In most cases I think the weight and space would be better used with food and water purification supplies. The one time I was seriously stranded the only things on the island were shrews and magpies. Was glad the boat was full of food and hadn't been damaged.

 

[Daveinthebush]

SavageT

You mean the old quarry at the intersection near the cider mill where the police used to have a shooting range back in there?

Been there, two uncles in Camillus.

 

[savageT]

Dave,
That's the one...the cider mill's gone and so is the shootin' range.
savageT/JimT

 

[Daveinthebush]

Answeres

Sparking fire starters - I have never used any except a sparkplug and a rag soaked in gas if that counts.

I don't distill sea water, I always carry 5 gallons in the sound. There is no lack of water here. I drove 350 miles today to refresh my memory on what the sun looks like! It was raining so hard this morning when I left that some of the rain drops got confused on the proper direction to fall so they went up and tried again!

I only carry gas lighters as a backup, in a dry survival kit. So I can't tell you which is best. It is just a option that I carry but seldon have ever had to rely on.

Sorry for no brilliant ideas here, as my hero says: No brag, just fact. :grin:

 

[savageT]

Hey Dave,

How long you been.......... "North to Alaska"? Were you part of the Great Pipeline Construction? Or did the Yukon call your name? I've got a young friend who left Solvay to attend college at the U of Fairbanks for a couple years....Loved it!
savageT

 

[Daveinthebush]

The calling!

When in high school I hated reading what the English teacher wanted me to read. So finally in frustration she let me read anything! So I learned English reading about Fred Bear, Jack, and the other great hunters of the time. When under the care of Uncle Sam, he flew me over AK six times back and forth to south east Asia. I went back to college at 38, graduated, sold everything hoping to move then. My son whom I was raising, with the truck full, said; "Dad I don't want to go. I will miss mom and gram." So I stayed and taught in Watertown nine years. He went to college and moved on. I walked into school one day and resigned. They asked if I had another job and I said no, I am going to AK to teach. Flew up, got three offers and took a job teaching as an itenerate in Eskimo villages on the Bering coast. Sold everything that would not fit into the pickup, loaded the dog and the stuff in as soon as school let out and drove up.

This is my forth year and I know I sound like I have been here forever. I have taught in Elim, Shaktoolik, Aniak, Nulato, Valdez; been to Kotzebue, Nome, Golovin, Koyuk, Unakaleet, Kaltag, most otheres on the Bering coast, all the villages on the Yukon from Nenana down to Nulato, driven the haul road and all the other roads escept one. Lived in the truck prospectiing the Keani, below Denali and others. Ihave lived in seven places in my first three years up here. each has its own great stories. Like in Shaktoolik, one day it was -50 and the wind was blowing 50 mph, It was so cold that the dog would not even go out to pee for two days!

Had so great times, some times I almost quit teaching, but love Valdez excep the lack of hunting. I am working on that one though!

 

[Daveinthebush]

P.S.

The girl friend back eat still hates me because there wasn't enough room for both her and the dog. But then she can't retrieve ducks, ptargiman and geese either.

Still a sore spot with her today! :roll:

 

[savageT]

Dave,
That's ahellava story. Thanks for sharing it with us. You and the dog sound like you're home. I guess the girlfriend didn't want to ride in the back of the truck!!?????
savageT

 

[Daveinthebush]

Dog

You would not expect me to let a AKC registered, certified pedigre labrador suffer in the heat of the rear of the truck in midwest would you?

 

[TraplineMusher]

Have anyone tried KERODUST--it is fine sawdust put in a film canister, or pill bottle--with a few drops of Kerosene. I use it here in maine everyday during the winter( on my trapline as I have to heat water for my dogs). Never fails to start--even in sleet and freezing rain......John

 

[Daveinthebush]

Will try it!

As a wood shop teacher I might be able to find some sawdust and try this. It sounds really good. The mushers up here us Heet, a gas tank addative on the Iditrod trail. They all have their own cookers for heating the dogs food and water.

Here is a hint for you: When Swingly gets to Unakaleet he switches sleds. The snow is never very deep and he knows that he won't need his snow shoes. But he is required to have them. So he built them into the sled acting as the basket of the sled with wire ties, so they were removeable. His sled is so light it is amazing.

Also: When you reach Shacktoolik the snow changes consistantcey. It is hard, wind packed and squeaks like styrafoam. Everyone switches to the yellow plastic runner inserts. I helped one musher replace his plastics and we left one blue and one yellow in: The yellow was like butter, the blue one grabbed.

 

[Lead pot]

Hi Dave>good post for survival kit.I find what works good even in rain is a old burned out pine tree or stump that is chard,it holds good pitch that will burn when the wood is wet.Just get under a poncho and whittle small slivers and it will light with a match or lighter.If all you have is a steal and flint take the under bark from the pine,cotton wood,birch is good if you have it,and take that soft under barkit lights eazy.and if your very hungry you can eat that brown under bark,HI.HI.Small clippings of tires is a good fire starter in rain.I like to carry fly line and mono line with jigs.a bottle iodine 3or 4 drops in a canteen will purefy water tasts awful but its better than disentary.for a bad bleading cut cobwebs stop the bleading.Just a thought.Lp.

 

[RollTide]

These two pages have some very interesting ideas on a great many subjects, some have to do with survival tips and equipment.

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tips/index.htm

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/index.htm

One thing I carry in my car and in my hunting pack is a carbide light. You drip water on 1 teaspoon of calcium carbide and you will generate acetelyne gas to light your trail for over an hour, boil a small cup of water, completely dry yourself and your damp clothes (with the aid of a large trash bag), burn green wood, write with the soot of the flame messages on rock faces, or simply warm your hands until they are nimble enough for other tasks. These lights work on a chemical reaction with water, so they are perfect in wet conditions. The little lights themselves can be as small as 2 1/2" x 2" X 4". One full charge in the lamp will usually run it for about 4 hours. A slighty larger, but thoroughly modern version called the MIKE LITE, is available at THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:

http://www.caves.org/imo/frames1.htm

Also at the bottom of the preceding page is a cross section image of a traditional brass lamp as well as a little tutorial on carbide lamps for those who may be interested. Calcium carbide fuel can also be found at the bottom of the same page. The MIKE LITES look very nice, but I have not brought myself to pay $100 for one yet. You can usually find plenty of the used brass miners carbide lamps on ebay in good working order for around $20 - $40 depending on condition. I would suggest the Justrite Streamline model with a 2 1/2" reflector as the most compact, reliable, and durable. These were still manufactured until the mid 1970's, so they are pretty easy to find in good shape if you just look a little on EBAY under a search for - justrite carbide (NOT in quotes).

works for me.

 

[Stringer]

A waxed 30min. road flare is a great fire starter.

 

[BW]

Rolltide,

Are you in Alaska?

Reading all the fine print (okay, it's not really fine ) on the website you referred to, it appears that nobody ship calcium carbide outside of the 'lower 48'.

Certainly not going to be easy to get in rural Alaska.

 

[Hud]

Something everyone should try with their survival kit is to live off of it, for a weekend camp out; two days and two nights. Due this during the season that you are usually out in the woods. This will open your eyes to what is important and what isn't; what works, and what doesn't. If things go real bad you can always go back to your car and warm up or go home. If you can't make it the two days it isn't really a survival kit. Mine fits in a tin Band-Aid box.

The most important part of your survival kit is in your head.

Hud