Budget Survival Kit

What is the Budget Survival Kit?

First, it is a kit that is designed to be purchased for about $20-$25 at readily available stores in your area with equipment that is a good value for the price. This equipment is simple and easy to locate for the average person and readily available at most common stores.

Second, it is designed to be inexpensive enough that you can purchase multiple kits for each of your vehicles, RV's, boats, ATV's, etc. for each of your family members - even the ones that don't really care about 'survival stuff'.

Lastly, not only is it easy to find, but also easy to use by the average person that has had little or no training in outdoor survival, which the majority of people are not. This is for the man or woman that thinks about these things maybe once or twice a year and doesn't have the time, money or the knowledge to purchase one of the more "advanced military style", expert kits.

I started out with a $20-$25 target price range. This is an approximation, but I have found still holds close to the original cost, even after about 5 years of testing this specific equipment. Also, the products here are only a 'generic' representation of the tool I have in mind. You can 'add' or 'enhance' any of them as you choose, but these are some basic items that if you do not know or do not have the time or experience to get 'better' ones, you can purchase locally in one trip to your local Walmart, Kmart, Lowe's or drug store and very quickly have ready to go.

The point is, this kit is easy to acquire and inexpensive on your budget.

If you have a 'better' item, then use it. But remember, if you keep your 'best kit' in your house or your vehicle, it isn't with you when you need it if you go out in your wife's car or in your boat. Most people cannot carry a survival kit or "pocket" survival kit on a daily bases, it just isn't practical, but you can put one close at hand. With the price of this kit, anyone can afford it and you can afford to put it in all your vehicles. Then when you get 'jammed' you will be covered, no matter what vehicle or where you are.

Let's look at the kit.
This kit is designed for multiple usage across many environments from getting stuck in the wilderness to urban dislocation.

Here is what you get:

1) Knife - 3.5" Stainless Steel, Plastic Handle $10 Alternative Knife - Mora Swedish Army Knife	$.97	Angler's Edge Bait Knife
2) Matches - 128 strike on box type	$.50	Blue Diamond
3) Tarp - 6' x 8' Plastic	$4.27	Ozark Trails
4) Flashlight - sealed battery, disposable	$2.24	Garrity Life Lite
5) Knife Sharpener - ceramic rod in plastic holder	$1.17	Rapala
6) 4-1 Multi Tool - Compass, Whistle, Thermometer, Magnifying Glass	$2.96	Ozark Trails
7) Fish Hooks (snelled) with 8" line	$1.04	Renegade
8) Twine - nylon 260', 15 lb	$1.89	Wellington
9) Food - dried, enough for 2 meals	$.20	Ramen Noodles
10) Aspirin - 100 tablets	$.99	Generic
11) Band-Aids - 60	$.99	Curad
12) Soap - anti-bacterial bar	$.59	Generic
13) Tent Pegs - 10" Steel	$1.97	Ozark Trails
14) Lighter - disposable	$.97	Bic
15) Duct Tape - 1.88" x 20 yards	$2.97	Duct Tape Brand
16) "Tea" light Candles - 2	$.10 ea	Misc.
17) "Canteen" - Water Bottle 16-24 oz	$1.00	Aquafina
18) Misc Add-ons	Free
19) Pack	Free
Total (Pricing updated 09/07/2007)	$24.05	original pricing $21.05

TOTAL WEIGHT: 8.0 lbs (approx)

** I included the bottled water here at $1.00, but that can be purchased much cheaper or free if you use an empty plastic coke bottle.

The Knife:
Budget Kit Knife

Originally designed and sold as a bait knife at Walmart, this knife is a good, very inexpensive blade that is hard to beat at 10 times its price of $.97. A simple thing, it is very durable and stainless steel.

The handle is of good size, giving you a good grip. You can 'enhance' the grip by wrapping either nylon cord or duct tape around the handle till it fits your individual hand. Shown is the same knife with a twine wrapped handle and a cardboard "sheath" to protect the blade when you put it in your pack. The blade is a usable length at 3.5" for most general purpose chores. Remember, the knife is a sharp bladed tool; it is not an axe or machete. Yes there are bigger knives that can be used for this purpose, but your basic camp knife is not. This knife is plenty big enough for fish and game cleaning, whittling of wood and general uses. Your knife is one of your most important pieces of equipment, do not abuse it unnecessarily.

NOTE: If you can afford a better knife, then do so! The point is that if your $200 custom survival knife is at home when you are out and get jammed, then it's USELESS! Having a knife (any knife) is better than not having one when you need it.

Knife as a "Mirror":
This knife's blade is shiny enough, if clean, to use as a signal mirror. (I'll explain how that works later, I just wanted to note it here.)

Knife Sharpener:

Normark Brand Sharpener ($1.17) * in picture with knife above.
This is one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment. If your knife is not sharp, it is useless. Even the best of blades will dull with usage. Any knife expert will tell you that. That is were the 'real' trouble begins – sharpening the blade.

Sharpening a knife to some people is a 'gift', to others it is a skill, that can be eventually done and still to most people, they could not buy a good edge no matter how hard they work.
This type of sharpener (shown above), made by several manufactures, is simple, quick and provides a usable edge. Most importantly, it can be used by anyone, regardless of skill and experience. Not to mention, that it is almost indestructible and safe to use - which is probably its best characteristic.

4-1 Multi Tool: Compass/Whistle/Thermometer/Magnifying Glass
4 Tools in 1:
1) Compass
2) Whistle
3) Thermometer
4) Magnifying Glass
This is a really good item for its cost of $2.97. I am not sure if it's the compass or the whistle that makes this tool great, but it has them both. The basic idea in survival, IF there will be a rescue, is STAY PUT. So you don't need a compass, but I am the kind of person that doesn't go out into the field without a compass. It is the basic directional finding equipment. This compass, although inexpensive, is dutifully accurate if you need it.
The whistle is a core signaling device. Next to the signal mirror, the whistle takes the least amount of energy to use and can be heard at great distances. Ask any rescue services person what is the most important signaling device for a person to carry and you will get the whistle.

In addition to the compass and the whistle, this handy little device also includes a thermometer and a magnifying glass. I like having the thermometer available, just because I like to know the temperature outside. The magnifying glass is good for finding splinters in your finger, but I don't have a lot of other uses for it. I, personally, have never been able to start a fire with one and I don't think this particular one is good enough for that anyway, but it comes free with the other stuff.

Matches, Lighter & Fire Starting:

Matches
Fire starting is the single most important thing to survive in any environment. Fire can be used for light, cooking, protection and proves a general 'mental' state of calmness, which is so important to any survivalist. Starting a fire can be a difficult task if you do not have the right tools for the job. Even then, actually getting a fire going can be difficult for most people. There are really 2 parts to fire starting: A) the spark and B) the tinder.
The spark is easiest with a lighter or match. On the average, it takes a person about 3-5 matches to really get a fire going. Sound crazy? Try it. Then try it in high wind. Then try it in wet grass. Most people do not have extended experience lighting fires outside of their BBQ grill or birthday candles. This kit has 128 matches of the Blue Diamond standard wooden matches. Yes it is a lot of them, but if you have trouble lighting your fire, it could take up to 6-8 matches to get it done.
Lighter
I have also included a simple disposable lighter in this kit. It's cheap and easy to use. Sometimes it is just easiest to use the lighter, instead of the matches. You have them both. At $.50 to $.99 its cheap. Get one of the "safety" lighters that have a "lock" on the button. This will help you keep from accidentally hitting it while carrying it.
Quick Special Note: The older style Zippo lighters are much easier to use by children or people with "not as strong hands". That's the reason we now use safety lighters, but in a survival situation, you may WANT your young person to have one of these in case they need it. Instruction on how to use and fire safety is essential, but this is an option. They cost about $15+ for a basic lighter.
Tinder
Tinder is the other tool to get a fire started. What is tinder? To the average person, this means something that burns. To a survivalist, it means the very basis for their success at getting a fire started. Many survivalists spend a great deal of time to perfect their own way to 'tinder' their fires. Most people do not. I do not include anything specific for tinder in this kit, because it has 'trash' for tinder. The packing materials (paper) from your items can provide easy 'tinder' for you or even the cotton from your aspirin bottle will work. Roll up a little piece of the cardboard backing of one of the packages and you have usable tinder. Even you have to use a 'stack' of several matches to get your fire going, you have them to use. Fire starting is important, don't short yourself on matches.
Tea Lights
I also suggest that you add a couple of "tea lights" to use as tinder/starters. They are easier sometimes to light and hold it under something that might be moist or wet to dry it and light it. This will let you save on your matches and lighter fuel. You can also light one of these for heating inside your tarp without alot of danger to the shelter. A little candle under a plastic tarp will really warm things up for you. They run about $.10 each.
Match Cases
Keeping your matches dry is an important thing and can easily be done with a pill vial or 35mm film case. It is not fancy, but it works. I like the pill vial because of the length. While you are at it, get one of the boxes in there too. Keep your 'striker' dry too. If for some reason your matches get wet, don't freak out! Let them dry in the sunlight. You would be surprised at what a 'standard' match can take and still work. There are 'better' matches, specifically waterproof and the best of all, Lifeboat matches. These both work very well, but they are MUCH more expensive. If you take a little care to use the pill vial or film case, your standard matches will be fine.
If you want, you can find plastic, waterproof match cases at Walmart (pictured to left) for $1.00 or if you've substituted the 5-1 tool - it has an integral match case.

Shelter:
Budget Kit Tarp Tent

Shelter is one of the single most important goals for survival. Take it seriously, because being exposed to the elements is what kills most people. It can be made with a variety of ways including the use of a PVC poncho or all weather foil blankets. Although I will concede that the PVC poncho does in fact make a decent shelter and is compact, under extreme circumstances, such as high winds, it is easily ripped or torn.

In this kit, I include a 6' x 8' Plastic Tarp, Twine and 4 - 10" steel tent pegs. This is a real shelter! You can easily make a long lasting shelter with it. With a little practice, you can design a large, Lean-To, a basic pup tent (like picture above) or a low 'tubular' tent - using one side to sleep on a only 2" high at the chest.

The 'tubular' tent (pictured) is the best of the bunch because it is low and less likely to take wind damage and gives you a plastic floor to lie on instead of the ground. Personally, I can live without padding to sleep on, if I can lie on a dry area.

Tarp Shelter

The one drawback of the tarp is that it is harder, not impossible; to use it as a mobile shelter like you can in wearing a poncho. It will also allow you to easily move your camp. If it is raining, you need to be collecting water instead of walking around anyway!

The tarp also gives you shelter for several people. Even thought the PVC poncho does make a dutiful shelter, it is only usable for a single person. You can design your shelter to be occupied by several persons. The plastic tarp is absolutely the best choice for shelter in a survival situation.

Why the tarp instead of sheet of plastic?
The tarp is much easier for most people to build a shelter with due to its construction and addition of corner rings for tying to. I think the plastic sheet works well for rain coverage, but not as a sun shade. The plastic sheeting is not as durable as the tarp in the high winds of a storm.

Note: Emergency Blankets and Ponchos
A note here about emergency pocket ponchos and the survival foil blanket. Emergency ponchos are not any better than a plastic garbage bag for rain coverage. They easily tear and rip as you move. Do not use it for your survival gear! Get a PVC poncho ($8+) if you want, but not the cheapo emergency one. The foil All Weather Survival Blankets is a little more usable than the emergency poncho, but not much. I agree that it works best of keeping you warm if you are in danger of hypothermia, but it is mostly a 'one shot' usage. This blanket will tear easily, even more than the emergency poncho. It has its place in getting you warm after, say falling into water, but remember it only works once.

You will find that the plastic of the tarp works pretty well at keeping in the warmth from your body or using (CAREFULLY) a tea light. Not as effective as the emergency blanket, but it does the job and isn't as fragile to use.

First Aid Kit:
Budget First Aid Kit

Most survival kits include some type of first aid kit, but what do you really need?
First thing to do in any 'wound' type of emergency is get it CLEAN. Ask your doctor, nurse or veterinarian, if you don't believe me. That means wash it out with simple anti-bacterial soap and water. How many first aid kits have you seen with soap in them?
The next thing is to KEEP it clean by using clean bandage materials. Ok, now you are clean and your wound is taken care of. What happens tomorrow if you lose your bandage material while scrounging or your wound needs to be additionally cleaned each day? Most kits only include a few bandages. This is a problem that you don't need to deal with in a survival situation!
This kit includes 60 band-aids, which cost about $1.00 and a bar of soap, costing around $.60 at your local Walmart or drug store.

Also, instead of your 'traditional' one or two doses of aspirin, you have a bottle of 100 tablets. Most pain relievers last 4 to 6 hours. Then after it wears off, what do you do? Get a bottle, it costs about $1.00 and averages about 100 tablets. Now you have a good source and number for pain relief, enough bandages to last several days and soap to get the wound clean and on its way to healing – properly.
Total cost for all of this: about $2.60.

Flashlight:

Why a flashlight, instead of candles?
Does a candle burn in the rain? Can you turn a candle on and off without using up your precious fire starting materials? How easy is it to walk and hold your candle? How much more dangerous is a candle under a poncho than a flashlight? Answer these questions and you will see why the flashlight is a better choice for general purpose lighting.

This model is the Garrity "Life Lite" and has a sealed battery which lasts for 8 hours of continued usage and 2 years in storage (per their packaging). It is cheap and effective for the price of $3.00, which as noted, includes your batteries. I have a couple of these that I have been using and I don't know the exact amount that this flashlight works for, but it's A LONG TIME.

Also, the 'bubble' pack it comes in makes a handy cup for drinking or water collection.

Fish Hooks:
Budget Kit Fish Hooks

I catch a lot of flack over these, but I use 'bait holders' or 'snelled' hooks (shown above) that cost between $.50 to $1.00 at most of the above stores. They are simple and easy to use.
Although most people, that don't normally do this regularly, have probably fished at one time or another in their life, but very few have actually 'tied' their own hook. Tying your hook is just as important as learning to fish. Most people are not good at it and the last thing you need, after you catch a fish, is to lose it because your hook came untied. So the snelled hooks work great. The line attached to the hook is approximately 8" long - usually around 4 lb. strength (light weight). That is not enough line to fish with, but if you attach it to a piece of your twine, it is. Now the issue is can your tie a knot in the twine. This task most people can do, so it moves the skill to something that is more commonly done. Now you can go fishing with more confidence.

I tie or use a thumb tack to fix a wine cork to the twine for a bobber. Using a bobber will help you tell when the fish hit your bait and improve your chances of scoring a fish.

Upgraded Fishing Kit
If you want a more 'advanced' kit, I suggest a roll of 10+ pound test line ($1.74), a box of split shot ($.77) and a box of hooks ($.88). That kit will run you $3.39. Now you have lots of fishing line and hooks. I like the split shot for my survival kit because it can be continuously reused. Although there are some advantages to this kit for more advanced people, I have not found it to be vastly superior to the basic snell hooks (except in the line strength) and it costs a lot more to buy at 6.5 times the price. But if you want a good spot to upgrade, you might think about it.

Another Fishing Kit idea: Kid Fishing Combos
Yes, those cool Mermaid, Scooby-Doo, Superman and Mickey Mouse fishing kits made up for kids is a good, one-stop grab for fishing gear. They usually come in ultra-light's of 4-6 lb. test line, so you might want to grab some heavier line (8 or 10 lb.), but for the ease of finding and grabbing, don't over look these. Comes with 3' rod & reel and basic tackle box (with hooks and bobbers).That little short rod really helps improve your fishing success over the snelled hooks above. They run about $12-$19.

Game Snares vs Fishing
A small note here about small game snares verses fishing. Most people in this world cannot make a snare, let alone know where to use one effectively. I have been trying for years to get it right and I cannot. There are trained persons out there that can use a snare for small game, and my hat is off to them all, but the majority of the world cannot.

Snares are primarily good for locations you are familiar with the movement of game and plan to stay in that location. If you are on the move, these are useless. So forget the snare and concentrate your energy on fishing, which you have a much better chance of catching a fish, than using a snare. Or keep a small .22 caliber firearm close at hand for your small game hunting.

Rat Trap

Update: 6/8/2009 - I'm going to add in a fantastic idea by timberrattler - Rat Traps! I'm doing some testing on this, but it's very promising. Cost is about $2 for a trap. This might be the solution to using snares when you are on the run.

Duct Tape:

Okay, there are literally hundreds of uses for this and I am not going to go over them all, but I will share with you a few uses as it relates to my equipment.

The versatility of duct tape is the actual value of having it around. To fix your tarp, poncho, canteen, flashlight, gloves, boots, hat, jacket, bags, boxes, knife handles and anything else you can come up with. You can use it to "tie" things together. It works to "improve" your outer garments against the wind. It is water "resistant". And on and on and on. Look, duct tape is one of the best things to have and a small roll (from a Quik Mart gas station) will run you about $2.00 up to about $4.00 for a large roll (at Walmart, Lowe's, etc). The small is nice sometimes just for weight and bulk, but the big roll is best value for the money.

Get it. Pack it. You'll be glad it's around.

Twine:
The nylon twine in this kit is about $2.00 for 260 feet (15 lb. strength). This will do for your shelter; added to your snelled hooks to fish with; and have plenty left over for other things. It's light and takes up less room than other alternatives.

Add-ons (FREE):

Here are a couple of suggestions for "add ons" to your kit. Most are either very cheap (for pennies) or something scrounged around the house or office.

Safety Pins - simple but effective ways to fix buttons, glasses and zippers.
Needle and Thread (Sewing kit)- needle to repair things, thread optional if you want to "unravel" your twine. You can get these little kits free at some hotels or as giveaway promos.
Small Mirror (from a craft store)- bag of them at a craft store is about $3.00 so you can add to all of your kits as an alternative signaling device.
Plastic cups, Dinnerware and Bowls - scrounged from take-out empties or otherwise to help as containers to collect water in, drink from, or keep things dry. Kid's cups from a restaurant have little lids that work as a funnel to pour water into your canteen.
Paper Clips- small wire related repairs,temporary fishing hook,etc
Cans (Coffee and/or Soup) - Tin cans and Coffee cans make usable pots to cook in and more importantly - for you to boil water for drinking! 1lb. Coffee cans are what I use most. Their cheap and work! Best is to get a couple that will fit inside each other and lids are good if you can. Also, cut a piece of coat hanger (twice the height of the can) and use this for a handle to hang your can over the fire.
Clothing (T-shirt, Hat/Cap, Gloves, Socks, Shoes) - anything just to have extra if you need them. Especially footwear if you normally wear "dress" shoes. These could be as good as hiking boots or as little as "tennis" shoes, but are much better for walking in than your dress type shoe. Many times you'll get some of these as promotional items or many as a gag birthday gift that you'll never really wear, but they can be a big help if your stuck. An ugly t-shirt beats a light blouse if it's cold. Wear it inside out if you don't like what it says. Old shirts, old work uniforms, etc. - anything that will protect your bare skin from the elements. Long sleeves and long pants if possible are best for cold and hot weather. Remember: Exposer is one of the biggest dangers.
Wine Corks - make good bobbers to fish with.
Thumb Tacks - sometimes easier to use than a needle to get out splinters and much easier to keep up with.
Bottle Caps - from your empty water bottles; keep a couple of spare ones just in case you lose it.

Watch the space/size of your kit!
Adding things to your kit will quickly increase the space it will take up. If you're putting your kit in your car and it's very large, you'll limit the space you need on a daily basis. The temptation will be to remove your kit when you have a large load to haul and then it'll be worthless to you. Keep it simple. Keep what's important. Keep it where you need it - so it'll be there when you need it.

What to pack your kit in?

Plastic Bags
I cannot even begin to say how many ways or things you can pack your kit into. I do offer a couple of suggestions only to get you thinking. The simplest pack is just to use the plastic grocery bags that you bought your items in. They work. The first I considered was the gallon 'zip lock' bag. Easy to use, found anywhere and water proof, this bag works great. The biggest drawback for either of these bags is they have limited durability when tossed into the truck of a vehicle or behind the seat. Also, they have a 'trashy' look, as my wife describes them. I tend to agree. The idea here is to have it when you need it and most people who are not 'survival minded' will not like either of these in their vehicles.

Coffee Can
Keeping in mind our budget goal, my preference is for the 'coffee can' version. Okay, this is not the most 'pretty' idea, but it works well and has other uses. First, if you are a coffee drinker or know one, there are always coffee cans to be had. The can itself is durable and water 'resistant' with its lid in place. It is also easy enough to take some duct tape and tape the lid closed to seal it. The coffee can is also a good pot for cooking. No it is not the best, but it can work if needed. Also, the coffee can will provide you with a good bucket for water collection and can be converted into a makeshift stove. (That is another subject for another time.) This still does not have the best appearance for your kit, but it is a good alternative.

Sling Bag or Backpack
The best pack is some sort of sling, canvas bag, backpack or plastic tool box. Any of these can be better at the appearance issue. They can also provide a good tool for field carry of your gear. I have a book bag style that I picked up at a business convention that I like.

Expansion Packs:

Although your Budget Survival Kit is complete, it's always a work in process. This is a list of additional gear that can be purchased when you can afford it and will make your life easier or for an expanded kit to cover more situations than the original Budget kit.

These are suggestions only and in order of importance. (So don't just skip down to the knife!)

1) Boots/Shoes ($25+) - I can't emphasize how important good foot gear is to your survival; especially if your daily footwear is light weight dress shoes or heels. ANY shoe beats high heels and ANY boot beats a low cut tennis shoe. Work boots at Walmart, Kmart of other shoe outlet are cheap and well worth the money. Even surplus military boots or used shoes from Goodwill will work. Look at what you wear on a daily bases and work from there. Pictured is a "hiking shoe" for $18.89 @ Walmart. It's the most basic of foot gear.

Also, while you're at it, get a good pair of socks!

Foot gear is most important, buy the best you can afford!

2) Gloves ($1.96+) - Gloves are really important to protect your hands from cuts and thorns. Focus on leather palmed work ones like cheap "mule-skinners" (shown) or cow-hide gloves to protect your hands. Other "soft" cotton gloves will help with warmth and give some protection to your hand, but a leather palmed glove is best.

3) Hatchet ($6.77+) or Machete ($6.44+) - Either of these will help you with large chopping chores so you can save your knife for the smaller stuff. Individual choice for which one you want. Pricing is based on the cheapest one I have found (like the one pictured) and go up to whatever you want to spend. Gerber makes a really good one for $20.

Hatchet

Biggest drawbacks/Advantages:

Hatchet - heavier in weight; more compact, better on hard structures like doors/walls & has "hammer" on back side.
Machete - longer in length for more reach, longer and harder to store; much lighter to carry & usually comes with a sheath for your belt.

It's a trade off.

One thing you can do with the Machete is cut the blade off to around 12" to make it more compact. Also, either of these makes a better weapon for personal protection than a knife or club.

Alternative to the Hatchet or Machete: a kitchen cleaver!
I've been playing around with one of these and they make excellent (if not surprising) tools. Biggest drawback is no sheath for carrying and they cost alot more than a hatchet or machete.

SPECIAL NOTE: If you live or are going into terrain that is either desert or winter environments, I would recommend you swap the rankings for the hatchet/machete with the Tri-Folding Shovel (below) as a shovel will be of more use to you.

4) 1/4" Cotton/Nylon Rope (50' length) ($2.47) - Heavier rope will make your shelter stronger against thunderstorms or other foul weather. Pretty much any other use that your twine would be too light to use. 1/4" rope will generally do most camp chores, but is not heavy enough for you to use for climbing.

5) Upgraded Survival Knife (Approx. $15 to 70+)
If you've bought everything above and want to keep going as you can afford it, now you should think about buying an "upgraded" Survival Knife. This will cost you more for this single piece of equipment that you've invested so far in the rest of the equipment (almost combined).

This could be as little as a Frost Mora Knife ($10) or a production made survival knife like the Buck Nighthawk ($72) or Gerber Freeman knife ($45). Or even a heavier tactical folding knife like a Browning Barracuda or Smith & Wesson S.W.A.T. ($35+).

6) Junior or Kid's Sleeping Bag ($7.84+) - This is certainly not a necessity, but if you want to prepare for long term shelter, urban relocation or serious cold weather, a kid's size sleeping bag is usually very inexpensive to purchase (as opposed to an adult bag), small enough in size to not take up too much space when stored and with do the trick to make your sleeping more comfortable. Of course an adult size is better, but they usually cost a lot more and take up much more space. Don't be to picky about what's on it when these go on sale.

7) Tri-Fold Shovel ($8.50) - There are a lot of uses for a shovel in the outdoors, so I won't go into that, but if you can afford it, they sure do make your life easier if you have to dig out of the snow or dig a ground still.

Any small shovel will work including those little garden ones, but the Tri-fold army type shovel is compact and folds out with good hand holds to use. Most varieties of this shovel have "saw" edges to use, but you'll need to sharpen them a little to work well. Also, sharpen the leading edge and off-saw side for use is chopping chores. A little sharpening will much improve performance.

Biggest drawback - weight! Around 3-5 lbs. Plastic Case for shovel costs about $10.

Personally, I prefer a 16" short handled shovel (shown here) is sometimes easier to use than a folding shovel, but they cost more at (about $12 to $15) at any hardware store. At approximately 30" (overall) and weighting about 2.5 lbs, a short shovel is not as compact to store in a vehicle as a folding one, but it's easier to use and makes a better improvised melee weapon in an emergency.

SPECIAL NOTE: If you live or are going into terrain that is either desert or winter environments, I would recommend you swap the rankings for the hatchet/machete with the shovel as a shovel will be of more use to you.

8) Fishing/Frog Spears ($1.99-$3.99)
I like these for "active" fishing in shallow creeks and ponds. They will improve your chances of spearing a fish as opposed to using a sharpened stick or knife-tied-on spear. (A) is a Fishing Spear ($3.99) and (C through D) are Frog Spears ($1.99-$2.99), but any could be used to fish with. They're cheap and durable! I like the 3 pronged frog spear for it's physical size and $2 price, so I put them in a lot of my own kits.

9) Backpack ($5.00+)
At this point you really need to consider a backpack for carrying your gear. Cheap school backpacks are not the best for heavy use, but they work. Also consider surplus military packs. Surplus Alice packs (med size) are good ones and allow you to tied your gear to the outside as well as storage inside. A backpack will let you carry your gear and keep your hands free.

Good Luck!

Ironhand

ironhand	Latest page update: made by ironhand , Nov 6 2010, 5:51 PM EDT (about this update About This Update Edited by ironhand view changes - complete history)
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emarae

tinder

Jun 22 2012, 7:32 PM EDT by Oakspar77777

Thread started: Jun 21 2012, 3:51 PM EDT Watch

A good idea for tinder and fire starter that is free; dryer lint. everyone has it and it is easy to get. it is light and very flammable. just an idea.

8 out of 8 found this valuable. Do you?

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Forewarned76

Jute Twine

Oct 6 2011, 6:05 AM EDT by 96mrluke

Thread started: Jan 11 2011, 1:09 PM EST Watch

While it's not as strong as nylon, jute twine has more uses than the synthetics. Jute can be used as tinder for flint and steel, It's earthy color and "shaggy" appearance make it good for setting snares and triplines that are hard to see. Wrap a foot or two around a branch and you have a torch for when your flashlight fails

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Forewarned76

Rat Trap

Apr 18 2011, 4:42 AM EDT by TheRoamingGnome

Thread started: Jan 11 2011, 1:28 PM EST Watch

Rat traps also make for handy alarms, no way you could mistake their snap or a falling branch

Dead-On Annihilator Revisited	tinder	Opinions?
Sharpie's Pellet Tin Survival Kit	LJ's Bugout Bag - Updated	My B.O.B.
What would you have in your Altoids survival kit?	urban survivers?	Jute Twine
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