Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Survival Trio - The Knife, the Stick, the Rock and One More

The right tools can create a solid foundation for your survival. They can be used for a variety of useful purposes and provide the basic elements to make your survival a lot easier. In fact, your survival may ultimately depend upon the tools you have available to make what is needed.






The Knife

The most basic and perhaps the most useful of any survival tool is a good knife. While there are basic items that can be used to fashion a cutting implement in a pinch, the presence of a good blade makes the entire process a lot simpler. There is a wide range of knives and cutting tools available but it’s important that you have it available for use when needed. If at all possible, a good blade of some form or type should be an absolute must for everyday carry. In essence, don’t leave home without it. A decent blade can also be used to give you an additional element of protection and will probably be used in more situations on a daily basis than any other type of tool.







The Stick

Not only is a stick a very useful tool, it can also be a building block to create shelter, a litter, a splint or numerous other items that may be needed in a survival situation. A good stick can be turned into a protection device by merely adding a point to one end or if it’s big enough it can be used as a club to provide an element of protection. The right type of stick can also be made into a bow or even a raft (if you have plenty of sticks available). A good stick is also extremely valuable in that it can offer assistance when walking or hiking. The right combination of sticks can also be used to make a fire.






The Rock

When you need to pound something and you don’t have a hammer, nothing beats the pure pounding ability of a good rock. If you got a bunch of rocks, things can be even better. They can be used to make a pot stand for your fire, an anchor for your tent or tarp, a wind shield for your fire or just about anything you can imagine. A small rock can even be used as a weight for your fishing line or ammo for a slingshot. A good rock can also make a very formidable weapon in the right circumstances.






One More

There is also one more item that should be considered an essential survival tool. That simple item is cordage. It can be used to bind a knife to your stick for hunting or protection, hold sticks together for a shelter or as an aid to building a raft.

While sticks, rocks and cordage are easily found in both an urban and a rural setting, a good knife or cutting tool may be a little more difficult to find in a wilderness setting. All of these simple items can afford you a wide variety of options to help you in your effort to survive.

Got tools for survival?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker






2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very good advice. I would add the metal pot - hard to carry or boil water without some type of container, and it gives you something to cook with as well.

Very small cordage idea - metal 'trip' wire (dollar store metal wire will do) spun on a sewing bobbin. Easy to attach to your knife or multi-tool sheath with a Chicago screw.

Thanks Riverwalker.

riverwalker said...

To: anonymous 12:46

I can probably make do with a variety of improvised items but a reliable cutting tool is one item I consider a necessity.

A container of some sort wouldn't be too difficult to improvise when needed. The same can be said for a variety of items.

A sharp mind and an even sharper blade will get you a long ways...

Thanks anon.

RW

Related Posts with Thumbnails