Tuesday, August 21, 2012

DIY Survival Gear - Building a Survival Kit - Part Six - Tools


In Building a Survival Kit - Part Five, a dust mask was added to our survival kit. This was to give us a small measure of protection from air-borne contaminants and a means of emergency water filtration. This item created at least two other options for our survival. This time we will give our survival kit true versatility by adding a couple of quality  tools to our survival kit. Once again, our goal continues to be building a quality survival kit.



The ninth gear item that will be added to our survival kit is a small mini-tool. This mini-tool will enable us to make simple repairs or give us access to areas that might otherwise be impassable without the aid of a few simple tools. While this mini-tool won’t take the place of a regular size tool box, it will give us a few additional options for our survival. This simple mini-tool can enable a number of small tasks to be completed efficiently and effectively and can be found in the fishing dept. at your local big box store. They are made of stainless steel and are generally quite reliable. This gear item adds $ 5.50 to the cost and adds approximately 2 ounces of additional weight to our survival kit.



The tenth gear item that will be added to our survival kit will be a small, high quality knife. A knife is one of the most important tools that you can carry to aid you in a survival situation. The knife chosen for our survival kit will be a Gerber STL 2.0. This is a frame-lock design with a titanium coating and is extremely durable, compact and lightweight. This adds $12.00 to the cost but only one ounce to the weight of the survival kit.

In a survival situation, you will almost certainly require a few simple tools to accomplish a variety of minor tasks. These tasks could be almost impossible to complete otherwise. While the mini-tool may have more value in an urban setting, it can also be valuable in a wilderness setting and a good knife will be invaluable in any survival situation. Each survival situation comes with its own unique set of problems and having some basic tools available will hopefully make these problems easier to solve.

Here is a current summary of the contents of our survival kit:

Gear Item                                    Cost                            Weight

Container                                      $5.00                           5 oz.

Mirror                                            $3.00                           1 oz.

Whistle                                          $2.00                          1 oz.

LED Flashlight                              $1.00                           1 oz.

Sewing Kit                                     $1.00                          1 oz.

Cordage                                        $1.00                          1 oz.
                                                  
Mini Bic Lighter                             $ .50                           1 oz.

Magnesium Firestarter                $4.50                           2 oz.

Dust Mask                                     $1.50                           0 oz.                                                         

Mini-Tool                                      $5.50                            2 oz 

Knife                                            $12.00                           1 oz
                                                     _____                       ______

Totals                                           $37.00                         16 oz.

Don’t forget to leave a comment. Thanks.


Got DIY Survival Kit ?


Staying above the water line!


Riverwalker

16 comments:

  1. The multi-tool is one area I think should be splurged on. A high quality tool has a better design and will last longer. Its worth the extra cost, at least to me.

    High quality doesn't necessarily you have to take out a loan. Pawn shops often have good quality genuine Leatherman tools for little money, I've bought several Waves, Super Tools and even Surge for less than $30. Tools you can depend on.

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  2. This is a interesting project. My one concern is its up to 1 lb. now, If something is too heavy for the pocket, people will tend to not carry it.
    I use a Fishing vest/Photographers vest,It distributes the weight well and has a lot of pockets.
    I also carry at all times in my front pocket a mini athoids kit.
    [IMG]http://i53.tinypic.com/29qbcx0.jpg[/IMG]

    [IMG]http://i51.tinypic.com/2cmmb8z.jpg[/IMG]

    Keep it coming
    mdknighthawk
    Richard

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  3. Fyi, I had bad luck with that Gerber knife. After a month of keychain carry, it started partially opening, and poking me when I reached for my keys.

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  4. To: anonymous 2:43

    A Leatherman Micra might be a good addition if you wanted to spend the extra money...they're compact and lightweight.

    I've used those little mini-tools in the fishing dept. of the big box store quite a bit and have had good luck with them. Generally try to keep one in each of my fishing tackle boxes.

    The pawn shops around here treat multi-tools like gold...I've seen used ones that were close to full retail price of a new one.Ouch!

    Thanks anon.

    RW

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  5. To: mdknighthawk

    Don't have too much to add to the final kit and it will then be weighed for actual weight...it's been pretty much an estimate on the weight so far.

    Although this kit will fit in the front pocket of my jeans, it's primarily going to be something to slip into a vehicle glove box or console, a backpack or a BOB.

    Most people aren't going to carry even a real small survival kit on an everyday basis but might stash a small kit somewhere close so it could be accessed quickly.

    I've got a nice vest with plenty of pockets that I use in the winter but in the summer...no way.

    Thanks Richard.

    RW

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  6. To: Ernest Thing

    I've had good luck with mine...but mileage varies. You could always substitute a small knife of similar or better quality.

    I've used mine as a small neck knife for some time now without any incidents.

    Thanks Ernest.

    RW

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  7. I pretty decent knife 'necker' is an Opinel knife, that ring lock works for keeping it closed as well. Very lightweight, good carbon blade that takes a good edge. Priced to move too, very competitively priced.

    One of the few things the French did right, lol.

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  8. To: anonymous 6:20

    There are a lot of different options you can use. Something that has worked well for you and it's operation is familiar to you will always be a good choice.

    Thanks anon.

    RW

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  9. I guess being a woman with a purse/bag is an advantage...carrying the kit is easier. However, I see putting one in each of our four cars...for me and my spouse, and for our kids!

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  10. To: Jamee

    A purse is a big advantage...I've seen a few that would probably qualify as a regular backpack.lol

    Seriously though, a small kit such as this in each vehicle wouldn't take up much room and would be easy to access.Just make sure to take it with you if you plan to be away from your vehicle for an extended time period...such as a hike, etc.

    Thanks Jamee.

    RW

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  11. Made a wishlist of the items so far on Amazon

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/registry.html?ie=UTF8&id=1V36GH2VNNEYA&type=wishlist

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  12. To: Jack

    Great list! You've probably got a few of those items already on hand.

    I'll be adding the last items to the Survival Kit in Part Eight.

    Thanks Jack.

    RW

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  13. Even with an estimated weight of 1 lb, this thing is still lighter and more useful than the contents of my messenger bag!

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  14. With both of these items, quality is more important that cost. No point it having a cheap tool that will break or not work when you need it. Watch garage sales (know what you're looking at and for), thrift stores, and pawn shops if you can't afford new.

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  15. Nice knife choice... I would also pack a small torx key in the kit to keep the screws on the Gerber tight, or loctite them in place before packing it in the kit. I like the Gerbers I've had, but seem to have issues with the screws loosening...

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  16. Can't argue with a good knife and a multi tool. I'm always pulling out my old leatherman out while camping or fishing.

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