by richard@io.org
Items: Quantity and Purpose
- Tea bags - 28 Make tea
- Vitamin Pills - 50 Make up diet deficiency
- Pilot Bread - 30 oz food
- Butter (margarine) - 16 oz food
- Strawberry jam - 14 1/2oz. food
- Klik (spam etc) - 12oz. food
- Condensed milk - 14oz. food
- Chocolate bars - 10 of 5oz. food
- Matches (wood)100 Light fire and (2 bic lighter)
- Knife: 1 multi purpose
- Spoon: 1 eating, fish bait, scoop, shovel
- Whistle: 1 signalling
- 1 Double face mirror signalling. (heliograph)
- Fishing line 1x (100ft) - fishing, snaring, wick, string
- Fishhook: 4 fishing, catching birds
- Snare wire:1oz. - Setting Snares & other uses
- Candles - 2 cooking, light, etc
- Kleenex - 1 package multi-purposes
- Camphor - 1 small jar mosquito bites, cuts, chap lips
Remember to use wooden matches and to have them waterproof by dipping them in hot wax before going out in the bushes. If you don't have the Hudson Bay Kit then use an army kit canteen which is rectangular and fit one into the other easily and easy to make watertight as well and has a collapsible handle.
Pocket Kit
Here is another s/kit to be carried in a jacket pocket.
- Reusable plastic tape (also seals tin)
- 2 nch gauze squares
- Any antiseptic
- Adhesive bandages
- Concentrate chocolate
- Bouillon cubes
- 30 ft. Fishing line
- Nylon leader
- Various fishhooks & cork
- Wooden matches dipped in wax
- Candle stub (for light or wet-wood fire starter)
- Aspirin
- Vitamin pills, (Vita 29)
- Iodine water purifying tablets
- Safety Pins to mend clothing,
- Single-edge blade
- Needle & thread
- Steel mirror for signalling
- Compass
- Whistle
- Magnifying glass
- Burn ointment
- Mosquito net that folds as a handkerchief
- Ground sheet 10 X 6Ft
- 2 Lighter fluid cans 5 oz.each.
Survival Kit
- Matches: Waterproof matches are useful but bulkier than ordinary non-safety, strike anywhere matches, which can be made shower proof by dipping the heads in melted candle fat. To save space, snap off half of each match stick. It is much easier to use matches than to make fire by other methods but don't waste them, use only when improvised method fail. Take them one at a time from the tin and replace the lid. Never leave the container open or lying on the ground.
- Candle: Invaluable for starting a fire as well as a light source. Shave square for packing. If made of tallow it is also fat to eat in an emergency or to use for frying. But be sure it is tallow; paraffin wax and some other candles are inedible. Tallow does not store well, especially in hot climates.
- Flint: Flint will work when wet and they will go on striking along after you run out of matches. Invest a processed flint with a saw striker. Recently on the market you can buy a magnesium flint fire starter which is great on all occasions.
- Magnifying Glass: Can start a fire from direct sunshine and be useful for searching for splinter and stings and to replace lost reading glasses. One of the advantage of the top of the line swiss knife is that it has a magnifying glass incorporated within.
- Needles and Thread: Several needles, including at least one with a very large eye that can be threaded ith sinew and coarse threads. Choose strong thread and wrap it around the needles.
- Fish Hooks and Line: A selection of different hooks in a small tin or packet. Add a few split lead weight. Remember that a small hook will catch both and large fish but a large hook will only catch big ones. Include as much line as possible, it will also be useful for catching birds.
- Compass: A luminous button compass. But make sure you know how to read it as some compass can be confusing and remember never make a reading close to any metallic surface. A liquid type is the best but also make sure that it does not leak, has no bubble in it and is fully serviceable. The pointer is prone to rust. Make sure it is on a pivot and swings freely.
- Beta Light: A light-emitting crystal, only the size of a small coin but ideal for reading a mag at night and useful fishing lure, expensive but just about everlasting and well worth to buy.
- Snare Wire: Preferably brass-wire - 60-90cm (2-3ft) should do. Save for snares, but could solve many survival problems.
- Flexible Saw: These usually come with large rings at the ends as handles. These take up too much room, so remove them, they can be replace by wooden toggle when you need to use it. To protect from rust and breakage cover it in a film of grease. Flexible saws can be used to cut even quite large trees, but be slow when cutting.
Medical Kit
What you include depends upon your own skill in using it. Pack medicines in airtight containers with cotton wool to prevent rattling. The following items will cover most ailments but they are only a guide.
- Analgesic: A pain reliever for mild and moderate pain. Codeine phosphate is ideal for tooth-ear and headaches. Dose is one tablet every 6 hours as needed but they can cause constipation as side effect so will help in case of loose bowels. Not to be taken by children, asthmatics or people with liver disorders.
- Intestinal Sedative: For treating acute and chronic diarrhoea. Immodium is usually favoured. Dose is 2 tablets initially, then one each time a loose stool is passed.
- Antibiotic: For general infections. Tetracycline can be used even by people hypersensitive to penicillin. Dose is one 250mg tablet 4 times daily, repeated 5 to 7 days. Carry enough for a full course. If taking them avoid milk, calcium and iron preparations or other drugs containing aluminum hydroxide.
- Antihistamine: For allergies, insect bites and stings and may also help in case of bad reaction to a drug. Piriton is recommended in Britain and Benadryl in USA. Sleepiness is a side-effect of Piriton, so useful as mild sleeping pill. Do not exceed recommended dosages or take with alcohol.
- Water Sterilising Tablets: For use where water is suspect and you can not boil. Follow manufacturer's instructions. Water near any city is dangerous and in most cities in South America as well.
- Anti-Malaria Tablets: Essential in areas where Malaria is present. There are types which require only one tablet taken monthly.
- Potassium Permanganate: Has several uses. Add to water and mix until water becomes bright pink to sterilise it, deeper pink to make an antiseptic and to a full red to treat fungal diseases such as athlete's foot.
- Surgical Blades: At least 2 scalpel blades of different sizes. A handle can be made from wood when required.
- Butterfly Sutures: Use to hold the hedges of wounds together.
- Plasters: (band-aids) Assorted sizes, preferably waterproof for minor abrasions and keeping cuts clean. They can be cut and be used as butterfly sutures. Use the new burn type it doubles up in its uses for burns and cuts.
- Condom: Beside fun this can make a good water bag (1 litre).
- 1 Tampax: Beside its feminine use, it can be used to start a fire and as well as blood cloth when you cut deeply.