Survival

Off Topic
1

I’ve recently gotten interested in survival as I am planning on doing more backpacking this Spring. I wanted to start a thread for everything survival tips, tricks, gear, stories, etc. To start I found this story to be an incredible representation of someone who just keeps pushing on.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/01/125-mawson-trek/roberts-text The kick in the nuts is that after he finally made it back and had to stay another year in Antarctica. A very hard man for sure.

Curious to see what other stories/contributions others have.

2

Dave Cantebury(sp?) has some good videos talking about survival. They are pretty easy to watch and before you know it you have watched 4 or 5 of them.

I just got the Kabar Becker BK2 knife and if you don’t have a good, go to bushcraft/backpacking knife it is a great knife. The sheath belt attachment isn’t the greatest, but it is real easy to use the bottom portion of the sheath and modify it.

3

I really have no input at all, but this is a very interesting topic and I will be following.

4

Interesting. Water, food, AK47 5000rds of 7.62x39. And yeah I don’t have much else to add. I’ll def lurk though

5

Nothing disastrous is going to happen…and if it does I want to be one of the first ones to go. No way I want to stick around in a world where the nuts are the new leaders.

6

[quote]Nards wrote:
Nothing disastrous is going to happen…and if it does I want to be one of the first ones to go. No way I want to stick around in a world where the nuts are the new leaders.[/quote]

So you would leave all the other survivors with no leader?

7

When our kids are out of the house, my wife & I plan to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I think it takes about 5 months. She will be barefoot about 99 percent of the way. I will be barefoot zero percent of the way.

8

This was a tip that I found helpful. A good idea to keep in handy in a pack.

9

[quote]Nards wrote:
Nothing disastrous is going to happen…and if it does I want to be one of the first ones to go. No way I want to stick around in a world where the nuts are the new leaders.[/quote]

This has less to do with anything apocalyptic and more to do with finding yourself in a shitty situation i.e. Survivorman or like the article above. Just interested in discussing what other stories are out there or situations people have found themselves in.

10

[quote]mbdix wrote:
Dave Cantebury(sp?) has some good videos talking about survival. They are pretty easy to watch and before you know it you have watched 4 or 5 of them.

I just got the Kabar Becker BK2 knife and if you don’t have a good, go to bushcraft/backpacking knife it is a great knife. The sheath belt attachment isn’t the greatest, but it is real easy to use the bottom portion of the sheath and modify it.

[/quote]

I will have to look into Dave Canterbury. Thank you for a name. I like the Kabar you listed but I’m still researching packing knifes. Not completely sure if I want to go fixed blade or a reputable folder yet.

11

BeefEater,

Your main survival knife should a full tang fixed blade one. Of course a folder can do certain jobs but it is notable to withstand as much punishment as a fixed blade. I would go with fixed blade for your main knife. Any survivor place that you research will confirm that.

12

[quote]BeefEater wrote:

[quote]mbdix wrote:
Dave Cantebury(sp?) has some good videos talking about survival. They are pretty easy to watch and before you know it you have watched 4 or 5 of them.

I just got the Kabar Becker BK2 knife and if you don’t have a good, go to bushcraft/backpacking knife it is a great knife. The sheath belt attachment isn’t the greatest, but it is real easy to use the bottom portion of the sheath and modify it.

[/quote]

I will have to look into Dave Canterbury. Thank you for a name. I like the Kabar you listed but I’m still researching packing knifes. Not completely sure if I want to go fixed blade or a reputable folder yet. [/quote]

No problem man. See, it’s probably just me, but it’s hard for me to watch the video you posted. I guess you could say it’s the presentation. Dave Canterbury is a lot easier for me to watch. He did a show “Dual Survivor” with a guy that walks around barefoot. I mean the dude never wears shoes

13

[quote]BeefEater wrote:

[quote]mbdix wrote:
Dave Cantebury(sp?) has some good videos talking about survival. They are pretty easy to watch and before you know it you have watched 4 or 5 of them.

I just got the Kabar Becker BK2 knife and if you don’t have a good, go to bushcraft/backpacking knife it is a great knife. The sheath belt attachment isn’t the greatest, but it is real easy to use the bottom portion of the sheath and modify it.

[/quote]

I will have to look into Dave Canterbury. Thank you for a name. I like the Kabar you listed but I’m still researching packing knifes. Not completely sure if I want to go fixed blade or a reputable folder yet. [/quote]

I’ve done quite a bit of backpacking, and I can tell you that a fixed blade of any sort is a waste of space.

A good folder is all you need. You ain’t killing grizzlies out there.

I carry a Buck 55 and sometimes throw a Leatherman mini in my pack. Most of the time the Buck is more than enough, but it’s nice to have scissors and a backup blade without adding shit tons of weight.

If you’re really concerned about weight, even the 55 is a bit heavy because it’s old-school brass and wood. Pick up the Buck Vantage. Great knife, synthetic handle, light, and takes all sorts of abuse.

http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=product.detail&productID=3650

I don’t know how much backpacking you’ve actually done, but you’re going to be real concerned with how much your pack is weighing. Any little bit you can shave off is a victory, because that pack can get real heavy real quick.

For a three-day trip up Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks last year, i think I weighed in at about 30 lbs. Rarely do I go over that, even if I’m camping in the winter in the Catskills.

Also, my pack is an Osprey and it’s about the most comfortable fucking thing I’ve ever had latched onto my back. It’s INCREDIBLE.

14

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:

[quote]BeefEater wrote:

[quote]mbdix wrote:
Dave Cantebury(sp?) has some good videos talking about survival. They are pretty easy to watch and before you know it you have watched 4 or 5 of them.

I just got the Kabar Becker BK2 knife and if you don’t have a good, go to bushcraft/backpacking knife it is a great knife. The sheath belt attachment isn’t the greatest, but it is real easy to use the bottom portion of the sheath and modify it.

[/quote]

I will have to look into Dave Canterbury. Thank you for a name. I like the Kabar you listed but I’m still researching packing knifes. Not completely sure if I want to go fixed blade or a reputable folder yet. [/quote]

I’ve done quite a bit of backpacking, and I can tell you that a fixed blade of any sort is a waste of space.

A good folder is all you need. You ain’t killing grizzlies out there.

I carry a Buck 55 and sometimes throw a Leatherman mini in my pack. Most of the time the Buck is more than enough, but it’s nice to have scissors and a backup blade without adding shit tons of weight.

If you’re really concerned about weight, even the 55 is a bit heavy because it’s old-school brass and wood. Pick up the Buck Vantage. Great knife, synthetic handle, light, and takes all sorts of abuse.

http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=product.detail&productID=3650

I don’t know how much backpacking you’ve actually done, but you’re going to be real concerned with how much your pack is weighing. Any little bit you can shave off is a victory, because that pack can get real heavy real quick.

For a three-day trip up Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks last year, i think I weighed in at about 30 lbs. Rarely do I go over that, even if I’m camping in the winter in the Catskills.

Also, my pack is an Osprey and it’s about the most comfortable fucking thing I’ve ever had latched onto my back. It’s INCREDIBLE. [/quote]

Jesus, Irish. You can knock a dude out, stab him, hide out in the woods from police, and backpack across the country. What can’t you do? You shit gold too?

15

Daft as a bag of Badgers, but this is the Backpack guy (not Ultralight but careful with weight but allowing for some luxuries). Avoid his “Entertainment” videos and you’ll find a lot of useful stuff.

Survivalwise Dave Canterbury is good despite the Dual Survival controversy. Americans tend to argue between Les Stroud and Bear Grylls, but for my money Ray Mears is the man. Only one they could leave out in the bush for a month and he’d come back fatter!

16

[quote]Irish Daza wrote:
Daft as a bag of Badgers, but this is the Backpack guy (not Ultralight but careful with weight but allowing for some luxuries). Avoid his “Entertainment” videos and you’ll find a lot of useful stuff.

Survivalwise Dave Canterbury is good despite the Dual Survival controversy. Americans tend to argue between Les Stroud and Bear Grylls, but for my money Ray Mears is the man. Only one they could leave out in the bush for a month and he’d come back fatter!

[/quote]

Haha Ray Mears is the man! Couldn’t agree more.

17

For a near perfect fire starter, cover cotton balls with Vaseline. Virtually nothing will keep them from lighting. Just make sure the ziploc you keep them in doesn’t come open in your pack.

18

[quote]crowdhater wrote:
AK47 5000rds of 7.62x39[/quote]

That probably weighs about 35-40 lbs per 1000rds, plus packaging. So you are looking at 200 lbs of ammo. OK if you have a safe base camp, I suppose.

Moreover, 7.62 x 39 is an intermediate round. Probably OK to shoot a deer if you are good and relatively close, but it’s not a true rifle round like a .308

A better choice would be .22LR. A brick of 1,000 rounds comes in at 3 lbs.

And yes, you can shoot and kill a deer (albeit illegally) with a .22LR. Indeed, I’ve heard poor kids from a reservation in New Mexico would pop does in the Ruidoso city limits with sub-sonic .22 rounds and suppressors made from VW bug oil cans. Then they’d feed their family. Allegedly.

If you want to shoot something bigger, skip up to the .308 for marginally increased weight over the 7.62 and real rifle power.

19

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:

[quote]BeefEater wrote:

[quote]mbdix wrote:
Dave Cantebury(sp?) has some good videos talking about survival. They are pretty easy to watch and before you know it you have watched 4 or 5 of them.

I just got the Kabar Becker BK2 knife and if you don’t have a good, go to bushcraft/backpacking knife it is a great knife. The sheath belt attachment isn’t the greatest, but it is real easy to use the bottom portion of the sheath and modify it.

[/quote]

I will have to look into Dave Canterbury. Thank you for a name. I like the Kabar you listed but I’m still researching packing knifes. Not completely sure if I want to go fixed blade or a reputable folder yet. [/quote]

I’ve done quite a bit of backpacking, and I can tell you that a fixed blade of any sort is a waste of space.

A good folder is all you need. You ain’t killing grizzlies out there.

I carry a Buck 55 and sometimes throw a Leatherman mini in my pack. Most of the time the Buck is more than enough, but it’s nice to have scissors and a backup blade without adding shit tons of weight.

If you’re really concerned about weight, even the 55 is a bit heavy because it’s old-school brass and wood. Pick up the Buck Vantage. Great knife, synthetic handle, light, and takes all sorts of abuse.

http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=product.detail&productID=3650

I don’t know how much backpacking you’ve actually done, but you’re going to be real concerned with how much your pack is weighing. Any little bit you can shave off is a victory, because that pack can get real heavy real quick.

For a three-day trip up Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks last year, i think I weighed in at about 30 lbs. Rarely do I go over that, even if I’m camping in the winter in the Catskills.

Also, my pack is an Osprey and it’s about the most comfortable fucking thing I’ve ever had latched onto my back. It’s INCREDIBLE. [/quote]

FightinIrish, what model Osprey pack is it?
I live on the border of the Catskills (just outside of Woodstock) and do mostly day hikes but will be doing some overnighters this year. Need a good pack. Thanks.
Sorry for the hijack.

20

My experience is limited to day trips and hunting, but for a fixed blade knife you can’t beat Bark River Knife and Tool. My primary hunting knife is a Bravo 2. It was sharp enough to shave with out of the box, and after field dressing 2 deer and hacking down beaucoup brush it is still sharp enough to shave with, and I have never stropped it. If you want one, take your time and do a thorough net search because some sites will rape you on the price.