Survival Tins

Survival tins

          Almost every camping store offers some sort of survival tin and what you get in them differs between stores and also on how much you pay, there is of course the option of making your own and the beauty of doing this is you can put exactly what you like in them.

          At it most basic, survival equipment consists of nothing more than a good knife.

RUI knife and Fallkniven S1 

or more appropriately a Machete, which are legal in the UK providing you have a reason to have one (I think running a Mobile Bushcraft Business counts)

and to make life easier an axe or folding saw. 

I had the cover specially made

these of course don`t fit into a survival tin but you shouldn`t really be without them anyway.

          For this weeks blog I have been out and bought 2 different survival tins one from an independent army surplus store in Sudbury (where I buy alot of my bushcraft equipment) and one from Mountain Warehouse to see whats similar and what differs and also what I would include in a tin I would make myself.

          To start with the cases of the tins are completely different in terms of style, shape and material, the Mil-tec case is made from impact resistant plastic which seals tightly to provide extra water resistancy, there are four plastic tabs to seal the unit and rounded corners to avoid snagging, it also says on the packaging that an iPhone will fit inside, not having an iPhone I can`t test this.

          The Mountain Warehouse survival tin is made from aluminium and has 2 locks at the side to hold the lid in place, these provide quite a lot of pressure and this combined with the rubber seal (which unfortunately keeps falling out in my example) provides a fair amount of resistance to water ingress, sharp corners and an overhang from the lid could potentially snag on clothing and other equipment but I can`t see this being too much of a problem.

          Naturally because of the different sizes each tin contains different things, i`ll go through each individually and voice my opinion on each piece, I`ll start with the Mil-tec

          The button compass which is always useful in helping to find north, Providing you don`t need to do any in depth navigation, I would include this in a survival tin but not as priority piece of kit as there are other methods of finding North that don`t require a compass. (sunset and sunrise, analogue watch etc) 

          Mini Fire striker, this particular fire striker would not be included in a survival kit when compared to the other striker in this blog as its use would be limited due to its small size (6cm) but it does not come with anything to strike with so a knife would be required to create sparks.

          Small candle, I would include this in a survival kit as an easier although not foolproof method of creating a fire and I would probably trim the edges to make it fit into a smaller area.

          small mirror, (shown upside down to prevent glare) this would definitely go into a survival tin that I created as this would be a way of communicating across distances, there are of course limitations, cloud cover and jungle/ rain forests would prevent the use of this.

  

          wire saw, I would probably think twice before adding this to a survival tin, it has a practical use and is safer than an axe but there is a limit as to what this can do and the way it can be used,

          Fishing hook and line, depending on where you are will depend on how useful these are as there are alternatives, if for example if you have paracord (essential on any expedition) you can pull one of the nylon threads out for line and certain thorns can and have been used by various tribes for hundreds of years as fishing hooks but being small and light they probably would go into a kit I made.

          needle and thread, again I would probably just take a needle as the nylon threads from paracord are stonger and more durable than the cotton supplied (and if your thinking you really don`t want your clothes to clash, why? you`ve got more important things to think about!)

           Snare wire, perhaps controversially, given what I teach, I don`t condone snaring, being brought up in an area active in all sorts of country pursuits I have seen what happens when snaring goes wrong, (skip ahead to* if your squeamish) from pet cats and dogs being caught, to suffocating rabbits and rabbits where skin and fur has been stripped and the rabbit still alive, *however if I was in a situation where I needed to I would set up a snare so I would put this in.

           whistle, this would go in however I would try to find a smaller one. the international signal for distress is 6 blasts every minute on a whistle and the response is 3 blasts or flashes from a torch every minute.

          cotton wool, this would go in but I would use it sparingly and as a last resort if I couldn`t find any birch bark or similar to use.

          match book, I would put these in but only half the amount as I would have a fire striker with me as well, I would also waterproof these by dipping the heads in candle wax before leaving.

          Razor blade, if I had a knife on me then probably not

          Not really sure who would benefit from an accident report form if your the only person...

          Basic survival guide, as an aide memoir this would probably go in.
          And so onto the Mountain Warehouse survival tin, many things are replicated as above so no explanation will be given.

button compass

small penknife, this could be used instead of a main knife for things like creating a spark with the fire striker and the scissors are useful for cutting bandages.

whistle/ emergency medical information capsule, this is the right size for a whistle but theres a problem with it...its metal not good in a cold environment.

 Fire striker, this would be the better choice between the two fire strikers as it comes with a steel to create sparks meaning you don`t have to rely on your knife and is the same size as the other striker.

mirror, this is glued to the inside of the lid I wouldn`t have much of a choice but to take this if I used the Mountain Warehouse tin  

wire saw

  safety pins for clothing or bandages, or body piercings if you really want although again why? these probably would find there way into my survival tin.

bandage roll, this would go into a tin but probably not as much as you see here.

snare wire

plasters / band aid, one or two may find there way in but not as many as you see here.

cotton wool

          salt, mmmm now to find some chips (fries) obviously not for chips but for drying out and closing wounds, hurts like f**k, personal experience speaking there! no need to use on leeches either as this may cause more harm than good. this probably wouldn`t go into my kit.

          survival tins can be made as personal as you need, I knew a person who`s kit consisted of a penkife and a fire striker wrapped in duct tape and he had an explanation as to how to use just these items. As I always say personal preference is key to the equipment you buy.

as a final picture I`ve had the tin customized with the company logo and name

Follow the link below to go to the Lone Wolf Mobile Bushcraft website.

www.lwbcfs.com

Children`s clothing and equipment

Children`s Clothing and Equipment

          Earlier this week I picked up the latest copy of TGO magazine which had a special on going outdoors with your kids, something I would encourage whole heartedly, however one particular article really did make me angry and it was an article on the equipment that the writer recommended for children and whilst it is of course part of a magazine job to recommend equipment there are alternatives to what has been suggested.

          

TGO article 

So what has made me so angry? well quite simply its the price, all the items you see on the page above in total cost £445.50 and thats for only about half the equipment you really need plus the fact that your children will grow out of it at least once a year, now I`m not a parent but even to me this seems a little steep, so what is actually recommended in the article and how much does each item cost? for this I will take full retail price as correct on date of publication.

          

          Kozi Kids technical waterproofs (£55) 

          Keen protection for little feet sandals (£45)

          Fjallraven Kanken rucksack (£50)*

          Camelbak Eddy Kids Bottle (£15)*

          Patagonia Baby Sun Bucket Hat (£23)

          Petzl Tikkina 2 headtorch (£18)*

          Littlelife Cross terrain Child carrier (£150)

          Craghopper Mila Tee (£20)

          Skogstad Down Jacket (£52)

          Pacific Baby Insulated milk bottle (£17.50)

         The items marked with an asterisk don`t have to be exclusively used by children and can be passed on down the line.

          Whilst I would be the first the to admit that the items above are most probably of a better quality can you really justify £400 a year? so what are the alternatives and is it not false economy? well as for the false economy there is an argument for both cases, £400 for quality equipment that will last and you`ll probably only buy once but what happens when your child grows out of those items, you`re straight back to square one and spending another £400. whereas spending less does mean less quality but if your child grows out of the clothing before the jacket is worn out (not including tears or losses) has it not done what it was designed to do?

          As for alternatives there are a few on the market and just for a little bit of fun I`ll set myself a budget of £200 (not including a budget for a child carrier) and see just how much I could potentially get for the money. Again I will take full retail price as correct on date of publication.

Mountain Warehouse

          Mountain Warehouse has a number of waterproofs on offer for children for £60 or less, the one that stands out for me though is the Chuckle jacket at £33.99 and the Spray trousers at £35.99

     

          Sandals from Mountain Warehouse look surprisingly like the Teva`s recommended by the writer but cost considerably less at £29.99.

  

          A comparable rucksack from Mountain Warehouse in terms of size is the walkabout 12, a 12 litre rucksack which is also hydration system compatible and should be more than enough to carry everything needed for a low level day walk and costs £24.99 

          A water bottle from Mountain Warehouse suitable for children is the 0.3 sports bottle kids with an owl design, although I personally think 0.3 litre is too small for kids and would actually say to go for something slightly bigger. (£7.99)

          £7.99 gets you a comparable hat.

          And £9.99 get you a similar head torch

 

          The Talus base layer is the closest Mountain Warehouse make to the Craghoppers base layer but of course is much cheaper at £16.99 (this is for the short sleeve which I could only find in white)

          As for the insulated jacket Mountain Warehouse stock the Khuno jacket which although is a pure synthetic jacket still represents good value for money, the other bonus to this jacket is being a synthetic jacket is more hard wearing and durable and less susceptible to water damage.

 

          Total spend at Mountain Warehouse £207.91

Millets/Blacks

          whilst I am not the biggest fan of the Peter Storm Adult range when it comes to the childrens range I do recommend it, as it usually represents good value for money, is robust and has a wide range of sizes from 3/4 years old right through to extra small and small in adults.

          THE KIT Boys waterproof jacket retails at £30 and is very good value at this price, being waterproof, breathable and having an interactive zip as well,

the torrent waterproof trousers complement the jacket and are fully waterproof as well. (£10)

          the Troos sandals although not offering the same toe protection as the Keen Sandals are a decent pair of sandals that provide excellent grip in the wet and are made from a water repellent material improving the life of these sandals. (£20)

          Although Millets/Blacks don`t do a specific kids water bottle (with the exception of the Camelbak bottle) any water bottle can be used for the purpose as long as its big enough, about half a litre and the 0.75 litre water bottle fits this perfectly, being made for tough plastic its unlikely to break and will fit quite happily in most side pouches of a rucksack, you could probably decorate the outside to make each bottle individual as well if you needed to. (£8)

          Again Millets/Blacks don`t make specific bags for children but there are a few within the range that can be used by them all with various different features and using bright colours that kids like, the four that I have chosen are no bigger than 20 litres and cost no more than £25

Regatta Axten 20L (£20)

Highlander 15L (£9)

Vango 10L stone (£15) also available in blue

Blacks Sonic 18L (£25)

          Hats are included in the Peter Storm Kids range and come a variety of different guises, from standard caps through to mini river ranger hats and prices from £5 to £12 

          Again each of these hats has a different advantages and disadvantages to them and ultimately the choice is yours.

          Ironically the cheapest headtorch I could find was the Tikkina 2 by petzl at £20

          Unfortunatly Millets/Blacks don`t stock Kids Technical T shirts, they do however stock a wide range of insulated jackets and fleeces, as mentioned above THE KIT boys fleece is interactive with the jacket and forms an extra thick and bulky jacket when put together, (£15)

          The insulated jackets are not interactive but some are packable and they are made from synthetic material meaning increased durability and resistance to the damp. prices start from £20 for a full jacket

Total spend at MIllets/Blacks £125 (£145 including Tikkina 2)

Go Outdoors

          As one of the UK`s biggest outdoor suppliers Go Outdoors would naturally have a wide range of children`s clothing and equipment at a reasonable price, this prices here are full and do not take into account the discount card.

           The Hi Gear Rainpod Jacket retails at £15.99 and like the other jackets mentioned in this blog is fully waterproof and breathable, it isn`t however interactive.

          To complement the jacket Hi Gear offer the Stowaway Children`s overtrousers at £25 and whilst these are fully waterproof they are not breathable which is something you will need to consider

          Go Outdoors stock the usual array of brands when it comes to Kids footwear and are all priced within the same price range of £20-£30, the example shown below are the Freedom Trail Fabric Sandals which retail at £20.

          Go Outdoors do not stock specific children`s water bottles and the cheapest bottle I can find is the Camelbak Podium at £8.99

          There are nine childrens rucksacks on offer at Go Outdoors ranging in price from £10.99 through to £24.99, the one I have chosen below is the Hi Gear Champ 10 at £10.99, with 10 litres of storage capacity within multiple pockets. 

          Once again when it comes to sunhats Go Outdoors has a wide range to choose from ranging from £4.99 to £18, the majority of them are based on legionnaire style caps. the one below cost £8

          where Go Outdoors really excels in kids clothing is with the amount of fleeces on offer, with separate sections for lightweight, mid weight and heavyweight fleeces (which also includes down and synthetic down jackets) prices start from £10 for a basic micro fleece and go up to £40 for an padded gilet, the microfleece below is a simple crew neck but could be used to teach the layering system

 

Total spend at Go Outdoors, £122.97

          As can be seen it is possible to equip your children for considerably less than £400 with the same equipment in the article (not including child carrier) normally at this point I would say As with all outdoor equipment personal preference is key to any decision you make, however in this case pester power will probably mean you end up with the prettiest one or the coolest one. 

Follow the link below to go to the Lone Wolf Mobile Bushcraft website.
www.lwbcfs.com

Basic fire lighting methods

Basic Fire Lighting Methods

Fire, a basic necessity for thousands of years and one of the first things that a bushcraft course should teach. Its a pity that this most fundamental skill has been lost with the advent of self igniting boilers and central heating to keep us warm. There are many different ways of teaching fire lighting ranging from the basic and obvious through to what most people think of when they think of bushcraft, rubbing two sticks together. in this weeks blog I`m going to show you some basic and simple methods of fire lighting that I teach on my courses, I made the videos in the local woods, the footage is unedited as I don`t have a video editor on my computer, I used cotton wool and petroleum jelly as fuel and all the fires are extinguished using a bowl of water which you will occasionally hear.

  

the kit 

Matches

Matches have been around for a long time yet it is still surprising how many people aren`t confident in using them, especially young people, personally I blame films for this as many people have seen an actor light a match only to drop seconds later just before the monster attacks! this has lead me to start doing confidence building with matches where I take an extra long match light it and hold it in my hand whilst explaining that it takes a while for a match to burn down to their fingers and in all likelihood will probably burn out before it even gets there.

(the T-shirt should read Lone Wolf Mobile Bushcraft)

this is what tends to happen with clients 

Lighters

probably most peoples first port of call when they think of a way to light a fire as everyone knows someone that will have one, I have both a long handle refillable lighter and the usual disposable ones, I do encourage the use of both, the videos below show both types and yes I did have a problem with the disposable lighter until I swapped hands.

 

Disposable lighter

Fire Striker

For most people this is where bushcraft really begins in terms of fire lighting, as there is skill and patience involved with getting a spark from one of these, I have found that the best way to use a fire striker is to keep the steel still and move the striker itself as this means that sparks generated are at a consistent distance and are slightly easy to control in terms of direction, although this is by no means assured and many a decent spark has been lost due to random direction, I have also found that better sparks are generated when using a knife this however does have the downside of blunting the knife.

 

Battery

This is perhaps one of the easiest non conventional methods of lighting fires out there, however it does have downsides which I will go through first, first of all this method can be dangerous for many reasons, to light a fire, you are effectively creating a short circuit between the two terminals of a 9V battery with some wire wool, this runs the risk of electrocution and burns if you touch the energized wire and also heats the battery itself to quite a high temperature, if you intend to try this method please only do so whilst wearing gloves and DO NOT hold the battery against the wire too long else you will risk the battery catching alight, I use cheaper batteries for this method as they are not used for long and get damaged anyway, also when transporting battery and wire wool I not only wrap the battery in a non conductive material, like a plastic bag but also store the two in completely separate compartments of my rucksack. 

This covers four basic methods of lighting fires but there are many more I haven`t covered such as traditional flint and steel, focal point ignition (magnifying glasses and parabolic mirrors) and fire pistons (I don`t own one of theses yet), as well as bow drills and fire drills (rubbing two sticks together) as these are better taught on courses, if you have a go at any of these methods above please remember safety precautions and always have a method of extinguishing fires afterwards.  

Follow the link below to go to the Lone Wolf Mobile Bushcraft website.

www.lwbcfs.com