I was recently at one of the major outdoor retailers and picked up a nice fixed blade knife to add to my main survival pack. It got me thinking about the importance of having a good knife when out in the wilderness.

I remember a while back, I made the assumption that a “Survival Knife” had to be something like what Rambo carried with him … a hollow handle that had some basic essentials stored inside. Although a good concept, I soon realized that it was not necessarily the best tool I could have … mainly because of it’s construction.

A Rambo style knife is very dependent on on small locking pin in the handle to keep the blade mounted. Imagine being in a survival situation, you are using your survival knife to either prepare your shelter or dig food from inside of a plant and that little pin breaks. Your knife now has just become a less efficient, and a personally dangerous tool to use.

With that in mind, does that hollow handle provide a strong enough benefit that outweighs the risk of a tool failure?

Back to my recent knife purchase. I picked up a solid full shank 5 1/4″ blade knife with an ergonomic handle. I wanted a tool that was going to hold up to most jobs that I could put to it. I did not want to have to worry about the blade separating from the handle when there was a desperate need that could be the deciding factor between my survival’s success or failure.

I am sure the Rambo style knives have their place. I still have mine … I just don’t put my entire trust in it. Now, I have a nice solid knife, accompanied by my pocket knife, for when I am out.

If you are out looking for the knife you need, keep in mind that the quality of the tool you own is very much Dependant on what you pay for it. If you spend $20 on a tool, don’t expect it to perform like a $60 or $130 tool.

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According to SafetyKitsPlus.com, “Survival odds increase significantly when packing a personal survival kit.”

Many people, including hikers, campers, hunters, and many other outdoor enthusiasts, understand the benefits when they carry a personal survival kit with them. It is a method of safety they rely on … to always be prepared if an emergency arises. They understand the kit they carry with them may save their life one day.

Unfortunately, a sad reality is there are those out there that either overlook the reality of the need for such a kit, or are unaware of the need due to their urban surroundings. Are you one of them?

I personally hope not … or … let’s take this opportunity to change that.

A few days ago, I shared with you one of my personal survival kits, which, as an update, I got my compass and snare wire. It is very easy to put together, and fits unrestrictively in a pocket … which is great when you are just going for a hike for a couple of hours.

Don’t get caught in the outdoors without having some sort of survival kit with you. You may not be able to live to regret it.

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I am an avid promotor of Leave No Trace principles, however some common sense needs to be put into place when you are in a survival situation.

Think about it, if you attempt to restore the environment around you to it’s natural state, you have just hidden any traces that will help search rescuers from finding you.

Now, don’t get me wrong here. It is important to remember to minimize any impact you can to the environment. If you follow the initial rule when you realize you are lost, meaning stop where you are, then you can keep your impact to the area low, and rescuers can find you easier. Do everything you need to, short of starting a forest fire (remember Rodeo-Chedeski?) in order to be found, but do it within a resonable area around you.

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If you have a small container that can easily fit in your pocket, you can build yourself a personal pocket survival kit.

In Feburary, I read an article titled “Lessons Learned - So Near, Yet So Far” by Chris Kavanagh. In his survival experience, he reported that he had two pocket kits with him - one for first aid and the second for survival items. Each of these kits were built using tobacco tins.

Well, I don’t use tobacco, and wasn’t about to pay for it. I did, however, notice that the Altoids Naturally Sours candy tins were perfect for what I wanted to use them for. They fit easily in either the front or back pockets. Another feature is the empty tin make a good steel cup for either drinking or boiling water in. One requirement I wanted vs what the article expressed, is I wanted the contents of my kit to fit within one tin, rather than two.

Here is what I put in mine:

1 Knuckle Bandage
2 Flexible Strip Band-Aids already medicated
2 Alcohol wipes
2 Tinder-Quik tabs
1 Paper Clip
2ft Electrical Tape
2 Mini Candles
6 Match Sticks with Striker Board (board glued to undersid of lid)
2 Fish hooks
6 Fishing Weights
2ft. Jute Twine
3 Safety Pins
2 Sewing Needles
1 Exacto #11 blade
1 Moleskin - cut to diameter of tin
1 Signal Mirror - super glued to bottom of tin
10ft. Outdoor Strength Thread
12ft. 25lb. Test Fishing Line
2 6d Nails
16″ x 16″ Aluminum Foil
4 Tabs Potable Aqua
4 Tabs P.A. Plus
4 Tabs Excedrine for Migraine
1 $5 Bill
6ft. First Aid tape
1 Cotton Ball
6ft. Snare Wire

… and I still have room!

I still need to add a Spark-Lite, a button compass, and a whistle … but will have that done before the week is through.

 Survival AZ Quick Tip - Personal Survival Kits: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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In February of this year, I attended a basic Wilderness Survival overview course at the University of Scouting - Grand Canyon Council. In there, we made our own cotton ball tinder.

Parts List:

Directions:
Liberally smother the outside of the cotton balls with the petroleum jelly. You do not need to soak the cotton ball all the way through. Stuff the smothered cotton balls in the empty film cannister and seal it up.

Cotton balls take roughly 30 seconds to a minute to burn. Smothering them with the petroleum jelly adds an additional 2 to 4 minutes to the burn time, which is helpful when you are trying to get a fire going with less than dry materials.

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Imagine being on a hunting trip and the day is coming to a close. You decide that cutting across a small valley is faster than taking the trail back to camp. As it gets darker, you realize you’ve made a wrong turn, and don’t know where you last came from. You are now in a survival situation, and have to prepare yourself for the night.

Situations such as these happen all the time. How you’ve prepared yourself before being in a survival scenario will make all the difference on how you fare through the experience. Having the right equipment will do little good if you don’t know how to use it. Knowing alternative uses of that equipment will make your situation all the more bearable, and could save your life.

Arizona has all seven major climate zones, with extremes ranging from it’s hot deserts to icy high mountains. Knowing how to survive in each of these areas is vital. If you realize you are in a survival situation, just remember to

STOP - Don’t even think about going any further. You will only frustrate yourself and waste valuable time. Unless you are in a medical situation, take off your gear and take few minutes to relax. Watch the birds, trees and clouds … anything to help you to help lower the adrenaline rush you are on. If you are troubled, it could take up to a half hour or more for you to collect yourself so you can think straight.

THINK - After you have regained your composure, try to figure out where you are. Study your map, if you have one. Look around at the land features and see if you can identify any of them. This may help you figure out where you are at. Think back and mentally retrace your steps. Where do you think you went wrong? What was the last point of reference you positively identified? Are you able to retrace your steps back to that point?

Remember, do not rush to any judgments. If you cannot determine your way out, plan forward, even if it means spending the night.

OBSERVE - Assess your situation. First things first … does anyone need any medical attention? What is the weather like? Are you able to see any natural shelters around you? Take an accounting of all items on you, as well as other natural resources around you. How can you make the things you have and and those around you fit your immediate needs?

If you find yourself in a hazardous situation, like a wildfire, electrical storm, avalanche, rockfall, etc., take immediate action and move away from the hazard. If a sudden storm is upon you, take shelter. Protect yourself in anyway you can from the storm, by either putting on any rain gear, setting up a tent, or finding a natural shelter that will help you stay dry. If you are in the desert in a storm, do not stand in washes. Flash flooding comes very sudden and without warning, even if the storm is off in the distance.

PLAN - You need a plan, or a course of action. This is the time you create a SOP, or Standard Operating Procedure. After figuring out all aspects of your situation, develop a plan that will use the least amount of your energy. If you are absolutely sure you are lost, or nightfall has come, stay put. You should only move to reach a safer or more sheltered location. From there, wait until help arrives. If you left a detailed trip plan with someone, your failure to return when you anticipated will trigger a search for you, which most likely is within 24 hours after being noticed you did not arrive on time.

Understanding these four simple rules will give you the edge you need to begin your survival preparations. Just remember to keep your mind clear and not to panic. All other things in life (i.e. work, school, skateboarding, etc.) must take the back seat when you are in your own crisis situation. Securing your surroundings will give you the support you need to be able to overcome the situation you are in.

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