Help me plan a survival trip – stage 1 making the plans

Posted by: Paul Posted date: January 05, 2012 In: blog, survival | comment : 8

UPDATE: The event was a success, read about part 1 here. Feel free to leave comments though and we’ll try to integrate them into next year’s trip.

This is it, New Years. With it we normally hear about resolutions and goals. I like plans and I need your help for it. I’m calling upon all the outdoorsy people or anyone that has seen a Survivorman episode to help me plan a trip where i can try to implement a few survival tools and tips.

That’s right. I’m relying on my readers and youtube followers to help me plan a 2-3 day trip where I can try my hand at survival. You, the reader gets to help decide what to bring and what I need to accomplish.

When:

I’m planning the event for early May.

Where:

In the Pacific Northwest and probably in a controlled environment for safety reasons (I have a wife and 3 kids to worry about). Altitude will be between 1500 and 2000 feet. I’ll be planning to be near open water.

How long:

2 to 3 days. possibly 1 or 2 trips.

Your involvement:

I’m looking for things that you’d want me to try/demonstrate. Fire, shelter, fishing, you name it.

I’m also looking for things that you think I should be allowed to take with me:

Pot? knife? ax or hatchet? cordage? bags? emergency blanket? shelter? food? fire steel?

Depending on the feedback we can work together to plan the trip. I need the feedback now to hone my skills and put them into practice.

Please challenge me. I have some basic skills and a lot more head knowledge that I want to practice. This controlled environment means I’ll have access to help in an emergency, but will also allow me to try more challenging things.

Please leave a comments with your ideas, how every wacky you think they are.

Suggestions I have received:
Just a knife – @davidecreech
survival fishing kit… Do they work? – @Richkolb
A clear plastic bag (construction) – TheDao101

Survivalvideos1 says on youtube: I did a survival trip a couple weeks ago. Built a wooden bed and all that. Basically what i brought was a Knife , a stainless steel canteen that i can boil in, a magnesium fire starter, a coat, one protein bar, and 2 mylar blankets. only got a few hours of sleep but i survived!

Commonsurvivalnet on youtube says: 6 C’s of Survival: Cutting tool, Cordage, Combustion device, Cover, Container, Calories,
ere it me, i would try:
Cutting: Multitool and forest ax
Cordage: about 50 Feet of 550 Cord that would be wrapped around various gear
Combustion: Ferrocerrium Rod
Cover:80% or higher Wool Blanket
Container: Canteen with Stainless Canteen Cup
Calories: King Size Snickers bar

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About The Author

Paul

A guy trying to get away from his desk so that he can fish, hike, play and just plain be in the outdoors.

Number of Entries : 273

http://www.blogger.com/profile/02683832651419525662 Paul

On twitter, mr. Creech suggested that I only bring a knife. What do you think?
Graeme Alexander

Someone I know would boast that all you need is an axe, and a pair of underwear.

While I would love for you to prove or disprove this like Mythbusters.. I have something of a more practical challenge.

Take a daypack with the sorts of things that an average to slightly better prepared dayhiker might take on a dayhike:
-One meal or snack
-Some suitable cloths for a dayhike
-water filter and/or a water bottle/hydration pack
-If you go for the ‘slightly better prepared’ position, a knife and an emergency blanket.

Then demonstrate some useful skills that would be needed for a lost hiker to survive for a couple days (or more) while waiting to be rescued.

In particular:
- Shelter
- Bedding
- What you can do to become more noticable to rescuers
- Food / drink options that can provide some nutrition
PaulOsborn

Thanks Graeme, Lots of good ideas here! an ax and underwear hopefully will make it on the list!
http://hikingthetrail.com/ Adam Nutting

I think you should come to Kansas / Missouri and get you a nice plot of say 300 acres to go play in… I mean survive.
PaulOsborn

If I survive this trip, I’ll definitely be planning another. I might just take you up on that offer!
http://hikingthetrail.com/ Adam Nutting

I think you should be able to take a knife or multi tool of your choice. As I am not familiar with the territory you will be in I would not feel comfortable sending you out into the wild with a crappy tiny pocket knife. Would make it interesting but would also see you survive.
saimaayub

You raise many questions in my mind; you wrote a good post, but it is also thought provoking, and I will
have to ponder it a bit more; I will return soon
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Jayden Lucas

This is fun. Knife is just the most important tool you need, then you search for all the other things you need in the jungle. kershaw pocket knife