Thought I would get everyone's opinion of a good kit that could be put into a messenger bag to provide you with a good selection of gear that was easily carried and will not cause you to be arrested for carrying them.

Of the things I have found handy to have around have been amazingly along the lines of my emergency survival kit I made. Things such as salt, lighter fluid, first aid kit, holy water, 25' of parachute cord, hand mirror, matches in sealed plastic bag, zippo, portable EMP sensor and flashlights (one large and a backup one that doesn't need batteries).

What does everyone else think?

Only thing I could think to add, would be perhaps some silver (coins?), cold iron (steel sharpening stone? Iron fillings in a jar/bag?) Otherwise you got it well covered.

Not bad thou a multi tool as well as a good folding knife are useful, along with duct tape and zip ties and maybe a small prybar.These have been useful to me at least, thou if you are trying to get eviedence that goes into a much longer list, but none of it should get you arrested.

Sealable clear plastic bags are easy to jam into a kit.

I also always carry a map and compass and GPS (GLONASS in Russia) everywhere I go, unless of course maps are unavailable, but then at very least some online mapping tools are available.

You know those patches that you can sew onto a shirt or jacket? Here are some things that can be sewn under one and remain almost undetectable:

Water purification tablets, button batteries, LEDs, needle and thread, wire, tinfoil, mints, multi-vitamins, aspirin, small rare earth magnet, bullet, shoe laces, plastic bag, etc. Too bad there's no room for a decent map in there.

9mm or .45 (with appropriate liscensing), pistol flaregun, or marine flare launcher (the kind you use on boats), dental floss (non-waxed), crucifix, or other holy symbol, good digital camera, notebook and writting gear to record field notes, or to use to start fires (to keep warm, or to help set traps.)

They don't usually have mirrors in them, so some things that might not show up on a conventional camera will show up there.

Other than that, I don't really know what to add that hasn't already been mentioned.

Yea, those waterproof paper notebooks and write-upside pens are handy. Permanent ink markers can be useful, too.

The problems with weapons are that different states have different laws. For example in New Jersey, New York, Michigan, Illinois, and California all mandate that carrying a blade over 5" or overall length of 10" is illegal. The same goes for firearm laws, so it is hard to just say that you can always carry smoething especially within city limits.

I am thinking about starting to carry a selection of spices and herbs too. Garlic, wolfsbane, rosemary, etc.

I thought that we were talking about survival kit... such as living in the woods.

the herbs are a good idea but when you start doing that lots of people wind up carrying the entire spice cabinet.

for weapons sometimes the trick isnt carrying what is legal but rather carrying items that are invisible to a standard search. when i go somewhere that my swords cant (like hunting in an airport, bar, or gov. office) i always carry a few back ups. (ceramic recreations of my identification, a slender silver spike in the binding of my passport, the chopstickes i carry in a case with me (one pair is silver & cold iron, the other are both peach wood), my prayer beads (each one is about 2" diameter hematite and heavy and the string makes an effective garrote) as well as a selection of joss that meets my most likely needs (banish, ward, attract luck ect).

also if you have that sort of training your best weapons cannot be taken from you. (an observant focused mind, one's hands and feet, and most inportantly a burning drive to set things to right)

Kolya wrote:I thought that we were talking about survival kit... such as living in the woods.

Greetin's From Maine

Ah the outdorrs and survival, now we're talkin'. I got myself a nice pack I lie to keep handy with use ful assortment of gear;

1) Canteen (stainless steel)
2) Compass & GPS
3) Satellite Com Phone
4) Field Radio
5) Med Kit
6) Pemmican ('nough for two weeks or so is good).
7) Good Mag Light
Serrated Bush Knife
9) Spool of strong fishin' line (can double as snare cord or a cut line in a cinch).
10) Multi-Tool (preferable American made, That's right).
11) Poncho
12) Some Asprin & Caffine Tabs
13) Hand Axe
14) 2 spare clips for my.45.
15) Flare gun & two flares.
16) Duct Tape

I add additional gear if needed, its about 20-30lbs of gear depending on the situation.

I also keep a small knife and a zippo lighter on my own self in case of an emergncy.

Im not even going to go into my collection, even though someone took my M-16, my Colt Commando, and my "Lee Harvey Oswald Special".

Hummmm.....Bert?

Sorry for the confusion, consider this a list of suggestions for a survival pack for our line of work. Common items to have in a messenger bag to deal with a variety of things we deal with. Either in a city or the wild.

The other things make a good idea for a survival kit though. Water purification, shelter, fire, and food are important to have if you go into the woods.

Greetin's From Maine

I don't know the DK if one kit could coer both an urban enviroment and a wilderness one. I speak from experience when I say, the're two entrirely different place. The messenger bagfor quick stuff is good for a urbanized area where you can just keep it in ya trunk. But walkng round with a ack of gear in the city may rasie some suspicion.

In the wild, more gear for that enviroment is required. More than just a messenger bag is gonna be needed. Though the water purification tabs are a good idea, I forgot to mention those. As for shelter, 3 yards of waterproof canvas, four tie stakes, should do it.

In the wild, fire making is ultimate. Everything else is just luxury except maybe a blade of some sort.

While expensive there are tents and sleeping bags that can be compressed to the size of a fist and weigh practically nothing.

Lest us not forget, a true outdoorsman can survive in the wildness without need of any supplies for weeks on end. The few "luxuries" I bring along just make it more enjoyable, like TP. *-)

True that, Holister. When I go out to the woods all I usually take is a good knife, a small sharpener, a lighter, and -maybe- some parachute cord and a canteen. That's really about it.

I generally also bring along either my .30-06 or my 8 gauge double barrel (Betty). Picinik baskets ain't the only things them bears are after out there ya know *-)

Holister wrote:I generally also bring along either my .30-06

Is that the lever action rifle I see in all your Western movies?

Nah, that would be a winchester sharps or winchester 30-30

Oh, I see. Guess that I never seen a 30-06 then.

30-30.. nice looking rifle.

A Rusky that watches westerns, Ok, I confused now. *-)

They are all over television here (in the States).

Mildly addicting, too.

Its John Wayne all the way baby.
Thats right.

A small handheld radio is a good idea. On the low AM bands they can double as a EMF detector giving an audible change in tone when you have an electromagentic disturbances. Ensure that you have filters for your flashlights. Red filters are a big plus if you want to preserve your night vision.

Anything that you can replace with an equivalent that doesn't require batteries is always good. I have a spiffy hand cranked flashlight that doesn't take batteries. Hand cranked radios are pretty good too for the same reason. Sure, you'll need to stop and crank your flashlight (or radio) sometimes but it beats carrying around a ton of replacement batteries.

I try to avoid the battery thing myself, but sometimes its unavoidable. As for the hand crank flashlight, I knew a fella who had one. He went out in Potters Creek Bog and started crankin it up. Fore he could finish a Snakehead came up and bit him it the parts (not to plesant). Ild have preffed my mag lite in that situation.

Ideally you crank it up before you need it, I think.

I think he did, it started to die when he was waiste deep in bog. I look at it as a life lesson, don't go unprepared into a bog or a snakehead will swim off with your privates. *-)

Certainly good advice, yea.

A simple bit of body armour would help with the snakes though... hehe.

The North Asiatic Snakehead or "Frankenfish" is a fish with a really bad attitude. Side I don't think Jasper could ford' body armor being in the stilln' business.