Page 59 - American Survival Guide - October 2017
P. 59
his industry has always
been fascinated by survival
kits. People spend a lot of
time and money looking
T for the right prepackaged
combination or components to use when
putting a kit together. This has become a
form of “outdoors pastime” that plays out
inside their homes.
We like the convenience and gratifica-
tion of buying an assemblage of survival
gear that looks as if it might work for the
survival situation we think we might need
protection from. For too many, the prep-
ping process is finished when we hit the
“buy” button on a website that offered a
dizzying array of choices.
I remember the days of excitedly
returning from the dollar or hardware
store with all these little components,
intent on stuffing them inside a small
Altoids tin. Most people who have had
any interest in outdoors survival have
probably done the same.
This has been referred to as a “mini
kit,” made popular by the late Ron Hood.
Small kits are okay for emergencies, but if
you try to camp out of them, their short-
comings become obvious very quickly: All
of a sudden, crammed items just don’t
cut it for a real overnighter or emergency,
unless the person has some very good
training and experience. I know I wouldn’t
want to overnight with just what I could
stuff into a small tin.
Then, there are the big “everything kits”
that employ the “Better to have it and not
need it than not have it when you need
it” mentality. These kits usually weigh a
ton and become a bit of a crutch, often
replacing training and good, old-fashioned
practice with more gear.
Some people, while prepared, are kit
dominant, begging the question, What
about skills and realistic camp practice?
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