Page 60 - American Survival Guide - October 2017

TESTING YOUR GEAR › Besides the 10
CHOICES “Cs” of survival,
the author
uses these
At one time or another, I’ve been in both small items for
“camps” mentioned above. As a student camping and
of the art, I came to realize that only after survival. Most
important is
returning from a trip—whether camping, iodine for water
backpacking, or taking or teaching a purification.
class—did it became clear what I really
needed for survival. These epiphanies
don’t come to you if the sum total of your
experience with your gear is reached when
you take it out of the packaging.
Comfort is another realm altogether;
and, too often, outdoorsmen think comfort
items in their kit are more important
than the absolute necessities. I believe
every serious outdoorsman, prepping and
survival enthusiast, hunter and survival
instructor should spend several nights
in the bush with their hard-thought-
out survival kit and see how it works in
different situations. No two people will
have the same stuff in their kits, especially
if they’re in different environments.
Survival in the jungle requires different
gear and approaches than the desert, the
Pacific Northwest or the southern states.
This is most apparent regarding your
clothing and shelter, but basic “survival
necessities” should be similar, regardless
› Opposite
of the area you’re in. page, top: This
kit is based on
the popular 10
“Cs” of surviv-
SURVIVAL ability—but with
a few changes:
The canvas sail
SHOULD NOT BE needle has been
substituted for
TAKEN LIGHTLY; Notice two cut-
cotton balls.
PRACTICE containers, two
ting tools, two
SHOULD NOT types of cover
and two types
BE DISMISSED of cordage.
BECAUSE
YOU OWN A
PRE-PACKED
SURVIVAL KIT.

I have camped out overnight on many
occasions in different environments with
only what I could fit in a small “possibles
pouch” and a couple of tools, intent on
being safe and staying hydrated. If you
and your gear pass these tests, you are
reducing your challenging situation into
a more-familiar and less-threatening › Right: One
scenario: camping! leather pouch
used by the
I helped teach a few classes in Alabama author. It holds
for which the students were sent out into a small, alumi-
num cup for
the woods after basic survival training. boiling water.

60 AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE [OCTOBER 2017]

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