Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
starting a fire, with desperate people all around, is almost certain to get you killed. Best forget it, except in a gully, using a can-candle. A fire doesn't really warm you effectively, you have to have 3-4 walls reflecting the heat and keeping the wind off of you. If you dress properly and have means of insulating your immediate area further, you don't need the fire and don't want one in a hostile area. Me, I just avoid areas with such temperature and conditions extremes. At least, I avoid them at those times of the year. If shtf and I was in such a time/place, I'd waste no time in getting out of there, believe that.
starting a fire, with desperate people all around, is almost certain to get you killed. Best forget it, except in a gully, using a can-candle. A fire doesn't really warm you effectively, you have to have 3-4 walls reflecting the heat and keeping the wind off of you. If you dress properly and have means of insulating your immediate area further, you don't need the fire and don't want one in a hostile area. Me, I just avoid areas with such temperature and conditions extremes. At least, I avoid them at those times of the year. If shtf and I was in such a time/place, I'd waste no time in getting out of there, believe that.
I think I understand your tack, but the tread was about a 10-piece kit for a SHTF scenario. Thus far, I’ve been trying to convince them what the five most important items are, and fire, or combustion, and a sure fire means of making that are second on the list to a knife.
I’m talking about sustainability in a wilderness survival situation. Without knowing how long a SHTF scenario could last, it’s critical to know the five most important Cs of survival. If things get that bad, nobody will have a way of knowing just how long it will take to survive, thus caches of water and food aren’t what I call sustainability, and at some point, people may have to learn to live off of the land with only a few basic items. Now anything past the basic 5 Cs of sustainability can be argued due to personal preference, geographical location and the like, but I’ve never met one self-taught, military or civilian trained survival enthusiast that doesn’t agree on the basic 5 Cs, so I disagree with your statement that fire isn’t necessary.
1. Cutting: A solid dependable knife.
2. Combustion: A sure fire method of building a fire in all conditions.
3. Cover/Clothing: How to carry basic shelter, learn to build shelter, and dress appropriately for the conditions that surround you.
4. Container: A stainless steel canteen, ideally, for disinfecting and storing water
5. Cordage: For making temporary shelter with your tarp/blanket and building more permanent shelter as well as carrying items and procuring food in the form of Fishing, trapping, and snaring wild game.
If you don’t have the 5cs, you’re never going to survive in a wilderness situation, and the key to surviving a SHTF scenario is to get away from populated areas.
*Note, I’m not saying that starting a fire with people all around isn’t dangerous. It should be obvious that I am clear and we agree on the fact that one must get away from other people.
P/S If one’s fire’s throwing off a lot of smoke, they’re either purposely signaling, starting a fire in very wet conditions, or they don’t know how to make a proper fire.
I still have my father's stuff in my car. I took it out and found:
1. folding shovel
2. hatchet
3. large knife
4. fire starting material
5. roll of cord
6. gallon of water (the water had long since evaporated)
7. packet with fishhooks and line
6. tarp
7. needle, thread, safety pins
8. first aid kit
He always carried these things as his emergency kit. I put fresh supplies in the first aid kit, got a new gallon container of water and added soap, a comb and a hairbrush.
I still have my father's stuff in my car. I took it out and found:
1. folding shovel
2. hatchet
3. large knife
4. fire starting material
5. roll of cord
6. gallon of water (the water had long since evaporated)
7. packet with fishhooks and line
6. tarp
7. needle, thread, safety pins
8. first aid kit
He always carried these things as his emergency kit. I put fresh supplies in the first aid kit, got a new gallon container of water and added soap, a comb and a hairbrush.
Loved the folding shovel!
Might consider fresh water each day as you leave in your vehicle rather than storing it there but keeping a Katadyn water microfilter (or similar) in the vehicle emergency kit/go bag.
Interesting posts.....but I have to say......freezer???
freezers are good for having ice and keeping milk. u can't expect to go several months without milk (or years). some people also need to keep cool otherwise they get real sick.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Dad's stuff
