Posts Tagged Doug Ritter

Self-Reliance Series #1: A Personal Survival Kit (PSK)

Tied in with my interest in frugality is my interest in protecting my loved ones and myself.  I became interested in emergency preparedness about seven years ago when I stumbled upon the Equipped to Survive forum.  I learned many valuable tips about survival and preparedness, stuff that I had never thought about.  So, for the uninformed, I’d like to start a series that covers the basics of emergency preparedness.  Part 1 will cover the Personal Survival Kit, or PSK for short.  I’ll show you how to build your own, and how to tailor it to your needs.

Why Do I Need This?

The reason for carrying all of this stuff is simple: you may need it.  Ever get stuck in an unfamiliar place when the power goes out?  I bet you wish that you’d had a flashlight.  Paper cut in the office?  I wish I had a band aid.  Button fall off your shirt before the big meeting?  I should have carried a needle and thread.  Due to my stubborn, thick-headed-German nature, I like to be able to take care of myself.  I’ll show you how to carry all of this essential stuff in a package that will fit in your pocket.

The Basics

On my person, at all times, I have my PSK.  It’s small enough to take anywhere, and looks like a wallet.  In fact, it is a wallet.  A typical, unobtrusive, bi-fold wallet.  It covers several areas of preparedness, including Shelter, Water, Fire, Tinder, Signaling, Cordage, Medical, and Money.

Shelter - for shelter, I have a large garbage bag folded up and slipped into the dollar bill compartment.  This can take the form of a sun shade, a seat for wet ground, or a poncho if I cut holes in it.  I can also use it for a garbage bag.

Water - I keep a Reynolds Oven Bag as a water carrier.  It’s the kind that you cook turkeys in.  Some people use a plain condom.  To each his own.  I have a small wire tie from a bread bag to secure the top when it’s filled with water.

Fire - why do I need a fire making source?  Why not.  You never know when you’ll be stranded somewhere when the power goes off.  I carry a small ferro rod, and a piece of hacksaw blade to use as a striker.  It throws off a good amount of sparks, enough to start a fire.

Tinder - if you want a fire, you need something to burn.  I carry a small cotton and wax tinder that came with a Sparklite military firestarter.  Here’s a picture.  It’s one of the eight pieces of fluffy stuff in the middle:

sparklite31rqyhb0j7l_sl160_

I also have a small piece of wax paper as a backup.

Signaling - for signaling, I have a small, flexible mirror that scratches easily.  I also have a small LED flashlight.  It’s tiny, like this one:

photon31-dxxw9xel_sl160_

It’s come in handy many times.

Cordage - this refers to anything that can be used for securing two things together.  I carry one of those FlossCards that you get from the dentist.  Dental floss is very strong, and has a variety of uses, including sewing thread.  I also carry about a foot of duct tape wrapped flat around itself, some sewing thread in black and white, a few sewing needles, and a couple of safety pins.

Medical - I have kids, so therefor I carry band aids.  Also a small packet of Neosporin for scrapes.  These items need to be checked and rotated.  I guess I could use the sewing  needles to stitch a bad cut, Rambo-style. ;-)

Money - I never want to get caught without some cash in my pocket, and with my PSK, I don’t have to worry.  I keep about $50 in there, along with some quarters for vending machines.  You never know when you’ll need exact change.

Miscellaneous Stuff - I also have a Pocket Wrench, which I’ve found useful.  It doubles as a small prybar:

pw25k1701s21

I carry around a couple sheets of Rite in the Rain waterproof paper, and a golf pencil:

rite41gdstzw-ul_sl160_1

I also have a small piece of paper with the phone numbers of our doctors, the nearest hospital, and the poison control center typed on it.  A button compass can come in handy, if you ever need to know which direction to go.  I also have a small magnifying lens, which is about the size of a credit card.

A Barbarian with No Knife?

Not so fast.  In addition to my wallet kit, I carry a larger flashlight, a whistle, and a small multitool from Leatherman:

squirt414kmjdag9l_sl160_

It’s got a knife blade, along with a file, screwdrivers, and pliers.  It’s tiny, a little over two inches long.

Waah!  I Don’t Have the Time to be Prepared!

Many of you will whine, “I don’t have the time to put this stuff together.”  If you’d like a great, ready-made kit, how about the Doug Ritter-designed Pocket Survival Pack?  It’s made by Adventure Medical Kits, and sold through Amazon (what isn’t these days?).  Click on the picture for a full description:

psp51jevqudrfl_sl160_

I hope that this post has inspired you to think about preparing yourself for an emergency, or even just an inconvenience like a button falling off.  You can read Part 2 in the Self-Reliance series by clicking the following link:

Self-Reliance Series Part 2: An Office Survival Kit

Subscribe by clicking here.

Print This Post Print This Post

Add to Del.cio.us RSS Feed Add to Technorati Favorites Stumble It! Digg It!
    www.sajithmr.com

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • Peeling crossSelf-Reliance Series #2: An Office Survival Kit Photo by  96dpi This is Part 2 of my self-reliance series.  I talked about my Personal Survival Kit in Part 1.  This post will not address the best anti-virus software, how to overclock your computer, or how to climb the corporate ladder.  I like to be able to take......
  • Dare You KatrinaSelf-Reliance Series #5B: Prepping Your Home for an Emergency: Food, Hygiene, Health, and Protection Photo by Editor B This is Part 5B of my self-reliance series.  I hope that you've enjoyed the other parts.  If you haven't read them, you can do so by clicking on the following links: Self-Reliance Series #1: A Personal Survival Kit (PSK) Self-Reliance Series #2: An Office Survival......
  • As far as the eye can peeFrugal Cesspool Maintenance Photo by AnyaLogic Those of you with a weak stomach might want to skip this post.  Every three years, we have our cesspool serviced.  I know, thanks for sharing, Enrique.  We have a few thousand gallons of "stuff" pumped out, and about 25 gallons of sulfuric acid added to......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites
  • blog traffic exchangeIs Recession Preparing a New Breed of Survivalist? Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could......
  • Reblog this post [with Zemanta]Trust The Monkey Mind Side note. They did give chimpanzees a computer game to play. A simple puzzle, but it was something even humans would find a bit challenging, and if they won, they got a treat. It was a test of their short term memory. They have a better short term memory than......
  • Under Cabinet Lights in Remodeled KitchenHow Do I Install Under Cabinet Lighting I love my kitchen, I really do - it's just so dark over the countertops, which makes food preparation a bit dangerous. I've been looking into DIY under cabinet lighting options over the past couple of months and I think I've found a suitable option for our kitchen. Since we......

, ,

13 Comments