"If you could choose only 1 item for your kit it would have to be a knife"
Now this is something I have been thinking about for a few months now and I have been seriously wondering about this.I live in Eastern Europe where although the population is sparse by British standards you are still never that far away from someone else. As such any survival situation is likely to be in the 24-48 hours category not the multiple days type.
Risks in the Outdoors
Thinking about this what are the biggest risks to life in that time? I came up with the following
- Hypothermia (winter at -20)
- Accident or Injury
- Dehydration
Dehydration is unlikely to be a big problem in a temperate area but it is still a noteworthy issue.
Cold
Hypothermia is in my view the biggest threat here and what is the best way to combat it? Fire! I don't have the skill to do fire by friction and I'd rather have a method which can be done with numb fingers.
As such I have decided a method of starting a fire is probably my most important tool. The fire would also give me a type of cutting tool (by burning through objects) and when combined with hands, teeth and bashing things (an underated method of doing stuff) should enable me to get back in 1 piece.
A Repost from my Woodcraft in Poland blog in 2006
Hi Samuel,
As one whose interest in outdoor survival and trekking is just taking shape, at a later age than most outdoor folk I suspect, I find this quite interesting, as the is rest of your blog. You're point is quite apt, especially as the laws in the UK are becoming tighter and perhaps more vague upon the use of knives. I love the last paragraph although I think that the most important tool stemming from it is knowledge and how and when to use it.
Regards,
John
An ax. You can use it to build shelter and tools
Fire has been a very important survival tool since it was first discovered by early man.
Good post.
http://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/
Murphyfish,
I don't think British laws have changed, it's the policing that has changed with it being far more common to stop people, use metal detectors in public places and to intimidate people who haven't broken the law into accepting cautions.
Fire making tools don't seem to have any legal restrictions in most places which makes it a sure-fire advantage in more sensitive areas.
Sam
The law is still the same here. I think sam-acw is right in the sense that the law is applied with some zeal, too much zeal, I'd say, rather than changed. People, including me at times, have become a bit paranoid about the actions of the police in this. We see their action as yet another assault on our liberties. Personaly, I'd never carry a knife if I went to a large city, such as London, (which I avoid like the plague anyway)particularly on public transport. I regularly carry a folder though, with a less than 3" blade. I have never, ever been stopped by the police. Maybe I got one of those faces that does not attract attention!
But I agree that fire is probably more important than a cutting tool. Fire and a bit of knowledge accompanied by some practical experience of making things with it. Keeping warm is more important than the ability to carve a stick, if you're lost for a couple of days.